Part 2 (2/2)

In my architectural journeys I used to entertain, people with these wondrous subjects; and one evening I had the honour of agitating even the Bishop of Exeter himself, who, in his enthusiasm, bade me write a book, and dedicate it to him I did so ”The Cross and the Serpent” is the title of it, and it was duly inscribed to his lordshi+p

It excites h it is thirty-five years since I made these discoveries The old librarian at Oxford declared that I was mad, and yet he could not keep away fro ht, then all the great antiquaries are wrong” I suggested that they had not had the advantage I possessed of placing their various theories side by side, or oftheir observations fro all these external labours, which engrossed lect my parish I felt, however, thatabout ecclesiastical antiquities or architectural science; and that they knew nothing, and cared less, about Church teaching They did not believe, with ht to be in the Church, and receive the Holy Communion--that there is no salvation out of the Church, and no Church without a Bishop They were utterly careless about these things and from the first had been an unsympathetic and unteachable people I feel sure that had it not been for other interesting occupations which engaged ed with them

I tried to stir theood and loyal Church Charles the First wrote them a letter of Commendation, and commanded that it should be put up in all the churches I had a copy of this letter well painted, framed, and placed in a conspicuous part of inal serurate the royal letter

My text was taken from Heb 12:22-24, ”Ye are co God, the heavenly Jerusaleeneral assembly and church of the first-born, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the , that speaketh better things than that of Abel” I applied these words to the Church of England, and rather reproached the Cornish people for not being more loyal and scriptural!

I think I was more roused by my sermon than any one else; and no one asked me to print it, but I did for all that, with a copy of the king's letter I am sorry to say that the public did not care sufficiently about it to buy copies enough even to pay for printing

It fell very flat, but I attributed that to the degeneracy of the times, and of Cornish people in particular The fact was, they understood that text far better than I did, and knew that ”the Church of the first-born”

was so more spiritual than I had any conception of

Froeneral rule, preach ed and siht theood co went, they were, to my mind, perfect They stated doctrines and drew manifest conclusions; but my people were not satisfied with them then; and I can see now, thank God! that, with all their excellences, they were utterly deficient in spiritual vitality

Their author was one who, in his ”Apologia” he was a th, when he grasped the ideal of what a Church ought to be, he tried by the Oxford Tracts, especially No XC, to raise the Church of England to his standard; and failing in that, he became dissatisfied, and went over to the Church of Rome

Once, when I arrived at a friend's house in the Lake district, I was told that there was a most beautiful view of distantI lifted the blind to look, but only saw an ordinary view of green fields, hedges, trees and a lake There was nothing else whatever to be seen In the course of the day, a heavyover the lake was dispersed, and then I saw the beautiful mountains which before had been so completely veiled that it was difficult to believe in their existence

So it ith lorious view of spiritual realities beyond them, in all their full and vast expanse, was as yet hidden

Whether my extracts from Newman's Sermons were regation, I cannot tell, but it was very evident thatto take effect at last; for as I went on preaching and protesting against the people and against schiso on preaching that doctrine, you will drive away the best part of your congregation” ”Excuse me,” I answered, ”not the best part; you mean the worse part” ”Well,” ho said, ”you will see”

On the following Sunday, I gave out es of o” With this, the ”bass viol,” the other fiddles, the clarionet, the ophicleide, and the choir, caallery stairs, and ation followed their example, with the deterain I waited till the noise was over, and then went on with ht ht that the people were being htened in the truth, while I was altogether in the dark, and knew nothing about it From this time there was a constant feud between the parishi+oners and ht that they were schismatics; and they knew that I was unconverted, and did not preach the Gospel

One day, a Dissenter called to pay a burial fee for the funeral of his child, which he had purposely o at the proper time because he wished to tell me a piece of his mind I was absent on the occasion on soical business, which was to me all important ”I know,” he said, ”why you went away and would not bury my child” ”Do you?” I asked ”Yes; it was because I am a Dissenter” ”Oh!”

I said, ”I would bury you all to-ood, and can do none either”

This went round the parish like wildfire, and did not advance ood

Seriously at this tiland was a most deadly sin--it was schisainst the Mosaic law; but this was a sin against the Church I little dreamt then that rieved so much, were real spiritual members of Christ, and had only ceased to be land because I did not preach the Gospel; that, in fact, I was the cause of their leaving the services; that I was the schismatic, for I was separated froood reason, had separated froland, which Isince the Reformation, like that of the primitive Church, is based not on baptis to the Lord's co disciples--that is, to graft members into the body of Christ's Church outwardly Whatever special grace is given to infants and others at baptisiven upon the condition of personal faith and repentance Until a baptized person has been enabled by the Holy Ghost to repent and believe the Gospel, he is not really a new-born child of God, or raised froh nominally, in the words of the Catechism, he has ”been made a child of God”

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Since the feuds and dissensions in my parish, the church was almost deserted, and left chiefly to myself, my clerk, and a few poor people, who, for the most part, were in ill favour in the chapels

One day I was absorbed in writing, or rather rewriting, a text over the porch door of the church It was, ”This is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven” Aat the foot of the ladder said, ”Heaven is a long way froate, I reckon” I pretended not to hear him, but his speech stuck to me I knew only too well from this, and many other indications, that the people had no respect for the church under my ministrations

CHAPTER 5

The New Parish, 1846