BY THE SAME AUTHOR.

For the decision of this point, let us compare the 18th and 19th verses.  In v. 18 we read,—“God hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation.”  But in v. 19 there is a slight variation; but one of great importance in the exposition of the passage; for we there find—“Hath committed to us the word of reconciliation.”  The word of reconciliation, therefore, is the substance of the ministry: the grand work is to make known the perfect reconciliation wrought out for us in Christ Jesus, to act on the example set us by St. Paul himself, when he burst out in the grand appeal which follows, and said,—“Now, then, we are ambassadors for Christ.  As though God did beseech you by us, we prayyou in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled unto God.”

But this ministry of the word of reconciliation will vary according to circumstances.

Sometimes it will be necessary to apply it to individuals, when the conscience is troubled by the conviction of sin.  Our Church alludes to this in two passages often referred to.  The first is from the close of the invitation to the Lord’s Supper,—“And because it is requisite that no man should come to the Holy Communion but with a full trust in God’s mercy, and with a quiet conscience; therefore, if there be any of you, who by this means cannot quiet his own conscience herein, but requireth further counsel or comfort, let him come to me, or to some other discreet and learned minister of God’s word, and open his grief: that by the ministry of God’s holy word he may receive the benefit of absolution, together with ghostly counsel and advice, to the quieting of his conscience, and avoiding of all scruple and doubtfulness.”

The second is from the rubric in the service for the Visitation of the Sick, where we read—“Here shall the sick person be moved to make a special confession of his sins, if he feel his conscience troubled with any weighty matter.”

It is clear at a glance, that there is no allusion in either of these passages to general or habitual confession; and that the case contemplated is that of a person troubled by some particular sin weighing on the conscience, and keeping the soul from peace.  It is just in such a case that the ministry of the word is required for the help of the individual; and that something more is wanted than the general preaching of the truth.  Such a person requires the Gospel to be applied to his own particular anxiety, in order that he may be assured of God’s forgiveness of that particular sin which keeps his soul in trouble.  It is this assurance which is called in the Prayer-book “absolution.”  There is a vast difference between a judicial act of forgiveness, and a declaration or assurance of the forgiveness by God.  Thus, to “absolve” is not to “forgive,” but to assure the troubled heart of the full forgiveness, freely granted, by the Lord Himself.[64]Nothing can be clearer than this distinction in the absolution in the service for the Visitation of the Sick.  “Our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath left power to His Church to absolve all sinners who trulyrepent and believe in Him, of His great mercy forgive thee thine offences: and by His authority, committed to me, I absolve thee from all thy sins, In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.  Amen.”

In that passage it is perfectly clear that our Lord Jesus Christ is said to forgive, and the Church to absolve.  The change of words is most remarkable, and clearly proves the doctrine.  The Church is said to have power to absolve; and the Lord Jesus Christ is entreated to forgive.  The minister, therefore, absolves, and at the same time prays that the Lord may forgive: and who can doubt that, when the troubled heart truly repents and believes in Him, the prayer is answered, the forgiveness granted, and the absolution, or declaration, ratified in heaven?

And let me add, that I believe there are many troubled consciences who would find great assistance in their difficulties if they acted more on the advice of the Communion Service.  It is a hard thing to bear a burden alone, and I am thoroughly persuaded there are many who might find great help under serious and painful difficulties from the confidential opening of the heart’s wound to a clergyman or Christianfriend.  I have known many such cases, and I believe that our just dread of the Romish confessional—and no one can dread it more than I do—combined with our national shyness of character, cuts off many from that which might be an important help to them in their anxious struggle for the peace of God.

But the ministry of the word must also have its public character, and the glad tidings of reconciliation must be publicly preached to a ruined world.  It was this that appeared to be the prominent idea in the Apostle’s mind when he spoke of the ministry of reconciliation; for he at once proceeded to give a specimen of it in the great appeal which immediately follows:—“Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.  For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” (2 Cor. v. 20, 21.)

There are many points of deep instruction in this passage, but we have not time to dwell on them.  Here is the foundation of the whole message, viz. a double imputation—the imputation of sin to the Lord Jesus, and the imputation of righteousness to all that are in Him.There is the tender earnestness of entreaty, which does not merely lay the message before the sinner and leave it there, but with a compassionate urgency in the Lord’s name beseeches and entreats.  And there is the most remarkable fact, that these words are not addressed to the heathen, or to those who had never heard of Christ; but to a Church of professing believers, all baptized into the name of Jesus: so that we are brought to the conclusion, that amongst the baptized Christians in the Church of Corinth there were those to whom it was still needful to make the appeal—“We beseech you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.”  Does not that fact teach us, that amongst ourselves the same message may be equally necessary, and that, although we are all baptized, and all professing Christians, there are yet those amongst us who must be brought back to the great elementary question of their reconciliation to God; for they are not yet reconciled, and not yet accepted through His grace?  To all such persons, then, must we speak as St. Paul did; and if any present are not yet reconciled, not yet forgiven, not yet justified before God, look, we beseech you, at the cross of Christ; look at His substitution ofHimself for sinners; look at the hope of full forgiveness set before you through His blood; and listen, I implore you, to the words spoken by His own authority,—“As though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.”

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[6]See Hooker, Book v. Secs. 50–56.

[10]Many passages might be quoted from the writings and sermons of the modern ritualistic school which are identical in doctrine with these decrees; as, for example, the following passage from theDirectorium Anglicanum, where the contrast is drawn between our Lord’s spiritual presence with us in prayer, and Divine and human presence on the altar:—“Our Blessed Lord, still present in His Divine and human nature in the Holy Eucharist on the altars of His Church, still spiritually present at the common prayers.”—Pref. p. 8.

[27]Council of Trent, sess. xxii. 2.

[29]In the preface to theDirectorium Anglicanumit is said,—“And if in the sacrament of the altar some things strike the eye as graceful and beautiful, it is well; but this is not their object.  The one aim is to offer the Holy Sacrifice in a worthy manner to Almighty God.”—P. x.

[64]Johnson’s definition of the words “To absolve” is, “To pronounce sin remitted in the ecclesiastical sense.”

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