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JOSEPH S. RAKER— Editor.
VOL. XIF.
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terms, at tho discretion of the Editor.
For the Cftristian Index.
An Essay on the Christian Religion.
Section lll. —Temple of Christianity —
The “Chief Corner Slone.'’
Jesus Christ is the “Chief Corner Stone’
of the Temple of Christianity. Christians
found their faith of His being the promised
Messiah—the Saviour of the world —upon
the following facts, which are fully and per
fectly established: I. His true descent
from David; 2. His Doctrines; 3. llis
Character and Life ; 4. His Miracles; anil
5, His Resurrection and Ascention. It was
promised, that in the seed of Abraham all
nations should be blessed. “ This glori
ous promiridjjhegan to be verified, when
God, by iffißnarvellous interposition, re
deemed the house of Israel out of Egypt,
and gave them an exhibition of His charac
ter, in a code of Laws, which comprised a
perfect standard of moral rectitude. But it
was more amply verified, when the Son
of God appeared in the world, and by his
life, doctrines, death and resurrection, ful
filled the predictions and. illuminated the
shadows of the Mosaic, dispensation, and
opened the way for the promulgation of the
Gospel througlijhe world.”
b Christ, the Son, was co-equal and co-ex
istent with Owl, tlwSl^u ll erjywh)id i , Jrtfa **•-
established by reason, as well as by the
Scriptures, (Gen, 1: 2G, and Col. 1: 15,
Ex. 20: 3 and Heb. t: 6. Compare Jet.
10: 10 with Isa. 9: 0. Ex. 15: 13 with
Heb. 4: 8.) It was necessary, for the sal
vation of the world, that he should be God;
because it wOuldJiave been idolatry for his
followers to have worshipped him as man ;
and it was necessary, also, that, for our
sakes, he should assume the form of hu
manity ; because, as God, his blood could
not have been shed by men, and without
the shedding of blood there is no remission
of sins.” How this union exists is a mat
ter that we cannot comprehend, nor, even
can we explain the union of soul and body
in our own creation. The Character and
Excellence of the Religion of Christ will
be noticed hereafter: 1 shall here notice
in the words of an excellent writer, (Bishop
Neweome) the example he has left for the
imitation of his followeis :
“ His example was of the most perfect
piety to God, and of the most extensive
benevolence, and the most tender compas
sion to men. He does not merely exhibit
*alife of strict justice, but of overflowing
benignity. Ilis temperance has not the
dark shades of austerity ; his meekness does
not degenerate into apathy; his humility is
signal, amidst a splendor of qualities more
than human ; his fortitude is eminent and
exemplary in enduring the most formidable
external evils and the sharpest actual suf
ferings. His patience is invincible; his re
signation entire and absolute. Truth and
sinceiily shine throughout his whole con
duct. Though of heavenly descent, he
shows obedience and affection to his earth
ly parents ; h approves, loves and attach
es himself to amiable qualities in the human
race ; he respects authority, religious and
civil; and he evidences regard for his coun
try, by promoting its most essential good
in a painful ministry dedicated to its ser
vice, by deploring its calamities, and by
laying down his life for its benefit. Every
one of his eminent virtues is regulated by
consummate prudence ; and he both wins
the love of his friends, and extorts the ap
probation of his enemies. Never was a
character at the same time so commanding
and natural, so resplendent and
amiable and venerable.”
Section IV. —Temple of Christianity —
The Builder.
The structme of the Christian Temple is
reared by the hands of God, who must have
been self-existent from all eternity ; bpcause
the works of Nature that are mouldering
around us must have been created, and
therefore must have had a Creator, and the
beginner of all things must necessarily have
been without'a beginning; the first cause
most have been uncaused : and he will con-
THE CHRIST
ftfr.~ iiiit “ •’ 1 *- *- *•” -* • ‘-Wig&v’Vv n- sf t- ‘V-.W’ iKHaHi
intie to he self-existent through all eterni
ty ; because the end of all things must ne
cessarily be without end. He is Alpha and
Omega—the First and the Last—the Be
ginning and the End—and must, therefore,
be Himself without Beginning or End.—
But, He is not only the God of Eternity—
He is the God of Mercy and Love, and has
permitted and entiealed His creatines to
rest themselves and theii hopes upon that
which is at once eternal and unchanging.”
