Free Church Presbyterianism, by Rev. James Begg, D.D.
Closing Address: SPECIAL DUTIES AND DANGERS OF THE FREE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND.
Part 7: (Duties)
THE NECESSITY FOR DEFENDING FREE CHURCH PRINCIPLES.
WE
may also remark, that if our Free Church is to remain strong and be
perpetuated, our ministers must, whilst earnestly missionary and
catholic in spirit, feel it a solemn duty to expound to their people
from time to time, all our distinctive principles, — the great
principles of the Disruption as inseparably connected with the glory
and gospel of Christ. Generations are constantly passing away; and as
God arranged in regard to the passover, it is absolutely necessary that
the young, as they rise up, should know why our Church exists in
separation from the State, and why the Headship of Christ has been a
matter of debate in Scotland ever since the days of Knox.
I am well
aware that we begin to be met here with a difficulty. We cannot be
faithful in this matter without encountering resistance,
misrepresentation, and reproach. But the very intensity of opposition
is often only a test of success. "Woe unto you when all men speak well
of you, for so did their fathers of the false prophets." [Applause.]
In
the days in which we live, strong opposition is made in certain
quarters to the maintenance of any dogmatic and unalterable
truth. Sometimes this takes the form of a covert infidelity. Everything
else is making progress, say they, and why not the doctrines of the
Christian Church? Here, of course, it is quietly assumed — although
infidels have found it, and ever will find it, impossible to prove it —
that the Scripture is not the Word of God, containing the oracles of
unchangeable and infallible truth; for otherwise, except in a very
limited sense, the idea of progress would not arise. Where God has not
spoken, man is quite free to speculate; but where Jehovah has uttered
His voice, all flesh should be silent before Him. From His Word, which,
however, we are diligently to search by all the lights of knowledge,
nothing must be taken away, and to it nothing must be added. Hence, in
a sense, and until God gives a new Revelation, which He never will,
theology is a science that never can essentially change.
Against this
inevitable conclusion, however, unsanctified reason rebels; and were
some of these objectors to speak out their minds, they would probably
cast aside the authority of God altogether and say, with Pharaoh, "Who
is the Lord, that I should obey Him?" This is the very essence of
depravity, which, however reckoned venial, or even brave and manly,
amongst men, is the very sin of Satan, — the highest sin of which
creatures can be guilty. In this gross and palpable form the objection
to which we have referred can only be rejected with scorn and pity by
the ministers of our Church. [Applause.]
But we sometimes hear a
similar objection but in a milder form. It is said, "Why not state your
own view's without finding fault with the view's of others?" This of
course, goes to the very root of our position as a protesting Church,
and, in fact, of our office as ministers of Christ, in so far as we are
watchmen set for the defence of the Gospel, bound to "blow the trumpet
in Zion, and to sound an alarm in God's holy mountain;" and it would
make us dumb dogs that could not bark, or at least should not. [A
laugh.] What would Elijah, or Paul, or Knox, or Luther have said to
such a form of objection? It is unnecessary to answer.
No doubt the
same suggestion sometimes takes a sentimental, and even a devotional
form, and men allege that all controversy ruffles the spirit defeats
its object, and hinders the progress of the cause of Christ. No doubt
we require carefully to guard our spirits, and to seek by prayer for
the guidance of the Holy Spirit of God; but how far this indifference
to error is to extend, men are rather chary in saying. Whether we are
to give free scope to all error, including infidelity and Romanism, and
allow the Reformation itself to be subverted, they do not say; but,
with studied vagueness, "speak the truth," say they "in love, and error
will die of itself." This axiom is equally inconsistent with all the
past struggles of our Church, and implies a charge against the
preaching of our Lord himself, much of whose preaching was directly and
undoubtedly controversial, and roused the strongest opposition. "Ye
have heard that it hath been said," said our blessed Lord, "but I say,"
affirming the very opposite.
