BBX 5455 .W5 v. 14 Whately, Richard, 1787-1863 Christian saints, as described in the New Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2015 https://archive.org/details/christiansaintsaOOwhat / CHEISTIAN SAINTS, AS DESCRIBED IN THE NEW TESTAMENT: BEING A DISCOURSE DKf.lVKRED BEFORE IHE ADDITIOJfAL-CUEATES'-FUND-SOCIETY. RICHARD WHATELY, D.D., ARCRniSHOP OF nVBLIN. DUBLIN: HODGES AND SMITH, GRAFTON STREET, BOOKSELLERS TO THE CMVERSITV. B. FELLOWES, LUDGATE STREET, LONDON, DUBLIN: PRINTED BY JA.MKs GUAIILUS, C>1, MARY STREET. THIS SERMON IS PUBLISHED BV THE ADDITIONAL - CUEATES' - FUiND - SOCIETY FOR IRELAND, BY THE KIND PERMISSION OP THE PREACHER. CHRISTIAN SAINTS, AS DESCRIBED IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. Rom. i., 1 & 7. Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called \to be"] an Apostle .... to all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called \_to be'] Saints.'^ The opening addresses of the Apostolic Epistles contain more instruction, and more matter for useful meditation, than some readers of Scripture are aware. And, especially, the titles applied to the persons each Apostle is writing to, tend, incidentally, to throw much valuable light on the history, and on the whole character, of the Gospel dispensation. They indicate to us what were the ideas most familiar to the mind of the writer, and which he expected, or at least in- 6 CHRISTIAN SAINTS, AS DESCRIBED tended, to be the most habitually impressed on the mind of the reader. And this is more par- ticularly the case in respect of any remarkable words or phrases that occur frequently^ and are repeated in Epistles addressed to different and distant Churches. Appellations thus commonly employed, must, we may conclude, express something essential to the religion of the Gospel ; and it is, therefore, most important to ascertain their true import, and full force. Now in looking over the openings of the se- veral Epistles of Paul, you will find that in the far greater part of them he applies the title of saints to the persons he is addressing. The Eomans, and also the Corinthians, he ad- dresses as "called saints(a):" he applies the title of saints to the Philippians, to the Colossians, and to the Ephesians : besides which, he several times uses the same title at the close of an Epistle, in reference to those whose remem- brances he gives: "all the saints salute you.'* With respect to his address to the Ephesians, (a) The words " to be," which were inserted by our translators, they have printed in italics, to denote that there is no corresponding word in the original. IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. 7 to the saints who are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus," it is worth remarking that our translation might naturally lead the reader to suppose the Apostle to be addressing his Epistle to two distinct classes of persons : — " to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus." But the original will not bear that sense. The exact rendering would be, " to the saints (/. e. the holy), even the be- lievers in Christ Jesus, who are at Ephesus," The word "faithful," I may observe, by the way, was used in the times when our translators wrote, in a sense which it has now lost, to signify a believer." Thus, in one of the prayers at the close of the communion-service, we read of " the blessed company of all faithful people ;" and again, in the 19th Article, a Church is de- fined, " a congregation of faithful men :" mean- ing, evidently, in both places, believers in Christ." WTio then were those Saints and Believers to whom the Apostle addresses his Epistles ? Mani- festly, not certain persons of distinguished holi- ness, beyond the rest of the Christians ; for he takes occasion to rebuke several of those he 8 CHRISTIAN SAINTS, AS DESCRIBED addresses, for their irregularities and grievous sins. It is plain that he uses the term as ex- actly equivalent to Christians: — as applying to all who had professed Christianity and been baptized into the Christian Church. And the same may be said of several other terms which are applied by him, and by the other sacred writers, to what we now call Christians. They are often addressed as the Brethren^ the Elect, [or chosen] the Called, and the Disciples. But it is very remarkable that amidst all this variety of appellations, they are never once addressed by that of Christians, which has been, for so many ages, their constant designation. Thrice only does the w^ord occur in the New Testa- ment ; and never, as applied by Christians to one another. We find it mentioned, in Acts xi., as the title for the first time bestowed on the Disciples at Antioch : evidently, by the Komans, as the name is of Latin formation. Again we find Agrippa saying to Paul, " almost thou persuad- est me to be a Christian." And lastly, we find the Apostle Peter adverting to it as the desig- nation, among the unbelieving heathen rulers, of a crime for wiiich the Believers suffered per- IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. 9 secution. He exhorts them to take care that none of them suffer " as a murderer, a thief, or an evil-doer ; but if any man suffer as a Chris- tian, let him not be ashamed." The title then, was, it appears, perfectly well known in the Apostolic age ; and it was not held as a term of reproach among Christians ; for they gloried in the name of Christ ; but yet they never applied it, as we now do, to one another. Now this fact, (however it is to be accounted for, or whether we can account for it at all or not), is one from which we may draw an im- portant conclusion as to the antiquity of the books of the New Testament. Suppose these books had been, as some daring speculators have presumed to conjecture, not really com- posed in the apostolic age, by the per- sons whose name they bear, but compiled in the second, third, or fourth century, out of tra- ditions afloat in the Church, and then fathered upon the Apostles and Evangelists, by fraud, carelessness, and ignorance : — suppose this had been the case, how certain it is that we should have found in these books the word Christians, 10 CHRISTIAN SAINTS, AS DESCRIBED as commonly applied by Christians, to each other, as we know it was in those ages. For the word is thus employed by the writers of those ages, and of all subsequent times, whose works have come down to us, almost as commonly as in the present day. Any compiler, therefore, in those ages, making up a pretended original book out of floating traditions, would have been morally certain to apply the title Christians, whenever he had occasion, just as he and all those around him had been accustomed to do. We, have here, therefore, a complete refu- tation of that rash conjecture I have been alluding to. The absence, throughout all the New Testament writings, of the word Chris- tian, as applied by Christians to each other, alone furnishes, even to a plain unlearned reader, a complete proof of the antiquity of those writings. And the anxiety of infidels to disprove that antiquitt/ shews plainly how they despair of con- tending, in any other way, against their truth. Such accounts as these books contain of a mul- titude of wonderful events, could never possibly (if false) have been circulated without detection, IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. 11 at the very time when those events are described as occurring. As for the cause why the Apostles did not apply to their converts the title of Christians, even if we should be unable to offer any con- jecture as to that, the argument for the antiquity of the New Testament remains (as I have said) untouched. Be the cause what it may, the fact is certain, that shortly after the apostolic age, and from thence downwards, to the present day, all Christian writers have applied the title of Christians, just as we do now ; and that it never is so applied in any of twenty-seven books of the New Testament; which, conse- quently, must have been written in the very days of the Apostles. But I think we may perceive, on attentive examination, what the cause was of this procedure of the Apostles. The name of Christians came into use (as I have said) first, at Antioch in Syria ; where a Church was founded, consisting, in a great mea- sure, of Gentile converts, whose admission into the Gospel covenant had just before been an- nounced to the Apostle Peter. And this it was that seems to have occasioned the name to arise. 12 CHRISTIAN SAINTS, AS DESCRIBED In the previous period of the Church, — for about the first seven years, — the Disciples being all Jews, the Romans were not likely to think it worth while to give them any other appellation than Jews. They did not trouble themselves about the diflPerent religious sects of a people they despised (a). But when they found a large and increasing body of men who consisted of both Jews and Gentiles, it became necessary to distinguish them by some name ; and, na- turally enough, they called them after their leader, Christ : which, though not his proper name, but his title, the Romans probably mistook for his name. I have already observed that the word Christian is of Latin formation, and must therefore have been coined by the Romans. But the same thing will appear, also, from the impossibility of its having originated with any other class of men. The Christians themselves certainly could not have been its inventors, since, as we have seen, they never used it. And the unbelieving Jews would never have em- ployed a title which condemned themselves, by (a) See Dr. Hinds' Histoid of the Rise of Christianity. IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. 13 implying that Jesus of Nazareth was indeed the Christ. To have called his disciples Christians, (i.e. followers of the Christ), would have been to acknowledge Him as the Christ ; which was the very point the unbelieving Jews would not admit. They accordingly called his disciples Nazarenes ; as you may see in Acts xxiv., where Paul is denounced as "a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes," and this is the appellation which, down to this day, they prefer applying to us. Since, therefore, the title of Christian could not have been introduced, either by the Chris- tians themselves, or by the unbelieving Jews, it remains that it must have originated with the unconverted Gentiles ; viz., the Komans, who found it requisite, for the first time, to give a name to a class of men comprehending both Jews by nation and Gentiles. Now the admission of the Gentiles into the Church, (which is what gave occasion for the origin of the title of Christian), was, as you may plainly see in the narrative of the Book of Acts, and in the Epistles, the most wonderful and un- expected event to all parties in that age, and 14 CHRISTIAN SAINTS, AS DESCRIBED the one which was the most revolting to Jewish prejudices. No point of faith did they hold more pertinaciously, (as, indeed, the unbelieving Jews do to this day), than that the Law of Moses, as originally delivered, was to remain in full force to the end of the world. And the promised Christ [or Messiah] they looked for as the de- liverer of the Israelites by birth, together with such proselytes as should have made themselves a portion of God's People Israel, by embracing the whole Levitical Law. That the unclean and despised Gentiles should be admitted to equal privileges with the Jews, and that, with- out conforming to the Levitical Law, was so abhorrent to all their prejudices, that (as you may see in Acts x. and xi.) the Apostles them- selves had very great difficulty in admitting it; and, afterwards, (as you may see in Acts xv., and in the Epistle to the Galatians), a great struggle was made, to confine, at least the high- est privileges of the Gospel, to Jews and those proselytes who should have completely embraced Judaism. The sufferings and death of the Christ, whom they had looked for as a mighty temporal deliverer; IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. 15 and again, the admission of uncircumcised Gen- tiles to a complete equality with believing Jews : these were the two chief stumbling-blocks to the greater part of the Jewish nation. All their hopes, and expectations, and interpretations of prophecy, were utterly at variance with such a Gospel as this. And we cannot doubt that the objection constantly in their mouths would be, that such a Gospel implied a change of j^urpose in the Most High ; — that the Christian preachers represented Him as having violated his promises to the Israelites, and introduced a new religion, at variance with the original Dispensation. Accordingly, w^e find the Apostle Paul meet- ing this objection by continually referring to the prophecies, to show that the Lord Jesus had (as He Himself expresses it) " come not to destroy the Law and the Prophets, but to fulfil them;" — that the prophecies, — though they had not been so understood, — did really point both to a suf- fering Messiah, and at the call of the Gentiles to be fellow-heirs " of the promises ; being (as Peter expresses it) ''elect according to the fore-knowledge of God;" i,e, all along designed by Him to be enrolled among his Elect [or IG CHRISTIAN SAINTS, AS DESCRIBED chosen] people. And this is what Paul speaks of as " the mystery of the Gospel ; which had been hidden from the foundation of the world, but now is made manifest." And, in his speech before Agrippa, he gives a summary of his preaching : that he taught " none other things than what Moses and the Prophets did say should be ; that the Christ should suffer^'' (this was one of the two great stumbling-blocks), " and should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should show light unto the People," (z. e. God's People, Israel), " and to the Gen- tiles:'" this was the other great stumbling-block. And it was accordingly his being the chief Apostle of the Gentiles that exposed him to so much bitterer persecution than the rest. In support of these doctrines, he appeals to the Prophets: ("King Agrippa, believest thou the Prophets?") maintaining that the Gospel is no new religion, opposed to the Old Dispensation, but an enlargement and completion of the Old; not a destroying, but a fulfilment of the Law and the Prophets. Now in order to impress this the more fully on the minds of the Disciples, who were con- IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. 