Page:Catholic Thoughts on the Bible and Theology.djvu/25



recognises and exhibits it a stronger evidence to them of its being the Book of  than the sum of all the details of its historical testimonials. The Laws of Nature and of Spirit seem thus to be in harmony. The Earth of herself brings forth first the blade, then the ear, then the full corn in the ear; and to those who meditate on this law for long, and compare it with what they feel within themselves and perceive everywhere around them, there will appear a peculiar fitness in its being recognised and acted upon in any system of supernatural Education. And man's Progressive Education, is not this one of the chief aims of his position on earth? Does not the assumption of this justify itself by interpreting many difficulties otherwise insoluble? And though at first sight it may not accord with the undisciplined instincts of some to associate the tolerance of Imperfection in connection with the instrumentality of Perfection, yet if we concede much to this immaturity of apprehension, we do away with one of the most forcible evidences of the Divinity of the Bible that can be afforded to many; and for the sake of gaming or giving a proof of more immediate application, we are sacrificing evidence which though it may be but slowly appreciated, yet the more it is investigated, will manifest itself every way the more amply.

And really no objection to this scheme of gradual and imperfect Revelation can be of more force than that which asks, Why is this Universe one of Degree? Why are not all things created in their most perfect forms? And why are not only the most perfect things created? Why Growth of any kind anywhere? Or why did indefinite ages pass away before man was created, and why some thousands of years after this, before he was redeemed? Verily what men count Slackness seems to be an essential condition of all manifestations of the Divine in the forms of Time and Space. And how can we conceive of any Revelation of the Infinite which shall not be forever imperfect to the Finite? How of any communication of the Spiritual that can be made to men on earth as otherwise than less full and clear than that which shall be made to those who are free from the burden of the flesh? Nay, what can