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Issue 2000: 4
In This Issue
Editorial
J. C. Ryle -- The Evanglical Bishop (2)
Editorial
Justification: the Battleground of the Reformation
In view of the increased craving of Anglo- and Scoto-Catholics, and even Liberals and Evangelicals, for union with Rome, we need to remind ourselves that the real issue was posed by Job long ago when he asked: 'How should man be just with God?' (Job 9.2). This is the great question of every age. As sinners, we should all be asking: "How may I be just with God?" For the tragedy of Adam's fall was that we all were included in it. 'By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.' (Rom 5.12). This cannot mean that Adam was the first sinner or that he introduced depravity into the world. It means that Adam brought us all into a state of condemnation. 'The judgment was by one to condemnation,' 'by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation,' 'by one man's disobedience many were made sinners.' The antithesis concerning our Lord Jesus Christ clearly indicates this: 'By the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.' 'by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.' Justification is the opposite of condemnation. Proverbs 17.15 confirms this: 'He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the Lord.' Justification refers to our legal standing before God.
Now because justification is an act of pure grace (Rom 3.24), all our works can find no place in it, for 'to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.' (Rom 4.4). We are justified by grace, not works; otherwise grace ceases to be grace. This is why the tax-collector went down to his house justified rather than the Pharisee, why Abel was accepted rather than Cain, Paul rather than the Galatian Judaizers, Luther rather than Eck, Calvin rather than Sadoleto.
In justification a double imputation takes place: first, the believer's sin is imputed to his Substitute, who is Christ; second, the righteousness of the Substitute is imputed to the believer. Regarding the first, the Holy Spirit says: 'The Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.' (Isa 53.6); 'He hath made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us.' (2 Cor 5.21). Hence the believer can say: 'Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity.' Regarding the second, it is written that Christ fulfilled all righteousness (Matt 3.15), that His righteousness makes many others righteous (Rom 5.19), and that whoever believes on Him is not condemned (John 3.18) but rather justified (Rom 5.1). 'Therefore,' concludes Paul, 'a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law,' (Rom 3.28), for 'God imputeth righteousness without works.' Believers are thus 'made the righteousness of God in Him.' (2 Cor 5.21). This is why the Church is given the very same name as her Saviour: 'and this is the name wherewith SHE shall be called, The Lord our Righteousness,' 'and this is his name whereby HE shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.' (Jer 33.16 and 23.6).
How does this righteousness become the sinner's? By faith. 'It is of faith, that it might be by grace.' (Rom 4.16). This is how God glorifies His grace in the justification of a sinner. Abraham was strong in faith, giving glory to God. When, therefore, we ask: "How may I be just with God?" the answer of God Himself is: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ".
Justification is not a spiritual attainment but an act of grace. It originated in the ancient counsels of God. It is 'not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.' (2 Tim 1.9). This does not mean that we are justified in eternity. We are not justified until we believe. But the justification of all believers was purposed in the eternal counsels of our gracious God. Herein lies our confidence, which the Romish doctrine denies, for God will not repent of His purpose. Those whom He has predestinated and called shall certainly be justified. (Rom 8.29-30).
Our Reformers placed the doctrine of justification in its true light when they said: "We are accounted righteous before God only for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, by faith, and not for our own works or deservings: wherefore, that we are justified by faith is a most wholesome doctrine, and very full of comfort." (Article XI). On this ground they fought the battle of the Reformation. In resurrecting the true doctrine of justification after centuries of burial beneath a mound of mediaeval merit-mongering, they showed their God-given determination to brook no compromise with the enemies of Holy Scripture. May God grant us grace to follow in their steps.
The Comforter
by J. K. Popham
'I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever, even the Spirit of Truth.' John 14:16-17.
Introduction
We have no more religion, no more life, no more faith, no more hope, no
more love, no more knowledge of God than the Holy Spirit is pleased to give
us. This is a very humbling confession, and our proud nature hates it. Yet it is
true. For sin is always present with us, ceaselessly working to destroy us and
keep us from God. It is the source of all evil, misery and fear both in us and
around us. Only one person can overcome this monster -- the Holy Spirit. The
Father honours Him: may we know Him in our hearts and honour Him too!
The Lord Jesus Christ is the one to whom elect sinners go for every blessing,
but the one who leads them to Him is the Holy Spirit. Christ is the fountain
of righteousness and holiness, but the Spirit is the one who leads us to that
fountain. What a mercy it is to be kept from sinning that sin for which there
is no forgiveness, the sin against the Holy Spirit! Even God's people feel the
pain of His withdrawal when they sin and grieve Him. But thankfully He
never leaves them, though He withdraws His blessings and suspends His
operations. How keenly King David felt the effects of His withdrawal when
he cried, 'Take not Thy Holy Spirit from me !' (Psa 51:11). O how much we
need the Holy Spirit of God !
This Comforter would bring with Him every remedy for the sorrow, distress,
weakness, fear and despair that the disciples were prone to fall into. He would
bring into their hearts much comfort from the blood of Christ, the
righteousness of Christ and the intercession of Christ. He would apply to
them many great and precious promises, and would assure them that their
names were written in the Lamb's Book of Life. He would help them pray
and resist the devil; and best of all He would abide with them for ever. What
a Comforter is the Holy Spirit of God to His tried and tempted people! Not
like Job's friends, to whom he had to say, 'Miserable comforters are ye all,'
(Job 16:2), but altogether like the One who had already comforted them.
But the people of God feel they cannot do without Him. They need Him,
they pray for Him. Sometimes they are hard put to believe they can ever be
His dwelling-place. Yet they cannot do without Him. Their chief complaint
is that they are so full of unbelief and carnality, so worldly-minded and sold
under sin, that they wonder if such a Holy One could ever dwell in them. Yet
He is promised to them as the Comforter who shall both dwell in them and
abide with them for ever.
Whenever a nation casts the Word of God behind its back, that nation becomes
wicked and foolish. Says Jeremiah, 'They have rejected the Word of the
Lord, and what wisdom is in them?' (Jer 8:9). If this nation rejects the Word
of God, be sure His anger will burn against us, and we shall feel His judgments.
What a mercy to have the Bible! What a mercy to believe it! This blessed
Book is the gift of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth.
O what a Comforter He is when He gives encouragement to pray! What a
comfort to pour out the heart before God! What a mercy to go to God in the
name of Christ, to see God well-pleased in Him, and to perceive that there is
nothing in God to terrify, but only what will justify the sinner who draws
near to Him through Christ.
Sometimes He assures us that the promises of God to His elect are ours.
Perhaps He assures us that we in particular 'were not redeemed with
corruptible things,' such as silver and gold, 'but with the precious blood of
Christ, as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot.' (1 Pet 1:18-19). Or
perhaps He assures us in such terms as this: 'Fear not: for I have redeemed
thee, I have called thee by thy name: thou art mine.' (Isa 43:1).
At other times He admonishes and reproves us and makes us willing to receive
the admonition and reproof.
Then again, He brings home to our heart some gracious invitation, and makes
it spirit and life to us. How often have His people had their heads kept above
water by that gracious word: 'Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast
out.' (John 6:37) Then we find what the sweet Psalmist of Israel found when
he said:
In the Covenant of Grace the Author of election is God the Father; the Author
of redemption is God the Son; and the Author of vital religion in the hearts
of the elect is the Holy Spirit.
