'Ecce agnus Dei!' or, Christianity without mystery

Front matter

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Preface

As a Bible Student, the Author has from his early years experienced, in common perhaps with many others of his class, the unsatisfactory character of " Bible Commentaries," hardly ever being able to find in any of them a conclusive answer to a serious difficulty. May not this be accounted for by the writers having commenced their labours with mistaken views of the Being and Character of the Almighty, and moulded the Scriptures to suit such views, unconscious that they were looking through a perverted medium ? All Commentaries written upon this principle, no matter how voluminous, nor what pains, time, and learning may have been expended upon them (and some are marvels in this respect), are comparatively useless and often misleading.

Contrasted with these, a " Key '* to the principles by which the Bible is to be understood, coupled with some illustrations from familiar portions of the Divine Word, might seem to be acceptable at the present juncture, if only one could be found willing, to some extent able, and withal bold enough, to undertake the work. The author has made the attempt at least in the love of truth, and on behalf of all

Vin PREFACE.

parties. He humbly commends it to the perusal of the Highest Person in the realm as of the meanest of her subjects ; above all, to those who minister in holy things ; and particularly to the ** Houses of Convocation '' of the clergy, in whose hands, under favourable circumstances, authoritative declarations of doctrine might safely be left.

To Congregational, Wesleyan, Baptist, Friends*, and other " Conferences,' ' he submits it, as offering to them a clue of escape out of the* innumerable and labyrinthine difficulties of ^t?^/r/;ea/ teaching with which their sects abound ; as well as out of the irregularities and contradictions in /r^^/zi:^/ Christianity with which their various systems are powerless to cope.

It is his honest contribution to his country's need at this critical period of her trial.

Contents

TAGK

Dedication . . • v

Preface * * vii

Introduction

Essays and Reviews — Bishop's " Charges " to the Clergy

— " Plea for Toleration " i

" Pan- Anglican Synod " — " Ecce Homo " — A Fragment

" Ecce Deus "—Church not Progressing ... 2

Fanciful Human Theories — Redemption not Incomprehensible — Mistranslation of Scripture — Timid Christianity afraid of Revision — Those who "know the Truth" bolder 3

Sectarians not at Unity — Sectarians adopt Church Errors — The Church must reform herself — Doctrinal Perfection — Compact with the State {Bishop of Oxford) — Church should lead State 4

Gospel Results — Gospel Preachers not protesting —

Foundations of Popery sapped — Who is Christ ? 5

Keeping to God's Word — The Church's Sixth Article — Author's Conviction — Tradition and the Fathers — Romanism without them — Romanism with them — Nonconformity ill-based — The Church's Pale the Truth within — Inaptitude and Incapacity — Unwillingness and Inability ...... 6

Contents.

PAGE

" Credo quia Impossibite " — The Jew's Perversion of Truth — Jewish Drunkenness, Priests, and People — Abstinence — God's Condition of Holiness — Misrepresentation of Truth — Direction of National Mind — National Sobriety — National Intelligence a Condition of Receiving Spiritual Truth — Remedy for Drunkenness ........ 7

Bible not taken upon ^^Authorities'' — Texts paraded to support Error — Familiar Passages explained — The Scriptures from God — Errors of World : Reactions from Church — Misrepresentation of Christianity and the Bible — Reason and the Incredible and Contradictory — Scripture and the Sceptic — The Bible, Reason, and Science . . . . .8

Christian Creeds — Possibility of Error — A Starting Principle — Blind Faith — No Faith in the Unintelligible — Revelation Comprehensible — Falling back on '* Mysteries'' — Imposition on Weakness and Credulity — Truism parried — Understanding and Faith — The Gospel : a Revelation of Facts — Metaphysical Groundwork . ^ . . . . -9

The " Incarnation " not Incredible — God in Christ — God in Nature — The Invisible " Nexus" — Denial of Fact ; Denial of Reason — Objection to Christianity — to Creation — The " Colenso School " — Profound and Progressive Thought 10

Mr. John Stuart Mill— " Matter "—" Causation "—The

Sceptic and Theologian — Facts of Revelation . 1 1

Key to "Claims of Bible and Science" — Bible Harmony — Origin of Man — Deluge — Ecce Homo, and Divinity of Christ — Mr. W. E. Gladstone a *' Traditioner" — Each for himself to the Fountain .12

Creator and Redeemer: One — Fair Criticisms — Uncovering Truth to Common Minds — "Platitudes, Dogmatism," &c.— Christ ''All in All" . . 13

Contents.

XI

PAGE

DIVISION I.

Vicar of Frome to Dr. Pusey

Archbishop of Canterbury

Archbishop of York — ^Vicar of Frome's Doctrine

Ceremonial Good — Not Chasuble, &c., but Doctrines — Doctrines Tested — Churches, Fathers, and Apostles — Law and Unscriptural Teaching — Unity of Doctrine : Administration — The Cry about Rome ''not Childish " .

Sectarian Difficulties .......

Universities — Depositories of Truth ....

