The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-08-19
BIBLL CRITTCS.
The Fault Not in Criticism, but in tho
Method and spirit.
Editor of The Times:

'he ''uIt not IN criticism, Dut IN mo
Method and spirit.
Editor of The Times:
Sir.-Presidcnt Henry Morton. whose
able article in last Sundays Times 1
have read with interest. seems TO be OF
the opinion that the chief hindrance TO
the acceptance of the Bible by the
"thoughtfuI' reader is the prevailing
popular antagOnism TO the higher criti-
cisms and that this antagonism is due
mainly to Ignorance. That there is
regrcttable absence OF information
concerning the higher criticism, can
not be denied. but 1 make bold TO affirm
that the ignorance that is the real enemy
of the Bible IS not the sort of which DR..
Morton complains. As / have said be-
fore. perhaps no mistake which the
critics have made has done as much real
harm as the mistake which the general
public has made in punching all critics
together under the same label. There
are critics for whose spirits and methods
we may not have the slightest respect,
but there are other critics before whom
we might well refrain from talking and
+ lay our hand upon our mouth. There
are critics who are the worthy sue
cessors OF the rationalists and iniidels
OF the past; there are others whose
names are i'm the true apostolic sue
cesson which embraces the greatest
leaders and reformers Of Christianity.
Young people, especially. need TO have
their attention called TO this fact. There
is an impression abroad in the minds OF
our young men-an impression made by
a certain class of books and newspapers,
aided by a, certain class Of professors
lust returned from the continent-that
AN the critical ability In the world IS on
the side Of the literary criticism OF the
Scriptures, and that the common multi
tude who are holding stubbornly TO an
unmutiated Bible have no scholars 10
help them and are glad OF II. This inn
preston has been strengthened by the
advertising methods OF the literary critics
who have been at great pains TO Keep be-
fore the public the results Of their work
I'm the form Of a monster pile of irreve-
rent and Irrelevant conclusions. To the
uninitiated the size Of this pile can only
be accounted for on the supposition that
all the critics in the world must have
been employed In building II. As
matter of fact. great critics have never
been wanting from the ranks OF ortha-
doxy. our young men know little OF
them because we talk little about their
work and we talk little about their work
because they have always been at work.
There has never gone abroad a more
absurd idea than that the literary criti-
cism has a monopoly Of the brains ana
scholarship Of the world unless it Is the
idea which usually goes along with IL
that those who hold to an inspired BlDle
are afraid Of genuine criticism.
There is nothing wrong in criticism in
itself II our Father has sent us n mes
sage he will surely not be otended IT we
bring 10 bear upon 1t all the critical anil
ity we can command 10 find out Just what
that message is We may properly in
quire into each sentence contained IN
the message. That IS lower criticism We
may Just as properly inquire into the au-
thorship integrity. structure and relations
Of its several parts. That Is higher crit
cism. The fault IS not In criticism, but In
the methods and spirit Of the critics.
There are men who inquire reverently
into the several documents Of the Bible
recognizing them not as "A purely literary
product but as the word Of God. TO
these men we owe more than we Will
ever nay. There are others men who pro-
fanelv handle these documents as pure
IL human product. To these we are in
debted mainly for lessons OF warning
which their failures suggest.
Concerning this latter type ! may be
hardened for quoting from an edito-
rial. which / recently published:
The idea which is at once the founda
ton and inspiration OF the literary crlt-
is the sun Of the universe. The head OF
man is a head above everything. Reason
Is the supreme court from which there Is
no appeal The intellect IS the dlscoverer
of truth. and scholarship its sole guardian
and guide. The trained mind can grasp
an that is. All this sounds well enough
perhaps. I'm tho laboratory where man
Is not expected to use his moral sense
TO discover a preciptate. and where the
higher nature Is not In evidence, but no.
thing appears so absurd when brought
out into the world and tested In the broad
daylight Of common experience The uni
verse is fun OF truths which lie beyond
the range OF unaded intellect. Every
one knows that there are books wh,h
Weld nothing TO the highest intellectual
skill but open their treasures without
coaxing 10 a great spirit. The best
equipped scholar In the world. II lacking
I'm certain traits OF character might
honey-comb our greatest poems without
finding their holy Of HOLES. There are
hooks on which the humble feed every
day. which have not so much as a crumb
for the naughty spirit. The power which
il claimed for tho critics mind belongs
only 10 God. Mortal man Is not provided
with a pair OF sef-adjustible tongs caDa-
BILE OF grasplng all that exists. He may
have a pair OF material tongs (hands) to
grasp material things. ana ne may nave
Intellectual tongs 10 grasp facts. and he
may have spiritual tongs TO grasp spir-
itual truths. He cannot grasp spiritual
truths with his intellectual tongs any
more than he can seize lump OF coal
nv an intellectual process. lie cannot
nick a spiritual truth out OF the Bible
with cold intellect any more than he can
pick a thought out OF his brain with cold
steel.
II is this mistake OF the literary critic |
which has led him into the absurdity Of |
contending that a thoroughly equipped |
scientific mind such as he claims 10 pos
sess is alone capable OF dealing with the |
great problems concerning the Bible. and |
which has led him 20 expect 10 gee at the |
bottom truth by Investigating the Bible |