17 tinually in danger of being misled by Judaizing teachers, nothing can be more natural than that the Apostles should have taken the precaution, which we find, in point of fact, they do take, of abstaining from the use of any new title, such as that of Christians, and confining them- selves altogether to those titles which were ap- plied to God's People of old. We find, in the Old Testament, the Israelites perpetually called "Brethren," as being literally children of Is- rael after the flesh ; they are also designated the "Called," and "Chosen," [or "Elect,"] People of God ; not as being predestined abso- lutely to obtain his favour, but as being se- lected for certain high primleges and advan- tages^ through which, they might, if they failed not on their part, obtain extraordinary favour. And they are also called a liolij people, i.e. Saints, not as denoting that they personally ex- celled in holiness of character ; but in the same sense in which certain ^/ac^5 were called "holy," dedicated^ and set apart, to God's service. All these titles accordingly, the Apostles applied to Christians of whatever nation ; to point out to them that all are now alike admitted to the pri- B 18 CHRISTIAN SAINTS, AS DESCRIBED vileges of the ancient Church [or Congrega- tion, as the word is rendered in our version of the Old Testament] of Israel ; only, with great additional ones ; all being " brethren^'' as being God's adopted children: ("as many as received Him," says the Evangelist John, "to them gave He power to become the Sons of God,") all being God's "Elect [or 'Chosen,'] people;" all being Saints, or " Holy," in the sense of be- ing solemnly dedicated to His service, as the Israelites had been of old ; and all being (as Paul calls them, in Galatians) " the Israel of God." "If," says he, "ye are Christ's, then are ye Abraham's Seed, and heirs according to the promise." "Ye are," says Peter, "a chosen generation, [the word is the same which is elsewhere rendered by our translators 'Elect,'] a royal priesthood, a holy nation, [the word here rendered ' holy,' is the same which is elsewhere translated ' Saints,') which before were not a People, but now are the People of God." Such, I have no doubt, was the reason of the Apostles for confining themselves to these names, instead of employing that of Christians. IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. 19 And this will explain also why, when these rea- sons had no longer the same force, these names became less employed, and that of Christian came gradually into ordinary use. When Jerusalem and its temple were destroyed, and the Jewish nation was dispersed, and the far greater number of Christians were Gentiles, the danger of Judai- zing teachers, which in Paul's time was so great, seems almost to have died away; and Christians seem to have felt, (whether rightly or wrongly), that there was no longer any need of reminding them of what was now become so familiar to them, though originally a great paradox, that men of all nations had succeeded to the full privileges which had originally been confined to the Jews, and were all admitted alike to be God's people. And hence, immediately after the age of the Apostles, the term Christians gradually began to come into use among them- selves, as it remains down to this day. In conformity with what I have been saying, you will observe that Paul constantly uses these appellations, not as implying that his hearers had attained superior Christian excellence, but as suggesting a motive for their exerting themselves 20 CHRISTIAN SAINTS, AS DESCRIBED to attain it. He never tells any of them to expect any "ca//," but addresses them all as "called Saints," and exhorts them to ''walk worthy of the vocation whereto they are called." He never speaks of their becoming elect, but exhorts them (Col. iii. 12) " as the elect of God, holy, [or Saints], to put on mercy, kindness, and humble- ness," and to " give diligence to make their calling and election sure." Never does he exhort them to he Saints (a), but to " walk as hecometh Saints ; " never, to enter into any brotherhood, but "to love as brethren." The titles, in short, which he applies, all denote their privileges and their duties; not their good use of those privileges, and faithful performance of those duties. It is to that use and that perfor- mance that he exhorts them. And he warns them {e»g, i. Cor. x.) from the example of God's people of old, against neglecting or abusing their {a) The Apostle Peter in one passage uses the word ayioi [" holy" or Saints"] in the sense of that personal holiness of life to which he exhorts his hearers to aim. There may per- haps be one or two other instances of its being so employed by the sacred writers; but the other sense — the one above, described — is undoubtedly the ordinary one. IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. 21 high privileges. All the Israelites were God's " Chosen" [or Elect], but " with most of them (a) God was not well pleased," as was shown by their being overthrown in the wilderness. — "Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." It has happened, I think unfortunately, that in adopting the designation of Christians (to which there can be no objection) we have, at the same time, changed in a great degree the signification of the term " Saints^ It is now generally used to denote, not all Christians, — all who have been dedicated to Christ in baptism, — but some par- ticular Christians distinguished from the rest, either as having received the gift of inspiration, — as we speak of Saint Mathew, Saint Mark, Saint Paul, and the rest of the Apostles and Evan- gelists,— or else as being supposed to possess an extraordinary degree or kind of personal holiness, beyond what is expected of ordinary Christians. These notions have, in their most exaggerated form, led to the practice which unhappily prevails, and has for many ages prevailed, among a very («) rote TrXeiOdiv 22 CHRISTIAN SAINTS, AS DESCRIBED large portion of the Christian world, of invoking deceased Saints, and begging their intercession with the Most High ; thus conferring on his creatures the attribute of omnipresence — each of these Saints being supposed to be able to hear the invocations of millions of votaries in many thousand different parts of the world, who are addressing him at the same time ! But even those who have kept clear of this error are yet often found attributing to those whom they designate " Saints," such a degree and kind of personal holiness as is far from being required or expected of Christians in general, and which it would be most extravagant for them to aim at or hope for. One may often, accordingly, hear persons pro- fessing to have no pretensions to be considered as Saints, or thought of ever becoming such; though at the same time they would be indignant at not being considered as Christians. And yet the Apostles, as we have seen, always used the word Saints as equivalent to what we mean by Christians. What would have been, think you, the astonish- ment of Paul, could he now return to the earth, IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. 23 at hearing professed believers in Christ disavow- ing all claim to the title of "Saints"? This horror and astonishment would indeed be much diminished when he came to understand that we use the word in a very different sense from his. But without denying our right to make such a change, I cannot but think he would have questioned the wisdom of doing so in this instance. Evangelists, and Prophets, and Apostles, I think he would consider as best distinguished by the very titles of "Evangelist" and "Prophet" and "Apostle," rather than by that of " Saint," which in Scripture is applied to every one of God's People — to every member of what is called in the oldest of the creeds, " the Holy Catholic Church, the Communion of Saints." For the saintship of the Apostles and Evangelists consisted (according to the language of Scripture) not in what was pe- culiar to them, but in what was common to them with others ; not in their inspiration and other miraculous gifts, but in those gifts offered to Christians generally, which are of incomparably higher value. And of this, at least, I cannot doubt ; that Paul would earnestly warn us against being- misled by our own use of language ; — against fall- 24 .CHRISTIAN SAINTS, AS DESCRIBED ing into confusion of thought, and into serious error respecting things, through the careless employment of icords. Most earnestly, we may be assured, would he warn us that Christianity is not two religions, — one for ordinary men, and another for Saints, — but one single religion, de- signed for all men alike, and not setting up several different standards of personal holiness for different persons. He would warn us against being led to imagine that there are among the number of Christians certain classes or parties, or orders of men, of whom a Christian life — a conformity of character to the Gospel precepts — is more required, or is less required, than of the generality. " They that are Christ's (says this Apostle) have crucified the flesh, with the affec- tions and lusts." *'If anv man be in Christ he is a hqw creature." " If any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his." He speaks not, you observe, of what can be done, and is required to be done, by certain pre-eminent Saints, but of ''any man'' who has enlisted at baptism under the banner of Christ crucified. In the sense in which Paul accounted himself a Saint, in that sense he calls all Christians Saints. IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. 25 As for the saintship which consists in the pos- session of inspiration from Heaven, or of any other miraculous gifts, great is the mistake of imagining that such gifts render the possessor necessarily acceptable in God's sight, and are to be regarded as a substitute for moral holiness of character ; or again, that these supernatural gifts necessarily ensure personal holiness ; or again, that the absence of such gifts renders a less de- gree of personal holiness sufficient. God enabled some to speak in new languages ; of them rt was required that they should use the gift to his glory, and the good of their fellow creatures, in preach- ing the Gospel throughout the world. To others was " given the gift of healing, by the same Spirit it was their task to heal the sick accord- ingly. To others is given onli/ the knowledge of the Gospel, and the promise of Divine aid to help their infirmities, and to enable them to conform their own heart and life to the precepts and example of their Lord : and these also are re- quired thus to conform, and to make the best use of their own advantages. No where are we told that a less degree of Christian virtue is requisite in one who docs not possess miraculous endow- 26 CHRISTIAN SAINTS, AS DESCRIBED ments. For, these endowments were designed, not for the benefit of the possessor, but of his neighbours. Miracles were the instruments the Lord employed for the propagation of his Gospel among all nations ; that men might glorify, not the man who exercised such superhuman powers, but God. The inspired preachers and writers were inspired for the purpose of instructing us in the Gospel of their Divine Master. But would it not be presumptuous for any one of us in these days to pretend to be as good a Christian as Paul or Peter, or any other of those we call emphatically " Saints" ? Presumptuous indeed it would be to pretend to a high degree of Christian excellence — to "count oneself to have apprehended" : but to aim at attaining that excellence, through divine assist- ance, is so far from being presumptuous, that there is more presumption in cherishing a hope of God's favor without it. It would indeed be a most impious presumption for one of us to pretend to inspiration ; because we have it not. It would be presumptuous for one of us to expect to be as eminent an instrument in propagating the Gospel among all nations as the Apostle Paul ; because IN THE NEW TESTAilENr. 9? we are not so qualified by miraculous gifts as he was. But we are not less enabled, or less bound, each one of us, himself to perform his own Christian duties — to lead a Christian life, and to have a Christian heart ; and in short (as Paul expresses it) to " walk as becometh Saints," than the Apostles themselves. And there is great and dangerous presumption in the false humility of hoping for acceptance with our Great Master while we lower our own standard of personal Christian holiness, and claim an exemption from the dutv of aiminc^ at the hio^hest deojree of Christian moral excellence, on the ground that we are not gifted with miraculous powers. These powers were given, as I have said, not for the benefit of the possessors, but of others, for their conviction and instruction. And the possession of these miraculous gifts neither proved any one to be personally pure and holy in heart, nor necessarily made him such. Judas Iscariot, we should remember, exercised, in common with the other Apostles, miraculous powers, during our Lord's abode on earth. Many of the Corin- thians, again, are severely rebuked by Paul for their strange abuse of some of their miraculous 28 CHRISTIAN SAINTS, AS DESCRIBED gifts. The Lord Jesus himself speaks of his filially disowning, as " workers of iniquity," some who should have done many mighty works in his name." And Paul speaks strongly of his own sedulous care as to his own life, "lest by any means after having preached to others, he should himself become a castaway." Let no one therefore suppose either that more, or that less, of Christian virtue is requisite for an Apostle or Prophet than for an uninspired Chris- tian. Both alike are, in the scriptural sense of the word, " Saints ;" and both alike are enabled, and therefore required, to " walk as becometh Saints." Whether a man have received hea- venly light by immediate personal inspiration^ or through the words of an inspired Evangelist, in either case he has been blessed with that light, and both are required to live "as children of the light." Those who have no power to cast out evil spirits from the possessed, are yet enabled and required to cast them out from themselves — to "resist the Devil, and he will flee from them." Those who have no miraculous gifts of healing the sick and cleansing the leprous, are yet em- powered, and therefore expected, to apply to the IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. 