{"collection":"scripture-revelation","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_49006/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_49006","id":"gutenberg_49006","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/49006","summary":null,"tags":["Apostolic succession -- Sermons","Category: History - Religious","Category: Philosophy & Ethics","Category: Religion/Spirituality","Church of England -- Sermons","Sermons, English"],"text":"credit\n\n\n\nTranscribed from the 1847 Joseph Masters edition by David Price, email\nccx074@pglaf.org\n\n\n\n\n\n                      On the Apostolical Succession.\n\n\n                                * * * * *\n\n                           PAROCHIAL LECTURES.\n\n                            (_SECOND SERIES_.)\n\n                                * * * * *\n\n                                    BY\n                         WILLIAM J. IRONS, B.D.,\n           INCUMBENT OF THE HOLY TRINITY, BROMPTON, MIDDLESEX.\n\n                                * * * * *\n\n                                * * * * *\n\n                                * * * * *\n\n                                 LONDON:\n                  JOSEPH MASTERS, 33, ALDERSGATE STREET.\n                               MDCCCXLVII.\n\n                                * * * * *\n\n                                    TO\n\n                       EDWARD BOUVERIE PUSEY, D.D.\n\n                      (LATE FELLOW OF ORIEL COLLEGE)\n\n                         CANON OF CHRIST CHURCH,\n\n                      AND REGIUS PROFESSOR OF HEBREW\n\n                       IN THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD;\n\n                               THIS VOLUME\n\n                           (BY HIS PERMISSION)\n\n                    IS PRESENTED; WITH A DEEP FEELING\n\n                        OF THE AUTHOR'S OBLIGATION\n\n                                  TO HIM\n\n              FOR THE BLESSINGS OF HIS LEARNED INSTRUCTION,\n\n                          HIS CHRISTIAN EXAMPLE,\n\n                        AND HIS HONEST FRIENDSHIP.\n\n\n\n\nPREFACE.\n\n\nVERY little needs to be said to introduce these Lectures to the reader.\nThey were delivered in Advent last, at Saint Mary's, Newington; and there\nis the same reason for publishing, which there then was for writing and\npreaching them.  I desire to assist, as far as I am able, those who are\nseeking to clear and define their thoughts, respecting the origin,\nnature, and power of the Christian Ministry.  I have aimed only at\nplainness and fairness in the statement of the argument; and have adopted\nthat arrangement of the subject, in which, as far as I can judge, it\noriginally came before my own mind.\n\nIn the Dedication of this Volume to the Regius Professor of Hebrew at\nOxford, I have acknowledged my great obligation to him for the\ninstruction which I hope I have derived from his writings--an\nacknowledgment which, happily, I am so far from being singular in making,\nthat I suppose every one who has studied them, might make the same\nstatement.  But it is right that I should say, that as I have not learned\na lesson by rote, but, from the first, thought patiently and freely for\nmyself, so the Public must not consider the Professor answerable for\nevery opinion which I may have expressed.  And it may be well also to\nadd, that the general doctrine here set forth is not hastily taken up on\nany man's authority; but was maintained by the writer, both in private\nand public, as many will bear witness, long before he had the happiness\nand advantage of being acquainted with the works, or characters, of the\npresent leading Divines of the University of Oxford.\n\n_St. Peter's_, _Walworth_, _Surrey_.\n\n\n\n\nCONTENTS.\n\n                                                                  PAGE\n                              LECTURE I.\n\n                            THE DOCTRINE.\nThe Method of the Argument--Importance of a                          1\nMinistry--Scriptural aspect of the subject--Apostolical\nlanguage concerning it--Compared with the Modern--What the\nsafe inference--The original Ministry possibly still\nexists--And if so, what constitutes a Ministry--Scripture\nLanguage--Compared with Popular and Modern notions--Theory\nof the Inward Call--Erastian theory--The Common principle\nof all such Theories--Illustrated--The Catholic DOCTRINE of\nthe Ministry--Compared with the Modern, and with\nScripture--The Continuance of the Ministry--DOCTRINE of the\nSUCCESSION stated and explained--Reasons for the present\nInquiry\n                             LECTURE II.