'All other expectations whatsoever are mere deceits': Samuel Clarke on Christ the Judge

In the conclusion of his sermon 'Of a Future Judgement', Samuel Clarke provides three applications of the scriptural proclamation of the Last Judgement. Reflecting a key concern of 18th century Church of England preaching, Clarke again emphasises that this teaching calls us to holy living: "then let us continually be aware, that all Other expectations whatsoever, are mere Deceits". To reject this as 'moralism' is, quite frankly, to entirely ignore vast swathes of the New Testament, as Clarke's references illustrate.

Also noteworthy is Clarke's use of words from II Maccabees, a reminder that references to the Apocrypha were standard in the preaching of all three divines quoted in this short series. The fact that we see this in Tillotson and Clarke evidences the fact that this was by no means a 'high church' characteristic: it was a standard Church of England practice, in accordance with Article VI.

Finally, the preaching of these three divines proclaimed the Last Judgement with a striking and deep seriousness. This firmly contrasts with much contemporary Anglican preaching, not least because of the baleful influence of the realised eschatology which became popular in the second half of the 20th century. For all of Samuel Clarke's doctrinal heterodoxy, his preaching on the Last Judgement was profoundly Scriptural and creedal - and significantly more so than much contemporary preaching.

The Application of what has been said, is;

1st, If These things be so, and there is certainly a Judgment to come; Then let us All frequently and seriously consider with ourselves, as St Peter admonishes, 2 Pet. iii.11; Seeing that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought we to be, in all holy conversation and godliness: Looking for and hasting unto the Coming of the day of God, wherein the Heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent Heat?

2dly, Seeing the Time when this judgment shall be, (or, which to Us is the same thing, the Time when we ourselves shall depart out of This World,) is altogether uncertain; Let us therefore continually set before our Eyes that Advice of our Saviour, Luke xxi. 34, Take heed to yourselves lest That day come upon you unawares; For as a snare shall it come on all them, that dwell on the face of the whole Earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.

And if any Damage at any time befall us, for the sake of a good conscience; let us say with That brave person, in 2 Maccab. vii.11. These I had from Heaven, and for His Laws I despise them, and from Him I hope to receive them again. And when we see Great Wickedness perhaps prosper for a time, let us remember the Admonition of Solomon, Prov. xxiii. 17, Let not thine Heart envy Sinners, but be thou in the Fear of the Lord all the day long; For surely there is an end, and thine expectation shall not be cut off.

3dly and lastly; If the Manner and Method of this final judgment, shall be in righteousness, according to every man's work that he has done, whether it be good or evil: Then let us continually be aware, that all Other expectations whatsoever, are mere Deceits. And let us always remember those remarkable words, with which our Saviour concludes his Sermon on the Mount, Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doth them, I will liken him unto a wife man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not, for it was founded upon a rock: And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house: and it fell, and great was the fall of it.

(The photograph is of St. James's Piccadilly. Clarke was rector of the church from 1709 until his death in 1729.)

Why I support the ordination of women: a High Church reflection

A number of commenters on this blog have asked about my occasional expressions of support for the ordination of women to all three orders. With some hesitation, I have decided to post a summary of my own views on this matter. The hesitation is because I have sought on this blog to focus on issues and themes which can unify those who identify with or have respect (grudging or otherwise!) for what we might term 'classical' Anglicanism (the Anglicanism of the Formularies and - yes - of the Old High Church tradition). Some oppose the ordination of women (and I have friends and colleagues who do so, Anglo-Catholic, High Church, and Reformed Evangelical). Some of us support it (again, friends and colleagues covering a wide range of theological traditions). Below, I have organised my thinking around 5 points (needless to say, no reference to Dort is implied). 1. The Declaration for Subscription required of clergy in the Church of Ireland states: (6) I promise to submit ...

How the Old High tradition continued

Charles Gore's 1914 letter to the clergy of his diocese, ' The Basis of Anglican Fellowship ', can be regarded as a classical expression of the Prayer Book Catholic tradition. A key part of the letter - entitled 'Romanizing in the Church of England' - addressed the "Catholic movement", questioning beliefs and practices within it which tended to "a position which makes it very difficult for its extremer representatives to give an intelligible reason why they are not Roman Catholics". Gore provides the outlines of an alternative account and experience of catholicity within Anglicanism, defined by three characteristics. What is particularly interesting about these characteristics is their continuity with the older High Church tradition. Indeed, the central characteristic as set out by Gore was integral to High Church claims over centuries: To accept the Anglican position as valid, in any sense, is to appeal behind the Pope and the authority of t...

1928 practices and the 1979 book: unthinking conservatism or popular piety?

Those responsible for Earth & Altar - a new blog emanating from a group within TEC - are to be congratulated for an excellent contribution to wider Anglican discussion and debate. The commitment to "an expansively conceived credal orthodoxy as fully compatible with LGBTQ inclusion, gender equality, and racial justice" is an important part of a wider retrieval of creedal orthodoxy within what we might call the post-liberal generation. It is in this spirit that I want to respond to a recent post on the site by Andrew McGowan , Dean of the Berkeley Divinity School at Yale and Professor of Anglican Studies at Yale Divinity School. Against the background of another round of "ill-defined" liturgical revision in TEC, he understandably urges that a fuller reception of the 1979 BCP should occur before further reforms. In doing so, however, he takes aim at what he describes as "clinging to the ritual structures of 1928" while using the text of 1979. We ...

laudable Practice

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