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Apologia - John Newton · The Holiest of All

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Speaker 1: Letter one of Apologia. This is a LibriVox recording. All
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Speaker 1: LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information
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Speaker 1: or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Apologia by
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Speaker 1: John Newton, My dear friend and brother, You have more
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Speaker 1: than once gently called upon me for the reasons which
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Speaker 1: induced me to exercise my ministry as a clergyman of
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Speaker 1: the Church of England, rather than among the dissenters, where
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Speaker 1: my first religious connections were formed, and with many of
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Speaker 1: whom I still maintain a cordial friendship. Hitherto I have
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Speaker 1: usually waived the subject and contented myself with assuring you
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Speaker 1: in general terms that as the preference I gave to
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Speaker 1: the establishment was the result of serious and I trust
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Speaker 1: impartial inquiry, so I had never seen reason to repent
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Speaker 1: of it. No, not for a minute, since the day
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Speaker 1: of my ordination. I now purpose to give you a
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Speaker 1: more particular answer. And as you are not the only
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Speaker 1: person who has expressed a friendly surprise at my choice,
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Speaker 1: I shall communicate my reasons from the press, that all
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Speaker 1: my friends who have been at a loss to account
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Speaker 1: for my conduct may have such satisfaction as it is
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Speaker 1: in my power to give them I shall, however, keep
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Speaker 1: you particularly in my eye, while I write that a
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Speaker 1: just sense of the candor and affection with which you
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Speaker 1: have always treated me may regulate my pen and preserve me,
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Speaker 1: if possible, from that harsh and angry spirit into which
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Speaker 1: writers upon controversial points are too often betrayed. I confess that,
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Speaker 1: as in this business, my conscience is clear in the
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Speaker 1: sight of him to whom alone I am properly accountable.
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Speaker 1: I could wish still to continue silent and submit to
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Speaker 1: be a little misunderstood by some persons whose good opinion
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Speaker 1: I prize, rather than trouble the public with what more
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Speaker 1: immediately relates to myself. But something upon this subject seems
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Speaker 1: expedient in the present, not so much by way of
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Speaker 1: apology for one or a few individuals, as with a
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Speaker 1: view of obviating prejudices and preventing or at least abating
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Speaker 1: the unhappy effects of a party's spirit. There was a
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Speaker 1: time when the nonconformists groaned under the iron rod of
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Speaker 1: oppression and were exposed to fines, penalties, and imprisonment, as
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Speaker 1: well as to cruel mockings and the lawless rage of
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Speaker 1: a rabble for worshiping God. According to the light of
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Speaker 1: their consciences. Yet I apprehend their nonconformity was rather the
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Speaker 1: occasional and ostensible than the real cause of the hard
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Speaker 1: treatment they met with. The greater part of the nonconformist
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Speaker 1: ministers of that day were the light and glory of
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Speaker 1: the land. They were men full of faith and of
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Speaker 1: the Holy Ghost, penetrated with a deep sense of the
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Speaker 1: Redeemer's glory and love, and of the worth of souls.
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Speaker 1: Their ministrations were accompanied with unction and power, and they
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Speaker 1: were instrumental in turning many sinners from their evil ways.
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Speaker 1: It is no wonder that the world hated such men,
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Speaker 1: that snares were spread for their feet, their liberty abridged,
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Speaker 1: and that many said, away with them, they are not
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Speaker 1: worthy to live. It is probable that if these servants
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Speaker 1: of the Most High could have enjoyed that freedom for
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Speaker 1: their persons and assemblies, which, in answer to their prayers,
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Speaker 1: is now possessed by those who bear the same name,
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Speaker 1: they would have been well satisfied that the established Church
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Speaker 1: should have remained in peaceful possession of its own order
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Speaker 1: and ritual. And several among them, not the lowest in
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Speaker 1: repute for wisdom and piety, continued long to worship occasionally
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Speaker 1: in the parish churches after they had been rejected from
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Speaker 1: them as preachers. But things were studiously carried against them
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Speaker 1: with a high hand. The exaction of re ordination and
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Speaker 1: the little time allowed for subscribing the Book of Common Prayer,
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Speaker 1: which many of the ministers had not been able to
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Speaker 1: procure when the law called for their assent to it,
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Speaker 1: were two circumstances which greatly contributed to swell the Bartholomew List.
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Speaker 1: It was well known to some of the leaders in
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Speaker 1: that unhappy business that there were among the nonconformists, wise
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Speaker 1: and moderate men who were not disposed to quit their
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Speaker 1: parochial cures unless they were constrained by the harshest and
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Speaker 1: most violent measures. Such therefore were the measures they adopted.
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Speaker 1: It is our mercy to live in more quiet times.
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Speaker 1: We are, on all sides freed from restraints in religious concerns,
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Speaker 1: and every person is at liberty to profess, preach, worship,
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Speaker 1: or print as he thinks proper. But it is still
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Speaker 1: to be lamented that they who are united upon the
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Speaker 1: same foundations and agree in the same important leading principles,
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Speaker 1: should lay so much stress upon their circumstantial differences in
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Speaker 1: sentiment as to prevent the exercise of mutual love and forbearance,
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Speaker 1: And that instead of laboring in concert within their respective
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Speaker 1: departments to promote the common cause, they should be at
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Speaker 1: leisure to vex and worry each other with no needless
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Speaker 1: disputation and uncharitable censure. I hope amongst us the High
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Speaker 1: Church principles, which formerly produced unjustifiable and oppressive effects, are
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Speaker 1: now generally exploded. But may we not lay a claim
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Speaker 1: in our turn to that moderation, candor, and tenderness from
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Speaker 1: our dissenting brethren, which we cheerfully exercise towards them. But
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Speaker 1: as we I think, are no longer the aggressors, so
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Speaker 1: they seem no longer content to stand upon the defensive.
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Speaker 1: We wish to join them with heart and hand, in
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Speaker 1: supporting and spreading the great truths of the Gospel. And
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Speaker 1: such as you, my friend, approve our aims and rejoice
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Speaker 1: with us if God is pleased to give us success.
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Speaker 1: But there are those among you whose persons and general
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Speaker 1: conduct we respect, from whom we do not find equal
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Speaker 1: returns of good will, because we cannot join with them
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Speaker 1: in the support of a palladium which bears the name
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Speaker 1: of the dissenting interest. I know not whether this phrase
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Speaker 1: was in use a hundred years ago, but were I
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Speaker 1: to meet with it as referring to that period, I
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Speaker 1: should understand by it little more or less than the
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Speaker 1: interest of the Redeemer's Kingdom at present. When I consider
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Speaker 1: the various names, views, and sentiments which obtain among those
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Speaker 1: who form this aggregate styled the dissenting Interest, I am
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Speaker 1: at a loss what sense to put upon the term.
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Speaker 1: May I not say, without offense that it is at
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Speaker 1: least a very heterogeneous body. May I not hope without
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Speaker 1: presumption that though you and I are not agreed on
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Speaker 1: the subject of Church government, yet I am related to
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Speaker 1: you by a much nearer and stronger tie than that
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Speaker 1: which binds you to the dissenting interest. I confess that
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Speaker 1: so far as it is the interest of those who
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Speaker 1: depreciate the person and blood of the Savior and deny
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Speaker 1: the agency and influence of the Holy Spirit, or the
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Speaker 1: total depravity of fallen man, so far I cannot, in
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Speaker 1: a religious view, be a friend to it. On the
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Speaker 1: other hand, so far as it regards those who love, avow,
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Speaker 1: and preach the doctrines, experiences, and practice which both you
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Speaker 1: and I include in our idea of the gospel. So
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Speaker 1: far I can truly say, though not a dissenter myself,
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Speaker 1: the descending interest is dear to my heart and has
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Speaker 1: a share in my daily prayers. And in this I
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Speaker 1: am persuaded to speak the sentiments of many, both ministers
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Speaker 1: and laymen in the establishment. We are sorry. Therefore, at
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Speaker 1: least I am sorry, though not angry when books are
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Speaker 1: written or declarations footnote. Some of these letters were written
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Speaker 1: in the year seventeen seventy seven. In footnote perhaps in
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Speaker 1: the most solemn occasions of worship, unseasonably made which seem
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Speaker 1: not so much designed to confirm dissenters in their own
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Speaker 1: principles as to place those who cannot accede to them
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Speaker 1: in an unfavorable light, the ministers, especially who, according to
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Speaker 1: some representations, must be supposed to be almost destitute of
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Speaker 1: common sense or else of common honesty. When I write
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Speaker 1: a letter, especially to a friend, I think myself released
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Speaker 1: from that attention to method, which I might observe if
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Speaker 1: I were composing a treatise, as my heart dictates my
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Speaker 1: pen moves. I therefore hope you will bear with me
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Speaker 1: if I do not come directly to what I proposed,
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Speaker 1: which was to give you some account of the motives
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Speaker 1: of my conduct. It may not be improper to premise
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Speaker 1: a few preliminary observations. I shall not weary you by
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Speaker 1: attempting to justify everything that obtains in our way, nor
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Speaker 1: call your attention to all the minutia which might furnish
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Speaker 1: subject for debate to those who know not how to
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Speaker 1: employ their time better. It would be a mere trifling
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Speaker 1: to dispute for or against a surplus, or a band,
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Speaker 1: a gown, or a cloak, or to inquire whether it
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Speaker 1: be the size or the shape which renders some of
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Speaker 1: these habiliments more or less suitable for a minister than
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Speaker 1: the others. But perhaps a few strictures upon establishments and
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Speaker 1: liturgies may not be wholly impertinent to my design. That
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Speaker 1: national religious establishments under the New Testament dispensation are neither
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Speaker 1: of express Divine appointment, nor formed in all points upon
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Speaker 1: a scriptural plan. I readily admit whether upon this account
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Speaker 1: they cannot be submitted to without violating the obedience we
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Speaker 1: owe to the Lord Jesus as Head and law giver
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Speaker 1: of his church. I shall consider hereafter at present permit
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Speaker 1: me only to hope for my own sake that such
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Speaker 1: submission is not absolutely sinful, and in that view, to
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Speaker 1: offer a word in favor of their expedients. I plead
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Speaker 1: not for this or that establishment, or the administration of
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Speaker 1: one preferably to another, but chiefly for that circumstance which
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Speaker 1: I suppose is common to them all. I mean the
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Speaker 1: parceling out of a country, the government of which is
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Speaker 1: professedly Christian, into certain districts analogous to what we call parishes,
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Speaker 1: and fixing in each of those districts a person with
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Speaker 1: ministerial character, who, by his office is engaged to promote
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Speaker 1: the good of souls within the limits of his own boundary.
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Speaker 1: I think the number of parishes in England and Wales
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Speaker 1: is computed to be not much fewer than ten thousand.
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Speaker 1: The number of dissenting churches and congregations in England and Wales,
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Speaker 1: if those whom I have consulted as the most competent
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Speaker 1: judges are not mistaken, will not be found greatly to
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Speaker 1: exceed one thousand. In how many or in how few
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Speaker 1: of these. The Old Puritan Gospel, if I may so
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Speaker 1: call it, is preached or prized, I deem you a
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Speaker 1: better judge than myself. It is certain that the number
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Speaker 1: of dissenting ministers who are very willingly it should be
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Speaker 1: publicly known that they differ widely from the sentiments of
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Speaker 1: their forefathers is not small. However, we will take them
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Speaker 1: all into the estimate. Now, let us for a moment
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Speaker 1: suppose the Establishment, with all its provisions removed and annihilated.
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Speaker 1: In this case, some of the dissenting ministers might indeed
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Speaker 1: change their situations and fix in places where they might
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Speaker 1: hope for more extensive influence. But as none of them
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Speaker 1: could be in two places at once, about nine tenths
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Speaker 1: of the kingdom would be deprived at a stroke of
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Speaker 1: the very form of public religion, and reduced in a
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Speaker 1: short time for any relief the dissenting interests could afford
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Speaker 1: to a state little better than heathenism. That there is
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Speaker 1: any regard paid to the Lord's Day through the greater
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Speaker 1: part of the land, that the holy scriptures are publicly
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Speaker 1: read to thousands who probably would otherwise know no more
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Speaker 1: of the Bible than they do of the Qur'an are
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Speaker 1: good effects of the national establishment, which I think can
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Speaker 1: hardly be denied even by those which are most displeased
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Speaker 1: with it. For this reason, if I could not conform
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Speaker 1: to the establishment myself, I think I should speak respectfully
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Speaker 1: of it and bless God for it. Some established form
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Speaker 1: of religious profession, with a full and free toleration for
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Speaker 1: all who think they can serve God more acceptably upon
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Speaker 1: a different plan, appears to me the most desirable and
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Speaker 1: promising constitution for preserving the rights of conscience and for
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Speaker 1: promoting the welfare of souls. I believe therefore, that the
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Speaker 1: Church of England, as by law established for it claims
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Speaker 1: no higher title, though it be not a perfect institution,
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Speaker 1: and notwithstanding its real or supposed defects and the faults
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Speaker 1: of individuals within its community, has been upon the whole
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Speaker 1: and will be a blessing to the nation, And that
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Speaker 1: its preservation is an effect of the wise and gracious
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Speaker 1: providence of the Great Head of the Church universal from
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Speaker 1: the expediency of parochial order. I would further deduce the
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Speaker 1: expediency of a rubric and liturgy, For I cannot conceive
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Speaker 1: of an established church without including in my idea some
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Speaker 1: determinate rule or line respecting doctrine and worship by which
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Speaker 1: it is discriminated from other churches which are not so
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Speaker 1: established as to our liturgy. I am far from thinking
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Speaker 1: it incapable of amendment, though when I consider the temper
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Speaker 1: and spirit of the present times, I dare not wish
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Speaker 1: that the improvement of it should be attempted, lest the
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Speaker 1: intended remedy might prove worse than the disease. I am
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Speaker 1: not called to defend it. I shall only say what
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Speaker 1: I believe will be allowed by many candid persons on
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Speaker 1: your side, that the general strain of it is scriptural, evangelical,
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Speaker 1: and experimental. It recognizes with precision the one great object
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Speaker 1: of worship, in his personal distinctions and glorious attributes, the
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Speaker 1: honors and officers of the Redeemer, the power and agency
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Speaker 1: of the Holy Spirit, the evil of sin, that depravity
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Speaker 1: of man, and all the distinguishing doctrines of the Gospel.
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Speaker 1: As to the composition, I question if anything in the
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Speaker 1: English language our version of the Bible accepted, is worthy
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Speaker 1: of being compared with it for simplicity, perspicuity, energy, and
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Speaker 1: comprehensive fullness of expression. But I suppose the objection does
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Speaker 1: not lie so much against our liturgy in particular as
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Speaker 1: in general against the use of liturgies of any kind
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Speaker 1: and for aught. I know if the compilers of our
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Speaker 1: liturgy could have expected that all the parishes in the
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Speaker 1: Kingdom and from age to age, would be supplied with
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Speaker 1: me ministers competently acquainted with the mysteries of the Gospel
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Speaker 1: and possessed of the spirit of grace and supplication, they
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Speaker 1: might have left them under less restraint in conducting public worship.
