sy in evangelical churches, and I think you will be
persuaded that it is unwise for us to be alarmists, and imprudent "to
breathe out threatenings and slaughters."

It will be observed that the newer heresies do not challenge the truth
of Scripture inspiration, only the form and philosophy of such
inspiration. The men who are suspected of entertaining erroneous
opinions concerning the method of Divine impartation of truth are the
strenuous advocates of the moral grandeur, spiritual authority, and
faith-sufficiency of the heavenly oracles. They, it is true, deny what
has been known as the verbal theory--a theory which owes more to the
post-reformers' fear of an infallible pope, than to any real,
intelligent cause--but by no recognized council or decree,
acknowledged by Protestants, has that mechanical conception ever been
made binding on the conscience. Modern scholarship is simply leading
us to recognize a more rational criticism than was possible to our
fathers; a mode of criticism which almost every Sunday-school teacher,
in his humble way, adopts, and which is common, and has been in the
most orthodox pulpits for unnumbered years, every man bringing the
passage he is discussing to the test of knowledge that he has acquired
and, in a sense, to the test even of his reason. I do not say that
scholars have uttered the final word upon this great subject, nor is
it possible for such a word to be pronounced at the present stage of
investigation, but I do insist that we should recognize the authority
of enlightenment, and that we should not carelessly brand as heterodox
men of eminent attainments, who are merely seeking to guide us to
foundations which, in the long run, shall prove absolutely
indestructible.

We have to decide whether the Christianity of the immediate future
shall be governed supremely by intelligence or ignorance. If ignorance
is to rule supreme, then let us found no more universities, nor open
any new theological seminaries. Let us not go through the farce of
instructing, unless it be merely to insist on the assimilating by
students of dogmas that must never be questioned, and from which they
will swear by the eternities they will never depart, either in spirit
or in letter. But, if we believe that education means the quickening
of a man's nature so that he will investigate, and if we really
believe that God has more light yet to break in upon the world,
through the casements and windows of holy scriptur