The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1907-01-23

fitted to excel in any or all of these
| departments.
(3) The theories and methods of
the higher criticism exclude and de-
| stroy each other.
DR.. Milton S. Terry, author of
biblical Hermaneutics," has devoted
the greater part of n chapter to
exposing the fallacies of higher crit
icism. Here it is clearly seen that if
one critic is right the others are all
wrong. But who can tell which one
Is right? DR.. A. C.. Zenos, author Of
The Elements of Higher Criticism"
shows that there are two leading diff
| fculties in the way of the critics:
| First, the field of operations is vast
and bewildering in it's complications,
| and second, the science of higher crit
icism is born of strife. Bauer laughs
at Paulus, Strauss laughs at Bauer.
! Renan laughs at Strauss, and the
hour-glass laughs at them ALL"
"a Recent discoveries Of arch
biologists.
From the outset the literary crit
les instinctiyely felt that the testi-
mony of archaeology would be
against them. and they endeavored
to evade it by depreciation or denying
it in advance. Archaeologists, by
| proving that the art of writing ex-
listed in Egypt a century before the
exodus, have taken the very founda-
ton stone from under the higher
criticism. Every little while the pick
and shovel are bringing to light as
facts the very things that the critics
laughed at as myths, such as the ex-
istence of Kruder-Laghamer, Menes,
etc. DR.. A. H. Sayce, Of Oxford Uni
yersity, say that the archaeological
method is the scientific method of in
vestigating history and is. therefore,
the only critical method to establish
beyond doubt the g~enuineness of TIE
Bible.
(5) The last disadvantage we will
name is the testimony of experience.
Thousands of men. women and
children in all parts of the world, at
all ages, and in different circun-
stances, are proving by practical ex-
perience that the Bible is to be re-
lied upon. 1t matters not whether
they place their faith on a passage in
the Epistle of Peter, the Book OF
Daniel, or even the much disputed
P%entateuch; God is faithful and true
to His promises. This method OF
testing the ~truthfulness of the Bible
is also open to the higher critics, but
as Bishop Warren says, very few OF
them wish to use it.
II. AS they affect the church.
/. Disadvantages.
1t will be seen at a glance that
whatever is an advantage to the
higher critics is a disadvantage to
the church. But as these are the
general disadvantages we will name
in this division the particular ones.
ID The difficulty of mastering
the science. a..
The higher criticism, as yet, Is
largely in the hands Of college pro-
fessors, and it requires constant study
in order to keep up with the eVer
increasing opinions of different crit
les. 1t is said that very few pastors
have either the time or means to
thoroughly investigate the subject,
so, at best, can only accept the opin-
ions of men who make a study OF the
matter.
CD The uselessness Of the sci
ence to the average pastor.
The preacher of the Gospel is
called to the work Of saving :1cn.
Ministers who are carried away with
the higher criticism generally fail to
do this work. They become a burden
not only to their congregations, but
to themselves, and sooner or later
drop out of the ministry altogether.
The pastor of today might better
preach the Gospel and let the higher
criticism alone.
go 1t destroys reverence for the
Word of God.
The mai who believes in it goes
to the Bible, not in a reyerent spirit,
but in a critical spirit.
(4) 1t has a tendency to destroy
the authority of the Bible.
When a critic reads, Thus saith
the Lord" he has to stop and decide
whether God says anything or not.
He becomes an Interrogation mark
and is compelled to live a life Of
doubt.
90 1t questions the inspiration
of the Bible.
The fruits of this principle are:
OpuC 10 oSI oSloC olIO6SSAOh1 III
acles are explained on natural
grounds, the unity of the Bible is de-
stroyed, and several Biblical MARIA
tives, like that of Jonah, are said to
be the products Of imagination.
2. The advantages.
While the higher criticism may be
looked upon as an evil, God has over
ruled it for good. Criticism is as old
as the Bible. Before John had writ
ten his Gospel, the agnostic had ap-
peared on the scene. The Bible has
been overthrown, demolished, explod-
ed, etc., etc., and To- it has to be
done over again. The fact of the
matter is, the oftener it is supposed
to be overthrown, the harder it
seems to overthrow it. Many a man
has run his head up against the
Bible, but history proves it has been
all the worse for his head. Let us
now look at a few of the advantages
of the higher criticism, as they affect
the Christian Church.
ID The inability of the critics to
get at the truth.
The Holy Ghost wrote the Bible,
therefore, the Holy Ghost must ex-
plain it. The majority of the critics,
though they may be scholarly men,
are u~nconverted. How can such men
understand the Bible?
~ Higher criticism has very lit
tie to boast of.
An idiot with a knife in hand, let
loose in an art gallery. car destroy
more in an hour than Raphael could
create in a lifetime. 1t is an easy
matter to criticise and tear down,
but a hard matter to build up. Many
Of the supposed new discoveries of
| higher criticism, such as the 'docu-