U


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RECONSTRUCTION   OF   THE    CONFESSIONAL


good  thing  for  the  Church  of  to-day  not  to  cut  itself
off  from  the  past,  but  to  cherish  the  consciousness  of
connection  with  the  Church  of  the  past.  There  is
distinct  gain  in  uttering  the  present  faith  in  such
a  way  or  form  as  will  bring  out  the  consent  of  all
the  ages  and  will  make  manifest  the  durable  identity
and  oneness  in  the  faith  of  all  believers.  In  this
connection  it  has  been  adequately  and  nobly  said  :
'  There  is  truth  attained  which  abides,  though  all  be
not  truth  which  the  Church  in  any  one  age  may  be
disposed  to  take  for  truth.  There  is  a  consent  which
echoes  from  age  to  age  as  well  as  from  man  ;  and  the
testimony  of  the  Church  is  not  merely  the  consent
of  the  Church  in  one  age,  but  also  of  the  Church  in
sundry  ages.  It  is  well  to  feel  this,  and  to  make
it  felt,  that  believers,  with  whatever  infirmities,
drawing  from  one  fountain  of  knowledge,  and  sitting
at  the  feet  of  one  teacher,  have  been  learning  the
same  lessons.  It  is  well  to  make  it  felt,  that  the
truth  is  not  a  fashion  of  our  minds,  but  durable  and
perennial,  and  receives  the  same  testimony  from  men
in  different  times.1

While  such  considerations  ought  to  be  well  weighed
before  the  Churches  commit  themselves  to  the  work
of  drawing  up  a  new  and  shorter  Confession  they
present  nothing  that  constitutes  an  insuperable  barrier
in  the  way  of  the  work  being  entered  upon.     We  never


1  Delivery    and    Development  of   Christian  Doctrine.