The Text
When our Lord was about to leave His disciples He gave them this gracious
promise of another Comforter, who would abide with them for ever. As the
only Mediator between God and men He prayed the Father to send this
Comforter in place of Himself, who was leaving them. They were soon to
lose Him who had been their Comforter and Advocate, protecting them and
answering for them against the proud religious Pharisees. But now He was
to leave them and go to heaven, having finished the work that His Father
gave Him to do. Yet He would not leave them comfortless, or orphans. And
so at His request the Father would send them the Holy Spirit in His place.
The Spirit of Truth
Now the Lord Jesus describes this Comforter as the Spirit of Truth. Notice:
He is not merely an influence, an emanation of power from the Godhead. He
is a person. No mere influence or power can be a Comforter. Further, He is a
person in the Godhead, equal in power and glory to the Father and the Son.
O how He is dishonoured today! We may suspect that religion where the
Holy Spirit is hardly mentioned or where His deity and personality are denied.
Some people are too fond of themselves and enamoured of their own imagined
ability to feel their need of Him.
The Spirit and the Bible
Now it is as the Spirit of Truth that He reveals truth to God's people. Indeed,
the whole Bible, which is God's Word of Truth, comes from Him. 'Holy
men of God spake as they were moved [or 'borne along'] by the Holy Ghost.'
(2 Pet 1:21). The very words they spoke flowed from Him into their minds
as they wrote them down. 'All Scripture is given by inspiration of God [or
'God-breathed].' (2 Tim 3:16). 'His word was in my tongue,' says David. (2
Sam 23:2). Not only were the thoughts of God given them, but the words of
God also. They might have chosen the wrong words, and so misunderstood
the mind of God. But He ensured that the very words He had chosen would
be written down in Holy Scripture. God's Word is infallible, and cannot be
broken. And wherever the same Spirit makes that Word known with power
in a poor sinner's heart, that sinner has what can be implicitly relied on.
The Spirit and Christ
The Holy Spirit was the principal agent in the formation of the human nature
of Christ. It was He who overshadowed the virgin so that she conceived her
first-born Son, Jesus Christ. And it was He who anointed Christ without
measure for every aspect of His ministry. What was foretold of His anointing
in Isaiah was fulfilled in Nazareth, namely: 'the Spirit of the Lord is upon
Me, for He hath anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor.' (Isa 61:1;
Luke 4:18). It is as the Spirit of Truth that He comes from Christ into the
heart of every elect, redeemed sinner. As a result, the sinner is born from
above and led into all the truth as it is in Jesus. (John 16:13-14).
The Spirit and Faith
The redeemed are justified by faith. But where does faith come from? Heaven.
Who gives it? The Holy Spirit. The 'faith of God's elect' is both 'the gift of
God' and the fruit of 'the operation of God.' (Tit 1:1; Eph 2:8; Col 2:12).
Faith is a wonderful grace. It receives every testimony to truth that the Spirit
brings.
Faith and the Spirit's Testimony to Sin
It receives the testimony He brings about sin. We shall never rightly believe
that we are sinners in the hands of an angry God till the Holy Spirit convinces
us of it. O what a sad and searching teaching that is when the sinner is shown
what sin dwells in him, how ruined he is, what a hell he deserves, how lost
and helpless he is, when he sees in the light of the Spirit of Truth that even
one foolish thought of his is sin. (Prov 24:9). Only the Spirit can convince of
sin like this. He searches the heart with the light of truth. It is a great light
that makes sin bitter and the sinner abominable to himself. It is the Spirit of
Truth at work, for He never shows us anything about ourselves contrary to
what Scripture says about us. What Scripture says about sin, He teaches us
to know in our own hearts. The more He dwells in us, the more vile we
become in our own sight. It is He who makes us feel our own helplessness
and ruin. Even sins that were committed in childhood, and have long since
been forgotten, He recalls them in our memory, convinces us of them and
shows us that we deserve the wrath of God for them. And it is He who closes
our mouth so that justifying ourselves becomes impossible, and at last we
see ourselves as breakers of God's holy law.
The Spirit, the Gospel and Prayer
There would be no comfort in the knowledge of our sin unless the Spirit
came also as the revealer of Christ in the gospel. When one sees himself as a
sinner he is led to pray. But how can he pray? He has offended God. He is
polluted. He has no courage to pray. He has no right to pray. Yet pray he
must. How can he pray? The Holy Spirit, again as the Spirit of Truth, shows
him the 'new and living way' in the Lord Jesus. (Heb 10:20). He shows him
a fountain of blood to wash away his sin. He shows him a robe of righteousness
to justify him as ungodly. He shows him the Mediator in heaven, ever living
to intercede for all who come to God by Him. And He opens the heart for the
sinner to pray. The first time we ever get divine encouragement to pray is
when we see that the blood of Christ can cleanse and save our souls. Whatever
sin we are guilty of, the Spirit shows us Christ in the gospel and enables us to
pray in His name for mercy and pardon and acceptance.
The Spirit and the Love of God
Further, the Spirit shows to faith the greatness of the love of God in Christ.
'God is love.' (I John 4:16). 'God commendeth His love towards us in that,
while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.' (Rom 5:8). No man will
understand what the love of God is till the Spirit of Truth lets down that love
into his heart. Then he needs no-one to teach him what it is. 'Now,' he says,
'I know what it is. God Himself has taught me. His love touched and melted
my heart. It drove away my hatred of Him. It removed my hardness, took
away my shyness, and drew me near to Him.' What a comfort is this! Says
the apostle, 'If there be in Christ any comfort of love.' (Phil 2:1). 'O,' says
the sinner, 'I know there is. The love of God, there is nothing like it!' It is
communicable; and when it is communicated, or shed abroad in the heart, its
influence is felt. It is sweet. It is powerful. It is full of comfort, hope, purity
and goodness. It flows sweetly into the heart, and makes us surprised and
happy in the love of God.
The Spirit Comforting by the Scriptures
The Spirit of God becomes our Comforter also when He brings the Scriptures -- promises, admonitions, invitations, reproofs -- to us.
In my affliction.' (Psa 119:50).
In such ways as this the Comforter gives sweet comfort to the people of God by bringing home the living Word of the living God, not merely in the letter or form, but with life, light, power and authority. Then He drives out unbelief, hardness, confusion, blindness and deadness, and brings us near to God in the comfort of His Word.
'I have given them Thy Word,' says Christ. (John 17:14). He did that on earth. Now that He is in heaven He continues to give them God's Word by sending it to them by His good Spirit, the Comforter, even the Spirit of Truth. And this is known in personal experience. The believer can say: 'I have not followed cunningly-devised fables; I know this is God's Truth.' How do you know? 'Why, I have felt its power: it relieved my conscience of guilt; it brought my soul to the footstool of mercy; it made the Lord Jesus precious to me; it made Him wonderful and glorious in my eyes; it took away my doubts and fears, and made me trust in Him. It made me love my enemies and forgive those who have wronged me.
