The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-11-06
HIGHER CRITICISM
 WAS DISCUSSED Pastors Union Has Warm Bout
 on its Influence DIFFERENCE OF OPINION Arguments Briefly Stated Highly Com mend the High Moral Plane Which Characterised the Recent
 State Fair.
DIFFERENCE OF OPINION

AiS hatplo ulilOH or Ile BiTnlnGnafn district held an unusually busy meeting yesterday morning in the basement of the First Methodist church in which large difference of opinion and a heated dis cussion developed upon the topic of Higher Criticism" The Rev. John w Stagg led the discussion with paper en- titled, Higher Criticism As I See It." in which he reviewed the work of the critics, and divided them into extreme radicals and thoughtful conservatives The radicals were severely condemned, but it was the opinion of the speaker that their attacks upon the Bible could never harm it. while the good work of the conservatives would add year by year 10 the enlightenment of the people
 The meeting was called to order by the Rev. J. W. Ganty Johnson and after the roll call, to which full membership re- pled the regular business was taken up.
 Mercy, Home.
 Dr. Stagg read communication from Mrs. c. B. Spencer chairman of the board of the Mercy Home. asking that the Thanksgiving offering in all churches be set aside permanently for the benefit of that institution. He said that it was time the union align itself with one of the most important charities of the city, and upon his motion the action was taken unanimously.
 The Rev pr. A. J. Dickinson announced for his committee that the Thanksgiving services on November 20 would be held in the First Baptist church, corner Twen- ty-second street and Sixth avenue at II a m. All the congregations in the city are invited. Rabbi M. Newheld of the Temple Emanuel will preach the sermon, and the music will be rendered by the First Presbyterian choir. The coilee- tion will be sent to the Mercy Home.
 With unanimous vote the Alabama State Fair association was thanked for the clean and highly moral plane upon which the fair was carried out. Many of the ministers stated that they wei greatly pleased some having tasted every one of the drinks from .beerine' to cider, without becoming intoxicated"
 pr. Stagg then read his paper which was said to have been a masterpiece in it's way, and it was the unanimous opin- ion that the union owed him a vote of thanks for the painstaking care devoted to its preparation. The discussion then ! turned to another phase of the subject, only touched upon by pr. Stagg, "The Influence of Higher Criticism,' and the gist of the argument given below will be of particular interest to all members of churches
 Influence for Evil.
 ID Ir.ir 1. Christian church, who believed that the influence was for evil, spoke in part as follows:
 There is another side to this question. Busy pastors have little time for the scholastic side. What we want to know is, what effect will the teachings of high CT criticism. have upon faith? What effect will it have upon evangelism? "These are the things with which we are most intimately concerned Is there no danger to the faith arising from the teachings of higher criticism? l believe that there are dangers, and that we should face them frankly. But that you may see that l am not alone in supposing that there are dangers ahead, let me quote briefly what others have said. For these quotations, l am indebted to Prof. J. w. McGarvey of Lexington, Ky, who mas SlNen Ulutil lililt u lnc of these matters
 "Dr A. Kuenen, who is a recognized | authority upon higher criticism, said: We must either cast aside as utterly worth less our dearly bought scientific method, or must forever cease to acknowledge the authority of the New Testament in the realm of the exegeses of the Old CProphets and Prophecy in Israel page 4SO.
 n ,trhn io champion in England of this dearly bought scientific theory as quoted by Andrew Harper. said TO the ordinary believer, the Bible Is as precious as the practical rule of faith and love in which God still speaks directly to the heIrt. No crll- cism can be otherwise than hurtful to faith if it shakes the foundations with which the simple Christian turns to the Bible. sure that he can receive every message which it brings to his soul as a message from God himself Qiarper on Deuteronomy. pp 7. and 34. How can a Christian receive every message which the Bible brings as d message from God when some of these messages came from man and not from God?
 Prof. Charles A. Briggs says: Those who still insist upon opposing higher criticism with traditional views and with the supposed authority of Jesus Christ and hls apostles, do not realize the perls of the situation. Arc they ready to risk the divinity of Christ, the authority of the Bible and the existence of Ne church upon their interpre tation of the words of Jesus and his apostles? Do they not see that they throw up wall that will pre- vent any critic who is an unbeliever from becoming d believer in Christ or in the Bible?' Biblical Study, p. 196). How can man who rejects the authority o1 Christ become believer in Christ?
 christ's Words.
 "ie said: All authority In heaven and on earth is given unto Me No man can coine to the Father but by Me- How, then, can a man claim to be a Christian who rejects that authority, and who re- fuses to come to God through the only agency by which God can be reached ? ''Now in the battle for the Old Testa- ment, we have appealed to the use that Christ made of it; to his reference 10 the men who wrote it., and to his claim that they wrote of Him. If His claims be true, then the Old Testament scriptures in dispute were written by the men to whom he ascribed them.
 'HTo sum this matter up, let me quote Jesus says that in the beginning God made a maie and q female, and said For this cause shall a man leave his father and his mother and shall ceave unto his wife Higher criticism denies that he did the former, said the lat ter.
 Jesus said to the Jews. Moses for the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives Higher criticism says that Moses had nothing to do with the giving of this law.
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