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JOSEPH WALKER, Editor.
SAMUEL BOYKIN, Associate Editor.
\ OLUME 37 New S EREES Y 01.26.
CHRISTIAN INDEX.
PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY MORNING
At MACON, Ga.,
ST A COMMITTEE OF BRETHREN,
jfar tie Cnrcafa Mapttst gon^tntton.
SELECTIONS _
A Christian Literature.
ITS POWfIR.
FACTS.
Hervey’s “Theron and Aspa.sio”sent
Thomas Robinson to be to Leicester
what Baxter was to Kidderminster;
and the “Whole Duty of Man” aided
by “Wilson on the Lord’s Supper,”
kindled the light that was borne aloft
by Charles Simeon at Cambridge,
which, in that one of twin centres of
learning and thought for the British
empire, enabled him to communicate
the impulse of his own pure and no
ble consecration to Christ, to so many
who have been its statesmen, philoso
phers, and preachers of the gospel.
BAXTER.
Young Baxter picked up in his fath
er’s house an old tattered volume
which a poor cottager had lent him,
and which awakened in him strong
convictions of the evil of sin. It was
Bunny’s “Book of Christian Exercises
appertaining to Resolution,” whose
great object is to press od all the duty
of “resolving to become Christians in
deed.” Thus awakened, the young in
quirer found peace and hope in the
perusal ol Sibb’s “Bruised Reed.”
DODDRIDGE.
“ Baxter’s Call” awakened and sav
ed Philip Doddridge ; and in 1745
Doddridge, moved by the advice of
Dr. Watts, wrote and gave to the press
his “Rise and Progress of Religion,”
a work he could never have produced
but for his familiarity with his favor
ite authors, Howe, Baxter, and Tillot-
Bon. That work has been translated
into German, Dutch, Danish and
French, and has thus sent its saving
influences among the millions who
speak these tongues. “Wherever the
well-nigh universal English tongue has
gone it has followed.,
WILBERFORCE.
William Wilberforce was led to
Christ by Doddridge’s “Rise and Pro
gress.” But not satisfied with his em
inent services as a Christian statesman
and philanthropist, Wilberforce wrote
his “Practical View.” A few months
after its publication, a young Cam
bridge graduate undertook the cura
cies of Brading and Yaverlaud in the
Isle of Wight. Orthodox and moral,
and to a good degree zealous, he was
still a stranger to the life and power ol
the gospel he preached. A friend loan
ed him Wilberforce’s ‘Practical “V iew.’
A change was effected in his views of
divine truth, as decided as it was in
fluential. He was no longer satisfied
with the creed of the speculatist; he
felt a conviction of his own state as a
guilty, condemned sinner, and under
that conviction he sought mercy at the
Cross of the Saviour.” That young
curate was
LEIGH RICHMOND.
And to speak of nothing else he did,
he wrote “The Dairyman’s Daughter,”
which has carried the words of life into
uncounted hamlets and cottages,
wberg the humble and obscure have
found the love of Him who especially
sends the gospel to such.
THOMAS CHALMERS.
About fourteen years after the pub
lication of the “Practical View,” there
W was a Scottish clergyman, of vast grasp
of mind, and magnificent eloquence of
tongue. Nature and art combined to
put him forth as a giant—a son of
Anftk. And he, too, is preaching an
unknown Christ. He has the form
without the power of godliness. But
now the commandment, which is ex
ceeding broad, had come to him. His
self-righteousness was slain. Sin re
vived and he died. His squl was trou
bled. He sought rest and found none.
But in this time of sore need, God’s
providence opened before him a little
hook, from which he would have turn
ed with loathing and scorn in the day
of his intellectual and spiritual pride.
That book preached Jesus unto him,
and Thomas Chalmers became the spir
itual son of William Wilberforce.—
Baxter could not have borne a lull
revelation of all that he had done for
• God and man, when he had penned the
last sentence of the “Call to the Un
converted.” It would have been over
whelming as Paul’s exaltation to the
third heaven.