When opened and applied by the Comforter, even the Spirit of Truth, the Gospel becomes full of wonder to us in revealing what God -- Father, Son and Spirit -- has done for sinners such as we are. And that divine Spirit shall have equal praise with the Father and Son throughout eternity from all who are redeemed from death and hell by the precious blood of Christ. It is to His working in us that we owe all right feeling and all saving knowledge. Therefore to Father, Son and Holy Spirit be all honour, glory and power, now and for ever. Amen.
Adapted
Reminder
An Age of Lawlessness -- James Ormiston
The Centrality of the Cross -- Samuel Champion
Shall Everyone Be Saved? -- John Brentnall
The following new pamphlets are now available
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The truth is, the Five Points of Calvinism do not originate with Calvin, but
are all taught by our Lord Jesus Christ.
Furthermore, our Lord told His disciples: 'Ye have not chosen Me, but I
have chosen you.' (John 15.16). 'True,' observes Calvin, 'the subject now
in hand is not the ordinary election of believers, .. but that special election,
by which He set apart His disciples to the office of preaching the gospel. But
if it was by free gift, and not by their own merit, that they were chosen to the
apostolic office, much more is it certain that the election, by which, from
being the children of wrath and an accursed seed, we become the children of
God, is of free grace.'
The doctrine of election according to God's sovereign good pleasure is thus
clearly taught by our Lord Jesus Christ.
His own testimony to this is clear. In speaking of Himself He says: 'The
good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. ' (John 10.11). 'The elect want
[i.e. lack] not a shepherd,...Christ not only gives life to his sheep, but his own
life for them, by way of ransom.' (George Hutcheson) This is how He
redeemed them.
In His Great High Priestly prayer also our Lord says that He would give
eternal life to as many as the Father had given Him. (John 17.2). 'Some
have this privilege above the rest of lost mankind,' says the Puritan George
Newton, 'that God the Father gives them to His Son Jesus Christ.' Christ
teaches this when He says: 'This is my Father's will, that of all which He
hath given me I should lose nothing,' (John 6.39), and 'Thine they were,
and thou gavest them me.' (John 17.6). Adds Newton: 'the number of them
is precisely and exactly known to God.' And to them Christ gives eternal
life, as He says: 'I am come that they might have life.' (John 10.10), where
'they' are His sheep: 'My sheep hear my voice, and I give unto them eternal
life.' (John 10.27-28). So Newton concludes: 'Those whom his Father gives
him for a people by election, those he is designed to save, and no others.'
Accordingly the Shorter Catechism rightly phrases Question 21 in these terms:
'Who is the Redeemer of God's elect?' and answers: 'The only Redeemer of
God's elect is the Lord Jesus Christ.' Further proof is needless. Our Lord
clearly taught that He gave His life to redeem God's elect, and no others.
Thus His redemption is particular and not universal.
It is this latter aspect that our Saviour addresses when He tells the Jews:
'And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.' (John 5.40). This is a
very solemn statement. Man has a certain power to know the truth of the
Gospel; he has some sense of moral obligation to God; he is sometimes
emotionally affected by the claims of Christ; but HE WILL NOT COME TO
CHRIST to receive eternal life. He may be intellectually enlightened; he
may be convicted of sin; he may have some natural affection for Christ; but
his will is invincibly averse to coming to Christ for salvation. The moral
state of his heart is such that he CANNOT respond favourably. Yet because
this inability is rooted in his will, our Lord lays all the blame on man's
UNWILLINGNESS. His inability is MORAL, and lies in the will. So forceful
is the Saviour's condemnation of this inability that He uses two distinct verbs
to express it. The correct meaning is:'You do not will to come.' ie. 'You
have no heart, desire or inclination to come.' This is the real and only reason
why men do not come to Christ: they are unwilling.
This truth is so important for clearing away the wretched excuses levelled at
God by those who refuse Christ. It is not because of God's decree that men do
not come to Him. Neither is it because of God's unwillingness to receive sinners.
Nor is it through any limitation in Christ's atoning work. It is not because our
sins are too great for Him to forgive, nor that we have no warrant to believe. It is
because we do not want to come. The fault is entirely our own. As our salvation
is entirely of God, so our condemnation is entirely of ourselves.
Should further testimony be sought, our Lord states that one of His offices as
the Messiah is to preach deliverance to the captives, and to set at liberty
those who are bruised [or bound]. (Luke 4.18). If it requires nothing less
than His almighty power to deliver poor sinners from the chains of sin and
Satan, then clearly man is totally unable to deliver himself. Moreover, in His
description of the heart of man (Mark 7.20-23), there is not a hint of ability
to co-operate with God. All is depravity and moral vileness. Having such a
heart as this, man is wholly unable to make himself pure. This moral inability
of man since the Fall is one of the central truths of Calvinism, and our Lord
Himself taught it.
That our Lord taught this great truth is certain. On one occasion, reasoning
with the stubborn Jews, He said: 'Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is
coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of
God, and they that hear shall live. ' (John 5.25). If this is not an emphatic
assertion of the irresistibility of His grace, then nothing is. Christ's words do
not refer to His raising of the dead, such as Lazarus or the young man from
Nain. They point to Him working a spiritual resurrection on the spiritually
dead, those who are dead in trespasses and sins. Christ has power to raise the
spiritual dead and make them live; and here He asserts it. The New Birth is
altogether a work of divine power. Calvinists believe this, not as a logical
inference from man's inability, but because Christ says it.
In another place He says: 'No man can come to me, except the Father which
hath sent me draw him.' (John 6.44). Here is a further assertion of God's
irresistible grace. Comments Matthew Henry: 'It is drawing, which denotes
not a force put upon the will, but a change wrought in the will. A new bias is
given to the soul, by which it inclines to God.' Notice: it is God who
regenerates; man is regenerated. Man is wholly passive at the moment when
irresistible grace lays hold of him. The New Birth is a change wrought in us,
not a work performed by us. Neither is it a mere inducement to believe through
the persuasive power of reasoning or moral force. It is the fruit of the
irresistible power of divine grace. As the Westminster Confession says: 'All
those whom God hath predestinated unto life, and those only, He is pleased,
in His appointed and accepted time, effectually to call, by His Word and
Spirit, out of that state of sin and death in which they are by nature, to grace
and salvation by Jesus Christ...renewing their wills, and by His almighty
power determining them to that which is good, and effectually drawing them
to Jesus Christ; yet so as they come most freely, being made willing by His
grace.' Our Lord Jesus Christ taught this leading tenet of Calvinism.
The statements of our Lord endorsing this truth are legion. It is sufficient to
quote only a sample. 'My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they
follow me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish,
neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave
them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my
Father's hand. ' (John 10. 27-29). Comments Loraine Boettner: 'It would
be as easy to pluck a star out of the heavens as to pluck a saint out of the
Father's hand.' Again: 'He that believeth hath eternal life.' (John 6.47).
What a firm foundation is this on which a poor believer may build! Our
Saviour allows us to be fully persuaded that in Him our eternal blessedness
is secure. Says Toplady truly:
The Reformed doctrine of the Perseverance of the Saints is a doctrine taught
by our Lord Jesus Christ, and can never be denied without disloyalty to Him.
On the very witness of Holy Scripture, therefore, we see that our Lord publicly
preached those 'five points' which Calvinists call the 'doctrines of grace.' In
such a brief article as this, we cannot answer every cavil against them raised
by unbelievers or Arminians. But we are enjoined to receive them, embrace
them, proclaim them and contend for them. May the God of all grace enable
us to do so.
