USA > Virginia > Ecclesiastical law and discipline. A charge to the clergy of the Protestant Episcopal church of Virginia > Part 6
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8
64
would advocate ? Does she not demand more than the great Master himself would do in order to a seat at his table? If any one is conscious of faith in Christ and repentance towards God, and professes the same, and asks for the com- munion, who shall refuse him, seeing that such are declared to be the great conditions of salvation. To this we reply, that if a communicant of the Church has a right to demand continuance in it and exemption from discipline, because professing to have the principles of faith and penitence within him, though violating some of her rules, then has a candidate for adult baptism, confirmation and the first par- ticipation of the supper, a right to demand the same, and refuse to comply with any other terms, saying that Christ and the Apostles demanded no others. What then is to be done in the case of one thus demanding baptism? The Church has commanded the minister not only to be careful in the previous examination, that the person come worthily, but has prescribed a service in which it is required of the candidate, not merely to say that he has faith and repent- ance in his heart, but that he renounces the devil and all his works, the pomps and vanities of this wicked world, and all the sinful lusts of the flesh, and believes all the articles of the Christian faith, and will keep all of God's command- ments; which expressions comprehend many things, accord- ing to general consent, which some do not think are neces- sarily included in the terms faith and repentance. Must the minister change the service and baptize him on the general profession of faith and repentance? No one will maintain this. This penitent believer then must be refused by the Church, because he will not submit to other terms than God imposes, that is, according to the reasoning of some. Let us, however, be sure that we do not mistake as to the terms which God auctually imposes. God does not merely use the general terms, believe and repent, in setting forth the terms of admission to his Church on earth or in heaven,
65
but enlarges on them, and explains them by various other scriptures, stating what things must be renounced in order to a true repentance, what things must be done in order to shew our faith; requires us to bring forth the fruits of faith and repentance. What are all the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, but enlargements and explanations of the moral law and of faith and repentance? So it is with the Church in her baptismal vows, rubrics and canons. In all. of these she sets forth her views of repentance, faith and obedience, and those who would come to her communion, must comply with the same. Otherwise, if every one is to be his own judge, nothing but confusion would ensue. The more conscientious and pious, if drawn into some sin and not justifying it, might be punished, while the more unscrupulous and irreligious, by declaring that they did not admit the same to be sin, or contrary to their professed faith or repentance, might be allowed to live as they pleased. The Church ought indeed to see that she does not go be- yond scripture in her demands, but be conformed either to the letter or the spirit thereof. We have already seen how many scriptures speak of and condemn such things as are evidently alluded to in the baptismal renunciation.
4thly. It may now perhaps be asked in relation to many things denounced with more or less precision in scripture, and by the early Church, as sinful, is not the world with which we have to do, so changed and improved by the in- fluence of our holy religion, that such things either do not exist, or are so modified in their character, though still called by the same or similar names, as to have lost so much of evil or imbibed so much of good, that they no longer de- serve to be anathematized, and of course that discipline in relation to them is no more needed ? This is an important point, on the settlement of which very much of practical religion depends. We have seen that though Christianity effected much good in the first ages, sustained as it was by
9
66
