The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Proportions of Truth, by Edward Hoare
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most
other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions
whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of
the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at
www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have
to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook.
Title: The Proportions of Truth
Author: Edward Hoare
Release Date: August 8, 2016 [eBook #52757]
Language: English
Character set encoding: UTF-8
***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE PROPORTIONS OF TRUTH***
Transcribed from the 1872 William Hunt and Company edition by David
Price, email [email protected]
_THE PROPORTIONS OF TRUTH_.
* * * * *
BY THE
REV. EDWARD HOARE, M.A.
_Vicar of Trinity Church_, _Tunbridge Wells_,
_and Honorary Canon of Canterbury_.
* * * * *
* * * * *
* * * * *
LONDON:
WILLIAM HUNT AND COMPANY,
HOLLES STREET, CAVENDISH SQUARE;
AND ALDINE CHAMBERS, PATERNOSTER ROW.
PRICE THREEPENCE.
* * * * *
_The Proportions of Truth_.
* * * * *
BY THE
REV. EDWARD HOARE, M.A.,
_Vicar of Trinity Church_, _Tunbridge Wells_,
_and Honorary Canon of Canterbury_.
* * * * *
The Proportions of Truth.
AMONG the many wise sayings of Paschal there is one that deserves our
most attentive study: viz., that few heresies have their origin in simple
error, but that all that have ever attained to power have originated in
the exaggeration of truth. Without that element of truth there would be
no power in the error. This principle is in perfect harmony with all we
see around us. In everything there are certain proportions, and nothing
can compensate for their loss.
In art the painter may mix his colours in the most perfect combination;
he may bring out each feature with all the power of a Rembrandt, but if
the head is twice too large for the body, or the nose for the face, his
beautiful painting becomes nothing better than a ridiculous caricature.
In nature God has fitted the parts of each tree in beautiful proportion.
Each part—the root, the stem, the branch, the leaf,—does its work in
perfect harmony. And many a beautiful tree bears nothing, simply because
an ignorant gardener, by what he calls pruning, has disturbed the
proportions of its parts.
In music it is the same, and Shakespeare knew it when he wrote,
“How sour sweet music is
When time is broke, and no proportion kept.”
But there is no illustration more perfect than that of light. In pure
white light there are many parts, but all in perfect harmony. Let any
one colour be left out, or its strength be diminished, and the pure white
is seen no more. If we wish for purity in light we must have the whole
spectrum, and have it just as God has given it. Let man disturb it in
any way whatever, let him keep back any colour, because it does not suit
his taste, or isolate any other colour, because for it he feels a special
preference, and the result will be that he will no longer look on the
pure bright light of heaven. He need not introduce any new element; all
that he has to do is to keep back a part and to disturb the proportion,
and by that simple and easy process he can substitute a colour of his own
devising for the pure brightness of the sunbeam.
I believe it to be just the same with the truth of God. It is clearly so
with _the Lord Himself_. As He is perfect in every detail, so is He
perfect in the proportions of His attributes. Every attribute is in its
place, and every attribute perfect; and all are so beautifully fitted
together, that the highest desire of the heart thirsting for God is to
come “to the perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fulness of
Christ.”
So it is with _the faith_, or God’s great plan of life, continued and
carried out in His own boundless love, for the salvation of His people.
Of course in this plan there are many parts,—incarnation, life,
atonement, resurrection, mediation, etc. There is the work of the
Father, the work of the Son, and the work of the Holy Ghost; and, besides
that, there is the act of the believer,—seeking Christ, receiving Christ,
and living to His glory. And of the whole it may be most truly said, “As
for God. His work is perfect.” The whole plan, and every part of it, is
Divine. Each part is complete, and each of these complete parts being
fitted together in complete proportion, form, when thus fitted, a grand,
a perfect, an harmonious whole.