29 Great Physician of Souls for the cure of their own spiritual diseases, and to " purify themselves even as He is pure." And those who have not the gift of tongues, are yet called on to do their best towards diffusing the knowledge and prac- tice of the Gospel-religion among all who do lie within their reach. That valuable Institution, the members of which are now assembled, and for which we are anxious to obtain a more general and active support from the Public, is so constituted as to enable all, whether clergy or laymen, to take some share — a share which they must rejoice to take, if they are Christians in any thing but in name — in the great work of promoting the coming of Christ's kingdom, and the doing of "His will on earth as in heaven," which they daily pray for. By contributing towards the support of Ministers in places where their ser- vices are much needed, and cannot without such contributions be obtained, — by thus preserving multitudes of our brethren from spiritual desti- tution, from gross religious ignorance, from per- nicious error, from irreligion, and from sin, — the Laity as well as the Clergy may have a share in 30 CHRISTIAN SAINTS, AS DESCRIBED forwarding the great work for which their Saviour lived and died. Is there any Layman of our Church who is disposed to say in his heart — " this is a valuable Institution, and one to which the Clergy ought to contribute liberally ; it is a holy and an im- portant work, and one which ought to excite great interest among the Clergy ; but religious matters are more properly their concern, Laymen cannot be expected to take any particular interest in the propagation of religion ?" I dwelt in the beginning of this discourse on the error of regarding Christianity as two reli- gions— one for ordinary Christians, and another for "Saints"— for the "Elect"— for God's Peo- ple,"-—.or some particular class, party, or order of men. I dwelt, I say, on that error in especial reference to this occasion, because the prevalence of the error and its evil consequences are in no point more observable than in what relates to the distinction between the Clergy and the Laity. That there is a distinction of offices between the two is undeniable ; but so far forth as they are Christians — ^. e. (in the apostolic sense of the word) Saints J there is no distinction. And yet IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. 31 does it not often happen that such actions and such habits of life as are clearly at variance, not with the ministerial character only, but with the Christian character, are, by the world in general, thought very lightly of in a Layman, though in a Clergyman they would be severely censured ? Is it not notorious that many duties which, if the teaching of Christ and the Apostles is to be re- ceived, are not merely clerical duties but Gospel duties, are either wholly neglected, or very little attended to, by such as have not taken lioli^ orders? And this temper of mind is found not least in many of those who are among the most rigid in their demands of an exemplary perfor- mance of Christian duties by the Clergy. It is commonly (and very truly) said, that the Clergy ought to be men of exemplary life; i.e. a life which sets a good example to their people : but it is re- markable that this truth is by none more earnestly dwelt on than by some of those who seem never even to think of being bound to follow that example, by leading the same sort of life them- selves. Now if they really hope for salvation by means of their pastor's good conduct, — by his practice of Christian virtue in their stead, — 32 CHRISTIAJ^ SAINTS, AS DESCRIBED they ought at least to be consistent in their language, and to call it, not exemplary virtue, but vicarious virtue. But to pass over the case of those who tolerate in themselves unchristian habits, or who neglect Christian duties, generally, and to confine myself to one branch of Christian duty, that of labouring to spread among all, and especially among our brethren, the knowledge and practice of the Christian religion, what do we find — and what ought we to find — among the lay members of our Church ? Most true it is, that a Layman is not justified in taking on himself any that are exclu- sively ministerial functions — in intruding himself into what are strictly clerical ofiices. I only wish each one who hears me to consider how far, and in what way, without any such intrusion, it is possible^ and consequently a duty, for him to assist towards promoting that coming of Christ's kingdom which he is accustomed to pray for; and next, to consider how far he is himself per- forming that duty. We all know that it is the proper office of the Ministers of our Church to lead the devotions of the congregation according to the prayer-book, IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. 33 and to administer the Sacraments to them, and publicly to preach and expound to them the Scriptures. Is it also their sole, or their especial office to bear all the expenses of every institution for the diffusion of Christian knowledge and practice ? Can delicate scruples, and conscien- tious dread of unduly intruding into the minis- terial office, hold back any one from contributing towards such an object ? Can he think that indifference in such a cause, though unbecoming the profession of a Clergyman^ is consistent with the profession of a Christian? — that the Clergy may be expected to feel a great interest in such matters ; but that it is hardly to be looked for in the Laity ? If there be any who entertain these sentiments, I would ask such a one what he would think of our doctrine, if we were to teach that the highest glories of Heaven are reserved for the Clergy exclusively ; that the souls of Laymen are of comparatively small account in their Kedeemer's sight ; and that the best Christians must be con- tent with a very humble and inferior place in the mansions of eternal bliss, unless they have been admitted to holy Orders ? How great would be c 34 CHRISTIAN SAINTS, AS DESCRIBED the indignation at such a groundless and arrogant assumption on our part, that would be felt and expressed by all ; — by all, including all those who are content to forego all pretensions to an equal share in Christian zeal^ in Gospel duties — though not to forego their equal claim to Chris- tian hopes, to Gospel promises, to heavenly hap- piness ! Let any one of you, my Christian friends, who does feel that gratitude and love to his Saviour — that high value for the blessing of Gospel light, which prompts him to seek how he may do some- thing to manifest his sense of mercies received — let any such person behold in this Society an opportunity of promoting "glory to God in the highest, and on eaith peace, good-will towards men ;" not merely worldly peace, but heavenly, and divine good- will towards men. But if again, any one feels conscious within his own heart that his Christian gratitude, and love, and zeal, fall lamentably short of what he knows he ought to feel ; and if he sincerely de- sires to kindle into warmth those sentiments which are but coldly alive within him ; let him behold here one of the best exercises by which IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. 35 to foster and strengthen those sentiments. For as we may observe in all departments of life, actively befriending any one increases our regard for him ; actively serving our country strengthens the feeling of patriotism ; activity in the service of a party strengthens party-spirit ; and so of the rest. A cause in which we have exerted our- selves becomes more and more endeared to us through those very efforts. Act therefore as you would spontaneously and gladly act if you had those Christian feelings, and that Christian zeal which you know the Christian ought to have, and which you wish to generate and encourage in your own breast ; and the very outward acts themselves, coupled with earnest petitions for Divine Grace, will produce, and strengthen, and keep up that very disposition of which such acts are the natural fruit. I know indeed that the severe pressure of that awful visitation of famine which has fallen on this land, renders it doubly difficult at the present time to support any institution which, like this, depends on voluntary contributions. But I would remind any one who may be disposed to make this a plea for withholding contributions from this 36 CHRISTIAN SAINTS, AS DESCRIBED Society, to consider that this pressure has fallen with most especial severity on the Clergy ; whose means, generally speaking, are very slender, and whose charities have often more than exhausted their means ; so that there is more need than ever for aid from the Laity to support any im- portant institution which, if left to the unassisted eifforts of the Clergy, must finally become extinct. But independently of this consideration, I would remind you, that to regard bodily wants and suf- ferings as alone calling for charitable relief, and to pay little or no attention to spiritual wants — to diseases of the soul — to the needs of those who may, or who should " hunger and thirst after righteousness" — would be quite at variance with the principles of the Gospel, and with the pre- cepts and the example of its Author. He fed the hungry indeed, and healed the sick ; but his main object was to teach men to know and to do the will of their Heavenly Father. He exhorted his hearers to " labour not so much for the meat that perisheth," as for that " which endureth unto everlasting life;" and to seek first the king- dom of God and his righteousness," in preference to taking anxious thought what they should eat IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. 37 and drink ; and He taught us, in His own form of prayer, before we ask for our " daily bread,'* to pray that his "kingdom may come, and his will be done on earth as it is in heaven." If you are in earnest when you utter those words, your actions must be of a piece with your prayers. Endeavour therefore to make known as widely as possible the existence, and the real character, and the strong claims to support, of this Society ; and strive to induce your friends and neighbours — most especially by setting them the example — to contribute liberally, according to their ability, to its very scanty funds. Exhort those who are rich to give bountifully, and those whose means are small to remember that He who commended the widow's mite has taught us not to be ashamed to give a little, if we give not grudg- ingly but gladly ; since it is a cheerful giver that God loveth." And pray therefore that He will implant in you and in your brethren a grateful, a liberal, and a Christian heart. Pray also that He will be pleased to bless our efforts in His holy cause ; and that at least that cause may not suffer through any remissness on your part ; — through 88 CHEISTIAN SxYINTS, ETC. I any preference, in you, of the perishable riches of this world, to the " treasure which neither rust nor moth doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through and steal." THE END. DUBLIN : PH.NTKD By JAMES VllXliLV:^, CA, MARV STREET. THE SEARCH AFTER INFALLIBILITY, CONSIDERED IN REFERENCE TO THE DANGER OF RELIGIOUS ERROHS ARISING WITHIN THE CHURCH IN THE PRIMITIVE AS WELL AS IN ALL LATER AGES. BEING A DISCOURSE DELIVERED In tit OTatSetiral of OTSrist €imtf), Bubhn, ON THE OCCASION OF THE ORDIXATIOX HELD ON SUNDAY, THE 22nd AUGUST, 1847. BY RICHARD WHATELY, D.D., ARCHBISHOP OF DUBLIN. Second ©Dition, tcbt^cO anO enlarged. DUBLIN: HODGES AND SMITH, GRAFTON- STREET, BOOKSELLERS TO THE UNIVEBSITV. LONDON: B. FELLOWES, LUDGATE-STREET. MDCCCXLVIII. DUBLIN : PRINTED AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS, BY M. H. GILL. TO THE CANDIDATES ORDAINED AT CHRIST CHURCH CATHEDRAL, DUBLIN, ON SUNDAY. THE 22xd AUGUST, 1847, THIS DISCOURSE, PUBLISHED AT THEIR REQUEST. IS DEDICATED. WITH EARNEST WISHES FOR THEIR PRESENT AND ETERNAL WELFARE, AND FOR THE DIVINE BLESSING ON THEIR MINISTERIAL LABOURS, BY THEIR SINCERE FRIEND AND FELLOW-LABOURER, THE AUTHOR. A 2 THE SEARCH AFTER INFALLIBILITY. Acts, xx. 29, 30, 31. " I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you^ not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.^"* This parting admonition of the Apostle Paul to the Christian ministers of the Churches of Miletus and Ephesus, cannot be read by any careful student of Scripture without deep interest. But it will be found, on attentive reflection, to suggest even more matter for profitable meditation, and even more of instructive practical lessons, than might at first sight appear. And to some of these I propose now to call your attention. 6 THE SEARCH AFTER INFALLIBILITY. I. In the first place you will observe, that what the Apostle here says to the clergy whom he is ad- dressing, is of a piece with much that we find in several of his Epistles. In his Epistles to the Corin- thians, especially the Second, he warns them against " false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ, and ministers of righteousness ;" even as " Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light:" — men seeking to dis- parage Paul's apostolic authority, and to introduce doctrines opposed to his. " There must be," says he, " heresies among you, that they which are approved [^SoKLfjLOL] maybe made manifest among you." — 1 Cor. xi. 19. The Epistle to the Galatians, again, is almost made up of similar cautions. The Philippians also are warned [chap, iii.], in like manner, to be on their guard against teachers who corrupted the Gospel. Cautions of the same kind are addressed to almost all the other Churches to which he wrote ; and both Ti- mothy and Titus are earnestly and repeatedly exhort- ed to watch against the inroads of these corruptions. The Apostle Peter also cautions the disciples against those " unlearned and unstable" persons, who " wrest," he tells them, " the Scriptures to their own destruction." THE SEAECH AFTER INEALLIBILITY. 7 The Apostle J ohn, again, in liis Epistles, is chiefly occupied in warning his hearers against those false prophets, — those " wolves, in sheep's clothing," — of whom his Master had prophesied, and bid His dis- ciples beware. And here we find Paul, in his farewell address to the Elders, earnestly reiterating the solemn warn- ing of this danger, which, he tells them, he had been continually repeating for three years. " From among themselves," he tells them, — " from the very bosom of their own Church," — men will arise teaching per- verted doctrines(a), "to draw away [the] disciples(&) after themselves." Now it might seem wonderful, or even incredible, if we had not these records before us, that any such thing should have taken place; I mean, that in the very times of the Apostles themselves, whose autho- rity from Heaven was attested by their miraculous powers, any false teachers should have not only arisen, but should have gained a hearing, and been able to draw away the disciples by pretending to an authority equal or superior to that of the genuine Apostles. And if we had not providentially pos- (b) TOVQ naBijTag. 