COXCEKXIXG THE COMPOSITION OF HOLY SCRIPTURE. 187 



described as evolution. But worst of all is that use of it which 

 describes Christianity as the last result in an evolutionary process 

 from the earliest forms of religious faith of the Old Testament 

 Scriptures or elsewhere. Christianity is the Personal Christ in 

 the active exercise among men of His supei natural and divine 

 gi'ax3e. Unless, therefore, His miraculous conception, His virgin 

 birth, and His divine nature be denied, we must accept His 

 own declaration of His pre-existence — "I came forth from 

 the Father and am come into the kosmos, again I leave the 

 kosmos and go unto the Father," and we must therefore 

 frankly confess as utterly inadmissible the term " evolution." 



But in every employment of the term and in whatever sense 

 used, it appears to contemplate a degree of religious ignorance 

 in the earlier period of our race which did not exist and a 

 measure of progress therefore which could not have taken 

 place. That the religious knowledge conveyed to the mind of 

 man by the Xew Testament is in advance of that conveyed by 

 the Old is no new discovery. But there is no truth in the Xew 

 which may not also be found in the Old. Moreover we are 

 almost daily being forced to the conclusion that the amount of 

 religious knowledge in the very earliest ages of mankind of 

 which we have any record was far greater than a few years ago 

 had ever been supposed. It would seem therefore not improbable 

 that the Scriptures of the Old Testament especially were given 

 for the preservation of truth as well as for its revelation. 



AVhat shall we say to such admonitions as these current 

 probably among Abraham's contemporaries and related as 

 uttered to mankind by its Creator : — 



" Every day will thy God be gracious to tliee ; 

 Sacrifice, prayer, the best of incense. 

 For God, in purity of heart shalt thou have — 

 That is the delight of the Divinity. 

 Prayer, supplication, and bowing down the face, 

 Early shalt thou offer Him. 



Sacrifice increaseth life, 



And prayer releaseth thee from sin. 



Against friend and companion speak no evil, 



Speak not low things, do right, 



If thou promise then give, withhold not." * 



Surely if such precepts as these were in circulation in the 



* See The Old Testament in the Light of the Historical Records, etc., by 

 T. G. Pinches, LL.D., M.E.A.S. (S.P.C.'K.) 



