Tracts for the Times, No. 1, by John Henry Newman
THOUGHTS ON THE MINISTERIAL COMMISSION
RESPECTFULLY ADDRESSED TO THE CLERGY
I Am but one of yourselves,--a Presbyter; and therefore I conceal my name,
lest I should take too much on myself by speaking in my own person. Yet
speak I must; for the times are very evil, yet no one speaks against them.
Is this not so? Do not we "look one upon another," yet perform nothing?
Do we not all confess the peril into which the Church is come, yet sit
still each in his own retirement, as if mountains and seas cut off brother
from brother? Therefore suffer me, while I try to draw you forth from
those pleasant retreats, which it has been our blessedness hitherto to
enjoy, to contemplate the condition and prospects of our Holy Mother in a
practical way; so that one and all may unlearn that idle habit, which has
grown upon us, of owning the state of things to be bad, yet doing nothing
to remedy it.
Consider a moment. Is it fair, is it dutiful, to suffer our Bishops to
stand the brunt of the battle without doing our part to support them?
Upon them comes "the care of all the Churches." This cannot be helped:
indeed it is their glory. Not one of us would wish in the least to deprive
them of the duties, the toils, the responsibilities of their high Office.
And, black event as it would be fore the country, yet, (as far as they are
concerned,) we could not wish them a more blessed termination of their
course, that the spoiling of their goods, and martyrdom.
To them then we willingly and affectionately relinquish their high
privileges and honours; we encroach not upon the rights of the SUCCESSORS
OF THE APOSTLES; we touch not their sword and crosier. Yet surely we may
be their shield-bearers in the battle without offence; and by our voice
and deeds be to them what Luke and Timothy were to St. Paul.
Now then let me come at once to the subject which leads me to address you.
Should the Government and Country so far forget their GOD as to cast off
the Church, to deprive it of its temporal honours and substance, <on what>
will you rest the claim of respect and attention which you make upon your
flocks? Hitherto you have been upheld by your birth, your education, your
wealth, your connexions; should these secular advantages cease, on what
must CHRIST'S Ministers depend? Is not this a serious practical question?
We know how miserable is the state of religious bodies not supported by
the State. Look at the Dissenters on all sides of you, and you will see
at once that their Ministers, depending simply upon the people,
become the <creatures> of the people. Are you content that this should be
your case? Alas! can a greater evil befall Christians, than for their
teachers to be guided by them, instead of guiding? How can we "hold fast
the form of sound words," and "keep that which is committed to our trust,"
if our influence is to depend simply on our popularity? Is it not our
very office to <oppose> the world? can we then allow ourselves to <court>
it? to preach smooth things and prophesy deceits? to make the way of
life easy to the rich and indolent, and to bribe the humbler classes by
excitements and strong intoxicating doctrine? Surely it must not be
so;--and the question recurs, on <what> are we to rest our authority, when
the State deserts us?
CHRIST has not left His Church without claim of its own upon the attention
of men. Surely not. Hard Master He cannot be, to bid us oppose the
world, yet give us no credentials for so doing. There are some who rest
their divine mission on their own unsupported assertion; other, who rest
it upon their popularity; others, on their success; and others, who rest
it upon their temporal distinctions. This last case has, perhaps, been
too much our own; I fear we have neglected the real ground on which our
authority is built,--OUR APOSTOLICAL DESCENT.
We have been born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the
will of man, but of GOD. The LORD JESUS CHRIST gave His SPIRIT to His
Apostles; they in turn laid their hands on those who should succeed them;
and these again on others; and so the sacred gift has been handed down to
our present Bishops, who have appointed us as their assistants, and in
some sense representatives.
Now every one of us believes this. I know that some will at first deny
they do; still they do believe it. Only, it is not sufficiently
practically impressed on their minds. They <do> believe it; for it is the
doctrine of the Ordination Service, which they have recognised as truth in
the most solemn season of their lives. In order, then, not to prove, but
to remind and impress, I entreat your attention to the words when you were
made Ministers of CHRIST'S Church.
The office of Deacon was thus committed to you: "Take thou authority to
execute the office of Deacon in the Church of GOD committed unto thee: In
the name,".
