of the Apostle, Sacred Scripture meant writings inbreathed from God. To the Jew, not only, but to the early Christian, the term stood out in bold contradistinction from all earthly literature, regarded as profane in comparison with it. The other doctrine, of its universal profitableness, was the one then specially requiring to be insisted on. It is still demanded. There are those who admit the Scriptures to be inspired, some in a higher, some in a lower sense, but with the qualification that certain parts are antiquated, obsolete, of no use after Christianity appeared, or, at least, for this advanced and enlightened age. Such a view is more than hinted even in writings and speeches from modern Christians claiming to be evangelical. The fact shows that the interpretation for which we contend has not only its use, but is connected with the highest estimate we should form of the sacred writings.

That every part of inspired Scripture has its value, especially for the preacher, would seem, then, to be the doctrine taught in this passage. It is not meant that all has equal value, but that all is equally the Word of God, every part having its place necessarily in the one great message, or the one great and greatly varied system of communication through which God makes himself known in his special or remarkable, in distinction from his ordinary, acting in the world's history. This is the revelation itself, in distinction from the writing, which is the inspired or divinely guarded record of it. Or we may say that revelation, whether as act or history, is the exhibition of the supernatural in the world, but is not itself all supernatural. It is connected with common events as the medium of such exhibition. The natural is mingled with the supernatural, the ordinary with the extraordinary, the human with the divine, but all as forming sections and chapters of the one great narrative, regarded as a manifestation of God taking place concurrently, and in close connection, with the ordinary in nature, in history, in the souls, lives, and actions of men. Herein lies its truthfulness and consistency as a revelation for us. By such connection, however, of the lower elements with the higher, the former get a value and a dignity they would not otherwise possess. By such a marriage they are made holy, as it were, and the record of them, as parts of the great record, may be truly said to be inspired, though the history of

such subordinate parts may require no higher spiritual state, or spiritual faculties, than the knowledge, perceptions, and memories of truthful, holy men. To this end, as forming necessary links in the one unbroken narrative of redemption, or history of the kingdom of God in the world, the geography, the common recital of very common events, the proper names, even, with their often startling spiritual significance, have all a value-a high religious value-that would not belong to them out of such connection. It is thus they become parts of the one Divine Word, or manifestation of God in the world, and "profitable," beyond all similar events in human history, "for teaching, for conviction, for education in righteousness."

...

This view is well expressed by that profound Jewish critic and philosopher, Maimonides, in his Explication of the Tenth Chapter of the Talmudic Tract Sanhedrin: "It is the eighth foundation of faith that the law is from Heaven, and in this it is firmly held that all the law thus came down to Moses, and that all of it is from the mouth of the Almighty-that is, all of it came from God in that way which they metaphorically call the word. . . . And Moses wrote it all-all its chronologies, all its genealogies, all its stories, all its laws and precepts, and, therefore, was he called the scribe (Mehakkek); and (in this respect of its coming from God) there is no difference between such passages as these: And the sons of Ham were Cush and Mitsraim, and Phut and Canaan,' and, 'The name of his wife was Mehitabel, the daughter of Mitzad,' and such a one as this, I am the Lord,' and Hear, O Israel, Jehovah thy God is one.' All is from the mouth of the Mighty One, and it is all the law (or teaching) of the Lord, perfect, pure, holy, true. And so it was that Manasseh became worse than all the infidels in his unbelief and hypocrisy, on account of his holding that there was in the law heart (pith) and bark, (as of a tree,) and that these chronologies and stories had no utility in them, or that they were all from Moses himself."

In 2 Tim. iv, 13, Paul charges Timothy "to bring along with him the cloak which he had left with Karpus at Troas." It was the paiλóvns, a thick outer garment used in traveling for protection against the weather, and which the Apostle may have highly valued, either from the associations of its

former use, or from present want in the cold prison with which he was then threatened. But what inspiration is there here? says the sneering Rationalist. What need of any thing more than the ordinary human faculties and desires in prompting or giving such a message? He mistakes the matter altogether. Not far behind him is the commentator of the M'Knight school, who would defend, or rather excuse, the passage as teaching economy and attention to details, which, they would apologizingly say, is not unworthy of divine direction. The spiritually-minded reader is not stumbled at the passage, even if he can see, or imagine, no connection with what may be deemed the higher teachings of the Epistle. If, however, he is deeply imbued with the spirit of revelation, this care of Paul for his phailonés*-his old and tattered cloak, it may be— will make him think of those most pathetic words, 2 Cor. xi, 27: "In labor and weariness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness." It brings before the mind the lonely traveler with this old cloak wrapped about him as he climbs the snowy mountains of Pisidia, with their wild and dangerous passes, or lies upon the stormy deck during the nights when they were tossed "up and down in Adria," or finds its need on the bleak shores of Melita, where they had to sleep by kindled fires "on account of the driving rain and because of the cold." Whether he had left it at Troas many years before, when, after preaching until day dawning, he took his hurried land journey across the cape to meet the ship at Assos, (Acts xx, 13, 14,) or during some much later journey not mentioned in history, cannot easily be determined. In either view the mention of this want, simply and incidentally as it seems to be made, gives power and vividness, gives a more inspiring inspiration, we may say, to all his admonitions "to endure hardship (каколalɛiv) as a good soldier of Jesus Christ." There is inspiration in the mention of this cloak as something belonging to one devoted to the highest idea that ever inspired the human soul, and for the sake of which we might well pardon much of the trifling of Romanism, had it, indeed, pre