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Speaker 1: I believe many of the dissenters take it for granted
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Speaker 1: that a considerable part of our clergy are not only
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Speaker 1: unable to pray in public to the edification of their
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Speaker 1: hearers without a form, but are unfit for the ministerial
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Speaker 1: office in every view. Should this be true, it is
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Speaker 1: a truth which I hope would excite lamentation rather than
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Speaker 1: ridicule or invective in all who profess a regard to
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Speaker 1: the glory of God or love to the souls of men.
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Speaker 1: But upon this supposition, I should think an evangelical liturgy
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Speaker 1: a great blessing, as it must secure the people, that is,
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Speaker 1: the bulk of the nation, from being exposed to the
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Speaker 1: same uncertainty and disappointment from the reading desk as they
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Speaker 1: are liable to from the pulpit, For they who cannot
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Speaker 1: or do not preach the Gospel are not likely to
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Speaker 1: pray agreeably to the spirit of the Gospel if that
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Speaker 1: part of the public service was likewise left to their
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Speaker 1: own management. Or shall we say it is an advantage
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Speaker 1: to some dissenting congregations that their ministers not being confined
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Speaker 1: to a form of sound words, there is little more
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Speaker 1: of Christ or of Grace to be found in their
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Speaker 1: prayers than in their sermons. Is it not too hastily
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Speaker 1: taken for granted by many that God cannot be worshiped
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Speaker 1: in spirit and in truth by those who use a
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Speaker 1: form of prayer, or that He will not afford them
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Speaker 1: who so approach him any testimony of his acceptance. If
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Speaker 1: the words of a form suit and express the desires
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Speaker 1: and feelings of my mind, the prayer is as much
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Speaker 1: my own as if I had conceived it upon the spot.
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Speaker 1: On the other hand, if I have the greatest readiness
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Speaker 1: and fluency to diversify expressions, so that my prayer should
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Speaker 1: always appear unstudied and new, Yet if my spirit or
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Speaker 1: the spirit of those who join with me, be not
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Speaker 1: engaged in it, though I may admire my own performance
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Speaker 1: and be applauded by others, it is no better than
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Speaker 1: a mere lifeless form in the sight of him who
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Speaker 1: searcheth the heart. Not to say that many who profess
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Speaker 1: to pray extemporary, that is, without either a printed or
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Speaker 1: a written form, goes so much in a beaten path,
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Speaker 1: that they who hear them frequently can tell with tolerable
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Speaker 1: certainty how they will begin, when they are about the middle,
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Speaker 1: and when they are drawing towards the close of their prayer.
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Speaker 1: It is said that a prescribed form precludes the exercise
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Speaker 1: of a gift in prayer. Which is true. But then,
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Speaker 1: as I hinted before it, in some good measure supplies
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Speaker 1: the want of such a gift. And blessed be the Lord.
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Speaker 1: There are many living witnesses who can declare to His
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Speaker 1: praise that a form does not restrain, much less preclude,
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Speaker 1: the exercise of grace. They know and are sure that
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Speaker 1: their Lord and Master owns and comforts them in what
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Speaker 1: their brethren hastily condemn them. For it is well for
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Speaker 1: us that He seeth not as man seeth, and is
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Speaker 1: no more a respector of party, is then of persons.
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Speaker 1: It cannot be denied that the Lord himself appointed forms
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Speaker 1: of prayer and praise to be used in the Old
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Speaker 1: Testament church. When the ark set forward and when it rested,
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Speaker 1: Moses addressed the Lord, not according to the varied emotions
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Speaker 1: of his own spirit, but statedly in the same determinate
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Speaker 1: expressions numbers ten, verses thirty five and thirty six. So
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Speaker 1: likewise in the solemn benediction which the High Priest was
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Speaker 1: to pronounce upon the people Numbers six, verses twenty three
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Speaker 1: to twenty seven. Again the presenting of the first fruits.
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Speaker 1: Though the heart of the offerer might be filled with gratitude,
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Speaker 1: he was not to express it in his own way.
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Speaker 1: But the Lord himself prescribed the form of his acknowledgment,
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Speaker 1: confession and prayer Deuteronomy twenty six, verses twelve to fifteen.
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Speaker 1: But it may be said these were enjoined under the
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Speaker 1: levitical institution, which is now abrogated, and that we live
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Speaker 1: under a dispensation of greater light and liberty. I wish, however,
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Speaker 1: with all our life and liberty, we could more fully
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Speaker 1: come up to the spirit of some of the devotional
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Speaker 1: parts of the Old Testament, which were recorded for our instruction,
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Speaker 1: and most certainly are not abrogated. The Book of Psalms
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Speaker 1: especially contains a rich variety of patterns for prayer, if
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Speaker 1: we may not call them forms adapted to all the
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Speaker 1: various exercises of the life of faith. And if when
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Speaker 1: I read or repeat such Psalms as the sixty third,
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Speaker 1: eighty fourth or eighty sixth, I could feel in the
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Speaker 1: manner I wish the force of every expression, I should
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Speaker 1: think I prayed to good purpose, though I were not
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Speaker 1: to intermingle a single word of my own. So likewise,
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Speaker 1: with respect to that summary which our Lord condescended to
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Speaker 1: teach his disciples, though I believe it had a peculiar
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Speaker 1: reference to the state in which they were before his passion,
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Speaker 1: and while he was still with them, yet agreeably to
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Speaker 1: the fullness of his wisdom, it is so comprehensive that
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Speaker 1: I apprehend every part of a believer's intercourse with God
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Speaker 1: in prayer may be reduced without forcing to one or
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Speaker 1: the other of the heads of this prayer, and I
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Speaker 1: should esteem it a golden hour, indeed one of the
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Speaker 1: happiest seasons I ever enjoyed in prayer, if I could
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Speaker 1: repeat it with a just impression of the meaning of
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Speaker 1: every clause. But alas such are the effects of our
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Speaker 1: unhappy differences, or rather of a wrongness of spirit in
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Speaker 1: maintaining them. And so prone are we to think we
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Speaker 1: cannot be too unlike those whom we are not pleased with,
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Speaker 1: that even the words which our Lord himself has taught
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Speaker 1: us are depreciated and disused by many. I fear upon
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Speaker 1: no better ground than because they are retained in the
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Speaker 1: usage of the Church of England. Though besides giving us
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Speaker 1: a pattern to pray after that manner, he has at
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Speaker 1: least permitted us to use it as a form directing
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Speaker 1: us when we pray, to say Our Father, which aren't
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Speaker 1: in Heaven, et cetera. If scriptural warrant be required, I
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Speaker 1: think we have one more clear and express for the
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Speaker 1: use of this prayer than can be found for some
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Speaker 1: things upon which no small stress is laid by our
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Speaker 1: des sending brethren. Some persons might possibly allege that if
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Speaker 1: the use of scriptural forms of prayer were admitted, it
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Speaker 1: would plead nothing in favor of such forms as are
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Speaker 1: of human composition. But as I believe the more judicious
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Speaker 1: part of the dissenters would not make this distinction. A
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Speaker 1: few words may suffice for an answer. Most of us,
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Speaker 1: when we preach, profess to preach the word of God,
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Speaker 1: and I think we are sufficiently authorized to use the expression,
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Speaker 1: so far as our sermons are explanatory of scriptural truths
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Speaker 1: and agreeable to them. For though the system of truth
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Speaker 1: contained in the Holy Scriptures has a peculiar authority as
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Speaker 1: the fountain from whence we are to derive our public
20:38
Speaker 1: discourses and the standard by which they are to be tried.
20:42
Speaker 1: Yet truth, as to its nature, does not admit of degrees.
20:46
Speaker 1: But all propositions, if they be true, must be equally true.
20:49
Speaker 1: And every conclusion which is rightly inferred from scriptural premisses
20:53
Speaker 1: must be in whatever words it is expressed, if they
20:56
Speaker 1: are precise and clear, as true as the premisses from
20:59
Speaker 1: which it is rue. If I give a just definition
21:03
Speaker 1: or explication of a doctrine of the Bible in my
21:06
Speaker 1: own words, the truth or importance of that doctrine are
21:09
Speaker 1: not affected or weakened by the vehicle in which I
21:11
Speaker 1: convey it. Nor would a hearer have a right to
21:14
Speaker 1: withhold his attention or assent from a pretense that, though
21:18
Speaker 1: the proposition itself was true, he was not concerned in it,
21:21
Speaker 1: because I had not expressed it in scriptural phrases. It
21:26
Speaker 1: is only upon this ground that the propriety and authority
21:30
Speaker 1: of preaching can be maintained, and the like reasoning may
21:33
Speaker 1: be applied to prayer. A prayer is scriptural if conformable
21:36
Speaker 1: to the promises, patterns, and truths of Scripture, though it
21:40
Speaker 1: should not contain one phrase taken to the deem verbis
21:44
Speaker 1: from the Bible. May I not here appeal to the
21:49
Speaker 1: practice of the dissenters themselves. I suppose doctor Watson's hymns
21:53
Speaker 1: and his imitation of David's psalms, especially the latter, are
21:57
Speaker 1: used by a large majority of dissenting congregations in their
22:00
Speaker 1: public worship. Many of these pieces are devotional, that is,
22:04
Speaker 1: they are in the strain of prayer or praise. They
22:07
Speaker 1: are therefore forms of prayer or praise, And when the
22:11
Speaker 1: first line is given out, it is probable that several
22:14
Speaker 1: persons in the assembly know beforehand every word they are
22:17
Speaker 1: to sing. In some congregations, the psalm or hymn is
22:21
Speaker 1: delivered line by line, and in most the bulk of
22:24
Speaker 1: the people are provided with books. Now it appears to
22:27
Speaker 1: me that when a worshiper who attends to what is
22:30
Speaker 1: going forward, and is not content with a mere lip service,
22:33
Speaker 1: joins in singing verses which express the desires and petitions
22:37
Speaker 1: of his heart to the Lord. He prays, and if
22:40
Speaker 1: he uses verses with which he was before acquainted, he
22:43
Speaker 1: prays by a form. He does the very thing for
22:46
Speaker 1: which we are condemned. Unless it can be proved that
22:49
Speaker 1: the fault and evil which is essential to a form
22:52
Speaker 1: in prose is entirely removed. If the substance of the
22:55
Speaker 1: obnoxious form be expressed in meta and chime, crit freely
23:02
Speaker 1: will rehearse forms of prayer and praise in verse. Why
23:06
Speaker 1: should criter, then, suppose forms are sinful, when in prose
23:11
Speaker 1: must my form be deemed a crime merely for the
23:14
Speaker 1: want of rhyme. I have heard of a minister who
23:18
Speaker 1: used to compose hymns in the pulpit. It was his
23:21
Speaker 1: custom to give out one line, and by the time
23:23
Speaker 1: the congregation had sung the first, he had a second
23:26
Speaker 1: ready for them, and so on as long as he
23:28
Speaker 1: thought proper to sing. These were not forms, They were
23:32
Speaker 1: composed pronata. Before he had finished a second stanza. The former,
23:38
Speaker 1: as to the verse and cadence, was in a manner forgotten,
23:41
Speaker 1: and the same hymn was never heard twice. I know
23:45
Speaker 1: not what these unpremeditated pieces were in point of composition,
23:49
Speaker 1: but where I persuaded of the unlawfulness of forms of prayer,
23:52
Speaker 1: and at the same time approved of the practice of
23:55
Speaker 1: singing in public worship, I should extremely covet the talent
23:59
Speaker 1: of extemporary hymn making as one of the most necessary
24:02
Speaker 1: gifts a minister could possess in order to maintain a
24:05
Speaker 1: consistency in his whole service. I here close what I
24:10
Speaker 1: intended by way of introduction in my subsequent letters. I
24:13
Speaker 1: purposed to acquaint you more directly with the reasons which
24:16
Speaker 1: determined my own choice, and which still satisfy me that
24:20
Speaker 1: in receiving episcopal ordination and exercising my ministry in the
24:24
Speaker 1: established Church, I have not acted wrong. At present, I
24:28
Speaker 1: shall relieve your attention by subscribing myself your affectionate friend
24:33
Speaker 1: and brother. End of Letter I, Letter two of Apologia
24:46
Speaker 1: by John Newton. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain.
24:52
Speaker 1: My dear friend and brother as such. I address you
24:57
Speaker 1: as such. Notwithstanding our different views of church going government,
25:00
Speaker 1: you acknowledge me you have confirmed your love to me
25:03
Speaker 1: by many repeated proofs, and it is the desire of
25:06
Speaker 1: my heart that nothing may take place on either side
25:10
Speaker 1: to weaken the exercise of that friendship, which, having the
25:13
Speaker 1: faith and hope of the Gospel for its basis, is
25:15
Speaker 1: calculated to subsist and flourish in a better world. With
25:19
Speaker 1: this thought upon my mind, it is impossible that I
25:22
Speaker 1: should write a single line with an intention of grieving
25:25
Speaker 1: or offending you. And I am persuaded the same consideration
25:28
Speaker 1: on your part will dispose you to a candid perusal
25:31
Speaker 1: of what I offer. I had rather be silent than plead,
25:35
Speaker 1: even for truth in an angry, contentious spirit, for every
25:39
Speaker 1: year of my life strengthens my conviction of the importance
25:42
Speaker 1: of that divine aphorism. The wrath of man worketh not
25:45
Speaker 1: the righteousness of God. How far what I have suggested
25:50
Speaker 1: in favor of establishments and liturgies may appear conclusive to you,
25:54
Speaker 1: I know not I depend much upon your candor, but
25:57
Speaker 1: I make allowances for the unavoidable influence of education, connection,
26:01
Speaker 1: and habit, both in you and in myself. We generally
26:06
Speaker 1: ascribe the descent of those who differ from us in
26:08
Speaker 1: part at least to prejudices of this kind. But as
26:12
Speaker 1: it is very natural to think favourably of ourselves, we
26:15
Speaker 1: almost take it for granted that we have either escaped
26:19
Speaker 1: or outgrown every bias. Though some of the principles we
26:23
Speaker 1: maintain have been instilled into us from our childhood, and
26:27
Speaker 1: we have been confirmed in what we say is right
26:29
Speaker 1: by the instruction, advice, and example of friends, exactly as
26:33
Speaker 1: others have been confirmed in what we call wrong. Yet
26:36
Speaker 1: the positiveness, which in them is the effect of ignorant prejudice,
26:41
Speaker 1: is in us a very different thing, a just attachment
26:44
Speaker 1: to truth and the result of impartial examination and full conviction.