He takes us from earth that He may lead
us to Heaven, that He .may refine our na
ture I'riun all its principles corruption,
share vntli us His own immortality, admit
us to His everlasting habitation, and crown
us with His eternity.” (See “Eternity of
God,” by Greenwood.) How unlike the
gods of l’agans is He ! Christians wor
ship the God who made them, while Hea
thens worship as gods the idols which they
themselves have made. The former is
eternal and unchangeable, the latter is sub
ject to that change and deeay which over
take all the works of man. How thankful
ought we to be that the glorious structure
which” shelters our hopes of everlasting sal
vation from the storms of iniquity is reared
by the Eternal Architect of all creation !
The nature of the Divine Being is faU’be
yond the comprehension of any of his cre
atures, and theiefore is, of course, inexpli
cable ; and all similitudes that are used in
the attempt to explain it are to be rejected.
“ Yet, though we caii not fully understand
His nature, there is something of Him we
may know, lie hath been pleased to dis
cover His perfections, in a measure, by the
works of creation,'"and the Scriptures of
Truth; these, therefore, we ought to stu
dy, in order that we may obtain the most
becoming thoughts of Him.” (Rev. Charles
Buck.
For the Christian Index.
Forty Years Ago.
There is something humiliating iu view
ing the condition of mankind at the present
day, particularly to those who
it was Forty x'Sars Ago* Many of the
improvements made since that day in every
department of life, notwithstanding they
promise univeisal benefit in the end, have
rendered us, so far, truly miserable. There
are so many new inodes of gaining riches
and of becoming respectable ; of living easy
and of enjoying pleasure; that one half of
the people of any country are made wretch
ed to uphold the other half, and the latter
half are still in a worse condition than the
former. The way that was then thought
most sure and rnpst honorable of gaining a
subsistence, is now looked upon with con
tempt by a great many who are no better
than their ancestors ; and the art of plow
ing and hoeing is almost as little known
now as novel-reading, dancing and other
fashionable vices were then. This change
has certainly not added much to the happi
ness of mankind.
Forty Years Ago, that man was called a
Gentleman, who produced the greatest
quantity of corn and cotton by his own la
bor; who loved to display his well regula
ted farm to his neighbors; to lend a help
ing hand to every good cause ; to worship
God in homespun clothes, and to he con
tented with his lot. Now, lie is a Gentle
man, who can gain the most with the least
trouble, no matter by what means; who
looks with disgust upon those to whom he
is indebted for every thing; who withholds
his purse when called for any act of
charity or benevolence, but opens it to sat
isfy every whim of his changing mind ;
who, if he make any pretentions at all to re
ligion, bows before God in the most elegant
attire, itself the ptinciple object of his de
votions. There is no such thing as a work
ing Gentleman at the present day ; all his
qualities are derived from his tailor and bar
ber; his whole time is devoted to amuse
ment, and his whole mind is filled with—
nothing.
Forty Years Ago, he was respectable
who was honest; who attended to his own
business and dealt fairly with his neighbors.
Now, no man can be respectable who has
not wealth; who is not able to outshine
most of those around him, and to enter the
“ higher classes” of Society. Indeed, so
great a matter has this become that a large
portion of our people are anxious to be
thought richer than they really are; they
‘talk largely ; dress finely ; keep no compa
pany with the “lower classcss;” in short,
do nothing but make dupes of themselves,
and destroy what little reputation they
might possess. Their minds are on a con
tinual stretch to keep up this play of decep
tion ; they are ever on extreme* in one way
or other; and always violating some rule
in such citcles “made and provided.” Fi
nally their means fail them, and they are
looked upon with contempt by those upon
FOR THE BAPTIST CONVENTION OF ill . ~~ ~
PENFIELD, GA., i
whom they have frowned, and their poorer
and more humblo acquaintances will have
nothing to do with them.
