(Concluded from p. 459.)

In Philippians 1:17 Paul tells of those who know "that I am set for the defense of the gospel." He had not only to preach the gospel but also to defend it. All through his epistles runs this defense of the gospel from the attacks of its enemies. And all down the centuries since, God's servants have had this as a part of their work. Some have been specially gifted for this, and in our own days the defenders of Scripture have to be qualified for this work in many ways. There has been on the part of certain critics deliberate attempts to prove that many of the Old Testament Scriptures are much later than they have been supposed to be, on account of certain words in them which the critics said were not in use until after the Exile, or near that time. This form of attack upon Scripture cannot be met by any not acquainted with ancient languages, especially the Aramaic (called "Syriac," in Dan. 2:4, etc.), because many of the words used in the endeavor to prove the lateness of parts of the Old Testament are in those languages.

It is the critics' object to bring the spiritual (in their view) parts down as late as possible, according to the behests of the theory of evolution. God is shut out altogether. The tribes of Israel, they say, started as barbarians, were worshipers of the tribal god Jehovah, progressed to a higher state of religious worship, etc. The whole system is so false that it is hard to think that men calling themselves Christian preachers will be so blind as to accept it. The great point is that all divine authority is given up; God has not spoken in His Word; every person may believe what is right in his own eyes. Scripture has no authority whatever for such.

Centuries ago, Arius made an attack on the truth, and because of the state of the Church procured a wide hearing. God raised up one man especially to withstand him, Athanasius, who used the Word of God to fight against the blasphemies of Arianism, and the liberalism of halfhearted holders of the truth. From the Scriptures Athanasius drew his weapons, and by the Scriptures was the Church then saved from ruin. When God raised up Martin Luther to deliver His people from their bondage to the principles of Romanism, it was the Scriptures that Luther used in his combats with the dignitaries of that system.

To-day, that which arrogates to itself the name of the Church rejects the Scriptures as having authority over the Church or the individual. Hence a battle now has to be fought to give believers knowledge of the falsities used by critics and Modernists at every turn to destroy faith in God and His Word. God has spoken to man in and by the Scriptures of truth. Satan from the beginning has sought to destroy faith in God and His Word. God has raised up many for the defense of the gospel. It is be-cause the gospel of Christ is imbedded in and wholly founded upon the Old Testament that it is needful for the defenders of the gospel to take their stand in defense of the inspiration and accuracy of the Old Testament. Scholars of the highest attainment in the study of ancient languages connected with the nations around Palestine were needed, and have been led to take up and probe deep into the arguments brought by scholars against the Scriptures.

For years readers of the "Princeton Theological Review" have noted the ability possessed by many of its writers in maintaining the fulness of truth in the Scriptures. Especially noteworthy has been the work of Professor Robert Dick Wilson. It was needful that believing scholars should be able to meet the attacks of such men as Dr. Driver, whose work has had more to do with propagating the antichristian teachings of Modernism than that of any other man. To show the errors, mistakes, and unjustified attacks of such men upon the Old Testament, has been the work given to Professor Wilson, and in his Review articles and his books he has shown how utterly unfounded have been the charges brought against the accuracy of the Book. In 1919 two articles appeared in the "Princeton Theological Review" on Scientific Criticism of the Old Testament. These were among the best works of the kind, and there was an urgent call for them to be issued in book form. This was done last year under the title of "A Scientific Investigation of the Old Testament." While this is one of the most learned books of its kind, it is so simply and clearly written that any person of ordinary intelligence can get great help from it in the defense of the gospel. Young people in schools and colleges where unbelief is taught, can get needed help from this book.

Melvin Grove Kyle has written three books of great value on the scientific proofs of the truth and accuracy of the Pentateuch. One, "The Deciding Voice of the Monuments," has so much value that it has passed into a second edition, and "The Problem of the Pentateuch" has presented a line of study which is impossible for critics to meet and maintain the document theory. James Orr's "Problem of the Old Testament" was issued twenty years ago, yet it has never been answered by any critic. It is a cyclopedia of information on critical attacks and how to meet them. These books are mentioned because their authors are scholars of the highest rank, and the attacks of the critics are supposed to be made by scholars, and their objections to Scripture are claimed to be scientific.

It is noteworthy that the efforts of a large class of Modernists are directed, not to leading the ignorant to a knowledge of Christ and His grace, but to spreading their antichristian errors among believers. And it is of interest to know that one of their complaints is that so few preachers and church people accept their teachings. This, in spite of all the efforts they have made to undermine the truth, shows how the Spirit of God is still holding back the floods of unbelief, and in mercy giving men still more time to repent and believe in Christ crucified. J. W. Newton