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ification of all that I had surmised as to their vagueness and indecisiveness, and that, not only on questions which lay between Lutherans, Calvinists, and Zuinglians, but on Catholic questions also; and I have noticed them in my Tract. In the conclusion of my Tract I observe: The Articles are "evidently framed on the principle of leaving open large questions on which the controversy hinges. They state broadly extreme truths, and are silent about their adjustment. For instance, they say that all necessary faith must be proved from Scripture; but do not say _who_ is to prove it. They say, that the Church has authority in controversies; they do not say _what_ authority. They say that it may enforce nothing beyond Scripture, but do not say _where_ the remedy lies when it does. They say that works _before_ grace _and_ justification are worthless and worse, and that works _after_ grace _and_ justification are acceptable, but they do not speak at all of works _with_ God's aid _before_ justification. They say that men are lawfully called and sent to minister and preach, who are chosen and called by men who have public authority _given_ them in the Congregation; but they do not add _by whom_ the authority is to be given. They say that Councils called by _princes_ may err; they do not determine whether Councils called in the name of Christ may err." Such were the considerations which weighed with me in my inquiry how far the Articles were tolerant of a Catholic, or even a Roman interpretation; and such was the defence which I made in my Tract for having attempted it. From what I have already said, it will appear that I have no need or intention at this day to maintain every particular interpretation which I suggested in the course of my Tract, nor indeed had I then. Whether it was prudent or not, whether it was sensible or not, any how I attempted only a first essay of a necessary work, an essay which, as I was quite prepared to find, would require revision and modification by means of the lights which I should gain from the criticism of others. I should have gladly withdrawn any statement, which could be proved to me to be erroneous; I considered my work to be faulty and open to objection in the same sense in which I now consider my Anglican interpretations of Scripture to be erroneous; but in no other sense. I am surprised that men do not apply to the interpreters of Scripture generally the hard names which they apply to the
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