discover that the dispensational changes that subdivide the purpose of the

ages, have always been announced in Scripture, and that spiritual deduction

only finds its true place, after and not before the announcement has been

made public, the recognition of the differences that claim attention and

which are vital to the full acknowledgment of our calling may be simplified.

First, in order to be sure that the term `dispensational truth' shall be

understood, let us repeat what was said on the opening pages of Part 1.

The revelation given in the Scriptures comes to us in three forms (1)

Doctrinal Truth, (2) Dispensational Truth, (3) Practical Truth.

What do we mean by Doctrinal Truth?  Doctrinal Truth embraces all that

has been revealed concerning the Being and Attributes of God, and all that

God has done, commanded, promised or foretold in Creation, Law

and Grace.  `All have sinned' is true under whatever dispensation we may be

called.  `God is just' is as true under grace as it was under law.  `To the

Jew first' was true during the period covered by the Acts, but cannot be put

into practice since the dismissal of the Jew in Acts 28.  This latter

statement therefore comes rather under the next heading.

What do we mean by Dispensational Truth?  Dispensational Truth takes

note of the purpose of the ages, the changes that have been introduced since

Creation, such as may be denominated the Dispensation of Innocence, Law,

Kingdom, Grace, Church, Mystery, etc., and the office of Dispensational Truth

is to decide whether any particular doctrine, whether it is command, promise,

calling or prophecy, does or does not pertain to any particular individual.

Dispensational Truth would lead the believer to distinguish between the

blessing which says, `The meek shall inherit the earth' and those blessings

which are described as `all spiritual' and to be enjoyed `in heavenly places'

where Christ sitteth.

What do we mean by Practical Truth?  Not until Doctrine has passed the

mesh of Dispensational Truth, can Practical Truth put in its claim.  It is

obvious that the people of Israel, called to be a royal priesthood and a holy

nation, with its sphere of influence on the earth, could not be called upon

to put into practice the injunctions of Ephesians 4 to 6.  In like manner,

the Church of the One Body has no guarantee that obedience to the special

truth attaching to that calling will result in blessing in `basket and in

store'.  Those who are under the law, must have a very different form of

practice from those who are under grace.

Only by loyally preaching and teaching the truth of God as related to

these three aspects can we hope to become workmen who need not to be ashamed,

for only by so doing shall we `rightly divide' the Word and so minister

We believe this threefold division will command the assent of all who

honour the Scriptures as the revelation of the mind and will of God.  In the

endeavour to discern the changing dispensations, we may collect together

`things that differ', we may observe that one calling is associated with the

period `before the foundation of the world' and another with a period `from

(or since) the foundation of the world'.  We may observe that in one calling

Christ is `King'; in another He is represented as `Priest after the order of

Melchisedec'; in another He is denominated `Head over all things to the

church which is His Body'.  We observe that some are `to inherit the earth'