The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary speaks of the 'five points of
Calvinism' as '(1) Particular election; (2) Particular redemption; (3) Moral
inability in a fallen state; (4) Irresistible grace; (5) Final perseverance.' This
is a fair representation. But when the venerable dictionary describes these
truths as 'the doctrines of John Calvin,' we view its definition as both
inadequate and misleading.
1. Particular Election.
In His very first sermon at Nazareth, our Lord Jesus Christ preached the
doctrine of particular election. He taught that divine grace was not confined
to the Jews, but was shown to chosen Gentiles, such as Naaman the Syrian
and the widow of Zarephath. (Luke 4.16-30). Little wonder that His hearers
were 'filled with wrath' and sought to rid themselves of Him. Fallen human
nature hates the doctrine of election. It always wants to feel free to choose
what it will, rather than accept that God chooses whom He will. It hates the
thought that God has the right to pass by some and fix on others in the
distribution of His mercies. Of all the doctrines in the Bible none is more
offensive to fallen man as that of God's sovereign election. To be told that
He will have mercy on whom He will, that He is in no way bound to give an
account of His actions, that "it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that
runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy," these are truths that the natural
man cannot bear. Yet our Lord Jesus Christ opened His Galilean ministry
with them!
2. Particular Redemption.
Particular Redemption 'is as extensive as...Particular Election.' That is,
'All whom God the Father particularly elected, God the Son particularly
redeemed.' (William Walmsley) That is, our Lord died to redeem all those,
neither more nor less, whom the Father had chosen in Him.
3. Moral Inability in a Fallen State.
Reformed writers normally use the term Total Depravity. This covers all the
powers of the soul-- mind, heart, will, conscience, etc. The Dictionary
definition narrows the issue down to that of the moral inability in our will.
This precision is relevant to our purpose.
4. Irresistible Grace.
When God changes the heart of an elect, redeemed, helpless sinner, He does
so with invincible power. Calvinists attribute this divine act to Irresistible
Grace.
5. Final Perseverance.
The last of the Five Points of Calvinism is well expressed by the Westminster
Confession: 'They whom God hath accepted in His Beloved, effectually called
and sanctified by His Spirit, can neither totally nor finally fall away from the
state of grace; but shall certainly persevere therein to the end, and be eternally
saved.'
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His tract writing began in the 1850s. The titles were short and clear: Do You Pray? Dead or Alive? Are you Free? They directly address the conscience.
He wrote nearly 300, selling at a penny a time, and within the next century
over 12 million were distributed worldwide.
In 1856 he began devotional writings on the Gospels, concluding with a
three volume work on John's Gospel. Spurgeon in Commentating and
Commentators said of this last work: "We prize these volumes...Mr. Ryle
has evidently studied all previous writers on the Gospels and has given forth
an individual utterance of considerable value." His historic and doctrinal
writings sold well and have been revived, revised and reprinted many times
since. In his historic writings he takes us back to the Reformers of the 16th
century: Latimer, Ridley, Hooper and Bradford, and asks the question: Why
were our Reformers Burned? He exposed the errors of popery and speaks
out against its return in the guise of ritualism. At times his words seem almost
prophetic.
In Christian Leaders of the Last Century (the 18th) he commends the lives
of Wesley, Whitefield, Romaine and others who were faithful to the gospel.
He clearly believed that evangelical religion was the only true representation
of the historic reformed Protestant faith expressed in the 39 Articles and the
Prayer Book.
His magnum opus was Knots Untied (1874). In 19 papers he addresses all
the burning theological issues of the day. He faces head on the issues raised
by the sacramentalists and refutes them convincingly.
Other writings of wider appeal to all Christians of every persuasion were
Holiness and Practical Religion. These books complement each other and
show what true Christian discipleship is all about. Holiness seeks to present
a biblically balanced understanding of holiness as opposed to the erroneous
ideas of some of the early Keswick preachers and teachers. The Keswick
movement began in 1874. Led by Anglican evangelicals it attracted speakers
from other denominations including an American, Robert Pearsall Smith,
whose teaching tended toward Christian perfectionism. Its aim was to promote
"practical holiness" and "victorious Christian living" in the power of the
Spirit. Ryle believed that Pearsall Smith and others like him had a defective
view of sin. Holiness commences with a chapter on Sin. On the very first
page he writes: "a right knowledge of sin lies at the root of all saving
Christianity." In his introduction he is even more direct: "is it wise to draw
such a deep, wide and distinct line of separation between conversion and
consecration, or the higher life, so called, as many draw in the present day?
It is well known that Romish writers often maintain that the Church is divided
into three classes -- sinners, penitents and saints. The modern teachers of this
day who tell us that professing Christians are of three sorts -- the unconverted,
the converted and the partakers of the "higher life" of complete consecration
-- appear to me to occupy very much the same ground."
These evangelistic, devotional, historic, doctrinal and experimental writings
reveal something of the balanced Christianity Ryle expressed. He had a fine
mind but never restricted his appeal to an intellectual elite.
In Knots Untied he compares the Ritualists and Rationalists with the Pharisees
and Sadducees of Jesus' day: "The school of the Pharisees and the school of
the Sadducees, those ardent mothers of all mischief, were never more active
than they are now." Like the Pharisees, the Ritualists added to Scripture and
like the Sadducees, the Rationalist subtracted from Scripture.
Much to his dismay his son Herbert became one of the leading advocates of
Higher Criticism. A brilliant scholar, he was to excel in Old Testament studies
and by 1888 had been appointed Hulsean Professor of Divinity at Cambridge.
In 1901, he was appointed Bishop of Exeter. By then Higher Criticism had
become intellectually respectable. Despite their differences, Ryle and his
son maintained a close relationship and Herbert was with his father at his
death.
If he had to, Ryle was ready to face ritualism head on. In Liverpool, one
clergyman, Bell-Cox, was defiant in his ritualistic practices and was taken to
court, imprisoned but later released. In 1897 Ryle refused to license a curate
for the parish of St. Thomas, Toxteth, because he taught auricular confession.
Ryle's stand was consistent to the end. In his preface to the 1896 edition of
Knots Untied he wrote: "The views which I held as a presbyter I still hold as
a Bishop." One of his favourite Bible texts expresses his philosophy well:
"If the trumpet give an uncertain sound who shall prepare himself to the
battle?" (l Cor 14:8.) Ryle was engaged in a spiritual warfare and sought to
warn the church of the danger at its gate.
At times his words had a distinctly prophetic note. In 1890 he wrote: "At the
rate we are going, it would never surprise me if within fifty years the crown
of England were no longer on a Protestant head and High Mass were once
more celebrated in Westminster Abbey and St Paul's." These words may yet
see their fulfilment.
He certainly understood the signs of the times. In Holiness he recalls how
the men of Issachar were "men that had understanding of the times" in which
they lived (l Chron 12:32.) and proceeds to apply this by drawing his readers'
attention to present dangers. In addition to warnings concerning liberals and
ritualists he saw great weakness in the church of his day amongst many who
were indifferent to biblical doctrine and practical holiness. He believed that
these contributory factors opened the way for the advance of false teaching.