26:48
Speaker 1: For my own part, I dare not say that I
26:50
Speaker 1: am free from all bias and prepossession, but I desire
26:54
Speaker 1: and endeavour to guard against their influence. But though I
26:58
Speaker 1: have ventured to defend the propriety of a national establishment,
27:02
Speaker 1: and upon that ground, the expediency of a liturgy, I
27:06
Speaker 1: need not tell you that I had no hand in
27:08
Speaker 1: forming either the one or the other. By the allotment
27:12
Speaker 1: of divine providence. I was born in a nation where
27:15
Speaker 1: these things had taken place long before I came into
27:18
Speaker 1: the world. Therefore, when the Lord gave me a desire
27:20
Speaker 1: to preach His Gospel, and it became necessary to determine
27:24
Speaker 1: under what character I should exercise my ministry. The question
27:27
Speaker 1: before me was not what form of church government I
27:30
Speaker 1: might propose as the most scriptural if all parties amongst
27:33
Speaker 1: us were willing to refer themselves to my decision. But
27:36
Speaker 1: my inquiry was rather directed to this point, what would
27:39
Speaker 1: be my path of duty at Abus sikh stantibus, living
27:43
Speaker 1: as I did in the island of Great Britain and
27:46
Speaker 1: in that part of it named England. At first, indeed,
27:49
Speaker 1: I saw but little room for deliberation. For about six
27:53
Speaker 1: years after I was awakened to some concern for my soul.
27:56
Speaker 1: My situation in life had secluded me equally from every
27:59
Speaker 1: religious party. During this period in which I walked alone,
28:02
Speaker 1: the Lord was pleased to show me the way to
28:04
Speaker 1: the Throne of Grace, and to lead me to study
28:07
Speaker 1: and prize His Holy Word. By his blessing. I made
28:12
Speaker 1: some advances in knowledge, though slowly under such discouragements and disadvantages.
28:17
Speaker 1: As they who from the beginning of their inquiries are
28:20
Speaker 1: favored with public ordinances and the help of Christian conference,
28:23
Speaker 1: can have no proper conception of it. At length I
28:27
Speaker 1: became acquainted with some of his people, and had frequent
28:30
Speaker 1: opportunities of hearing the Gospel. My first connections of this
28:34
Speaker 1: sort were chiefly with dissenters, and brought me, as it were,
28:37
Speaker 1: into a new world. For till then I had hardly
28:40
Speaker 1: an idea of the different names and modes by which
28:43
Speaker 1: professing Christians were distinguished and subdivided, nor of the animosity
28:47
Speaker 1: with which their various disputes were carried on. But as
28:51
Speaker 1: I received benefit and pleasure from my intercourse with my
28:53
Speaker 1: new friends, it is no wonder that, while my heart
28:56
Speaker 1: was warm and my experience and judgment unformed, I should
29:00
Speaker 1: enter with readiness into all their views. Thus, together with
29:04
Speaker 1: the real advantages I obtained among them, I imbibed at
29:07
Speaker 1: the same time a strong prejudice against the established Church,
29:11
Speaker 1: and hastily concluded that though I might occasionally communicate with
29:14
Speaker 1: it as a private person, it would be impossible to
29:17
Speaker 1: officiate in it as a minister without violating my conscience. Accordingly,
29:22
Speaker 1: my first overtures were to the dissenters, and had not
29:25
Speaker 1: the providence of God remarkably interposed to prevent it, I
29:28
Speaker 1: should probably have been a brother with you. In every sense,
29:32
Speaker 1: but my designs were overruled. A variety of doors by
29:36
Speaker 1: which I sought entrance, for I did not give up
29:38
Speaker 1: upon the first disappointment, were successively shut against me. These
29:43
Speaker 1: repeated delays afforded me more time to think and judge
29:46
Speaker 1: for myself, and the more I considered the point, the
29:49
Speaker 1: more my scruples against conformity gave way reasons increased upon me,
29:55
Speaker 1: which not only satisfied me that I might conform without sin,
29:58
Speaker 1: but that the preference as to my own concern was
30:01
Speaker 1: plainly on that side. Accordingly, in the Lord's due time,
30:05
Speaker 1: after several years waiting to know his will, I sought
30:07
Speaker 1: and obtained episcopal ordination. And I seriously assure you that
30:12
Speaker 1: though I took this step with a firm persuasion that
30:14
Speaker 1: it was right, I did not at that time see
30:17
Speaker 1: so many reasons to justify my choice, nor perhaps any
30:21
Speaker 1: one reason in so strong a light as I have since,
30:25
Speaker 1: Far from having regretted this interesting part of my conduct
30:28
Speaker 1: for a single hour, I have been more satisfied with
30:32
Speaker 1: it from year to year. You will please, therefore, to
30:35
Speaker 1: accept what I am about to offer, not merely as
30:38
Speaker 1: on account of the motives which influenced me twenty years ago,
30:41
Speaker 1: but rather as the considerations which at this minute call
30:44
Speaker 1: upon me to be heartily thankful to the Lord for
30:47
Speaker 1: leading me by a way which I knew not to
30:50
Speaker 1: labor in that part of his vineyard, which experience has
30:53
Speaker 1: proven to be most suitable for maintaining my personal peace
30:56
Speaker 1: and comfort, and I verily believe likewise for promote my
31:00
Speaker 1: usefulness as a minister. Some of our dissenting brethren, who
31:04
Speaker 1: I hope are willing to think as well of the
31:06
Speaker 1: awakened clergy as they can kindly allow us to be
31:10
Speaker 1: well meaning people. They believe we desire to be useful,
31:14
Speaker 1: and think it not impossible, but that in some instances
31:17
Speaker 1: we may be so. But they pity us either for
31:20
Speaker 1: not having more light, or for not having courage to
31:23
Speaker 1: follow that light, which they suppose must force itself upon
31:27
Speaker 1: us if we did not wilfully shut it out. From
31:31
Speaker 1: what they hear of us, they are staggered. They are
31:34
Speaker 1: loath to deny that the Lord is with us at all.
31:36
Speaker 1: But then, if the Lord be with us, indeed why
31:39
Speaker 1: are we Thus it is almost unaccountable to them upon
31:42
Speaker 1: this supposition how we can remain where we are They
31:46
Speaker 1: are expecting from day to day that if we are
31:48
Speaker 1: enlightened as we profess, and honest men as they wish
31:52
Speaker 1: to find us, we shall surely come out from Babylon,
31:55
Speaker 1: renounce our slavery, and will worship and openly attach ourselves
31:58
Speaker 1: to the dissenting interest. Could we do this and persuade
32:02
Speaker 1: our people to follow us, they would probably no longer
32:05
Speaker 1: doubt whether the Lord had wrought by our ministry or not.
32:09
Speaker 1: I could wish you not to think of me while
32:11
Speaker 1: you read the paragraph I am now beginning. You know
32:14
Speaker 1: many of our ministers, and you know that there are
32:16
Speaker 1: amongst them men of sound sense, solid judgment, and extensive reading,
32:21
Speaker 1: men whom the Lord has been pleased to favor with
32:24
Speaker 1: an eminency in gifts and spiritual knowledge. In a word,
32:28
Speaker 1: able ministers of the New Testament, men who, though in
32:31
Speaker 1: the sight of the Lord they lie low in the dust,
32:34
Speaker 1: conscious of inherent defilement and that their best services need forgiveness,
32:39
Speaker 1: yet with regard to their fellow creatures, can, in the
32:42
Speaker 1: integrity of their hearts, appeal to all around them that
32:45
Speaker 1: their conversation is not unbecoming the gospel which they preach.
32:49
Speaker 1: Some of these men at least have carefully studied the
32:51
Speaker 1: subject matter of debate between us and the dissenters, have
32:54
Speaker 1: read the books and considered the arguments which are supposed
32:57
Speaker 1: sufficient to convert and reform us. But after all their
33:01
Speaker 1: endeavors to obtain information, though they agree with the evangelical
33:05
Speaker 1: dissenters in their views of the Gospel, which yet they
33:08
Speaker 1: received not from them, but from the Holy Scripture, they
33:11
Speaker 1: are constrained to differ on the question of church form
33:14
Speaker 1: and order. Now, why should this be imputed to their
33:17
Speaker 1: ignorance and blindness. Does it require a sharper eye to
33:21
Speaker 1: perceive the precise delineation of a Gospel church in the
33:24
Speaker 1: New Testament, if it be really there, than to apprehend
33:28
Speaker 1: and embrace what these Scripture teachers concerning the person and
33:31
Speaker 1: characters of the Redeemer, the way of a sinner's acceptance,
33:35
Speaker 1: or the nature of the life of faith. These things
33:38
Speaker 1: we are assured by the Apostle. The natural man, however qualified,
33:41
Speaker 1: cannot discern. Surely the external form of a Gospel church
33:46
Speaker 1: cannot be equally mysterious with these doctrines, especially as it
33:50
Speaker 1: is professedly seen with the glance of an eye by
33:53
Speaker 1: some persons who declare themselves enemies to mysteries of any kind,
33:57
Speaker 1: or why should their not acceding to you imputed to
34:00
Speaker 1: interested motives? There are with us men whose integrity and
34:05
Speaker 1: ingenuousness are in every other respect unimpeachable. And it is
34:09
Speaker 1: hard that without sufficient evidence they should be charged with
34:12
Speaker 1: prevarication in a business which concerns the honor of their
34:16
Speaker 1: Savior and the uprightness of their consciences. In his sight, besides,
34:20
Speaker 1: what can be the powerful motives for such hypocrisy? Do they,
34:24
Speaker 1: by remaining in the establishment, avoid the offense of the
34:27
Speaker 1: cross and find a shelter from that opprobrium and opposition
34:31
Speaker 1: which must be their lot if they had the fortitude
34:34
Speaker 1: to unite with the dissenters here at least, However, we
34:38
Speaker 1: may be mistaken. I apprehend the Lord has assigned to
34:41
Speaker 1: us the post of honor, and that in the treatment
34:43
Speaker 1: we meet with from an unbelieving world, our lot rather
34:47
Speaker 1: resembles that of the dissenters in the last century than
34:49
Speaker 1: of the present. It is true we are no more
34:52
Speaker 1: exposed to fines and imprisonment than you are. But if
34:56
Speaker 1: it be an honor to suffer shame for his name's sake,
34:59
Speaker 1: I think we have the pre eminence as to money matters.
35:03
Speaker 1: I could name several of our clergy who are not
35:05
Speaker 1: so plentifully provided for in the establishment, but that if
35:09
Speaker 1: they were to leave us and go over to your side,
35:11
Speaker 1: it is very probable the manner in which converts of
35:14
Speaker 1: such characters and abilities would be received amongst you might
35:17
Speaker 1: prove considerably to their emolument. Nor can it, upon better grounds,
35:22
Speaker 1: be ascribed to obstinate prejudice and incurable bigotry that your
35:26
Speaker 1: arguments do not prevail. For it is well known that
35:29
Speaker 1: many of our ministers show a cordial and liberal spirit
35:32
Speaker 1: to the dissenters, receive them gladly into their houses, attend
35:36
Speaker 1: occasionally upon their preaching, recommend and encourage applications for the
35:40
Speaker 1: support of their ministers or places of worship, and are
35:43
Speaker 1: ready to concur with them in every plan for usefulness.
35:47
Speaker 1: And I believe this disposition would be more general had
35:50
Speaker 1: not experience shown that the candor of some clergyman in
35:53
Speaker 1: these respects has been too often improperly requited by ungenerous
35:57
Speaker 1: attempts to prejudice and perplex our people and to weaken
36:00
Speaker 1: our hands. Yet one or other or all these charges
36:05
Speaker 1: must be insinuated against us. Rather than fallible men will
36:09
Speaker 1: suppose themselves anything less than infallible, even in points of
36:13
Speaker 1: a circumstantial nature. And though others whom they have no
36:17
Speaker 1: reason to think inferior to themselves, either in judgment or integrity,
36:21
Speaker 1: are compelled to differ from them. If not so frequent,
36:26
Speaker 1: would not this be strange? That tis so frequent? This
36:30
Speaker 1: is stranger? Still be assured, dear sir, that in thus
36:34
Speaker 1: apologizing for my brethren, I write not only without their desire,
36:38
Speaker 1: but without their knowledge. I think I have now finished
36:41
Speaker 1: all my preambles, and I proceed immediately to acquaint you
36:44
Speaker 1: with my reasons for conforming to the established Church and
36:47
Speaker 1: continuing in it. My first and principal reason is the
36:52
Speaker 1: regard I owe to the honor and authority of the
36:54
Speaker 1: Lord Jesus Christ, as Head and law giver of his church.
36:59
Speaker 1: I do not mean that the consideration obliges me absolutely
37:02
Speaker 1: to prefer the form of the Church of England to
37:04
Speaker 1: any other form, but only that it will not permit
37:07
Speaker 1: me to join with those who make dissenting from it necessary.
37:10
Speaker 1: In point of conscience, I cannot suppose that any true
37:13
Speaker 1: Christian in our land of light and liberty, will hesitate
37:16
Speaker 1: a moment to acknowledge that Christ is the one, infallible, authoritative,
37:20
Speaker 1: legislator and governor of his Church, that He is the
37:23
Speaker 1: Lord and the only Lord of conscience, that nothing inconsistent
37:27
Speaker 1: with his revealed will should be practiced, nothing that He
37:30
Speaker 1: has enjoined be omitted by those who profess allegiance to him.
37:35
Speaker 1: But however generally acknowledged these principles are, I believe the
37:38
Speaker 1: misconstruction and misapplication of them have contributed more to divide
37:43
Speaker 1: the people of God and to alienate their affections from
37:45
Speaker 1: each other, than any other cause that can be assigned.
37:49
Speaker 1: It seems reasonable to expect that they whose hopes are
37:52
Speaker 1: built upon the same foundation, who are led by the
37:54
Speaker 1: same spirit, who are opposed by the same enemies, and
37:57
Speaker 1: interested in the same promises, would look upon each other
38:01
Speaker 1: with mutual complaisance, would love as brethren, would bear each
38:05
Speaker 1: other's burdens, and so fulfill their master's law and copy
38:08
Speaker 1: his example. But alas a mistaken zeal for his honour
38:12
Speaker 1: fills them on all sides with animosity against their fellow disciples,
38:16
Speaker 1: splits them into a thousand parties, gives rise to fierce
38:20
Speaker 1: and endless contentions, and makes them so earnest for and
38:23
Speaker 1: against their respective peculiarities, that the love, which is the
38:26
Speaker 1: discriminating characteristic of his religion is scarcely to be found
38:30
Speaker 1: amongst them, in such a degree of exercise as to
38:33
Speaker 1: satisfy even candid observers, whether they bear His mark or not.
38:38
Speaker 1: The Visible Church of Christ comprises all who call themselves
38:42
Speaker 1: by his name, and who profess to receive His Gospel
38:45
Speaker 1: as a divine revelation. It is a flaw on which
38:48
Speaker 1: the grain and the chaff are promiscuously mingled, a field
38:51
Speaker 1: in which the wheat and the tears grow together, a
38:55
Speaker 1: net enclosing a multitude of fishes, both good and bad.
38:59
Speaker 1: But the Visible Church of Christ, taken in this large extent,
39:03
Speaker 1: is not the proper subject of his government, as he
39:05
Speaker 1: is the King of saints. For his kingdom is a
39:08
Speaker 1: spiritual kingdom which none can understand, and his rule a
39:12
Speaker 1: spiritual rule which none can receive or obey, until born
39:16
Speaker 1: from above and made new creatures by the power of
39:19
Speaker 1: the Holy Spirit. If these regenerated persons who it is
39:23
Speaker 1: to be feared, are seldom the largest number in any denomination,
39:26
Speaker 1: be considered as detached from the visible Church. The remainder
39:30
Speaker 1: is a mere kaputumurtum, differenced from the world, which lies
39:34
Speaker 1: in wickedness, in nothing but a name, and in the
39:36
Speaker 1: privilege of having the oracles of God committed to it.
