The Portland daily press., 1897-04-12
DR.. DALTON ON OLD TESTAMENT
The Last Lecture of the Course-kecapit-
ulatory of tho " hole.

has it been shown that there is con-
sensus of opinion as to the origin and
authorship of the Books of the Old Testa-
inent? clearly, there is such a consensus
to certain extent; absolute agreement is
not to be expected. The opinion of which
we speak, and to which we defer, is that
of Biblical scholars. OF these. a great ma
jority agres that Genesis is neither
geology. nor astronomy. 1t was not the
intention or mission of the Scriptural
writer's, from first to last, to teach
science. The emphasis of Genesis thrst
and second chaptsrs) Is on tn fact OF
creation and of the Creator. The chro-
nology of avonts recorded down to tho
calling of a braham is uncertain. All
that early period is, more or less, I'M
his tOrical.
NJ notheism dates from Abraham. who
Ia Justly called "the father OF the faith
full We have an outline OF his career,
also of Isaac Jacob ami his sous, who
went into Egypu. This is the first period
of HEBREW history The second heglns
with the Exodus, aud ends with Saul, the
first King. The third extends to the
division of the Kingdom, and the fourGh.
to the captivity. TIE return from Baby
lon, begins new era, which extends to
the destruction of Jerusalem. The
history az OuGllueu III buo Olu icSudIuCIus
is regarded as generally authentic, out
not in all the details. All agree as to
later authorship of many books, than
was formerly supposed aud especially, as
to he fact of II uual authorship, or even
a La ger uni Der. The DeuterOnomic and
Or etic dement's. make two a ts and
! I'D prisstly co 70 third, which last WAS
prohably the latest in its fullness. or
completed form.
Sacr,fioal forms of worshin were
untvers u in the ancient world, aud at a
very eailv period had family likeness.
They were generally accom- panied by
human iflces. The Hebrew religion
eliminated the Rrosser forms of sacrificial
rites, and rose 10 the conception of oDe
GID, t'the righteous judge Of all the
earth. -
There is a decisive preron7erance of
evidence, that the Torah as given b
Moses, WAS revised and Ell lareed from
time to time, more especially in the reign
josiah, and after the return from
B ibylon.
La this respect, the historical Jewish
church did not differ from the historical
Christian church. Nothing in the world
is more certain than the fact that prizes
l, ideas AID ceremonial worship were
gradual growth in the Christian church.
the whole cause and consequences OF 1t
are IA easily tras cable as any events in
history. The prophets opposed this
tendency in Isreal, just as Protestants
have in Christendom, and our mission is
the same as was that of the OLD prophets.
The priestly PARTY in both the churche
(Jewish and Chrisiians) have ALWAYS had
several advar tages such as esp it de
ccrUs official am bition, and the careless
disposition of n ost men to submit to an
authority strongly asserted, and sternu-
ously maintained Nevertheless, the
principles of nrophetism ara hi her aud
purer, ado res sing what Is highest In
human nature. It is probable. how eve,
that these two codes will continue to ii e
SIDE by side, and perhaps neither will
ever wholly disappear.