1048
THE KING’S BUSINESS
This has been well compared by the late Dr. Waller, of Highbury, to the following: “Mr. Balfour wrote a book on The Foundations of Belief." “Mr. Balfour is a member of the Privy Council.” “Therefore, the Privy Council is the author of the book called The Foundations of Belief." The fallacy, of course, lies in attributing to a body in its collective capacity certain acts of individual members of the body. The Church is not, and never was, the author of Scripture. The Scriptures are the law of God .for the Church, delivered to it by the Apostlès and Prophets. So we say. again that the Lord Jesus Christ is the supreme Authority, and we accept the Bible because it enshrines and embodies that authority. Take away Christ from the Bible, and there is no Bible left worth having. We do not bow down to the Book because it is a book; we do not re pudiate reason because it is reason ; we do not set aside the Church because it is the Church. We say that what we want is the best available form of Christ’s revelation, and we believe we get this in the Bible and not in any other way. THE WHOLE CHURCH The Word of God is therefore that which gives us a fixed and objective em bodiment of the revelation of God in JChrist; and as such it is, of course, supreme for everything connected with the Church. Let us not make any mistake. The witness of the whole Church is very important. When the whole Church bears testimony to the Deity of Jesus Christ, we are rash if we individually reject that doctrine; but still, when we have said everything for the moral authority of the Church, it is the work of a witness, not of a creator. Let me quote the words of the Bishop of Ox ford, Dr. Gore, on this point: “The Word of God in the Bible is the final testing- ground of doctrine.” Church belief, what we call Church tra dition, tends to deteriorate in the course of time. It never abides fired. Tradition is
so variable that we cannot depend upon it. There is modification and subtraction; there is often a positive inserted here and a superlative there if we depend upon tra dition. We find this in Jewish history. Mark vii. 13: “Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition.” The Bishop of Oxford said some years ago concerning the Jewish Church, and the Mediaeval Church, that they had merged Scripture in a miscellaneous mass of au thorities. But we, do not believe in merging it that way. We insist on keeping it sepa rate and supreme. Here again an illustration will help us. When we -have a telegram, we require rea son to read, the message. The wire that brought the message may represent the Church that brought the Bible to our door ; but the message is the real thing. And so we have reason, the Church, and the Bible, but the message is the essential matter. IT IS FINAL That brings me to this: The Bible is our final authority. Spiritual, supreme, and final. The Old Testament could not claim finality for itself, because it was a gradual growth; and for the same reason the New Testament could not claim finality for itself ; but the whole tone of the Bible in volves and implies finality. Fathers are not always saying to their boys: “I am your father; I am supreme here.” They do not need to say that again and again. The boys know from their whole bearing and tone who are the masters. The atti tude of the father and mother is sufficient; and the attitude of Scripture shows that it is final. Isa. viii. 20: “To the law and to the testimony, if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them,” or “there is no morning for them.” Matt. xxiv. 25: “Behold I have told you. 2 Cor, iv. 2: “Adulterating the Word of God.” Eph. yi. 17:' “The Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.” 1 Thess. ii. 13: “Ye received the Word of God.” 2 Tim. iii. 16: “All Scripture God- breathed is profitable for doctrW for cor rection, for instruction in righteousness.” However you take this last text, it refers
Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker