BX 5175 .W45 1860 Whately, Richard, The parish pastor 1787-186 Digitizec 1 by the Internet Archive in 2015 https://archive.org/details/parishpastorOOwhat THE PARISH PASTOK. ^4 /f /k™ THE PAEISH PASTOR. BY / RICHARD WHATELY, D.D. AECHBISHOP OF DUBLIN. LONDON : JOHN W. PAEKEE AND SON, WEST STEAND. i860. 10NDON: SAVILL A5D EDWARDS, PBINTEBS, CHANDOS STBEET, COVENI GABDEN. PREFACE. It will not be supposed that I can have designed to treat, in these few pages, of all the qualifications or all the duties, of a Clergyman. That would require a large volume. But it appeared to me that it might be useful to offer some remarks and suggestions as to a few of the most important and not least difficult points of ministerial duty; namely, what may be called domestic ministrations, explana- tions of the Bible, of the Prayer-Book, and of the two Sacraments, and the inculca- tion of christian Morality. If I have in any degree succeeded in my object, I may hope that through the divine blessing some parts of this little Work may prove useful to the Laity as well as to the Clergy. For, it should not be forgotten that whatever it is the duty of the Minis- a 3 vi PKEFACE. ter to teach, it must be the duty of the People to learn. The greater part of the substance of the following pages has already appeared in separate Publications; some of which are nearly, if not entirely, out of print. It has therefore been thought advisable to collect, revise, and re- arrange them. I do not address myself to those mem- bers of our Church — if there are any such — whose adherence to it is merely from custom, or for personal convenience, or pecuniary advantage ; but to those whose attachment to it is deliberate and sincere. And these I would caution not to allow themselves to be misled by some who (chiefly perhaps from indistinctness of thought) are accustomed to confound to- gether two things that are quite distinct ; namely, what is allowable, or a duty, or an important duty, for every man, and what is such to a member of a certain Community. The distinction is plainly perceived by most persons, in all secular matters. For PREFACE. Vll instance, it is well understood that a citizen of the British Empire owes alle- giance to the Sovereign ; though he is not bound to condemn all Bepublics, and to maintain that regal government is essen- tial to every civilized State. The laws of our Country, we are bound in duty to obey ; though we need not disapprove the very different laws of some other Coun- tries. But in all that pertains to religion, the distinction is often overlooked. If any one urges, on members of our Church, the duty of complying with its regulations that are not contrary to Scripture, he will perhaps be told in answer, that " such and such regulations are not essential to the Gospel-scheme. ' If he objects to some- thing that is at variance with the system of our Church, he will perhaps be an- swered that it is not forbidden in Scripture. And if he maintains the duty, in an Epis- copalian Church, of submitting to episco- pal rule, he will perhaps be considered as one of those narrow-minded Churchmen who would exclude from the Universal viii PREFACE. Church of Christ, all who are not under a system of Episcopacy. But surely the most scrupulous fulfil- ment of our own obligations does not necessarily imply bigoted intolerance. We may have a hearty and zealous attach- ment to our own Church, without passing uncharitable censure on others. And this hearty zeal should be even the more con- spicuously manifested by the Clergy and by the Laity of an endowed Church, in order to guard against the suspicion that their adherence to it is mainly from a regard to the personal advantages they derive from that endowment. CONTENTS LECTUEE I. THE PABOCHIAL SYSTEM. PAGE § i. Distinct Branches of Ministerial Duty . . i 2. Pastoral care of a Parish 2 3. Importance of private Ministrations ... 6 4. Important results of domestic Visiting . . 12 5. Qualifications requisite for private Minis- trations TcJ 6. Danger of overrating hnman Authority . . 18 7. Distinction between inspired and uninspired Teachers 24 8. Confession and Absolution 28 9. Admission to the Eucharist 32 10. Difficulty of firm Adherence to Duty . . . 36 11. Licenced Places of Worship 40 12. Parochial Visitors 41 LECTUEE II. EXPLANATIONS OF THE BIBLE. § i. Twofold call for Explanation of Scripture . 44 2. Design of our Church 48 3. Elementary Instruction, and Exposition . 52 4. Some Explanations may be verified out of the English Bible 55 5. Explanations derived from other Sources . 60 6. Dread felt of Eeferenccs to the Original . . 63 X CONTENTS. TAGS § 7. Danger of exciting deserved Distrust ... 67 8. Disparagement of Reason and of Knowledge 70 9. Disparagement of Miraculous Evidence . . 73 10. Real Results of right Instruction . . . . 76 1 1 . Proposed Revision of the Authorized Version 78 12. Temptation to neglect explanatory Teaching 82 13. Pains and Skill requisite for Exposition . . 85 14. Presumptuous Explanations to be shunned . 87 Note A 93 » B. 94 LECTURE III. EXPLANATIONS OF THE PEATEE-BOOK. § i. Duty of giving religious Instruction ... 96 2. Explanations of the Prayer-Book .... 97 3. Suggested Alterations 100 4. Common Prayer 106 5. Extemporaneous Prayers 108 6. J oint Worship 1 1 1 7. Absence of Liturgies in Scripture . . . .it6 8. Comments 117 9. Creeds 120 10. Communion Service 123 11. "Mysteries" and "Testament" 127 12. Obsolete Words 129 13. Explanatory Teaching the least admired . 132 Note C . 135 „ D 136 „ E 138 LECTURE IV. ON BAPTISM. § i. Verbal Controversy 147 2. Points of Agreement between those at va- riance in Expression 153 CONTENTS. PAGE 3. Points of Disagreement not verbal . . .156 4. Archbishop Sumner's Opinions on these Points • 160 5. Probable Origin of the Eejection of the Sacraments 165 6. Practice of the Apostles 175 7. How the Apostles must have been under- stood by Jewish Converts 178 8. Analogy of the Mosaic Law 184 9. Language of our Reformers 189 10. Confirmation the Sequel to one Sacrament, and the Introduction to the other . . . 198 Note P. . . ..... . . . . .208 „ G 208 LECTURE V. ON THE LOED'S SUPPEE. § i. Deficient Attendance at the Lord's Table . 215 2^ Faith tried by implicit Obedience required . 217 3.. Superstitious Notions respecting the Eucha- rist 219 4. Neglect by Protestants of a known Duty . 225 5. , Erroneous Views respecting the Eucharist to be met by Appeal to Scripture .... 227 6. Alleged Miracle of Transubstantiation, a contrast to those recorded in Scripture . 230 7. Eight Principle of Interpretation of Scrip- ture 233 8. Test of literal or figurative Interpretation . 236 9. Errors concerning the Eucharist, not sprung from erroneous Interpretation of Scripture 238 10. Reaction in favour of blind Acquiescence in groundless Claims 241 11. Disparagement of Evidence 245 12. Ambiguity of the word "Mystery" . . . 248 Xli CONTENTS. PAGE § 13. Sacrificial Character of the Death of Christ, indicated by the Eucharist 252 14. Attempts to explain away the Doctrine of the Atonement 254 15. Danger of rash Attempts at Explanation . 257 16. Eaith shown by contented Ignorance of divine Mysteries 261 17. Abraham's Faith to be imitated .... 264 18. Practical Faith, in reference to the Eucharist 269 19. Natural and Positive Duties 272 20. Groundless Scruples 274 2 1 . Connexion of Confirmation with the Eucha- rist 279 LECTURE VI. CHRISTIAN MOBAL-INSTBUCTION. § i. Inculcation of Moral-Duty 283 2. Romish and Protestant Views of Justification 287 3. Danger of exaggerated Language .... 291 4. Supposed Merit of Good Works .... 296 5. Correct View of Moral Duty 300 6. Theory of those who deny a Moral-sense . 303 7. Incautious Language respecting human De- pravity 309 8. Heal Meaning different from what is ex- pressed ... 313 9. Scripture View of Moral Obedience . . .317 10. Origin and Culture of the Moral Faculty . 320 11. Works the Fruit of Faith, in what sense .322 THE PARISH PASTOR. LECTURE I. • THE PAROCHIAL SYSTEM. § i. There are, in the Or- Distinct dination- Service (a Service Branches of which should be frequently ^ terial and attentively perused, by the Members, and especially the Clergy, of our Church), distinct, though bri^, references to the several parts the ministerial duty; — to the administration of the Sacraments, — the public instruction of the People out of Scripture, — and also the private Visitation of individuals. The candidate for Holy Orders is called upon publicly to pledge himself, first, to " instruct out of the Scriptures, the people committed to his charge;" and next, " faithfully to minister the doctrine and Sacraments and the disci- 2 THE PAROCHIAL SYSTEM. pline of the Church, and to teach ih% people under his charge to keep and observe the same." And afterwards he is required to engage to use " private, as well as public monitions and exhortations, both to the sick and the whole, within his cure, as need shall require, and occa- sion shall be given." In addition therefore to the duties of public Ministration, there is a distinct head mentioned of private Ministration also. § 2. And this, compara- of a Parish, tively inconspicuous, but certainly not least important branch of Ministerial duty, belongs most especially to what may be called the Parochial System of our Church. If public preaching, and the administering of the Sacraments, were all that was needed, there would be no necessity for dividing a christian Country into any such districts as we call Parishes, and confiding each to the superintending care of its own Pastor. It would be only needful to provide a sufficient number of THE PAROCHIAL SYSTEM. 8 places of Worship, and of Preachers; 'leaving those preachers to make whatever arrangements among themselves might suit their convenience. But our Church (and I believe I might say every christian Church) has felt, and practically recog- nised the need of something besides this ; — of that private superintending care which is provided for by the parochial system. And such a system there can be, I think, no doubt, was established in the very earliest times. For (to omit other proofs) we may be sure that it could not have been of mere preachers that the Apostle is speaking when he exhorts Christians [i Thess. v. 12] to " know them which labour among them, and are over them in the Lord, and admonish them; and to esteem them very highly for their work's sake :" and again [Heb. xiii. 17], to "Obey them that have the rule over them, and to submit themselves : for they watch for their souls, as they that must give ac- count, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief." As for instituting any inquiry into the b 2. 4 THE PAROCHIAL SYSTEM. comparative utility or dignity of the several branches of ministerial duty, this would then — and then only — be perti- nent, if an alternative were before us ; — if one, or else another, of these, must necessarily be neglected. But a con- scientious man, who has several distinct duties imposed on him, will occupy himself, not in considering which of them deserves a preference, but, how he can best fulfil them all. Tt may sometimes however be worth while to consider which of our duties we may be the most frequently tempted to neglect, by reason of its having less connexion with personal celebrity and popularity, and being of a less striking character, than others. And correspond- ing care is called for to guard against any such temptation. I am not, of course, supposing the case of a man who makes human applause his idol, and who deliberately prefers the reputation of an eloquent preacher to the edification of his People, and the discharge of his duty. If there were any one of such a character, he would not be likely to listen with profit to any admonitions THE PAROCHIAL SYSTEM. 5 on the subject. But any one who, pos- sessing the valuable gift of attractive and popular pulpit-eloquence, should take for granted that he cannot be in any danger of overrating the importance of this, and unduly depreciating, or partially over- looking, other branches of ministerial duty — such a one is, by his rash security, the most exposed to that danger. Public instruction and exhortation from the Pulpit, I am so far from undervaluing, that I am fully sensible of an advantage, in some respects, which a discourse deli- vered to a congregation, possesses over private admonitions to an individual. It is well known that a multitude will often be more easily and more strongly im- pressed by anything that is forcibly said, than those same persons would have been by the very same words addressed to each of them singly. Mutual sympathy, and mutual consciousness of that sym- pathy, tend very greatly to heighten any kind of emotion that may have been ex- cited. And thus a powerful effect is often produced on a large audience com- posed of persons no one of Avhom could have been equally influenced separately. 6 THE PAROCHIAL SYSTEM. It should not be forgotten, however, that any sudden and very violent excite- ment, though it certainly does sometimes leave permanently good effects, yet will very often be succeeded (if not watched with judicious care — if the metal when heated be not duly moulded) — by a dangerous kind of collapse — a sort of reaction — which will more than undo any good that may have been done: "and the last state of that man will be worse than the first." A torrent (we should remember), however copious and rapid, is no permanent stream ; its very name being taken from a word which denotes parching drought. And in the Parable of the Sower, the seed which fell on a rock, under- went what may be called a "new birth;" since it immediately sprang up; it was " converted " from a grain into a plant ; but when the sun waxed hot it withered away. § 3. And there are also Importance of peculiar advantages on the private Minis- 1 . 0 trations. S1 de of private admonition. In private converse with an THE PAROCHIAL SYSTEM. 7 individual, you perceive, and can accom- modate yourself to his particular character and habits of thought, and can then supply just the kind of instruction or advice that especially suits that individual. You learn what are the particular difficulties or objections that most beset him; and again, the particular excuses by which each may have soothed his conscience; and which perhaps are what you would never have conjectured. The particular temptations to which one individual is most exposed, are often quite different from those of another man. And these you will best come to understand in pri- vate intercourse. And I may add that you will thus best be able to increase the efficiency of your public ministrations. For, with a view to them, it is most important to ascertain what has or has not been clearly under- stood; — what may have been misunder- stood; — and how far any individual may have evaded the personal application to himself of something that had been said, and may have applied it solely to his neighbours. Often will the Minister who 8 THE PAROCHIAL SYSTEM. makes such inquiries as he ought to make, be surprised at the result of them. He will often find that much of what he has said, and which had been listened to with reverence and with apparent atten- tion, and had been received with ready assent, has been in part very imperfectly and indistinctly taken in, and in part grossly misapprehended. Much intercourse with our fellow-men is essential to that knowledge of Mankind without which no one can be a profitable instructor of others. The solitary stu- dent will be likely to judge of the feelings and notions of others too much from his own ; and will be misled by what Bacon calls "the Idols of the Den" \idola speeds'] . And again, one who has had but little intercourse except with some one class of persons, will be the less qualified as an instructor of other, very different, classes. Even with a view therefore to really profitable public preaching, private inter- course with the members of the congre- gation is highly important. For, no one can be completely well-fitted to be the instructor of any class of persons, who THE PAROCHIAL SYSTEM. 9 has not had considerable private inter- course with individuals of that very class. And the private intercourse of the Pastor with his People should not be confined to that which indeed could scarcely be with propriety called inter- course; — merely speaking to them on religious matters. He should also listen to them, and encourage them to open their minds freely to him ; and that too, not on their spiritual concerns only, but on any others also on which they naturally and allowably feel much interest, and have a craving for sympathy. All detraction indeed, and criticism of their neighbours, should be repressed; but on concerns of their own, such as the pros- pects in life of themselves and their chil- dren, they should be listened to with friendly sympathy. And finding you take a kind interest in their temporal welfare, and that you do not look down on them with disdainful unconcern, they will the more readily communicate with you, and listen to you, on religious sub- jects. And it may be added that you b 3 10 THE PAROCHIAL SYSTEM. may in this way best bring them to understand that Religion is not to be reserved as a distinct occupation for one day in the week, but is to operate practi- cally in the ordinary business of life. And when you find any one holding any erroneous notions, you will find it best to begin by ascertaining what there is of truth in his views ; since thus there will be some common ground for both parties to stand upon. And after dwell- ing on the points of agreement, you may then the better proceed to refute what is erroneous, and to convey more correct ideas. It should be considered moreover, that the impression which may be produced by a public discourse, is sometimes more liable to be transient, and before long to fade away and be forgotten, than a simi- lar impression made in private conference. A Sermon will perhaps have suggested to a man a doubt as to the correct- ness of his belief or his practice in some point ; — he will have been strongly urged to adopt views at variance with his pre- judices, or to act against his habitual THE PAROCHIAL SYSTEM. I ! inclination, — and he feels perhaps that the reasons given are such as he is unable to answer. But then, there is no one calling on him to answer them ; — no one pressing him either to express his conviction, and act accordingly, or else, to show sufficient cause for refusing. And he will be not unlikely, nor perhaps unwilling, to let the doubts or the con- victions that have been produced, gradu- ally pass away and leave no trace on his mind. He will perhaps say, virtually, to some argument with which he had been impressed at the moment, " Go thy way for this time ; when I have a conve- nient season I will call for thee." But in private conference, there is the reverse of this. A man is naturally and fairly called on to express his assent to what he cannot deny, and to acknow- ledge the obvious consequences of what he has distinctly admitted. And he must either convict himself of wilful and per- verse inconsistency, or else must at least profess an intention of acting up to what he acknowledges to be true and right. 12 THE PAROCHIAL SYSTEM. § 4. Accordingly, some Important re- important effects are occa- sults of domes- -., , tic Visiting. sionally produced m indi- viduals by this kind of con- versational intercourse, when they would have remained — perhaps had remained — practically unmoved by the most striking eloquence in public discourses. Many probably could confirm what has been said, by instances coming under their own experience. Of those that have come under mine, I will men- tion one, and only one, as an illustration of the above remarks. There was a parish (of moderate ex- tent) under the care of a conscientious and zealous Minister, who had to lament, as to one point, the utter failure of his efforts. The Lord's Table was attended only by some six or eight persons, all members of one family. The rest of the congregation continued to absent them- selves from the ordinance, notwithstand- ing his delivering sermon after sermon, filled with the most cogent reasons, and the most earnest exhortations. The People continued to attend at Church, THE PAROCHIAL SYSTEM. 13 and listened (and perhaps listened with approbation) to the Sermons, as if to something not at all designed for them, but altogether for some different class of persons. Another Minister, to whom this state of things was known, succeeded to the charge of the parish ; and he re- solved to try another course of procedure. He went round to the several families of the Parishioners, giving instructions, — explanations, — reasons, — exhortations, — remonstrances, — according to what each case required. And the result was, that on the very next occasion of his cele- brating the Lord's Supper, instead of six or eight, he had above ninety communicants. In this instance there was an imme- diate and evident result ; showing pub- licly, the utility of these private ministra- tions. But this is not what is to be ordi- narily expected. It will oftener be found that the good effects — when any do re- sult — will be gradual and slow, and, after all, but little noticed, and little known, except by a very few persons. You may be the means, under the divine blessing, of doing most important service to many 14 THE PAROCHIAL SYSTEM. an individual, while scarcely any one ex- cept the parties immediately concerned is even at all aware of it. You may be en- abled, in your private ministrations, to console the afflicted — to fortify the waver- ing — to convince the doubting — to re- claim the vicious — to correct the erro- neous — to rouse the careless — and to re- concile those who are at variance ; and yet these services may be but little known beyond a very small circle ; and perhaps, even when known, not estimated very highly. If you faithfully and well dis- charge these duties, you will indeed ob- tain, besides the inestimable testimony of a good conscience, the approbation of the most judicious and worthiest men: but with most of the unwise and unthinking, far greater popularity will be gained by something more striking and splendid. There are men whom the Apostle Paul describes as " having itching ears :" — whom the Apostle James alludes to as being " hearers of the Word, and not doers :" whom he compares to a man " beholding his face in a mirror ;" and whom Ezekiel, long before, had described THIS PAROCHIAL SYSTEM. as listening to him as they would to one who " hath a very pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument." For it is not merely in their times, but doubtless in all times, that such may be found ; — per- sons who have a craving; for the excite- ment of brilliant and impassioned elo- quence, and care for little else ; estimating each Minister entirely according to the degree in which he proves attractive to a congregation; and flattering themselves that they are making religious progress, because the oratory they delight in has a reference to Religion. Such a one may be compared to a cloth which has received a dye, but without the application of a Mordant to fix it, and whose colour, how- ever brilliant, will easily be discharged. § k. But others, ao;ain, „ 5 ° I Qualifications there are, who are aware of requisite for the utility and of the neces- private Minis- „ . trations. sity of private pastoral super- intendence, but regard this branch of ministerial duty as a very humble one; inferior in importance and far lower in point of dignity. But a rightry-conscien- 16 THE PAROCHIAL SYSTEM. tious and faithful Pastor, who undertakes and who retains, the charge of a parish, will not allow any temptation so to draw him off from this duty, as to leave un- cared for, those whose " souls he is bound to watch over, as one that must give an account." And in truth, this branch of duty is not only highly important, but is also one which requires qualifications, different indeed, in kind, from those of the public Preacher, but not at all less valuable. Sound good sense, and discreet cautious- ness, are most especially requisite in the Minister's private intercourse with his parishioners. And they are qualities which (in a high degree) are not more common, nor less needing assiduous cul- tivation, than brilliant eloquence. And besides good sense and conscien- tious diligence, there will also be usually an especial call for patience, in this branch of ministerial duty. In dealing with numbers of persons of various disposi- tions, and many of them of untutored minds, many, and very various, trials of patience will be likely to arise. Some THE PAROCHIAL SYSTEM. 17 persons, perhaps, will be inattentive even to the most judiciously offered instruction, or will even resent the kindest advice. Some will show no gratitude for the pains bestowed on them ; and some will be unreasonable in their demands on the Pastor's time and labour, or perhaps jealous of that which is bestowed on their neighbours. In all these ways, the patience of a diligent Pastor will often be greatly tried: though, on the other hand, he may hope often to meet with cheering encouragements. It would be superfluous to enlarge on the evils that may ensue, — in all depart- ments of duty, and not least in this that I am now alluding to — from indiscretion, or from impatience of temper. To be intrusively troublesome, — to interfere in an indelicate way in domestic concerns, — , to rebuke with harshness, — to weary with admonitions those whose minds are pre- occupied, — to assume an arrogant tone of dictation, — all these are faults which all must be well aware will render well- meant private ministrations more hurtful than beneficial. And I need hardly add, 13 THE PAROCHIAL SYSTEM. that the dread of such evils ought not to tempt us to neglect this branch of duty, but to incite us to use the more care in guarding against any such errors. Danger of § 6 " But [t ma 7 be WOrth overrating hu- while to suggest that care man Autho- ^ sometimes be needed to rity. guard against what may be reckoned an opposite danger. You will perhaps find that some of the best dis- posed of your flock are inclined to assign, not too little, but too much authority to their Pastor. Men are apt, in this matter, to be misled by a false analogy, between the Clerical profession on the one hand, and the Medical and Legal on the other. As a man places himself under the guidance of a physician, and of a legal- adviser, whom he thinks trustworthy in their respective departments, and impli- citly relies on them, without setting up himself as a judge of the directions they give, and without undertaking the study 3f medical or legal science, so, many a •me proceeds in a corresponding way, in what regards his religion. I have heard, THE PAROCHIAL SYSTEM. 19 — as probably many others have, — a dis- tinct avowal of this principle : but you will much more frequently find it acted on. If a Pastor is very assiduous, and is much beloved and admired, it will perhaps be found that many of his People place him (in their own minds) — not indeed dis- tinctly and avowedly, but practically — almost on the same level with the inspired Apostles : — that they receive doctrines, in fact, on his word, and give an unin- quiring and unhesitating assent to all he says, simply because said by him. And indeed I have myself known a Protestant Minister congratulate himself on finding this to be the case with several of his People; forgetting apparently that two- thirds of his parishioners, were, on the very same principle, adhering to a reli- gious system (that of the Church of Eome), which he, and which I, considered erroneous and dangerous. Now it is evidently an error to receive doctrines on human authority, even sup- posing all that is actually thus received to be in itself true. The Apostles, we know, received a direct supernatural re- 20 THE PAROCHIAL SYSTEM. velation, attested by miraculous signs; and they, — very reasonably, — called on men to receive them as immediate mes- sengers from Heaven. And our Lord taught, — as He had a right to do — "as one having authority, and not as the Scribes ;" appealing to his " mighty works" as the proper proof of his pre- tensions. The Scribes in their teaching referred to the written Law ; saying, "It is written so and so ; and this or that appears to be the meaning." And thus, even if their expositions were in any point erro- neous, their hearers had in their hands the means of correcting the error. Now it is evident that we are to teach as the Scribes, and not, like our Lord, as having independent authority. We must refer our hearers to Scripture and to Reason, for the establishment of what we say; unless we can exhibit those miracles which, we are expressly told, were " the signs of an Apostle."* All this might seem too obvious to be * Signs, that is, attesting the claim of one who did claim to be an Apostle. For though others besides THE PAROCHIAL SYSTEM. 21 at all liable to be overlooked. But expe- rience shows that there is a danger of putting human authority too nearly on a level with divine. A large majority, as is well known, of professing Christians in the world, are members of Churches which distinctly claim infallibility ; a claim which could never have been established, if men had not been predisposed to admit it. And in fact, there is, I believe, no one cause that has had so much effect in retaining, and in enlisting, adherents to the Church of Kome, as the craving after an infallible guide on earth, univer- sally accessible, and competent to decide without the possibility of error, among all conflicting opinions, what is the right sense of Scripture, and what is the divine Will. And even where no claim to in- fallibility, under that very title, is either allowed or put forth, something very nearly amounting to the same, in reality, may often be met Avith. There is a the Apostles possessed miraculous powers, without making any such claim, those who did make it were bound to produce this infallible proof of their preten- sions. 2.2 THE PAROCHIAL SYSTEM. well-known christian Sect whose preachers distinctly profess to be "moved by the Holy Spirit" to say whatever they do say. And supposing this claim to be well established, all that they utter would be completely on a level with Holy Scrip- ture. For, the very foundation of our confidence in that, as infallible, is, our belief that those we commonly call " the Inspired Writers" really were " moved by the Spirit" to say what they did. But then, any one who ventures thus to pro- claim, with the voice of one of the Pro- phets of old, " thus saith the Lord," or " the Holy Spirit moveth me," may fairly be required to display " the miraculous signs of an Apostle," or else must stand convicted of impious presumption. There are others, again, who though not using precisely this language, yet so express themselves as to be at least very likely to be understood in nearly the same sense. For instance, I remember seeing in some Publication, the description given by a preacher (I forget of what Denomi- nation) of his addressing some persons, " not with enticing words of man's wis- THE PAROCHIAL SYSTEM. 23 dom, but with demonstration of the Holy Ghost and of power." He was, appa- rently, so ignorant as not to know that the Apostle meant by " demonstration of the Holy Ghost and of power," the proof he exhibited of his divine commission by the display of miraculous powers conferred on him by the Holy Spirit. But there was clearly a claim, — or at least what would be understood as a claim, — to an inspiration equal to that of the Apostle. Again, a Minister of another Church, — whom I well knew personally, — a man of more than average learning and intelli- gence, declared to me his conviction that our Lord's admonition to his Apostles not to " take thought or premeditate what they should speak, for that it should be given them in the same hour what to say," was applicable to ourselves at this day, and one which we are authorized and bound to act on. Perhaps it did not occur to him, but it certainly would to most who heard him, that the very ground on which this admonition rested, was, — " it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost that speaketh in you." 24 THE PAROCHIAL SYSTEM. But a Minister who is far from designedly putting forth for himself any such pretensions, may nevertheless find a tendency in some of his flock to fall into something of the error I have been alluding to, unless distinctly, and earnestly , and frequently , cautioned against it. § 7. And in giving such tween inspired cautions, it will be necessary and uninspired to point out, and explain, and Teachers. in • j. x dwell upon, some important distinctions : what some perhaps will call nice and subtle distinctions, but which are indispensably requisite for a right faith. For instance, the Pastor cannot but believe the opinions which he puts forth in sincerity to be true ; else they would not be his opinions. Yet he must not allow his People to adopt them on his authority. He cannot, again, but wish them to receive his doctrine; but he must refer them to Holy Scripture, and leave them to judge, — as the candid Beroeans did of old — " whether those things are so." It is not enough that THE PAROCHIAL SYSTEM. 