8 THE SEARCH AFTER INFALLIBILITY. sessed these records of the early dangers of the Church, we might have been disheartened or utterly thrown into despondency at the view of the various errors introduced in later times by men of high pre- tensions as religious teachers. We might have felt as if God had forsaken His Church when He with- drew from it the guidance of the inspired Apostles, and left Christians to find their safety in vigilant and careful and candid examination of every doc- trine taught. But, as it is, we see that, from the very first, this care and watchfulness were indispensably necessary to guard against the danger of false teachers introducing corruptions of the genuine Gospel. Strange and incredible as it may seem to us that any such men should have attempted, and should have succeeded in the attempt, to rival the Apostles, we are distinctly informed that so it was : and that Christians were then required to be on their guard against the grievous wolves in sheep's clothing, who would enter in, not sparing the flock. We ought not, therefore, either to wonder, or to despond, at finding Christians in all subsequent ages exposed to the same dangers, and called on to exer- cise the same vigilance, as in the very times of the Apostles themselves. THE SEARCH AFTER INFALLIBILITY. 9 II. And this leads me, in the second place, to tlie consideration of the way in which Paul tells his hearers to provide against the danger. Does he promise them that the primitive Church shall be safe from it ? — that no inroads of error will take place for the first three or four centuries ? On the contrary, he speaks of the danger as immediate. Or does he tell them that they will find their safety in apostolical succession? — that it is miracu- lously provided that no teacher shall ever mislead them, who has but been regularly ordained by him- self, or by those appointed by him to succeed him in the ofiice of ordaining ? On the contrary, he warns the Elders that even from the midst of their own Body, — of their own selves, — will arise men teaching a perverted Gospel to draw away the dis- ciples after them. Or again, does he tell them that when any point of doubt and difficulty arises, they are to find safety in making a reference to Peter, and to those who shall be divinely appointed from time to time as his successors and representatives, for infallible decisions and directions ? Not a word is said of any Apostle but himself; or of any one who should succeed him in the apostolic ofiice. To himself, during his life, 10 THE SEARCH AFTER INFALLIBILITY. they would naturally apply by letter, if opportunity offered, for directions in any case of doubt that might arise. But not even any Apostle, — much less any successor of an Apostle, — is mentioned by Paul as the oracular guide, whom, after his own death, they were to consult. Or, does he bid them resort to some central Church, — whether at Jerusalem, or at Eome, or at Byzantium, — and seek there for infallible guid- ance(a) ? Or does he direct them to summon a General Council, and refer every question that may arise to the decision of a majority of its votes ; with a full assurance that these should be so supernaturally overruled by the Holy Spirit as to secure them from the possibility of error ? No: he makes no allusion whatever to any other Church or Prelate ; to any successor of Peter or of the other Apostles ; or to any infallible Council, as their guide. But he tells them to take heed to THEMSELVES, and to the flock they are set over ; he (a) See the Remarks on the " Pillar and Ground of the Truth," in Dr. Hinds's most valuable Tract on " Scripture and the Authorized Version." There is a strong preponderance of probability in favour of his view. THE SEARCH AFTER INFALLIBILITY. 11 tells them to " watch and lie exhorts them to re- member his own earnest warnings to them. Now, if there had been provided by the Most High, any such safeguard as I have alluded to, — if Paul had known of any Order of men, any Prelate, any particular Church, or General Council, designed by Providence as an infallible guide, and a sure re- medy against errors and corruptions, would he not have been sure, on such an occasion as this, to give notice of it to his hearers ? If, when he foresaw a perilous navigation for the vessel of the Church, he had known of a safe port, just at hand, and readily accessible, is it credible that he would have never alluded to it, but have left them exposed to the storms ? Would he have been, in that case, " pure" — as he declares he was — " from the blood of all men?" Can any one seriously think, that against the dangers which he had been warning them of, and weeping over, for three years, he knew of a complete safeguard, and yet was so wanting in his duty, — so careless of their well-being, — as never to make the slightest mention of anything of the kind ? To suppose this would be to suppose him destitute not only of all faithfulness in his high office, but of common prudence and rationality. 12 THE SEARCH AFTER INFALLIBILITY. And yet if any such provision really had been made by the Author of our faith, it is utterly incon- ceivable that the Apostle Paul should have been — and that too on such an occasion as this — left in utter ignorance of its existence. Whatever may be the precise meaning of our Lord's promise, " Lo, 1 am with you always, even unto the end of the world," it is at least perfectly clear what it could not mean : it could not relate to something either unknown to Paul, or kept back by him from his hearers. All that he knew, and that it was for their benefit to learn, he had, as he solemnly declares, taught to them ; and this was no less, he assures them, than " the whole counsel and design of God." " I take you to record this day that I am pure from the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the Church of God, which He hath purchased with His own blood. For I know this, that after my de- parting shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch, and remem- THE SEARCH AFTER INFALLIBILITY. 13 ber, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one, night and day, with tears." From all this we may learn, among other things, how great is the mistake of those who are satisfied to trace up some doctrine or practice not counte- nanced by Scripture, to a very early period ; to what they call the Primitive Church ; and consider this as establishing a divine sanction for what may have been, after all, one of the " perverse things" introduced by false teachers, and against which Paul so earnestly warned the Elders. III. The third remark which I have to make on this passage is, that the exposure of Christians to these dangers, and the call upon them, — both minis- ters and laity, — for the continued exercise of vigi- lant caution, — this is far from appearing to us either acceptable or probable. It is not at all what man's wishes would have called for, or his conjectures anti- cipated, in a divine Eevelation ; but is aliene both from his feelings and from his reasonings. 1. To examine and re-examine, — to reason and re- flect,— to hesitate, and to decide with caution, — to be always open to evidence, — and to acknowledge that, after all, we are liable to error ; — all this is, on many accounts, unacceptable to the human mind, — both to 14 THE SEARCH AFTER INFALLIBILITY. its diffidence and to its pride, — to its indolence, — its dread of anxious cares, — and to its love of self- satisfied and confident repose. And hence there is a strong prejudice in favour of any system which promises to put an end to the work of inquiry at once and for ever, and to relieve us from all embar- rassing doubt and uncomfortable self-distrust. And this is done, either by setting forth the authority of an infallible Church, which is to prescribe, on every point, what we are to believe and to do ; thus reliev- ing us from all trouble and anxiety, and from all necessity of acting on the Apostle's warning to " take heed to ourselves or again, by putting in place of such a Church, immediate inspiration from Heaven, whether bestowed on each individual who belongs to a certain sect or party, or on some highly-gifted leader, who will communicate to his followers the messages he receives from Heaven. Widely diffe- rent in many points as these sects, and parties, and churches are from each other, they all agree in the one fundamental point just noticed. They all ad- dress themselves to that powerful principle in human nature I have been adverting to, the craving for in- fallibility in religious matters. I call it " a craving for infallibility" (although THE SEARCH AFTER INFALLIBILITY. 15 hardly any one is found in words claiming, or ex- pecting to be, personally infallible), because it is evident that he who is infallibly following an infal- lible guide, is himself infallible. If his decisions on each point coincide exactly with those of an autho- rity which is exempt from error, that his decisions are exempt from error, is not only an undeniable, but almost an identical proposition ; — it is as plain as that things which are equal to the same are equal to each other. But this, though self-evident as soon as stated, is sometimes lost sight of in practice. A man will speak of himself as being fallible, and as having no expectation of being otherwise. But his meaning must be (supposing him quite certain that he has an infallible guide, always accessible, and to which he constantly conforms), — his meaning must be, that he would be fallible if left to himself ; that his exemp- tion from the possibility of error is not inherent, but derived. But actually and practically he does con- sider himself infallible. Though the gnomon of a sun-dial has no power in itself to indicate the hour, yet when the sun shines on it, the motions of its shadow must be as correct as those of the sun's rays which it follows. And, in 16 THE SEARCH AFTER INFALLIBILITY. like manner, liei^ infallible, practically, in his belief, who always believes exactly what an infallible Church or leader believes. This craving, then, I say, for infallibility, predis- poses men towards the pretensions, either of a sup- posed unerring Church, or of those who claim or who promise immediate inspiration. And, accord- ingly, I have known persons sometimes waver for a time between these two classes of pretensions, and ultimately give in to the one or to the other. And, again, you may find persons changing from the one to the other, and sometimes thus changing more than once(a) ; yet still always clinging to the con- fident expectation of finding that infallibility I have been speaking of They are inquiring only after a way of exempting themselves from all further in- quiry. Their care is only to relieve themselves ulti- mately from all further need of vigilant care. They are navigating in search of a perfectly safe haven in which the helm may be abandoned, and the vessel (a) And it might be added, that one may find instances of the same individual, himself unchanged, exposed to severe censures, at different times, not only from different persons, but even from the same, first for refusing to join the one party, and afterwards for refusing to join the other, most opposed to it. THE SEARCH AFTER INFALLIBILITY. 17 left to ride securely, without any need of watching the winds and currents, and of looking out for rocks and shoals. They hope to obtain, in all ages of the Church, that exemption from all need of vigilant circumspection, which w^as not granted even in the age of the Apostles ; since we find that, even when there were these infallible guides on earth, Chris- tians are perpetually warned of the danger of mis- taking " false apostles" for genuine. 2. But the promise of such infallible guidance as I have been speaking of, not only meets man's wishes, but, as I have observed above, his conjec- tures also. When we give the reins to our ow^n feelings and fancies, such a provision appears as pro- bable as it is desirable. If, antecedently to the dis- tinct announcement of any particular Key elation, men were asked what kind of revelation they would wish to obtain, and again, what kind of Revelation they would think it the most reasonable and probable that God should bestow, they would be likely, I think, to answer both questions by saying, " Such a Revelation as should provide some infallible guide on earth, readily accessible to every man ; so that no one could possibly be in doubt, on any point, as to what he was required to believe and to do ; but B 18 THE SEARCH AFTER INFALLIBILITY. should be placed, as it were, on a kind of plain high road, which he would only have to follow steadily, without taking any care to look around him ; or, ra- ther, in some kind of vehicle on such a road, in which he would be safely carried to his journey's end, even though asleep, provided he never quitted that vehicle. " For, a man might say, ' if a book is put into my hands containing a divine revelation, and in which are passages that may be differently understood by different persons, — even by those of learning and ability, — even by men professing each to have ear- nestly prayed for spiritual guidance towards the right interpretation thereof, — and if, moreover, this book contains, in respect of some points of belief and of conduct, no directions at all, — then there is a manifest necessity that I should be provided with an infallible interpreter of this book, who shall be always at hand to be consulted, and ready to teach me, without the possibility of mistake, the right meaning of every passage, and to supply all deficien- cies and omissions in the book itself For other- wise this revelation is, to me, no revelation at all. Though the book itself be perfectly free from all admixture of error, — though all that it asserts be THE SEARCH AFTER INFALLIBILITY. 