Who was James Cornwell?
Which periodical does "The Ambassador" refer to?
Also do we know anything about "Crocker and Cooper" the publishers? Cooper I assume is "George Cooper", listed as a printer in Islington (e.g. on APC's pamphlets I recently uploaded). In the American Darby Letterboo, JND writes " I have sent to Mr. Crocker for publications in all .. ", is this the Mr Crocker of the partnership?
Thank you for making this available, Tom!
As to Cornwell: On Mach 2nd 1870 G. V. Wigram wrote to JND: "Cornwell of Chelmsford works on steadily" (Letters of J.N. Darby, Supplement, Correspondence with G.V. Wigram, Volume 2, page 368). So it is perhaps the James Cornwell who was born 1830 in Kelvedon, Essex and died in Chelmsford 1876 - only 46 years old. Source: https://gw.geneanet.org/bcornwel?lang=en&iz=18&p=james&n=cornwell&oc=2
As to the Ambassador: The full title was: "The Ambassador; or, tidings of grace and truth to all classes". I have only one volume: 8 (1875). I haven't yet uploaded it to www.cw-archive.org . . I think Edwin Cross had a few volumes of this periodical.
Martin
Thanks Martin; this would indeed seem to be the correct attribution for J.C. - in the 1871 census he is listed as "Visitor of the sick & preacher of the Gospel". In his relatively short life it appears he had at least 2 wives and more than 10 children. On his death certifiate he is also listed as a "Preacher of the Gospel".
"The Ambassador's Hymn Book" https://www.brethrenarchive.org/hymnology/other-early-hymn-books/the-ambassadors-hymn-book/ (other copies also published by Crocker and Cooper), would look to be associated with this periodical too.
Edwin looks to have the Ambassador from 68,73,75,76 .. I will see if I can get hold of them.
I have now uploaded "The Ambassador" 8: https://www.cw-archive.org/en/magazines/TA/8#1 Page 1 and the second page of the index are missing. Principal contributors to this volume are: REK, T, WB and GC. The last one is probably George Cooper, the Printer, himself. The others I couldn't identify. There is an article by J. G. Bellett (about the woman taken in adultery, Joh 8) which I could not find among JGB's known writings.
Martin
FG Patterson also taught Quickening and exercise of Faith to be simultaneous and repentance following them. Here is a long excerpt from 1874 Words of Truth: New Series 1: 212-213
"…..The blessed Lord Jesus goes in divine grace into that place for sins, and was there made sin for us. As Man, God quickened Him, and raised Him up, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenlies (Eph. 1). THEN GOD PUTS FORTH THE SAME POWER—AND BESTOWS FAITH (THE GIFT OF GOD, CH. 2:8) ON INDIVIDUALS—QUICKENING DEAD SOULS, and appropriates in divine grace what Christ passed through to the individual, who is thus co-quickened and co-raised with Christ, and co-seated in Christ Jesus in heavenly places……
As to when a person is sealed-on conversion, or afterward? DOES A SOUL BELIEVE BEFORE HE IS QUICKENED? DOES BELIEVING, QUICKENING, AND CONVERSION ALL TAKE PLACE AT THE SAME MOMENT OF TIME, AND THEN AT SOME FUTURE PERIOD SEALING TAKES PLACE? A few words will suffice, I think. The sealing of the Spirit takes place, generally speaking, when the person has believed in Christ for remission of sins. QUICKENING TAKES PLACE IN THE ACTION OF THE HOLY GHOST, THROUGH THE WORD OF GOD, OR THE TRUTHS REVEALED THEREIN ON THE DEAD SOUL. THIS ACTION PRODUCES AND IMPARTS FAITH, WHICH IS SIMULTANEOUS WITH THE QUICKENING. A soul believes in what has been directly revealed, though forgiveness and salvation may not be known for long after. The new life thus imparted, being in action, finds the incongruity of the evil within. It begins to find its sins, as measured before God, a burden it cannot bear; even when forgiveness of these sins is known, it finds an evil nature over which it has no power, and this leads to the exercises of Rom. 7 till deliverance is known. In fact the sinner requires two things for peace: forgiveness for what it has done, and deliverance from what it is. When it learns to look out of self at Christ for forgiveness, the sealing of the Spirit takes place. And at times there may be the experiences of Rom. 7 in a modified way, when forgiveness is known, and the Holy Ghost there. Still, to take up Rom. 7, pure and simple, it does not suppose that the Holy Ghost has been received; it is an abstract case that is assumed. Generally speaking, however, the Holy Ghost is given as a seal, when Christ is rested upon for remission of sins; this is never the case at the moment, when the soul is born again.
“I find in the case of the younger son, in the parable (Luke 15), a happy illustration of the various divine actions of God with a soul.” When he “came to himself” he was quickened, and faith was in exercise. This produced a judgment of his state before God, and, as measured by His goodness, when he said, “I perish with hunger.” This was repentance-the action of the new life. Then came conversion, in, “I will arise and go to my father.” Conversion means simply that the heart is turned towards God, which had been turned away, from two Latin words, which signify to turn towards. Hence a man may be converted, according to its simple literal meaning, more than once; as Peter, to whom the Lord said, “When thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren,” i.e., when his heart was turned back again after his fall. But while one could be thus converted more than once—the heart turned back to God when turned away (How blessed that it is so!), one can only be once born again, or born of God, and this never can be undone or redone. Thus, when the prodigal was on his journey to meet his father, all the exercises of his soul present those passed through by the soul before sealing takes place. The father’s kiss would typify the time, probably, when sealing took place. "
Thanks all for this; perhaps we got away from Darby’s position. Mind you, Patterson learned much from Darby, judging from his many questions in letters to Darby. I think that Darby would have been much in agreement with Patterson here on the new birth.
On the new birth and the gift of the Holy Spirit—they’re not the same thing, as in W. Kelly’s comments above— I don’t think there is one of the early brethren who would disagree; also with regard to the sealing of the Spirit, after believing (Eph 1:13).
The observation that initiated this interesting discussion, was the distinction between “new birth follows faith in Christ,” and as Darby argued, “new birth preceding faith in Christ and making it possible.” And then C Gribben raised a third option of, “the new birth and the exercise of saving faith as being simultaneous.” I suppose that we need to agree on what the “new birth” is, and the faith involved.
I believe that one key to understanding Darby, Patterson, et al, on the new birth is this—FAITH, as in Eph 2:8, is a gift of God, which they and most of the early brethren, asserted. This has nothing to do with being Calvinist. Thus, being dead in sins and then quickened (made alive) (Eph 2:5), may be interpreted as being “born again,” and this preceding faith according to some. But this in a way separates the new birth from faith, and Scripture never does that. If so, where?
If the new birth is a divine action that involves all that is mentioned in the commentaries above—hearing the gospel; the awakening of the conscience; the opening of eyes to the light of the truth; the conviction of guilt and sin against a holy God; conversion - turning towards God; the need of repentance; and believing—is it at all feasible that this can happen without attendant faith; faith which is a gift of God? “A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.” (John 3:27). And is it not that faith cometh by the hearing of the word of God?
And when we ask how and when all this happens in a soul, once dead in sins, we should remember—The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. (John 3:8).
I say, preach the true, unadulterated gospel. Because salvation is of God, He by the Spirit and the Word will do the work without the help of man. We will see the results in a soul truly born again. For some new creatures in Christ, they still need to know and experience deliverance from the flesh (Rom 8).
