Page:The Judgment Day.pdf/64

 other authority, even though it be that of the apostles themselves. That method of interpreting the divine word, which is now revealed for the use of the church, is known by all those who have studied it, to possess all that clearness and certainty which are necessary, in order to satisfy the most rigid demands for absolute demonstration. We know, of course, that there are those who profess to have examined it, and yet declare themselves entirely unsatisfied, and even assert that they can see nothing in it either reasonable or intelligible. But, without wishing to place a low estimate upon the goodness or intelligence of such persons, or to question their fairness and candor, we are still compelled to regard them very much in the same light in which a natural philosopher would regard the man who would attempt to review and set aside the Newtonian system of astronomy. We know that they have not thoroughly examined the subject from a sincere love of the truth. We would thus enter our solemn protest against the absolute right even of St. Peter himself, to declare, ex cathedra, the final and full meaning of the divine word. In seeking to know what is the true meaning of the word, as well as what is the word itself, we call no man master. One is our master, Christ. That which is demonstrated to be the word of the Lord, or to be the true meaning of that word, we hold ourselves bound to receive as such. We receive it because it is demonstrated, so as to be seen in the light of reason and truth; not because it is asserted, on the authority of any man, either living or dead. It is with these views that we entertain the question whether Peter understood the words of the prophets in the same sense in which they are now understood by the New Church. It would not, in the slightest degree, diminish or unsettle our confidence in what we know to be the true spiritual meaning of the divine word, even though it were shown that neither Peter nor any of his brethren had any distinct idea of such a meaning.

But there are good reasons for believing that they some-