THE KING’S BUSINESS
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tians. This, however, is not the view of some of'th e leading critical scholars them selves. Thus the great Dutch critic, Kue- nen, has said-: “ No one will deny that our conception o f Israel’s religious history entirely depends upon our verdict on the Old Testament. . . The Old Testament is out'’.sole authority for by far the greater portion o f the time o f which we treat.” So the late Professor W . Robertson Smith, in his preface to a work by Wellhausen, says: “ The present volume gives the Eng lish reader an opportunity to form his own judgment . on questions which are within the scope o f anyone who reads the English Bible carefully, and is able to think clearly and without prejudice about its contents." From this it will be seen that criticism, even Higher Criticism, cannot be limited to those who possess technical scholarship. Ordinary Christians are dependent on scholars for two things: a true text, and a true translation; but when once these are obtained, .every Christian, according to his own equipment in knowledge and mental power, has a responsibility which he cannot escape. ' It is with the object o f enabling him to arrive at assurance for himself that these methods are indicated, and certain funda mental principles are enunciated. I. The Historical Fact of the Jewish Nation. The Old Testament records the national life of the Jews. This life can be proved to be in substantial harmony with the story in the Old Testament throughout the cen turies. There is no other account in detail extant, and what we find in the Old Testa ment agrees with all that is known from other ^sources. Yet modern criticism would compel us to accept a complete reconstruc tion o f Jewish history on several points: It gives a very different account o f (1) the early Jewish religion; (2) the time o f the patriarchs; (3) the character and work of Moses; (4) the origin o f the Jewish ritual; (5) the personality and religion o f David; (6) the character and purpose o f prophecy; (7) the structure and composition o f the
books, especially those o f the Pentateuch. In the history o f the Jewish nation we have one of the best opportunities o f test ing the fundamental critical positions in regard to Old Testament criticism. . As we give attention tb the obvious and outstanding facts connected with the Jew ish nation and religion, we' can readily see the force o f some weighty words uttered not long ago by the Dean o f Canterbury (Dr. Wace) : “ It is surprising that modern critics should not realise that the theory they are asserting is absolutely destructive ' o f the whole Jewish religion. . . . The critical hypothesis, as it at present stands . . . assumes that the Jewish national conscious ness was deliberately and successfully falsi fied, and that what the Jews have always believed to be the beginning o f their relig ious life was really the end of it. I believe that this is both incredible and impossible.” II. The Evidence of Archaeology. During the last sixty years a vast num ber o f discoveries have been made in Egypt, Palestine, Assyria and Babylonia, many of which have been valuable for their illustra tions o f the Bible. The special advantage o f these archaeological results is that they are, as it were, tangible and intelligible by ordinary men and do not require expert scholarship to appreciate their meaning. And what is most striking is that not a single discovery has been made which goes to support the fundamental principles and positions o f the Higher Criticism, while discovery after discovery has been made to prove the truth o f the traditional view of the Bible. For those who wish to study the subject in greater detail reference may.be made to an invaluable book, The Deciding Voice o f the Monuments in Biblical Criticism, by Dr. G. M. Kyle. III. The Necessity of Spiritual Work. The use o f the Bible in connection with Christian service is universally recognized, and that part o f it which is called the Old Testament cannot be overlooked in work for God. Now no one doubts that the
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