LIBRARY 
 
 OF THE 
 
 University of California. 
 
 Class 
 
A LAYMAN'S MIND ON CREED AND 
 CHURCH 
 
§&m. 
 
A LAYMAN'S MIND 
 
 ON 
 
 CREED AND CHURCH 
 
 ^ 
 
 BY 
 
 JOHN STEWART TEMPLETON 
 
 CARPET MANUFACTURER 
 
 JJtfttbxnt 
 
 MACMILLAN AND CO., Limited 
 
 NEW YORK : THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 
 I906 
 
 All rights reserved 
 

 GLASGOW : PRINTED AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS 
 BY ROBERT MACLEHOSE AND CO. LTD. 
 
OF THE 
 
 UNIVERSITY 
 
 OF 
 
 ^.'FORN\h, 
 
 p3 
 
 INTRODUCTION TO THE EDITION 
 PRINTED FOR PRIVATE USE. 
 
 In four short letters written to the Editor 
 
 of the Glasgow Herald, dated the 3rd, 6th, 
 
 10th, and 30th August, 1904, I urged that 
 
 advantage should be taken of the disastrous 
 
 decision of the House of Lords, then recently 
 
 announced, to prepare a new short creed to 
 
 supersede the Confession of Faith, and also 
 
 to make some reform in the representation 
 
 of the laity in the Church Courts. I have 
 
 been asked to express these views in a more 
 
 full and permanent form. To this request I 
 
 have acceded the more readily that, in order 
 
 to prove to myself that the task was not 
 
 so difficult as might appear, I had actually 
 
 begun to draft such a creed ; and that, a few 
 
 years previously, I had printed for private 
 
 v 
 
 158469 
 
A LAYMAN'S MIND 
 
 use a series of letters on kindred subjects 
 addressed to an intimate friend, the father 
 of three clergymen of the Church of England. 
 This tentative creed, with some explanation 
 of the theological views upon which it is 
 founded, and these letters, I now venture to 
 print for the use of relatives and friends. 
 
 Let me say that I have been influenced 
 in coming to this decision by having received 
 at that time, on the nth August, the gift 
 of a book entitled Old Letters : a Layman s 
 Thoughts on Ctcrrent Religious Topics, written 
 by the late Mr. J. B. Mirrlees, of Redlands, 
 Glasgow, with whom I had been acquainted. 
 To my great surprise I found that, about forty 
 years ago, he had given expression to many 
 of my own thoughts. From these letters I 
 purpose to quote largely, in the belief that 
 such interest as may possibly attach to any- 
 thing I may be able to say will be much 
 enhanced by the coincidence of the opinions 
 of two ordinary men of business. These 
 opinions may neither be new nor original ; but 
 old truths sometimes secure attention by 
 coming from a new and strange source. I 
 even dare affirm that laymen may discuss the 
 
 vi 
 
<-' 
 
 ON CREED AND CHURCH 
 
 deeper mysteries of existence with greater 
 candour than clergymen who are more or less 
 entangled by subscriptions, and who cannot 
 easily escape the influence of early theological 
 training. 
 
 My aim in writing is practical. I have also 
 the hope that I may be able to help others 
 who find the problems of life perplexing. 
 
 Let me now add in this public edition that 
 Mr. Mirrlees was the founder of the eminent 
 firm, Messrs. Mirrlees, Watson & Co., en- 
 gineers, and makers of sugar machinery, 
 Glasgow. 
 
 Glasgow, October ; 1906. 
 
 Vll 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 PAG* 
 
 Introduction : The Origin of the Book - - v 
 
 A Tentative New Creed 3 
 
 First Article: God the Creator - - - - n 
 
 Fourth Article : The Holy Scriptures - - 27 
 
 Fifth and Seventh Articles : Man's Freedom 
 
 of Will - - - - 61 
 
 Sixth Article : Future Judgment - ... 67 
 
 Eighth Article : The Divinity of Christ - - 71 
 
 Ninth Article ■ Faith 101 
 
 Twelfth Article : Prayer and Miracle - - 105 
 
 Eleventh and Thirteenth Articles : What is 
 
 the Church? 114 
 
 Fourteenth Article : The Presbyterian Theory 133 
 
 Letters to Mr. Southwell: The High Church 
 
 Theory 141 
 
 Appendix A : Principal Story's Speech on the 
 
 Confession of Faith 181 
 
 Appendix B : Reprint of the Confession and 
 
 Declaratory Acts 187 
 
 Appendix C : Extract from the Preamble to 
 
 the 39 Articles of the Church of England 228 
 
(•■ 
 
 DRAFT OF A TENTATIVE NEW CREED 
 
DRAFT OF AN 
 
 ATTEMPT TO FRAME A SIMPLE CREED, 
 
 OR CONFESSION OF FAITH 
 
 i. We believe that God, whom we worship, 
 is one Being, is Spirit, infinite, eternal, and 
 omnipresent. 
 
 2. Creator of all things, He has endowed 
 mankind with reason, conscience, affection, and 
 freedom of will. 
 
 3. By the exercise of these faculties men 
 are able to reach some knowledge of God 
 through the study of His acts in creation 
 and providence, and an honest and diligent 
 search for Truth as revealed in the Holy 
 Scriptures. 
 
 4. The Holy Scriptures are writings selected 
 by general consent from other literatures as 
 being the history of God's dealings with the 
 
 3 
 
A TENTATIVE 
 
 chosen people of Israel, and as a collection of 
 the inspired utterances of men of exalted piety 
 and clear spiritual vision. The New Testa- 
 ment contains four biographies of Jesus Christ, 
 and letters of His contemporary disciples. All 
 these Scriptures, although written by fallible 
 men, in language necessarily imperfect and 
 liable to errors and unwarranted accretions in 
 process of transmission and translation, are, 
 together with the discoveries of God's laws in 
 nature and the intuitions of enlightened con- 
 science, the only authority we accept in matters 
 of religious belief. 
 
 5. What we chiefly learn from Holy Scrip- 
 tures is the character of God, and His purposes 
 towards men of whose lives and destiny He is 
 the Sovereign Disposer. 
 
 6. In these Scriptures it is declared that the 
 spirit of man survives the dissolution of the 
 body ; that man is, as his conscience tells him, 
 a sinner in the sight of God ; that he is 
 responsible for his actions ; that he will be 
 judged " according to what he hath done, 
 whether it be good or bad," and that his future 
 state will be determined by that righteous 
 judgment. 
 
 4 
 
NEW CREED 
 
 7. We learn also that God has declared His 
 character to be best expressed by the word 
 Love, that His true relation to the human race 
 is that of a Heavenly Father, and that, in His 
 extreme desire to save men from their sins 
 without coercing their wills, the freedom of 
 which makes men to be men, He has appealed, 
 and continues to appeal, to their reason, con- 
 science, and affection, by the fact of the life 
 and death of Christ, and by the work of the 
 Holy Spirit. 
 
 8. Jesus Christ, who declared Himself to be 
 the Son of God, and to be pre-existent with 
 God, whose character — singular, unique, perfect 
 in balance — and whose claims — absolute in 
 
 1 their voice of supremacy — are felt in their 
 cumulative force to be superhuman, we appre- 
 hend to be no less than God come as man 
 among men to be their Saviour. We believe 
 that God being still in heaven while He was 
 also on earth is therefore made known to us 
 as a Father who sent His well-beloved Son 
 to reconcile the world unto Himself, and that 
 the death to which Christ, as Son, submitted, 
 was the offer of Himself to bear the sins of 
 men. 
 
A TENTATIVE 
 
 9. True or saving faith is that only which 
 puts trust for acceptance with God upon the 
 finished work of Christ, not upon anything 
 we have done or can do, and which expresses 
 love to Him by the keeping of His com- 
 mandments. 
 
 10. We are further taught that the Holy 
 Spirit, with whom the consciences of men of 
 all races and in all ages have been more or 
 less in contact, is also God in another aspect 
 or phase, and that this Holy Spirit is ever 
 ready to help men to come to repentance, to 
 believe in Christ, to grow in holiness, and to 
 perceive the essential truths contained in the 
 Holy Scriptures. 
 
 n. Christ, during His life on earth, an- 
 nounced His purpose to found a kingdom of 
 God. This kingdom has its domain in the 
 hearts of men, and the members of it are all 
 those who truly love and serve Him. For 
 this kingdom, so far as it has visible forms 
 called Churches (of which, however, the mem- 
 bers may not all be members of the kingdom of 
 God), He instituted the two rites or sacraments 
 of Baptism and the Lord's Supper. The one 
 
 is figurative of initiation into the kingdom by 
 
 6 
 
NEW CREED 
 
 cleansing from sin, and valid only by the 
 cleansing being real ; the other is the expression 
 of our faith by an act of loving remembrance of 
 Christ's death and all its benefits. To attach 
 a literal meaning to the language of its institu- 
 tion, which is metaphorical, as many of Christ's 
 other words clearly were, is materialistic and 
 superstitious. 
 
 12. Prayer, which is enjoined upon all men, 
 is a true communion with God. We have the 
 assurance that our requests, made in faith, will 
 be granted so far as they are consistent with 
 Divine wisdom and love. 
 
 13. Men, as they are associated in com- 
 munities, no less than as single persons, are 
 bound to serve and obey God. Hence comes 
 the obligation to worship God in families and 
 in convenient assemblies. Hence also the 
 duty of the governments of nations to coun- 
 tenance and protect all Christian Churches, 
 so far as that can be done with due regard 
 to justice. 
 
 14. We believe that the government of 
 Christian Churches is very much a matter 
 of accommodation to time, place, and circum- 
 stances. That of the Presbyterian Church is 
 
 7 
 
A TENTATIVE NEW CREED 
 
 founded on the precedents of the Apostolic age. 
 The only rulers then appointed were of two 
 kinds — the Elder (Presbyter) alternatively 
 called Overseer (Bishop) and the Deacon. 
 These officers were selected by the whole body 
 of disciples, on account of superior character 
 and of fitness to preside and to teach, but 
 never to perform any sacerdotal function. 
 
^\ 
 
 NOTES OF SOME THEOLOGICAL VIEWS 
 
 UPON WHICH THE CREED IS 
 
 FOUNDED 
 
^ 
 
 FIRST PROPOSITION OR ARTICLE 
 
 In the first article of the suggested Creed 
 which attempts to name the exclusive attributes 
 of God, it is not said that He is omnipotent. 
 The omission is deliberate and due to the 
 consideration that the term, without qualifi- 
 cation, has led to judgments of the Divine 
 actions which are erroneous and harmful. The 
 Scriptures indeed say that " with God all 
 things are possible," but they also say that 
 "it is impossible that God should lie." His 
 power, therefore, is limited by His qualities. 
 The author of " Old Letters " states his belief 
 in the fact in these words, " The freedom of 
 God's will is absolute, and yet we may say 
 with reverence that He is under the necessity 
 of being true to His own character, and were 
 He to do anything unrighteous, unloving, 
 
FIRST ARTICLE OF CREED 
 
 ungracious, He would cease to be God." But 
 again, His power is limited by His own laws 
 and the facts of all existence. He cannot 
 make two and three to be six, nor the three 
 interior angles of a triangle to be other than, 
 together, equal to two right angles. Applying 
 this thought to the physical world which He 
 has fitted for human habitation, the adjust- 
 ments of this globe we call the earth to the 
 sun round which it moves, are amazing in 
 their subserviency to the intended purpose. 
 But the very fixing of the axis and of the 
 revolutions which give us the pleasant alterna- 
 tions of the seasons and of day and night 
 makes it necessary that the poles be ribbed 
 in ice and the tropics fierce with heat. But 
 cold and heat are material evils inevitable 
 in the adjustment, and we can conceive of 
 no other by which they could be avoided. So 
 of the still more wonderful creation of the 
 moral and spiritual nature of man. If he be 
 given freedom of will, there must, at some 
 point, be wrongness of choice, the consequent 
 evil of which God Himself cannot avert. The 
 proposition I wish to reach is that God is not 
 omnipotent in the sense in which the word 
 
IS GOD OMNIPOTENT? 
 
 is often loosely used, and that He has done, 
 and is doing now, only the best possible. Let 
 me pursue a little more closely this line of 
 thought which, to my mind, leads better than 
 any other towards the solution of the mystery 
 of the permission of pain and sin. 
 
 At the outset let us never forget how finite 
 is the human mind. The conception of a 
 Being, or of matter, or of force, which is not 
 the consequence or result of any antecedent 
 cause, is beyond its grasp. We may use words, 
 but the fact itself is unthinkable. So of space 
 which is boundless, and of time which has 
 neither beginning nor end. In attempting to 
 reach to such verities, we feel driven back and 
 crushed in the impotence of our imagination. 
 They surround us like impassable walls against 
 which we beat in vain. And even such know- 
 ledge of the universe as we have slowly and 
 painfully acquired is awful and overwhelming. 
 The ascertained distance of the sun from the 
 earth is a strain upon thought, yet, by approxi- 
 mate computation, the position of one sun 
 among other suns is likened to that of a solitary 
 ship on the ocean, midway between Europe 
 and America ; and astronomers now tell us 
 
 *3 
 
FIRST ARTICLE OF CREED 
 
 that they can prove the existence of forty to 
 fifty millions of such suns. If we descend from 
 vastness to minuteness, we find no bottom to 
 our plummet. What must be the muscles and 
 nerves which govern the motions of some 
 scarcely visible insect? If we examine the 
 strata of the earth we find indications that 
 many of the lower of them at one time formed 
 the upper ; and, by data within our observation, 
 we can faintly conceive the process of sub- 
 mergence, and its duration in periods of time, 
 which are immense in their remoteness. 
 
 Here let us pause. There are men who 
 say that this universe has no Author. It is 
 difficult to believe that they are sincere, for 
 I hold that the knowledge that there is a 
 " Divinity who doth shape our ends " is innate. 
 The tissues of our flesh are so soft, interacting, 
 delicate, and complex that the displacement of 
 a fibre may end in paralysis or insanity ; the 
 atmosphere of our globe is composed of gases, 
 any change in whose combination would cause 
 death to every living creature ; the planets are 
 so poised in space that any alteration from 
 their orbits would issue in some wide cata- 
 clysm. Is it for a moment conceivable that 
 
 14 
 
IS THERE A GOD ? 
 
 existence thus dependent on conditions so 
 minutely balanced and co-related could possibly 
 be the result of any self-generating, self- 
 regulating properties ? The philosophy of 
 evolution is credible and acceptable so far 
 as it means the discovery of the slow processes 
 of creation. So far as it implies or suggests 
 that these processes are fortuitous and un- 
 directed it is only the travesty of truth. Who 
 that has seen Stonehenge near Salisbury or 
 Callernish in the far Hebrides can doubt that 
 the circled stones were placed on their sites by 
 the hands of men ; and who that has pondered 
 over the flight of birds can doubt that the 
 apparatus of flight is the work of some in- 
 telligence immeasurably greater than man's ? 
 Against inferences so obvious, spontaneous, and 
 inevitable I can think of no argument which 
 can be urged but this : A disputant may say y 
 " Even if I admit that the evidence of design 
 and of unity of purpose discernible throughout 
 the universe implies the existence of a Designer 
 or Creator, we have still to account for the 
 existence of this Creator, and if you are able 
 to conceive the existence of a Creator who is 
 Himself uncreated, is it not as reasonable that 
 
 *5 
 
FIRST ARTICLE OF CREED 
 
 I should be able to conceive of a universe 
 
 which has not had a Creator ? Are we not both 
 
 equally agnostic ? Neither of us really knows." 
 
 My answer to any such contention would be 
 
 twofold. In the first place, reason itself tells 
 
 us that the human intellect is limited in its 
 
 reach ; if it can take one step securely why 
 
 should that step be distrusted because it is 
 
 powerless to take the next step? In the second 
 
 place, it may be more effectively said that the 
 
 intellect is not the only faculty by which we 
 
 apprehend truth. We have also conscience or 
 
 intuition, affection, and will. Of course such 
 
 powers of perception are greater in some minds 
 
 than in others, and greater or less by the use 
 
 or abuse of them. Moreover, it is a matter 
 
 of common experience that the will can and 
 
 often does dominate reason, conscience, and 
 
 affection, and that in this way some men can 
 
 hush the voices within them. I am inclined 
 
 to believe that we are standing on surer ground 
 
 when we rest the proof of the existence of a 
 
 personal God on the fact of the conscience of 
 
 men, which may be said to be universal, rather 
 
 than on His existence as the necessary Cause 
 
 of these stupendous effects we call Nature. 
 
 16 
 
WHAT IS GOD ? 
 
 Jesus Christ, the wisest man who ever lived, 
 implied all this when He said, " Blessed are the 
 pure in heart, for they shall see God." 
 
 I assume then that behind and above matter 
 there is mind — a Director, Designer, Sustainer. 
 The question for me is not, Is there a God, 
 but, What is God? In attempting this search 
 we are driven to apply the analogies of our 
 own little lives to the immeasurable Divine 
 life. Thinking then as a man, and using, as 
 we must, the language of men, I have found it 
 helpful to regard God as the Great Artificer. 
 I can, in a dim way, see the construction in 
 successive stages of the inorganic earth, air, and 
 water. When these are complete there comes 
 the introduction of vegetable life ; and what 
 life is, even in its lowest forms, has eluded 
 our closest search. Thereafter follows the 
 animal from its primal cells up through the steps 
 of the vital and the sentient, to the highly articu- 
 lated fish and bird and beast. Beyond all this 
 to evolve the self-conscious being we call man, 
 who can think, who can discern the good from 
 the evil, who can love or hate, who can freely 
 decide between competing attractions, is truly a 
 consummation of creative ingenuity. We have 
 b 17 
 
FIRST ARTICLE OF CREED 
 
 not only the presumption, but the evidence, that 
 it has been a long laborious process. It has not 
 been the instantaneous result of a sort of magical 
 fiat of Divine will, but of a slowly advancing 
 purpose. I can see how the product and 
 maintenance of what we call moral qualities 
 in the lower animals — I mean foresight, 
 courage, watchfulness, and the like — must be 
 a supreme enterprise of fitness of means to the 
 end. The means actually taken — the making 
 of the life of one animal to depend upon the 
 death of other animals — are doubtless perplex- 
 ing to many minds. Nature has been spoken 
 of as "red in tooth and claw with ravin," and 
 as "a reign of terror, hunger, sickness, with 
 oozing blood and quivering limbs." All this is 
 the language of exaggeration. For there is 
 reason to believe that at the moment an 
 animal is attacked its nervous system is 
 paralyzed. Of this we have the well-known 
 case of the sensations of David Livingstone 
 when he was seized and carried off by a 
 lion, and it will be remembered that the 
 examination of the consequent injuries of the 
 bones of his arm and shoulder was a means 
 
 of identifying his body before burial in West- 
 
 18 
 
GOD THE CREATOR 
 
 minster Abbey. A little consideration will 
 show that in the animals which prey, and in 
 those whose safety depends upon watchful 
 care, speed and other resources of protection, 
 evasion, and escape, the mental and physical 
 activities are kept in constant exercise. 
 Nothing but such stimulus would save both 
 the one and the other from degeneracy and 
 extinction. These inevitable consequences 
 make intelligible to me the whole scheme of 
 animated nature, and lead to the conclusion 
 that it is the best possible ; — that even God 
 cannot make it better than it is. There are 
 doubtless particular instances of apparently 
 useless cruelty in the instincts of some of the 
 lower animals. But I believe that they are 
 all accountable on the principle of securing 
 the maximum of well-being by the infliction of 
 a relatively small amount of pain. The habit of 
 the cuckoo, for example, has long seemed to me 
 a biological riddle, irreconcilable with any idea 
 of beneficent purpose; but I think that I have 
 now found a solution in the conjecture that 
 the loud, strident, pervading note with which 
 it is furnished is necessary to alarm and so 
 check the impatience of all other birds to quit 
 
 19 
 
FIRST ARTICLE OF CREED 
 
 their nests before the incubation of their eggs 
 is complete. 
 
 And, if a momentary digression be allowed, 
 let me say that these severities in Nature 
 suggest the question how far have our 
 methods of philanthropy not had the effect of 
 fostering the very evils they attempt to remove 
 — idleness, improvidence, and pauperism ? 
 
 In man a higher platform of life is reached, 
 but only reached, held, and advanced by hard- 
 ships and sufferings in many ways analogous 
 to those borne by the lower animals. The 
 world is full of contrivances to enforce effort. 
 The earth produces food, but only in sufficient 
 quantity and variety by the expenditure of 
 labour and skill. Population increases and 
 presses upon the means of subsistence. Man 
 must struggle to live. He must subdue and 
 convert to his own use the forces of nature — 
 the strength of the wind, the rush of the 
 river — and that at the cost of occasional 
 disaster. Thus, much that appears evil is not 
 evil. Pain is often the warning signal of 
 danger, and often the stern monitor and ally 
 of conscience. Death, which to most minds 
 is the climax of all calamities, is really a boon 
 
GOD, THE CREATOR OF MAN 
 
 to general humanity, for without it the world 
 could not hold its inhabitants, and the continu- 
 ance of the lives of powerful individual men 
 would arrest the progress of the race. Death, 
 therefore, hunger, cold, privations, wounds, are 
 only necessary accessories to the great general 
 good. Again, we must say that the plan by 
 which that is achieved is the best possible, and 
 that any other we can imagine would be a 
 failure. 
 
 I have spoken of the creation of man as 
 the consummation of the work of the Divine 
 Artificer— 
 
 " What a piece of work is a man ! how noble in reason ! 
 how infinite in faculty ! in form and moving how express 
 and admirable ! in action how like an angel ! in apprehen- 
 sion how like a god ! the beauty of the world ! the paragon 
 of animals ! " 
 
 And yet this same Hamlet who utters these 
 words, in the very next scene of the play, 
 avows — 
 
 " I could accuse me of such things that it were better my 
 mother had not borne me. I am very proud, revengeful, 
 ambitious . . . what should such fellows as I do crawling 
 between heaven and earth?" 
 
 21 
 
FIRST ARTICLE OF CREED 
 
 Of this creature man, so great in his capacities, 
 so weak in his performances, I hold the highest 
 prerogative to be his endowment of free will ; 
 and, speaking as a man, I hold also that God 
 has restrained Himself from interference, and 
 guarded its free play with special care. For 
 why otherwise has man been left to work out 
 his own salvation, in the lower sense of that 
 word ? He has torn from nature each of its 
 secrets. Along every line of material progress 
 how slow has been his advance. Along those 
 also of intellectual progress — the formulation 
 of law, the right methods of government, the 
 scientific treatment of disease, the conception of 
 personal liberty, and of toleration of opinion — 
 he has gone blundering on for centuries. Why, 
 it might be asked, did not God long ago inform 
 man of the uses of anaesthetics, steam, or 
 electricity ? The reason must be that God has 
 not done, and will not do, for man that which 
 he can do for himself. He has given honour 
 to man in allowing him to discover and invent, 
 and by effort and experience to attain to right 
 principles of conduct. In all these ways man's 
 freedom has been respected and conserved. 
 But this freedom of will, if it be real, involves 
 
GOD'S CONDUCT TO MAN 
 
 the contingencies of error, mistake, and sin. "It 
 is impossible but that offences will come." So 
 then between man free and capable of sinning, 
 and man without freedom, and therefore not 
 true man, there can be no alternative, not even 
 for God. This boldness of speech may appear 
 irreverence. It is not so, but zeal to vindicate 
 Him from the misconceptions which arise from 
 the careless use of the word omnipotence. 
 The unspoken thought in many minds is often, 
 Why does God, being Almighty, permit evil ? 
 Crimes, cruelties, atrocities, seem to pass un- 
 noticed. The skies above are as brass looking 
 down with stony eyes. Many a soul has cried 
 in anguish — 
 
 " Is there no pity sitting in the clouds, 
 That sees into the bottom of my grief? 
 Alack, alack that Heaven should practise stratagems 
 Upon so soft a subject as myself." 
 
 We lose a friend, a husband, a son, whose life 
 seems to us indispensable. Why, oh why, has 
 he been taken and we left ? How mysterious, 
 we exclaim. But is it really mysterious ? If 
 the death has been the result of disregard of 
 ordinary precautions, can we expect that God 
 will interpose by the suspension of His own 
 
 23 
 
FIRST ARTICLE OF CREED 
 
 laws? The very fact that He did not inter- 
 pose is proof that He could not Even in 
 such an individual instance, we can still say 
 that " God is not willing that any should 
 perish." How could we love God if we 
 thought Him to be a Being who allowed 
 any evil to occur which could have been pre- 
 vented, or whom we thought indifferent to our 
 fate and unmoved by our troubles ? Many 
 years ago, in discussing this subject with a 
 friend who avowed himself to be agnostic, I 
 said, on the impulse of the moment, pain and 
 suffering are certainly indisputable facts, but, 
 on my assumption of the truth of revelation, 
 God Himself came in the person of Jesus 
 Christ into the world and bore a share of that 
 pain and suffering. So it is that the death on 
 the cross has touched the hearts of men in all 
 ages, and still calms their doubts. 
 
 My views of natural theology — of God as 
 the Divine Artificer — would be incomplete and 
 disproportionate if we did not give full consider- 
 ation to what His labour has been — if, when 
 regarded as " a best possible," we were forgetful 
 of what that labour — that " best possible " — 
 
 actually is. 
 
 24 
 
GOD, THE GIVER OF ALL GOOD 
 
 This world of ours is a most marvellous 
 concurrence of adaptations in order to become 
 the home of man. In all of them we find 
 evidence of benevolent intention. Provision is 
 made not only for the necessaries of existence, 
 but for its enjoyment. Our being endowed 
 with the faculty of delight in music cannot 
 be explained on any other ground than as a 
 gift contributing to pleasure. Flowers and 
 fruits are especially gratuitous, even although 
 they are known to serve other ends than the 
 gratifications of our sense of colour, form, and 
 perfume. The beauty of scenery, of mountain, 
 valley, and stream, overarched with the canopy 
 of sky and changing cloud, its " majestical roof 
 fretted with golden fire," can be no result of 
 mere fortuity. Our family and social instincts 
 are a blessing to us. All life is full of the 
 deepest interest, with its domestic dramas of 
 love and marriage, of births and deaths, or 
 its larger spectacles of political events. And 
 how much does " this goodly frame the earth " 
 contain of things that minister to our wants. 
 Not only have there been provided during 
 countless ages the stores of iron, coal, and the 
 like, but the gold and silver, the marbles and 
 
 25 
 
FIRST ARTICLE OF CREED 
 
 gems, of which the purpose is embellishment 
 rather than utility. The woods of the forest, 
 many of the properties of matter, the qualities 
 and powers of the domestic animals, are 
 evidently all instances of Divine benevolence. 
 And all these efforts of ingenuity are so planned 
 as to be subservient to moral discipline. The 
 world is a school of virtue. To that end there 
 are liabilities to abuse of the appetites whose 
 proper end is good. The desire for food, 
 necessary for the life of the individual ; the 
 desire for procreation necessary for the con- 
 tinuance of the race ; controlled are a source 
 of pleasure ; uncontrolled a fountain of miseries. 
 Yet we often magnify and nurse the ills which 
 are chiefly of our own making until we make 
 ourselves believe that this world is a place of 
 woe, "a vale of tears," and we the inmates of 
 bodies we call vile. What is worse, we take 
 merit for these depreciations, as if that would 
 be a recommendation to the Divine Author 
 of them all. How much more noble, how 
 much more masculine, is the spirit of the 
 Psalmist when he exclaims, " Oh that men 
 w T ould praise the Lord for His goodness, for 
 
 His wonderful works to the children of men." 
 
 26 
 
FOURTH ARTICLE 
 
 The authority of the Holy Scriptures in 
 matters of religious belief is the subject of 
 the Fourth Article of the suggested creed. 
 
 To all men who are observant of the drift 
 of opinion during the last half century it must 
 be evident that we are passing through a 
 revolution of thought as great as that of the 
 1 6th century. The Reformation was a revolt 
 against the authority of the Church. To-day, 
 men are challenging the authority of the 
 Bible. 
 
 The Church of Rome claims to be the one 
 only true infallible Church by whose sanction 
 the Scriptures, and in particular that translation 
 of them called the Vulgate, are certified to be the 
 authentic inerrant words of God. The Reformed 
 Churches protested against and repelled the 
 
 27 
 
 ^ OF THE 
 
 iiw\VE*S\TY I 
 
FOURTH ARTICLE 
 
 assumption of the infallibility of any Church — 
 that of Rome or any other — but asserted in 
 their Confessions of Faith that the Scriptures 
 were infallible, going so far as to say in our 
 Scottish Presbyterian document that " it pleased 
 the Lord to reveal Himself," etc., "and after- 
 wards to commit the same wholly unto writing" 
 — and they adduced "the entire perfection 
 thereof" as an argument giving evidence that 
 it is "the word of God by His singular care 
 and providence kept pure in all ages " — adding 
 further that " our full persuasion and assurance 
 of the infallible truth, and Divine authority 
 thereof, is from the inward work of the Holy 
 Spirit bearing witness by and with the word 
 in our hearts." 
 
 We can easily see how naturally the Re- 
 formers, in rejecting the authority of an 
 infallible Church, sought to substitute the 
 authority of an infallible Book. But if our 
 attitude of mind be the noble one of reaching 
 truth at all hazards, and at any expense of 
 sentiment, it is as competent for us to-day to 
 dispute the Dogma of an infallible Book as 
 it was for Luther and his colleagues to dispute 
 
 that of the infallibility of a Church. I propose 
 
 28 
 
THE AUTHORITY OF THE BIBLE 
 
 then to examine both these claims, and to 
 carry the enquiry further into the consideration 
 of such questions as how far and in what sense 
 does the Bible contain a Divine revelation, 
 by what means are we able to form a judgment 
 of that revelation, and how far in such an 
 attempt do we receive the help of Divine 
 illumination. 
 
 It is, unhappily, the case that the claims 
 of the Church of Rome, which have captivated 
 the imagination of many intelligent men in 
 our own day, still need refutation. I under- 
 stand these claims to be that this is the one 
 church which alone is in possession of the 
 promised guiding Spirit of God, and has been 
 commissioned to be the interpreter not only 
 of the Scriptures but also of an unwritten word 
 of God or tradition, which is gravely argued 
 to be equally authoritative with the written 
 word of God. These claims are founded on 
 the testimony of Scripture itself, on the 
 historical continuity of the Church, on its 
 Divine character of holiness, and on its unity 
 in all ages and in all places. There seems 
 to me no difficulty in shattering these proud 
 assumptions. I deny that any corporate 
 
 29. 
 
FOURTH ARTICLE 
 
 association of Christians has the right to call 
 itself the Church of God. Any promise of the 
 gift of the Spirit of God, of which I have 
 knowledge, was given to all true believers in 
 Christ, not to any particular association of 
 them. The argument from historical continuity 
 is soon disposed of. What is essential to such 
 an assumption is the continuity of the Divine 
 life of Christianity, not the continuity of any 
 one channel in which that life flows. That 
 life may have many channels, and may even 
 leave its original channel, just as the River 
 Nile disperses below Cairo before reaching 
 the sea. The Holy Roman Empire, which 
 " from the days of Constantine till far down 
 into the middle ages, was, conjointly with 
 the Papacy, the recognised centre and head 
 of Christendom," has passed away so lately 
 as August, 1806, on the abdication of the 
 Emperor Francis the Second. Its extinction 
 has not affected the secular ideas upon which 
 it was founded, and similarly the extinction 
 of the Holy Roman Church, which may be 
 nearer than many people think, would not 
 affect the Christianity upon which it arose. 
 The question then resolves itself into this, 
 
 30 
 
CLAIM OF THE CHURCH OF ROME 
 
 how far is the religion of the Church of 
 Rome the religion of Jesus Christ, and is 
 that religion equally, or more discernible, in 
 other Churches? As to who are His true 
 followers, Christ Himself has given the 
 criterion when He bids us beware of false 
 prophets. If then we must know and judge 
 by fruits, can the Church of Rome bear that 
 scrutiny, and has it marks which make un- 
 doubted its right to assert any monopoly of 
 spiritual insight ? Let us thank God that 
 multitudes of men in that Church are now, 
 and have been in all past times, true members 
 of the Kingdom of God ; — men and women 
 of pure and noble lives ; saints indeed and 
 imitators of Christ. That, however, has been 
 due to their Christianity, not to their special 
 Catholicism. But when we come to judge 
 the Church of Rome in its official or corporate 
 condition, we must impeach its character and 
 pronounce its unfitness to be the exclusive 
 channel of truth. Its clergy have usurped the 
 place of the laity. They have proved them- 
 selves conspirators against liberty. They have 
 sought to crush science from the days of Galileo 
 to those of Dr. St. George Mivart and the Abbe 
 
 3 1 
 
FOURTH ARTICLE 
 
 Loisy. The history of this Church is written 
 in the bloodshed of the Albigenses, in the 
 massacre of St. Bartholomew, in the murders 
 and tortures of the Inquisition. At many 
 periods the dissolute lives of its priesthood have 
 been subjects for satire and denunciation. 
 Popes have sold benefices, and have even 
 connived at robbery and fraud. The Keys 
 of Heaven and Hell, falsely alleged to be given 
 to them as the successors of St. Peter, have 
 been dangled before the eyes of men to frighten 
 them into submission. Our Lord and Saviour 
 Jesus Christ, " the one mediator between God 
 and man," has virtually been displaced by 
 a crowd of saints whose ability to hear any 
 prayers is more than doubtful. Mary, the 
 parent of His humanity, has been exalted to 
 share attributes which are Divine. She is 
 "the mother of God," herself " immaculately 
 conceived," "the Queen of Heaven." The 
 clergy still encourage devotion to her images, 
 dirty but holy, as I have painfully seen at 
 Lyons, or clean in white and blue as are sold 
 in thousands at Lourdes. It is difficult to 
 speak calmly of the consecration and adoration 
 of bread, of the doctrine of indulgences, and 
 
 3 2 
 
CLAIM OF THE CHURCH OF ROME 
 
 of masses for the dead, and for the living 
 too, as we learn from the amusing squabbles 
 of Cardinals Newman and Manning. Nor is 
 it easy to repress contempt for the relics 
 exhibited for the veneration of the credulous, 
 or indignation that pictures should be permitted 
 such as that I have seen in the Vatican itself, 
 in which God the Father is represented as 
 an old man. In one word, as has been said 
 with particular reference to the Roman Catholic 
 Church, "No hierarchy has been so proud 
 as the Christian, no superstition more abject, 
 no zeal more ruthless, no casuistry more 
 depraved. It is the most amazing, the most 
 afflicting paradox in history." 
 