25 they should hold what is in itself right, if they believe it on wrong grounds. And, again, he cannot but believe, and must teach, that " every good gift, and every perfect gift is from above," and that for whatever truth there may be in anything he teaches, he is bound to be thankful to the divine Giver. So he is also, for everything that is morally good in his conduct ; for " the fruit of the Spirit is in all righteousness 1 as well as in all truth ; and yet, as he cannot claim sinless perfection, so neither can he claim infallibility in doctrine. " If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves;" and we should equally deceive ourselves if we should say that we have no error. The Pastor therefore must be careful to point out the distinction between himself and the Apostles, who received manifest and sensible divine inspiration; even when his doctrine, as well as theirs, may be true and entitled to belief. The truth of what they said was to be inferred from the instruction from above which they received; the sensible miracles which 20 THE PAROCHIAL SYSTEM. they displayed being the proof of their divine commission. With a mere human teacher on the other hand — one who is (in the ordinary acceptation of the word) uninspired, the case is the opposite. Any enlightening grace of the Holy Spirit that may have been bestowed on him, is to be inferred from the truth of what he teaches ; the proof of that truth being attested not by miracles wrought by him, but by an appeal to the Inspired Writers themselves. They claim assent on their own word, and he, on theirs. Now if any one is inclined to call this an over-nice and subtle distinction, he will do well to reflect whether it is not on this that the whole difference turns between being servants of God or of Man. And it is important to point out to our people that in the New-Testament- history, every outpouring of the Spirit such as called on men to receive what was said as a message from Heaven, was always attested by undeniable miracles, not to be mistaken for imposture, or for the delusions of an excited state of feel- ing. The Disciples on the day of THE rAROCIIIAL SYSTEM. 27 Pentecost did not utter an unmeaning jargon and call that the Gift of Tongues, but spake languages which they had never learnt, but which were understood by the men of various nations whom they ad- dressed, and recognised by them as " their own tongues wherein they were born." This sign, and the healing of the sick, and the raising of the dead, were the proofs given of a direct communica- tion from the Most High. But there is no record of any such signs as shrieks, faintings, convulsions, and hysterical fits. All the violent manifestations that we read of, were what the Sacred Writers attributed to the agency of Evil Demons. But the manifestations of God's Holy Spirit seem to have been as calm as they were powerful.* The cautions I have now been recom- mending have evidently a reference not only to private ministrations, but to public preaching also; and perhaps even * When Paul was " struck down," it was by a miraculous light, which teas seen by his companions. And they heard a voice speaking to him, though they did not distinguish the words. (See Acts ix. and xxii. 28 THE PAROCHIAL SYSTEM. still more to this latter. For in private conference, any misapprehension that your hearer may fall into, you will be likely immediately to perceive, and can correct at once. But in a sermon, something said may be dangerously misapprehended, without the error's coming to your know- ledge. Any one who has been accus- tomed to see or to hear reports of dis- courses which may have been delivered by himself, or which he has heard — dis- courses perhaps very clear in style and in delivery — will often be surprised at the misapprehensions afloat ; — misapprehen- sions sometimes destroying, or even re- versing the real sense of what was said. Such misapprehensions we must guard against in all cases, as well as we can: but it is in private conference that they can the most easily be corrected. § 8. But there is one case in Confession and th e danger I have been Absolution. ° alluding to has reference ex- clusively to the Pastor's private inter- course with his people; I mean, that of consultation as to cases of conscience, THE PAROCHIAL SYSTEM. 29 and private confession of particular sins. Auricular confession, enjoined as an habi- tual and necessary duty, though it is felt as a grievous burden by many of those belonging to Churches which do enjoin it, is a burden which could never have been originally imposed on men without their own consent. And there can be no doubt, I think, that the practice must have grown up in consequence of men's craving for the relief of what is called unburdening the conscience, or (as it is sometimes styled) " making a clean breast." And one proof that might be given of this, is, that something nearly approaching to that system of particular confession has been introduced by a Pro- testant sect, which does not recognise priestly absolution. If our Lord had bestowed on his Apostles and other Ministers the faculty of reading each man's heart, and fore- seeing the future course of his life, they might thus have been enabled to pro- nounce positively of an individual that his sins were pardoned by the Most High, and his salvation secured. But this gift 30 THE PAROCHIAL SYSTEM. He did not think fit to bestow on any one. His Disciples therefore were merely authorized to pronounce, not, what particular individuals, but what hind of persons should have remission of sin against God; namely, those whose penitence and faith were seen by Him to be sincere. And even as the power conferred on the Disciples, " of binding and loosing," — i. e., of enacting, altering, or repealing rules of conduct, — cannot extend to al- terations in the essentials of the Gospel- scheme of salvation, or in the funda- mental principles of morality, but only to church-regulations as to ceremonies, for- mularies, public worship, and religious festivals, even so, the remission of sins, as sins against God, can be proclaimed by Christ's Ministers, only as promised, generally, in Scripture, to the truly and rightly penitent. But the power of remitting or retain- ing sins, has been, as you are aware, misunderstood as implying a power (one which neither the Apostles themselves, nor any other man can possess) of abso- THE PAROCHIAL SYSTEM 31 lutely pardoning sins as against God. He who does any wrong to his neighbour, and by the same act is guilty of an offence against the community he belongs to, and also of a sin against God, may be forgiven by his neighbour, for the wrong done to that neighbour; and may receive the pardon of the community for the offence done to it; but it is God alone that can forgive the sin against God. In fact, we are, all of us, not only authorized but bound to " forgive every man his brother their trespasses;" that is, trespasses as against ourselves. And it is a right not only conferred by our Lord on his Church, but necessarily inherent in every kind of Society, to inflict, retain, and remit, the censure of the Society, on any transgressor of its rules. But neither any individual man, nor any Society, can have a right to go further, and to pretend to forgive sins against the Most High. This distinction, which men have often been found prone to overlook, and which some may call a subtle and nice distinc- tion, is one which the Pastor is clearly 32 THE PAROCHIAL SYSTEM. bound to point out and to explain, if he would guard his flock against most deadly error. And I cannot think that a man of good sense will find it very hard to be explained. A child may surely be brought to understand that though he may remit a debt due to himself, he cannot remit a debt due to another — to a third person; and that (by parity of reason- ing) though he may pardon a wrong done to him, no one else can have power to pardon that wrong. But be the distinction a subtle or an obvious one, and difficult or easy to be explained, some explanation of it the Pastor is bound to give, and to guard his people against attributing to him an authority which no man can possess. § 9. As for questions Admission to respecting the particular the Eucharist. -, -1 , 1 i mode, and the degree, m which any Church ought to exercise, or does exercise, a power of remitting or retaining offences as against itself, on these I shall not now enter. But it is worth while to remark that THE PAROCHIAL SYSTEM. 33 there is one point whereon our Church may be said to have delegated this power to her Ministers, and to exercise it through them. The Minister is autho- rized and bound to act according to the best of his knowledge and discretion in admitting to the Eucharist or excluding from it. In the general, public adminis- tration of the ordinance in the Church, he is to exclude those only who are " open and notorious evil-livers," or are in avowed enmity against their neigh- bours. But in the private visitation of the sick, cases will arise, and in populous parishes will be of no unfrequent occur- rence, in which there will be a call for much anxious deliberation, and need of much sound discretion. Suppose a man who has been, and con- fesses himself to have been, leading an utterly ungodly life, or to have committed some heinous crime, for which he might reasonably have been excluded from christian communion, to be alarmed at the probable near approach of death, and to send for the Minister to his sick bed, desiring to receive the Lord's Supper, c 3 34 THE PAROCHIAL SYSTEM. The Minister, when applied to, must say either " I will," or " I will not." If the applicant appear to be sincerely and rightly penitent, and in that suitable state of mind which is briefly described in our Church-Catechism (in answer to the ques- tion, "What is required of those who come to the Lord's Supper ?) then he will ad- minister the Rite ; and in so doing he will have taken upon him to remit, on the part of the Church, that penalty of exclusion from the Lord's Table which the man's former life might be thought to have in- curred. Whether he use, or not, the very word " absolution" he will have pro- nounced an absolution for the offences committed, as offences against the Church. And he may also express his strong hope and confident belief (a belief implied by bis administering the Eucharist) of the penitent's acceptance with God ; though this is only the belief of a fallible man, not gifted with the power of reading the heart. But as for absolving, or uncondi- tionally proclaiming absolution, for sin as against God, not only has no man any THE PAROCHIAL SYSTEM. 35 power to do this, but it does not appear that the Framers of our Formularies had any such meaning. This may be inferred not only from their language in many other places, but from a prayer introduced in the very office for the Visitation of the Sick; — a prayer for divine forgiveness, coming after that Formula which is called the Absolution. If, on the contrary, it should be found that the man was not a sincere penitent, — if it appeared that he was cherishing feel- ings of enmity against his neighbour, or was in some way in an unfit state for receiving the Holy Ordinance, — in that case, you would, for the present, withhold the administration of it till he should be brought to a better mind. And in so doing, you will be, on behalf of the Church, and as far as regards the offence against that, — " retaining" his sin, till he should become rightly penitent. You would therefore virtually, if not in words, have retained or withdrawn what is, prac- tically, a sentence of excommunication. And such I conceive to be the true pur- 30 THE PAROCHIAL SYSTEM. port of that declaration of our Lord to his Apostles, which is introduced into our Ordination- Service. Against a wanton or unwise exercise of the office thus entrusted to our Ministers, there is a provision in the reference which is directed to be made to the Bishop. But some such power must be lodged some- where, if a Church, and the christian Or- dinances, are to be anything more than an empty name. § 10. The Minister, how- D'tffipulty of ever wno sna ll resolve never firm Adherence . . to Duty. to shrink from faithfully ful- filling his duty by the bed of sickness, must expect sometimes to be ex- posed to complaint and obloquy for so doing.* It is a grief to the Ministers of the Gospel to be so often applied to, on the approach of death, by those who have not prepared at all for the great change, during their life : — whose seed-time has been delayed till harvest; and who natter themselves that there will be a saving * See Lectures on a Future Slate. THE PAROCHIAL SYSTEM. 37 efficacy in our speaking and reading to them, and praying over them, and inter- ceding for them, on their death-bed. " Give us of your oil " (they seem to say), " for our lamps are going out." And the Minister is sometimes even blamed as hard-hearted and unfeeling if he refuse to hold out a confident hoj)e, in some case where he can find nothing in Scripture to warrant such confidence. Some perhaps are even tempted by this consideration, and by the desire of being thought good- natured, and by a really benevolent wish to soothe at least the last hours of a dying man, — some, I say, are perhaps thus tempted into holding out hopes which they themselves believe to be delusive. And perhaps they are thus tempted to administer the Holy Sacrament to one whom they perceive to be wholly unfit to partake of it, from being totally mistaken as to the whole character and design of the Ordinance, — unrepentant of the sin of having hitherto neglected it, and full of a superstitious trust that it will operate as a kind of charm to ensure the salva- tion of any one who receives it just before 38 THE PAROCHIAL SYSTEM. his death. Indeed I have myself known the case of a man who believed himself to be dying, and who solicited the adminis- tration of the Rite avowedly on that ground; acknowledging that he would have declined it if he had expected to recover. One of the evils resulting from this mistaken benevolence, is the danger that surviving friends may thus be encouraged to go on in a course of sin or of careless- ness, by seeing one who has so lived de- parting in a triumphant confidence of salvation, derived from the assurance of a Minister of Christ. Nothing can be more natural than that they also should listen to the delusions of the same Tempter, who whispers to them, as to our first Parents, " Ye shall not surely die :" — that they also should wait for a death -bed re- pentance, and propose to themselves to send, when the time shall arrive, for the same Minister who has given such bold and comfortable assurances. If we were disposed to magnify our office, we should pretend, like the priests of corrupt Churches, to be able to ensure THE PAROCHIAL SYSTEM. 39 any one's salvation by our mediation, and by such a ceremony as Extreme Unction, and by saying Masses for the repose of his Soul. God knows they do often pro- cure the repose of the soul ; but it is only in this life. They administer a deadly opiate, which relieves present pain, and lets the disease "rain ground unchecked. And they " strengthen the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his evil way, by promising him life."* In this branch, then, as much as in any, of our private ministerial duty, there is need, in addition to benevolent and zealous assiduity, of a degree of sound judgment, as well as unflinching adhe- * A conscientious priest of the Church of Rome, who sincerely believes that Confession, and Absolution, and Extreme Unction, are highly important towards the salvation of a soul, will feel himself called on to encounter greater risks from infectious disease than it would be needful, or even allowable, for a Protestant Minister to expose himself to. This distinction I put before the Clergy, at a time when an infectious disease was raging, and when some boastful reproaches had been cast on them. Thereupon it was reported — and I believe the story is still current — that I had prohibited the Clergy from visiting the sick ! 40 THE PAROCHIAL SYSTEM. rence to truth, which are not perhaps more common, and certainly not less important, than pulpit eloquence. Licensed ,§ ll - There is, connected Places of with the Parochial System, an Worship. occasional inconvenience, for which partial, though not complete re- medies may be provided. Many parishes are too extensive, and many too populous, to be properly attended to by the Pastor, even with aid of one, or of two Curates. And many Churches are too distant from great part of the parishioners, to be regu- larly attended by them, or too small for the congregations. Hence the necessity of Chapels and other licensed places of Worship, and of Ministers to officiate in them.* The Ministers of the Chapels that are subsidiary to the Parochial System as far as regards public ministrations, are occu- pying a most useful and important place. * That most valuable Institution, the Additional- Curates-Society, has done much, (and would do much more, were its funds as adequately supported by christian liberality as it deserves,) towards supplying the deficiency. THE PAROCHIAL SYSTEM. 41 But neither they, if they are worthy and sensible men, nor any of the members of their congregations, who are rightly dis- posed, will regard their office as one of higher importance, or of greater dignit}^, than that of the Parochial Clergy, to whom they are thus supplemental. § 12. With respect again , ' . ... , Parochial to domestic ministrations, the visitors. Parochial Clergy have often, with the best effect, availed themselves of the assistance of Laymen, in such offices as our Church allows to be entrusted to these. In my own dioceses, for a good many years, most beneficial aid of this kind has been supplied, in a systematic and orderly mode, by persons regularly appointed as Parochial- Visitors, who are approved by the Society established for that purpose, nominated by the Incum- bent of each Parish, and finally author- ized by the Diocesan. These Visitors do not, of course, as- sume any of what are strictly clerical offices; nor encroach on or interfere with, the rights and duties of the Parish Minis- 42 THE PAROCHIAL SYSTEM. ter; but aid and facilitate his labours. They ascertain, by friendly visits, what persons are, or are not, attendants on divine Worship, or frequenters of the Lord's Table ; what degree of education is possessed by each, and what is pro- vided for their children; who are, and who ought to be, preparing for Confirma- tion; and what kind of life, generally, is led by each. They occasionally read to those who are ignorant of letters : they are the bearers of inquiries or applica- tions of any kind, from the parishioners to the Pastor, and of advice and admoni- tion, and other communications, from hiin to them: and they are often enabled to ascertain, and to report to him, what has or has not been rightly and profitably understood, of his teaching. Moreover, as most of the Parochial Visitors are young men preparing for the Ministry, there is, in this Institution, besides the immediate benefit to the Pastor and his People, an incalculable advantage to the parties themselves who are employed, in the training they thus receive in a most important part of mi- THE PAROCHIAL SYSTEM. 43 nisterial duty, under the superintendence of experienced men, before taking on themselves the more difficult and more responsible office of the clerical charge of a parish. I have conversed with very many clergymen who had held the office of Parochial Visitor; and almost all of them have spoken in the strongest terms of the advantages they had derived in their profession from this preliminary training.* I will conclude by once more reminding you that in dwelling on the advantages of the parochial system, and on the im- portance of the private ministrations of a Parish Pastor, I am far from meaning to disparage either theological studies, or missionary enterprise, or public preaching of the Gospel : but merely inviting the attention which is justly due, to a less conspicuous and imposing, but not less important or less difficult branch of the christian Minister's duties. * The Divinity -Professors of the University of Dublin bear the strongest testimony to the benefit of the Insti- tution, as subsidiary to their Lectures, and supplying a most important portion of the requisite education for the Ministry. 44 LECTURE II. EXPLANATIONS OF THE BIBLE. AtTjvoi£ev avToiv top vow, tov avviivai ras ypa ^ _ "o ' ' Prayer. as a preliminary to any expo- sition of particular portions of any of our Services, it would be advi- sable to offer some remarks on the design and character, generally, of a Book of Common Prayer — beginning, as one might say, your explanations with the title- page : for, the very meaning of that title- page is, by some of the least-educated portion of our congregations, not under- stood ; and by some others not sufficiently attended to. You will find, I apprehend, on inquiry, that some of the most un- taught and unthinking understand by Common Prayer that which is in ordinary use ; and will need to have it pointed out to them that 'what is called in the Prayer THE PRAYEK-BOOK. 107 of Chrysostom " our common supplica- tions," is the united supplication of the congregation — that which they agree in offering up. Many, however, who are not so ignorant as to make the mistake now alluded to, will yet be often found not to have sufficiently attended to the full force of the words "Common Prayer," and the high importance of what they denote. They will need to be reminded that the use of a Book of Common Prayer in our own language, is one of the charac- teristics of our Church ; distinguishing it, on the one hand, from those churches — of which there are several — in which the prayers are read by the minister in a tongue not understood by the people; and, on the other hand, from all those Communities which have no fixed Form of prayer at all, but in which the people have to listen to the extemporaneous effusions of their pastor. These two latter systems, though widely different in some respects, yet agree in this, — that neither of them can carry out, except very imperfectly (if at all), the design of congregational joint- 10S EXPLANATIONS 01? worship; since, in each, the People — at least the far greater part of them — are rather overhearing another man's prayer, than uniting in prayer themselves. In the Romish, the Armenian, the Coptic, and the Russian Churches, although the learned few — perhaps one in a hundred — may understand the language of the Service, the mass of the congregation will be, as the Apostle Paul expresses it, " Barbarians to him that speaketh, and he that speaketh a barbarian to them." Extempo. § 5- And in the case of ex- raneous temporaneous prayer delivered Piayers. ^ ^ Q minister, it is likely, though understood, not to be so under- stood by the people as to be adopted as their own address to the Most High, but rather as an Address to themselves by their minister. And, accordingly, it generally is very much of the character of a sermon thrown into the form of a prayer; and more of an exhortation or in- struction to the congregation, than a peti- tion offered up jointly by them. The very novelty which causes them the more THE PRAYER-BOOK. 109 easily to keep up their attention without any wanderings of thought (which is the chief difficulty with us who use fixed Forms) — this very novelty, I say, makes it next to impossible that they should, more than very partially and im- perfectly, so go along with what is spoken as to make it their own at the moment. When, indeed, a minister who habitu- ally officiates in the same congregation makes a practice of constantly introduc- ing the same topics, nearly in the same order, and in the same words, this amounts in practice to a fixed Form of prayer, only recited from memory. The difference is, that it is the composition of the individual pastor, and has not the distinct and deliberate sanction of a Church. Now, to compose a sermon, and to compose a prayer for congregational use, are not so completely on the same footing that everyone who is competent to either, must be equally so to both. For, a sermon may be on the whole edifying, though containing some passages which 110 EXPLANATIONS OF part of the hearers may not fully assent to, or even some which they may be right in not assenting to. And, at any rate, they are not themselves parties to it, or required to adopt it as their own. But as far as this is the case with a prayer, so far it fails of the object of being the joint prayer — the " common supplication" — of the congregation. Several authors have written in vindi- cation of the allowableness of Forms of prayer; adducing the example of the Jewish Church, sanctioned, as it appears to have been, by our Lord, who Himself taught a form to his Disciples ; and also the practice of the early christian Churches. And, again, many have urged, and with good reason, the great utility of esta- blished Forms of prayer in preserving sound doctrines that are embodied in those Forms, and bringing them habitually before the minds of the People, so as to act as a safeguard against any corruption or any omission, of Gospel-truths. For want of such a safeguard, some religious communities have, it is well known, gra- dually slid into a religious system the THE PRAYER-BOOK. Ill most opposite to what was held by their first founders.* Many, again, have dwelt on the ex- cellence of our own particular Liturgy, and on its superiority to what the far greater part of christian ministers would be likely to pour forth extempore. All these are topics not unprofitable to be noticed. § 6. But the point which T . . 0 1 Joint should be the most promi- Worship. nently put forward and dwelt on, is the solemn promise of our gracious Lord that " where even two or three are gathered together in his Name, He will be in the midst of them." And He plainly teaches us the pur- port of that promise, as relating not to the mere meeting together in the same building, but to their coming together for joint prayer; " agreeing to- gether touching something they shall ask in his Name :" a kind of agreement which can but very imperfectly, if at all, take place, without the use of established and See Cautions for the Times, No. 24. 112 EXPLANATIONS OF known Forms of Prayer. This conside- ration you can easily show to be far the most important of all, and in truth decisive of the whole question. And yet it is remarkable that it has been not seldom overlooked. Among others, the celebrated Scotch Reformer, John Knox, though he was so far from dis- approving of Forms of Prayer as not allowable, that he actually drew up one for the use of his own Church, yet left the employment of it optional with each minister. He seems to have designed it as an aid to those ministers who had not what is called the "gift of prayer;" just as our Homilies were drawn up for those not qualified to be preachers. And he might have foreseen that no pastor would be likely to proclaim his own deficiency by resorting to such an aid. The con- sequence was, of course, the universal adoption of extempore Prayers; which are open to the objection I have ad- verted to. The book, however, called the Directory, put forward by the Republican Par- liament, as designed to supersede the THE PRAYER-BOOK. 113 Prayer-Book, leaves everything to the extemporaneous effusions of the minister. It merely gives admonitions as to the general character of the prayers and of the sermons. Of the book I have alluded to, copies are extremely rare; which is a remarkable circumstance, considering how many thousand copies of it must have been at one time in circulation. But to those who have access to public libraries, it will be worth while to inspect it, in order (among other things) to observe how completely it is sheltered against all that host of objections — whether well or ill-founded — which have been brought, or may be brought, against various passages in our Prayer-Book.* No cavil can be urged against any prayer in the Directory, because it con- tains none. It merely directs, in general terms, that the prayers (as well as the sermon) shall be intelligible, and scrip- tural, and pious, and edifying, and so forth ; directions which no one can object to, but which can be no guide to any one. See Cautions for the Times, No. 25. 114 EXPLANATIONS OF If a physician were to tell a patient that he ought to take proper medicines, and to use a suitable diet, no one indeed could say that this ought not to be done ; but the instruction would be as unpro- fitable as it is unexceptionable. But if any minister to whom that book had been issued as his guide, delivered prayers that were unsound in doctrine, or unedifying, the blame would be laid on him, individually, not on the book; be- cause that, it would be urged, had charged him to let his prayers be scrip- tural and edifying. Of any fault, on the other hand — real or imaginary — that may be found, or fancied, in our prayers, the blame is thrown, not on the minister, but on the book itself, and on the church which sanctions it. And, indeed, a similar kind of unfair advantage to that which I have been de- scribing is enjoyed by the opponents of Christianity ; many of whom in the present day have adopted a fashion of professing themselves Christians, while they censure and deride every kind of what they call " book-revelation," and would have each THE PRAYER-BOOK, 115 man set up himself as a kind of prophet to himself. When I speak of the simi- larity of the two cases, I do not, of course, mean to put our Prayer- Book on a level with Scripture, or to claim for it infalli- bility. But they agree in being both books ; and no book ever existed, or can exist, against which objections may not be brought — attacks either in the form of open and deliberate censure, or of half-disguised sneer, such as sometimes appear in popular Journals. As we all know, objections have been urged against the Bible — objections from which those who urged them are completely sheltered by, themselves, referring to no book at all for which any one is to be held re- sponsible except the individual writer.* We should do well, therefore, to warn our People against being misled by an immunity from immediate and direct censure, which is purchased by the danger of much ultimate evil and by the sacrifice of much utility. They should be reminded (to take an example from * See Note D at the end of this Lecture. 116 EXPLANATIONS OF secular matters) that we enjoy a great advantage in living under a constitutional government and fixed laws. Not that our constitution professes to be perfect, or our laws exempt from all inconve- niences, or that we ought not to seek by legitimate means to remedy any imper- fections; but that we are incomparably better off than the subjects of despotic monarchies, in which the sovereign, and the officers appointed by him, command, and enact, and decide, in all cases, at their own discretion. Yet these are completely sheltered, by the absence of fixed laws and constitutions, against all such objections as they might allege (some- times with plausibility) against ours. Absence of §7-1 WOuM Suggest, in Liturgies in the next place, that it will Scripture. bg advisaWe to call the attention of our People to the absence of Liturgies, Creeds, and Catechisms in Scripture. Of this subject I have long since treated very fully,* pointing out * Essay on Tlie Omission of Creeds, Sic. THE PRAYER-BOOK. 117 what a decisive evidence is afforded of the superhuman guidance under which the sacred Writers of the New Testament must have lived, from their omission of what, humanly speaking, it was morally impossible they should (all of them) have omitted. And I also called atten- tion to the superhuman wisdom shown, in providing, indeed, in Scripture, suffi- cient instruction in the fundamental doctrines of our religion (which are un- changeable), but leaving to each Church the drawing up of such Offices for public worship, such safeguards against parti- cular heresies, and such catechetical instructions, as should be judged best suited to each particular Age and Country. But whatever may be any one's private opinion, either as to the merits of our Prayer-Book in particular, or as to the use of any prayer-book at all, it is plain that every Minister of a Church which does use fixed Forms, is bound, not only to adhere to them, but to put before his People, from time to time, such comments and explanations as may be needed. 118 EXPLANATIONS OF § 8. These comments and explanations will fall natu- rally under two heads: — (i) In refer- ence to the design and general drift of each of the several portions of our Ser- vices; and (2) In reference to the mean- ing of particular passages that may be obscure, or liable to misapprehension, either from the occurrence of obsolete words, or from any other cause. With respect to the former of these heads, most Pastors probably have found in the course of their experience, that as children and others of the more ignorant require to be informed, so the better- educated classes need to be frequently and earnestly reminded, that some of the prayers are appointed to be said by the People along with the Minister, and others by him alone in the name and on behalf of the people ; they giving audibly their assent, and signifying their adoption of what is said, by the solemn Amen, or other response appointed.