or other of their leaders, which is carried out by others in the spirit of blind subjection, without so much as an appeal to Scripture as the ground of authority, though their action is professed to be the rule of the Spirit.”[1]
Other questions crowd upon me, but must be put in fewer words. They appeal to 1 Cor. xii., xiv., as the warrant for their proceedings. Do they, then, claim the gifts of the Spirit as there described? If they do, why do they limit the Holy Spirit by a man-made hymn-book, and a hymn-book in which the hymns have been largely altered by themselves? In the Church at Corinth, I find that they sang as well as taught by inspiration. “When ye come together,” says he, “every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation” (1 Cor. xiv. 26). To be consistent, therefore, demands the laying aside of the hymn-book as well as the “man-made minister.” But if I am told that these gifts are not now claimed―and Mr. Darby, in Brethren and their Reviewers, expressly admits that some are not continued at the present time—then, I ask, is it not to throw dust in simple people’s eyes when these chapters are adduced in justification of their position? The fact is “Brethren” know as well as we, that the gifts of the Spirit were the especial accompaniment of the laying on of the Apostles’ hands (See Acts viii. 17; xix. 6, etc.), and in their exercise filled up the void which the lack of the New Testament—at least, the Epistles—occasioned. They also know that “liberty of ministry,” as it is named, is an empty sound; that if there are Brethren whose ministrations are unacceptable—such as those deplored by Mr. Macintosh—private representations are made to induce them to cease,[2] that if Mr. Darby,
- ↑ High Church Claims, etc., by W. H. Dorman, letter vi., pp. 22-23.
- ↑ See Narrative of Facts, by Mr. Darby, in which he constantly alludes to this practice.
