CONCERNING THE C0MP081T10N OF HOLY SCiaPTURE. 173 



interpretation of their contents, it is held that the abandonment 

 of these deductions would involve in some cases the abandon- 

 ment of all belief in the divine inspiration of the records, or the 

 acceptance of a new and inadequate theory thereof ; in other 

 cases an imputation of untrutli fulness to the writers ; and in 

 yet others an accusation of ignorance or intentional inaccuracy 

 against Christ or His Apostles. As to the method of compila- 

 tion, the practical unity of authorship is maintained where 

 authorship is claimed, beginning with iMoses as the author of 

 the Pentateuch, and ending with St. John as the author of the 

 Apocalypse. At the same time the existence of editorial 

 additions and other interpolations of more or less value is not 

 denied, nor that the authors in some cases made use of previous 

 writings. 



This statement, while intended to commit no one, will, it is 

 believed, be found a generally accurate representation of the 

 position. Moreover, it is believed to afford a stronger and 

 more adequate foundation for dealing with those intellectual 

 and moral difficulties which are alleged to keep many in the 

 present day from an acceptance of the Christian faitli than any 

 other that has been proposed. 



Modern Critical Views. 



Many professed Christian scholars, however, in the present 

 day have objected to these views, and have deemed the basis 

 they offer for dealing with modern doubt both unsatisfactory 

 and ineffective. As tlie remainder of this paper must be 

 devoted to an inquiry into the new method to which the old is 

 asked to give way, it will be w^ell to have, in a few brief 

 sentences, the proposals which the new method makes to the 

 old to attain the end in view. Here also, as in the foregoing 

 statement, the non-commitment of those whose views it is 

 believed to represent must be premised, and no intention must 

 be supposed of attributing unanimity to them. Among the 

 proposals made then are the following : — 



i. To give up the traditional authorship of the books of 



Holy Sciipture. 



ii. To give up also the unity of their authorship and accept 



a theory of compilation instead. 



iii. To give up their traditional dates and accept others 



more or less modern. 



iv. To give up the belief in their special Divine inspiration 



and treat them as originating in the same way as 



