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In England from Wicliffe to Henry VIII - James Aitken Wylie

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found more than one fundamental truth. They had<br />

but <strong>to</strong> go forward in the path on which they had<br />

entered, guiding themselves by these two lights,<br />

and they would come, in due time, in<strong>to</strong> possession<br />

of all revealed truth. At every step the horizon<br />

around them would grow wider, the light falling<br />

upon the objects it embraced would grow<br />

continually clearer, the relations of truth <strong>to</strong> truth<br />

would be more easily traceable, till at last the<br />

whole would grow in<strong>to</strong> a complete and harmonious<br />

system, truth linked <strong>to</strong> truth, and all ranging<br />

themselves in beautiful order around the grand<br />

central truths of the religion of Jesus Christ, the<br />

Son of God.<br />

Meanwhile these early English Christians were<br />

beset without by scrupulosities and prejudices,<br />

arising <strong>from</strong> the dimness and narrowness of their<br />

vision. They feared <strong>to</strong> lay their hand on the New<br />

Testament and be sworn; they scrupled <strong>to</strong> employ<br />

instrumental music in public worship; and some of<br />

them condemned all war. But within what a vast<br />

enlargement had they already experienced! Bowing<br />

<strong>to</strong> the authority of the Word of God, their<br />

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