the lights of the church and the light of science-第2章

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Christianity；　among　the　religions　of　the　world；　lies　in　its

claim　to　be　historical；　to　be　surely　founded　upon　events　which

have　happened；　exactly　as　they　are　declared　to　have　happened　in

its　sacred　books；　which　are　true；　that　is；　in　the　sense　that　the

statement　about　the　execution　of　Charles　the　First　is　true。

Further；　it　is　affirmed　that　the　New　Testament　presupposes　the

historical　exactness　of　the　Old　Testament；　that　the　points　of

contact　of　〃sacred〃　and　〃profane〃　history　are　innumerable；

and　that　the　demonstration　of　the　falsity　of　the　Hebrew　records；

especially　in　regard　to　those　narratives　which　are　assumed　to　be

true　in　the　New　Testament；　would　be　fatal　to　Christian　theology。



My　utmost　ingenuity　does　not　enable　me　to　discover　a　flaw　in　the

argument　thus　briefly　summarised。　I　am　fairly　at　a　loss　to

comprehend　how　any　one；　for　a　moment；　can　doubt　that　Christian

theology　must　stand　or　fall　with　the　historical　trustworthiness

of　the　Jewish　Scriptures。　The　very　conception　of　the　Messiah；　or

Christ；　is　inextricably　interwoven　with　Jewish　history；　the

identification　of　Jesus　of　Nazareth　with　that　Messiah　rests　upon

the　interpretation　of　passages　of　the　Hebrew　Scriptures　which

have　no　evidential　value　unless　they　possess　the　historical

character　assigned　to　them。　If　the　covenant　with　Abraham　was　not

made；　if　circumcision　and　sacrifices　were　not　ordained　by

Jahveh；　if　the　〃ten　words〃　were　not　written　by　God's　hand　on　the

stone　tables；　if　Abraham　is　more　or　less　a　mythical　hero；　such

as　Theseus；　the　story　of　the　Deluge　a　fiction；　that　of　the　Fall

a　legend；　and　that　of　the　creation　the　dream　of　a　seer；　if　all

these　definite　and　detailed　narratives　of　apparently　real　events

have　no　more　value　as　history　than　have　the　stories　of　the　regal

period　of　Romewhat　is　to　be　said　about　the　Messianic　doctrine；

which　is　so　much　less　clearly　enunciated？　And　what　about　the

authority　of　the　writers　of　the　books　of　the　New　Testament；　who；

on　this　theory；　have　not　merely　accepted　flimsy　fictions　for

solid　truths；　but　have　built　the　very　foundations　of　Christian

dogma　upon　legendary　quicksands？



But　these　may　be　said　to　be　merely　the　carpings　of　that　carnal

reason　which　the　profane　call　common　sense；　I　hasten；　therefore；

to　bring　up　the　forces　of　unimpeachable　ecclesiastical　authority

in　support　of　my　position。　In　a　sermon　preached　last　December；

in　St。　Paul's　Cathedral；　Canon　Liddon　declares：





For　Christians　it　will　be　enough　to　know　that　our　Lord　Jesus

Christ　set　the　seal　of　His　infallible　sanction　on　the　whole　of

the　Old　Testament。　He　found　the　Hebrew　canon　as　we　have　it　in

our　hands　to…day；　and　He　treated　it　as　an　authority　which　was

above　discussion。　Nay　more：　He　went　out　of　His　wayif　we　may

reverently　speak　thusto　sanction　not　a　few　portions　of　it

which　modern　scepticism　rejects。　When　He　would　warn　His　hearers

against　the　dangers　of　spiritual　relapse；　He　bids　them　remember

〃Lot's　wife。〃　When　He　would　point　out　how　worldly　engagements

may　blind　the　soul　to　a　coming　judgment；　He　reminds　them　how　men

ate；　and　drank；　and　married；　and　were　given　in　marriage；　until

the　day　that　Noah　entered　into　the　ark；　and　the　Flood　came　and

destroyed　them　all。　If　He　would　put　His　finger　on　a　fact　in

past　Jewish　history　which；　by　its　admitted　reality；　would

warrant　belief　in　His　own　coming　Resurrection；　He　points　to

Jonah's　being　three　days　and　three　nights　in　the　whale's　belly

（p。　23）。〃





The　preacher　proceeds　to　brush　aside　the　commonI　had　almost

said　vulgarapologetic　pretext　that　Jesus　was　using　ad

hominem　arguments；　or　〃accommodating〃　his　better　knowledge

to　popular　ignorance；　as　well　as　to　point　out　the

inadmissibility　of　the　other　alternative；　that　he　shared　the

popular　ignorance。　And　to　those　who　hold　the　latter　view　sarcasm

is　dealt　out　with　no　niggard　hand。





