Lux mundi, a series of studies in the religion of the incarnation

Front matter

^.UX MUNDI a Series of grtutites

IN THE

RELIGION OF THE INCARNATION

Preface

1. This volume is primarily due to a set of circumstances which exist no longer. The writers found themselves at Oxford together between the years 1875-1885, engaged in the common work of University education ; and compelled for their own sake, no less than that of others, to attempt to put the Catholic faith into its right relation to modern intellectual and moral problems. Such common necessity and effort led to not infrequent meetings, in which a common body of thought and sentiment, and a common method of commending the faith to the acceptance of others, tended to form itself. We, who once enjoyed this happy companionship, are now for the most part separated. But at least some result of our temporary association remains, which it is hoped may justify and explain the present volume.

2. For this collection of essays represents an attempt on behalf of the Christian Creed in the way of explanation. We are sure that Jesus Christ is still and will continue to be the * Light of the Word.' We are sure that if men can rid themselves of prejudices and mistakes (for which, it must be said, the Church is often as responsible as they), and will look afresh at what the Christian faith really means, they will find that it is as adequate as ever to interpret life viii Preface.

and knowledge in its several departments, and to impart not less intellectual than moral freedom. But we are conscious also that if the true meaning, of the faith is to be made sufficiently conspicuous it needs disencumbering, reinterpreting, explaining. We can but quote in this sense a distinguished French writer who has often acted as an inspiration to many of us. Pere Gratry felt painfully that the dogmas of the Church were but as an ' unknown tongue ' to many of the best of his compatriots. ' It is not enough,' he said, ' to utter the mysteries of the Spirit, the great mysteries of Christianity, in formulas, true before God, but not understood of the people. The apostle and the prophet are precisely those who have the gift of interpreting these obscure and profound formulas for each man and each age. To translate into the common tongue the mysterious and sacred language . . . ; to speak the word of God afresh in each age, in accordance with both the novelty of the age and the eternal antiquity of the truth, — this is what St. Paul means by interpreting the unknown tongue. But to do this, the first condition is that a man should appreciate the times he lives in. " Hoc autem tempus quare non probatis ? " ' *

3. We have written then in this volume, not as 'guessers at truth,' but as servants of the Catholic Creed and Church, aiming only at interpreting the faith we have received. On the other hand, we have written with the conviction that the epoch in which we live is one of profound transformation, intellectual and social, abounding in new needs, new points of view, new questions ; and certain therefore to involve great changes in the outlying departments of theology,

Preface. ix

where it is linked on to other sciences, and to necessitate some general restatement of its claim and meaning.

This is to say that theology must take a new development. We grudge the name ' development,' on the one hand, to anything which fails to preserve the type of the Christian Creed and the Christian Church ; for development is not innovation, it is not heresy : on the other hand, we cannot recognize as the true 'development of Christian doctrine' a movement which means merely an intensification of a current tendency from within, a narrowing and hardening of theology by simply giving it greater definiteness or multiplying its dogmas.

The real development of theology is rather the process in which the Church, standing firm in her old truths, enters into the apprehension of the new social and intellectual movements of each age: and because 'the truth makes her free,' is able to assimilate all new material, to welcome and give its place to all new knowledge, to throw herself into the sanctification of each new social order, bringing forth out of her treasures things new and old, and showing again and again her power of witnessing under changed conditions to the catholic capacity of her faith and life.

4. To such a development these studies attempt to be a contribution. They will be seen to cover, more or less, the area of the Christian faith in its natural order and sequence of parts ; but the intention is not to offer complete theological treatises, or controversial defences of religious truths, it is rather to present positively the central ideas and principles of religion, in the light of contemporary thought and current problems. The only one of the essays in fact which has any degree of formal completeness is that on Christian Ethics, — a subject on which the absence of x Preface.

systematic books of a genuine English growth seems to justify a more detailed treatment.

