I PROLOGUE 11 



it followed that, in the long run, whoso settled 

 the canon defined the creed. If the private 

 judgment of Luther might legitimately conclude 

 that the epistle of James was contemptible, while 

 the epistles of Paul contained the very essence of 

 Christianity, it must be permissible for some 

 other private judgment, on as good or as bad 

 grounds, to reverse these conclusions ; the critical 

 process which excluded the Apocrypha could not 

 be barred, at any rate by people who rejected 

 the authority of the Church, from extending its 

 operations to Daniel, the Canticles, and Ecclesi- 

 astes ; nor, having got so far, was it easy to allege 

 any good ground for staying the further progress 

 of criticism. In fact, the logical development of 

 Protestantism could not fail to lay the authority 

 of the Scriptures at the feet of Reason ; and, 

 in the hands of latitudinarian and rationalistic 

 theologians, the despotism of the Bible was 

 rapidly converted into an extremely limited 

 monarchy. Treated with as much respect as 

 ever, the sphere of its practical authority was 

 minimised ; and its decrees were valid only so far 

 as they were countersigned by common sense, the 

 responsible minister. 



The champions of Protestantism are much 

 given to glorify the Reformation of the sixteenth 

 century as the emancipation of Reason ; but it 

 may be doubted if their contention has any solid 

 ground ; while there is a good deal of evidence to 