 It is grievous to say all this, and yet it is 
 necessary, in order to justify my contention 
 that relatively to the Christianity of the New 
 Testament, the Church of Rome is really 
 schismatic and has forfeited all right to be 
 our guide in spiritual matters. Still, I wish to 
 be just. The individual Christian is usually 
 better than his creed. I write these lines at 
 Nuremberg, where are found in such remarkable 
 profusion, as also in the National Museum at 
 Munich, the memorials of mediaeval religion in 
 c 33 
 
FOURTH ARTICLE 
 
 the sculptured representations of the Bible 
 stories. Let us not forget that in these days 
 there were no printed books, and the manu- 
 scripts few and generally inaccessible. The 
 life-size wood carvings of the tragedy on 
 Golgotha, of the infant Christ on his mother's 
 lap, of the dead body of our Saviour in the arms 
 of the three Maries, were doubtless texts from 
 which would be preached from devout lips 
 sermons which touched many a conscience and 
 heart. On the roof of one chapel there are 
 depicted the stories of the Old Testament from 
 Adam to Daniel. They are grotesque and dead 
 to us, but each of the paintings could have 
 been made instinct with lessons of faith and 
 love. Doubtless, too, the Church, armed with 
 powers often rightfully used although as often 
 abused, stopped many deeds of violence in a 
 lawless and turbulent age. We may well also 
 believe that there were many noble-minded 
 monks and nuns who, by the true surrender of 
 their lives to the will of God, proved to the 
 world that Christianity was real. If, with a 
 monopoly of such learning as existed, and 
 wielding a power generally acknowledged, the 
 clergy became proud and dominant, we must 
 
 .34 
 
CLAIM OF THE CHURCH OF ROME 
 
 remember that their temptations were great, and 
 allow that, in certain states of society, their 
 despotism was beneficial. I can see also that, 
 with the best intentions, they would be tempted 
 in ttie early centuries of the Church to conciliate 
 the pagan peoples among whom they dwelt by 
 assimilating Christian ceremonial to the prevail- 
 ing ritual of Greco- Roman worship, and that, 
 in this way, the simple presbyter or elder 
 became the robed priest of an eucharistic 
 sacrifice. I am also willing to suppose that, 
 with similar good intentions, penance and 
 auricular confession grew into sacraments in 
 the belief that authoritative absolution was 
 expedient in order to appease consciences 
 craving for some tangible sign and assurance 
 of pardon. 
 
 But even if these accommodations be regarded 
 as necessary stages in a process of the evolution 
 of religion, the conditions which made them 
 excusable no longer exist. By the men of 
 primitive Christianity the universe could only 
 be imagined as a magnified Roman Empire, a 
 territory bounded by level seas, and lighted and 
 warmed by celestial lamps. Language such as 
 God sitting on a Heavenly throne, and Christ 
 
 35 
 
FOURTH ARTICLE 
 
 ascended to His right hand would therefore be 
 literal to them, while it is only metaphorical to 
 us. Surely in these eighteen centuries we 
 have travelled far from these points of outlook. 
 Such knowledge as we have gained has been 
 made universal by the invention of printing. 
 Philosophic thought has been widened and 
 become more exact. Mankind is no longer 
 in leading strings. It has got beyond the 
 stage of object lessons. The laity are more 
 and more asking for the credentials of autho- 
 rity, and questioning the reasons for their 
 large exclusion from the councils of the 
 Church. 
 
 If, then, in the exercise of the freedom won 
 for us, in which we are exhorted to stand 
 fast, we dismiss the claim of the Church of 
 Rome, are we bound to admit that of the 
 Protestant Churches, when they assert the 
 inerrancy of the Scriptures, and their absolute 
 reliability in all matters of religious belief? 
 The motives of the Reformers in substituting 
 an infallible Book for an infallible Church 
 were obvious. The Bible became the sole 
 authority for the doctrines they held. It 
 was the more necessary, therefore, that it be 
 
 36 
 
THE CANON OF THE SCRIPTURES 
 
 regarded as infallible. There is something 
 captivating to the intellect in the possession 
 of such a major premiss as that the Bible 
 is God's inerrant word ; — the only perfect 
 and complete revelation of Himself. Every 
 separate statement, or even every word, 
 becomes the minor premiss from which there 
 can be no appeal. But this major premiss 
 to which the Churches have so tenaciously 
 clung is now said to be no longer valid. 
 Let us examine it for ourselves. 
 
 In the first place, can more be said of 
 the Bible, regarded as a selection, compilation, 
 or canon, than that it is the result of the 
 general and gradual consent of religious men 
 in many ages ? The Scriptures themselves 
 nowhere assert that they, and they alone, are 
 wholly Divine. They even declare that God 
 has not left Himself without a witness in 
 any nation. Some of the prophets of the 
 Old Testament do claim a divine origin for 
 their own writings, but it is still competent 
 for us to ask them for their credentials ; — 
 to ask them how they know that the words 
 of which they are the authors were not 
 their own words but God's. Apparently we 
 
 37 
 
FOURTH ARTICLE 
 
 reach some sure and tangible testimony to 
 the Divine authority of the Old Testament 
 Scriptures if we admit Christ to be Divine 
 and His verdict therefore authoritative. But 
 even here there is uncertainty. He has 
 made no explicit statement on the subject, 
 and the question still remains, Do His 
 references to them amount to deliberate 
 sanction of the Jewish belief that the Old 
 Testament writings are throughout Divine ? 
 Mr. Mirrlees says, " I cannot see that this 
 argument is admissible unless we are pre- 
 pared to dogmatise regarding the precise 
 extent to which Christ's Godhead was 
 veiled by His assumption of our nature 
 as indicated by the expressions ' increased 
 in wisdom,' 'in all things like His brethren/ 
 and so on. Without dogmatising, it may 
 be said that in all matters of moral right 
 or wrong, holiness, justice, and love, He 
 was infallibly true to His Father's nature; 
 but that in details of ancient history and 
 other matters merely human, He derived 
 His information from the same sources which 
 were open to His brethren, and that to correct 
 the misconceptions of past ages in matters 
 
 38 
 
CHRIST'S TESTIMONY TO SCRIPTURES 
 
 of history and science was not the work the 
 Father had given Him to do." Christ's 
 use of the Book of Isaiah and of the Psalms, 
 and the appropriation of them to Himself, 
 certainly stamps those parts of the Old Testa- 
 ment as inspired prophecy. Still, His sanc- 
 tion of the noth Psalm does not necessarily 
 imply His approval of the 109th and 137th, 
 nor necessarily settle the question of their 
 authorship. He refers to Moses, but only to 
 traverse the laws of Moses. His allusion to 
 the prophet Jonah presents a difficulty. It 
 is, to my mind, probably explicable in this 
 way : — -The book had been written as a 
 parable or story intended to raise the 
 thoughts of the Jews to a larger conception 
 of the Divine benignity towards other nations 
 than their own. No one might be more 
 astonished than its author to learn that his 
 narrative should be read as literal fact. Christ's 
 reference to the imprisonment of Jonah in 
 the whale's belly may be no more than 
 might be a reference of our own to the 
 imprisonment of Christian and Hopeful in 
 the Castle of Giant Despair. Whatever 
 importance we attach to Christ's use of the 
 
 39 
 
FOURTH ARTICLE 
 
 Old Testament as establishing its canonicity, 
 it is beyond doubt that we have no external 
 authority to assure us that the New Testament 
 Scriptures, each and all of them, are the 
 inspired word of God. In fact, the right of 
 several of them (as the Epistle of St. James, 
 the 2nd of St. Peter, the Hebrews, and the 
 Revelation of St. John) to a place in the 
 New Testament canon has been disputed. 
 
 Accepting the Bible as it has come to us 
 as a generally recognised collection of sacred 
 writings, we have still to satisfy ourselves that 
 the large affirmation of the Westminster Con- 
 fession of Faith of "their entire perfection," 
 " their infallible truth," and " Divine authority " 
 is sustained. As to this I have never been 
 able to understand how the doctrine of plenary 
 inspiration, or verbal exactness, could be held. 
 Let us take for example the two cases of the 
 superscription on the cross and of the Lord's 
 prayer, where accuracy might be held to be 
 imperative. The former is given differently by 
 all the four biographers. Three of them must 
 be wrong, and all four of them may. So also 
 in the latter case. In one of the Gospels what 
 
 is asked to be forgiven is debts, in another sins, 
 
 40 
 
THE ERRANCY OF THE SCRIPTURES 
 
 in another trespasses. But not only so, in 
 one the prayer ends with the petition, "And 
 bring us not into temptation," and in another, 
 the doxology follows which now is generally 
 admitted to be the addition of some later 
 transcriber of the original manuscript. It 
 needs no " higher criticism" to make the 
 discovery of the contradictions to be found in 
 the Scriptures. They are plain to any intelli- 
 gent reader. Take one instance only from the 
 Old Testament, to which I have never seen 
 any reference made. In the 20th chapter of 
 Exodus, the 4th Commandment ends with the 
 words, " For in six days, etc.," but in the 5th 
 chapter of Deuteronomy these words are not 
 appended, and, at the end of the enumeration 
 of all the Commandments, it is said, " These 
 words the Lord spake," etc., "and He added 
 no more." When you come to the New Testa- 
 ment, at the very outset you run shock up 
 against the perplexities of the two genealogies. 
 And it is not only that they differ, but that they 
 apply to Joseph, who was the reputed, but not 
 the actual, father of Jesus. Even here, there 
 is the further difficulty that the Apostle John, 
 in the 4th Gospel, speaks of Jesus as the Son 
 
 41 
 
FOURTH ARTICLE 
 
 of Joseph. Of direct contradictions I may give 
 the instances of the two accounts of the death 
 of Judas Iscariot as written by St. Matthew 
 and by St. Luke, and again, the details of what 
 was seen and heard by the companions of St. 
 Paul when Christ appeared to him on his way 
 to Damascus, of which there are three accounts 
 in the Acts of the Apostles. In the vital 
 matter of the resurrection, the discrepancies, or, 
 to say the least, the carelessness of the narra- 
 tives are conspicuous. St. Matthew says that 
 the early visitors to the tomb were " Mary 
 Magdalene and the other Mary." St. Mark 
 says, " Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of 
 James, and Salome." St. Luke says, "Mary 
 Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother 
 of James." And St. John mentions Mary 
 Magdalene only. Further, there is the difficulty 
 as to Christ's instructions before His death to 
 His disciples to meet Him in Galilee when the 
 actual place of meeting was immediately close 
 to Jerusalem. Returning to the Old Testament, 
 I feel compelled to say that it contains much 
 from which intelligent assent must be withheld. 
 The early chapters of Genesis are evidently 
 
 legendary. The account, for example, of the 
 
 42 
 
THE ERRANCY OF THE SCRIPTURES 
 
 building of the Tower of Babel is no more than 
 an early attempt to explain the diversities of 
 language, the cause of which was puzzling to 
 the primitive mind. The story of Adam and 
 Eve in the garden of Eden is not historical, 
 and probably was never intended by its author 
 to be historical, but only a myth embodying a 
 spiritual fact. By the knowledge of God I 
 acquire from science, which in its own proper 
 sphere is equally authoritative with the Bible, I 
 can now believe that the birth of man must be 
 relegated to remote ages, and that the move- 
 ment of the race has been ascent, not descent. 
 I feel equally free by instinctive conscience to 
 pronounce much of Jewish history to be illus- 
 trations of revenge and unjustifiable cruelty 
 which are in no way examples for us. I can 
 unhesitatingly condemn as indecent some of the 
 recorded tales, such as that of Lot and his two 
 daughters, and I feel at liberty to doubt whether 
 some of the Old Testament books, such as the 
 Song of Solomon, should ever have had a place 
 in the Canon. In the New Testament there 
 are many obscurities in the quotations from the 
 Old. Indeed, there appears to be no prediction 
 agreeing with the statement ''that it might be 
 • 43 
 
FOURTH ARTICLE 
 
 fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets that 
 He (Christ) should be called a Nazarene." 
 There are even suspicions that some alleged 
 events are adjusted to supposed predictions. 
 Certain of the incidents of Christ's birth, as 
 recorded by St. Matthew and St. Luke, have 
 all the look of pious legends. The oldest 
 manuscripts of the New Testament now extant 
 date from about the middle of the 4th century, 
 and the loss of the still earlier copies suggests 
 the possibilities of unwarranted additions to the 
 original text. We now know beyond dispute 
 that the verses in 1st John, 5, 6, and 7, "there 
 are three which bear record in heaven," etc., 
 are an interpolation and therefore spurious, and 
 there is considerable evidence for the supposi- 
 tion that the words in St. Matthew's Gospel, 
 28th and 19th, "Baptising them in the name 
 of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost," were 
 originally " Baptising them in My name," and 
 yet these two passages are held to be the 
 specific statements in support of the doctrine 
 of the Trinity, and so appear in the Shorter 
 Catechism "with proofs" as taught in our 
 Scottish Board Schools. Is this right? And 
 let me add parenthetically, is it right that we 
 
 44 " 
 
IF ERRANT, WHAT THEN ? 
 
 go on teaching our children that God acts "out 
 of His mere good pleasure," "for His own 
 glory," and that He elects "some to ever- 
 lasting life"? Is that a wise or even a true 
 representation of our heavenly Father to young 
 impressible minds ? 
 
 If then we are driven to the conclusion that 
 the Scriptures are in many ways inaccurate, and 
 therefore not in any strict sense infallible, what 
 is left to us ? We gain the healthful freedom 
 and satisfaction of discovering for ourselves, 
 unfettered by the chains of external authority, 
 the truth which the Scriptures themselves 
 do contain : " The letter of them killeth, the 
 spirit of them makes alive." It prevents the 
 building of doctrines upon single isolated words 
 or phrases which they were never intended to 
 bear. We are saved from the habits of equivo- 
 cation and casuistry which are fostered by 
 attempts to explain away, minimise, or deny 
 manifest errors. We avoid the strategic 
 mistake of defending outworks which are 
 indefensible. We relieve the minds of simple 
 earnest people from the distress of feeling the 
 incompatibility of much in Scripture with what 
 they have been taught of its inerrancy, and 
 
 45 
 
FOURTH ARTICLE 
 
 from fears suggested by verses, such as the 1 6th 
 of the last chapter of St. Mark's Gospel, which 
 do not occur in the oldest Greek manuscripts. 
 
 If then we are free to judge the Scriptures 
 themselves, the question becomes urgent, 
 By what mental faculties are we able to 
 discriminate between what is essential and 
 authoritative and what is accidental and un- 
 important ? These can be no other than the 
 conscience and the reason of every man. 
 The existence of the one faculty is as certain 
 as that of the other. Conscience, whose 
 domain is the moral and ethical, not only 
 includes but transcends reason, just as our 
 perception of musical sounds is something 
 more than hearing, and our perception of 
 harmony of colour is something more than 
 sight. Without its assent, dogmas, which are 
 only intellectual propositions, cannot become 
 truth. Conscience makes that to be convic- 
 tion which reason accredits as knowledge. It 
 pronounces languid and easy acceptance of 
 statements, however much their authority be 
 vouched, to be credulity rather than faith. 
 Conscience or spiritual intuition is therefore 
 
 the essential organ for the discovery of truths 
 
 46 
 
CONSCIENCE AND THE SCRIPTURES 
 
 which are Divine. This is what is said of it 
 in the volume of Old Letters'. "Intuition, 
 not argument, is the ultimate court of appeal 
 which judges of statements claiming to be 
 representations of spiritual truth." ..." I can 
 
 understand how Mr. M will lose his 
 
 loving Christianity if he thinks that the gospel 
 of salvation is to be apprehended through the 
 cultivation of the reasoning powers. Chris- 
 tianity and logic are as far apart as poetry 
 and arithmetic. You cannot prove the heart- 
 searching truths of the poet by arithmetic, 
 although indeed the true poet never makes a 
 statement that can be disproved by arithmetical 
 rules. . . . What you call intuition is sometimes 
 called inspiration, conscience, the verifying 
 
 faculty; by Mr. M it is called 'healthy 
 
 instinct'; by St. Paul it is called 'revelation.' 
 The grand idea to be kept in view is that a 
 man's real belief can be founded on nothing 
 else than the power of discerning truth which 
 God has implanted in his being — in other 
 words, that faith is the gift of God. . . . Our 
 acknowledgment of spiritual truth, as of all 
 other truth, must result not from an intellectual 
 recognition of the source of its authority, but 
 
 47 
 
FOURTH ARTICLE 
 
 from the Divine power which it has in pro- 
 ducing conviction. ... If the Scriptures fail 
 to convince our reason of the rightness of 
 any particular doctrine, they cannot be said in 
 such a case to exercise any real authority. 
 We may/indeed, assent to the doctrine because 
 of the general credibility of Scripture, but we 
 cannot be said to believe it in any proper 
 sense of the term. We shall never, I think, 
 arrive at a right understanding of the Gospel 
 of Jesus Christ till our faith is purged from 
 every element of human authority ; so that it 
 shall rest in no respect on the wisdom of 
 men, but wholly on the power of God. ... I 
 think that we should deal with Scripture, not 
 as an infallible declaration, but rather as the 
 testimony of a credible witness, like John 
 the Baptist, of whom it was said ' he was not 
 that Light, but was sent to bear witness of 
 that Light.' ... I cannot agree with you in 
 saying that the Bible is the only guide to 
 God. I should rather say that God's own 
 Spirit is the only sure guide. Without God's 
 Spirit the Bible is no real guide at all ; and 
 if God's Spirit is the true guide, we must not 
 
 limit the means He may choose to bring man 
 
 4 8 
 
IBIU^ 
 
 OF THE \ 
 
 £'UNIV£RSITY 
 HOLY SPIRIT OUR ONLY GUIDE 
 
 to Himself. . . . Bear in mind that conscience, 
 not will, is the eye of faith, the organ of 
 moral perception. . . . We believe, not in 
 virtue of the credibility of the channel through 
 which the revelation is presented, but in 
 virtue of the inherent power of the revelation 
 to compel our assent." 
 
 But it may be said that the operation of 
 this faculty of conscience or spiritual intuition 
 is not always certain, nor can it be in every 
 case vindicated. That conscience may go 
 wrong and become the excuse for persecution 
 and tyranny is no more proof that it is 
 unreliable than that illogical deductions prove 
 reason to be unreliable. Reason, when normal 
 and sane, cannot resist a geometric demonstra- 
 tion or a perfect syllogism ; so also conscience, 
 if we honestly listen to its voice, will pronounce 
 rightly in every case of doubtful morality. 
 It may also be asked, do we not constantly 
 depend upon authority in the ordinary conduct 
 of our lives, and why not therefore in the 
 supreme concerns of religion ? The answer 
 is that we do not accept authority, even in 
 little matters, if it be doubtful ; and, if doubtful, 
 we do examine, or, failing to examine, we 
 
 D 49 
 
FOURTH ARTICLE 
 
 suffer by our negligence. And, how much 
 more, then, is it our duty to assure ourselves 
 of the credentials of authority in those greatest 
 matters affecting our eternal interests. I am 
 disposed to think that undue deference to the 
 authority of great names has done much 
 mischief in repressing originality in the pro- 
 ducts of Art. The poet has truly said, " My 
 mind to me a kingdom is." The submission 
 of it to any other, however it may have the 
 look of humility, is too often a base abdication. 
 The Anglo-Saxon race has become great 
 because of its high ideal of personal liberty. 
 The glory of Protestantism is the assertion of 
 the right of private judgment. 
 
 I have adduced proofs of the errors, con- 
 tradictions, and doubtful texts of the Bible 
 for no other reason than to sustain my 
 contention that the doctrine of its infallibility 
 is no longer tenable. Nevertheless, I hope 
 to be able to show that, instead of disparaging 
 the Bible, I am really vindicating its true 
 nature, and placing it on a higher platform 
 and in a more serene atmosphere. No man 
 desires to be praised for what he does not 
 deserve, and no authors ask that to be attri- 
 
 50 
 
DEDUCTIONS FROM ERRANCY 
 
 buted to them which they have never claimed. 
 The writers of the Bible would, I believe, be 
 themselves the first to disclaim infallibility. If 
 then we regard as proved that the Scriptures 
 are errant, we must accept all the necessary 
 deductions from the fact. Of these let me 
 mention three, If inaccuracies occur in some 
 parts, it follows that they may occur in other 
 parts. If a single interpolation be discovered, 
 it is no longer certain that there may not be 
 many others. And again, God cannot be the 
 author of the Scriptures in any literal sense, 
 because He cannot be charged with error or 
 untruth. Have the Scriptures then ceased to 
 be the Word of God and to be without 
 authority ? And, if inspired, what is meant 
 by their inspiration? In answering such ques- 
 tions, we are driven back to study anew their 
 origin, purpose, and character. 
 
 In the first place, it must be said that 
 God's revelation of Himself is necessarily by 
 facts — the facts being those discoverable in 
 His works of creation and those of history, 
 more particularly the facts of the life and 
 death of Jesus Christ. Of the latter, the 
 Bible is the record only, not the facts them- 
 
 5i 
 
FOURTH ARTICLE 
 
 selves. Further, a little consideration will 
 show that words by which alone the know- 
 ledge of facts can be conveyed to us are a 
 fallible medium. For they are mobile ; they 
 vary and shift in their meaning. What a 
 word represented centuries ago may to-day 
 convey a different and even contrary meaning 
 to that in the mind of the original user of 
 it. God, therefore, could not Himself use the 
 imperfect instrument of written language. 
 Even if He wrote with an iron pen on 
 tables of stone, and in every human dialect, 
 men would misapprehend and wrest the in- 
 tended truth. Worse than that, if we had 
 explicit Divine documents of any sort they 
 would become idols, interposing between us 
 and God. Mr. Mirrlees says, "It is not my 
 belief that the Spirit of God was unable to 
 find a perfect letter. What I believe is 
 that, in the exercise of perfect wisdom, 
 the treasure was put in an earthen vessel 
 for the very purpose that men might not 
 give to a creature the reverence due only 
 to the Creator. When we see how the 
 Scriptures, even in their present imperfect 
 form, are worshipped with a sort of idolatry 
 
 52 
 
ERRANCY INEVITABLE 
 
 by multitudes of truly devout souls, we can 
 readily understand how much more irre- 
 sistible the temptation to such idolatry 
 would have been if the Scriptures, in 
 their outward form, had possessed absolute 
 perfection." My own conviction is that we 
 have in the Scriptures the very best means 
 of God's communication to mankind of the 
 knowledge of Himself, and of the duty He 
 requires. By using many minds, in many 
 successive ages, truth is presented on many 
 sides, adapted to the varieties of human 
 capacities, and accommodated to the con- 
 ditions of men's attainments at every stage 
 of these attainments. It may even be said 
 that our vision of truth is, in some sense, 
 stereoscopic, by which two or more views, 
 really different, coalesce into one rounded 
 whole. So far as inaccuracies occur in 
 respect of physical, historical, or arithmetical 
 facts, they are attributable to the writers 
 and the state of knowledge of their age, 
 not to God. The correction of these errors, 
 or the premature disclosure of scientific know- 
 ledge, would have caused distrust in minds 
 unprepared for such correction and disclosure, 
 
 53 
 
FOURTH ARTICLE 
 
 and so have weakened the credibility of the 
 spiritual truths presented. This consideration 
 explains to me Christ's acquiescence in many- 
 current popular beliefs, and absolves me from 
 the obligation to accept as literal fact what 
 is said of demoniacal possessions and the 
 like. 
 
 But the Bible is said to be inspired. 
 There is no such statement in the Bible 
 itself. All it affirms is that " inspired writings 
 are the gift of God." If then, the Bible 
 be these inspired writings, what are we to 
 understand by inspiration? It cannot be that 
 the authors of them were mere submissive, 
 unconscious media of thoughts and words 
 suggested to them. Was it then something 
 more than the impulse which compels the 
 poet to sing, the inventor to contrive, the 
 musician to embody his ideas in melodious 
 forms? On such grounds alone no doubt 
 much may be explained. The prophets of 
 the Old Testament, glowing with feelings 
 of hatred of falsehood, impiety, oppressions, 
 and crimes, or fired with the assurance that 
 beyond these present evils there lay eras of 
 blessing for their own country and the whole 
 
 54 
 
THE INSPIRATION OF THE BIBLE 
 
 human race, — used language which, in their 
 confidence of its approval by God, they felt 
 justified in declaring to be His actual voice — 
 " Thus saith the Lord." Every heart which 
 shares the same emotions can and does 
 respond with an unfaltering amen. The men 
 who wrote the New Testament had been 
 in direct contact with Christ, or, at least, 
 with Christ's immediate disciples. Their vivid 
 impressions of so great, so attractive, so 
 phenomenal a personality must have aroused 
 enthusiasm. Inspirations of that kind might 
 need no higher explanation than the exci- 
 tation of feelings of love, veneration, and 
 gratitude. But we have reason to believe 
 that it is more than this. For we have still 
 to account for mysterious influences which 
 men in all times have attributed to the 
 presence in their souls of the Divine Spirit. 
 We can speculate with some measure of 
 safety on the action of a faculty of con- 
 science or intuition, because we can appeal 
 to it as innate and universally acknowledged; 
 but, if we go beyond this, we enter a region 
 where reason cannot have the same veri- 
 fication. Nevertheless, there are experiences 
 
 55 
 
FOURTH ARTICLE 
 
 in the consciousness of many men — flashes 
 of insight, strange stirrings of emotion — 
 which they could only refer to some source 
 outside their own minds. The testimony of 
 such men seems sufficient to warrant the 
 belief in special intimations being conveyed 
 to specially receptive minds. This, I think, 
 is made credible by analogies in the natural 
 world. Some breeds of animals are endowed 
 with senses so abnormal in their strength — 
 the bloodhound with scent, the vulture with 
 vision — as to appear to us supernatural. 
 What is animal instinct : those impulses by 
 which birds build their nests, sit patiently on 
 their eggs, migrate from one latitude to 
 another? Men of science may talk of 
 "natural selection " and "intelligent adjustment," 
 and this, after all, is very much like affixing 
 a label and calling it knowledge, but no 
 explanation is satisfactory to my mind which 
 ignores the immanence of the Divine Upholder. 
 There is therefore nothing unreasonable in 
 expecting that certain races of men would be 
 endowed with special qualities. This was 
 eminently the case with the Jews, who, just 
 as the Greeks excelled in the domain of art 
 
 56 
 
ERRORS DO NOT INVALIDATE 
 
 and philosophy, and the Romans in that of 
 law and government, were possessed with 
 exceptional powers of spiritual perception. 
 These analogies also afford the presumption 
 that there have always been men qualified 
 to be recipients of Divine communications, 
 and that, even now, the pages of the Bible 
 may be made to shine with Divine illumi- 
 nation. 
 
 The exigency of my argument has made 
 it necessary to give prominence to the con- 
 tradictions and errors which are certainly 
 found in the Bible. But let us keep this in 
 mind, that inaccuracies in the records of the 
 events do not invalidate the substantial truth 
 of the events themselves. If they did, there 
 is little history we could believe. We have 
 no doubt that the Norman Conquest of 
 England, the defeat of the Spanish Armada, 
 the French Revolution, have all occurred, 
 although the accounts of them differ. Many 
 of the alleged incidents of so recent an 
 event as the battle of Waterloo are still 
 subjects of dispute. In the same way, the 
 great outstanding facts of New Testament 
 history are not disturbed by discrepancies in 
 
 57 
 
FOURTH ARTICLE 
 
 the details of the narratives. To attach 
 undue importance to these discrepancies has 
 the effect of creating a false perspective. 
 The most glorious landscape may be momen- 
 tarily concealed by holding up some petty 
 object close to the eyes. So may the 
 grandeur of the Scriptures be obscured. I 
 shall not attempt their eulogy. Let me 
 quote briefly from the writings of other men. 
 Ruskin says, " The Bible contains plain 
 teaching for men of every rank of soul and 
 state of life, which, so far as they honestly 
 and implicitly obey, they will be happy and 
 innocent to the utmost powers of their nature, 
 and capable of victory over all adversities, 
 whether of temptation or pain." Sir William 
 Jones, the great oriental scholar, says, " The 
 Bible contains more true sublimity, more 
 exquisite beauty, more pure morality, more 
 important history and finer strains of poetry 
 and eloquence than can be collected from 
 all other books in whatever age or language 
 they have been written." Whatever may be 
 thought of these estimates, it remains for 
 ever true, that, in respect to its subject, the 
 Bible stands supreme over all literatures. It 
 
 58 
 
THE BIBLE TRANSCENDENTLY GREAT 
 
 is, in the words of Sir Walter Scott, " the 
 Book." The very negligence of details in 
 the narratives, and, more particularly in the 
 biographies of Jesus, gives it an air of 
 artlessness, candour, and truth. It might 
 even be said that, as the foibles of a friend, 
 by which we feel that he shares our common 
 frailty, makes him all the more dear to us, 
 so the Bible becomes the more real and 
 familiar by the slight blemishes we discover 
 due to its necessarily human elements. When 
 I compare the writings of the Old Testament 
 with the mythologies, the poetry and philo- 
 sophy of Greece and Rome, the superiority 
 of the Holy Scriptures in respect to spiritual 
 insight is nothing short of marvellous. 
 Whence came the purity of their ethics ; 
 whence the conception of one Divine Being 
 regarding His creatures with pity as a 
 father his children ; whence the consciousness 
 of sin ; whence, with so little clear hope of 
 immortality, the ability to trust in a God so 
 dimly apprehended? I can find no explan- 
 ation but in the reality of some special 
 supernatural inspirations. When I think 
 how the portrait of Christ has in the New 
 
 59 
 
FOURTH ARTICLE 
 
 Testament been presented so as to fill the 
 minds of the greatest thinkers in all past years 
 and never more than in our own time ; when 
 I consider the absence from them of essential 
 errors, their silence and reserve, their avoid- 
 ance of extravagant speculative excursions, I 
 feel persuaded that the Scriptures, explain 
 it how we may, were written under some 
 guiding and restraining influence which can 
 only be attributed to the Holy Spirit of God. 
 " Above all," says Archbishop Leighton, "still 
 cling to the incomparable spring of light and 
 Divine comfort, the Holy Scriptures, even in 
 despite of all doubts concerning them." 
 
 60 
 
FIFTH AND SEVENTH ARTICLES 
 
 The Fifth Article affirms God to be the 
 
 Sovereign Disposer of the lives of men, the 
 
 Seventh affirms that their wills are free. The 
 
 former is no more than the statement of a fact 
 
 of which each one of us is the instance, the 
 
 latter is no more than the statement of a fact of 
 
 which each one of us is certainly conscious. 
 
 We are male or female, natives of one country 
 
 and not of another. Over such conditions in 
 
 our destiny we have had no control whatever. 
 
