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Show MODERN CRITltSM OF SCRIPpS. The Good Old Book as jjficwed by Some Modem Dittoes. $ BISHOP OF WESTMINISTER'S VIEWS 'i The Prophetic Books Have Only Sec- ondary AppHcatlotiTto the Alcsslanlc Dispensation. 4 Under tho head of "ThProgrcss of Religious Thought" The Montreal Family Fam-ily Herald and Weekly Star hiti the following fol-lowing which will doublesa be of considerable con-siderable interest to many of our readers: read-ers: fe "The nineteenth century was a very unsettled one in many ways. It broke up to a great extent the 'old order of society by bringing into activity and iufiuenco classes that before had scarcely scarce-ly succeeded in articulating their wants or their inspirations. It revolutionized knowledge and gave an extraordinary primacy to physical science among the pursuits of the human mind. It estab lished popular education, and by Unit fact alone brought forces into play the ulterior effects of which cad as jet only be guessed at. It established popular government in many great countries upon th'e widest possible basin. Finally Fin-ally it modified profoundly many ven erable systems of thought and gave a new freedom to the adventurous mind of man. In the domain of religion the activity of the modern spirit of criticism criti-cism has been very marked. Some many, indeed would ialu ignore it, but It cannot be ignored. Wherever men of learning and of influence in the church assemble, we find them taking note of the tendencies of the nge and endeavoring to determine to what extent ex-tent the advance of criticism has rendered rend-ered a change of standpoint necessary. At the recent Church Congress held in Bristol, England, one of the principal princi-pal subjects of discussion wa, "The Hlbltj und Modern Criticism " As ru-gards ru-gards the Old Tcatamett, tho subject I was dealt with by the illlp of Winchester. Win-chester. whomvenfhkVj,jrev wlth Uj rtia'srV Mn.r, tvSifwV-JGrv much ago that the tlicolo; of tho Old Test!-ment Test!-ment must be hntiled nccordi.ig to strict historical inriods. Many of the views formerly cutatalhed in regard to those venerable writings were no longer teuable. IUaa at one time thought ueessary tiusurae or to contend con-tend that the morall; of the book was perfect. It wus ndeonshlered so nnv longer. The prodttlcal books were supposed to have pinsr;y reference to thu coming of a Messiah. That idea hud been droppcl Tlfe passages so construed were niitkeff to have a primary pri-mary reference 0 contemporary per coiiMgesor events udouly secondary to admit of any MhUiiIo application. Tho main couteutiasofQnodurn criticism criti-cism in reguid totfae composition of the 1'entatenuh ti oilier n.irntlve books must be conswed'hs established. So do like Hcolessties Esther and Daniel were showily their language to belong to the hut I tag e of classical Hebrew, Taking vein in general, the books of the Old lament were nether ne-ther homogeneous ir equal In value aud power. This id not, however, impair the substantl value of their mission "They rciined tho greatest 'religions literature I any people in the history of the wld "& Commenting on tlpaper the Dean of Canterbury said tithe Uisliop had given a very mild viton of the teachings teach-ings of the mode critical soliool. Anybody,' he said.who was familiar fami-liar with what was antftby modern criticism must be rol that there were very burningrrsfundernenth the ground over whllhouMshop passed pas-sed so tenderly." Sj of) these still more advanced viewre given In mi article in tho Inst imber of "Tho Nineteenth Century 1 After," by Mr. W. It. Cassels, nur of the book known as "SupernatdKellgicn." The authorities, howeverhotnjMr. Cnsscls quotes are all, bo. remembered, churchmen. ? In there then any ton j; to believe that, with all this exining of found-tlons found-tlons and criticisms oocuments nncl adjustments of oplnic religion is ir. danger of porlehlrig'.'hoianswer we think, U that rellgioiin Tuo danger of perishing from thliusejj It is more in danger from tho hnesa of men's hearts and their imiiu'o In the pleasures pleas-ures and ambitions of world. .Many of the most advanced icsSro men of the most devout tempfl'lflf tho most ardent faith. They tvelwith unconquerable un-conquerable convictlol'a. 0o(l ',IlR manifested himself to "Wld, that Ho has spoken to uifudjl that lie still moves tho hearts ie"jnn(l that His government 1h u r"'"? and an evorlnsting one. "'ebaructcr of Jehits Chriht," one of t "i? Buhl, "lb the one miracle vital rartpctiint to faith." Men may werjfrom the light,'but tho light Is fi undinimed, unchangeable, amid tlsof time. It seems llttlo wondorP'y&'ou think of It, that thohs whp 6 Wiis faith can gaze undauntedly .1 Wjo work of reconstruction that Is going on, believing be-lieving ns they must that the final result re-sult can only be to give a fairer setting o the one world-wide imperishable truth. |