GREENWICH, JANUARY 8TH, 1901
GREENWICH, JANUARY 8TH, 1901
Mr. J. Edmondson.
My Dear Brother, — I am distressed to hear of the state of things in Dublin, and of the false position into which things have got. Colossians Gahan appears in the eyes of many as an injured man. They forget that he gave the offence, in speaking of what came out at the readings as abominably false doctrine. And this was because I would not have an idea that he could not substantiate from Scripture, viz., the idea of the communication of life, as a something substantive. I think that his course is very unhappy, and am sorry that any support him. But if there is no power to meet him at the meetings I do not know what is to be done. The utterance of which you speak is an unhappy one, and although it may have been often used it leaves out too much the fact that Christ is God. In matters affecting the sufferings of Christ it is wiser to confine oneself to the Scripture mode of expression. I am inclined to think that the mode in which you dealt with the matter is open to objection, and that you were under obligation to speak to Colossians Gahan first before going further. He did not mean any heresy, he is too orthodox for that, and does not wander off into any originality. I should be inclined to admit this if I were you. The actual expression I consider unwarranted, for what was not in the favour of God was the [p. 167] sin which Christ represented, not the Offerer who had offered Himself by the eternal Spirit. I think he fails to see that Christ was both offering priest and victim, and that while the victim is not revived, the priest abides in the favour of God. But if he disavows anything wrong I do not see how the matter can be pursued further. It is very unhappy for Dublin. If I should come to Ireland in the Spring I shall certainly give Dublin a wide berth. For it is not only the question of Colossians Gahan, but of others who cannot or will not see what I have no doubt is the truth. I trust that the Lord will give you and all others the needed grace, so that you may be enabled to avoid any semblance of feeling as to the Colonel save what is engendered by the truth. I trust that you are all well, I have returned after about a week from the north of England, where I had an encouraging time, the ferment after Klein having died down. I suppose that I may see you at Belfast in the Spring if the Lord will.
With love in the Lord, believe me,
Your affectionate brother,
F. E. Raven.