 And still more important to happiness and 
 
 welfare, our endowments of body and mind 
 
 differ. We may be born of virtuous ancestry, 
 
 or be the offspring of vicious parents ; our 
 
 environments may have been those of a happy 
 
 home, or those of a city slum. But it does not 
 
 follow that favouring circumstances always tend 
 
 61 
 
FIFTH AND SEVENTH ARTICLES 
 
 to good, and adverse circumstances to evil. 
 As a matter of common observation, it is often 
 otherwise. The publicans and sinners, whose 
 case seems desperate, we are told can repent 
 and enter the kingdom of heaven. Of Judas 
 Iscariot, around whom were the highest influ- 
 ences for good, Christ could say in those 
 saddest of words, "It were better for that man 
 that he had never been born." For all of us 
 there is an area within which we have room 
 for choice. The respectable man, as Judas 
 undoubtedly was, may in the end choose the 
 evil ; the once depraved man, as the publican 
 was regarded, may in the end choose the good. 
 This fact of free will is plainly recognised 
 throughout the Scriptures. We are invited to 
 ask, that we may receive, and we cannot think 
 of God as using the language of irony and 
 insult in inviting us to do that which we 
 are powerless to do. Christ is said to "stand 
 at the door and knock." His entering de- 
 pends upon our opening. He " would have 
 gathered His countrymen, as a hen gathers her 
 chickens, but they would not." The theory of 
 man's impotence of will, and that he is incapable 
 
 of movement towards God, seems to rest on 
 
 62 
 
MAN'S FREEDOM OF WILL 
 
 the commendable desire to give God all the 
 glory of man's salvation ; but it is not easy to 
 see how we can rob God of any of that glory 
 by attributing to man the simple powers of 
 asking and receiving. On the other hand, the 
 nullification of man's will makes him an auto- 
 maton, and deprives God of the glory of the 
 creation of a being made in His own image, 
 capable of will. Against a fatalism which 
 soothes the conscience to sleep, it cannot be 
 too much insisted that the will of man is free. 
 There is no barrier outside himself to his using 
 it rightly or wrongly. Conscience is sounding 
 notes of alarm within the breast of every man, 
 and if he feels that he is drifting downwards to 
 an abyss, he is still able to cry for help. How 
 could God's willingness to give that help be 
 more strongly expressed than in His assurance 
 that His love to men surpasses our love to our 
 children. I believe in a predestination which 
 determines the general issues of the scheme of 
 man's creation, and of the conditions which 
 surround the birth of all creatures, but I do not 
 believe in a particular flat or sentence which 
 decrees the fate of each one of them. An 
 eminent American clergyman, whom I have 
 
 63 
 
FIFTH AND SEVENTH ARTICLES 
 
 had the pleasure of meeting — the Rev. Dr. 
 Van-Dyke, of Princeton University — expresses 
 his opinion in these strong words, " Nothing 
 has been more effective in begetting and in- 
 creasing doubts than the idea that Christian 
 doctrine required us to believe that all events, 
 good and evil, were foreordained by God. 
 There is no such idea in the mind of Christ. 
 On the contrary, He is the Great Liberator of 
 men from the bondage of fatalism, and His 
 invitation to all the weary and heavy laden to 
 come unto Him is a Divine assurance that 
 whosoever will may have eternal life." He 
 adds, " After years of doubt and inward con- 
 flict, I have arrived at great peace and comfort 
 in the unreserved acceptance of these teachings 
 of Jesus. I do not believe that all things that 
 happen are determined beforehand." Thinking 
 and speaking as a man, I dare to say that I 
 cannot see how God could have any interest 
 in His own work of creation — and the work 
 of creation is still in process — if every event 
 was fixed and foreknown with the mechanical 
 rigidity of irresistible immutable cause and 
 effect. I can rather think of God as watching 
 with solicitude the movement of every indi- 
 
 64 
 
MAN'S FREEDOM OF WILL 
 
 vidual soul as it hovers undecided between the 
 
 allurements of evil and the incitements to good. 
 
 If it were otherwise, and all choice known and 
 
 settled, why need the angels in heaven rejoice 
 
 over one sinner that repenteth ? and how much 
 
 is their sympathy enforced by its singular 
 
 object, the one sinner. While asserting that 
 
 there are contingencies in the lives of all men 
 
 within which their wills are free to operate, I 
 
 do not wish to suggest that God does not 
 
 overrule the actions of men and make them 
 
 subservient to His own purposes. But He 
 
 does so without encroaching on their freedom 
 
 of will. Indeed, it may be said that God's 
 
 will is the safeguard and guarantee of man's. 
 
 This has been well illustrated by the analogy 
 
 of a game of chess, which has laws fixing the 
 
 powers, movements, and value of each piece. 
 
 Within these laws the players act freely. Yet 
 
 the master player can always win, however 
 
 free be the play of his weak opponent. Thus 
 
 similarly God's laws in the universe are fixed, 
 
 and, because fixed and known to be fixed, 
 
 man is able to make them the instruments of 
 
 his free agency. God, whose knowledge is 
 
 absolute, can still, like the master player ? 
 e 65 
 
FIFTH AND SEVENTH ARTICLES 
 
 control all the issues of man's will without 
 interfering with the will itself. That mankind 
 have been left, as I have said in my notes 
 on natural theology, to work out their own 
 salvation on the lines of material progress 
 affords the presumption that, equally on the 
 lines of spiritual progress, we must work out 
 our own salvation ; that just as we painfully 
 acquire the knowledge by which we escape 
 the evils of disease, of ignorance, of political 
 disorder and the like, so must we strive to 
 escape the evils of sin, accepting or rejecting 
 the offers of pardon for its guilt and of help 
 to overcome its power which are addressed 
 to our reason and conscience. "We must 
 agonise to enter the narrow door/' 
 
 66 
 
SIXTH ARTICLE 
 
 The future judgment of all men and their 
 eternal fate is the subject of the Sixth Article. 
 Towards this perplexing question, saddening 
 and even appalling from the orthodox point 
 of view, my attitude has been this — when we 
 find in the Scriptures two different and con- 
 flicting series of statements, I feel perfectly 
 at liberty to choose between them. One series 
 relating to this subject points to the infliction 
 of eternally continuous and irremediable woe, 
 the other to an adjustment of punishment to 
 the degree of unrepented sin or transgression. 
 Punishment which is eternal in duration cannot 
 be an adjustment. Therefore I place my belief 
 on those passages of the Bible which affirm 
 an adjustment — graduation of punishment to 
 the offence. According to St. Luke, Christ 
 
 67 
 
SIXTH ARTICLE 
 
 has said that "he who knew his Lord's will 
 and did it not shall be beaten with many 
 stripes, and he that knew it not with few 
 stripes." St. Paul in the Epistle to the 
 Romans says, " that every man shall be judged 
 according to that he hath done, whether it be 
 good or evil." These representations find 
 an answering assent from reason and con- 
 science : all others which predicate, or appear 
 to predicate, eternity of torture are instinctively 
 rejected as inconsistent with any true idea of 
 our Creator as a Heavenly Father. In the 
 right I claim to judge the New Testament 
 itself, I feel compelled to say that any other 
 words attributed to Christ which seem to imply 
 unending misery were not spoken exactly as 
 they are reported. The awful words, " Depart 
 from me, ye cursed, into the eternal fire which 
 is prepared for the Devil and his angels ; " 
 11 These shall go into eternal punishment," are 
 written in the 25th chapter of St. Matthew. 
 In the preceding chapter it is recorded that 
 Christ declared that " this generation [the 
 generation evidently He was then addressing 
 and no other] shall not pass away till all 
 
 these things [viz, : His coming in the clouds 
 
 68 
 
FUTURE JUDGMENT 
 
 of heaven with power and great glory] be 
 accomplished." If this be a prediction which 
 has not been fulfilled, and never can now 
 be fulfilled, it proves that St. Matthew mis- 
 understood what was actually said of a second 
 coming, and proves also that he may have 
 equally misunderstood what was said of the 
 fate of the wicked. For myself, I see no 
 escape from this dilemma ; these passages are 
 either literally true which does violence to 
 conscience ; or, their accuracy, as reported, is 
 so doubtful as in no way to bind our beliefs. 
 But by our acceptance of the latter alternative 
 we do not annul the authority of the Scriptures. 
 We must collate and catch the spirit of their 
 entire contents. We must rest our faith upon 
 their revelation as a whole. Above all, we 
 may attain to the assurance that God is 
 righteous, holy, and good : that He is our 
 Father, in whose love we may have perfect 
 confidence. If we have this confidence, our 
 eternal future need not cause us either anxiety 
 or dismay. Even should it be partly dis- 
 ciplinary or punitive, we can still say with 
 heartfelt acquiescence, then it must be the best 
 for us. If this be valid reasoning, it shows 
 
 69 
 
SIXTH ARTICLE 
 
 the absurdity of prayers and masses for the 
 dead : for why should we wish to shorten the 
 remedial duration and rigour of a purgatory, 
 if there be such a place ? 
 
 70 
 
EIGHTH ARTICLE 
 
 In my first draft of this most difficult 
 proposition, I had written " we apprehend 
 Christ to be Divine," but I soon came to see 
 that this term Divine is too indefinite, and that 
 we must choose between affirming Christ to 
 be God incarnate or only a God-like or God- 
 inspired man. 
 
 Many ancient religions have supposed an 
 incarnation. In itself it is neither impossible 
 nor incredible that God, the One and Eternal 
 Being, should decree to come Himself among 
 His human creatures in order to teach them 
 necessary truths, and rescue them from evils 
 which threatened their destruction. Such an 
 advent, if it actually occurred, must have been 
 in some way extraordinary, striking, and ab- 
 normal. These conditions seem to have been 
 
 7 1 
 
EIGHTH ARTICLE 
 
 fulfilled in the life of Christ, who, instead 
 of being an apparition of material grandeur, 
 glory, power, and magnificence, came with the 
 totally different transcendence of moral great- 
 ness — greatness in the height of its benignity 
 of purpose, greatness in the depth of its 
 submission to poverty, obloquy, suffering, and 
 death. If such an incarnation as this be true 
 it presents God in an absolutely new and 
 otherwise impossible light — the light which 
 comes from deeds done by Him for man, and 
 not from mere assurances of His good will 
 to man. Further, whatever potency or value 
 may lie in these deeds as an atonement or 
 reconcilement (call the effects of them by 
 whatever name you will), the doing of them 
 by God Himself, and not by any creature, 
 however exalted, is infinitely enhanced. Such 
 Divine procedure would afford an amazing 
 illustration of the truth which is now gradually 
 gaining lodgment in men's minds that "force is 
 no remedy " ; while its own fitness as a remedy 
 is corroborated by the experience of many 
 a parent, who finds that the most effective 
 way to deal with wickedness in a child is to 
 
 show the child how real is the suffering that 
 
 72 
 
THE DIVINITY OF CHRIST 
 
 wickedness inflicts on the father or mother 
 who loves it the most. 
 
 But here it will be asked, What meaning are 
 we to attach to the word incarnation ? Any 
 attempt at definition brings us at once to the 
 borders of a region into which science has 
 scarcely advanced a step. What is spirit? Is 
 it the same as soul, that principle of what we 
 call life and is transmissible from parent to 
 child ? of is it something different and super- 
 added ? The material body grows, decays, 
 and dissolves. Is spirit thus subject to change 
 and destruction ? We know that our spirits, 
 whatever they be, are something other than 
 the Spirit of God ; for while in one sense we 
 are within the Divine nature (for in God we 
 live and move and have our being), in another 
 and deeper sense we are outside the Divine 
 nature, because we are certainly conscious that 
 we have a personality which can be, and 
 actually is, separate from, estranged, and even 
 hostile to God. Of the connection of our 
 Spirit with our body, or of its origin from a 
 Creator, we are profoundly ignorant ; but 
 assuming the existence of spirits as distinct 
 from matter, it is, to say the least, not incon- 
 
 73 
 
EIGHTH ARTICLE 
 
 ceivable that the Spirit of God, either separate 
 or in union with the spirit of man, could, and 
 really did, enter a human body in so true and 
 complete a degree as to justify the language of 
 St. Paul when he spoke of Jesus as the man 
 " in whom dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead 
 bodily." But if this became fact, how are 
 we to think of the person of Jesus Christ ? 
 I know that to many minds it appears a 
 monstrous proposition to affirm that' Christ is 
 God, the Creator of the universe of which our 
 earth, a star among other stars, is relatively no 
 greater than a grain of sand on the sea-shore. 
 But with the thought of the immeasurably 
 vast we must carry in our minds the thought 
 of the immeasurably minute. If, as we are 
 told, "the very hairs of our head are all 
 numbered," we are each of us the objects of 
 Divine knowledge irrespective of comparisons 
 of magnitude. What is immensity to an all- 
 comprehending God ? He may determine that 
 there shall be no blot on all His fair universe, 
 however small that blot may appear and 
 however remote be the corner in which it 
 occurs. Other worlds are doubtless inhabited, 
 or being prepared for habitation, for their 
 
 74 
 
THE DIVINITY OF CHRIST 
 
 existence without purpose or use is inconceiv- 
 able. God, for anything we know, may, at 
 due seasons, visit all of them in some specific, 
 recognisable, personal way. The question of 
 the reasonableness of the statement that He 
 had so visited this world is the only one we 
 need ask ourselves. The difficulty as to the 
 Godhead of Christ may arise from uncon- 
 sciously predicating of the human body of Jesus 
 that which is only predicable of the infinite and 
 eternal Spirit which was within that body. 
 Christ, as the Son of man, was, in respect to 
 His material form, non-existent before His 
 birth, and so far a creature : Christ as the Son 
 of God eternally existent was, in respect to the 
 Divine Spirit which filled that material form, 
 one with God. Language fails in a theme so 
 transcendent. To say that Christ was one 
 with God might mean no more than complete 
 accord of character and purpose ; but oneness 
 has also the deeper meaning of part (defined in 
 one of our Dictionaries to be "a portion or 
 quantity of a thing not separated in fact but 
 considered or mentioned by itself"), and one- 
 ness in this sense expresses more adequately 
 that identity of substance and being which is 
 
 75 
 
EIGHTH ARTICLE 
 
 implied in the conception of incarnation. This 
 subject will have further consideration when I 
 come to examine the doctrine of the Trinity. 
 
 All such views are, however, little more 
 than presumption and speculation. Have we, 
 then, any positive ground for the belief that 
 Christ, by general consent the morally greatest 
 of men, the Reformer who more than any other 
 has influenced and is still influencing the 
 world, is an embodiment of God Himself? 
 For the answer we are wholly dependent on 
 the credibility of Christ's own testimony regard- 
 ing Himself and upon the authenticity of the 
 Scriptures themselves, which are the record of 
 that testimony. 
 
 In the discussion of the Fourth Article I 
 
 have tried to state the nature and extent of 
 
 the authority of these Holy Scriptures. Let 
 
 me only add that, while recent criticism has 
 
 been saying, and is still saying, much that 
 
 is supposed to be destructive, the results of it, 
 
 so far as my understanding of them goes, 
 
 are rather conservative and assuring. It has 
 
 placed the genuineness of the documents 
 
 beyond dispute ; it has fixed approximately 
 
 the dates of their composition ; and has settled, 
 
 76 
 
THE DIVINITY OF CHRIST 
 
 in nearly every case, the question of their 
 authorship. The gain has, I believe, been a 
 clearer grasp of the truth the Scriptures do 
 contain, and the loss only the disturbance 
 of cherished beliefs which had in them an 
 element of mistake. The gain is permanent — 
 the loss transient. The authority of the Book, 
 in the sense of absolute verbal inerrancy, has 
 passed away, but the authority of the Spirit of 
 God in revealing its essential and infallible truth 
 has been established. The literal authority 
 dies — the spiritual remains. 
 
 Now, when we take a broad and compre- 
 hensive view of the four biographies of Christ, 
 and of the letters written by His immediate 
 disciples, there emerges a large clear personality 
 so impressive in all its lineaments as, 1 think, 
 is only explicable on the hypothesis of the 
 incarnation — that we have in Christ not only 
 a true man, with man's capacity of suffering, 
 and (what I confess is more difficult to 
 understand) man's comparative limitation of 
 knowledge, but something more than man ! 
 What, then, is Christ's own testimony to His 
 Divinity ? The discovery of it to His disciples 
 we learn was only gradual and consistent with 
 
 77 
 
EIGHTH ARTICLE 
 
 a character at once modest and humble, 
 courageous and self-assured. He charged 
 them to tell no man that He was the Christ, 
 thus, as on other occasions, shunning distasteful 
 notoriety ; but when " the pharisees and doctors 
 of the law were sitting by " He cured the 
 palsied man, and fearlessly — blasphemously, as 
 they believed — forgave him his sins. Finally, 
 on His trial before Pilate, when He was 
 adjured by the living God to speak plainly, 
 He accepted the designation "Son of God" 
 with full knowledge of the meaning attached 
 to the title by His accusers and of the penalty 
 of death which it involved. Throughout the 
 whole of His career, except when as man He 
 was expressing dependence on His heavenly 
 Father, Christ's whole attitude to the men 
 among whom He mingled was an assumption 
 of Divinity. He taught morality with all the 
 air of sovereignty and independence of pre- 
 cedent and antecedent authority. He, the 
 simple Syrian peasant, proclaimed Himself 
 the founder of a Kingdom which shall be 
 everlasting and universal. He declared 
 Himself to be the sole judge of all men. 
 He not only claimed to be sinless Himself, 
 
 78 
 
THE DIVINITY OF CHRIST 
 
 but He calmly took the power to forgive sin. 
 In saying that the least kind deed done by 
 one man to another is done to Him, He 
 identified Himself with humanity as its federal 
 head ; in offering Himself as the rest for 
 every soul that labours and is heavy laden, 
 He implied a possession of infinite plenitude 
 of grace ; and in promising that where two 
 or three are gathered together in His name, 
 there He was with them, He asserted omni- 
 presence to the spirits of men in order to 
 dispense that grace. He held up a standard 
 of perfection without the slightest hint that 
 He Himself needed help to attain to it or 
 needed pardon for transgressing its ideals. 
 Such language, if it came from lips which 
 were no more than human, is astounding in 
 its arrogance and in the sweep of its exaction. 
 There are writers of books, such as Carlyle, 
 Emerson, and Matthew Arnold, whose tone 
 of dictation and of the superior person I resent, 
 but their pretensions are utter feebleness when 
 placed in comparison with Christ's demands 
 of our personal submission and devotion, 
 superseding even the ties of natural affection. 
 That such demands and such self-assertion 
 
 79 
 
EIGHTH ARTICLE 
 
 have not been contemptuously rejected, but 
 have been conceded by the general instincts 
 of men in all ages, is itself a strong proof 
 that Christ is not only man, but God. 
 
 That Christ's claims amounted to this, and 
 were so understood by His contemporaries, is 
 made evident by the violence of the anger and 
 opposition of His enemies. The impression 
 made on His friends is shown by incidents 
 such as Peter's confession and that recorded in 
 the 14th chapter of Matthew, where it is said 
 that His disciples "worshipped him, saying, 
 Of a truth Thou art the Son of God." These 
 incidents and Christ's own words, to which I 
 have referred, are found in the first three 
 Gospels. The fourth, which seems to be less 
 a precise narrative than a treatise to show 
 the ethical significance of the life of Christ, 
 contains many others, from the testimony of 
 Nathaniel at its beginning to that of doubt- 
 ing Thomas at its close. Of the rest of New 
 Testament Scriptures there is no part which 
 bears so complete a stamp of authenticity as 
 the letters of St. Paul. His literary style is 
 as distinct as that of Thucydides or Tacitus, 
 
 and his personality is more warm with vitality 
 
 80 
 
THE DIVINITY OF CHRIST 
 
 and individual character than any other author 
 of antiquity. The trustworthiness and com- 
 petency of such testimony cannot be impeached. 
 Although it does not appear that he ever met 
 our Saviour before His crucifixion, Paul had 
 direct personal intercourse with the chief 
 Apostles. "With Peter" it is said "he tarried 
 fifteen days at Jerusalem." In full knowledge, 
 therefore, of their beliefs, he accentuates the 
 Divinity in words which are exact, emphatic, 
 and indubitable. It is further sustained by 
 Christ's own miraculous works and by His 
 resurrection from the tomb. 
 
 Of the resurrection I need only say that 
 the proof of it seems to be as strong as can 
 be adduced for any historic event of that 
 period, and I believe that no man of science 
 will say otherwise than that such an alleged 
 occurrence can be credited or discredited alone 
 on the ground of evidence. 
 
 But let this much be said — I have just 
 spoken of St. Paul's character. Surely as 
 disclosed in his own letters, and as portrayed 
 by the companion of his travels, it is trans- 
 parent, consistent, and legible. Judging, then, 
 
 by his access to the original sources of 
 f 81 
 
EIGHTH ARTICLE 
 
 information, we have an attestation to the fact 
 of the resurrection which seems to me to be 
 irrefragable. He asserts it incidentally, I have 
 noticed, no less than nine times in the Epistle 
 to the Romans. At the same time, it must 
 with all candour be admitted that his mistaken 
 assurance that the end of the world was close 
 at hand suggests this doubt — it might be asked, 
 was he not similarly mistaken in his belief 
 that he himself, the disciples, and many others 
 had seen the risen Saviour? The answer can 
 only be that convictions which arise from 
 actual contact are very different from convic- 
 tions which are only inferences from words 
 reported to have been spoken. In the region 
 of the memory of such words, or of their true 
 meaning there is wide room for misapprehen- 
 sion ; in that of concrete fact verifiable by the 
 bodily senses there can be no such room. No ; 
 I do not think that Paul's witness to the 
 resurrection is made invalid by mistakes of 
 opinion. He himself declares that some of 
 his sayings are only personal opinions ; he 
 "gives his judgment as one that hath obtained 
 mercy of the Lord to be faithful." 
 
 But let us look at the matter from another 
 
 82 
 
THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST 
 
 point of view. If there had been no authentic 
 sight of Christ's risen body in such objective 
 shape as gave complete assurance of its 
 identity, the infant society, humanly speaking, 
 must have fallen to pieces. Its Master was 
 crushed, His predictions falsified, His claims 
 refused. The collapse was complete, the out- 
 look nothing less than desperate. If the 
 resurrection be a strain upon belief, equally 
 great is the difficulty of believing that the 
 society could have survived without its occur- 
 rence. Nothing but a miracle could have saved 
 the situation, and the fact that the situation 
 was saved goes far to prove that the miracle 
 is also fact. Any suggestion that the com- 
 panions of Christ were victims of hallucination 
 or guilty of collusive misrepresentation is not 
 worthy of a thought. This other remark may 
 be made as to the miracles said to have been 
 done during Christ's life. The doing of them 
 may have been necessary in order to arrest 
 attention. In our own day the speeches of 
 obscure men, however able they be, remain 
 long unnoticed. Only a few men gain the 
 ear of the public. If, then, it was expedient 
 that Christ should receive instant attention, 
 
 83 
 
EIGHTH ARTICLE 
 
 and that His ministry be short, that attention 
 could only be got by acts which were con- 
 spicuous and impressive. The general question 
 of the credibleness of miracles I propose to 
 discuss when I reach the consideration of 12th 
 Article of the Creed. 
 
 Christ's own belief in Himself, and the 
 acceptance of that belief by men of His own 
 time, involves for us three alternatives which 
 may be stated in this way — might Christ not 
 be a fanatical enthusiast, perfectly honest, 
 but self-deceived ; or, might He not be a 
 clever, ambitious, impostor who had pride 
 enough to blazon out His effrontery to the 
 end ;* or, was He a man whose character has 
 transparent notes of sanity, sincerity, and 
 disinterestedness ? The alternative of conscious 
 wicked imposture may be dismissed at once, 
 that of self-deception is at least deserving of 
 examination. Hence, the supreme need of our 
 closely studying what Christ's character really 
 was. To speak in a paradox, I believe that 
 we are nearer to Him now than were many 
 of His own disciples. Never more than to-day 
 are men's minds turning with intense interest 
 to the story of His life. We inherit the results 
 
 84 
 
THE CHARACTER OF CHRIST 
 
 of questionings, researches, and controversies 
 which have extended over eighteen centuries. 
 We can now judge the Author of the Christian 
 religion by the achievements of that religion, 
 and by the experiences of the men who through 
 all these past generations have made it the 
 rule of their lives. Let me quote some recent 
 estimates of Christ's character. In a letter 
 dated 29th September, 1869, addressed to Dr. 
 James Martineau, Professor William Knight 
 writes, " When I proceed to study as well as 
 peruse the (Gospel) narratives their form 
 becomes gradually of less and less significance 
 to me, their origin or authorship of less 
 moment, as I find myself in contact with a 
 Personality immeasurably vaster than any other 
 recorded in human history. And what most 
 of all impresses me in 'the man Christ Jesus' 
 is a singular harmony of opposites, a union 
 of contrasted attributes, which I nowhere else 
 behold or hear of. His character seems a 
 focus where the rays of varied excellence, 
 which are solitary or scattered in broken 
 fragments in the lives of other men, meet 
 .together ; and where some features which I 
 do not see exemplified in the life of any 
 
 85 
 
EIGHTH ARTICLE 
 
 other member of the race, are to be seen. I 
 find that He was in the profoundest sense 
 holy, and yet He never repented or made 
 confession of an error or a failing. But does 
 not all human piety start from penitence, as 
 human character is readjusted through experi- 
 ence of failure ? The righteousness of Jesus 
 is self-righteousness ; and thus two things 
 which are disparates in human morality seem 
 blended in Him. Then I find the supremest 
 self-assertion in alliance with the completest 
 self-denial. The King of Men is the servant 
 of the beggar on the highway. Next, I find 
 the acutest sympathy with every phase of 
 humanity, with the keenest antipathy and most 
 sensitive recoil from everything that mars the 
 ideal perfection of man. Again, in Christ 
 there seems to me an absolute catholic uni- 
 versality in alliance with a strongly defined 
 individuality. He is an Israelite, yet a citizen 
 of the world ; patriotic, yet cosmopolitan. 
 Then He exhibits the serenest self-reliance, 
 blent with absolute dependence on the Father. 
 The active energies of our nature are in 
 exquisite alliance with the passive virtues. 
 
 There is perfect unworldliness without the 
 
 86 
 
THE CHARACTER OF CHRIST 
 
 slightest tinge of asceticism ; severity of moral 
 purpose, with surpassing gentleness of spirit ; 
 the strength of completest manhood blent with 
 the tenderness of ideal womanhood." George 
 John Romanes, in his Thoughts on Religion, 
 says, "When we come to consider what a large 
 number of His sayings are recorded, it becomes 
 most remarkable that in literal truth there is 
 no reason why any of His words should ever 
 pass away in the sense of becoming obsolete. 
 ' Not even now could it be easy,' says John 
 Stuart Mill, ' even for an unbeliever, to find 
 a better translation of the rule of virtue from 
 the abstract into the concrete, than to en- 
 deavour so to live that Christ would approve 
 our life.' Contrast Jesus Christ in this respect 
 with other thinkers of like antiquity. Even 
 Plato, who, though some 400 years B.C. in 
 point of time, was greatly in advance of Him 
 in respect of philosophic thought — not only 
 because Athens then presented the extra- 
 ordinary phenomenon which it did of genius 
 in all directions never since equalled, but also 
 because he, following Socrates, was, so to speak, 
 the greatest representative of human reason 
 in the direction of spirituality — even Plato, I 
 
 87 
 
EIGHTH ARTICLE 
 
 say, is nowhere in this respect as compared 
 with Christ. Read the dialogues and see 
 how enormous is the contrast with the gospels 
 in respect of errors of all kinds — reaching 
 even to absurdity in respect of reason, and 
 to sayings shocking to the moral sense. Yet 
 this is confessedly the highest level of human 
 reason on the lines of spirituality when un- 
 aided by alleged revelation." Dean Farrar 
 has written as follows in the Encyclopedia 
 Britannica : " Even those who do not accept 
 the Christian faith see in Jesus a unique and 
 sinless personality, one with whom no other 
 human being can even distantly be compared, 
 either in His character, His teaching, or the 
 results which He accomplished by His brief 
 ministry. He accepted the most ordinary 
 customs of the teachers of His day. He 
 wore no broad phylacteries like the Pharisees; 
 He was not emaciated with asceticism like 
 the Essenes ; He preached the Kingdom of 
 God, not, as John had done, between the 
 gloomy precipices of the wilderness, but from 
 the homely platform of the synagogue. He 
 came eating and drinking; He had no human 
 
 learning ; His rank was but that of a village 
 
 88 
 
THE CHARACTER OF CHRIST 
 
 carpenter ; He checked all political excite- 
 ment ; He directed that respect should be 
 paid to all the recognised rulers, whether 
 heathen or Jewish, and even to the religious 
 teachers of the nation; He was obedient to 
 the Mosaic law; His followers were 'unlearned 
 and ignorant men ' chosen from the humblest 
 of the people. Yet He has, as a simple 
 matter of fact, altered the whole current of 
 the stream of history ; He closed all the 
 history of the past, and inaugurated all the 
 history of the future, and all the most 
 brilliant and civilised nations of the world 
 worship Him as God. Kant testifies to His 
 ideal perfection. Hegel saw in Him the 
 union of the human and divine. Even the 
 most advanced of sceptics do Him homage. 
 Spinoza spoke of Him as the truest symbol 
 of heavenly wisdom. The beauty and 
 grandeur of His life overawed even the 
 flippant soul of Voltaire. 'Between Him and 
 whoever else in the world,' said Napoleon at 
 St. Helena, 'there is no possible term of 
 comparison.' ' If the life and death of Socrates 
 are those of a sage,' said Rousseau, ' the life 
 and death of Jesus are those of a God.' 
 
 89 
 
EIGHTH ARTICLE 
 
 'He is,' says Strauss, ■ the highest object 
 we can possibly imagine with respect to 
 religion, the Being without whose presence 
 in the mind, perfect piety is impossible.' 
 'The Christ of the Gospels,' says Renan, 
 ' is the most beautiful incarnation of God in 
 the most beautiful of forms. His beauty is 
 eternal. His reign will never end.' John 
 Stuart Mill spoke of Him as 'a man 
 charged with a special, express, and unique 
 commission from God to lead mankind to 
 truth and virtue.' 
 
 "He alone of mankind has claimed to be 
 sinless, and has had the claim granted by 
 unanimous consent both in His lifetime and 
 in subsequent ages. He alone among men 
 has never even been assailed by the breath 
 of moral calumny, and never even in His 
 most sacred utterances and prayers betrayed 
 the faintest consciousness of any evil as 
 present in His soul. 
 
 " Of the originality of His teaching," 
 Farrar continues, " it stands alone in its 
 breadth and in its power, in its absence of 
 narrow exclusiveness and scholastic system 
 and abstract speculation. It was fresh, simple, 
 
 90 
 
THE CHARACTER OF CHRIST 
 
 natural, abounding in illustrations at once the 
 most beautiful and the most intelligible, drawn 
 from all the common sights and sounds of 
 nature, and all the daily incidents and objects 
 of social and domestic life. There is never 
 in them a lurking fallacy nor a superfluous 
 word, but all is 'vivacity, nature, intelligibility, 
 directly enlightening grace,' intended only to 
 convince and to save." 
 
 More recently the Rev. Hensley Henson, 
 Vicar of St. Margaret's and Canon of West- 
 minster, writes, " Christ was prophet, teacher, 
 master, friend, son, neighbour, citizen, sufferer, 
 victim, martyr, and in all these and a hundred 
 other descriptions He unfolded His character, 
 severe yet tender, chaste, loving, infinitely wise 
 and profoundly sympathetic, lofty, righteous, 
 merciful — a character the influence of which 
 upon others was the very breath of the 
 Spirit of God, which awed and allured and 
 purified and kindled men, claimed and received 
 the homage of their consciences, stirred and 
 helped the affections of their hearts, moved 
 them to obedience and by inevitable stages 
 to adoration. They knew it was human ; 
 they felt it was Divine. When He claimed 
 
 91 
 
EIGHTH ARTICLE 
 
 to be, in unique and sovereign sense, Son 
 of God, they owned and confessed the claim 
 to be true." 
 
 These delineations of the character of Christ 
 do not seem to me to be strained or over- 
 drawn. Rather they fall short of the impres- 
 siveness of the last hours of His human life. 
 How pathetic are its incidents told in the 
 simple unheated words of His biographers; 
 the scene in the garden, the desertion of the 
 disciples, His loneliness among his enemies. 
 How naturally He shrinks as a man from 
 the torture He knew awaited Him, how 
 dignified His silence before Pilate and Herod, 
 how consistent with the declared purpose and 
 intention of His voluntary submission to death 
 is His forgiving spirit to the agents who 
 executed His unjust sentence! The point, 
 however, which I wish to emphasise is that, 
 in the story of Christ's life, from beginning 
 to end, we have the exhibition of a man 
 so calm, so well balanced in mind, so 
 self-restrained and self-possessed in every 
 exigency, as to preclude all suggestions of 
 His acting under the influence of false 
 
 enthusiasm, delusion, or self-deception, and 
 
 92 
 
THE DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY 
 
 that therefore His competency as a witness to 
 His own Divine Being cannot be set aside. 
 
 Christ is said to be the second Person of 
 the Trinity. My reasons for avoiding the 
 use of the word Trinity are that it does not 
 occur in Scripture, and that the definitions 
 of it are misleading. If I now examine for 
 myself the grounds upon which this doctrine 
 of the Trinity is supposed to rest, I shall 
 try to do so in the spirit of sincere desire 
 to arrive at such truth as may be attainable. 
 We do indeed " see as through . a glass 
 darkly." Still, so far as we can think at all, 
 let us at least think reasonably. 
 
