The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-06-28

In few weeks the whole Sunday School world will begin a study of that portion of Scripture known as Samuel
 Kings. The body of Scripture could not have been written in it's present form earlier than the Exile, 537 B. C., since it contains the record of that event as al- ready in the past But it contains records
 of events extending over 800 years be- fore that incident. How did this informa-
 tion concerning these events come to the
 compiler of the book in it's present form?
 In what form did this material circulate and how did it function in the lives of
 the people before 1t came to be what the
 compiler made it in the Exile and what it
 has since been? This is not only very
 interesting question In the history of lit
 erature, but also one of the first moment
 in the history of Revelation and Religion
 If an answer is to be found to this ques- tion at all it must be from the facts as presented in the writing itself, since all
 external evidence of a direct nature has been lost. Fortunately for us some of the best scholarship of the world has given It. self to this problem during the last cen tury, and has issued in some results worthy of our serious consideration,
 The first thing to be considered in
 body of writing is whether it is sin gle or composite production. If 1t be con-
  position in diversities of style and histor- ical perspective. It Is practically impos- sible for an author to perfectly initiate ., another's style, even If he makes d1ligent effort to do so; nor can he perfectly con
 oeal his own environment in his writing. So when we meet writing which here
 and there, by different implications and expressions, shifts the historical perspec- tive and literary style we may feel as- hat iS | or writing. The author of the Epistle to 1 the Hebrews long ago observed that the ;, Old Testament Scriptures were given ln divers manners and fragments This critical result of the inspired author is abundantly borne out by the recent his torical and literary criticism of these writings. The problem presented to tho l historical and literary critic of these writ 1 ings is to note the diversities of styles
 and points of view and didactic purposes of the several fragments of these writ l ings, to separate them according to their differences then to classify them accord
 ing to their literary knships. This is l literary work of an experimental nature, | and can only be vindicated by it's results. 1 If the results of this process Of literary
 and historical criticism for the analyzing
 and synthesizing of the fragments issued , in several narratives which are homo-
 geneous in style and consecutive in l thought and similar point of view and
 contemporary In historical perspective l and one in didactic purpose we may reel
 assured that we have gotten the Writings which the compiler used as his sources;
 and so we max go behind the compiler
 and view the writing from the situation
 out of which 1t issued as well as from 1 that into which 1t fruited. This work IS what is currently known as "The Higher
 rif ha fora and 1 ity toward 1t in the popular mind are 1 entirely unwarranted either from the l principles and methods upon which it pro- i ceeds, or the results which may be sald to have been attained. Of course in all
 experimental research, wherein one at tempts to discover the facts which un-
 derlie those on the surface Of things,
 there is of necessity much of conjecture,
 which must be held in suspense subject
 to confirmation as the investigation pro
 ceeds: but these will in the progress or investigation be either validated or contradicted by the more assured re- suits Some persons, who mistake con
 lectures for vindicated facts, and who
 judge the experiments by the conjectures
 put forth temporarily in the investiga-
 tion rather than by the results assured,
 have greatly msled the public as to Whac
 this process is and what it has attained
 The method is that universally approved iu all scientific investigation, and the re-
 suits gre the only representation Which
 is consistent with the facts as they lie
 on the surface of Scripture. Alter pur-
 suing this study of the Scriptures for 2o
 years this writer is convinced that It
 promises to reduce the Old Testament
 from being shelved as an instrument for the culture of religion and life, fate
 which has threatened 1t for many years.
 The Higher Criticism will vindicate ev-
 cry claim of the Bible as being Gods
 hook of life for life. It Is not only lawful, but a necessary, study; II one would know the mind of the sacred writ CT and the pertinence of his thought Tor life.
 No part of the Scriptures offers bet ter field for this study than the Samuel
 Kings writing. Since our space is so li1n- tied let us confine our study to the first
 fifteen chapters of I Samuel. A close study of this body of writing will show that it is composed of two main sources, usually put together in solid paragraphs of each but occasionally duplicate par agraphs conhated into a composite one; while here and there appear editorial seams and glosses of the nature of com- mentary touching up the picture or ex- plaining a reference in the source. That the reader may be in position to verify these results for himself it Is well to give what passages belong to what sources. The two principal sources are commonly called the Saul narratives and the Sam- uel narratives, because the hero in one Is Saul and in the other Samuel. The Saul narrative is as follows: The capture or the ark and how 1t came to be domcled in Judea 4:1-11 (where, however, IL Is conf1ated with the Samuel narrat1ve), 5:2-7:2; the narrative of how Saul came to be chosen by Samuel as king, 91-10:16; how Saul conquered the Ammonites and celebrated his victory in renewing the Kingdom at Gilgal, 11:1-15:1 the Philistine war and the battle of Beth-aven with incidents connected herewith, 13:2-l; (where there is also a confiation with an- other narratve), 13:15-14:51. The Samuel narrative contains: The parents, birth and dedication of Samuel and his min istry in the Temple at Shiloh and his pro- phetic call. 1:1-2S, 211-3:21; the capture or the ark and the downfall of Eli and his house. 4:1-11, (where there is a confation with the Samuel narrative), 4:l2-5:1 Samuel's victory over the Philistines, his circuit in Ephraim judging Israel and his opposition to the inauguration of king. 7:3-S:22; the election of Saul as king at Mizpah under Samuel's direction Samuel writes up "The Manner of the Kingdom" and makes his farewell ad- dress as Judge, 1017-27, 121-25; the dis 1 obedience of Saul in the Amelekite war ard his rejection by Jehovah through Samuel. his prophet, from being king 151-25 If the reader will compare the several sections above assigned to the two