The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-01-05
He Is INVITED TO CALL AGAIN.
BIBLICAL CRITICISM AND THE
THEORY OF EVOLUTION
HIS TOPIC.
HOLDS FIRM THEOLOGICAL VIEWS
On Divine Inspiration of the
Scriptures and Human Err
rancy.


yesterday afternoon in the rooms of
the Central Park Methodist church.
The Methodist divines departed from
their usual lines by asking Rev. Faith
er John Gmeiner, a Roman Catholic
priest in charge Of the House of the
Good Shepherd, to be at their gather
Ing and read a paper on 1.-The Present
State Of Biblical Criticism, and the
Theory of Evolution"
W. K. Marshall was presiding elder
at the meeting, and among the other
clergymen present were: Revs. c. H.
Bridgman and F. B. Cowgirl, Of Ham
line; r. N. Avison, W. NJ Jameson,
H. Simmons, James Castle, Winona
]. F. Stout, M. G. Shuman and David
Morgan. Editor r. H. Young, Of the
Methodist Herald, was also present.
Upon the conclusion Of the paper, the
gentlemen present discussed the subject
at some length, and after thanking
Rather Gmeiner issued to him an invi-
tation to be present and speak before
them at some future date. The paper.
in part, was as follows:
This subject is of the greatest in
terest and Importance, nowadays, to all
of us, first, to satisfy our own religious
convictions, then to satisfy intelligent
Christian inquirers, and, finally to
answer the objections made by unbe-
levers against the inspired character OF
the Sacred Scriptures.
1.-THE progress Of natural sciences, the
more recent archaeological discoveries
in Egypt and Babylon, and the plausi-
BILE results of higher criticism, have,
within the past quarter of a century,
to a great extent modified some theo-
logical views concerning the Bible
throughout the civilized world, so that
we may well pause for a moment to
consider the leading claims made at
present by some so-called scholars
against the authenticity and inspira-
ton of the Sacred Scriptures. To take
the Pentatuch, for example, the COM
mon belief used to be that these five
books had been written by Moses, and,
being inspired, no mistakes of any
kind could be found in them. A very
respectable number Of Biblical scholars
now hold, first, that the Pentateuch is
composite work of a number of diff
ferent writers, and was finally put
into it's present shape after the re-
turn Of the Jews from Babylon, or
about 444 B. c., and, second, that there
are discrepancies to be found in diff
ferent portions of the book, or with
historical or other facts more recently
discovered, which would seem to over
throw their claim to divine inspira-
ton.
LAS far as the materials contained
in the Pentateuch are concerned mod
ern and quite recent researches have
made clear whence they were derived.
Babylonian tablets reach back at least
1000 years before Abraham. AS Abra-
ham came from Babylonia, he must
have had abundant materials on hand
for the history before his time. Again,
Joseph Of Egypt and Moses had all
opportunities to gather historical ma
terials from the days of Abraham to
the Exodus included. But how was
this matter handed down to us? High
err critics claim that the book Of Cove
nantS is the oldest portion Of Penta-
touch. Deuteronomy was added about
639 B. G. and the priestly regulations
were gradually drawn up after the
exile from $50 to 444 B. c. About this
time the Pentateuch finally emerged III
it's present form. Now, all this does
not in the slightest impair the inspired
character of the Pentateuch. The spir-
1t of God is not limited by persons or
times, and, even if the Pentateuch had
not been furnished until it was de-
ciared by Christ and the apostles to
be inspired, this would not interfere
with his claim Of being Divinely in
spired. But there are discrepancies,
Inaccuracies, untruths in the Penta-
touch, therefore it could not have been
written under Divine inspiration, it is
claimed.
This brings us to the vital question:
Is Divine inspiration and human err
rancy compatible? Theologians gener-
ally protest against such an assump-
ttcn. Are we sure that the time is not
near when the now proclaimed results
of higher criticism will be generally ac-
cepted by civilized mankind? Then.
of course, other theologians would
gradually admit that their predeces-
sCrs had most emphatically condemned,
as it has happened more than once.
Let us, therefore, not be in too great
haste to condemn with theologians the
hypothesis that, perhaps, after all, Di-
vine inspiration and human errancy
may be compatible.
IF any person ever spoke under in
Spiration, 1t seems to have been St.
Stephen of whom we read, in theSAets.
chapter viii SIN the direction in NHich
he was moved by the Holy Spirit he,
certainly did not err but delivered one
Of the most brilliant addresses ever
delivered. But did the Divine Spirit
take away his human liberty to make
some strange statements, e. &. that ia
cob was buried in Shechem, where
Abraham had bought a tomb-a fact
that had happened at Hebron?
The question whether Divine inspi-
ration and human errancy may not.
after all, be compatible, is still far
from being satisfactorily settled, and
before theOlOgianS promptly condemn
that view they would better not. like
the ostrich is said to do in case of
difficulty, hide their heads in the sand
but fairly look at the difficulties raised
by recent Biblical scholarship, and an
swer them on the basis of facts and
common sense-if they can