Blackheath, January, 1875.
My Beloved Brother,
The examination, I have just detailed, was carried on during the period which was included between the announcement of my resignation and my actual retirement from the ministry at L. R. Apart, therefore, altogether from the truth I taught, which had been called in question, my conclusions, which soon began to dawn upon me, as to the office I held constrained me to adhere to my decision. If indeed I would be faithful to the Lord in the matter, I had no option but to turn a deaf ear to the many affectionate entreaties addressed to me (by many) to continue with my people. All my temporal interests, humanly speaking, were bound up with my continuing, if not at L. R., yet elsewhere, “in the ministry”; but I dared not place considerations like these in the balance against the plain indications of the word of God, and hence it came to pass that I preached to my beloved people for the last time on September 27th. At the close of the morning sermon I told them that “I could not now with a conscience void of offense toward God remain; for since the evening on which I had announced my retirement, I had gone afresh to the word of God, and I felt compelled to say that I could no longer uphold our practices as to ministry and worship,” etc.
Four days after the trials and sorrows connected with my separation from my people, I was enabled to set off for Scotland, that I might be in quiet for the settlement of further questions which were rising up in my mind. I shall not easily forget our conversations upon further striking coincidences in the Lord’s dealings with us, and I still cannot but believe that our affliction was sent in reference to our position, to awaken heart-searchings before the Lord. Not only had we occupied the same position in relation to denominationalism, but we had both become associated with a particular doctrine (which I am only too thankful to have been enabled to renounce), and, as before said, we were both afflicted, both sent away to the Continent; we both returned last spring, desiring to remain with our people, and by different causes we were both compelled to resign our posts, and, without any mutual arrangement in the case, we both preached our “farewell sermons” on the same day, and within a week we both found ourselves together in a strange city. May the Lord graciously incline us to hear the rod, and who and why He has appointed it, and give us grace and strength to be obedient to all His will.
But to return. Seeing then that I could not again accept a “pastorate” amongst Dissenters, the question with which I had now to deal was, With what Christians ought I to be identified? You will remember that I already held that believers should be gathered together on the first day of the week to break bread; and hence my attention was once more directed to “Brethren”; for I knew that, notwithstanding the generally—admitted scriptural character of this practice, they were the only Christians, saving some individual congregations, who gathered weekly around the table of the Lord.
The very first thing, therefore, that I determined to examine more thoroughly, and to test by the Scriptures, was their theory, or ground of worship. You are sufficiently acquainted with it to know that it presents an entire contrast with that of Dissenters. With us at L. R. the worship, so called, was all under my direction; and the plan into which we fell was much the same as that which obtains at chapels in general. We commenced with prayer and singing; then had two readings from the Scriptures, divided by singing and prayer; then came, after singing, the sermon; and we concluded with singing and prayer. Now I can truly say that I never believed that this was worship. Individual believers indeed often apprehended and enjoyed the presence of the Lord; for faith can always count upon His aid; but few of us ever thought that we were worshipping as an assembly; for, in fact, we knew that the assembly was not composed of God’s people. Another thing I may safely say, and that is that the majority (not to say all) of the believers who meet on that principle never look for any operation of the Holy Spirit while so met, excepting through the channel or instrumentality of the minister. Hence if the minister be full of the Holy Spirit, he is very often the means of ministering “rivers of living water” to God’s children; but if he is not, there is an almost utter lack of blessing; and, indeed, it is often noticed that the spiritual state of any such congregation is determined largely by the spiritual state of the minister. The reason I am convinced is that the system makes everything depend upon the one man.
Let us then turn, on the other hand, to what I found to be the principle or ground of worship as understood by “Brethren.” In the first place, they are gathered together unto the name of Christ, around His table, to break bread, according to His command, every Lord’s day (Matt. 18:2020For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. (Matthew 18:20); 1 Cor. 11:23-2623For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: 24And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. 25After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. 26For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till he come. (1 Corinthians 11:23‑26); Acts 20:7,7And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight. (Acts 20:7) and more). That is, they gather around the Lord Himself in dependence upon and subjection to Him as Lord, knowing that He is faithful to His promise, and is present in their midst, when they are assembled to “show the Lord’s death till He come.” In the second place, and this is of primary importance, they hold from the Scriptures that the Holy Spirit, having been sent down from heaven after the ascension of the Lord Jesus, dwells now in the Church of God, and that consequently He is the power both for worship and ministry. Many Christians profess to believe that the Holy Spirit dwells in the individual believer (though this is often contradicted in the hymns they sing); and this is a most blessed truth. But the truth contended for is not only that He dwells in us individually, but that He also dwells in the Church, and the following passages may be cited in support of the statement: “In whom,” says the apostle, writing to the Church at Ephesus, “ye are built together for an habitation of God through the Spirit” (Eph. 2:2222In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. (Ephesians 2:22)). Here it is plain that the apostle is not speaking of the Spirit as the Spirit of adoption in believers; for he says, “ye are built together as an habitation of God through the Spirit”; that is, together they formed the dwelling-place of God. Again, the same apostle uses these words: “The house of God, which is the Church of the living God” (1 Tim. 3:1515But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. (1 Timothy 3:15)); and writing to the Corinthians, “Ye (the word is in the plural) are the temple of the living God” (2 Cor. 6:1616And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. (2 Corinthians 6:16)). In the first epistle we find the other truth that our bodies—the bodies of believers—are the temple of the Holy Spirit.
