PARTING OF THE WAYS 



103 



The anthropomorphic manner of representing theo- 

 logical ideas, essences, dogmas, and opinions has necessarily 

 been limited, being confined in its range by the limitation 

 of its component instruments within the, for the time 

 being, or at any particular new departure or fresh expres- 

 sion of theological opinion, very narrow radius of 

 positive knowledge and power of expression arising from 

 a rudimentary or non-existent appreciation of the natural 

 laws of the universe, and the necessity for representing to 

 a more or less ignorant people in a more or less intelligible 

 form subjects pertaining to an order comparatively out- 

 side the material world, and at the same time lying within 

 and inter-penetrating it in all directions. However 

 changed for the better, the condition of things theological 

 may now be thought by some to be, we are yet very far 

 from having reached that u point of view " where we can 

 clearly apprehend the nature of the spiritual world and the 

 forces which the human race at all times and now have 

 continually interested itself in, hence we must be prepared 

 to accept, from whatever quarter it may come, with readi- 

 ness and thankfulness, any fresh light which can in any 

 degree illuminate the prevailing darkness surrounding this 

 absorbingly attractive region of theological insight and 

 learning, so fraught with the realisation of past, present, 

 and future human destiny. 



Hitherto theology has pursued her course to a great 

 extent unaided by what is popularly called secular agency, 

 and, no doubt, has laid the human race under the greatest 

 obligations for the intrinsic worth of the services she has 

 been able to place at its disposal ; but viewing the 

 " possibilities for good " which have at all times existed 

 within and around the church militant, we are unable to 

 persuade ourselves that she has at all times realised 

 everything for good which her position offered and 

 which her great obligations necessitated. We are far, 

 however, from finding fault with this, but we do beseech 

 her, in her endeavours to meet her responsibilities to 

 mankind, to accept of every aid which will enable her to 

 perform her duties better by reaching the intelligence of 

 the people, bending it towards an ethical advancement, 

 and ministering to its spiritual growth by a rational 