* The duty of * So great is the misapprehension prevailing among some as to this point, that it is even the ordinary prac- tice of some Congregations to repeat aloud the whole of the " General Thanksgiving," which is designed to be THE PRAYER-BOOK. 119 thus joining and taking the proper part in the public worship, some appear to be utterly ignorant of, while others, who know better, are too often careless and neglectful of it. And many, I fear, will have had the painful and mortifying office of admonishing many of their People con- cerning the gross irreverence of habitually absenting themselves from a large por- tion of the Service, and dropping in, from time to time, in the midst of it ; as if the sermon were the only matter of any importance. In the Pastoral Admoni- tion on this subject, which I circulated some time ago, I expressed a hope and belief that those who are guilty of this fault are not guilty of it through a wilful and designed irreverence towards the Most High, and would not wish to hold up our religion to the scorn of our Eoman Catholic and other dissenting recited by the Minister alone, the People merely say- ing the concluding Amen ; the same Congregations giving none of the appointed " Responses," and keep- ing silence during the " General Confession," and the other portions of the Service in which the Rubric does design them to join ! 120 EXPLANATIONS OF countrymen, but act as they do from mere thoughtlessness. But we should assiduously and earnestly press on their attention that in such a case as this, care- less thoughtlessness amounts to a sin of no small magnitude.* § 9. Among the portions of Creeds. our Services of which the de- sign and general purport may need some explanation or remark, I will parti- cularize the Creeds. That a Creed is something of a totally different character from a Prayer, some persons who have not had much of the requisite experience, might think it superfluous even to men- tion to any one ; and they might be sur- prised, and almost incredulous, on being told that not only by Roman Catholics, but by many of the ignorant among Pro- testants, it is a practice to recite the Apostles' Creed even as a part of their private devotions. But among those who are far better * I have appended the Address now alluded to, to the end of this Lecture. Note E. THE PRAYER-BOOK. 121 taught than to confound a profession of faith in certain doctrines with an address to the Almighty, you will find not a few who suppose a Creed to he designed as a summary of all the most essential points of christian Faith. And this misappre- hension is the more needful to be guarded against, because it does appear that the framers of our Services — at least of the Baptismal Service, and the Catechism — must have regarded the Apostles' Creed as a compendium of necessary christian doctrine. And this mistake has been fostered by the writings of some very well-known Divines of much learning and ingenuity, but who have taken alto- gether a wrong view of the subject.* The fact probably is that they had in their own minds so strong an association of our Lord's Sonship with his Divine Nature, and of his death, with his atone- ment, that it never occurred to them to examine carefully whether these doctrines were distinctly stated, or clearly implied, in the Creed : a Creed which may be, and * See Wheatley, ch. iii. § 14. See also Cautions for the Times, No. 25. G 122 EXPLANATIONS OF I believe is, adopted by Socinians. These, moreover, are likely to argue from the omission of any such doctrine in the earliest Creed, that it was not held in the Primitive Church. And the argument admits of no answer, from those who con- sider a Creed as a summary of all essen- tial doctrines. It is of vital importance, therefore, to explain to our People that this is quite an erroneous view; that the object of a Creed is, not to instruct men in all points of Gospel truth, but to guard against the heresies most prevalent in each age and country. Creeds, therefore, correspond not to the houses we build as our dwelling-places, but rather to the sea-walls which are erected to protect this or that part of the coast from the encroachments of the ocean. And ac- cording to this view (which you may easily show to be undoubtedly the correct one) the omission of certain doctrines in the earliest Creed, goes to prove, not that they were not held, but that they had then never been doubted. The heresies of the first Ages were of quite a different character. The point then needing to be THE PRAYER-BOOK. 123 insisted on was not the divine nature, but the human nature of the Lord Jesus; not the atoning character of his sacrifice, but the reality of his death. For this, as you are doubtless well aware, was denied by those early heretics called Docetse ; whose strange theory is still maintained by above eighty millions of persons, who acknowledge Jesus to have been the true Messiah : the Mahometans, who have it as a tradition. It will be desirable, again, to point out to your People that the Creeds have, according to our Church, no independent authority, nor any claim to reception derived from General Councils, or Tradi- tion, but rest only on their conformity to Scripture; as our Keformers have been careful to set forth in the Article on Creeds. § 10. With respect to the Communion Service, most of Commumon you probably will have before now found it needful to explain to your People the design and general drift of the exhortation. That has often been so g 2 124 EXPLANATIONS OF understood as to deter altogether many- persons from attending at the Lord's Table, under the idea that if they are conscious of sinfulness they would be " eating and drinking damnation to them- selves" as unworthy partakers. It is not difficult, and it is highly important, to explain that the unworthiness which the Apostle and which our Reformers had in view, was that careless irreverence of which, in the present day, there is little or no danger : the prevailing fault among us being the lamentable neglect of the holy ordinance. Certainly any stranger coming among us from some distant land, when he saw the multitudes pouring out of our Churches, when the celebration of the Lord's Supper is about to commence — a multitude whose coming to the Church at all proves that they are not unbelievers, nor totally careless of religious duties — would not fail to conclude that Chris- tianity is not one religion, but two distinct ones; that for communicants, and that for non-communicants. And if he were then assured that all these persons agreed in acknowledging as their divine Master THE PRAYER-BOOK. 125 and Redeemer Him whose last injunction, confessedly extending to all his followers, they deliberately and habitually disre- garded, he would be almost disposed to disbelieve this assurance as incredible. It would be foreign from my present purpose to say more on this painful sub- ject. I will only add that I trust you will persevere (not disheartened by any failures) in your efforts to remove, or at least lessen, this grievous scandal to our Church, and which is at the same time so perilous to the souls of its mem- bers. With a view to this object, one most advantageous occasion is afforded in the preparation of candidates for Confir- mation: an occasion of which I believe most of the Clergy have often availed themselves, and with good effect. There are in the Communion Service some passages on which, though they are not at all obscure, it will be desirable to make a remark, in order to call the atten- tion of your People to the general design of our Reformers in the words they have employed : I mean the passages in which they have introduced the word " Sacri- 126 EXPLANATIONS OF fice." They were anxious to guard against the doctrine taught in the unreformed Church, of what is called " the Sacrifice of the Mass :" the doctrine that the literal material body of the Lord Jesus is actu- ally offered up by the Priest when he celebrates the Eucharist ; and that accord- ingly there is daily made, in thousands of places, that sacrifice which Scripture dis- tinctly assures us was made " once for all," and whose efficacy is there set forth expressly on the very ground of its not needing to be (like the typical sacrifices under the law) repeated again and again. To guard against this doctrine, and also, it would seem, against that other notion which some adopted, of the Eucharist being a sacrifice of bread and wine offered up to God, our Reformers not only advert (in the Consecration Prayer) to the "one oblation of Christ once offered by Him- self," but also introduce the word, in a different and figurative sense, in the Of- fertory, and again twice in one of the con- cluding prayers ; speaking of the sacrifice of our alms ("with which God is well pleased") — the sacrifice of our prayers, THE PRAYER-BOOK. 127 and the offering up of " ourselves to be a rational, holy, and living saerifice." It was not thought enough to abstain from all mention of any such thing as the Sa- crifice of the Mass; but every other and true sense in which the word sacrifice could be rightly employed, is resorted to, in order to exclude the more effectually the wrong acceptation of it. I mention this instance as a specimen of those passages on which it may be use- ful to comment, though no explanation of any difficulty is called for. §11. There is a passage in « Myster{es >. one of the Post-Communion and " Testa- prayers which does, to many ment ' readers, need some explanation. I mean that in which the word " Mysteries " occurs. It is a word so commonly em- ployed in the present day to signify " something that cannot be understood," that it will be useful to point out its meaning in this passage, as equivalent to " symbol" or " emblem ;" the " holy mys- teries" which the communicants are de- scribed as having " duly received" being 128 EXPLANATIONS OF the bread and wine, considered as sym- bolically representing the body and blood of our Saviour; even as the Apostle Paul speaks of marriage as a "mystery" ("sa- cramentum" in the Vulgate) when consi- dered as an emblem representing the union of Christ and his Church. In like manner we read, in the same prayer, of the " mystical" [i.e., figurative] body of Christ; which is the blessed company of all faithful [believing] people : and in the Baptismal Service, of the water em- ployed for the " mystical" [i.e., figura- tive or emblematical] " washing away of sin." Still more important is it (as I have already observed) to explain that the word " Testament" which occurs in the Consecration prayer, is to be understood as signifying " Covenant," or " Dispensa- tion." The use of the word " Testa- ment" is the more to be regretted, because it affects the very title itself by which the Sacred Volume is known among us. And it renders totally unintelligible that most important passage in the Epistle to the Hebrews which goes to establish so THE PRAYER-BOOK. 129 clearly the sacrificial character of our Lord's death. § 12. There can be no need obsolete to enter on any enumeration Words. of the words and phrases that will call for comment or elucidation. Attentive perusal with that view, and catechetical instruction of the young, and conversation with various classes of the parishioners, will bring those expressions under notice; and I cannot suppose a Minister will be at any loss to give such explana- tions as are needed. In reference to passages which have be- come somewhat obscure, or liable to be mistaken through the changes in our lan- guage, most persons will doubtless have observed, both in our Version of the Bible, and in the Prayer-Book, that the words which have wholly gone out of common use are very few compared with those which, though as much used as ever, have been greatly modified in their signification. The word " reasonable" e.g. is in common use now, but not in the sense of "rational" [i.e., possessed of reason], which is what G 3 130 EXPLANATIONS OF it bore at the time when our Authorized Version and Prayer-Book were com- posed. The like may be said of the word "lively," which formerly signified " living." And both these words occur in their ancient sense in one of the Post- Communion Prayers. The words "prevent" and "let," again, have almost reversed the signification in which we sometimes find them in the older writings, though they are quite as much in use as ever. And the word " incomprehensible" is not unfrequent in modern use, though in a sense utterly remote from what it bears in the Atha- nasian Creed, as equivalent to the Latin original " immensus," " not bounded by space." One may meet with not a few among what are considered the educated classes, who accordingly misunderstand the word, and in consequence the whole passage where it occurs. And universally, those words must evi- dently be the most likely to mislead which are not totally obsolete, but ob- solete in their ancient sense, though com- monly used by us in a different sense. THE PRAYER-BOOK. 131 The wholly obsolete words are likely to convey no meaning at all, and the others to convey a wrong meaning. To take one instance out of a multitude : I have known the writer of a book find fault with a passage in our 21st Article, which lays it down that doctrines or decisions of a Council are not to be received as of authority, " unless it may be declared that they be taken out of Holy Scripture." This, he says, affords us no sufficient security, unless the question be satis- factorily answered, "declared by whom?" He evidently understands the word " de- clare" in its modern sense. But any one who consults the Latin Original will see that it is the translation of " ostendi" and that it is employed in its ancient meaning, which was to " make clear" to " prove."* On the ambiguity of the word " Hell" which is a translation of two quite dif- ferent words in Greek, I have above offered some remarks. Many like in- stances will readily occur to you ; such * Again, important errors have arisen from taking the word "allow" in its modern sense, instead of its original one, to " approve." (See Eom. 15. vii.) 132 EXPLANATIONS OF as " faithful" for " believing;" " wealth," in the sense of "prosperity;" "estate" fov " external circumstances ;" " convenient" for " proper and becoming;" " after" for " according to ;" "passion," for "suffer- ing;" "offend," and "tempt," in a sense considerably different from what they now convey; and several others. ^ 7 . S 13. Such expositions as jL.rplanatory 3 3 i Teaching the I have been recommending, least admired. ^ ^ be advisaWe \ Q give, not merely in discourses from the pulpit, but also in private conversation, and especially in instruction of cate- chetical classes.* This last branch of our duty is one which no rightly con- scientious pastor will be content to hand over altogether to a parish schoolmaster, or to such chance-assistants as may offer themselves; however competent these may be to teach children to read cor- rectly the words of the Bible and the Prayer-Book. * A very useful course of lectures on this subject has been published by the Hev. H. H. Dickinson. (Parker, West Strand.) THE PRAYER-BOOK. 133 I cannot conclude, however, without again giving a warning that that branch of our duty which I have now been treating of, is one which we must not expect to find the most striking in its immediate results, or which will be, to a considerable portion of our congregations, the most interesting, or the most productive of ad- miration. It is for that very reason that it is the more needful, for all of us to take every precaution against the temp- tations to neglect what is clearly a part, and a very important part, of our duty. And such instruction as I have been re- commending, will, if diligently and skil- fully conducted, produce effects, gradual indeed, and somewhat slow, but deep- rooted and of lasting benefit. If we find that our sermons are very attractive to that portion especially of our congregations who care for little except the sermon — who seldom or never approach the Lord's Table, and who are negligent in all that relates to public wor- ship, this should operate on us rather as a warning than as a source of self-gratu- lation. If, on the contrary, we find our 134 EXPLANATIONS OF THE PRAYER-BOOK. people more and more careful not to ab- sent themselves from the early portion of divine Service — more and more attentive and earnestly devout in their demeanour, and apparently impressed deeply with a sense of the high privilege they enjoy in our Lord's gracious promise of his own especial presence in the midst of those "assembled in his name," and "agreeing together touching something they shall ask ;" and if we find an increased and in- creasing number of habitual attendants at the Lord's Supper, then, indeed, we may confidently hope that the Lord's blessing has been bestowed on our exertions — that we have been in some degree suc- cessful as feeders of his beloved flock which He has committed to our care; and that when He, the Chief Shepherd, shall appear, we shall have a joyful meet- ing in his presence with many whom we shall have brought, or have kept, within his Fold. 135 NOTES TO LECTURE III. Note C. These words are taken from an able writer in the Cautions for the Times, No. 24. The whole passage ia here subjoined : — "In thus insisting on the claims of the appointed " teachers of the Church, we may possibly have appeared " to some of you unduly to exalt the christian ministry, " and to approach too near the Romish notions of the " dignity of the priesthood. But you will perceive, on " reflection, that the very reverse is the case. Many of " those who pay less deference than we think they ought, " to the teaching of Church-oIEcers, do in reality ap- " proach, far more than we do, to the Romish notions as " to the functions of these officers. For there are some " who, while they think themselves quite justified in " chasing their teachers as they please, would consider " it wrong that the public Prayers of the Church should " be conducted by any but regularly ordained clergy - " men ; or who, at any rate, would be shocked to receive ' the Sacraments from any other. Now, does not this " feeling imply a persuasion that it is not teaching, but " officiating before God, which forms the distinguishing " function of the christian Ministry ? In the case, "indeed, of heathen priests, it is true that the offering "of sacrifices was their sole duty, and that the giving " of instruction was no part of their office. And so " likewise in the case of the Jewish priests ; their " peculiar office was the making atonement for the sins " of the People ; while Jews of any tribe were freely 136 NOTES TO LECTURE 111. " admitted to expound the Scripture in the Synagogues. " (See Luke iv., and Acts xiii.) You are aware, also, " that in the Romish Church similar views are enter- " tained as to the priestly office, and that what consti- "tutes with them the distinguishing function of the " priest is the power of consecrating the Eucharist, and " thereby, a3 they believe, offering up sacrifice for the " living and the dead. But it is very remarkable, that " in the Bible the word Hiereus (or sacrificing priest, " in Latin, " sacerdos") is applied to no officer of the "christian Church, but is reserved for our Lord exclu- " sively. The sacrifice offered on Calvary is expressly " declared to be final, and one which needs not to be " followed by any other atonement ; and the duties " ascribed to the christian Ministers are not the making " atonement for the sins of the People, but the pro- " claiming the Gospel-Message, and the setting forth " of its doctrines. If then we meet with a person who " behaves as if he thought that all had equal authority " for public teaching, while he acknowledges that all " have not equal authority to minister in the public " Ordinances of the Church, is he not unconsciously " entertaining views regarding the christian Ministry " more nearly resembling those which the heathens and "the Jews held, and which the Romanists still hold, " with regard to their priests, than any which can be " fairly collected from the New Testament ? — that he " must consider the priest as one who is to do something " with God on his behalf, or in his stead, rather than " as one whose principal office is the communicating " instruction to the People P" Note D. The same observations will apply to the case of sub- scription to any Formulary, whether a Liturgy, or a " Creed," " Articles of Religion," or " Confession of Faith." Those belonging to some Communion which NOTES TO LECTURE III. 137 uses nothing of the kind, — that is, nothing formally agreed on, written down, and published, — sometimes make it a matter of boast that they have no test of orthodoxy framed by Man, but refer only to the Holy Scriptures. They do, however, in some way, ascertain the soundness, according to their own views, of each Man's interpretation of Scripture ; so that the only difference between them and us is, that they trust everything to the discretion of those who act as exami- ners — the Tbyebs, as they were called in the times of the Commonwealth. Yet they may allege objections, to an indefinite extent, against any written Formularies ; safe from having any precisely similar objections retorted ; because the blame of anything that may be open to blame is laid on individuals, and not on the Church which leaves to those individuals an unlimited, and perhaps unsafe, discretion. There is, however, (as was observed in the Cautions for the Times, No. 26), " no Christian community which " does not, in some way or other, apply some other test " besides the very words of Scripture. Some Churches, " indeed, do not reduce any such Test to writing, or " express it in any fixed form, so as to enable every one "to know beforehand precisely how much he will be " required to bind himself to. But nevertheless, those " churches do apply a test, and very often a much more " stringent, elaborate, and minute test, than our Liturgy " and Articles. In such Communities, the candidate- " pastor of a Congregation is not, to be sure, called on " to subscribe in writing a definite confession of Faith, " drawn up by learned and pious persons after mature " deliberation, and publicly set forth by common " authority. But he is called upon to converse with " the leading members of the Congregation, and satisfy " them as to the soundness of his views ; not, of course, " by merely repeating texts of Scripture, — which a " man of any views might do, and do honestly ; — but 138 NOTES TO LECTURE III. " by explaining the sense in which he understands the " Scriptures. Thus, instead of subscribing the Thirty - "nine Articles, he subscribes the sentiments of the " leading members — for the time being — of that par- " ticular congregation over which He is to be placed as " Teacher. " And thus it is that Tests of some kind or other, " written or unwritten, [i.e., transmitted by oral tradi- " tion,] fixed for the whole Body, or variable, according " to the discretion of particular Governors, are, and " must be, used in every Christian Church." Note E. " An Address to the People of Dublin. " My Christian Friends, — There is a matter to which " I wish to call your attention, the more, because my " belief is that it is from want of attention alone that the " evil I wish to remedy has arisen. I am addressing " myself to those only who have both a sense of religion, " and a conviction of the duty of assembling for the " purpose of public worship. I have not in view at " present those who habitually absent themselves from " divine Service, but those whose attendance is so late " and irregular as to indicate a want of due regard for " the solemnity of the occasion and the place, and for " the feelings of the rest of the congregation. " All religiously disposed persons who have lived " much in England are much and painfully struck "at the contrast they observe between what they " have been used to at home, and what they see here. " They see, indeed, that our churches are frequented by " numerous, and often by crowded, congregations ; but " they observe, at the same time, that usually not above " two-thirds — sometimes not above half — of each con- " gregation is assembled when the Service begins ; and " that a large portion of them come dropping in, a few NOTES TO LECTURE III. 139 ' at a time, during the Prayers, during the Psalms, and ' during the Lessons, or even after the reading of the ' Lessons. Now I do not mean to say that no instances ' of such irregularity take place in the English churches. ' They are not, unhappily, exempt from this scandal. ' But if I were to say that it exists in a fourfold greater ' degree in Ireland, I believe I should be much within ' compass. " There are cases, no doubt, — though not more in ' Ireland than in England, — in which, ^br some few in- ' dividuals, there is a valid excuse for such late atten- ' dance. A medical man, for instance, may be called on ' for some pressing case at the very time the Service is ' commencing ; and others may occasionally be detained ' by similar indispensable avocations. And for them it ' is undoubtedly better to come in in the middle of the ' Service than not at all. But I am addressing myself ' to those — and they must evidently be the great majo- ' rity — who have no such plea to offer. And I cannot ' but hope that the greater part of these have never re- ' fleeted on the indecorum I allude to, and when they ' do come to consider the subject attentively, will set ' themselves to amend the fault. " Reflect, then, I earnestly entreat you, for what pur- ' pose you do come to church at all : you assemble to ' ' render God thanks for the great benefits that we have ' received at his hands, to set forth his most worthy ' praise, to hear his most Holy Word, and to ask those ' things which are requisite and necessary, as well for ' the body as the soul.' It is not, I trust, merely for ' the sake of having your ears gratified by the eloquence ' of a preacher : and that, too, without even seeking to ' profit by what he says ; for if the minister you listen to ' be a faithful and truly edifying one, he will not fail to ' set before you strongly, from time to time, the gracious 'promise of his divine Master, that where even ' two ' or three are gathered together in his name, there will ' He be in the midst of them ;' and that where even 'two 140 NOTES TO LECTURE III. " or three of his Disciples shall agree together touching " something they shall ask of the Father in his name' " (supposing, of course, that He sees it will really be for " their good), their prayer shall be heard. And a faith- " ful preacher will not fail to remind his people, among " other duties, how carefully and how thankfully they " are bound to avail themselves of such gracious pro- " mises and offers. " Deeply mortifying must it be to such a minister, to " find that many of those who hear him, and who come " again and again to hear him, Sunday after Sunday, are " yet so little impressed, practically, with all this, that " they lay themselves open to such a rebuke as the " Apostle Paul was compelled to administer to the " Corinthians for an indecorum of another kind : ' ye " come together not for the better, but for the worse.' " Is ow, suppose you were favoured with the admis- " sion to some regal Court, and permitted to pay your "respects to an earthly sovereign, to present petitions " to him, to hear him address you, and to be honoured " with his commands, — do you think it likely that you " would be late in your attendance ? — ;hat you would " drop in when great part of the Audience was over, so " as not only yourself to miss much of what was to be " heard and said, but also to disturb and interrupt the " rest of the persons present ? " But, perhaps, some one may be disposed to say, an " earthly king can really derive gratification from the " honours paid him, and his subjects may even do him " valuable services ; whereas the ilost High cannot " really be honoured or benefited by his creatures. This " is true ; and it applies as much to private prayer as to " public worship ; so that, if it be offered as a reason for " the neglect of the one, it would be equally so in refe- " rence to the other also. And you should observe, too, " that it applies as much to all our conduct as to our " worship. For we are sure that God can have no need " of our services of any kind : ' Can a man be profitable NOTES TO LECTURE III. 141 ' unto God as he that is wise may be profitable unto ' himself? Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou ' art righteous ? or is it gain to Him, that thou mak est ' thy way perfect ?' ' If thou sinnest, what doest thou ' against Him ? or if thy transgressions be multiplied, ' what doest thou unto Him ? If thou be righteous, ' what givest thou Him ? or what receiveth He of thine 'hand?' (Job xxii. 2, 3, and 35-37.) " But though all this be so, still we know that, by ' divine appointment, it is not a matter of indifference ' how we act or speak. Although God cannot, in reality, ' derive either advantage or honour from us, He has ' directed us to act as if we could glorify and benefit ' Him. The Lord Jesus has declared that our works of ' charity to our brethren will be accepted as if done to ' Himself : ' Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye ' have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ' ye have done it unto Me.' And He has commanded ' us to ' let our light so shine before men that they ' may see our good works, and glorify our Father who ' is in heaven.' And thus, again, the Apostle Paul ' says : ' Whether ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye ' do, do all to the glory of God.' " So also, in the Old Testament, the Lord calls Him- ' self a 'jealous God ;' and declares, ' Them that honour ' Me I will honour, and they that despise Me shall be "lightly esteemed.' " By all this we are to understand, that we are re- ' quired to act in all respects as we should towards a ' benefactor who could really be honoured and served ' by us ; with additional gratitude from the considera- ' tion that He requires this of us entirely for our own "and our fellow-creatures' good. " Do not, then, regard it as a trifling matter if you " manifest an irreverent carelessness in your attendance " on public worship. To yourselves, and also to your "neighbours, it is no trifle. The interruption and *' annoyance occasioned to regular and devout worship- 142 NOTES TO LECTURE III. " pers is what would be reckoned in any other matter a " mark of ill-breeding. In this ease it is something "beyond ill-breeding. And the irreligious, again, or " those who are of some different Persuasion from " yours, will be likely to take notice of such indecorous ' conduct, and to draw the natural inference from it. ' Any kind of carelessness manifested by the wor- ' shippers who belong to our Church is likely to be re- ' garded as an evidence, as far as it goes, either against ' religion in general, or against our Church in particular. ' ' See, how little importance,' it will be said, ' is 'attached by these people to what they themselves ' profess to believe and to adhere to.' " Let me hope, therefore, that a general and united ' effort will be made to wipe off this reproach from our ' Church, and from this country. But if any individual ' despair of this being effected, to such a one I would ' say, — Take care that at least you individually shall ' henceforth deserve no share in the reproach ; secure ' to yourself the inward satisfaction of acting in such a ' manner that if all others would do the same, the evil ' complained of would be completely removed. " Your sincere friend and servant in Christ, " Eichaed Dublin." 143 LECTURE IV. ON BAPTISM. As it was not my design in these Lectures to bring forward any novel views, but to set forth, as plainly as possible, and to support by Scripture- proofs, what I conceive to be the teach- ing of our Church and of its most ap- proved Ministers, I have taken the liberty of quoting largely from the Writings of some well-known Divines. Not that our Church is — as a Church — responsible for what is said by individual members of it; or that either it, or they, have any claim to infallibility. But some degree of defe- rence is certainly due to the judgments of those who are generally regarded as pious and sound Divines ; especially when treat- ing of matters concerning which there have been recent controversies, when what they have said was written long before those con- troversies had arisen. Even those who may 144 ON BAPTISM. not agree with them, and with me, will at least see that there is no novelty in the doctrines maintained. And, in referring to our Formularies, I have considered not only the deference due to such men as our Reformers, but also the obligation lying on Ministers and other members of the Church, to inter- pret its words fairly, as long as they remain in connexion with it, and to abstain from torturing its language into a non-natural sense, at variance with the manifest and known intention of the authors. And most especially should those who the most vehemently denounce persons of an opposite party for this dis- ingenuous procedure, set an example themselves (which unhappily many of them have not done) of fairness of inter- pretation, and honest conformity to the decisions of the Church. To Scripture, however, the ultimate appeal must be made, as the only infallible guide; and I have endeavoured in these Lectures to put forward, as plainly as possible, what appears to me a most important principle in the interpretation ON BAPTISM. 