New-York tribune., 1903-01-28

Times to the Present Day. Prepared by More
Isdore Singer. Ph D Protector and Manaslne pp
Nxiv eS5. Funk & Wagnalls Company
A DICTIONARY OF THE BIBLE. Dealing with
the Lsngnage Li5eraturs and S0nten1S eaSe Hast
inss n A. D. d With the Assistance of
John a sebie Nj. A. d p Volume ~ siS LIE
roma-Zuzin,. ouarto. PIP. ssi Charles sorip
ner's Sons.
ENCYCLOPEDIA BIRLICA: A Critical Dicti1n- iS,1-
airy of the Literary Political ana hensloSs S.,rsI
History of the Bible. Edited by the Rev. T 4.
9syqs s6d Back X a. 4 q ii Ii 1Bd b. 4oume $S ' nj to P
ousrto. PIP $50 The Macmillan Company
There is not much to he added to The Trih-
une's extended review of the first volume OF
The Jewish Encyclopedia" The second taxes
the work down ''Benash. the rate Of progress
illustrated suggesting question as to how the
= pha bet is be completed within the limits ol
the twelve volumes announced Material for an
ercvclopadia. once the search for it has been
begun as in this case by enthusiastic speclallsts
= Il over the world. grows fast and clamors py
its excellence so loudly 10 be admitted, that oillS
the most heroic editing can keep the who're
within reasonable limits. This volume shows an
advance upon the first II contains more IN
1eresting subjects. and the method of treauns
them is better. This is high praise, in view OF
the remarkable excellence of the former volume
Some articles Of special weight are those on the
AnOCTyDla-
Auto Da Fe and Apostates There is an articles
of great interest bv Mr. f H Visitelly Ath-
letes. .n which the relations of the Jews to attn
Jetics are thoroughly surveyed. There are one
hundred and forty-seven Illustrations, including
some of unusual value, as, for example, the
double page picture Of the Auto Da Fe- Inc
articles are admirably condensed, fine writing
being nowhere obtrusive, but each contribution
establishing its merit simply on the clear
presentation of facts. 1t is pleasant to know
that this vast work has already taken its place
as one Of the great achievements Of the time in
its field.
A striking contrast is offered by the two Bible
dictionaries before Antipodal methods are
represented by them. with antithetical results
issuing at nearly every important point Both
profess TO be critical. both would claim to en-
body the fruits of the best modern scholarship,
and both are produced by men belonging to
Christian communions. Each in its way is the
best that has thus far been attempted in the
matter Of Bible dictionaries. The difference be-
tween them can be partly stated as a sequence
Of two different attitudes held by two different
bodies OF scholars. The Hastings Dictionary
completed with the volume now published. has
been made almost wholly by men who stand
enthusiastically committed to the Bible as seat
and source of authority. Since the rise Of Puri-
the prime ground Of appeal The Protestants
and especially the English and Scotch Puritans.
gradually formed the thesis from which their
power has largely proceeded, that they were to
stand or fall with the Bible. The practical issue
of this position in subsequent generations was
species of textual dogmatics whereby. under the
emphasis Of POVERTY. Interpreters, certain great
doctrinal and spiritual afhrmations were fast
N ened TO and made dependent upon the authority
ci+z- Of faxt
religious men accepted this union accom-
plished. To question the text was TO endanger
che doctrine. subvert Christianity and imperll
the immortal soul a kind OF textual tyranny
established itself. and the Bible was erected to
the common mind. as greater than the soul. and
even greater than the Deity whose word it was
averred to be- This position has been greatly
strained during the last fifteen years. but il is
not vet entirely changed, This new Bible Die
tionary" still represents a Bible that belongs to
the Puritan Professionalism. and il stands for
the traditional Theology of the Reformation. 1t
is conceived and constructed by men who would
in general claim tina the Bible is for them. by
necessity. a final authority in matters of faith
and practice They the spiritual descend
ants Of the men who began in England and
Scotland 10 shake the old order to pieces by the
power of the affirmation that the Bible was an
authority greater ,han the Pope and greater
than any h-lnan potentate. If these writer's no
longer use the vocabulary that once affirmed in
falhle and verbal inspiration. they do not break
with the assumption that the book is 10 be
studied and explained-but always first 10 he
obeyed-as standing for the final authority as
ell religious truth.
The -'Encyo lopedia Biblica' is the most i'm
portant of the frst fruits Of a reaction from
this view Of the Bible. 1t is made by men who
have = different attitude. They may have
snnreciation of the spiritual values of the con-
tents or the Bible books as great that of the
other body of men who make the Hastings Die
tionarv~ but they show no evidence whatever
of consciousness that the Bible is to be taken
as final authority first and interpreted after
ward. They proceed as if they had the right,
the duty to come to the Book precisely as If it
were a book made yesterday. or brought TO light
last week: made by the sages of the planet
Mars and sent dcwn here for English and
American and German scholars to inspect. TO
speculate upon. 70 make guesses about. Upon IT
they feel al liberty TO wreak every art method
and device by which dates, authorships
sources purposes. may be discovered and re
corded. They seem neither bound to know
everything necessary to esta blsh their specula-
tions &c be ignorant of anything that might
refute them. They apparently oblivious
OF A theology TO be conserved or established as
they are of a textuat authority to be regarded.
Take these attitudes in turn into the actual
process and find the Hastings Dictionary
very briefly discussing. and al great length
sunling the genuine Pauline authorship of the
Epistle 90 the Romans. il does also of most
Of the Epistles that The church usually credits
10 Paul; while the Encyclopedia Bblica' (ar-
ticIe PauD slashes the whole Pauline canon
thus:
With respect TO the canonicaI Pauline epistles.
the later criticism here under consideration has