The record-union., 1897-11-28
IN RELIGIONS REALM.
EXPRESSIONS FROM VARIOUS
RELIGIOUS NEWSPAPERS.

EXPRESSIONS FROM VARIOUS
RELIGIOUS NEWSPAPERS.
The Religious Thought of the Day
as Expressed In the Sec
tartan Press.
1T is quite evident by this time that
the higher critics of the Wellhausen
school are not destined to have every
thing their own way remarks the
Living Church (P E) of Chicago.
The confident assurance with which
they enunciated their conclusions as
absolutely certain results and their
insolent contempt for scholars who
continued to question their arguments,
seemed for while TO intimidate many
investigators. But, in the long run,
this mode Of maintaining a cause will
not prevail. Independent minds here
and there will insist upon reviewing the
arguments, unabashed either by the
authority Of great names or the self
confidence of those who bear them.
Thus we have seen in recent years
the work of Professor James Robert
son. the argument of which against the
foundation of the Wellhausen scheme
has never been answered, and. quite
lately. the volume by Baxter, entitled
Sanctuary and Sacrifice AT the same
time, the archaeologists, from the tes-
timony of the monuments, have pro-
duced evidence which cannot be gain
said, the result of which is necessarily
to modify TO a serious extent, ii not
finally to overthrow, some of the most
assured conclusions of destructive criti-
cism. Chief among these are Sayce and
Hommel, the one in England, the other
in Germany. The present volume,
though by no means a piece of easy
reading, will reward close study. A
most important part of it consists in
the examination Of the name forma-
tions in the Book of Genesis. and the
latter parts Of the Old Testament, and
their comparison with the facts sup
piled by the monuments 1t thus ap-
pears that the assignment of these
names to the periods at which they ap-
pear in the sacred history. has nothing
anachronistic about it, and that, in
fact, it is a sheer impossibilty that
such names should have been invented
by a writer of fiction at the time of the
Babylonish captivity"
''It is now nineteen years" says the
''Watchman" fBaptisO of Boston
"since julius Wellhausen gave the world
theory of the composition of the Old
Testament literature which threatened
to conquer the realm of critical schol-
arship. We have frequently noted in
these columns during the past two years
the various indications that the tide
had begun to turn and that the conclu-
sions of the advanced higher critics
who followed the leadership of Well
hansen were no longer tenable. The
recent work Of DR. Fritz Hommel a
noted high critic and favorite pupil
of Wellhausen, goes directly in the
teeth of many of his masters most
dogmatic conclusions. Among other
things, DR.. HommeI now holds. in op-
position to his former views. that the
Hebrews were not iiliterate. ignorant,
and semi-savage. He vindicates the
assertion that much of the tradition
upon which Genesis is based had been
reduced to writing in the time of Moses.
He holds that the names abounding in
Numbers are not of Babylonish affini-
ty, such AS would indicate their intro
duction in the time of Ezra, but are
Of the Arabian type of language of the
second millennium before the Christian n
era. If Ezra had perpetrated the fraud
attributed TO him, he could not have
dragged in the names found in the
Priests Code Furthermore. DR.. HON.
mel maintains the historicity of the mi
grafton of Abraham about 1000 B. c..
when Arabian princes ruled over Mes
opotamia.'
"A lesson Of the election" says the
New York "Churohfnan" P. E.), lis one
which has been taught by the expert
ence of success and failure since the
world began. The side which gained
the day was that which was united.
There were enough citizens and to spare
in the greater city who wished for the
defeat of the bosses But they di-
yided their forces. For one reason and
another, chiefly on account of that
stanch allegiance to party which is so
interesting and at times so discourag-
ing an element in our politics, they
stood apart. Those who We're united
We're bound to win. The simple law Of
cause and effect took care of that The
Christian Church is weak and inef-
fective for the same reason. The good
people are earnest enough, and right
minded enough and numerous enough
But for one reason and another, some
good some bad, some wise, some amaz-
ingly foolish, men will not work to-
gether Curiously enough, in religion
as in politics, the question of party al
legiance is the chief hindrance. To get
that rightly adjusted to settle the
Christian relation between the sect and
the community, between the parish and
the neighborhood, between the small
party and the great cause is a present
and imperative problem not only in the
city, but in the church, not only in poll
tics. but in religion
"One thing essential to any organiZa-
ton is loyalty" observes the Chris
tan Register" Onit.) of Boston. Crit
icism and opposition must always be
held by this bond, or it will become en-
nifty and bitterness. The play of vari-
Gus forces makes the vitality and
strength of effective cooperation. Dif-
ferences are part of this power. But
they must not allow themselves to take
a kind of weapon which will, at the de-
cision. force division, unless ready to ac-
cept that division. No motive or ar
gument can be used in the struggle of
opinion by those who intend to remain in
organized union which will be inconsis-
tent with their successful and earnest
cooperation, after controversy has is
sized in action. Liberty to change ones