hissermonin1841onTheTransientandPermanentinChristianitymarkedthebeginningofhisgreatindividualcareer；hisspeeches，hislectures，andespeciallyhisDiscourseonMatterspertainingtoReligion，greatlyextendedhisinfluence。Hiswasadeeplydevotionalnature，andhispublicprayersexercisedbytheirtouchingbeautyaverystrongreligiousinfluenceuponhisaudiences。Hehadhisreward。Beautifulandnobleaswerehislifeandhislife-work，hewaswidelyabhorred。Ononeoccasionofpublicworshipinoneofthemoreorthodoxchurches，newshavingbeenreceivedthathewasdangerouslyill，aprayerwasopenlymadebyoneofthezealousbrethrenpresentthatthisarch-enemymightberemovedfromearth。HewasevendrivenoutfromtheUnitarianbody。Buthewasnonethelesssteadfastandbold，andthegreatmassofmenandwomenwhothrongedhisaudienceroomatBostonandhislectureroomsinothercitiesspreadhisideas。Hisfatewaspathetic。Fulloffaithandhope，butbrokenprematurelybyhislabours，heretiredtoItaly，anddiedthereatthedarkestperiodinthehistoryoftheUnitedStates——whenslaveryinthestateandtheolderorthodoxyintheChurchseemedabsolutelyandforevertriumphant。ThedeathofMoseswithinsightofthepromisedlandseemstheonlyparalleltothedeathofParkerlessthansixmonthsbeforethepublicationofEssaysandReviewsandtheelectionofAbrahamLincolntothepresidency，oftheUnitedStates。[492]
　　[492]Fortheappellation“religiousTitan“appliedtoTheodoreParker，seealetterofJowett，MasterofBalliol，toFrancesPowerCobbe，inherAutobiography，vol。1，p。357，andforReville’sstatement，ibid。，p。9。ForapatheticaccountofParker’slasthoursatFlorence，ibid。，vol。i，pp。10，11。AstotheinfluenceofTheodoreParkeronLincoln，seeRhodes’sHistoryoftheUnitedStates，asabove，vol。ii，p。312。ForthestatementregardingParker’saudiencesandhispoweroverthem，thepresentwritertruststohisownmemory。
　　ButhereitmustbenotedthatParker’seffortwaspowerfullyaidedbytheconscientiousutterancesofsomeofhisforemostopponents。NothingduringtheAmericanstruggleagainsttheslavesystemdidmoretoweanreligiousandGod-fearingmenandwomenfromtheoldinterpretationofScripturethantheuseofittojustifyslavery。TypicalamongexamplesofthisuseweretheargumentsofHopkins，BishopofVermont，amanwhosenoblecharacterandbeautifulculturegavehimverywideinfluenceinallbranchesoftheAmericanProtestantChurch。Whileavowinghispersonaldisliketoslavery，hedemonstratedthattheBiblesanctionedit。Othertheologians，CatholicandProtestant，tookthesameground；andthencamethattremendousrejoinderwhichechoedfromhearttoheartthroughouttheNorthernStates：“TheBiblesanctionsslavery？SomuchtheworsefortheBible。”ThenwasfulfilledthatoldsayingofBishopUlrichofAugsburg：
　　“PressnotthebreastsofHolyWrittoohard，lesttheyyieldbloodratherthanmilk。”[493]
　　[493]ThereisacuriousreferencetoBishopHopkins’sideasonslaveryinArchbishopTait’sLifeandLetters。Forasuccinctstatementofthebiblicalproslaveryargumentreferredto，seeRhodes，asabove，vol。i，pp。370etseq。
　　YetthroughoutChristendomachangeinthemodeofinterpretingScripture，thoughabsolutelynecessaryifitsproperauthoritywastobemaintained，stillseemedalmosthopeless。Evenaftertheforemostscholarshadtakengroundinfavourofit，andthemostconservativeofthosewhoseopinionswereentitledtoweighthadmadeconcessionsshowingtheoldgroundtobeuntenable，therewasfanaticaloppositiontoanychange。TheSyllabusofErrorsputforthbyPiusIXin1864，aswellascertainotherdocumentsissuedfromtheVatican，hadincreasedthedifficultiesofthisneededtransition；and，whilethemoreable-mindedRomanCatholicscholarsskilfullyexplainedawaytheobstaclesthuscreated，otherspublishedworksinsistinguponthemostextremeviewsastotheverbalinspirationofthesacredbooks。IntheChurchofEnglandvariousinfluentialmentookthesameview。
　　Dr。Baylee，PrincipalofSt。Aidan’sCollege，declaredthatinScripture“everyscientificstatementisinfalliblyaccurate；allitshistoriesandnarrationsofeverykindarewithoutanyinaccuracy。Itswordsandphraseshaveagrammaticalandphilologicalaccuracy，suchasispossessedbynohumancomposition。”In1861DeanBurgonpreachedinChristChurchCathedral，Oxford，asfollows：“No，sirs，theBibleistheveryutteranceoftheEternal：asmuchGod’sownwordasifhighheavenwereopenandweheardGodspeakingtouswithhumanvoice。Everybookisinspiredalike，andisinspiredentirely。
