LECTURE II. 63

himself in his book, Eunice and her son were
enabled to say with Samuel, "Speak, Lord, for
thy servant heareth."

So also when a Christian female studying the
Bible at home came to any difficulty, it is very
instructive to observe the course which the
Apostle directs her to take to have her doubts
resolved. She is not to go to the Church, and
talk to the presbyters and congregation about
her perplexities, but if she would learn any thing,
she is to "ask her husband at home." k

Such was the character of Christian teaching
even in the age of the Apostles, and when, if ever,
the Church was in possession of some special
instruction not contained in the Gospels; but we
find all along that reference is made to "those
things which were written," and that the apos-
tolic writings contain no additional facts, while
they expand and elucidate the doctrine of the
Gospel, and that with a clearness and point
which tend to impart saving wisdom.'



k I Cor. xiv. 35.
1 We may observe that on several occasions the Apostles xefer
to their writings as provided for the express purpose (Si fixing the
faith of the Church: for instance, Luke i. 3; 2 Pet. i. 12, 15,
where St. Peter goes on to give a sort of creed, v. 16. &c. So St.
Paul having warned the Ephesian elders against grievous wolves,
Acts xx. 29, wrote his epistles to confirm that Church. So again
St. Peter, 2 Peter iii. 2, refers to the Old and New Testaments, and
to St. Paul's epistle, as scripture.
64 LECTURE II.
