248 position and principles of ceiticism of old testament. 



Author's Eeply. 



The Dean said in substance : As to the Masoretic text, enough has 

 been established to show that the critics have been rash in their 

 use of it. The matter requires much further investigation, and this, 

 happily, is being vigorously carried forward in Germany. I hope 

 I shall not be regarded as an opponent of criticism, only of wrong 

 criticism. Much criticism is faulty in head, not in heart. 



I am obliged to Dr. Thirtle for his very kind remarks. Our 

 best friends to-day are the Germans themselves. The old 

 Tubingen theory, originally opposed by Lightfoot and Westcott, 

 was long ago demolished in Germany itself, and a sound and 

 conservative criticism of the New Testament has been established by 

 Zahn and his colleagues. I have a great admiration of German 

 scholars, but I think they are rather rash. They are most honest 

 and bold and they will ultimately get right. Theories will often 

 " work " for a time, but often new facts arise showing their 

 inapplicability ; the theory has then to be given up, and some more 

 successful one put in its place. This was the case with the 

 Ptolemaic system for years ; it prevailed until the Eeformation, 

 even Lord Bacon was misled by it ; but it worked, eclipses were 

 predicted by it, though it was wrong all the time. So German critical 

 theories work for a time, perhaps 50 years, until further inquiry 

 produces facts throwing new light on the problem. 



A good example of this was the change of view as to the early 

 use of writing in Old Testament times. When Bishop Harold 

 Browne wrote his Introduction to the Pentateuch in the Speaker^s 

 Commentary, he had to argue the question whether writing was in 

 use in the time of Moses. But every scholar has now in his 

 possession an elaborate code of laws, comparable in some respects 

 to those of the Pentateuch, which was formulated and inscribed on 

 stone by a contemporary of Abraham. 



In conclusion, the Dean thanked the meeting for their attention 

 and the kind vote of thanks which they had passed. 