the mighty power of God and the purifying influence of persecution, yet there was much corruption in many of its professors, requiring discipline. The tones of piety and the manners of Christians varied very much, at different times and in different places, according to Ecclesiastical History, beginning with the accounts of the seven Churches in the Apocalypse, sometimes calling for commendation, at others for rebuke. The question is as to its condition in our times. We should be sorry to think with some, that we live in the most degenerate days. We believe that in many respects Christianity is now in a better condition, in the larger part of Protestant Christendom, than at any previous period. We rejoice to think that many things have either passed away, or been greatly changed for the better, which in dif- ferent ages dishonored mankind and the Christian Church; and yet there may be so much evil left, that godly discipline is required to be faithfully exercised. Let it be remembered by us, that substantially the same baptismal forms of re- nouncing the devil and all his works, the pomps and vani- ties of the world, and sinful lusts of the flesh, have come down to us from the early ages; nor has it at any time been proposed to alter them, they always seeming to be suitable and needed, there being many things among Christians, even to this day, answering to those renounced at the bap- tism of the first Christians. What, though some things from time to time passed away, or changed names, or lost some- thing of their grossness, others of the same kind took their place, though more refined, so that the evil and temptation were substantially the same; and the very arguments used against them by the better sort of Pagans and the Fathers, have been reiterated in every age by the pious and sober minded. Who is there that would dare to propose a change in the baptismal vows, or to put his name to an exposition of them, departing from those which have been set forth in every age; and yet how strange, how unmeaning and per-
67
verted would be an exposition accommodating the same to the wishes, opinions and practices of many professing Chris- tians in regard to themselves and children. Some parents there are too honest to go through a form which is in direct contradiction to their own lives, and to the manner in which they propose to bring up their children, and therefore prefer to leave them unbaptized, rather than offer them to God with a lie on their lips.# But there are those who, either from perfect indifference or from false views of religion, do not understand it aright, and do not make the answer of a good conscience towards God in those words. We are dis- puting much and earnestly, and not without cause, as to the meaning of other parts of the baptismal service, but let us be on our guard, lest while disputing about the doctrine of the baptismal regeneration of our infants (a thing necessarily hidden from our view and which God has not revealed), we permit the devil to put his interpretation on a far more im- portant part of the service, if St. Peter is to be believed, who says, that the baptism which saves, is " the answer of a good conscience towards God." But there is something else of far higher authority than the baptismal renunciation
.
* Dr. Thomas Brey, in his exposition of our Church Catechism, says: "That which ap- proaches nearest in these, our days, to those sort of heathenish pomps, and which in pompousness and magnificence of scene, are not much inferior to them, are their profane and lewd plays acted in our public play-houses, where, for ought I know, more souls are murdered than in the former were bodies; more profaneness, and more lewd assignations made than at the pagan theatres; and how infinitely unfit it is, that those kinds of diver- sions should be permitted in a Christian State, or that persons, professing Christianity, should be permitted to go near them.
" It can be demonstrated that the stage can never cease to be a school of vice; for were nothing exhibited thereon that is congenial to the corrupt inclinations of the depraved heart of man, it would attract no spectator and could not be supported. If an attendance on the amusements of the theatre be not an implicit and positive breach of the baptismal covenant, it will be difficult to prove that it can be broken at all."
Dr. Brey who thus speaks, was, Mr. Biddulph informs us, neither a Puritan nor a Methodist, but a staunch member of the Church of England.
Bishop White, in his lectures on the Church Catechism, says : "That after the stage was purged of idolatry by Christian Emperors, still lewdness continued, and therefore the baptismal vow was continued; and that even if that had been banished from the stage, there would have been always some things of the kind in the world to require such a vow and promise."
