Further, our attitude should be marked by an intelligent understanding
of the question involved. It is not a question of fair, honest
criticism, for the purpose of a deeper knowledge of God and his truth.
All reverent and helpful study of the Word of God is critical, and is
the kind of criticism that the Book challenges. Our Lord invites it, and
urges us to "search the Scriptures," which testify of him.

It is assumed by the rationalistic critics that we have entered a new
era, that the Bible has never been studied until within recent years.
This is an assumption unworthy of scientific scholarship. Critics who
have not sought to destroy the Word of God, but, by thorough
investigation, to determine its claims, have been at work on the
Scriptures in all the past, seeking to know the mind of the Spirit.
There is, and ever has been a legitimate study of the Bible. Hence,
there are absolutely no grounds for the assumption of the rationalists.
The Church of Christ is not opposed to the application of the best
methods and best scholarship in the investigation of revealed truth.
Indeed, the Protestant Church has ever been the mother of the highest
education, and has had an open ear to the call of God--"Come, let us
reason together."

It is well to understand that the poorly-concealed purpose of the school
of higher critics is not to press the just and holy claims of God's Word
on the human conscience, but to eliminate the supernatural from it. The
Christian Church should understand this. If atheistic scientists can
construct a universe without God, by evolutionary processes, and the
critics can construct a Bible without the supernatural, "the wisdom of
this world" will have pretty thoroughly disposed of God.