“ So goes the world ; if wealthy, you may
call
This friend, that friend—friends and bro
thers all;
Though you are worthless, witless, never
mind it;
You may have been a stable-boy—what
then ?
’Tis wealth, good, sir, makes honorable
men.”
Forty Years ‘Ago, young men ueyer
dreamed that a fashionably coat and a line
hat were necessary to establish a character;
the idea never entered their minds that a
glass of wine-and a cigar added to their
pleasure or happiness, or diminished their
trouble or sorrow ; they had not then learn
ed that to be fashionable was to be respecta
ble ; that idleness and dissipation were the
chief qualities of a Gentleman. They
wore their neat homespun coats of Sundays;
walked five or six miles to church, and be
haved themselves when they were there.—
They considered that age brought wisdom,
and, therefore, they treated old men with
respect; in short, they were wliat our fash
ionables of the pteseni day would call very
simple and very ignorant, and still they
thought themselves very happy. Now, a
young man is a fool and cannot be admitted
into “select company,” if he has not an el
egant coat and a fashionable hat; his hair
trimmed in the “ latest style,” and his
tongue well formed for slander and non
sense. A glass of wine and a cigar are in
(lemat)d two or three times a day ; he can
not go a mile to church exeept in a carri
age, and when there, ho does nothing but
display his clothes, his teeth and his lolly ;
he considers himself wiser than those who
possess tho experience of three score years,
and of course treats them as his inferiors.
Such a youth, Forty Years Ago, would
have been considered very foolish, very
disagreeable and very—unworthy of no
tice. _
Forty Years Ago/ the rnialLtie’s 1 . jif-.ffia
- - ° . -— ; *ff|rmT iff tt
l ining Lady were estimated By iTC ml”
ber of yards of cloth she spun and wove in
the year; by the neatness of her homespun
frocks ; by the attention she bestowed upon
her domestic concerns, and by the assis
tance she rendered her parents. Now, she
is estimated only for tho number of yards of
satin, lace and ribon she can place in her
dress ; by the jewels she can display upon
her person ; by the smallness into which
she can compress her waist, and by the
skill which she displays in painting her
cheeks. Her leisure hours are employed
iu torturing the pianno or guitar ; in sigh
ing over some sentimental love-tale ; in pay
ing and receiving visits ; or in devising new
schemes for tendering herself attractive.—
ShcJook3 with horror upon a loom ora
homespun dress, and pities such as are
compelled to use the one ot wear the other;
she assists her parents only in spending
their money, and overwhelms them with
misfortunes after it is spent.
Is it not humiliating, then, to contemplate
the change that has taken place in Forty
Years ? Let us return to the manner of liv
ing in those days, and we shall be as happy
and contented as our forefathers were.
S.
For the Christian Index.
Who art thou, solitary one, that grievest
as thou goest along ? and whither art thou
bound ?
Believer. —l am a miracle of Mercy, and
am going to the New Jerusalem where God
shall wipe away all tears from my eyes.
Evangelist. —That is a happy character
and a blessed pilgrimage : but, may I know
the cause of thy grief?
B.—The causes are many, Prov. xxxiv.
17, as the loss of health, property, charac
ter, friends, etc. etc., especially the proud
have had me greatly in derision ; the foot
of pride has come against me, and I have
endured the scourge of the tongue above
many.