19 true, and all its directions right, still it is no guide for me, unless I have an infallible certainty, on each point, what its assertions and directions are. It is in vain to tell me that the pole-star is always fixed in the north ; I cannot steer my course by it when it is obscured by clouds, so that I cannot be certain where that star is. I need a compass to steer by, which I can consult at all times. There is, there- fore, a manifest necessity for an infallible and uni- versally accessible interpreter on earth, as an indis- pensable accompaniment, — and indeed essential part, — of any divine revelation.' " Such would be the reasonings, and such the feelings, of a man left to himself to consider what sort of revelation from Heaven would be the most acceptable, and also the most prohahle, — the most adapted to meet his wishes and his wants. And thus are men predisposed, both by their feelings and their antecedent conjectures, towards the admission of such pretensions as I have above alluded to. And it may be added, that any one who is thus induced to give himself up implicitly to the guidance of such a supposed infallible authority, without pre- suming thenceforth to exercise his own judgment on any point relative to religion, or to think for B 2 20 THE SEARCH AFTER INFALLIBILITY. himself at all on such matters, — such a one will be likely to regard this procedure as the very perfec- tion of pious humility, — as a most reverent observ- ance of the rule of " lean not to thine own under- standing;" though in reality it is the very error of improperly leaning to our own understanding. For, to resolve to believe that God must have dealt with mankind just in the way that we could wish as the most desirable, and in the way that to us seems the most probable^ — this is, in fact, to set up ourselves as His judges. It is to dictate to Him, in the spirit of Naaman, who thought that the prophet would reco- ver him by a touch ; and who chose to be healed by the waters of Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Da- mascus, which he deemed better than all the waters of Israel. But anything that falls in at once with men's wishes, and with their conjectures, and which also presents itself to them in the guise of a virtuous hu- mility,— this they are often found readily and firmly to believe, not only without evidence, but against all evidence. And thus it is in the present case. The prin- ciple of which I have been speaking, — that every revelation from Heaven necessarily requires, as an THE SEARCH AFTER INFALLIBILITY. 21 indispensable accompaniment, an infallible interpre- ter always at hand —this principle clings so strongly to the minds of many men, that they are even found still to maintain it after they have ceased to believe in any revelation at all, or even in the existence of a God. There can be, I conceive, no doubt of the fact, that very great numbers of men are to be found, — they are much more numerous in some parts of the Continent than among us(a) ; — men not deficient in intelligence, nor altogether strangers to reflection, who, while they, for the most part, conform exter- nally to the prevailing religion, are inwardly utter unbelievers in Christianity ; yet still hold to the principle, — which, in fact, has had the chief share in making them unbelievers, — that the idea of a divine REVELATION implies that of a universally accessible, INFALLIBLE INTERPRETER ; and that the one without the other is an absurdity and contradiction. I have said that it is this principle that has mainly contributed to make these men unbelievers. For, when a tolerably intelligent and reflective man has fully satisfied himself that in point of fact no (a) See note A at the end of this Discourse. 22 THE SEARCH AFTER INFALLIBILITY. such provision has been made, — that no infalUble and universally accessible interpreter does exist on earth (and this is a conclusion which even the very words of Paul, which I have taken as a text, would be alone fully sufficient to establish), — when, I say, he has satisfied himself of the non-existence of this interpreter, yet still adherer to the principle of its supposed necessity, the consequence is inevitable, that he will at once reject all belief of Christianity. The ideas of a revelation, and of an unerring in- terpreter, being, in his mind, inseparably conjoined, the overthrow of the one belief cannot but carry the other along with it. Such a person, therefore, will be apt to think it not worth while to examine the reasons in favour of any other form of Christianity, not pretending to furnish an infallible interpreter. This, — which, he is fully convinced, is essential to a Revelation from Heaven, — is, by some Churches, claimed^ but not established, while the rest do not even claim it. The pretensions of the one he has listened to, and deliberately rejected ; those of the other he regards as not even worth listening to. The system, then, of reasoning from our own conjectures as to the necessity of the Most High doing so and so, tends to lead a man to proceed THE SEARCH AFTER INFALLIBILITY. 23 from the rejection of his own form of Christianity to a rejection of revelation altogether. But does it stop here ? Does not the same system lead naturally to Atheism also ? Experience shews that that con- sequence, which reason might have anticipated, does often actually take place. He who gives the reins to his own conjectures as to what is necessary, and thence draws his conclusions, will be likely to find a necessity for such divine interference in the affairs of the world as does not in fact take place. He will deem it no less than necessary, that an omnipotent and all- wise and beneficent Being should interfere to rescue the oppressed from the oppressor, — the cor- rupted from the corrupter, — to deliver men from such temptations to evil as it is morally impossible they should withstand ; — and, in short, to banish evil from the universe. And, since this is not done, he draws the inference that there cannot possibly be a God, and that to believe otherwise is a gross absurdity. Such a belief he may, indeed, consider as useful for keeping up a wholesome awe in the minds of the vulgar ; and for their sakes he may outwardly profess Christianity also ; even as the heathen philosophers of old endeavoured to keep up the popular superstitions : but a real belief he will 24 THE SEARCH AFTER INFALLIBILITY. . regard as something impossible to an intelligent and reflective mind. I am very far from saying that all, or the greater part, of those who maintain the principle I am speak- ing of, are Atheists. We all know how common it is for men to fail of carrying out some principle (whether good or bad) which they have adopted ; — how common, to maintain the premises, and not per- ceive the conclusion to which they lead. But the tendency of the principle itself is what I am speaking of: and the danger is anything but imaginary, of its leading, in fact, as it does naturally and consistently, to Atheism as its ultimate result. I have said that the non-existence of such an in- fallible interpreter as I have been alluding to, is what an intelligent man might be convinced of even by the very passage in the Book of Acts that is before us ; — by the absence of any reference or allusion to anything of the kind, in a discourse of the Apostle Paul's, in which he could not have failed to mention it, had it existed. But there are many other consi- derations from which the same conclusion follows : 1. For instance, the incompetency of men in ge- THE SEARCH AFTER INFALLIBILITY. 25 neral to exercise a correct judgment on questions pertaining to religion, is the main argument from whicli is inferred the necessity of an infallible inter- preter. And yet this very argument destroys the ultimate conclusion maintained. For it presupposes that men are fit to decide, by their own judgment, that most difficult question, as to the claim of any particular Church, Party, or Person to he that inter- preter. Certain passages of Scripture are alleged as implying that a certain Church is the infallible guide appointed by Providence to supersede our private judgment, which is incapable of deciding aright as to the meaning of Scripture. But how am I to know that such is the true sense of those passages ? If we are competent to judge of their meaning, then our alleged unfitness for judging, and the necessity thence inferred, are done away. If we are not com- petent to judge of the meaning of any doubtful pas- sages, then, though we may admit the necessity of an unerring interpreter, we can never be sure that we have found one. If, — which I believe is practically the common- est procedure, — we interpret those passages in con- formity with the decision of our supposed infallible guide, and, in implicit reliance on that, we are pal- 26 THE SEARCH AFTER INFALLIBILITY. pably begging the question, — first assuming the infal- libility of our guide, and by means of that assumption proceeding to prove it. And the same may be said in reference to those who, instead of any existing Church, appeal to " the Primitive Church," and the " consensus Patrum," — the common belief of all the orthodox writers of the first ages(a). Whether that primitive Church, and those first ages, shall compre- hend tliree centuries, or four, five, six, or seven; and {a) The reference so often made to the words of Vincentius Lirinensis, — " quod semper, quod ubique, quod ab omnibus," &c. — seems altogether unaccountable. That whatever is be- lieved, and always has been, by all Christians, everywhere, is a part of the Christian faith, is a truism as barren as it is undeni- able. It cannot possibly be called in to solve any question in dispute; since by its own character it relates expressly and exclu- sively to such points as never have been disputed among Chris- tians. But I conceive that those who appeal, — or rather, who pre- tend to appeal, — to this maxim, do, in reality, mean by " all," merely " all the orthodox.'^'' And who are the orthodox ? I sup- pose, those whom most persons accounted such, and as each will be likely to apply that term to those whose doctrines he ap- proves, the result will be, that the belief of the majority is to be the stamp of orthodox belief; and that this again is to represent universal [or catholic] belief; and, finally, that this so-called universal belief is to be the test of Gospel Truth. On this principle, who were the orthodox and who the true worshippers, in Israel, when Elijah alone was left of the Lord's prophets, when Baal's prophets were 450 men? THE SEARCH AFTER INFALLIBILITY. 27 ^vhich of the Fathers are to be enrolled among the orthodox, and what are the doctrines they taught, in works forty times more voluminous than the Bible, and capable of quite as great a variety of interpreta- tions,— all these are questions to be decided in the first instance, by those who are, by supposition, in- competent judges, and who for that very reason are to rely implicitly on an infallible guide ! This is to tell them that, because they cannot steer their course without a pilot, they must make a voyage to a dis- tant port in order to find one. And the case is much the same with those who promise, or who lay claim to, such an inspiration from heaven as shall supersede all exercise of reason, and preclude the possibility of error. The exercise of reason is called for in the highest degree, and errors the most fatal are to be dreaded, in de- ciding on the conflicting claims laid before us, — on the claims of those who, while they teach the most opposite doctrines, all profess alike to be under the immediate direction of the Holy Spirit, and all fail in giving proof of it, as the Apostles did, by working sensible miracles in the presence of all, whether be- lievers or unbelievers. The alleged necessity^ therefore, of an infallible 28 THE SEARCH AFTER INFALLIBILITY. interpreter, does of itself shut out from a reflecting mind the hope of obtaining one. For that necessity is inferred from such a supposed incapacity in us for judging rightly, as must equally unfit us for judging what claim to our confidence those have who offer to guide us. 2. Again, the alleged necessity is, for an infalli- ble interpreter universally and readily accessible. And this no Church can even pretend to have pro- vided. Supposing a central infallible Church to exist, it is not one Christian in ten thousand that can put himself in direct communication with its supreme governors. Each individual may, indeed, use its formularies, and may assign to them the same authority as to Scripture ; but he can be no more competent to interpret the one than the other, or to supply aright any omissions ; he is still in want of an infallible guide to direct him how to conform with unerring exactitude to his Church. And this guide must be, to the great mass of mankind, the pastor under whom each is placed. The pastor's confor- mity to the Church must be taken on his own word. If he be either ignorant, or erroneous, or dishonest, — if, in short, every individual pastor be not himself THE SEARCH AFTER INEALLIBILITY. 29 infallible, the Christian people, whose incompetency to judge for themselves has been all along presup- posed, may be as much misled as in their perusal of the Scriptures. 3. Moreover, the claim to exemption from error and from dissension, if put forth by any Church which claims also universality^ is thereby at once destroyed. If, indeed, any one claims infallibility on the ground of personal inspiration in himself, or in the leader he follows, he can only be met by a demand for proof, in the shape of sensible miracles, that his pretensions to this inspiration are better founded than those of others who differ from him. But when the two claims, to exemptionfrom error and to universality, are both put forward, they mutually destroy each other by their practical incompatibility. If there be any universal Church of which all pro- fessing Christians are members, even though disobe- dient members, — subjects and children, even though undutiful and rebellious, — then this Church is mani- festly not exempt from error and dissension; as is plain from the differences and controversies existing among Christians, and the refusal of many of them to submit to the decrees of this Church. If, again. 30 THE SEARCH AFTER INFALLIBILITY. there be any Church that is exempt from error among its members, it is, for the same reason, mani- festly not universal. There may, conceivably, be a Church to whose dominion and decisions all Chris- tians ought to submit ; but unless all do thus submit it cannot be properly called universal(a). Vain are the attempts made to get rid of this dilemma by urging that all false doctrines are con- demned by the Authorities of the Church, and that the guilt of schism is incurred by all who do not obey them. Exemption from error, in any commu- nity, consists, not in the condemnation of error, but in its non-existence among the members of that commu- nity. Universality consists, not in a claim to univer- sal dominion over all Christians, but in the submission of all Christians. Otherwise, there is no sect so small and inconsiderable that might not pretend, on equally good grounds, to be the universal and uner- ring Church. It might plead that its doctrines were received by all except heretics, and its supremacy acknowledged by all except schismatics; denouncing (a) The urging of both these pretensions in conjunction, on reasons which profess to establish the one or the other sepa- rately, is an instance of what I have called, in the Elements of Logic, book iii. § 11, the fallacy of the Thaumatrope. THE SEARCH AFTER INFALLIBILITY. 