by J.C. Ryle,
Banner of Truth Trust, 1967.
Please note: This book was written in 1858 and the contents are now in public domain.
I was deeply, deeply moved by this book. In many ways it is a timeless book that is applicable to any church or denomination in any age. J.C. Ryle was an Anglican pastor in the mid 1800s. At that time many were leaving the Church of England to join the Roman Catholic Church. Ryle says that the reason for their departure was due to the growing influence of false ideas regarding the nature of saving faith and the church. In response Ryle delivered a series of eight powerful sermons all dealing with the perilous effects of false teaching and teachers. This is a passionate plea from a true pastor.
Please, please, I urge every Netherlands Reformed Church or Reformed Congregation of North America church member to carefully read and thoroughly digest the contents of the four chapters below. Repeatedly I found Ryle’s words spoke directly to numerous situations within the NRC and RCNA. All of the chapters are valuable yet the four chapters copied below (PDF file), in my view, are the ones most directly related to the NRC/NRC today. I think you will find that Ryle’s messages contain a treasure chest of wisdom from a godly, wise pastor.