Practical Religion: Being Plain Papers on the Daily Duties, Experience, Dangers, and Privileges of Professing ChristiansRyle, J. C. (John Charles)
Religion
Practical Religion: Being Plain Papers on the Daily Duties, Experience, Dangers, and Privileges of Professing Christians
Ryle, J. C. (John Charles)
Christian life -- Anglican authors
The point before us is one of vast importance. Let us lay hold upon it
firmly, and never let it go. It is the very point on which our Reformers
had their sharpest controversy with the Romanists, and went to the
stake, rather than give way. Sooner than admit that the Lord's Supper
was a sacrifice, they cheerfully laid down their lives. To bring back
the doctrine of the "real presence," and to turn the good old English
communion into the Romish "mass," is to pour contempt on our Martyrs,
and to upset the first principles of the Protestant Reformation. Nay,
rather, it is to ignore the plain teaching of God's Word, and do
dishonour to the priestly office of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible
teaches expressly that the Lord's Supper was ordained to be "a
remembrance of Christ's body and blood," and not an offering. The Bible
teaches that Christ's vicarious death on the cross was the one perfect
sacrifice for sin, which never needs to be repeated. Let us stand fast
in these two great principles of the Christian faith. A clear view of
the intention of the Lord's Supper is one of the soul's best safeguards
against the delusions of modern days.
II. In the second place, let me try to show _who ought to be
communicants_? _What kind of persons were meant to go to the Table and
receive the Lord's Supper?_
It will clear the ground if I first show who ought not to be partakers
of this ordinance. The ignorance which prevails on this, as well as on
every part of the subject, is vast, lamentable, and appalling. If I can
contribute anything that may throw light upon it, I shall feel very
thankful. The principal giants whom John Bunyan describes, in "Pilgrim's
Progress," as dangerous to Christian pilgrims, were two, Pope and Pagan.
If the good old Puritan had foreseen the times we live in, he would have
said something about the giant Ignorance.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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