And the priesthood thus:
"Receive the HOLY GHOST, for the office and work of a Priest, in the
Church of GOD, now committed unto thee by the imposition of our hands.
Whose sins thou dost forgive, they are forgiven; and whose sins thou
dost retain, they are retained. And be thou a faithful dispenser of the
Word of GOD, and of His Holy Sacraments: In the name," &c.
These, I say, were words spoken to us, and received by us, when we were
brought nearer to GOD than at any other time of our lives. I know the
grace of ordination is contained in the laying on of hands, not in any
form of words;--yet in our own case, (as has ever been usual in the
Church,) words of blessing have accompanied the act. Thus we have
confessed before GOD our belief, that through the Bishop who ordained us,
we received the HOLY GHOST, the power to bind and to loose, to administer
the Sacraments, and to preach. Now <how> is he able to give these great
gifts? <Whence> is his right? Are these words idle, (which would be
taking GOD'S name in vain,) or do they express merely a wish, (which
surely is very far below their meaning,) or do they not rather indicate
that the Speaker is conveying a gift? Surely they can mean nothing short
of this. But whence, I ask, his right to do so? Has he any right, except
as having received the power from those who consecrated him to be a
Bishop? He could not give what he had never received. It is plain then
that he but <transmits;> and that the Christian Ministry is a <succession.>
And if we trace back the power of ordination from hand to hand, of
course we shall come to the Apostles at last. We know we do, as a plain
historical fact; and therefore all we, who have been ordained Clergy, in
the very form of our ordination acknowledged the doctrine of the
APOSTOLICAL SUCCESSION.
And for the same reason, we must necessarily consider none to be <really>
ordained who have not <thus> been ordained. For if ordination is a divine
ordinace, how dare we use it? Therefore all who use it, all of <us,> must
consider it necessary. As well might we pretend the Sacraments are not
necessary to Salvation, while we make use of the offices of the Liturgy;
for when GOD appoints means of grace, they are <the> means.
I do not see how any one can escape from this plain view of the subject,
except, (as I have already hinted,) by declaring, that the words do not
mean all that they say. But only reflect what a most unseemly time for
random words is that, in which Ministers are set apart for their office.
Do we not adopt a Liturgy, <in order to> hinder inconsiderate idle
language, and shall we, in the most sacred of all services, write down,
subscribe, and use again and again forms of speech, which have not been
weighed, and cannot be taken strictly?
Therefore, my dear Brethren, act up to your professions. Let it not be
said that you have neglected a gift; for if you have the Spirit of the
Apostles on you, surely this <is> a great gift. "Stir up the gift of GOD
which is in you." Make much of it. Show your value of it. Keep it
before your minds as an honourable badge, far higher than that secular
respectability, or cultivation, or polish, or learning, or rank, which
give you a hearing with the many. Tell <them> of your gift. The times
will soon drive you to do this, if you mean to be still any thing. But
wait not for the times. do not be compelled, by the world's forsaking
you, to recur as if unwillingly to the high source of your authority.
Speak out now, before you are forced, both as glorying in your privilege,
and to ensure your rightful honour from your people. A notion has gone
abroad, that they can take away your power. They think they have given
and can take it away. They think it lies in the Church property, and they
know that they have politically the power to confiscate that property.
They have been deluded into a notion that present palpable usefulness,
produceable results, acceptableness to your flocks, that these and such
like are the test of your Divine commission. Enlighten them in this
matter. Exalt our Holy Fathers, the Bishops, as the Representatives of
the Apostles, and the Angels of the Churches; and magnify your office, as
being ordained by them to take part in their Ministry.
But, if you will not adopt my view of the subject, which I offer to you,
not doubtingly, yet (I hope) respectfully, at all events, CHOOSE YOUR
SIDE. To remain neuter much longer will be itself to take part. <Choose>
your side; since side your shortly must, with one or other party, even
though you do nothing. Fear to be of those, whose line is decided for them
by chance circumstances, and who may perchance find themselves with the
enemies of CHRIST, while they think but to remove themselves from worldly
politics. Such abstinence is impossible in troublous times. HE THAT IS
NOT WITH ME, IS AGAINST ME, AND HE THAT GATHERETH NOT WITH ME
SCATTERETH ABROAD.
<a href="tract02.html">Tracts for the Times No. 2</a>
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