118 YEN. ARCHDEACON SINCLAIR ON BIBLICAL CRITICISM. 



Communion : we know the substance but not the minute details of 

 the words. 



I am grateful to Dr. Sinclair for asserting the value of open 

 criticism. The Bible must stand criticism, it is only reasonable, 

 and we don't object to it at all. What we object to is had criticism. 

 It is a thoroughly erroneous basis to begin by rejecting all tradition ; 

 there is an immense amount of truth in the substance of tradition, 

 and it cannot be discarded. That Ezra imposed on the Jews a 

 false account of their history is perfectly preposterous. Stubbs 

 always held that it was wrong to go against the main lines of 

 tradition, though it might need correction in details. 



He concluded with proposing and putting to the meeting a hearty 

 vote of thanks to Dr. Sinclair for his most useful paper. 



Archdeacon Sinclair, in acknowledging the vote of thanks, 

 thanked also the speakers who had taken part in the discussion, 

 and especially Dean Wace, whose remarks he welcomed as a valuable 

 addition to his paper. 



Subsequent Communication. 



Dr. Irving writes : It is to be hoped that the Kaiser's incisive 

 and logical statement of his personal convictions will carry weight 

 with many a serious and open-minded German, as well as among 

 the English-speaking races of the world ; and we welcome his 

 earnest emphasis of the great " Messianic hope," which runs as a 

 golden thread right through all that is essentially contained in the 

 moral and religious teaching of the progressive library (ra pcpXloL) 

 from the call of Abraham to Christ. The very relapses and 

 regenerations of the inspired race (each time with a larger and 

 higher field of vision) seem to many of us to testify to Pro- 

 vidential spiritual leading, in fact to directive evolution in the 

 direction of the realization of a purpose with which is bound up 

 the ultimate destiny of mankind : and on this we base a rational 

 faith in the future, without presumptuously forecasting the form of 

 future development, of that fuller "manifestation of the sons of 

 God " for which " the whole creation painfully waits " 

 (Romans viii). 



