Untitled - Electric Scotland

526 LIFE OF AKCHM1SHOP TAIT [CH. xvm.
stand him, advaiu-cd opinions, and argued that they are indispens
able to the faith, which arc in my judgment dangerous as being
untenable and quite inconsistent with a wise and true criticism of
the Old Testament. I feel no objection (quite the reverse) to the
ijreat learning and goodness of this author being employed in our
work, but I desire that neither he nor any one else shall be
allowed to commit us and the Church to dangerous and unten
able statements. Now I must freely confess that I do not think
the Archbishop of York is awake to this danger. I scarcely
think that if he had been, he would have admitted such passages as
I refer to into the Aids to Faith. . . . T should stultify myself
if I quietly acquiesced in such statements coming forth under my
name. 1 incline to think that the knowledge that I was likely to
overhaul such statements would prevent them from being made:
or, if they were made at first, I feel confident that in a fair
discussion I could convince any Committee or Board of which
I was a member, that such statements ought to be guarded or
cancelled. But I do not think it would be consistent with my
position, either official or personal, to make objections in a vague
way without an opportunity of discussing them, and to be liable
to have my objections overruled by the arbitrary decision of the
Archbishop of York and my two amiable friends, Drs. Jacobson
and Jcremic. You must remember that the difficulties I appre
hend to be rightly dealt with require (ist), That those who
have to deal with them shall from circumstances have been made
fully aware of the force of the difficulties in question, and (2ndly),
That they shall have no dread whatsoever of the clamour of
so-called religious newspapers or any other blind public opinion.
Now I say it with the deepest respect, but you have not at present
any such Board or final appeal, unless (as seems implied in their
very office) the Committee is intrusted with this function in the
last resort. I am sure that Mr. Cook, with all his learning and
judgment, has not strength
to dea 1
with such a difficulty as I
suppose, and would naturally leave it alone, and, if by any means
it found its way to the Archbishop of York and his assessors,
unaided, they would let it drop also.
" To explain more clearly what I mean this Commentary
must be greatly judged of at the very first by the way in which it
treats the early Chapters of Genesis including the account of
the Flood by the notes on the history of Balaam and on the
book of Jonah and difficulties similar to those contained in