Ryle’s Holiness: Preface

I shared my reasons for beginning a study of J.C. Ryle’s classic book Holiness here.  I have no doubt that Ryle’s words will increase the proportion of wheat to chaff here ten-fold, and I’m anxious to read the comments and interaction of friends and co-laborers.  I’m hopeful that many will participate.  Indeed, I challenge you to.  Your comments need not be controversial or even particularly “profound.”  They might be a citation of a quote that impressed you…or a question…or an application to modern ministry and life…or (gulp) a disagreement.  The challenge will be to pursue such a discussion in a reasonably orderly manner.  At present, I propose that we address a chapter at a time.  If chaos ensues, I’m open to suggestions for improvement.  We’ll see how it goes.  I’ll try to give a brief summary of the main points of the chapter and some particularly powerful quotes that convey those points.  I’ll try to save my observations for the discussion that follows. 

I don’t claim to be experienced at reviewing books, much less provoking worthwhile discussion of them in such an unusual setting.  Nevertheless, I’m excited about the opportunity to fellowship with like-minded believers around a book that has been a great blessing to the church for well over a century.  Now to Ryle…

________

Ryle’s two-page Preface can easily stand alone as the object of profitable discussion.  Though I am being more thorough here than will be possible or desirable in the chapters that follow, the points which he raises as his particular burdens–the book’s “teasers”–are chock-full of important concepts.  For the sake of efficient conversation, I’m including a few statements from the Introduction that fit under the topics addressed here.  The Preface’s summary and highlights:

* Ryle states his goal that the studies “will help to bring forward the grand truth that union with Christ is the root of holiness.”

* He bemoans the fact that, even in his day, “real practical holiness does not receive the attention it deserves, and that there is a most painfully low standard of living among many high professors of religion in the land.”

* He states his frustrations with the well-meaning but misguided efforts of those who promote a pseudo-holiness through camp meetings, “higher life” and “consecration” meetings, sensational preaching, emotionalism and the like.  He believes that they “do more harm than good.”  He returns to this theme (with substantial heat) in the Introduction, criticizing a so-called holiness which consists of “inward sensations and impressions” along with “tears and sighs and bodily excitement and a quickened pulse.”  He criticizes a professed holiness that results in combative sectarianism.  (Note: The insights of someone who knows the history of these movements and of the men he lists as examples in the Introduction would be helpful.  The men mentioned are “Moody and Haweis, Dean Stanley and Canon Liddon, Mackonochie and Pearsall Smith.”)

* He states that true holiness will be demonstrated not by emotional fervor, but by being more “meek, unselfish, kind, good-tempered, self-denying and Christ-like at home.”

* He argues that private virtues and habits are better demonstrators of holiness than public displays.

* He suggests that many who speak of a need for “consecration” are actually ignorant of and in need of “conversion.”

* Perhaps of particular interest to fundamentalists, Ryle closes the preface by urging Christians to demonstrate charity to those who disagree with them on these matters.  He makes several such exhortations in the Introduction, as well, so I will quote them here:

• “I am quite certain that to exhibit bitterness and coldness towards those who cannot conscientiously work with us is to prove ourselves very ignorant of real holiness.” (Preface)
• “Politics, or controversy, or party spirit, or worldliness, have eaten the heart of lively piety in too many of us.” (Intro)
• “I plead that a movement in favor of holiness cannot be advanced by…speaking contemptuously and bitterly of those who do not entirely see thing with our eyes and do not work exactly in our ways.  These things do not make for peace; they rather repel many and keep them at a distance.  The cause of true sanctification is not helped but hindered, by such weapons as these.  A movement in aid of holiness, which produces strife among God’s children, is somewhat suspicious.” (Intro)

Your thoughts, friends?