In 1868 in an address to the Islington Clerical Conference entitled We Must
Unite he made a plea for a strong, united Evangelical Association, but it
never emerged. His willingness to have closer ties with non-conformists was
often evident. On one occasion when plans were being drawn up for the
revision of the Bible he made this appeal: "if we may unite to revise our
Bible, why not also to print and circulate it!" As Bishop of Liverpool he
sought to maintain cordial interdenominational ties.
On February 1st 1900, in his final diocesan address, he wrote: "Beware of
divisions. One thing the children of the world can always understand, if they
do not understand doctrine; that thing is angry quarrelling and controversy.
Be at peace among yourselves."
He states quite categorically: "Evangelical Religion is the religion of Scripture
and of the Church of England."
His loyalty is best expressed in the following lines from Why were our
reformers burned?: "We ought not lightly to forsake the Church of England... What though some of the crew are traitors, and some are asleep! What
though the old ship has some leaks and her rigging has given way in some
places! Still I maintain there is much to be done. There is life in the old ship
yet. The great Pilot has not yet forsaken her. The compass of the Bible is still
on deck.... So long as the Articles and Formularies are not Romanized, let
us stick by the ship."
In his Introduction to Light From Old Times (1890) he further defines what
an evangelical churchman is under twelve headings. In addition to the above
five points he states that "we are accounted righteous before God only for
the merit of our Lord Jesus Christ, by faith and not for our own works," and
that "there is no corporal presence of Christ's natural flesh and blood in the
consecrated elements of bread and wine," and therefore "the Lord's Supper
is a Sacrament, and not a sacrifice." He concludes by saying: "Whatever
good there may be in other schools of thought, it is certain that no men can
show a better title to be called 'Successors of the Reformers' than the members
of the Evangelical School."
From the earliest days of his public ministry he gave himself fully to the
flock. He was a great admirer of Richard Baxter, and like Baxter stressed the
importance of pastoral visitation. Of his ministry at Exbury he wrote: "I kept
a regular account of all the families in the parish and was in every home in
the parish at least once a month". This commitment continued in Helmingham
and Stradbroke.
As a Bishop, despite his ageing years, he was to establish the diocese of
Liverpool as one of the leading evangelical dioceses. He appointed two
evangelical Archdeacons (Liverpool and Warrington) and began to work at
increasing the number of incumbents and improving their conditions.
Incumbents rose from 170 to 206 and curates from 120 to 230. In addition
many Scripture readers and Bible women were added. The Scripture Readers
would take services in mission halls, conduct Sunday Schools and visit the
sick, and the Bible Women's Society worked in the slums amongst the poorest
of the poor. In 1882 he started the Lay Helper's Association and the
membership rose to 580 at the close of his ministry.
To support the clergy further he was a pioneer in the introduction of
Sustentation and Pensions funds and this reveals the caring and practical
nature of his leadership. From 1881 he organized Diocesan Conferences
at St. George's Hall, when he would address, challenge and encourage
his clergy. He sought to strengthen the labourers in the gospel and at the
same time reach out to those hitherto unreached or untouched by the
established church. He was criticized for the delay in the building of a
Cathedral but he replied: "my first and foremost business...is to provide
for preaching the Gospel to souls now entirely neglected, whom no
cathedral would touch."
In some ways he was a radical. At the Southampton Church Congress in
1870 he had made a bold plea for church reform: "Repeal the Act of
Uniformity! Shorten the Services! Use the Laity." He desired the reform of
church courts and canon law and advocated an amalgamation of the two
provinces. He sought to avoid time-wasting administrative issues and was
infrequent in his attendance at the House of Lords. Of a Meeting of Bishops
he wrote: "I came away vexed and annoyed, and I am not at all disposed to
go up again to London for one night for such a waste of time." Toward the
close of the century evangelicals in high office were few in number, but Ryle
made his influence felt and supported the promotion of men like Henry Wace
(later Dean of Canterbury) and Handley Moule (Bishop of Durham, 1901).
While his convictions and presence earned him the respect and affection of
many, there were others who felt him to be aloof. He certainly had his faults
and failings and was ready to admit them. Writing to his son he notes: "I
have had too many failures in my own life and seen too many to dwell on
failures long." His honesty and humility commends itself to all church leaders.
From a nonconformist perspective his reverence for the Articles and the Prayer
Book and his loyalty to the established Church seemed excessive. From
another direction he has been criticized for his lack of social awareness.
Joseph Arch, a Primitive Methodist, founded the Agricultural Labourers'
Union and sought to extend its influence in Suffolk, but Ryle gave him no
support. His reasons are clearly spelt out elsewhere when he declares: "In
the matter of Unions my sentence is that the clergy had better not interfere
with them. Let them mind their own business and remember that business as
to live and preach the Gospel." His concern for the needy was very real. In
Stradbroke he had undertaken the building of a local school in 1864 and in
Liverpool schools and mission halls were established amongst the teeming
thousands of poverty-stricken Liverpudlians in the slums of the inner city;
but Ryle's priority as a Pastor and Bishop was to preach the Gospel. Perhaps
some clergy today might do well to consider Ryle's priorities for their ministry
in a generation when church attendances are continually in decline.
No man ministers alone, and alongside him in Liverpool was Canon Richard
Hobson. This man was not only a close friend but also a co-worker in the
Gospel and it was at Hobson's church, St. Nathaniel's, that Ryle and his
family worshipped. Hobson had begun his ministry in Liverpool in 1864
with 5 people meeting in a cellar, but by the time his ministry concluded in
1901 there was an average congregation of 2,000. This was inner city
evangelism at its best and most effective. It was fitting therefore that Hobson
should deliver the final tribute at Ryle's memorial service on June 17th 1900:
"He was great in stature; great in mental powers; great in spirituality; great
as a preacher and expositor of God's most holy Word; great in hospitality;
great in winning souls to God; great as a writer of Gospel tracts; great as an
author of works which will long live ... great as the first Bishop of Liverpool."
It was a greatness which flowed from the abounding grace of God at work
within him.
Peter Landy.
The challenge of the new millennium is therefore between a thorough-going
Calvinism and thorough-going Unbelief. For Calvinism worships a glorious,
holy, sovereign God who really reigns, who really saves, who really punishes.
(Acts 17.22-31). He has revealed Himself in both Nature and Grace, and all
who deny Him are inexcusable. (Psa 8, 19; Isa 40; Rom 1.18-3.20). And so,
asks Loraine Boettner, 'who would not prefer to have his affairs in the hands
of a God of infinite power, wisdom, holiness and love, rather than to have
them left to fate, or chance, or irrevocable natural law, or to short-sighted
and perverted self?' Those who reject the only true and living God should
consider what alternatives they have left.
The gathering at Assissi of world religious leaders indicates the depths to
which avowedly Christian men will stoop to 'discuss the common bases' of
their faiths, 'remove misunderstanding' and 'participate in united acts of
worship.' So the age-old challenge remains: 'What concord hath Christ with
belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? and what agreement
hath the temple of God with idols?' (2 Cor 6.15-16). What has our most holy
faith to do with modem Judaism, Islam, Buddhism and Humanism, which
all reject the Trinity, set Christ below their 'prophets', deny His glorious
atonement and foster a proud self-righteousness? Only as we stand firm in
our historic Reformed Faith shall we be able to meet the challenge of apostasy.
