Newspaper Page Text
222
THE INDEX. |
Thursday Morning, July 12,1849. j
CHURCH DISCIPLINE.
VVe have received a communication with a request to pub
lish it, inculpating the discipline of a distant church. We
beg leave to inform our correspondent that our paper cannot
he an organ for the circulation of personal charges, and es- j
pecially of those that have not been investigated by a com- :
netent tribunnl. The principles involved in the complaints
made, wo ure willing to comment upon freely, and publish
our views of them, and let them be applied wherever they
may fit. One of the complaints of our correspondent was,',
that an application for a letter of dismission was objected to!
by a large minority of the church on account of a want of
ellowship with the moral conduct of the applicant; and yet
M the vote of a bare majority of the church, he received a’;
loiter of dismission purporting to be in full fellowship. No| :
case could he plainer than such a one as this. It must be
obvious to every one that the letter ought to correspond with
the facts. If it was known that a single member of the
church lacked fellowship with the applicant for a dismission,
it would he a false assertion ori the part of the church to say
be was dismissed in full fellowship. In all such cases it is
the duty of a church to settle the difficulties existing between
au applicant for dismission and any other memheror mem- !
hors of the church, before he can be dismissed in fellow. ‘
ship. If any member makes an unreasonable objection, it \
is the duty of the church to labor with such member to con- |
viuco him of the impropriety of his opposition; but if he con- j
tinues obstinate, he should be excommunicated for the indul- j
gence of a contentious spirit. Then the applicant may be’
.ismissed in fellowship, when reasonable objections arc satis- |
jin:' until answered by him, and unreasonable objectors are
turned out of the church. I
I’ was also stated by our correspondent that n part of the’
minority of the church, on account of their dissatisfaction
with the act of the majority, had taken letters of dismission.!
We should say that here was an error both on the part of
those that asked, and of those that granted letters of dismis.j
•■non under such circumstances. It seems to us that nothing l
P j
cun be more absurd than fora church to grant its members!
letters of dismission expressing fellowship, when it is known
to the church, that a wan! of fellowship is the principal motive!
fir asking such letters. It is all important for the interest of
t ie churches, and their usefulness in the world, that their
members should be in fellowship, not only while they remain
m the church, but at the time of their dismission from it—
Scriptural methods ought therefore to he adopted to secure
ibis fellowship. The method to be pursued by individual j’
members is plainly laid down by our Lord himself—in the,
13th chapter of Matthew. The same principle should be!
adopted to promote harmony, not only between churches, ‘
■ut even fragments of churches.
in titu difficulty suggested above, we should say, that in
steal of the members of the dissatisfied minority asking for!
■•iters of dismission, or leaving the church in any other way,
it would first be their duty in the spirit of meekness toen.
di’H vor to convince the majority of their error. If they should
fail in being able to do this, they should carry their grtev-i
.nice to 301110 neighboring church, to obtain their aid in la
boring with the majority to have the ditliculty remedied.— i
,i siiJi church could be satisfied that injustice hail been done,!
they should appoint a committee to labor with t lie majority J
mi the behalf of the minority. If they fail to produce recon
f iliation, and arc still satisfied that the majority are exer-j
rising their power oppressively, it will be the duty of this
church to get the aid of other neighboring churches, in tur;
tfior efforts to settle the difficulty. If at last the labors of all
shall fail to convince the majority of their error, they wall
necessarily lose the fellowship of those mediating churches,
while the minority will be cordially received by them. Oth
it churches will accord with the reports of those who had
been laboring to restore the union of the divided church ;
and will open their doors to the members of the minority, and]
will close them against this oppressive majority. The ma
irity will still be an independent church, but will have lost
he fellowship of all those churches that have been witnesses
of its disorder.
Uhurches as well as members ought to follow after the,
tilings that make for peace. The exhortation will apply as
well to churches as to individuals, “If thy brother be overta
ken in a fault, ye which are spiritual restore such an one in
:ie spirit of meekness.” Although one church has no tri
bunal before which it can arraign a sister church, as indi
\iduals have, since each church is independent; yet it is
‘■one the less their duty to labor with each other in a proper
spirit, for the promotion of peace and harmony. While an^
j oppressed minority of a church has no tribunal to which it
j can appeal for the relief of its grievances, it may and ought
: to seek the sympathies of sirrounding churches in its dis
! tress, and if found to be justlr entitled to them, it will sel
dom fail to receive them. Tlus while our church govern
! went is congregational, and the majority entitled to rule
without appeal, yet they must learn to rule in righteousness,
!if they would not lose the confdence and fellowship of all
their neighboring sister churcles.
