Old Paths

Being Plain Statements of some of the Weightier matters of Christianity, from the Standpoint of an Evangelical Churchman.

J. C. Ryle

• Publisher: GLH Publishing
• Year: 2021
• ISBN:
  9781648630491
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Christian Denominations

This volume consists of a series of papers, systematically arranged, on the leading truths of Christianity which are "necessary to salvation." Few, probably, will deny that there are some things in religion about which we may think other people hold very erroneous views, and are, notwithstanding, in no danger of being finally lost. About baptism and the Lord's Supper, -about the Christian ministry, -about forms of prayer and modes of worship, -about the union of Church and State, -about all these things it is commonly admitted that people may differ widely, and yet be finally saved. No doubt there are always bigots and extreme partisans, who are ready to excommunicate every one who cannot pronounce their Shibboleth on the above-named points. But, speaking generally, to shut out of heaven all who disagree with us about these things, is to take up a position which most thoughtful Christians condemn as unscriptural, narrow, and uncharitable. On the other hand, there are certain great truths of which some knowledge, by common consent, appears essential to salvation. Such truths are the immortality of the soul, -the sinfulness of human nature, -the work of Christ for us as our Redeemer, -the work of the Holy Ghost in us, -forgiveness, -justification, -conversion, -faith, -repentance, -the marks of a right heart, -Christ's invitations, -Christ's intercession, -and the like. If truths like these are not absolutely necessary to salvation, it is difficult to understand how any truths whatever can be called necessary. If people may be saved without knowing anything about these truths, it appears to me that we may throw away our Bibles altogether, and proclaim that the Christian religion is of no use. From such a miserable conclusion I hope most people will shrink back with horror. To open out and explain these great necessary truths, -to confirm them by Scripture, -to enforce them by home appeals to the conscience of all who read this volume, -this is the simple object of the series of papers which is now offered to the public.

Old Paths

Being Plain Statements of some of the Weightier matters of Christianity, from the Standpoint of an Evangelical Churchman.

“If the trumpet give an uncertain sound,
who shall prepare himself to the battle!”

1 Corinthians xiv. 8.

J. C. Ryle

GLH Publishing

Louisville, KY

Originally Titled Old Paths: Being Plain Statements of some of the Weightier matters of Christianity, from the Standpoint of an Evangelical Churchman. Second Edition.

London: William Hunt and Company, 1878.

Republished by GLH Publishing, 2021.

ISBN:

Paperback 978-1-64863-048-4

Epub 978-1-64863-049-1

For monthly ebook giveaways and information on new releases visit
www.GLHPublishing.com

Contents

Preface

I. Inspiration

II. Our Souls!

III. Few Saved!

IV. Our Hope!

V. “Alive or Dead?”

VI. Our Sins!

VII. Forgiveness

VIII. Justification!

IX. The Cross of Christ

X. The Holy Ghost

XI. Having the Spirit

XII. Conversion

XIII. The Heart

XIV. Christ’s Invitation

XV. Faith!

XVI. Repentance

XVII. Christ’s Power to Save

XVIII. Election

XIX. Perseverance

Preface

The volume now in the reader’s hands consists of a series of papers, systematically arranged, on the leading truths of Christianity which are “necessary to salvation.”

Few, probably, will deny that there are some things in religion about which we may think other people hold very erroneous views, and are, notwithstanding, in no danger of being finally lost. About baptism and the Lord’s Supper,—about the Christian ministry,—about forms of prayer and modes of worship,—about the union of Church and State,—about all these things it is commonly admitted that people may differ widely, and yet be finally saved. No doubt there are always bigots and extreme partisans, who are ready to excommunicate every one who cannot pronounce their Shibboleth on the above-named points. But, speaking generally, to shut out of heaven all who disagree with us about these things, is to take up a position which most thoughtful Christians condemn as unscriptural, narrow, and uncharitable.

