Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1901-06-14
That Wicked Higher Criticism.


" The Higher Criticism" as applied to
the Interpretation OF certain vague and
conflicting passages found in the Old
and New Tcstamcnts.
Bible research has been divided by
modern scholars into two great pri-
mary departments, Viz, The Higher
Criticism" and 1.-The Lower Criti-
cism.' The former method, rein
forced by scientific investigation, deals
with the fundamental principles OF all
literature, both sacred and profane,
wholly alool from purely theological
or religious bearings or its alleged
moral relations to mankind. The lat
ter method OF examination deals more
especially with grammatical princi-
pies OF speech and the structure OF the
various languages in which ancient
manuscripts are found. But it is
only the higher criticism with which
we have to deal at the present time, as
it is this alone which causes all the
mischief involved in the disturbance
cited above. That the reader may not
be mistaken as to what "Higher Crit
icism" really implies, we quote few
words from one Of the popular cyclo-
pedias of the day.
Higher Criticism is the scientific in
vestigation Of literary documents to dis
cover their origin, history, authenticity
and literary form. The question
whether this Greek word, or that, ought
to stand in some line of the Had, is a
question of Lower Criticism. The ques-
ton whether the Had was written by
Homer is question of Higher Criti-
cism. When applied to the study of the
Bible, Higher Criticism attempts to dis
cover whether its various books were
written by the authors to which they
are popularity assigned of what materi-
ais they are composed; whether they
are self-consistent, and to what extent
they agree or disagree with one another;
whether additions have been made to
them from time to time; whether they
are confirmed or discredited by the
monuments and the history of the Pc
Rod In which they are supposed to have
originated. When two Bible narratives
OF the same event disagree, Higher Crit
icism takes the two accounts and seeks
rational explanation of the discrep.
ancv."
Now, in the face of all this, the
straight-laced, old fogy trustees, of
that Methodist institution, the Wes-
leyan University, solemnly declare
that higher criticism OF the Holy
Scriptures is "only a mild phrase for
heresy." Let it be borne in mind that
these are their own words and not
ours.
DIR. F. D. Tubbs, who for two years
has filled the chair OF Natural Science,
in the Kansas Wesleyan University, is
an evolutionist and ripe scholar.
He believes that he has a right to
think for himself and to tell his stu
dents what he thinks regarding the
great moral and intellectual issues of
the day, as evolved by studying the
Bible according to the teachings of
higher criticism. For this alleged
heresy," the trustees silently dropped
him out at their election, last week,
and chose another man of more con-
genial soul, to fill his place.
In consequence of this action, the
students have openly rebelled. They
called q mass meeting after the cleo
ton and demanded of the college au-
thorities good and sufficient reasons
for the dismissal of their favorite in
structor, DR.. Tubbs.
Well, it is the same old story, told
over and over again; the same ecclesi.
astic farce enacted and re-enacted all
along down the ages, ever since Cali
leo was imprisoned for declaring that
the earth moved instead of the sun.
If, by literal rendering of the first
chapter of Genesis, the creation of the
earth and the whole material universe
was the work of six days of twenty
four calendar hours each, then the
professors in the Kansas Wesleyan
University must teach that dogma and
their students must believe the story
without so much as daring to suggest
that geology foreshadows a better
plan, redounding hundred-fold more
to the majesty and glory of God than
tho literal statements ascribed to
Moses. Moreover, since Adam and
Eve were the typical first man and
first woman whence the myriads of
human beings have sprung, the Yves.
leyan professors would not dare haz-
ard the impiety of thinking that per-
haps God by one grand creative act
brought into existence community
of men and a community of women,
with Adam and Eve as their respect
i've representatives.
If it is said that Joshua commanded
the sun to stand still whole day, the
students must credit the story, even
although Christian astronomers de.
clare that such phenomenon never
occurred.
Should solemn.visaged conductor
of chapel exercises say that the Bible
denounces dancing, then those sad
young men must believe him, although
our blessed Redeemer makes use of
music and dancing to embellish one
of his most beautiful parallels, and
cites that exercise, also, as one of the
innocent pastimes of little children
playing in the market places of Jeru-
salem.