The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1884-10-29

10 ulm, Will uO sOLuSVuihS hOio.
will write what shall be good for those
coming into the Church, and what shall
be sort guide or manual to the clergy
in dealing with them. We may suppose
that after great study and investigation
and reflection, or, possibly, with but lit
tie of such study, investigation, and re-
Election, the man makes up his mind as
to what ought to be the course of pro-
cedure, or as to what is the course of pro-
cedure in the majority of cases, and then,
without inspiration, he writes it down.
1t is possible, even, that his opinion may
be in opposition to that of the vast ma
ority of other believers. Hence the last
ten chapters, as authority, have no value
whatever. Possibly the tois ethnesi,, was
then put here at the beginning of the
seventh chapter and preceded by the
words 7 aching of the Lord through
the Twelve Apostles, thus making it in
the original as distinct, and yet the writer
honestly believing it the Teaching of the
Lord because it seemed so wise and so
clear to him. Possibly the inscription
was simply (toiS etha,eSin) and, at last,
with the title. Teaching of the Twelve
Apostles prefxed, all was transported to
the beginning of the book But the sum
of it is, these ten chapters have no au-
thority save as the opinion of the un-
known writer. There may have been a
hundred men more capable than he of
expressing an opinion, only he wrote
down his opinion, and others did not.
The first six chapters have upon us the
binding force of the Word of God. The
Dldache is properly speaking, the first
six chapters and no more.
How would Your Holiness prove
this distinction Of the sixteen chapters
into two distinct parts of unequal au-
thority and obligation p I asked
First, he replied, by reading the
first six chapters by themselves. and then
the last ten chapters by themselves.
There is all the difference between them
of inspiration on the one side, and of hui
man compilation and contrivance on the
other. Then the learned Bishop, who
is profoundly versed in all the intricacies
and subtleties of apostolic and ecclesias-
teal history, made remark which, for
its righteousness and righteousness, 1
must quote 1--WE know that many of
these rules and directions had no author
ity save in the mind of the writer, from
the fact that during the first and second
centuries after Christ, the observance
and customs of the Church, in many re-
spects, were different from what the
writer approves and lays down in the
last ten chapters At the same time, we
know that the teachings of the first six
chapters are exactly the same as those of
Ghriat and his anostl 90 ~
1t is also fact" he said, "that, in
the Epistle of Barnabas, no quotation is
made from the Teaching except from
the first six chapters. Possibly there
may be from the sixteenth chapter; but
it seems rather like a coincidence than
quotation. Now if the writer of that
epistle recognized all the Teaching as
equal, why does he quote only from the
fret SIX chapters?
But" said I, is this fully in har-
mony with Your Holiness's discussion of
the writer of the Didache on certain
pages of last years Constantinople edi-
tion?'
He replied 1t is at variance with
nothing which said then and it is in
accordance with and fortified by my con-
slant study of the Didoche ever since it
was published, and it is all to be set
forth in the book I am now writing.
There are other considerations, too, which
I shall there bring out fully. Altogether
it amounts to this : Six chapters, divine
and obligatory; ten chapters, human,
possibly good, but resting on one indi-
vidual mans individual judgment of
what was best"
So did the Bishop discuss the "Teach-
ing" only from the purely theological
standpoint of an Oriental mind. In his
standpoint OF vision, so different from
that from which the Protestant world
regard and study and prize the book,
might be found the greatest commentary
on what he said. To us no part of the
" Teaching" however excellent and pure
in primitive prescriptions, is infallible
or inspired. To us the greatest value
lies in the light it pours upon the condi-
ton of the Church one hundred years
after our Saviour's ascension. This, the
historic element, he, deep-read student
Of history, entirely lost sight Of This
was nothing to him. He seemed only to
ponder and balance the weight of indi
vidual sentences and words.
Independent.
The church must grope her way into
the alleys and courts and purlieus Of the