On the other hand, there are certain great truths of which some knowledge, by common consent, appears essential to salvation. Such truths are the immortality of the soul,—the sinfulness of human nature,—the work of Christ for us as our Redeemer,—the work of the Holy Ghost in us,—forgiveness,—justification,—conversion,—faith,—repentance,—the marks of a right heart,—Christ’s invitations,—Christ’s intercession,—and the like. If truths like these are not absolutely necessary to salvation, it is difficult to understand how any truths whatever can be called necessary. If people may be saved without knowing anything about these truths, it appears to me that we may throw away our Bibles altogether, and proclaim that the Christian religion is of no use. From such a miserable conclusion I hope most people will shrink back with horror.

To open out and explain these great necessary truths,—to confirm them by Scripture,—to enforce them by home appeals to the conscience of all who read this volume,—this is the simple object of the series of papers which is now offered to the public.1

The name which I have selected will prepare the reader to expect no new doctrines in this volume. It is simple, unadulterated, old-fashioned Evangelical theology. It contains nothing but the “Old Paths” in which the Apostolic Christians, the Reformers, the best English Churchmen for the last three hundred years, and the best Evangelical Christians of the present day, have persistently walked. From these “paths” I see no reason to depart. They are often sneered at and ridiculed, as old-fashioned, effete, worn out, and powerless in the Nineteenth Century. Be it so. “None of these things move me.” I have yet to learn that there is any system of religious teaching, by whatever name it may be called, High, or Broad, or Romish, or Neologian, which produces one quarter of the effect on human nature that is produced by the old, despised system of doctrine which is commonly called Evangelical. I willingly admit the zeal, earnestness, and devotedness of many religious teachers who are not Evangelical. But I firmly maintain that the way of the school to which I belong is the “more excellent way.” The longer I live the more I am convinced that the world needs no new Gospel, as some profess to think. I am thoroughly persuaded that the world needs nothing but a bold, full, unflinching teaching of the “old paths.” The heart of man is the same in every age. The spiritual medicine which it requires is always the same. The same Gospel which was preached by Latimer, and Hooper, and Bradford,—by Hall, Davenant, Usher, Reynolds, and Hopkins,—by Manton, Brooks, Watson, Charnock, Owen, and Gurnall,—by Romaine, Venn, Grimshaw, Hervey, and Cecil,—this is the gospel which alone will do real good in the present day. The leading doctrines of that gospel are the substance of the papers which compose this volume. They are the doctrines, I firmly believe, of the Bible and the Thirty-nine Articles of the Church of England. They are doctrines which, I find, wear well, and in the faith of them I hope to live and die.

I repeat most emphatically that I am not ashamed of what are commonly called “Evangelical principles.” Fiercely and bitterly as those principles are assailed on all sides,—loudly and scornfully as some proclaim that they have done their work and are useless in this day,—I see no evidence whatever that they are defective or decayed, and I see no reason for giving them up. No doubt other schools of thought produce great outward effects on mankind, gather large congregations, attain great popularity, and by means of music, ornaments, gestures, postures, and a generally histrionic ceremonial, make a great show of religion. I see it all, and I am not surprised. It is exactly what a study of human nature by the light of the Bible would lead me to expect. But for real inward effects on hearts, and outward effects on lives, I see no teaching so powerful as thorough, genuine Evangelical teaching. Just in proportion as the preachers of other schools borrow Evangelical weapons and Evangelical phraseology I see them obtaining influence. No doubt the good that is done in the world is little, and evil abounds. But I am certain that the teaching which does most good is that of the despised Evangelical school. It is not merely true and good up to a certain point, and then defective and needing additions, as some tell us; it is true and good all round, and needs no addition at all. If those who hold Evangelical views were only more faithful to their own principles, and more bold, and uncompromising, and decided, both in their preaching and their lives, they would soon find, whatever infidels and Romanists may please to say, that they hold the only lever which can shake the world.

