Part 1 (1/2)

The Church: Her Books and Her Sacraments.

by E. E. Holmes.

INTRODUCTION

These Lectures were originally delivered as the Boyle Lectures for 1910, and were afterwards repeated in a more popular form at All Saints, Margaret Street. They are now written from notes taken at their delivery at All Saints, and the writer's thanks are due to the kindness of those who lent him the notes. Some explanation of their elementary character seems called for. The Lecturer's object was twofold:--

(1) To remind an instructed congregation of that which they knew already--and to make them more grateful for the often underrated privilege of being members of the Catholic Church; and

(2) To suggest some simple lines of instruction which they might pa.s.s on to others. Unless the instructed Laity will help the Clergy to teach their uninstructed brethren, a vast number of {viii} Church people must remain in ignorance of their privileges and responsibilities. And if at times the instructed get impatient and say, ”Everybody knows that,” they will probably be mistaken. Many a Churchman is ignorant of the first principles of his religion, of why he is a Churchman, and even of what he means by ”the Church,” just because of the false a.s.sumption--”Everybody knows”. Everybody does not know.

It seems absurd to treat such subjects as _The Church, Her Books, Her Sacraments_, in half-hour Lectures; but, in spite of obvious drawbacks, there may be two advantages. It may be useful to take a bird's-eye view of a whole subject rather than to look minutely into each part--and it may help to keep the Lecturer to the point!

E. E. H.

THE CHURCH.

CHAPTER I.

THE CHURCH ON EARTH.

_Christus Dilexit Ecclesiam_: ”Christ loved the Church”[1]--and if we love what Christ loved, we do well.

But three questions meet us:--

(1) What is this Church which Christ loved?

(2) When and where was it established?

(3) What was it established for?

First: _What is the Church?_ The Church is a visible Society under a visible Head, in Heaven, in Paradise, and on Earth. Who is this visible Head? Jesus Christ--visible to the greatest number of its members (i.e. in Heaven and in Paradise), and vicariously represented here by ”the Vicar of Christ upon Earth,” the Universal Episcopate.

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Next: _When and where was it established?_ It was established in Palestine, in the Upper Chamber, on the first Whitsunday, ”the Day of Pentecost”.

Then: _What was it established for?_ It was established to be the channel of salvation and sanctification for fallen man. G.o.d may, and does, use other channels, but, ”according to the Scriptures,” the Church is the authorized channel.

As such, let us think of the Church on earth under six Prayer-Book names:--

(I) The Catholic Church.

(II) The National Church.

(III) The Established Church.

(IV) The Church of England.

(V) The Reformed Church.