The High Church Rector, 1854
Let bygones be bygones. I am thankful to say times are changed, but the
letter referred to in the last chapter, though expressing the sentiments
of one man, yet showed the feeling of many others. I do not complain of
it, for I must say I rather like the outspoken opposition of the natural
heart; it is far better, and much less trying, than smiling indifference
or hollow assent.
The work which began in this part went on and spread. The refusal of the
clergy to take it up sent it to the chapels, where it was continued for
miles round. For this reason I was charged then, and have been since,
with encouraging Dissent, but the accusation sits very lightly on me,
for I know what I would rather have. Nothing would please me so well as
to have the clergy converted, and taking up the work; but if they will
not, then I would rather that the Dissenters had the benefit, than that
it should die out and be lost. Dissent makes division, but it is
necessary for vitality, under present circumstances, and counteracts the
great evil of spiritual death. The light of God ought to be in the
Church of England, for it is the Lord's candlestick in this land; but
when the truth is not represented, and the Church is dark, it is a mercy
that God has been pleased to raise up witnesses for Himself in other
bodies.
The Calvinist, with a needless bitterness, holds up God's sovereignty,
as if man's will were not free; the Arminian is equally energetic for
man's responsibility, as if God were not sovereign; and the Quaker is a
witness for the work of the Spirit. These, and several others, each
maintain their particular doctrine. They are raised up to show
respectively their own portion of the light, because the Church, which
has in her formularies all these great truths, is remiss in her duty.
The full blaze of light which ought to be emitted from her to all sides,
is shed upon her in detail from others; and her members are too often
lighted from without, and not from within.
In many parishes there was no light, and no life or testimony in the
Church; and had it not been for the chapels, men and women might have
perished in ignorance and error.
Imperfect and erroneous as is some of the Gospel which is preached in
chapels and rooms, there was more vitality in it, and also more saving
power, than in the refined and critical teaching which emanated from
many of the accredited and accepted preachers of the land. Where the
Church was rising up into energetic action, in too many cases it had a
sectarian, and not a catholic object--that is to say, it was aiming to
make Churchmen and communicants, or members of guilds, instead of
proclaiming the Gospel for the salvation of souls.
The sovereignty of God, the responsibility of man, and the work of the
Holy Ghost, were frequently altogether overlooked, although this is the
true catholic teaching. In this I comprehend not only the bringing of
souls from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive the
forgiveness of sins, but also that believers might go on to have "an
inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith in Christ Jesus."
Churchism, with its sacramentalism, is as sectarian as any form of
Dissent, Romanism included; for it falls short of God's object, as
declared in the Word.
When the work at Golant church abated, I had more time for looking
about; so I proffered a visit to the High Church rector, who had asked
me to come over and tell him the secret of my success. He readily fixed
upon a day, so I went over to luncheon; after which we began to talk.
The curate, who was present, and who had heard some ranters shouting and
screaming in the "shires," kept on every now and then putting in a word
of caution to restrain the rector from admitting too much; for little by
little he was yielding to me. I spoke of letting down the nets for a
draught, and catching men, not to smother and kill them in some Church
system, or by some erroneous teaching, but to keep them alive. "This," I
said, "is the meaning of the word in the original;" and we looked it out
in the Greek. It was very interesting. We then talked over the
difference between the Church system and that of the Bible. The one, I
said, makes apostolic succession and the sacraments the channel of
salvation; the other the Word of God, as applied by the Holy Ghost.
We had a great battle on this point, two against one; but having the
Word of God on my side, I stood by my experience. I had myself been on
the other side, and was then ten times more zealous and earnest than
these two were. I said, "I used to preach salvation by Church and
sacraments once, but I was not saved that way. I used also to teach that
the new birth was by Baptism; but I was not born again when I was
baptized. Were you? Are you quite sure that, with all your faith in
Baptismal Regeneration, you are born again of the Spirit? Are you
satisfied that you are now saved because you are in the Church?"
They were dumb. So I went on to say, "I have no party or sectarian
object in my work; my only desire is to bring souls to Christ Himself
for salvation. I used, as a priest, to think I was mediator between
Christ and the sinner, and that I had received by delegation some power
for this purpose; but now that I have been over the ground
experimentally, I would as soon blaspheme God in your presence, as dare
to absolve a sinner, or come between Christ and him. My orders are to
bring them from the power of Satan to God, and to Christ crucified, for
forgiveness of sins."
At this point the rector brought out a printed sermon by Dr. Pusey, on
Justification by Faith, which he had been carefully reading. I asked him
to read it to me. The first few pages contained statements of the
doctrine in New Testament words, with a fair exposition of them; but
when the author same to his own thoughts about the subject, he said that
Baptism was the cause of justification. Here I challenged the statement,
and said, "Have you any references there--any 'stars' or 'daggers' to
that?" "Yes," he answered, "references to the Fathers." I replied, that
"the Fathers were not inspired, There is no such thing as 'Justification
by Baptism' in the Scriptures; it is by faith only, as you will see in
the fifth chapter of the Epistle to the Romans."
"Yes," he said, "that is just what Dr. Pusey means--Faith, as shown in
Baptism."
