A Dissertation Upon the Use and Importance of Unauthoritative Tradition, as an Introduction to the Christian Doctrines; Including the Substance of a Sermon Upon 2 Thess. II. 15. Also Supplementary Extracts from His Bampton Lectures in Illustration of the (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1889. Excerpt: ... or be staggered by apparent anomalies in the moral government of mankind. Points of this description would lose their force as antecedent objections, and, even when unanswered, would shrink into their just dimensions, as minor difficulties. Let the first step then have been securely planted, let him have ascertained the paramount authority of the Holy Scriptures. But they are often intricate, it will be said, perplexed, indirect, unsystematic; they are urged in defence of various opposite doctrines, and contending systems of faith: --be it so, and this representation of them is not altogether destitute of truth: --but there is a second step to be taken; he must now have recourse to unauthoritative tradition, and, having proved the authority of the Scriptures, he must now by them prove the correctness of tradition. Moreover, in this case a reasonable man will not first seek objections to an established religious creed, but rather enquire in the first instance what is the tradition proffered to his acceptance by the Church of his country; in order, be it remembered, that he may try the validity of her system by what he had previously admitted as the only authoritative rule of faith; and thus that he may abridge her creed, or add to it, or embrace it, as that rule shall give him occasion. But this, we are told, is to prejudice his mind when it should be kept most free, and most unbiassed. Must he then, who thirsts for an acquaintance with chemistry or astronomy, institute experiments of his own, or set on foot an independent investigation into the works of nature, before he reads the productions of those celebrated men who have most advanced these studies, lest they forsooth should prejudice his mind? It is not surely necessary, that he must be prejudiced in f.