145 of Scripture : namely, not to be satisfied with any sense whatever that the words can be brought to bear, but to seek for that in which they were originally de- signed and believed to be understood. In interpreting the Sacred Writers, generally, and not least in deciding whether some passage is to be taken literally, or figuratively, it is evidently of the first importance to look to the mean- ing which the expression appears to have conveyed, at the time, to the persons addressed. This will not always be what might appear to us, in a distant Age and Country, the most obvious sense. But whatever sense the words conveyed to the hearers, we may fairly presume to be the true one, unless some correction was furnished (either immediately or after- wards) of any mistake into which they might have fallen. For we can hardly suppose that the inspired Writers were not aware in what sense they would be understood by those they addressed, or that they would knowingly leave them in error, at least on any point of practical importance. H 14G ON BAPTISM. When, for instance, our Lord spoke of Lazarus " sleeping," He was understood at the moment to be speaking literally; and He thereupon explained Himself. On the other hand, when He spoke of his own " death and resurrection," the Disciples thought He must be speaking figuratively, because the literal fulfilment of his words was utterly at variance with all their expectations. But the event shortly after removed their mistake. Again, when Jesus spoke of " rebuild- ing this temple in three days," some may have understood Him at the time to be speaking of the literal Temple : but we find that his Disciples, after the resurrec- tion, had learned the right meaning of his words. So, also, the prophecy of his " coming in -his kingdom," before the end of the existing generation, seems to have been understood by many as relating to the end of the World : and this belief seems to be alluded to by the Apostle Paul, in his second epistle to the Thessa- lonians. But this misapprehension would cure itself, by the mere circumstance of ON BAPTISM. 147 men's seeing that the World did not come to an end. In all cases, then, we may consider that there is a strong presumption, where nothing appears to the contrary, that the sense in which a passage of Scripture, relating to any important matter, was understood at the time, is the true sense of it. § i. It is not my design to enter on a full discussion of all Verhal Con - ... , troversy. the questions that have so long agitated the Church, on the subject of Regeneration, and those connected with that. But there is one circumstance per- taining to them which it is most im- portant to point out, and to insist on : which is, that among many persons (I do not say all) who are, in language, very much opposed to each other on this subject, the opposition is much greater in appearance than in reality. They are engaged, without being aware of it, in a controversy chiefly, if not alto- gether, verbal. Now it must be regarded by all who h 2 ]48 ON BAPTISM. have anything of a genuine christian spirit, as a most desirable object to obviate as far as possible all unnecessary dissen- sion among Christians, and to bring to a mutual good understanding, as nearly as can be done without compromise of truth, all " who love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity." For, besides the immediate evils to those who are themselves engaged in any controversy, there is this additional danger also to the christian People generally, that many of them may be disposed to say, " Here are questions which are declared by all to be of vital importance, yet on which the most learned Divines are not agreed. If men apparently pious, and of far greater knowledge and ability than ours, find so much difficulty in agreeing as to the sense of Scripture on points which they regard as of vital importance, what is, to them, a difficulty, must be to us an impossibility; and Scripture can therefore contain no Revelation, properly so called; or at least no revelation to the mass of mankind." And the result of these reflections will often be, that some ON BAPTISM. 149 will betake themselves to some supposed infallible Church, or other guide, to whose dictates they will implicitly resign them- selves; while others will be, by the same course, led into infidelity.* They see that there is no infallible, and universally accessible, guide on earth ; and moreover, that if there were, it could not possibly be ascertained, by men incompetent (by sup- position) to exercise their private judg- ment, and who consequently could never have any good reason for trusting their judgment to decide rightly that most difficult question, — who is the appointed guide? and they consequently reject the belief of any divine revelation at all. It is doubly important therefore to point out — where this can be done with truth — how far difficulties and disputes may have been created, or aggravated, by Theologians themselves ; either from their seeking to explain more than God has thought fit to reveal, f or from interpret- * See Sermon on the Search after Infallibility : and Lessons on Religious Worship, L. VI. t See Sermon on the " Shepherds at Bethlehem :" and also Lessons on Religious Worship, L. VII. 150 ON BAPTISM. ing Scripture according to the technical phraseology of some theological school, or from overlooking variations in the senses in which several words are employed, and thus introducing undetected verbal con- troversy, and consequent confusion of thought. The terms" regenerate" and " regenera- tion" [or New-birth] are commonly em- ployed (as I have remarked in a Work which has been now for many years well known to the Public) in different senses by different persons.* " Regeneration" denotes, in the language of some, merely that admission to christian privileges and advantages, which is the necessary pre- liminary to a christian life. Others employ the term to signify the condition into which a man is brought by that use of those advantages and privileges which constitutes a decided christian character. And " regenerate," accordingly, is applied by those persons respectively, to condi- tions as widely different as that of a new- born infant, and that of a fully-formed adult. * Logic, Appendix : Article, " Kegeneration." ON BAPTISM. 151 Without attempting to enter on a minute discussion of all the modifications of meaning that have ever been attached to these words, we may at least recognize the actual emplo) T inent of them in the two widely -different senses just mentioned. And not only by different persons, but sometimes even by the same, these words (as well as several others) will be found to be occasionally used with different sig- nifications. Undesignedly, and uncon- sciously, a person will sometimes, even at a short interval, slide from one meaning to another, of some of the expressions he is employing. Now whatever may be the importance of adhering to the most correct use of any term, and whichever may be, in this case, the more correct, it is surely the first point — the first in order, and the first also in importance — to perceive distinctly the ambiguity that does actually exist, and to keep clear of the many injurious misappre- hensions which may arise from attributing to those who use a term in one sense, conclusions which depend on its being taken in a different sense. 152 ON BAPTISM. For example, a person may be exposed to a groundless imputation of leading men into a vain and dangerous reliance on baptismal privileges, and of teaching them that all who have been duly baptized are in a safe state; when perhaps in fact he may have never said or implied any such thing, but may have merely been employ- ing the word " regenerate" according to what he regards as the most scriptural usage ; and then, has had imputed to him inferences which ivould have followed if he had employed that word in quite another sense. And perhaps it may turn out on calm investigation, that such a person, and some who had been at first dis- posed very strongly to censure him, do not in reality disagree to any considerable extent, as to the substance of the doc- trines they maintain. I have seen something like the above imputation thrown out in a Work which several years ago obtained considerable popularity. It was professedly a descrip- tion (veiled under a slight tale) of various prevailing religious opinions and modes of conduct: and some of the pictures ON BAPTISM. 153 drawn were both striking and just. But among others, a careless clergyman is introduced deprecating any anxiety felt by any of his People as to their spiritual state, and saying that " of course all Christians will be saved; and whoever is baptised is a Christian." Now I feel certain, from long experience and atten- tive observation, that there is no ground whatever for the imputation here con- veyed. I mean, that it is not true (as is evidently designed to be implied) that there exists any party, school, or class of men, among our Clergy, — even the worst of them — who teach such a doctrine. Yet it is probable that the representation was not a designed calumny, but was merely an "idle word," originating in a misconception such as I have been alluding to, as the result of a hasty and in- considerate interpretation of another's ex- pressions, and of rash inferences therefrom. § 2. Let any one then but Points of consider — and this is an in- Agreement be- ilC€6Tl t-JiOSG (X f/ quiry well-becoming those who VW riT] evidently is, in this passage, " their infants." The article (which our Translators are apt to overlook altogether) has often the sense of our possessive pronoun. So it has also in French. " I have a pain in my head" would be rendered " j'ai mal a la t£te :" the head. ON BAPTISM. 187 made in our Formularies — the hopes ex- pressed — the Prayers — the Exhortations — in short, everything that is said — must evidently be understood as proceeding on this supposition. And accordingly, the very reason as- signed in the Catechism for its being allowable to administer Baptism to in- fants, is, that as there are certain indis- pensable conditions of the benefits pro- mised to them, so, the fulfilment of these conditions is promised by them, through their Sureties. As for the " remission of sins " at Bap- tism, so frequently alluded to in our Ser- vices, this, it is plain, cannot be under- stood of actual sins, in the case of an in- fant, which is not a moral agent at all, nor capable of either transgressing or obeying God's laws, — of resisting, or of following the suggestions of his Spirit. Nor again can it mean an entire removal and abolition of the frail and sinful nature, — the " phronema sarkos " inherited by every descendant of Adam ; since our 9th Article expressly declares that this " remaineth even in those that are rege- 188 ON BAPTISM. nerate." But it seems to denote that those duly baptized are considered no longer as children of the condemned and disinherited Adam — as no longer aliens from God* — disqualified for his service — and excluded from the offers of the Gos- pel, but are received into the number of God's adopted children, and have the promise of forgiveness of sins, and, as it were, the treasury thrown open to them of divine grace, through which, if they duly avail themselves of it — though not otherwise — they will attain final salva- tion. Those who seek to go as far as they can towards doing away all connexion of spiritual benefit with Baptism, and reduc- ing it to a mere sign of admission into a community possessing no spiritual endow- ments at all, sometimes appeal to the case of Cornelius and his friends, on whom * This is doubtless what is meant by the expression " children of wrath," in the Catechism, and " deserving God's wrath," in the Ninth Article. The Reformers could not have meant the words " God's wrath" to be understood in their literal sense ; since they had laid it down in the First Article that God is " without body, parts, or passions." ON BAPTISM. 189 " the Holy Ghost fell " before they were baptized. But they seem to forget that this was the miraculous gift of tongues, of prophecy, &c, which never was, nor was ever supposed to be, the " inward spiritual grace " of Baptism. It was never con- ferred at Baptism ; [see Acts viii. 16 ;] but was always bestowed, except in this one case, (in which there was an obvious reason for the exception,) through the laying on of hands of an Apostle [see Acts xix. 6]. And accordingly the Romans, when Paul wrote to them [Rom. i. n], had received no miraculous gifts, though they were baptized Christians, and are reminded by the Apostle that " if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." § 9. Such seems to be the Lan „ most simple and unforced in- of our terpretation of the language Re f° rmers - of our Church in various passages of her Formularies: as for instance in the Cate- chism, where the Catechumen speaks of " Baptism, wherein I was made a child of God . . . and an inheritor of the King- 190 ON BAPTISM. dom of Heaven ;" and again, where it is said that " being by nature born in sin . . . we are hereby made the children of Grace." Now this placing of a person in a dif- ferent condition from that in which he was originally born, may, not improperly, be denoted (as it appears to be, by our Reformers) by the term " Regeneration" or " New-birth."* But no one can suppose that they re- garded the sowing of seed, as the same thing with the full maturity of the corn for harvest, or as necessarily implying it. To be born into the natural world, is not the same thing as to be grown up : nor can it be pronounced of every infant that is born, that it ivill, necessarily, grow up into manly maturity. So, also, our Re- formers never meant to teach that every one who is baptized is sure of salvation, independently of his " leading the rest of his life according to this beginning;" [Baptismal Service ;] or again, that we * The Ninth Article has, in the original Latin, the word " renati" twice ; " translated, first, " regenerate," and afterwards, " baptized." ON BAPTISM. 191 can be infallibly sure that he will do so ; any more than we can pronounce with certainty (according to the analogy of a temporal inheritance, above alluded to) that one who has an estate bequeathed to him, will claim his inheritance in proper form, and will also make that right use of his wealth on which depends its becoming a real blessing to him. The language used by our Reformers, on this subject, as being, in their judg- ment, the most in accordance with that of Scripture, is certainly not exempt from difficulties and dangers to the " unlearned and unstable, who wrest even the Scrip- tures to their own destruction." But to have omitted all mention of " regenera- tion," which is so often mentioned and alluded to in Scripture, is what no one could think of. And to have used (as some do) a different kind of language from that which our Reformers do use, would have been to incur at least an equal danger, if not a still greater. If there be a danger of the " unlearned and unstable" relying too much on the effi- cacy of Baptism, surely no candid and 192 ON BAPTISM. thoughtful person can doubt that persons of a like character, if taught that the " new birth" necessarily implies infallible salvation, may be led, if they believe them- selves to have experienced this new birth, into a careless confidence, and may neglect to " work out their own salvation with fear and trembling ;" especially if they hear a preacher say — and it has been said from the pulpit — that " God's people ought, indeed, to grieve much at the sinfulness of the world, but never to feel any alarm or uneasiness at any sins of their own, be- cause God leaves his own people to fall into many grievous sins, on purpose to humble them." If any one sees no danger in such teaching as this, he must be beyond the reach of argument.* * On this subject I have subjoined, in a Note at the end of this Lecture, some extracts from the writings of the late Bishop Ryder, of Mr. Simeon, and of Arch- bishop Sumner. When one party in the Church censure severely, and not unreasonably, another party, for explaining away, to suit their own views, the plain words of one portion of our Formularies, while they themselves put a no less forced construction, for their own purposes, on another portion, and incur, for so doing, an equally strong, and ON BAPTISM. 193 The expression, in our Catechism, of " an inheritor of the Kingdom of Heaven" seems to be used in reference to the tendency, and the suitable result, of an admission into the Church of Christ. And such a kind of language is often employed by all Writers: and not least, by the Apostles. When, for instance, the Apostle John says that " whatsoever is born of God, overcometh the World ;" and that " every one who is born of God, doth not commit sin," it cannot be supposed that he meant to attribute to Christians moral perfection, and impeccability ; while, on the contrary, he exhorts them to " confess their sins." Far was it from his design, to teach that one who did but feel con- vinced of having experienced the new- birth, might safely remit his exertions, and relax his vigilance against sin, and " count himself to have apprehended" and to be thenceforward sure of divine ac- ceptance, and of everlasting life, without equally just censure from their opponents, it seems but too plain that neither party really disapprove of such a procedure on account of its intrinsic unfairness, but merely when it makes against themselves. K 194 ON BAPTISM. " taking heed lest he fall." On the con- trary, he was writing — as is well known — in opposition to those Gnostics of his day, who were grossly Antinomian, and who, while they professed to " have no sin" in God's sight, and to be sure of salvation through their supposed " knowing the Gospel" (Gnosis), lived a life of flagrant immorality. In contradiction to these monstrous tenets, he declares that every one who has a well-grounded " hope in Christ, purifieth himself, even as He is pure :" — that a sinful life is inconsistent with the character of the " sons of God ;" — that the tendency, in short, and suitable result of being " born of God," is opposed to the commission of sin. And indeed, in all subjects, it is a very common mode of speaking, to attribute to any person or thing, some quality, which, though not an invariable, is a suitable, or natural, attribute, and may reasonably be looked for therein. In this way, many words have come to vary gradually from their original signi- fication. For instance, to " cure," in its ON BAPTISM. 195 etymological sense, (from "curare,") sig- nifies to take care of a patient, and to administer medicines. In its present use, it implies the successful administra- tion. So also it is with the word* which, in the language of the New Testament Writers, signifies not to tend, but to heal ; and is so rendered in our version, though the other is well known to be the original meaning of it. In like manner we often, figuratively, deny some title to an object that is wanting in those qualities which ought to belong to it, or which that title su chests as a 7 CO natural and consistent accompaniment, and what may fairly be expected. Thus, for instance, in speaking of some act of excessive baseness or depravity, it is not uncommon to say, " one who could be guilty of this, is not a man :" meaning, of course, that such conduct is unworthy of the manly character; — inconsistent with what may be fairly expected from a man, as such ; and more suitable to the brutish 6(paTT(va>. K 2 196 ON BAPTISM. nature.* But so far are we from under- standing that any one who acts thus un- worthily, is not, strictly and literally, a man, that on the contrary, this is the very ground of our censure. We condemn a man who acts the part of a brute, precisely because he is a man — a Being from whom something better might have been looked for — and not one of the brute-creation. Again, any one might say of a garden that was greatly neglected, and over-run with wild plants, " this is not a garden" or " it does not deserve the name of a garden ;" though it is precisely because it is, literally, a garden, that we speak thus contemptuously of it : since, in an uncul- tivated spot, the sight of a luxuriant wild vegetation does not offend the eye. It is in a similar mode of speaking that Paul declares, that " he is not a Jew who is one outwardly : neither is that circum- cision which is outward in the flesh ; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly ; and cir- * " I dare do all that may become a man ; "Who dares do more, is none." — Macbeth. Some remarks on this kind of language, in reference to another subject, will be found in the treatise on Rhetoric, Part III. chapter iii. § 3. ON BAPTISM. 197 cumcision is of the heart," &c.,* meaning, (as, no doubt, every one must have under- stood him,) that one who is not in his heart, and his conduct, a servant of the Lord, is wanting in what ought to characterize the Lord's People, — is inconsistent with his profession, and an unworthy member of the Jewish Church ; — one who will derive no benefit, but the contrary, from the privi- leges to which he has been admitted as a Jew. For, it is because such a one is, literally, a Jew, that he will incur a heavier penalty than an unenlightened Heathen. He might equally well have said — and doubtless would have been ready to say — according to the same kind of figure — that he is not a " baptized" Christian — he is not " regenerate" — who is so outwardly alone, and has nothing of the christian character within. And indeed the Apostle Peter actually does employ similar lan- guage in speaking of Baptism, (which, he says, "saveth us,") when he says that it is " not the putting away the filth of the flesh," (i.e. the outward application of water,) " but the answer of a good con- * Rom. ii. 28. 198 ON BAPTISM. science towards God ;" not meaning that a person deficient in this has not been, literally, and in the strict and proper sense of the word, baptized at all, and needs to have that rite administered to him; but that he is wanting in that which is the proper and beneficial result of an admission into the christian Church. And corresponding forms of expression are very common, on various subjects; and seldom give rise to any error, or confusion of thought, or obscurity, except in those cases (religious discussions are among the principal) in which men under the influ- ence of some strong prejudice, exercise their ingenuity in seeking for anything that may serve as an argument, and in interpreting words according to the letter and against the spirit, for the sake of sup- porting some favourite theory. Confirmation § I0 ; 0nce m0re then 1 the Sequel to would invite attention to the one Sacrament, importance 0 f examining care- and the Intro- r ° duction to the fully, in any controversy that other. ma y ar i se5 ] 10W f ar j£ mav turn on differences in the expressions em- ON UAPT1SM. 199 ployed. Let any two persons, whose views appear at the first glance, widely at vari- ance, be prevailed on to depart, for a time at least, from the strict technical language of a theological School, and to state, in as many different forms as possible, what is the practical advice they would give to each Christian, under various circumstances: and it Avill often come out, that one whom his neighbour had perhaps been at first disposed to condemn as abandoning some fundamental truths of Christianity, has, in fact, merely avoided the particular terms in which the other has been accustomed to express them ; and the difference between the parties is not such, either in degree or in kind, as had been supposed. In guarding, however, against verbal controversies mistaken for real* I would not be understood as thinking little of the importance of careful accuracy of language. Indeed, the very circumstance that inattention to this may lead to se- rious mistakes as to our meaning, would alone be sufficient to show how needful * See Logic, Verbal Questions. 200 ON BAPTISM. it is to be careful as to our mode of ex- pression. And here it may be remarked, that the Clergy have an especial opportunity, and an especial call, for giving early, and full, and systematic instruction on all the points here touched on, in their discharge of that most important branch of their duty, the preparing of children for the solemn Ordinance of Confirmation. The course of that preparation affords them a most fitting occasion for explaining to them the character of the Sacraments ac- cording to the views of our Church ; which evidently designs to make Confir- mation, not a distinct Sacrament, but a connecting link between the two; — a kind of supplement and completion to the one, and an introduction to the other. And this sacred rite has the advantage, when duly administered to persons properly prepared, of obviating every reasonable objection to the practice of Infant-Bap- tism, and thus justifying, and exhibiting as an harmonious whole, the sj^stem of Church-ordinances established by our Reformers. ON BAPTISM. 201 All persons accordingly ought to re- ceive the holy Communion of the Lord's Supper on the very first opportunity after being confirmed. Our Church directs that " no one shall be admitted to the Communion except one who has been confirmed, or is ready and desirous to be confirmed;" and again, that "all per- sons" (that is, of course, all who are not too young or too ignorant for Confirma- tion) " shall receive the Communion at least three times a year." From this it is plain that though such as have not been confirmed, may, if they are prepared and willing to receive that rite, attend without any scruple, the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper; on the other hand, no one, who has been confirmed, ought to delay receiving that Sacrament. The Catechism also, designed for the instruction of chil- dren before Confirmation, proves the same thing : since it contains an explana- tion of the two Sacraments. Some persons entertain a groundless notion, that a child, who is fit for Confir- mation, may yet be too young to receive the Communion : and many, it is to be k 3 202 ON BAPTISM. feared, for this and for other reasons, go on from Sunday to Sunday, and from year to year, putting off this duty, in expecta- tion of becoming more Jit for it ; when it is likely that they are becoming every day less fit, and are falling into a careless and irreligious state of mind. But any one who will consider the matter carefully, will see that our Church is quite right in determining that all, who have been confirmed, should receive the Lord's Supper without delay. For all of them, it is to be hoped, understand and rightly reflect on the one Sacrament — that of Baptism ; if they do not, the cere- mony of Confirmation is a mere empty mockery : and if they do, they are capable of sufficiently understanding and valuing the other Sacrament also : and in that case, they ought not to delay receiving it* * I subjoin an extract from a little tract published by one of the Clergy, describing the mode of adminis- tering the Rite of Confirmation in this Diocese. " The Communion Service is commenced, and pro- " ceeded with to the end of the Nicene Creed, when, " the Candidates having resumed their seats in their "allotted pews, an Address is in the next place deli- ON BAPTISM. 203 'vered to tliem by the Archbishop, in the course of which (after allusion to the nature and intention of ' Confirmation as subjects presumed to have been pre- viously fully explained to them by their Mistaken A'o- ' respective pastors), they are particularly tiono/Con- ' cautioned against a prevalent error on the ^ ,ina wn " ' subject of Confirmation, — the error of supposing that, ' in coming forward to be confirmed, young persons ' take upon them a responsibility from which they were ' previously exempt, and that the responsibility up to ' that time rests with the sponsors. In refutation of ' this erroneous impression, they are given to under- ' stand that every one is responsible for his own acts ' or omissions, and no one for those of others ; sponsors, ' for the discharge of the duties which they undertake, ' and the children, for receiving and acting on their ' christian instructions ; — that as soon as, and as far as, ' any person is capable of knowing right from wrong, 'he becomes answerable to God for all his actions, ' words, and thoughts ; and that every one is liable to ' punishment from God, as far as he knows his duty, ' or has the means of knowing it, and yet does it not. " A similar error is next noticed as pre- A similar ' valent respecting the Lord's Supper, — Misooncep- . r r . . tton regard* 'some persons regarding their receiving inntheEu- 'of that Sacrament as obliging them to a diarist. 'more religious life than is necessary for ordinary ' Christians ; as if there were two ways of going to ' heaven, and as if those who wished to be under a less ' strict rule of observing Christ's commands, — though ' still expecting the same inheritance of eternal life, — ' might secure that exemption by breaking this further ' command of Christ, ' do this in remembrance of ' me.' " la reference, therefore, to these two mischievous ' misconceptions, the Address goes on to remind the ' young persons that they will not be more bound to ' observe their baptismal engagements the day after 204 ON BAPTISM. " their Confirmation than they were the day before, " inasmuch as those engagements were binding upon " them personally before, and it was impossible to add " to their obligation ; nor yet that they will be more " bound to lead a godly life after partaking of the " Lord's Supper than before, simply because there were " not two kinds of holiness required of Christians : one, " a superior kind required of communicants, and the " other an inferior kind required of non-communicants ; " but that it was to be hoped for them that they would " be henceforth more likely to fulfil those engagements, " and to lead such a life, by the help of the Holy Spirit, "bestowed in answer to the faithful prayers of the " congregation in their behalf, and their own to the " same effect, as also particularly by their meet and " fitting participation in the Holy Sacrament of Christ's " precious Body and Blood, inasmuch as these were " means to such an end : — " That, accordingly, if they really desired to observe " the christian profession which they were then about " to make, and to fulfil the end for which they had " been created and redeemed, by glorifying God by lives "of holiness, they would be carefully solicitous, both "now and ever, to avail themselves of all his vouch- " safed means of grace, and especially of that means " to which they were to be that day for the first time " admitted, the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, by "henceforth devoutly and habitually partaking of it. " This Address being ended, the Confir- of'confirma " ma tion Service begins. The Preface to Hon com- " the Order having been read, the hush of menced. "reverential attention which receives the " solemn question of the Bishop, and the murmur of " affirmation which responds to it from the youthful " assemblage, heard and recorded on high ; — the alter- " nate versicles, ascribing the required ' help' to ' the " name of the Lord,' and followed by the prayer of the " Bishop for the manifold gifts of grace from the Holy ON BAPTISM. 