The readers of the many tracts which God has allowed me to send forth for thirty years, must not expect much that they have not seen before, in “Old Paths.” Experience has taught me, at last, that the peculiar tastes of all classes of society must be consulted, if good is to be done by the press. I am convinced that there are thousands of people in England who are willing to read a volume, but will never look at anything in the form of a tract. It is for them that I now send forth “Old Paths.”

Those who read through this book continuously, and without a pause, will, doubtless, observe a certain degree of sameness and similarity in some of the papers. The same thoughts are occasionally repeated, though in a different dress. To account for this, I will ask them to remember that most of the papers were originally written separately, and at long intervals of time, in some cases of as much as twenty years. On calm reflection, I have thought it better to republish them, pretty much as they originally appeared. Few readers of a religious book like this read it all through at once; and the great majority, I suspect, find it enough to read quietly only one or two chapters at a time.

I now send forth the volume with a deep sense of its many defects; but with an earnest prayer that it may do some good.

J. C. Ryle.
October, 1877.
Vicar of Stradbroke.

I. Inspiration

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God.

2 Tim. iii. 16.

How was the Bible written?—“Whence is it? From heaven, or of men?”—Had the writers of the Bible any special or peculiar help in doing their work?—Is there anything in the Bible which makes it unlike all other books, and therefore demands our respectful attention?—These are questions of vast importance. They are questions to which I wish to offer an answer in this paper. To speak plainly, the subject I propose to examine is that deep one, the inspiration of Scripture. I believe the Bible to have been written by inspiration of God, and I want others to be of the same belief.

The subject is always important. I place it purposely in the very forefront of the papers which compose this volume. I ask a hearing for the doctrines which I am about to handle, because they are drawn from a book which is the “Word of God.” Inspiration, in short, is the very keel and foundation of Christianity. If Christians have no Divine book to turn to as the warrant of their doctrine and practice, they have no solid ground for present peace or hope, and no right to claim the attention of mankind. They are building on a quicksand, and their faith is vain. We ought to be able to say boldly, “We are what we are, and we do what we do, because we have here a book which we believe to be the Word of God.”

The subject is one of peculiar importance in the present day. Infidelity and scepticism abound everywhere. In one form or another they are to be found in every rank and class of society. Thousands of Englishmen are not ashamed to say that they regard the Bible as an old obsolete Jewish book, which has no special claim on our faith and obedience, and that it contains many inaccuracies and defects. Myriads who will not go so far as this are wavering and shaken in their belief, and show plainly by their lives that they are not quite sure the Bible is true. In a day like this the true Christian should be able to set his foot down firmly, and to render a reason of his confidence in God’s Word. He should be able by sound arguments to meet and silence the gainsayer, if he cannot convince him. He should be able to show good cause why he thinks the Bible is “from heaven, and not of men.”

The subject without doubt is a very difficult one. It cannot be followed up without entering on ground which is dark and mysterious to mortal man. It involves the discussion of things which are miraculous, and supernatural, and above reason, and cannot be fully explained. But difficulties must not turn us away from any subject in religion. There is not a science in the world about which questions may not be asked which no one can answer. It is poor philosophy to say we will believe nothing unless we can understand everything! We must not give up the subject of inspiration in despair because it contains things “hard to be understood.” There still remains a vast amount of ground which is plain to every common understanding. I invite my readers to occupy this ground with me to-day, and to hear what I have got to say on the Divine authority of God’s Word.

In considering the subject before us, there are two things which I propose to do:—

I. In the first place, I shall try to show the general truth, that the Bible is given by inspiration of God.

II. In the second place, I shall try to show the extent to which the Bible is inspired.

I trust that all who read this paper will take up the subject in a serious and reverent spirit. This question of inspiration is no light one. It involves tremendously grave consequences. If the Bible is not the Word of God and inspired, the whole of Christendom for 1800 years has been under an immense delusion;—half the human race has been cheated and deceived, and churches are monuments of folly.—If the Bible is the Word of God and inspired, all who refuse to believe it are in fearful danger;—they are living on the brink of e...

Table of contents

• Preface