The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1907-01-23
THE PULPIT.
A BRILLIANT SUNDAY SERMON BY
REV. W.. T. BEST.
Subject: The Higher Criticism.

Remsen, n. Y.--The following SER
mon by the learned divine, the Rev,
w. T. Best, was recently preached
here with telling effect. The subject
of the discourse was "The Higher
Criticism, It's Advantages and Disad-
v%aptages." DR.. Best said:
Higher criticism is defined as fol-
lows: THE discovery and vertical
ton of the facts regarding the orr
gin, form and value of literary pro-
auctions upon the basis of their in
ternal characteristics and contents
DR.. Harman defines higher criticism
thus: Higher criticism is a phrase
used to express all Investigation re-
specting the genunineness. anthem
ITCHY and integrity of ancient liter
airy work, especially the various
books of the Bible.
There are three classes Of critics.
First, the radical. who reject the SUI
pernatural in Scripture: second. the
conservative, who admit it; third,
the conservative-radical, who hold a
halfway position.
There are four principles upon
which the higher critics seek the
origin of the, Books Of the Bible.
First, literary treatment: second. his
torical settings; third, religious
thought: and fourth, cumulative
force of combination of principles.
On almost the same basis the critics
are divided as to their aims; some
have purely literary aims, others SIM
ply historical aims, while by far the
larger class have religious aims.
The advantages and disadvantages
of higher criticism may be viewed
from two different standpoints: as
they affect the critics and as they af-
feet the church.
> /. AS they affect the critics: If
the higher criticism is an enemy of
the Bible. then every other enemy of
the Bible is its friend and 1t has the
advantage of whatever aid they may
lend it. But is the higher criticism
an enemy? For one, I believe it is.
though I do not wish to imply by this
that every form Of criticism is wrong,
or that every higher critic is an en-
envy Of the Bible. for many are its
warmest friends; but taking the mat
ter as a whole and judging by its
fruits, I believe higher criticism to
be an. enemy of the Word Of God.
J.. Advantages.
AS an enemy of the Bible, 1t Is
=, easy to be seen that the higher criti-
cism has the following advantages:
~ The devil.
The devil was the first person TO
question the authority of Gods
5 Word. He was the first person to
dispute Moses. If there is no preach
ing in hell, it will not be because the
devil does not known anything about
the Bible, but like the higher critics
he never quotes it correctly. but al
ways leaves out those parts which
appear to him unreasonable. He will
cone to you as an angel Of light and
tell you that Moses did not write the
Pentateuch, Isaiah only wrote a part
of the book that bears his name, the
book of Daniel is a f%alsehood, Jonah
is a myth. the song Of Solomon is a
drama, the book of Job is only a
parable, ETC., etc., and by the time
you have taken everything out OF the
Bible that he may tell YOU is a false
hood, you will be qualified to stand
before the world upholding it's empty
lids and say: "Of course I believe in
the Bible: the only thing I an op-
posed to In it is the supernatural"
20 The flesh.
E, The fact that so many Christian
people do not enjoy the blessing of
holiness is one of the strongest
proofs that the flesh is a higher critic
and does not believe in those portions
of the Scripture that refer to the
higher life.
80 The world.
The world is one of the most ear
nest and enthusiastic friends of high
er criticism. The very ~supDosition
that 1t is superior to the Bible. COM
ling from men who are looked upon
as the greatest scholars and religious
: leaders in the world, is n of the
most comforting thoughts to the
mind Of the hypocrite. The poll
tician, who, when he is at home has
one wife. is a deacon in the church
and Sunday-school superintendent,
but when he in Albany has three
wives and does not know where the
churches are, will find great %consola-
ton in knowing that the Bible is
not all true. The accomplished young
lady, who is a member of the church,
but does not see any harm in dane
ing, will be pleased to learn that men
who know so much more than her
pastor does, have decided once and
for all that the Bible is not always
to be relied upon. A young man,
who is a graduate of one of our lead
ing schools, said to me some months
ago: Science has not fully settled
the question as yet, whether E1och
was translated or not" Mormonism,
anarchism, atheism, spiritualism and
all the other isms are friends of the
higher criticism.
O. The disadvantages.
There are many disadvantages;
we can only lame a few of them.
Cd The Bible will not stay
'fput."
AS soon as they get the Book Of
Genesis fixed up the way they think
it ought to be, somebody over in
Chronicles says OF does something
that upsets the whole plan. SO they
have either got to destroy Chronicles
or change their former position. BY
the time they dispose of all the wit
nesses throughout the Bible that tes-
lily against lHell poSllloH, luS DUN
Of Genesis has gotten back to where
it was in the first place, and the work
has all got to be done over again.
The Bible is like a cube of granite;
you may upset it as many times az
you please, and it is always right
side up.
Cd The principles of higher crit
ics are not to be relied upon.
DR.. Hartman says if they were APP
piled to American history they would
make havoc of it.. If you apply them
10 tho nanlaratian If lndanandann