They were all written vigorously and fearlessly as though by people used
to authority; all granted that the Church professed to enjoin belief in
much which no one could accept who had been accustomed to weigh evidence;
but it was contended that so much valuable truth had got so closely mixed
up with these mistakes, that the mistakes had better not be meddled with.
To lay great stress on these was like cavilling at the Queen's right to
reign, on the ground that William the Conqueror was illegitimate.
One article maintained that though it would be inconvenient to change the
words of our prayer book and articles, it would not be inconvenient to
change in a quiet way the meanings which we put upon those words. This,
it was argued, was what was actually done in the case of law; this had
been the law's mode of growth and adaptation, and had in all ages been
found a righteous and convenient method of effecting change. It was
suggested that the Church should adopt it.
In another essay it was boldly denied that the Church rested upon reason.
It was proved incontestably that its ultimate foundation was and ought to
be faith, there being indeed no other ultimate foundation than this for
any of man's beliefs.
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