God's challenge is clear: 'Buy the truth, and sell it not.' (Prov 23.23). He
calls for 'truth in the inward parts' and accepts the one who 'speaks the truth
in his heart' and 'walks in His truth.' (Psa 51.6; 15.2; 26.3). It is not in vain
that He describes Himself as 'the God of truth.' (Isa 65.16). Are we prepared
to contend and suffer for His truth? We may be called on to suffer for it. That
would be a high privilege. For if we suffer with Him we shall also reign with
Him. (2 Tim 2.12). On the scaffold in the Edinburgh Grassmarket, Captain
John Paton said: 'I had the choice between sinning and suffering, and I chose
suffering.' What an example!
When the Lord of glory becomes poor for our sakes; when His holy prophets
and apostles sting the rich for their covetousness, self-indulgence and
exploitation of others; when Savonarola is burnt to death for following their
example; when Dabney warns us against the dangers of material prosperity
(see Discussions 1.699), are we not convicted of our materialistic outlook on
life? Can any believer justify the extravagance inseparably attached to
'Christmas' and reflected in social climbing and the acquisition of
possessions? 'Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life
consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.' (Luke
12.15). Even the collecting of Christian books can be a great snare to us.
May we heed this solemn warning from our Saviour, and seek grace to be
rich in faith and good works.
The evangelical Bishop (2)An Evaluation of His Contribution to the Victorian Church
If Simeon and Wilberforce were the leading evangelicals at the beginning of the century and Shaftesbury the leading evangelical in the mid-Victorian era then Ryle took up that role in the final quarter of the century. We shall look at his influence under six headings:
1. His Writings.
These are his most enduring legacy. Their simplicity and sincerity have led
to their widespread popular appeal.
2. His Stand Against Ritualism and Rationalism.
His writings were perhaps his most powerful and enduring weapon against
ritualism and rationalism, yet they were just one expression of an all-embracing desire to uphold the truth and defend this country's Protestant
heritage. The advance of liberal theology had gained momentum in the latter
part of the century, Essays and Reviews (1860) and Lux Mundi (1889) being
two significant publications produced by those who rejected orthodox views
concerning the authority of the Bible and its interpretation.
3. His Concern For True Christian Unity.
It must not be supposed, however, that Ryle was unconcerned about true
church unity. He had a deep desire to see greater evangelical unity within the
Church of England in order that it might stand firm against the errors of
ritualism and liberalism that were sweeping in.
4. His Concern For Evangelism and Mission.
The gospel of God's saving grace had taken hold of Ryle in 1837 and he
never ceased to proclaim it to others. From his earliest years in ministry he
sought to communicate the gospel by every means available. He was a great
enthusiast for missions. Following the great evangelical revival of 1859 Ryle
sought to build up the work at Stradbroke where he had been appointed in
1861. He founded a flourishing Sunday School and there were open air
meetings twice a week in the summer and cottage meetings twice a week in
the winter. He invited Reginald Radcliffe, a Liverpool solicitor and leading
evangelist of the day, to lead open air meetings in Ipswich and Stradbroke,
and this no doubt proved to be a great encouragement as he began his work
there. He gave his wholehearted support to the missions of Moody and Sankey
in the 1870s and 1880s and in 1883 welcomed Moody to Liverpool declaring
that he was "one of those who thank God extremely for Mr. Moody." [We
believe Ryle lacked the discernment of John Kennedy of Dingwall in this
matter. Ed.] His concern for evangelism and mission at home was equalled
by his burden for world mission. His support for the Church Missionary
Society, the Colonial and Continental Church Society and his frequent
appearances on the platform at Exeter Hall reflected the breadth of his vision.
5. His Evangelical Churchmanship.
Ryle was proud to be called an evangelical and to be a minister in the Church
of England. In Knots Untied he clearly outlines what evangelicalism is and
what it is not. He identifies 5 distinguishing characteristics:
6. Preacher, Pastor and Bishop.
Few who read the life of Ryle can be left in any doubt concerning the
importance he attached to the preaching of the Word. For Ryle the Bible was
foundational and of supreme significance in the life of the church. When the
church building at Stradbroke was being restored he made sure that the pulpit
was given the place of prominence and had the workmen carve on it: "Woe
is unto me if I preach not the Gospel!" (I Cor 9.16.)
Conclusions.
His contribution to the Church and the defence of historic Christianity was
significant at a time when evangelical churchmanship was becoming
unfashionable. While many evangelical churchmen were drawn to Keswick
and its teaching few were as ready as Ryle to "earnestly contend for the
faith". Ryle's clear and consistent testimony was uncompromised even when
holding high office. In his last years he was often the lone voice for historic
protestantism amongst the Bishops. He was a man who commanded respect.
Loane records: "He stood six feet two in his shoes, so he told a Bootle tea
party in 1897, and a full length beard added to his impressive appearance".
Introduction.
A particularly Biblical meaning of the verb 'to challenge' is 'to summon to a
contest.' The very sound of the word stirs up thoughts of combat, defiance
and claim. Whoever challenges another calls him to engage in conflict. Thus
Milton speaks of Samson being summoned to 'challenge Dagon to the test.'
(Samson Agonistes. 1151). Moses speaks of a man's right in law to challenge
another's claim to his property (Exod 22.9). Our Lord challenged the legalistic
glosses of the Pharisees. (Matt 5.43-44). Paul challenged the temporizing of
Peter. (Gal 2.14f.). John challenged the ecclesiastical tyranny of Diotrephes.
(3 John 9,10). That God is challenging us today should not be in doubt. His
enemies are not merely at the gates: they are within the gates, and are very
busy about their nefarious work. Our challenge is to engage in deadly combat
with them.
I. The Challenge of Unbelief.
Never in the last half millennium has there been such widespread unbelief as
there is today. Despite the Reformation, the Great Evangelical Revival, the
19th century Missionary Movement and the world-wide distribution of Holy
Scripture, the ancient ethnic religions are as deeply entrenched as ever. At
worst they teach a bald atheism, at best a refined pantheism. In the last
analysis, they are all reducible to religions of fate, chance, natural law,
mysticism or will-worship. Yet whatever form the world's unbelieving
religions take, their devotees all have this in common: they worship an
unknown god.
2. The Challenge of Apostasy
No less menacing than unbelief is the widespread apostasy of professing
churches from the faith once delivered to the saints. All the historic Protestant
churches are under attack from within; many have already succumbed.
Arminianism, first doctrinal, then ritualistic, then evangelical, led the way.
In its wake came Rationalism, with its unbelieving Biblical Criticism. Then
followed the Romantic-Gothic revival of Ritualism, in the form of the Oxford
Movement. Hard on its heels came Darwinian Evolutionism, with its atheistic
presuppositions and consequences. These collectively have dragged the
churches down into the baldest Naturalism. Some retain a thin veneer of
deference to the only Saviour; others have abandoned all pretensions to the
religion He founded.