\n\n                            THE EVIDENCE.\nImportance of not hastily prejudging--Argued from the         41\nparallel case of the Jewish Church--Necessity of\nconsidering the Evidence for the SUCCESSION--Evidence of\nScripture, how far Important--Historical Evidence--Popular\nDifficulties--A General reply.--On Evidence--Popular\nNotions--The expected Evidence of the\nSUCCESSION--Illustrated by a parallel case--Impossible--And\neven if attainable, not satisfactory--What kind and amount\nof Evidence should be looked for--Parallels of\nEvidence--For the Scriptures--The Sacraments, and the\nMinistry of the Church--On what Evidence the Common People\nmust of necessity receive the Bible--And the Apostolic\nChurch--Literary Evidence of the Bible, difficult--And of\nthe SUCCESSION--Analysis of it, Theoretical and\nHistorical--Accumulation of the Evidence--Moral\nCertainty--Conclusion\n                             LECTURE III.\n\n                           THE OBJECTIONS.\nNecessity of considering OBJECTIONS--Classification of              69\nthem--(1.)  As connected with the FACT of the Succession,\nand its Consequences.--(2.)  And the DOCTRINE, and its\nConsequences.\n\n(1.)  General Corruption--Idolatry--Schism--Infringement of\nPrivate Judgment--Popery and Superstition.\n\n(2.)  Judaistic\nDoctrine--Carnality--Technicality--Scriptural\nUncertainty--Exclusiveness--Uncharitableness--Unchurching\nother Protestants--among whom may be seen many Evidences of\nGod's Blessing and Religious Success--Explanation.\n\nCatholic Charity--Theoretical and Practical--Review\n                             LECTURE IV.\n\n                             THE SUMMARY.\nThe Summary--Mistakes of the Ideality of                           109\nChristianity--Erroneous popular Notions and\nArguments--Contrast of Rationalist and Catholic\ntheories--Comparison--And with Scripture--Analytical Review\nof the Catholic Religion, illustrating the Doctrine of the\nMinistry--Synthetical View of the same--Conclusion\nNOTES                                                              145\n\nI.\nTHE DOCTRINE.\n\n\nFROM THE EPISTLE. {1}--\"How, then, shall they call on HIM in Whom they\nhave not believed?--and, How shall they believe in Him of Whom they have\nnot heard?--and, How shall they hear without a preacher?--and, How shall\nthey preach except they be SENT?\"--ROMANS x. 14.\n\nAT this season of preparation for the ADVENT, the Apostolical Ministry is\none of the subjects especially brought before us by the CHURCH, as\ndoubtless peculiarly calculated to fit our minds for the right reception\nand reverent contemplation of our SAVIOUR'S first and second Coming.  It\nwould be needless to enlarge on the suitability of the Epistle selected\nfor this Introductory Festival, opening and leading the way, as it does,\nto those of the whole \"glorious company of the Apostles.\"  We can\nscarcely read the passage now quoted, without recognizing at once much of\nits appropriateness.  It contains a brief vindication both of the moral\nnecessity and the Divine authority of the Christian Ministry; and so\nplainly, that, to some extent, all must perceive it.  But it may be\nhighly profitable to us to draw out and examine with attention the\nsubject, which St. Paul thus lays before us in epitome only; concerning\nwhich we know that there is much diversity of thinking among professing\nChristians, and, consequently, great danger of wrong thinking.\n\nIt is too much the practice of modern theologians to refer to the New\nTestament, almost as if it were a book of aphorisms; and so, when a\nquotation is made therefrom, it seems to be inquired, what meaning it\nwill _bear_; or what use can be _made_ of it; rather than, what meaning\nit _must_ have had in such a connection; or what use _must_ have been\nintended, under such circumstances.  And hence has resulted this fatal\nconsequence, that the apostolic writings are commonly interpreted by\nmodern opinions, instead of modern opinions being tested by the apostolic\nwritings.  There is but too painful evidence of this, in the manner in\nwhich some men set about \"proving\" their peculiar system by the\nScriptures; evidently assuming from the first that their system is\n_right_, and so (unconsciously, we trust,) sorting and arranging the\n\"best texts\" to establish it.  Surely an attempt to treat any other\nancient book as the Holy Scriptures are thus treated, would not be borne\nwith.  