But　they　will　find　it　difficult　to　persuade　mankind　that；　if　He

could　be　mistaken　on　a　matter　of　such　strictly　religious

importance　as　the　value　of　the　sacred　literature　of　His

countrymen；　He　can　be　safely　trusted　about　anything　else。　The

trustworthiness　of　the　Old　Testament　is；　in　fact；　inseparable

from　the　trustworthiness　of　our　Lord　Jesus　Christ；　and　if　we

believe　that　He　is　the　true　Light　of　the　world；　we　shall　close

our　ears　against　suggestions　impairing　the　credit　of　those

Jewish　Scriptures　which　have　received　the　stamp　of　His　Divine

authority〃　（p。　25）。





Moreover；　I　learn　from　the　public　journals　that　a　brilliant　and

sharply…cut　view　of　orthodoxy；　of　like　hue　and　pattern；　was　only

the　other　day　exhibited　in　that　great　theological　kaleidoscope；

the　pulpit　of　St。　Mary's；　recalling　the　time　so　long　passed　by；

when　a　Bampton　lecturer；　in　the　same　place；　performed　the

unusual　feat　of　leaving　the　faith　of　old…fashioned

Christians　undisturbed。



Yet　many　things　have　happened　in　the　intervening　thirty…one

years。　The　Bampton　lecturer　of　1859　had　to　grapple　only　with　the

infant　Hercules　of　historical　criticism；　and　he　is　now　a　full…

grown　athlete；　bearing　on　his　shoulders　the　spoils　of　all　the

lions　that　have　stood　in　his　path。　Surely　a　martyr's　courage；　as

well　as　a　martyr's　faith；　is　needed　by　any　one　who；　at　this

time；　is　prepared　to　stand　by　the　following　plea　for　the

veracity　of　the　Pentateuch：





Adam；　according　to　the　Hebrew　original；　was　for　243　years

contemporary　with　Methuselah；　who　conversed　for　a　hundred　years

with　Shem。　Shem　was　for　fifty　years　contemporary　with　Jacob；　who

probably　saw　Jochebed；　Moses's　mother。　Thus；　Moses　might　by　oral

tradition　have　obtained　the　history　of　Abraham；　and　even　of　the

Deluge；　at　third　hand；　and　that　of　the　Temptation　and　the　Fall

at　fifth　hand。　。。。



If　it　be　grantedas　it　seems　to　bethat　the　great　and　stirring

events　in　a　nation's　life　will；　under　ordinary　circumstances；　be

remembered　（apart　from　all　written　memorials）　for　the　space　of

150　years；　being　handed　down　through　five　generations；　it　must

be　allowed　（even　on　more　human　grounds）　that　the　account　which

Moses　gives　of　the　Temptation　and　the　Fall　is　to　be　depended

upon；　if　it　passed　through　no　more　than　four　hands　between　him

and　Adam。





If　〃the　trustworthiness　of　our　Lord　Jesus　Christ〃　is　to　stand　or

fall　with　the　belief　in　the　sudden　transmutation　of　the　chemical

components　of　a　woman's　body　into　sodium　chloride；　or　on　the

〃admitted　reality〃　of　Jonah's　ejection；　safe　and　sound；　on　the

shores　of　the　Levant；　after　three　days'　sea…journey　in　the

stomach　of　a　gigantic　marine　animal；　what　possible　pretext　can

there　be　for　even　hinting　a　doubt　as　to　the　precise　truth　of　the

longevity　attributed　to　the　Patriarchs？　Who　that　has　swallowed

the　camel　of　Jonah's　journey　will　be　guilty　of　the　affectation

of　straining　at　such　a　historical　gnatnay；　midgeas　the

supposition　that　the　mother　of　Moses　was　told　the　story　of　the

Flood　by　Jacob；　who　had　it　straight　from　Shem；　who　was　on

friendly　terms　with　Methuselah；　who　knew　Adam　quite　well？



Yet；　by　the　strange　irony　of　things；　the　illustrious　brother　of

the　divine　who　propounded　this　remarkable　theory；　has　been　the

guide　and　foremost　worker　of　that　band　of　investigators　of　the

records　of　Assyria　and　of　Babylonia；　who　have　opened　to　our

view；　not　merely　a　new　chapter；　but　a　new　volume　of　primeval

history；　relating　to　the　very　people　who　have　the　most　numerous

points　of　contact　with　the　life　of　the　ancient　Hebrews。

Now；　whatever　imperfections　may　yet　obscure　the　full　value　of

the　Mesopotamian　records；　everything　that　has　been　clearly

ascertained　tends　to　the　conclusion　that　the　assignment　of　no

more　than　4000　years　to　the　period　between　the　time　of　the

origin　of　mankind　and　that　of　Augustus　Caesar；　is　wholly

inadmissible。　Therefore　the　Biblical　chronology；　which　Canon

Rawlinson　trusted　so　implicitly　in　1859；　is　relegated　by　all

serious　critics　to　the　domain　of　fable。