Part 27 (2/2)
It was perfectly clear, moreover, that one obvious motive or policy had dictated the false application of the three chapters It will be observed that priest rule is established in thedom of God 'without priestly operation in baptism; no one abide or be fed in it without the same in Holy Communion; nor any one receive absolution from sin, and final release from hell to heaven, apart from sacerdotal action
On the other hand, I saw spiritual men, as sure as they were of their own existence that their new birth took place, not at baptism, but at their conversion Therefore they were convinced that the third chapter of St John, in which our Lord's conversation with Nicodee which takes place at conversion, and not to baptism, which was not even instituted for two or three years afterwards (Matt 28:19)
Again, as to the sixth chapter A spiritual man knows that he feeds continually on the body and blood of Christ, it is the ”Bread which came down from heaven” for him The Lord said, ”He that eateth Me, even he shall live by Me” (John 6:57) They kno they received spiritual life, and also how it is continually maintained; therefore they could not allow themselves to be carried aith such a palpable fiction as transubstantiation, or any other doctrine kindred to it The sixth chapter does not refer to the Lord's supper, but the Lord's Supper refers to the reality which is mentioned in it
Lastly, as to the twentieth chapter of St John, on the authority of which it is supposed and asserted that Christ left poith His Church and priests to forgive sins Of this we ated any such powers at all When He gave commissions to His disciples (not exclusively to the apostles), He said, ”Lo, I am with you” Our power is not imparted to us from Him, but is in Hirace but 'that which is in Christ Jesus (2 Tim 2:1) It is His presence, His real, promised presence by the Holy Ghost, which is spiritual power; and this is given directly to individuals by God Hih other channels
The Lord Jesus, on His resurrection day, said to His disciples, in the upper room--and, be it remembered, that all the eleven were not there (and some women may have been)--”Peace be unto you Receive ye the Holy Ghost: Whose soever sins ye remit, 'they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained” (John 20:23)
Is it possible or reasonable to suppose that our Lord intended by these words to constitute all that asse priests? The apostles and early Christians (both ht so, either before or even after the day of Pentecost, when they were taught and led by the Holy Ghost The apostles did not exercise any so-called priestly functions; they all preached the Gospel, and as h Jesus Christ, the forgiveness of sins Their testimony was then, as such testimony will ever be, the savour of life or the savour of death It was thus they remitted and retained sins; and yet not they, but God by the, a book careatly This I read and re-read, and made an abstract of it It was the ”Life of Adelaide Newton” What struck me in it so much was, to find that this lady was able to hold spiritual communion with God by ht, to have such close communion with God, apart from the Church and her ministrations? I do not hesitate to say that this was the rave-clothes, and enabling al and sacra would say, ”What, then, is the use of ministry and sacraments? Let us dispense with theether” This is no better than saying that ill continue in sin that grace ives will do for this also: ”God forbid!”
It does not follow, because so them absolutely necessary to salvation, that we should, on the other hand, disregard them There is another and happier alternative, and that is, to realize they were made for us, not we for them; therefore we should not be subject to them, but rather they should be subject to us, and be used by us, not in order to obtain God's grace and salvation, but to show that we have already done so In our obedience to God's ordinances, we acknowledge our allegiance to Him, and our subo off, as too race,” because sacraan a class for exposition and explanation of the Prayer-book I coland is the Lord's candlestick in this country, not the candle, and certainly not the light, but the candlestick which the Lord set up here, possibly even as 'early as the days of the apostles, to show the true light, which is Christ And though, Romish corruptions supervened, it pleased God, at; the time of the Reformation, to raise up men to deliver us fro
Thus I endeavoured to show theland was one which should coreeable to Scripture; and if it is not carried out according to its intention, that is not the fault of the system, but rather of those who administer it Next, as to worshi+p
The object of our asse in the house of God is not, I said, so et instruction, as in Bible, or other classes, but rather ”to render thanks for the great benefits we have received at God's hands, to set forth His most worthy praise, to hear His s which are requisite and necessary as well for the body as the soul” That worshi+p is devotion towards God; it consists reatly interested when I pointed out to them, that the order of our Service was exactly the same as the order of theft spiritual experience, in conviction, conversion, and Christian life
For exains with a sentence such as, ”To the Lord our God belong ainst Him;” then comes the exhortation, which moves us to surrender ourselves; then the confession, which is the act of surrender
Iiveness of sins, ”to all who truly repent, and unfeignedly believe the Gospel”
Then comes the Lord's Prayer, which leads us, at once, into the place of children, accepted in the Beloved: then follow acts of thanksgiving”:--
”Open Thou my lips, and my mouth shall show forth Thy praise”
”Oh, co unto the Lord, let us heartily rejoice in the strength of our salvation”
These, and such-like explanations, helped to enlist the interest of the people; and when, as before, they only used to endure the prayers, while waiting for the serently, and even with ht than in extempore prayer
As to the Coins with the Lord's Prayer, in which we draw near to our Father, not as sinners, but as His children; asking for a clean heart and for grace to live according to His will; then, we approach the table, unworthy, indeed, to take even the cruo there to offer a sacrifice of Christ's body, but of our own as a thanksgiving to God, offering and presenting ourselves--spirit, soul, and body--a living sacrifice to His service
Every e took so the special seasons in their order, such as Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, Ascension, and Whitsuntide, each with their respective teaching
I was now happy in o on as sweetly as the theory sets it forth We ht a course as we could, under contending winds and currents The intelligent part of ation, however interested they were in the work outside the church and the worshi+p within, nevertheless, had their s and doubts which they did not hide They said, ”This teaching seems all true and scriptural; but ill becoo away, and another man comes who thinks otherwise? We have no security as in the chapels, that conversion ill go on, and living souls be fed and encouraged
Very few churches have such a work as the Lord is doing here!”
This, indeed, was the sad part of working in the Church of England then
Even still, there issouls, ould not willingly go, are driven away fro in other communions; but they cannot take their children and servants to witness priestly ceremonials, or to hear sacra; neither can they conscientiously give countenance to these things, by going themselves
However, I endeavoured to pacify the people by begging thees, and to trust God to lead the to see and know that people coet a serpent; and for an egg, they are offered a scorpion (Luke 11:11, 12) Exceedingly trying it is to be frowned upon by clerical brethren in the presence of Dissenters, who, to say the least, do know the difference between life and death In one church we have the service elaborately rendered, and the ser, and the service most slovenly; and, too often, souls re on all sides