39:40
Speaker 1: But nominal Christians, though they have or may have in
39:42
Speaker 1: their hands, the scriptures which are able to make sinners
39:45
Speaker 1: wise unto salvation, are no less distant and alienated from
39:49
Speaker 1: the life of God until He is pleased to reveal
39:52
Speaker 1: his power in their hearts than Muhammedans or heathens. And
39:56
Speaker 1: with respect to these, the honour of the Lord Jesus
39:58
Speaker 1: Christ is but little concerned with the different ways in
40:01
Speaker 1: which they may think proper to constitute themselves into national
40:04
Speaker 1: or particular churches and please themselves with a lifeless form
40:08
Speaker 1: of worship while their hearts are in a state of
40:10
Speaker 1: enmity to His grace. Admitting that the plan of a
40:14
Speaker 1: Gospel church was described with the same precision in the
40:17
Speaker 1: New Testament as the institutions of the levitical worship in
40:20
Speaker 1: the Old, and punctually complied with to the minutest circumstance.
40:25
Speaker 1: Though the worshipers might applaud and admire their own exactness
40:28
Speaker 1: and censure, and despise all who differed a hair's breadth
40:31
Speaker 1: from them. Yet if they did not serve God in
40:34
Speaker 1: spirit and in truth, their boasted church order would avail
40:37
Speaker 1: them nothing. All that related to the worship of God
40:41
Speaker 1: under the law was confessedly of divine appointment. And the
40:44
Speaker 1: people in the time of the Prophets were not so
40:46
Speaker 1: much charged with neglecting the prescribed forms as with resting
40:50
Speaker 1: in them. When this evil became general, and they thought
40:53
Speaker 1: to compensate for their want of spirituality by their feasts,
40:57
Speaker 1: fasts and sacrifices, the Lord expressed, as himself has displeased
41:01
Speaker 1: with his own institutions Isaiah, chapter one, verses eleven to fifteen,
41:07
Speaker 1: Chapter sixty four, verse three and four. Jeremiah seven, verses
41:10
Speaker 1: eight to fourteen, verse twenty two, and verse twenty three.
41:15
Speaker 1: They could plead this prescription for their observances, but in
41:18
Speaker 1: vain they trusted to the temple, and said, the temple
41:21
Speaker 1: of the Lord, the temple of the Lord are we
41:24
Speaker 1: when the temple of the Lord was departed from them,
41:27
Speaker 1: And certainly he will be no more pleased with a
41:30
Speaker 1: form without the heart now than he was. Then I
41:34
Speaker 1: must therefore confine my inquiry to the Church of Christ
41:37
Speaker 1: in a more limited and proper sense, as expressive of
41:40
Speaker 1: His mystical body, composed of all who by faith are
41:44
Speaker 1: united to Him as their foundation and root, of whom,
41:47
Speaker 1: all to whom he is the head of vital influence,
41:50
Speaker 1: who have fellowship with Him in his death, and are
41:52
Speaker 1: partakers of the power of His resurrection. These are infallibly
41:57
Speaker 1: known only to himself. They are scattered far and wide,
42:01
Speaker 1: separated from each other by seas and mountains. They are
42:04
Speaker 1: a people of many nations and languages. But wherever their
42:07
Speaker 1: lot is cast, they hear His voice, are under his
42:10
Speaker 1: gracious eye. And the life which they live in the
42:13
Speaker 1: flesh is by faith in His name. They have not
42:17
Speaker 1: all equal degrees of light or measures of grace, nor
42:20
Speaker 1: are they all favoured with equal advantages for knowing or
42:23
Speaker 1: enjoying the full extent of the liberty of the Gospel.
42:26
Speaker 1: But they are all accepted in the Beloved and approved
42:29
Speaker 1: of God. They are spiritual worshipers, joint partakers of grace,
42:33
Speaker 1: and will hereafter appear together at their Saviour's right hand
42:37
Speaker 1: in glory. At present they are in an imperfect state.
42:42
Speaker 1: Though created a new in Christ Jesus, they are not
42:44
Speaker 1: freed from a principle of indwelling sin. Their knowledge is
42:48
Speaker 1: clouded by much remaining ignorance, and their zeal, though right
42:52
Speaker 1: in its aim, is often warped and misguided by the
42:55
Speaker 1: corrupt influence of self. For they still have many corruptions,
43:00
Speaker 1: and they live in a world which furnishes frequent occasions
43:03
Speaker 1: of exciting them and Satan, their subtle and powerful enemy,
43:07
Speaker 1: is always upon his watch to mislead and ensnare them.
43:10
Speaker 1: They are born, educated, and called under a great variety
43:14
Speaker 1: of circumstances. Habits of life, local customs, early connections, and
43:18
Speaker 1: even bodily constitution have more or less influence in forming
43:22
Speaker 1: their characters and in giving a tincture and turn to
43:26
Speaker 1: their manner of thinking, so that though in whatever is
43:29
Speaker 1: essential to their peace and holiness, they are all led
43:32
Speaker 1: by the same spirit and mind the same things. In
43:36
Speaker 1: others of a secondary nature, their sentiments may and often
43:39
Speaker 1: do differ as much as the features of their faces.
43:43
Speaker 1: A uniformity of judgment among them is not to be expected.
43:46
Speaker 1: While the wisest are defective in knowledge, the best are
43:50
Speaker 1: defiled with sin and while the weaknesses of human nature
43:53
Speaker 1: which are common to them all are so differently affected
43:56
Speaker 1: by a thousand impressions which arise from their various situations.
44:00
Speaker 1: They might, however, maintain a unity of spirit and live
44:03
Speaker 1: in the exercise of mutual love, were it not that
44:05
Speaker 1: every part and almost every individual unhappily conceives that they
44:09
Speaker 1: are bound in conscience to prescribe their own line of
44:12
Speaker 1: conduct as a standard to which all their brethren ought
44:15
Speaker 1: to conform. They are comparatively but few who consider this
44:19
Speaker 1: requisition to be as unnecessary, unreasonable, and impracticable as it
44:24
Speaker 1: would be to insist or expect that every man's shoes
44:26
Speaker 1: should be exactly of one size. Thus, though all agree
44:31
Speaker 1: in asserting the authority and right of the Lord Jesus
44:33
Speaker 1: as King and head of his Church, the various apprehensions
44:37
Speaker 1: they frame of the rule to which He requires them
44:39
Speaker 1: to conform, and their pertinacious attachment to their own expositions
44:43
Speaker 1: of it, separate them almost as much from each other
44:46
Speaker 1: as if they were not united to Him by a
44:48
Speaker 1: principle of living faith. Their little differences form them into
44:53
Speaker 1: so many separate interests, and the heat with which they
44:56
Speaker 1: defend their own plans and oppose all who cannot agree
45:00
Speaker 1: with them to a tittle makes them forget that they
45:03
Speaker 1: are children in the same family, and servants of the
45:05
Speaker 1: same master. And while they vex and worry each other
45:10
Speaker 1: with disputations and censures, the world wonders and laughs at them.
45:14
Speaker 1: All the spirit of love is restrained, offenses are multiplied,
45:18
Speaker 1: and Satan is gratified by beholding the extensive effects of
45:22
Speaker 1: his pernicious and long practiced maxim de vie there et impera.
45:28
Speaker 1: I am far from supposing that all the various modes
45:31
Speaker 1: of church government under which spiritual worshipers are caste are
45:34
Speaker 1: equally agreeable to the spirit and genius of the Gospel,
45:38
Speaker 1: or equally suited to the purposes of edification. Perhaps there
45:42
Speaker 1: is no considerable body of people who profess themselves Christians,
45:45
Speaker 1: however erroneous in their plans of doctrine or worship, among
45:49
Speaker 1: whom the Savior has not some hidden ones known to himself,
45:53
Speaker 1: though lost to human observation, in the crowd of pretenders
45:56
Speaker 1: which surround them. The power of his grace can break
45:59
Speaker 1: through all disadvantages and make a few individuals wiser than
46:03
Speaker 1: their teachers. By revealing his truth to their heart, sooner
46:06
Speaker 1: or later, so far as is necessary to salvation. But
46:11
Speaker 1: it must be owned that some communities which bear the
46:14
Speaker 1: name of Christian have departed so very far from the
46:16
Speaker 1: simplicity of the Gospel, that, if we reason a priori,
46:20
Speaker 1: we are ready to conclude it is almost impossible for
46:23
Speaker 1: a converted person to continue a single day in such
46:25
Speaker 1: a communion. But hypothesis cannot be maintained against plain facts. Thus,
46:32
Speaker 1: the Church of Rome, not merely by adopting an unmeaning,
46:35
Speaker 1: burdensome train of ceremonies, but by her doctrines of papal infallibility,
46:40
Speaker 1: invocation of saints and angels, purgatory absolution, the mass, and
46:44
Speaker 1: others of the like stamp is become so exceedingly adulterated
46:48
Speaker 1: that possibly some persons who may read these letters will
46:51
Speaker 1: form an unfavorable opinion of me for declaring that I
46:54
Speaker 1: have not the least doubt. But the Lord Jesus has had,
46:57
Speaker 1: from age to age a succession of chosen and faithful
46:59
Speaker 1: wisit witnesses within the pale of that corrupt church. Yet
47:04
Speaker 1: I should hope that they, who, having themselves tasted that
47:06
Speaker 1: the Lord is gracious, know the language of a heart
47:09
Speaker 1: under the influence of his spirit, would in defiance of
47:12
Speaker 1: Protestant prejudices, be of my mind if they had opportunity
47:16
Speaker 1: of perusing the writings of some papists. If such persons
47:20
Speaker 1: as de Fenelon, Pascal, Quesnell, and Nicole, to mention no more,
47:25
Speaker 1: were not true Christians, where shall we find any who
47:28
Speaker 1: deserve the name in the writings of these great men.
47:31
Speaker 1: Notwithstanding incidental errors, I meet with such strains of experimental godliness,
47:35
Speaker 1: such deep knowledge of the workings of the Spirit of
47:38
Speaker 1: God and of the heart of man, and such masterly
47:41
Speaker 1: explications of many important passages of Scripture, as might do
47:44
Speaker 1: honor to the most enlightened Protestant. And yet these men
47:48
Speaker 1: lived and died in the Popish communion, and to their
47:50
Speaker 1: latest hours, for anything that appears to the contrary thought,
47:54
Speaker 1: they could not separate from it without sin. And though
47:58
Speaker 1: I have not equal means of information, I can as
48:00
Speaker 1: little doubt that the Lord has people likewise in the
48:03
Speaker 1: Greek Church, which, as to its external frame, seems to
48:06
Speaker 1: be little less unscriptural than the Church of Rome itself. However,
48:11
Speaker 1: I desire to be thankful that I am not a papist.
48:14
Speaker 1: I am at least one step nearer to the true
48:16
Speaker 1: and acceptable worship of God. For I believe the most
48:19
Speaker 1: rigid of our dissenting brethren will allow that the Church
48:22
Speaker 1: of England, if almost yet, is not altogether so depraved
48:26
Speaker 1: and corrupt in its constitution as the Church of Rome.
48:30
Speaker 1: I am now in my track and shall trouble you
48:32
Speaker 1: with fewer digressions. In the sequel. My next point will
48:36
Speaker 1: be to examine the different claims of Protestant churches to
48:39
Speaker 1: the honor. They all assume that their respective institutions are
48:42
Speaker 1: most conformable to the rules the Apostles have laid down
48:45
Speaker 1: on the subject of church government, and express the greatest
48:49
Speaker 1: regard to the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ, the
48:51
Speaker 1: undoubted head and law giver of his Church. And to
48:55
Speaker 1: avoid as much as I can encumbering what I will
48:58
Speaker 1: write in an epistolary way to a frame and with
49:00
Speaker 1: the stiffness of argumentation, I shall content myself with giving
49:04
Speaker 1: you a simple account of what occurred to me upon
49:07
Speaker 1: this head when I made the inquiry for my own direction.
49:10
Speaker 1: But it is time to conclude this letter by assuring
49:13
Speaker 1: you that I am your affectionate friend. End of Letter two,
49:24
Speaker 1: Letter three of Apologia by John Newton. This LibriVox recording
49:30
Speaker 1: is in the public domain. My dear friend and brother,
49:36
Speaker 1: if the authority of men truly respectable for learning, judgment,
49:40
Speaker 1: and grace were sufficient to determine the question, which of
49:43
Speaker 1: the various forms of church government now obtaining among Christians
49:46
Speaker 1: is most agreeable to the letter and spirit of the
49:48
Speaker 1: New Testament. A modest inquirer who wishes for the sanction
49:52
Speaker 1: of those whom he esteems wiser and better than himself,
49:56
Speaker 1: would probably, without hesitation, join himself to that party to
50:00
Speaker 1: which he might be first led to apply for direction.
50:03
Speaker 1: For whatever difference there may be in the merit of
50:05
Speaker 1: their several claims for pre eminence, The claim itself is
50:08
Speaker 1: made with an equal degree of confidence by them all.
50:12
Speaker 1: At a time when I was very sensible of my
50:14
Speaker 1: own incompetency to decide this point for myself, I received,
50:18
Speaker 1: as I hoped, much benefit from the writings of Bishop Hall, Reynolds, Davenant,
50:22
Speaker 1: mister Hooker, and other divines of the Church of England.
50:26
Speaker 1: I perceived they were persons of strong sense, extensive literature,
50:30
Speaker 1: sound in the faith, and from such accounts of their
50:33
Speaker 1: lives as I could collect. I judged they had been
50:35
Speaker 1: zealous and diligent in their callings and burning and shining
50:39
Speaker 1: lights in the world. I could not perceive that any
50:42
Speaker 1: of them were dissatisfied with the established Church in which
50:44
Speaker 1: they lived and died, And some of them I found
50:47
Speaker 1: were very strenuous in its defense, not only pleading that
50:51
Speaker 1: it was lawful to maintain communion with it, but offering
50:54
Speaker 1: many arguments to prove that it was even sinful to
50:56
Speaker 1: separate from it, and that it was the only reas
51:00
Speaker 1: re semblance of the primitive apostolical church. I owned to
51:04
Speaker 1: you that I thought some of their assertions upon this
51:06
Speaker 1: head were too strong, and some of their arguments not
51:08
Speaker 1: fully conclusive. Yet I was a little staggered, and it
51:12
Speaker 1: gave me pain to be forced to differ in any
51:14
Speaker 1: point from men whom I believed to have been full
51:17
Speaker 1: of faith and of the Holy Ghost. However, some general
51:20
Speaker 1: idea I possessed of the liberty of the Gospel, a
51:23
Speaker 1: conviction that the Lord had a people and a work
51:25
Speaker 1: in other countries where the form of the Church of
51:27
Speaker 1: England could not take, and the previous attachment I had
51:31
Speaker 1: to the dissenters with whom, as I have said I
51:34
Speaker 1: was first acquainted, prevented me from becoming what is called
51:37
Speaker 1: a high churchman. But as for these reasons, I could
51:41
Speaker 1: not give the Church of England an exclusive preference, or
51:45
Speaker 1: think myself authorized to brand those who descended from it
51:48
Speaker 1: with the hard names of schismatics and fanatics. So on
51:51
Speaker 1: the other hand, I could not go into the opposite extreme,
51:54
Speaker 1: or suppose that a church in which the Lord employed
51:56
Speaker 1: and owned such valuable men, and had a numerous spirit
52:00
Speaker 1: ritual people, was no better than a Babylon from whence
52:03
Speaker 1: all who loved His name and salvation were in duty
52:06
Speaker 1: and conscience bound to withdraw. Many books likewise came in
52:11
Speaker 1: my way written by divines of the Church of Scotland.
