Moreover, the theology of the Christian Church is not a body of static doctrine, but is the expression of the ceaseless meditation of the saints upon the truths revealed to us by God.  To suppose that any age whatever has exhausted the meaning of the Revealed Truth would be absurd.  It is inexhaustible.  So long as the mind of the Church is pondering it, it brings out from it things old and new.  Among ourselves it is perhaps at present more desirable that we should bring out the old things than seek to find the new.  The historic circumstances of the Anglican Church have been such as to lead to the practical disuse of much that is of great spiritual value in the treasury of the Church.  It is largely in the attempt to bring into use the riches that have been abandoned that some are to-day incurring the charge of disloyalty—­a charge that they are not careful to answer, if they may be permitted to minister to a larger spiritual life in the Church they love.

At the same time the development of doctrine is a real mode of enrichment of the theology of the Church.  The devout mind pondering divine truth will ever penetrate deeper into its meaning.  Thus it was that in the course of centuries the Church arrived at a complete statement of the doctrine of our Lord’s person.  And what it could rightly do in the supreme case, it surely can rightly do in cases of lesser moment.  We need not be afraid of this movement of thought, for the mind of the united Church may be trusted not to sanction any error.  Our Lord has promised that the gates of hell shall not prevail against the Church.  We can trust Him to fulfil His promise.  He has also promised us that the Holy Spirit shall lead us into all the truth.  Can He trust us not to thwart the work of the Spirit by a provincial attitude as of those who already in the utterances of the Anglican formularies claim to possess all truth?

IV.  There is one other inference to be drawn from what I conceive to be the Anglican position, and that is one that relates, not primarily to doctrine but to practice.  For many years now the Anglican Churches have been greatly disturbed by varieties of practice, though it is difficult to see why varieties of practice should be in themselves disturbing.  But without going into that matter, which would carry us far afield, I would simply state that the principle already laid down in regard to doctrine seems to apply here in the matter of practice:  that is, the Anglican has the right to use any practice which has not been explicitly forbidden by the authorities of the local Church.  The Churches of the Anglican Communion have never set forth any competent guide for the conduct of worship, and by refraining from so doing have left the matter in the hands of those who have to conduct services and provide for the spiritual needs of those over whom they have been given cure of souls.  There is nothing more absurd than to assume that nothing rightly can be done in these matters except what has been directed by authority; that no services can be held but such as have formal authorization; that no ceremonies can be introduced but such as the custom of the time since the Reformation has made familiar to many.