THE BIBLE IN THE CHURCH.

Αρα οὖν, ἀδελφοί, στήκετε, καὶ κρατεῖτε τὰς παραδόσεις ἃς ἐδιδάχθητε εἴτε διὰ λόγου εἴτε δι ̓ ἐπιστολῆς ἡμῶν.

THE very form of our subject suggests the remark that the demand for guidance-for authority in matters of faith-is characteristic of our time. It is only natural that in days of much positive and precise knowledge, of rapid processes and quickly attained results, there should be a widespread impatience of uncertainty and delay in matters of the highest concern. It does not lie within the scope of this lecture to discuss the question of authority at length: but in mentioning the Bible and the Church we cannot forget that we are naming two of the principal means which God has put within our reach for the attainment of religious and spiritual truth; and it is well at the outset to remind ourselves how real are the limitations under which any demand for clear and express "authority" can meet with satisfaction. Our

blessed Lord's own method in answering difficult questions plainly indicates that there is, and must necessarily be, an element of Divine reserve in the communication of eternal truth to men. For although there is much that we supremely need to know, there is also much which it would not profit us to know, much that in our present state we can never hope to know. In a world of mystery, of broken lights and shadows, in the midst of a scheme most imperfectly comprehended, "in the abyss," as Pascal writes, "of that boundless immensity of which he knows nothing," man has no reason to expect that he will find more express guidance than is sufficient to direct him safely towards his true goal. There is enough certainly revealed to reassure us, enough to give us hope and good confidence, enough to keep us sober-minded, humble, expectant, watchful; but it is contrary to all analogy to suppose that there should be, under present conditions of human probation, clear-cut or positive answers to every question which our restlessness or curiosity, our indolence or timidity, might prompt us to ask. There is need nowadays of the warning of a seventeenth century divine, "A false

conceit is crept into the minds of men, to think the points of religion that be manifest to be certain petty points, scarce worth the hearing. Those, yea those be great, and none but those, that have great disputes about them. It is not so.... Those [points] that are necessary He hath made plain; those that are not plain, not necessary. A way of peace then there shall be whereof all parts shall agree even in the midst of a world of controversies; that there need not such ado in complaining, if men did not delight rather to be treading mazes than to walk in the paths of peace 1."

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Yes: effort, suspense, perplexity, pain, the discipline of uncertainty and of deferred hope even in the search after truth are not to be spared these; it were not good that we should be spared. For we may remember two points which are prominent in our Lord's teaching: first, He reveals our true relation to God as that of filial dependence; we are children, not servants; we are sons under moral discipline and education. Accordingly, the training to which we are subjected is one that aims at

1 Andrewes, Sermon 3 On the Nativity.

the development and enrichment of a filial character. It resembles the best type of education of which we can form an idea in its "combination of authority and liberty 1"; in its care for character as well as for enlightenment; in its appeal at once to conscience and to intellect; in its demand for courage and trust as well as for fairness and patience in reasoning. The discipline of sons cannot be exactly on a level with the direction and supervision of servants. No mere dictation of explicit doctrines or precepts could develop in us first the desire, and then the capacity, of intelligent co-operation with the Divine purpose, or could stimulate the temper of filial reverence, dependence, trust, and love. For the purpose of moral education-for the awakening of religious affections-it may well be that a minimum of authoritative guidance will be the most effective. "Henceforth I call you not servants," says our Lord to His disciples; "for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth : but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you 2."

1 See R. W. Church, Pascal and other Sermons, p. 218. 2 S. John xv. 15.

Again, Jesus Christ taught mankind the supremacy of spiritual and eternal Over temporal interests. Doubtless there is a certain spiritual discipline involved in suspense and uncertainty which is necessary and wholesome for beings constituted as we are; and if we study our Lord's method of training His disciples, we notice that to Him their ultimate spiritual welfare is always the first consideration. He does not require of them a mere blind self-attachment to His person, an unquestioning or unreasoning acceptance of His doctrine. He ever aims at awakening in them spiritual intelligence; He encourages them to ask questions; He is at pains to keep alive in them the sense of mystery, imparting to them truth as they are able to bear it, and concealing under the veil of parable spiritual truths which at the same time He illuminates by symbolic acts of supernatural power. He does not simply impart information, He seems rather to aim at deepening understanding. And here we have a signal mark of true religion. For, as Pascal points out, "God being hidden, every religion which does not declare that He is hidden must be false; and every religion which does not give the reason for this,