205 " Ghost, the Comforter ; — all combine most favourably " with the preceding solemnities and admonitions, to "foster devotional feeling — to dispose even the most " wayward heart for the reception and retention of " heavenly impressions. " All having been confirmed, and the , m JflC 8€C01l(.l " Confirmation Service brought to a close, Address. " the young persons resume their seats in " the body of the Church, and are again addressed by the " Archbishop, — their attention having been especially "bespoken by the introductory remark that the Ad- " dress might be easily printed and distributed amongst " them, but that it would be much more profi- Address " table for them to think it over at home, and wll v orally " afterwards to write down for themselves delwered - " the heads of it, and to show the abstract to their " respective ministers, or some other friends, to see " how far they may have remembered the substance, "&c. " The Address then goes on to warn the young per- " sons of the great danger to which they were liable, " of forgetting gradually all that was then passing, and " had been passing in their minds that day, — the holy " resolutions, hopes, and prayers, which characterized "the occasion of their Confirmation, and the solemn " warnings and advice which were then addressed to " them ; — and proceeds to suggest for their adoption " some likely means, under the divine blessing, of per- " petuating and bringing to good effect those — other- " wise too fugitive — pious thoughts and aspirations, " which, it is presumed, the whole ceremony of their " Confirmation had stirred up within them. And, on " this head, after an enumeration of other ordinary " means of grace conducive to this good purpose, they " are recommended to adopt and cultivate the habit of " serious self-examination at all times, but particularly " to set apart, in each year, the Anniversary of their " Confirmation, as an especially suitable and solemn 206 ON BAPTISM. " occasion for the performance of that duty : — that as "special days, such as Christmas-day, Easter-day, &c, " were observed among Christians, to commemorate "public events ; — and as in families the observance of " birth-days was a customary practice, but more parti- " cularly of those days which witnessed any young "persons' coming of age, and succeeding to their inhe- " ritance ; even so that they should regard the anni- " versary of their Confirmation as a kind of private " religious festival, — as a religious birth-day, to com- "memorate their coming of age in religion : — " That, if they had on that day come of age, and had " succeeded to a vast estate, they would rejoice, and " their friends would congratulate them, and wish them "life and health to enjoy the wealth to which they had " succeeded ; even so, that they should now earnestly "reflect upon the nature of the inheritance that day "set before them; (i) not an uncertain good, which "might be an evil or a good to the possessor; but one "that is (2) inestimably beyond all price, and (3) " which will not come to an end after a few short " years : — " But that, as worldly wealth was not necessarily of " itself a blessing, and as its proving such depended "upon the use which might be made of it, as a deposit " held in trust for the glory of its Almighty Giver ; " even so, that the spiritual wealth to which they might "regard themselves as having that day succeeded, " brought, likewise, its peculiar trials, responsibilities, "and duties along with it : — if used properly, it would " prove the means of their growing daily more and " more rich toward God, and a blessed earnest of a far " more glorious inheritance in heaven ; but, if neglected " and unimproved, like the talent laid up in the napkin, " it would but serve to deepen their guilt, and to ag- " gravate their condemnation hereafter. "All this they are recommended to recall to their " minds on each anniversary of their Confirmation ; ON BAPTISM. 207 " and, as eacli will have brought them so much nearer " the grave, to reflect and see whether it has advanced " them in their christian course ; whether they have " fallen back, or stood still, or made progress ; and to " resolve anew each year to correct, to improve, to per- " severe, &c, as the case may be : — " That the time will come when they will think of "all this, and of nothing else, when it will be too late " to amend the future, there being no further trial ; ** that they will have to give an account then of all that " has passed here below, and, among the rest, of ' the " very words now spoken ;' that, therefore, they should " think of all this now that there is time, and while the " day of grace is still continued to them. " The Address concludes with some hints for the con- "duct of that work of self-examination which they are " thus earnestly recommended atall times to practise, but "especially on those annual occasions, — namely, (i.) on " the importance of a candid inquiry after faults ; (n.) " on looking out for encouraging signs of improvement ; " (m.) on advancement in christian knowledge ; (iv.) on " the practical application of what tliey thus learn; (v.) " on the increased insight into their own defects, which " they may expect to acquire as they advance. " The Communion-Service is then resumed at the "Prayer for the Church Militant; and when the young " persons, brought up a second time to the Hails in the " same orderly manner as before, have received the " emblems of a dying Saviour's love, followed by those " who present themselves from the general congrega- " tion, the post-Communion Service is proceeded with, " and they are finally dismissed by the Archbishop with " the Blessing, which closes the holy ordinances of the " day with peculiar propriety, it being, as it were, an "epitome of their whole administration, which is but "one continued and solemn Benediction throughout," 20S NOTES TO LECTURE IV. Note F. These two points — (i) the existence of suck decrees, and (2) the teaching of them as an essential part of the Gospel-revelation — are quite distinct, though often confounded together. Calvin, and many others, hoth before and after his time, maintained both. And it is utterly improper that any one should be called, either by themselves, or by others, " Calvinists," who dissent from any part of what Calvin himself insisted on as a necessary portion of his theory. " Many," says he, " as if wishing to remove odium from God, while they " admit election, yet deny reprobation ; but in this they " speak ignorantly and childishly ; since election itself " could not be maintained except as contrasted witk '• reprobation. God is said to set apart tkose wkom He " adopts as ckildren, for salvation. Those therefore " whom He passes by, He condemns ; and that, for no " cause whatever, except that He chuses to exclude them " from the inheritance which He predestinates for his " children." And again, shortly after, he says, "Whence " comes it that so many nations, with their infant " children, should be sentenced irremediably to eternal " death, by the fall of Adam, except that such was God's "will?" . . . " The Decree is, I confess, a horrible " one," &c, — Calvin, Inst. L. iii. c. xxiii. § 7. Note G. " I would wish," remarks Bp. Ryder, " generally to "restrict the term (regeneration) to the baptismal pri- vileges ; and considering them as comprehending net NOTES TO LECTURE IV. 209 " only an external admission into the risible Church, " not only a covenanted title to the pardon and grace "of the Gospel, but even a degree of spiritual aid " vouchsafed, and ready to offer itself to our acceptance " or rejection at the dawn of reason. I would recom- " mend a reference to these privileges in our discourses, " as talents which the hearer should have so improved " as to bear interest; as seed which should have sprung " up and produced fruit. " But at the same time I would solemnly protest " against that most serious error (which has arisen pro- " bably from exalting too highly the just view of bap- " tisrual regeneration) of contemplating all the mem- " bers of a baptized congregation as converted, — as " having, all, once known the truth, and entered upon " the right path, though some may have wandered from "it, and others may have made little progress, — as not " therefore requiring (what all by nature, and most it " is to be feared through defective principle and prac- " tice, require) that ' transformation by the renewing "of the mind;' — that 'putting off the old man, and " putting on the new man,' which is so emphatically en- " joined by St. Paul to his baptized Komans and Ephe- " sians." — Extract from Bishop Ryder's {of Lichfield) Primary Charge to his Clergy. " In the Baptismal Service," says the late Mr. Simeon, " we thank God for having regenerated the " baptized infant by his Holy Spirit. Now from "hence it appears that, in the opinion of our He- "formers, regeneration and remission of sins did ac- " company baptism. But in what sense did they hold " this sentiment F Did they maintain that there was no " need for the seed then sown in the heart of the bap- " tized persons to grow up and to bring forth fruit ; or " that he could be saved in any other way than by a " progressive renovation of his soul after the divine " image ? Had they asserted any such doctrine as " that, it would have been impossible for any enlight- 210 NOTES TO LECTURE IV. " ened person to concur with them. But nothing can "be conceived more repugnant to their sentiments than " such an idea as this : so far from harbouring such a " thought, they have, and that too in this very prayer, " taught us to look to God for that total change both of "heart and life which, long since their days, has begun " to be expressed by the term ' regeneration.' After "thanking God for regenerating the infant by his Holy " Spirit, we are taught to pray ' that he being dead " unto sin, and living unto righteousness, may crucify " the old man, and utterly abolish the whole body of "sin;' and then, declaring the total change to be the " necessary mean of his obtaining salvation, we add, " ' so that finally, with the residue of thy holy Church, " he may be an inheritor of thine everlasting kingdom.' " Is there (I would ask) any person that can require " more than this ? Or does God in his Word require " more ? " There are two things to be noticed in refer- " ence to this subject, the term ' regeneration ' and the " thing. The term occurs but twice in the Scriptures : "in one place it refers to baptism, and is distinguished " from the renewing of the Holy Ghost, which, how- " ever, is represented as attendant on it ; and in the "other place it has a totally distinct meaning, uncon- "nected with the subject. Now the term they use as "the Scripture uses it, and the thing they require as " strongly as any person can require it. They do not " give us any reason to imagine that an adult person "can be saved without experiencing all that modern " divines [ Ultra-Protestant divines~\ have included in "the term 'regeneration:' on the contrary, they do " both there and in the liturgy insist upon a radical " change of both heart and life. Here, then, the only " question is, not ' Whether a baptized person can be " saved by that ordinance without sanctification,' but " whether God does always accompany the sign with " the thing signified ? Here is certainly room for NOTES TO LECTURE IV. 211 " difference of opinion, but it cannot be positively de- " cided in the negative, because we cannot know, or " even judge, respecting it, in any case whatever, ex- "cept by the fruits that follow ; and, therefore, in all " fairness, it may be considered only as a doubtful " point ; and if he appeal, as he ought to do, to the " holy Scriptures, they certainly do in a very remark- " able way accord with the expressions in our liturgy. " St. Paul says, ' By one Spirit we are all baptized into "one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles — whether " we be bond or free — and have been all made to drink "into one Spirit.' And this he says of all the visible "members of Christ's body, (i Cor. xii. 13, 27.) Again, " speaking of the whole nation of Israel, infants, as well " as adults, he says, ' they were all baptized unto Moses " in the cloud and in the sea, and did all eat the same " spiritual meat, and did all drink the same spiritual " drink ; for they drank of that spiritual rock that fol- lowed them, and that rock was Christ,' (1 Cor. x. 1, " 4.) Yet, behold, in the very next verse he tells us "that, 'with many of them God was displeased, and " overthrew them in the wilderness.' In another place " he speaks yet more strongly still : ' As many of you " (says he) as are baptized into Christ have put on " Christ.' Here we see what is meant by the expres- sion, ' baptized into Christ ;' it is precisely the same " expression as that before mentioned of the Israelites "being 'baptized unto Moses;' the preposition, ds, is " used in both places ; it includes all that had been " initiated into his religion by the rite of baptism ; and " of them, universally, does the Apostle say, ' They " have put on Christ.' Now, I ask, have not the per "sons who scruple the use of that prayer in the Bap- " tismal Service equal reason to scruple the use of these " different expressions ? " Again, St. Peter says, * Repent and be baptized " every one of you for the remission of sins' (Acts ii. " 38. 39-) And in another place, ' Baptism doth now 212 NOTES TO LECTURE IV. "save us.' (i Pet. iii. 21.) And speaking elsewhere " of baptized persons who were unfruitful in the know- ledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, he says, 'He hath "forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.' (2 "Pet. i. 9.) Does not this very strongly countenance " the IDEA WHICH OUR REFORMERS ENTERTAINED, THAT "THE REMISSION OF OUR SINS, AND THE REGENERA- "TIONOF OUR SOULS, IS ATTENDANT ON THE BAPTIS- " mai bite ? Perhaps it will be said that the inspired " writers spake of persons who had been baptized at an " adult age. But if tliey did so in some places, they "certainly did not in others ; and where they did not, " they must be understood as comprehending all, " whether infants or adults ; and therefore the language " of our liturgy, which is not a whit stronger than "theirs, may be both subscribed and used without any "just occasion of offence. " Let me then speak the truth before God : though " I am no Arminian, I do think the refinements of Cal- " vin have done great harm in the Church : they have " driven multitudes from the plain and popular way of " speaking used hy the inspired writers, and have made " them unreasonably and unscripturally squeamish in " their modes of expression ; and I conceive that the " less addicted any person is to systematic accuracy, " the more he will accord with the inspired writers, " and the more he will approve the views of our Eefor- " mers. I do not mean, however, to say that a slight " alteration in two or three instances would not be an " improvement, since it would take off a burthen from " many minds, and supersede the necessity of laboured " explanations ; but I do mean to say that there is no " such objection to these expressions as to deter any " conscientious person from giving his unfeigned assent " and consent to the liturgy altogether, or from using " the particular expressions which we have been en- " deavouring to explain." — Simeon's Works, vol. ii. p. 259. NOTES TO LECTURE IV. 213 " In the case of infant baptism," says Archbishop Sumner, " there are evidently no similar means of " ascertaining the actual disposition. The benefit re- " ceived is strictly gratuitous, or ' of free grace.' It is " promised, however, to faith and obedience, presup- " posed in the recipient, and pledged in his name by " the sponsors : whence it follows that the blessing " attached to the sacrament must fail, if the conditions " fail in those who are capable of performing them : " and that the faith and obedience must become actual " and personal in those who arrive at mature age. It " has not altered the nature of Christianity, that its " external privileges are become national. Whoever, " therefore, professes the hope of the Gospel, must " individually embrace the doctrine of the Gospel : " must consent as sincerely as the earliest converts, to " refer whatever he does in word or deed to the glory " of God: with the primitive humility of the Apostles " must renounce all confidence in his own strength, " and must look for salvation through Christ's death, " with a? much personal gratitude as if Christ had " suffered for him alone. Though in many cases it may " be impossible, as was formerly acknowledged, for " those who have been placed in covenant with God by " baptism, to state at what time and by what process " the truths of the Gospel became an active principle " in the mind, still it is undeniable that in all who " attain the age of reason they must become so, or the " covenant is made void : and it is a definite and intel- " ligible question whether they have actually taken this " hold, or no. How the tree was nourished and invi- " gorated, and enabled to sustain the inclement seasons " which opposed its early growth and strength, we may " in vain inquire ; but whether it bears fruit or not, " and whether that fruit gives evidence of a sound " stock, any one may examine either as to himself or " others. Is the heart possessed of a sincere convic- " tion of its own sinfulness, and need of a Saviour : 214 NOTES TO LECTURE IV. " does it manifest its dependence on the Holy Spirit " by an habitual intercourse with God through prayer : " does it feel a practical sense of the great business of " this life as a probation, and preparation for eternity ? " These are infallible characters of faith : and though " they will be found in different degrees in different " individuals, no one should be satisfied with himself, " and no one should suffer his congregation to be satis- " fied, till he can trace these characters in the heart. " But if such a frame of mind is indispensable to a " Christian's reasonable hope, it is evident that a preacher " can in no wise take it for granted that it exists in his " hearers as the necessary and certain consequence of " baptism ; but must require of all who have the privi- " lege of baptism, that they strive to attain it ; that, " being regenerate in condition, they be also renewed in " nature : and constantly examine themselves whether " they have this proof within them, that they are born " of the Spirit as well as of water, and can make the " ' answer of a good conscience towards God.' " — Su?n- ner's Apostolical Preaching, ch. vii. 213 LECTURE V. ON THE LORD'S SUPPEK. § t. There can hardly be Befident At _ any truly devout Christian, tendance at and who is, accordingly, an t ^ eLo >' d ' s ±(1016, habitual attendant at the Lord's Supper, who has not observed, with great sorrow, that a large proportion — frequently a great majority — of a con- gregation, withdraw from the celebration of that solemn ordinance; and that, of these, though some are occasional com- municants (on one or two of the greatest Festivals of our Church), many are alto- gether strangers to the duty; and regard it, if they regard it at all as a duty for themselves, as something to be reserved for the death-bed, and to stand in the place of the (so-called) sacrament of Extreme Unction of the Church of Rome. Habitually to communicate is what they have no notion of as a duty, to Christians as such, but only to persons 216 ON THE LORD'S SUPPER. who undertake to lead a life of a certain pre-eminent holiness, and pretend to a kind of Saintship beyond, and quite dis- tinct from what is suitable for Christians generally. Accordingly, an intelligent stranger coming among us from some distant heathen land, and judging from his own observations and inquiries, as to the cha- racter of our religion (I mean, even that of our Church; putting out of account all other Denominations), would be likely to conclude that Christianity is not one religion, but two ; designed for two diffe- rent classes of persons, communicants and non-communicants; both, servants, indeed, of the same Master, but having, by his authority, different kinds of reli- gious observances allotted to them respec- tively. When ministers seek to form some calculation as to the effect of their exhor- tations, the Communion-table often fur- nishes something of a test, though only on the negative side. For though we cannot venture to assume that all who attend it are induced to do so by our ON THE LORD'S SUPPER. 217 persuasions, or that all of them are in a proper frame of mind, on the other hand, every one who withdraws is a manifest instance of our failure. I am not speaking of persons altogether irreligious, or who are neglectful of any- acknowledged christian duties. Some such, indeed, we must always expect to meet with. But I am speaking of those whose neglect of the particular duty in question arises from some kind of misap- prehension as to its character. § 2. If any one is disposed Faith tried by to say, how can there be any im P hcit Obedi- . . , / ence required. spiritual efficacy — any benefit to the soul — in the bread and wine admi- nistered in the Eucharist, or in the Water used in baptism, he should be reminded that though these material substances have no such virtue in themselves, there is much spiritual efficacy in an humble trust in God's promises, and ready obedience to his commands. When we do perceive any effect naturally and actually following from the use of the means employed, there is then no exercise of faith. If, for instance, 218 ON THE LORD'S SUPPER. you take Opium to allay pain, or to pro- cure sleep, or if you apply a healing oint- ment to a wound, there is in this no trial of faith. And if the Water of Jordan in which Naaman was told by the Prophet to wash, had had a natural virtue for curing Leprosy, or if the Water of the Pool of Siloam had been naturally efficacious for curing blindness, there would have been no trial of faith to Naaman, or to the blind man to whom our Lord gave sight But if Naaman had persisted in his refusal to wash in the Jordan, and the blind man had not washed in the pool, as he was directed, they would not have been cured. To believe the divine assurances then, and then only, when they concur with our own experience and the evidence of our senses, and to obey the divine commands only when we understand the reason of them, is to make God's word go for nothing. But the faith which is required of us is to believe in, and to comply with, what we have good reason to believe comes from God, when we do not understand why He has declared and enjoined what He has. ON THE LORD'S SUPPER. 219 § 3. Among the causes StiperstiUous which have led to the neglect Notions re- si the Ordinance of the % eet ^. f e Lord's Sapper by many, and probably, in one christian Sect, to the absolute rejection of it, must be reckoned, I cannot doubt, the superstitions that have prevailed on the subject. For, every kind of superstition, besides the intrinsic evil of it, has a tendency to cast discredit on any doctrine or institution that has been abused by an admixture of human devices. The " wall daubed with untempered mortar," which has been built up by presumptuous Man, has a tendency to bring down in its fall the original and sound parts of the building. And thus the superstitious adoration of the elements of bread and wine — not to mention that it has exposed to contemp- tuous rejection the religion itself of which it was represented as a part — led, I apprehend, by a natural reaction, to the entire exclusion of the Sacrament itself, which had been thus abused, from the list of christian Ordinances. The paradoxical and revolting character of the doctrine of l 2 220 ON THE LORD'S SUPPER. Transubstantiation, and the superstitions resulting from it, was doubtless one principal cause of that rejection of the Eucharist just alluded to. Not that the members themselves of the Society in question, acknowledge this, or are likely to be themselves aware of it. But no one who had observed how apt one extreme is to lead to an opposite ex- treme, can deem such a conjecture un- reasonable.* Of course the same divine authority which instituted the Sacraments, may modify or annul them. And accordingly if any one declares that they are no longer to be literally celebrated, profess- * It will probably astonish some of my readers to liear that our Lord's words at the Last Supper have actually been explained away by some members of that Society, to mean merely that He was pointing out the typical character of the sacrifice of the Pass- over ! To say nothing of the declaration (i Cor. xi. 23) of the Apostle Paul, who had received a direct revelation and instructions on the subject from the Lord Jesus, — it is plain that if the interpretation alluded to had been the true one, the words "take eat" &c, would have been accompanied by the giving his Disciples not the bread, but the flesh of the lamb, which was properly the Passover. ON THE LORD'S SUPPER. 221 ing to be " moved by the Spirit" to say- so (which is precisely equivalent to the expression of the ancient Prophets, "thus saith the Lord"), he is to be obeyed, provided he gives the requisite proof of his divine commission by the display of those sensible miracles which were " the signs of an Apostle." We are at liberty, indeed, to support by arguments our belief (however different it may be from that of the generality) as to the mean- ing of some passage of Scripture : but he who claims assent on the ground of having received a divine communication, is bound to give miraculous proofs of this. And in the absence of any such proofs, such a pretender and his followers, must be (as was remarked above) ac- counted guilty of a most daring presump- tion. Some of these persons have alleged that there is no need of miracles to confirm their doctrines : since these doctrines are what were taught by the Apostles, who did estab- lish their claim by miraculous proofs. But this holds good only with respect to doctrines admitted by all Christians, 222 on the lord's supper. "When any interpretation is taught where- in Christians are not agreed, and is de- clared to be established by a direct divine revelation, miraculous proof is needed of the truth of that interpretation. Thus, no fresh miraculous sign was required to convince the Jews of the divine autho- rity of their prophetical writings; but when these were interpreted to denote the admission of " the Gentiles to be fellow-heirs," which the Jews did not acknowledge, then a miraculous proof was needed, and was accordingly given (Acts xi.), of this interpretation. But to assume without any proofs from reason, that a certain doctrine, contrary to what is generally received, is that of the Apos- tles, and thence to infer that the claims to inspiration of those who teach it are to be admitted without requiring any miraculous proofs of such inspira- tion, is a most palpable begging of the question. Besides the various doctrines, however, maintained by those of other Commu- nions, there have arisen, of late years (among ourselves), persons teaching ON THE LORD'S SUPPER. 223 strange mystical notions respecting the Eucharist, such as can hardly be distin- guished from the theory of Transubstan- tiation, and which have probably contri- buted to lead several of themselves and of their admirers to take the consistent step of openly joining the Church of Rome. Theories have been maintained by some professed members of our Church, that are in manifest contradic- tion to the express words of our Article ; an Article which they explain away in a " non-natural sense," in such a manner, that anything might thus be made out of anything. It has been maintained that the decla- ration that no change of the substance of bread and wine takes place, is to be inter- preted to mean that a change of the Substance does take place, the Accidents only remaining unchanged ; which is no- toriously the very doctrine our Reformers were opposing. It would be well if any such writer and his admirers would consider what might be the result of taking similar liberties with his own expressions ; which 224 on the lord's supper. might, without any greater violence, be made to signify that he had no belief at all in Christianity as a divine revelation. We have been told that " The wicked and such as be void of a lively faith, when they do carnally and visibly press with their teeth the sacramental bread," are really partakers (though to their own con- demnation) of the body of Christ: that body which our Church declares " is in Heaven, and not here." And a strong presumption is thus created in favour of a Church which, consistently with this doc- trine, teaches the sacrifice of the Mass, and calls the Communion-table an Altar (an expression which, unfortunately, many Protestants have inadvertently adopted), and inculcates the adoration of the Host — the victim supposed to be offered up on that Altar. And those who have accord- ingly gone over to that Church — mistaken as we believe them to be — show at least a higher moral principle than those who practise or who approve the system of covertly holding and teaching doctrines utterly opposed to those of the Church they profess to adhere to. ON THE LORD'S SUPPER. 225 § 4. Some Protestants, Neglectly however, we meet with who P rulestants congratulate themselves on known . . . Duty. their exemption from Romish error, in this and in other points, but who need to be reminded that they are them- selves guilty of a worse fault than what they censure in their brethren ; from many of whom they might take an example to their own profit. For we find but too many Protestants (as was observed just above) withdrawing fromthe Lord's Table, in disregard of his plain injunction; while Roman Catholics do perform what they conceive to be a duty, though under what we hold to be erroneous notions con- cerning it. And yet, there is much more reason for them to shrink from it under that kind of mysterious dread which so often keeps back Protestants. For, what we have to trust to, is the divine commands and pro- mises, together with that faith and devo- tion of our own, of which we can judge from our own consciousness. But the Romanist has to rely, in addition, on the inward intention of the Priest. If he be l 3 226 on the lord's supper. a secret infidel, not intending, nor believ- ing it possible, to convert the bread into the Lord's body, and inwardly regarding the whole Service with disdainful mock- ery — (and this is what, we know, hundreds of Priests in France declared of themselves, at the time of the first Eevolution) — the whole Sacrament is nullified. It is true however that this doctrine of "intention" is not brought prominently forward and pressed on the attention of the Roman Catholic laity. On the con- trary, many of these will be found, on inquiry, even ignorant that their Church has any such doctrine, and ready to deny it; though it is a doctrine which the Council of Trent puts forth with an Anathema. It should be added that even if the officiating minister be himself sincere, the same nullity is incurred if there be an absence of the requisite " intention" in the priest who baptised him, or in the bishop who ordained him, or in those who bap- tised and ordained and consecrated that bishop, &c. — in short, if there be a flaw in ON THE LORD'S SUPPER. 227 any one of the innumerable links of that enormous chain on which the validity of a Sacrament is made to depend : so that no Romanist can have a reasonable cer- tainty that he is not adoring a morsel of common bread. Yet many of them perform, nevertheless, what they sincerely believe to be their duty, while many a Protestant omits what he acknowledges to be his. § 5. As for those semi- Erroneom Romish theories (as they Views respect- 1 ni\'j_ i ii inqtheEuchar- may be called) just adverted J to be met to, I shall not attempt % appeal to any particular examination Scrl P tv/re - of them, as they are so mystically obscure that it may be well doubted whether even the framers of them attach, themselves, any distinct meaning to their own language ; and it cannot be doubted that, to plain ordinary Christians, they must be alto- gether unintelligible. But I would remark, in reference to the doctrine of Transub- stantiation itself, and to any others closely approaching it, that it is not advisable to resort (as some eminent Divines have 228 ON the lord's supper. done) to metaphysical arguments respect- ing the properties of Matter, or to appeals to the bodily senses, or to allegations of the abstract impossibility of such a miracle as is in this case pretended. At least, any considerations of this kind should hold a secondary and very subordinate place ; and the primary and principal appeal should be made to the plain declarations of Scripture in their most natural sense. Such was the procedure of our Re- formers, who,'in the twenty-eighth Article, instead of entering on any subtle disqui- sitions, declare that the doctrine of Tran- substantiation " cannot be proved by Holy Writ, but is repugnant to the plain words of Scripture." If we are fully convinced that the Scrip- tures contain a divine revelation, we are required to receive whatever they dis- tinctly assure us of, however little we may be able to understand its possibility. But then, if it be something extremely paradoxical, we may fairly expect to have — if it is to be an Article of Faith — a more distinct and unmistakeable declara- tion of it in Scripture than if it had been ON THE LORD'S SUPPER. 