Just so it is with _Sacred Scripture_. Some people speak of that sacred
Book as if it consisted of several detached fragments, accidently
preserved and indiscriminately grouped; whereas those who know it best
and study it most, see in it a perfect and harmonious revelation of a
perfect and harmonious salvation. No one denies for one moment that it
was written by many authors, and that the fragments, as they are called,
were written at intervals, extending on the whole over more than 1500
years. No one denies that in the several writings you discern the
several minds and characters of the several writers. No one denies that
the historical accuracy of one man, the poetic genius of another, the
affectionate pastoral earnestness of a third, and the argumentative
faculty of a fourth, are all employed, and all appear with undisguised
individuality. But our point is that there is no appearance of accident
or confusion, but that all these various authors have been employed to
bring out one perfect whole; that the historian, the poet, the
biographer, the letter writer, and the logician, have all their exact
place, and have all, by God’s inspiration, exactly filled it. What some
men regard as a difficulty we regard as the wonder of the Book. We see
many rays in the spectrum, but all are blended so as to give one perfect
light, and when we think on the beautiful and perfect proportions of the
whole, we are prepared to exclaim, with Dryden,
“Whence, but from heaven, could man unskilled in arts,
In several ages born, in several parts
Weave such agreeing truths?”
Now if all this be true it must follow that our great object must be not
merely to preach a selection, however well made, of detached truths, but
to declare the whole counsel of God, and so to declare it that the
proportions of God’s revelation may be preserved. It is not enough that
we exhibit certain of God’s attributes,—His righteousness, _e.g._,
without His mercy, or His mercy without His love; or one side of our
Lord’s nature and character,—His Godhead, _e.g._, without His manhood, or
His manhood without His Godhead. Nor is it enough that we teach certain
portions of the plan of life,—as atonement without repentance, or
repentance without atonement. Our great desire must be, as faithful
stewards, to declare the whole: not to select any favourite colours in
the spectrum, but to exhibit without partiality the perfect light of the
truth of God.
But in the application of this principle one caution has been suggested
to me by a very thoughtful friend: viz. this,—that in an endeavour to
attain to the proportionate place of any particular truths, we must take
into consideration not merely the frequency with which they are repeated,
but the urgency with which they are pressed upon our attention. There
are some subjects in which our opinions are formed from historical
reference to the practice of the early Church, such as Episcopal
Government and infant baptism, and however important they may appear,
they must clearly be put in a different category from those where we have
the clear command of God, or the clear declaration that they concern the
essentials of life eternal. Again some subjects may cover a greater
space in Scripture, and still be of less importance than other short
passages which have been solemnly uttered as containing the very
essentials of salvation. The broadest band in the prism is not the
brightest, and the brightness of the one is quite as important as the
breadth of the other. The historical books of the Old Testament, _e.g._,
must none be neglected; but, though they occupy nearly one-third of the
whole Book, they do not outweigh in importance that single sentence of
our blessed Redeemer: “Truly, truly, I say unto thee, Except a man be
born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Some portions again are
only preparatory to the final development of the perfect plan of life,
and they clearly occupy a position of different proportionate importance
to the plan itself. Each portion of God’s truth has its own place in the
complete plan, and the importance attached by the inspiring Spirit to
each part, and to the place of each part, is that which we really want to
ascertain. We want to take a comprehensive view of the great salvation
as complete in the finished work of our blessed Redeemer, and the
outpouring of the Holy Ghost at Pentecost. We want not merely to look at
the completed system, but at all that God appointed to prepare the way
for it, and then without reserve, and without preference, yield ourselves
to the Divine teaching, and make it our earnest prayer that in all His
proportions, and in all His perfections, we may be taught of God to
exhibit Christ.
And now, having said enough on the general principle, let us begin by
applying it to the variations which exist amongst us with reference to
the great principles which lie within the circle of Evangelical truth,
and in which we are in the main agreed. I hear a good deal of the
disunion of the Evangelical body, but I do not believe it. I am fully
alive to our defects in organization, and I believe you will always find
such defects amongst persons trained as we are to think for ourselves,
and to act on our own responsibility; but I believe there is a vast
amount of real loving Christian brotherhood amongst us, and I doubt
whether in the whole world you would find five hundred thinking men more
completely of one heart and one mind than that loving band of brethren
who meet year after year in this hall, under the presidency of our
venerable friend. Still we have our variations, and I venture to suggest
that these variations, such as they are, arise much more from our losing
sight of the proportions of truth, than from error as to truth itself.