ARCHIBALD ALEXANDER.
Soame Jenyns’ “ Internal Eviden
ces” cleared from his mind all the
doubts as to the truth of our holy re
ligion that had gathered there. Fla
yel’s “Method of Grace” awakened him
to a sense of his sins in the sight of
God, and Jenks on “Justification by
Faith” showed him how God can be
THE CHRISTIAN INDEX.
just, and yet justify the sinner that
believeth in Jesus, and thus introduc
ed him to the peace that passeth all
understanding. Truly he was a deb
tor to the religious press, and well did
he repay it.
A GOOD BOOK.
It requires no training for its work,
but it leaps full armed lYom the press,
wise to win souls, and strong,.*eo that
it can run and not be weary, and walk
and not faint. Needing no salary, it
asks for no sustenation fund to keep
life in it. It fears no epidemic, and i3
just as safe amid the fever jungles of
India, as in the clear sweet air of the
Allehgany mountains. Its preaching
is not confined to appointments and
-set times. It bides its time, and can
afford to wait the leisure or even the
caprice of its owner. It lies at hand
ready to be taken up in the intervals
of labor, or when pleasure has palled.
It does not grow discouraged by long
neglect. It is not capable of mortifi
cation insult. It may lie unread,
upon lie shelf till covered with dust,
but it patiently waits the convenient
season, and the set time, and then
when the providence, word, or Spirit
ofGodhas awakened the conscience,
and prepared the anxious soul to ask,
What must I do to be saved ? Its long
silent voice is heard saying, Behold, I
show you the way of life. Thus the
word of salvation is often nigh him to
whom the living minister is a strang
er.
BY THEIR BOOKS GOOD MEN CONTINUE TO
TREACII.
Doddridge lays his worn body in the
grave, and rests from his labors.—
He speaks no more. The men that
heard him and witnessed his earnest?
faithfulness, follow him to the silent
house. Tradition becomes more and
more dim in its delineation of his am
bassadorship. Aiid soon the wave
gathers smoothly over the spot stiired
by his descending form. The place
that knew him knows him no more.—
But the “Rise and Progress of Eelig
’ ion” takes up the line of this benefi
cent action, multiplies it into myriads,
and perpetuates each one. A:,d the
book goes forth in some sense superior
to its author. It never hungers, is not
weary or discouraged, and never sick
ens or dies. Nothing earthly is bo in
destructible as a good book, broadly
cast forth on the current of men, and
committed to their languages. Lon
don may be sunk in an hour, hut no
destruction that man knows can reach
such a book as that of which we speak.
Bunyan’s “ Pilgrim” goes forth free
from its author’s prison, and still walks
the earth with the light of heaven
beaming from his countenance, and
words of life upon his lips.
THEY ARE TO BE ENVIED.
. It is not wonderful then that our no
blest preachers have coveted the hon
or and hlesseduess of preaching by the
press, which has more tongues than
were heard at Pentecost. It was nat
ural that Nevins, able and successful
as he was iu the pulpit, should have
for years longed and prayed for the
privilege of writing one good tract,
and that his soul swelled with grati
tude and praise to God, when he found
that this grace had been vouchsafed
to him.
THE UNEDUCATED POOR.
It is a fact that forces itself on the
attention, and which has often been
lamented by the lovers of onr Zion,
that we have not more completely
reached and leavened the lower strata
of society. There is an actual want
of church and ministerial accommoda
tion for the vast masses that are per
ishing around us in ignorance and sin.
We have not room for them if they
were to come. But the difficulty is,
that they do not come. Look over any
of onr congregations, in town or coun
try, and you see ‘the well dressed, or
derly, and intelligent. The middle
and upper classes are well represented.
