Preface to the Fourth Edition
In these days men have left off faith. The spirit of the martyrs is not in them. Opinions have taken the place of convictions; and the result is a liberality which is the offspring, not of humility and love, but of indifference or doubt. Opinions are our own, and should not be too firmly held. Truth is Divine, and is worth living for and dying for.
But what is truth? Each one, surely, must answer for himself; and does it not resolve itself therefore into a question of opinion after all? This is just what characterises the day we live in. Listening to the discordant voices that abound on every side, men are content to give heed only to the points on which the greater number appear to be agreed; and even these are held on sufferance till some new voice arises to challenge them. FaitH is impossible. If an angel from heaven were heard above the discord, or an apostle should return to earth, then indeed the anarchy of opinion might yield once again to the reign of faith, Meanwhile, we must be content to drift on in darkness, blindly trusting that when the
day dawns we shall find ourselves in safety. 7
Vill PREFACE TO THE FOURTH EDITION.
Was it for this the Son of God lived and died on earth? Was it for this the glorious Gospel of the blessed God was preached “with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven”? How different from the spirit of the age is the language of the inspired Apostle! “Though WE or an ANGEL FROM HEAVEN preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.” Such warnings in Holy Writ are not the words of wild exaggeration. In the last days the new light which men seek for to dispel “the deepening gloom” will not be wanting; but it will prove a wrecker’s fire, though seemingly accredited as the beacon light of truth.
God has given us a revelation. And, while doubt still lingers round innumerable questions on which we crave knowledge, Divine certainty is our privilege in respect of “all things that pertain unto life and godliness.” The man who would force his opinions on others is a boor. He who would die for his opinions isa fool. But Christianity has not to do with opinions. It is founded on established facts and Divine truth; and faith based thereon is the heritage of the Church. Her martyrs knew the power of faith. The truth they died for was not “the general sense of Scripture corrected in the light of reason and conscience, and thus reduced to the pulp-like consistency of modern theology. In the solitude of the dungeon, or amidst the agonies of the rack, they calmly rested on the Word of God; and, even when assured that all others had recanted, they could stand firmly against both the world and the Church. Faith, which makes the unseen a present reality, brought all heaven into their hearts, and, refusing to accept deliverance, they braved death in every form.
We are not called upon to wear the martyr’s crown, but it is ours to share the martyr’s faith. We can have no toleration for the veiled scepticism which is passing for Christianity to-day. Agnosticism is Greek for ignorance, and ignorance is both shameful and sinful in presence of a Divine revelation. The Christian is not ignorant; neither is he in doubt. We do not think this or that: we KNow. “We know that the Son of God is come.” “We know that He was manifested to take away our sins.” “We know that we have passed from death unto life.” “We know that if our earthly house were dissolved, we have a building of God, eternal in the heavens.” “We know that when he shall appear we shall be like Him.” “We know that He is able to keep that which we have committed unto Him against that day.”
It is in this spirit “The Gospel and Its Ministry” is written. The book is designed to confirm faith, not to suggest doubts. And what distinguishes it from many other valuable works on the same great subject, is that it is not hortatory but doctrinal in character. Addressed to no special class, it is mtended for all who are interested in the doctrime of the Gospel. In the past it has proved helpful to not a few inquirers after truth; and it has been used as a text-book by many who seek to teach the truth to others.
When an Author turns to re-peruse the work of earlier years, he is tempted to revise with a free hand, x PREFACE TO THE FOURTH EDITION.
especially, as here, when dealing with pages written for publication anonymously and in an ephemeral form. But such a revision is open to objection; and as the book has made so many friends in its present state, and its circulation in America has passed entirely beyond
the Author’s control, it is now re-issued without material alteration.