229 something antecedently probable, and in harmony with the rest of what is revealed. Now, to the present case this principle will apply. It is, indeed, not correct to say (though it is very commonly said) that the alleged miracle of Transubstan- tiation contradicts the senses. For, all that is testified by the senses is, the attributes [the accidents] of any material object — the appearance, for instance, and smell, and taste, of bread ; and all these attributes the advocates of Transubstan- tiation admit to remain unchanged. Our belief that that which has these attributes is the substance of bread, is an inference which we draw from the testimony of our senses ; but however correct the inference may be, it is not the very thing which the senses themselves testify, but a con- clusion deduced from the perception of those qualities which the senses do present to us. To state the matter in the briefest form : the procedure of Protestants, and, in all other cases, of Roman Catholics also, is this : Whatever has all the accidents of bread, is the substance, 230 ON THE LORD'S SUPPER. bread; this that is before us has those accidents; therefore it is the substance, bread. Now, of the two premises from which this inference is drawn, it is the minor only that the senses attest; and it is the other premiss that the Romanist denies. But he draws a like inference with ours from the testimony of his senses in all other cases; though he maintains, in this one case, not that our senses deceive us, but that there is a change of the substance of bread into that of a human body, while all the acci- dents (as they are called) of which — and of which alone— the senses take cogni- zance, remain unchanged. And if asked how this can be, and how a body can be at once, and entire, in thousands of places at once, he replies by a reference to the divine omnipotence. , ,_ 6 6. But it is admitted that Alleged Mi- n racle of Tran- all this is extremely para- substantia- doxical, and that the alleged tion, a con- . , . , trust to those miracle is a complete contrast recorded in to the acknowledged miracles Scripture. of Jesus and his Apostles, ON THE LOKD'S SUPPER. 231 which were appeals to the senses ; signs (as they were usually called) of a divine mission ; proofs as a foundation for faith ; not matters of faith to be received in consequence of our being already believers in the Religion taught. The miracles that are recorded in Scripture cannot even be reckoned improbable ; for, great as is, no doubt, the abstract im- probability of any miracle, considered simply in itself, it is plain that (as is well observed by Origen) the propagation of Christianity by the force of miracu- lous claims, supposing them unfounded — the overthrow of the religions of the whole civilized world by a handful of Jewish peasants and fishermen, destitute of all superhuman powers — would be far more improbable than all the miracles narrated in Scripture. Even if we had, therefore, less full and distinct statements in Scripture of the miracles of Jesus and his Apostles than we have, there would have been a strong presumption that these men could not have done what they did, but by the display of miraculous signs. 232 ON THE LORD'S SUPPER. But as for the alleged miracle of Tran- substantiation, it is but reasonable that we should at least require a very strong * and clear declaration of it in the inspired Writings. And here it may be worth while to remark by the way, that it is not only paradoxical, but at variance even with the very description given of it by those who maintain it. For if you ask any one of them to state what was, for instance, the first miraculous sign dis- played by Moses, he will say it was the change of the Rod into a Serpent; that .which had the form, colour, motion, and, in short, all the " accidents" of a serpent, being in reality Moses's rod; and he will say, not that the serpent was changed into a rod, but, on the contrary, that the rod was changed into a serpent. In like manner, therefore, if that which has the appearance and all the " accidents " of bread, be, in reality, a human body, he should say, not that bread is converted into the body, but that the body has be- come bread. And if he say, that that which was originally bread is changed into the Lord's body, he must yet say, ON THE LORD'S SUPPER. 233 also, that that body is, immediately after, re-converted into bread. ek-£c) then sat down on the right hand of God; . . . for by one sacrifice He hath perfected for ever (eig to Sijji/ekec) them that are par- takers of sanctification."* And as for our Lord's expression, " my flesh is meat indeed" (aXrjflwg), (which is followed in our Church-Catechism, which says that his body and blood " are verily and indeed received by the faithful,") the Apostles must have understood Him as when He said " I am the true vine" — a\r)6ivog — which denoted not his being a vine in the literal sense, but in the highest and most important sense; even as Paul says that " that is not circumcision which is outward in the flesh," (which, literally, it clearly is,) but that "circumcision is of the heart;" i.e.., in the noblest and best sense. Errors con. _ § 9- Among the errors, there- ceminy the fore — and doubtless there are Euchanst, man y an( j g reat 0 nes— which * Not rj-yiao-fjievovs, "them that are sanctified," in the past tense, but ayia£onevovs, in the present. ON THE LORD'S SUPPER. 239 have arisen from an erroneous noi sprung this is, I think, not to be of Scripture. reckoned. It must have arisen from human teaching, by pastors, and to a people, little acquainted with Scrip- ture, and paying little regard to it. And accordingly the doctrine does not aj3pear to have existed for the first thou- sand years and more. But when intro- duced, and prevailing, Scripture was afterwards wrested into a sense that might seem to support it. And this will always be readily ac- quiesced in, if done by a Church, which is believed to be the divinely-appointed, infallible guide in all religious matters. It is but lost labour to prove to a man's own judgment that a certain interpreta- tion of Scripture is forced and unnatural, as long as he is fully convinced that he ought implicitly to submit his own judg- ment to that of his Church. He will acknowledge that there is a mysterious difficulty, which it is his duty to disregard ; but no valid objection. interpretation of Scripture. from erroneous 1 Interpretation 240 ON THE LORD'S SUPPER. There are to be found — and probably always will be — persons of such a disposi- tion as to be glad to allow others to think for them, and to relieve them of the re- sponsibility of forming judgments for themselves. Among Protestants, one may sometimes find the leaders of Parties assuming (while they disclaim, in words, all claim to infallibility) the right of de- ciding for their followers ; who cut short all discussion by at once denouncing all who do not agree with that Party, as "not knowing the Gospel," and who take for granted that whatever views on any point are adopted by their Party, are to be received as the undoubted decisions of the Holy Spirit; putting, in reality, though not in words, a (sup- posed) infallible Party, for an infallible Church. But it is a remarkable fact, that of the persons who have even gone over to such a Church, a large proportion are of a cha- racter the very opposite to that from which most would have anticipated such a result. They are persons not distinguished by extreme self-distrust, or a tendency to ON THE LORD'S SUPPER. 241 excessive and unreasonable deference and submissiveness, and a readiness on slight grounds to acquiesce in what is said ; but in all respects the very opposite of all this : arrogant, self-confident, wilful, in- docile, disdainful of any one who opposes their views, highly sceptical, and inclined to demand stronger proof of anything they are called on to believe than the case admits of, or than a reasonable man would require. Yet such persons are found yielding to one of the worst-supported claims that ever was set up, and assenting to a long list of most paradoxical pro- positions, every one of which has a vast mass of evidence against it, and hardly anything that can be called an argument in its favour. § 10. The case seems to be, .1 , , • , i i • Reaction in that a re-action takes place in favourofllind a mind of thisdescription ; and Acquiescence the individual rushes with a %%™ Ale *' vehemence that is quite cha- racteristic, from one extreme to the oppo- site. He is weary of inquiring, discussing, investigating, answering objections, and M 242 ON THE LORD'S SUPPER. forming a judgment on a multitude of separate points ; and so, resolves to cut short at once all this disquieting fatigue, by accepting implicitly the decisions on all points, of an Authority which demands submission, not on the ground of a con- viction of the understanding, but as an act of the Will; commanding us to stifle doubts, and shun inquiry, and set evidence at defiance. Such is almost the very language of one of the converts in question : — " Don't stand at the door arguing, but enter the great home of the soul — enter, and adore. .... Faith ever begins with a venture, and is rewarded with sight. . . . Such a person is under no duty to wait for clearer light. He will not have — he cannot expect — clearer light before conversion. Certainty, in its highest sense, is the reward of those who by an act of the Will, embrace the Truth, when Nature like a coward shrinks. You must make a venture. Faith is a Venture, before a man is a Catholic, and a grace after it."* Loss and Gain. on the lord's SUPrER. 213 Such a man is like one who, being the proprietor of some great manufacturing, or commercial, or agricultural concern, becomes weary of looking after a multi- tude of details in the various departments of the business, and watching the various persons employed in it; and thereupon resolves to throw the whole superintendence into the hands of an agent, provided with an ample Power-of- Attorney, and en- trusted with unlimitedcontrol throughout. This may be a very wise course, supposing the agent fixed on to be one whom there are good grounds for thus trusting, as thoroughly well qualified both in point of skill and of integrity. But nothing can be a more monstrous absurdity, supposing him fixed on at random, on no grounds but his own boastful and unsupported pretensions, and merely because the pro- prietor resolved that he would fully trust some one, and only one. He has indeed thus cleared himself of a multitude of re- sponsibilities, but at the risk of a universal and total ruin. And the convert who proceeds in an analogous manner has exchanged a number of questions on this, m 2 244 on the lord's supper. that, and the other point, for one, which, however, comprehends in it all the rest together, and presents a great difficulty, besides, of itself. For he who has adopted a multitude of errors in the lump, on the authority of a guide whom he has no rea- son to trust, is responsible for all and each of those errors, and for that of chusing, by a mere act of Will, such a guide, in addition. A man who adopts this course is likely to obtain ultimately little or nothing of that tranquillity of mind which he had hoped for, and for which he had paid so dear. In proportion as he is intelligent and thoughtful, he will be haunted with the suspicion, " Is there not a lie in my right hand? Was I justified in shutting the eyes God gave me, and giving myself up to be led by a blind guide? Is not the well-compacted fabric of my faith built on a foundation of sand ?" And the more he resolves to turn away his thoughts from evidence, and to banish doubts, the more he will feel that there are doubts unresolved, and that evidence is against him. A firm determination of the Will to believe, he will find to be far different from ON THE LORD'S SUPPER. 245 a real firm belief. And he will probably end — where some, it is likely, have begun — in securing that alone which alone does lie within the reach of a Will, a vehement protestation of belief, and inculcation of it on others, with a full conviction indeed of the usefulness of his religion, as a means of influencing the vulgar, and satisfying their craving for some devotional exercise, but with little or no conviction of its truth. If such a person avows that he has main- tained what he does not inwardly think, because it was "necessary for his position" he may well expect to be believed in that avowal, if in nothing else. And we may feel some suspicion that some of his dis- ciples, who do not make that avowal, may be inwardly of the same mind. S ii. Such a state of mind -n- 3 Disparage- rs, likely to be fostered — per- ment of Evi- haps generated — by some dence - writers of no small popularity in the present day. One of them, deriding and censuring all appeals to evidences of the truth of Christianity, urges men to em- brace it merely from " feeling the want 246 on the lord's supper. of it." He himself at one time embraced Socinianism, and at another German Transcendentalism, from such feelings of want. And the "want" of a deliverer from the Roman yoke led the J ews of old to reject the true Christ, and to follow false pretenders. Again, a reviewer of the life of Gibbon attributes the historian's infidelity to his study of the evidences of Christianity. And he would have people taught that the truth of the Gospel was never denied by any one ! Another reviewer (of the life of Baxter, in the Edinburgh,) tells us — with marvel- lous ignorance, or trust in the reader's ignorance — that " the Apostles denounced unbelief as sin" — not, as is the fact, because they offered " many infallible proofs," but without any proof at all. And he assures us that inquiry into the Evidences of Christianity is likely to lead to disbelief of it. That an avowed infidel should say this, is nothing strange; but it is truly wonderful that writers apparently zealous in the cause of Christianity should not ON THE LORD'S SUPPER. 247 perceive that they are defeating their own object, and that a declaration from a professed believer that examination of evidence is likely to end in rejection of Christianity, does more to produce infi- delity than the most ingenious objections of all the professed unbelievers that exist. Many, however, of these persons have not sufficiently considered, and are not fully aware, that belief (as well as the passions and feelings) is not directly, but only indirectly, under the control of the Will. It may seem strange to speak of a person's not knowing what it is that he really believes and feels. But it is a point on which men are often mistaken. They often say — without any design to deceive — that they are very glad of this and very sorry for that, when they really feel no joy or sorrow, but think they ought so to feel, and resolve that they will, and then fancy that they do. But in reality, to resolve, or to exhort another, to feel admiration, or contempt, or pity, or love, &c, is as idle as to attempt to add a cubit to one's stature. To make any one feel pity, for instance, we must proceed 248 on the lord's supper. indirectly, by putting forward and dwell- ing on the circumstances which tend to excite pity. And so with the rest of the feelings. And it is the same with belief. Men may indeed be brought to believe something on very insufficient grounds : as, for instance, by being vehemently assured of it by some one for whom they have an undeserved deference. But some reason — good or bad — every one must have for his belief, over and above a mere will to believe. To convince yourself, or another, of anything, you should, in fairness, proceed, not by resolutions and exhortations, but by putting forward good reasons which may produce conviction. And such was the procedure of the Sacred writers. When they called on men to believe, they put before them sufficient evidence to warrant belief, and urged them to listen to that evidence. " The works that I do," said Jesus, " in my Father's name, they bear witness of me." Ambiguity of § I2 - Such expressions as the Word " sacred mystery," " awfully " M y ster y-" mysterious," and the like, are ON THE LORD'S SUPPER. 249 often very successfully employed to stifle inquiry where inquiry might be danger- ous, and to deter people from examining carefully what it is that they are called on to assent to, and whether the Scrip- tures do really teach it, or rather contra- dict it. And the word " Mystery," when erroneously or indistinctly understood, has contributed, no doubt, both to cherish superstition in some, and to create groundless terror in others. It was em- ployed by our Reformers — agreeably to a use of the word which is frequent in the New Testament — to denote a sym- bol, emblem, or representation, of one tiling by another. And they used it interchangeably with the words "sign" and " sacrament," as may be seen — for instance, in the Twenty-ninth Article. In the Epistle to the Ephesians the Apostle Paul speaks of marriage as an emblem,* representing the union of Christ with his Church. And in like manner, in one of the post-communion prayers we speak of, those " who have duly received these holy mysteries" — * Mi/arnpiov ; in the Vulgate, " Sacramentum." M 3 250 ON THE LORD'S SUPPER. viz., the bread and wine. So also in the baptismal Service, we speak of water "sanctified to the mystical [i.e., figura- tive or symbolical] washing away of sin." But the ordinary colloquial use of the word " mystery " suggests the idea of something obscure and unintelligible; and thus the way is prepared for an in- definite amount of superstition, and among others, for superstitious dread and aversion. On the one hand, in any matter which a man conceives to be quite unintelligible — or unintelligible to him — many a one will be disposed to believe and do what- ever is solemnly and vehemently urged upon him by his spiritual guides, without presuming to inquire whether there is any ground for such faith and practice. And, on the other hand, anything unin- telligibly mysterious, and at the same time connected with something of danger, many a one will be inclined to shrink from with a kind of undefined dread, and not only to avert his thoughts from the subject, but practically to withdraw from ON THE LORD'S SUPPER. 251 having anything to do with it ; even as a traveller in some unknown region would dread to pass through a forest which he suspected to abound with beasts of prey and venomous serpents. But by the word " mystery," as applied to the sacraments, our Reformers (as I have said) understood a symbolical repre- sentation. Concerning the efficacy, in- deed, of our Lord's death for Man's re- demption, they do not — as is, unhappily, the practice of some — attempt to give ex- planations beyond what the Scripture- writers have revealed to us. But far as that mystery surpasses — as the most modest and wisest men perceive — the reach of human understanding, the early Disciples, when once assured, on sufficient authority that the death of Jesus icas a sacrifice, could have found nothing diffi- cult or strange in the idea of a feast on a sacrifice; since, both in the Jewish and in the heathen sacrifices, they had been accustomed to see the worshippers par- take of the victim. And to this custom, as a well-known one, Paul alludes, in writing to the Corinthians. 262 on the lord's supper. Sacrificial § *3" And ' lt is ™ rth ° b " Character of serving, that, besides the ^ Death of m distinct and express L/irist, mat- J L cated by the declarations of the Sacred Eucharist. writers, of the sacrificial cha- racter of Christ's death, the very institu- tion of the Eucharist was itself sufficient to impress this on men's minds; consider- ing who and what the persons were to whom these declarations were made. If He had been merely a martyr — the greatest of all martyrs — to the cause of divine truth, it would indeed have been natural that his death should have been in some way solemnly commemorated by the Church ; and perhaps by some sym- bolical commemoration of the death itself; but not, by the eating and drinking of the symbols of his body and blood. As is well remarked by Bishop Hinds, in one of his works, not only is the bread broken, and the wine poured out (which might have sufficiently represented the wound- ing of his body, and the shedding of his blood), but both are partaken of by those who celebrate the rite. And this would be an unmeaning and utterly absurd kind on the lord's supper. 253 of ceremonial in celebrating a mere mar- tyrdom, such as that of Stephen, for in- stance, or of any other martyr, however eminent. Even if we had not, therefore, such numerous allusions as we find in Scripture, to " Christ our Passover as sacrificed for us," and entering " into the most holy place with his own blood," as a sacrificing priest as well as a victim, — even if we had much fewer of such state- ments and allusions than there are — still, the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, early and generally established as we know it was, would be a decisive proof that the early Christians must have understood, from the very character of that ordinance itself, that our Lord's death was not a mere martyrdom, but a true sacrifice, similar to — though far surpassing — the expiatory sacrifices which they had been familiar with under the Law, and which we find so often referred to as types of the offering of Christ. The passages in which such reference is made, and in which the sacrificial cha- racter of that death is strongly set forth, are so numerous, and so well known, that 254 on the lord's supper. it would be superfluous to cite or even to refer to them. We are not called on to re- ceive this doctrine, remote as it is from all the anticipations of human reason, and beyond our powers of explanation, on the strength of two or three slight and oblique hints, capable of equally well bearing either that or some other signifi- cation ; but the statements of the doctrine, and allusions to it, in Scripture, are — as might fairly have been expected — nume- rous, and distinct, and full. § 14. But attempts have Attempts to ^ made from time to ti explain away 1 the Doctrine and are still being made, to of the Atone- eX pi am a \\ these passages as figures of speech. And this is one of my reasons for now adverting to the subject. What then, it may be asked, is the test by which we are to decide ivhat expressions are to be understood literally, and what, figuratively? The adherents of a supposed infallible Church represent an implicit deference to the decisions of such a Church as the only safeguard against all conceivable wanton- ON THE LORD'S SUPPER. 255 ness of interpretation ; against an indefi- nite amount of error, from understanding figuratively what is meant to be taken literally, and literally what is not literally meant, according to each man's private judgment, as his own fancy may dictate. And certainly if we could have proof of the existence of any such infallible authority on earth, and also a clear indi- cation where it is lodged, to this guide we should be bound to resort as a safeguard against erroneous interpretations. But in the absence of any such proof, an implicit deference to the interpretations of some earthly guide would be only substituting one man's caprice for another's. We have, however, in most cases, a very safe guide, by looking to the sense in which the hearers of our Lord and his Apostles, understood them. For, as has been already remarked, we may fairly presume that this must have been, in any matter of vital importance, the true sense of what was said, unless a mistake was pointed out and corrected. Thus, as was observed just now, if the Apostles had been mistaken in supposing — as they un- 250 ON THE LORD'S SUPPER. doubtedly did — that what Jesus was hold- ing in his hands and distributing to them, was not his own literal body, but a sym- bolical representation of it, their mistake would have been corrected. Again, our Lord's expression " Son of God," as ap- plied to Himself, is one which might in- deed conceivably have borne the meaning of his being merely a highly-favoured Prophet. But we know that his judges did understand Him as claiming a divine character; and if this had been a mistake of theirs, we may be sure He would have corrected it ; else He would have been bearing false witness concerning Himself. So also, if all the early Christians had been mistaken in their interpretation of anything that was said concerning our Lord's death, this their error would surely have been removed, and a different explanation given. Now, what they did understand, there can be no rational doubt. The idea of redemption by a sacrifice, however inexplicable, was one with which they were perfectly familiar; and they could never have thought, un- ON THE LOKJD's SUPPER. 257 less expressly assured of it, that the real literal sacrifices of the Levitical Law were types, not of any real sacrifice, but of a figure of speech ; — that " the shadow of good things to come," which that Law contained, was much more substantial than that which it represented. Nor could they (to revert to a former re- mark), familiar as they were with the idea of a feast upon a sacrifice, have thought that a mere martyrdom was to ' be celebrated by eating and drinking the symbols of the martyr's body and blood. The very same test, therefore — the appeal to what must have been understood at the time, — serves to guard us against the op- posite errors, of understanding figurative expressions literally, and of explaining away as a figure what was meant to be literally understood. § 15. As for the latter of Danger of ,1 t 1 ni, rash Attempts these errors, I have no doubt atExp i ana . that the attempts of some tion - persons to interpret as mere metaphor all the declarations of Scripture concerning Christ's offering of Himself, have been 258 on the lord's supper. greatly encouraged, and probably in many instances caused, by unwise and presump- tuous endeavours to explain what Scrip- ture has left unexplained, and to confirm what is there revealed to us, by recon- ciling it with theories of Man's devising. For, when objections which at least ap- pear to some to be unanswerable, are brought against any such theory, it is too late to resort to the plea that divine mysteries are beyond the reach of our understanding, and that we must not venture to try them by the standard of human reason. Every one who brings forward a theory of his own, does in fact appeal to the tribunal of human reason, and binds himself to make his explana- tion intelligible and satisfactory. And when he fails to do this, the result will too often be that the doctrine itself which he seeks to elucidate and support by his explanations, will be supposed by many to be dependent on these, and will be rejected along with the untenable theory. It is our wiser and safer course, there- fore, as well as the more modest and ON THE LORD'S SUPPER. 259 humble, to confine ourselves, in these matters, to the express declarations of the inspired Writers, and to warn men against listening to any one who ventures to go beyond these — who presents us with " developments" (as they are sometimes called) that are to fill up the omissions of Scripture, and who is thus in reality set- ting himself up as knowing more of the divine mysteries than was revealed to the Apostles ; or at least more than they were commissioned to reveal to us. An humble, unlearned Christian, of ordi- nary common sense, may understand that he is guilty of no arrogance in re- jecting any such teacher, however learned and ingenious, and that he is bound to do so. None more learned or more ingenious are the generality of men likely to meet with than Bishop Butler, who thus ex- presses himself on this subject: "Christ offered Himself a propitiatory sacrifice, and made atonement for the sins of the world And this sacrifice was, in the highest degree, and with the most extensive influence, of that efficacy for 260 ON THE LORD'S SUPPER. obtaining pardon of sin, which the heathens may be supposed to have thought their sacrifices, and which the Jewish sacrifices were, in some degree, and with regard to some persons. How, and in what particular way, it had this efficacy, there are not wanting persons who have endeavoured to explain; but I do not find that Scripture has explained it." .... Again, " Some have endeavoured to explain the efficacy of what Christ has done and suffered for us, beyond what Scripture has authorized ; others, probably because they could not explain it, have been for taking it away, and confining his office of Redeemer of the world, to his instruction, example, and government of the Church ; whereas the doctrine of the Gospel appears to be, not only that he taught the efficacy of repentance, but rendered it of the efficacy it is, by what He did and suffered for us ... . And it is our wisdom thank- fully to accept the benefit, by performing the conditions on which it is offered, on our part, without disputing how it was procured, on his." Such is the sober statement of that ON THE LORD'S SUPPER. 261 truly great theologian, in his Analogy* He was one who sought to know no less, and was content to know no more, of divine mysteries inscrutable to Man's Eeason, than the inspired Writers tell us; and he guarded against the error of those pre- sumptuous speculators, who, when the illumination from Heaven — the rays of Revelation — fail to shed such full light as they wish for, on the Gospel dispensation, are for bringing to the dial-plate thelamp of human philosophy. And it is important that it should be clearly perceived, how much allied are the two opposite errors alluded to by Bishop Butler. It is a similar want of humble faith that leads one party to reject what they find it impossible to explain, and the other, to resolve to find an explanation of what they admit. § 1 6. These latter, even if Faith shown .i • i n hu contented their explanations were really f gnorance of as satisfactory as, to them- divine Myste- selves, that may appear, and ries ' if they did possess some knowledge beyond * Part II., c. 5. 262 on the lord's supper. that of the Apostles — or beyond, at least, what the Apostles have imparted to us — yet could not, on that ground, claim the virtue of faith. For faith, it is plain, is to be measured rather by our igno- rance than by our knowledge. Some knowledge, indeed, there must be, as a foundation for any intelligent faith to rest on ; but the province of the faith itself, distinct from the basis on which it is built, must be that which we do not clearly understand. For " faith is the evidence of things not seen." There would be no exercise of faith in assenting to truths which are plainly demonstrated to our Reason, or in obeying commands whose reasonableness was clearly perceived. Faith — as distinguished from blind credu- lity — is shown, in taking the word of another whom we have good reason to rely on, for something which we do not clearly see or fully understand. Any one who in a dark night, at sea, believes, on the Pilot's word, that the ship is ap- proaching the haven, shows more faith in that Pilot than others who fancy that they see the land before them. He may on the lord's supper. 263 be convinced that they are deceiving them- selves, and are gazing on a fog-bank, which they mistake for land ; but, at any rate, they cannot claim superior or equal faith to his. We cannot, perhaps, better illustrate this truth — which, evident as it is, is often overlooked — than by referring to the trial made of Abraham, whose pre- eminently-confident trust in God is so strongly dwelt on in Scripture. His trial was quite different (and this is some- times strangely overlooked) from what a similar command would have been to another man — to Noah, for instance, or to Moses — because, as is remarked in the Epistle to the Hebrews, the command was seemingly at variance with the pro- mise he had received, that " in Isaac shall thy seed be called;" but "he trusted that God was able to restore him even from the dead;" and his faith and obe- dience were rewarded by the blessing pronounced ; on which occasion doubtless it was, when he did receive his son from the dead in a figure [parabole] that he " saw the day of Jesus, and was glad." 2G4 on the lord's supper. But if he had known beforehand how the transaction was to end, there would have been no trial of his faith, and no pre- eminent virtue in his obedience. He had the knowledge, indeed, on which his faith was based — the knowledge that he had received a promise, and also a command which appeared to nullify that promise ; but how the two were to be reconciled, he was left ignorant till the trial was com- pleted ; and it was in his firm trust in the promise, and ready compliance with the command, while in that ignorance, that the virtue of his faith consisted.* Abraham's § J 7- Such, then— we may Faith to le plainly see, — is the example imitated. ^ ^ by Scripture for our imitation, of the faith of Abraham. If Abraham, instead of prompt and trustful compliance with the command, had set himself to devise interpretations of it, or demanded an explanation, he would have bewildered himself in presumptuous con- jectures, and have forfeited the blessing. He had received a promise, and also a * See Lectures on the Parables, Lect. xii. ON THE LORD'S SUPPER. 