 Having regard to the necessity that the 
 discovery of sublime truth must be accommo- 
 dated to the recipient minds of men in all 
 stages of their capacity, I cannot see that, if 
 Christ be Divine in the most exact and literal 
 sense, He could take a more fitting title than 
 the Son of God. In fact, I can think of no 
 other. It asserts community of nature with 
 God, and was so regarded by His countrymen. 
 To have abruptly announced Himself to be 
 God when He was visibly man would have 
 raised difficulties to recognition and acknow- 
 
 93 
 
EIGHTH ARTICLE 
 
 ledgment. By using the two names, Son of 
 God and Son of Man, the fact of the incarna- 
 tion would be gradually suggested to His 
 followers. But surely the name, Son of God, 
 must have been regarded by them as figurative, 
 not real, just as our own relationship to our 
 Heavenly Father is not literal, but by "the 
 spirit of adoption, whereby we cry Abba, 
 Father." But very early in the history of 
 the Church theologians seem to have caught 
 the idea of a literal relationship between the 
 Father and Son, which they conceived to have 
 been from all eternity. They conceived also 
 the Holy Spirit as a distinct self-existent Being 
 from all eternity, not as the Holy Spirit of God 
 Himself, fulfilling a special function, continuing 
 and applying invisibly to the spirits of men 
 the salvation visibly wrought by Christ while 
 He was on earth. Hence was evolved the 
 doctrine of the Trinity. This is defined in 
 our Scottish Presbyterian Shorter Catechism 
 " There are three persons in the Godhead, the 
 Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, and 
 these three are one God, the same in sub- 
 stance, equal in power and glory." Elsewhere 
 I find it defined as "one substance in three 
 
 94 
 
THE DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY 
 
 persons, of which the first eternally generates 
 the second, and the third eternally proceeds 
 from the first and second." Is not this lan- 
 guage derogatory? Is it even intelligible? 
 The Athanasian creed is still more distinct in 
 saying that "the Father is God," "the Son is 
 God" — "The Father eternal, the Son eternal." 
 Is not this a contradiction of terms and an 
 abuse of words ? For how can a Son be eter- 
 nal ? Moreover, to say that "the Father is 
 made of none," the " Son begotten," the " Holy 
 Ghost proceeding," suggests degrees of priority 
 and rank which is inconsistent with the idea 
 that "the whole three persons are co-equal." 
 As the relationship between God the Father 
 and God the Son cannot be actual and at the 
 same time eternal without the utmost violation 
 of human speech, surely we are forced to 
 accept the alternative that the terms, Father 
 and Son, are used in a metaphorical, conven- 
 tional, or federal sense ; — as an accommodation, 
 condescendence, or subserviency to human 
 thought ; — not as inherent essential conditions 
 eternally subsisting, but only as a connection of 
 resemblance assumed in time for a specific 
 purpose, and lasting only till that purpose is 
 
 95 
 
EIGHTH ARTICLE 
 
 fulfilled. Seeing that God is one Being, infinite, 
 
 and omnipresent, it follows that the Son is the 
 
 Father and that the Father is the Son. This 
 
 indeed is asserted by Christ Himself in His 
 
 answer to Philip (John xiv. and 9), " He that 
 
 hath seen me hath seen the Father." " I am 
 
 in the Father and the Father in me." Man, 
 
 being finite, local, and temporal, is under the 
 
 necessity to think of a Father as in heaven, 
 
 of Christ as having been a Son on earth, and 
 
 of a Holy Spirit as within the consciences of 
 
 men ; but to an omnipresent God there may 
 
 be no such persons or places. In the same 
 
 dependent way, we think of sequence in events, 
 
 of past, present, and future, but to an eternal 
 
 God there may be no such thing as time. To 
 
 say, in the words of the Athanasian creed, 
 
 " The Father is God, the Son is God, and the 
 
 Holy Ghost is God, and yet there are not 
 
 three Gods, but one God," sounds like an 
 
 assertion and a denial in one breath, and I 
 
 believe has had the effect of leading men to 
 
 think of God as three distinct entities, not as 
 
 one entity ; — to think of Him as they would 
 
 think of a triumvirate among human beings. 
 
 I have read, some years ago, an article in the 
 
 96 
 
THE DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY 
 
 Contemporary Review^ written by a professor 
 of Divinity, in which it was attempted to 
 be shown that a Trinity was a necessity in 
 the Divine constitution in so far that each 
 member of it becomes the object of love, the 
 one to the other, and in this way fills an idea 
 of social existence. Far more reasonable than 
 a view so purely anthropomorphic, and more 
 worthy, seems to me to be the conception of 
 God as one Being acting on three lines of 
 conduct, under three names, which are in some 
 measure descriptive of three distinct functions. 
 Is there not something analogous to this in 
 our customary speech ? A man may be known 
 not only by his familiar birth name but by 
 official titles such as mayor of his town, 
 chairman of a board of directors, colonel of 
 a Volunteer regiment. In one capacity he 
 may even oppose himself in another capacity. 
 As mayor he may refuse a request which as 
 chairman of a railway company he had made 
 to the municipal council. " Persons " in such a 
 sense as this seems to me to be the only 
 admissible meaning we can attach to the 
 word as applied to the names of the Divine 
 Being. 
 
 g 97 
 
 Or THE ^ 
 
 U WVERS!TY 
 
 rsi- 
 
EIGHTH ARTICLE 
 
 But is this view coherent with the Holy 
 Scriptures ? I shall refer only to a few of the 
 more explicit statements on the subject which 
 are chiefly to be found in St. John's Gospel 
 and in St. Paul's Epistles. The opening verse 
 in the gospel appears to point to some kind of 
 separate existence of Christ prior to the incar- 
 nation. "In the beginning was the Word, 
 and the Word was with God, and the Word 
 was God." "The only begotten Son which is 
 in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared 
 Him" — -(the unseen God). St. Paul in his 
 Epistle to the Philippians speaks of " Christ 
 Jesus being in the form of God," or, as I 
 understand the Greek may by rendered, "Christ 
 Jesus, being originally God, counted it not a 
 prize to be on an equality with God." Again, 
 in his first letter to the Corinthians he says, 
 " When all things have been subjected unto 
 Him, then shall the Son also Himself be 
 subjected to Him that did subject all things 
 unto Him that God may be all in all." The 
 language of St. Paul suggests a separate exis- 
 tence of Son and Father before the incarnation, 
 because any assertion of equality implies a 
 
 duality of persons. On the other hand, a 
 
 98 
 
THE DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY 
 
 delegation to the Son by the Father of creative 
 power, and a subsequent resignation of that 
 power, and an absorption into the one God 
 implies a restoration to a unity that had 
 been, as it were, for some special purpose, 
 temporarily suspended. St. John's designation 
 of Christ as " the Word " is not completely 
 trustworthy in so far that it betrays a sub- 
 mission to the influence of Philo of Alexandria, 
 whose speculations were widely known in the 
 first century of our era, and who, following to 
 some extent Plato and the Stoics, conceived 
 of God as separate from a totality of mediating 
 forces he called the Reason, or the Logos or 
 Word. 
 
 The truth seems to be that the more we try 
 to discover what the Scriptures actually do 
 teach, the more are we perplexed and con- 
 fused. But their silence may be providential. 
 A curtain may wisely be drawn across our 
 sight. Is it, however, of any practical impor- 
 tance that we can only approach a little way 
 towards the solution of the problem of the 
 Divine nature, and of some possible mysterious 
 communion within that nature? Why attempt 
 to formulate a dogma where definition must be 
 
 99 
 
EIGHTH ARTICLE 
 
 futile ? What is required of us is to believe that 
 God in Jesus Christ suffered with and for men 
 in order to assure them of His love and of His 
 willingness to give His Holy Spirit to help 
 them in all purposes of new obedience. 
 
 I am aware that the views towards which I 
 lean may be called Sabellian, a heresy con- 
 demned by the early Church. But from all we 
 know of the measure of enlightenment, and 
 even the standard of morals of those days, I do 
 not think that this decision need give us any 
 concern. My object in the discussion has not 
 been exhaustive exposition, but to disclose its 
 difficulties so far as may justify my contention 
 that a doctrine of a Trinity should have no 
 place in any creed. 
 
 IOO 
 
NINTH ARTICLE 
 
 As the Eighth Article tries to discern what 
 we may believe truly of God, the Ninth Article 
 tries to state how we may effectively hold 
 that belief. 
 
 My comment on these two aspects of faith, 
 the intellectual and the moral, mav be best 
 expressed in the following words which I wrote 
 several years ago to a young relative who 
 could not accept the doctrine of the Divinity 
 of Christ : u You say in the outset of your 
 letter to me that the difference between us is 
 of the most vital character. So it is in a sense 
 in which Christ, a created being, and Christ 
 Himself the Creator, are infinitely apart. But 
 in case you attach a very literal meaning to 
 the word vital, let me say that I cannot allow 
 myself to feel sure that it is vital in respect 
 
 IOI 
 
NINTH ARTICLE 
 
 to our relations to God and to our future 
 destiny.. We are saved by faith, as is said 
 and as I believe, but who can measure faith 
 subjectively or objectively ? I would not dare 
 to limit it to any absolute knowledge of 
 Christ's true being and nature, and so I would 
 never judge and exclude those who differ from 
 me if their hearts and character are truly 
 influenced by such knowledge as they do 
 possess. Faith is certainly not the iteration 
 of any formula, however correct. It is rather 
 the interpenetration of truth. The permeation 
 of a partial truth will effect that which will 
 never be effected by a whole truth which has 
 received only a languid, unreal assent. I say 
 this partly with reference to your expression 
 of wonder how Christians, so called, can live 
 as they do. No, none of us lives up to what 
 our beliefs imply. We don't 'take it in,' as 
 you say. In other words we have scarcely 
 any real faith. . . . Christ Himself has said, 
 1 He that keeps my commandments loves me, 
 and I will manifest myself to him.' If you 
 
 and I, C , so love Christ, I believe that in 
 
 time I, as it may be in my errors, you, as it 
 may be in yours, will each arrive at a nearer 
 
FAITH 
 
 approach to the truth as to what we are to 
 understand of His person." To these words 
 I now add that, as it needs no astronomy to 
 enjoy the warmth and light of the sun, so 
 the love of Christ may enter into and reno- 
 vate hearts untroubled with the subtleties of 
 theology. " Surely," says Thomas a Kempis, 
 "an humble husbandman that serveth God is 
 better than a proud philosopher that, neglecting 
 himself, laboureth to understand the courses 
 of the heavens." The faith of Abraham could 
 not be faith in Christ, and the faith of many 
 men may never be more than Abraham's faith. 
 They put their trust in God as on a rock 
 midst the shifting sands of opinions. To 
 them Christ is still saying, " Ye believe in 
 God, believe also in me." 
 
 The Ninth Article states all that I think 
 need be said of the ethics of Christianity. 
 It gives no room for merit or reward. Reward 
 is gratuitous, and can never be ours by right. 
 The obedience required by Christianity is 
 founded on love, that by other religions on 
 fear. The one is spiritual, the other legal. 
 The spiritual is freedom and joy ; the legal 
 
 unwilling restraint and dependence on the 
 
 103 
 
NINTH ARTICLE 
 
 fulfilment of obligation. Because the spiritual 
 fails, and is always felt to fail, in efforts to 
 reach the height of its own ideals, it is more 
 difficult of attainment than the legal, and all 
 thought of desert can never be other than 
 repugnant. 
 
 104 
 
TWELFTH ARTICLE— PRAYER 
 
 Many a priori arguments may be urged to 
 prove that prayer is unreasonable. The reign 
 of law may be said to be co-extensive with all 
 we know of Nature, and immutable in all within 
 that territory. Extreme Calvinistic theology 
 may assert that every event, even the most 
 minute, is foreknown and predestined, and is 
 therefore unalterable by any emotions of ours. 
 There are even statements in Scripture which 
 may appear to show the futility of requests from 
 man to God, such as Christ's reminder that 
 "your Father knoweth what things you have 
 need of before you ask Him." But any view 
 of law in nature or fatalism in theology which 
 makes the order of events unchangeable is, I 
 believe, neither consistent with true science nor 
 sound theology. There are doubtless in the 
 
 i°5 
 
TWELFTH ARTICLE 
 
 physical sphere forces which, from our observing 
 the constancy of their sequence, we speak of as 
 being fixed and inflexible, such as the daily and 
 yearly circuits of the earth in the solar system, 
 but there are others whose activity may remain 
 for a time in suspense, or the course of whose 
 activity may be deflected by the interference of 
 other forces. But not only so, these physical 
 forces can be traversed by others which are 
 psychical. The human will is one of such 
 psychical forces. By knowledge slowly ac- 
 quired, man can change the face of nature. 
 He turns the laws of matter to his own use. 
 He discovers, for example, the potentiality of 
 coal, or he chemically combines substances 
 whose enormous strength become his agents 
 for utility or destruction. The decision of one 
 man may originate movements which have far- 
 reaching consequences. The student in his 
 closet, the commander in the battlefield, the 
 king from his cabinet, may determine matters 
 which change the whole current of history. 
 
 If the will of man be thus operative on wide 
 stages such as these, it may equally be operative 
 in the narrow arenas of our daily lives. We 
 seize or neglect opportunities. A hasty word 
 
 106 
 
PRAYER 
 
 of ours may set in motion causes for good or 
 ill far beyond our intentions. If, then, it is in 
 the power of all of us to exercise control over 
 external and material conditions, how much 
 greater and all-embracing must be the energy 
 of the Divine Will. Without altering any of 
 His own laws, He has infinite knowledge 
 of their limitations, contingencies, and suscepti- 
 bility to direction. And so it is that, in ways 
 far beyond our ken — it may be circuitously 
 or protractedly — it may not be literally, 
 but substantially — He is able to fulfil the 
 desires of those who put their trust in His 
 goodness. 
 
 To those who believe in a Divine revela- 
 tion, the fact that prayer is commanded is 
 proof enough that it is consistent with God's 
 government of the world — that He is not 
 bound by inexorable rules — that even He 
 may be swayed by ardent cries for help, 
 guidance, or relief. But the value of prayer 
 is not only the liberty to petition. It becomes 
 the occasion of a true intercourse with God. 
 Had we been denied access to Him as sup- 
 pliants ; had we been told that our requests 
 
 were, in the order of the constitution of the 
 
 107 
 
TWELFTH ARTICLE 
 
 world, unavailing, we should not have dared 
 
 to bring to Him our doubts and fears, our 
 
 gratitude and love, nor could we have received 
 
 the assurance, which we do receive, that, in 
 
 some inscrutable way, there is a response from 
 
 Heaven. Here, if anywhere, we enter the 
 
 region of faith. And by faith I do not mean 
 
 that which is contrary to reason, but what 
 
 reason alone cannot verify. This communion 
 
 — this " fellowship with the Father and with 
 
 His Son Jesus Christ" — as St. John calls it, 
 
 cannot be certified to others, but has been very 
 
 real in the experience of multitudes of men 
 
 and women in all ages. 
 
 Closely allied to these considerations of 
 
 the reasonableness of prayer is the difficult 
 
 subject of the credibility of the miraculous. 
 
 To believe in prayer — that is to believe in 
 
 the possibility of particular interventions in 
 
 answer to prayer — is virtually to believe in 
 
 miracles, but in miracles unseen and unverifi- 
 
 able. Have there then been interventions in 
 
 past history which were seen and verifiable 
 
 and called miracles, in so far that the deeds 
 
 reported were abnormal and contrary to all 
 
 experience ? The answer turns upon two 
 
 1 08 
 
MIRACLES 
 
 points, namely, their antecedent probability, 
 and the sufficiency of credible evidence. If 
 the advent of Christ be fact and His supreme 
 claims be established, we have at once grounds 
 for the expectancy that many circumstances 
 would, or at least, might be concomitants such 
 as would be unusual and extraordinary. I 
 believe that such acts were done by Jesus, 
 and that they are the more credible because 
 the doing of them was in harmony with His 
 character, and because the acts themselves 
 were illustrations of His mission. Assuming, 
 however, that Christ's claims have not been 
 established (for, of course, to prove His claims 
 by His miracles, and to prove the miracles 
 by the validity of His claims, would be to 
 reason in a circle), it may be said that the 
 miracles attributed to Christ are antecedently 
 improbable in as much that any infraction of 
 the laws of God is incompatible with the 
 character and purpose of their Author. 
 But how do we know what are and what are 
 not such infractions ? There may be laws 
 which include other laws, and there may be 
 a higher law which intervenes to modify, 
 suspend, or control a lower. Men are 
 
 109 
 
TWELFTH ARTICLE 
 
 performing acts now, visibly and indubitably, 
 which, if the causes of them were withheld 
 and concealed, would be called miracles. 
 
 It happens that as I ponder over this sub- 
 ject the flames of my library fire are reflected 
 into the middle of foliage which is seen through 
 a plate glass window. This suggests how easy 
 it may be for an unseen agent outside our- 
 selves to have caused the appearance of the 
 burning bush, or by the deflection of the rays 
 of light, the appearance of the sun standing 
 still. I am not in the least concerned whether 
 such appearances really occurred or are only 
 poetic hyperbole or apostrophe. Illusions such 
 as those of sight we now understand, but there 
 may be illusions of the other senses, and also 
 power of vivid suggestion, which we do not 
 now understand. And herein may lie the ex- 
 planation of the miracle of the feeding of the 
 five thousand. It may have been real to the 
 mental impressions of the observers, as in 
 the cases of Moses and Joshua, and yet not 
 be literal fact. Christ might have had at His 
 disposal latent resources of which we know 
 nothing. He is said to have raised the dead. 
 
 We in these modern days restore life, hours 
 
 no 
 
MIRACLES 
 
 after its apparent extinction, to men and women 
 rescued from drowning. 
 
 When we come to the question of sufficiency 
 of evidence we are wholly dependent on the 
 New Testament documents. These, unhappily, 
 do not carry to my mind conviction in the 
 case of every miracle. For instance, St. 
 Matthew tells us that immediately on the 
 death of Jesus " the tombs were opened and 
 many bodies of the saints that had fallen 
 asleep were raised and appeared unto many." 
 This is an occurrence so stupendous, and at 
 the same time so likely to have excited atten- 
 tion, that the absence of any mention of it 
 by other writers weakens, if it does not in- 
 validate, St. Matthew's testimony. On the 
 other hand, it may be said that if the credi- 
 bility of an alleged event be measured by the 
 greatness of the concurrent circumstances, then 
 no event, however prodigious, is absolutely 
 incredible viewed in connection with the death 
 of Christ, if Christ be, as the Roman Centurion 
 felt impelled to exclaim, the Son of God. 
 The evangelists were naturally eager to collect 
 every scrap of the floating memories of Christ's 
 
 career. It is well that they were thus eager, 
 
 in 
 
TWELFTH ARTICLE 
 
 for much has been preserved which otherwise 
 might have been lost. We must make large 
 allowance for the simple, uncritical character 
 of the writers of the Gospels, for "the in- 
 exactitude, bias, and exaggerations " which 
 were the characteristics of ancient literatures, 
 and expect that incidents were included in 
 their narratives which probably were dis- 
 torted in the course of oral transmission. 
 With all deductions of what is doubtful, I 
 believe that enough remains to show that 
 Christ did many wonderful works, which were 
 beneficent in their own nature and demon- 
 strations of Divine power. 
 
 Mr. Mirrlees' opinion is that "a miracle 
 seems an operation of that mysterious power 
 called Will — whether of brutes, of men, or of 
 God — whereby the current of events is 
 diverted from the course it would otherwise 
 have taken. So far from this being a con- 
 travention of the laws of nature, the more a 
 man is conversant with these laws the more 
 powerful will be the operation of his will. The 
 will of the brute, to a limited extent, disturbs 
 what would otherwise be the routine of nature ; 
 the will of man disturbs this routine to a much 
 
 112 
 
MIRACLES 
 
 greater extent ; and surely analogy would lead 
 us to suppose that the will of God would disturb 
 this routine in an infinitely greater measure 
 and yet be as perfectly in harmony with the 
 unchangeable laws of nature as when a horse 
 makes a load go up a hill." 
 
 Again, he adds, " it is often said that it is 
 altogether out of the question to suppose that 
 God will alter the course of nature merely to 
 oblige a single individual. Prayer, however, is 
 a moral force. In the material world, the most 
 stupendous results may ensue from the most 
 insignificant operations ; a child pulling a 
 trigger may lay a city in ruins. So in the 
 spiritual world, even a child's prayer may set 
 in action moral forces powerful enough to 
 save a Sodom from destruction." 
 
 113 
 
ELEVENTH AND THIRTEENTH 
 ARTICLES 
 
 The Eleventh and Thirteenth Articles oi 
 the Creed, which deal with the nature and 
 constitution of Christian Churches, are very 
 largely the subjects of the letters to Mr. 
 Southwell, which are appended. The views 
 therein expressed have been in nowise 
 changed, but rather have been confirmed by 
 subsequent reflection and by the lessons ol the 
 present ecclesiastical troubles in Scotland. I 
 have been coming more and more to the 
 conviction to say it bluntly- that no asso- 
 ciation ol Christian men, large or small, ol 
 recent or oi ancient origin, is, strictly speaking, 
 a Church, of Christ, or even a branch of it. 
 Christ has but one Church, the Kingdom of 
 God, the Church invisible over which He is 
 
 ii4 
 
THE CHURCH OF CHRIST IS INVISIBLE 
 
 head. Over any visible organised society He 
 is not the head. Over individual members 
 of Christian societies He is, of course, the 
 head, but over the society as such He is not 
 the head. This view is, I think, sustained 
 by the fact that in the whole four Gospels the 
 word "Church" seems to be purposely 
 avoided, the phrase " the Kingdom of God " 
 occurring 112 times, and that of "Church" 
 only twice. These latter are found in St. 
 Matthew only. In the 1 8th chapter of that 
 Gospel the word clearly means the congregation 
 or local synagogue. In the 16th chapter it 
 occurs in connection with St. Peters con- 
 fession, and the declaration that on Peter will 
 Christ build His Church. But even in this 
 solitary case, where church could be said to be 
 the equivalent to kingdom, there are not want- 
 ing suspicions that the promise to Peter may 
 be an unwarranted addition. For, in the first 
 place, neither St. Mark nor St. Luke, who both 
 mention the incident of the confession, say any- 
 thing of the promise ; and, in the second place, 
 St. Matthew's Gospel is said to have been 
 written originally in the Aramaic dialect, of 
 which our present Gospel is a comparatively 
 
 «I5 
 
ELEVENTH tf THIRTEENTH ARTICLES 
 
 late translation into Greek. We are more- 
 over confronted with the questions, is it 
 probable that Christ would condescend to 
 speak with " play " upon the words Petros and 
 petra even if that was possible in His native 
 language ; or, is it not more probable that such 
 " play " upon words was a temptation to which 
 the translator or a late transcriber yielded ? I 
 have never heard the suggestion made, but 
 from all these points of view, there seems to 
 me a strong presumption that the proud legend 
 " Tu es Petrus et supra hanc petram, aedificabo 
 meam ecclesiam " which surrounds in huge 
 letters the inner rim of the dome of St. Peter's 
 at Rome is founded on an unwarranted or 
 fraudulent interpolation. 
 
 I agree with Mr. Mirrlees when he writes, 
 " These organisations of Christians called 
 churches are merely human institutions, and 
 like all human institutions, they operate for 
 good or evil very much according to the spirit 
 of the individuals who direct their affairs for 
 the time being." That Christ cannot be 
 identified with any human Church is evident 
 enough from the consideration that He would 
 
 thereby become a partaker with the deeds of 
 
 116 
 
CHURCHES VISIBLE ARE HUMAN 
 
 that Church. He could not be the Head of 
 the Church which condoned the massacre of 
 St. Bartholomew, the Church which burned 
 Servetus, or the Church which was an abettor 
 in the murder of the young Edinburgh 
 divinity student in 1696. Throughout all the 
 history of Christendom this confusion of 
 thought — this identification of the outward and 
 concrete with the inward and spiritual — has 
 prevailed until now.- It began with the 
 usurped primacy of the Church of Rome and 
 its elaboration of a false theory of unity. 
 Even after the Reformation it found expres- 
 sion in the attempt to enforce uniformity of 
 worship in the time of Edward the Sixth, and 
 in the imposition of Episcopacy upon Scotland 
 in the time of the Stewarts. To this day we 
 have a survival in Church establishments, in 
 as much as they sprang from the conception 
 that every nation should have one dominant 
 religious belief. Happily, there have been 
 disintegrating forces at work. Schisms and 
 secessions have not always been the evil that 
 is supposed, but rather a good, in so far as 
 they have been a check upon religious bodies 
 
 which, strong in their arrogation to themselves 
 
 117 
 
ELEVENTH & THIRTEENTH ARTICLES 
 
 of being Divine institutions, have been a 
 danger to liberty. The unity we need, and 
 which we should ever try to promote, whether 
 by incorporation or without it, is that of charity 
 and peace, toleration and mutual forbearance, 
 which are attributes of that true Church 
 wherein there is "neither Jew nor Greek, bond 
 nor free, male nor female (Episcopalian nor 
 Presbyterian, Methodist nor Baptist, Unitarian 
 nor Trinitarian), for all are one in Christ 
 Jesus." 
 
 Troubles and difficulties have inevitably 
 arisen from our having, in the words of Mr. 
 Mirrlees, " neglected to root out that funda- 
 mental doctrine of the Church of Rome 
 which teaches that the spiritual kingdom over 
 which Christ is Head is an outward visible 
 corporate society." The failure to preserve 
 the distinction has led to many extravagances 
 of speech. The phrase " Headship of Christ" 
 is sometimes used to justify acts and decisions 
 which may be right, but possibly may be 
 wrong. That the Courts of Justice should 
 place a Church on the same level with any 
 voluntary association is scouted as an insult. 
 Mr. Mirrlees' views are more in accordance 
 
SPIRITUAL INDEPENDENCE 
 
 with Christian humility when he says, with 
 reference to the Cardross case in i860: — " I 
 do not see any meaning in the great outcry 
 about the danger to the spiritual liberties of 
 a Christian society from its being looked on 
 as a temporal association. As regards liberty 
 of internal management, take the instance of 
 a steam navigation company, which acknow- 
 ledges itself to be a temporal society ; and 
 yet no one ever supposes that on this account 
 its purity of discipline is interfered with. If 
 the directors depose one of their captains 
 from his office before the expiry of his 
 engagement, or for holding unsound views on 
 the principles of navigation, does any one 
 think that the liberties of the company are 
 endangered because the captain has the 
 privilege of seeking the protection of the 
 courts of law ? " 
 
 What also can the phrase ''spiritual in- 
 dependence " mean in a country such as ours 
 where we enjoy perfect freedom of opinion, 
 and perfect freedom of association, but a claim 
 of immunity from the restraints of civil law 
 when that law interposes to maintain civil 
 rights ? The Church of England, and the 
 
 119 
 
ELEVENTH & THIRTEENTH ARTICLES 
 
 Church of Scotland freely elaborated state- 
 ments of their fundamental beliefs or creeds, 
 and freely entered into alliance with the State. 
 Obviously, neither of them can change these 
 creeds without the consent of their partner the 
 State. The Houses of Parliament, in appoint- 
 ing two years ago a Royal Commission on 
 Ecclesiastical Discipline, were therefore doing 
 no more than causing inquiry to be made as 
 to alleged failures of the Church of England 
 to keep the terms of the alliance. Free 
 Churches are not subject to any such inter- 
 ference, and are under no obligation to ask 
 the consent of the State for any change of their 
 Creeds, but they are under obligation to their 
 own members, just as in the case of all other 
 voluntary associations. If they have no clause 
 in their deed of association which provides 
 for the contingency of change, they cannot 
 alter their creeds in any essential degree 
 without endangering the tenure of their 
 property. If a change has been made, and, 
 by the neglect of safeguards, the property 
 is lost, the majority by whom it has been 
 lost have only themselves to blame. They 
 may indeed argue that the decision of the 
 
 I20 
 
CHURCHES AND THE STATE 
 
 law is not founded on sufficient evidence, and 
 that the results of it are calamitous and 
 deplorable, but they cannot allege that the 
 law has encroached on their spiritual independ- 
 ence. This way of looking at the matter 
 makes clear to me the whole course of the 
 ten years' conflict between Church and State 
 in Scotland, which ended in the Disruption 
 of 1843. The State insisted on the Church 
 keeping its bargain between them as interpreted 
 by the existing laws, and, in so acting, it 
 did no more than its duty. Of the two 
 parties in the Church itself, one said, if these 
 really be the terms of the bargain we can 
 no longer abide by them, and shall rather 
 relinquish all the benefits of the alliance ; the 
 other said, we dislike the terms as now 
 explained to us, but we accept them in the 
 meantime, and, remaining in the Church, we 
 hope to be able in good time to convince 
 the State that it is for its own interest to 
 agree to some amendment of these terms. 
 To this the State has so far acceded as to 
 abolish patronage in 1874. It may indeed 
 be questioned whether the State would have 
 
 made this concession but for the memory of 
 
 121 
 
ELEVENTH fc? THIRTEENTH ARTICLES 
 
 its own apathy or obstinacy, which caused 
 in 1843 the heroic exodus of five hundred 
 devoted ministers, and about one half of the 
 laity which formed the Free Church. Now 
 again the State, by Clause 5 in the recent 
 act of parliament (Churches of Scotland Act 
 1905), has given its consent that the Church 
 of Scotland may alter its formula of subscription. 
 If that has been given to a bare majority 
 of the votes of the legislative courts, I think 
 it a mistake, and that the Church of Scotland 
 should voluntarily submit to some limitation 
 or qualification of its acquired power. Radical 
 changes should only be made by specified 
 large majorities. We have a fitting precedent 
 in the constitution of the United States of 
 America. It provides that " Congress may 
 itself by a two-thirds vote of each House 
 (Senate and Representatives) prepare and 
 propose amendments which, before they become 
 law, must be ratified by the legislatures of 
 three-fourths of the component States." 
 
 The General Assembly of the United Free 
 Church of Scotland has in May, 1906, re- 
 asserted its spiritual independence, defining 
 that independence as including the right to 
 
 122 
 
CLAIM OF INDEPENDENCE DOUBTFUL 
 
 change or modify its constitution, laws, and 
 formulas, and that it holds its funds and 
 property, present and future, in conformity 
 with these principles as stated. I think that 
 it is still open to question whether even 
 this formal assertion and definition of in- 
 dependence will ensure that security in the 
 Church's possession of its property which, 
 it is generally assumed, would be ensured 
 in the event of the Church passing further 
 declaratory acts involving serious and funda- 
 mental changes. At the same time, it 
 must be said that if the Church from 
 conscientious convictions did so alter the 
 present creed, it would be bound to obey 
 these convictions even at the sacrifice of its 
 property. The probability or rather possibility 
 of such a course of action has, however, now 
 become so remote that it need not be taken 
 into account. The practical point which does 
 need consideration is whether the Church 
 should or should not now exercise the right 
 it has asserted to change the present creed. 
 
 The necessity for a restatement of the 
 Church's doctrine, in other words, of for- 
 mulating a new creed, may be urged on the 
 
 123 
 
ELEVENTH fcf THIRTEENTH ARTICLES 
 
 following grounds. With the knowledge we 
 now possess it seems to me that simple 
 truthful acceptance of the Westminster Con- 
 fession as it stands by itself is hardly possible. 
 Further, I think that there is at least room 
 for doubt whether the Declaratory Acts of the 
 United Free Church, which qualify subscrip- 
 tion, cover adequately every one of the 
 objectionable dogmas of the Confession and 
 give the liberty to traverse its strong state- 
 ments, such as that of " the entire perfection " 
 of the Scriptures, and the like, which these 
 Declaratory Acts are supposed and claimed 
 to give. But even if there were no doubt as 
 to this, to the minds of many men it can 
 never look but evasive and equivocating that, 
 at his ordination, a minister or elder is "required 
 to sincerely own and believe the doctrine of this 
 Church as set forth in the Confession of Faith," 
 while, at the same time, he is told by Declara- 
 tory Acts that he need not believe very 
 important parts of that doctrine according to the 
 plain meaning of the words of the Confession, 
 but in some other different meaning of these 
 words. Again, the short supplementary De- 
 claratory Act of 1894 affirms that the previous 
 
 124 
 
THE NEED OF A NEW CREED 
 
 Declaratory Acts of 1879 and 1892 are not 
 imposed upon subscribers to the Confession 
 of Faith. This, if I rightly understand it, 
 would mean that one subscriber may accept 
 the Confession minus the Declaratory Acts, 
 and another subscriber the Confession plus 
 these Acts. I may not be a competent judge, 
 but as far as I can see, the Confession of 
 Faith with and without the Declaratory Acts 
 are two not only different, but essentially 
 different, theologies. The practical conse- 
 quence of this alternative subscription might 
 be that one clergyman may preach the 
 insalvability of pagan and heathen peoples, 
 or that the world was made in six literal 
 days, and that another clergyman of the same 
 Church may preach the very opposite. A 
 new creed wisely framed, and comprehensive 
 by its brevity and simplicity, would deliver 
 us from all this uncertainty and confusion. 
 It would relieve the consciences of men of 
 sensitive honesty who are at present con- 
 strained to give their adhesion to doctrines 
 they may know to be contrary to historic 
 and scientific fact, and to be not true as 
 a correct and adequate expression of their 
 
 125 
 
ELEVENTH 6? THIRTEENTH ARTICLES 
 
 theological beliefs. Why should they be called 
 on to bind themselves to creeds drawn up by 
 men of an age out of sympathy with modern 
 thought — by men who had not wholly escaped 
 the influence of the passions of recent con- 
 flicts, and whose knowledge of the universe 
 and of the nature and origin of the Scriptures 
 was greatly less than ours ? When we read 
 the Preamble to the Thirty-nine Articles of 
 the Church of England and compare it with the 
 sophistries of Newman's Tract 90, and with the 
 excuses for subscription to these Articles, such 
 as those which are used in the January number 
 of the Hibbert Journal (1906) ; when we 
 have some knowledge of the extent of disbelief 
 in many of the dogmas of the Westminster 
 Confession by the clergy and elders in Scot- 
 land, and some knowledge of the arguments 
 advanced to overcome the scruples of reluctant 
 subscribers, we are tempted to ask if the 
 standard of honour in the Churches of both 
 countries is not lower than in most societies 
 which are purely secular. While movement by 
 declaratory acts is to be deprecated it is right 
 to acknowledge that under all the circum- 
 stances no other was perhaps possible, and that 
 
 126 
 
THE CONFESSION OF FAITH OBSOLETE 
 
 they are proving to be most valuable stepping- 
 stones to a higher level. I can see also the 
 great difficulty which lies in the way of any 
 sudden suppression of the Confession of Faith. 
 But admitting all this, I think that we would 
 be making a mistake in holding on too long 
 to this document as an integral and necessary 
 part of the Churches' charter. No doubt the 
 Confession is venerable by age and by many 
 sacred associations. No doubt, also, there is 
 found in it much dignity of expression and 
 even a certain grandeur in its ascriptions of 
 infinite greatness and majesty to God, but, 
 imperfect by its omissions, by its want of 
 balance and proportion, and by its actual mis- 
 statements of truth as now perceived, I regard 
 it, as a science of religion or theology, to be, 
 as obsolete as the Ptolemaic astronomy. It 
 is mechanical, harsh, remorseless. It is not a 
 faithful report of our Heavenly Father. It is 
 not a right presentment of the Gospel of our 
 Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Because of 
 this it has become so repulsive and hateful to 
 me that, if I may be allowed, I would adjure my 
 fellow laymen of all the Presbyterian Churches 
 
 to demand its abrogation. As some justifica- 
 
 127 
 
ELEVENTH & THIRTEENTH ARTICLES 
 
 tion for this warmth of language, I add as an 
 appendix a speech of the Rev. Dr. Story, the 
 Principal of Glasgow University, as reported 
 in the Glasgow Herald of the 28th May, 
 1903. Coming from such a source could any 
 indictment of the Westminster Confession be 
 stronger ? 
 
