THEOLOGY AND LAW. 247 



rare thing? or the "evil" 1 and "defiled" 2 con- 

 science ? or the conscience " seared as with a hot 

 iron"? 8 Or are these less common than the con- 

 science which is " good " 4 and " pure," 5 and " with- 

 out offence," 6 and therefore strong and authori- 

 tative, as in them " who by reason of use have their 

 senses exercised to discern both good and evil?" 7 

 And in the nation at large are there not, short of 

 National Apostasy, conditions in which the con- 

 science no longer speaks, or claims to speak, as 

 the voice of God ? when considerations of right 

 and wrong give way to considerations of finance ; 

 and expediency takes the place of truth ; and a 

 narrow and false view of British interest obscures 

 the moral law ; and a fear of ideal legislation 

 results in immoral selfishness ? 



These may seem far-off dangers, dangers with 

 which we, at least, have nothing to do. But it is 

 not so. You and I may have no direct mission to 

 legislate, and yet it is true that in every judgment 

 we pass we are doing something to form that body 

 of opinion which will some day crystallize in law. 

 The judgment of him who speaks with the autho- 

 rity of the Law is yet different only in degree from 

 the moral judgments which we so lightly pass. 

 And here in Oxford we are nothing if we are not 



1 Heb. x. 22. 2 Tit. i. 15. 3 I Tim. iv. 2. 



4 Ibid. i. 5. 5 2 Tim. i. 3. 6 Acts xxiv. 16. 



7 Heb. v. 14. 



