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than a rule。 In practice a lawyer will know far more accurately than a hypothetical case can indicate； how far he is bound to see his client through； and how far he may play the keeper of his client's conscience。 And nearly every day there happens instances where the most subtle casuistry will fail and the finger of conscience point unhesitatingly。 One may have worried long in the preparation and preliminaries of the issue； one may bring the case at last into the final court of conscience in an apparently hopeless tangle。 Then suddenly comes decision。 The procedure of that silent； lit； and empty court in which a man states his case to God； is very simple and perfect。 The excuses and the special pleading shrivel and vanish。 In a little while the case lies bare and plain。
8。 THE OATH OF ALLEGIANCE
The question of oaths of allegiance； acts of acquiescence in existing governments； and the like； is one that arises at once with the acceptance of God as the supreme and real King of the Earth。 At the worst Caesar is a usurper； a satrap claiming to be sovereign； at the best he is provisional。 Modern casuistry makes no great trouble for the believing public official。 The chief business of any believer is to do the work for which he is best fitted； and since all state affairs are to become the affairs of God's kingdom it is of primary importance that they should come into the hands of God's servants。 It is scarcely less necessary to a believing man with administrative gifts that he should be in the public administration； than that he should breathe and eat。 And whatever oath or the like to usurper church or usurper king has been set up to bar access to service； is an oath imposed under duress。 If it cannot be avoided it must be taken rather than that a man should become unserviceable。 All such oaths are unfair and foolish things。 They exclude no scoundrels； they are appeals to superstition。 Whenever an opportunity occurs for the abolition of an oath； the servant of God will seize it； but where the oath is unavoidable he will take it。 The service of God is not to achieve a delicate consistency of statement； it is to do as much as one can of God's work。
9。 THE PRIEST AND THE CREED
It may be doubted if this line of reasoning regarding the official and his oath can be extended to excuse the priest or pledged minister of religion who finds that faith in the true God has ousted his formal beliefs。 This has been a frequent and subtle moral problem in the intellectual life of the last hundred years。 It has been increasingly difficult for any class of reading； talking； and discussing people such as are the bulk of the priesthoods of the Christian churches to escape hearing and reading the accumulated criticism of the Trinitarian theology and of the popularly accepted story of man's fall and salvation。 Some have no doubt defeated this universal and insidious critical attack entirely； and honestly established themselves in a right…down acceptance of the articles and disciplines to which they have subscribed and of the creeds they profess and repeat。 Some have recanted and abandoned their positions in the priesthood。 But a great number have neither resisted the bacillus of criticism nor left the churches to which they are attached。 They have adopted compromises； they have qualified their creeds with modifying footnotes of essential repudiation； they have decided that plain statements are metaphors and have undercut； transposed； and inverted the most vital points of the vulgarly accepted beliefs。 One may find within the Anglican communion； Arians； Unitarians； Atheists； disbelievers in immortality； attenuators of miracles； there is scarcely a doubt or a cavil that has not found a lodgment within the ample charity of the English Establishment。 I have been interested to hear one distinguished Canon deplore that 〃they〃 did not identify the Logos with the third instead of the second Person of the Trinity； and another distinguished Catholic apologist declare his indifference to the 〃historical Jesus。〃 Within most of the Christian communions one may believe anything or nothing； provided only that one does not call too public an attention to one's eccentricity。 The late Rev。 Charles Voysey； for example； preached plainly in his church at Healaugh against the divinity of Christ； unhindered。 It was only when he published his sermons under the provocative title of 〃The Sling and the Stone；〃 and caused an outcry beyond the limits of his congregation； that he was indicted and deprived。 Now the reasons why these men do not leave the ministry or priesthood in which they find themselves are often very plausible。 It is probable that in very few cases is the retention of stipend or incumbency a conscious dishonesty。 At the worst it is mitigated by thought for wife or child。 It has only been during very exceptional phases of religious development and controversy that beliefs have been really sharp。 A creed； like a coin； it may be argued； loses little in practical value because it is worn； or bears the image of a vanished king。 The religious life is a reality that has clothed itself in many garments； and the concern of the priest or minister is with the religious life and not with the poor symbols that may indeed pretend to express； but do as a matter of fact no more than indicate； its direction。 It is quite possible to maintain that the church and not the creed is the real and valuable instrument of religion； that the religious life is sustained not by its propositions but by its routines。 Anyone who seeks the intimate discussion of spiritual things with professional divines； will find this is the substance of the case for the ecclesiastical sceptic。 His church； he will admit； mumbles its statement of truth； but where else is truth？ What better formulae are to be found for ineffable things？ And meanwhilehe does good。 That may be a valid defence before a man finds God。 But we who profess the worship and fellowship of the living God deny that religion is a matter of ineffable things。 The way of God is plain and simple and easy to understand。 Therewith the whole position of the conforming sceptic is changed。 If a professional religious has any justification at all for his professionalism it is surely that he proclaims the nearness and greatness of God。 And these creeds and articles and orthodoxies are not proclamations but curtains； they are a darkening and confusion of what should be crystal clear。 What compensatory good can a priest pretend to do when his primary business is the truth and his method a lie？ The oaths and incidental conformities of men who wish to serve God in the state are on a different footing altogether from the falsehood and mischief of one who knows the true God and yet recites to a trustful congregation； foists upon a trustful congregation； a misleading and ill…phrased Levantine creed。 Such is the line of thought which will impose the renunciation of his temporalities and a complete cessation of services upon every ordained priest and minister as his first act of faith。 Once that he has truly realise