EVENING SITTING

Auckland Star, Volume XXVII, Issue 106, 7 May 1896, Page 2

EVENING SITTING

Ab bhe evening session, which was bold in the Choral Hall, His Excellency the Governor presided. There was a fair attendance.^ After Drayer by the Primate His Excellency called on the Right Rev. tho Bishop of Wellington to read a paper on «' Biblical Criticism " in relation to bb» Old Testament. The Bishop of Wellington opened bis address by referring to the recent literary criticism of what was popularly called "the higher criticism ot the Old Testameub." The questions with which shey were concerned were these: Were the books written by the men whose names they bear ? Had they gone through previous adaptation, compilation, revision or editing 1 What was the actual true form of bhe text—their actual words—in which they reached their final form. His Lordship then dealt exhauativffty with many of the books of the Old Testament wibh a view bo show the grounds for the moat popular beliefs prevailing at the present time as to the authenticity of the Scriptures. He maintained that we had no right to prevent or discourage such inquiries aa those he bad mentioned. We must thankfully acknowledge thab one of God's most precious gifts in this age was^ the gift of historical criticism. When at Cambridge he bad bsen in almost daily intercourse wibh bhe vary highest critics there, and he could testify to the fact that they were of the very highest Christian character. They musb not assume thab these higher critics were enemies of Christianity. English critics, he had found, were inferior to German in honest, industry, bub superior to them in historical sympathy. With regard to the evidence in suDporb of the Christian beliefs concerning the Old and New Testaments, Hia Lordship poiatsd out that owing to the attention and study devotod of • recent years to Hebrew along with cognate languages, the New Testament could be much more easily inquired into than the Old. There were documents and manuscripts now in existence bringing them back to a much nearer time than when the books were written. The result of the discovery of these documents had been to place the authorship of the New Testament beyond bhe shadow of a doubb. In conclusion, His Lordship said he believed very strongly that the temper of mind, in which these problems wero approached was a far more important thing than their solution. They might be able to arrive at the solution of some of them, bub it was of tho utmost importance that they should not allow themselves and their children to make such inquiries in a hostile spirit. The Rev. W. S. Curzon-Siggers then read an able paper on " Biblical Critioism " regarding bho New Testament. In hia introduction he pointed out thab it was fitting thab His Excellency should preside in Auckland over the meeting,' seeing that it was about the time that His Excellency Captain Hobson was fixing Auckland as the aeab of Governmehb thab the remarkable movemenb known as. the New Testament criticism began. Tho Beat of Government had passed bo Wellington, and ib was graceful of the Bishop of Wellington to honour them thab night both with his paper on Old Te.-tan.enb criticism and with his presence. The paper read by the reverend gentleman dealt in an inbercsbing manner with the various works of the New Testament in turn, pointing out the evidences for tho belief of their divine origin.

The Mosb Rev. the Primate.offered tho Bishop of Wellington their thanks for the moat intere.ting and scholarly address they had just hoard from him. He might also state that it gave him very greab pleasure ab seeing him there that evening. When the resignation of his predecessor took place ib was generally felb throughout New Zealand that ho should bo succeeded by a scholar. In thab diocese they had had three distinguished scholars in Bishop Abraham and Bishop Hadfiold, and they all appreciated tho fact that tbey had in the Bishop of Wellington a man of learning. The Primate alno thanked His Excellency for presiding, and expressed his pleasure at his being amongst them. Owing to the fact that his term of. office would soon expire, they could not expecb to see him frequently in the fubure, but they recognised the interest ho had taken in the welfare of bhe country. He felb sure they all regretted the absence of Lady Glasgow, and felb the deepest sympathy with her on the death of hor relative.

The meeting then closed with the bene diction.