The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1904-07-07
DISSERTATIONS
BY S. D..

The Christian centuries have wit
messed q succession of anti Biblical
in.whichthe attacking parties /.
have left no stone unturned, no meth,
cd of assault untried to undermine
the popular belief in the authenticity.
and commences Of the Scriptures
More than once have they sung jubi-,
late over a supposed victory, more
than once have they played a re-.
QUEEN over the grave in which
they thought the Bible lay; yet each
time it has arisen with renewed life.
and vigor; and today, in spite of Vol,
taire's prediction that in 100 years it
would be known only as literary
curiosity, the Bible is more widely cir,
culated and more firmly believed in
than in any previous age.
Once more an attack is being made
upon the Book, but if the past is any
pledge or assurance for the FUTURE.
there is not much doubt of the issue.
1t may be- deemed very presum ptuous
for one who is ignorant of Hebrew to
dissent from the critics of the "hlgher
criticism" but do so without word
of apology.
When an important case is being in
vestigated in our courts of law, the
judge in summing up and charging the
jury impresses upon them that regard
must be given to the weight of evil
dence. Now, the eminent theologians
who disagree with and differ from the
higher critics far outnumber the crit
ice, wheaby no means have all the wis.
dom and profoundity. Therefore,.
other things being equal, common
sense wOsld incline US to doubt the.
charges made. There are progressive
arts and sciences in which the student.
of the twentieth century is far more,
advanced than was the philosopher Of
the first century, but among them we.
do not find the dead languages. The
Jewish rabbits of the first century, A.,
d., or the last century, B. c., had bet
ter opportunities for ascertaining the,
authenticity and genuineness of the
Hebrew version of the Bible than
has the most learned savant of today.
and we do not find those jealous guar
dams of the Book doubling either the
one or the other. They cannot be-
charged with ignorance regarding their
sacred books. True, their education was
narrow; they confined themselves to one
branch of learning, but in that branch
they were without peers. beware Of
the man of one bookw We stand as
tonished at the depth and profoundly
of their Biblical lore: yet we search
in vain for even hint that Moses was
not the author of the Pentateuch or
that Isaiah was written post facto."
1t is asserted that many words found
in the Pentateuch are of more mod
ern date than the Mosaic age; but
since the oldest manuscripts extant
date only from the fourth century,
the modernity of the language is ex-
planned by the fact that the books in
question must have been transcribed
hundreds of times, the writer's using
modern instead of archaic words.
Does that invalidate the work? If we
purchase Chaucer or Shakespeare
we find that the same thing has oc-
nd hok
have the works of both these authors.
If the critics deny the truths taught
and announced in the Bible, how do
they account for the noble lives Of
self-sacrifce, the spirit of mercy, Of
love, of charity, which now permeates
and influences all Christendom Rome,
Greece and Egypt were almost as civ
ilized as we are today, but we search
their records in vain for trace of
such institutions as are common in
Christian lands today. They had no
asylums for the sick, the poor and the
fallen. The great difference between
ancient and modern civilizations has
been wrought through the influence Of
the Bible.
The work of demolition is an easy
task; but after our iconoclasts have
accomplished it, what are they going
to erect on its ruinsp Will they give
US something that will inspire us with
frmer faith, more glorious hope, a
broader love; something that will bet
ter equip US for the battle of life, some
thing from which we can obtain
stronger and more efficient help in our
temptations, and which gives us the
same promise of Immortality? Until