The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-04-27
POPULAR APoLoeETlcs.
Adapted from the German of Rev.
Peter Mikes, S. j., by Rev.
James Watcher.
so. The witches, Sabbath.

Explanation of the Scriptures) and
criticism is bound; but outside of the
Catholic Church, where there is free
investigation, new life develops; there
flourishes higher criticism which has
unsparingly torn the Bible to shreds.
Answer: 1t sounds like the wit of
history that before the close of the
nineteenth century, during which the
mad eXegeticaI witches Sabbath of
higher criticism was celebrated, and
which imagined to have destroyed
the credibility of the Holy Scriptures,
now one Of the principal leaders of
rationalism, Prof. Adolph Harnack of
Berlin, arises and, as if by a magic
charm, quiets the restless spirits by
his sober declaration: There was a
time-the general public is still in it
when the Oldest Christian literature,
including the New Testament, was to
be Judged as tissue of deception
and forgery. This time is past For
science it was an episode from which
it has learned much, and after which
it must forget much The old
est literature is in the main points
and most details, considered literary
historically, truthful and reliable"
(Chronologie der altchristlichen Liter
atur-Chronology of the Old Christian
Literature-p. VIII.
Why all this noise OF higher
criticism in the last century? Why
all this dust of ever new hypothesis,
, which remind us of the words of
NGoethe regarding the heroes" of the
French Revolution: "Of these mon
STEERS one executes the other
Here follows partial list of the
different views of the higher critics, a
real Babel of confusion, regarding the
time of the writing of thu Gospels.
The Gospel of st. Matthew was
written according to Christian Baur,
in 100; Koestlin, as to it's principal
contents, 80; Hilgenfeld, as to it's
present contents, 1880; HoItzmann,
1896; Keim, as to it's principal con-
tents, 500.
The Gospel Of st. Luke was written
according to Christian Baur, in $50;
Holtzmann, after 100; Hilgenfeld, 100;
Koestlin, 100; Keim, 80.
The Gospel of ST. Mark was written
according to Christian Baur, $50 or
later; Koestlin, 10; HilgenfeId, be-
fore 100 (69-96); Keim, about 100;
Holtzmann, 1895; Volkmar, $3.50
(73); b. Weiss, 81; Schenkel, in its
first form, 1858.
The. Gospel of st. John was written
according to Christian Baur, 770,,. Br.
Bauer, ITO; Volkmar, 15O-16O; Zeller,
$50; Hilgenfeld, 40; Keim, 1870;
Schenkel, us; Ewald and Noack,
5000; Meyer, 80; Wegscheider, before
20.
OF course, each one of these is sure
of his date and the others are all
wrong!
The nationalist Frederick David
Strauss built his myth-hypothesis on
the assumption that all Gospels were
written in the second half of the Sec
ond century. He says himself: If
one of them was written in the first
century, my view falls" Well, his
view has fallen with many another
a Chinese paper dragon to brighten
the enemy.
Gone and forgotten is the once so
much feared Christian Baur, the
founder of the young Tuebingen
School, called also historical school"
also "the tendency-critical school,"
Prof. Ewald accuses it of romantic
work" and De Wette thinks it super
fiuous TO refute Baur, because "such
moderate criticisms annihilate them
selves All these critics were ra-
tionalists.
Bruno Bauer surpasses in boldness
even Christian Baur, to whose excess
sive criticism" as Harnack says,
Christ and Paul are sacrificed
Volkmar of Zuerich attacks the ra-
tionalists Schenkel (of Heidelberg
AMI Renan. He says: Moreover,
Schenkel has not done anything else
than Renan, Both wrote romances
about the life of Jesus both equally
uncritical; both let the four Gospels
exist long already in apostolical times;
but both move in the primeval gospel
fabrication; both equally arbitrarily"
der Ursprung unserer Evangelien-
The Origin of Our Gospels-p. 16).
Just the contrary of what Volkmar
has proved" HilgenfeId holds as
''undeniable,' and others agree with
him.
It is plain that these critics have
little respect for one another; and
then we should respect them the
more! s.
The literary ghosts" of the witches
dance (primeval Mark, primeval
Matthew and proto-primeval Mark,
proto.primeval Matthew and other
primeval writings produced by the
imagination Of rationalists) are gradu-
ally becoming quiet.
Since Eichhorn spoke of single
"Primeval Gospel" Paulus of Memo
rabilia;' Schleiermacher of ''Diegeses,"
Lachmann of "Corpuscula, we still
see on the horizon of the gospel
criticism, though gradually decreas-
ing, more or less fantastic looking
ghost. Progressing investigations are
becoming more sceptical towards