Mr. Raven wrote to a brother in the West of England a letter dated July 2nd, 1890
I send you an extract from the letter in which the statement, “Think of a helpless infant, &c.,” occurs.
I think it speaks for itself. The exhibition of eternal life is in the Risen Man, who has annulled death.
(Signed) F. E. Raven
EXTRACT June 29, 1889. – Then, again, as to life, he says “Christ never ceased to be the exhibition of eternal life, from a babe in the manger to the throne of the Father. Think of a helpless infant being the exhibition of eternal life, whatever might be there.
Infancy, and all connected with it, does not find place in John. It is simply there “the Word became flesh.” The fact is, there is a tendency to lose sight of the truth, that, as well as being eternal life, Jesus was God, and exercising Divine prerogatives down here. “The Word was God,” and further, in taking part in human life down here (the life to which sin attached), He took part in that which in Him was brought to an end judicially in death, and this assuredly was not eternal life.
Here then is the letter (June 29, 1889) so long held back and the reason for this unholy compact in concealment is now evident. The leaders of the Raven party at Ealing, though Major McCarthy had got the sentence originally from them which he printed afterwards, insisted that he should be put under discipline for his unrighteousness in printing a sentence reported from a letter, which was not contained in that letter and Mr. Raven was a party to this conduct by declining to say to Mr. Barker more than “I am satisfied I never used these words.” Thus, with this prevaricating reply, he leaves Major M., with the imputation of unrighteousness cast upon him, and its consequent effects conveying the impression that Major M. has done him an injustice. It now turns out that the difference in the sentence consists in
Fancy a helpless babe an expression of eternal life (Major M., as reported to him).
Think of a helpless infant being the exhibition of eternal life (Mr. Raven to Mr. Rudling).
The reader, having both sentences in juxtaposition, will now be able to judge what is the difference between them. The dishonorable character of the concealment becomes evident as it is clear that the charge against Major M. of unrighteousness, could not have been sustained for a moment, had the sentence as originally written been divulged. Thus the holy discipline of the House of God is made a handle for party spirit {heresy} – a false charge made, and long sustained, against a servant of Christ; and this is maintained by these clandestine means, and by the professed leaders of an assembly, – where the glory of the adorable Person of the Son of God was in question. One of these took the trouble to count the words in each, to insist upon the horror of the Major’s conduct, saying that there were eleven words in the original instead of nine, and that there were six differences. This he repeated, over and over again, on many different occasions, before many witnesses whilst a leading London brother denounced, at Cheapside the iniquity of the Major.
The words “expressed,” and “exhibited” (or “manifested,”) which is the Scripture term, and, perhaps the strongest), are expressive of what is displayed in the Person Himself, and not at all of perceptions existing in the beholder. Hence, if we say that anything that was essentially in Christ was not exhibited in Him, we deny His own Word “I am altogether that which I say unto you” (John 8:2525Then said they unto him, Who art thou? And Jesus saith unto them, Even the same that I said unto you from the beginning. (John 8:25)).