2C5 command seemingly at variance there- with, from One whom he had good reason fully to trust ; and he saw that it was his part not to raise questions about a divine command, but to obey it. Even thus, a dutiful and affectionate child of a wise and kind parent will say, " My father tells me to do so and so, and his will is reason enough for me. Doubtless there are good reasons, though unknown to me, for his command; and these he may perhaps hereafter explain to me; but, in the mean time, it is my duty to obey." Such a child, we should observe, does not presume to pronounce that' his father has no reason for his command, except that such is his pleasure; which would be to attribute to him caprice. On the contrary, he doubts not that there is good reason, both for giving the com- mand, and for withholding the explana- tion of it. That such is the father's will, would be no good reason, to the father, for giving the command, but is a suffi- cient reason, to the child, for obeying it. For the child, therefore, to insist on it N 266 ON THE LORD'S SUPPER. that his father had no reasons, except his own will, for what he does, because he has not seen fit to make those reasons known, would be, not humility, but the height of rash presumption.* And we ought, no less, to trust, as no doubt Abraham did, that the Most High has good reasons, even when not revealed to us, for all his dealings with mankind. Why, and how, it was necessary that the innocent blood should be shed for Man's redemption, we know no more — at least, from what the Scriptures tell us — than Abraham did, why he was commanded to offer up his son. And if we are asked how we know that this sacrifice was necessary, we should answer, because the * " Those," says Calvin (and the same language is to be found in the writings of many of his followers, and of Augustine's) "whom God passes by, He condemns; " and that, for no cause whatever, except that He chuses " to exclude them from the inheritance" ["neque alia de " causa nisi quod illos vult excludere."] This is called by such writers setting forth the divine " sovereignty ;" and yet there is not even any earthly sovereign who would not feel himself insulted by having it said or insinuated, that, when he announces, " our " will and pleasure is" so and so, he had, himself, no reason at all for the command issued, except that such was his will and pleasure. ON THE LORD'S SUPPER. 2C7 Scriptures assure us that it did take place. It must, therefore, have been necessary, under the actual circumstances. We have no right to frame any metaphysical theories to prove that this necessity would have existed under any other, quite diffe- rent, or even opposite circumstances. The actual state of things was, we know, that the majority of the Jewish nation refused to receive Jesus as the Christ ; it being plainly the divine decree that they should not be compelled to receive Him against their will, by external force. And they thereupon condemned Him to death. We have no right to maintain that his death would have been necessary under the op- posite supposition of a universal accep- tance of his claims. On the contrary, we are expressly told by the inspired writers, " I wot that through ignorance ye did it ; as did also your Rulers." (Acts iii.) " Because they knew Him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets, they have ful- filled them in condemning Him." " For if the princes of this world had known the wisdom of God, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory." (1 Cor. ii.) n 2 2C8 ON THE LORD'S SUPPER. " It may be needful," (says Bishop Butler, in a note,) " to mention, that seve- ral questions which have been brought into the subject before us, and determined, are not in the least entered into here; questions which have been, I fear, rashly determined, and perhaps with equal rash- ness, contrary ways. For instance, Whether God could have saved the world by other means than the death of Christ, consistently with the general laws of his government? And had not Christ come into the world, what would have been the future condition of the better sort of men . . . . ? The meaning of the first of these questions is greatly ambiguous ; and neither of them can be answered, without going upon that infinitely absurd position, that we know the whole of the case. And perhaps the very inquiry, What would have followed if God had not done as He has ? may have in it some impro- priety."* Christ's Ministers, then, are bound to warn his people against mistaking for a Anal., b. ii. c. 5. ON THE LORD'S SUPPER. 209 pre-eminent faith what is rather a defi- ciency of faith, and, for humility, what is in reality presumptuous rashness ; and against being misled either by those who frame theories to explain what Scripture has left unexplained, or by those who, finding such theories un- tenable, reject what Scripture does assure us of.* 6 1 8. And the same really _ Jryctctical humble, unhesitating, submis- Faith, in re- sive, and practical faith which f erenc <> to the , . ■ .i Eucharist. we are required to have in the atoning Sacrifice of the Son of God, the same is called for in reference to that * But seek not thou to understand The deep and curious lore With which full many a reckless hand Has gloss'd these pages o'er. "Wait till He shall Himself disclose Things now beyond thy reach ; But listen not, my child, to those Who the Lord's secrets teach ; Who teach thee more than He has taught, Tell more than He revealed, Preach tidings which He never brought, And read what He left sealed. Bp. Hinds's Poems. 270 ON THE LORD'S SUPPER. Feast on his sacrifice which we celebrate in the Eucharist ; the Ordinance which, as was just now observed, is not only a com- memoration of his death, but also a strong confirmation of its sacrificial character. The numerous and distinct declarations, indeed, to that effect, of the Sacred Writers, would alone afford sufficient grounds for the conviction of the under- standing ; but it has seemed good to divine Wisdom that we should not be left to search out passages of Scripture, and on these alone lay down the doctrine as a well-established article of our Creed, but that we should moreover be continually reminded of it by the often-repeated cele- bration of a Rite which clearly implies the doctrine, and forcibly impresses it on the mind. And as with respect to the doctrine itself, so also as to the Ordinance which is a Seal and a monument of it, men have fallen into corresponding faults. While some have presumed — as was observed at the beginning — to frame theories not war- ranted by Scripture, others have been led, partly from that very cause, to reject or ON THE LORD'S SUPPER. 271 very much to neglect the Ordinance itself. Fanciful speculations respecting the nature of Substance and Accidents tend naturally to cast a discredit, in the minds of the rash and unthinking, on a divine Institu- tion, which has been thus deformed by an admixture of human devices; just as rash attempts at explanation of revealed mys- teries that are quite beyond human reason, have led to the rejection, along with the human theories, of the doctrines them- selves which are revealed. Anything quite alien from all notions of natural Reason, it is allowable to regard so far with distrust, as to require that it should be fully established by a sufficient Scrip- ture-proof; and if not so established, we do well to reject it. But if it does appear to be plainly declared in Scripture, it then becomes a reasonable and suitable trial of our faith. Reason itself would pronounce that there must be much in the Counsels of the Most High that is beyond the reach of reason; and that positive commands respecting things originally indifferent, must justly claim obedience when coming from lawful authority. For 272 ON THE LORD'S SUPPER. if we are to believe merely what we can fully understand and explain, and to do merely what appears to natural conscience to be a duty, independently of any com- mand, this would be to make the word of our divine Master go for nothing. Natural and § l 9- But it is remarkable Positive that we may sometimes find / iff T 1 f3 O -a even the very same persons objecting to what Scripture reveals or enjoins, unless they can see reason for it independent of Scripture, and yet expect- ing to find in Scripture what is not con- tained in it — exactprecepts for every point of moral conduct. One may sometimes find persons plead- ing, when they wish to evade some moral [i.e., natural] duty, that there is no in- junction as to this or that in the Bible; — that so and so is nowhere forbidden in Scripture ; as if we had no Moral Faculty, and were to expect in Scripture a dis- tinct and complete enumeration of things to be done and avoided, instead of the general precept, " Whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, and ON THE LORD'S SUPPER. 273 honest, find of good report, to think on those things."* And then, again, some, and perhaps the very same persons, when positive precepts are in question, will ask what efficacy there can be in a sprinkling with water, or in partaking of bread and wine. Why, if these did possess any such natural effi- cacy as we know our ordinary food has for sustaining the natural life, there would be no trial of our obedient faith in doing what the Lord commands, simply on the ground of that command. If the water of the pool of Siloam (as was remarked above) had been some medicinal spring that had the natural virtue to cure blindness, the blind man would have given no proof of faith in using it. But if, because there was no such virtue, he had refused to do what he was told — or if, like Naaman the Syrian, he had claimed a pre- ference for some other waters — he would have remained blind. But with respect to this point — I mean the distinction between what are called * See Lessons on Morals, L. ii. ; and also the fol- lowing Lecture. N 3 274 on the lord's supper. moral [i.e.,] natural duties, and positive duties, — things commanded because they are right, and things right because com- manded, — there exists in many minds a strange confusion of thought. Any one who makes inquiries on the subject, for the first time, of those around him, will be surprised to find the extent to which this confusion prevails, even among per- sons not uneducated, nor, generally, defi- cient in intelligence.* And if we take oc- casion from time to time to put before our people such explanations as may guard them against these indistinct and confused notions on the subject, our labour will not have been superfluous or ill-applied. Groundless § 2c. Far the greatest num- Scrupies. ^ er? however, are kept back from the Lord's Table by a kind of mis- directed reverential feeling of dread lest they should be " unworthy" partakers ; as supposing that the ordinance is designed * The well-known " Assembly of Divines" at West- minster were men whom even those who are far from accepting their dogmas, would not consider as destitute of intelligence or of learning. Yet on this point they seem to have been utterly abroad. ON THE LORD'S SUPPER. 275 for those only who have attained to a certain perfection in holiness beyond what is required of Christians generally. But they should be reminded, that the un- worthiness which the Apostle, and which our Reformers refer to, is a careless and irreverent partaking; a fault which in former times appears to have been preva- lent ; while in our own, a far different and rather opposite kind of error is the one most to be guarded against. It will not be difficult to explain to any one who is really influenced by conscientious scruples, that, though it is true there would be sinful profanation in coming to the Lord's Table thoughtlessly, and without any sincere devotion, the same may be said of all divine worship, and of the receiving of religious instruction, and of the perusal of the Scriptures. All these are duties, and so is the receiving of the Lord's Supper: and all these duties men ought to practise, voluntarily, sincerely, and heartily. We ought to be far from wishing to compel any one (supposing that were in our power) either to attend the Lord's Table, or to read the Bible, or to do any of these 276 on the lord's supper. things, against his -will; or from urging him to go through the outward acts when his heart did not accompany them. But we should exhort men to pray and strive for those real sincere feelings of devotion •which alone can make those acts •well- pleasing to God. And in confirmation of anything we ourselves may urge, when seeking to allay groundless scruples, we have the advantage of being able to direct the attention of our hearers to the written words of the Com- munion-Service itself, which disclaims all trust in our own righteousness — all meri- torious " worthiness to gather up even the crumbs of the Lord's Table." And we should remind them also of the words of the Catechism respecting what is required of those who partake of this Sacrament. It can be easily explained to any one who is sincerely well disposed, that it is not the communicant alone, but ever} 7 Christian who would hope for God's favour, that is required to " examine himself whether he repent him truly of his former sins, stead- fastly purposing to lead a new life, and to have a lively faith in God's mercy through ON THE LORD'S SUPPER. 277 Christ, with a thankful remembrance of his death ; and to be in charity with all men." Preparation for the Lord's Table, therefore, he can easily be brought to perceive, is the same as preparation for the whole christian life, and for a christian death, and for a joyful resurrection. The communicant, consequently, does not take on himself any new obligation that did not lie on him before. He will, indeed, be the more likely to lead a christian life, from his availing himself of the appointed means of grace ; but the obligation to lead such a life is absolute and complete already. And it would be a manifest absurdity to imagine that a happy immor- tality could be attained on some different and easier terms by those who withdraw from the Lord's Table ; that a refusal to comply with one of his commandments, would exempt men from obedience to the rest of them. Any one, therefore, who deems himself not good enough to receive this Sacrament, and accordingly absents himself, waiting till he shall become better prepared, is acting as the prodigal son in the parable would have done, if, instead of 278 on the lord's supper. arising at once to go to his father, he had waited till he should be in a more pros- perous condition; when it was his father only that could supply food and raiment to the destitute returning outcast. All this being what hardly any one would deliberately deny, it is found accordino;lv that most of the non-commu- nicants have a design to communicate at some future time, before their death. And they seem to suppose that he who shall have done this, will have sufficiently com- plied with our Lord's injunction. We find many a one, accordingly, who needs to be earnestly and repeatedly reminded that every time he refuses the invitation to par- take of the Lord's Supper, he is commit- ting a fresh sin — a distinct act of disobe- dience to his divine Master. And, there- fore, instead of preparing himself to be a more " meet partaker" of the heavenly feast, he is habitually alienating himself more and more from his Saviour, by thus resisting, time after time, his repeated calls. Others again, and not a few, we meet with, who do present themselves at the ON THE LORD'S SUPPER. 279 Lord's Table on some solemn occasions of rare recurrence, and who consider this as absolutely preferable to an habitual and frequent attendance, from finding that their devotional feelings are more strongly excited by a celebration that takes place at long intervals. But they should be reminded that (though this is undoubt- edly true) if they were to act on such a consideration throughout, they would discontinue daily prayer, and habitual attendance on all public worship; since these would certainly more strongly affect the feelings if they were of very rare occurrence. But the object to be aimed at is, not an occasional, fervid, and pro- bably transitory emotion, but an habitual, effectual, and lasting influence on the whole character, and daily life ; — not a passing gleam of enthusiasm, but a steady daylight that shall enlighten our path and guide our steps. § a i. Such errors as I have ^ Co7l7l€XZOTl of* adverted to we are often the Confirmation best able to combat in private with the Eu- conversations, adapted to the 2^0 ON THE LORD'S SUPPER. peculiar habits of thought and tone of feeling of eaeh individual. And of all the occasions for doing this, none can be more suitable than that of preparing young persons for the Rite of Confirmation. For, the earlier any erroneous notions are counteracted, the less is the danger of their leading to an inveterate practical habit. It is of great importance, there- fore (as I have above pointed out), that those confirmed should have the earliest possible opportunity of attend- ing at the Lord's Table, and should be earnestly pressed to avail themselves of it at once. And this ■will tend to correct the mistake (above noticed), which is sometimes to be met with even in reli- gious parents, of imagining that a young person may be unfit, in point of religious knowledge or of feeling, for receiving the Eucharist, and yet fit to be presented for Confirmation. It may easily be explained to them that, as this is manifestlv a groundless notion, at variance with all reason, so it is no less at variance with the decisions of our Church. That all the members of the Church should be ON THE LORD'S SUPPER. 281 Communicants, is not only in many places implied, but is expressly laid down in a Rubric. And the only limitation given of this word " all" is, where it is enacted that those only shall come to the holy Table who have " been confirmed, or are ready and desirous to be confirmed :" which plainly implies that at least all who have been confirmed are bound to attend that Table. This should be carefully impressed on the minds of the People. And, universally, we should use all the means in our power for removing every obstacle, of whatever kind, to that full and frequent attendanee at the Lord's Table which our Reformers, in conformity with apostolic usage, manifestly designed.* The great length of the entire Church- Service, when the Eucharist is adminis- tered, probably tends to foster the notion, that our Reformers — since they could not have designed anything physically impos- sible — could not have meant that all the parishioners should be regular communi- cants. In some populous parishes ac- * On another point connected with the same subject there are some remarks in Bishop Copleston's Remains. 282 on the lord's supper. cordingly there is, several times in the year, an early celebration, at which the Communion-Service alone is used. And this, besides other advantages, tends to do away that notion just alluded to. We may cherish a hope then — a hope in some degree fortified by experience — that by sedulously availing ourselves of such occasions as I have been adverting to, we may at least somewhat diminish that great and crying evil, the open prac- tical neglect by a large proportion of our congregations, of an acknowledged duty: an evil which the truly pious must have often contemplated both with grief for the individuals, and with shame on account of the scandal it brings on our Church. At any rate, let no exertions be wanting on our part to set before our people what their duty is, "whether they will hear or whether they will forbear ;" so that we, at least, may not be chargeable with neglect- ing our own duty, and may be " pure from the blood of all men." 283 LECTURE VI. CHRISTIAN MORAL-INSTRUCTION. § i. The inculcation of inculcation Moral-Duty is one of the °f Moral- J , Duty. most important, and not one of the least difficult of the pastoral offices. Not only must men be warned against resting satisfied with what the Apostle * calls a " dead faith," bringing forth no fruits, but they must be guarded also against the error of expecting that strong relkrious feelings will at once, and of themselves, produce holiness of life, with- out need of any care, or effort, on our part. From God indeed " all holy desires, all good counsels, and all just works do proceed ;" even as it is He who sends the rain and the sunshine from heaven, with- out which the labour of the husbandman would be vain. But these gifts are sent to encourage that labour, and not that he may sit still in idleness. And even so. 284 CHRISTIAN MORAL- INSTRUCTION. the commands and the promises which we find in Scripture, afford, not a reason for carelessness, but the strongest motive and the greatest encouragement to us, to learn, and to teach, and to practise christian duty with the most sedulous diligence. That those who have recently joined our Church, as converts, have, as a general rule, exhibited a marked improve- ment in their moral conduct, I have reason to be fully convinced. But I would warn every one against being led by this, into a hasty security as to that point. For, we should remember that those who have been among the first to dare to encounter obloquy, derision, privations, and often severe persecution, in embracing on deliberate conviction, what they regard as a true faith, will have been actually practising a very difficult virtue; and will therefore be such as may be ex- pected to make the rest of their life of a piece with that beginning. The sacrifices already made by them will have both proved and fortified their virtue. But as persecution abates, and converts multiply, CHRISTIAN MORAL-INSTRUCTION. 285 it may be expected that more and more persons will join their ranks, whose moral principles are less pure, or less firm. And moreover, the secondary motive (and though a secondary, it is a legitimate, and a very strong motive) of wishing to recommend the cause one has embraced, by marked correctness of conduct, and to dread bringing any discredit on it, — this is always found to operate the most strongly at the beginning, and when the cause is supported by but a small mino- rity. In proportion as any cause becomes popular and strong, its adherents, are apt to become more secure, and to relax their vigilance as to their own and their com- CD panions' conduct. We may see instances of the operation of that secondary motive I have been speaking of, and of its subsequent relax- ation, in the history of many Sects and Parties, including some of the most erro- neous. For instance, that most extraordi- nary modern sect, the Mormonites, began by pretensions (among other things) to a peculiarly strict morality. And it is certain, that, for the time, their conduct 286 CHRISTIAN MORAL-INSTRUCTION. was, apparently at least, so conformable to these pretensions, as to have contri- buted not a little to the attracting 1 of proselytes. It was not till after they had gained great strength, that they intro- duced and sanctioned that outrageous profligacy which had been by their ori- ginal laws strictly forbidden. And again, the moral code of the Koran, and the practice of Mahomet and his first adhe- rents, became relaxed, as is well known, in proportion as their numbers and their strength increased. And that this is not a danger to which false religions alone are liable, we have abundant proofs in Scripture. Even so early as the times of the Apostles, we find that many had begun to join the christian ranks whose conduct was such as to bring discredit on their profession. We find, — besides many other earnest warnings to this effect — Paul speaking to Timothy of men " considering the profession of Chris- tianity as a source of profit."* I would press then very strongly on * This is manifestly the sense of the Original, (i Tim. vi. 5,) not "supposing that gain is godliness." CHRISTIAN MORAL-INSTRUCTION. 287 all christian Instructors, and not least, on the instructors of recent Converts, — the Apostle's precept to Titus, (ch. iii. v. 8), " These things I will that thou affirm constantly," (i.e. " insist on earnestly ;")* in order that they who have believed in God may be careful to maintain good works, f 5 2. And this caution is per- t> • , 7 3 l Romish and haps even peculiarly needed Protestant when the question is between Kjws fJus. 1 tijication. the Reformed and the unre- formed Churches; because the chief dif- ference between them many persons would describe by saying that the one teaches " Justification by Faith," and the other, "Justification by Works." And this description might be set forth in such a manner as to lead the one side to adopt, and the other to impute, the teaching of what the Apostle James calls a "dead faith," without good works. But the above description cannot be * Staff HaiovaSai. f (ppovrlfacrt Ka\£)v tpywv npoto'TatT'iai 288 CHRISTIAN MORAL-INSTRUCTION. received as a correct one without consi- derable explanations and modifications. For ( i ) in the first place, the Romanist cannot be said to reject or to disparage Faith. He is taught to believe — and to hold it essential to salvation to believe — (besides many important doctrines held by our own Church also) much that to us appears mere human device. He has faith in the infallibility of the Church of Rome, — in the efficacy of prayers ad- dressed to the Virgin and other Saints, — in the supposed sacrifice of the Mass, — in priestly Absolution, — and in many other things which Protestants reject. And moreover, many even of the good works by which he seeks to obtain the divine favour, are most emphatically the fruit of faith — though to us it appears an utterly misplaced faith — in his Church; since they are such as are not dictated by any natural moral principle, but are practised solely on the ground of a supposed divine injunction or sanction : such as Pilgri- mages, Penances, and various ceremonial observances, which no one would account naturally and intrinsically virtues, or could CHRISTIAN MORAL-INSTRUCTION. 289 ever think of practising except through faith in a supposed divine injunction. On the other hand, the expression is not quite correct, that a Protestant looks for Justification by faith. " Through faith," is the more exact language. And though the word " by" is used (doubt- less through inadvertency) in the Xlth Article, the meaning of our Reformers is quite clear, not only from their lan- guage elsewhere, but from the original' Latin of that very Article ; which speaks of justification not "propter fidem," but "per fidem." " Propter," they apply to the meritorious sacrifice of Christ; ["prop- ter meritum"] which corresponds with the language of the Apostle — " By Grace are ye saved, through Faith."* In fact it is plain that if the believer were saved — strictly speaking, by his faith — he would be as much himself his own saviour, as if he were saved by his works. When our Lord said to the woman who had touched the hem of his garment, and on ofcher occasions, " Thy faith hath saved * Eph. ii. 8. o 290 CHRISTIAN MORAL-INSTRUCTION. thee," He is only using a mode of expres- sion such as we often use oui*selves, when we would call attention to some distin- guishing circumstance ; to which we attri- bute something that has taken place, without meaning, or being understood to mean, that it is the real efficient cause, but merely the one circumstance out of many which makes the difference between the case before us, and others. For in- stance, we speak of some tender plant which has perished in the winter in con- sequence of its being left uncovered; though we know that the frost was the cause of its destruction ; but we mention the cir- cumstance which alone distinguished it from some other plants of the same kind. Even so, that woman was one among many who had equally the power to ap- proach Jesus, and several of whom pro- bably had need of healing: but what distinguished her from the rest, and through which she obtained relief, was her superior faith. But faith is, as some have justly ex- pressed it, merely the hand which lays hold of the free offer of divine mercy. CHRISTIAN MORAL-INSTRUCTION. 291 And faith, such as our Reformers taught, must be both rightly directed — towards an object which we have good ground for relying on, and also, must be what they call a "lively" [i.e. living] faith, bringing forth good works as a necessary fruit.* §3. All this is of course j) anger of what yOU hold, and mean to exaggerated inculcate : for I am not ad- Lan 9 ua 9 e - dressing myself to Antinomians : but there is need of a caution against some indiscreet and exaggerated language into which well-intentioned persons are occa- sionally betrayed, in their zeal against some particular error, and which may lead weak-minded or thoughtless hearers into other and not less dangerous errors. To take one instance : you may have heard the expression "all our righteous- ness is as filthy rags" introduced as a con- demnation of the error of a Man's claim- ing merit in God's sight for any good actions. But this is an utter misapplica- * Art. 12. o 2 292 CHRISTIAN MORAL-INSTRUCTION'. tion of the words of the Prophet ; who is speaking not in disparagement of men who had been obedient to God's laws, but, on the contrary, of those he had been de- scribing as most emphatically the reverse. ;t Behold,'" says he, " Thou art wroth, for we have sinned ; .... we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness is as filthy rags, and we all do fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away, and there is none that calleth on thy name."* His expression is only another way of saying " we are quite destitute of all righteousness," even as the same Prophet [Is. i.] describes a like condi- tion by saying ''thy silver is become dross." True it is indeed that it would be most absurd for any one — Jew or Gentile — to claim merit in the sight of his Maker for even a more perfectly righteous course of obedience than any man can pretend to have practised. But this is study a truth which may be, and which ought to be, established and inculcated without resort- ing to a perversion of any passage of Isaiah, lxir. CHRISTIAN MORAL-INSTRUCTION. 293 Scripture into a different sense from that of the inspired Writer. And any such misapplication (or, as some call it, " ac- commodation") of Scripture, besides that it is in itself a blameable presumption, is likely to damage the cause of truth, — to mislead those we are instructing, — and to give an advantage to opponents. These last may represent us as teaching — what after all is not true — that the " keeping of Christ's commandments," which He has Himself declared to be the only proof of our " loving Him" — the " bringing forth of much fruit," by which He has said that "his Father is glorifLed"* — that all this is regarded by Him as " filthy rags." And not only should no such interpre- tation of Paul or of James be given as shall set them in opposition (since no Church, as our XXth Article expresses it, " May so interpret one part of Scrip- ture as to contradict another," )f but care * John xv. t Those commentators — for unhappily there are some few such — who interpret Rom. vii. 14-25 not, as a description, generally (which was doubtless the Apostle's meaning) of the condition of a man under the 294 CHRISTIAN MORAL-INSTRUCTION. should also be taken to point out how they are to be reconciled, in what they say of the justification of Abraham. For must have a most confused and incorrect notion of both. James is manifestly speaking (Ch. ii.) in disparagement of a faith consisting in mere assent of the understanding. " Thou believest," says he, " that there is one God : thou doest well: the Demons* also believe and tremble." Now can any one really sup- pose that the saving Faith insisted on by Paul was this faith of Demons? Or Law and not under the Gospel., but as a literal account of Paul's own actual state at the time, make this por- tion of Scripture contradict not only other parts, but even the very next passage in the same Epistle : Ch. viii. v. i- 13. For it is clearly impossible for the same man to be at the same time "sold under sin," — "brought "into subjection to the law of sin," &c, and also " made free from the law of sin," and " walking not "after the flesh but after the Spirit." — (See Essays on the Dangers, &c. Essay i. § 4.) * The word " devils" which occurs here and else- where in our Version is a manifest mistranslation of Daimonia. The word Diabolos is never used in the plural number ; being the designation of a single individual. CHRISTIAN MORAL-INSTRUCTION. 