134 LECTURES AND ESSAYS [1868- 



of apologetics and relegate it to dogmatic theology. The 

 true place for the doctrine of Holy Scripture is indeed 

 already indicated in Protestant dogmatic. In our 

 Catechisms, for example, Scripture is mentioned not 

 only as the starting-point of the whole system, but in the 

 discussion of the means of grace. Now we would refer 

 the subject altogether to this latter sphere, to which 

 alone it properly belongs, and choose as the basis of our 

 Christianity not the record of revelation, but the historical 

 facts of revelation themselves. Not on the Bible as an 

 infallible book, but on the historic manifestation of God 

 in Christ must our faith rest. And when this is under 

 stood we shall no longer be constantly uneasy at the 

 progress of criticism in Scripture. We shall not hesitate 

 to test the doctrine of inspiration like every other doctrine 

 of Christianity with all impartiality and calmness and by 

 all additional light that science or criticism can cast 

 upon it. 



No criticism can take from us our personal fellowship 

 with God in Christ no criticism can withdraw from the 

 Bible its living power as the medium wherein we are 

 brought face to face with Christ ; for a personal faith lies 

 too deep to be touched by criticism. All historical 

 certainty rests ultimately on personal belief, and no 

 attack on the Gospel history can have such a personal 

 weight as is at all comparable to the Christian s con 

 viction of the reality of the historical Christ. And if this 

 be so, criticism may aid us in gaining more and more 

 clear knowledge, but cannot destroy personal faith. We 

 may or may not be able to satisfy ourselves of the in 

 fallibility of Scripture, but we can never doubt that 

 Scripture gives all that is required to attain a true image 

 of our Lord. And if this function of Scripture does not 

 involve infallibility (and it cannot so far as we have 

 seen be declared at once that it does), the criticism, 

 scientific or historic, that lays bare this fact will have done 

 us the good service of removing a false impression which, 