5. The main omissions of which we are conscious are due to want of space. For instance, we should have been very glad to attempt a separate treatment of the subject of sin ; though we hope the line that would be taken about it has been sufficiently indicated by more than one writer. 1 Again, we have left aside any detailed discussion of historical evidences ; but it will be seen that our attempt has been so to present the principles of the Christian faith as to suggest the point of view from which evidences are intelligible, and from which they will, it is firmly believed, be found satisfactory. Once more, if we have not found room for a treatment of miracles, at least we hope that the Church's conception of God, as He manifests Himself in nature and in grace, which we have endeavored to express, will at once acquit us of any belief in capricious 'violations of law ; ' and will also suggest a view of the world as disordered by sin and crying out for redemption, which will make it intelligible that 'miracles' should appear, not as violating law, but as a necessary element in its restoration as well as its completer exhibition; contrary, not to the fundamental order of the Divine working, but only to a superficial or mechanical view of it, or to a view which sin has distorted or preoccupation with physical science has unduly narrowed.

6. It only remains to explain that we have written, not as mere individuals, but as ministers, under common conditions, of a common faith. This unity of conviction has enabled us freely to offer and accept mutual criticism and

Preface. xi

so that without each of us professing such responsibility for work other than his own, as would have involved undue interference with individual method, we do desire this volume to be the expression of a common mind and a common hope.

C. G.

Pusey House,

Michaelmas, 1889.

Preface To Fifth Edition

The author of the essay * The Holy Spirit and Inspiration* has endeavored to obviate further misunderstanding of his meaning on one important point by rewriting some sentences on pp. 300-301, in accordance with the Corrigenda inserted in the Fourth Edition.

SYNOPSIS OF CONTENTS.

i.

Faith.

PAGE

I. Faith;, its situation; its behavior; challenged by novel experiences; alarmed at its own perplexity 3-5

Yet why alarmed ? 5

Perplexity consistent with faith, when faith is stripped of its habitual corroborations from without : and summoned to submit itself to internal observation . . . 5-7

For faith is an elemental act of personal self: and, therefore, like all such acts, e. g., of thought ; will ; love ; is, necessarily, incapable of offering itself for scientific examination .... 7-9 II. What is faith? 9,10

The motion in us of our sonship in the Father ; the conscious recognition, and realization, of our inherent filial adhesion to God 11-13

This intimacy of relationship is capable of indefinite growth, of 'supernatural ' development 13

The history of faith is the gradual discovery of this increasing intimacy I 3 _I 5

The demand for faith is (a) universal, for all are sons ; (b) urgent, as appealing to a vital fact; (c) tolera?it, as reposing on existent

III. Faith, an act of basal personality, at the root of all out-flowing activities ; is present, as animating force, within all natural faculties. When summoned out, into positive or direct action on its own account = Religion, i. e., the emergence, into open manifestation, of Fatherhood and sonship, which lie hidden within all secular life 18-24

Faith, an energy of basal self, using, as instruments and material, the sum of faculties; therefore, each faculty, separately, can give but a partial vindication of an integral act of faith . . . . 24,25

This applies to Reason ; compare its relation to acts of affection, imagination, chivalry ; all such acts are acts of Venture, using evidence of reason in order to go beyond evidence .... 25-29

So faith makes use of all knowledge, but is, itself, its own motive. It uses as its instrument every stage of science ; but is pledged to no one particular stage 29-32 xiv Synopsis of Contents.

PAGE

IV. Faith, simple adhesion of soul to God; yet, once begun, it has a history of its own; long, complicated, recorded in Bible,

stored up in Creeds 3 2_ 34

This involves difficulties, intricacies, efforts ; all this, the necessary consequence of our being born in the ' last days ' . . 34-37 Yet to the end, faith remains an act of personal and spiritual

adhesion 37, 38

V. Faith not only covers a long past, but anticipates the future ; it pledges itself ahead, e. g., in the case of 'ordination vows.' Such pledges justified, because the act of faith is personal ; and the object of faith is final, i. e., ' Christ, the same yester- *

day, to-day, and forever ' 38-44

II. The Christian Doctrine of God

I. Object of the essay and attitude assumed 47~49

II. A broad contrast between the God of Philosophy and the God of

religion 49

Attempts to get rid of the opposition (1) by division of territory; (2) by confusion of terms 49--5 1

