Religion. IS THE BIBLE ALONE A SUFFICIENT RULE OF FAITH? AFFIRMATIVE ARTICLE.-II. "The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. Moreover by them is thy servant warned: And in keeping of them there is great reward.”—Psa. xix. 7—11. On the importance of the present question it is not necessary that we should dwell, for this is admitted by all, whether from a consideration of the intrinsic value of the debated question itself, or from its history, as being one of the chief (if not, indeed, the very chief) point of difference between the two great sections into which we find that professed Christians are at present divided, viz., Protestants and Roman Catholics. At the period of the Reformation, in the sixteenth century, the sufficiency of Holy Scripture in its integrity, as the sole authoritative rule of faith and doctrine, was asserted by the Reformers in opposition to the dictum that had obtained reverence for ages, that to Scripture was to be added the oral traditions of the Church, in order to complete the Rule of Faith, or standard of appeal, in all questions of a religious nature. But, by the noble Reformers on the continent and in our own country, this excrescence of tradition and superstition was cut away, and the Bible, and not the decrees of popes and councils, was proclaimed by them as the only legitimate authority, from which there could be no appeal, and whose voice ought not to be set aside in all disputed or disputable questions of doctrine or practice. "To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them," Isa. viii. 20. In our day this same battle for truth still goes on; but the weapons that we employ are not those which have disgraced a former age, as the rack, the prison, or the stake, but an earnest appeal to the mind and conscience of every man as a moral, responsible, and intelligent being. Speaking as to wise men," we call on each to "judge" what we say. If it be error, let it be denounced in the light of day; if truth, let it be accepted and honoured as such. The sufficiency of Scripture as a Rule of Faith, we observe, will be apparent from a consideration of its character as a revelation of His will from God to man. 66 Reasoning à priori, we should expect that a professed revelation from God, a Being infinite in all perfection, should exhibit something of this characteristic attribute of His nature; that, like its Author, it would be perfect; that of itself it would be sufficient to attain the desired end, and instruct us in everything that is essentially requisite for us to know, in order that we may be "wise unto salvation." To affirm the contrary were to make God the Author of an imperfection, and that in the important matter of a revelation of His will unto us-a supposition so absurd, that it requires but to be mentioned, to be pronounced untenable. Perfection we see written upon all the handiworks of God in the world of nature, whether in the starry firmament above, or in the vegetable and animated kingdoms around us. This perfection in the material universe alone leads us to look for a similar perfection (or complete adaptation of means to the end) in the moral system or revelation of His will. Nor are our anticipations in this respect disappointed, on an examination of the volume of inspiration. The language of the Psalmist, which we have prefixed to this article, affirms this perfection of the law of God: that His "testimony " is "sure," not uncertain; His statutes also are "right," and his "commandments pure;" and that their legitimate influence is to "convert the soul," make "wise the simple," " rejoicing the heart," and "enlightening the eyes." Were there no other description of the character of Holy Writ than this, it would be sufficient to commend it to our supreme affection, as being of itself all-sufficient to instruct us in everything necessary to salvation. Universal experience also testifies to the truth of the Psalmist's impassioned estimate of the Word of God here and elsewhere. "I have seen an end of all perfection: but thy commandment is exceeding broad," Psa. cxix. 96. St. Paul also commends Timothy, in that "from a child" he had "known the holy Scriptures;" and also fixes the highest estimate upon their influence, when he affirmed that they were "able to make" him "wise unto salvation, through faith which is in Christ Jesus." He further affirms the divine fountain of Holy Writ as being "given by inspiration of God;" and its sufficiency may be inferred from the fact, that it is also "profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect "-the legitimate result of the study of a perfect rule, and thereby "throughly furnished unto all good works," 2 Tim. iii. 16, 17. Here we have not the least