STRONGHOLD OF TRUTH
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portant. \,Vhen 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 every thing 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 Oxford, Dr. Gore, on this point: "The v-,r ord of God in the Bible is the final testing ground of doctrine." Church belief, what we call Church tradition, tends to deteriorate in the course of time. It never abides fixed. 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 tradition. We find this in Jewish history. Mark vii. 13: "l\faking the word of God of none effect through your tradition." The Bishop of Oxford said some years ago concerning the Jewish Church, and the Medireval Church, that they had merged Scripture in a miscellane ous mass of authorities. But we do not believe in merg ing it that way. We insist on keeping it separate and supreme. Here again an illustration will help us. When we have a telegram, we require reason 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 auth ority. Spiritual, supreme, and final. The Old Testament could not claim finality for itself, because it was a grad ual growth; and for the same reason the New Testament could not claim finality for itself; but the. whole tone of the Bible involves 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 attitude of the father
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