Some, _e.g._, of us who are deeply interested in prophetic inquiry, may
carry the subject too far, and become too much absorbed by an intense
interest of the study; while other dear brethren have been so much
impressed by our mistakes, that they think it wiser to neglect the
subject altogether; and thus it comes to pass that the proportion of
truth is missed by us both. Is it not possible that some of us are so
impressed with the grandeur of the universal offer of a free salvation in
Christ Jesus, that we scarcely give sufficient prominence to the doctrine
of election; while others have our hearts so filled with the deep sense
of electing love, that we feel some difficulty in making a universal
offer? And in such a case does not the difficulty arise much more from
our losing sight of the relative position of two truths, than of either
party being in error as to either one? Each can prove his point, but the
question is, Do they preserve the proportion of truth?
So again, is there not a danger of those amongst us whose own mind is
occupied by the Jews, seeing everything in Jewish light, and forgetting
the election from the Gentiles; while those who are absorbed in Gentile
work are in equal danger of withholding his proper portion from the Jew?
Once more, is it not a question whether, as a body, we are giving quite
sufficient prominence to the sacrament of Baptism? If I were to draw any
comparison between the two sacraments, I think I must come to the
conclusion that the sacrament of Baptism occupies in Apostolic teaching a
more prominent place than the Lord’s Supper; but I am not at all sure
that the proportion is not reversed in my own ministry, and that much
more importance is not attached to the Holy Communion than to our Baptism
into the body of Christ. The same may be said of the Second Advent, and
many other subjects. We may be perfectly sound upon each point, and able
in the most satisfactory manner to prove each point from Scripture, but
still while maintaining truth we may be exhibiting a partial view of
truth: we may be presenting only certain colours of the spectrum, and
failing to produce the perfect light; we may be playing only the bass
notes, and so losing the harmony of our music.
If this be the case, we shall not be drawn together by an eager
maintenance of our own particular subject, but by fixing our thoughts on
the whole. I am not arguing against men taking up particular subjects
and becoming absorbed in them. I believe that if this were not done
nothing great would be accomplished, for no one mind is big enough for
the whole. But I am anxious that we should remember that other person’s
subjects have a place in God’s system as well as our own; that “the eye
cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to
the feet, I have no need of you;” but that we all remember that “God hath
tempered the body together;” and that our earnest desire must be, as one
united band of brethren, to exhibit before the world in all its
proportions the whole counsel and the perfect mind of God.
But, leaving these subjects, which may be defined as variations within
the Evangelical body, let us pass on to apply the principle to some of
those great questions in which the whole body are united in the earnest
struggle for the truth of God; and let us begin with that which is
undoubtedly one of the great questions of the day,—the relative value of
ritual, and reality in religion. Now let us admit at the outset that it
is utterly impossible to have reality without ritual. It is impossible
for twelve men to meet together and worship God decently and in order
without a ritual of some kind or other. Nay, I would go further, and say
it is impossible for any one, even alone, to pour out his heart before
God without a certain amount of ritual or form. There must be a certain
ritual, or external action, in harmony with the spiritual or internal
movements of the soul. But though you cannot have reality without
ritual, you may have ritual without reality. You may have an elaborate
form, notwithstanding the total absence of the weightier matters of the
law. It becomes therefore a matter of deep interest for us to consider
what is the relative position of ritual in the Christian system, and what
place it occupies in sacred Scripture.
Now it was once said to me by an advanced Ritualist, “If there be an
elaborate and gorgeous ritual in heaven, and if there was an elaborate
and gorgeous ritual under the law, may we not conclude that we ought to
have the same in this intermediate dispensation?”
But where do we find any account of a gorgeous and elaborate ritual in
heaven? We do, I acknowledge, read of one gorgeous dress “of purple and
scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls;” but
that was on the harlot. In all besides there is perfect simplicity. The
bride has no dress but “fine linen, clean and white;” and when the elders
were honoured with crowns, they cast them at the feet of the Lamb, that
all eyes might be fixed on Him, and all heaven give Him His honour. Nor
was there any gorgeous ritual under the law. It is true that the high
priest wore a dress adorned with precious stones and the most costly
material that could be procured, but that was for the simple reason that
what he wore was typical of the glorious attributes of our blessed
Redeemer. But the dress of the ordinary priests was perfectly simple.
