Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1903-03-09
CURRENT
COMM ENr
The Bible in the Furnace of Science.


The letter of the German kaiser on
Professor Delitzch's conclusion as to
the Babylonian origin of many of the
myths and legends in the Old Tesla
ment," to use the language of Professor
Harnack, has started anew the stream
of letters which always comes to us
when any question affecting religion is
brought into special prominence. The
particular subject discussed by Del
itZsch and Harnack, however, can only
be treated profitably by those having Il
far more intelligent understanding of
it than most of our correspondents pos
sess. At the bottom, it is a question of
fact; and a disputation which is unable
to controvert the authority of the phil
ological and archaeological evidences
and is ignorant of them is manifestly
vain.
Accordingly, the pope has instituted
q commission for Biblical studies for
the special purpose of Weighing all such
evidence, on the ground that the task
of explaining them intact is too diff
cult for our Catholic interpreters to
acquaint themselves we'll of if left to
their individual efforts; and he tells
the commissioners that none of the
recent discoveries which the human
mind has made is foreign to the purpose
of their work" They are to avail
themselves '-even Of the assistance of
non-Catholic scholars" and he has put
at their disposal certain part of the
Vatican library and "a numerous col
lection of manuscripts and volumes of
every epoch which treat of Biblical
questions The commission is to reply
to advice asked of it, and, periodically
or as need may require it is to publish
its writings.
The examination at the Vatican of
such evidence as Professor Delitzsch
presented is to be, therefore, very
thorough; yet some of our correspond
ents who have no precise knowledge Of
it or of the fruits of archaeological and
pathological Investigations generally. in
their relation to the Scriptures, under
take to settle the whole question off
mand, from their interior consciousness
merely. The pope's commission, it may
be assumed, will find enough to 90 in
examining this evidence to keep them
long at work. Years are likely to pass
before it comes to any decision on them.
The Roman Catholic church moves
with great elaboration in such mat
tiers. The council of Trent, which
opened in 1915, did not close until 1862
or eighteen years afterward. A quar-
ter OF a century may pass before the
Biblical commission is ready to make
q final report, and they will be years in
which the critical and scientific investi-
cation and analysis of the Scriptural
evidences are likely to be carried to an
extreme far beyond the point reached
by Professor Delitzsch.
1t is plain that the Bible will be sub
jected to every scientific test, and the
more severely as the resources of sci
ence are enlarged and broadened by
archaeological investigation and dis
covery. The kaiser has rebuked Pro-
lessor Delitzsch for drawing conclu-
sions from his Babylonian explorations,
but no imperial discussion will prevent
him and his scientific contemporaries
and successors from proceeding to every
demonstra ton and every conclusion
they are able to make or logically to
draw The Bible is now in the furnace
Of scientific test and nothing our cor
respondents can say will either impede
or accelerate the process through which
it is destined to pass.-New York Sun.