The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-08-01
THE HIGHER CRITICISM.
sHE Old AND NEW METHODS OF
BIBLiCAL STUDY.
An Able Defence of Gods Work by Prcsi-
dent Henry Morton, Ph. D.-No
Danger to- the student


mlnos of many g0od people there IS a
very sisong impression that what is
yaucusy named tnc higher, the Literary
or the New Criticism. OF the Bible, IS in
SONS way antagonistt TO the belief that
the Bible SIS the channel by which COD
has revealed TO man His own nature
And lils relations 90 humanity, ano that
proper reverence for this message from
heaven TO earth ls endangered OF de-
strOyed 10y tue studies ana developments
o. tho methods OF critical science.
This impression is FOR many reasons
very natural one. but as the present
writer believes. is in most cases founded
entirely on an absence OF iniormauep
"a 20 The actual situation, andswih be re-
moved from an candid minds when they
reach q clear understanding OF what the
Ncw Criticism is and what II has ac-
Compusntd.
The best way Co make this matter clear
viii be 90 state what was IN substance
Tho generally accepted view Of the bioie
among theologians prior 90 the ADVENT
OF the New Criticism and then TO show
what change in this view has been made
Dy the results Of the New Criticism.
The old Wow may Doe expressed by
familiar phrase taken literally. G.,
"rhc Bible is the word OF GOD, meaning
the exact expression of the Almighty
the human writer OF speaker acting sim
ply as an automaton or mechanical IN
strument Tor recording the divine dicta-
lion.
AS recently expressed i'm its extreme
form. this view was that (refcrrns, or
course. TO the BiblO God is the arranser
OF IT'S clauses. the chooser of IT'S terms
and the speller of its words cine Rev.
". H. Birch. chairman of the Prosecui-
inc Committee in the recent trial OF Dr.
Brgssl. Though certainly am extreme
form OF statment. TO say the least. the
above is fairly typical OF the old view
ana logically deduciole from the reason
ine on which This view is founded for
the following lime of argument by which
The old view was reached:
HIS MESSAGE PERFECT
The D.hle is Gods message TO man
lind. and since God is perfect I'm truth
anu holmes. Ills message must be per-
fectly true and holy. but as 10 was trans
mitted through imperfect men. the only
waV m which its truth and holiness
could Doe secured was hy substantial die
tation. by which amy error or impertec-
tor from the transmitting agent would
d. avoided.
There is necessarily involved in the
foregoing the corOllary that the message
as transmitted and received must be per-
fectly true and holy in every part, or
in other words. must be inerant, and
chat if. a- matter of fact. we found
errors on imnnrtccti0ns ir tho Scriptures,
thrn these erroneous or imperfect Scrip
ceres could not have come from God, and
would have no claim ON our reverence.
We find this indeed very emphatically
stated by two prominent divines of the
Presbyterian Church. Drs Hodge and
Warheld FOB the Presbyterian Review,
Vol IT,. p. 2i5. as follows: "a proven ere
TOR 300 Scripture contradicts TO, only our
doctrine hut the Scripture claims. and
therefore it5 inspiration in making these
claims.
10 may le said that the above quota
tions express extreme views. This L adj
init but such views are only The noces-
sary logical consequences of the prem
ises assumed in The old method of APP
preaching study of Che Hiblo. and may
fairly serve Go emphasize tie main char
actoristic ol This OLD system, which was
that the Bible was in no substantial
sense the work of men and characterized
by the traits of human imperfection, but
was strictly divine and characterized by
The traits OF divine perfection through
out
DO may he noticed in passing thai the
above method of approaching the Bible
is exactly the reverse Of the Baconlan
method which would leac us 10 examine
The Bible in tine first place without
preconceved theory of -t3 nature ana
trv tO discover from study OF IT'S con-
tents what sort of % work u was.
However this may be' the Cnris'lan
world at large rclitlN eccepl'u .hi7 Ni'W