E.—Truly thy cross is heavy, but sup
portable, if thou art a man of the Beatitudes;
Matt. v. I—l 2. Yet, as thy necessities
may be very great, let me give thee a drop
of the Water of Life. Hear what thy bles
sed Master saith, with a double verily “Ve
rily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth
oh me hath everlasting life.” John vi. 4-7,
and again: “Verily, verily, 1 say unto you,
if any man keep my saying, he shall never
sec death.” John viii. 61. As lam to ad
minister my Lord’s cordials with skill;
Prov. xxxi. 6,8, if these two drops do not
suffice to stay thy fainlings, take the follow
ing, in which [jn Greek] are couched five
negatives: “Let your manner of life he with
out covetousness; and be content with such
things as ye have;'for he saith 1 will nev
er leave thee nor forsake thee. So that we
A. “IBk *T“ ■>,, , rtllt
A \ r ■ B ] H S jr
Zi ‘\f a\! I I fWrV
fA 1 i _l_ JL 8i 1 1 0
a- > * • . rt*. v. - ‘
HE STATE OF GEORGIA.
I
iV 39y, the Lord is my keeper, and
> f w what man shall do to me.”
may boW ifster’s Tnan.]
I willnvS ltte i s refreshing, it is the old
[Dr. W’Mvylivinc consolation,’ of which Pe-
B-—*■©p. 2 Pet. i. 4.
II ine Q’W.'j fiese light afflictions which are,
ler a'moment, shall work for ihee a far
F. ■Exceeding andetmia/ iveight of glo
but for* ) t
more jß—tt lam a true believer, it is even so.
l U‘ H‘a.l things work together for good to
love God.”
Eor live Word of Christ
them T j lief dice richly in all wisdom,void that
‘riiT IT digl>St s,ron S meat, contemplate
dwell in tidiness and the seemitv of ihv ban.
uweu m Wt),ines3 and the secuiity of thy hap
thou canlsij Eph. j. 4. 5, Heb. vi. 17, 18, 19,
•li.v hapW.iij. 29—39.
py state fully troi hies are but half told. My
R°in. viifci trials : e the greatest. Not only
B. Al> urn’s cl ldren traduced me, and my
inward childen were angry with me,
have Sayj t and Satan thrust severely at me
mother i jig In fall ml disgrace my deal Loid’s
Lam. i. WVit wretilied man that I am I cannot
that Iml Jthings Hat I would! And! fear,
name, ll V the po ver of this spiritual corrup
do the |9atan majj get an advautage over me,
througlJ rough I may not utterly fall by the
lion, Si the Spiritual Soul, yet am fearful of
and tIiKL unworjhy of my high calling.
hand |L j ruS [ j,t (| ie L ort | Jchovait, who
walkini jhise Satali under thy feet shortly,
E ‘—J f thy greajer stability and comfort,
will bri wises forlthce as well as himself:
and foAjxii, 39, 40, which thus concludes,
he pi ofl, will put my fear in their hearts that
Jit. 3HM*al| not depart from me.”
lould well bear to be considered a
they slMiic or an enthusiast, especially, by
IF jfttl b world, but to feel continually a
hypocrjPto red sinner makes me weary of
men ojfcgi vii. 14—25.
Immanuel gives thee a glimpse
life. R* and the glory that shall be reveal-
Jj does he not?
of hims® but they are like Angels’ vis
ed in tl'JkLand far between.”
B - d‘Qii nr) not sufficiently
ti g J no u?Cv „... -
’ jHM “'abstain from all appearance of
Thes. v. 22.
C * 8 what I justly fear.
evl ‘ rtlynay be, thou thinkest so much
’ lißfiwho calumniate thee, that thou
r tf'lx* 1 l ' or ? oltun ’ D>e words of holy
* Fl l {f Be i n £ defamed, wo entreat, being
‘ asl ,S*ve bless ; being persecuted we suf-
Paul. Mj
‘ eVlle m C ° nfeßS ’ lam vei Y I * t de like Paul
er jn and, either in piety, patience or suf
■ ‘rTfl, still less Him, who said,* “ Fa
*e f them, for they know not what
Yet, I try to forgive and pray
t u.r, ( <> Grace would forgive; Nature
(or dost thou infer, in thy own
would m l(li3?
