The ten years conflict Author:Robert Buchanan Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: Cnap. L Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth: to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt." In so far as the church... more » consents to take her directions, hi matters spiritual, from any other than Christ speaking in the Seriptures, she, to that extent, ceases to be the church of Christ. She is suffering other lords to have dominion over her. And, in so far as the attempt may be made to compel her to take such extraneous directions, the rights of conseience are outraged, and submission to the unlawful authority is not a duty, but a erime. In such a case, the divinely-recorded example of the inspired apostles must be her guide. " Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye ; for we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard, "t Nor will it mend the matter, that the compelling party appeals to seripture, as sanctioning the The chareii doctrine or practice which it is wished to enforce. The church must inter- pret Serip- ia not only entitled, but bound, in so far as the dischargeown mind," and, proving all things, "may hold fast that Chap. L which is good."t ture for ha- J wtf- of her own duty and the regulation of her own conduct are concerned, to interpret seripture for herself. It is not because she is the infallible interpreter, that this becomes her right and duty, but because there is no infallible inter- preter on earth, and because she must answer for herself. The principle which thus entitles her to freedom from external coercion, is the very same which secures freedom within her own pale. Christ is the Head of the church, but he is also " the Head of every man."J The church has no "dominion" over the faith of its members. While it belongs to her " to teach them t...« less