68
which has come down to us unchanged, and will continue to the end of the world the very same in letter and in spirit. The warnings of God's word, against the devil, the world and the flesh, against evil communication, against the se- ductions of pleasure, are for us as for the first disciples. If not, if they were only designed for the first disciples, and to warn them against existing evils which have now passed away, how large a portion of scripture would be to us a dead letter, of no practical use whatever. But let us remember that as we must not add to, we must not take from, that holy volume. That the same scriptures and the same baptismal vows are suitable for men in every age, is readily accounted for. Human nature is the same in every age, and is born into the same world of sin and temptation. In its unsancti- fied state, it delights in the indulgence of the same lusts, which call for the same gratifications. Even in its sancti- fied state, there is a remainder of sin ever ready to return to such things. The devil is the same unchanged being that he was at the first; still bent upon the injury of our race, as when he tempted our first parents to gratify appetite, curios- ity and ambition, saying, "ye shall not surely die, but shall be as gods." His children are the same now as ever, sons of Belial and daughters of pleasure, tempting even the sons of God. He uses fullness of bread and abundance of idle- ness as means of corruption still, and destroys as many souls as ever in the snares of pleasure. The children of God have the same conflict as ever, and the kingdom of heaven still suffereth violence, and cannot be taken but by force. The Canaanites are still in the land. The heathen in heart are still all around us, and we must come out from among them, as we liope to be the sons and daughters of God. The same heaven is to be won; the same hell to be escaped. If from these general remarks we descend to particulars, we shall find a closer resemblance than some might imagine be- tween the pleasurable vices of the former and latter days, as
69
well as all other sins. Games of chance, for instance, are the same absorbing, time wasting and soul destroying things now that they were in the first days of the Church, and among the heathen. If gladiatorial combats were discon- tinued, other combats took their place, in different parts of Christendom, and have not been actually abandoned to this day. If the shows of wild beasts and their deadly combats with each other and with men passed away, combats be- tween domestic animals have been carried on to the destruc- tion of thousands, and have been attended in many parts of Christendom by thousands of baptized Christians, sometimes even on the Sabbath. As to the theatre, are not sentiments continually there uttered, and in the most imposing manner, just as contrary to our religion and offensive to God, and pernicious to morals, as any idolatrous ones in those of old ? Is there not indelicacy and lewdness in the dress and action of performers now as of old, and are not actors and actresses excluded now as of old, not only from the communion, but from respectable society? Are not the theatres the very places where the most abandoned of the female sex come to use all their arts for the seduction of the other, and where thou- sands of the other sex rush into the snare? Is it not shock- ing to think that our sisters and daughters are sitting beneath the same roof with these wretched beings, delighted with the same exhibition, applauding the same false sentiments, and even amused at the same indecent and licentious jests, or gestures, from persons perhaps of the same character? And as to dancing, can there have been anything in ancient times more immodest than the half-dressed female perform- ers on the stage, who attract so many to behold the shame- ful exposure of their persons, while engaged in an unnatural use of their limbs? Would any persons in such a garb be admitted into respectable houses? Would not the very boys follow and hiss at such along the streets, if any attempted to walk them in such an undress? But is this all? Do not
70
some who go to admire such actresses, return to imitate them, so far as will be tolerated? Is it not a matter of com- plaint, regret and shame, not merely with pious Christians, but with many of the purer minded of this world, that dances are introduced utterly inconsistent with that shame- facedness and modesty which the Apostle recommends; in which there is an indelicate familiarity between the sexes which would not be allowed on other occasions? Again, is it asked whether there be anything in modern times which may be compared with the pictures of ancient days. We ask if there has not been a growing disposition to exhibit in a condition altogether different from that in which God him- self put our first parents, when with his own hands he made them garments for a covering, the pictures and statues of human beings, to be objects of admiration to the youth of both sexes, sometimes standing side by side, and even arm in arm? Nay, more, have there not been for the last few years, naked human beings, selected for their fine forms, carried about to be exhibited in every varied attitude, and though the corporations of some cities, to their praise, closed their gates against them, others gave them full liberty for display, to the thousands who flocked to the shameful spec- tacle .*
It must be acknowledged that the public mind and taste are becoming more and more familiarized with such things. Indecent gestures, and smutty inuendoes and libertine senti- ments in the theatre, receive nothing but a mild rebuke
* In another instance, also, may we trace a resemblance between modern and ancient times. The Apostle Paul, in his 1st Epistle to Timothy, enjoins it on "women professing godliness" " to adorn themselves with modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety, not with broidered hair, etc." Some of the early canons also forbid certain decorations of the person, "whereby to ensnare the beholders." It has ever been supposed that the attire of female performers at the theatres and other places was here alluded to, and that Christians were forbidden to imitate their unbecoming fashions. And is it not a faet, undis- puted, that the theatres of Paris and London have, at some times, had no little to do with setting the fashions for the ladies of Europe and America, and that some of their fashions have been wanting in shamefacedness, sobriety and modesty, as enjoined by the Apostle ?
