The Fundamentals - 1917: Vol.1

50 The Fundamentals parts, according as the words "Christ Jesus," "Jes1.1s," or "God" were used; and then by analysis showed that the lists of peculiar words characteristic of these three passages were even more remarkable than those drawn up by the destructive critics of the Pentateuch from the three leading fragments into which they had divided it. The argument from literary analysis after the methods of these critics would prove the composite character of the Epistle to the Romans as fully as that of the critics would prove the composite character of the Pentateuch. A distinguished scholar, Dr. Hayman, form.. erly head-master of Rugby, by a similar analysis demonstrated the composite character of Robert Burns' little poem addressed to a mouse, half of which is in the purest English and the other half in the broadest Scotch dialect. By the same pro­ cess it would be easy to prove th'ree Macaulays and three Miltons by selecting lists of words from the documents pre­ pared by them when holding high political offices and from their various prose and poetical writings. III. MISUNDERSTANDING LEGAL FORMS AND THE SACRIFICIAL SYSTEM Another source of fallacious reasoning into which these critics have fallen arises from a misunderstanding of the sacrificial system of the Mosaic law. The destructive critics assert that there was no central sanctuary in Palestine until several centuries after its occupation under Joshua, and that at a later period all sacrifices by the people were forbidden ex­ cept at the central place when offered by the priests, unless it was where there had been a special theophany. But these statements evince an entire misunderstanding or misrepresen­ tation of the facts. In what the critics reckon as the oldest documents (J and E) the people were required three times a year to present themselves with sacrifices and offerings "at the house of the Lord" (Ex. 34: 26; 23 :19). Before the building of the temple this "house of the Lord was at Shiloh"

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