organization of the first churches, and hastily concluded that these
were intended to govern churches in all ages. The chief divisions of the
Church claim for their form of government--papal, episcopal,
presbyterian, congregational--a Biblical authority. The religious life
of the early churches is one thing; their faith and hope and love ought
to abide in the Church throughout all generations; the method of their
organization may have been admirable for their circumstances, but there
is no reason we should consider it binding upon us in the totally
different circumstances of our day. Latterly social reformers have been
attempting to show that the Bible teaches some form of economic theory,
like socialism or communism. It lays down fundamental principles of
brotherhood, of justice, of peaceableness, but the economic or political
systems in which these shall be embodied, we must discover for ourselves
in each age. It is the norm of our life with God; but it is not a
standard fixing our scientific views, our theological opinions, our
ecclesiastical polity, our economic or political theories. It shows
forth the spirit we should manifest towards God and towards one another
as individuals, and families, and nations; "and where the Spirit of the
Lord is, there is liberty."

This brings us to the question of the _authority_ of the Bible. There
are two views of its authority; one that it contains mysteries beyond
our reason, which are revealed to us, and guaranteed to us as true,
either by marvellous signs such as miracles and fulfilled prophecies, or
by the infallible pronouncement of the official Church; the other is
that the Bible is the revelation of self-evidencing truth. The test of a
revelation is simply that it reveals. The evidence of daylight lies in
the fact that it enables us to see, and as we live in the light we are
more and more assured that we really do see. Advocates of the former
position say: "If anything is in the Bible, it must not be questioned;