And as for ritual, it was minute because it was prophetic: it was a
pictorial prophecy, and therefore of necessity accurate. But in other
respects we find no directions whatever. The argument therefore
completely falls to the ground; and we have to consider simply the
position occupied by ritual in the New Testament. And what do we find
there? Absolutely nothing: not even in the administration of the
sacraments do we find a single direction beyond the name and the water in
Baptism, and the use of bread and wine in the Lord’s Supper. Beyond
these points not a hint is given. Whether it should be received
standing, sitting, or kneeling; what words should be used, and who should
use them; whether there should be a liturgy or extempore prayer, and
indeed whether there should be any prayer at all,—all these things are
left without any notice in the Word of God.
But I must be careful what I say, for I once had a pamphlet sent me
purporting to give Scriptural authority for some of these modern
innovations. It maintained that the cloak, the φαιλόνη, which St. Paul
left at Troas, was his chasuble, without which he could not celebrate
mass at Rome; and that the many lights which sent Eutychus to sleep were
the many candles with which the altar at Troas was adorned. If men
believe that, it is vain to argue with them. But this much we may safely
conclude,—that if these be the only arguments that can be produced, the
men who urged them must have been very hard up for an authority. Our
conclusion therefore remains untouched, that the whole of the New
Testament is occupied by the great realities of the Gospel of Christ; and
that, so far as Scripture is concerned, there is not even a hint as to
ritual. And what is the grand conclusion? Is it not surely this,—that
if we would keep to the proportions of truth we must not allow the
thoughts to be led off by ritual, but must keep well in view the great
realities of life and death, of forgiveness, of purification, new life,
and everlasting salvation: the great things of the Gospel, the weighty
matters revealed in the Word of God. Even when contending against
innovation we must not allow the interest of the contest to draw our
thoughts from great realities. And in our own peaceful and parochial
work we must not disturb our people by needless changes, even though some
of them may seem to ourselves to be improvements; and we must take good
heed that, while all things are ordered as becometh the house of God, the
great law of proportion is observed, and the minds of our young people
not drawn off by the form and furniture of worship. I was deeply
impressed not long ago by the importance of this principle in its bearing
upon missions. In missions you have a great reality that fills the
Scriptures. History, prophecy, biography, command, and promise, all
unite in urging the sacred work of missions. I was anxious to ascertain
to what extent the missionary spirit flourished in conjunction with
costly ritual; and I thought the best test that I could apply was to
ascertain how much was contributed to the Society for the Propagation of
the Gospel by some of those churches that are most renowned for ritual.
I selected seven, with the names of which I happened to be familiar. {16}
I then turned to the last report of the Society for the Propagation of
the Gospel, in order to ascertain how much they gave for missions, and I
found that the aggregate contributions by all seven together to the
general fund amounted to the amazing sum of £7 13_s._ 2_d._ I ought to
say that St. Albans added £5 13_s._ 10_d._ for a special fund for
Honolulu. So that, taking into account the gifts to particular dioceses,
as well as those to the general fund, the total contributed by the seven
churches to foreign missions, through the Society for the Propagation of
the Gospel, amounted to £13 7_s._ And yet the incumbent of one or them
(St. Andrew’s, Wells Street) stated in evidence before the Ritual
Commission, that the cost of his choir alone was “about £1000 a year.”
Is it not high time that men lay to heart the proportion to be observed
between ritual and the reality of religion?
But now let us go a step further, and apply this law of proportion to
what is commonly called the sacramental system. I heard this well
defined not long since, in a very able sermon by an advanced Ritualist.