52:14
Speaker 1: In the writings of Durham, Fleming, Halliburton and others, I
52:17
Speaker 1: found proofs that they were not inferior in light, holiness
52:21
Speaker 1: and a sound spiritual judgment to the most eminent luminaries
52:24
Speaker 1: of our own church. In what concerned the life and
52:27
Speaker 1: power of religion. I could perceive no considerable difference between them,
52:32
Speaker 1: as they were all taught by the same spirit, So
52:34
Speaker 1: they were all teachers of the same truths. But in
52:37
Speaker 1: their sentiments upon church government. They differed very widely. Wherein
52:41
Speaker 1: they agreed, I could fully agree with them. Wherein they differed,
52:44
Speaker 1: I was left to the uncertainty of a traveler who,
52:47
Speaker 1: inquiring his way, of two persons is told by one
52:50
Speaker 1: to turn to the right, and by the other directly
52:53
Speaker 1: opposite to the left. My English guides would persuade me
52:57
Speaker 1: that the form of the church from the apostles days
52:59
Speaker 1: was episcopal. My Scotch guides were rather more positive than
53:03
Speaker 1: our prelacy was almost equally with the papacy, a branch
53:07
Speaker 1: and a mark of Antichrist. If I compared the sufficiency
53:10
Speaker 1: of each to decide for me, I knew not which
53:13
Speaker 1: to prefer. On both sides were men of wisdom and grace,
53:17
Speaker 1: and whom I believed would not wilfully mislead me. On
53:20
Speaker 1: both sides they confessed themselves in general to be like myself,
53:24
Speaker 1: fallible and liable to mistake. Only on this one point
53:28
Speaker 1: both sides appeared confident that they could not be mistaken,
53:31
Speaker 1: and yet their opinions were not only diverse but contradictory.
53:36
Speaker 1: The suspense in which I was held by these incompatible
53:38
Speaker 1: claimants sent me more readily and attentively to renew my
53:42
Speaker 1: inquiries among my former friends of your denomination. By these
53:46
Speaker 1: I was instructed that I need not trouble myself with
53:49
Speaker 1: weighing and comparing the arguments which our English and Scotch
53:52
Speaker 1: churches had to offer in favor of their respective constitutions,
53:55
Speaker 1: for they were both equally destitute of any foundation in
53:58
Speaker 1: truth or scripture. That I had only to read the
54:02
Speaker 1: New Testament for myself, and it must appear very plain
54:05
Speaker 1: that the Lord Christ had not left a concern of
54:08
Speaker 1: this importance undetermined, but had directed his apostles to leave
54:12
Speaker 1: in their writings a pattern according to which it was
54:14
Speaker 1: his pleasure all his churches in future ages should be
54:17
Speaker 1: formed that the first churches were congregational or independent, and
54:22
Speaker 1: that every other plan was unscriptural and a presumptuous deviation
54:25
Speaker 1: from the declared will of the Lord. As I had
54:29
Speaker 1: been a debtor to some of their writers likewise, and
54:31
Speaker 1: was personally acquainted with several of their ministers, their representations
54:35
Speaker 1: had so much weight with me as to increase my embarrassment.
54:40
Speaker 1: My difficulties grew upon me when I found, by consulting
54:43
Speaker 1: different independent writers who had professorly treated this subject that
54:48
Speaker 1: though they were of one mind in asserting that a
54:50
Speaker 1: plain and satisfactory pattern for this congregational order might be
54:54
Speaker 1: easily collected and stated from a perusal of the New Testament,
54:57
Speaker 1: yet when they came to delineate and describe it according
55:00
Speaker 1: to their own ideas, they were far from being agreed
55:03
Speaker 1: among themselves as to the nature and number of the officers, powers,
55:07
Speaker 1: and acts which are requisite to the constitution and administration
55:11
Speaker 1: of a regularly organized Gospel church. I formerly employed much
55:16
Speaker 1: time and attention in this disquisition, But not having for
55:20
Speaker 1: many years past reviewed a controversy which I think rather
55:22
Speaker 1: dry and uninteresting, I cannot from memory enter into a
55:26
Speaker 1: detail of particulars, nor is it needful of the fact,
55:30
Speaker 1: I think I may be confident that there is not
55:32
Speaker 1: such an agreement among them as might be expected if
55:35
Speaker 1: the plan from which they all professed to copy was
55:37
Speaker 1: clearly and expressly revealed in the New Testament as obligatory
55:40
Speaker 1: upon all Christians. Here I was at a loss again,
55:44
Speaker 1: for if I could have admitted their principle that every
55:47
Speaker 1: circumstance of worship and government in a church ought to
55:50
Speaker 1: have the warrant of a precept or a precedent from scripture. Still,
55:54
Speaker 1: I needed help to digest and put together the several
55:56
Speaker 1: regulations which were dispersed in so many different parts of
55:59
Speaker 1: the Gospel and epistles. For I found myself unable to
56:03
Speaker 1: frame the detached materials into one orderly structure by my
56:06
Speaker 1: own skill. But when they had professed to have the
56:10
Speaker 1: light which I wanted, were themselves divided. Upon the point
56:13
Speaker 1: I was precluded from the hope of any certain assistance,
56:16
Speaker 1: For as to probabilities and conjectures, I might as well
56:19
Speaker 1: depend upon my own as upon those of another. Nor
56:24
Speaker 1: was this the whole of my difficulty. I was honestly
56:27
Speaker 1: advised to read and examine for myself. I did so,
56:31
Speaker 1: and it appeared to me, by comparing what I read
56:33
Speaker 1: with what I saw, that the independence could not, at
56:36
Speaker 1: least did not keep closely to their own principles. I
56:41
Speaker 1: thought I met with usages in the churches planted by
56:45
Speaker 1: the apostles, which did not obtain in any of the
56:47
Speaker 1: congregational churches I was acquainted with. And on the other hand,
56:51
Speaker 1: I noticed some usages amongst these of which I could
56:54
Speaker 1: find no traces in the inspired account we have of
56:57
Speaker 1: the primitive churches. Permit me, by one way of specimen,
57:00
Speaker 1: to mention one instance in each kind. If it was necessary,
57:04
Speaker 1: I could mention several, but I wish not to be tedious.
57:08
Speaker 1: The Apostle Paul addresses the Corinthians as a church of Christ,
57:12
Speaker 1: and we have from him a larger and more particular
57:14
Speaker 1: account of the practices of their church than of any other.
57:18
Speaker 1: In Chapter fourteen of his first Epistle, after censuring and
57:21
Speaker 1: correcting some improprieties which had obtained in their public assemblies,
57:25
Speaker 1: he gives them this direction, that the prophets speak two
57:29
Speaker 1: or three, and let the other judge. If anything be
57:32
Speaker 1: revealed to one that sitteth by, let the first hold
57:35
Speaker 1: his peace, for ye may all prophesy one by one,
57:38
Speaker 1: that all may learn and all may be comforted. The
57:42
Speaker 1: general practice of congregational churches in our time seems not
57:45
Speaker 1: to comply with this apostolic injunction, I think, my friend,
57:49
Speaker 1: in your assemblies, especially in your solemn stated worship on
57:52
Speaker 1: the Lord's Day, there is seldom more than one speaker.
57:56
Speaker 1: The same minister who preaches usually begins and ends the service.
58:01
Speaker 1: Should it be pleaded that the apostle speaks of prophesying
58:04
Speaker 1: and evidently supposes that the Church of Corinth was favored
58:07
Speaker 1: with extraordinary gifts and revelations which are now ceased, and
58:11
Speaker 1: that therefore the rule cannot, in that respect extend to us.
58:15
Speaker 1: I have two answers to make. In the first place,
58:18
Speaker 1: though we do not expect extraordinary revelations, we have encouragement
58:22
Speaker 1: to hope for the presence of our Savior and the
58:24
Speaker 1: gracious influences of His spirit when we meet in his name,
58:27
Speaker 1: sufficient to enable us to speak to His praise and
58:30
Speaker 1: to the edification and comfort of our brethren, if not
58:33
Speaker 1: in foreign tongues, at least in our own. And it
58:36
Speaker 1: is probable that you have more than once been a
58:39
Speaker 1: hearer in a public assembly when your heart has been
58:42
Speaker 1: so warmed and impressed by the truths of the Gospel,
58:45
Speaker 1: that you would not have been unwilling to have ascended
58:47
Speaker 1: the pulpit yourself, either to confirm or correct what you
58:50
Speaker 1: have been hearing, or to indulge the liberty you found
58:53
Speaker 1: in your mind upon some other important subject. Perhaps something
58:57
Speaker 1: was then revealed to you which might have been very
59:00
Speaker 1: suitable to the occasion and to the state of the congregation.
59:04
Speaker 1: Why did you not then declare it? Why did you
59:07
Speaker 1: neglect to stir up the gift of God that was
59:09
Speaker 1: in you. Would it have been contrary to the custom
59:11
Speaker 1: of your churches, But would you not, upon your principles,
59:15
Speaker 1: have been justified by the custom of a New Testament
59:18
Speaker 1: church and the injunction of an apostle. But secondly, and chiefly,
59:23
Speaker 1: I answer, if it be admitted that because the primitive
59:26
Speaker 1: churches had extraordinary gifts, there are some things in their
59:29
Speaker 1: practice which are not proper for our imitation, who have
59:33
Speaker 1: not the same gifts, then I quite give up the
59:35
Speaker 1: hope of being able to determine the exact and invariable
59:38
Speaker 1: form of a church by such lights as the acts
59:40
Speaker 1: of the apostles and their epistles afford me, unless some
59:43
Speaker 1: man or set of men be qualified and commissioned to
59:46
Speaker 1: draw the line for me, and to show me distinctly
59:48
Speaker 1: how far and in what instances the state of the
59:51
Speaker 1: first Christians is limited from being a pattern to us
59:54
Speaker 1: by the extraordinary dispensations of that age, and how far
59:57
Speaker 1: and in what cases their pattern is binding upon us. Still,
1:00:01
Speaker 1: notwithstanding those dispensations have long since ceased, to be directed
1:00:07
Speaker 1: to study these churches as a model, and to be
1:00:09
Speaker 1: told at the same time, that some parts of their
1:00:11
Speaker 1: practice were not designed for the imitation of future ages.
1:00:15
Speaker 1: Without distinctly specifying which were and which were not, is
1:00:18
Speaker 1: rather the way to perplex and bewilder an inquirer than
1:00:21
Speaker 1: to help him to information. Upon this ground. Though I
1:00:25
Speaker 1: might refuse to trust the assumed infallibility of the Pope,
1:00:29
Speaker 1: I must feel the need of an infallible, visible guide
1:00:31
Speaker 1: to reside somewhere in the church. For without such assistance
1:00:35
Speaker 1: I could not take a single step with certainty, but
1:00:38
Speaker 1: must be liable to stumble at the very threshold of
1:00:40
Speaker 1: my inquiry. I think it is the usual practice in
1:00:45
Speaker 1: your churches to require from all persons who wish to
1:00:47
Speaker 1: be admitted into your communion, an account, either verbal or written,
1:00:51
Speaker 1: of what is called their experience, in which not only
1:00:54
Speaker 1: a declaration of their faith in the Lord Jesus and
1:00:57
Speaker 1: their purpose by grace to devote themselves to Him is expected,
1:01:00
Speaker 1: but likewise a recital of the steps by which they
1:01:03
Speaker 1: were led to a knowledge and profession of the Gospel.
1:01:05
Speaker 1: I select this as one instance in which I conceive
1:01:08
Speaker 1: you have neither precept nor precedent in the scripture for
1:01:12
Speaker 1: your warrant a profession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ,
1:01:16
Speaker 1: of acceptance of Him and submission to Him in his
1:01:19
Speaker 1: officers and characters, supported by the evidence of a Gospel conversation,
1:01:23
Speaker 1: should I apprehend, be deemed sufficient to entitle a person
1:01:26
Speaker 1: to church membership, and especially by those who so loudly
1:01:29
Speaker 1: insist upon the evil of superadding any regulations to those
1:01:33
Speaker 1: which are already provided by our Lord and his apostles.
1:01:37
Speaker 1: The authority which makes it a prerequisite for admission that
1:01:42
Speaker 1: a person shall relate how and when he was awakened,
1:01:45
Speaker 1: what exercises of mind he has passed through, and other
1:01:48
Speaker 1: particulars of a like nature, appears to me to be
1:01:52
Speaker 1: as merely human as the authority which prescribes the canons
1:01:55
Speaker 1: of an established church. If the practice be defensible, it
1:01:58
Speaker 1: must be on the plea of expbediency. It is not
1:02:01
Speaker 1: my present business to inquire how far it may be
1:02:03
Speaker 1: expedient for young converts, for young persons, especially young women,
1:02:07
Speaker 1: to be compelled to speak before a public assembly, or
1:02:11
Speaker 1: if that be dispensed with, for the sake of other
1:02:13
Speaker 1: interfering expediencies, how far it is expedient to trust to
1:02:16
Speaker 1: a written experience. Otherwise, I could say a great deal
1:02:20
Speaker 1: upon this head, but it is sufficient for my purpose
1:02:23
Speaker 1: if no shadow of this practice can be found in
1:02:25
Speaker 1: the New Testament. On the contrary, I read that when Saul,
1:02:29
Speaker 1: after he escaped from Damascus, essayed to join himself to
1:02:33
Speaker 1: the Disciples, it was Barnabas and not Saul himself, who
1:02:37
Speaker 1: informed them both of his conversion and of the extraordinary
1:02:40
Speaker 1: manner in which it was affected, subjoining a testimony of
1:02:43
Speaker 1: his conduct from the time he had professed to change.
1:02:46
Speaker 1: But if expediency may warrant a measure in your churches
1:02:50
Speaker 1: not expressly commanded, why not likewise in ours? Be it
1:02:54
Speaker 1: either right or wrong in one case, it must be
1:02:57
Speaker 1: so in both, And therefore my remark on this petit
1:03:00
Speaker 1: regular will at least have the force of argumentum ad hominem.
1:03:05
Speaker 1: I am afraid I shall weary you by only giving
1:03:07
Speaker 1: a brief account of the long and intricate road which
1:03:10
Speaker 1: I traveled to discover if I could, the best constituted church.
