Church Reform: The Only Means to That End, Stated in a Letter to Sir Robert Peel, Bart., First Lord of the Treasury — John Shaqi
Church Reform: The Only Means to That End, Stated in a Letter to Sir Robert Peel, Bart., First Lord of the TreasuryCarlile, Richard
Religion
Church Reform: The Only Means to That End, Stated in a Letter to Sir Robert Peel, Bart., First Lord of the Treasury
Carlile, Richard
Bible -- Criticism, interpretation, etc.; Church and state -- Church of England; Rationalism
So God the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of Truth, the Comforter to come, to
complete the happiness of the human race, personates that spirit of
free communication of knowledge which should be found in the Church,
the theatre, not of any superstition or dramatic ceremony, but of the
freedom of the human mind, and all its emanations of free enquiry, free
discussion, mutual instruction, which are the necessary elements of
brotherly love and peace, in the proving of all things and holding fast
that which is good. And thus I prove the truth of the doctrine of the
Trinity.
This, Sir, is a true picture or effigies of the moral Trinity of the
Christian Church, which you will find to be a key to every mysterious
sentence of the Bible; and I ask you seriously, as between man and man,
is any thing of this kind known or practised in the present Church?
Are not the ministers of that Church afraid of every new discovery in
science? Have they not, as far as they could, persecuted every man who
has attempted to publish any criticism, enquiry, or objection to their
mysterious subjects? History says--Yes. And I say that they have known
nothing of the subject for themselves, and that they have dreaded all
knowledge of, all enquiry into, the subject. Will their pride let them
learn of me? Well may I say:--"Come unto me, all that labour and are
heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn
of me: for I am meek and lowly of heart: and ye shall find rest unto
your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." That is the
language of the personated Logos, or Principle of Reason, addressed to
the present state of British mind, as it was formerly addressed to the
general state of the human mind.
The doctrine of the transubstantiation of bread and wine, as the
elements of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, into the real body and
blood of Christ, has been another stumbling-block in the Church. On this
head, our law-established Church has dissented from its former self,
which when I mentioned on my last jury trial, the Judge, Sir Allan Park,
called it a vilifying of the Church. I knew better; but saw that the
Judge was not a man to be reasoned with, and so I did not press the
subject: but through this letter and your name, Sir, I desire to teach
him how it has been done. Transubstantiation is no stumbling-block to my
mind.
The twenty-eighth article of the Church says on this
subject:--"Transubstantiation (or the change of the substance of bread
and wine) in the Supper of the Lord, cannot be proved by Holy Writ; but
is repugnant to the plain words of Scripture, overthroweth the nature of
a Sacrament, and hath given occasion to many superstitions. The body of
Christ is given, taken, and eaten in the Supper, only after an heavenly
and spiritual manner; and the mean whereby the body of Christ is
received and eaten in the Supper, is Faith."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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