III. Religion demands that God shall be Personal, and stand in a

moral relationship with man 5 2 ~54

IV. Growth and purification of the religious conception of God . . 54-56 V. Religion and Morals. Collision between the two in Greece, and

its consequences. Synthesis of religion and morality among

the Jews : and in Christianity 56-64

Subsequent collisions between religion and morals within the Christian Church. The Reformation a moral protest. Immorality of its later developments. Modern protest against

these 64-68

VI. Religion and Reason. Protest of Greek Philosophy against Polytheism. Christian Theology the meeting-point of Jewish religion and Greek Philosophy 68-71

What Theology is. Objection to it from the side of (1) religion, (2) Philosophy 71-74

The Christian doctrine of the Trinity an appeal to the reason 74, 75

Its answer to the speculative problems of Greek thought (1) as to what unity is; (2) as to the immanence of reason in nature 75 — 7^

The witness of the Fathers 7 8 , 79

The doctrine of the Trinity the true Monotheism; the doctrine of the Logos as personal yet immanent 79

VII. The Christian doctrine of God, why challenged in the present day 79

The deism of the last century. The new science of nature. Evolution restores the truth of the Divine immanence which deism denied. Pantheistic reaction 80-84

The Christian doctrine of God the safeguard of rational religion against deism and pantheism 84, 85

Synopsis of Contents. xv

PAGE

VIII. The so-called ' proofs ' of the existence of God 85-87

Parallel between the belief in God and the belief in nature . 87, 88 Verification in experience the only 'proof.' Reason in both

the interpreter of Faith . . . 88-90

III. The Problem of Pain

The problem of pain admits of no new treatment, but the attempt to use it as an argument against Christianity calls for a recapitulation of what may be said on the other side ... 93

Pain is (1) animal, (2) human.

(1) Animal pain is a thing of which we can only form im-

aginative conjectures ; and these, besides being liable to exaggeration, are not of a nature to form premises for argument 93~95

(2) Common-sense tells us that human pain contributes as

(a) punitive, (b) purgatorial, (c) prophylactic, to the development of the individual and the race 95~9S

Natural religion further views it as the necessary condition of approach, by sinful beings, to the Divine ; and looks for its fuller explanation to a future existence .... 98-100

Christianity carries on the view of natural religion, and sees in pain and suffering, —

(a) The antidote to sin 100-102

(b) The means of individual and social progress . . . 102, 103

(c) The source of sympathy with man 103

(d) The secret of union with God 103, 104

IV. Preparation in History for Christ

General considerations on the study of the historical preparation,

as part of the study of the Incarnation 107-110

Special value of such study in the present age of historical and scientific method, which

may be able to gauge finally the value of naturalist theories

of the origin of Christianity no, in

may find its own congenial 'signs' in the beauty of manifold preparing process ; in the wonder of an apparently

unique convergence of lines of preparation 111-114

I. General preparation — in the world at large :

(1) In the shaping of its external order 114-118

(2) Through its inward experiences of

Failure 118-121

Progress „ 121-124 xv i Synopsis of Contents.

PAGE

II. Special preparation — in Israel:

(i) The singularity of Israel's external position at the critical

moment of the Christian Era 124-129

(2) The paradox of its inward character 129-132

(3) The peculiar influences which had made it what it was . 132, 133

a. Prophecy - I 33~ I 39 c. The Course of its History 140-145

III. The independence of the two preparations; the paradox of

their fulfilment in one Christ 145-148

The Incarnation and Development.