L>
wat though, I have grace, it is ex
cas^’ small and thy Christianity very
nd meager.
cec holy thoughts, words and works
waill * Xelievers in a state of justification,
J, .'Tove them to be in such*a state ?
c°nti'r?|lle holiness of .believers being de
or l °' 1 measure, and more or less defiled
. ftyme, cannot be accepted unless
inieil t | le bi oo j 0 f Jestjs and present
'll Fhey cannot stand for
c nor endure the severity of God’s
ed m] ~
■cut
V7fuhat is thy hope of Salvation?’
U f'Tfe obedience to death of God tnan-
E ‘'l tlu flesh and received by faith.
‘(I-Ihw does Jehovah, Jesus, in the
* *t e fC jhu Father, perform the work
F‘~jt(-Assion for his people ?
quashing every indictment, si
°* „'” tH , f er y pl ca > an d answering every
‘T®4 Satan makes against thorn,
leueing ;j lal j 8 j cs „ s t f, en t 0 (/ iee y
charge I (J j s s a | va |j ou> Luke jj, 30, m y
‘ and righteousness, and sanctilica
‘ 1 redemption, 1 Cor. i. 30. He is
wisdom - . . „
,g to me.
..... ID
Hon, am a ppy believer, the Celestial coun
ovcr> tb |j e c ore t | lee< thou hast re*
F; qs, walk in him, and double thy
tr > l' e ® , 3| lal t | lOU m ayest be found by him
ceivedj ;f
diligenc ‘ ;ewe ]|,g noc ] Evangelist, and may
in pcaci mercy is higher than the Hea
,i thee for thy savory words to
e “ Ind multitudes like thee, to all the
‘ ens > 3n of Adam. Bradford.
me, and ie
lost chil r t/ te Christian Index.
fi l
gissions is advancing in
sissippi, where i have
t three years, both in the
list connection. In seat
ess you, and more espe
epublie of Christians, I
nunicaie my feelings as
iromplsmc.
Hh to do, do it with all
thy might, and by the help of God, I will,
and say the work of man’, ret, I thank
God, as the spirit put'it info ihediearts of
the women to make the Adoriting*cif the
Tabernacle, and yet God said to Moses he
should make them. So also the spirit bear
etli my duty to me, and maketh. it incum
bent. I have catechisqd and preached in
this country, in the last three years, to thou
sands, and feel happy to say, I see tny per
secuted Missionary Baptist brethren in the
J OVIII VIA 111 UJU
Ministry are all up and much-i/do trying
,lo compete will) each other,- ia, ■•rceiufiwJm
wiff do the inosnor Goifmi(rs“rm5 ll fiS*
inanity; and 1 trust all looking on them
selves as the servant spoken ol in 17th ch.
of St. Luke, from 7th to loth-verse, and
ntany of them devoting their whole lime to
the work. 1 have traveled, in these two j
Stales, something like six thousand miles,
and preached hundreds of sermons, and cat
echised thousands o( white and black, chil
dren and many adult blacks. It would do
you good to iiear them sing, “Give me Je
sus, and lam induced to believe, although
un welcomed—by many of our antics, that
in spite ol ail human efforts the Lord can
and will carry his work on and constantly I
raise up those who are well qualified to act. I
We are not disheartened, although our fil-
thers, mothers, brothers and sisters in the
flesh, and even appaiently after a form of
tho church, as Amies, are cloggs to our
wheels, yet we will go on and serve the
Lord, lor he says, we shall know of the
doctrine whether we ate right or not. The j
God of Missions is with us, who, (liinsell.
u bile in the flesh, “went about doing good,” j
even he who hath said, “I will never leave
thee nor forsake thee,” so that we may
boldly say still, “The Lord is my helper.”