He supposed a person in America anxious to communicate with his friend in
England, and asked the question whether he would do so by direct
communication through the air, or through the medium of the telegraphic
wires. “Just so,” said he, “the question is whether God has been pleased
to communicate direct with the soul, or has chosen to do so through the
medium of His priests and sacraments.” My own belief is that that was a
very fair statement of the point at issue, and I am anxious to bring it
to the test of the law of proportion, and to ascertain as far as we can
what proportionate place this intermediate system occupies in the Word of
God. But here I meet with a great difficulty, for when I turn to my
Bible the system, as a system, is not to be found. I know not therefore
how to bring it to the balance; all I can attempt therefore is to
consider it in detail, and to examine separately the different parts of
the telegraphic system. Let us begin with confession and absolution.
Respecting confession to a priest, not one word is to be found in any
portion of the New Testament; and with reference to absolution by a
priest, there is not a passage which can be quoted with any semblance, of
authority, except that one most difficult verse in the Gospel of St.
John. I am not about to discuss that verse, or to endeavour to decide
whether the words were spoken to the whole Church or to the Apostles, or
whether, if to the Apostles, they describe a gift as one to be
permanently transmitted, or to terminate with, the Apostleship. My
object is to point out that if they referred to a gift to be transmitted
through the Apostles to priests, if the transmission were to stop at
priests and not descend to deacons, and if the forgiveness, and therefore
the salvation of the whole Church were dependent on the exercise by a
priest of the transmitted power,—it is to my mind perfectly inconceivable
that the revelation of God should be completed and closed, without
containing one single sentence either as to the law of transmission, or
the exercise of so tremendous and mysterious a power. In the Acts we
have the record of Apostolic missions. In the Epistles we have
twenty-one addresses to Christian Churches, three of which were
exclusively devoted to the subject of the ministry; while passages
bearing on the relationship between ministers and people are perpetually
recurring. From one end of the Book to the other, the great subject of
forgiveness is mentioned again and again; and yet, with reference to what
was termed at Nottingham, “sacramental confession and absolution,” though
the application of life is supposed to depend on it, not a single hint is
given.
Should these words be ever brought to the notice of those earnest men
with whom we have lately been recommended to cultivate union, I would
earnestly intreat them to consider whether the Apostles placed absolution
and confession in the same position that they are doing; and if not, I
would suggest to those zealous men the further question, whether the
difference may not be explained by their having completely mistaken the
words of our Lord.
Turn next to sacrifice. Now if there be any continuation in any form of
a propitiatory sacrifice for sin we must all admit that it is of the
utmost possible importance. If it be God’s institution there is no
describing the loss of those who live without it. But here I am met with
the remarkable fact that, when I look for the theory in the Word of God,
I find no trace of it. There is no allusion to a priest, for the
ῖεροργοῦντα of Rom. xv. 16, has manifestly nothing to do with the
subject. There is no altar, unless Heb. xiii. 10, be referred to, which
very few are bold enough to attempt to refer to a sacrificial altar in
the Church. There is not a hint as to the persons administering the
Lord’s Supper, which is very strange if all the virtue is really
dependent on the transmitted priesthood of the sacerdotal sacrifices.
And above all, there is not one word about sacrifice in the words of
institution, unless it be that τοῦτο ποιεῖτε means, and must mean,
“perform this sacrifice.” The whole system hangs on the unproved and
unsupported sense, arbitrarily given to these two perfectly simple words,
and I would most earnestly put it to those who believe in the
continuation of propitiatory sacrifice,—is there any evidence for the
doctrine which bears the least appreciable proportion to its intense and
overwhelming importance.
The same may be said of the real presence. I am not now speaking of
transubstantiation simple, but of the statement that in each element
there is present a real true living Saviour,—body, soul, and divinity.
Now I fully admit that those who believe in this do not make at all too
much of it. I do not see how it is possible to make too much of it. If
that same Lord and Saviour who was born at Bethlehem and died on Calvary,
is seated on the communion table, as really, and if I may so speak, as
socially, as he was seated at the Paschal Supper, so that we may speak to
Him there and then, as a person visible before us, I can imagine no
adoration too profound, no love too deep to be consecrated to such a
presence. If I believed it, my present thought is that I could never
leave the Church and never cease to speak of it. It seems as though I
must be ever telling those that look for Him, that I have found the
Messiah. But here I am met with this most extraordinary difficulty,—that
His own Apostles and inspired writers never once alluded to the subject.