But where are they who crowd the
highways, and shelter under the hed
ges, and spend their time in little else
than “fighting the wolf from the door”
of humble cottages, alike in the crowd
ded city, and the sparsely settled coun
try % It seems to be true, that the diffi
culty lies deeper than a mere question
of expense, and is to be found in a
want of taste among the uneducated
for our ministrations, and that the way
to remove the difficulty is to elevate
ihose we seek to reach, in intelligence.
And where can we find better mental
and spiritual stimulants than are af
forded by good publications ? And by
what agency can we reach those at
whom we aim bnt by a well organized
and vigorously prosecuted system of
colportage —scattering these seeds of
life by all waters, and carrying to the
homes of the people those doctrines
and discussions that are calculated to
bring them to our churches, and make
them intelligent and profited hearers
of our ministry.
ORGAN OF THE BAPTIST OF TKE STATE OF GEORGIA
SUGGESEION.
Let there be systematical well-or
ganized plans for diffusing a pure,
healthy religious literature throughout
the land. Let cheap Bibles, religious
books and tracts be accessible to pur
chasers at every point. Let the church
es see to it, not only that books be
convenient, but that faithful colpor
teurs scatter abroad the seeds of truth.
Let-the light of a Christian literature
shine in every dark corner, light up
every gloomy recess, dispel the clouds
of ignorance and shed abroad the full
blaze of Gospel effulgence. When
that is the case, no longer will an oc
casional conversion be the result of
reading a good book, but all over the
land, from every hamlet and village
will go up the sound of praise and
thanksgiving from regenerated souls,
the results of a sanctified literature.
Self-Examination.
PREPARATORY TO COMMUNION.
From a Sacramental Directory, By the Rev.
John Willison, minister at Dundee, Eng.
Question 1. Have 1 ever been spirit
ually enlightened , and got my eyes
opened to see the depravity of my na
ture, and the sinfulness of my heart
and life, and that I am all as an un-
clean thing before God ?
Quest. 2. Have I been truly convin
ced and made sensible of the exceeding
evil that is in sin? Is my heart touch
ed with a deep remorse for it, and
brought to loathe it, and willingly to
forsake every known sin ? Was I ever
brought the length, even to be willing
to be loosed from this body of flesh,
that I may be freed from the body of
sin ?
Quest. 3. Have Ibeen brought to see
my absolute need of Christ to save me
from sin and w T rath, to bring me unto
God, and to give ine grace and glory?
Have I seen such beauty, and tasted
such sweetness in Christ, that lie is
truly precious to me, and altogether
lovely in my esteem , so that I would
willingly part with all things tor him?
Quest. 4. Have I covenant-relation
to an interest in God as mine? Have I
made choice of him as my God and
portion ? and have I resigned and giv
en up myself to him ? Can I say, lam
thine, Lord, and all I have, both body
and soul ? Are my eyes the Lord’s to
Leliold liis wondrous worts ? Are ‘ irty
ears his, to hear his heavenly word ?
Are my taste and smell his, to relish
his surpassing sweetness in the crea
tures ? Is my tongue his, to proclaim
and triumph in his praise ? Are my
hands his, to work what is good, and
to help his people ? Are my feet his,
to walk in his ways ? Is my under
standing his to know his will, and con
template his perfections ? Is my mem
ory to his treasure up his counsels and
promises ? Is my conscience his, for a
deputy to accuse or excuse under him?
Is my will his, to cho.ose or refuse ac
cording to his pleasure ? Is my grief
his, to mourn for what is offensive to
him ? Is my hatred Ms, to abhor and
flee from what is hateful to him ? Are
my desires his, to long and pant for
his presence? my love his, to embrace
him ? my delight h-is, to acquiesce ful
ly and contentedly in him ?
Quest. 5. Is sin in some measure
mortified in me f Do I find it weaker,
or have I more strength to resist it
than formerly ? Is it now any grief
and burden to find it moving and stir
ring in my heart.
Quest. 0. Doth the interest of God ,
my Creator and Redeemer , prevail in
my heart above the interest of the
world, or of the flesh ? Do I seek chief
ly, and above all things, the kingdom
of God and his righteousness * Do I
prefer Jerusalem above my chief joy ?