3. The Challenge of Truth
Among Christian titles from the past are Scott's Force of Truth, Gill's Cause
of God and Truth, Lloyd-Jones's Truth Unchanged, Unchanging. What was
the Protestant Reformation but a re-discovery of long-buried Christian
TRUTH? Yet with the current abandonment of absolute standards and the
adoption of relativity in so many fields of human endeavour, including
theology and ethics, what has happened to truth? Truly it has 'fallen in the
street'; it has 'perished'; people are no longer 'valiant for the truth'; nor will
they 'speak the truth', even in churches. (Isa 59.14; Jer 7.28; 9.3,5).
4. The Challenge of Materialism.
Many Christians believe with worldlings that here in the west 'we've never
had it so good.' They completely ignore the dangers of material prosperity.
They seem to shrug off the Biblical warnings that God has kindly given us.
Judged by their self-indulgent life-style, they might never have read that 'the
cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other
things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.' (Mark 4.19);
or 'how hardly shall they that have riches' and 'that trust in riches enter into
the kingdom of God.' (Mark 10.23-24); or 'go to now, ye rich men, weep
and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.' (James 5.1). Such
men and women are strangers to self-denial, however much the material
poverty and needs of others (including their own brethren and sisters in Christ)
stare them in the face. Did they ever read that we are to devote ourselves to
lawful labour 'that we may have to give to him that needeth,' (Eph 4.28)?
and that 'God loveth a cheerful giver,' (2 Cor 9.7)? Such challenges are
proffered to us not merely for our learning, but for our doing.
5. The Challenge of Prayer.
If there is one fact that has kept the heads of God's people above water, it is
that He is a prayer-hearing God. 'Call upon me in the day of trouble. I will
deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.' (Psa 50.15).'O thou that hearest
prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come.' (Psa 65.2). This is why Hugh Martin
called prayer 'that mightiest of all weapons.' So necessary is prayer to the
Church's perennial conflict with evil that as he surveys the powers of darkness
confronting her the apostle Paul urges: 'Praying always with all prayer and
supplication in the Spirit.' (Eph 6.18). D.M.Lloyd-Jones reminds us that our
blessed Lord was once engaged in the same conflict. All the powers of hell
were unleashed against Him. 'And the very fact that we are Christians means
that we are inevitably involved in this fight and conflict.' Nothing could be
further from the truth, he adds, than the idea that once we are Christians our
problems and difficulties are past. This is why prayer must accompany our
donning and use of every piece of Christian armour:
Each piece put on with prayer.'
Indeed, everything we undertake in this life must be done in the spirit of prayer. (Prov 3.5-6; Luke 11.9).
This is where the challenge bites keenest. It is comparatively easy to remain formal and orthodox Calvinists; to denounce apostasy in the nation, the churches and others; to retain an intellectual grasp of truth. But it is very difficult to 'continue instant in prayer.' (Rom 12.12). Yet if the Lord is to do anything for us, He will have us plead earnestly for it. (Ezek 36.37). Do we pray? Are we wrestlers with God? Do we prefer the Prayer Meeting to the football match? communion with God to 'marching for Jesus'? In the 17th century John Owen urged that 'there is more than an ordinary earnestness and fervency of spirit and wrestling with God required of us at this day for the cause of Zion, the interest of Christ and the defeating of His adversaries.' How much greater is the need today!
May God in His long-suffering enable us to face and meet the challenges of
the new millennium.
The cost is £2.00 per cassette obtainable from:
6. The Challenge of Christ's Appearing.
Some Christians live as though they were to be here on earth for ever. But
soon (and no-one knows how soon) the clouds will rent, and Christ will
come again, 'freighted and loaded with glory.' (Rutherford). Every eye shall
see Him, and all shall convene before Him, to render an account of things
done in the body and of every secret thing. Puritans such as Robert Bolton
and William Bates kept this momentous event constantly before the eyes of
their people. O how Holy Scripture urges us to prepare for 'the glorious
appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ!' (Tit 2.13).
If this is not a challenge to us, nothing is. So John Calvin says: 'he who
would persevere in the course of a holy life must apply his whole soul to the
hope of Christ's coming.' With this counsel agree the Westminster divines,
who urge us to shake off 'all carnal security,' to be 'always watchful' and to
be ready to say: 'Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly.' (Westminster Confession.
XXXIII.3). So God's Word comes to us all: 'Be ye also ready; for in such an
hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.' (Matt 24.44).
34 Pembury Road,
Tonbridge,
Kent TN9 2HX.
Hear, Lord, my prayer; let not my soul faint under Thy discipline, nor let me
faint in confessing unto Thee all Thy mercies, whereby Thou hast drawn me
out of all my most evil ways, that Thou mightest become a delight to me
above all the allurements which I once pursued; that I may most entirely
love Thee, and clasp Thy hand with all my affections, and Thou mayest yet
rescue me from every temptation, even unto the end.
(Augustine)
I am indeed a sinner as touching this present life and its righteousness, as the
child of Adam; where the law accuses me death reigns over me and at length
would devour me. But I have another righteousness and life above this life,
which is Christ the Son of God, who knows no sin nor death, but righteousness
and eternal life; by whom this my body, being dead and brought into dust,
shall be raised up again and delivered from the bondage of the law and sin,
and shall be sanctified together with the spirit.
(Martin Luther)
Lutheranism, springing from the throes of a guilt-burdened soul seeking peace
with God, finds this peace in faith, and stops right there ... It will know
nothing beyond the peace of the justified soul. Calvinism asks with the same
eagerness as Lutheranism the great question: "What shall I do to be saved?"
and answers it precisely as Lutheranism answers it. But it cannot stop there.
The deeper question presses upon it: "Whence this faith by which I am
justified?" ... It has zeal, no doubt, for salvation, but its highest zeal is for
the honour of God, and it is this question which quickens its emotions and
vitalizes its efforts. It begins, it centres and it ends with the vision of God in
His glory; and it sets itself before all things to render to God His rights in
every sphere of life activity.
(B.B.Warfield)
What a wonderful teacher experience is, especially experience in adversity.
It instructs us so fully respecting our own ignorance and weakness; the world's
vanity and fickleness; Satan's malice and power; the tenderness and sympathy
of real Christians; and the wisdom, power, love and faithfulness of God.
(William S Plumer)
This reprint of a 19th century response to the delusions of Edward Irving is
a classic. The erudite author, a former Dean of Ripen, succeeds admirably in
proving that modern claimants to charismatic gifts have nothing in common
with the extra-ordinary gifts of Scripture but everything in common with
false claimants of the past. Bringing to bear on the issue a thoroughly Biblical
perspective, an extensive grasp of church history and scholarship second to
none, he systematically dismembers his opponents with the deftness of a
surgeon. His most telling arguments are Irvingism's internal inconsistencies,
the secrecy of its supposed revelations and their close resemblance to parallel
manifestations in pagan religions. Inevitably he draws comparisons with
Montanism, a 2nd century charismatic movement which the Early Church
Fathers condemned. Significantly, he attributes charismania to the proud,
self-centred craving of our fallen nature for the marvellous; the presence in
the church of false prophets, as predicted (Matt 7.22-23; 24.24; Rev 13.13-14); the power and deceitfulness of Satan; and such natural phenomena as
heightened mental and emotional states. He concludes that the post-apostolic
disappearance of charismatic gifts is not attributable to unbelief (as Irving
and modem charismatics claim), but to their divine withdrawal on completion
of the canon of Scripture. What is at stake is nothing less than the all-sufficiency of the Word of God Written. As a standard reference work on the
origins of modem charismaticism, Goode is indispensable. Need we add
that it is cheap at the price?
