^ Faith, whatever else it may be or imply, involves definite and strong conviction. Conviction requires evidence. Evidence is the objective truth which compels assent. Subjectively and spiritually, faith in a Fiji islander may be the same as it is in a cultivated and reflecting man, but intellectually it cannot be the same. Whatever the truth may be, or in whatever form it may meet the mind, — whether by an argument, or a person, or a dream,
^ Life and Letters of the Rev. F. W. Boiertson, 317.
I THESSALONIANS v. 21 35
or a fantasy, — it must convince the intellect that something is true.^
^ In the Cathedral Church of Copenhagen, amid Thorwaldsen's famous group of the Twelve Apostles, stands the figure of a grave and meditative man, with earnestly questioning face, rule and measure in hand, as though prepared to bring all things under strict verification, whose name no one needs to ask, so plainly does the statue stand for the doubting Thomas. Thomas was, according to the traditions of the Early Church, a born sceptic, a constitutional questioner, whose faith followed his understandiug, who could not rest on external authority, who brought even Christ's words to the bar of reason, and, failing to elicit an intelligible answer, withheld his assent — in short, a genuine Eationalist. Yet this Thomas was one of the twelve disciples, a full member of the Apostolic College.^
IL
Prove all Things.
1. " Prove all things " is a favourite text with Protestants, and especially with Protestants of an extreme type. It has been called " a piece of most rationalistic advice " ; it has been said to imply that " every man has a verifying faculty, whereby to judge of facts and doctrines, and to decide between right and wrong, truth and falsehood." But this is a most unconsidered extension to give to the Apostle's words. He does not say a word about every man; he is speaking expressly to the Thessalonians, who were Christian men. He would not have admitted that any man who came from the street, and constituted himself a judge, was competent to pronounce upon the contents of the prophesyings, and to say which of the burning words were spiritually sound, and which were not. On the contrary, he tells us very plainly that some men have no capacity for this task — " The natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit"; and that even in the Christian Church, where all are to some extent spiritual, some have this faculty of discernment in a much higher degree than others.
^ Again and again it comes home to me that true wisdom lies in the abiding recognition that spiritual things are spiritually
* N. Porter, Yale College Sermons, 337. " E. H. Newton.
36 PROVING AND HOLDING FAST
discerned. If we labour for the meat which perish eth not, and if we witness to the Kingdom of God in word and deed, our labour and our witness must be in the Spirit, i.e. by and to the Spirit.*
^ Johann was one day on his travels, and came to a wood. In an old tree he found a bird's nest with seven eggs, which resembled the eggs of the common swift. But the latter bird only lays three eggs, so the nest could not belong to it. Since Johann was a great connoisseur in eggs, he soon perceived that they were the eggs of the hoopoo. Accordingly, he said to him- self, " There must be a hoopoo somewhere in the neighbourhood, although the natural history books assert that it does not appear here." After a time he heard quite distinctly the well-known cry of the hoopoo. Then he knew that the bird was there. He hid himself behind a rock, and he soon saw the speckled bird with its yellow comb. When Johann returned home after three days, he told his teacher that he had seen the hoopoo on the island. His teacher did not believe it, but demanded proof. " Proof ! " said Johann. " Do you mean two witnesses ? " " Yes ! " " Good ! I have twice two witnesses, and they all agree : my two ears heard it, and my two eyes saw it." " Maybe. But I have not seen it," answered the teacher. Johann was called a liar because he could not prove that he had seen the hoopoo in such and such a spot. However, it was a fact that the hoopoo appeared there, although it was an unusual occurrence in this neighbourhood.^
2. The truth is, St. Paul is not concerned so much with the things which we are to prove as with the spirit in which the duty should be performed. What he would say to us is in substance this : " Whatever subjects may engage your attention, or require the formation of your opinion, let this be the course you pursue : be not prejudiced, be not hasty either in approving or in condemning ; ' prove all things ' ; weigh them in the balance of a sober judgment, and deal with them by the use of that reasoning power with which God has endowed you. Estimate the value of every statement and every argument with what power and ability you may possess, deal with them in a philosophic rather than a polemic spirit. Pray that your intellectual gifts may be guided in their services by the Holy Spirit of Truth, and then, whatever truth, whatever good you may find, lay hold on that and hold it fast."