can submit the book, recognized as authentic, to the outrageous control of its ignorance and of its carnal sense; then, we must reprove it; it is in revolt, it judges God. Then, it is an enormity, reproved as much by reason as by faith. It is no longer science, it is enchantment; it is no more progress, it is obscuration. Let us compare to the wretched labors of theologians upon the word of God, the more reasonable course pursued by the naturalists in their studies upon his works. Here, at least, we claim in advance as an axiom, that all the objects of creation have ends full of wisdom and harmony. Here, science applies itself, not to contesting these ends, this wisdom, these harmonies; but to discover them. Here, what is called progress in science, is not the temerity of controlling the works of God; it is the happiness of having investigated them, of having better recognised their wonders, of having been able to propose them under some new aspects to the admiration of the world, and of having thus found new inducements again to cry: What grandeur infinite! What divine harmony Results from their accordance! Why then should not Christians treat the works of God in redemption, as naturalists do the works of God in creation? why, if, among the pagans themselves, a physician, the great Galen, could say: "that in describing the different parts of the human body, he was composing a hymn in honor of the Creator of the body," why should not the Christian comprehend, that to describe with truth, the different parts of the word of God, would be always "to compose a hymn in honor of him who had made it ?" Thus thought the apostolic Fathers; thus, for example, the pious Irenæus, disciple of Polycarp, the pupil of St. John: "The Scriptures," said he, "are perfect. In the Scriptures let God ever teach; and let man ever learn! it is thus that from the bosom of the polyphony of their instructions, an admirable symphony is heard in us all, praising in hymns the God who made all things."* If some one should come to tell us that there exists a very studious nation, among whom the science of nature, taking a new direction, has commenced immense labors, for the purpose of showing that there are mistakes in creation; plants badly constructed, animals badly contrived, organs badly adapted; . . . what would you think of this people and of its great labors? Would you believe that science was advancing there? would you not rather say that they were obscuring it, degrading it, and that they were there wearying themselves, learnedly to discover the art of being ignorant. Inexplicable as the anatomists have found the use of the liver in the human body, or of the antennæ in that of the insects, they have not therefore blamed nature; they have accused only their own ignorance in regard to it; and they have waited. Why then, when you do not yet discover the use of a word in the Scriptures, would you blame any other than yourself, and why do you not wait? This thought is not new; a pious man expressed it, better than we, sixteen hundred years ago, and preached it with unction to the men of his time. We have found ourselves happy, whilst we were writing it, to meet it in Origen, (it is in the thirty-ninth of his homilies), "If ever says he, in reading the Scriptures,† thou happenest to strike against a thought which becomes to thee a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence, accuse only thyself *Sic, per dictionum multas voces, una consonans melodia in nobis sentietur, laudans hymnis Deum qui fecit omnia." Accord ing to the Greek preserved by John Damascenus ; διά τὴς των λέξεων πολυφωνίας, ἔν σύμφωνον μέλος ἐν ἡμῖν αἴσθησεται, (Adv. Hæreses, lib. ii. 2. 47.) † Origenes adamantius, Hom xxxix, in Jeremiah xliv. 22. (autião σeavτóv); do not doubt that this stumbling-stone and this rock of offence has a great meaning (exer voηματα), and is to accomplish this promise: 'he that believeth in me, shall not be confounded.' Commence then by believing, and quickly thou shalt find, in this imaginary stumbling-block, an abundant and holy utility.* If we are commanded not to speak idle words, because we must give account of them at the last day, how much more should we think in regard to the prophets of God, that every word proceeding from their mouth, had its work to do and its use !