1:03:15
Speaker 1: But I must entreat your patients a little longer till
1:03:18
Speaker 1: I bring you to the end of my journey. It
1:03:20
Speaker 1: may be necessary to inform some of my readers, though
1:03:23
Speaker 1: not you, that a considerable part of the congregational churches
1:03:26
Speaker 1: differ from the rest with respect to the mode and
1:03:29
Speaker 1: subjects of baptism. At the time when my thoughts were
1:03:32
Speaker 1: most engaged about church order, I lived in intimate habits
1:03:36
Speaker 1: of friendship with several Baptists who were very willing to
1:03:39
Speaker 1: assist me in settling my judgment. These, though they would
1:03:42
Speaker 1: have been pleased to see me yield to the arguments
1:03:44
Speaker 1: of their pedo Baptist brethren, would not be satisfied that
1:03:48
Speaker 1: I should stop where they stopped. They urged scripture, precepts
1:03:52
Speaker 1: and precedents to lead me further, and said that none
1:03:55
Speaker 1: of the congregational churches but their own were agreeable to
1:03:57
Speaker 1: the mind of Christ. They told me that though I
1:04:00
Speaker 1: should acknowledge and embrace the Congregational order, which undoubtedly was
1:04:04
Speaker 1: the only one countenance by scripture, still I could not
1:04:07
Speaker 1: be right till I had renounced what I called the
1:04:10
Speaker 1: baptism I had received in my infancy, and submitted, as
1:04:13
Speaker 1: they termed it, to baptism by immersion, to which I
1:04:16
Speaker 1: was bound not only by the practice of the primitive church,
1:04:19
Speaker 1: but by the example of our Lord himself, who, when
1:04:22
Speaker 1: he was baptized, said for our instruction. Thus it becometh
1:04:26
Speaker 1: us to fulfill all righteousness. I own, sir, that if
1:04:31
Speaker 1: I had seen it my duty to accede to the
1:04:33
Speaker 1: church order of the independence, I know not, but their
1:04:36
Speaker 1: principles would have led me from them again to join
1:04:39
Speaker 1: with the Baptists. How they, who maintaining infant baptism, press
1:04:43
Speaker 1: scripture precedents so strongly upon me answer the Baptists, who
1:04:47
Speaker 1: in this point press it as strongly upon themselves, is
1:04:50
Speaker 1: not my concern. I did not stand upon the same ground,
1:04:54
Speaker 1: and therefore the argument of the Baptists did not much
1:04:56
Speaker 1: affect me. I thought the example of our Lord pleaded
1:04:59
Speaker 1: as much for circumcision as for baptism. I questioned whether I,
1:05:04
Speaker 1: a poor sinner, had any call to imitate Him in
1:05:06
Speaker 1: those things which it became him as our surety to
1:05:09
Speaker 1: perform in order to fulfill all righteousness. It appeared to
1:05:14
Speaker 1: me that John's Baptism and the Christian Baptism were different,
1:05:17
Speaker 1: And though the Baptists assured me that they were the same,
1:05:20
Speaker 1: I was not convinced. I thought they were plainly distinguished.
1:05:23
Speaker 1: In Acts nineteen, verses two to five, and I was
1:05:26
Speaker 1: grieved by the attempts of some wise and good men
1:05:29
Speaker 1: to wrest a sense from that passage so contrary to
1:05:32
Speaker 1: its plain and obvious meaning, merely to support a favorite scheme.
1:05:37
Speaker 1: And as the form of Christian baptism is laid down
1:05:39
Speaker 1: in express words Matthew twenty eight, verse nineteen, I must
1:05:43
Speaker 1: continue to think it different from the baptism of John
1:05:45
Speaker 1: till I can have sufficient proof that John baptized our
1:05:48
Speaker 1: Savior in the name of the Father, and of the Son,
1:05:51
Speaker 1: and of the Holy Ghost. I found likewise that the Baptists,
1:05:55
Speaker 1: though unanimous against us, and even against those who, in
1:05:58
Speaker 1: every point but why agree with them, were divided amongst themselves.
1:06:03
Speaker 1: Some of them, while they practice what they think a duty,
1:06:05
Speaker 1: do not so peremptorily prescribe it to others as to
1:06:08
Speaker 1: make it an indispensable term of communion. But they will
1:06:12
Speaker 1: receive a person as a church member whom they judge
1:06:14
Speaker 1: to be sound in the faith and of a good conversation,
1:06:17
Speaker 1: though they consider him, in strictness of speech, as unbaptized.
1:06:22
Speaker 1: But others are much hurt by this concession, and bear
1:06:24
Speaker 1: testimony against it as unscriptural and wrong. Their views are
1:06:29
Speaker 1: so strict that if they certainly knew that a person
1:06:32
Speaker 1: who wished to communicate with them was the most eminent
1:06:35
Speaker 1: Christian in the land, unless he was likewise baptized. In
1:06:38
Speaker 1: their manner, they could not, they durst not admit him
1:06:41
Speaker 1: to the Lord's table to eat of that bread and
1:06:43
Speaker 1: to drink of that cup, which is by His command
1:06:46
Speaker 1: and appointment, the privilege and portion of all believers. This
1:06:50
Speaker 1: difference of judgment between them has been thought so important
1:06:54
Speaker 1: that the reasons for and against, and their mutual censures
1:06:57
Speaker 1: of each other, have been laid before the public by
1:06:59
Speaker 1: good men on each side of the question. Now, my
1:07:04
Speaker 1: dear friend, upon this state of the case, what could
1:07:06
Speaker 1: I do? I had reviewed and compared the sentiments of
1:07:08
Speaker 1: a number of respectable writers and ministers of different names.
1:07:12
Speaker 1: In essentials, I agreed with them all, and in circumstantials
1:07:16
Speaker 1: I differed no more from any of them than they
1:07:19
Speaker 1: differed amongst themselves. They all confessed they were fallible, yet
1:07:23
Speaker 1: they all decided with an air of infallibility, For they all,
1:07:27
Speaker 1: in their turns, expected me to unite with them if
1:07:29
Speaker 1: I had any regard to the authority and honor of
1:07:31
Speaker 1: the Lord Jesus as the head of the Church. But
1:07:34
Speaker 1: the very consideration they proposed restrained me from uniting with
1:07:38
Speaker 1: any of them. For I cannot think that I should
1:07:40
Speaker 1: honor the headship and king the office of Christ by
1:07:43
Speaker 1: acknowledging him as the head of a party and subdivision
1:07:46
Speaker 1: of his people to the exclusion of the rest. Every
1:07:50
Speaker 1: party uses fair sounding words of liberty, but when an
1:07:53
Speaker 1: explanation is made, it amounts to little more than this,
1:07:56
Speaker 1: that they will give me liberty to think as they
1:07:58
Speaker 1: think and to act as that act, which to me,
1:08:01
Speaker 1: who claim the same right of thinking for myself and
1:08:04
Speaker 1: of acting according to the dictates of my own conscience,
1:08:07
Speaker 1: is no liberty at all. I therefore came to such
1:08:11
Speaker 1: conclusions as these, that I would love them all, that
1:08:14
Speaker 1: I would hold a friendly intercourse with them all, so
1:08:16
Speaker 1: far as they should providentially come in my way, But
1:08:19
Speaker 1: that I would stand fast in the liberty with which
1:08:21
Speaker 1: Christ had made me free, and call none of them master.
1:08:24
Speaker 1: In fine, that if others sought to honor him by
1:08:27
Speaker 1: laying a great stress on matters of doubtful disputation, my
1:08:30
Speaker 1: way of honoring him should be by endeavoring to show
1:08:33
Speaker 1: that his kingdom is not of this world, nor consists
1:08:36
Speaker 1: in meats and drinks, in pleading for forms and parties,
1:08:39
Speaker 1: but in righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost,
1:08:43
Speaker 1: And that neither circumcision is anything, nor uncircumcision, but a
1:08:46
Speaker 1: new creature and the faith which worketh my love. There
1:08:50
Speaker 1: was a time when I could have joined with the dissenters,
1:08:53
Speaker 1: if the providence of God had opened my way to them.
1:08:55
Speaker 1: But further experience and observation have so far altered my
1:08:59
Speaker 1: judgment that had I my choice to make again, it
1:09:01
Speaker 1: seems to me that I could no more officiate as
1:09:04
Speaker 1: a minister amongst any people who insist upon other terms
1:09:07
Speaker 1: of communion than those which our Lord has appointed faith
1:09:10
Speaker 1: and holiness, than I could subscribe to the dogments of
1:09:13
Speaker 1: the Council of Trent. My regard to his honour will
1:09:17
Speaker 1: not allow me to exclude any whom I believe he
1:09:20
Speaker 1: has been pleased to receive thus much for the first
1:09:23
Speaker 1: reason of my conformity. Yet in justice to the nonconformists,
1:09:28
Speaker 1: I must add that if I wish to avail myself
1:09:30
Speaker 1: of the sanction of great names, I could mention some
1:09:32
Speaker 1: among them, who, if they were now living, I am persuaded,
1:09:35
Speaker 1: would not blame me for conforming, though they could not
1:09:38
Speaker 1: in conscience do it themselves. Particularly, I judge thus from
1:09:42
Speaker 1: many of his writings of the truly great mister Howe,
1:09:45
Speaker 1: whose praise is in all the churches. I am sincerely yours.
1:09:51
Speaker 1: End of Letter three, Letter four of of Apologia by
1:10:01
Speaker 1: John Newton. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain.
1:10:07
Speaker 1: My dear friend and brother, I have given you the
1:10:09
Speaker 1: chief reason why I am not a dissenter, and it
1:10:12
Speaker 1: appears to me a sufficient one. I could assign no other.
1:10:15
Speaker 1: I have, however, two or three more to offer you,
1:10:18
Speaker 1: but I hope to comprise them all within the compass
1:10:21
Speaker 1: of this letter. For indeed, I begin to be weary
1:10:24
Speaker 1: of a subject which is not quite suitable to my
1:10:26
Speaker 1: taste and inclination. But it seems not unseasonable, and I
1:10:31
Speaker 1: hope may not be unuseful to show you that the
1:10:34
Speaker 1: preference I have given to the Church of England is
1:10:36
Speaker 1: not the effect either of inconsideration or prejudice. My second
1:10:41
Speaker 1: reason for not being a dissenter is because I highly
1:10:44
Speaker 1: value the right of private judgment and my liberty as
1:10:47
Speaker 1: a man and as a Christian. Here again, I think
1:10:50
Speaker 1: we are agreed in principle. You rejoice in the name
1:10:53
Speaker 1: of a Protestant dissenter as setting you free from the
1:10:56
Speaker 1: shackles and impositions of men, and probably think of me
1:11:00
Speaker 1: and my brethren in the Establishment with a degree of
1:11:02
Speaker 1: friendly pity, taking it for granted that the engagements we
1:11:05
Speaker 1: are under hold us in a painful state of subjection
1:11:08
Speaker 1: and bondage, from which you charitably wish to see us released.
1:11:11
Speaker 1: We are obliged to persons of your candid disposition for
1:11:15
Speaker 1: your sympathy and good wishes, and we repay you in kind.
1:11:18
Speaker 1: As we cannot think exactly alike. This seems the best
1:11:21
Speaker 1: method we can take. Harsh censures and angry dispositions would
1:11:25
Speaker 1: be unbecoming our profession and hurtful to our spirits, but
1:11:29
Speaker 1: it can do us no harm to pity and pray
1:11:31
Speaker 1: for each other. Perhaps you are ready to say you
1:11:35
Speaker 1: would surely pity me if you knew all my inward
1:11:38
Speaker 1: and outward trials, But you need not pity me for
1:11:40
Speaker 1: being a dissenter, because I accounted my great privilege. I
1:11:44
Speaker 1: may say the same, with the alteration of one word,
1:11:48
Speaker 1: if you knew the evils which I feel within, and
1:11:51
Speaker 1: the snares and difficulties which beset me from without. You
1:11:54
Speaker 1: would pity me, indeed, But that I exercise my ministry
1:11:57
Speaker 1: in the Church of England appears to me as the
1:11:59
Speaker 1: stand to be rather a subject for congratulation than compassion.
1:12:04
Speaker 1: I cannot become a dissenter till I am weary of
1:12:07
Speaker 1: my liberty. If you please, we will compare notes upon
1:12:10
Speaker 1: this head. Let me first speak of the restraints we
1:12:15
Speaker 1: are under. I am bound by my subscription to the
1:12:18
Speaker 1: forms and rubric of the Common Prayer. But my subscription
1:12:21
Speaker 1: was really ex animo. I approve the service, and therefore
1:12:25
Speaker 1: it is no burden to me to use it. I
1:12:27
Speaker 1: do not consider it as faultless. Nor can I subscribe
1:12:30
Speaker 1: to any book of human composition in the same absolute
1:12:33
Speaker 1: manner as I would to the Bible. But by assenting
1:12:36
Speaker 1: to our church ritual, I give up less of my
1:12:39
Speaker 1: own private judgment for the sake of peace than I
1:12:41
Speaker 1: should by espousing the rules and practices of any dissenting
1:12:44
Speaker 1: churches I am acquainted with. Again, having accepted a designation
1:12:49
Speaker 1: to the cure of souls, my public ministry is thereby
1:12:52
Speaker 1: confined to parish churches, and I cannot consistently with what
1:12:56
Speaker 1: I conceive to be the import of my voluntary engagements.
1:12:59
Speaker 1: Preach at random and in all places without reserve. But
1:13:03
Speaker 1: this is no restraint upon my conscience. While I have
1:13:06
Speaker 1: the examples of our Lord and his apostles in my view,
1:13:09
Speaker 1: I cannot doubt the lawfulness of preaching on mountains or plains,
1:13:13
Speaker 1: in market places, or on the sea shore. But things
1:13:17
Speaker 1: in themselves lawful are not always or to all persons expedient.
1:13:22
Speaker 1: I approve of parochial order. I interfere not with the
1:13:25
Speaker 1: conduct of others, but believe it is upon the whole
1:13:28
Speaker 1: best for me to confine myself to the duties of
1:13:30
Speaker 1: my own charge, and to such opportunities of preaching in
1:13:33
Speaker 1: parochial pulpits as may occasionally offer between the one and
1:13:37
Speaker 1: the other. I have sufficient employment. And though the bishop
1:13:41
Speaker 1: who ordained me laid me under no restrictions, I would
1:13:43
Speaker 1: not have applied to him for ordination if I had
1:13:46
Speaker 1: not previously determined to submit to his authority and to
1:13:50
Speaker 1: the rules of the Church. I thought, and still think
1:13:53
Speaker 1: it my duty to preserve a consistency of character. For
1:13:56
Speaker 1: I was not ordained to be an apostle or evangelist,
1:13:59
Speaker 1: to say, spread the Gospel throughout a kingdom, but to
1:14:02
Speaker 1: take care of the particular flock committed to my charge.