 In advocating the making of a new creed 
 I am not suggesting anything unprecedented. 
 The eight Free Churches of England have, 
 a few years ago, agreed upon a common 
 catechism which is virtually a statement of 
 their evangelical faith. The Presbyterian 
 Church of the United States of America 
 has very largely altered the Westminster 
 Confession itself, striking out clauses from 
 some chapters, adding two whole new chap- 
 ters, and altering others. Besides this, it 
 drew up in 1904 "A Brief Statement of the 
 Reformed Faith for the better understanding 
 of our Doctrinal Beliefs." 
 
 The power to make changes is not only 
 a natural right but the necessary element of 
 vitality in Churches as in other institutions. 
 There is, therefore, something wrong in 
 
 immobility, and something wrong in the 
 
 128 
 
THE CHURCHES ON THEIR TRIAL 
 
 persistent retention of outworn symbols of 
 religious belief. The Papacy, by affirming 
 infallibility, has pronounced its own doom, 
 for every healthy organism must have power 
 to expel evil matter and to absorb the good. 
 The Church of England, under the imperious 
 rule of its Prayer Book, is now fretting over 
 its impotence to remedy acknowledged griev- 
 ances, to speak of no greater, such as the 
 compulsion to read publicly the Athanasian 
 creed. The Churches of Scotland are moored 
 to the anchor of the Westminster Confession. 
 But surely the time has come when we must 
 examine anew the principles on which our 
 conception of the Church is founded, and 
 also the rules and procedure which are built 
 on that conception. For never more than 
 now the Churches are on their trial. They 
 are asked to explain why it is that they 
 have lost hold of the masses of the people. 
 If we listen to voices outside the Church 
 which have had so remarkable expression in 
 the recently published book Christianity and 
 the Working Classes, we find a unanimous 
 denial by its twelve authors, some of them 
 Labour members of Parliament, that the poor 
 i 129 
 
ELEVENTH tf THIRTEENTH ARTICLES 
 
 are irreligious, however much they have 
 become alienated from the Church. We are 
 told that they reverence Christ, but not His 
 religion as exemplified in the lives of those 
 who profess to be His followers ; — " that it 
 is ChurcMsniiy not Christianity which they 
 detest." The antagonism, which is asserted 
 to be very real, is attributed to " religious 
 exclusiveness," "religious snobbery," "want of 
 sympathy with the new aspirations and ideals 
 of the working man." Christ, they believe, 
 taught the brotherhood of man. This gospel 
 of generosity and self-sacrifice they feel is 
 little preached, but ignored, and too often 
 traversed by the practice of the ordinary 
 church-goer. If we listen to a voice from 
 within the Church, here is what Canon 
 Henson has written: " He must be blind 
 and deaf who does not see on all hands 
 evident and sinister tokens of the dislike 
 and disgust with which religious men regard 
 the Churches." And again : " Men are 
 weary of theology ; they are contemptuous 
 of systems of discipline and worship ; a 
 hundred tokens show that they are desert- 
 ing the Churches, but they never fail to 
 
 13° 
 
THE LAYMEN ARE TO BE BLAMED 
 
 welcome and yield to the influence of Christian 
 goodness." 
 
 These grave charges are not without foun- 
 dation. Many years ago my friend the late 
 Professor Alexander Balmain Bruce, the 
 eminent theologian and author, said to me 
 with reference to certain discussions in the 
 General Assembly of the Free Church, "How 
 beautiful Christianity can be in individual 
 lives, but how unlovely it sometimes is incor- 
 porated." However great be the deficiencies 
 of the Churches, however true it may be 
 that the debates and controversies within the 
 Church do not afford the highest examples 
 of courtesy, candour, and charity, I hold 
 that it is not the clergy but we the lay 
 members of the Churches who are chiefly 
 to blame for the alienation of the working 
 classes. We have been too long acting as 
 if Christianity was little more than an affair 
 of a few religious services performed in a 
 comfortable pew, with the accessories of 
 pleasant music and the mild excitement of 
 listening to an essay well read or declaimed. 
 To worship God is doubtless our duty, but 
 that worship may be worse than useless if it 
 
 131 
 
ELEVENTH fc? THIRTEENTH ARTICLES 
 
 be belied by a week-day character wanting 
 in honour, truthfulness, kindliness ; in justice, 
 mercy, and love to our neighbour, even the 
 humblest. It is only too true, as we are 
 now being told so plainly, that the church- 
 goer who is a tyrannic master, an unscrupulous 
 trader, or a selfish lover of pleasure, drives 
 his fellow-men away from the Church and 
 from all the healing influences which should 
 be found within the Church. 
 
 132 
 
FOURTEENTH ARTICLE 
 
 The Fourteenth Article, which might well be 
 excluded from a creed, is a statement of 
 the Presbyterian theory of the government 
 of the Church as distinguished from that 
 of the Roman, Greek, and Anglican Churches. 
 These Churches hold that the office of Bishop 
 is superior to that of Presbyter — that it is 
 apostolic in dignity, continuous in unbroken 
 succession, and that it is essential to the 
 validity of ordination. This claim I believe 
 is founded upon the alleged fact that the 
 three orders of Priest, Deacon, and Bishop 
 are Divine institutions, for the reason that 
 they were recognised and sanctioned by the 
 Apostles. But if apostolic approval constitutes 
 the Divine element of an institution, would 
 not also election by lot to apostolic office 
 
 i33 
 
FOURTEENTH ARTICLE 
 
 itself and the principle of community of goods, 
 be Divine? for they also had apostolic approval. 
 The truth seems to be that the leaders of the 
 early Church followed the precedents of the 
 Jewish synagogue, which were familiar to their 
 experience. Their example of doing that 
 which was expedient in the circumstances is 
 all we need to follow. The appointment of 
 a Bishop requires no other justification than 
 expediency, but neither expediency nor Chris- 
 tian humility will justify the seating him on 
 a cathedral throne. All such pomp of office 
 appertains to the antiquated conception of a 
 visible Kingdom of Christ on earth. 
 
 In full consistency with these very low 
 Church views has been the opinion I ventured 
 to urge that a great opportunity has now come 
 for making revolutionary changes in the con- 
 stitution of our Presbyterian religious societies ; 
 — -Churches, no doubt, they must in courtesy 
 continue to be called. A new creed seems 
 to me to be a necessity, if, for no other reason, 
 than to remove the scandal — to my mind the 
 very great scandal — of dishonest subscription. 
 As to changes in Church government, I wrote 
 to the Glasgow Herald on the 30th of August, 
 
 r 34 
 
CHANGES IN CHURCH GOVERNMENT 
 
 1904, as follows: — "In the three short letters 
 I sent you dated the 3rd, 6th, and 10th of 
 this month I carefully abstained from expressing 
 any opinion as to the recent decision of the 
 House of Lords and all that it involves. My 
 sole motive in writing was to urge the laymen 
 of the U.F. Church to draw good out of the 
 evil and make ' sweet the uses of adversity.' 
 In a conjuncture so acute, in circumstances 
 so momentous, our voices may be heard when 
 we demand that the Church shall provide 
 us with a new short creed, and that our 
 representation in the legislative Courts must 
 be amended. 
 
 "To this latter suggestion may I now be 
 allowed to add that much more ought to be 
 done than only to alter the method of electing 
 our delegates. The Church Courts them- 
 selves require radical change. The General 
 Assembly should be divided into two houses, 
 as in the British Parliament — one for clergy- 
 men alone, and one for laymen alone. No 
 enactment of the one house would be valid 
 without the assent of the other ; and, in 
 certain extreme cases of deadlock or other- 
 wise, the matter under consideration would 
 
 x 35 
 
FOURTEENTH ARTICLE 
 
 be submitted to the whole membership by 
 some scheme of referendum. The house of 
 laymen would naturally give its chief concern 
 to questions of finance and property ; the 
 other house to those of doctrine, worship, 
 and evangelising. 
 
 "I venture to say that the material well-being 
 of the clergy would be promoted by such a 
 change, for the reason that laymen would feel 
 more than they do at present their responsi- 
 bility to provide suitably for the maintenance 
 of those who devote their whole lives to the 
 ministry. It would relieve the clergymen 
 themselves of the odium of seeming to speak 
 with a selfish bias when they intervene in 
 financial debate. I venture to say also, that, if 
 there had been a constitution such as this, 
 twenty years ago, the catastrophe we now so 
 greatly deplore would have been averted. 
 
 " Our old Scottish Parliament or Estates 
 was virtually one house in which Lords and 
 Commons sat together. It seems to me to 
 be probable that Knox and the Reformers, 
 in framing the constitution of the Church, 
 followed the precedent of the secular Govern- 
 ment of the time. But all experience and 
 
 136 
 
CHURCH GOVERNMENT 
 
 all political philosophy points to the necessity 
 of two Houses of Parliament. I know of no 
 reason why this is not equally expedient in 
 the ecclesiastical region." 
 
 i37 
 
. ... , ; I 
 
 A LAYMAN'S THOUGHTS ON THE 
 CHURCH AND ITS MINISTRY. 
 
" There be two things, unity and uniformity." 
 " Men create oppositions which are not, and put them 
 into new terms so fixed, as whereas the meaning ought 
 to govern the term, the term in effect governs the 
 meaning." 
 
 "And if it so come to pass in that distance of 
 judgment which is between man and man, shall we not 
 think that God above, that knows the heart, doth not 
 discern that frail men, in some of their contradictions, 
 intend the same thing, and accepteth of both?" 
 
 Bacon. 
 
 140 
 
Cove, \$th December, 1897. 
 
 Dear Southwell, 
 
 Finding myself with some leisure to-day 
 
 when I am taking a holiday from business, I 
 
 shall tell you a little of my thoughts after 
 
 reading parts only, and that in a superficial 
 
 way, of the book you kindly lent me. 
 
 It happens that I have also been reading 
 
 anew the earlier volumes of Froude's History, 
 
 and can compare his and Mr. Wakeman's 
 
 presentation of the same events. The motive 
 
 of the latter seems to be to minimise the 
 
 corruptions of the Church of Rome, and to 
 
 weaken the reasons for the protests and for 
 
 the violent action of the reformers ; the motive 
 
 of the other to show the reality of these 
 
 corruptions, and to justify a revolution which 
 
 was nothing short of salvation from spiritual 
 
 domination. I know very well that while 
 
 141 
 
LETTERS ON THE CHURCH 
 
 Froude is credited with a literary style of 
 sparkling clearness, and with a dramatic power 
 of marshalling facts, his accuracy is often open 
 to question. Of this students alone are able 
 to judge, but I still can form opinions from 
 the authentic documents which he so largely 
 quotes. Mr. Wakeman, on his part, seems to 
 me to be rather slipshod in his statements and 
 extreme in his partisanship. For example, at 
 page 247 he says : "It is said that altogether 
 during the reign of Henry VIII. no less than 
 70,000 persons were put to death for offences 
 against the law." Froude, at page 411 of 
 his third volume, examines the "respectable 
 authorities," and by simply naming them and 
 repeating their statements, proves their utter 
 untrustworthiness. At page 241 of Mr. Wake- 
 man's book, the execution of Anne Boleyne 
 is spoken of as "a murder of deeper dye than 
 any other gross and foul act of tyranny of 
 which the history of England makes mention." 
 But no one, in my view, can read the full 
 account of the trial — of the names of the 
 judges (some of whom were the queen's 
 relatives) ; of the confessions of the implicated 
 adulterers (who could gain nothing by confes- 
 
 142 
 
AND ITS MINISTRY 
 
 sion) — without feeling the evidence for guilt 
 to be enormous. The punishment was extreme, 
 but there seems to have been a callousness as 
 to bloodshed in those days which is beyond 
 our comprehension. 
 
 I suppose that the general purpose of Mr. 
 Wakeman's book is to prove the historical 
 continuity and identity of the Anglican Church 
 with the Churches of Christendom, let us say, 
 in the fifth century, before the claims to 
 primacy of the Church of Rome had been 
 admitted, and when the ".apostolic " system 
 had been generally adopted. I have no desire 
 to dispute any such contention. The question 
 has no interest for me other than academic. 
 The only century I care about is the first; or, 
 in other words, I attach no authoritative value 
 to any records or precedents other than those 
 of the New Testament. My appeal is to the 
 sayings of Christ, and to what we are told in 
 the Acts and the Epistles of the original 
 constitution of the Church. Christ has said, 
 " Come unto me all ye who labour and are 
 heavy laden," "Him that cometh unto me I 
 will in no way cast out," "Call no man 
 master," " Where two or three are met together 
 
 i43 
 
LETTERS ON THE CHURCH 
 
 in my name, there am I in the midst of 
 them." Words such as these are the charter 
 of my freedom. No priest, no bishop, no 
 Presbyterian minister must intervene. In the 
 light of such language no external acts, no 
 sacraments, can be regarded as indispensable 
 for salvation, but only as the wisely appointed 
 means of helping our faith and promoting our 
 sanctification. As to the visible Church, does 
 not Christ Himself warn us to beware of false 
 prophets? Do not His apostles counsel us to 
 "try the spirits "; to "prove all things," and 
 do they not predict early departures from sound 
 doctrine and practice? In accordance with such 
 injunctions — thinking and judging for myself 
 — I repudiate the system I understand by the 
 term " apostolic " and the theories I understand 
 by the term "sacramentarian." Do not let us 
 forget this, that from all bodies of men who 
 assert for themselves special powers and privi- 
 leges we have the right to ask their credentials ; 
 and, further, that in whatever laws and rules 
 such men make for others we have always 
 strong reason to suspect self-interest. I apply 
 this to the early Church. The gradual absorp- 
 tion of its government by the clergy appears 
 
 144 
 
AND ITS MINISTRY 
 
 to me to be largely a usurpation, and it is only 
 to be expected that men in such circumstances 
 should create offices and titles, and introduce 
 new doctrines, observances, and ceremonies to 
 magnify their own importance and enhance 
 their own wealth and power. 
 
 You know my view that a bishop in the 
 modern sense is not the bishop of St. Paul's 
 time, and how I believe this to be abundantly 
 evident from the story of his sending from 
 Miletus to Ephesus, " calling to him the 
 presbyters." These men he addresses, " Take 
 heed unto yourselves, and to all the flock in 
 which the Holy Ghost has made you bishops 
 to feed the church of God." These bishops, 
 then, who presided 'over a comparatively small 
 Christian community, were fairly large in 
 number, and, doubtless, were no other than 
 ordinary citizens selected from among their 
 fellow converts on account of superior character 
 and gifts. This to me is an illustration how 
 words rule our thoughts. The word remains, 
 the thing itself has changed. If there be any 
 reality in the theory of " apostolic succession," 
 it obtains with greater force in the Scottish 
 Churches (unfortunately, in my opinion, called 
 
 . k 145 
 
LETTERS ON THE CHURCH 
 
 Presbyterian) than in the Anglican Church, 
 for they have given a wider space to the 
 office and work of the bishop — in its real 
 and primitive sense — and the ordination of 
 them continuously has never been interrupted. 
 
 In contending, as I virtually am doing, for 
 a grander and nobler conception of the Church 
 than appears to be in Mr. Wakeman's thoughts, 
 I have appealed to the words of Christ, but 
 I appeal also to fact and to personal experience. 
 Has not God (and I desire to express myself 
 with deep reverence) baptised with His Holy 
 Spirit men who are outside the so-called 
 Apostolic Churches ? Have I not known 
 men and women of the saintliest lives who 
 manifestly were members of Christ's mystical 
 body although members of Churches whose 
 sacraments are not allowed to be valid ; and 
 do I not know by the intuitions of my own 
 soul that no human agent and no rite is 
 necessary to absolution from sin and to the 
 sense of its forgiveness ? 
 
 I speak, my dear Southwell, with some 
 warmth, for I detest all priestly pretensions — 
 the "lording it over Christ's heritage." I 
 regard with profound regret and with some 
 
 146 
 
AND ITS MINISTRY 
 
 scorn the exclusive, and, to my way of thinking, 
 the schismatic spirit of the extreme Anglican 
 party, and I view with distress the yearning 
 of so many of its members towards the Roman 
 Church and towards some of its false and 
 degrading practices. Surely all this is incon- 
 sistent with the manhood of Englishmen, and 
 with the adjuration that we " stand fast in 
 the liberty wherewith Christ has made us 
 free." — Believe me, with kindest regards, yours 
 always, affectionately, 
 
 J. S. TEMPLETON. 
 
 T. Martin Southwell, Esq., 
 Carpet Manufacturer, 
 
 Bridgnorth, Shropshire. 
 
 147 
 
LETTERS ON THE CHURCH 
 
 R.M.S. "China" at Sea, 
 6th January \ 1898. 
 
 My dear Southwell, 
 
 Let me say, in the first place, that I 
 am glad that you give me credit for some 
 breadth of view, because I really feared that 
 I was not making sufficient allowance for the 
 mental habit and attitude of others. The 
 whole question of what is the Church, and 
 what are its functions, is confessedly most 
 difficult. So much has been written and 
 spoken that it seems almost presumptuous 
 for laymen to express any opinion at all. 
 Nevertheless we cannot divest ourselves of 
 responsibility, and therefore it is not altogether 
 arrogance to differ from reputed authority. 
 Here, then, are some of the questions I 
 
 ask myself: "What meaning are we to attach* 
 
 . 148 
 
AND ITS MINISTRY 
 
 to Christ saying that His Kingdom was not 
 of this world — that the Kingdom cometh not 
 with observation, but is within you ? " And 
 of St. Paul's defining the Kingdom of God 
 being ''righteousness, peace, and joy in the 
 Holy Ghost?" Would not sayings such as 
 these mean that this Kingdom — this Church — 
 is subjective, not objective ? Again I ask, is 
 unity of belief, except in a few essential 
 doctrines, a possible thing ? Men must always 
 differ, and it is even strange that we are 
 only now beginning to see that opinion cannot 
 be compelled. The Preamble to the Thirty- 
 nine Articles of your Prayer Book is a curious 
 illustration that, three and a half centuries 
 ago, it was ^ assumed that opinion could be 
 compelled. Should considerations such as 
 these not lead us to doubt whether we may 
 not be pursuing a phantom, when we expect 
 that all Christians — all those I mean who 
 love and seek to obey Christ in sincerity and 
 truth — must necessarily be parts of one com- 
 plete concrete organism ? May not the true 
 unity which we are required to promote be 
 something different from this ? May not that 
 unity, so far as it has visible expression, be 
 
 149 
 
LETTERS ON THE CHURCH 
 
 a unity analogous to that of an army of which 
 the component parts, while differing in their 
 kinds of service, and while even mutually 
 jealous, are agreed in devotion to one leader 
 and in the desire to succeed in one general 
 purpose ? But even such a theory of unity 
 points to the mental motives — (the subjective) 
 — being the essential element : to the outward 
 organisation — (the objective) — the accidental. 
 I am inclined to think that such a view of 
 unity is the only real, the only possible 
 Catholicity. As a practical principle of my 
 own life it has been growing much of late 
 years. Accepting the fact of necessary external 
 divisions, attaching little importance to the 
 dogmas — in almost no case essential to salva- 
 tion — which are the grounds of difference 
 among Christian denominations, I could be- 
 come a member of any, and to all feel 
 sympathy and the willingness to help with 
 my means. 
 
 Following up the line of thought which 
 makes religion mainly subjective, let me tell 
 you of my surprise in reading the life of 
 Cardinal Manning — how, paying a visit to 
 Cologne Cathedral, he writes enthusiastically 
 
 !5° 
 
AND ITS MINISTRY 
 
 of the advantages of Roman Catholic worship 
 over that of the Anglican Church of which 
 he was still a member, from its being so 
 much more ''objective." He was referring 
 to the adoration of relics and the like. But 
 surely, if the second commandment of the 
 Decalogue means anything, it is the primitive 
 assertion that religion is subjective. And so 
 in the New Testament. How remarkable and 
 how significant is the silence of our Lord and 
 His Apostles as to the performance of any 
 external acts. The little that is said rather 
 suggests their nullity. "When ye pray enter 
 into your closet." When a model prayer 
 is taught, it is brief almost to baldness. He 
 institutes indeed the sacrament of the Lord's 
 Supper, but the very simplicity of the rite 
 seems to sustain my contention. All St. 
 Paul's epistles appear to my general impres- 
 sions to be saturated with the idea that 
 the believer in Christ is raised above all 
 ordinances, all observances. No days, no 
 places, no persons have for him any special 
 sanctity. So with the other Apostles. St. 
 James identifies true religion with the common 
 charities of life, and St. John insists upon 
 
 151 
 
LETTERS ON THE CHURCH 
 
 love to God and man being its sum and 
 substance. 
 
 To return for a moment to the subject of 
 unity, was not Christ showing us an example 
 of toleration when, on hearing complaints that 
 other men, not His followers, were casting out 
 devils in His name, He said, " Forbid them 
 not." Surely these others were, in some 
 sense, another Church not then incorporated 
 with His own. 
 
 The position I have been trying to reach, 
 if I have reached it, would prepare the way 
 for my making reference to your remark as 
 to " the awful unreality of much of our public 
 worship." But are we not burdening that 
 worship with a necessity to be very real ? If 
 Christ tells us to pray to our Father in 
 secret, then does it not follow that public 
 worship must largely be less real ? And, in 
 fact, that is how I have come to regard that 
 and all social worship. It has become to me 
 very much an official act ; one in which I 
 take part freely and gladly as done in my 
 capacity as a member of a community and 
 a member of a family. To multiply and 
 elaborate Church services, or to think of 
 
 l S 2 
 
AND ITS MINISTRY 
 
 them but as different and subsidiary to 
 private devotion must therefore, if I am right, 
 have in it an element of serious danger. In 
 respect to them I could exclaim with St. 
 Paul, "Are ye so foolish, having begun in 
 the Spirit are ye now to be perfected in the 
 flesh ? " 
 
 Believe me, always, yours most sincerely, 
 
 J. S. TEMPLETON. 
 
 '53 
 
LETTERS ON THE CHURCH 
 
 Cove, Dumbartonshire; 
 i st January ) 1899. 
 
 My dear Southwell, 
 
 In writing you a few days ago I said 
 that I would postpone all reference to the 
 Duke of Argyll's letter which you kindly 
 sent me. If I attempt to refer to it now, I 
 fear that I cannot express myself within the 
 bounds of ordinary correspondence. How- 
 ever, it will do me good to define to myself 
 the opinions I hold, and it may at least 
 interest you to watch the process, even 
 although it may not carry with it your 
 assent. 
 
 I have always understood that the state- 
 ments on the subject of the Eucharist in 
 the Presbyterian Confession of Faith and the 
 Thirty-nine Articles of the Church of England 
 were in substantial agreement. The term 
 
 i54 
 
AND ITS MINISTRY 
 
 you use, " Consubstantiation," would, I think, 
 be refused by the Duke as being indefinite 
 and unphilosophical. With every word he 
 says as to turning a simple ordinance 
 intended to be a common bond of union 
 into the battlefield of sectarian strife, I 
 agree with all my heart. 
 
 A short time since I had occasion to state 
 my own views of the Lords Supper, and I 
 did so in language I shall now try to repeat. 
 " Why can't we see," I said, " that Christ 
 used metaphors as a poet would, and such 
 as were intelligible and in accord with the 
 mental habits of an Oriental people ? He 
 has said ' I am the Vine,' ' I am the Door.' 
 On one occasion (Matthew xvi., vv. 5 to 12) 
 He upbraids His disciples for their slowness 
 to see that He was speaking figuratively. 
 1 How is it,' He says, 'that ye do not 
 perceive that I speak not to you concerning 
 bread ' (literal bread). Surely, therefore, we 
 may regard Christ's words at the institution 
 of the commemorative rite as intended to 
 convey a spiritual conception. To attach a 
 literal meaning to them is a pure misappre- 
 hension of the contemporary modes of speech 
 
 i55 
 
LETTERS ON THE CHURCH 
 
 no less than gross materialism." I went on 
 to say, " Have you ever paused to think 
 what a marvellous thing growth is ? Man 
 can construct. To work in any way corre- 
 sponding to growth in vegetable or animal 
 life is utterly beyond his power. Growth 
 is Divine — the visible expression of the 
 immanent Creator. The thought involved in 
 Christ's language evidently is this, that inas- 
 much as the life and the growth of our 
 material bodies are nourished by bread and 
 wine, so does that of our souls depend upon 
 Him. The Kingdom of God is as seed 
 which springs up and grows, ' he knoweth 
 not how' (Mark iv. 26). On our part we 
 announce our faith by an act of loving 
 remembrance ; He, on His part, promises 
 that our souls shall be sustained and grow 
 in grace just as our bodies are sustained 
 and grow by the use of food. The bread 
 and wine are the outward signs of a real 
 transaction. To suggest anything mysterious 
 in the outward signs — something changed or 
 superadded — can in no degree enhance the 
 solemnity of the spiritual fact." 
 
 But many questions surround Eucharistic 
 156 
 
AND ITS MINISTRY 
 
 doctrine beyond the meaning of the rite. To 
 whom is it to be administered, and by 
 whom ? What makes it valid and what 
 invalid ? Questions such as these carry you 
 inevitably back to the fundamental consider- 
 ation, What is the Church, has it divinely 
 appointed laws, and has it divinely accredited 
 ministers ? 
 
 The Duke of Argyll in a letter to the 
 Times, written previously to that you sent 
 me, avows himself to be a High Churchman, 
 by which he says he means that he holds 
 the highest possible estimate of the origin, 
 of the nature, and of the rights of the 
 Church of Christ as a visible society on 
 earth. The statements of the authoritative 
 documents of the Presbyterian Church clearly 
 sustain this view, and, in the assertion of 
 its independent jurisdiction, even go beyond 
 those of the Church of England. If, there- 
 fore, I express doubts as to the generally 
 accepted dogmas on the subject, I am daring 
 to differ from my own Church as much as 
 from yours. 
 
 But I say, why should we be bound by 
 the creeds of two and a half centuries ago? 
 
 i57 
 
LETTERS ON THE CHURCH 
 
 Is there not a strong presumption that the 
 Reformers were incapable of freeing them- 
 selves altogether from influences inherited 
 from the Church of Rome ? As a matter of 
 fact, we plainly see that they did err. Many 
 of the articles of bur Confession, such, for 
 instance, as the duty of the civil magistrate 
 to enforce ecclesiastical penalties, are now 
 repudiated. Why should I accept as authori- 
 tative the opinions of men who, some three 
 years after the promulgation of the Confes- 
 sion (about 1648), passed an edict in the 
 English Parliament that "any man who 
 denied the doctrine of the Trinity, or of 
 the divinity of Christ," etc., " shall suffer 
 the pain of death ? " Therefore, it seems to 
 me no presumption to think it possible that 
 the theories of that age as to the visible 
 Church may be misconceptions, and, in their 
 effect, mischievous. 
 
 A visible Church there must be, as there has 
 always been, but it is equally true that there 
 is a Church invisible, for "as many as are led 
 by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of 
 God"; a category which includes some of those 
 who are outside the visible Church as certainly 
 
 158 
 
AND ITS MINISTRY 
 
 as the visible Church includes some of those 
 who are not led by the Spirit of God. What 
 I ask myself then is this : Have not men, ever 
 since Apostolic times, been thinking too much 
 of the Church in the sense of a concrete organ- 
 isation, and too little of it in the higher sense 
 of the unseen and incalculable number of true 
 believers? Should the outward things which 
 give the visible Church its form and pressure 
 not be regarded as accidental rather than as 
 essential, not as primary but as secondary, not 
 as permanent but as variable and transitory ? 
 If we turn to the Gospels we find that Christ 
 Himself distinctly affirms that " His Kingdom 
 is not of this world" . . . ''that it comes not 
 with observation (or outward show) but is 
 within us." He tells His disciples that autho- 
 rity " among them shall not be such dominion 
 or authority as the Gentiles exercise." He 
 speaks of all "those who hear His voice as 
 becoming one flock " (not one fold, as wrongly 
 translated) "of which He is the one Shepherd," 
 and of " those who do the will of God as being 
 His mother and brethren." He intimates His 
 purpose to build a Church of which St. Peter, 
 because of his confession of the Messiahship 
 
 i59 
 
LETTERS ON THE CHURCH 
 
 of His Master, should be the rock-stone. The 
 confession clearly is the essential qualification 
 — that only which makes every man a stone 
 in the edifice which Christ then saw with 
 joyous anticipation was begun to be laid in 
 that first discovery and acknowledgment of 
 His Messiahship. As this qualification is 
 spiritual and unseen there can be no inference 
 that He had in His thought or intended to 
 suggest a superstructure which would be im- 
 pressive by its external manifestation. It may 
 be contended that the appointment by Christ 
 of His twelve disciples indicates a rudimentary 
 plan for the government of the visible Church. 
 That certainly is not what we are told was the 
 purpose of the appointment. The purpose is 
 distinctly said to be that they should be trained 
 by Christ Himself in the knowledge of the 
 principles of His kingdom, that they should be 
 Apostles or ' envoys ' in the dissemination of 
 these principles, and finally, that they should 
 be witnesses to the facts of His life, death, and 
 resurrection. I know of no words attributed 
 to Christ which can be received as evidence 
 to prove that He gave any commission to the 
 
 Apostles to appoint successors ; I fail to find 
 
 160 
 
W RSITY 
 [STftF 
 
 it in the often-quoted passa^elr^wnere the 
 disciples are charged " to go into all the world 
 and preach the Gospel to the whole creation," 
 and in that in which He is said to have 
 " breathed upon them saying, whose sins ye 
 remit they are remitted, and whose sins ye 
 retain they are retained." These seem to me 
 not to imply any instruction to perpetuate the 
 office of Apostle, but only to express the 
 obligation of all believers to spread the Gospel, 
 and the promise to sustain the judgment of 
 Christian societies in the exercise of just and 
 salutary discipline. 
 
 When, in the " Acts of the Apostles" and 
 the Epistles, we come to examine the develop- 
 ment of rule and subordination in the primitive 
 Church, the prevailing note seems to be 
 simplicity of administration. The general body 
 of disciples, or, as we would say, the laity, are 
 constantly recognised. They are the " saints," 
 "the faithful brethren," " elect," " living stones 
 built up a living house," u a holy priesthood 
 to offer up spiritual sacrifices." The seven 
 deacons were chosen by " the whole multi- 
 tude." The election of Matthias was by " the 
 brethren." As to officers over this "multitude 
 l 161 
 
LETTERS ON THE CHURCH 
 
 of disciples," St. Paul once, and only once, in 
 all his epistles to the various churches, includes 
 with " the saints at Philippi " " the bishops and 
 deacons." These seem to be the only officers 
 intrusted with permanent rule — the former, the 
 presbyters, that is, elders, being alternatively 
 called bishops, that is overseers. If we can 
 divest our minds of the associations of language 
 it becomes evident that there was no such thing 
 in the New Testament Church as bishops in 
 its present diocesan or president sense, and 
 that the Apostles, as again the name implies, 
 were so called as being heralds or envoys — St. 
 Paul himself to all the Gentile churches, Titus 
 to Crete, and as our own missionaries of to-day 
 are to the heathen. 
 
 St. Paul, indeed, speaks of " God having 
 set in the Church apostles, prophets, teachers, 
 miracles," etc., and the enumeration is given 
 in connection with the exhortation to the con- 
 verts "to keep the unity of the Spirit in the 
 bond of peace." He founds his arguments on 
 the analogy of the unity of the human body 
 through the mutual and necessary subserviency 
 of all its separate parts, on that of the close 
 
 relationship of husband and wife, and on that 
 
 162 
 
AND ITS MINISTRY 
 
 of the consolidation of a temple built with 
 individual stones. The unity St. Paul de- 
 siderates is clearly a spiritual unity, not that of 
 external incorporation. When his arguments 
 are looked at broadly, it is, I think, apparent 
 that the enumeration (and the enumeration is 
 varied in the repetition) is used to illustrate 
 the variety of service needful in all Christian 
 societies, rather than to specify formal offices 
 in them. Further, it is not to be forgotten 
 that if the one body spoken of be the visible 
 Church, Christ cannot be the Head of a body 
 in that sense of the term, for some of its 
 members are corrupt. Similarly, He cannot be 
 "the husband to whom the Church as a chaste 
 virgin is espoused " ; and again the visible 
 Church, strictly as such, cannot be the " Holy 
 Temple in the Lord in whom true believers 
 are builded together for the habitation of God 
 in the Spirit." 
 
