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。