intimation that anything but the Word of God alone was to be studied as our Rule of Faith, or that its teachings were to be at all modified by any oral traditions, which latter are far more likely to be corrupted than any written document. That the Scripture to which Paul here refers were the books of the Old Testament, will be acknowledged by all; that the Apocrypha is not to be included is also evident, from the fact that the Jews never did view it as the result of inspiration, and consequently it was by them always carefully excluded from the sacred canon. We may, however, understand as coming within the meaning of the term Scripture, as used by the apostle, the genuine Gospels and Epistles which were written by the evangelists and the apostles up to the time when he wrote to Timothy, and any that might be written afterwards by inspired penmen. The same great apostle also affirms that "whatsoever things were written aforetime (not spoken merely) were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope," Rom. xv. 4. St. James also admonishes his readers to "lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls," Jas. i. 21. The 119th Psalm is a psalm by itself, in its thorough praise of the law, or Word of God. Its entire scope and design appears to be to " magnify the law, and make it honourable," to set forth the excellency, sufficiency, and usefulness of the divine revelation; and it is also further recommended to us for our practice by the Psalmist's own good example.t In the next place we would remark, that the Bible ought to be read by all, and that it is the bounden duty of every man to judge for himself as to its true meaning. Under the Old Testament dispensation we find an express command to this effect :-" And these *The word Apocrypha is derived from the Greek word signifying "to conceal," and was doubtless applied to certain books, either because their authors were unknown, or their characters suspected; and they were never exhibited by the ancient Church, either Jewish or Christian, as part of the standard of saving truth, and were by them deemed uncanonical. Their names are,-Esdras 1, 2. Tobit, Judith, Chronicles of Esther, Wisdom of Solomon, Ecclesiasticus, Baruch, Song of the Three Children, History of Susanna, Bell and the Dragon, Prayer of Manasses, and Maccabees 1, 2. These books are rejected by Protestants, because they have no authority for admission into the canon. Not one of them is extant in Hebrew, the original language of the Old Testament; they were written after the cessation of prophecy, and before the gospels; not one of the writers directly claims to be inspired; they were never received as canonical by the Jews, and were rejected by Christ, being never once quoted by either Him or His apostles. The early Christian fathers do not quote them as being on a level with canonical Scripture, but rejected them as uncanonical during the first four centuries. They contain fabulous matter, Esther x. 6; 2 Mac. i. 19-22; ii. 4: contradictory statements, compare Tobit i. 12 with xii. 15: doctrines contradictory to Scripture, 2 Mac. xii. 43, 44; Wisdom viii. 19, 20; 1 Esdras viii. 33; Tobit xii. 8, 9; Ecclus. iii. 3, 30; vii. 20; xiii. 24; xxxv. 3: commend immoral practices, 2 Mac. xiv. 41-46; Judith ix. 2-9; Tobit vi. 16, 17: and contradict profane historians without good evidence, see 1 Mac. i. 6, 7; vii. 16. On this part of our subject consult also Jer. xxiii. 29-32; Luke viii. 11, 12; xi. 27, 28; John viii. 32; xx. 30, 31; Rom. i. 16; x. 17; 1 Cor. xv. 1, 2; Ephes. vi. 17-19; 1 Pet. i. 23; ii. 2; 2 Pet. i, 19—21; iii. 1, 2; 1 John i. 1-5; v. 13. words which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates," Deut. vi. 6-9 (see also xi. 18-21; xxxi. 11-13), a command doubtless expressly intended to enforce and recommend the diligent study of Scripture. Joshua himself was also commanded by God to "meditate" in the "book" of His "law day and night," and to regulate his conduct thereby, "according to all that is written therein," Josh. i. 7, 8. The Psalmist also pronounces him blessed "whose delight is in the law of the Lord," Psa. i. 2; cxix. 97-104 (see also Rev. i. 3); while his son, the wisest of men, testifies that "whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed: but he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded," or, as it might be rendered, "shall be in peace," Prov. xiii. 13 (see also Matt. vii. 24-27). By the prophet Isaiah we are exhorted to "seek out of the book of the Lord, and read," &c., Isa. xxxiv. 