you should.
Ryle, the Anglican Bishop of Liverpool, being made bishop at the age of 64, was born in 1816. In 1838, while sitting in church listening to Ephesians 2 being read, his faith was “awakened.” Thoroughly evangelical and a powerful preacher his work still resonates.
Recently, I’ve run across this nice resource for all things J.C. Ryle. Make sure you check it out.
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““In the last place, would you understand what the times require of you in reference to the Church of England? Listen to me, and I will tell you. No doubt you live in days when our time-honoured church is in very perilous, distressing and critical position. Her rowers have brought her into troubled water. Her very existence is endangered by papists, infidels, and liberationists without. Her life-blood is drained away by the behaviour of traitors, false friends and timid officers within. Nevertheless, so long as the Church of England sticks firmly to the Bible, the [39] Articles, and the principles of the Protestant Reformation, so long I advise you strongly to stick to the church. When the Articles are thrown overboard, and the old flag is hauled down, then, and not till then, it will be time for you and me to launch the boats and quit the wreck. At present, let us stick to the old ship.”
-J.C. Ryle “Wants of the Times” preached at Ipswich June 11, 1879.
since we’ve ditched the Articles, made resolutions against the Bible and the principles of the protestant reformation? Well, unfortunately those went the way of the dodo with Pusey. If Ryle were still alive today I think he’d make ready the life boats….
Anchors away.
Ryle’s been a tremendous help for me, especially as he seems to be facing many of the same challenges that we face in the episcopal church. You can actually find many of his books full text at http://gracegems.org/Ryle/books.htm. I recently read a biography of his that said (I’m paraphrasing) “As long at bibles are read in the church, the prayer book remains unchanged, and the articles reign as the Church’s official theology we hold an impregnable position in the church of England.” Then he said once those are gone it’s time to leave. I often wonder if Ryle would even be comfortable in the ACNA!
Fair, if not depressing point about Ryle and the ACNA. Nevertheless, at this point the faithfulness bar has been set so low by TEC that I’ll take what I can get!
I went through Ryle’s “Thoughts For Young Men” with a group of guys here at the medical school – good stuff. Too bad we don’t have more bishops like him.