They often spoke, it is true, of breaking bread, and in one Epistle the
Apostle Paul entered fully into the subject of the Lord’s Supper; but the
only two texts that I know of as having been ever forced into a
reference, are: “Not discerning the Lord’s body,”—which has no allusion
to the living person; and the original words of institution: “This is My
body and this is My blood,” which distinctly teach a separation in the
parts, as opposed to a union of the whole in the person of a living Lord
in either element. But I am not stopping to discuss particular texts.
Let those who believe the doctrine think what they please respecting
them, and I would earnestly ask them to consider two questions.
(1) Did the Apostles give the same proportionate place to the doctrine
of the real presence that they are doing? Did it occupy the same place
in St. Paul’s teaching as in theirs?
(2) Is the authority for the doctrine at all in proportion to the
overwhelming weight of its interest and importance?
Test the matter by the law of proportion, and I have no doubt as to the
issue.
But now turn to the other side,—the direct and personal reinstatement of
the sinner before God: and here I am as much at a loss as I was before;
but not as before to find a text, but because the whole Book of God is
full of the subject. It fills the Scriptures as the air fills the room.
It is not here or there, but everywhere. In the Old Testament it is
predicted, in the New Testament fully manifested. In the teaching of our
Lord, in the sermons of His missionaries, in the letters of His Apostles,
in all alike you find it. Present and complete forgiveness, complete
justification, finished atonement through the perfect sacrifice once for
all, and the ever living, never changing advocacy of our blessed Redeemer
now at the right hand of the throne of God,—these are subjects not
dependent on forced interpretations of minute texts, but which form the
substance of the whole teaching of God. They meet you everywhere and you
cannot avoid them. I do not quote them, for there would be no end of it.
If I wanted, _e.g._, to quote on the doctrine of justification by faith,
I must begin by quoting the two Epistles to the Romans and Galatians; or
if on the finished sacrifice and present Priesthood of our Lord and
Redeemer, I must begin with the whole Epistle to the Hebrews. We do not
rely on words only but on chapters, and not on chapters only, but on
whole books,—books inspired for this very purpose; and not on separate
books only, but on the whole united testimony of the whole collection of
books which God has interwoven together as an abiding witness to the
faith once delivered to the saints.
We trust to the whole great, grand, aggregate of the Gospel, and from the
whole we learn that there is nothing intermediate between us and our God,
but that the atonement being complete, the veil of the temple has been
rent from the top to the bottom, and that now there is nothing left but
the deadness of our own hearts to prevent our passing in at once, alone,
and just as we are, to cast ourselves, in the full assurance of complete
reconciliation, for all we need, before the mercy-seat of God.
* * * * *
* * * * *
London: William Hunt and Company, 23, Holles Street, Cavendish Square;
and Aldine Chambers, Paternoster Row.
* * * * *
Advertisement. {2}
_Arrangements for the following Serial Papers_
ARE MADE FOR
EVENING HOURS,
1872,
_Edited by the Rev. E. H. BICKERSTETH_, _M.A._
IN MONTHLY PARTS. SIXPENCE.
TRUE TO THE END.
(A New Serial Tale, commencing January.) By the Rev. Dr. Edersheim,
Author of “Miriam Bosenham.”
NEW ZEALAND RECREATIONS.
By Lady Barker, Author of “Station Life In New Zealand.” With Author’s
Illustrations.
NOTES ON THE TRACK OF ISRAEL. By Francis Gell, B.A.
LIFE AND CHARACTER IN IRELAND.
By W. Steuart Trench, Esq., Author of the “Realities of Irish Life.”
With Author’s Illustrations.
THE CRUIZE ON THE ZUIDER ZEE.
By Rob Roy. With Engravings from Sketches by the Author.
GOOD LAWYERS AND DOCTORS.
By Rev. F. Arnold.
VISITS TO OUR PHILANTHROPIC INSTITUTIONS.
By the Rev. Gordon Calthrop, M.A.
HEROES OF THE LAITY.
By A. C. Ewald, Esq.
