THE VERY REV. H. WACE, D.D., ON AUTHORITY. 239 



and wrong we are subject only to the authority of God, and to 

 those whom we recognise as speaking with His authority. Subject 

 only to that, we judge for ourselves in all such matters. " Why 

 yourselves judge ye not what is right?" Christ says: "Judge 

 righteous judgment!" "Judge in yourselves." Says St. Paul: 

 " Judge ye what I say " He that is spiritual judgeth all things " ; 

 " Let the prophets speak and let the others judge." 



But, of course, in the exercise of this right of private judgment, 

 the individual uses a respectful deference to the formulated judgment 

 of the community as such, i.e., to the Church of his allegiance and 

 the realm of which he is providentially a citizen. In religious 

 questions, our National Church has disclaimed all right to supersede 

 what is plainly set forth in Scripture, and all infallibility in interpre- 

 ting it. 



Questions arising out of conflict between the convictions of 

 individuals, the teaching of the church they belong to, and the law 

 of their country, are questions of castiistry, and can only be solved 

 as they arise. As a general principle, we can only insist on the 

 authority of our individual judgment in serious questions of right 

 and wrong, on which we are conscious of having taken all reasonable 

 mean 5 of getting well informed. 



I quite agree with the Dean in his light estimate of the current 

 appeal made by some to " Catholicity " so called ; but I cannot 

 accept the disparaging generalisations as to Church history of Sir 

 Robert Anderson or Dr. AV. AVoods Smyth. 



