New-York tribune., 1903-03-01
s BBk1cA1, VIEWS HAS INTERESTED AMERICAN COLL

The independent are as remarkable for their.
variations from the laws OF the Pentateuch as lot
their agreement with the same
''Thirdly the whole spirit Of the laws OF MOSES
aud The religion Of the Israeites is essentially OD-
posed to the Babyionish. The Hebrew religion IS
monotheistic and the writers of the Old Testament
condemn unreservedly and unexceptlona'Iy PoiSLle
ism in all its FORMS The Babyonian tablets are Iu
80 icor+ations. the peopIe were addicted to sooth-
saving Witchcraft and all forms OF demon worship
and superstition. whereas the Heore" feHeiouS
teachers reprobate all this And they that practised
or melted such things were to be put to death.
when the Emperor condemns PROFESSOR De
utzsch for neddIing with theology one IS naturally
led to wonder how much better prepared the Kaiser
of Germany is to speak on the subject than an EN-
inent archseolOgist.
I'VE are all glad to know that the Emperor Oh
Germany believes in God not merely. but in Jesus
Christ as the Son of God. and that. further ne De-
lieyes the Scriptures contain reVelalloh IhLOus"
the prophets, and especially through the son. "neI
il comes to the logical discussion OF the more lhrl
cate theological problems. think it would be best
for both the archaologist and the cmperors 10
leave the field to theolOgians
DIR GEORGE FOOT MOORE professor Of the
olosy in the Harvard Divinity School. fears that'
however eminent in his own line. DehtZsch heau
must have been somewhat turned by the 1n'ltatl0H
to lecture before the Emperor. for his repOrreu
remarks are directly IN the face OF the authorl'S
of scholars learned in theology. DR.. Moore says
French and Americans in Southern Babylonia' ike
the work in Egypt Crete and the whole eastern
end of the Mediterranean Basin, have given US
greater knowledge than We had twenty years >or
even ten years ago. but it has no bearing on the
theology of the Old Testament. There Is no evil
dence that the Hebrew law is dependent On Baby
lOnian law and probability that 1t Is dlFectiy
related So far as the Canaanites may have fol-
lowed the Babylonians, the lsraelites may nave
adopted It, but the fact has no more significance
than Similar parallels China. Rome and india,
which do not necessarily prove any historical
connection. The matter has no great Importance
for theology and the German Emperor said moth
ing but what, as head of the PrussIan State
Church. he should say, the urging Of his chap
lain. Both should leave theology to theologians-
Deiitzsch's province Is in Assyrian scientific in
vestigation Life is too short to follow all the
remarks of the German Emperor when he wan
ders into AssyrioIogy,'' added DR.. Moore.
Professor MAMMALIAN LINDSAY KELLNER,
professor of Old Testament languages in the Eps-
copaI Theological School In Cambridge said: 1T
seems to me that some points DR.. Delitzsch must
have been misunderstood. For instance. he would
hardly claim any connection between the .anthropo-
morphisms OF early Genesis, where God is repre-
sented wandering In the Garden Of Eden in the
cool Of the day or as smelling the odor Of Eoahs
sacrince., and similar expressions in BabyIonian
literature. Such Views Of God In primitive
stages OF religion throughout the world. We must
not forget that the Old Testament Is the record OF
When the German Emperor claims that the revela-
tien was necessarily exceedingly slow one
not but think that the university professor agrees
with him. 1t Was q growing revelation limited
by growing capacity. God able to reveal
Himself to the Hebrews Of old. as He Is able to
reveal Himself to US to-day. only in proportion to
their ability to llsteni to Him and understand Him.
They were q crude. semi-barbarous people when
they entered Canaan, and they understood God
to say to them that they were to sxtermInats the
original land owners. This was their best thought
of the God who later on enjOned upon them to love
their enemies. The Bible IL the record OF Gods
growing revelation responding to mans growing
of want,
When Professor Deitzsch speaks OF the Old
Testament's Indebtedness TO BabylonIan literature,
no scholar to-day would disagree with him as to
the Eastern origin OF the Genesis stories of the
creation. deIuge tower of Babel or of the legends
OF NebuchadneEIaT In the Book OF Daniel and OF
the legend OF Ishtan. embedded in the Rook OF
Esther. That the Hammursbi law tablet was the
original OF the sc-calIsd sinaitlc leEIslstion Of