RIDLEY, BAXTER, AND OTHER OLD DIVINES:
Their Lives, Times, and Writings. By the Rev. J. C. Ryle, M.A.
LIFE IN THE GHETTO.
By the Author of “Broad Shadows in Life’s Pathway.”
THE OFFICES OF THE CHURCH.
By the Lord Bishop of Ripon.
MISSION WORK AMID OUR GREAT CITIES.
By J. M. Weylland, Author of “The Man with the Book.”
THE MINISTRY OF ANGELS.
By the Rev. E. H. Bickersteth, M.A.
ADDRESSES TO PUBLIC SCHOOL BOYS.
By Public Men.
THE DRAMA OF LIFE, AND OTHER PAPERS.
By Hugh Macmillan, Author of “Bible Teachings in Nature.”
HYMNODY AND CHURCH MUSIC. THE SUFFERER’S COUCH, AND OTHER ORIGINAL
POETRY. By J. T. Cooper, Esq., Rev. R. Brown-Borthwick, Hetty Bowman, E.
S. Craik, J. Threlfall, Rev. R. Wilton, The Editor, etc.
BOTANIC RAMBLES.
By Mrs. Gordon, Author of “Work: Plenty to do, and How to do it.”
* * * * *
LONDON: WILLIAM HUNT AND COMPANY,
23, HOLLES STREET, CAVENDISH SQUARE;
AND ALDINE CHAMBERS, PATERNOSTER ROW.
Footnotes.
{2} In the printed pamphlet the advertisements are on the reverse of the
cover page and have been moved to the end in this eText.—DP.
{16} These were St. Alban’s, All Saints’, Margaret Street; St. Andrew’s,
Wells Street; St. Ethelburga, St. Matthias, Stoke Newington; St. Mary
Magdalene, Munster Square; and St. Paul’s, Walworth.
***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE PROPORTIONS OF TRUTH***
******* This file should be named 52757-0.txt or 52757-0.zip *******
This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:
http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/5/2/7/5/52757
Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will
be renamed.
Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright
law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works,
so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United
States without permission and without paying copyright
royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part
of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project
Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm
concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark,
and may not be used if you charge for the eBooks, unless you receive
specific permission. If you do not charge anything for copies of this
eBook, complying with the rules is very easy. You may use this eBook
for nearly any purpose such as creation of derivative works, reports,
performances and research. They may be modified and printed and given
away--you may do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks
not protected by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the
trademark license, especially commercial redistribution.
START: FULL LICENSE
THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE
PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK
To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free
distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work
(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project
Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full
Project Gutenberg-tm License available with this file or online at
www.gutenberg.org/license.
Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project
Gutenberg-tm electronic works
1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm
electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to
and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property
(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all
the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or
destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your
possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a
Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound
by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the
person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph
1.E.8.
1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be
used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who
agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few
things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works
even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See
paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project
Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this
agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm
electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below.
1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the
Foundation" or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection
of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual
works in the collection are in the public domain in the United
States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the
United States and you are located in the United States, we do not
claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing,
displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as
all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope
that you will support the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting
free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm
works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the
Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with the work. You can easily
comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the
same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg-tm License when
you share it without charge with others.
1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern
what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are
in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States,
check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this
agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing,
distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any
other Project Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no
representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any
country outside the United States.
1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:
1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other
immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear
prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work
on which the phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the
phrase "Project Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed,
performed, viewed, copied or distributed:
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and
most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no
restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it
under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this
eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the
United States, you'll have to check the laws of the country where you
are located before using this ebook.
1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is
derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not
contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the
copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in
the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are
redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase "Project
Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply
either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or
obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg-tm
trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted
with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution
must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any
additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms
will be linked to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works
posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the
beginning of this work.
1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm
License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this
work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm.
1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this
electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without
prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with
active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project
Gutenberg-tm License.
1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary,
compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including
any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access
to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format
other than "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official
version posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site
(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense
to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means
of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original "Plain
Vanilla ASCII" or other form. Any alternate format must include the
full Project Gutenberg-tm License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.
