The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-11-06

rained fire and birthstone from heaven and destroyed them all. Higher criti- cism denies that this event ever took place.
 Many Denals.
 "Jesrs warred his disciples with the re- mark, Remember Lots wife Higher criticism denies the truth of the story of Lots wife. Jesus says that Moses gave Israel the Law; higher criticism says that this is not true. Jesus says that the command to the healed leper that he should show himself to a priest and offer certain gifts was given by Moses. Higher criticism says that this command was given long after Moses was dead.
 Jesus said. Moses wrote of Me High CT criticism says he did no such thing. Jesus says that David. Dy the Spirit
 wrote the 1i0 Psalm. Higher criticism says that it was not written by David. Jesus says that Jonah was three days and nights in the bowels of the great fish. Higher criticism says that this is not true. Jesus says that the Ninevites repented at the preaching of Jonah, High CT criticism denies that they did
 'E recognize the legitimacy of Biblical criticism. Nor do l claim that the Bible must ne accorded treatment different from that accorded other books. But I do deny the so-caled assured results of higher criticism It's results are bad, and they are not at all assured. The higher critics are not agreed among themselves as to the results. Theeir teachings are changing year by year. Why foist upon the church views that are so unsettled and uncertain? Why preach doubts and uncertainties? It IS tine weakness of the pulpit today that it gives out an uncer- tain sound The people want to know the truth, not mans opinions. They want the truth of the old Book. They believe that it's messages came of inspirations that they are messages from God. When you destroy their faith in the inspiration
 of the scriptures, in the virgin birth of
 Christ, in His divinity, in the genuine ness of His miracles in His resurrec- ton from the dead, you sweep from under them the very foundations of faith This danger is not imaginary. It is real 1t has been illustrated in the actual experi- ence of men again and again. Brethren, lets stand by the old Book, as it was given to us by men of old, who were in- spired to write the living oracles of God. It is the impregnable rock of our faith" :"
 Influence for Good.
 pr. Dickinson then took the floor and
 said in reply, that he had been a some
 what dilligent reader of the higher critics. and had never seen anything which war
 ranted the judgment based on the few
 words quoted and knowing how easy it
 was for a casual extract to be perverted 1 when taken out of its context, and in 1 view of the further fact that he had seen
 so many unequivocal statements to the | contrary in the writings of these critics
 he could not believe that the charge that | they were unbeievers in Jesus in any | sense which would invalidate their Chris | tian profession could be vindlcated. | s'rTbp Rihln hook for the culture of Christian life, was not. in his judg- ment, upon any theory as to its origin or | genesis. The days when men held to the | mechanical or verbal theory of inspiration which was the basis of the litcralistc in- teroretaton and legalistic application of
 the word of God had passed. Jesus Him | self distinctly said that the letter of his | own words killed. and other inspired writers had warned us against the same. ''It Is not true that higher criticism had | in any sense invalidated the authority and proftableness of the sacred scriptures, l and it is solved many hitherto most dif- | fcult problems connected with the inter- | pretaton of them If there is any harm
 done to anybodys faith by these discus
 sons it is by the men who so unwar- rantably used the criticism to scare the | women and children into the fear that | some one, somewhere, with a great schol- | arly reputation had done so great despite | to the fundamentals of the faith, when | anyone at all acquainted with the facts | knows that they had done no such thing. | These alarmist are doing some considera- | ble damage to the simple minded who | look to them for light. not knowing that 1 they are themselves in the darkness of 1 ignorance in these matters"
 He believed in an inspiration that eX- 1 tended not merely to the recording of the language in which we find scripture, but | also was the author of the substance of | the record: that God in His working in the affairs of men had wrought out this 1 history with this teleology and presided | not only over it's being effected in the l world of men, but had also in His own l providence and by His own operation produced these records.
 "It is a matter of no importance wheth- CT He had done this through one single author or through many working together through the ages. As a matter of fact very little of the scriptures has ever re- ceived any canonical authority from any one man.
 "We call the Bible q rule of faith and practice. but as a matter of fact go on measuring off the several steps of life 1 by some other nstrumentallty. A rule that is kept only in ones tool-chest and not used is only nominal rule. That is about the way we use our Bible: put it safely away and then measure off the way of life by our sanctifed common sense.
 Should Be Studied.
 "The Bible suffers not so much from critical study as from plain neglect. If you will get out of your head the notion