we are also to reckon ourselves 'in Christ.' That is our
permanent state, and it is the function of faith not to create, but to
realize it.

It is St. Paul's clear and vivid perception of a divine gift given, a
relationship to God established by God's act, not ours, and that at a
particular time, which is closely connected with his {222} sacramental
teaching. If a divine gift is to be given (1) definite at a definite
time, (2) to men of body as well as spirit in a world not only
spiritual but material, (3) publicly as to members of a social
organization--it is most natural that the gift should be embodied in an
outward rite and outward vehicle. So St. Paul appears to think. There
is no shrinking about his sacramental language. It can be said with
justice that certain forms of sacerdotal or ecclesiastical government
which have appeared in Church history would to his mind have savoured,
or more than savoured, of bondage to men and bondage to the 'beggarly
rudiments' of ceremonial observances. St. Paul is very jealous of
maintaining what we may call spiritual individuality and personal
liberty. But there is no justification to be found in St. Paul's
epistles for saying that he connects sacramentalism--i.e. the idea of
necessary spiritual gifts divinely promised on the occasion, and
through the medium, of certain outward religious rites of a
community--with that 'bondage' to 'beggarly rudiments' of which he has
so great a dread. St. Paul's language does not admit of our supposing
that he knew of any other way of admission 'into Christ' except through
the gate {223} of baptism, or any other means of communion in Christ's
body and blood except 'the breaking of the bread.'

3. It will be necessary before we leave this great passage to give
some special attention to three phrases.

'_Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father_.' In the
New Testament the sacrifice of Christ, the atonement won by Christ, is
continually ascribed to the Father, acting through and in the Son--'God
was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself.' So also the
resurrection is uniformly ascribed to the Father's power acting in the
case of the Son[16]. Our current Christian language has in both cases
departed too widely from apostolic practice. The doctrine of the Holy
Trinity would be more intelligently held, and the worship of the Church
more normally offered in the Spirit through the Son to the Father, if
we had not