Quest. What is that frame and dis-
THE COMMUNION TABLE.
From the same Work.
position of soul that we should come
with to the communion table ?
Answ. Take these directions con
cerning it.
1. Come to it with holy awe and
reverence of God. Were you going
to a prince’s table, you would go to it
with some awe and concern; and will
you have none when you go to the ta
ble of the great Jehovah, who is your
Judge, searches tire heart, and ob
serves all your actions ? He is a God
that is very jealous of his honor, and
will not be mocked ; you ought to
come to this table with a holy dread
and reverence, adoring the holiness
and justice of God, manifested in the
sufferings of Christ. How vehement
ly did he hate sin, that he would not
pity or spare his dear Son, when he
cried t© him! but seeing he had un
dertaken to pay our debt, and drink
. our cup, the least farthing or drop he
, would not abate him. Though the
sinner be spared, j et sin must be pun
ished to the uttermost; our cautioner
paid dearly for it. We ought to adore
his justice, saying, with the men of
Bethshemesh, 1 Sam vi. 20. “Who is
able to stand before this holy Lord
MACON. WEDNESDAY,. PECEMREft ). 1858.-
God ?” I here is no standing but at
Christ’s back, our blessed cautioner
“ in whom God is well pleased.” 3®
11. Come with holy fear and jeal
ousy over yourselves, lest you be fonud
unwelcome guests, and draw down the
guilt of unworthy communicating up
on yourselves ; cry, ‘Lord, keep me
from wounding Christ and my own
soul this day ; let me not betray the
Son of God with a kiss : deliver me
from blood-guiltless, and from drink
ing damnation. 0 ! what if I want
the wedding garment, when the King
comes in to view the guests !
111. Come with brokenness of heart
for sin, the cause of Christ’s sufferings.
Look on your pride, passion, hypocri
sy 5 covetousness, malice, lying, swear
ing, &c., as Christ’s only tormentors ;
behold how they pressed him down in
the garden,, till he ~swat? I rysofi,--see
them binding the cross on Christ’s
back, —see them nailing his hands,
piercing his temples, and grieving his
heart—see them buffeting and spitting
on him—see them making him groan,
weep, and roar out his complaint—
“My God, my God, why hast thou for
saken me ?” It was on us this tragedy
should have been acted—on us these
vials of wrath should have been pour
ed ; “for he was wounded for our trans
gressions, and bruised for our iniqui
ties.’ Isa. liii. 5. O shall we see
Christ’s heart streaming blood, and our
eyes not. drop tears? Shall we see him
stretched out and nailed for us, and
our hearts not bleed ? Oh ! it was my
sins that made the nails ; they drove
them in, they thrust in the spear, yea,
they killed the Lord of lifet’and'shall
I not mourn ? Did you see a malefac
tor, who had committed twenty mur
ders, used like Christ, your hearts
woyild he concerned ; aad will you not
he affected to behold the innocent
Lamb of God so abused by your sins ?
Look on him ye have pierced, and
mourn. This passover must be eaten
with hitter herbs. Sow in tears, if you
would reap in joy. A weeping com
municant is a very pleasing sight both
to God and man ; a broken-hearted,
weeping sinner will suit well with a
bruised and bleeding Saviour.
IV. Come with burning love and
affection to Christ. TJjis is a feast on
• ly-ftwHStc ‘-friends and” RiVers of'Christ.
Cant. y. 1. W ithou t love von have|
nothing to do here. 0 believer ! is
thy heart cold when Christ’s love is
warm ? Will you not recompence loye
with love ? Can you behold Christ on
a cross dying with love in his heart,
and Smiiss in his looks ; can you see
his bleeding arms open to embrace
you, the spear reaching his heart, and
his affections streaming out to you in
blood, and that when you were ene
mies to him, and haters of him, and
and not be ravished with his love ?
