240  Liberty

doctrine  of  the  real  liberty  of  the  soul.  But
if  there  were  such  a  passage,  I  would  leave  it
forever  alone,  as  belonging  to  that  knowledge
which  was  in  part,  and  which  was  done  away
when  that  which  was  perfect  had  come.  I  do
not  believe  that  there  is  a  single  word  in  the
St.  Paul  on  writings  of  St.  Paul  which  stands  against  this
doctrine  of  the  real  liberty  of  the  soul.  I
cut  loose  from  the  false  interpretations  which
men  have  read  into  his  words.  I  take  the
light  of  Christ's  teaching  in  my  hand,  and  I
go  back  to  interpret  by  that  light  the  teach-
ings of  the  great  Epistle  to  the  Romans  with
its  glorious  revelation  of  "the  mystery  which
hath  been  kept  in  silence  through  times  eter-
nal, but  now  is  manifested,  and  by  the  Scriptures
of  the  prophets,  according  to  the  commandment
of  the  eternal  God,  is  made  known  unto  all
the  nations  unto  obedience  of  faith.^^'^  I  hear
again  the  cry  of  the  struggling,  labouring,  con-
quering apostle :  "  To  will  is  present  with  me^
but  to  do  that  which  is  good  is  not.  ...  O
wretched  man  that  I  am,  who  shall  deliver  me
out  of  the  body  of  this  death?  I  thank  God
through  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord;^^^  and  I  know
that  St.  Paul  also  was  a  believer  in  the  free-
dom of  the  will,  and  that  he  received  this
1  Kom.  xvi.  28.  2  Rom.  vii.  18,  24,  25.
Liberty  241

gospel  and  the  power  to  fulfil  it,  through  the
proclamation  of  liberty  in  Jesus  Christ.
