The Fundamentals - Torrey - II - Chapter 1 (The history of higher criticism) concluded

Required reading
The Fundamentals edited by R. A. Torrey (Available from Amazon or free here) - Conclude Chapter 1 'The history of higher criticism'.

My summary
Today we continue to read over a history of higher criticism and see further consequences of the movement.  Higher criticism leads to:
(i) a discredited Old Testament;
(ii) a discredited Bible;
(iii) a denial of the traditional understanding of the doctrine of inspiration;
(iv) a removal of a final authority for theology;
(v) a removal of Christ's authority;
(vi) obscurantism of the mind;
(vii) an unhealthy elevation of scholarship;
(viii) a removal of other views.

What grabbed me
I liked the teasing out of what higher criticism ends up teaching about Christ: 'The attitude of Christ to the Old Testament Scriptures must determine ours. He is God. He is truth. His is the final voice. He is the Supreme Judge. There is no appeal from that court. Christ Jesus the Lord believed and affirmed the historic veracity of the whole of the Old Testament writings implicitly (Luke 24:44). And the Canon, or collection of Books of the Old Testament, was precisely the same in Christ's time as it is today. And further. Christ Jesus our Lord believed and emphatically affirmed the Mosaic authorship of the Pentateuch (Matt. 5:17-18; Mark 12:26-36; Luke 16:31; John 5:46-47). That is true, the critics say, But, then, neither Christ nor His Apostles were critical scholars ! Perhaps not in the twentieth century sense of the term. But, as a German scholar said, if they were not critici doctores, they were doctores veritatis who did not come into the world to fortify popular errors by their authority. But then they say, Christ's knowledge as man was limited. He grew in knowledge (Luke 2:52). Surely that implies His ignorance. And if His ignorance, why not His ignorance with regard to the science of historical criticism? (Gore, Lux Mundi, page 360; Briggs, H. C. of Hexateuch, page 28.) Or even if He did know more than His age, He probably spoke as He did in accommodation with the ideas of His contemporaries! (Briggs, page 29.)'

Sounds like higher critics are taking Christ off his throne and putting themselves in his place.  Which is a very old sin, going right back to the garden.

Next week's reading
Read Chapter 2 'The Mosaic authorship of the Pentateuch'.

Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.