1:14:06
Speaker 1: But I need not enlarge upon this point, as I
1:14:08
Speaker 1: think the dissenters do not, in general, by their practice,
1:14:11
Speaker 1: countenance what we call irregularity, but are almost as seldom
1:14:15
Speaker 1: seen preaching in the fields or by the waysides as
1:14:18
Speaker 1: the most regular of our clergy, though they cannot plead
1:14:21
Speaker 1: our reasons for not doing it, and are certainly not
1:14:23
Speaker 1: restrained either by the precepts or precedents of the New Testament,
1:14:28
Speaker 1: nor am I under any disagreeable constraint from my superiors
1:14:31
Speaker 1: in the church. The archdeacon in his district and the
1:14:36
Speaker 1: bishop in his diocese hold their respective visitations, the former annually,
1:14:41
Speaker 1: the latter once in three years. At these visitations, the clergy,
1:14:45
Speaker 1: especially in the country, are expected to attend. On these
1:14:49
Speaker 1: occasions we answer to our names here a sermon or
1:14:52
Speaker 1: a charge, and usually dine together. There is nothing painful
1:14:55
Speaker 1: to me in paying these tokens of respect to my
1:14:57
Speaker 1: acknowledged superiors, and receiving marks of civility from them. At
1:15:02
Speaker 1: all other times, while we keep within the limits which
1:15:04
Speaker 1: I have already told you, I subscribed and consented to
1:15:07
Speaker 1: ex animo we scarcely know. At least we do not
1:15:10
Speaker 1: feel that we have any superiors. So far as I
1:15:13
Speaker 1: am concerned, I have reason to acknowledge that the administration
1:15:16
Speaker 1: of our church government is gentle and liberal. I have
1:15:20
Speaker 1: from the first preached my sentiments with the greatest freedom.
1:15:23
Speaker 1: I always acted in the parishes which I have served
1:15:26
Speaker 1: according to my own judgment, and I have done some
1:15:29
Speaker 1: things which have not the sanction of general custom. But
1:15:32
Speaker 1: I never met with the smallest check, interference, or mark
1:15:35
Speaker 1: of displeasure from any of my superiors in the Church.
1:15:38
Speaker 1: To this hour, Such are my restraints, and such is
1:15:41
Speaker 1: my liberty. I am bound by no regulations but what
1:15:45
Speaker 1: I myself approve, and within these boundaries I do as
1:15:48
Speaker 1: I please, no man forbidding or controlling me. Indeed, I
1:15:52
Speaker 1: have often thought that I have as good a right
1:15:53
Speaker 1: to the name of independent as yourself. Neither you nor
1:15:57
Speaker 1: I would assume it. To the prejudice of our dependence
1:15:59
Speaker 1: upon our lawrd and Savior, and with respect to the
1:16:01
Speaker 1: influence of men, perhaps we have the advantage of you.
1:16:05
Speaker 1: I think we are more independent of our brethren and
1:16:08
Speaker 1: more independent of our people. Though according to your plan.
1:16:12
Speaker 1: Every particular church is called independent, as possessing and exercising
1:16:16
Speaker 1: every kind of church power within itself, and not subject
1:16:19
Speaker 1: to the control of any other Christian society. Yet considering
1:16:23
Speaker 1: you as a body, or according to the modern phrase,
1:16:26
Speaker 1: an interest, there is a kind of union and association
1:16:29
Speaker 1: among your ministers which has a greater effect than some
1:16:32
Speaker 1: people are aware of, and which I apprehend may in
1:16:35
Speaker 1: some instances be rather unfriendly to the liberty you so
1:16:38
Speaker 1: highly prize. Some of your ministers, from their situation or connection,
1:16:43
Speaker 1: have more influence than others. They have opportunities of assisting
1:16:47
Speaker 1: poorer ministers, and are I suppose in many cases the
1:16:51
Speaker 1: judges whether they shall be assisted or not, and how
1:16:53
Speaker 1: far they, who best know human nature, are best qualified
1:16:58
Speaker 1: to judge. How far the fifessed independence of your churches
1:17:01
Speaker 1: may be abated by this influence of connection, and whether
1:17:04
Speaker 1: the weight of a board of ministers may not be
1:17:07
Speaker 1: occasionally felt by those who pity us for being subordinate
1:17:10
Speaker 1: to a bench of bishops. I own, I have upon
1:17:14
Speaker 1: some occasions been led to compare your ministers to a
1:17:17
Speaker 1: company of soldiers in their exercise, where everyone must move
1:17:20
Speaker 1: in a prescribed line, keep the same pace and make
1:17:24
Speaker 1: the like motions with the rest on pain of being
1:17:26
Speaker 1: treated as refactory. Ministers in the establishment know nothing of
1:17:31
Speaker 1: these restraints. We are connected in love, but not upon system.
1:17:35
Speaker 1: We profess the same leading principles and aims, but each
1:17:39
Speaker 1: one acts singly and individually for himself. I think we
1:17:44
Speaker 1: are likewise more independent of our people. The constitution of
1:17:47
Speaker 1: your churches, which you suppose the only one agreeable to
1:17:50
Speaker 1: the Scripture, appears to me faulty in giving a greater
1:17:53
Speaker 1: power to the people than the scripture authorizers. There is
1:17:57
Speaker 1: doubtless a sense in which ministers are not only the
1:17:59
Speaker 1: servants of these lord, but for his sake, the servants
1:18:01
Speaker 1: of the churches. But it is a service which implies rule,
1:18:05
Speaker 1: and is entitled to respect. Thus the apostle says, obey
1:18:09
Speaker 1: them that have the rule over you. Their office is
1:18:12
Speaker 1: that of a steward, who is neither to lud it
1:18:14
Speaker 1: over the household, nor to be entirely under subjection to it,
1:18:18
Speaker 1: but to superintend and provide for the family. Scriptural regulations
1:18:22
Speaker 1: are wisely and graciously adopted to our state of infirmity.
1:18:26
Speaker 1: But I think the power which the people with you
1:18:28
Speaker 1: claim and attempt to exercise is not so many of them,
1:18:33
Speaker 1: though truly gracious persons, may notwithstanding from their situation in life,
1:18:37
Speaker 1: their want of education and the narrowness of their views,
1:18:40
Speaker 1: be very incapable of government. Yet when a number of
1:18:43
Speaker 1: such are associated, according to your plan, under the honorable
1:18:46
Speaker 1: title of a Church of Christ, they acquire a great importance.
1:18:50
Speaker 1: Almost every individual conceives himself qualified to judge and to
1:18:54
Speaker 1: guide the minister, to sift and scrutinize his expressions, and
1:18:58
Speaker 1: to tell him how and what he will be to preach.
1:19:01
Speaker 1: But the poorer part of your flocks are not always
1:19:03
Speaker 1: the most troublesome. The rich can contribute most to the
1:19:07
Speaker 1: minister's support, who is often entirely dependent upon his people
1:19:10
Speaker 1: for a maintenance. Their riches likewise give them some additional
1:19:14
Speaker 1: weight and influence in the church, and the officers whom
1:19:17
Speaker 1: you call the deacons, are usually chosen from among them
1:19:20
Speaker 1: more wealthy. But it is not always found that the
1:19:25
Speaker 1: most wealthy church members are the most eminent, either for
1:19:28
Speaker 1: grace or wisdom. We may be rather sure that riches,
1:19:32
Speaker 1: if the possessors are not proportionably humble and spiritual, have
1:19:35
Speaker 1: a direct tendency to nourish the worms of self conceit
1:19:38
Speaker 1: and self will. Such persons expect to be consulted, and
1:19:42
Speaker 1: their judgment shall be followed. The preaching must be suited
1:19:46
Speaker 1: to their taste and sentiment. And if anything is either
1:19:49
Speaker 1: enforced or censured which bears hard upon their conduct, they
1:19:52
Speaker 1: think themselves ill treated. Although a faithful minister in his
1:19:56
Speaker 1: better hours disdains the thought of complying with the caprice
1:19:59
Speaker 1: of his hearers or conniving at their faults, yet human
1:20:02
Speaker 1: nature is weak, and it must be allowed that in
1:20:04
Speaker 1: such circumstances he stands in a state of temptation, and
1:20:08
Speaker 1: if he has grace to maintain his integrity. Yet it
1:20:11
Speaker 1: is painful and difficult to be obliged frequently to displease
1:20:15
Speaker 1: those on whom we depend, and who, in some other
1:20:18
Speaker 1: respects may be our best friends and benefactors. I can
1:20:22
Speaker 1: truly say that my heart has been grieved for the opposition, neglect,
1:20:26
Speaker 1: and unkindness which some valuable men among you have, to
1:20:30
Speaker 1: my knowledge, met with from those who ought to have
1:20:32
Speaker 1: esteemed them very highly for their work sake. The effects
1:20:36
Speaker 1: of this supreme power launched in the people, and of
1:20:39
Speaker 1: the unsanctified spirit in which it has been exercised, have
1:20:42
Speaker 1: been often visible in the divisions and subdivisions which have
1:20:45
Speaker 1: crumbled large societies into separate handfuls. If I may so speak,
1:20:50
Speaker 1: and to this I am afraid, rather than to the
1:20:53
Speaker 1: spread of a work of grace, may be ascribed in
1:20:56
Speaker 1: many instances the great increase of the number of your
1:20:58
Speaker 1: churches in late years. Now in the establishment, we know
1:21:02
Speaker 1: but little of these difficulties. We are not so much
1:21:05
Speaker 1: at the mercy of our hearers for our subsistence. And
1:21:08
Speaker 1: though we probably preach to some who are wiser and better,
1:21:11
Speaker 1: as well as richer than ourselves, we have no hearers
1:21:13
Speaker 1: who assume a right to direct us, or whom we
1:21:16
Speaker 1: should stand in fear of if they did. For my
1:21:20
Speaker 1: own part, I wish to have a spirit willing to
1:21:22
Speaker 1: profit by a hint, even from a child, and to
1:21:25
Speaker 1: pay attention to the advice of any person who speaks
1:21:27
Speaker 1: to me in love and in a right temper. But humble,
1:21:31
Speaker 1: loving Christians are more disposed to find fault with themselves
1:21:34
Speaker 1: than with their minister, and to receive instruction than to
1:21:37
Speaker 1: offer it. But should a conform us to the world,
1:21:39
Speaker 1: or a zealot for a party, expect me to accommodate
1:21:42
Speaker 1: my preaching to his practice or to his shiboleethe I
1:21:45
Speaker 1: could give him an answer without being afraid of consequences.
1:21:48
Speaker 1: I may add that I apprehend we have more liberty
1:21:51
Speaker 1: with respect to our pulpits. At least I remember to
1:21:54
Speaker 1: have heard sermons from some of your pulpits, the strain
1:21:57
Speaker 1: of which has been so different from the professed sentiments
1:22:00
Speaker 1: of the proper pastor of the church, that I have
1:22:02
Speaker 1: thought to myself, how came this minister to preach in
1:22:05
Speaker 1: this place? Upon inquiry, I found at one time that
1:22:08
Speaker 1: the gentlemen belonged to the connection, at another that he
1:22:12
Speaker 1: was asked to preach at the desire of a principal
1:22:14
Speaker 1: person in the church or congregation, who, it seems approved him.
1:22:18
Speaker 1: Though I was persuaded the pastor did not. I esteem
1:22:22
Speaker 1: it likewise a branch of my Christian liberty that I
1:22:24
Speaker 1: can hear whom I please, and form what acquaintance I please,
1:22:28
Speaker 1: among the various denominations of Christians, without being called to
1:22:31
Speaker 1: account for it. I hope the dissenters are likewise growing
1:22:34
Speaker 1: more into this liberty. However, as I know some among
1:22:38
Speaker 1: your people who would willingly hear us occasionally were they
1:22:42
Speaker 1: not afraid of their ministers. So I know some of
1:22:45
Speaker 1: your ministers who would be willing to hear us, but
1:22:48
Speaker 1: do not because they are afraid of their people. Thus much,
1:22:52
Speaker 1: though more might be said by way of comparing our
1:22:55
Speaker 1: advantages in point of liberty, I am well pleased with
1:22:58
Speaker 1: my lot. If you are equally pleas pleased with yours,
1:23:00
Speaker 1: I am glad of it. I write only on the defensive.
1:23:03
Speaker 1: I neither expect nor wish to alter your views. Enjoy
1:23:07
Speaker 1: your liberty, only allow me to enjoy and be thankful
1:23:10
Speaker 1: for mine. I have now acquainted you with my two
1:23:14
Speaker 1: principal reasons for not being a dissenter. The first concerned
1:23:17
Speaker 1: my conscience, For though my regard to the authority of
1:23:20
Speaker 1: the Great Lord and law giver of the Church did
1:23:23
Speaker 1: not directly oblige me to unite with the Establishment, it
1:23:26
Speaker 1: discouraged me from uniting with any of the parties who
1:23:29
Speaker 1: pretended an exclusive right from him to enforce their own
1:23:32
Speaker 1: particular church forms when conscience did not interfere. My second reason,
1:23:37
Speaker 1: though rather of a prudential kind, was of considerable weight
1:23:40
Speaker 1: with me. I loved liberty, and therefore gave a preference
1:23:43
Speaker 1: to the Church of England, believing I might, in that
1:23:46
Speaker 1: situation exercise my ministry with the most freedom. I have
1:23:50
Speaker 1: made the experiment and have no reason to repent of it.
1:23:54
Speaker 1: These points being cleared, my way was open to attend
1:23:57
Speaker 1: to another consideration which had a further influence in determining
1:24:01
Speaker 1: my mind. This I am about to offer to you
1:24:04
Speaker 1: as a third reason for my being where I am
1:24:07
Speaker 1: the probability of greater usefulness. This probability, as to myself
1:24:12
Speaker 1: and to others who can conform with a good conscience,
1:24:15
Speaker 1: seem to lie on the side of the Establishment. Upon
1:24:17
Speaker 1: several accounts. One great multitudes in this Christian nation so
1:24:23
Speaker 1: called are grossly ignorant of the first principles of religion,
1:24:26
Speaker 1: inattentive to the worth and welfare of their souls, and
1:24:30
Speaker 1: lamentably destitute of the proper means of instruction. I hoped
1:24:33
Speaker 1: for opportunities in the Establishment of preaching to many who
1:24:37
Speaker 1: could not hear the dissenters. The children of God known
1:24:41
Speaker 1: to himself are scattered abroad far and wide, and as
1:24:44
Speaker 1: faith more usually comes by hearing, I admire His condescension
1:24:47
Speaker 1: and goodness in permitting his ministers to think differently on
1:24:51
Speaker 1: some external points, that they may, with an upright heart,
1:24:54
Speaker 1: serve him in the different departments of his vineyard. They
1:24:58
Speaker 1: who are dissenters, upon principle, would act against their judgments
1:25:02
Speaker 1: and consciences were they to conform. For the sake of usefulness.
1:25:06
Speaker 1: I am well content that they should remain as they are.
1:25:09
Speaker 1: But it has been proved a mercy to thousands that
1:25:11
Speaker 1: all who are called and qualified to preach the Gospel
1:25:14
Speaker 1: are not like minded in this respect. Two, the spirit
1:25:19
Speaker 1: of bigotry and prejudice is too prevalent on all sides.
