54 QUAKER ASPECTS OF TRUTH 



it was Greek* And the institution was not Christian, 

 it was Roman, 



And thus, in a remarkably short space of time, this 

 Christianity which, as it came from the Master, was 

 characterised by the exquisite simplicity of its theology, 

 and by the entire absence of any sacerdotal rites or 

 official priesthood, evolved a theology far more dogmatic 

 than any which had preceded it, and a sacerdotal system 

 with a priestly hierarchy and a ritual so elaborate as to 

 cast even that of the priesthood of Aaron into the 

 shade ♦ 



Now I am quite willing to admit that to say that a 

 theology and an institution are of Pagan rather than 

 Christian origin, is not quite equivalent to saying that 

 they are false ♦ Nor have I any desire to narrow down 

 the inspiration of God so as to bring it all within the 

 limits of Hebrew and Christian revelation. But it does 

 follow from what I have already said that those creeds 

 and institutions which we call Christian have no supreme 

 authority, and are in no way binding upon the loyal 

 follower of Jesus Christ, And I go further and say 

 with Fairbairn, that for any man-made institution to 

 call itself the '' Church of Christ,*' is impiety and 

 impertinence, Christ did not found an institution ; 

 still less did He found a sacerdotal system. What He 

 did found was a brotherhood of believers, which He 

 trusted would grow into a world-wide society, in which 

 the universal Fatherhood of God and the universal 

 brotherhood of man should be fully realised in the 

 everyday lives of the ** citi2;ens of the Kingdom,'' 



Now here let me say, incidentally, that true Christ- 

 ianity has nothing whatever to fear either from scientific 

 investigation or from historical criticism. To be sure 

 the so-called '' Christianity " of creeds and ceremonies 

 and institutions has everything to fear. Indeed the 

 scientific and historical spirit of the age has scarcely left 



