Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-07-12

because they provo the tendency Of that
research which calls Itself higher
| criticism" II It's conclusions are true,
there can be no Christian religion, In
The accepted meaning Of that term. In
the view of that criticism the Bible
Is but a collection OF myths, compara-
Bile, perhaps, TO the Eddas of the Ice
ianders Abraham Is a myth. There
are no prophets The authorship Of
| gospels and epistles Is referred to later
dates and to other writer's than those
commonly known TO the Christian
world. Accept this judgment, and there
is no divine authority in the precepts
Of the Bible There can, then. properly
speaking, be no sin, no atonement, no
salvation. What, then, is there left OF
Christianity, even II higher critl-
cism," to save appearances, insists that
Jesus Of Nazareth was the best man
that ever lived upon the earth?
What mas higher Criticism" brought
forth to warrant such conclusions ?
Absolutely nothing, so far as we are
Informed. II has busted itself with the
pecularitles OF style in the various
books OF the Bible. and drawn NUM-
Der OF conclusions on such evidence.
II loudly demands that the world ac-
oept its deductions as scientifically
established facts. Because there are
evidences of several sources OF lnfor-
nation III Genesis, therefore Moses did
not write those books. That Is sam
pie OF reasoning. before the force OF
which It IS supposed that the testimony
of antiquity must be set aside, The
higher critics. have not added much
to genuine biblical knowledge. Ask
what new facts have been disclosed to
warrant the adoption of the new the
DRY, and they will have to be silent
Archaeology, philosophy. biology, al
rather confirm the old theology. About |
all that scientific research has estab-
lished, Is that Usher's chronology Is
but that will presumably rot
seriously interfere with the founda-
lions OF faith. AS for the rest, II Is
4 fact that the ground on which high
,r criticism" now is ensconced, has
been thoroughly exploded by scholars in
Inherent ages, and found TO contain
10 place on which inhdelty can build
! fortress.
II should be said that higher oriu-
ISM is as old as biblical investiga-
ion itself, Recently the colerie Of crit
cs that arrived at negative results
AVE modestly commenced to call them
'elves higher" in contradlstinctlon to
hose whose criticism leads them into
he paths Of faith. There is no valid
'eason for this. Constructive criticism
8 as high" as that which has no other
lbject than destruction. And infidelity
loes not become truth, because II APP
,ears under a new and sounding
lame.
To Latter-day Saints the entire con-
roversy Is OF less Importance than It
5 TO the other denominations Of the
world. For their faith rests
IN the solid foundations OF revelation.
ontinued from time 10 time, as occa-
ion shall require. But It shows how
ifficult II is to maintain the PROPOSE
ion that the Bible alone contains all
he word Of God that ever can be need
d for man guidance into all truth,
scholarship today Is confront
d by problem of q very serious ma
ure. Young men and women are fall
NIX on all sides in the fascinating tolls
4 an inhdellty that poses as highly
oientifc, and which occupies both pull
ITS and seats of learning There rs
wrong somewhere. Can II
Ne righted. until the world accepts the
eachlngs OF Apostles and Prophets,
teachers and Evangelists clothed with
ivine authority and light, 10 proclaim
he way, as OF old? We think not
|