I. The theory of evolution has recalled our minds to the * cosmical significance ' of the Incarnation, which was a prominent thought in (1) the early, (2) mediaeval church .... 151-156 II. Theology and Science move in different but parallel planes :

one gives the meaning, the other the method, of creation . 156, 157 Thus the doctrine of ' the Eternal Word ' is compatible with all the verified results of scientific teaching on

(1) energy 157

(3) origin and antiquity of man 161, 162

(4) mental and moral evolution 162-166

(5) the relation of philosophy to Theology 166-168

(6) the comparative study of religions 168-170

while in the Christian view, it both illuminates and is illuminated by those results 170-172

III. But when the planes intersect, and we say 'the Word was

made flesh,' we are said to traverse experience .... 172

(1) This charge is only a critical presumption . . . . 172,173

(2) All novelties traverse past experience 173

(3) Moral experience is as real as physical 173, 174

(4) The Incarnation harmonizes with our moral experi-

(5) By reorganizing morality it reorientates character . 175

(6) It has therefore a true relation to all phases of

human life 175-178

VI. The Incarnation as the Basis of Dogma

I. The principle of Dogma is not to be attacked or defended on ci priori grounds. The real question is whether the Incarnation, as asserted, is true or false. And this is a question for evidence - 181-183

Synopsis of Contents. xvil

PAGE

Even scientific 'dogmata' differ less from religious dogmas than is sometimes supposed, in that (a) both are received on evidence, (b) both require an experimental verification, or (in so far as either are still held along with error) correction 183-187

The acceptance of dogmatic truth is essentially reasonable. Its claims to (a) authority, (b) finality, are not the ground for accepting it, but a necessary outcome of the facts

accepted in it 187-191

II. The evidence for the Incarnation is as many-sided as human

But primarily historical. The crucial fact is the Resurrection 194-197

Everything is involved in the answer to ' What think ye of

It is an error to think of the belief of the Church as an edifice

built up in the age of the Councils 198, 199

The decisions of the Councils represent only a growth in intellectual precision through experience of error 199-204

The creed in its whole substance is the direct outcome of the

fact of the Incarnation 204-207

III. The dogmatic creed is to be distinguished from the body of

theological literature which comments upon it 207

Theological comment is variable : it may err, it may develop. Herein lie most of the disputes of technical, and the advances

of popular, theology 208-212

Even the creeds are human on the side of their language . . 212-214

IV. The ' damnatory clauses/ though easily misunderstood, really

mean what is both true and necessary 214-216

l Christian dogmatism is, after all, devotion to truth for truth's s

V. The modern reading of the Scriptures without miracle and the

Christ without Godhead depends for its justification upon the

truth of an hypothesis 217-221

But this hypothesis explains away, instead of explaining, the

evidence; while it is itself incapable of proof 221-224

Historical reality is essential to the truth of the Incarnation.

Mere spiritualism ends in unreality . . „ 224-226

VII. The Atonement

I. Sin and sacrifice in relation to the Atonement 229, 2^0

io Twofold character of sin : — '

(a) A state of alienation from God 2 ?o

2. Twofold character of sacrifice : —

(a) The expression of man's original relation to God . . 232, 233

(b) The expiation of sin, and propitiation of wrath . . 233, 234 Both aspects shown in the ceremonies of the Mosaic

3. Inadequacy of man's offerings to satisfy sense of personal

guilt . . .

b

234, 235 235-237 xviii Synopsis of Contents.

PAGE

II. The death of Christ answers to the demands of the sense of

sin and of the desire for forgiveness 237

1. Christ's death a sacrifice of propitiation: —

(a) Of the wrath of God, which is —

(1) the hostility of Divine Nature to sin 238,239

(2) the expression of the eternal law of righteousness 239, 240

(b) By virtue —

(1) Of the obedience manifested by Him .... 240,241

(2) Of His recognition of the Divine justice . . . 241

(3) Of His death as the necessary form of both . . 241, 242 The propitiatory character of His death shown, —

(i.) By the general relation between physical and

spiritual death 242

(ii.) Because of the nature of Him who endured

(iii.) Because of the results flowing from it . . 244-245

(c) On behalf of men, for He is our Representative —

(1) As Victim, by His perfect humanity our sin-

(2) As Priest, able to offer what man could not . . 247, 248 The true vicariousness of His Priesthood . . . 248