Can you bhold his wounds, or put your
finger into the print of the nails, and
be sick of love, and cry out with Thom
as, “My Lord and my GodW Can you
view him that is the “.chief among ten
thousand,” yea, among an hundred
thousand, and among all the thousands
in heaven and earth, and your hearts
not love him? Turn over all things,
both in heaven and earth, you can find
none like him, so excellent in himself,
and so well adapted to your conditions
and circumstances. Paul was a learn
ed man, and knew many things—a
traveled man, and had seen and heard
many things ; yet when he casts up
his accounts of all he had ever seen,
heard, or known, he says, “I count all
but dung and loss for the excellency
of the knowledge of Christ,” Phil. iii.
8, 9.
VI. Come with humjOfty and self
denial, and content to be nothing, that
Christ may be all; to sub
mit to any thing, for a blink of his
countenance. Be sensible of your ill
deservings, and acknowledge a cram
will be a * great mercy. Be content,
with the prodigal and woman of Ca
naan, to he taken into Christ’s family,
though it were in the meanest station
and employment; let me be the mean
est of Christ’s servants, though I. be
never so illused, or ill respected, I will
be thankful if I be within Christ’s
doors, have a relation to his family,
and can call him Master. Again, come
self deniedly, renouncing all confidence t
in yourself, your preparations, humili
ation, or performances. These may be
good graces and good duties, but they
will be ill Christs and ill Saviours. —
Freely own that it is not your own
righteousness that saves you, nor your
nor your own strength that quickens
you ; but only Christ’s, righteousness
and Christ’s strength. Say, ‘Blessed
Jesus, I flee to thee alona ; I have no
hope in myself, nor in any thing be
sides thee ; all my confidence is in the
freeness of thy love, the mercy of thy
bowels, the merit of tby death, the
worth of thy blood, the sufficiency of
thy righteousness, and power of thy
intercession.’
’ ome with charity and love to
l.p r ?^ n ’ even to jour very enemies.—
I !lnis 1 in liceand envy, pray for
yo,ii f aemies, forgive them, wish well
and do good both to their souls and
bodies, according to Christ’s example
C ; USB 5 but especially bring
pe"tlT’ “,’Y nd affecU ” * God*
Sl ’l, L ght in ,hdr fellowship
aboie all olhere, for they are the ex
cellent ones of the earth.
YIII. Come with lionest designs* to
seal a marriage covenant with Christ.
Consent frankly to Christ to be your
Prince and Saviour ; do not think of
halving in with Christ, be willing to
take him entirely upon his own terms.
Be content not only to be saved by
him, but to serve him 5 live for him,
light for him, and cleave to him all
th| days *pf your life ; resolving that
ail tho pleasures of sin, temptations of
S#tan, and allurements of the world,
nays, the hopes ol enjoying ten thou
sand worlds, shall never prevail with
you to part with Christ. Come, resign
ing yourselves, your hearts, and eve
ry every one of them ten fhousand
times better than they are, the should
all be thine. Come with strong vows
and purposes against sin, that murder
ed your Saviour; resolve never to
harbor it, or make peace with it, but
that you will light against it to your
last breath and revenge the death of
Christ on it.
IX. Come with thankfulness and
piaise to God for redeeming love, and
providing such a Saviour for you. Let
the .high praises of God be in your
mouths; send up whole vollies of
praise to your Redeemer, for under
taking your deliverance. Invite the
angels and rill the creation to assist
you in this work. Stir up yonr souls,
and all that is within you to bless his
holy name; your souls (like Mary)
snoul “magnify the Lord, and your
spirits rejoiee in God your Saviour ;”
your hearts should ascend, the Ma
noah s angel, in the smoke of thanks
giving and praise. Say, ‘Lord’ what
shall I render to thee for ail thou hast
done and suffered for me ? Lord, what
am I that I that thou shouldst part
with thy glory, yea, with thy blood
and with thy life, for suclui wretch as
me ? I am ashamed that I can love
and praise thee no more, Oh! my heart
is cold, rny tongue is slow ! Lot hea
\eu and earth, angels and men, join
and extol his free grace and wondrous
love ; let all the world ring with his
pra’se.”