71
from the gentlemen as being contrary to good taste, and are resented by the ladies, only by the uplifted fan or handker- chief. All kinds of exhibitions, indeed, which are transport- ed from place to place, must now have something to gratify the corrupt tastes of the people, in order to ensure their sup- port .** It should have great weight in determining the judgment and regulating the conduct of Christians as to all such things, to know that in all ages there have been num- bers not enrolling themselves with communicants, and some even doubting the truth of our holy religion, who, on prin- ciples of mere morality, have condemned them. What a testimony does the Emperor Julian furnish ! Wishing to adopt the most effectual means for supplanting Christianity and establishing Paganism, he presented the ministers and members of the Christian Church as models to his priests and people, positively forbidding the former to have any thing to do with the public amusements of that day, and saying that it was by the holy lives of Christians and their abstaining from such things, that their religion had made such progress, and that Paganism could only regain what it had lost in the same way. This of itself proves that, though many professing Christians had been false to their profession, many had been faithful to it; enough to force this commendation from an enemy. Let me also, in this connection, refer you to a memorable document to be found on the records of the American Congress, in those times which tried the souls of men, and when the heroes of the Revolution looked up to an Almighty arm for aid in that fearful contest of our country with the greatest nation upon earth. Remembering that we must renounce all things offensive to heaven, if we hope to secure its favor, they
* A young member of the Church not long since informed me, that he was induced, for the first time, to attend a circus, being led thither by the example of other professors, and among the first things he heard was blasphemy from the clown, who came forth calling himself "The great I am."
72
call upon all the States to take the most effectual measures for the encouragement of religion and good morals, and particularly specify " suppressing of theatrical entertain- ments, horse-racing, gaming, and such other diversions as are productive of idleness, dissipation and a general de- pravity of manners." This testimony should have the greatest weight with us, because it has been ascertained that some of those who voted for it were not members of any denomination of Christians, and it appears that it was carried by a vote of nearly three-fourths of those present.
ADDRESS TO THE LAITY.
And now having adduced many facts and arguments on the subject of Ecclesiastical Law and Discipline, I draw to a close by a few solemn and affectionate words to our dear friends of the laity, urging them to such a course of conduct as may entirely supersede the exercise of it even in its first and mildest form of admonition.
1st. To those of you who are more disposed to stretch your Christian liberty to the utmost bounds, who, from a love of pleasure, are disposed to indulge yourselves in things which you wish to consider lawful, because not positively by name forbidden, let me say, examine faithfully not only into your desires, motives, objects, &c., in seeking their gratification, but into the effects of the same. In the con- test between the old and the new man within you (if indeed there be such a contest), on which side do these things fight? Is the law of sin in your members, or the law of holiness in your souls strengthened thereby? Are you living to the flesh or to the spirit, knowing that to be carnal- ly minded is death, to be spiritually minded, life and peace ? Thus living, can you say, " The life I now live, I live by faith in the Son of God?" Knowing that "whatsoever is not of faith is sin." "Are you doing all these things heartily as to the Lord?" Are you not hindered in run-
73
ning the race before you by such things, and can you be hindered yourselves without being hinderers of others also? Be faithful to yourselves in this examination, and remember how much better it is to err on the one side than on the other-to relinquish lawful things rather than run the risk of doing unlawful ones. The exercise of self-denial is called for in regard to lawful as well as unlawful things, when good can be done and evil prevented. St. Paul was thoroughly persuaded that certain things were lawful, and would not surrender his judgment as to them to any one, and yet as to practice, he would not eat meat or drink wine while the world lasted, if thus he should offend or tempt even a weaker brother. After his example it is our duty to avoid not only evil, but the appearance of it, having respect to things which "are of good report" among those who are without as well of those within .*
2dly. To those of you who feel no disposition, and are under no temptation to forbidden indulgences, let me speak a word, asking your co-operation with God's ministers in this duty. By a consistent and decided course, you may do much towards strengthening their hands, and encouraging the more irresolute and less faithful of professors to walk uprightly. It is not enough that you abstain yourselves from evil or doubtful things, you must not suffer sin in a brother if you can help it. A cowardly silence or doubtful condemnation, a ready acquiescence or countenance afforded
* Archbishop Leighton, in his admirable Commentary on the first Epistle of Peter, when he comes to the 2d and 3d verses, about renouncing our lusts, revellings, banquet- ings, &c., and henceforth living to the will of God and rejoicing in that, he says: "Half reformations in a Christian turn to his prejudice. It is only best to be reformed through- out, and to give up with all idols; not to live one-half to himself and to the world, and as it were another half to God, for that is but falsely so, and in reality cannot be. The only way is, to make a heap of all, to have all sacrificed together, and live to no lust, but alto- gether and only to God. Thus it must be; there is no monster in the new creation-no half new creature-either all, or not at all. God will have nothing, unless he have the heart, and none of that neither, unless he have all. Royalty can admit of no rivalry. And if he be thy husband, thou must renounce all others. The title of a husband is as strict and tender as that of a king."