We have thus the solemn truth taught, that the Holy Spirit is now on earth dwelling in the Church of God; that, according to our Lord’s promise, the other Comforter is come to abide with us forever (John 14:16-1716And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 17Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. (John 14:16‑17)). Whenever, therefore, believers are gathered together unto the name of Christ, seeing that God regards every such assembly as an expression of the Church, they know, on the testimony of Scripture, that the Holy Spirit is in their midst, guiding and controlling all for the glory of God through Christ Jesus.
Lastly, there is another thing they teach (in common, one might hope, with all Christians, except, indeed, as to its application), and that is, that since the veil is now rent we have “boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus”; and therefore that our place of worship is above—within the veil (Heb. 9:11-14;10:1-2211But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; 12Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. 13For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: 14How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? (Hebrews 9:11‑14)
1For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. 2For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. 3But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. 4For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. 5Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: 6In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. 7Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. 8Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; 9Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. 10By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 11And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: 12But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; 13From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. 14For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. 15Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, 16This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; 17And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. 18Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin. 19Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; 21And having an high priest over the house of God; 22Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. (Hebrews 10:1‑22)), whither Christ, as our High Priest, has already entered, to appear in the presence of God for us (Heb. 9:2424For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: (Hebrews 9:24)), the “minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man” (Heb. 8:22A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man. (Hebrews 8:2)).
Several consequences flow from these fundamental principles. First, that believers are gathered together, not as agreeing upon a certain doctrine or doctrines, or as belonging to the same denomination, but as members of the body of Christ. Anything short of this would, indeed, fail to express the Church of God; for there surely ought to be a place at the Lord’s table for every believer who is not under Scriptural discipline. In making this statement to you, dear brother, I quite admit that we aimed to secure this; but, speaking for myself, I could never succeed in the object; for some with whom I was associated had a strong objection to any breaking bread with us who were not members of other churches. They did not acknowledge that to be a member of Christ was in itself the title to the Lord’s table. Secondly, gathered as the members of the body of Christ, the priesthood of all believers is recognized, because the Lord Himself is the center of the gathering. I had often read that passage in Peter which says, “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:55Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 2:5)); and as I read it, I could not but think that the apostle had some reference to the common exercise of our priesthood when assembled. I knew that every believer could act as a priest in private; but I saw also, that if one man was appointed to pray for those assembled, there was practically a denial of our common priesthood; that, in fact, though not in profession, it was a subtle form of clerisy. And I am sure that many a Dissenting minister would confess that often—when in coldness of heart, or distress, or bitterness of soul—he has felt the necessity of being the mouthpiece of the prayers of the congregation an intolerable burden. One, indeed, I knew who so shrunk from the task that, knowing no better way, he rushed into the Establishment to find relief from his felt inability and unfitness in the printed prayers of a book. On the other hand, gathered together as described around the Lord in the power of the Spirit, bowing together in common adoration, the Holy Spirit opens as He wills the lips of one and another to pour out before the throne of grace the feelings which He Himself has begotten in our hearts; and in this way, having an high priest (not one of ourselves) over the house of God, and knowing the Holy Spirit within us, and in our midst, as the power for worship, we “draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith,” and so on (Heb. 10:19-2219Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; 21And having an high priest over the house of God; 22Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. (Hebrews 10:19‑22)). Thirdly, gathered on this ground, and (not to hear sermons or to be led through a humanly arranged “service,” but) for worship, the only recognized Minister is the Lord Jesus Himself within the veil. For it is through Him, and through Him alone, that our worship and praise ascend to God the Father; and the consequence is that our eyes are directed to Him, and every one is made to feel that as the Lord alone is the center of the gathering, so is He the only medium of the worship which is rendered in spirit and in truth, as His redeemed ones rejoice together before God in the perfect salvation which He has wrought out for them through the gift and work of His well-beloved Son.
To sum up, then, in a few words, the difference between the two principles (if I may so express it) is this, that “Brethren” are gathered together as members of the body of Christ unto His name in the recognition of the presence and power of the Spirit of God; whereas Dissenters meet as agreeing upon certain views of truth, or of ecclesiastical polity, and in unconscious denial of the presence and power of the Spirit. For their human arrangements must of necessity shut out the action of the Holy Spirit according to His sovereign will, excepting in so far as He, in tender patience and long-suffering, may be pleased to work by such arrangements for the good of souls. In other words, the Scriptures teach that believers should be gathered together as members of Christ, in dependence upon the power of the Holy Spirit, who is present in their midst; but Dissenters meet as Dissenters, looking for blessing through the channel of the minister they have appointed. Reduced to their simplest elements, the two principles resolve themselves into a belief;—in the one case, in the presence and action of the Spirit; and in the other, into a practical and unconscious denial of this blessed truth.
I hardly expect that you, dear brother, will be prepared to accept these statements; but I assure you that I find them fully sustained by the Scriptures. If, however, I have overlooked any passage which is material to the argument, I shall only be too thankful if you will point it out; for the one thing I desire is to ascertain what is the revealed mind of God on this subject, and hence my prayer, as I am sure yours also, is, “Give me understanding according to thy word” (Psa. 119:169169TAU. Let my cry come near before thee, O Lord: give me understanding according to thy word. (Psalm 119:169)).
Believe me, dear brother,
Yours affectionately in the Lord,
E. D.