Correspondence

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11. “S. C,” Islington. 1 Cor. 8:10, 1110For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol's temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols; 11And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? (1 Corinthians 8:10‑11) teaches us the very solemn truth that if we, by a false use of our liberty, embolden a weak brother to act against his conscience, we, as far as in us lies, cause him to perish, by destroying the action of his conscience toward God. It is of the utmost importance to allow scripture to have its full play upon the soul, and not to blunt its edge by the dogmas of systematic divinity. It is a good thing to open all the chambers of the heart and have them ventilated by the pure air of scripture. We constantly find theology acting as a barrier to interrupt the rays of heavenly light, and hinder their shining in upon the soul. The same authority that says “My sheep shall never perish” warns its against causing a weak brother to perish by a self-indulgent uncharitable use of our liberty; and it will be our wisdom, as it most assuredly is for our moral security, to hearken to the one as well as to the other.
12. “Alpha,” Teignmouth. It would be premature to introduce the idea of the Church, body or bride of Christ, into Matt. 22:1-141And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, 2The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, 3And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. 4Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage. 5But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: 6And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. 7But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. 8Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. 9Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. 10So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests. 11And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: 12And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. 13Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 14For many are called, but few are chosen. (Matthew 22:1‑14). Our Lord gives us in this parable, a similitude, not of the Church, but of “the kingdom of heaven.” To confound these things is to mar the integrity of the truth of God, and involve our minds in much confusion and perplexity. In order to read aright our Lord’s sayings in the gospels we must bear in mind the standpoint of those to whom He was speaking. The time had not arrived for unfolding the doctrine of the Church. It seems to us that your difficulty arises from confounding the Church and the kingdom.
13. “E. J.,” Norwich. We do not believe that Mal. 3:8-108Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. 9Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. 10Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. (Malachi 3:8‑10) refers to christian liberality at all. It is our high privilege to consider all we have and all we are as belonging to Him who loved us and gave Himself for us. Oh that we realized this more fully, that the streams of christian liberality might flow forth more abundantly to the praise of Him whose we are and whom we are called to serve.
14. “M. J.,” Ryde. The birthright involved all that should have come to Esau as the eldest son: the blessing was something additional. Both had reference to earth.
15. “I. H. S.,” Blackheath. Your note, with the accompanying lines, has come to hand.
16. “An Inquirer.” (1.) We are to believe—even though we cannot understand—that the Holy Ghost dwells in the body of the believer (1 Cor. 6:1919What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? (1 Corinthians 6:19)), as He also dwells in the body of Christ, which is the Church (1 Cor. 3:16, 1716Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 17If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. (1 Corinthians 3:16‑17); Eph. 2:21, 2221In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: 22In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. (Ephesians 2:21‑22)); (2.) 1 Cor. 11:1010For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels. (1 Corinthians 11:10) teaches that the woman, when praying or prophesying, should have her head covered, as the apt expression of her being in subjection—the Church’s true place. (3.) Most surely, our blessed and adorable Lord Jesus Christ, when He hung on the cross, endured all that was due to us. He endured the wrath of God, which to us would have involved an eternity in the flames of hell.
17. “A Miner,” W. Your letter has interested and encouraged us greatly. Accept our warmest thanks. We can only praise the Lord with a full heart for all you can tell us of His goodness to you. If you will send us your full address, we shall forward you some tracts, with very great pleasure.
18. “A. M.,” London. I am glad you have called my attention to my little book, “Thou and thy House.” I am aware of the use which has been made of it in a recent tract on the subject of “Baptism”—a use which I consider to be aught but disingenuous. With the theory of that tract I have no sympathy whatever; still less with its monstrous statements. I believe the course of some of our friends, in urging on this question of baptism will, unless God in His mercy interpose, lead to most disastrous results. I complain not of any who conscientiously hold this or that view on the subject; but I do complain of those, who instead of preaching and teaching Jesus Christ, are disturbing the minds of God’s people by pressing infant baptism upon them. For my own part—seeing the question has been thus forced upon me—I can only say I have for thirty-two years been asking, in vain, for a single line of scripture for baptizing any save believers or those who professed to believe. Reasonings I have had, inferences, conclusions, and deductions; but of direct scripture authority not one tittle.
I may further add that there is not a word about baptism from beginning to end of my book, “Thou and thy House.”
C.H.M., Ed. “T.N. &O.”
Bristol, Dec. 22nd., 1871.