FAULTS OF BAPTISTS.
We publish a communication from ‘‘A Missionary,” pre
senting his views of the faults ts Baptists. No doubt there
jis a great deal of truth in what he says. Is the picture over!
drawn? It ought to be a matter of earnest enquiry among
jus whether it is or not. If it i; not, the work of reformation
11 is surely needed, and ought net to be delayed. If it is over!
jjdracvn, the charge should be refuted. We will no doubt be
ji found deserving .condemnation enough for our real faults, j
j without being taxed with anj that are imaginary. We
would submit the subject for the response of our brethren, j
Let the examination be honest and impartial. As far as
we are guilty let us repent and reform, as far as we are not,!
let a shewing of the truth be nade. It is a matter in which!
we all should feel an equal interest. The brother who
; brings the charges is no doubt koncst in his convictions, but:
jin some, we would lain hope h* may bo mistaken. In too
many I fear lie will be found correct. W© would be glad to,
jhear wlmt the brethren have to inswer.
Jt has not been our lot to hear brethren claim the right to
make changes in the requirements of God’s word, in accom-j
jmodation to the times and changes of the world. In this re-j
Inspect our lines have perhaps fuilen to us in more favorable
-places than our brother’s. Wethank our brother for his call
|to self-examination. Happy stall we be, if it shall lead to.
the correction of any of our errors and to our greater comfort!
1 in the pursuit of that in which we are right.
MERCER UNIVERSITY.
We invite the attention of our readers to the advertise-.
memos the public examination of this institution, to be found*
in our paper. We have no doubt the friends of Education
i would be gratified to witness it. The patrons of the school;
we art persuaded would feel well repaid for any little trou-,
ijble, or loss of time, it might epst them 19 attend. As it has.
’ been instituted by the denomination it ought to be interest
-1 ~
mg to them all to have an opportunity to witness for them-,
“selves, that their contributions for its support had not been in!
vain. Some who have been “patronizing other Institutions
far inferior to their own in point of merit, might do well to at-’
tend, and learn not only how inconsistently they had acted,
j j but also how blindly to their own interest.
We would still more earnestly invite attention to the ad-.
! vertisement of the examination of the Female School. We)
.’ire persuaded that any who have daughters to educate, and 1
j have need to send them abroad for tlmt purpose, would be!
j well rewarded to attend and witness the exercises in this
{{School. If they will come and make the trial, we will heart
all the blame of their disappointment if thoy shall fail to be‘
well rewarded for their trouble. The Instructors in this
Seminary ask no more patronage than the merits of their in-,
j struction shall claim for the best interests of their patrons.—
To have this properly understood, it will only be necessary
! for the friends to put themselves to a little trouble to ascer
tain for themselves the character of the School. This they
j!are respectfully invited to do.
,
MINUTES OF THE CONVENTION,
jj The minutes of the Baptist Convention of Georgia are
j now handsomely printed and very nearly in a state of rcadi
.ness for de.ivery. Brethren attending Commencement mav
do much iu aiding their distribution. Praise, we think, is
due to the printer for the handsome style in which they are
;putup; and we are confident the Secretary deserves the
thanks of the denomination for the amount of statistical in
formation he has, with no little labor, brought together in the
tab.es attached to the minutes, Oh that in those records we
could witness a more thorough consecration of the time, tal
ents anJ property of the denomination to the cause of the
Saviour.
ij We would commend to the attention of the Tasters of
churches, the following letter from a Pastor. How many
shall w e find following his example. He sends us from one
church 8 new subscribers.
! J Brother Sanders.—l am endeavoring to establish in ail the
churches that I am serving as pastor, an active and perse
vering agent for the Christian Index. Asa stimulus, 1
have made known to them that for five new subscribers who!
pay in advance they can have the Index to read one vear
(i free of charge. E. G. ||
oral anb U l l igio ne .
DEVOTING A FIXED PORTION OF INCOME TO
CHARITABLE PURPOSES.
In reading the biogiaphy of the most eminently, pious and
useful in different ages, we have often been struck with the
1 fact, that almost all of them devoted a regular proportion of
• their income to pious and charitable uses. We will men
tion a few whose names are familiar, whose writings are ven
erated, and whose memory is precious. Among those who
made a tenth the fixed portion of their almsgiving, was Lord
Chief Justice Hale, the Rev. Dr. Hammond, and the Rev.