1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying,
performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works
unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing
access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works
provided that
* You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from
the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method
you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed
to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he has
agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid
within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are
legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty
payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in
Section 4, "Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg
Literary Archive Foundation."
* You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies
you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he
does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm
License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all
copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue
all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg-tm
works.
* You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of
any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the
electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of
receipt of the work.
* You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free
distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works.
1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project
Gutenberg-tm electronic work or group of works on different terms than
are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing
from both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and The
Project Gutenberg Trademark LLC, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm
trademark. Contact the Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below.
1.F.
1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable
effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread
works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project
Gutenberg-tm collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm
electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may
contain "Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate
or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other
intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or
other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or
cannot be read by your equipment.
1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right
of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project
Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project
Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all
liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal
fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT
LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE
PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE
TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE
LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR
INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
DAMAGE.
1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a
defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can
receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a
written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you
received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium
with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you
with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in
lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person
or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second
opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If
the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing
without further opportunities to fix the problem.
1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth
in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO
OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT
LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.
1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied
warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of
damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement
violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the
agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or
limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or
unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the
remaining provisions.
1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the
trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone
providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in
accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the
production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm
electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses,
including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of
the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this
or any Project Gutenberg-tm work, (b) alteration, modification, or
additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any
Defect you cause.
Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm
Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of
electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of
computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It
exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations
from people in all walks of life.
Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the
assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's
goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will
remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure
and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future
generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary
Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see
Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at
www.gutenberg.org
Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary
Archive Foundation
The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit
501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the
state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal
Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification
number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary
Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by
U.S. federal laws and your state's laws.
The Foundation's principal office is in Fairbanks, Alaska, with the
mailing address: PO Box 750175, Fairbanks, AK 99775, but its
volunteers and employees are scattered throughout numerous
locations. Its business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, Salt
Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up to
date contact information can be found at the Foundation's web site and
official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact
For additional contact information:
Dr. Gregory B. Newby
Chief Executive and Director
[email protected]
Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg
Literary Archive Foundation
Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide
spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of
increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be
freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest
array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations
($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt
status with the IRS.
The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating
charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United
States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a
considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up
with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations
where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND
DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular
state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate
While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we
have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition
against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who
approach us with offers to donate.
International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make
any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from
outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.
Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation
methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other
ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To
donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate
Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works.
Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project
Gutenberg-tm concept of a library of electronic works that could be
freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and
distributed Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of
volunteer support.
Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed
editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in
the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not
necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper
edition.
Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search
facility: www.gutenberg.org
This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm,
including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary
Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to
subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.
The Proportions of Truth
Download Formats:
Excerpt
The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Proportions of Truth, by Edward Hoare
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most
other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions
whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of
the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at
www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have
to check the laws of the country where you are located...
Read the Full Text
— End of The Proportions of Truth —
Book Information
- Title
- The Proportions of Truth
- Author(s)
- Hoare, Edward
- Language
- English
- Type
- Text
- Release Date
- August 8, 2016
- Word Count
- 8,509 words
- Library of Congress Classification
- BX
- Bookshelves
- Browsing: History - Religious, Browsing: Philosophy & Ethics, Browsing: Religion/Spirituality/Paranormal
- Rights
- Public domain in the USA.
Related Books
The Real Question as to Altar Lights - Christ's Body Present by Consecration, and Offered in the Sacrament of the Altar: A Letter to the Rev. John W.H. Molyneux
by Phipps, Edward James
English
60h 59m read
A Second Letter to the Rev. William Maskell, M.A. - Some thoughts on the position of the Church of England, as to her dogmatic teaching
by Mayow, Mayow Wynell
English
832h 44m read
Sermons for the Day
by Hoare, Edward
English
283h 24m read
Memorials of Francis Storr: Sermons
by Hoare, Edward, May, W., Rev.
English
227h 46m read
The Time of the End - or, the World, the Visible Church, and the People of God at the Advent of the Lord
by Hoare, Edward
English
272h 43m read
Witnesses to Truth
by Hoare, Edward
English
393h 9m read