　　Inspirationisnotadifferenceofdegree，butofkind。TheBibleisfilledtooverflowingwiththeHolySpiritofGod；thebooksofitandthewordsofitandtheverylettersofit。”
　　In1865CanonMacNeiledeclaredinExeterHallthat“wemusteitherreceivetheverbalinspirationoftheOldTestamentordenytheveracity，theinsight，theintegrityofourLordJesusChristasateacherofdivinetruth。”
　　Aslateas1889oneofthetwomosteloquentpulpitoratorsintheChurchofEngland，CanonLiddon，preachingatSt。Paul’sCathedral，usedinhisfervourthesamedangerousargument：thattheauthorityofChristhimself，andthereforeofChristianity，mustrestontheoldviewoftheOldTestament；that，sincethefounderofChristianity，indivinelyrecordedutterances，alludedtothetransformationofLot’swifeintoapillarofsalt，toNoah’sarkandtheFlood，andtothesojournofJonahinthewhale，thebiblicalaccountofthesemustbeacceptedashistorical，orthatChristianitymustbegivenupaltogether。
　　InthelightofwhatwasrapidlybecomingknownregardingtheChaldeanandothersourcesoftheaccountsgiveninGenesis，noargumentcouldbemorefraughtwithperiltotheinterestwhichthegiftedpreachersoughttoserve。
　　InFranceandGermanymanysimilarutterancesinoppositiontothenewerbiblicalstudieswereheard；andfromAmerica，especiallyfromthecollegeatPrinceton，cameresoundingechoes。
　　AsanexampleofmanymaybequotedthestatementbytheeminentDr。HodgethatthebooksofScripture“are，oneandall，inthoughtandverbalexpression，insubstance，andinform，whollytheworkofGod，conveyingwithabsoluteaccuracyanddivineauthorityallthatGodmeanttoconveywithouthumanadditionsandadmixtures“；andthat“infallibilityandauthorityattachasmuchtotheverbalexpressioninwhichtherevelationismadeastothematteroftherevelationitself。”
　　Butthenewerthoughtmovedsteadilyon。AsalreadyinProtestantEurope，sonowintheProtestantchurchesofAmerica，ittookstrongholdontheforemostmindsinmanyofthechurchesknownasorthodox：Toy，Briggs，FrancisBrown，Evans，PreservedSmith，Moore，Haupt，Harper，Peters，andBacondevelopedit，and，thoughmostofthemwereopposedbitterlybysynods，councils，andotherauthoritiesoftheirrespectivechurches，theyweremanfullysupportedbythemoreintellectualclergyandlaity。
　　Thegreateruniversitiesofthecountryrangedthemselvesonthesideofthesemen；persecutionbutintrenchedthemmorefirmlyintheheartsofallintelligentwell-wishersofChristianity。Thetriumphswonbytheiropponentsinassemblies，synods，conventions，andconferenceswerereallyvictoriesforthenominallydefeated，sincetheyrevealedtotheworldthefactthatineachofthesebodiesthestrongandfruitfulthoughtoftheChurch，thethoughtwhichalonecanhaveanyholdonthefuture，waswiththenewraceofthinkers；notheologicaltriumphsmoresurelyfataltothevictorshavebeenwonsincetheVaticandefeatedCopernicusandGalileo。
　　Andherereferencemustbemadetoaseriesofeventswhich，inthesecondhalfofthenineteenthcentury，havecontributedmostpowerfulaidtothenewschoolofbiblicalresearch。
　　V。VICTORYOFTHESCIENTIFICANDLITERARYMETHODS。
　　Whilethisstruggleforthenewtruthwasgoingoninvariousfields，aidappearedfromaquarterwhenceitwasleastexpected。
　　ThegreatdiscoveriesbyBottaandLayardinAssyriaweresupplementedbytheresearchesofRawlinson，GeorgeSmith，Oppert，Sayce，Sarzec，Pinches，andothers，andthusitwasrevealedmoreclearlythaneverbeforethatasfarbackasthetimeassignedinGenesistothecreationagreatcivilizationwasflourishinginMesopotamia；thatlongages，probablytwothousandyears，beforethescripturaldateassignedtothemigrationofAbrahamfromUroftheChaldees，thisChaldeancivilizationhadbloomedforthinart，science，andliterature；thattheancientinscriptionsrecoveredfromthesitesofthisandkindredcivilizationspresentedtheHebrewsacredmythsandlegendsinearlierforms——formslongantedatingthosegivenintheHebrewScriptures；andthattheaccountsoftheCreation，theTreeofLifeinEden，theinstitutionandeventhenameoftheSabbath，theDeluge，theTowerofBabel，andmuchelseinthePentateuch，weresimplyanevolutionoutofearlierChaldeanmythsandlegends。SoperfectwastheproofofthisthatthemosteminentscholarsintheforemostseatsofChristianlearningwereobligedtoacknowledgeit。[494]