Dr. Anneslev. Baxter informs us, that lie long adheard to
this, until, for himself, he found it too little, and observes, “I
think, however, that it is as likely a proportion as can be
prescribed; and that devoting a tenth pari ordinarily to God
is a matter that we have more than human direction for.”—
Doddridge was another instance of this kind. “I make a
: solemn dedication of one tenth of tny estate, salary and in
-1 come, to charitable uses; and I also devote to such uses an
eighth of everything I receive by way of gift or present.”—
A fifth part was the fixed proportion of Archbishop Tillotsou
and Dr. Watts. A fourth part was the proportion constantly
! given by Mrs. Bury, the wife of the eminently pious and
useful Rev. Mr. Bury. Her husband, in his account of her
life, says : “She thought it was reasonable that such as had
! not children should appropriate a fourth part of their net pro
!!fits to charitable purposes.” Mrs. Elizabeth Rowe
’ even more than this, “I consecrate,” says that excellant fe
ll male, “ halfoi my yearly income to charitable uses; yes, all
that I have beyond the bare conveniences and necessities of
life shall surely ha the Lord’s.” Such too was the constant
practice of the Hon. Robert Boyle, of the Rev. Mr. Brand,
: and of the Rev. Thomas Gouge. Os the latter, Archbishop
jjTillotson says, in his funeral sermon, “All things considered,
j‘there have not been, since the primitive times of Christiani.
ty, many among the sons of men, to whom that glorious char
! acter of the Sou of God might be belter applied, that “Ire
went about doing good
The last might be extended to those who have lived since,
jjto many of our own age, and in our country, but these ex
; amples are sufficient. If Christians generally were to act
thus, to fix some due proportion, and keep a separate fund
* for charitable purposes, w th how much more wisdom, pru
dence and cheerfulness, would they perform this Christian
! duty. llow often would they lift up their hearts to God, iri
‘jdevout thunksgiving for affording them opportunities of pr
joying this privilege, and of showing to themselves and o:h
----,• ers, that “it is more blessed to give than to receive !”—Lon
don Watchman.
[I rom the Christian Chronicle.] t
,! ! WHICH IS
” Two Intelligent “Presbyterians,'"conversing together a few
; days since, found much fault with their German Reformed
and Lutheran brethren, because the hitter admitted to their
communion-table, persons who had never professed a chance
: of heart, but who had been baptized and could recite their
! catechisms. This they thought unscriptural, awfully de
ceptive to the ignorant communicant, and subversive of the
■ ordinance.
!| Now, 1 know not whether this charge be true or false.
Ijßut 1 no know that these same Presbyterians commune with
I j these same Lutherans and German Reformers, and thus par
! take of ail their guilt in profaning the ordinance. And I
. know many Presbyterians deem the Baptists to be bigoted
i and unchristian for not communing with just such Luthe
jjrans. So tnat the Presbyterians do endorse, pubiiclv, with
l jibe sacred emblems, what they cull a fatal, soul-destroying
1 heresy ; and condemn the Baptists because tiiey cannot en
dorse it at the communion-table, where the‘liberal’ platform
; of pedobaptism places upon an equality, believers and unbe
lievers, Chrt„tians and infidels, if they areonlv sprinkled and
catechised 11
But the Lutherans are cons Id >:t with their profession* in
this matter, and the Presbyterians inconsistent. Both re
garded children as m inkers of •••.he church.” All church
members have certain! v a right to its ordinances. There
are nianv more requirements express ’d for baptism than for
communion, and it seems to be put forth as a far more impor
tant net; and if the greater may be enjoyed, whv not tie
less ? Infant (or unbeliever’s) baptism, and infant (or uni t -
believer’s) communion, are neither of them required, men
tioned, or hinted ut, in God’s word : and if one may be m
ferred, so may the other. Both are clearly “man’s inven
tions;” and therefore tile priest may as well put the wafer
:on the babe’s tongue as the water on its forehead. One is
as useful, as necessary, and asscriptural as the other. As
communion seems to have followed baptism always if per
sons can receive the first without “believing,” they certainly
can the second. “They who gladly received the word, were
baptized; and tiie same day there were added unto them
about three thousand souls ; and they continued steadfast in
the apostles’ doctrine and fellairship and in breaking of bread,
and in prayer.” This, and many other passages, clearly
intimate that they only who believed, enjoyed the church or
dinances.
The Lutherans and German Reformers, then if right on
baptism, are right on communion. The strange position of
Presbyterians on this point, cannot long be maintained, for
the ordinances are for the church or for the world. Their
trouble rises at their own door. Baptized believersonlv will
commune. There is no distinction between the ordinances
as church privileges. Common sense will set this matter
right. The Presbyterians and Congregationafists, I believe
now universally reject infant or unbelievers’ communion.—
And yet only one hundred years ago, so eminent and pfous
a man as Rev. Dr. Jonathan Edwards, was driven froinrus
[July