10
.
74
by your presence, or in any other way, will weaken the hands of your ministers and encourage the lukewarm, the worldly minded and the timorous, to live so as to bring re- proach on their profession. Not only this, but you must be examples to them of active zeal in all good works. To abstain from evil is only a part of religion. We must cease to do evil and learn to do well. We must not only carefully avoid all evil communication with the world, in these ungodly amusements and works, but have fellowship with the saints in all those good works which God hath prepared for them to walk in, and which make them his "peculiar people."
3rdly. One word to Parents. I have more than once already said, that you were the divinely appointed aids to ministers in this duty. If you be faithful in preparing your children for confirmation, according to the word of God and the baptismal vows, and do not wish or consent that they shall be presented to the Bishop until they have experienced a death unto sin and a new birth unto righteousness, until the love of God has displaced the love of the world in their hearts, the ministers will seldom have trouble afterwards. But it is often otherwise with parents. On conversing with a young candidate for confirmation once, in the presence of her mother, the latter told me she had only one fault to find with her daughter, viz: that she could not persuade her to go enough into the world, to enjoy herself with other young people. I was also once seriously asked by a mother, who seemed to have some earnest desires for her children's wel- fare in both worlds, if I would not prepare a sermon, defin- ing as accurately as possible the boundaries between the world and religion. She asked it particularly in reference to her children. She wished them to inherit the kingdom of heaven when they died, but would not have them to lose anything of this world's pleasure while here, which with any tolerable safety could be enjoyed. She evidently wished
75
to take them as near the very edge of the precipice as she could, without great danger of their being precipitated into the gulf below. Such a case as that, of course I could not undertake. Rather let me urge all parents who may read these pages, as they love their children, to remember that God is a jealous God, and will not dwell in a divided heart. Let them rather seek and covet of the Lord for their child- ren, the largest foretaste of heaven, and thus make them less anxious for the vanities of earth, whether they be riches, honors, or pleasures.
And now, dear brethren and friends, one and all, think not that I am disposed to undue severity, or that I would do you the wrong of holding you up as great transgressors in the matters referred to. God is my witness, that I love you too much for this. I have served you too long; known you too well, am too proud of you in many things, and even boast of you too much, to do you any injustice. I have ever said, that as a body you would fall behind none other in our own or other Churches, for intelligent and consistent piety, for kindness and hospitality, for liberality and zeal. Nay, in my inward rejoicings I have sometimes gone beyond this. So much personal kindness do I receive, and so much happiness do I enjoy, notwithstanding much bodily infirm- ity, in my protracted visitations, that I feel as though I should be tempted to continue them after they shall have ceased to be profitable, if that be not so already. This, my affection for you and delight in you, is the reason why I am jealous over you with such a godly jealousy. I know what has ever been the besetting sin of the members of our own and mother Church, and wish to guard you against it. Great has been the reformation of both from former times, but there is a present tendency to return to the same. Com- paratively few as yet have erred in the ways referred to, but it is an increasing number, and circumstances favor a yet greater increase, unless some check be imposed. If any
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.