The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-04-27
WHO WROTE 1T.
The "NameIess EpistIe" i'm the New
Testament.
Literary Digest.

Literary Digest.
There is at once an allurement and
provocadon in any great book the origin
and the authorship of which are uncertain.
world, remarks the Christian Common
wealth Nondon). have been published
anonymously. The Letters of Junius' still
excite discussion as to their authorship
"Waverley" created a great sensation when
first issued. and for many months specula-
ton was rife as to the identity of the
writer a remarkable proof Of the genius
of Lord LyttOn was furnished by the fact
that The Coming Race" published near
the end of his life without his name upon
the title page, aroused such general inter-
est. The Christian Commonwealth con-
tinues:
1.-The one epistIe of the New Testament
which is clouded by the double doubt of
origin and authorship is, in some respects
the most wonderful of the sixty-six
treatises which make up the Bible. 1t
transcends all other Scripture portions in
that peculiar elevation which belongs to
thought expressed without rhetoric. 1t is
full of pure logic. 1t is sublime in the
lOftiness OF it's Immediate ascent into the
realm OF Deity. The Epistle TO the Hebrews
contains the grandest argument extant in
application to the pure humanity of the
Messiah as exhibited III his sacerdotal Of
hce. In no other part of the Bible do we
gain so picturesque an exposition of the
typOlOgy of Mosaic ritual"
Prof. A. s. Peake, lecturer In Lancashire
Independent College and formerly Fellow
of Merton College, Oxford, is the editor of
a new volume on the "Epistle TO the He
brews," in which he discusses at some
length the various theories of it's author
ship. Nothing is so certain with respect
10 the authorship" he says, ''as the mega
tive conclusion that it was not written
by Paul" He considers in turn the claims
of Silas. Luke, Clement. Barnabas. Peter
and Apollos, but without arriving at any
definite conclusion. The most curious con-
lecture is that of Professor Harnack of
Berlin who suggests that a woman, PriS-
ella, wrote the book, and this theory has
found many supporters. Says the Christian
Commonwealth:
I'VE suppose we can never hope to know
who wrote the Epistle to the Hebrews.
1t is, however, not this question of
authorship which is of any real moment.
Infinitely more important is the matter of
date. 1t is remarkable how unanimous is
the consensus of critical opinion that the
letter was written before the end of the
first century. Even the Encyclopedia
Biblica' locates it's chronology thus. This
fact makes it evident that even the most de-
structive Of the higher critics are con-
strained TO spare us this precious section of
Holy Writ. If all our great scholars thus
allow that the letter was written in the
apostolic age, reinsurance may take full
possession of every evangelical mind. The
book is genuine. No investigator seems even
inclined to doubt that the earliest churches
were familiar with it. Thus, the epistle
which points most wildly 10 Christ. both
i'm His earthly history and His heavenly Of
fees is admitted 10 have been written
while many people were alive who were
born before His death. Here is an evidence
of the truth of Christianity which no in
fidel attacks can ever shatter."