It is a charge against all the prophets,
apostles, and martyrs, and the great mass of the Bible, which is
largely controversial. It is in the teeth of Scriptural injunction, for
we are commanded to "contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to
the saints." It is in the face of reason and experience. The gardener
never would get rid of his weeds by merely sowing good seed, and
expecting the weeds to die of themselves. [Applause.] The very charity
commended in Scripture, and which these objectors wholly misunderstand,
is a charity which "rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the
truth." The opposite spirit, moreover, may seek to wear the laurels
which others have won, but it never achieved any laurels of its own. [Laughter and applause.] Faith working by love is the highest and the
heroic grace of Scripture, ever zealous of good works, but also ever
ready to do battle for Christ in a world of sin and unbelief; and
without this grace, however we may please men, "it is impossible to
please God." It is by this noble grace, and not by that shrinking
cowardice which our ancestors would have characterised as "detestable
indifferentism,'' that all the great victories of the Church have been
gained — [applause] — that men have "subdued kingdoms, wrought
righteousness, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the
sword, 'out of weakness were made strong,' waxed valiant in fight,
turned to flight the armies of the aliens." [Applause.] And if any
Christian Church or man is to stand and be useful, they must stand like
men in armour. "Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may stand in
the evil day."
The Church must be as the salt of the earth, as the
light of the world, spreading an aggressive power on every side. If the
light ceases to penetrate the darkness, it becomes useless; if "the
salt has lost its savour," the world will no doubt cease to object to
it; but "it is thenceforth good for nothing but to be cast out and
trodden under the feet of men." [Applause.] In the epistles to the
Churches of Asia our exalted Saviour commends highly every struggling
and protesting Church, whilst the most awful denunciations probably,
both in the Old Testament and New, are launched against this very
spirit of lukewarmness, which can see error without contending against
it. "Curse ye Meroz," said the angel of the Lord, "curse ye bitterly
the inhabitants thereof;" Because they came not to the help of the
Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty.
The same thing is
true of the New Testament. The most fearful denunciation probably
uttered by Christ himself is against this very indifferentism. "I would
thou wert cold or hot. Because thou art neither cold nor hot, but art
lukewarm, I will spue thee out of my mouth." This passive spirit in
regard to the truths of God and existing defections, which some would
recommend to our ministers at present, is just a new form of the old
Moderatism against which we had such a deadly struggle. [Applause and
laughter.] Many a bad thing in the world chooses a good name; and when
a thing has the choosing of its own name, it is very foolish if it does
not choose a good one. [Applause.] Moderatism of old affected to be
divine and quoted Scripture in its own behalf, "Let your moderation be
known unto all men" — [applause]; but the Christian people of Scotland,
drilled in the Shorter Catechism, soon discovered its hollowness and
that, whilst it made no struggle for truth, or for the honour of
Christ, the essence of the gospel was also very soon forgotten. "They
have taken away my Lord," the old Christian woman in Scotland said,
"and I know not where they have laid Him." [Hear, hear.]
A worthy
minister in those days asked a neighbour of this class to preach one of
his fast-day sermons. He preached a well-composed piece of negative
theology — [laughter] — something that he reckoned very philosophical,
Without any mixture of controversial doctrine, although, as one said,
they could be "fierce for moderation" when they had an object in view.
Next day the minister met an old village patriarch, and asked him how
he liked the sermon. " O, dinna bring him here ony mair," was the
answer; "he's very far back in his information; he does'na ken that
Adam's fa'en yet." [Great laughter and applause.] We see revised in the
present day, in certain quarters around us, all the phases of the very
same system.
We see the jovial moderate, the sceptical moderate, the
decent and demure moderate; but in every case we find the same
objection to dogmatic truth, and to an honest testimony against error,
and in behalf of the kingly office of Christ. The old name, which has
an ill odour with the people, is no doubt discarded, and the system is
called by the plausible name of a system of "progress" or liberality.
Edward Irvine once remarked, that one of the greatest glories of the
millennium would be, that "the vile person would no more be called
liberal." [Applause.] The system to which I have referred is
essentially an old friend, or rather enemy, With a new face. Our honest
ancestor would have probably given it the more homely name of a system
of apostasy and backsliding. But at any rate, we fully know its nature
and results. It is a kind of ecclesiastical dry rot — [laughter] —
which, it is hoped, will never seriously find admission into our ranks,
or affect the working, of the Free Church of Scotland. If it does so at
any future time, it needs no prophet to tell that the Free Church will
fall as quickly as it rose. [Applause.]