 The sum of all my impressions of the 
 teaching of Scripture, and particularly from 
 the words of our Saviour Himself, is that His 
 Kingdom is ethical, universal, independent of 
 time, place, or polity. So far as the Kingdom 
 has officers, their eminence is derived from 
 
 163 
 
LETTERS ON THE CHURCH 
 
 spiritual qualities. Christ Himself is always 
 felt to be " a man, and never the ecclesiastic. 
 Of sacerdotal function we hear no claim, and 
 the whole spirit of it is repudiated by St. Paul 
 as appertaining to the ordinances of Judaism 
 which are for ever abrogated. How clearly 
 this is announced is shown in his assertion, 
 iterated three times with curious variation, 
 " Circumcision and uncircumcision availeth 
 nothing, but the keeping of the command- 
 ments " : " circumcision and uncircumcision 
 availeth nothing, but a new creature"; " cir- 
 cumcision and uncircumcision availeth nothing, 
 but faith which worketh by love." Surely it is 
 a more noble, a more transcendental, a more 
 original, and therefore a more Divine concep- 
 tion to regard the domain of Christ's reign to 
 be the hearts and consciences of individual 
 men, rather than in a Church conspicuous 
 among human institutions by reason of the 
 completeness of its organisation, the splendour 
 of its rites, and the dignity and power of its 
 officials. Such a conception seems at least 
 more consistent with the character of Him 
 who, meek and lowly in heart, came not to 
 be ministered unto, but to minister. 
 
 164 
 
AND ITS MINISTRY 
 
 When, under the guidance of such thoughts 
 I return to the consideration of what constitutes 
 the validity of the observance of the Lord's 
 Supper, I take a view which you will think 
 extreme and even violent. This may appear 
 the more surprising when I say that I do so 
 after reading Bishop Lightfoot's Dissertation 
 on the Christian Ministry, Dr. Fenton Hort's 
 Christian Ecclesia, and Canon Gore on The 
 Church and the Ministry. My view then is, 
 that nothing is needed to give validity to the 
 sacrament but the common action of true 
 believers. We are not told that the presence 
 of any office-bearer is necessary, and I do not 
 see that, in the nature of things, it should be 
 necessary. Undoubtedly it is incumbent upon 
 all Christians to " do all things in decency and 
 order." For that reason it is most expedient 
 that some one should preside as Christ Himself 
 presided, and that this president be one of 
 the overseers, pastors, or teachers of the local 
 Church. But his presence is not a necessity, 
 and his right to preside is, from my point of 
 view, in no way dependent on ordination to 
 office by a bishop in the modern or diocesan 
 sense of the word. The desirability and 
 
 165 
 
LETTERS ON THE CHURCH 
 
 advantage of some ordination I admit, but 
 an ordination derived from, as its ultimate 
 source, the consent of the Ecclesia — the 
 assembly or congregation of Christian people. 
 To me the truth seems to be that Church 
 government is very largely a matter of ex- 
 pediency. We are Christ's freemen, and as 
 such, I believe that we are very much left to 
 rule our religious societies according to time, 
 place, and circumstance. 
 
 Of the three standard books of which I 
 have made mention, let me say a very few 
 words. Bishop Lightfoot is able to prove 
 indisputably that very early the Episcopate 
 became the ruling function in the Church. 
 He labours to prove, but, in my opinion, he 
 labours ineffectually to prove, that the change 
 involved was prevalent in Asia Minor in the 
 days of St. John, and received his sanction. 
 On* this presumption, and it is no more than 
 a presumption, he founds the claim that the 
 diocesan or president bishop, no less than the 
 presbyter bishop and the deacon, is a Divine 
 institution. Canon Gore's treatise I dismiss 
 with the remark that his hypothesis is sub- 
 verted by a reductio ad absurdum, — that it 
 
 166 
 
AND ITS MINISTRY 
 
 contradicts the facts and experience of Christian 
 life. Dr. Hort's views appeal more to my 
 reasonable assent, and are expressed with an 
 evidently sincere desire to reach the truth and 
 a scrupulous avoidance of rhetorical treatment 
 which I cannot but greatly admire. 
 
 One effect of the opinions I have been 
 endeavouring to express has been to make 
 me think and feel tolerantly towards all those 
 who call themselves Christians. On one occa- 
 sion during my travels abroad I was for more 
 than a week the companion of a Spanish 
 Roman Catholic gentleman, who impressed me 
 as being truly earnest and sincere. He spoke 
 to me of the unwisdom of urging children to 
 partake of the communion until they could do 
 so with the spontaneity of conviction, and how 
 he sought to be the confessor for the members 
 of his family, an old and devout priest. In 
 like circumstances I had long talks with an 
 Irish Roman Catholic bishop. Evidently he 
 regarded me with charitable comprehension, 
 for he said that, as my baptism, though 
 administered by a layman (as he held a 
 Presbyterian clergyman to be), was valid in 
 my case and under the conditions of my 
 
 167 
 
LETTERS ON THE CHURCH 
 
 invincible ignorance, I really was, although 
 I did not know it, a member of the Catholic 
 Church. 
 
 Thus also I have never felt objections to 
 Episcopacy so far as its methods are wise and 
 good, as, to a large extent, I believe them to 
 be. But you need no assurance from me that 
 this letter is not written in an unfriendly spirit 
 to the Church of England. Rather my earnest 
 wish and prayer is that she will be preserved, 
 especially in this crisis of her history, from all 
 error and superstition, and that, as she has 
 been great and illustrious in the past, she may 
 be still greater in the future by fruitful service 
 to her Heavenly Master. — Believe me, dear 
 Southwell, Always yours very truly, 
 
 J. S. TEMPLETON. 
 
 168 
 
AND ITS MINISTRY 
 
 Knockderry Castle, 
 
 Cove, 2$th March, 1899. 
 
 My dear Southwell, 
 
 In acknowledging briefly your gift to me 
 of the book Why we are Churchmen I said 
 that, after having read the first eighty pages, 
 I thought it admirable, and that, if I wrote to 
 you further, it would be in no controversial 
 spirit and only with the desire to reach closer 
 to the mind of Christ. 
 
 The complete perusal of the book not only 
 confirms but enhances my first impressions. 
 Your friend, Prebendary Oldham, writes 
 clearly, simply, and temperately — with great 
 condensation of thought and sense of propor- 
 tion. He says so much that commands hearty 
 approval, and presents so attractive a vision of 
 an ideal church — stately and orderly, venerable 
 
 by age and associations, — as to excite the wish 
 
 169 
 
LETTERS ON THE CHURCH 
 
 that, all our ecclesiastical differences being 
 healed, we might within its borders find shelter, 
 rest, and peace. 
 
 But while I feel much genuine sympathy 
 with many of the views, and with the spirit 
 in which they are expressed, I fear that trans- 
 cendental claims, such as I understand the 
 High Church party to hold, will always present 
 obstacles to conciliation and comprehension. 
 
 These underlying principles may be regarded 
 from many points of view. This is one. It is 
 fair and logical to follow the methods of scien- 
 tific research. According to these methods 
 truth is sought by the examination of facts, 
 and the rejection of every hypothesis which 
 cannot be adjusted to them. In the sphere 
 of religion, no less than in that of external 
 nature, we are confronted with phenomena 
 which demand explanation and reference to 
 some law. For my present purpose it is 
 enough that I mention two kinds. Every 
 Christian society, by whatever name it be 
 called, affords evidence of the influence of 
 the Spirit of God. Even denominations so 
 extreme and irregular as the Salvation Army 
 and the Quakers — all, in fact, who proclaim 
 
 170 
 
AND ITS MINISTRY 
 
 Christ and Him crucified — are seen to be 
 channels of grace by which men are converted 
 from sin to holiness. Not only has no Church 
 a monopoly of Divine grace, but no single 
 Church can be said to have it in any very 
 marked degree or with any unvarying con- 
 stancy more than another. Further, this may 
 be said of individual men. The missionaries 
 to the heathen of one Church, however high be 
 its pretensions, have no greater success than 
 those of Churches who make no pretensions. 
 But more than this, men who have no formal 
 commission or ordination have proved them- 
 selves endowed as evangelists with power so 
 singular as can only be attributable to Divine 
 help and approval. Remarkable examples 
 have occurred within the range of my personal 
 knowledge. Of these I shall refer only to that 
 of my friend Henry Drummond, of whom, says 
 his biographer, " it may be affirmed with all 
 sobriety that his influence was like nothing so 
 much as the influence of one of the greater 
 mediaeval saints." 
 
 Another kind of fact is the real disunion 
 within Churches visibly united ; a disunion 
 not always in matters trivial and unessential. 
 
 171 
 
LETTERS ON THE CHURCH 
 
 A recent writer in the Contemporary speaks 
 of " the great difference which makes an 
 absolute division between the two parties in 
 the Church of England," and even in the 
 Church of Rome, underneath a nominal accept- 
 ance of infallible authority, there are said to 
 be divergencies of opinion which might be 
 regarded as vital. Divergencies, indeed, such 
 as violate the high ideal of unity commended 
 to us in the Gospels, exist in all the Churches. 
 As to the three great so-called Apostolic 
 Churches, whatever may be said (and Pre- 
 bendary Oldham has said it better than Mr. 
 Wakeman) as to the continuity of the Anglican 
 Church, the fact remains that it is a separate 
 entity relatively to the Greek and Roman 
 Churches, and disunited from them in respect 
 to matters of dogma and government which 
 are irreconcilable and insuperable. 
 
 Let me say briefly that it does not seem to 
 me possible that extreme High Church theory 
 can coincide with these phenomena. And if 
 they do not, does it not follow that any Church 
 or Churches which, on the ground of untenable 
 theory, believe themselves to be the favourites 
 
 of Heaven and the possessors of exclusive 
 
 172 
 
AND ITS MINISTRY 
 
 privileges, transgress the law of charity, and 
 suffer by provoking alienation or revolt ? 
 Have not Churches yet to learn the universality 
 of Divine benignance as St. Peter did in the 
 case of Cornelius, when the force of a revela- 
 tion led him to exclaim : " Can any man forbid 
 the water, that these should not be baptised 
 which have received the Holy Ghost as well 
 as we t 
 
 There is still another point of view from 
 which to regard High Church principles. It is 
 surely a reasonable proposition to maintain that 
 in the degree in which claims are made upon 
 our reverence and submission, in that degree 
 we are entitled to ask clearness and cogency 
 of proof. The theory of Apostolic succession 
 seems to me to fail from want of such proof. 
 We* have no " express statement" of it, says 
 Bishop Lightfoot as quoted by Prebendary 
 Oldham. " In Scripture," says the Prebendary 
 himself, "are to be found allusions," etc. (page 
 122). Those to the commission to Timothy 
 and Titus are the strongest, as affording a 
 presumption that these two men were early 
 ordained officers of a new and distinct order. 
 But is this inference certain ? It seems a 
 
 173 
 
LETTERS ON THE CHURCH 
 
 natural arrangement that special men should 
 be sent to settle matters of doctrine and 
 polity in the special circumstances of the new 
 communities at Ephesus and Crete. Such a 
 commission might be only temporary, as in the 
 case of an English missionary settling the 
 similar affairs of converts in China or India. 
 The alternative contention, that the office of 
 Timothy and Titus was permanent in respect 
 to authority and superior to the Presbyter- 
 bishop in respect to rank, is certainly very 
 arguable. This, however, is my point : Is 
 the proof of it commensurate to the claim to be 
 a Divine institution, and to be a foundation on 
 which to build so vast a superstructure as that 
 of sacramentarianism and sacerdotalism ? 
 
 Again, the commission given to every 
 clergyman at his ordination to absolve from 
 sin or to retain it is surely so awful a responsi- 
 bility — perilous to the man himself and perilous 
 to the people put under his charge— that it 
 requires certification beyond dispute. But the 
 interpretation of Scripture upon which it relies 
 is disputed and is most disputable. Here 
 again the conditions of my second proposition 
 can hardly be said to be fulfilled. 
 
 i74 
 
AND ITS MINISTRY 
 
 Considerations such as these lead us to the 
 question, to which Prebendary Oldham refers 
 in his sixth chapter, as to the right or wrong of 
 dissent. The unity in His Church for which 
 Christ prayed is, as the Prebendary says, an 
 absolute unity. So also, let me add, is the 
 righteousness He demands absolute — "that we 
 be perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect." 
 These are goals indeed towards which we must 
 run, but are we not too impatient of the length 
 of the course ? I sometimes think that, when 
 the slow progress of Christianity is scouted 
 as the sign of failure, the slowness is only 
 analogous to God's acts of creation. Science 
 has taught us that geological changes and 
 organic developments are immeasurably slow. 
 Does it not therefore appear a correspondent 
 truth that unity in religion can only be 
 ultimately attained by a passage through long 
 and arduous conflicts such as are even foretold 
 by Christ Himself when He said that "He 
 came not to bring peace, but a sword." 
 
 But slowness of advance does not lessen 
 our obligation to hasten every movement 
 towards unity, and will not that best be done 
 by removing every impediment to mutual 
 
 *75 
 
LETTERS ON THE CHURCH 
 
 approach ? This obligation certainly condemns 
 every unnecessary schism. Is schism and dis- 
 sent, then, ever justifiable ? I certainly think it 
 is in many cases not only justifiable but praise- 
 worthy. Take such instances as have arisen 
 in Scotland, with which I am most conversant, 
 and where, among Presbyterian Churches, 
 there has always been substantial identity of 
 doctrine. In the Established Church the 
 legal rights of patrons had often been 
 abused. Ministers who were notoriously care- 
 less and immoral were intruded upon country 
 parishes. The people, finding no means of 
 redress, sought for themselves pastors whom 
 they believed to be faithful and earnest. 
 Many little secessions of this kind led to 
 the formation of separate dissenting Churches 
 united on the common ground of resistance 
 to tyranny. The great disruption in 1843, 
 when nearly five hundred clergymen threw 
 up their offices and emoluments, had its 
 origin in similar trouble arising out of 
 patronage, ultimately involving the larger 
 question of spiritual independence. Were 
 these men, then,^ schismatics ? They indeed 
 
 separated themselves from an organised body 
 
 176 
 
AND ITS MINISTRY 
 
 called the Church of Scotland, but they did 
 not separate themselves from Christ Himself. 
 That Christ did not separate Himself from 
 them is made indubitably evident in the 
 fruits of their righteous and holy lives. 
 Looking at these events dispassionately I 
 can see elements of evil, but the general 
 issue has been good. God can "make even 
 the wrath of man to praise Him," and 
 certainly the building and equipment of, I 
 suppose, a thousand new churches was a 
 deed which could only be achieved at a 
 time when the convictions of men were 
 strong and their feelings deeply stirred. It 
 is curious that while there has been in 
 Scotland centrifugal forces at work, there 
 has always been others which are centripetal. 
 A chart has been shown me, drawn as of 
 a river, where one branch after another of 
 the Churches flows into a main branch : half 
 a dozen at least to form the United Presby- 
 terian Church, one or two the Free Church, 
 and now these two have agreed upon terms 
 of union which will be speedily consummated. 
 But the same tendency is observable among 
 English nonconformists. Have you seen their 
 m 177 
 
LETTERS ON THE CHURCH 
 
 recently published common catechism, which 
 proves an identity of doctrine as marvellous 
 as it is unexpected? Agitation, antagonism, 
 competition may be evils, but are they less 
 so than apathy and stagnation ? And is it 
 not possible that the divisions we deprecate 
 may secure freedom of criticism and protection 
 against false assumptions of authority ? As 
 all Church members grow in personal devo- 
 tion to Christ they will recognise its existence 
 in each other, and the great reality of the 
 Church invisible will assert itself against the 
 barriers of visible organisations. 
 
 It is not a little remarkable that, when 
 St. Paul is discussing- with his converts at 
 Corinth the administration of their Church, 
 he abruptly turns, as from a subject dis- 
 tasteful or unworthy, to burst out in his 
 magnificent eulogy of love, " and a still more 
 excellent way show I unto you," he exclaims. 
 " If I speak with the tongues of men and 
 of angels, but have not love, I am become 
 sounding brass or a clanging cymbal." In 
 my own case, in which I suppose the intel- 
 lectual to predominate over the spiritual, I 
 do feel the need of being reminded that, " if 
 
 178 
 
AND ITS MINISTRY 
 
 I had the gift of prophecy and knew all 
 mysteries," — had every dogma of faith fixed 
 with scientific precision — " but had not love, 
 I am nothing." Here, then, we have the 
 supreme rule not only for our conduct, but 
 for our thoughts of each other and of each 
 other's creeds and Churches. Here also we 
 have the warrant, ''hoping all things, believing 
 all things," to anticipate visible union even on 
 earth. 
 
 In reviewing what I have now written, I 
 see that I have been controversial in spite 
 of myself. I seem to be giving reasons 
 why I am not a Churchman. But I am a 
 Churchman, and my assertion suggests how 
 unwise may be the appropriation of a term 
 common to all, and how the arrogation of it 
 may retard the very unity we all desire. — 
 Believe me, yours always, most sincerely, 
 
 J. S. TEMPLETON. 
 
 179 
 
APPENDIX A. 
 
 SPEECH BY REV. PRINCIPAL STORY, D.D., 
 
 ON THE "CONFESSION OF FAITH," 
 
 27TH May, 1903* 
 
 Principal Story moved the following motion : 
 
 " In requiring subscription to the formula legalised by 
 Act of the Scots Parliament, 1693, the General Assembly 
 does now expressly declare that the Confession of Faith 
 is to be regarded not as an infallible creed imposed on 
 the consciences of men, but as a system of doctrine 
 valid only in so far as it accords with Holy Scripture, 
 interpreted under the guidance of the Holy Spirit." 
 
 He said this overture was again before them 
 on the same subject, though it did not 
 appear exactly in the same terms. But its 
 reappearance in any shape was only a 
 renewed indication of what must have struck 
 anyone knowing the history of the Church, 
 
 * As reported in the Glasgow Herald. 
 181 
 
DR. STORY'S SPEECH ON 
 
 the movements of opinion in the Church for 
 some years indicating a steady and growing 
 dissatisfaction with the formula, which required 
 of every entrant to the ministry an unqualified 
 adherence to the Confession of Faith. Why 
 should it be felt a burden on the intelligence 
 and conscience of those who were called to 
 sign the Confession as the confession of their 
 own faith, which the formula required. Look- 
 ing into the document, there were things 
 which seemed to justify this feeling. It 
 gave a wholly unsatisfactory account of the 
 creation of the world and of man — man 
 as the highest type of creation, created for 
 the glory of God. That, in the light of 
 what the Confession afterwards said, was 
 inconsistent and contradictory, for the Con- 
 fession subsequently said that God derived 
 no glory from man, that man was defiled in 
 all parts and faculties of his nature, and 
 was incapable of rendering any glory to 
 God. The Confession also taught us the 
 doctrine, not only of the supreme power, 
 but of the absolute foreknowledge of God. 
 The doctrine was incomprehensible and con- 
 tradictory, and it filled the minds, especially 
 
 182 
 
THE CONFESSION OF FAITH 
 
 of the young, with false ideas of the divine 
 motive in the creation. Looking through the 
 Confession they came upon a theory of human 
 nature, human corruption, which virtually 
 exhibited the creation as a failure and repre- 
 sented any good that might be wrought out 
 in man as not the result of any effort or 
 desire on the part of man himself, but as 
 mere mechanical results of superhuman power 
 exercised upon them. The will of God was 
 represented by the Confession of Faith as 
 simply an arbitrary will, not actuated by 
 moral ideas, but centring in itself, seeking 
 its own ends — a will which held all men to 
 lie under the sentence of death for their 
 sins, resolved to save some from that sen- 
 tence of death " to the praise," as the 
 Confession put it, " to the praise of God's 
 glorious grace," and then was represented 
 as damning others " to the praise of His 
 glorious justice " ; though where the justice 
 came in was hard to understand, seeing that 
 the Confession had taught them that God, 
 in the case of those who were condemned to 
 everlasting torment, had withheld from them 
 the means of grace. Was that in any sense 
 
 183 
 
DR. STORY'S SPEECH ON 
 
 whatever a moral idea ? The whole idea of 
 the covenant theology was the theology of 
 the sixteenth and seventeenth century ; it was 
 legal, not moral. The axis upon which the 
 system revolved was election. The Father- 
 hood of God was ignored, the Fatherly love 
 was never spoken of; it might not exist for 
 all that was found in the theological system 
 of the Confession of Faith. The idea of 
 arbitrary election permeated it from beginning 
 to end ; even the perseverance of the saints 
 depended on the immutable decree of God. 
 Could there be a doctrine more fruitful of 
 self-confidence, self-satisfaction, more relaxing 
 to the noble moral attributes of man? Certainly 
 not. Again, in the working out of the theory 
 of the Atonement the idea was inadequate. 
 In the main the idea was that of a satisfaction 
 of Divine justice, not an exhibition of Divine 
 love. It was not a revelation of love which 
 lifted man up to the height of its own 
 purity. It was a revelation of a legal system 
 whereby the Divine justice was satisfied, 
 letting some sinners escape, others being 
 punished everlastingly for their sins. It was, 
 further, not an atonement for all men; it was 
 
 184 
 
THE CONFESSION OF FAITH 
 
 a limited atonement in the strictest sense. 
 The whole subject was saturated with Hebrew 
 ideas with regard to other communions, was full 
 of the deep intolerance of the sixteenth and 
 seventeenth centuries. Dealing next with the 
 eschatology of the creed, he said the doctrine 
 of the Confession was that the souls of the 
 wicked were cast into hell and remained in 
 torment and utter darkness reserved for the 
 judgment of the great day. The end for 
 which that tremendous Assize was appointed 
 by God was said to have been for His 
 own glory, for the glory of His mercy in 
 the elect, for the glory of His justice in the 
 reprobate. One would " rather be a Pagan 
 suckled in a creed outworn " than bend his 
 knees, prostrate himself, before such a mon- 
 strous travesty of Divinity and omnipotence. 
 It was no mere sentimental motive that led 
 them to bring this question before the 
 Church, and to implore the Church to 
 deliver its servants from the burden of 
 unqualified adherence to the formula. They 
 surely must feel that people thinking for 
 themselves, looking abroad upon the currents 
 of thought in the world, must feel that the 
 
 185 
 
DR. STORY'S SPEECH 
 
 sacred barque of the Church, with all that 
 it contained of Christianity and purity and 
 love, could not continue to hold the ground 
 of the seventeenth century. They must look 
 with their eyes undimmed with the clouds 
 and vapours the breath of God was seeking 
 to sweep away. They should rid themselves 
 of that which had too long been an incubus, 
 which was an unworthy burden which they 
 were seeking to place upon those who came 
 after them. 
 
 186 
 
APPENDIX B. 
 
 The 39 Articles of the Church of England with the 
 preamble and the forms of the ordination of Bishops, 
 Priests, and Deacons are, or ought to be, well known to 
 the members of that Church, because they are bound up 
 together with the Psalms and the order of worship in all 
 its Prayer Books. As the corresponding documents of 
 the Presbyterian Church are not in this way so accessible, 
 they are appended here for reference. 
 
 THE CONFESSION OF FAITH, agreed upon 
 by the Assembly of Divines at West- 
 minster: Examined and approved, A nno 1647, 
 by the General Assembly of the Church of 
 Scotland ; and ratified by Acts of Parliament 
 1649 and 1690. 
 
 Chap. I. — Of the Holy Scripture. 
 
 I. Although the light of nature, and the works of 
 creation and providence, do so far manifest the goodness, 
 wisdom, and power of God, as to leave men inexcusable ; 
 yet they are not sufficient to give that knowledge of God, 
 and of his will, which is necessary unto salvation : therefore 
 it pleased the Lord, at sundry times, and in divers manners, 
 to reveal himself, and to declare that his will unto his 
 Church ; and afterwards, for the better preserving and pro- 
 pagating of the truth, and for the more sure establishment 
 and comfort of the Church against the corruption of the 
 flesh, and the malice of Satan and of the world, to 
 commit the same wholly unto writing; which maketh the 
 
 187 
 
THE WESTMINSTER 
 
 holy scripture to be most necessary j those former ways of 
 God's revealing his will unto his people being now ceased. 
 
 II. Under the name of Holy Scripture, or the Word of 
 God written, are now contained all the Books of the Old 
 and New Testaments, which are these : — 
 
 [Here follows the list of the books of the authorised 
 version of the Bible.] 
 All which are given by inspiration of God, to be the rule 
 of faith and life. 
 
 III. The Books commonly called Apocrypha, not being 
 of divine inspiration, are no part of the canon of the 
 scripture ; and therefore are of no authority in the Church 
 of God, nor to be any otherwise approved, or made use 
 of, than other human writings. 
 
 IV. The authority of the holy scripture, for which it 
 ought to be believed and obeyed, dependeth not upon 
 the testimony of any man or church, but wholly upon 
 God, (who is truth itself,) the author thereof; and there- 
 fore it is to be received, because it is the word of God. 
 
 V. We may be moved and induced by the testimony of 
 the Church to an high and reverend esteem of the holy 
 scripture, and the heavenliness of the matter, the efficacy 
 of the doctrine, the majesty of the style, the consent of 
 all the parts, the scope of the whole, (which is to give 
 all glory to God,) the full discovery it makes of the only 
 way of man's salvation, the many other incomparable 
 excellencies, and the entire perfection thereof, are argu- 
 ments whereby it doth abundantly evidence itself to be 
 the word of God ; yet, notwithstanding, our full persuasion 
 and assurance of the infallible truth, and divine authority 
 thereof, is from the inward work of the Holy Spirit, bearing 
 witness by and with the word in our hearts. 
 
 VI. The whole counsel of God, concerning all things 
 necessary for his own glory, man's salvation, faith, and life, 
 is either expressly set down in scripture, or by good and 
 necessary consequence may be deduced from scripture : 
 unto which nothing at any time is to be added, whether 
 by new revelations of the Spirit, or traditions of men. 
 Nevertheless, we acknowledge the inward illumination of 
 the Spirit of God to be necessary for the saving under- 
 
 188 
 
CONFESSION, 1647 
 
 standing of such things as are revealed in the word ; and 
 that there are some circumstances concerning the worship 
 of God, and government of the Church, common to human 
 actions and societies, which are to be ordered by the light 
 of nature and Christian prudence, according to the general 
 rules of the word, which are always to be observed. 
 
 VII. All things in scripture are not alike plain in them- 
 selves, nor alike clear unto all ; yet those things which 
 are necessary to be known, believed, and observed, for 
 salvation, are so clearly propounded and opened in some 
 place of scripture or other, that not only the learned, but 
 the unlearned, in a due use of the ordinary means, may 
 attain unto a sufficient understanding of them. 
 
 VIII. The Old Testament in Hebrew, (which was the 
 native language of the people of God of old,) and the 
 New Testament in Greek, (which at the time of the writing 
 of it was most generally known to the nations,) being 
 immediately inspired by God, and by his singular care 
 and providence kept pure in all ages, are therefore 
 authentical ; so as in all controversies of religion, the 
 Church is finally to appeal unto them. But because 
 these original tongues are not known to all the people 
 of God, who have right unto and interest in the scrip- 
 tures, and are commanded, in the fear of God, to read 
 and search them, therefore they are to be translated into 
 the vulgar language of every nation unto which they come, 
 that the word of God dwelling plentifully in all, they may 
 worship him in an acceptable manner, and, through 
 patience and comfort of the scriptures, may have hope. 
 
 IX. The infallible rule of interpretation of scripture is 
 the scripture itself; and therefore, when there is a question 
 about the true and full sense of any scripture, (which is 
 not manifold, but one,) it must be searched and known 
 by other places that speak more clearly. 
 
 X. The supreme Judge, by which all controversies of 
 religion are to be determined, and all decrees of councils, 
 opinions of ancient writers, doctrines of men, and private 
 spirits, are to be examined, and in whose sentence we are 
 to rest, can be no other but the Holy Spirit speaking in 
 the scripture. 
 
 189 
 
THE WESTMINSTER 
 
 Chap. II. — Of God, and of the Holy Trinity. 
 
 I. There is but one only living and true God, who is 
 infinite in being and perfection, a most pure spirit, invisible, 
 without body, parts, or passions, immutable, immense, 
 eternal, incomprehensible, almighty, most wise, most holy, 
 most free, most absolute, working all things according to the 
 counsel of his own immutable and most righteous will, for 
 his own glory; most loving, gracious, merciful, long-suffering, 
 abundant in goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity, trans- 
 gression, and sin ; the rewarder of them that diligently seek 
 him ; and withal most just and terrible in his judgments ; 
 hating all sin, and who will by no means clear the guilty. 
 
 II. God hath all life, glory, goodness, blessedness, in and 
 of himself; and is alone in and unto himself all-sufficient, 
 not standing in need of any creatures which he hath 
 made, not deriving any glory from them, but only manifest- 
 ing his own glory, in, by, unto, and upon them : he is the 
 alone fountain of all being, of whom, through whom, and 
 to whom, are all things ; and hath most sovereign dominion 
 over them, to do by them, for them, or upon them, what- 
 soever himself pleaseth. In his sight all things are open 
 and manifest ; his knowledge is infinite, infallible, and 
 independent upon the creature, so as nothing is to him 
 contingent or uncertain He is most holy in all his 
 counsels, in all his works, and in all his commands. To 
 him is due from angels and men, and every other creature, 
 whatsoever worship, service, or obedience, he is pleased 
 to require of them. 
 
 III. In the unity of the Godhead there be three persons, 
 of one substance, power, and eternity; God the Father, 
 God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. The Father is 
 of none, neither begotten nor proceeding ; the Son is 
 eternally begotten of the Father; the Holy Ghost eternally 
 proceeding from the Father and the Son. 
 
 Chap. III.— Of God's Eternal Decree. 
 
 I. God from all eternity did, by the most wise and holy 
 counsel of his own will, freely and unchangeably ordain 
 whatsoever comes to pass : yet so, as thereby neither is 
 
 190 
 
CONFESSION, 1647 
 
 God the author of sin, nor is violence offered to the will 
 of the creatures, nor is the liberty or contingency of second 
 causes taken away, but rather established. 
 
 II. Although God knows whatsoever may or can come 
 to pass upon all supposed conditions ; yet hath he not 
 decreed any thing because he foresaw it as future, or as 
 that which would come to pass upon such conditions. 
 
 III. By the decree of God, for the manifestation of his 
 glory, some men and angels are predestinated unto ever- 
 lasting life, and others foreordained to everlasting death. 
 
 IV. These angels and men, thus predestinated and fore- 
 ordained, are particularly and unchangeably designed ; and 
 their number is so certain and definite, that it cannot be 
 either increased or diminished. 
 
 V. Those of mankind that are predestinated unto life, 
 God, before the foundation of the world was laid, accord- 
 ing to his eternal and immutable purpose, and the secret 
 counsel and good pleasure of his will, hath chosen in Christ 
 unto everlasting glory, out of his mere free grace and love, 
 without any foresight of faith or good works, or persever- 
 ance in either of them, or any other thing in the creature, 
 as conditions, or causes moving him thereunto; and all 
 to the praise of his glorious grace. 
 
 VI. As God hath appointed the elect unto glory, so hath 
 he, by the eternal and most free purpose of his will, fore- 
 ordained all the means thereunto. Wherefore they who 
 are elected being fallen in Adam, are redeemed by Christ; 
 are effectually called unto faith in Christ by his Spirit 
 working in due season ; are justified, adopted, sanctified, 
 and kept by his power through faith unto salvation. 
 Neither are any other redeemed by Christ, effectually 
 called, justified, adopted, sanctified, and saved, but the 
 elect only. 
 
 VII. The rest of mankind, God was pleased, according 
 to the unsearchable counsel of his own will, whereby he 
 extendeth or withholdeth mercy as he pleaseth, for the 
 glory of his sovereign power over his creatures, to pass 
 by, and to ordain them to dishonour and wrath for their 
 sin, to the praise of his glorious justice. 
 
 VIII. The doctrine of this high mystery of predestination 
 
 191 
 
THE WESTMINSTER 
 
 is to be handled with special prudence and care, that men 
 attending the will of God revealed in his word, and yield- 
 ing obedience thereunto, may, from the certainty of their 
 effectual vocation, be assured of their eternal election. 
 So shall this doctrine afford matter of praise, reverence, 
 and admiration of God, and of humility, diligence, and 
 abundant consolation, to all that sincerely obey the 
 Gospel. 
 
 Chap. IV.— Of Creation. 
 
 I. It pleased God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, for 
 the manifestation of the glory of his eternal power, wisdom, 
 and goodness, in the beginning, to create, or make of 
 nothing, the world, and all things therein, whether visible 
 or invisible, in the space of six days, and all very 
 good. 
 
 II. After God had made all other creatures, he created 
 man, male and female, with reasonable and immortal souls, 
 endued with knowledge, righteousness, and true holiness, 
 after his own image, having the law of God written in 
 their hearts, and power to fulfil it ; and yet under a possi- 
 bility of transgressing, being left to the liberty of their 
 own will, which was subject unto change. Beside this 
 law written in their hearts, they received a command not 
 to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil ; 
 which while they kept, they were happy in their com- 
 munion with God, and had dominion over the creatures. 
 
