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THE KING’S BUSINESS
in the old H ew , for everyone knows, and it has been known for centuries, that there are genuine Biblical difficulties. There must be problems whenever we sintroduce the supernatural. But what is said, and said with absolute conviction, is that the new view not only does not remove these diffi culties, but really intensifies them. If the critical position is right, not only is the conservative attitude wrong, but Jewish history, Church history, and the New Testament are all wrong also. But it is surely impossible that the persistent tra ditions of centuries can be essentially and vitally erroneous. The deepest interests are involved, and it may be said without fear o f contradic tion that there will be no spiritual revival until the Bible is restored to its original position. Nor is it possible to stop short with the Old Testament, and to regard the New Testament as sacrosanct and immune from criticism. As a matter o f simple fact, Wellhausen, the master of Old Testament criticism, is now giving his attention to the Gospels, and his view o f Jesus Christ is far removed from that which the Church has held for centuries. Indeed, it has long been evident to many that the modern critical position, and the view o f the Old Testament held through the ages by the Jewish and Christian Churches, are fundamentally incompatible. More than twenty years ago a well-known English writer, Dr. (now Sir) W . Robert son Nicoll, was walking with Wellhausen in the streets o f' Greifswald, and ventured to ask him whether, if his views were accepted, the Bible could retain its place in the estimation o f the common people. “ I cannot see how that is possible,” was the sad reply. It is .o f course the barest duty to distin guish between naturalistic scholars and :others who accept the supernatural Incar nation, and who therefore see no incom patibility between the acceptance o f the literary and historical principles o f natural ism and a belief in the Divine source and authority o f the Old Testament. But it is
writings alone, do not seem even so much as to have heard o f a Holy Ghost. And they have a fatal dread o f pietism, and methodism, and most forms o f intensely personal evangelical faith. They are, like Haeckel, in their own way the victims o f an intellectualism which means spiritual atrophy to Christianity at last.” * “ In matters o f the soul it is better to have the dogma o f the telescope than that o f the microscope. It is better to have the dogma o f Melanchthon, or even Calvin, than o f Wellhausen or Schmiedel (whom I name with due respect for the great work they represent). The one has the posi tivity o f infinite revelation, the other the positivism o f the present age.” . There is one special way o f testing this matter, for truth requires verification by the spiritual man. It is apt to be over looked that there is only one text in which “ Criticism” is associated with the W ord of God. But it is remarkably significant that in this single passage it is the Word which “ criticises” us rather than our “criticism” o f the Word. “ The W ord o f God is living and powerful . . . and is a critic o f the thoughts and intents o f the heart” (Heb. iv. 12). I f w.e would permit the Word o f God thus to “criticise” Cus, we should thereby obtain one o f the finest and most accurate criteria by means. o f which to criticise Scripture. When the Divine W ord is brought to bear upon the human mind, conscience, heart, and will, it carries its own conviction and elicits its own veri fication. The experience o f the soul soon bears witness ih the words of the Psalmist': “ Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psa. cxix.105). “Thy Word is very true : therefore Thy servant loveth it” (Psa. cxix. 140). The matter is vital. It is no question of the interpretation o f particular passages, no question o f mere literature, and it is not even concerned with Divine inspiration. The supreme* problem is historical, theo logical, spiritual ; it concerns the trustworth iness o f the Old Testament. W e do not say for a moment that there are. no difficulties
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