They were all written vigorously and fearlessly as though by
people used to authority; all granted that the Church professed to
enjoin belief in much which no one could accept who had been
accustomed to weigh evidence; but it was contended that so much
valuable truth had got so closely mixed up with these mistakes that
the mistakes had better not be meddled with. To lay great stress on
these was like cavilling at the queen's right to reign, on the
ground that William the Conqueror was illegitimate.
One article maintained that though it would be inconvenient to
change the words of our prayer book and articles, it would not be
inconvenient to change in a quiet way the meanings which we put upon
those words. This, it was argued, was what was actually done in the
case of law; this had been the law's mode of growth and adaptation,
and had in all ages been found a righteous and convenient method of
effecting change. It was suggested that the Church should adopt it.
In another essay it was boldly denied that the Church rested upon
reason. It was proved incontestably that its ultimate foundation was
and ought to be faith, there being indeed no other ultimate foundation
than this for any of man's beliefs.
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