By J. C. Ryle.
Edited & Introduced by Lee Gatiss.
Church Society / Lost Coin Books 2014
The Revd Lee Gatiss is the Director of Church Society. He writes in his introduction:
“Every generation of evangelicalism in the Church of England needs its champions. In the late nineteenth century, one such champion was John Charles Ryle (1816-1900). […] In this volume, I have collected – for the first time in print – some of Ryle’s tracts written for the Church Association” P.7, 9.
The four tracts are a mixed bag in terms of usefulness for today.
Tract 56: What do we owe to the Reformation
Ryle recounts the abuses and corruptions of the Roman Catholic Church prior to the Reformation. He uses this as a basis to argue against “Ritualism” in the Church of England:
“That Ritualism is a Romeward movement, and a departure from the Reformation, and that it leads to Popery, is as clear to my mind as the sun at noon-day.” P.42.
He uses the fact that Newman had become a Roman Catholic – or as Ryle puts it, “gone over to the Pope’s camp” (p.42) – as one of his proofs.
Ryle has an entertaining way of writing, happy to insult those with views different from his own:
“There are none so blind as those who will not see. “We are bound,” said Dr. Johnson, “to find arguments for men, but we are not bound to find them brains.”” P.46.
He urges his readers to:
“Resist strange dresses, sacrificial garments, the eastward position in consecrating the bread and wine, idolatrous reverence of the consecrated elements, processions, banners, incense, candles on the Communion-table, turning to the East, crosses at the East, and extravagant church decorations. Resist them manfully. They seem trifles but frequently they lead to a great deal of mischief, and they often end in downright Popery.” P.51.
He writes:
“Let us have no peace with Rome, till Rome abjures her errors and is at peace with Christ.” p.49-50.
That is the problem. Ryle is writing before the reforms of the Roman Catholic Church of the Second Vatican Council of the 1960s, and the modern ecumenical movement. For example, in 1999, there was the “Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification” between the Roman Catholic and the Lutheran Churches. The 20th Anniversary Edition of which states in its introduction:
“The JDDJ was a historic agreement signed by Lutherans and Catholics in 1999, effectively resolving one of the key theological conflicts of the Reformation, the understanding of salvation. Three other Christian World Communions, namely the Methodist, Anglican and Reformed families of churches, have since formally associated themselves with what was initially a Catholic-Lutheran agreement. Through the JDDJ, centuries-old controversies and misunderstandings were overcome.”
Is it really helpful to read a call to re-fight the war of the Reformation, when agreement has been reached and the old enemy is no longer the enemy?
Tract 68: The distinctive principles of The Church England
In this tract Ryle argues for the evangelical movement within the CofE. He writes that evangelicals tend to be viewed as being:
“old-fashioned, narrow, […] illiberal, impracticable […] Never mind! We have no cause to be ashamed. Evangelicalism is not dead yet. Its wholehearted and thorough adherents live well and die well, and do some good in the world.” P.70.
The same criticisms of evangelicals are made today, so this tract is relevant.
Ryle also argues for the evangelical view of a Church of England priest as being a minister, rather than a sacrificing priest. He calls on the Thirty-Nine Articles for support:
“there is a marked distinction made between the Romish priest in the Thirty-first, who is called in the Latin version of the Article, “sacerdos” (a sacrificing priest), and the English priests in the Thirty-second, who are called in the same Latin version “presbyteri”. Stronger evidence that the word “priest” in our Prayer Book, only means “presbyter,” it would be hard to find. […] If any man supposes that Evangelical churchmen undervalue the office of the Christian minister, he is totally mistaken. We regard it as an honourable office instituted by Christ himself, and of general necessity for carrying on the work of Christ’s gospel. We look on ministers as preachers of God’s word, God’s ambassadors, God’s messengers, God’s servants, God’s stewards, God’s overseers, and labourers in God’s vineyard. But we steadily refuse to admit that Christian ministers are in any sense sacrificing priests, mediators between God and man, lords of men’s consciences, or private confessors.” P.74-75.
Tract 191: Church reform – the position of the laity
Ryle argues:
“the voice of the Church of England ought to be not merely the voice of the Bishops and Presbyters but the voice of the laity as well, and that no Church action should ever be taken, and no expression of Church opinion ever put forth, in which the laity have not an equal share with the clergy. Such a reform would be a return to New Testament principles.” P.96-97.
In 1970 the Church of England’s General Synod came into being, where there are equal numbers of lay representatives as clergy. So we are reading Ryle argue for something which has now taken place.
Tract 193: Regeneration and baptism
This tract is of most use today. Ryle is happy to support infant baptism, but stresses that baptism alone is not enough for a Christian life. There needs to develop a personal faith:
“baptism contains two parts – the outward and visible sign, and the inward and spiritual grace. But the Catechism nowhere says that the sign and the grace always go together.” P.109.
This is relevant in the debate in the Anglican church today which permits baptised children, who have not made a profession of personal faith in confirmation, to receive the Eucharist. Those who argue for communion before confirmation say that “baptism is complete initiation”, whereas Ryle argues that the outward sign of baptism on its own is not enough.
Adrian Vincent
January 2022