Show EVOLUTION OF HIGHER CRITICISM we have all along maintained that higher crit criticism cism so called is only a clever flank attack on the fundamental doctrine of christianity and that notwithstanding its claims to a more refined and exalted sphere than than that occupied by orthodoxy its essence la is coarse infidelity by the assertion that the sacred literature of the old covenant to is merely a compost tum of ancient folklore folk lore edited by somebody who but poorly understood his business the way was paved for another assertion that our lord himself was probably mistaken as to his mission and calling and misunderstood by his first followers this is a logical deduction higher criticism supplies the premises so far some of the disciple if of the modern critical school have been reluctant to admit the unavoidable cow elusion cl but now dr arthur cushman mcgiffert in ia a volume entitled A history of christianity in the Apo apostolic stOlle age lifts the veil and permits the public to behold the skeleton with an ab audacity worthy of voltaire or his left lead brilliant disciple ingersoll he charges the savior with mistaken ideas as an to is own work and one of the NOW new testament authors luke with stating what he knew to be false and thu th I 1 book is in a measure sanctioned by ma famous professor briggs of union theological seminary and professor salof sali I 1 free church college aberdeen professor matthews associate professor of Testament New history and interpretation in the university sity of chicago characterizes it as the most notable additon to the theological literature in its line as yet made by any amort can a view in which lyman abbott d other divines seem to concur are theolog theologians 1 an 8 turn turning 1 ng inal infidels del a en masse the literary digest of february 2 contains a brief review of the neat nei book according to this the author begins by pointing out that during tb the century or century and a half preceding the birth of christ the anticipation of the coming of the messiah was vas quite common among the people then ihen john the baptist arose but merely as a common preacher he was not conscious of any special mission ha knew that a crisis was at hand bond andea an and deX ex hooted the to prepare tor for it H claimed no revelation he only id the author thinks what anyone alae might have done and many even better than he passing from john the baptist t ta the history of our lord the author compliments the child jesus on his wonderful accomplishments at the age ag e or of twelve years when the son of tro the carpenter notwithstanding all disadvantages was found in the temple astonishing the doctors with his critical knowledge of the law he finda that jesus at this early age had taw deep conviction that god was hla his father how this came upon him the learned author cannot say HIS suggestion p is this that jesus under the influence of the hebrew scriptures scrip tu real might have been led to conceive of god as the father of the jewish nation but the interpretation of this fatherhood as applicable to him individually can find its ultimate explanation only in his own unique religious personality the idea that jesus was the messiah dr mcgiffert believes he conceived 69 his baptism the temptation followed the messianic call brought him face to face with the question whether he could consistently with his own character ter and experience devote himself to the fulfillment of the common bartu ily ly hopes of his countrymen whether he could be true to himself and yet be the kind of messiah they expected but although he believed himself to be the messiah he systematically refrained from declaring this fact to the world the incident at caesare Caesar Cae eare eb philippi marked an epoch in his ministry for it was then that he first dis acknowledged his Mes messianic siant calling to his disciples and even thea then he charged them that they should tol aselt no one else the author is not post positive tive that jessil declared that the son of man wona I 1 return within the life time of some A his disciples but he feels couf confident tent that the th e evangelists and with them I 1 the early christians in se general believed that he did and also that they could hardly have misunderstood him unless he had given expression to his expectation ar least of an early consummation an expectation which was entirely in line with all we know of his conception of the kingdom finally dr Me mcgiffert Giffert is inclined to doubt that jesus instituted the last supper and directed his followers to eat and drink in remembrance of him on this point he says expecting as he did to return at an early day cf mark xvi 25 he cau can hardly have been solicitous to provide for the preservation of his memory and it is a notable fact that neither matthew nor mark records such a command while the passage in which it occurs in luke is omitted in many of the oldest MSS and is regarded as an interpolation terpo lation by westcott and hort 0 0 it was apparently not the dinati institution of a memorial feast that he had in mind so much as the announcement of his impending death and the assurance that it would result not in evil but in good to his disciples he had already told them that he must die and that his death would be in reality a means of blessing to them he now repeated that prophecy and promise in vivid and impressive symbol As the bread was broken and the wine poured out so must his body be broken and his blood shed but not in vain it was for their sake sak e and r pt for theirs alone but for the sake ot many to read into this simple and touching act unpremeditated and yet summing up in itself the whole story of his life of service and of sacrifice subtle and abstruse doctrines is to do jesus a great injustice for it takes from the scene all nature al alness neris which is so of hia HA and so perfectly in keeping with his direct and unaffected thought and speech he was not teaching theology nor was he giving veiled utterance to any mysterious truth concerning his person and work from all thisie is apparent that the most modern theology has at last shall we say in the process of evolution arrived at a standpoint from which it can deny the divinity of christ to its dim view he appears merely as the personification of a pop ular error regarding the coming of messiah and a kingdom of god tradition to is the source of his inspiration his unique religious individuality shapes his life but it is an error foi this his dies and as a result of it the christian religion springs into existence to establish this view it is feces sary aary to deny the testimony of the evangelists these tell us that john the baptist knew that the messiah was abut about to come and that the spirit was to descend as aa a sign dign to john the baptist testifies that he had seen the sign and knew the lamb ot of god they further tell us cihat hat the truth of the of jesus was revealed ta his mother and we may well ell infer imparted fm parted to him at an early day by her and that it was confirmed 14 by a voice from heaven at his baptism they tell us that jesus promised his tol followers lowers the holy spirit to guide them into all truth but all this the ne heyy school denies the jews were mistaken john the baptist and jesus were merely the children of their age carrying out the mistakes of the jews to their logical consequences christianity then accordingly is but a grand mistake what about the resurrection what about the divine power powel that was manifest in the early church in reflecting on the apparent 4 cleis cies of modern theology it becomes a matter of profound gratitude that our pa ume time la Is one in which the lord god has bas spoken to the children of of the first visions granted in this dispensation was that of the father and the son and the testimony was given tn in a scene of transcendent beauty to the divine of jesus in this way foundation was laid for a faith that remains unshaken in the midst of the changing currents of human thought witnesses tor for god were raised up whose testimony cannot be impeached by the alleged discoveries of critics because baseden base dpn knowledge it was needed lest the whole world should be en wrapped in the darkness of infidelity |