Wesley Corpus

St. Paul knew nothing of this. He says nothing of its ceasing in all he writes of it to the Corinthians. Nay, quite the contrary. He says, 'As often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till He come.' Oh, say you, the Apostle means 'His inward coming, which some of the Corinthians had not yet known.' Nay, this cannot be his meaning; for he saith to all the Corinthian communicants, 'Ye do show the Lord's death till He come.' Now, if He was not come (spiritually) in some of these, undoubtedly He was in others. Consequently he cannot be speaking here of that coming which, in many of them at least, was already past. It remains, that he speaks of His coming in the clouds to judge both the quick and dead. In what Robert Barclay teaches concerning the Scriptures, Justification, Baptism, and the Lord's Supper lies the main difference between Quakerism and Christianity. 14. 'Since God hath assumed to Himself the dominion of the conscience, who alone can rightly instruct and govern it; therefore it is not lawful for any whatsoever to force the consciences of others.' In this there is no difference at all between Quakerism and Christianity. 15. 'It is not lawful for Christians to give or receive titles of honour, as, Your Majesty, Your Lordship, &c.' In this there is a difference between Quakerism and Christianity. Christians may give titles of honour, such as are usually annexed to certain offices. Thus St. Paul gives the usual title of 'Most Noble' to the Roman Governor. Robert Barclay, indeed, says, 'He would not have called him such if he had not been truly noble; as, indeed, he was, in that he would not give way to the fury of the Jews against him.'