XVi EVOLUTION AND DOGMA. 



the old Roman philosopher applies with singular 

 point to all those conjectures of scientists, philoso- 

 phers and exegetists, who fail to make their views 

 a true reflex of the teachings of nature, natures 

 indicia, or who promulgate theories manifestly an- 

 tagonistic to the declarations of faith or of the In- 

 spired Record. 



A striking illustration of the unwisdom of com- 

 mitting one's self to premature notions, or unproved 

 hypotheses, especially before all the evidence in the 

 case is properly weighed, is afforded in the long and 

 animated controversy respecting the authorship of 

 the Pentateuch. Many reasons have been assigned 

 by the higher critics why it could not have been the 

 production of Moses, to whom it has so long been 

 ascribed by a venerable tradition, and one of the 

 objections urged against the Mosaic authorship was, 

 that written language was unknown in the age dur- 

 ing which the Jewish legislator is reputed to have 

 lived. Now, however, the distinguished philologist 

 and archaeologist, Prof. Sayce, comes forward and 

 proves, beyond doubt or quibble, that the conten- 

 tion of the higher critics respecting the authorship 

 of the Bible is ill-founded. So sure, indeed, is he, 

 whereof he speaks, that he does not hesitate to 

 assert " not only that Moses could have written the 

 Pentateuch, but that it would have been something 

 like a miracle if he had not done so." 



Even in Germany, the great stronghold of the 

 Higher Criticism, we meet with the expression of 

 similar views, and that, too, on the part of such 

 noted Biblical scholars as Rupprecht, and Dr. 



