^T. 33.] A DECADE OF WORK AT HOME. 321 



of them, he was ready at any time to discuss problems of 

 theology and ecclesiaticism. His temper was naturally 

 conservative, and he held by the habits of thought which 

 had been early formed ; but he was open to conviction, 

 and by the process of his own thought broke through 

 narrow bounds and rejoiced in all true progress in re- 

 ligion, both for himself and others. In the matter of 

 scriptural authority, for example, he was in accord 

 with Soame Jenyns, taking the ground quoted here : 



" The Scriptures," says that writer, in his " Internal 

 Evidences of Christianity," " are not revelations from 

 God, but the history of them. The revelations them- 

 selves are derived from God, but the history of them is 

 the production of man. If the records of this revela- 

 tion are supposed to be the revelation itself, the least 

 defect discovered in them must be fatal to the whole. 

 What has led many to overlook this distinction is that 

 common phrase that the Scriptures are the Word of 

 God ; and in one sense they certainly are ; that is r 

 they are the sacred repository of all the revelations, 

 dispensations, promises, and precepts which God has 

 vouchsafed to communicate to mankind ; but by this 

 expression we are not to understand that every part of 

 this voluminous collection of historical, poetical, pro- 

 phetical, theological, and moral writing which we call 

 the Bible was dictated by the immediate influence of 

 Divine inspiration." 



He held this ground strongly when the general view 

 of the Bible was narrower than of late years. As the 

 years went on he grew broader and sweeter, feeling 

 wider sympathy with all true, devout religious belief. 



He was a constant church-goer, everywhere. When 

 traveling he always made Sunday a resting-day if 

 possible, and would go quietly off in the morning to 