From the South Western Baptist.
Sovereignty of Baptist
CHURCHES.
Can the Baptist Church at A re
ceive an excluded member from the
Baptist Church at B without the con
sent of the Church at B?
’ No one w 11 deny but that upon prin
ciples of sovereignty and in iependence
the Church at A can do any thing she
pleases ; but to do things arbitrarily
and to do things rightfully are two
distinct matters. Can the Church at
A, rightfully receive the excluded
member f That’s the question. *
It is a fundamental and axiomatic
principle underlying our denomina
tional polity that each Church is sover
eign and independent; and that one
church has no jurisdiction nor judicial
authority over another churchy nor over
any of its acts so far as they are acts
performed in the exercise of its legiti
mate authority and within its jurisdic
tion.
This is an acknowledged Baptist
rule ot conduct, having truth, common
sense and good reason to support it,—
Xow the church at A claims for her
self the very highest position of sover
eignty and independence contended
for in the above proposition ; and by
claiming so much for herself she con
cedes the same process, in haec verba
for the church at A. Conceding this
much she must acknowledge ex neces
sitate rei, that the act of excluding the
member, by the church at B, is an act
of legitimate authority by said church,
falling within her jurisdiction, and
tliereiore she cannot and will not in
termeddle with it. The very moment
the church at A touches the question
of exclusion by the church at B she
,impugns the sovereignty of the church
‘at B, by presuming to sit in judgment
on her cohduet and nullifying her ac
tion—an action done and performed
in the exercise of her legitimate au
thority. She thereby sets herself
above the church at B and strikes a
blow at the sovereignty and indepen
dence of all Baptist Churches.
Bnt it may be said, the church at A
does not dispute the legal authority
and jurisdiction of the church at B in
the premises, but only claims that the
authority has been lorongfully exer
cised. The power of deciding wheth
er a legal authority has been wrong
fully exercised belongs only to courts
of higher jurisdiction. Sovereignty
GEORGIA TELEGRAPH STEAM POWER PRESS
always resides in the highest jurisdic
tion—in a jurisdiction where decisions
are final and absolute, and over which
there are neither courts of Appeal nor
courts of Review. To claim, therefore,
the power to review the act of tho
church at B in order to determine up
on its rightful or, wrongful character,
is claiming a power that only belongs
to a court of higher jurisdiction and
authority, and therefore a palpable and
duect offense against the sovereignty
of the church at B.
* Having, as we think, demonstrated
ie pioposit.ion above laid down, we
proceed a step further in the argument
and maintain— that the decision of a
matter in dispute by at ribunal of com
petekt jurisdiction is held by all other
tribunals , of no higher authority, to
be final and conclusive—it is res ad
judicata.
Let us illustrate : The Circuit courts
of Georgia have competent jurisdic
tion over ail matters touching titles to
negroes. I sues Gin one of those
courts for the recovery of certain ne
groes and succeeds in obtaining a judg
ment of recovery against him. G af
terwards meets with F in Alabama,
and brings suit against him for the re
covery ot the same negroes. The ex
hibition of the judgment from Georgia
would be a final bar to the suit in
Alabama—upon the principle that G
had once had his day in a court of
competent jurisdiction upon this same
matter and the judgment of that court
could not be disturbed. The cause
would b° res adjudicata. The reply
of G that the Georgia judgment is >
wrong would not help his suit. If’
wrong he must go to the court from
whence it emanated and have it cor
rected ; but the Alabama courts would
not Ipok into that matter. If the de
cision of the Georgia court works a
hardship, so be it; for it were better
that G suffer than that a great princi
ple of common law, founded on com
mon sense, be subverted. If some rule
as this were not observed—legislation
would never end and the solemn ad
judications of courts of competent ju
risdiction would be notbingtmore than
solemn farces.