1 hanks be to God, the seed sown in this j
barren land has not perished ; its roots are
strong in the earth ; to God we look for the
increase, nor is it with our natural organs
that we look, our eyes are indeed, “ to the
hills from whence cometh our help,” but
tliej are cyesol faith. We know him who I
ha Ursa ill, .Hjdi.jUiugs.are possible to him
that believettt,” and, “ ffitwo oßyoifstlaTr
agree 011 earth, as touching any thing that
ye shall ask, it shall be done for yotA”—
How many have agreed to ask sot tho salva
tion of Alabama and Mississippi. The
Lord our God shall furnish the men and
means, in number, measure, strength, as
they shall be necessary. The chinch have
asked tor the completion of this work. It
was doubtless long since called to Emman
uel, “Ask of me and I will give thee, the
heathen for thine inheritance, and the utter
most parts ol theearih for thine possession.”
And again, “ the silver and gold” too are
the Lord’s, and “die cattle upon a thousand
hills.” Difficulties in the accomplishment
of this work we expect. Satan will, doubt
less, try to hold on to his old possessions,
but ( “ The Lord is a man of War. The
Lord is his na,/.e.” The throne of grace
is our “Thermopylae”—still hell shall yet
tremble and heaven rejoice, and may our
eyes be made to sec it tg our prayer. Pray
lor us, brother;-I would have continued this,
but it is now five minutes of twelve o’clock
at night, the hour that all Anti-Missionary
drones are at ease with themselves, when
they should be on their knees jjor the pros
perity of Zion. God have mercy on them
and alarm their guilty feats.” *
ALONZO KEAN.
For the Christian Index.
Instructive Statistics.
Ihe author ot > the following article is
to us. His statements may be
iinpi i city relic I on. Let tho friends of
Christ and good order read the following,
and, like the mother of our Lord, ponder
well in thei/hearts what they read.
Bro. Buster —Sir, I have been acting as
Clerk of a church tn this Slate for a number
of years, and while I was trying to appre
ciate the privileges of reading the Index, 1
thought every Baptist should boa reader of
some religious paper, and concluded I would
examine the church book anil ascertain the
number of male members and how many
had been subscribers to the Index, and of
this number how many, if any, had been
excommunicated; then to see how many
had been excommunicated, and of that num
ber how many had been subscribers. And
though it may appeaHslrange, I give a list
which I believe to be correct, foi l have the
church book before mo and the Postmaster
has allowed me to examine his post office
book ahd see wlro have been subscribers at
his office for the Index. On the ChtSrtih
book, I find one himdretl and tWenty-foiir
male members— twenty three have been
subscruiers and not one excommunicated ;
nine have been excommunicated and not
one has been a subscriber; this goes'back
to the year 18_33,
.^untisHER—I3ENJ. BRANTLY.
Is there any Pa^oTor who does
•jotted it to be their duty to impress upon
those who-have heed placed, in so great a
degree?*im!er their charge, to subscribe for
some religious paper, and thus ;have them’
forth fully instructed in reference to their du
ties. lam far from believing dial the In
dex, of itself, will ever make a Christian,
but I do believe it will have the tendency
to make even a good Christian a better chris’-
ttan, for we are required to judge a tree by
its fruit, and when I see a person a reeular
-US mm,-amt when 1 see a person a regular,
r reader of the Index as well as their bible, I
to hope that the end of
® ood ’ -A Parishioner.
I Oconee, Ga.
I Confessions or Declarations of Faith:
The Dufy of Churches to make a public
Declaration of their Faith considered
and maintained.