 Chap. V. — Of Providence. 
 
 I. God, the great Creator of all things, doth uphold, 
 direct, dispose, and govern all creatures, actions, and things, 
 from the greatest even to the least, by his most wise and 
 holy providence, according to his infallible foreknowledge, 
 and the free and immutable counsel of his own will, to 
 the praise of the glory of his wisdom, power, justice, 
 goodness, and mercy. 
 
 II. Although, in relation to the foreknowledge and decree 
 of God, the first cause, all things come to pass immutably 
 and infallibly; yet, by the same providence, he ordereth 
 
 192 
 
CONFESSION, 1647 
 
 them to fall out according to the nature of second causes, 
 either necessarily, freely, or contingently. 
 
 III. God in his ordinary providence maketh use of 
 means, yet is free to work without, above, and against 
 them, at his pleasure. 
 
 IV. The almighty power, unsearchable wisdom, and 
 infinite goodness of God, so far manifest themselves in his 
 providence, that it extendeth itself even to the first fall, 
 and all other sins of angels and men, and that not by a bare 
 permission, but such as hath joined with it a most wise 
 and powerful bounding, and otherwise ordering and govern- 
 ing of them, in a manifold dispensation, to his own holy 
 ends; yet so as the sinfulness thereof proceedeth only 
 from the creature, and not from God ; who, being most 
 holy and righteous, neither is nor can be the author or 
 approver of sin. 
 
 V. The most wise, righteous, and gracious God, doth 
 oftentimes leave for a season his own children to mani- 
 fold temptations, and the corruption of their own hearts, 
 to chastise them for their former sins, or to discover unto 
 them the hidden strength of corruption, and deceitfulness 
 of their hearts, that they may be humbled ; and to raise 
 them to a more close and constant dependence for their 
 support upon himself, and to make them more watchful 
 against all future occasions of sin, and for sundry other 
 just and holy ends. 
 
 VI. As for those wicked and ungodly men, whom God as 
 a righteous judge, for former sins, doth blind and harden, 
 from them he not only withholdeth his grace, whereby 
 they might have been enlightened in their understandings, 
 and wrought upon in their hearts ; but sometimes also 
 withdraweth the gifts which they had, and exposeth them 
 to such objects as their corruption makes occasion of sin ; 
 and withal, gives them over to their own lusts, the tempta- 
 tions of the world, and the power of Satan : whereby it 
 comes to pass, that they harden themselves, even under 
 those means which God useth for the softening of others. 
 
 VII. As the providence of God doth, in general, reach to 
 all creatures ; so, after a most special manner, it taketh care 
 of his church, and disposeth all things to the good thereof. 
 
 N I93 
 
THE WESTMINSTER 
 
 Chap. VI.— Of the Fall of Man, of Sin, and of the 
 Punishment thereof 
 
 I. Our first parents being seduced by the subtilty and 
 temptation of Satan, sinned in eating the forbidden fruit. 
 This their sin God was pleased, according to his wise and 
 holy counsel, to permit, having purposed to order it to his 
 own glory. 
 
 II. By this sin they fell from their original righteousness, 
 and communion with God, and so became dead in sin, 
 and wholly defiled in all the faculties and parts of soul 
 and body. 
 
 III. They being the root of all mankind, the guilt of this 
 sin was imputed, and the same death in sin and corrupted 
 nature conveyed to all their posterity, descending from 
 them by ordinary generation. 
 
 IV. From this original corruption, whereby we are 
 utterly indisposed, disabled, and made opposite to all 
 good, and wholly inclined to all evil, do proceed all actual 
 transgressions. 
 
 V. This corruption of nature, during this life, doth remain 
 in those that are regenerated : and although it be through 
 Christ pardoned and mortified, yet both itself, and all the 
 motions thereof, are truly and properly sin. 
 
 VI. Every sin, both original and actual, being a trans- 
 gression of the righteous law of God, and contrary thereunto, 
 doth, in its own nature, bring guilt upon the sinner, where- 
 by he is bound over to the wrath of God, and curse of 
 the law, and so made subject to death, with all miseries 
 spiritual, temporal, and eternal. 
 
 Chap. VII. — Of God's Covenant with Man. 
 
 I. The distance between God and the creature is so great, 
 that although reasonable creatures do owe obedience unto 
 him as their Creator, yet they could never have any fruition 
 of him as their blessedness and reward, but by some 
 voluntary condescension on God's part, which he hath 
 been pleased to express by way of covenant. 
 * II. The first covenant made with man was a covenant of 
 works, wherein life was promised to Adam, and in him 
 
 194 
 
CONFESSION, 1647 
 
 to his posterity, upon condition of perfect and personal 
 obedience. 
 
 III. Man by his fall having made himself incapable of 
 life by that covenant, the Lord was pleased to make a 
 second, commonly called the Covenant of Grace : whereby 
 he freely offereth unto sinners life and salvation by Jesus 
 Christ, requiring of them faith in him, that they may be 
 saved ; and promising to give unto all those that are 
 ordained unto life his Holy Spirit, to make them willing 
 and able to believe. 
 
 IV. This covenant of grace is frequently set forth in the 
 scripture by the name of a Testament, in reference to 
 the death of Jesus Christ the testator, and to the ever- 
 lasting inheritance, with all things belonging to it, therein 
 bequeathed. 
 
 V. This covenant was differently administered in the time 
 of the law, and in the time of the gospel ; under the law 
 it was administered by promises, prophecies, sacrifices, 
 circumcision, the paschal lamb, and other types and 
 ordinances delivered to the people of the Jews, all fore- 
 signifying Christ to come, which were for that time suffi- 
 cient and efficacious through the operation of the Spirit, 
 to instruct and build up the elect in faith in the promised 
 Messiah, by whom they had full remission of sins, and 
 eternal salvation ; and is called the Old Testament. 
 
 VI. Under the gospel, when Christ the substance was 
 exhibited, the ordinances in which this covenant is dis- 
 pensed are the preaching of the word, and the adminis- 
 tration of the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's 
 Supper, which, though fewer in number, and administered 
 with more simplicity and less outward glory, yet in them 
 it is held forth in more fulness, evidence, and spiritual 
 efficacy, to all nations, both Jews and Gentiles ; and is 
 called the New Testament. There are not therefore two 
 covenants of grace differing in substance, but one and 
 the same under various dispensations. 
 
 Chap. VIII.— Of Christ the Mediator. 
 
 I. It pleased God, in his eternal purpose, to choose and 
 ordain the Lord Jesus, his only begotten Son, to be the 
 
 J 95 
 
THE WESTMINSTER 
 
 Mediator between God and man ; the Prophet, Priest, and 
 King; the Head and Saviour of his Church; the Heir of 
 all things ; and Judge of the world ; unto whom he did 
 from all eternity give a people to be his seed, and to 
 be by him in time redeemed, called, justified, sanctified, 
 and glorified. 
 
 II. The Son of God, the second person in the Trinity, 
 being very and eternal God, of one substance, and equal 
 with the Father, did, when the fulness of time was come, 
 take upon him man's nature, with all the essential pro- 
 perties and common infirmities thereof, yet without sin; 
 being conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost, in the 
 womb of the Virgin Mary, of her substance. So that two 
 whole, perfect, and distinct natures, the Godhead and the 
 manhood, were inseparably joined together in one person, 
 without conversion, composition, or confusion. Which 
 person is very God and very man, yet one Christ, the 
 only Mediator between God and man. 
 
 III. The Lord Jesus, in his human nature thus united to 
 the divine, was sanctified and anointed with the Holy 
 Spirit above measure ; having in him all the treasures of 
 wisdom and knowledge ; in whom it pleased the Father 
 that all fulness should dwell : to the end, that being holy, 
 harmless, undefiled, and full of grace and truth, he might 
 be thoroughly furnished to execute the office of a Mediator 
 and Surety. Which office he took not unto himself, but 
 was thereunto called by his Father; who put all power 
 and judgment into his hand, and gave him commandment 
 to execute the same. 
 
 IV. This office the Lord Jesus did most willingly under- 
 take ; which that he may discharge, he was made under 
 the law, and did perfectly fulfil it; endured most grievous 
 torments immediately in his soul, and most painful suffer- 
 ings in his body ; was crucified, and died ; was buried, and 
 remained under the power of death, yet saw no corruption. 
 On the third day he arose from the dead, with the same 
 body in which he suffered; with which also he ascended 
 into heaven, and there sitteth at the right hand of his 
 Father, making intercession; and shall return to judge 
 men and angels at the end of the world. 
 
 196 
 
CONFESSION, 1647 
 
 V. The Lord Jesus, by his perfect obedience and sacrifice 
 of himself, which he through the eternal Spirit once offered 
 up unto God, hath fully satisfied the justice of his Father ; 
 and purchased not only reconciliation, but an everlasting 
 inheritance in the kingdom of heaven, for all those whom 
 the Father hath given unto him. 
 
 VI. Although the work of redemption was not actually 
 wrought by Christ till after his incarnation, yet the virtue, 
 efficacy, and benefits thereof, were communicated unto 
 the elect in all ages successively from the beginning of 
 the world, in and by those promises, types, and sacrifices, 
 wherein he was revealed and signified to be the Seed of 
 the woman, which should bruise the serpent's head, and 
 the Lamb slain from the beginning of the world, being 
 yesterday and to-day the same, and for ever. 
 
 VII. Christ, in the work of mediation, acteth according to 
 both natures ; by each nature doing that which is proper 
 to itself: yet, by reason of the unity of the person, that 
 which is proper to one nature is sometimes in scripture 
 attributed to the person denominated by the other nature. 
 
 VIII. To all those for whom Christ hath purchased 
 redemption, he doth certainly and effectually apply and 
 communicate the same; making intercession for them; and 
 revealing unto them, in and by the word, the mysteries of 
 salvation ; effectually persuading them by his Spirit to 
 believe and obey ; and governing their hearts by his word 
 and Spirit ; overcoming all their enemies by his almighty 
 power and wisdom, in such manner and ways as are most 
 consonant to his wonderful and unsearchable dispensation. 
 
 Chap. IX.— Of Free Will. 
 
 I. God hath endued the will of man with that natural 
 liberty, that it is neither forced, nor by any absolute 
 necessity of nature determined, to good or evil. 
 
 II. Man, in his state of innocency, had freedom and 
 power to will and to do that which is good and well- 
 pleasing to God ; but yet mutably, so that he might fall 
 from it. 
 
 III. Man, by his fall into a state of sin, hath wholly lost 
 
 197 
 
THE WESTMINSTER 
 
 all ability of will to any spiritual good accompanying salva- 
 tion ; so as a natural man, being altogether averse from 
 that good, and dead in sin, is not able, by his own strength, 
 to convert himself, or to prepare himself thereunto. 
 
 IV. When God converts a sinner, and translates him into 
 the state of grace, he freeth him from his natural bondage 
 under sin, and by his grace alone enables him freely to 
 will and to do that which is spiritually good ; yet so as 
 that, by reason of his remaining corruption, he doth not 
 perfectly nor only will that which is good, but doth also 
 will that which is evil. 
 
 V. The will of man is made perfectly and immutably free 
 to do good alone in the state of glory only. 
 
 Chap. X.— Of Effectual Calling. 
 
 I. All those whom God hath predestinated unto life, 
 and those only, he is pleased, in his appointed and accepted 
 time, effectually to call, by his word and Spirit, out of that 
 state of sin and death in which they are by nature, to 
 grace and salvation by Jesus Christ; enlightening their 
 minds spiritually and savingly to understand the things 
 of God ; taking away their heart of stone, and giving unto 
 them an heart of flesh ; renewing their wills, and by his 
 almighty power determining them to that which is good; 
 and effectually drawing them to Jesus Christ ; yet so as 
 they come most freely, being made willing by his grace, 
 
 II. This effectual call is of God's free and special grace 
 alone, not from any thing at all foreseen in man ; who is 
 altogether passive therein, until, being quickened and 
 renewed by the Holy Spirit, he is thereby enabled to 
 answer this call, and to embrace the grace offered and 
 conveyed in it. 
 
 III. Elect infants, dying in infancy, are regenerated and 
 saved by Christ through the Spirit, who worketh when, 
 and where, and how he pleaseth. So also are all other 
 elect persons, who are incapable of being outwardly called 
 by the ministry of the word. 
 
 IV. Others not elected, although they may be called by 
 the ministry of the word, and may have some common 
 
 198 
 
CONFESSION, 1647 
 
 operations of the Spirit, yet they never truly come unto 
 Christ, and therefore cannot be saved : much less can 
 men not professing the Christian religion be saved in 
 any other way whatsoever, be they ever so diligent to 
 frame their lives according to the light of nature, and the 
 law of that religion they do profess; and to assert and 
 maintain that they may, is very pernicious, and to be 
 detested. 
 
 Chap. XL — Of 'Justification. 
 
 I. Those whom God effectually calleth he also freely 
 justifieth ; not by infusing righteousness into them, but by 
 pardoning their sins, and by accounting and accepting their 
 persons as righteous : not for any thing wrought in them, 
 or done by them, but for Christ's sake alone : not by imput- 
 ing faith itself, the act of believing, or any other evangelical 
 obedience, to them as their righteousness ; but by imput- 
 ing the obedience and satisfaction of Christ unto them, 
 they receiving and resting on him and his righteousness 
 by faith: which faith they have not of themselves; it is 
 the gift of God. 
 
 II. Faith, thus receiving and resting on Christ and his 
 righteousness, is the alone instrument of justification ; yet 
 is it not alone in the person justified, but is ever accom- 
 panied with all other saving graces, and is no dead faith, 
 but worketh by love. 
 
 III. Christ, by his obedience and death, did fully dis- 
 charge the debt of all those that are thus justified, and did 
 make a proper, real, and full satisfaction to his Father's 
 justice in their behalf. Yet, in as much as he was given 
 by the Father for them, and his obedience and satisfac- 
 tion accepted in their stead, and both freely, not for any 
 thing in them, their justification is only of free grace ; 
 that both the exact justice and rich grace of God might 
 be glorified in the justification of sinners. 
 
 IV. God did, from all eternity, decree to justify all the 
 elect ; and Christ did, in the fulness of time, die for their 
 sins, and rise again for their justification : nevertheless they 
 are not justified, until the Holy Spirit doth in due time 
 actually apply Christ unto them. 
 
 199 
 
THE WESTMINSTER 
 
 V. God doth continue to forgive the sins of those that 
 are justified : and although they can never fall from the state 
 of justification, yet they may by their sins fall under God's 
 fatherly displeasure, and not have the light of his coun- 
 tenance restored unto them, until they humble themselves, 
 confess their sins, beg pardon, and renew their faith and 
 repentance. 
 
 VI. The justification of believers under the Old Testa- 
 ment was, in all these respects, one and the same with 
 the justification of believers under the New Testament. 
 
 Chap. XII.— Of Adoption. 
 
 I. All those that are justified, God vouchsafeth, in and 
 for his only Son Jesus Christ, to make partakers of the grace 
 of adoption : by which they are taken into the number, 
 and enjoy the liberties and privileges of the children of 
 God ; have his name put upon them, receive the Spirit of 
 adoption ; have access to the throne of grace with bold- 
 ness ; are enabled to cry, Abba, Father ; are pitied, pro- 
 tected, provided for, and chastened by him as by a father ; 
 yet never cast off, but sealed to the day of redemption, 
 and inherit, the promises, as heirs of everlasting salvation. 
 
 Chap. XIII. — Of Sa?ictification. 
 
 I. They who are effectually called and regenerated, 
 having a new heart and a new spirit created in them, are 
 farther sanctified really and personally, through the virtue 
 of Christ's death and resurrection, by his word and Spirit 
 dwelling in them ; the dominion of the whole body of 
 sin is destroyed, and the several lusts thereof are more 
 and more weakened and mortified, and they more and 
 more quickened and strengthened in all saving graces, to 
 the practice of true holiness, without which no man shall 
 see the Lord. 
 
 II. This sanctification is throughout in the whole man, 
 yet imperfect in this life ; there abideth still some remnants 
 of corruption in every part : whence ariseth a continual and 
 irreconcilable war ; the flesh lusting against the Spirit, and 
 the Spirit against the flesh. 
 
 III. In which war, although the remaining corruption for 
 
CONFESSION, 1647 
 
 a time may much prevail, yet, through the continual supply 
 of strength from the sanctifying Spirit of Christ, the regene- 
 rate part doth overcome : and so the saints grow in grace, 
 perfecting holiness in the fear of God. 
 
 Chap. XIV.— Of Saving Faith. 
 
 I. The grace of faith, whereby the elect are enabled to 
 believe to the saving of their souls, is the work of the 
 Spirit of Christ in their hearts, and is ordinarily wrought 
 by the ministry of the word : by which also, and by the 
 administration of the sacraments, and prayer, it is increased 
 and strengthened. 
 
 II. By this faith, a Christian believeth to be true whatso- 
 ever is revealed in the word, for the authority of God 
 himself speaking therein; and acteth differently upon that 
 which each particular passage thereof containeth ; yielding 
 obedience to the commands, trembling at the threatenings, 
 and embracing the promises of God for this life and that 
 which is to come. But the principal acts of saving faith 
 are, accepting, receiving, and resting upon Christ alone for 
 justification, sanctification, and eternal life, by virtue of 
 the covenant of grace. 
 
 III. This faith is different in degrees, weak or strong ; 
 may be often and many ways assailed and weakened, but 
 gets the victory; growing up in many to the attainment 
 of a full assurance through Christ, who is both the author 
 and finisher of our faith. 
 
 Chap. XV. — Of Repentance unto Life. 
 
 I. Repentance unto life is an evangelical grace, the 
 doctrine whereof is to be preached by every minister of 
 the gospel, as well as that of faith in Christ. 
 
 II. By it a sinner, out of the sight and sense, not only of 
 the danger, but also of the filthiness and odiousness of his 
 sins, as contrary to the holy nature and righteous law of 
 God, and upon the apprehension of his mercy in Christ to 
 such as are penitent, so grieves for and hates his sins, as to 
 turn from them all unto God, purposing and endeavouring 
 to walk with him in all the ways of his commandments. 
 
 201 
 
THE WESTMINSTER 
 
 III. Although repentance be not to be rested in, as any 
 satisfaction for sin, or any cause of the pardon thereof, 
 which is the act of God's free grace in Christ; yet is it 
 of such necessity to all sinners, that none may expect 
 pardon without it. 
 
 IV. As there is no sin so small but it deserves dam- 
 nation ; so there is no sin so great, that it can bring 
 damnation upon those who truly repent. 
 
 V. Men ought not to content themselves with a general 
 repentance, but it is every man's duty to endeavour to 
 repent of his particular sins particularly. 
 
 VI As every man is bound to make private confession 
 of his sins to God, praying for the pardon thereof; upon 
 which, and the forsaking of them, he shall find mercy ; so 
 he that scandalizeth his brother, or the Church of Christ, 
 ought to be willing, by a private or publick confession and 
 sorrow for his sin, to declare his repentance to those that 
 are offended ; who are thereupon to be reconciled to him, 
 and in love to receive him. 
 
 Chap. XVI.— Of Good Works. 
 
 I. Good works are only such as God hath commanded in 
 his holy word, and not such as, without the warrant thereof, 
 are devised by men out of blind zeal, or upon any pretence 
 of good intention. 
 
 II. These good works, done in obedience to God's com- 
 mandments, are the fruits and evidences of a true and 
 lively faith : and by them believers manifest their thank- 
 fulness, strengthen their assurance, edify their brethren, 
 adorn the profession of the gospel, stop the mouths of the 
 adversaries, and glorify God, whose workmanship they are, 
 created in Christ Jesus thereunto ; that, having their fruit 
 unto holiness, they may have the end eternal life. 
 
 III. Their ability to do good works is not at all of 
 themselves, but wholly from the Spirit of Christ. And 
 that they may be enabled thereunto, besides the graces 
 they have already received, there is required an actual 
 influence of the same Holy Spirit to work in them to 
 will and to do of his good pleasure : yet are they not 
 hereupon to grow negligent, as if they were not bound 
 
CONFESSION, 1647 
 
 to perform any duty unless upon a special motion of the 
 Spirit; but they ought to be diligent in stirring up the 
 grace of God that is in them. 
 
 IV. They who in their obedience attain to the greatest 
 height which is possible in this life, are so far from being 
 able to supererogate, and to do more than God requires, as 
 that they fall short of much which in duty they are bound 
 to do. 
 
 V. We cannot, by our best works, merit pardon of sin, 
 or eternal life, at the hand of God, by reason of the great 
 disproportion that is between them and the glory to come, 
 and the infinite distance that is between us and God, 
 whom by them we can neither profit or satisfy for the 
 debt of our former sins ; but when we have done all we 
 can, we have done but our duty, and are unprofitable 
 servants ; and because, as they are good, they proceed 
 from his Spirit ; and as they are wrought by us, they are 
 defiled and mixed with so much weakness and imperfection, 
 that they cannot endure the severity of God's judgment. 
 
 VI. Yet notwithstanding, the persons of believers being 
 accepted through Christ, their good works also are accepted 
 in him ; not as though they were in this life wholly un- 
 blameable and unreprovable in God's sight; but that he, 
 looking upon them in his Son, is pleased to accept and 
 reward that which is sincere, although accompanied with 
 many weaknesses and imperfections. 
 
 VII. Works done by unregenerate men, although, for 
 the matter of them, they may be things which God com 
 mands, and of good use both to themselves and others ; 
 yet, because they proceed not from an heart purified by 
 faith ; nor are done in a right manner, according to the 
 word ; nor to a right end, the glory of God ; they are 
 therefore sinful, and cannot please God, or make a man 
 meet to receive grace from God. And yet their neglect 
 of them is more sinful, and displeasing unto God. 
 
 Chap. XVII. — Of the Perseverance of the Saints. 
 
 I. They whom God hath accepted in his Beloved, 
 effectually called and sanctified by his Spirit, can neither 
 
 203 
 
THE WESTMINSTER 
 
 totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace ; but 
 shall certainly persevere therein to the end, and be 
 eternally saved. 
 
 II. This perseverance of the saints depends not upon 
 their own free will, but upon the immutability of the 
 decree of election, flowing from the free and unchange- 
 able love of God the Father ; upon the efficacy of the 
 merit and intercession of Jesus Christ ; the abiding of 
 the Spirit, and of the seed of God within them ; and the 
 nature of the covenant of grace : from all which ariseth 
 also the certainty and infallibility thereof. 
 
 III. Nevertheless they may, through the temptations of 
 Satan and of the world, the prevalency of corruption 
 remaining in them, and the neglect of the means of their 
 preservation, fall into grievous sins ; and for a time con- 
 tinue therein : whereby they incur God's displeasure, and 
 grieve his Holy Spirit; come to be deprived of some 
 measure of their graces and comforts; have their hearts 
 hardened, and their consciences wounded ; hurt and 
 scandalize others, and bring temporal judgments upon 
 themselves. 
 
 Chap. XVIII. — Of Assurance of Grace and Salvation. 
 
 I. Although hypocrites, and other unregenerate men, 
 may vainly deceive themselves with false hopes and carnal 
 presumptions of being in the favour of God and estate 
 of salvation ; which hope of theirs shall perish ; yet such 
 as truly believe in the Lord Jesus, and love him in sincerity, 
 endeavouring to walk in all good conscience before him, 
 may in this life be certainly assured that they are in the 
 state of grace, and may rejoice in the hope of the glory 
 of God ; which hope shall never make them ashamed. 
 
 II. This certainty is not a bare conjectural and probable 
 persuasion, grounded upon a fallible hope ; but an infallible 
 assurance of faith, founded upon the divine truth of the 
 promises of salvation, the inward evidence of those graces 
 unto which these promises are made, the testimony of the 
 Spirit of adoption witnessing with our spirits that we are 
 the children of God : which Spirit is the earnest of our 
 
 204 
 
CONFESSION, 1647 
 
 inheritance, whereby we are sealed to the day of 
 redemption. 
 
 III. This infallible assurance doth not so belong to 
 the essence of faith, but that a true believer may wait 
 long, and conflict with many difficulties, before he be 
 partaker of it : yet, being enabled by the Spirit to know 
 the things which are freely given him of God, he may, 
 without extraordinary revelation, in the right use of ordinary 
 means, attain thereunto. And therefore it is the duty of 
 every one to give all diligence to make his calling and 
 election sure; that thereby his heart may be enlarged in 
 peace and joy in the Holy Ghost, in love and thankful- 
 ness to God, and in strength and cheerfulness in the duties 
 of obedience, the proper fruits of this assurance: so far 
 is it from inclining men to looseness. 
 
 IV. True believers may have the assurance of their salva- 
 tion divers ways shaken, diminished, and intermitted; as, 
 by negligence in preserving of it ; by falling into some 
 special sin, which woundeth the conscience, and grieveth 
 the Spirit ; by some sudden or vehement temptation ; by 
 God's withdrawing the light of his countenance, and suffer- 
 ing even such as fear him to walk in darkness, and to 
 have no light : yet are they never utterly destitute of that 
 seed of God, and life of faith, that love of Christ and the 
 brethren, that sincerity of heart and conscience of duty, 
 out of which, by the operation of the Spirit, this assurance 
 may in due time be revived, and by the which, in the 
 mean time, they are supported from utter despair. 
 
 Chap. XIX.— Of the Law of God. 
 
 I. God gave to Adam a law, as a covenant of works, by 
 which he bound him, and all his posterity, to personal, 
 entire, exact, and perpetual obedience ; promised life upon 
 the fulfilling, and threatened death upon the breach of it ; 
 and endued him with power and ability to keep it. 
 
 II. This law, after his fall, continued to be a perfect 
 rule of righteousness ; and, as such, was delivered by God 
 upon mount Sinai in ten commandments, and written in 
 two tables; the first four commandments containing our 
 duty towards God, and the other six our duty to man. 
 
 205 
 
THE WESTMINSTER 
 
 III. Besides this law, commonly called moral, God was 
 pleased to give to the people of Israel, as a church under 
 age, ceremonial laws containing several typical ordinances ; 
 partly of worship, prefiguring Christ, his graces, actions, 
 sufferings, and benefits ; and partly holding forth divers 
 instructions of moral duties. All which ceremonial laws 
 are now abrogated under the New Testament. 
 
 IV. To them also, as a body politick, he gave sundry 
 judicial laws, which expired together with the state of 
 that people, not obliging any other now, further than the 
 general equity thereof may require. 
 
 V. The moral law doth for ever bind all, as well justified 
 persons as others, to the obedience thereof; and that not 
 only in regard of the matter contained in it, but also 
 in respect of the authority of God, the Creator, who gave 
 it. Neither doth Christ in the gospel any way dissolve, 
 but much strengthen this obligation. 
 
 VI. Although true believers be not under the law as 
 a covenant of works, to be thereby justified or condemned j 
 yet is it of great use to them, as well as to others ; in 
 that, as a rule of life, informing them of the will of God 
 and their duty, it directs and binds them to walk accord- 
 ingly ; discovering also the sinful pollutions of their nature, 
 hearts, and lives ; so as, examining themselves thereby, 
 they may come to further conviction of, humiliation for, 
 and hatred against sin ; together with a clearer sight of 
 the need they have of Christ, and the perfection of his 
 obedience. It is likewise of use to the regenerate, to 
 restrain their corruptions, in that it forbids sin ; and the 
 threatenings of it serve to shew what even their sins 
 deserve, and what afflictions in this life they may expect 
 for them, although freed from the curse thereof threatened 
 in the law. The promises of it, in like manner, shew them 
 God's approbation of obedience, and what blessings they 
 may expect upon the performance thereof, although not 
 as due to them by the law as a covenant of works : so as 
 a man's doing good, and refraining from evil, because the 
 law encourageth to the one, and deterreth from the other, 
 is no evidence of his being under the law, and not under 
 grace. 
 
 206 
 
CONFESSION, 1647 
 
 VII. Neither are the forementioned uses of the law con- 
 trary to the grace of the gospel, but do sweetly comply 
 with it; the Spirit of Christ subduing and enabling the 
 will of man to do that freely and cheerfully which the 
 will of God revealed in the law requireth to be done. 
 
 Chap. XX. — Of Christian Liberty, and Liberty 
 of Conscience. 
 
 I. The liberty which Christ hath purchased for believers 
 under the gospel, consists in their freedom from the guilt 
 of sin, the condemning wrath of God, the curse of the 
 moral law; and in their being delivered from this present 
 evil world, bondage to Satan, and dominion of sin, from 
 the evil of afflictions, the sting of death, the victory of the 
 grave, and everlasting damnation ; as also in their free 
 access to God, and their yielding obedience unto him, 
 not out of slavish fear, but a child-like love, and willing 
 mind. All which were common also to believers under 
 the law ; but under the new testament, the liberty of 
 Christians is further enlarged in their freedom from the 
 yoke of the ceremonial law, to which the Jewish Church 
 was subjected, and in greater boldness of access to the 
 throne of grace, and in fuller communications of the free 
 Spirit of God, than believers under the law did ordinarily 
 partake of. 
 
 II. God alone is lord of the conscience, and hath left 
 it free from the doctrines and commandments of men 
 which are in any thing contrary to his word, or beside it, 
 in matters of faith or worship. So that to believe such 
 doctrines, or to obey such commandments out of con- 
 science, is to betray true liberty of conscience : and the 
 requiring of an implicit faith, and an absolute and blind 
 obedience, is to destroy liberty of conscience, and reason 
 also. 
 
 III. They who, upon pretence of Christian liberty, do 
 practise any sin, or cherish any lust, do thereby destroy 
 the end of Christian liberty ; which is, that, being delivered 
 out of the hands of our enemies, we might serve the Lord 
 without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him, all 
 the days of our life. 
 
 207 
 
THE WESTMINSTER 
 
 IV. And because the powers which God hath ordained, 
 and the liberty which Christ hath purchased, are not 
 intended by God to destroy, but mutually to uphold and 
 preserve one another; they who, upon pretence of Chris- 
 tian liberty, shall oppose any lawful power, or the lawful 
 exercise of it, whether it be civil or ecclesiastical, resist 
 the ordinance of God. And for their publishing of such 
 opinions, or maintaining of such practices, as are contrary 
 to the light of nature, or to the known principles of 
 Christianity, whether concerning faith, worship, or con- 
 versation ; or to the power of godliness ; or such erroneous 
 opinions or practices, as either in their own nature, or in 
 the manner of publishing or maintaining them, are destruc- 
 tive to the external peace and order which Christ hath 
 established in the church j they may lawfully be called to. 
 account, and proceeded against by the censures of the 
 church, and by the power of the civil magistrate. 
 
 Chap. XXI. — Of Religious Worship, and the Sabbath-day. 
 
 I. The light of nature sheweth that there is a God, 
 who hath lordship and sovereignty over all; is good, and 
 doeth good unto all; and is therefore to be feared, loved, 
 praised, called upon, trusted in, and served, with all the 
 heart, and with all the soul, and with all the might. But 
 the acceptable way of worshipping the true God is 
 instituted by himself, and so limited by his own revealed 
 will, that he may not be worshipped according to the 
 imaginations and devices of men, or the suggestions of 
 Satan, under any visible representation, or any other way 
 not prescribed in the holy Scripture. 
 
 II. Religious worship is to be given to God, the Father, 
 Son, and Holy Ghost ; and to him alone : not to angels, 
 saints, or any other creature : and, since the fall, not 
 without a Mediator; nor in the mediation of any other 
 but of Christ alone. 
 
 III. Prayer, with thanksgiving, being one special part 
 of religious worship, is by God required of all men; and, 
 that it may be accepted, it is to be made in the name of 
 the Son, by the help of his Spirit, according to his will, 
 
 208 
 
CONFESSION, 1647 
 
 with understanding, reverence, humility, fervency, faith, 
 love, and perseverance ; and, if vocal, in a known tongue. 
 
 IV. Prayer is to be made for things lawful, and for 
 all sorts of men living, or that shall live hereafter; but 
 not for the dead, nor for those of whom it may be known 
 that they have sinned the sin unto death. 
 
 V. The reading of the Scriptures with godly fear; the 
 sound preachings, and conscionable hearing of the word, 
 in obedience unto God, with understanding, faith, and 
 reverence ; singing of psalms with grace in the heart ; as 
 also the due administration and worthy receiving of the 
 sacraments instituted by Christ; are all parts of the 
 ordinary religious worship of God : besides religious 
 oaths and vows, solemn fastings, and thanksgivings upon 
 special occasions, which are, in their several times and 
 seasons, to be used in a holy and religious manner. 
 
 VI. Neither prayer, nor any other part of religious 
 worship, is, now under the gospel, either tied unto, or 
 made more acceptable by, any place in which it is per- 
 formed, or towards which it is directed ; but God is to 
 be worshipped every where in spirit and in truth ; as in 
 private families daily, and in secret each one by himself; 
 so more solemnly in the publick assemblies, which are 
 not carelessly or wilfully to be neglected or forsaken, 
 when God, by his word or providence, calleth thereunto. 
 
 VII. As it is of the law of nature, that, in general, a 
 due proportion of time be set apart for the worship of God ; 
 so, in his word, by a positive, moral, and perpetual com- 
 mandment, binding all men in all ages, he hath particularly 
 appointed one day in seven for a sabbath, to be kept 
 holy unto him : which, from the beginning of the world 
 to the resurrection of Christ, was the last day of the week ; 
 and, from the resurrection of Christ, was changed into 
 the first day of the week, which in Scripture is called 
 the Lord's Day, and is to be continued to the end of the 
 world, as the Christian Sabbath. 
 