31 all as heretics and schismatics who did not receive those doctrines, and submit to that dominion. And this is merely saying, in other words, that all agree with it except those who disagree, and that all sub- mit except such as refuse submission. The claims, therefore, if so explained, become altogether nugatory. If not so explained, but taken in the natural sense of the language employed, they are negatived by undeniable and notorious facts(a). From these and similar considerations a reflect- ing mind can hardly fail to arrive at the conclusion that a universally accessible infallible guide, such as shall supersede all exercise of private judgment, and all need of vigilant care and inquiry, and shall pre- clude all possibility of error, has not been, in fact, provided. And if he still cling to the belief of the necessity of such a guide as an indispensable adjunct to a divine revelation, his road to infidelity is straight and short (6). Numbers there are, no doubt, who do not follow up such principles to their legitimate consequences; (a) See note B at the end of this Discourse. ih) See note C at the end of this Discourse. 32 THE SEARCH AFTER INFALLIBILITY. ' many, from habitual want of reflection, and absence of mental cultivation ; and others, from resolutely abstaining from all reasoning and all investigation, because they have determined to be believers, and consider their faith to be both the more praisewor- thy, and also the more secure, the less they reflect and examine (a). They dread the very danger I have been alluding to, — that reasoning will lead to infide- lity; and they seek to avoid this danger, not by dis- carding the false principle from which that reasoning sets out, but by shunning all reasoning, and stifling all inquiry and reflection. But this freedom from all uneasy doubt, — a de- sire for which leads to that craving for infallibility I have been speaking of, — this, after all, is not always attained by such a procedure. A lurking suspicion will often remain, — which a man vainly endeavours to stifle, - that the foundation is not sound. The ^ superstructure, indeed, may be complete. Once granted that the church, sect, party, or leader, we have taken as our guide, is perfectly infallible, and there is an end of all doubts and cares respecting (a) See Essays on some Dangers to Christian Faith, &c., p. 108 [2nd edition ], and Elements of Logic, p. 390 [8th edition], ^or a very curious exemplification of what is here said. THE SEARCH AFTER INFALLIBILITY. 33 particular points. But an uneasy doubt will some- times haunt a man, — in spite of his efforts to repress it, and however strenuously he may deny, even to himself, its existence, — whether the infallibility claimed, which is the basis of the whole fabric, be really well established. A suspicion will occasion- ally cross the mind, however strenuously repelled, " Is THERE NOT A LIE IN MY RIGHT HAND ?" And the reluctance often shewn to examine the foundation, and ascertain whether it is really sound, is an indi- cation, not of full confidence in its firmness, but of a lurking suspicion that it will not bear examining. It is thus that the craving after the mental repose of infallible certainty tends to defeat its own object. Many, however, no doubt, do really enjoy the confi- dent, though groundless, security they boast of. And many, we may expect, will complain of, and censure, and reject, what I have been saying, on the ground that it is a " cheerless" doctrine. And this charge is, to a certain extent, true. To be told to " work out our own salvation Avith fear and trembling," may be less " cheering" than to be told that we have no need for any fear and trembling. When Paul " ceased not for three years to warn every one, night and day, with TEARS," it was not, certainly, because he judged c 34 THE SEARCH AFTER INFALLIBILITY. this to be the most cheering to his people, but be- cause he knew it to be the most for their real good, and the most conformable to truth. It was precisely because he was aware that pains-taking vigilance is less agreeable than confident and boastful security, — it was for this very reason, doubtless, — that he was so assiduous in his warnings, lest any of his people should be, — as so many are, now, and in every age, — led away blindfold by their wishes, and flattered to their ruin by deceitful teachers. It is a common error, and one which men always need to be put on their guard against, to trust to boastful promises, and to lean upon pleasant and cheering hopes, without examining well whether these promises and hopes can rationally be depended on. But it is the part of true wisdom not to lose, in a vain effort after what Providence has denied us, the advantages which it does place within our reach. Difficult indeed it is, — or rather impossible, — for us to understand why God has dealt with Man as He has. We may be unable to answer the question, why the Revelation He has bestowed has not been accompanied by the gift of an infallible interpreter on earth, accessible to all men, and precluding all THE SEARCH AFTER INFALLIBILITY. 35 possibility of doubt as to the meaning of any part of it. It may be hard to explain, why, both in this and in many other most important matters also, Man should have been left to act on his own responsibi- lity, and according to the best of his own fallible judgment; exposed to various dangers, and called on for the exercise of that vigilant care, which, we find, is, in point of fact, often not exercised. We may be unable, in short, to understand why Earth is not Heaven ; — why Evil of any kind is permitted to exist. All this we may be unable to explain ; but our inability to explain will not alter facts ; and it is for us to make the best use of things as they are, instead of wondering or seeking to understand why they were not made otherwise. That spurious humility above alluded to, the im- plicit reliance on fallible man, must be discarded ; and true humility must take its place. Instead of considering what, according to our notions, God must have done, or ought to have done, we should inquire what He has done ; and what use we are allowed and expected to make of it. If we inquire whether the holy Scriptures did really come from Him, we shall find proof abun- c 2 36 THE SEARCH AFTER INFALLIBILITY. dantly sufficient to satisfy a candid and humble mind ; but not sufficient — strange as this may ap- pear to us — to force conviction on the uncandid and arrogant. And if we inquire for what purposes the Scriptures were given, and how we are to make use of the gift, they will themselves abundantly teach us. They were evidently given us to enlighten the path of those who will open their eyes to the light, and take heed to their steps ; but not of such as love darkness better than light, or view the light through the discoloured glass of their own prejudices and inclinations, or deliver themselves up to be led blindfold by blind guides. They were given, not to supersede, but to exercise, our diligence and watch- ful care. They abound (as we have seen) in warn- ings of the danger of perversions and false doctrines. And they bid us Christian ministers " take heed to ourselves and to the flocks committed to our care.'' We are to study, to the best of our power, to attain to the true meaning of them ourselves, and to impart it to our people, but with a full conviction and con- fession of our own fallibility. To complain of this, — to reject or undervalue tlie revelation God has bestowed, urging that it is no revelation to us, or an insufficient one, because un- THE SEARCH AFTER INFALLIBILITY. 37 erring certainty is not bestowed also, — because we are required to exercise patient diligence and watch- fulness, and candour, and humble self-distrust, — this would be as unreasonable as to disparage and reject the bountiful gift of eye-sight, because men's eyes have sometimes deceived them ; — because men have mistaken a picture for the object imitated, or a mirage of the desert for a lake ; and have fancied they had the evidence of sight for the sun s motion ; and to infer from all this that we ought to blindfold ourselves, and be led henceforth by some guide who pretends to be himself not liable to such deceptions. The two great volumes, — that of Nature and that of Kevelation, — which God has opened before us for our benefit, are in this respect analogous(a). Both are, in themselves, exempt from error ; but they do not confer complete exemption from all possibility of error on the student of them. As the laws of Nature are in themselves invariable, but yet are sometimes imperfectly known, and sometimes mis- taken, by natural philosophers, so the Scriptures are intrinsically infallible, but do not impart infallibility to tlie student of them. Even by the most learned («) See Essays on some Dangers to Christian Faith, &c. Es- say HI. s. 5. 38 THE SEARCH AFTER INFALLIBILITY. they are in many parts imperfectly understood ; by the " unlearned and unstable" they are liable to be wrested to their own destruction." We have indeed the gracious promise of God's Holy Spirit to " help our infirmities," both in re- spect of our faitli and of our conduct ; — to guard us not only against doctrinal error, but also, no less, against sin ; — to further our growth both in grace^ and also in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. And we are sure that, as far as we are under the guidance of that Spirit, we cannot but be right both in our belief and our practice (a). But how far we are, in each instance, thus guided, we must not pre- sume to pronounce with certainty. " It is God that (a) There seems no good ground for inferring from our Lord's promise to be with his people " always, even unto the end of the world," that He must have conferred on them, or on some por- tion of them, infallihility in judgment, any more than impeccability in moral conduct ; which is, at least, not inferior in importance. The Holy Spirit which He promised should be " given to them that ask it," is not more needed, or more promised, with a view to correctness of belief, than to holiness of life: and yet, with respect to this last, most men admit that, " if we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us :" why should we not be equally ready to admit that "if we say we have no error, we deceive ourselves ?" If we utter with sincerity the words " who can tell how oft he offendeth ? O cleanse thou me from my secret faults !" we shall not fail to add, " who can tell how oft he mistaketli V THE SEARCH AFTER INFALLIBILITY. 39 worketh in us, both to will and to do" (and, we may add, to judge and believe also) " of his good plea- sure but this is given by the Apostle as a reason, not for sitting down in careless and self-confident security, but that we should " work out our own salvation with fear and trembling." And this same anxious and diligent care must be shewn, among other things, in our study of God's Holy Word(a). " If we say that we have no sin,"— and equally if we say that we have no error, — " we deceive our- (a) Every one, doubtless, is led to what is right both in faith and practice, as far as he is led by the Spirit of Christ ;" but how far he is, in each instance, under that guidance, he cannot know with certainty till the day of judgment. While continually aiming at perfection, both in belief and practice, the Christian is never authorized to " count himself to have apprehended." Though he may, in point of fact, be right, he must beware of the arrogance of confidently pronouncing and insisting on his own unerring rectitude, unless he shall have received an immediate revelation, and can produce his credentials as an inspired mes- senger from God. As for those who do appeal, — in support of a claim to conti- nued, or to renewed inspiration in their respective Churches, or in the leaders they venerate, — to sensibly miraculous proofs, such as gifts of tongues, gifts of healing, &c., these persons, how much soever they may fail in establishing the miraculous facts^ are at least consistent and intelligible in the conclusions they maintain. The test they appeal to is fair : — " The God that answereth by fire, let him be God." — Dangers to Christian Faith, ^c. Essay III. s. 4, pp. 146, 148. 40 THE SEARCH AFTER INFALLIBILITY. selves for whatever part of our conduct, and of our opinions, may be in fact perfectly right, we are not authorized confidently to pronounce that it is so. " I judge not," says the Apostle Paul, " mine own self, for I know nothing by myself," — (i. e. I am not conscious of any faikire in my ministerial duties) ; — " yet am I not hereby justified; but He that judgeth me is the Lord." Listen (a), then, my Christian friends, to this blessed Apostle ; learn what he has taught ; and at- tend to the warnings he has given. And let no one persuade you, that by doing this you will be thrown into distressing and incurable doubts and perplexi- ties. Fear not, that by forbearing to forestall the judgment of the last day, — by not presuming to dic- tate to the Most High, and boldly to pronounce in what way He must have imparted a revelation to man, — by renouncing all pretensions to infallibility, whether an immediate and personal, or a derived infallibility, — by owning yourself to be neither im- peccable nor infallible ( both claims are alike ground- less), and by consenting to undergo those trials of vigilance and of patience which God has appointed for {a) See Essays (First Series) on Some Peculiarities of the Christian Religion, pp. 360-262, note. THE SEARCH AFTER INFALLIBILITY. 