　　[494]AstotherevelationsofthevastantiquityofChaldeancivilization，andespeciallyregardingtheNabonidosinscription，seeRecordsofthePast，vol。i，newseries，firstarticle，andespeciallypp。5，6，whereatranslationofthatinscriptionisgiven；alsoHommel，GeschichteBabyloniensundAssyriens，introduction，inwhich，onpage12，anengravingoftheSargoncylinderisgiven；also，onthegeneralsubject，especiallypp。
　　116etseq。，309etseq。；alsoMeyer，GeschichtedesAlterthums，pp。161-163；alsoMasperoandSayce，DawnofCivilization，p。555
　　andnote。
　　FortheearlierChaldeanformsoftheHebrewCreationaccounts，TreeofLifeinEden，HebrewSabbath，boththeinstitutionandthename，andvariousotherpointsofsimilarinterest，seeGeorgeSmith，ChaldeanAccountofGenesis，throughoutthework，especiallyp。308andchaps。xvi，xvii；alsoJensen，DieKosmologiederBabylonier；alsoSchrader，TheCuneiformInscriptionsandtheOldTestament；alsoLenormant，Originesdel’Histoire；alsoSayce，TheAssyrianStoryofCreation，inRecordsofthePast，newseries，vol。i。ForageneralstatementastoearliersourcesofmuchintheHebrewsacredorigins，seeHuxley，EssaysonControvertedQuestions，Englishedition，p。
　　525。
　　ThemoregeneralconclusionswhichwerethusgiventobiblicalcriticismwereallthemoreimpressivefromthefactthattheyhadbeenrevealedbyvariousgroupsofearnestChristianscholarsworkingondifferentlines，bydifferentmethods，andinvariouspartsoftheworld。Veryhonourablewasthefullandfranktestimonytotheseresultsgivenin1885bytheRev。FrancisBrown，aprofessorinthePresbyterianTheologicalSeminaryatNewYork。InhisadmirablethoughbriefbookonAssyriology，startingwiththedeclarationthat“itisagreatpitytobeafraidoffacts。”heshowedhowAssyrianresearchtestifiesinmanywaystothehistoricalvalueoftheBiblerecord；butatthesametimehefreelyallowedtoChaldeanhistoryanantiquityfataltothesacredchronologyoftheHebrews。Healsocastasideamassofdoubtfulapologetics，anddealtfranklywiththefactthatverymanyoftheearlynarrativesinGenesisbelongtothecommonstockofancienttradition，and，mentioningasanexamplethecuneiforminscriptionswhichrecordastoryoftheAccadiankingSargon——how“hewasborninretirement，placedbyhismotherinabasketofrushes，launchedonariver，rescuedandbroughtupbyastranger，afterwhichhebecameking“——hedidnothesitatetoremindhisreadersthatSargonlivedathousandyearsandmorebeforeMoses；thatthisstorywastoldofhimseveralhundredyearsbeforeMoseswasborn；andthatitwastoldofvariousotherimportantpersonagesofantiquity。TheprofessordealtjustashonestlywiththeinscriptionswhichshowsundrystatementsinthebookofDanieltobeunhistorical；
　　candidlymakingadmissionswhichbutashorttimebeforewouldhavefilledorthodoxywithhorror。
　　Afewyearslatercameanothertestimonyevenmorestriking。
　　EarlyinthelastdecadeofthenineteenthcenturyitwasnoisedabroadthattheRev。ProfessorSayce，ofOxford，themosteminentAssyriologistandEgyptologistofGreatBritain，wasabouttopublishaworkinwhichwhatisknownasthe“highercriticism“
　　wastobevigorouslyandprobablydestructivelydealtwithinthelightaffordedbyrecentresearchamongthemonumentsofAssyriaandEgypt。ThebookwaslookedforwitheagerexpectationbythesupportersofthetraditionalviewofScripture；but，whenitappeared，theexultationofthetraditionalistswasspeedilychangedtodismay。ForProf。Sayce，whileshowingsomeseveritytowardsundryminorassumptionsandassertionsofbiblicalcritics，confirmedalltheirmoreimportantconclusionswhichproperlyfellwithinhisprovince。WhilehisreaderssoonrealizedthattheseassumptionsandassertionsofoverzealouscriticsnomoredisprovedthemainresultsofbiblicalcriticismthanthewildguessesofKeplerdisprovedthetheoryofCopernicus，orthediscoveriesofGalileo，oreventhegreatlawswhichbearKepler’sownname，theyfoundnewminessprungundersomeofthemostloftyfortressesoftheolddogmatictheology。