295 again, can it be believed that James, when speaking of good works, meant mere outward acts, without any reference to the inward motive — the faith, from which they spring? And this too, when he expressly says, " I will show thee my faith by my works ?" If any one had suggested to this Apostle such an interpretation of his words, he might have refuted the error exactly in the way he does refute the one he is op- posing. He might have said, " It is a good thing to proclaim Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God — to do so, is a good work : the Demons whom Jesus cast out, did this : they found themselves com- pelled to cry out, ' I know Thee who Thou art, the Holy One of God :' but this did not make them acceptable before God ; for, works good in themselves, but not done from a good motive, are as much the works of Demons, as mere intellectual belief is the faith of Demons." If any one then should ask whether we are to be justified partly through Faith and partly through Works, you might reply that the question is as idle a one as 296 CHRISTIAN MORAL-INSTRUCTION. if he should ask concerning a house that had been destroyed by fire, whether the conflagration was to be attributed to the wood and other combustible substances within it, or to the firebrand which fell on them, or partly to the one, and partly to the other. We all know that no quan- tity of combustibles could at all contri- bute to the breaking out of a fire, if no spark fell on them; and again, that a firebrand, if it fell on a stone pavement, would produce no such effect at all. And in like manner, in this case, neither a faith which does not show itself in obedience, nor again good works which do not spring from faith, can go one step towards re- commending any one to God ; but only as the Apostle expresses it, "faith which worketh by love."* Supposed Me. § 4- As for those who do rit of Good- need to be warned against the Works. error of imagining that a man can earn salvation for himself by good works, and that these can establish a claim of merit before God, you will find these * Galat. v. 6. CHRISTIAN MORAL- INSTRUCTION. 297 persons, I think, to fall under these three classes : — ( i . ) Those who mean by " good works," not a life of what can be called christian virtue, but outward ceremonial observances, such as the Judaizers of old trusted to.* (2.) Secondly, such as are * Accordingly, in our Lord's Parable of the Pharisee and Publican, the good works on which the former " exalted himself" were " fasting twice in the week, " and scrupulously giving tithes." And our Lord ex- pressly charges them with being, while thus scrupulous as to the tithes of sweet herbs, neglectful of "the "weightier matters of the Law, Justice and Mercy." Hence He requires of his followers that their " right- " eousness should exceed the righteousness of the " Scribes and Pharisees," if they would "enter into the " kingdom of Heaven." For, those " Works of the "Law" by which they "went about to establish their " own righteousness," (Eom. x. 3,) and of which Paul says that a man is "justified without them," (Pom. iv. 6,) were manifestly the "works" of the Ceremonial Law. No doubt he would, if he had ever met with the case (which it does not appear he ever did,) of a man seeking self-justification by a life of moral virtue, have denounced that error. But as it is, the persons he was actually censuring as trusting in their " own righteousness which is by the Law," were . such as trusted in the Ceremonial Law. That this portion of the Mosaic Law, though far from being the most important portion, should yet be often called, emphatically, " The Law," is quite intel- ligible, since it was the distinguishing portion of it ; — that which marked the difference between the Jews and the Gentile. See Philipp. ch. iii., where Paul o 3 298 CHRISTIAN MORAL-INSTRUCTION. very far from leading, on the whole, a moral life, or even striving to do so, or themselves thinking that they have at- tained it, but who pride themselves on the practice of some one or two [sup- posed] virtues, which they trust to as not only compensating for all failures in other points, but moreover entitling them to reward : and (3.) thirdly, such as imagine that a strictly virtuous life would earn immortal happiness, but who are fully conscious of not being, themselves, qualified to make this claim, and who ac- cordingly trust in the divine mercy for themselves, without good works ; consider- ing that it is only so far as they are sinners, that a divine Saviour is at all needed. And none are more likely to " continue in sin that Grace may abound," than those who imagine that a life of speaks of himself as being " touching the righteousness " which is of the Law, blameless ;" not, surely, as attri- buting to himself perfect moral rectitude ; for, his "zeal in persecuting the Church," which he speaks of in that very passage, he always bewailed as a grievous sin ; but evidently, an exact compliance with the Ceremonial Law. — See Essays on the Dangers, Sfc., Essay i. CHRISTIAN MORAL-INSTRUCTION. 299 eminent virtue would merit Heaven ; and that, consequently, one who should be endeavouring to lead such a life, would be seeking not to embrace the Gospel-offers, but to supersede and dispense with them. But as for the case of a man delibe- rately and habitually striving to conform his moral character and whole conduct to the Gospel-standard, and believing that he succeeds in this endeavour, and there- upon trusting in this his virtuous life as establishing a claim of merit, and entitling him to a happy immortality — such a case, if it ever does occur, is, I must think, a very improbable and very rare one. Each will best know what his own experience has been. I, for my part, am not aware of having ever met with an instance of the kind; though of the other three above-mentioned, I have known many. As far as my own observation extends, those who the most assiduously labour to lead a christian life, I have always found the very furthest from setting up any plea of merit, or at all dreaming of self- justification. And it certainly will not be the most profitable course, to dwell • 300 CHRISTIAN MORAL-INSTRUCTION. continually and almost exclusively on the inefficiency of a life of thorough-going christian virtue to merit eternal happiness, when addressing hearers of whom one portion have no thought at all of leading such a life, while the remainder have no thought of thus meriting heaven. It will be more edifying to the hearers, though not perhaps more acceptable, to provide what after all is the surest safeguard against the errors above noticed, by giving men correct notions of what are the true principles of moral conduct, and urging them to act on these. Correct § 5« 00 Let it be pointed View of moral out, in the first place (as may kg eas ily done, to any one of even moderate capacity), that no one can claim merit, or be entitled to a reward, for merely paying a debt ; and that evi- dently all obedience to God's laws must be a debt strictly due to Him, and could therefore claim from Him, if perfect, no- thing beyond exemption from punishment, except on the ground of his own free and bountiful promise. " When ye have CHRISTIAN MORAL-INSTRUCTION. 301 done," says our Lord [Luke xvii. 10], " all things that I have commanded you, say, we are unprofitable servants ; we have done that which it was our duty to do." (2.) It should be pointed out also, that even our power to do anything well-pleas- ing in the sight of our divine Master, must come from Himself, the " true vine, of which we are the branches," — even from his " spirit which helpeth our infir- mities." For " without me," says He, " ye can do nothing." The guests at his " weddinsr-feast" must indeed themselves be clad in the " weddin^-orarment " of christian holiness of life ; but it is He who provides the garment which the guest is required to put on. (3.) Men should also be reminded that " good works," in the sense of external acts, are not, in themselves, even vir- tuous; but can only be so called, as far as they are indications of that inward disposition which alone is strictly to be called virtuous. For it is evident that the very same act may be either morally good, or evil, or indifferent, according to the motive it springs from. 302 CHRISTIAN MORAL-INSTRUCTION. (4. ) It should be added that since the Most High can have no need of our ser- vices, it is for our own benefit, not for his, that good works are required of us. (5.) And, lastly, men should be warned that they are not to look (as some are disposed to do) for express commands and prohibitions in Scripture, as to every- thing they are to do or abstain from ; re- garding themselves as blameless so long as, and so far as, they have not trans- gressed any distinct precept delivered on divine authority. That is indeed a safe rule as to what relates to positive precepts respecting things that are in themselves indifferent. But as regards moral conduct generally, the Scriptures do not profess to lay down any complete ethical system, but exhort Christians to think on and practise " what- soever things are pure, whatsoever things are honest, and lovely, and of good re- port ;"■* and " giving all diligence to add to their faith, virtue, and temperance, and patience,"f and the like. * Phil. iv. 8. f 2 Pet. i. 5. CHRISTIAN MORAL-INSTRUCTION. 303 Our Lord and his Apostles do indeed warn men against the particular faults to winch the particular persons they were on each occasion addressing, were espe- cially liable, and urge on them the prac- tice of whatever duties they were most likely to neglect ; but they never address themselves as to persons wholly destitute of all moral faculty, needing to be taught the difference, generally, between vir- tue and vice. They supply occasional cautions as to our moral conduct; they bring forward strong motives for holiness of life, such as no human system or pre- cepts could afford; and they hold out promises of such heaven-sent support and aid as human weakness needs : but they evidently proceed always on the supposi- tion that men do use — and always have used — such words as "virtue" and "vice," and have always attached some meaning to those words, and understood that the one is preferable to the other. § 6. It might seem super- m.^, o o I lheory of those fluOUS tO Set forth SUch ob- who deny a vious truths, were it not that Moral ' sense - 304 CHRISTIAN MORAL-INSTRUCTION. a contrary doctrine is maintained by some writers, and, among others, by so able and justly-celebrated an author as Dr. Paley, in a work which has been used as a text-book in some of our universities ; and, moreover, that his views on this point are advocated by some — and those not a few — who are very far indeed from concurring with his views on other points.* He — as is well known — maintains that Man has no moral faculty whatever, and feels naturally no disapprobation of ingratitude and baseness, or appro- bation of gratitude and integrity, nor, in short, perceives any distinction at all be- tween virtue and vice. All our notions, according to him, of what is called moral obligation, are derived from conformity to the will of a Superior, with a view to our own interest. And the distinction accord- ingly between what are commonly called " moral precepts" and " positive pre- cepts" — things commanded because right, and things right because commanded — * I have since edited Paley s Moral Philosophy, with Annotations, in which I have endeavoured to correct some of his views. CHRISTIAN MORAL-INSTRUCTION. 305 he completely does away. And I cannot but think that ordinary men will be likely, so far as they adopt his view, to fall into that error I have just been noticing — of looking in Scripture for pre- cise directions as to each point of conduct, laid down as plainly as the directions, for instance, respecting the Passover or the Sabbath, to the Israelites, or the institu- tion of the Sacraments, to Christians : and to considerthemselves as bound by nothing but such express commands and prohibi- tions as they meet with. For one cannot expect that above one person in a hundred will follow out those subtle calculations by which Dr. Paley deduces all moral conductfrom conformity to the divine will. And this conformity we are to aim at, according to him, with a view solely to our own eventual benefit. " The difference," he says, " and the only difference,, between an act of prudence and an act of virtue is, that in the one case Ave consider what we shall gain or lose in the present life, and in the other case, what we shall gain or lose in the next life." And then he goes on to say, very strangely, that those who have no 306 CHRISTIAN MORAL-INSTRUCTION. knowledge, or no belief, of a future state, must frame the best theory of virtue they can for themselves ; unless they can show that virtue produces the greatest amount of happiness in this world. It is wonder- ful that so acute a writer should have failed to perceive that according to what he had just said, they could not possibly form any theory at all of Virtue as dis- tinguished from Prudence; since if they did teach (as in fact the ancient Heathen Philosophers did) that what we call Virtue does conduce to happiness in this life, this would never have enabled them to draw a distinction between prudence and virtue, but would have made them identi- cal. For it is evident that to remove the " difference, and the only difference" be- tween any two things, is to make them perfectly alike. And he had just before said that the only difference between prudence and virtue depends on the distinction between the present and a future life. His doctrine, therefore, is completely overthrown by the Writings of the Heathen : not by any assumed correctness CHRISTIAN MORAL-INSTRUCTION. 307 of their views, but by the very words they employ. For their using such words as " Virtus" and 'Aperr/, — their distinguish- ing between " Utile" and " Honestum," — between av^pov and Ka\m>, — proves that they must have perceived a distinc- tion, which, on Dr. Paley's theory, they could not possibly have perceived, and must have formed notions such as could no more have entered their minds, were that theory correct, than a man born blind could form a notion of colours.* The heathen Philosophers had, indeed, in their moral systems many errors and deficiencies which the Gospel serves to correct. But, after all, they did teach morality; and the systems moreover which they framed are much superior to what many suppose and represent them, who have never read them, and judge only by hearsay. The great deficiency in their systems was their lack of such motives as the Gospel supplies, and of that divine support and aid which is pro- * See Bp. Fitzgerald's Introduction to a Vol. of Selections from Aristotle's Ethics ; and also Introduc- tory Lessons on Morals (Parker: West Strand). 308 CHRISTIAN MORAL-INSTRUCTION. mised to the sincere Christian. A heathen Moralist resembled the fabled Prome- theus of old, who is said to have fashioned a complete and well-formed human body, but could not endue it with the principle of life, till he had ascended to Heaven to fetch down from thence a vivifying fire. And any christian Minister who should confine himself to what are sometimes (erroneously) called " practical sermons," — i.e., mere moral essays, without any mention of the peculiar doctrines of Christianity — is in the same condition with those heathen philosophers; with the difference, that what was their mis- fortune, is his fault. Unenlightened however as those phi- losophers were, they did perceive and teach those distinctions in human ac- tions, which, on Dr. Paley's theory, they could not possibly have had any notion of. As for all that he says elsewhere, of men's having observed the good effects of honesty, temperance, &c, and the ill effects of their contraries, and thus acquiring a habit of approving the one and disapproving the other ; this does CHRISTIAN MORAL-INSTRUCTION. 309 not affect the present question ; since all these observations and reasonings could never generate the idea of duty, — of moral rectitude, — and of sin. For, ob- servation and experience have equally- taught intelligent cultivators the benefi- cial effects of properly manuring the land, and of rotation of crops, and the ill con- sequences of neglecting such rules. And even the veriest savages have learnt from experience what wild fruits and roots are nutritious, and what unwholesome. But men have never formed a habit of extend- ing to such matters moral approbation and disapprobation. And no more would they, on any other points, have formed any notions of moral right and wrong, were the theory I have been considering a correct one. S 7. But there are (as I J x Incautious have said) some persons who, Language rc- though very far indeed from specting human , . -r, i » • Depravity. adopting Dr. Jraley s views on other points, yet concur with him in this ; at least in the language they use. They speak in such strong terms of the 310 CHRISTIAN MORAL-INSTRUCTION. depravity — at least since the Fall — of Man's nature, as in fact to do away that depravity altogether, and put an end not only to all Virtue, but to all Vice also. For, it is plain, on a moment's reflection, that a Being who is incapable of per- ceiving any difference (as is the case with the brute creation) between moral good and evil, or of forming any notion of such a thing as Duty, cannot, however odious in our eyes his acts may be (as are those of a wolf or swine), be taxed with sin and moral guilt. And accord- ingly no one does apply those terms to a brute, or a new-born infant, or a com- plete idiot. Nor, in like manner, do we apply the term "folly" to the acts of animals destitute of reason. "VVe always consider " folly " as consisting in acting against the dictates of reason; and, con- sequently, as implying rationality ; and " sin," as a transgression of the rules of moral rectitude which we know, or which we possibly might have known : rules which men have, according to the Apostle Paul, some notion of, however imper- fectly they may conform to them in prac- CHRISTIAN MORAL-INSTRUCTION. 311 tice; "their conscience," says he, "also bearing witness, and their thoughts ac- cusing, or else excusing, one another."* And as for the introduction of any- positive laws — the issuing of commands — by one possessing the power to enforce them, — a revelation of the divine Will made to a creature wholly devoid of moral faculty, — that would not at all change his character in this respect, though it would influence his external acts. To comply with the will of one fully able to enforce that will, would be regarded (and this indeed is precisely Dr. Paley's view) as a matter of expediency : but the words " right" and " wrong" would be, to such a Being, as unmeaning as ever. If any one, for instance, were to fall into the hands of robbers who commanded him on pain of death to surrender his pro- perty; or if he had been subjected (as several nations have been) to a merci- less tyrant, he might judge it ad- visable to comply, and submit, if he had * Eom. ii. 15. See Cautions for the Times, No. 27, p. 464. 312 CHRISTIAN MORAL-INSTRUCTION. no hope of resistance or escape; but he would never think of such a thing as moral Duty, and rectitude, in such sub- mission. And precisely similar would be submission to the divine laws, in such a Being as Dr. Paley represents Man. One circumstance which probably con- tributes to confusion of thought on this subject, in the minds of some persons, is this: that in this or that particular point, a divine command may make that a duty which was not so before. But this can only be when the command is given to a Being possessing a moral sense which enables him to perceive that there is such a thing as duty, and that God has a right- ful claim to our obedience. And, in like manner, a telescope will enable a man possessing the sense of sight, to see ob- jects invisible to the naked eye. But the revelation of a divine command could no more originate the notion of Duty, generally, in a Being destitute of moral faculty, and to whom, consequently, the word " duty " could convey no meaning, than a telescope could confer sight on a blind man. CHRISTIAN MORAL* INSTRUCTION. 313 S 8. But many persons (as „ , . 3 J . * v Meaning I have already hinted) agree different from with the doctrine I have been what is ex ~ pressed* speaking of, in the language they incautiously employ, without really meaning what their words express. It may seem paradoxical to speak of any one's not knowing his own meaning:. But in many cases you may make it plain even to the party himself, that his real belief on some point is not what he — with perfect sincerity of intention — declares it to be. If any persons, for instance, state it as their conviction that the founda- tion of all our moral notions is the Will of God, — that it is our knowledge or belief of what He requires or forbids, that constitutes the whole of the distinc- tion we perceive between Right and Wrong, — you may ask them whether they consider obedience to the divine will to be merely a matter of prudence, or, over and above this, of moral duty also? whether they regard the Almighty as a good Being, or merely as possessing supreme power ? whether his commands are right, and justly claim our compliance, 314 CHRISTIAN MORAL-INSTRUCTION. or merely are sucli that it would be very rash to resist them? If they reply, — as the great majority will, — that moral goodness, as well as power, is an attribute of the Most High, — that his commands are right, and that obedience is justly due to Him — then they will have admitted that our notions of moral rectitude are not originally de- rived merely from that of conformity to the divine Will, but are a part of the constitution of the human mind; since else, it would be nugatory and absurd to speak of the divine goodness, if our only idea of moral goodness were, what God wills. And to say that his commands are just, and that it is right for men to obey them, would only be a circuitous way of saying, (as indeed Dr. Paley himself is compelled to admit) that what is commanded is commanded, and that the divine Will is — the divine Will. I think therefore that we shall usually find it not very difficult to explain (as it will often be very desirable to do) to a person of tolerable intelligence and can- CHRISTIAN MORAL-INSTRUCTION. 315 dour, who may have been incautiously using such language as I have been al- luding to, that his own real opinion is different from what he had described and supposed it to be ; and that while intent on setting forth in the strongest manner God's glory and Man's sinfulness, he had, by rash and exaggerated expressions, done away completely the moral attri- butes of the Deity, and the existence of any such thing as sin. And you may point out also, that the appeal often made to the moral excellence of the Gospel in confirmation of its divine origin, is wholly destroyed by the use of suchlanguage. If aninfidel be asked, "How it happens that a set of ignorant Jewish peasants should have discovered and taught a purer morality than the wisest of the heathen Sages had ever discovered?"* he will be at no loss for an answer, if you describe Man as having no notion of moral right and wrong except a conformity to the teaching of those very peasants. Your argument will then become pre- * Cautions for the Times, No. 29, p. 506. p 2 316 CHRISTIAN MORAL-INSTRUCTION. cisely similar to the alleged miracle by which the Mahometans profess to prove the divine origin of the Koran. All the best Arabic scholars, they urge, agree as to the superior, — and as they say, — super- human — purity and beauty of its lan- guage, and find all other compositions more or less approaching perfection, according as they approach more or less to the style of the Koran. But then it comes out that they have all agreed to establish the style of the Koran as the standard, and judge of the purity and beauty of each word and phrase by a re- ference to that : so that the argument is a manifest circle. And it would be no less proceeding in a circle to speak of the purity of the Gos- pel-morality, and of the goodness of God, if Man were a Being destitute of all moral faculty. And you may add also, that there can be no blameable presumption in us Crea- tures forming these judgments respecting the moral attributes of the Creator, which He has Himself expressly told us to form. CHRISTIAN MORAL-INSTRUCTION. 317 "Are not," says He, "my ways equal? are not your ways unequal ?"* And " why, even of yourselves, judge ye not what is right ?"f § 9- On many a particular Scripture point indeed we must often View of moral be unable to perceive the rea- 0bedience - sons of God's dealings with his creatures, from our ignorance of many of the cir- cumstances of the case ; and we are bound (as I observed above), not only to obey his commands, but to trust in their wisdom and goodness even when we can- not understand them. But all this is of a piece even with what we feel and do towards our fellow-men. A dutiful and affectionate child,J for instance, will be fully convinced (and not without reason) of the goodness, and the superior judg- ment, of a kind and sensible parent, and will comply cheerfully with his directions, even when not understanding the reasons of them ; — all the more cheerfully, on the * Ezek. xviii. 29. f Luke xii. 57. X See Essay on the Imitation of Children. p 3 318 CHRISTIAN MORAL-INSTRUCTION'. ground of that very conviction, and not, as merely yielding to superior power, and calculating on reward or punishment. So also, a friend on whose worth and dis- cretion we fully rely, will perhaps take some measures which, on that very ground, we presume to be the right ones, before we have sufficient knowledge of particu- lars to judge of the case itself. And we should think it strange to have it inferred from this that our whole estimate of his character was nothing but a blind par- tiality, and that we had no notion at all of what are good or bad measures, except as they are or are not, his. Again, in all that regards conduct, you may easily, I think, point out that not only — as was said just now — the Sacred Writers all along proceed on the suppo- sition that "right" and "wrong" are not, to their hearers, mere unmeaning sounds, but also that one most important decla- ration* of our Lord's must become un- intelligible, and utterly absurd, on the supposition of a total absence of moral * Lute xii. 48. CHRISTIAN MORAL-INSTRUCTION. 319 faculty : " The servant who knew not his lord's will, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes." Now that one who " knew his lord's will and did it not" should receive the heavier punishment, is a rule which one may readily understand: but that one who " knew not his lord's will" — that is, who had not received any express command — ■ could " commit things worthy of stripes" is utterly inconceivable on the supposi- tion of Man's notions of right and wrong being originally derived entirely from a knowledge of the divine Will. But in truth, as Bishop Butler justly remarks, " what renders any one justly liable to punishment, is, not the expec- tation of it, but the violation of a known duty." Many of the brutes, as we all know, are capable of being incited by reward, and deterred by punishment; yet we do not regard them as moral agents; though, on the theory I have been speaking of, they would be as much so as Man. And I must say, that, considering what sound and clear views of the nature of 320 CHRISTIAN MORAL-INSTRUCTION. duty that great Moralist Bishop Butler had put forth, it does seem strange that any persons having his works before them, should turn from these, and go back to the theory of Hobbes, and others of that school, who destroy all moral obligation properly so called, and resolve all obliga- tion into submission, from views of self- interest, to arbitrary physical force. It is as if the Prodigal, in the Parable, had turned aside from the feast prepared for him, to feed by choice, on the husks. . § 10. The true sense in Culture of which it may be said that all the Moral our notions of moral duty are Faculty. ^ er i V ed originally from the Will of God, is this : that it was his will to create Man a Moral-agent — a Being endowed with a conscience, and distin- guished from the Brute-creation, in great measure by that. It is a faculty de- veloped in very various degrees in diffe- rent individuals; often left grievously uncultivated, or depraved and corrupted ; but one which is capable of improvement, and which we are required, and through CHRISTIAN MORAL-INSTRUCTION. 321 divine help, enabled, profitably to cul- tivate. And so far is it from being any- thing hostile, or anything of a rival, to Religion, or a pretended substitute for it, that on the contrary it is by this only that we are enabled to perceive that God is not merely a ruler who is able to enforce obedience, but is justly entitled to obe- dience, and a proper object of our gra- titude and love. And let no one apprehend that by clearly setting forth and earnestly dwell- ing on these truths, he will run any risk of leading men to think too highly of their own moral proficiency, or to trust in their good works for salvation. The very opposite is the real state of the case : for it is only so far forth as any Being does possess some Moral-sense, that he can possibly feel any conviction of sin when he has transgressed any divine com- mand; or indeed can, strictly speaking, commit any sin. Without this, he might indeed apprehend danger from offending a powerful superior ; even as we should do in embarking on a stormy sea; but of guilt, and moral turpitude, he could 322 CHRISTIAN MORAL-INSTRUCTION. have no notion whatever. And the more highly cultivated any one's moral judg- ment is, the more clearly will he perceive and the more strongly feel, whatever im- perfections are still adhering to his cha- racter; even as a strong light admitted into a chamber that had been partially darkened, makes conspicuous every stain on its walls that had before been scarcely perceptible. Works the § IX - 1 have dwelt t hus Fruit of Faith, earnestly on several points, in what sense. i ■ 1 . _ 1,1,1 which, to many, probably, have been long since familiar, because at this particular time, some will have to impart almost the first rudiments of chris- tian morality to persons who have been hitherto nearly strangers to the practical influence either of Religion altogether, or of a true religion : men who have either learned to disregard the religious system in which they were brought up, without putting any other in its place, or who have been accustomed to regard good works as consisting principally, not, as Paul de- scribes them, in " things good and profit- CHRISTIAN MORAL-INSTRUCTION. 323 able to mankind;"* but in pilgrimages, fasts, indiscriminate alms to street- beggars, telling of beads, and the like. Now when these, and when all men, are taught, as they certainly ought to be, the importance of a pure, and well- founded, and firm christian Faith, and that a life of christian virtue is a necessary and invariable accompaniment of such a faith, it should be kept in mind that this truth, — and it is a most essential truth, — requires to be inculcated with such ex- planations and practical admonitions, as shall guard it against its being misunder- stood, and most hurtfully misapplied. For, it may be so understood and applied as to lead to either of two contrary results ; — to carelessness, or to the utmost careful- ness, respecting practical morality. On the one hand, if any person so under- stands the assertion that a genuine chris- tian faith must always produce the fruit of christian holiness of life, as to conclude that his religion will make him a good man, without any study, or exertion, or * KaKa Km a>(fie\ifia. Tit. iii. 324 CHRISTIAN MORAL-INSTRUCTION. care, on his part, as to his moral im- provement, — that he has only to attend to the faith, and trust to the works follow- ing spontaneously, — such a one will con- sider himself, not, according to the Apostle's illustration, as one " striving" for the "Mastery,"* and prepared to " run with patience the race set before him," and resolved, through divine help, so to " run that he may obtain," but rather as a pas- senger who has embarked on board a ship, and who, if he have but been careful to fix on the right vessel, will be carried to the destined port without any further care, or any exertion on his part. And he will be in great danger of becoming one of those whom the same Apostle speaks of, who having " cast away a good conscience, concerning the faith have made shipwreck."f For, not having been, as Paul enjoins us, " careful to maintain good works," his moral defects will, instead of being corrected by his religion, have gradually corrupted his religion. His " mind and conscience * i Cor. ix. t i Tim. i. 19. CHRISTIAN MORAL-INSTRUCTION. 325 will have been defiled,"* even as the pure rain from the heavens becomes tainted by being received in an impure vessel. The plant whose roots alone have received careful culture, and whose foliage and flowers have been left un- heeded, will perhaps receive a fatal blight on these, which will work down- wards through the stem, and gradually decay the roots themselves. f On the other hand, one who so under- stands the inseparableness of a christian life from a genuine christian faith, as to consider the redeeming mercy of God in Christ as inciting us, and his promised aid by the Holy Spirit, as enabling us, to " work out our salvation with fear and trembling," because trusting that "it is God that worketh in us both to will and to do, of his good pleasure" — such a one will become a fruitful branch of the " true Vine :" not, either a branch which cannot bear fruit, of itself, because * Tit. i. 15. f This is clearly and forcibly set forth in an Ordi- nation-Sermon, published by the Rev. Cadwalladee Wolseley. Q 326 CHRISTIAN MORAL-INSTRUCTION. 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