2. Christ's death the source of life 248, 249

(a) As delivering us from sin 248

(b) As bestowing new life 249

\c) As uniting us to God ^ 249

But only as connected with and issuing in the Resurrection and Ascension 249, 250

3. Christ's death in relation to man's responsibility .... 250 ^ {a) The Atonement, being forgiveness, must remit some

of the consequences of sin . . 250, 251

{b) But our mystical union with Christ ensures our share

in the sacrifice . . . . 251,252

(1) Not in its propitiation, which we can only plead . 252, 253

(2) But by faith which accepts it and recognizes its

(3) And by following Him in obedience through

suffering ■ 254,255

III. Consideration of certain erroneous statements of the doctrine 255

1. The implied divergence of Will in the Godhead .... 255,256

2. The view of Redemption as wrought for us, not in us . . 256, 257

3. The view that Christ redeemed us by taking our punishment

instead of us 257

(1) The essential punishment of alienation He could not

(2) The penal sufferings which He bore are not remitted to

(3) But He bore them that we, like Him, may bear them

sacrifi daily, not as punishment 258

IV. Short summary.

1. The death of Christ as propitiatory J tested by expe-

2. His death as transforming pain and death ) rience . 258, 259

Synopsis of Contents. xix

VIII. The Holy Spirit and Inspiration

PAGE

Christianity is an experienced or manifested life : because its essence is the possession of the Spirit, and the Spirit is

I. The Holy Spirit the life-giver, —

In nature 265-266

In man „ 266

In the gradual recovery of man from sin 267

In the Church 268, 269

His work in the Church, —

1. Social or ecclesiastical 269

2. Nourishing individuality : both of character through the

Sacraments, and of judgment through authority . . . 269-273

3. Consecrating the whole of nature, material as well as

spiritual 273, 274

4. By a gradual method 274

Imperfection of the Old Testament 274-276

" of the Church » . 276, 277

The Holy Spirit personally present and continually operative

in the Church 277, 278

II. The Theology of the Holy Spirit. Real but limited knowledge

through revelation 278, 279

He is (a) distinct in Person but very God, (b) proceeding from the Father and the Son, (c ) One in essence with the Father

and the Son 279, 280

The doctrine of the Trinity not Tritheistic 280, 2S1

III. The Inspiration of Holy Scripture. Fatal results of not keeping this in context with the rest of the Holy Spirit's work in the Church 281-284

1. It is an article of the Faith, not among its bases .... 264, 2S5

2. It is a necessary article . 285

3. Its certain and primary meaning, as seen by examination of

the books of the Old and New Testaments 285, 291

4. Its practical meaning and obligation 291-293

5. Questions raised as to its meaning by Old Testament

criticism : —

(a) While the Old Testament is, like the New Testament, certainly and really historical, can it admit of elements

of idealism in the narrative ? .... „ ... . 293-296

(b) Can it admit of dramatic composition? 296,297

(c) Can it admit the presence of primitive myths ? . . 297, 298

6. The Church not prevented from admitting these to be open

questions either, —

(1) By any dogmatic definitions of inspiration .... 298, 299

(2) By our Lord's language as to the Old Testament . 299-301 We may expect the criticism of the Old Testament, like that

of the New, to deepen and enlarge, not impair, our reverence

for the ' Word of God ' e 301,302 xx Synopsis of Contents.

IX. The Church

PAGE

The Church the final satisfaction of certain social instincts ; namely, the need of co-operation for life, for knowledge, and for worship 305

These instincts are, —

(2) Embodied in Judaism, and combined with the prin-

ciple of God's election of one people to be a source

of blessing to others 307-310

(3) Fulfilled in the Incarnation ' 310

I. The Church as the centre of spiritual life : offers its blessings,

without limitation, to all who are willing to submit to spiritual discipline, and combines them in a brotherhood of

common service 311-313

Hence it is, of necessity, —

(1) A visible body 313—315

(2) Otie, both in its spiritual life and in external organiza-

tion. This unity implied in the New Testament, and explained in the second century, as centring in the Episcopate. The Apostolical Succession is thus the pledge of historic continuity, and has always been the mark of the English Church. Loyalty to the Church is no narrowing of true

