Scottish episcopacy past and present / by Alexander Thomson.

  • Thomson, Alexander, 1798-1868.
Date:
1860
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Scottish episcopacy past and present / by Alexander Thomson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    at the present day, to be refreshed and guided by quotations from or references to Scripture; for all Protestants acknowledge the Word of God as the only rule of faith—the conclusive authority in all controversy; but it is most remarkable in all this matter how very rarely the Word of God is quoted. Instead of the clear authoritative teaching of the apostles, we have pages of lucubra¬ tions which can only remind the reader of passages of similar length and obscurity in Thomas Aquinas or Duns Scotus—the scholastic learning of the middle ages reproduced for the edifica¬ tion of the nineteenth century. They remind us very forcibly, though it is to bring very small things into comparison with very great, of Luther’s sarcastic des¬ cription of the arguments of the Eomish party in the great contro¬ versy at Augsburg: “The Fathers, the Fathers, the Fathers, the Church, the Church, Usage, Custom; but of the Scriptures—nothing.” Would that we might ere long see the members of the Scottish Episcopal Church, and the High Church section of the English Church, brought to a better mind ; and find them looking for their religion, not in the writings of the fathers and schoolmen of former days, nor in the ever-varying canons of the Scottish Episcopal Church, but exclusively in the Scriptures of truth, whereby alone men can be made wise unto salvation. * “Patres, Patres, Patres; Ecclesia, Ecclesia ; Usus, Consuetudo, pra3terea e Scriptura nihil.”—Lutheri E'pist. iv. jp. 96. G. COEN WALL & SONS, PRINTERS, ABERDEEN,