 VIII. This sabbath is then kept holy unto the Lord, 
 when men, after a due preparing of their hearts, and 
 ordering of their common affairs before-hand, do not 
 only observe an holy rest all the day from their own 
 
 o 209 
 
THE WESTMINSTER 
 
 works, words, and thoughts about their worldly employ- 
 ments and recreations; but also are taken up the whole 
 time in the publick and private exercises of his worship, 
 and in the duties of necessity and mercy. 
 
 Chap. XXII. — Of lawful Oaths and Vows. 
 
 I. A lawful oath is a part of religious worship, wherein, 
 upon just occasion, the person swearing solemnly calleth 
 God to witness what he asserteth or promiseth; and to 
 judge him according to the truth or falsehood of what 
 he sweareth. 
 
 II. The name of God only is that by which men ought 
 to swear, and therein it is to be used with all holy fear 
 and reverence ; therefore to swear vainly or rashly by that 
 glorious and dreadful name, or to swear at all by any 
 other thing, is sinful, and to be abhorred. Yet as, in 
 matters of weight and moment, an oath is warranted by 
 the word of God under the New Testament, as well as 
 under the Old ; so a lawful oath, being imposed by 
 lawful authority, in such matters ought to be taken. 
 
 III. Whosoever taketh an oath, ought duly to consider 
 the weightiness of so solemn an act, and therein to avouch 
 nothing but what he is fully persuaded is the truth. 
 Neither may any man bind himself by oath to any thing 
 but what is good and just, and what he believeth so to 
 be, and what he is able and resolved to perform. Yet 
 it is a sin to refuse an oath touching any thing that is 
 good and just, being imposed by lawful authority. 
 
 IV. An oath is to be taken in the plain and common 
 sense of the words, without equivocation or mental reser- 
 vation. It cannot oblige to sin ; but in any thing not 
 sinful, being taken, it binds to performance, although to 
 a man's own hurt ; nor is it to be violated, although made 
 to hereticks or infidels. 
 
 V. A vow is of the like nature with a promissory oath, 
 and ought to be made with the like religious care, and 
 to be performed with the like faithfulness. 
 
 VI. It is not to be made to any creature, but to God 
 alone : and that it may be accepted, it is to be made 
 
 210 
 
CONFESSION, 1647 
 
 voluntarily, out of faith, and conscience of duty, in way 
 of thankfulness for mercy received, or for the obtaining 
 of what we want ; whereby we more strictly bind ourselves 
 to necessary duties, or to other things, so far and so long 
 as they may fitly conduce thereunto. 
 
 VII. No man may vow to do any thing forbidden in 
 the word of God, or what would hinder any duty therein 
 commanded, or which is not in his power, and for the 
 performance whereof he hath no promise of ability from 
 God. In which respects, Popish monastical vows of per- 
 petual single life, professed poverty, and regular obedience, 
 are so far from being degrees of higher perfection, that 
 they are superstitious and sinful snares, in which no 
 Christian may entangle himself. 
 
 Chap. XXIII.— Of the Civil Magistrate. 
 
 I. God, the supreme Lord and King of all the world, 
 hath ordained civil magistrates to be under him over the 
 people, for his own glory, and the publick good; and, 
 to this end, hath armed them with the power of the 
 sword, for the defence and encouragement of them that 
 are good, and for the punishment of evil-doers. 
 
 II. It is lawful for Christians to accept and execute 
 the office of a magistrate, when called thereunto: in the 
 managing whereof, as they ought especially to maintain 
 piety, justice, and peace, according to the wholesome 
 laws of each commonwealth ; so, for that end, they may 
 lawfully, now under the New Testament, wage war upon 
 just and necessary occasions. 
 
 III. The civil magistrate may not assume to himself the 
 administration of the word and sacraments, or the power 
 of the keys of the kingdom of heaven : yet he hath 
 authority, and it is his duty, to take order, that unity and 
 peace be preserved in the church, that the truth of God 
 be kept pure and entire, that all blasphemies and heresies 
 be suppressed, all corruptions and abuses in worship and 
 discipline prevented or reformed, and all the ordinances 
 of God duly settled, administered, and observed. For 
 the better effecting whereof, he hath power to call 
 
 211 
 
THE WESTMINSTER 
 
 synods, to be present at them, and to provide that 
 whatsoever is transacted in them be according to the 
 mind of God. 
 
 IV. It is the duty of people to pray for magistrates, 
 to honour their persons, to pay them tribute and other 
 dues, to obey their lawful commands, and to be subject 
 to their authority for conscience' sake. Infidelity, or 
 difference in religion, doth not make void the magis- 
 trate's just and legal authority, nor free the people from 
 their due obedience to him : from which ecclesiastical 
 persons are not exempted ; much less hath the Pope 
 any power or jurisdiction over them in their dominions, 
 or over any of their people; and least of all to deprive 
 them of their dominions or lives, if he shall judge them 
 to be hereticks, or upon any other pretence whatsoever. 
 
 Chap. XXIV. — Of Marriage and Divorce. 
 
 I. Marriage is to be between one man and one woman: 
 neither is it lawful for any man to have more than one 
 wife, nor for any woman to have more than one husband, 
 at the same time. 
 
 II. Marriage was ordained for the mutual help of 
 husband and wife ; for the increase of mankind with a 
 legitimate issue, and of the church with an holy seed ; 
 and for preventing of unclean ness. 
 
 III. It is lawful for all sorts of people to marry who 
 are able with judgment to give their consent : yet it is 
 the duty of Christians to marry only in the Lord. And 
 therefore such as profess the true reformed religion should 
 not marry with infidels, Papists, or other idolaters : neither 
 should such as are godly be unequally yoked, by marry- 
 ing with such as are notoriously wicked in their life, or 
 maintain damnable heresies. 
 
 IV. Marriage ought not to be within the degrees of 
 consanguinity or affinity forbidden in the word ; nor can 
 such incestuous marriages ever be made lawful by any 
 law of man, or consent of parties, so as those persons 
 may live together as man and wife. The man may not 
 marry any of his wife's kindred nearer in blood than 
 
 212 
 
CONFESSION, 1647 
 
 he may of his own, nor the woman of her husband's 
 kindred nearer in blood than of her own. 
 
 V. Adultery or fornication committed after a contract 
 being detected before marriage, giveth just occasion to 
 the innocent party to dissolve that contract. In the case 
 of adultery after marriage, it is lawful for the innocent 
 party to sue out a divorce, and, after the divorce, to 
 marry another, as if the offending party were dead. 
 
 VI. Although the corruption of man be such as is apt 
 to study arguments, unduly to put asunder those whom 
 God hath joined together in marriage ; yet nothing but 
 adultery, or such wilful desertion as can no way be 
 remedied by the church or civil magistrate, is cause suffi- 
 cient of dissolving the bond of marriage : wherein a publick 
 and orderly course of proceeding is to be observed, and 
 the persons concerned in it not left to their own wills 
 and discretion in their own case. 
 
 Chap. XXV.— Of the Church. 
 
 I. The catholick or universal church, which is invisible, 
 consists of the whole number of the elect that have been, 
 are, or shall be gathered into one, under Christ the head 
 thereof; and is the spouse, the body, the fulness of him 
 that filleth all in all. 
 
 II. The visible church, which is also catholick or 
 universal under the gospel, (not confined to one nation, 
 as before under the law,) consists of all those through- 
 out the world that profess the true religion, together with 
 their children; and is the kingdom of the Lord Jesus 
 Christ, the house and family of God, out of which there 
 is no ordinary possibility of salvation. 
 
 III. Unto this catholick visible church Christ hath 
 given the ministry, oracles, and ordinances of God, for 
 the gathering and perfecting of the saints in this life, 
 to the end of the world ; and doth by his own presence 
 and Spirit, according to his promise, make them effectual 
 thereunto. 
 
 IV. This catholick church hath been sometimes more, 
 sometimes less visible. And particular churches, which 
 
 213 
 
THE WESTMINSTER 
 
 are members thereof, are more or less pure, according as 
 the doctrine of the gospel is taught and embraced, ordi- 
 nances administered, and publick worship performed more 
 or less purely in them. 
 
 V. The purest churches under heaven are subject both 
 to mixture and error; and some have so degenerated as 
 to become no churches of Christ, but synagogues of Satan. 
 Nevertheless, there shall be always a church on earth to 
 worship God according to his will. 
 
 VI. There is no other head of the church but the 
 Lord Jesus Christ : nor can the Pope of Rome in any 
 sense be head thereof; but is that antichrist, that man 
 of sin, and son of perdition, that exalteth himself in the 
 church against Christ, and all that is called God. 
 
 Chap. XXVI. — Of Communion of Saints. 
 
 I. All saints that are united to Jesus Christ their head 
 by his Spirit, and by faith, have fellowship with him in 
 his graces, sufferings, death, resurrection, and glory. And 
 being united to one another in love, they have communion 
 in each other's gifts and graces; and are obliged to the 
 performance of such duties, publick and private, as do 
 conduce to their mutual good, both in the inward and 
 outward man. 
 
 II. Saints, by profession, are bound to maintain an holy 
 fellowship and communion in the worship of God, and in 
 performing such other spiritual services as tend to their 
 mutual edification ; as also in relieving each other in out- 
 ward things, according to their several abilities and neces- 
 sities. Which communion, as God offereth opportunity, 
 is to be extended unto all those who in every place call 
 upon the name of the Lord Jesus. 
 
 III. This communion which the saints have with Christ 
 doth not make them in any wise partakers of the substance 
 of his Godhead, or to be equal with Christ in any respect : 
 either of which to affirm is impious and blasphemous. 
 Nor doth their communion one with another, as saints, 
 take away or infringe the title or property which each 
 man hath in his goods and possessions. 
 
 214 
 
CONFESSION, 1647 
 
 Chap. XXVII. — Of the Sacraments. 
 
 I. Sacraments are holy signs and seals of the covenant 
 of grace, immediately instituted by God, to represent 
 Christ and his benefits, and to confirm our interest in 
 him ; as also to put a visible difference between those 
 that belong unto the church and the rest of the world; 
 and solemnly to engage them to the service of God in 
 Christ, according to his word. 
 
 II. There is in every sacrament a spiritual relation, or 
 sacramental union, between the sign and the thing signified ; 
 whence it comes to pass, that the names and effects of 
 the one are attributed to the other. 
 
 III. The grace which is exhibited in or by the sacra- 
 ments, rightly used, is not conferred by any power in 
 them; neither doth the efficacy of a sacrament depend 
 upon the piety or intention of him that doth administer 
 it, but upon the work of the Spirit, and the word of 
 institution; which contains, together with a precept 
 authorizing the use thereof, a promise of benefit to 
 worthy receivers. 
 
 IV. There be only two sacraments ordained by Christ 
 our Lord in the gospel, that is to say, Baptism, and the 
 Supper of the Lord; neither of which may be dispensed 
 by any but by a minister of the word lawfully ordained. 
 
 V. The sacraments of the Old Testament, in regard of 
 the spiritual things thereby signified and exhibited, were, 
 for substance, the same with those of the New. 
 
 Chap. XXVIII.— Of Baptism. 
 
 I. Baptism is a sacrament of the New Testament, 
 ordained by Jesus Christ, not only for the solemn 
 admission of the party baptized into the visible church, 
 but also to be unto him a sign and seal of the covenant 
 of grace, of his ingrafting into Christ, of regeneration, of 
 remission of sins, and of his giving up unto God through 
 Jesus Christ, to walk in newness of life : which sacrament 
 is, by Christ's own appointment, to be continued in his 
 church until the end of the world. 
 
 II. The outward element to be used in this sacrament 
 
 215 
 
THE WESTMINSTER 
 
 is water, wherewith the party is to be baptized in the name 
 of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, 
 by a minister of the gospel, lawfully called thereunto. 
 
 III. Dipping of the person into the water is not neces- 
 sary; but baptism is rightly administered by pouring or 
 sprinkling water upon the person. 
 
 IV. Not only those that do actually profess faith in and 
 obedience unto Christ, but also the infants of one or both 
 believing parents are to be baptized. 
 
 V. Although it be a great sin to contemn or neglect 
 this ordinance, yet grace and salvation are not so insepar- 
 ably annexed unto it, as that no person can be regenerated 
 or saved without it, or that all that are baptized are 
 undoubtedly regenerated. 
 
 VI. The efficacy of baptism is not tied to that moment 
 of time wherein it is administered ; yet notwithstanding, 
 by the right use of this ordinance, the grace promised is 
 not only offered, but really exhibited and conferred by 
 the Holy Ghost, to such (whether of age or infants) as 
 that grace belongeth unto, according to the counsel of 
 God's own will, in his appointed time. 
 
 VII. The sacrament of baptism is but once to be 
 administered to any person. 
 
 Chap. XXIX.— Of the Lord's Supper. 
 
 I. Our Lord Jesus, in the night wherein he was 
 betrayed, instituted the sacrament of his body and blood, 
 called the Lord's Supper, to be observed in his church 
 unto the end of the world, for the perpetual remembrance 
 of the sacrifice of himself in his death, the sealing all 
 benefits thereof unto true believers, their spiritual nourish- 
 ment and growth in him, their further engagement in and 
 to all duties which they owe unto him, and to be a bond 
 and pledge of their communion with him, and with each 
 other, as members of his mystical body. 
 
 II. In this sacrament Christ is not offered up to his 
 Father, nor any real sacrifice made at all for remission of 
 sins of the quick or dead; but only a commemoration of 
 that one offering up of himself, by himself, upon the cross, 
 
 216 
 
CONFESSION, 1647 
 
 once for all, and a spiritual oblation of all possible praise 
 unto God for the same ; so that the Popish sacrifice of 
 the mass, as they call it, is most abominably injurious 
 to Christ's one only sacrifice, the alone propitiation for 
 all the sins of the elect. 
 
 III. The Lord Jesus hath, in this ordinance, appointed 
 his ministers to declare his word of institution to the 
 people, to pray, and bless the elements of bread and wine, 
 and thereby to set them apart from a common to a holy 
 use; and to take and break the bread, to take the cup, 
 and (they communicating also themselves) to give both 
 to the communicants ; but to none who are not then 
 present in the congregation. 
 
 IV. Private masses, or receiving this sacrament by a 
 priest, or any other, alone ; as likewise the denial of the 
 cup to the people; worshipping the elements, the lifting 
 them up, or carrying them about for adoration, and the 
 reserving them for any pretended religious use; are all 
 contrary to the nature of this sacrament, and to the 
 institution of Christ. 
 
 V. The outward elements in this sacrament, duly set 
 apart to the uses ordained by Christ, have such relation 
 to him crucified, as that truly, yet sacramentally only, 
 they are sometimes called by the name of the things 
 they represent, to wit, the body and blood of Christ; 
 albeit, in substance and nature, they still remain truly 
 and only bread and wine, as they were before. 
 
 VI. That doctrine which maintains a change of the 
 substance of bread and wine into the substance of Christ's 
 body and blood (commonly called Transubstantiation) by 
 consecration of a priest, or by any other way, is repugnant 
 not to Scripture alone, but even to common sense and 
 reason ; overthroweth the nature of the sacrament ; and 
 hath been and is the cause of manifold superstitions, yea, 
 of gross idolatries. 
 
 VII. Worthy receivers, outwardly partaking of the visible 
 elements in this sacrament, do then also inwardly by faith, 
 really and indeed, yet not carnally and corporally, but 
 spiritually, receive and feed upon Christ crucified, and 
 all benefits of his death : the body and blood of Christ 
 
 217 
 
THE WESTMINSTER 
 
 being then not corporally or carnally in, with, or under 
 the bread and wine; yet as really, but spiritually, present 
 to the faith of believers in that ordinance, as the elements 
 themselves are to their outward senses. 
 
 VIII. Although ignorant and wicked men receive the 
 outward elements in this sacrament, yet they receive not 
 the thing signified thereby ; but by their unworthy coming 
 thereunto are guilty of the body and blood of the Lord, 
 to their own damnation. Wherefore all ignorant and un- 
 godly persons, as they are unfit to enjoy communion with 
 him, so are they unworthy of the Lord's table, and cannot, 
 without great sin against Christ, while they remain such, 
 partake of these holy mysteries, or be admitted thereunto. 
 
 Chap. XXX. — Of Church Censures. 
 
 I. The Lord Jesus, as king and head of his church, 
 hath therein appointed a government in the hand of 
 church-officers, distinct from the civil magistrate. 
 
 II. To these officers the keys of the kingdom of heaven 
 are committed, by virtue whereof they have power respec- 
 tively to retain and remit sins, to shut that kingdom against 
 the impenitent, both by the word and censures ; and to 
 open it unto penitent sinners, by the ministry of the 
 gospel, and by absolution from censures, as occasion shall 
 require. 
 
 III. Church censures are necessary for the reclaiming 
 and gaining of offending brethren ; for deterring of others 
 from the like offences; for purging out of that leaven 
 which might infect the whole lump; for vindicating the 
 honour of Christ, and the holy profession of the gospel ; 
 and for preventing the wrath of God, which might justly 
 fall upon the church, if they should suffer his covenant, 
 and the seals thereof, to be profaned by notorious and 
 obstinate offenders. 
 
 IV. For the better attaining of these ends, the officers 
 of the church are to proceed by admonition, suspension 
 from the sacrament of the Lord's supper for a season, 
 and by excommunication from the church, according to 
 the nature of the crime, and demerit of the person. 
 
 218 
 
CONFESSION, 1647 
 
 Chap. XXXI. — Of Synods and Councils. 
 
 I. For the better government, and further edification of 
 the church, there ought to be such assemblies as are 
 commonly called Synods or Councils. 
 
 II. As magistrates may lawfully call a synod of ministers, 
 and other fit persons, to consult and advise with about 
 matters of religion j so if magistrates be open enemies to 
 the church, the ministers of Christ, of themselves, by 
 virtue of their office, or they, with other fit persons upon 
 delegation from their churches, may meet together in such 
 assemblies. 
 
 III. It belongeth to synods and councils ministerially 
 to determine controversies of faith, and cases of conscience; 
 to set down rules and directions for the better ordering 
 of the publick worship of God, and government of his 
 church; to receive complaints in cases of maladministra- 
 tion, and authoritatively to determine the same : which 
 decrees and determinations, if consonant to the word of 
 God, are to be received with reverence and submission, 
 not only for their agreement with the word, but also for 
 the power whereby they are made, as being an ordinance 
 of God, appointed thereunto in his word. 
 
 IV. All synods or councils since the apostles' times, 
 whether general or particular, may err, and many have 
 erred; therefore they are not to be made the rule of faith 
 or practice, but to be used as an help in both. 
 
 V. Synods and councils are to handle or conclude 
 nothing but that which is ecclesiastical; and are not to 
 intermeddle with civil affairs, which concern the common- 
 wealth, unless by way of humble petition, in cases extra- 
 ordinary ; or by way of advice for satisfaction of conscience, 
 if they be thereunto required by the civil magistrate. 
 
 Chap. XXXIL— Of the State of Men after Death, 
 and of the Resurrection of the Dead. 
 
 I. The bodies of men after death return to dust, and 
 see corruption ; but their souls, (which neither die nor 
 sleep,) having an immortal subsistence, immediately return 
 
 219 
 
THE WESTMINSTER 
 
 to God who gave them. The souls of the righteous, being 
 then made perfect in holiness, are received into the highest 
 heavens, where they behold the face of God in light and 
 glory, waiting for the full redemption of their bodies ; and 
 the souls of the wicked are cast into hell, where they 
 remain in torments and utter darkness, reserved to the 
 judgment of the great day. Besides these two places for 
 souls separated from their bodies, the scripture acknow- 
 ledged none. 
 
 II. At the last day, such as are found alive shall not 
 die, but be changed : and all the dead shall be raised up 
 with the self-same bodies, and none other, although with 
 different qualities, which shall be united again to their 
 souls for ever. 
 
 III. The bodies of the unjust shall, by the power of 
 Christ, be raised to dishonour; the bodies of the just, 
 by his Spirit, unto honour, and be made conformable to 
 his own glorious body. 
 
 Chap. XXXI 1 1.— Of the Last Judgment. 
 
 I. God hath appointed a day wherein he will judge the 
 world in righteousness by Jesus Christ, to whom all power 
 and judgment is given of the Father. In which day, not 
 only the apostate angels shall be judged, but likewise all 
 persons that have lived upon earth shall appear before 
 the tribunal of Christ, to give an account of their thoughts, 
 words, and deeds, and to receive according to what they 
 have done in the body, whether good or evil. 
 
 II. The end of God's appointing this day is for the 
 manifestation of the glory of his mercy in the eternal 
 salvation of the elect, and of his justice in the damnation 
 of the reprobate, who are wicked and disobedient. For 
 then shall the righteous go into everlasting life, and receive 
 that fulness of joy and refreshing which shall come from 
 the presence of the Lord; but the wicked, who know 
 not God, and obey not the gospel of Jesus Christ, shall 
 be cast into eternal torments, and be punished with ever- 
 lasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and 
 from the glory of his power. 
 
CONFESSION, 1647 
 
 III. As Christ would have us to be certainly persuaded 
 that there shall be a day of judgment, both to deter all 
 men from sin, and for the greater consolation of the godly 
 in their adversity; so will he have that day unknown to 
 men, that they may shake off all carnal security, and be 
 always watchful, because they know not at what hour 
 the Lord will come; and may be ever prepared to say, 
 Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly. Amen. 
 
 [Declaratory Act. 
 221 
 
DECLARATORY ACT (1879) OF THE SYNOD 
 OF THE UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 
 OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 Before its Union with the Free Church. 
 
 {Adopted May 1879.) 
 
 Whereas the formula in which the Subordinate Standards 
 of this Church are accepted requires assent to them as an 
 exhibition of the sense in which the Scriptures are under- 
 stood : Whereas these Standards, being of human composi- 
 tion, are necessarily imperfect, and the Church has already 
 allowed exception to be taken to their teaching or supposed 
 teaching on one important subject : And whereas there are 
 other subjects in regard to which it has been found desirable 
 to set forth more fully and clearly the view which the Synod 
 takes of the teaching of Holy Scripture : Therefore, the 
 Synod hereby declares as follows : — 
 
 1. That in regard to the doctrine of redemption as taught 
 
 in the Standards, and in consistency therewith, the 
 love of God to all mankind, His gift of His son to be 
 the propitiation for the sins of the whole world, and 
 the free offer of salvation to men without distinction 
 on the ground of Christ's perfect sacrifice, are matters 
 which have been and continue to be regarded by this 
 Church as vital in the system of Gospel truth, and to 
 which due prominence ought ever to be given. 
 
 2. That the doctrine of the divine decrees, including the 
 
 doctrine of election to eternal life, is held in connec- 
 tion and harmony with the truth that God is not 
 willing that any should perish, but that all should 
 come to repentance, and that He has provided a 
 salvation sufficient for all, adapted to all, and offered 
 to all in the Gospel ; and also with the responsi- 
 bility of every man for his dealing with the free 
 and unrestricted offer of eternal life. 
 222 
 
DECLARATORY ACT, 1879 
 
 3. That the doctrine of man's total depravity, and of his 
 
 loss of "all ability of will to any spiritual good 
 accompanying salvation," is not held as implying 
 such a condition of man's nature as would affect his 
 responsibility under the law of God and the Gospel 
 of Christ, or that he does not experience the strivings 
 and restraining influences of the Spirit of God, or 
 that he cannot perform actions in any sense good ; 
 although actions which do not spring from a 
 renewed heart are not spiritually good or holy — 
 such as accompany salvation. 
 
 4. That while none are saved except through the media- 
 
 tion of Christ, and by the grace of His Holy Spirit, 
 who worketh when, and where, and when it pleaseth 
 Him j while the duty of sending the Gospel to the 
 heathen, who are sunk in ignorance, sin, and misery, 
 is clear and imperative ; and while the outward and 
 ordinary means of salvation for those capable of being 
 called by the Word are the ordinances of the Gospel : 
 in accepting the Standards, it is not required to be 
 held that any who die in infancy are lost, or that 
 God may not extend His grace to any who are with- 
 out the pale of ordinary means, as it may seem good 
 in His sight. 
 
 5. That in regard to the doctrine of the Civil Magistrate, 
 
 and his authority and duty in the sphere of religion, 
 as taught in the Standards, this Church holds that 
 the Lord Jesus Christ is the only King and Head of 
 the Church, and " Head over all things to the 
 Church which is His body"; disapproves of all 
 compulsory or persecuting and intolerant principles 
 in religion ; and declares, as hitherto, that she does 
 not require approval of anything in her Standards that 
 teaches, or may be supposed to teach, such principles. 
 
 6. That Christ has laid it as a permanent and universal 
 
 obligation upon His Church, at once to maintain her 
 own ordinances, and to " preach the Gospel to every 
 creature " ; and has ordained that His people pro- 
 vide by their free-will offerings for the fulfilment of 
 this obligation. 
 
 223 
 
DECLARATORY ACT, 1879 
 
 7. That, in accordance with the practice hitherto observed 
 in this Church, liberty of opinion is allowed on such 
 points in the Standards, not entering into the sub- 
 stance of the faith, as the interpretation of the " six 
 days " in the Mosaic account of the creation : the 
 Church guarding against the abuse of this liberty to 
 the injury of its unity and peace. 
 
 DECLARATORY ACT (1892) OF THE GENERAL 
 ASSEMBLY OF THE FREE CHURCH OF 
 SCOTLAND 
 
 ANENT THE CONFESSION OF FAITH. 
 
 Before its Union with the United Presbyterian 
 Church. 
 
 Whereas it is expedient to remove difficulties and scruples 
 which have been felt by some in reference to the declaration 
 of belief required from persons who receive licence or are 
 admitted to office in this Church, the General Assembly, 
 with consent of Presbyteries, declare as follows : — 
 
 That, in holding and teaching, according to the Con- 
 fession, the Divine purpose of grace towards those who are 
 saved, and the execution of that purpose in time, this 
 Church most earnestly proclaims, as standing in the fore- 
 front of the revelation of Grace, the love of God, Father, 
 Son, and Holy Spirit, to sinners of mankind, manifested 
 especially in the Fathers gift of the Son to be the Saviour 
 of the world, in the coming of the Son to offer Himself 
 a propitiation for sin, and in the striving of the Holy Spirit 
 with men to bring them to repentance. 
 
 That this Church also holds that all who hear the Gospel 
 are warranted and required to believe to the saving of their 
 souls ; and that in the case of such as do not believe, but 
 perish in their sins, the issue is due to their own rejection 
 of the Gospel call. That this Church does not teach, and 
 does not regard the Confession as teaching, the fore-ordina- 
 tion of men to death irrespective of their own sin. 
 
 That it is the duty of those who believe, and one end of 
 their calling by God, to make known the Gospel to all men 
 
 224 
 
DECLARATORY ACT, 1892 
 
 everywhere for the obedience of faith. And that while the 
 Gospel is the ordinary means of salvation for those to whom 
 it is made known, yet it does not follow, nor is the Con- 
 fession to be held as teaching, that any who die in infancy 
 are lost, or that God may not extend His mercy, for Christ's 
 sake, and by His Holy Spirit, to those who are beyond the 
 reach of these means, as it may seem good to Him, accord- 
 ing to the riches of His grace. 
 
 That, in holding and teaching, according to the Confession 
 of Faith, the corruption of man's whole nature as fallen, this 
 Church also maintains that there remain tokens of his 
 greatness as created in the image of God ; that he possesses 
 a knowledge of God and of duty ; that he is responsible for 
 Compliance with the moral law and with the Gospel ; and 
 that, although unable without the aid of the Holy Spirit to 
 return to God, he is yet capable of affections and actions 
 which in themselves are virtuous and praiseworthy. 
 
 That this Church disclaims intolerant or persecuting 
 principles, and does not consider her office-bearers, in 
 subscribing the Confession, committed to any principles 
 inconsistent with liberty of conscience and the right of 
 private judgment. 
 
 That while diversity of opinion is recognised in this 
 Church on such points in the Confession as do not enter 
 into the substance of the Reformed Faith therein set forth, 
 the Church retains full authority to determine, in any case 
 which may arise, what points fall within this description, 
 and thus to guard against any abuse of this liberty to the 
 detriment of sound doctrine, or to the injury of her unity 
 and peace. 
 
 Act IX. 1894. — Anent Declaratory Act 1892 on 
 Confession of Faith. 
 
 The General Assemrg^ enact and declare as follows : — 
 
 Whereas the Declaratory Act 1892 was passed to remove 
 
 difficulties and scruples which had been felt by some in 
 
 reference to the declaration of belief required from persons 
 
 who receive license, or are admitted to office in this 
 
 p 225 
 
SUBSCRIPTION BY OFFICE-BEARERS 
 
 Church, the Assembly hereby declare that the statements 
 of doctrine contained in the said. Act are not thereby 
 imposed upon any of the Church's office-bearers as part 
 of the Standards of the Church ; but that those who are 
 licensed or ordained to office in this Church, in answering 
 the questions and subscribing the Formula, are entitled to 
 do so in view of the said Declaratory Act. 
 
 QUESTIONS AT THE ORDINATION OR INDUC- 
 TION OF A MINISTER. 
 
 Questions. 
 
 i. Do you believe the Scriptures of the Old and New 
 Testaments to be the Word of God, and the only rule of 
 faith and life ? 
 
 2. Do you sincerely own and believe the doctrine of this 
 Church, set forth in the Confession of Faith, approven by 
 Acts of General Synods and Assemblies ; do you acknow- 
 ledge the said doctrine as expressing the sense in which you 
 understand the Holy Scriptures ; and will you constantly 
 maintain and defend the same, and the purity of worship in 
 accordance therewith ? 
 
 3. Do you disown all Popish, Arian, Socinian, Arminian, 
 Erastian, and other doctrines, tenets, and opinions whatso- 
 ever, contrary to and inconsistent with the said doctrine of 
 this Church ? 
 
 4. Do you believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, as King 
 and Head of the Church, has therein appointed a govern- 
 ment in the hands of church-officers, distinct from, and not 
 subordinate in its own province to, civil government, and that 
 the civil magistrate does not possess jurisdiction or authori- 
 tative control over the regulation of the affairs of Christ's 
 Church ; and do you approve of the general principles with 
 respect to the spirituality and freedom of the Church of 
 Christ, and her subjection to Him as her only Head, and to 
 His Word as her only standard, embodied in the claim of 
 Right of 1842, the Protest of 1843, an d the Basis of Union 
 of 1847, as principles which are sanctioned by the Word of 
 God and the subordinate standards of this Church ? 
 
 . 226 
 
ORDINATION OF A MINISTER 
 
 5. Do you acknowledge the Presbyterian government and 
 discipline, as authorised in this Church, to be founded on, 
 and agreeable to, the Word of God ; do you promise to 
 maintain, and submit to, the said government and discipline; 
 and, while cherishing a spirit of brotherhood towards all the 
 faithful followers of Christ, do you engage to seek the 
 purity, edification, peace, and extension of this Church ? 
 
 6. Are not zeal for the glory of God, love to the Lord 
 Jesus Christ, and desire of saving souls, and not worldly 
 designs or interests, so far as you know your own heart, 
 your great motive's and chief inducements, to enter into the 
 office of the holy ministry ? 
 
 7. Do you promise to be subject in the Lord to this 
 Presbytery, and to the superior judicatories of this Church, 
 and conscientiously to take your part in their proceedings ? 
 
 8. Do you engage, in the strength of the grace that is in 
 Jesus Christ, our Lord and Master, to rule well your own 
 house, to live a holy and circumspect life, and faithfully, 
 diligently, and cheerfully to discharge all the parts of the 
 ministerial work, to the edification of the body of Christ ? 
 
 9. Have you used any undue methods, either by yourself 
 or others, to procure the call of this congregation ? 
 
 FORMULA OF SUBSCRIPTION. 
 
 (To be subscribed by Probationers on receiving- licence, and by 
 all Ministers- and Elders at the time of their admission?) 
 
 I, , do hereby declare that, in 
 
 the strength of the grace that is in Christ Jesus our Lord, I 
 will constantly maintain and defend the doctrine, worship, 
 and government of this Church, with the liberty and exclu- 
 sive spiritual jurisdiction thereof, as expressed in my answers 
 to the questions put to me ; and that I will fulfil, to the 
 utmost of my power, all the obligations to which I have 
 solemnly pledged myself. 
 
APPENDIX C. 
 
 EXTRACT from the preamble to the 39 Articles f 
 the Church of England. 
 
 No man hereafter shall either print, or preach, to dra 
 the Article aside anyway, but shall submit to it in tr 
 plain and full meaning thereof; and shall not put h 
 own sense or comment to be the meaning of the Articl 
 but shall take it in the literal and grammatical sense. 
 
 GLASGOW : PRINTED AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS BY ROBERT MACLEHOSE AND CO. LTD 
 
THIS BOOK IS DUE ON THE LAST DATE 
 STAMPED BELOW 
 
 AN INITIAL FINE OF 25 CENTS 
 
 WILL BE ASSESSED FOR FAILURE TO RETURN 
 THIS BOOK ON THE DATE DUE. THE PENALTY 
 WILL INCREASE TO 50 CENTS ON THE FOURTH 
 DAY AND TO SI.OO ON THE SEVENTH DAY 
 OVERDUE. 
 
 ,.- _ _ L; 
 
 
 
 
 MAY :!9t84lM 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 LD 21-100m-7,*40 (6936s) 
 
YB 3076T 
 
 158469 
 
 Tf