The incarnation and recent criticism

Front matter

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Table Of Contents

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THE VIRGIN BIRTH AND HEBREW SOURCES.......... 69 CHAPTER IV

| CHAPTER V

Preface

The purpose of the following pages is to review the methods and findings of negative criticism on the Incarnation, the gospel narratives of the virgin birth, the essential Deity of Jesus of Nazareth, and to show the untrustworthy character of rationalistic thought on these and related themes. Since the really great works of Neander, Van Oosterzee, Pressensé, Liddon, Uhlhorn, Edersheim, J. P. Lange, C. A. Row, and many shelves of others appeared in answer to Strauss, Renan, Schenkel and their disciples, there has arisen a new school of so-called Liberal thought represented in the main by such critics as Lobstein, Réville, Harnack, Pfleiderer, and other well known writers. The works of these European scholars translated into English and published in cheap form have popularized to a large extent the critical studies of specialists in Christological subjects and presented in such confident manner the objections of skeptics to the dogmatic contents of Christian belief in the Person of the world’s Redeemer that, if shadow were taken for substance, assertion for proof, one would suppose the enemy had at last carried by assault the citadel of the Christian faith. But, while the works of these writers have been largely circulated in this country, no work dealing specifically from the standpoint of faith with these recent theories has yet appeared in popular form. Hence this attempt, limited and imperfect as it is, to supply the need. A study of these pages, how-

PREFACE ever, will show that no point of real importance in the contentions of these writers has been omitted or uncandidly dealt with. From these observations it will be seen that-I have not attempted a formal work on the doctrine of the Incarnation itself as a theological dogma, but a review of recent criticism of the several subjects related to or included under that subject. It will also be seen that in the discussion of the facts relating to the Person of our Lord from the Christian point of view that which is obvious to every intelligent interpreter of the faith has been purposely discarded, and those questions only are considered which are deemed the most difficult and on which the average thinker needs the most help.

Originally prepared, with the exception of one or two chapters which appeared in the Methodist Review, for oral delivery as lectures before representative bodies of ministers, and without any thought of future publication, it would be more agreeable doubtless to severe literary taste had the whole been recast and presented in a more didactic form; but such a change would hardly have added any compensating value to the volume and would not perhaps be entirely to the satisfaction of those who heard the lectures, and in response to whose requests and resolutions they are published.

May He concerning whom these pages were written bless them to the strengthening of faith among the Doubtful and to the joy and comfort of those who believe. Ril oas