New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-03-11
METHOD|STS TO
DEFEND BIBLE VIEWS
DR.. Mains Declares Battle OF
Higher Criticism Has Al
ready Been Won.
BOOK CONCERN A TARGET
Presbyterians Join in Attack on
Critic and Also Assail
Union Theological
Seminary.

Orthodoxy and liberalism wagcd visor-
Gus warfare at meetings OF Methodists
and Presbyteraus in this city YESTERDAY
At the Monday meeting Of Methodist
ministers Dr. George T. Mains, who mas
been severely criticised for his Interpreter
ton of the Bible. declared his interpreted
ton was justifiable. and that the foremost
Methodist scholars i'm seminaries ana uih-
yersites thoroughly agree with INN. Al
the PRAYER meeting Of the New forh
Presbytery at the Fourth Church, IN NeSs
End avenue. in the afternoon, criticism %
Dr. Mains was frequent The proposed
closer relations of Union Theological
Seminary. with its higher criticism, Pro
fessors Briggs and McGiffert ana FreSl-
dent Brown" to the Presbyterian ChuIch
was also condemned.
Dr. Mains said in part to the Metnou-
! ists
/ The supreme battle of Biblical crit-
cism has already been fought and won.
It is only those who have obscured them
selves behind castle walls. or are playing
PARTS of intellectual Rap Van Wrinkle
! who have the hardihood to deny these
/ facts True. there are muittude OF
questions still M solution. Biblical crlt!-
cisrn is As Yet far from complete. but II
! is going on. and ought 10 60 on, regard
| less Of outcry II is absurd TO make a
bogic of higher criticism This Biblical
criticism is an effort to see things as they
are. TO appraisc literature at its true
worth. to Judge records OF mems Thoughts
and deeds imparliaily without obtru'loh o.
/ personal likes and dislikcs. even If mat
record bo contained In the Bible
Al the New York Presbyt'ry meeting
oue CLERGYMAN said. This higher criu-
cism is not dead. There Is "a big war
ahead II tho Bible Is to be other than
man made over and edited. ! don won
dor some Methodist ministers are eX-
/ cited expect an of us viii boz n We
ind things to nave advanced TO the stage
/ outlined aud described by Dr. Mains.
/ Union Seminary. gone Ear beyond Pro-
/ fcsSor Briggs. wants now To- come into
official relations with the Prosby tcrian
| church. and q meeting to b" held In this
/ city ON Thursday viii take up the
project
| At the Methodist meeting Bishop ,. j.
| Mo- 'onucu. VINO had just arrived from
Mexico. where DE spent ten days Keep
| ing inside and avoiding liucrta or Ina%
/ bullets" told about the revolt M Mexico
and for brief moment ;hc theological
war I'm New York waged less VIGOROUSLY
! IL was announced that Monday viii be
! a closed" meeting for Methodist minis
4 tors. and that the discussion Will be per
! mittcd fun swing. The speaker IL 20 br
the Rev Or j. T.. Hamilton. II Harlem
J "a brother OF Bishop Hamilton.
i Dr Hamilton said he would speak by
/ the book Monday. straight from tho
shoulder" He said he would not attack
the Rev. Or Mains. but n he criticised
ANYBODY il would be the Methodist Book
/ Concern for publishing higher criticism
/ literature and giving II the stamp of the
/ Methodist church" For his part he IA
,orcd an open meeting. he said. for he
! wanted n known that there ar" Meth
odists who remember the VOWS taken by
1 them At ordinations when they were told
! that God made Ills own Word and that
/ Germans did not help Him 10 DO So