41 you, — fear not that by this you will forfeit all cheer- ful hope of final salvation, — all " joy and peace in believing." The reverse of all this is the reality. As far as any one is conscious of striving, with humble prayer for divine aid, to do his best, in the way God has directed, he may reasonably hope to be preserved from all fatal errors and deadly sins ; and he may trust that any mistakes into which he may have fallen, not through carelessness or perversity, but from mere error of judgment or unavoidable ignorance, will not be imputed to him as sins, but that he will " be accepted according to that he hath, and not according to that he hath not." Those have, in reality, more to dread, who, pro- fessing to renounce all private judgment, have based their whole system of faith on human conjectures as to what a divine revelation must necessarily be ; and who have shut their eyes to the many plain warnings of our Lord and his Apostles, to " take heed to our- selves." Paul has declared, that if even " an Angel from Heaven preach any other Gospel than that which he has delivered, let him be accursed ;" and he has left us a written record of his teaching, with which to compare whatever is proposed for our ac- ceptance as Gospel truth ; thus, according to our 42 THE SEARCH AFTER INFALLIBILITY. Lord's precept, judging of the tree by its fruits. Great, then, must be the danger of those who, in fact, reverse this precept, and judge of the fruits by the tree; by at once concluding, that whatever is taught by the Holy Church, or whatever such and such a person professes to have had revealed to him from Heaven, and to be moved by the Holy Spirit to utter, must be Gospel truth, however at variance with God's written Word. And as their real danger is great, so they do not always (as I have above observed) succeed even in lulling themselves into complete security. While they crave for more than God has given, and will not be satisfied without that infallible certainty of exemption from error, which would cut off all need of vigilance against error, and of inquiry after truth, — they often (besides building, on a false foundation, a superstructure of error) fail also of that confident repose and peace of mind which they have aimed at. And those, on the other hand, who, in true humility, set themselves to conform to God's directions, will be partakers of His promised blessings. While such Christians as have sought rather ioi peace, — for men- tal tranquillity and satisfaction, — than for truth, will often fail bothjof truth and peace, those of the THE SEARCH AFTER INFALLIBILITY. 43 opposite disposition are more likely to attain both, from their gracious Master. He has taught us to " take heed that we be not deceived," and to " be- ware of false prophets and He has promised us His own peace and heavenly comfort. He has bid us watch and pray ; He has taught us, through his blessed Apostle, to " take heed to ourselves," and to " work out our salvation with fear and trembling ;" and He has declared, through the same Apostle, that He " worketh in us ;" He has bid us " rejoice in hope ;" He has promised that he " will not suffer us to be tempted above what we are able to bear ;" and He has taught us to look forward to the time when we shall no longer " see as by means of a mir- ror(a), darkly, but face to face ;" — when we shall know, " not in part, but even as we are kno^vn ;" — when faith shall be succeeded by certainty, and hope be ripened into enjoyment. His precepts and His promises go together. His support and comfort are given to those who seek for them in the way He has Himself appointed. Teach this to your people, you, my Brethren, who are engaged, or are about to engage, in the (<') At' hoTT-pov iv dii'iyfxari. — 1 Cor. xiii. 12. 44 THE SEAKCH AFTER INFALLIBILITY. Sacred Ministry. Teach them to trust in God, and not transfer their allegiance to uninspired Man. In- struct them to the best of your ability, according to your solemn vow, out of the Scriptures. Eefer them to these ; and teach them to search the Scriptures for themselves (like the Beroeans of old), " to see whether those things be so" which they shall have heard from you ; and warn them not to expect in- fallibility in themselves, or in you, or in any unin- spired man, but to " prove all things, and hold fast that which is right and caution them against being led away, by bold assertions and arrogant pretensions, into those corruptions of Gospel truth which will always, from time to time, be found arising within the Church. So shall they be enabled to take up the serpents" they will meet with ; and " if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them." Take heed, then, my Brethren, to yourselves, and to the flock over which you are appointed overseers; watch, and remember ever the solemn warnings Paul has given us : and may you be enabled, like him, at the close of your ministry, to stand " pure from the blood of all men." APPENDIX. Note A, page 21. Many also there are, I am convinced, in this country, and some in the Continental States, by whom the " infallibility of the Church" is understood in the same sense as the con- stitutional maxim that "the king can do no wrong;" by which every one understands, not that the sovereign is per- sonally exempt from error, but that there is no superior autliority on earth to which he is responsible, and to which appeal can be made against any exercise of his lawful pre- rogative ; and that to establish any such authority would be to subvert the Constitution for no object; since it would be, after all, only setting up as supreme one fallible man or Body of men instead of another. In like manner, some probably consider it best that there should be, in religious matters, some one supreme authority on earth, which, though not really infallible, should be treated as if it were so ; that is, that its decisions should be final and without appeal, and binding on all Christians. This, they conceive, is better than that interminable controversies, arising out of the diffe- rences of men's private judgments, should be suffered to arise, and to continue unchecked. And, no doubt, peace and unanimity might be thus produced, though at the ex- pense of truth, — I mean sincere conviction of truth, — and at the price of transferring to fallible man that devotion which is due to God only, if all Christians throughout the world 46 APPENDIX. would agree to acquiesce in this feigned infallibility. But, as it is, truth and genuine piety are sacrificed for the sake of an universal peace and agreement, which (as is subse- quently pointed out) are not attained after all. Note B, page 31. I am well aware that when the two claims, — that to uni- versality, and that to exemption from dissension and from error, — are brought forward in conjunction, and it is under- taken to reconcile them with each other, it is usual to ex- plain one or both of them in a sense different from the ob- vious and natural meaning of the words, so as to render the two claims compatible. Then it is that we are told that " Catholic" or " Universal" means only the religion of a considerable majority of professing Christians, or the religion the most widely diffused throughout Christendom: or we are told that the Universal Church means merely that which all professed Christians ought to belong to ; and that adults of sound mind who have received Christian baptism, and deliberately profess Christianity, are not necessarily mem- bers of the Universal Church, or Christians at all. And we are also told that exemption from dissension and from error belongs to those only who submit in all points to the decisions of the rulers of the Catholic Church. And doubtless if all mankind, or any number of men, would but come to a perfect agreement in any one religion, be it true or false, they could not but be exempt from religious dis- sension, and, if not from error, at least from anything that they themselves would account an error. But surely this is to " keep the word of promise to the ear, and break it to the hope." It is not in any such sense that the pretensions I have been speaking of are usually APPENDIX. 47 put forth, and naturally understood, when taken separately. And it is not under any such explanations as the above, that those pretensions are found so alluring and so satisfactory as, to a great number of persons, they are ; but in the natu- ral and ordinary sense of the words. The expression " Ca- tholic," or " Universal," Church is naturally understood to denote that which comprehends all Christians. And by the word Christians is understood those who acknowledge and professedly embrace the religion founded by Jesus Christ. And those who designate any of these as Here- tics are so far from denying them the title of Christians (though unsound and perverted Christians), that they imply it; since Pagans or avowed Atheists are never reckoned Heretics. I am not, be it observed, defending this use of the word " Christian" as the most advisable to be adopted, if we were framing a new language. It might, we will suppose, have been advisable so to define the term that no two Christian Sects or Churches should apply it to the same persons. I am simply stating 2, fact as to the actual sense conveyed by the word in our existing language. And that such is the sense conveyed by it is as much a fact as that we actually call the ninth month of the year September, and the tenth October ; though if we were remodelling our language, the impropriety of such names would be obvious. And again, exemption from dissension and from error naturally conveys the idea, not of these evils being con- demned by certain Authorities when they arise, but of their never arising at all. And it is in these obvious and natural senses of the words that the above pretensions are in general, — when taken se- parately,— put forth with boastful confidence, and prove so attractive and so consolatory to the minds of many as to be 48 APPENDIX. at once admitted without any close scrutiny as to how far they are well-founded. But when the two claims are brought into juxta-position, and it is inquired how far they are compatible^ then they are explained away in the manner above alluded to. The promise is made in one sense, and kept in the other. I will take the liberty of subjoining an extract relating to this point from the Appendix to the second Essay on the Kingdom of Christ. " I have seen reproaches full of scornful exultation cast on Protestants for having recourse, when treating of the subject of Church-government, to reasonings drawn from general views of Human Nature, and to illustrations from secular affairs : and for calculating what are likely to be the decisions of a Synod so and so constituted, without advert- ing to the promises of divine presence and protection to the Church, and without expressing confidence of providential interpositions to secure it from discord, error, and other evils. " This kind of language has, at the first glance, a plausible air ; and is well calculated, — one cannot but think, designed, — to impose on pious and w^ell-intentioned but ignorant, weak, and unreflecting minds among the multitude. But a sober examination will shew it to be either wholly irrelevant to the matter in hand, or else a mere groundless pretence. " It is indeed true that the Lord has promised to be with his People ' even unto the end of the world,' and that ' the Gates of Hell' {i. e, death) ' shall not prevail against his Church ;' that is, that Christianity shall never become ex- tinct. And his ' Spirit which helpeth our infirmities' will doubtless be granted to such as sincerely exert themselves in his cause : though not necessarily so as to crown tliose exertions with such complete success, as, we know, was not APPENDIX. 49 granted to the Apostles themselves. Our efforts, however, in that cause, whether He in his unsearchable wisdom shall see fit to make them a greater or a less benefit to others, will doubtless, as far as regards ourselves, be accepted by Him. And a pious confidence in whatever God has really pro- mised, Protestants do not fail to inculcate on suitable oc- casions. " But when the question is as to the probable results of such and such a procedure in a Synod, and as to the measures likely to be adopted by a Government so and so constituted, it would manifestly be irrelevant to dwell on tliose general promises of the divine blessing. If there were a question what means should be used to protect a certain district from hurtful inundations, no one would think of cutting short the discussion by a reference to the promise made to Noah, that the whole Earth should never again be laid waste by a deluge. It is evident, therefore, that the reproaches I have alluded to must be understood as having reference to (that which alone is pertinent to the present question) confidence in a promise of supernatural interference to secure the Church for ever from strife, schism, and corruption. " And certainly if we had received any such promise, all apprehensions, all calculations of probabilities, — all reason- ings from the analogy of other human transactions, would be superseded ; and we should have only to ' stand still and see the salvation of God.' " But every one, except the grossly ignorant and unthink- ing, must be well aware that no such promise has ever been fulfilled^ and consequently (if the Scriptures are to be taken as a record of divine truth) that none such was ever made. " We find the Apostle Paul declaring that ' there must needs be heresies, that they who are approved may be made manifest ;' we find him labouring to repress the irregularities and party spirit which even in his own time had crept into D 50 APPENDIX. the Church of Corinth ; and warning the Elders of Ephesus and Miletus to * take heed, because after his departure grievous wolves would enter into the fold.' Corruptions in doctrine, disorders, dissension, and insubordination, are evils of which he is continually giving notice to his People as what they must be prepared to encounter. And when we look to the ecclesiastical history of subse- quent Ages — exhibiting the sad spectacle of contests almost equally dividing the Church, between the Arians, for in- stance, and the Athanasians, on points of doctrine, and between the Donatists and their opponents, on a question of ecclesiastical Polity, — besides the mutual anathemas of the Eastern and Western Churches, and besides all the cabals, and intrigues, and secular motives, and evil passions, which have notoriously found their way into Councils, and Con- claves, and ecclesiastical Courts — when we contemplate all this, we see but too well what reason the Apostle had for his warnings. But there is no need in the present case to resort to ancient history. The very existence of Protestants (to say nothing of the Greek Church) is sufficient to nullify, in respect of the Church of Rome at least, the notion of an exemption from error and from schism being promised to thaty as to the Universal or Catholic Church. For the Church of Rome claims all professing Christians as properly belonging to it ; considering Protestants as children, though disobedient children; — subjects, though revolted subjects. The very rise, therefore, and continued existence, of Pro- testantism, proves the non-existence in the Catholic Church (if the Church of Rome be supposed such) of any immunity from heresy and schism. And if it be attempted to avoid this conclusion by allowing that Protestants and members of the Greek Church are not to be regarded as in any way APPENDIX. 