† I believe then that for those who know how to use the excellence of Scripture, each one of the letters written in the oracles of God, has its end and its work (soyagerα), even to an iota, or tittle . . . and as among plants, there is not one without its virtue; and as at the same time it pertains only to those who have acquired the science of botany, to be able to tell us how each one ought to be applied and prepared, in order to become useful; so also, whoever is a holy and spiritual botanist of the word of God (τις βοτανικός ἔστιν ὁ ἁγιος καὶ лνενμаτiós,) he, collecting each iota and each element, shall find the virtue of this word, and shall recognise that nothing in that which was written, is superfluous (ótt ovdév nagéluɛi). Will you have another comparison? Each member of our body has its function, for which it has been placed in its position by the great Architect. Yet it does not pertain to every one to know their uses and their powers, but only to those physicians who have studied anatomy I consider then the Scriptures as 'the collection of the plants of the word, or as 'the perfect body of the word.' But if you are neither a botanist of the Scriptures, nor an anatomist of the prophetic words, do not imagine there is in them any thing super† Εργατικον ἦν. * Πολλήν ὠφελει αν άγιαν. fluous; and when you cannot find the reason for what is written, do not blame the holy letters; blame not them, but yourself alone for it."* Thus spake Origen; but we could find similar thoughts in the other Fathers, and particularly in Bishop Irenæus, nearer yet to the apostolic times.t At the same time we must again remark, this pretension to judge the word of God, overthrows all the foundations of faith. It would indeed render faith impossible in the hearts of all those who have the least degree of consistency. This is but too easily proved. That a soul may receive life, it must receive faith; that it may have faith, it must believe God; that it may believe God, it must begin by renouncing the prejudices of its own wisdom concerning sin, the future, judgment, grace, itself, the world, God, every thing. Has he not written; that "the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned."+ The gospel then will shock either his reason or his conscience, or both. And yet he must submit to it upon the testimony of God alone; and it is only after having thus received it, that he will recognize it as being "the wisdom of God and the power of God to every one that believeth." You see that we must believe without seeing; that is to say, that the gospel, before it has been comprehended, must confound our own wisdom, abase our pride, and condemn our self-righteousness. How then could you ever make it acceptable to men who might be so unfortunate as to imitate you, and who would, as you, wait to have every thing approved, in order to * And he adds: Τοῦτο μοι τὸ προοίμιον εἴρηται καθολικῖως, χρησίμον εἶναι δυναμένον εἰς ὁλήν τήν γράφην, ἱνὰ προτράπωσιν οἱ θελοντες προσέχειν τὴ ἀναγνώσει, μηδὲν παραπέμπεσ θαι αναξετάστον καί ἀνεξερεύνητον γράμμα. † Irenæus, Adv. Hæres, book ii, c. 47. 1 Cor. ii. 14, i. 23. receive every thing? Imbued with your principles, they will impute to man every thing in the scriptures which shocks their carnal sense. They will believe that they must reject the apostle's prejudice, concerning the consequences of Adam's sin, the Trinity, expiation, eternal punishment, the resurrection of the body, the doctrine of demons, election, the gratuitous justification of the sinner by faith, perhaps also those concerning miracles. How then, if he has the misfortune of doing as you do, will a man ever find life, peace and joy, by means of faith? How could he, like Abraham, hope against hope? How could he, a miserable sinner, ever believe himself saved? He must pass his days in doctrines, vague, vaporous, uncertain; and his life, his peace, his love, his obedience must remain, even unto death, such as his doctrines! We conclude then with this first counsel: make the science of criticism a scholar; do not make it a judge. SECTION II.-LET SACRED CRITICISM BE A HISTORIAN, AND NOT A CONJURER. There is, in regard to the inspiration of the Scriptures, another precaution, no less important for us in employing this science. The work of sacred criticism is to gather facts concerning the Scriptures; do not permit it to lead you into vain hypotheses. It would thus do you much harm. It ought to be a historian; do not make it a prophet. When it divines, do not listen to it, turn the back upon it, for it would make you lose your time and more than your time. Now, the safeguard of the faithful, here, is again, the doctrine of inspiration, such as we have described it; I mean, the inspiration not of the men, but of the book. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God: thus the authentic book of the Scriptures declares to us. But what was passing in the understanding and conscience of the |