because, as is claimed by the ritualistic churches, such as the Church
Chapter XVIII CONCLUSIONS; Can churches still follow New Testament teaching and example? - Various answers - Ritualistic churches - Rationalism - Reformers - Mystics and others - Evangelical Revival - Brethren who throughout all the centuries have made the New Testament their guide - Spread of the Gospel - Foreign Missions - Revival through return to the teachings of Scripture - Every Christian a missionary, each church a missionary society - Difference between a church and a mission station - Difference between an institution and a church - Unity of the churches and spread of the Gospel - New Testament churches among all people on the same basis - Conclusion
The Church Question, that is to say, the question whether we can, and should, continue to carry out the New Testament teaching and example as to the ordering of churches, has been answered in various ways: - 1. The theory of "development" would make it undesirable to do so, because, as is claimed by the ritualistic churches, such as the Church of Rome, the Greek Orthodox Church, and others like them, something better than that which was practised in the beginning has been attained, and the Scriptures have been modified, or even supplanted, by tradition. 2. Rationalism gives the same answer, looking upon it as retrogression to go back to the original pattern, since it denies that the Scriptures provide an abiding authority. 3. Reformers of existing churches have tried to effect a compromise, returning in part, but not altogether, to the acknowledged pattern, as Luther, Spener, and others. 4. Some have abandoned the attempt, as the Mystics, who devoted themselves instead to the attainment of personal holiness and communion with God, examples of whom are Molinos, Madame Guyon, and Tersteegen; and the Friends, who set aside the outward ordinances of baptism and the Lord's Supper, and occupied themselves rather with the testimony of the inner Light than with the outward Scriptures; others, as Darby and his followers, repudiated the obligation and replaced it by a witness to "the ruin of the Church".