ATHEISM AND THE CHURCH. 631 



even to think of? Why not make believe very hard to have found an 

 infallible oracle, and determine once for all to desert our post and 

 ' jurare in verba magistri " ? " It is true that history demonstrates be- 

 yond a doubt that Jesus and his apostles knew nothing of any such 

 contrivance. But never mind ! " A Catholic who should adhere to the 

 testimony of history, when it appears to contradict the Church, would 

 be guilty not merely of treason and heresy, but of apostasy." ^ Yes, of 

 treason to Rome, but of faithful and courageous loyalty to Christ. "I 

 am the truth," said Christ. " The truth shall make you free." Speak 

 the truth in love, prove all things, hold fast that which is true, said his 

 apostles. How can it ever be consonant to his will that the members 

 of his brotherhood should conspire together to make believe that white 

 is black at the bidding of any man on earth ? The Church of England, 

 at anv rate, has no such treason to answer for. Her doctrinal canons, 

 by distinctly asserting that even " General Councils may err and have 

 erred " and by a constant appeal to ancient documents, universally ac- 

 cepted, but capable of ever-improving interpretation, have averted the 

 curse of a sterile traditionalism. No new light is at any time inacces- 

 sible to her. Every historical truth is treasured, every literary discussion 

 is welcome, every scientific discovery finds at last a place amid her sys- 

 tem. Time and patience are, of course, required to rearrange and har- 

 monize all things together new and old ; and a claim is rightly made 

 that new " truths " should first be substantiated as such, before they are 

 incorporated into so vast and widespread an engine of popular education 

 as hers. But, with this proviso, " Theology accepts every certain conclu 

 sion of physical science as man's unfolding of God's book of nature 

 It is therefore most unwise, if any of her clergy pose themselves as hos- 

 tile to new discoveries, whether in history, literature, or science. It may 

 be natural to take up such an attitude ; and a certain impatience and 

 resentment at the manner in which these things are often paraded, in 

 the crudest forms and before an unprepared public, may be easily con- 

 doned by all candid men. But such an attitude of suspicion and hostil- 

 ity between " things old " and " things new " goes far beyond the com- 

 mission to " banish and drive away all strange and erroneous doctrines 

 contrary to God's word." For this commission requires proof, and not 

 surmise, that they are erroneous ; and the Church has had experience, 

 over and over again, how easy and how disastrous it is to banish from 

 the door an unwelcome guest, who was perhaps nothing less than an 

 ano-el in disguise. The story of Galileo will never cease, while the 

 world lasts, to cause the enemies of the Church to blaspheme. Yet of 

 late years it has been honestly confessed by divines that " the oldest 

 and the youngest of the natural sciences, astronomy and geology, so far 

 from being dangerous, . . . seem providentially destined to engage 



' Swear as a master bids. 



- Abbe Martin, " Contemporary Review," December, 1878, p. 94. 



' Dr. Pusey, " University Sermon," November, 1878. 



« s 