1:25:23
Speaker 1: As there are dissenters who would think it sinful to
1:25:25
Speaker 1: be seen within the walls of a church, so there
1:25:28
Speaker 1: are other persons who place a principal part of their
1:25:31
Speaker 1: religion in an ignorant attachment to our forms, and could
1:25:34
Speaker 1: not easily be prevailed upon to enter within the doors
1:25:36
Speaker 1: of a meeting house. But their prepossession in favor of
1:25:39
Speaker 1: our churches gives the minister who can conscientiously meet them
1:25:42
Speaker 1: there a great advantage ad hominem by confirming the truths
1:25:46
Speaker 1: of the Gospel, which, when first declared, are generally disliked
1:25:49
Speaker 1: and opposed from the tenour of our liturgy and articles
1:25:53
Speaker 1: to which they profess. Some regard a large part of
1:25:56
Speaker 1: our auditories, especially in places where the Gospel is considered
1:25:59
Speaker 1: as a novelty, consists of persons of this description. But
1:26:04
Speaker 1: the Lord has been pleased in very many instances to
1:26:07
Speaker 1: honor our service amongst them. With his blessing. By the
1:26:10
Speaker 1: power of his spirit, the truth is made manifest to
1:26:13
Speaker 1: their hearts. They are turned from darkness to light, and
1:26:16
Speaker 1: from the bondage of sin to serve the Living God.
1:26:19
Speaker 1: Then their former prejudices subside, insomuch that many who once
1:26:23
Speaker 1: despised and hated the dissenters have been afterwards persuaded to
1:26:27
Speaker 1: join with them. The dissenting interest would probably have been
1:26:30
Speaker 1: much weaker than it is at present if it had
1:26:33
Speaker 1: not been strengthened by the accession of many church members
1:26:37
Speaker 1: and more than a few of your teachers and pastors,
1:26:39
Speaker 1: who had no inclination to hear your ministers until they
1:26:42
Speaker 1: were first awakened under ours. The words of our Lord
1:26:46
Speaker 1: may in this sense be applied to many of your churches.
1:26:49
Speaker 1: Other Men labored, and ye have entered into the fruits
1:26:52
Speaker 1: of their labors. The aim of my ministry, I trust
1:26:55
Speaker 1: is not to promote the interest of a party, but
1:26:57
Speaker 1: to win souls for Christ. We have, however, the comfort
1:27:02
Speaker 1: to find that a number are not only called, but
1:27:05
Speaker 1: edified and established by the blessing of God on our preaching,
1:27:08
Speaker 1: and that many of the most judicious and spiritual of
1:27:11
Speaker 1: our people are proof against the insinuations which prevail on
1:27:15
Speaker 1: some to forsake the Church of England in hopes of
1:27:18
Speaker 1: enjoying a purer and more acceptable worship among the dissenters.
1:27:23
Speaker 1: As to those who do leave us, if they are
1:27:25
Speaker 1: truly benefited, if they really grow in grace and in
1:27:28
Speaker 1: the knowledge of our Lord, in humility, meekness, benevolence and
1:27:32
Speaker 1: deadness to the world, more among you than they would
1:27:35
Speaker 1: have done amongst us, I can sincerely rejoice. But I
1:27:39
Speaker 1: think your brethren have no just reason to be either
1:27:41
Speaker 1: displeased or sorry that God has raised up ministers to
1:27:44
Speaker 1: preach to thousands to whom they would never have had access. Three.
1:27:50
Speaker 1: I saw likewise that the Lord had been pleased of
1:27:52
Speaker 1: late years to return by the power of his spirit,
1:27:55
Speaker 1: to the Church of England, which I believe many dissenters
1:27:58
Speaker 1: thought he had so utterly forsaken that he would return
1:28:01
Speaker 1: no more. This leads me to a tender point, and
1:28:04
Speaker 1: I wish to touch upon it with great tenderness. We
1:28:07
Speaker 1: have none of us anything to boast of. Our warmest
1:28:10
Speaker 1: exertions in the service of such a master are far
1:28:13
Speaker 1: too cold, and our greatest success falls very short of
1:28:16
Speaker 1: what we ought to pray for. We preach no other
1:28:19
Speaker 1: gospel than you do. We love and respect many of
1:28:22
Speaker 1: your ministers for their knowledge, piety, and exemplary conversation. But
1:28:26
Speaker 1: I believe you will allow that the general state of
1:28:29
Speaker 1: your churches at present is not so lively and flourishing
1:28:32
Speaker 1: as it was in the days of the old nonconformists.
1:28:35
Speaker 1: I believe the best of your people were long ago
1:28:37
Speaker 1: sensible of a decline, that they sincerely lamented it and
1:28:41
Speaker 1: earnestly prayed for a revival. Their prayers were at length answered,
1:28:45
Speaker 1: but not in the way they expected. A great and
1:28:48
Speaker 1: spreading revival of religion took place, but the instruments were
1:28:51
Speaker 1: not dissenters. At the time when I was ordained, there
1:28:55
Speaker 1: was a considerable number of regular parochial ministers who preached
1:28:58
Speaker 1: the doctrines of the Reformation. The number has been greatly
1:29:02
Speaker 1: increased since, and is still increasing. I could not but
1:29:05
Speaker 1: judge that the Lord's presence with his word, in awakening
1:29:08
Speaker 1: sinners and in applying it with power to the heart,
1:29:11
Speaker 1: was more evident and striking on this side than on yours,
1:29:14
Speaker 1: not because we are better than you, but because the
1:29:17
Speaker 1: work with us is rather new, whereas amongst you it
1:29:20
Speaker 1: is of an older date. The history of the Church
1:29:23
Speaker 1: of God and of human nature in past ages teaches
1:29:26
Speaker 1: us to expect that revivals of religion will seldom stand
1:29:29
Speaker 1: long in their primitive height, but will gradually subside and degenerate,
1:29:33
Speaker 1: till things return, in a course of time nearly to
1:29:36
Speaker 1: their former state. Though a name perhaps first imposed as
1:29:39
Speaker 1: a stigma by the world, and a form which owed
1:29:42
Speaker 1: all its value to the spirit, that, once enlivened it
1:29:45
Speaker 1: may still remain. I wish I could affirm that none
1:29:48
Speaker 1: who are otherwise competent judges of a revival have been
1:29:51
Speaker 1: prevented by their prepossessions from rejoicing in what God has
1:29:55
Speaker 1: wrought amongst us. But I fear it has been otherwise,
1:29:58
Speaker 1: and that a spirit of prejudice and party discovered itself
1:30:01
Speaker 1: upon the occasion, which proved hurtful to some good men.
1:30:06
Speaker 1: When I think of the abilities and characters of some
1:30:08
Speaker 1: dissenting ministers. I cannot but ascribe the little visible success
1:30:13
Speaker 1: they meet with in some measure to their unwillingness to
1:30:15
Speaker 1: acknowledge a work of God in which they themselves were
1:30:18
Speaker 1: not employed. Their exceptions were not wholly groundless. A lively
1:30:23
Speaker 1: zeal for the glory of God and the good of
1:30:25
Speaker 1: souls in persons whose judgments were not fully ripened by
1:30:28
Speaker 1: observation and experience did not secure them from incidental mistakes
1:30:32
Speaker 1: and blemishes. These were easily seen and eagerly noticed. A
1:30:37
Speaker 1: desire of being free from the least suspicion of giving
1:30:40
Speaker 1: countenance to the unguarded, though well meant sallies of active spirits,
1:30:44
Speaker 1: seems to have led some of your ministers into a
1:30:47
Speaker 1: contrary extreme, and their public discourses, though solid and judicious compositions,
1:30:52
Speaker 1: lost that animation in delivery which is in some degree
1:30:56
Speaker 1: necessary to engage attention and to keep up an auditory Thus, us,
1:31:00
Speaker 1: while preachers much inferior to them for learning and general
1:31:03
Speaker 1: knowledge and divinity, have had crowded assemblies, the pleasure with
1:31:07
Speaker 1: which I have heard some of your most eminent ministers
1:31:10
Speaker 1: has been often abated by observing that the number of
1:31:12
Speaker 1: hearers has been much smaller than the number of pews
1:31:15
Speaker 1: in the place. I must therefore confess that one consideration
1:31:19
Speaker 1: which deterred me from joining the dissenters was a fear
1:31:22
Speaker 1: lest the love of peace and a temper rather compliant
1:31:26
Speaker 1: might insensibly betray me into an over cautious spirit, damp
1:31:29
Speaker 1: my zeal or diverted into a wrong channel, and thereby
1:31:32
Speaker 1: prevent the success at which I aimed. I rather chose
1:31:36
Speaker 1: to unite with those people whom I thought the most
1:31:38
Speaker 1: likely to maintain and encourage what little fervor I possessed,
1:31:42
Speaker 1: and where I saw the most evident tokens of a
1:31:44
Speaker 1: power from on high accompanying the public ministrations. And as
1:31:49
Speaker 1: I had my reasons likewise for not being an itinerant,
1:31:53
Speaker 1: a regular and stated charge in the established church engaged
1:31:56
Speaker 1: my preference. My fourth reason, the last, I think it
1:32:01
Speaker 1: necessary to mention, being rather a point of experience, must
1:32:04
Speaker 1: depend chiefly upon my own testimony, and therefore I need
1:32:08
Speaker 1: not enlarge much upon it. Superadded, however, to those which
1:32:12
Speaker 1: I have already stated, it greatly contributed to give full
1:32:15
Speaker 1: satisfaction to my mind. I mean the proofs I had
1:32:19
Speaker 1: that the Lord, by the openings and leadings of his providence,
1:32:22
Speaker 1: pointed out to me the situation in which I was
1:32:25
Speaker 1: to serve him. The first explicit notice I gave of
1:32:28
Speaker 1: my desire to enter the ministry was to an intimate
1:32:31
Speaker 1: friend in your denomination, nearly six years before I was ordained.
1:32:35
Speaker 1: In the course of this interval, I made and received
1:32:37
Speaker 1: a variety of applications and proposals, but everything failed, and
1:32:41
Speaker 1: every door by which I sought admission remained shut against me.
1:32:46
Speaker 1: I have already observed that this state of suspense gave
1:32:49
Speaker 1: me leisure to examine the subject of church government more closely,
1:32:52
Speaker 1: and that the result of my disquisitions was the gradual,
1:32:55
Speaker 1: and at length the complete removal of the difficulties and
1:32:59
Speaker 1: exceptions I had at first hastily imbibed against the establishment.
1:33:03
Speaker 1: At length the Lord's time came. Then obstacles, apparently insurmountable,
1:33:08
Speaker 1: suddenly and unexpectedly disappeared. Then I learned the reason of
1:33:12
Speaker 1: former disappointments. My way had been mercifully hedged up with
1:33:16
Speaker 1: thorns to prevent me taking a wrong course, and to
1:33:19
Speaker 1: keep me waiting until the place and service of his
1:33:22
Speaker 1: own appointment were prepared and ready for me. The coincidence
1:33:26
Speaker 1: of many circumstances, which I cannot explain to another, gave
1:33:30
Speaker 1: me a very comfortable sense of the Lord's guidance. I
1:33:33
Speaker 1: received ordination in the Church of England with a pleaerophia,
1:33:38
Speaker 1: with wind and tide, if I may so speak in
1:33:41
Speaker 1: my favor, with the most pleasing disposition of outward events,
1:33:46
Speaker 1: and the most assured persuasion in my own mind, that
1:33:49
Speaker 1: I was following the call and doing the will of God,
1:33:53
Speaker 1: of which I had at that time little more doubt
1:33:56
Speaker 1: than if an angel had been sent from heaven to
1:33:58
Speaker 1: tell me so. Nor have I hesitated upon the point
1:34:01
Speaker 1: a single hour from that day to this. I think
1:34:07
Speaker 1: you will not be sorry to find I am drawing
1:34:09
Speaker 1: towards a close Indeed, I should be ashamed to have
1:34:13
Speaker 1: written so much merely on my own account. I began
1:34:16
Speaker 1: this ideal correspondence with you about seven years ago. More
1:34:19
Speaker 1: than one half of it was then written in a
1:34:22
Speaker 1: few weeks, but I felt a reluctance to proceed because
1:34:25
Speaker 1: it seemed to me so much of my own affair.
1:34:28
Speaker 1: But I have frequently thought since that something upon the subject,
1:34:31
Speaker 1: written in a moderate and friendly spirit which it has
1:34:34
Speaker 1: been my prayer and endeavor to preserve might by the
1:34:37
Speaker 1: Lord's blessing, be a means of promoting candor and benevolence
1:34:41
Speaker 1: amongst those who, whatever else they differ in, have one Lord,
1:34:45
Speaker 1: one faith, one hope, a desire of being instrumental in
1:34:48
Speaker 1: so good a work has at length prevailed on me
1:34:51
Speaker 1: to revise what I had begun, to add what I
1:34:53
Speaker 1: thought further necessary for completing my design, and to send
1:34:57
Speaker 1: it abroad. I cannot give you particular reason why I
1:35:00
Speaker 1: have not done it sooner, or why I do it now.
1:35:03
Speaker 1: Our times, plans, and purposes are under a superior guidance
1:35:07
Speaker 1: and direction, which it is our duty and our privilege
1:35:10
Speaker 1: always to acknowledge, though we cannot always distinctly discern it.
1:35:15
Speaker 1: I shall be happy if the event shall prove that
1:35:17
Speaker 1: I have been led to choose the fittest time and
1:35:20
Speaker 1: to offer a word in season. They who love and
1:35:23
Speaker 1: preach the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity, whatever name they
1:35:26
Speaker 1: bear among men, and whatever body of people they are
1:35:29
Speaker 1: united to, are engaged in one common cause. They are
1:35:32
Speaker 1: opposed by the same enemies. Their severest conflicts and their
1:35:35
Speaker 1: sweetest comforts are derived from the same sources, and they
1:35:39
Speaker 1: will ere long meet in the same Kingdom of glory,
1:35:41
Speaker 1: and join in the same songs of eternal praise to
1:35:44
Speaker 1: Him who sitteth upon the throne, and to him who
1:35:47
Speaker 1: redeemed us to God by his blood. How desirable, then
1:35:51
Speaker 1: is it, that while we live here, we should be
1:35:54
Speaker 1: at peace amongst ourselves and live in the spirit of
1:35:57
Speaker 1: that love, the only infallible mark of our being truly
1:36:00
Speaker 1: the servants of Christ, which seeketh not its own, is
1:36:04
Speaker 1: not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, but beareth, hopeth, and
1:36:07
Speaker 1: believeth all things. As what I write to you is
1:36:11
Speaker 1: to appear in print, I think it proper to add,
1:36:13
Speaker 1: for my own sake that my whole intention will be
1:36:16
Speaker 1: fulfilled by the publication. I do not mean to enter
1:36:19
Speaker 1: into controversy, and therefore if these letters, contrary to my wish,
1:36:23
Speaker 1: should raise me an opponent and give occasion to an answer,
1:36:27
Speaker 1: I shall not think myself bound to reply, unless I
1:36:30
Speaker 1: could be convicted of such wilful misrepresentation as would render
1:36:33
Speaker 1: it my duty to ask pardon of God and of
1:36:36
Speaker 1: the public. I commend you and yours to the blessing
1:36:39
Speaker 1: of our Lord, and remain your affectionate friend, March the First,
1:36:44
Speaker 1: seventeen eighty four. End of Letter four, End of Apologia
1:36:51
Speaker 1: by John Newton