Section 2- I’he Dutv aroued from
the injunctions to seek peace—
Having detained the reader lor a time, at
the threshold ol our subject, we would now
condut.’t him within the vestibule. The
subject, into the consideiation of which e
are about to enter, is— 'l he'duty of Cliurch
es to make a public declaration of their
views relative t 0 tho most prominent doc
| = ,aught, m,d duties enjoined in the
An injunction to lubm ■ to effect an
object involves the duty of using the
\ means necessary for the accomplishment
\of that object. I his assertion is the first
ol our premises, Note it, reader, for it is
the ground-work upon which, principally,
is founded the superstructure before vou.
View it in the light of reason, and decide
the question, before you proceed further—
is it coriect? If you are sceptical upon the
subject, we wotdd invite your attention to
the parable of the servants who received of
I their lord the talents severally entrusted to
• heir care, (Matt. xxv. 14—30. and Luk.
xtx. 12—27,) accompanied with an injunc
tion to improve them— I “Occupy till I
come. There was no injunction, you
will observe, to go to “trading” with their
talents, or to put them out with “the ex
changers,” ot “into the bank;” yet, it
woidd appear from the sequel, that these
■pJiieui u 111 in.uj n , r
cessary to the properly occupying or im
proving those talents. Consequently, at
the reckoning, the servant who had hid his
lord’s money was severely reproved—for
what? Not for failing to double his talent;
but for neglecting the use of these means
—“Thou wicked and slothful servant, &c
—Thououghlest therefore to have put mu
money to the exchangers ,” Q-e. The ser
vant did not presume to reply—Lord thou
didst not thus command. He well under
stood, whatever may be the views of the
reader upon the subject, that an injunction
Ito effect an object, amounts to an injunc
tion to use the means necessary for the at
tainment of that object.
Injunctions to seek the peace of
Zion, to preserve unity and purity in the
church, me of frequent occurrences in the
word of God. “Do good, seek peace, and
pursue it. (Ps. xxxiv. 14.) Pray for the
peace of Jerusalem. (Ps. exxii. 6.) Fol
low after the things which make for peace.
(Rom. xiv. 19 ) Keep the unity of the
spirit in the bond of peace. (Eph. iv, 3.)
lie perfectly joined together in the same
mind and in the same judgment.” (1 (sor.
i. 10, &c, <fcc.) If, therefore, it can be
I shown, that a declaration of our views, re
lative to the doctrines and requisitions of
the gospel are necessary, in order to pre
serve the peace and maintain tiie purity of
the church, and if ottr premises be true, it
will follow, inevitably, that it is not only
lairful to make such a declaration, but that
it is the duty of the church so to do.
That such a declaration is necessary to
such an end remains to bo shown.
I It will be admitted, we presuma,
I that individuals who differ iu their views,
11 felutive to the essential doctrines of the
1 gospel, or important duties, cannot dwell
I together in peace. The scriptures declare
as much—“ Can two walk together except
they bo agreed?” .(Amos iii. 3.) The as
sumption is, that the thing is impossible,
j Abraham admits as much in his proposition
I to jj is kinsman Lot, “Let there be no strife,
I I pray thee, between me and tljee, and be
tween my herdmen and thy herdmen, <fec.
I Separate tliysell, I pray thee, from me; if
thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go
to the right, &c.” (Gen. xiii. 8, 9.)
It will also be admitted, that no
considerable number of individuals can be
brought together promiscuously, without
a previous interchange of their ideas, who
will all hold the same views. Whatever
importance therefore is attached to unity of
views, in those who are about to be united
in the same society, the same must be at
tached to a fiee and candid interchange of
sentiments betweeu the parties prior to
their union. But how is this interchange
of sentiments to lake place
church and an applicant for admission, if
that church has never conferred upon the
subject, and made a public declaration of its
views? Shall the individual go to the min
ister? The minister is not the ‘church—
neither is he the keeper of the thoughts or
consciences of its members, he ap-
J’ly t° tfe to other *dividuals?
Fhq itrises. No filjttviduaL
nv jPWivi'lmils, has a right loTespo^to*
3n< l ‘he clmri4v