11. “S. C,” Islington. 1 Cor. 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. 22:1-14. 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. 3:8-10 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. 6:19), as He also dwells in the body of Christ, which is the Church (1 Cor. 3:16, 17; Eph. 2:21, 22); (2.) 1 Cor. 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.