150 LECTURES AND ESSAYS [1868- 



which is not whether the doctrine of the Church is relatively 

 true as against the opposite heresy, but whether it is 

 absolutely and scientifically reliable, and whether the 

 whole system of the confession is a mere reproduction of 

 express Scripture doctrine. Very often, however, those 

 who are unable thoroughly to rest in the old dogmatic 

 are not able exactly to point out the real source of their 

 uneasiness, and are quite ready to grasp at the suggestion 

 that the true remedy is a more careful exegesis of Scripture 

 which is expected to result either in a clear proof or in a 

 clear refutation of the puzzling points. But when the 

 round of exegesis has been gone through the old questions 

 always return unsolved. Everything goes weU so long 

 as we stick to grammatical exegesis ; but after all the 

 result is not dogma, and when we come to build up our 

 dogmatic system the proof -texts are no more decisive 

 than before. And the consequence is that men who are 

 by no means unbelievers practically give up theology 

 altogether, resolving that exegesis is the beginning and 

 end of theological science. And this again is a mere 

 transition point ; for if exegesis is not to do service for 

 theology it comes to be asked in what sense exegesis is 

 profitable to the Christian life. Is the spiritual life of 

 the religious subject ministered to by an exact exegesis 

 better than by the simple study of perspicuous passages ? 

 It is easy to see that through questions of this sort the 

 whole question of the nature, functions, and authority 

 of Scripture may be opened up and that in a way which 

 leaves little hope of a satisfactory solution. And, in fact, 

 we see that the inspiration of Scripture is precisely one of 

 the points around which the greatest amount of offensive 

 and defensive activity is at present gathered. 



These hints may serve to indicate how vain it is to 

 try to meet the new currents of thought from the old 

 point of view in which the attitude of the theologising 

 subject is one of mere receptivity over against Scripture. 

 The constant appeal to Scripture proof in the sense of the 