Suppose, for example, any disciple of the schools of the modern\nscepticism should attempt to show, from selected passages of some leading\ntreatise of ancient philosophy, that his own opinions precisely coincided\nwith those of the sage from whom he was quoting; it is evident that he\nwould hereby deceive no one but himself.  On a reference to the treatise\nin question, it would be at once apparent, that it was written by one who\nheld opinions widely different from the modern.  Now since, among\nChristians, there is an universal appeal to the Scriptures, would it not\nbe a rational method of testing the opinions of any of the various\nclasses among us, to inquire, whether it is likely that such writings\n_would_ have proceeded from the pens of men holding such and such\nopinions?  Might we not thus arrive at as sure a conclusion,\nnotwithstanding all arguments from texts and passages, that some\nnominally Christian opinions now received, were not the opinions of the\nsacred writers--as that the opinions of Locke were not the opinions of\nthe ancient Epicureans, notwithstanding the coincidences that might be\nfound?  And if it should be seen that any class of opinions exactly\nharmonizes with the literal writings of the Apostles, so that we may\nimagine the men who held them to have naturally written what the Apostles\nwrote; then, should we not have a highly probable argument for the\nScriptural character of those opinions?  Such an argument will in some\ndegree pervade these Lectures.\n\nFew, perhaps, will fail to perceive some wide difference between that\nstate of mind which is implied by our popular Christianity, and that\nwhich is implied by the Apostolic Epistles.  The complete unworldliness,\nthe quiet, elevated self-denial, the earnest humility, the obedience on\nthe one hand and authority on the other, which are the evident\ncharacteristics of practical Christianity as it appears in the inspired\nrecords, are strikingly different from all which we see now in our\npopular religion; and may at times well suggest the fear that we may have\nlost much of that faith which the first Christians possessed.  And in no\nparticular is this difference more remarkably seen, than in the language\nheld respecting the MINISTRY of the CHURCH; which from its undeniable\nimportance deserves no light consideration.  Of course it may be said,\nthat much of the difference of tone respecting the Ministry may be\nascribed to the \"cessation of apostolic authority strictly so called.\"\nBut however this be, which we pass for the present, it is apparent to\nall, that there _is_ a difference: and so, men attempt to \"account for\nthe fact,\" rather than deny it.  To account, for example, for the\n\"magnified importance\" plainly attributed in Holy Scripture to the living\nvoice of an APOSTOLIC MINISTRY, above and beyond, and often without\nreference to other means of Christian instruction.  Not only the plea\njust mentioned, but other similar ones are urged, as the \"change of\ncircumstances,\" the \"alteration in the times,\" and the like, to account\nfor the fact.  How dangerous all such arguments and evasions are, to\nthose who seek a religion exactly, or as nearly as possible, such as the\nfirst Christians had, needs scarcely to be urged on any thoughtful mind.\nFor after all these suppositions and reasonings, it will still remain\nvery possible that THE MINISTRY first Divinely set up in the CHURCH, was\n_not_ intended essentially to change with the changing circumstances of\nthis world; very possible that this might have been given as one\npermanent if not paramount means of grace for mankind, notwithstanding\nthe subsequent introduction of other means, however efficacious and\ninvaluable.  And then, the actually existing ministry, its historical\ncontinuity, its unconcealed pretensions, are facts not to be lightly set\naside when viewed in connection with this possibility only; even if it\nwere nothing more.  How much of Apostolical grace is lost from the\nministry, it may be impossible to say; but so also it would be equally\nimpossible to say how much is retained.  Hence, it must ever remain the\n_safest_ course for a Christian man to adhere to an Apostolically\ndescended Ministry.  Let us not pass too hastily from these thoughts; let\nus follow them out, into minuter detail; in order to enter into the state\nof mind apparently implied by language such as that in the passage, for\ninstance, which constitutes our text.","title":"On the apostolical succession: Parochial lectures, second series","tradition":"scripture-revelation","translated_text":null,"word_count":1810}