No-one is better qualified to record the changes within Evangelicalism during
the last half century than lain Murray. That he does so with the flowing style
and perceptive comment we have come to expect from him makes the reading
of this book a pleasure. Yet for all that this survey is deeply disturbing; for it
not only traces the steady erosion of doctrinal certainty that has virtually
neutralized all distinctive Evangelical witness since 1950; it also identifies
those chiefly responsible for the wholesale bartering of our priceless
Evangelical heritage. [Were Thomas Scott, George Whitefield, William
Romaine, John Newton, John Berridge and their brethren to appear on the
current scene, they would not recognize these plausible advocates of
accommodation.] Furthermore, the author puts his finger on two recent shifts
that can spell only disaster for the Evangelical Faith: the bias towards
Intellectualism and increasing good-will towards Romanism. With such
warnings staring us in the face, Murray's conviction that the new Evangelical
mentality has brought again to the fore that most fundamental of questions:
What is a Christian? must not go unheeded.
Next to reading Kuyper himself, a study such as this is the best way to
understand and evaluate this remarkable leader of Dutch Reformed thought.
And it is the multi-faceted nature of his subject that accounts for Professor
McGoldrick's subtitle. Journalist, dogmatician, pastor, politician (even prime
minister), educationalist, visionary -- Kuyper was all these, and more. Yet the
dominant impression remaining from this valuable critique (it is not a simple
biography) is of Kuyper's single-minded and indefatigable devotion to the
ideal of the supreme Lordship of Christ over all human existence. This alone
is a much-needed corrective to the 'Reformed' sectarianism and myopia
around today.
Yet Professor McGoldrick's study also throws up several very important
issues: Are there any circumstances in which a minister of the Word of God
is Biblically warranted in engaging in political activity? Do differences about
such matters as Common Grace warrant ecclesiastical separation? How in
actual practice can Reformed believers influence State policy on spiritual
and moral issues which profoundly affect a nation?
As people pay more attention to the current emphasis on 'holistic' remedies
for the dreadful evils afflicting mankind, few titles could be more helpful
than the present one to point Reformed Christians towards a world view that
is both Scriptural and consistent with the most fervent passion for souls and
the glory of God. Considering the exorbitant prices of many paperbacks today,
£8.95 is little to ask for such a well-documented and well-reasoned study.
Other titles sent for review are held over (DV) for lack of space.
Dear Father and Mother,
The blood of the everlasting covenant and the shadow
of the Almighty are indeed a happy shelter for time and eternity. It is well
with each one of those who are fully, heartily and boldly on the side of
Jehovah. Blessed are those eyes which begin to look within the veil and to
perceive that divine glory, the effulgence of which is the beauty and sweetness
of God's paradise!...
To burst the bonds of darkness, carnality and unbelief, and so obtain vital
discoveries of the true God and of the true way of access to Him is no easy
matter. But it is well worth striving for. "This," says the Faithful Witness, "is
life eternal, that they might know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ
whom Thou hast sent." ...No day or waking hour should pass without
some inward aspirations of soul towards the living God and towards the
Mediator, by whose merit and power we are brought to God. Here our duty,
interest and pleasure are happily combined. This is our one thing needful,
our pursuit, our care, our work, in comparison with which nothing deserves
to be regarded, whether we are yet strangers to vital faith and love, or have
been exalted by grace to the true experience of them.
Then may our souls dwell at ease when .. we know that the kingdom of
grace is within us, that we are under grace, that divine love is reigning in our
behalf through the Mediator's righteousness, and that we have in heaven a
better and enduring substance. Happy are they whose sin is forgiven, who
shall not come into condemnation, over whom the second death shall not
have power, who shall see the terrors of God's righteous wrath only afar
off... Happy are the partakers of a divine nature, who have escaped from the
corruption which is in the world through lust, who feel the sweet flames of
heavenly love, who delight themselves in Jehovah and melt with holy
tenderness of affection towards mankind, who mourn over the sins and
miseries of the world, who pant for God's full presence and for the society of
angels and perfect spirits, whom they now imitate in their humble, vigorous,
holy, benevolent obedience!
My wife desires to be affectionately remembered to you all. We will be
desirous to hear from you as often as possible.
John Love.
Compact Discs
A most welcome surprise in the post for this quarter were twelve compact
discs sent gratis by Kingsway Music, of Lottbridge Drove, Eastbourne,
East Sussex. BN23 6NT. The package contained a series entitled 'The
Hymn Makers.' The authors represented are James Montgomery, Cecil
Alexander and Frances Ridley Havergal, Herbert Booth and Albert
Osborn, Timothy Dudley-Smith, Isaac Watts, John Newton and William
Cowper, Charles Wesley (2 discs), Ira D Sankey (2 discs), plus two
collections of 'Welsh Revival Hymns' and 'Christmas Hymns.' Each disc
is priced at £14.99. The recordings are also available on cassette at £9.99.
[One hopes that Horatius Bonar, Augustus Toplady and translations from
the Welsh of William Williams and from the German hymn-writers by
John Wesley and Catherine Winkworth will be included in later discs.]
Whether more discs are planned or not, the present collection is splendid.
Outstanding in tonal beauty, verbal diction, flawless intonation and
sensitive cathedral organ and brass ensemble accompaniment are the
performances by the St Michael Singers, Coventry. [Alexander and
Havergal, Watts, Newton and Cowper, Wesley. My CD refused to accept
the 'Christmas hymns'!] Very accessible, with clear diction and varied
choral tone, are the Montgomery and Sankey items presented by the
Celebration Choir of Sheffield, with orchestral or brass accompaniment.
The Booth and Osborn disc contains 'less dignified' music and much
Arminian-based theology, full of jaunty assurance, sung by Bristol
Salvation Army groups with brass band accompaniment. The least
successful are the Timothy Dudley-Smith items, chiefly because the All
Souls, Langham Place Orchestra is far too bombastic and obtrusive in
the more 'congregational' hymns. This is a pity, as the hymns themselves
are Scriptural and edifying. The quieter numbers are most thought-provoking. Each disc comes with a booklet containing spiritually-orientated biographical details of the authors, the complete text of every
hymn and a bibliography of sources. Altogether a most commendable
enterprise. A disc or two on the Metrical Psalms would be very welcome,
especially to those who long to see the standard of congregational psalm-singing raised from its current miserably low level.
Charismatic Confusion, by William Goode. Hdbk. 400 pp. £14.00 + £3.50p
& p. K & M Books. Plas Gwyn. Trelawnyd. Rhyl. LL18 6DT.
Evangelicalism Divided, by Iain Murray. Hdbk. 342 pp. £13.50.
Banner of Truth. 3 Murrayfield Road, Edinburgh. EH12 6EL.
Abraham Kuyper: God's Renaissance Man, by James E. McGoldrick.
Pbk. 320 pp. £8.95. Evangelical Press. Grange Close, Faverdale North Industrial Estate.
Darlington. DL3 0PH.
Letter
London, June 20th, 1788.