A LETTER BY THE REV. DR. KERR.
The following instructive letter appeared in the Scotsman of November 18th:—
19 QUEEN SQUARE, GLASGOW, NOVEMBER 17, 1904.
SIR,—At the Commission of the United Free Church yesterday the convener of the College Committee made a wild effort to oust the higher criticism from the present discussions, and maintain that the United Free Church is not in any sense responsible for the currency of this infidelity within their bounds. Mr. Matthew seems to have forgotten the attitude of the General Assembly of the church in 1902, when Professor Smith’s “Modern Criticism” was under its consideration, and when the Assembly, by an overwhelming majority utterly refused to “deal” with the professor for his teaching in that volume—the most infidel publication ever issued from a Presbyterian chair of theology. What are some of the facts?
“Modern Criticism” teaches that disastrous influences have been produced by the “dogma” of a verbal inspiration; that this dogma has led to extensive scepticism; that the early chapters of Genesis are mythical and legendary; that the stories of the patriarchs are unreliable; that the Bible contains irreconcilable discrepancies and contradictory teachings; that the laws of the Pentateuch have not all come from Moses; that the Bible sanctions atrocities; that Jonah and Nineveh are parables; that the Books of Chronicles are “precarious;” that the prophecies have undergone various manipulations; that the God of Israel was a patron of idolatry; that the God of Israel was “a tribal god;” that He revealed Himself under “the form of a tribal deity,” etc. No wonder a committee of ministers and office-bearers of the United Free Church declared that the toleration of these views in the church would be “high treason to our eternal King.”
On a memorial from certain of the ministers and others in the United Free Church, the College Committee were compelled to consider this volume. They reported to the Assembly that there was no reason why a process should be instituted. On the matter coming before the Assembly a motion was submitted declining to proceed further, and declaring that the “interests of Christian truth” did not require any interference with the higher criticism in the church. The mover and seconder of this motion were the two most representative men in the two sections of the United Church—Principal Rainy and Professor Orr. In their long speeches they bent their whole energies to defend Professor Smith. So resolved were they on their project that they summarily declined even to entertain a proposal to confer with Professor Smith in order to an amicable settlement of the case. In his speech Professor Orr passed a high eulogy on Professor Smith, calling on the Assembly to “unite in thanking God for the gift He had given in him, and for the work he had been enabled to accomplish for God’s glory.” By 534 votes the motion was carried, a majority of 251 over the amendment. All the professors present voted with Principal Rainy and Professor Orr.
Every lover of the Holy Scriptures in the world is entitled to demand that this motion be revoked; that the United Free Church, by its General Assembly or another Convocation, repudiate the infidel criticism so rampant in their denomination, and issue an unambiguous deliverance professing belief in the inspiration, infallibility, and divine authority of the Old and New Testaments as the Word of God. Without this, any proposal by Parliament or otherwise to grant to the United Free Church any share of the funds and property of the Free Church of Scotland would be an outrage on equity and righteousness and on the highest convictions of Christendom.—I am, etc., J. KERR.