The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-11-20

| we can appreciate the sacred record bet
ter. BY the revelations of arcbaeolog.
we can see how the spade has been used
| TO turn up diamonds for the crown that
| is to give so much light to the world
| We can think with pleasure OF these
| scholars working In their quiet way to
bring to us the light that will illumine
| not only the old Bible. but the new, as
well as the words of Christ, whose name
we bear and under whose banner we
| work.
At times the speaker was very elo-
quent, and he is gifted in word paint
| ing, which served him well as he fol-
lowed the explorers after truth In their
researches in distant lands.
! The last Speaqer was Rev. John p.
| Peters, ID. D., of New York, who is q
/ noted archaeologist, and was the leader
| of an exploring party in ancient lands.
| He said that archaeology is a part OF
the modern critical apparatus. 1t has
| taken both archaeologists and higher
critics TO interpret certain passages. 1t
would not have been possible in some
instances for archaeology to have clear
~ done 1t alone. Before anything had
| been discovered ENTHUSIASTICALLY in Pal
cstine. the speaker himself had attract
ed attention to passage in Jeremiah
! that seemed to Indicate that there
would be discoveries Of this sort in that
| part of the world. Till full researches
| have been made through archaeology
| judgment should be withheld. The diff
/ ficulty has been that higher criticism of
one age has been adopted in the theo-
| logy and then IN later years had to be
given up. Explorations have already
| gone back 1000 years before Arch bishop
Usher-by his fgures-created the
world
! The difficulty with critics is that they
could not find in the Other books OF the
Bible that Moses wrote those attribut-
ed to him. The words. First Book of
| M0SnS in hn
We're not in the original text. Those
words come from higher critics OF an
other time. What we must do is To eX-
plore back nearer the source of tho
tradition as TO the authorship. Many OF
the dates i'll the Bible are not from the
! original text but they are from the
Greek School of Alexandria. Many
| things are in the Bible and believed To
| be in the original text. but those things
| are the work of higher critics of other
! ages. 1t might be thought that there
| is nothing in archaeology to determine
positively the things of which 1t treats.
| but 1T is IL science just as is higher
| criticism. Put The spade into Palestine
| then. and recover the treasures there
hidden.
| TO instance what archaeology is worth:
| | had learned from the best sources of
| information that the ancient city OF
! GAIA was situated several miles from
| the present town of GAIA, but when |
| was at the latter place place noticed a
| hill that looked like q natural hill. but
which. on close investigation, proved to
| he heap of debris. AT the base we
| found the earth slipping away and
| tcere discovered the wall Of the ancient
CITY, giving the lie to what was con-
sidered up to that time az the best au-
| thority on the subject. Great results
are awaiting the touch of the spade in
| Palestine.
The hymn, 40, Word of God Incar-
nate" was sung and the Congress adj
iourned till $ p. m. with benediction
| by Bishop Randolph.
! The Academy of Music was packed
again last evening To hear the discus
sion of the topic Progress in the In
depreciation Of Christian Symbols"
Bishop Randolph conducted the open
ing exercises and introduced the first
writer, Rev. W. NJ. Hughes, u. D.. OF
| Morristown, y. j.. who said in part:
How do we know that we have exact
! facts; how do we know that our religion
! is 10 be made morkcry by the men who
are too orthodox TO alter their views"
| IF Jesus be not the essence OF incar-
mate being. then he fails to reveal Ia us
! some mystic holy of HOLES. If this be
true. 10 what religion shall we revert =!
| Snail we adopt the ancient Olympian
| faith or that of latter day pcsSimism?
| ',ro avoid either OF these we Chris
! tiGn soldiers are lighting. This is wha,
I
MANY creeds recently launched are
! the anchors thrown out by an earnest
! but mistaken Christian cult We don
want progressive anchors. They are
dangerous"
! The speaker referred to tile battles OF
tho critics, beginning with the first de-
NAL OF the divinity OF Christ. He de-
! fined The Christian idea of jesus; sinlcs5-
ness. and in summing up he said that
the man Jesus was miracle of char-
actor. lie occupied a unique position
among men and presented Il human
| phenomena.
Il prophcsy." lie said. that another
fifty years of this noble criticism. seek
ing to establish the faith OF the Chris
! ton on .irmer foundation, will re-
suit in the more positive adoption and
notification of the Niccmc creed"
| CHRISTIANITY STRENGTHENED
! Rev. Leighton PARIS, II. ID. OF Boston,
was next introduced. lie said:
| In the Interpretation Of the Christian
symbols n question of great Importance
ariSes--haS Interpretation changed oar
creed? 4 believe in God the Father
! is as potent to-day. has as much and as
strong meaning as ever before The
only change brought about has been 10y
! til" acceptance of the theory Of doc
/ trine of evolution in some form or other
and the consequent cc2sinG of the con
/ tiict between religion and science.
The charging thought of man has
wrought all the change ;hat has occur
| rcd.
! Tho creed Is Tot an Gmulc. to save
the Church 1t is The G'h"rch's dcclara-
ton OF divine Independence
..ProOrnGe. ic NJ 10