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TRACTS FOR THE TIMES.

ON RESERVE IN COMMUNICATING RELIGIOUS KNOWLEDGE.

PART IV.

THE TESTIMONY OF THE ANCIENT CHURCH.

1. No argument adduced against the principle: history of the subject in the writer's mind.

2. Testimony of the early Church full and extensive.

3. The existence of what has been termed the Disciplina Arcani.

4. Indications of the principle independent of any known definite system.

5. The Disciplina a rule of a moral nature.

6. The whole subject connected with a great religious principle and rule of conduct.

7. Catholic mode of interpreting Scripture founded on the

same.

8. High authority for this mode of Scriptural interpretation.

9. Reverence and caution observable in the Fathers.

10. Reserve in revelation not confined to God's word.

11. Origen's mode of considering the subject as moral not intellectual.

VOL. V.-87.

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12. The same discussed at length by St. Clement of Alex. andria.

13. The testimony of the Ancient Church to the doctrine of Christ Crucified.

14. The practice and principle of the Ancient Church perfectly analogous to our LORD's example.

PART V.

THE PRINCIPLE OPPOSED TO CERTAIN MODERN RELIGIOUS OPINIONS.

1. The nature of the objections which have been made.

2. On preaching the word most effectually.

3. On teaching the doctrine of the Atonement.

4. Danger in forming a plan of our own different from that of Scripture.

5. Statement of the case from plain moral principles.

6. All Scripture in perfect harmony as opposed to this modern system.

7. On eloquent preaching and delivery.

8. This peculiar system a worldly system.

PART VI.

THE SYSTEM OF THE CHURCH, ONE OF RESErve.

1. The principle considered with reference to ourselves. 2. The holiness of GOD's House of Prayer.

3. Sacraments, Church Ordinances, and practices.

4. The Church realizes the kingdom in secret.

5. This Reserve the best preservative of sound Church principles.

6. Caution necessary with respect to the latent senses of Scripture.

7. Secret religious duties, conversation, and controversy.

8. Untenable objections on the ground of our present position. 9. This sacred principle more than ever needed.

10. Want of reverence now prevailing.

11. Summary of the whole subject.

PART IV.

THE TESTIMONY OF THE ANCIENT CHURCH.

1. No argument adduced against the principle: history of the subject in the writer's mind.

THE writer made every inquiry of friends before the late Tract on this subject was published, to ascertain to what objections it was liable; and since the publication, he has looked out with great interest for every thing that has issued against it, with the expectation of finding either arguments adduced, which would militate against the principle itself, or such as would be calculated to show that, allowing the principle to be true, it was not capable of bearing out the conclusions to which it has been applied for, by means of such objections, the writer had hoped either, by answering and explaining them, to draw out and establish more clearly his main principle; or else to be assisted in seeing that the case could not be proved; under which circumstance he trusts he should be ready to acknowledge it. But to his great disappointment he has found nothing of this kind; he is not aware of one single argument adduced that touches the question; but much vague declamation, and strong alarms expressed, because the view interferes with certain peculiar religious opinions, or on account of some motives attributed to the writer's friends, or on other similar grounds, which in fact (even were they true) in no way affect him or this principle. That those who will not afford the subject a patient consideration should not agree with him, does in truth only confirm the argument which the writer wishes to maintain; which is mainly this, that religious truth cannot be known without serious attention. If there is something sacred and divine in this rule of reverential forbearance it cannot be thus controverted; nor has it in any way been put forth with any party feeling, nor will any one say it

has been treated by us in a spirit of controversy: the sole object being to know, by what means we may best arrive at truth, and promote religion in the world.

But independently of these objections, the writer has himself felt that there was much in the subject that needed explanation, and which was liable to misconstruction. He felt it at the time of publishing the former treatise, and has done so ever since. And some friendly notices, which have mentioned this, have not expressed it more strongly than he has been himself impressed with it partly from not fully seeing how far the inferences might lead him, which were deducible from a principle that he considered as true; and partly from some of his original observations on the subject having been mislaid and lost at the time of the publication, comprising the whole of the proof from antiquity which is here given; and as the inquiry has from its very nature occasioned some unavoidable misapprehensions, perhaps he could not better explain his sentiments than by recording the history of them in his own mind.

The opinion was not at first formed from a knowledge of any system of the kind in sacred antiquity, nor from observing that the principle was so fully maintained throughout the whole of the Holy Scriptures as he has since found it to be, much less from any speculative theory adopted in the study; but from his own. dealings with mankind in the care of a parish, and his observation of the conduct of others who, he thought, had most experience and good sense and singleness of heart in winning men to the truth. Much pain was occasioned him, and much injury he thought was done to the cause of the Gospel, in those who, from habit or want of consideration, acted otherwise. It appeared to him that, though his mode of proceeding was contrary to that which such persons require, yet it was according to the maxims of Scripture and often oppressed, as we cannot but feel, while thus acting, at being considered by some almost without the pale of the Christian covenant, yet his own natural sense of right, delicacy, and even Christian expediency, and much more his notion of the Gospel itself, could never allow him to act differently; considering that in the care of himself he had more to guard against

insincere profession, and unreal systems of thought and feeling in religion than any thing else; and that in others also he had nothing so much to seek for as true honesty and seriousness of mind, respecting a state so awful as that which Christianity represents ours to be. It appeared to him that there was no subject upon which we were so much and so earnestly cautioned throughout the Gospels as this (especially through all the Sermon on the Mount, and in our LORD's last discourses in St. John,) and that in the world at present the standard of things was so external, that there was more than ever danger of false pretension,—of an unreality, a want of thorough simplicity and seriousness, a secret looking to the world, such as would eat out the very heart of religion. Thoughts of this kind were constantly in his mind: not that he had any notion whatever of a system, or indeed of any great and extensive principle, nor even did his feelings assume any definite shape so as to support themselves by arguments and decisive reasons why his sentiments and practice were unlike those of certain others; but he only felt that in acting otherwise in occasional instances of various kinds, he was doing violence to something sacred and to natural modesty; and that the obloquy he was subject to he shared with those of whose fidelity he could not doubt, such as bishop Butler and bishop Wilson. And indeed when continually engaged in these and the like thoughts, he had felt inexpressibly relieved and comforted at finding those whom he could most value not only quite free from all this, but watchful against it in themselves and others. Perfectly one and of a piece with this appeared to him the uniform tendency of Holy Scripture, when viewed with a reference to this subject, as has been shown in the previous part of this treatise. And in reading the ancient writers with this view he found throughout, if they did not fully explain the whole of our LORD's conduct on this principle, yet they incidentally allowed it, and bore the fullest evidence to the opinions he has stated. So much so indeed that the doctrine, which appears new and strange to many of us in the present day, would have been one with which they were quite familiar. The inferences implied, and the practices recommended, would have been considered by the Ancient

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