Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-03-05
EVOLUTION OF HIGHER CRITICISM.


clever flank attack on the Fundamental
doctrine of Christianity, and that not
withstanding its claims to n more re-
fined and exalted sphere than that oc-
oupied by orthodoxy, its essence Is
coarse infidelity. BY the assertion
that the sacred literature of the Old
covenant Is merely u mixtum compost
tum of ancient folklore edited" by
somebody who but poorly understood
his business, the way was paved for
another assertion, that our Lord Him
self was probably mistaken as to His
mission and calling. and misunderstood
by His first followers. This is n logical
deduction. Higher criticism supplies
the premises.
So far some of the disciples of the
modern critical school have been re-
luctant to admit the unavoidable con-
cluslon, but now DIR. Arthur Cushman
McCiiffert in volume entitled His
tory of Christianity in the Apostolic
Age lifts the veil and permits the pub
lie to behold the skeleton. With an
audacity worthy OF Voltaire, or his less
brilliant disciple. Ingersoll. he charges
the Savior with mistaken Ideas as to
Ills own work and one of the New
Testament authors. Luke. with stating
what he knew to be false. And this
book ia in a measure sanctioned by the
famous Professor Briggs of Union The
illogical seminary and Professor Sal
non of Free Church college, Aberdeen.
Professor Shalles Matthews, associate
professor Of NewTestament history and
Interpretation in the University of Chi
cago characterizes 1t as the most nota-
BILE addition to the theological literature
in its line as yet made by any Amerl-
can, a view in which Lyman ABBOTT
and other dlvines seem to concur. Are
theologians turning infidels en- masse?
The Literary Digest of February 70
contains a brief review of the new
book. According to this, the author
begins by pointing out that during the
century, or century and half, pre-
cedipg the birth of Christ. the antici-
patton of the coming of the Messiah
was quite common among the people.
Then John the Baptist arose, but mere
~ as O common preacher He was not
conscious of any special mission. He
knew that crisis was at hand and ex-
horted the people to prepare LOT IT, ne
claimed no revelation. He only did,
the author thinks. what anyone else
might have done, and many even better
than he.
Passing from John the Baptist u
the history of our Lord, the huthor
compliments the child Jesus on ms WON
derful accomplishments at the age OF
twelve years, when the son OF the
carpenter, notwithstanding all local
disadvantages, was found In the Iefhpie
astonishing the doctors WIN hlS
critical knowledge of the law. He mas
that Jesus at this early age mad the
deep conviction that God was his
Father. How this came upon Him the
learned. author cannot say. HIS sus-
gestion is this. that Jesus, under the
influence OF the Hebrew ScriPtuies'
might have been led to conceive OF Goo
as the Father OF the jewish hatioh
but the Interpretation of this father
hood as applicable to Him individually
'can find its ultimate explanation only
in His own unique religious personal
ity."
The idea that Jesus was the Messiah
DR.. McGinert believes, He conceived al
His baptism. The temptation followed
The Messianic call brought Him face
to face with the question. whether He
could, consistently with His own char
acter and experience, devote Himself
to the fulfllment of the common earth
ly hopes of His countrymen; whether
He could be true to Himself and ye'
be the kind of Messiah they expected
But although lie believed himseii u
be the Messiah He systematically re-
frained from declaring this fact 1,
-, r,o ircidon, at caesore,
tue Wor'u'
Philippi marked an epoch IN his mih
istry, for 1t was then that He first dis
ttnctIv acl,noUIedred His MessIani,
M. ',,.as,,,.,, an, a,,a, ,ha,
Gaining 10 ms u'so'p'es' anu .'en "''
no one else.
M o,,hor 10 NOT nosi,ive that Jest,
ine a"a,o' 20 no. pS''e w ,,aa no'I,