51 belonging to the Church of Rome, then, the pretensions of that Church to be the Catholic (i. e. Universal) Church, must be given up. " Whatever plausibility therefore there may appear at first sight in the pretensions, sejparatehj taken, of that Church, on the one hand to perfect purity of doctrine, and unity, and on the other hand to Universality, it is evident that both con- jointly cannot be maintained with even any show of reason. Either the one or the other must be abandoned(a). If Pro- testants, and members of the Greek, the Armenian, and other Churches, do not belong to the Romish Church, it cannot be Universal; if (which is what its advocates actually maintain) all Christians do belong to it, then, it manifestly is not exempt from divisions^ and contrariety of doctrine. It is in vain (as far as the present question is concerned) to urge that the doctrine and procedure of Protestants, &c., are con- demned by the authorities of the Church of Rome, and by all its sound members. For an exemption from a certain evil must consist, not, in its being censured when it arises, but in its not arising at all. Indeed it would be very easy, — and also quite nugatory, — for any Church whatever to set up the boast that its doctrines are received by all, — except those who dissent from them ; and that all submit to its authority, — except those who refuse submission. " The extraordinary Providence therefore which is boasted of as securing the true Church from division and from error, and which Protestants are reproached with not trusting to or claiming, has evidently no existence in the very Church to which those who utter the reproach belong. And one can hardly doubt that they must themselves be aware of this ; (a) They are evidently on opposite sides of the Thaumatrope. See Logic, B. iii. s. 11. 52 APPENDIX. and that when they speak, in a tone of exulting confidence, of the miraculous exemption of their Church from the in- roads of false doctrine and dissension, they are only seeking to quiet the minds of the unthinking Vulgar with a delusive consolation. " How far this kind of language may work an opposite effect on the minds of the more educated Classes, — how far the great prevalence of infidelity among those Classes on the Continent may be accounted for by their continually hearing (from those who, they will conclude, ought to know what their own Scriptures say) of promises having been made to the Church which, it is evident, as a matter of experience, have not been fulfilled, is an inquiry into which I will not now enter. My own conviction is that every kind of pious fraud is as much at variance, ultimately, with sound policy, as it is with Christian principle." Note C, page 31. It is Avorth remarking, that a very great additional dan- ger of infidelity exists in all those countries in which it is an established principle that the profession of the religion which the government sanctions, may, and should be en- forced by coercive means, and that it is the right and duty of the civil magistrate to prohibit and forcibly repress all de- parture from it. I do not doubt indeed that many persons are sincere believers in Christianity, w^ho yet maintain this principle ; but the principle itself, — besides being wholly at variance with the spirit of Christianity, — acts also as a kind 1 of specific poison to sincere belief Like a pestilential atmos- phere, it makes gradual and inperceptible advances in debi- litating the system, and tainting the inmost springs of life, more or less speedily according to the constitution of each APPENDIX. 53 individual; and carries off its victims one by one, without external blow, by a secret internal decay. One mode in which this cause operates is, by destroying the support which each man's conviction ordinarily derives, and may fairly and reasonably derive, from that of his neighbours. For, whatever any one is cow.pelled to profess, ! we cannot rationally feel sure that he does not inwardly \ disbelieve ; since we know that if he does disbelieve it he dares not openly say so. But it is in another way that the principle in question produces its most deleterious effects. In proportion as men are accustomed to regard it as right that outward profession should be enforced, they will come to consider this py^o- fession as everything, and inward belief, — which cannot be enforced, — as insignificant. Conformity will be regarded as the great object, and tiixth as a matter we need not be con- cerned about. " The highest truth," says Dr. Arnold, " if professed by one who believes it not in his heart, is, to him, a lie, and he sins greatly by professing it. Let us try as much as we will to convince our neighbours ; but let us beware of influencing their conduct when we fail in influencing their convictions. He who bribes or frio-htens his neighbour into doino; an act which no good man would do for reward, or from fear, is tempting his neighbour to sin ; he is assisting to lower and to harden his conscience, — to make him act for the favour and from the fear of man, instead of for the favour and from the fear of God ; and if this be a sin in him, it is a double sin in us to tempt him to do it." And any one whose conscience has been thus lowered, — who has been so long habituated to this sin as to cease to consider it as a sin, — will have cast aside all thoughts of sincerity in religious profession, either in himself or in others; and will regard it as even a duty 54 APPENDIX. (like the ancient heathen philosophers) to conform to the religion of his country for the sake of the public good. J It is mere trifling and evasion to pretend (as some have done) to qualify the principle, by saying that the Govern- ment is to enforce a true religion, and not any other ; since, of course, each Government will decide and proclaim that to be the true one which it patronizes ; and from its deci- sions there is no appeal. If it has a rights then, to make and enforce these decrees, — if it be, as some express it, the duty of a Government to provide a true religion for the subjects, in the sense of deciding what religion they shall be obliged^ under a penalty, to adhere to, — and if it be the duty of the subjects, as well as their interest, to acquiesce (as it must be if Government have this right, since nght and duty imply each other), — then, since dif- ferent, and even opposite religions may be, and in fact are, in different countries, thus enforced, all of which cannot be true, but all of which, each in its own country, men are bound to profess, a complete disconnexion is thus effected between religious profession and truth. For it is utterly impossible, on the above principles, that there can be any one true religion revealed from heaven which it is the duty of every individual to adopt. All must be mere creatures of human legislation for the purposes of state policy. And this, I suppose, was the meaning of a member of the Legislature, of some celebrity, who is reported to have said that he believed all religions to be true, and all equally true. That they could, all and each, be really from Heaven, their palpable discrepancy renders clearly impossible ; and, therefore, if they are all on a level, it must follow that none of them is a real revelation. " All equally true" must have meant " all equally false." But all, — I suppose he meant, — are alike suited to keep the vulgar in salutary awe, and to APPENDIX. 55 gratify a certain craving in their minds after some superhu- man object of veneration. This seems to be just that description of infidelity which the principle I have been speaking of, — that of compulsory conformity, — often actually produces, and always tends to generate and to foster. See Essays on the Difficulties of St. Paul's Writings, &c.. Appendix, note E. THE EXD. FOUR SERMONS / RICHARD WHATELY, D.D., ARCHBISHOP OF DUBLIN. BEING THE ADDITIONS TO THE SECOND EDITION OP SERMONS ON VARIOUS SUBJECTS. LONDON : JOHN W. PARKER, WEST STRAND. M.DCCC.XLIX. ADVERTISEMENT. These Four Discourses having been added to the Second Edition of the vokime of Occasional Sermons, are printed separately also for the use of purchasers of the First Edition. CONTENTS. SERMON I. FELLOWSHIP IN THE GOSPEL. Philippians i. 4, 5. Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now. Claim of Christian Ministers to a maintenance from the people, p. 3 ; real meaning of the word translated ** fellowship/' 5 ; declarations and conduct of our Lord in reference to this matter, p. 8 ; caution of the Apostle Paul in using his privilege, pp. 10, 14 ; advantages and disadvantages of the " voluntary sys- tem," p. 15 ; supposed endowments of the " Church," p. 20; duty of members of the Church in reference to the Additional Curates* Society p. 21 Note, Extract from Hinds's History . . . p. 25 SERMON II. THE CHRISTIAN DUTY OF EDUCATING THE POOR. Matthew xxv. 40. Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Beneficence inculcated by our Lord chiefly for the sake of the givers, p. 29 ; the best kind of charity, the pro- vi CONTENTS. viding of education for the poor, p. 33 ; objections to it, p. 35; system pursued in the National Schools, and in Dublin University, p. 43; chief difference be- tween the savage and the civilized state .... p. 48 Notes A. and B. on the use of Scripture-reading in Schools pp. 51, 52 Note C. Regulations of Trin. Coll., Dublin . p. 55 Note D. Profanation occasioned by coercion in religious matters p. 56 SERMON III. THE SEARCH AFTER INFALLIBILITY. Acts xx. 29, 80, 31. T know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears. Paul's warnings to the Elders, at Miletus, p. 57 ; what he did not suggest as a safeguard, p. 61 ; what would have seemed, to men, most probable, and would have been most acceptable, p. 66 ; consequences of the principle that a Divine revelation implies an infallible interpreter, p. 75 ; grounds on which such an inter- preter is contended for, self-contradictory, p. 79 ; such an infallible guide as is called for, should be accessible to all, p. 83 ; claims to universality, and to exemption from error, inconsistent, p. 84 ; mental repose not always attained by those who are ready to sacrifice all for it, p. 87 ; false and true humility p. 91 CONTENTS. VU Note A. Sense in which InfaUibility is sometimes understood p. 102 Note B. Claims to universality and to freedom from Dissension and from error, how far incom- patible p. 103 Note C. Coercion in religion productive of infi- delity p. 108 SERMON IV. CHRISTIAN SAINTS, AS DESCRIBED IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. Rom. i. 1, 7. Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called [to be] an Apostle . . . to all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called [to be] Saints. Titles by which Paul addresses Christians, p. 113 ; origin of the term Christian, p. 115; absence of it, in the Apostolic Epistles, a mark of antiquity, p. 116 ; reason for this absence, p. 124; import of the title of Saints, p. 127 ; not connected with miraculous gifts, p. 135 ; Duties of Clergy and Laity, respectively . . . p. 137 SERMONS. w. s. 1 SERMON I. Philippians I. 4, 5. Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now. That the apostle Paul considered it to be the design of his Master that a sufficient main- tenance should be provided for the ministers of the gospel, — that he intended Christians to feel themselves strictly bound to contribute, when needful, to this object, — and that he warmly en- couraged a disposition to come forward libe- rally with such contributions — all this is what no one even moderately versed in this apostle's writings can be ignorant of. But it would not * Preached before the Additional Curates' Fund Society for Ireland, on Tuesday, the 5th of April, 1842, and published at the request of the Society. 1—2 4 SERMON I. appear at first sight to the English reader, that the particular passage now before us has any relation to that subject. The expression "your fellowship in the gospel," would naturally be understood, and I suppose must have been meant to be understood, as signifying the Phi- lippians' having received the faith and become members of Christ's mystical body, " the Holy Catholic Church, the Communion of Saints." But on looking at the original, it will be seen, that the apostle's words cannot possibly bear that meaning. The real sense of the words undoubtedly is, not "your fellowship in the gospel," but "your contribution towards the gospel, from the first day until now " — this liberality in providing for the maintenance of the gospel-ministers being a virtue in which these Philippians seem to have been, both at first and ever after, especially eminent. It may be that they had been enabled to lend assist- ance in other ways also : that they had aided in the work of diffusing the gospel, or had afforded advice, encouragement, and consolation to its preachers, and had borne effectual tes- timony in their favour : but contribution to- FELLOWSHIP IN THE GOSPEL. 5 wards the gospel, of some kind or other, is plainly what the apostle is speaking of — and pecuniary contribution is the only kind dis- tinctly specified in this epistle. The word indeed which is translated '* fel- lowship " {kolvwi'io), does originally, and in the greater number of the places where it occurs, bear that signification : but the words which follow it in this passage plainly shew that it cannot here be used in that sense, but in an- other, which it also very often bears, that of "contribution;" that is, imparting — commu- nicating— making another a sharer or fellow- partaker of what belongs to us\ The same word and others of the same de- rivation, are in various passages used in this sense, and are so rendered in our version. For instance, in this very epistle, one of the objects of the apostle in writing it was, to acknow- ledge the receipt of a supply which the Philip- " Ko(i/wi/