PRIMITIVE CHRISTIANITY REVIVED 63 



And, although, perhaps, Stephen Grellet may not 

 have been sufficient of an historian to recognise the 

 fact, yet this experience of his was the only Eucharist 

 recognised by the Church of the first century. In those 

 early days every social meal was a ** Lord^s Supper/* 



Hatch and other historians have shown that the 

 present method of celebrating ** The Lord^s Supper ** 

 has come about largely under the influence of Greek 

 usage. The ritual customary at the ceremony of 

 initiation into the Greek '* Mysteries of Eleusis ** was 

 copied by the Early Christians and changed their simple 

 love-feast, or '* agape '' into the ** Mystery of the 

 Sacrament/* 



Many of the Greek philosophers who became con- 

 verted to Christianity had been initiated into the 

 mysteries, and they introduced the ritual to which they 

 were accustomed, and which was dear to them, into the 

 new faith* 



Again, our fellow Christians believe, theoretically, 

 in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit , and have even set 

 apart a special day to commemorate this great fact of 

 religious experience. Yet, at the same time, many of 

 them would shut up ** inspiration ** within the covers of 

 the Bible and count as heresy any idea that men may 

 still be inspired to speak, and act, and think, as were 

 the prophets and apostles of old. 



But so great was the faith of the Early Friends in a 

 present inspiration that they refused to give to the Bible 

 that most misleading and most unscriptural title ** The 

 Word of God,** reserving that title for the Living Word, 

 which was from the beginning ere ever the Bible was 

 written ; which two thousand years ago was made Flesh 

 and dwelt amongst us ; and which is still the source and 

 inspiration of every noble word and thought and deed. 



The prepared sermon as now we know it, with its 

 artificial construction, its firstly, secondly, and thirdly. 