• Some few commentators would give it the sense of satchel, or sack for holding books. But this is a mere guess, having no extrinsic support, and inconsistent with its mention as something separate. It is not at all likely that he would tell him to bring along the book-case, and then add, the books and parchments, afterward.

served to us so precious a relic. How near it comes to us! this common daily want of such a man-“ a man in Christ," who was caught up to the third heavens and saw the vision of the Lord! Granted that such mention came in the ordinary course of the ordinary human faculties, still it was through inspiration; it may be maintained, as a single concrete portion of that one all-pervading, all-animating divine thought of which Paul's soul was ever full, whether in speaking of the incidents of his painful journeyings or in the utterance of ideas so new to the world, so far above the developments of any former ethics or philosophy, and which, even now, Rationalists like Strauss, Colenso, and Renan utterly fail to comprehend.

And so we may say here, as Maimonides says in respect to the incidental narrations of the older Scripture: It is all the word of God, and in this respect of its divine sanction and authorship there is no difference between such a passage as that upon which we have been dwelling, "Bring with thee the cloak that I left behind in Troas, with the books, and especially the parchments" or such a one as this, "Prophecies shall come to an end, tongues shall cease, knowledge shall be found unsatisfying, but LOVE never faileth. For now we see in a mirror shadowly, but then face to face; now I know in in part, then shall I know even as I am known. Yet still endure (here and forever) faith, hope, and love-these threebut the greatest of these is LOVE.' It was this divine love ever ruling in the owner's soul that rendered the cloak, the books, the parchments belonging to him, worthy objects of inspired mention; it was this that sanctified them, lifted them out of the common sphere of profane or worldly things, and made them all HOLINESS TO THE LORD.

Other examples might be given, affording similar illustrations; but the use of this, though regarded as one of the least of all, and so frequently cited as an offendiculum by the Rationalist, is enough to show that "all Scripture inbreathed from God is also profitable for doctrine, for conviction, for direction, for education in righteousness."

FOURTH SERIES, VOL. XXII.-8

ART. VIII.-FOREIGN RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.

PROTESTANTISM.

These amendments were accepted by the
Lower House.

In October there was a three days' Conference of lay delegates of the Irish Church in Dublin. The Duke of Abercorn presided, and some four hundred delegates were present, including a number of noblemen, members of Parliament, and other influential and wealthy members of the Irish Church. One of the resolutions adopted was to the effect that the clerical and lay representatives should sit and discuss all questions together in the General Synod, with the right to vote by orders if demanded by three of either order at the meeting. It was explained that this recommendation of the Conference was not to apply to Diocesan Synods, but to the General Convention which is to be afterward formed. On the question of the relative proportions of the representatives of the dioceses, and also of the clergy and the laity, a resolution was adopted that the number of lay represent

As

THE RECONSTRUCTION OF THE ANGLICAN CHURCH IN IRELAND.-The separation between the Anglican Church in Ireland and the State government com. pelled the former to undertake a reconstruction upon a voluntary basis. The General Synod of the Irish Church, a union of the two Provincial Synods of Dublin and Armagh, met on Sept. 14 at Dublin. It was the first Synod held in Ireland since 1713. The Provincial Synod of Armagh had met a few days previously, but that of Dublin had to be formally constituted prior to the union of the two into one General Synod. In the Upper House the Primate (the Archbishop of Armagh) presided; the Lower House elected the Rev. Dr. West, Dean of St. Patrick's and Christ Church, its Prolocutor. A protest against the disestablishment of the Church was adopted by the Lower House unanimously, while in the Upper House the Bishop of Down objected to it as un-atives for the respective dioceses should necessary. As to finance, all parties be partly based on population, and seem to be agreed that the remainder of partly on the old parochial system. the old possessions of the Church, which regards the proportion of clergy to laity, may be retained, will require to be the following resolution was carried by an largely supplemented by private lib- overwhelming majority: "That, in the erality if the Church is to be made opinion of this meeting, it is expedient efficient. In the matter of govern- that the number of lay representatives in ment, the Synod adopted a "scheme the General Synod should be to the for the reform of the Provincial Synods, clerical in proportion of two to one." with a view to a union of the Bishops, The clergy also had a private meeting clergy, and laity of the Church of Ireland in October, under the presidency of in General Synod." It proposed that the the Archbishop of Dublin, at which it clergy of each diocese should meet in a was resolved by a large majority that the Diocesan Synod, and elect a certain laity should have a common right with number of their brethren to represent the clergy to decide on matters of docthem in a General Synod, with whom trine and discipline in the future counwere to be included one Dean and one cils of the Church. Archdeacon for each diocese, who, with certain officers of Trinity College, Dublin, were to sit ex officio. The latter part of the scheme excited much discussion, and an amendment proposed by the Dean of Cashel, omitting the ex officio members, was carried, after an earnest debate, by 107 to 29. It was also unanimously agreed that all parochial clergy, whether beneficed or not, should be entitled to vote for clerical representatives, and that the representation should be in the proportion of one to ten in the clergy

At a meeting of the Bishops, held in November, it was resolved to sit and vote as a separate order when they deem proper, or in other words, to have the power of vetoing any proposal with which they disagree. The majority of the laity seem to be any thing but pleased with this resolution. Another meeting of lay delegates was held at Armagh, presided over by Lord Rosse, at which it was moved by Lord Dumalley, and agreed to, that the meeting greatly regretted the resolution of the bishops,