sympathy 315-321

II. The Church as the Teacher of Truth : primarily by bearing witness to truths revealed to it ; secondarily by interpreting

the relation of these truths to each other 321-323

Hence, —

(1) It witnesses to the reality of central spiritual truths

and teaches them authoritatively to its members . 3' 3, 324

(2) It trains its members to a rational apprehension of

these truths 324

(3) It leaves great freedom on points not central . . . 324

(4) It protects the truths themselves from decay . . . 325,326 III. The Church the home of worship: worship the Godward expression of its life ; its highest expression in the Eucharist ;

its priestly work carried out from the first by a special class

of ministers 326-329

Each aspect of the Church's work completed by the co-operation of the Blessed Dead 329

Causes of the apparent failure of the Church 3 2 9-335

Need of its witness and work in modern times ...... 335, 336

Synopsis of Contents. xxi

X. Sacraments

PAGE

Comprehensiveness a characteristic distinction of fruitful and enduring work : which will here be traced in the sacramental work of the Church ; with incidental reference to the evidential import of the inner coherence of Christianity,

and its perfect aptness for humanity 339~34 2

I. Christianity claims to be a way of life for men : whose nature and life involve two elements; which are usually distinguished as bodily and spiritual . 342, 343

The distinction of these two elements real ; their union

It is to be inquired whether this complexity of man's nature is recognized and provided for in the Church of Christ . . . 344

II. Grounds for anticipating that it would be so, —

(1) In the very fact of the Incarnation; and more par-

ticularly 344-346

(2) In the character of the preparatory system whose

forecasts it met 346, 347

(3) And in certain conspicuous features of Christ's

ministry 347

The work of Sacraments to be linked with this anticipation . 347

III. The prominence of the Sacramental principle in Christ's

teaching: to be estimated with reference to the previous

convictions of those whom He taught 347, 348

There is thus found : —

(1) Abundant evidence that the general principle of

Sacraments is accepted, to be a characteristic of Christianity 348, 349

(2) The authoritative appointment of particular expres-

sions for this general principle : —

Expressions foreshown in preparatory history ; anticipated in preliminary discourses ; appointed with great solemnity and emphasis . . 349-351 [These expressions such as may be seen to be intrinsically appropriate, ethically helpful and instructive, and safeguards against individualism] 344-351

(3) An immediate recognition in the Apostolic Church

of the force of this teaching, and of the necessary prominence of Sacraments 351, 352

IV. The correspondence between the ministry of Sacraments and

the complex nature of man appears in three ways : since, —

(1) The dignity and the spiritual capacity of the material

order is thus vindicated and maintained : so that unreal and negative spirituality is precluded, and provision is made for the hallowing of stage after stage in a human life 352-356

(2) The claim of Christianity to penetrate the bodily life

is kept in its due prominence by the very nature of Sacraments ; the redemption of the body is foreshown ; and perhaps begun „ . 356-359 xxh Synopsis of Contents.

PAGE

Sacraments [continued).

(3) The evidences of mystery in human nature, its moments of unearthliness, its immortal longings, its impatience of finite satisfaction, being recognized and accounted for by the doctrine of Grace, are met by Sacraments ; and led in an ordered progress towards a perfect end 359-362

XI. Christianity and Politics

Introductory. The twofold problem of Christianity in its relation to human society, —

I. The Church is neutral as to natural differences, e. g., the form

of government, autocratic or democratic leaning .... 367-369

II. The Church supplements the moral influence of the State, in respect of, —

(1) The appeal to higher motives 370-372

e.g., as to the duties of, —

(a) Governors and governed 372-376

(2) The support of the weak against the strong .... 377-380

(3) The maintenance of religion 380-385

III. The Church purifies the whole social life of mankind, —

(1) By spreading Christian ideas 385,386

(2) By maintaining the Christian type of character . . 386, 387 Conclusion. The Church appeals to deeper needs than the

State, and is therefore fundamentally Catholic, and only incidentally national . = 387, 388