The Place of Philosophy in the Theological Curriculum [pp. 103-124]

- THE PRINCE TON RE VIE W.
is current, tho not chargeable with any sinister intent, will,
unless I greatly err, prove itself a most disastrous concession to
the enemy. To fall back upon faith in the thick of a great
conflict is to confess defeat. To declare that truths which are
not intuitions are at the same time incapable of defence save
by subjective tests is practically to retire from controversy and
leave the questions of debate to be settled by the quiet operation of the Spirit of God. Some would call this wise. To invoke any argument seems to such men like leaning on an arm
of flesh; and the attempt to show that what we believe is believed for reasons that can be mediated to the understanding
of thinking men is considered by them as an unholy alliance
between philosophy and theology. It seems to be forgotten by
such men that while the witness of the Spirit is the ground of
indefectible certitude to the individual, it is hard, if it is not
impossible, to make our personal certitude the basis of argument with others. It is forgotten that the strongest reasons
for our own convictions are not always those of which we can
make the most use when dealing with other minds; and therefore, so far from there being any incompatibility between objective evidence and subjective impressions originated by the
Spirit, the one is the proper complement of the other. But it
is difficult apparently for some to realize that fair debate between believers and unbelievers must proceed upon the basis of
common intellectual conditions and common objective evidence.
To support a position by a subjectivity peculiar to one party in
the discussion, and especially by a subjectivity that begs the
whole question in dispute, or to urge a historic bias as an argumentative make-weight, is simply to argue unfairly. In a certain sense Protestantism is individualism. It affirms the right
of every man to read and think for himself, and therefore it
affirms his right to very considerate treatment in debate. For
himself and in foro conscientio the individual Christian may
decide and does decide, in addition to external evidence, by
the witness of the Spirit; but when he appears in debate and
aims at convincing another mind, he must make use of the
canons of certitude that other men employ. He may believe
that the Holy Ghost has borne witness to truth in the historic
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