Easter Day: 'the Gospel dispensation, of which they were to be the Ministers'

From Francis Atterbury's sermon for Easter Day 1718, 'Some Reasons assigned for our Saviour's appearing chiefly to his Apostles after his Resurrection', preached at Westminster Abbey. Here Atterbury sets forth how the Church's ministry, doctrine, and sacraments both flow from the Lord's Resurrection and proclaim the Resurrection. Particularly significant is how this understanding of the Church in the post-Resurrection accounts in the Scriptures - "these short Accounts" - is, for Atterbury, sufficient, requiring nothing to be added for our salvation.

But as our Saviour, during his forty Days Stay on Earth, fully enabled his Apostles to attest his Resurrection, so did he qualify them duly to preach his Doctrine; for he taught them the Things pertaining to the Kingdom of God, i.e. to the Gospel Dispensation, of which they were to be the Ministers, and to his Church, which they were to gather, constitute, and govern ...

This Promise he had made them the very Night before his Passion. I will not leave you comfortless, said he, even for so long a time, as till the promised Comforter shall come; I will come to you. Yet a little while, and the World seeth me no more; but ye see me. At that Day (the Day of my Return to you) You Shall know that I am in my Father, and You in Me. Ye shall understand somewhat of that Mystical Union that is between my Father and Me, and between Me and my Church, the Society of Christian Believers. Without all Question, what he then promised, he now performed; and therefore, we may be sure, discoursed to them concerning the great Articles of our Faith, the high Mysteries of Christianity.

The Scripture Accounts of these things are short: However, even from these short Accounts we learn, that he commanded them to make Proselytes in all Nations, and to baptize them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: And we cannot doubt but that, when he directed this Form, he made some Discovery to them concerning the Nature and Offices of these Three Persons of the ever blessed Trinity, in whose Names they were to baptize.

He told them, that all Power was given  him, in Heaven, and in Earth; and in virtue of that Power, he gave them also Power, not of baptizing only, but of remitting and retaining Sins. He sent them, as he was sent by the Father; and sufficiently directed them to send others, as they were sent, who were, in like manner, to continue that Mission, by the Promise he made to be with them always, even to the End of the World.

The Sacrament of his Body and Blood he had instituted, while living; and now therefore he celebrated it together with them: For he took Bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave unto them, and was known of them in thus breaking of Bread: a Phrase, which in the Acts manifestly refers to the Eucharist; and may justly therefore be understood of it here, in the Story of our Saviour.

In a word, he opened their Understandings, that they might understand the Scriptures, and all the Prophecies concerning himself; and he bade them teach all Nations to observe all things that he had commanded them: Which two Passages comprize the Knowledge of what relates both to the Doctrine and Discipline of the Church, both to the Faith and Practice of a Christian.

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After a break for Easter, laudable Practice will return on Monday 13th April. A blessed Easter to all readers.