The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-11-20
IMPORTANT SUBJECTS
Which We're Discussed at Yesterdays Ses-
sion of the Episcopal Congress.
LEARNED AND INTERESTING ADDRESSES.
Archaeology md tho bible Yves tho
Topic for Discussion Yesterday
Morning, snd at Night the Subject
orProgress I'm tho Interpretation
ofChristian Symbols.

Archaeology and the Bible" was the
topic discussed by the Episcopal Con-
gress ut the morning session yesterday.
The large audience gave indication that
public interest in the session of this
great religious body has in nowise
abated.
Bishop Newton opened the session
with devotional EXERCISES.
THE PAPERS READ.
The Rev. Ralph II. Baldwin, chaplain
to the Bishop of New York, submitted
the first paper He stated that the
Bible sketches history; archaeology
writes it in the spirit of science. 1t has
shown that the Hebrew nation did not
dwell upon q desert isle, but lived in
touch with world. Archaeology illum.-
mates the page OH which is written the
history OF the world. For every Chris
tian 1t has message, it's research hav-
ing thrown flood of light-a knowl-
edge of the customs. places and events
of sacred story. Certain critics have
ignored it's voice, but a study of arch
neology has been pursued successfully
for many years now by scholars of all
schools. Its discoveries have revolu-
tionized our ideas of Oriental history,
and prove that Moses could have writ
ten the pentateuch, thus destroying the
assumption of the critics that he did
not write it. We owe debt tn archaeu-
logy for the Identification of localities
and the history of many OF the peoples
OF other times. From 1t we get much
information of the past that is not in
the Bible. 1t was. however, by no will
| OF man. but by the grace OF God that
the records of the past have been pre-
served and the information they give
| Is of enormous value lii SubStantiating
the record of the Bible, this information
being of incalculable value to the stu
| dent and scholar. Save as we encour-
age or retard the workers in archaeo-
| loSy do we hasten or delay the coming
| of the time when the history of the past
will be more fully known. Archaeology
| IL building anew for us 81 knowledge of
the breadth and depth of the reality of
! the time when the world was young.
| 1t does away with theoriZing and
| teaches that all things come from God.
AS we look through this wonderful glass
of history and see the figures that play
| ed so large part in the history of
! early times, we cannot our return TO the
! Book OF Cooks with renewed confidence
and pleasure.
The Rev. Professor Angus, OF the
rheolorical Seminary of Virginia. read
the next paper He said that the study
of archaeology had inspired Christians
| with the hope that many questions; now
| dark and misunderstood would finally
become plain. 1t has been assumed
| that IN the time of Moses the art of
writing was unknown, and there was
nothing outside of the Bible to disprove
this assumption. There was no means
of explaining many apparently. unrea-
sonable things that We're stated in the
| Bible, and these facts We're emphasized
| by the critics. Their assumptions have
however. been found baseless through
the spade OF the explorer. Archaeology
proves that we hadn't the faintCst CON
ception Of the civilization of the past
| The relics in the museums would chal-
IlenEc comparison with the most won
dcrful evidences of art to be seen in
| IlffDnES winIDy-S in Now NnrIs -
Ilow know that 1860 Il. G.. was Il wonder
| fui literary period. In the light Of the
revelations of archaeology the critics
now give up the assumption that the
patriarchs couldn't write. Tho early
lNarra lives of the Bible can now be at
tested and we no longer depend upon
| the unsupported statements of the in
sp!rcd writers. The civilization of those
ages was vastly superior TO anything
we had ever conceived OF il.
| Oriental archaeology too. makes us
revise our commentaries. BY it we can
| date prophecies. and even the rciEng of
| certain kings. The very names OF some
| OF the Oriental chiefs have come to li"h;
| through 1t. Hitherto we have had moth
| ing with which to compare the Hebrew
race. its moral conceptions, etc Arch
| aeoloGy has brought out an ethical Gle
| mcnt i'll Israel which qti!ckcncd her RAJ
f! tional conSccncc-Of which her neigh
bors hardly dreamed it shows that she
1
in the world. which force found it's de-
| velopment in Christ 1t shows. too.
| most fortunately that there was no
| long difference in time between the
| happenings in the early books of the
| Bible and the making of the records
| themselves. which fact gives 10 them so
| much more vame. 1t has established
| beyond question the literary condition
| OF the patrarchal Times; that the facts
OF the Bible were not floating around
! FOR centuries and orally transmitted
| but ;hat they were recorded from a.r
to axe as the events occurred. Critics
have assumed that the literary condi-
tons Of the early times did not permit
of the writing OF such books as those
of the nentatauch. but i: is certain that
archaeology lends nothing 10 thu sup
port OF the theory uf a later authorship
shows nothing that would discredit the
record OF the is!hc as 10 this. II has
| been held ina; Israel, in the time of
Moses. was 81 snail band oc numadic
| shepherds. but we now have 4 marvel
Gus attes;ation of the Biblical record
| The critics have been ali astray in their
assumptions and the conclusions drawn
from their wrong premises have been
| swept away.
Hereafter we must wait till the re-
| cords have spoken and not depend upon
the inteiects of the nineteenth CEN
tury critics.
The audience gave the reader an ova-
ton of applause at the close of the
paper.
THE ADDRESSES
The hymn "Father of Microbes 1voe