And that from a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures, which are
able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in
Christ Jesus.
“TO everything there is a season.” There is “a time to keep silence, and
a time to speak;” a time to be still, and a time to act; and it is the
duty of the careful watchman of the Lord, to be ever on the alert in
watching the rapid progress of God’s providence; to be silent when it is
the time for stillness; to speak, and speak plainly, when he deems it to
be the time for utterance. It is a conviction of this, which has led to
the commencement of the present course of sermons. There has never been
a period since the days of the Reformation, in which greater efforts have
been made for the advancement of the influence, and power, of the Church
of Rome; agents have been multiplied in every direction; the order of
Jesuits has been revived; and a zeal has been shown in all branches of
their efforts, which would reflect honour on a better cause. But there
are two facts in our present position, which deserve our especial
notice,—the one, that our own happy island is the great object of their
exertions. Yes, England, our own dear England, is the prize at which
Rome is aiming. The other, that at the very point of this remarkable
crisis in the history of our nation, it is proposed in the parliament of
this protestant country, to give a large and permanent endowment to the
Roman Catholic college at Maynooth; that is, to strengthen and increase
the priests of a system, which is declared by our constitution to be
unscriptural and untrue.
Surely, then, the time is come to speak. Surely the watchman is bound to
sound the note of warning. Surely the whole company of God’s believing
people should know well the reason of the hope that is in them, that they
may be able to take their place with boldness in the armies of the Lord;
and, in the last great fearful struggle against Antichrist, be found
standing stedfast, amongst the fearless, faithful, followers of the Lamb.
It is my intention, therefore, to preach a short course of sermons on
some of the leading principles of our protestant church. It will be my
endeavour rather to set forth the truth than to occupy your time in
exposing error. God’s people come here to be fed with the bread of life,
and they must not be robbed of their daily food by the introduction of
cold and cheerless controversy. Our constant desire and prayer to God
for you all is, not that you should be subtle controversialists, but well
instructed and practical believers in your Lord. This great end I now
hope to keep steadily in view.
Pray for me, dear brethren, that my intention may be carried into effect.
Pray that the spirit of the living God may himself direct me in this
effort for his glory! Pray for us, as we pray for you, “that speaking
the truth in love, we may grow up unto him in all things.”
Now the controversy between the church of England, and that of Rome,
hinges mainly upon one great turning point, namely this, they deny the
Bible to be the only rule of faith, and appeal to other writings as a
sufficient authority in their statements of sacred truth. To the Bible,
then, as the rule of faith, we must direct our first attention, and will
endeavour to point out,