An Inquiry Into the Connected Uses of the Principal Means of Attaining Christian Truth; In Eight Sermons Preached Before the University of Oxford at the Bampton Lecture for the Year MDCCCXL. (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1840 Excerpt: ... said, Shall we then number Church authority among the Privileges of the Christian? Shall we strive to introduce again the most intolerable of all tyrannies? "Substitute the priest for the human understanding 1" "bow to the authority of human masters, acknowledge human creeds, claim jurisdiction over others' consciences, or suffer others to dictate to us?" Suffer fallible men to " prescribe to us the Articles of our Christian faith, and interpose between us and our heavenly Guide and Saviour'?"--Now I believe without doubt that sentiments of this description, which are frequently insinuated and sometimes openly expressed, instead of being rational and enlarged, are the very offspring of prejudice and contracted views. Yet is it not to be dissembled, that the melancholy history of the Church of Christ has given them somewhat of a specious and plausible air. There have been grievous faults on both sides; a disposition to claim too much, as well as a disposition to concede too little. Hence, as was said, the prophetic earnestness with which the Apostle labours to impress upon all the members of the body of Christ, the teachers and the disciples alike, the great ends for which various gifts were bestowed, and various offices appointed in the Church, and the great duty of mutual love in the pursuit of Christian truth and of our mutual edification. Hence also whilst the younger are exhorted to " submit themselves to the elder, yea all of us to be subject one to another, and to be clothed with humility," Christian Pastors are directly enjoined to feed 'Dr. Channing's Letter on Creeds, &c. 18S7-p. '6, 7, 8. and Discourses, 1833. Disc I. p. 3. III. p. 147. the flock of God, "not as being lords over God's heritage, but...