"Then," I said, "according to that, in your Baptism you were justified
by Faith; and as a consequence you have peace with God, and have access
into grace, and rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. You will see
that St. Paul connects this experience with what he calls Justification
by Faith. Evidently he did not expect so much from Baptism as you do, or
for a certainty he would have baptized every one he could reach; but,
instead of this, he thanked God that he had only baptized a few persons
whom he named (1 Cor. 1: 14-17). He had gone about for three years,
teaching the Ephesian Christians, even with tears, and he called them to
witness, not that he had administered the sacraments, and done priestly
work among them, but that he had ceased not to teach, and to preach,
'repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ'" (Acts
20:21).
My two High Church friends were not convinced, though they could not
answer me. It was a question in their minds who was right, Dr. Pusey, or
this "Fanatical Revivalist."
"Come," I said, "there is your man-servant outside in the garden; he was
converted two weeks ago; and though he cannot read, I feel sure he knows
more about this than the author of that learned sermon. Let us call him
in and read a few pages."
We did, and told him to sit down while we read a little while.
The rector began, and, as he went on, Sam's face lit up with joy, until
the rector came to the sacramental passages; than any one could see
Sam's interest was gone. He became very restless, and at last
interrupting, said, respectfully, "If you please, sir, is there much
more of that?"
"Why, Sam," said his master, "don't you like it?"
"No, sir," he said; "that man ain't converted at all!"
"Well, that is strange," said the rector; "I saw his interest went off
just at the very point where you took exception to the sermon. You and
Sam under stand something that I do not know." Thus our sermon-reading
concluded, and, besides this, my witness had given his testimony.
I had stayed already two hours longer than I intended, and was tired of
talking. The rector asked me to remain, and dine with him, and promised
that he would send me to church in the evening in time for the service.
I agreed to this; so he kindly took me upstairs to wash and rest. Coming
into the room with me, he shut the door, and said in confidence,
"I know you are right; my mother taught me all this when I was young!"
"Then," I said, "we had better kneel down and pray about it."
We did so. In his prayer he entreated very earnestly that the scales
might fall from his eyes, and that these truths which he loved when he
was young might be brought to him again.
He was only praying for truth, and not for pardon and salvation; so I
pointed this out to him.
"Yes--yes," he said; "Lord, save me! Lord, save me! Pardon me!"
I believe he found peace before he came down; but it is more difficult
to pronounce in the case of educated, than in that of uneducated people.
In the latter, the transition from darkness to light and life is often
very manifest; whereas in the case of the educated, the effect is not so
clear.
However, he came down to dinner, and it was not long before he roused
the anger and contempt of his wife and curate, by saying, "I am
converted." They tried hard to laugh him out of it, and asked him which
of the chapels he would join? They suggested he had better be a
Bryanite; Mr. Haslam is king of the Bryanires; and so on!
I was happy to hear all this, and could not help telling them so: first,
because the rector was counted worthy of such taunts; and, secondly,
because their natural enmity was raised. I said that I hoped they would
both be converted also, and that very soon.
When I was leaving for my service, the rector, in bidding me good-bye,
said, that he "was sorry he could not go with me; but would I come and
preach in his pulpit on Sunday?" I promised that I would.
On the way, Sam, who was driving me to church, became much excited, and
seemed beside himself for joy. Putting up his arms all of a sudden, with
reins and whip in either hand, in the act of praising God, he frightened
the horse, so that it ran away at full speed.
"Oh, never mind---never mind!" he said, "don't be frightened! No doubt
the old devil 'ud like to upset both on us; but I am sure the dear Lord
will take care of us, don't fear."
Certainly there was need, for the horse went headlong down a long narrow
hill, and if anything else had been on the road, we must have come into
disastrous collision. We were, however, carried safely down, and reached
the church in good time.
Sam's joy, I need scarcely say, was all about the master's conversion,
and the fact that I was to preach in their church on Sunday--two
circumstances he did not fail to announce to every one he met.
He put up his horse, and stayed for the service. In the after-meeting,
when he prayed, he sent up his prayer with a thanksgiving for these two
things, which set the congregation praising God also.
Thus the revival, which began on one side of the river, passed over to
the other, and brought out people from another town, and also villages
beyond. There was a great awakening in that part of the country. The
curate found peace on the Sunday, and many more; but not the rector's
wife. She continued her opposition most vigorously.
The wisdom of the serpent is seen in capturing the wife first; but still
I am sure in this case that the serpent's wisdom was outwisdomed, for
her persecution made her husband pray and work all the more earnestly.
People in these days did not regard "missions" so complacently as they
do now. The very idea of preaching night after night, not for some
Missionary Society, or for collections, but simply for the conversion of
souls and the salvation of sinners, seemed to cast a slur upon ordinary
preachers, as if they did not aim at such a thing; and upon people
generally, as if we meant to imply that they needed it. Most certainly
they did.
I believe ordinary preachers in the churches of that neighbourhood did
not expect conversions; and most of the people were unconverted. I could
not help telling them so, which only roused their wrath so much the
more.
From this place I returned home; for my prolonged absence, I found, was
likely to bring me into trouble. Other clergymen might go away for
months, travelling or salmon fishing; but if I was absent for a few
weeks, I was supposed to be neglecting my parish. On my return, I had
much to tell, and did not expect to be invited out again in a hurry; for
very few clergymen would willingly desire to be drawn into such a
whirlwind of storm and trouble, as my visits usually involved.