THE BIBI.E IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY. 



53 



tender, gentle restatement of the Laws of Sinai, in the terms of 

 expostulation and entreaty, sent through some unknown prophet 

 of Israel, when the early childhood of our race was over, and adoles- 

 cence that can be reasoned with had taken its place. 



It was well remarked by Mr. Roberts and by others as well, that 

 scientific discoveries (whether eventually proved right or wrong), 

 and questions of authorship and date such as the origin of the 

 Pentateuch, are not the foundation of the Faith we hold. I believe 

 with Mr. Gillespie that before the critic can be of any help in the 

 personal salvation of man, he must himself be a partaker of the 

 spiritual life, new born within. And yet, admitting these matters 

 to the full, I still think it desirable that the older and more expe- 

 rienced minds should study the verdicts of criticism, and not leave 

 them wholly to the judgment of the young and crude minds around 

 us. The tide of secular thought and discovery is mounting, and 

 cannot possibly be checked, and we must meet it with understand- 

 ing and not with blank hostility. We are quite safe, we are on 

 the winning side. The confession of Christ as God is the rock on 

 which the whole Church is built, and we have the promise that the 

 gates of hell shall never prevail against it. 



