So，too，scientificbiblicalresearchhas，aswehaveseen，beenobligedtoadmittheexistenceofmuchmythicalandlegendarymatter，asasettingforthegreattruthsnotonlyoftheOldTestamentbutoftheNew。Ithasalsoshown，bythecomparativestudyofliteratures，theprocessbywhichsomebookswerecompiledandrecompiled，adornedwithbeautifulutterances，strengthenedorweakenedbyalterationsandinterpolationsexpressingtheviewsofthepossessorsortranscribers，andattributedtopersonageswhocouldnotpossiblyhavewrittenthem。ThepresentationofthesethingshasgreatlyweakenedthatswayofmeredogmawhichhassoobscuredthesimpleteachingsofChristhimself；forithasshownthatthemoreweknowofoursacredbooks，thelesscertainwebecomeastotheauthenticityof“prooftexts。”andithasdisengagedmoreandmore，astheonlyvaluableresiduum，likethemassofgoldatthebottomofthecrucible，thepersonality，spirit，teaching，andidealsoftheblessedFounderofChristianity。Moreandmore，too，thenewscholarshiphasdevelopedtheconceptionoftheNewTestamentas，liketheOld，thegrowthofliteratureinobediencetolaw——aconceptionwhichinalprobabilitywillgiveititsstrongestholdonthecomingcenturies。InmakingthisrevelationChristianscholarshiphasbynomeansdoneworkmainlydestructive。Ithas，indeed，sweptawayamassofnoxiousgrowths，butithasatthesametimeclearedthegroundforabettergrowthofChristianity——agrowththroughwhichalreadypulsatesthecurrentofanoblerlife。Ithasforeverdestroyedthecontentionofscholarslikethoseoftheeighteenthcenturywhosaw，inthemultitudeofirreconcilablediscrepanciesbetweenvariousbiblicalstatements，merelyevidencesofpriestcraftandintentionalfraud。ThenewscholarshiphasshownthatevensuchabsolutecontradictionsasthosebetweentheaccountsoftheearlylifeofJesusbyMatthewandLuke，andbetweenthedateofthecrucifixionanddetailsoftheresurrectioninthefirstthreeGospelsandinthefourth，andotherdiscrepancieshardlylessserious，donotdestroythehistoricalcharacterofthenarrative。EventhehopelesslyconflictinggenealogiesoftheSaviourandtheevidentlymythicalaccretionsaboutthesimplefactsofhisbirthandlifearethusfullofinterestwhentakenasanaturalliterarydevelopmentinobediencetothedeepestreligiousfeeling。[502]

　　[502]AmongthenewerEnglishworksofthecanonofScripture，especiallyasregardstheOldTestament，seeRyleinworkcited。

　　AstotheevidencesoffrequentmutilationsoftheNewTestamenttext，aswellasoffrequentchargeofchangingtextsmadeagainsteachotherbyearlyChristianwriters，seeReuss，HistoryoftheNewTestament，vol。ii，S362。Forareverantandhonesttreatmentofsomeofthediscrepanciesandcontradictionswhichareabsolutelyirreconcilable，seeCrooker，asabove，appendix；

　　alsoCone，GospelCriticismandHistoricChristianity，especiallychap。ii；alsoMatthewArnold，LiteratureandDogma，andGodandtheBible，especiallychap。vi；andforabriefbutfullshowingoftheminajudicialandkindlyspirit，seeLaing，ProblemsoftheFuture，chap。ix，onTheHistoricalElementintheGospels。

　　AmongthosewhohavewroughtmosteffectivelytobringtheleadersofthoughtintheEnglish-speakingnationstothishigherconception，MatthewArnoldshouldnotbeforgotten。Bypoeticinsight，broadscholarship，pungentstatement，pithyargument，andanexquisitelylucidstyle，heaidedeffectuallyduringthelatterhalfofthenineteenthcenturyinbringingtheworkofspecialiststobearuponthedevelopmentofabroaderanddeeperview。Inthelightofhisgeniusaconceptionofoursacredbooksatthesametimemoreliteraryaswellasmorescientifichasgrownwidelyandvigorously，whiletheolderviewwhichmadeofthemafetichandasupportforunchristiandogmashasbeenmoreandmorethrownintothebackground。ThecontributionstotheseresultsbythemosteminentprofessorsatthegreatChristianuniversitiesoftheEnglish-speakingworld，OxfordandCambridgetakingthelead，aremosthopefulsignsofanewepoch。

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