16. Christ commanded His hearers (and consequently us also) to "search the Scriptures," John v. 39; while Paul bestows the highest eulogium on the noble-minded Bereans, "in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily, to see whether those things" which they had heard from him "were so," Acts xvii. 11. Further, writing to the Thessalonians, he thus concludes:-" I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read unto all the holy brethren," 1 Thess. v. 27; whence we may very fairly infer that this production of the inspired apostle ought to be read to, indeed by, all Christians of every suc ceeding age, for their instruction and edification in religious truth, and so may, very properly, form a part of their sacred canon, or "Rule of Faith." Again, by the same apostle, and in the same epistle, we are enjoined to "prove all things," and to "hold fast that which is good," 1 Thess. v. 21; and this we are to do by comparing creeds, theories, doctrines, opinions, and practices with Scripture. In his controversy with the Sadducees, Christ appeals to the scriptural knowledge of His interlocutors, "Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the Scriptures, neither the power of God?" &c., Mark xii. 24. Here is no reference to tradition or vague opinion of the Church, but it is the Scripture that is solemnly appealed to, and we should hesitate very much before receiving anything that is not supported by, or is opposed to, its teachings. The same privilege, duty, and obligation of every man to examine the Scriptures, and regulate his conduct by them alone, is also taught in the close of the parable of the rich man and Lazarus :-" Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them," Luke xvi. 29-31. The solemn consequences attendant upon this examination of the sacred Word are also urged upon our notice by Christ, and were doubtless in tended as a powerful argument to stir all men up to an anxious study of its precepts ; "He the rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judge him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day," John xii. 47–50. (Consult also Josh. xxiii. 6, and Neh. viii. 1-8.) It were a useless quibble to object here that the words spoken are not all included in what is written, for it is evident that none are "written" but what were also "spoken" by our Saviour. The evangelist himself confesses to this omission, while at the same time he gives as his reason why any were written,-"That ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through His name," John xx. 31. "There are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written," xxi. 25. It is certainly a remarkable fact that Jesus himself did not write a single word of any of His sayings or doings while on earth; but the existence of this peculiar feature in the Divine plan does not warrant us in supposing, as our opponents would have us to do, that other doctrinal teachings, besides those which are written, were committed to the care of the apostles, and by them entrusted to their successors, to be taught to converts when the latter were fit to be entrusted therewith, and which important secret doctrines were all included in that vague class now known as the oral traditions of the church. Such an idea, we always conceived, savours somewhat of the priesthood's notions of their superior dignity, and reflects anything but honour on the wisdom of the great Author of Christianity. This brings us to notice, in the next place, that so far from being regarded as on an equal footing with Scripture, tradition is always to be rejected, if opposed to the plain teaching thereof. In the fourth session of the Council of Trent, it was declared that "they" (the traditions of the church) "have come down to us, either received by the apostles from the lips of Christ himself, or transmitted by the hands of the same apostles, under the dictation of the Holy Spirit ; that these traditions relate both to faith and morals, have been preserved in the Catholic church by continual succession, and are to be received with equal piety and veneration pari pietatis affectu ac reverentia) with Scripture; and whosoever shall knowingly and deliberately despise these traditions is accursed." What are the teachings of these traditions it were hardly necessary, we opine, to mention; they must be, most of them, familiar to our readers, and their opposition to Holy Writ will doubtless be equally well remembered: we will only mention a few tenets, viz., that Peter was chief of the apostles, and was appointed head of the church upon earth by Christ himself; that the Pope is his successor, and that the belief of this is necessary to salvation; that the Church of Rome is infallible; that baptism and regeneration are identically the same; that sin is divisible into two classes, "venial" and "mortal;" that man is saved by works and not by grace; that justification and sanctification are one pro |