The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-01-21
THEORIES ON AUTHORSHIP
OF THE PENTATEUCH.

WHO Wrote the Pentateuch?' was the
Reverend Cornelius H. Patton's theme at
the First Congregational Church yesterday
morning. In part. he said:
There are two ways OF dealing with new
truth illustrated by the experience of the
Apostle Paul at Thessalonica and Beroea.
When Paul preached Christ as the prom
ised Messiah TO the Jews at Thessalonica,
they raised a mob. assaulted the house
where he was staying, and dragged the
brethren before the magistrates on the
charge of treason. When Paul proclaimed
In the same message TO the Jews at Be
Ioea. We are told, They received the worus
with all readiness Of mind, examining the
So
In this question OF the authorship and
composition Of the first f1ye books OF the
Bible. which we have before US tonight,
100 many are inclined to settle the matter
prevent the spread OF the views OF modern
scholars BY storming against them, by
speaking OF their advocates in contemptu-
y Terms. sn9j by CHASING them with ag-
hosucs and inf1dels. / presume many excel
ient people IN St Louis. whenever they hear
hlsner critics mentioned, think of them
as enemles OF the faith. to be treated with
the utmost scorn. II is needless to say
mat 1 advocate the Beroean way. These
views are true In the main, or they are
= uue, IL they are true. We all want
70 holu them- If they are not true, We all
Waht TO reject them. The only way to find
Out Is TO examine them in a calm, unpreju-
orsra manner. they are not going TO be
overcome by people talking in a violent
looking sad.
the outset let US says word as to
Nno theSe higher critics are. They are not
near such dangerous persons as many sup
pose. ! am acquainted With several OF them
N OUT american universities. and 1 am quite
Sei.aIn mat they say their prayers. Their
motive. IL We can believe their word. is not
70 81 Destroy the faith but to establish it
tNOl-O To the Truth NG almost hAraE@ TEaU~
MINK vastly more Of the Bible than many
VINO tnougntlessly ~criticise them. A man
~, Wno reaas the Bible perhaps two or three
times a week, and then in a superficial way.
ought TO be very slow in passing Judgment
upon deyout men who are devotIng their
nVeS 10 Bible study. Moreover. a man who
holds with the higher critics is in very good
company. These views In their main out
lnes are taught by the professors at Union
many other institutions in this country a.
Wei as at Oxford and Cambridge in Eng
Isnd. and practically all the herman univer-
sitles. AT our great international Congre-
gatonal Council, which met an Boston a lit
ne more than a year ago, the speakers who
.oucned on these questions appeared to
the higher criticism was established. When
fIofessor Harper. the leading Baptist
scnoiar among the disciples, together with
among the Methodists. Presbyterians and
Eptscopalians find this view Of Scripture
CONSISTENT with the belief in the inspiration
W surrey no DIllldTE man necQ
feel alarmed for his orthodoxy III he fnds
himseif inclined In the same way.
Let me also explain that the term high
er Criticism does not imply any assumption
OF superior wisdom. 1t is used in a purely
technical sense, TO distinguish the literary
study OF the Bible from the preliminary
and lower criticism Of the manuscripts,
which was necessary in order to obtain a
correct text.
Ihe traditional view of the Pentateuch
IS lhat these five books were a single COM
position nom the pen Of Moses. This view
~ r.preseEted by the titles to the books
wien you md IN your Bibles. This tradi-
20. however, has never rested upon any
nistone basis. 1t was simply the uncritical
Tplnion Of the rabbits in the later years of
~ 2eNlsn state: II Is nowhere stated in
the Pentateuch tina Moses comnosed these
pyohs. aitnough IL IS definitely asserted that
ntoses wrote certain portions OF them, as
ne book OF the Covenant, which included
the ten commandments. Inasmrcb a. Jesus
eez.p5essiy put Us on our guard against the
tfeoiucns OK tbs elders and scrfbes By