The Voluntary System — Faith: Where is it? — The Papacy, Nonconformists, and " Bible Christians '*

Ritualism — Archbishop Usher and the Fathers

Bishop Wilson and Contradictions

Tripersonal Trinity not in Scriptures — The Want of the

The Lord will Explain His own Word — A True Religion Revelation .........

God a Trinity and Unity .

Jewish Rebellion

Who is our Saviour .■'

Let the People hear the Church, and the Church the

Scripture — Creation, Eden, the Fall, and Deluge Shiloh — Moses, and the Prophets Atonement .....

The Scapegoat {Rev. C. H. Spurgeon) Gates and Doors Mountains and Valleys Prophecy of Incarnation Who then is Christ .' The Word

Unchangeableness of God The Sonship of Christ ( The Queen) The Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost ; the Spirit

the Water, and the Blood .....

«4

IS i6

20 21

23 24

27 28

34 35 36

39 40

41 42

45 46

48 51 xu

Contents.

Both Father and Son

The Holy Ghost — The Spirit of Christ

The Baptism of Christ

The Transfiguration .

The Lamb of God

A Mediator and Advocate

The Way, the Truth, and the Life

The Sacrifice of Christ

An Intercessor

Redeemer

Prophet, Priest, and King

" Before Abraham was I am *' — Alpha and Omega

The Kingdom of Christ

It is Finished

The Resurrection

PAGE

S3

5«

59 60

67 6^

71 72

75 76

DIVISION II.

The Trinity {Rev. J. Cumming, D.D.) The Athanasian Creed My Father greater than I Sabellianism .....

Arianism ......

Socinianism and other Heresies Denial of Father and Son — Antichrist Selfhood — The Rejection of Christ .

Thieves and Robbers

Propitiation

A Ransom

Forgiveness of Sins — God's Justice .

The Blood of Christ ...

The Just for the Unjust — Justification by Faith

Imputed Righteousness

Wisdom, Righteousness, Sanctification, and Redemption No Altar, no Priest, no Victim, — no Church {Rev. IV. J. E. Bennett) ......

Going to the Father — Coming to the Father .

91 92

95 96

97 100

103 104

113 114

IIS 118

Contents,

Xlll

Greater Works

The Drawing of the Father

The Right Hand of God .

A Consuming Fire .

Predestination and Election

" Come to Jesus *'

The Necessity of the Sufferings of Christ

Christ's Death not " Vicarious '*

Death in Adam : Life in Christ

" For Christ's Sake " (Rev. C H. Spiirgeon)

The Motherhood of Mary . ' .

David's Son and David's Lord

Asking and Having

The Day of God's Power Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost

"Mystery"

God giving His Only Begotten Son .

Christ the Source of Spiritual Life .

Good Things

Faith on the Earth

Church Militant and Triumphant — Teaching and Learning ......

Inspiration and Translation of Scripture The Natural and Spiritual Man The Accomplishment of God's Word Parents and Children Jews and Mahomedans Freemasonry .....

The Millennium ....

P\C.L

21 22

23 26

30 31 34 36

17 42

45 46

47 48

49 53 54

55 59

60 61 62

63 64

65 66

DIVISION III.

Baptism and Regeneration Laying on of Hands Confirmation ....

The Lord's Supper .

Eating and Drinking unworthily-

Transubstantiatiou

XIV

Contents,

Christ's Presence

Denial and Betrayal

Grace, Love — Communion

Faith, Hope, and Charity

Reformation of Manners .

" The Keys " — Binding and Loosing

Remitting and Retaining .

Merits

Eternity of Punishment

No Man can serve Two Masters

Sowing and Reaping

Seeing Jesus and the Corn of Wheat

Miracles .....

Conversion ....

Wheat and Chaff

"Jesus Christ, and Him Crucified"

New Wine in Old Bottles

Wisdom Justified of her Children

Manifestation of Christ's Glory at Cana

Old Things passed away, All Things become

Temperance a Fruit of the Spirit

Knowledge — Power

New

PAGE

193 197

204 210

224 227

DIVISION IV.

The Abomination that maketh Desolate . Drunkenness and Sobriety by Act of Parliament Licences to sell Poison

Teetotalism

Systematic Truth ....

Indifference of Working Classes to Public Worship

The Dangerous Classes

An Unhappy Parallel

An Unhappy Contrast

Philosophy of Numbers

Self-denial

New Humane Society and Education

247 248 249 251

255 260

Contents.

XV

PAGR

Early Work

The Liberation Society

Protestantism and the Wrongs of Ireland

Popery, the Irish Church, and the Union

Enlightened Statesmanship

The May-Meetings of 1868

A Word to the Newly Enfranchised

A Word to the Nation

A Word to the Government

A Word to Nonconformists

A Word to the National Church

A Word to the Peers ....

What is the Gospel } . . .

■ 3IS

The Moral Government of God

. 320

Sabbath Observance

Repentance

. 326

Prayer

. 328

SYNOPSIS

. 332