Xow upon like reason and principle
tbfc* application oF-felre excluded” lTlGin
ber from the church at B should be
respected by the church at A. The
cause has had the solemn adjudica
tion ot a church in every way compe
tent to try it and pass judgment upon
it. And it were far better that the
excluded member suffer the want of
church privileges (for that is the ex
tent ot the judgment in the case) than
that an important canon of our denom
ination os set aside, the sovereignty
of the churches be overthrown, and the
peace of Zoin disturbed.
We advance still another step in
this argument and contend.— that
WHEN A MATTER IN DISPUTE Oli AN OF
FENSE COMMITTED BELONGS EXCLU
SIVELY TO ONE TRIBUNAL No OTHER
TRIBUNAL HAS OR CAN HAVE ANY JURIS
DICTION.
Let ns illustrate again : And offen
der is tried and convicted before the
Circuit court of Muscogee county,
Georgia, for larceny committed in said
county. How the Circuit court of
Muscogee has EXCLUSIVE jurisdic
tion of the offense and the offender.—
The criminal, however, not being sat
isfied with the justice of the judgment
in Muscogee, makes application for
trial to the Circuit court of Harris
county. The applicatioi is refused
on the ground, either of which is con
clusive of the merits of the case, Ist,
that the criminal has been already
tried by a court of competent jurisdic
tion ; 2ndly, because the offense be
longed EXCLUSIVELY to tlio juris
diction of the Circuit court of Musco
gee, which excludes the case from
every other jurisdiction”
Indulge us further: By the laws of
Georgia a convicted Felon from Eu
rope cannot obtain citizenship in that
State. Xow, M. is tried and convic
ted before the court of Queen’s Bench
in England for forgery—(a felony)
committed in England and while he
was a citizen of that Kngdom. He is
banished from the country and ever
afterwards denied the rights of citizen
ship in that empire. He comes to the
State of Georgia, and with a view to
gain citizenship, makes application
before one of her courts for anew tri
al on the same charge. The court in
Georgia would reply: I our offense
was committed in another country,
and while you were its citizen, and
was properly tried by the court of
Queen’s Bench, which had EXCLU
SIVE jurisdiction of the case. If
your case had never been tried, how
ever, this court could not entertain it
for a moment, for the reason, that the
EXCLUSIVE JURISDICTION OF ANOTHER
TRIBUNAL HAS EXCLUDED THE JURISDIC
TION OF THIS COURT,
Jauiublu 48-
Ibis is a most significant parallel
ism, and bears strongly on the case of
ihe exclusion of a member by the
chureJi. How.can the church at A
entertain a cause over which it has no
jurisdiction whatever. The offense
was committed against the church at
L while he was a Member of that
church, and Against no other church,
therefore the cafise fell entirely and
exclusively within the jurisdiction of
the church at B. Her EXC.LL
bI\ LL\ jurisdiction excluded the ju
risdiction ot all-other Baptist church
es. And it the charge was for bail
conduct it ought to exclude the case
irom the ecclesiastical tribunal of all
otiier denominations, upon principle of
comity and good neighborhood, if for
no other reason.
Ihe convicted member cannot ob
tain meinoership in the Church at, A
unless he can get that church to re
view’ and set aside the judgment of the
cnurch at B, and thereby commit a
great wrong. -The church at A ought
to spurn the application :
Ist. lor want of jurisdiction of the
ofiense or offender.
“nd. Because he had had a trial by
a church of competent, and even ex
clusive jurisdiction.
3rd. Because to review the charge
and set aside the action of t he church
at L would be an assumption of supe
rior wisdom rectitude and power over
the latter church.
4tli. Because to bit in judgment on
the action of a sister church on a mat
ter within her exclusive jurisdiction
would.strike: a fatal blow at the sov
ereignty of ;ui Baptist churches and
make their most solemn acts and ad
judications of no effort.
sth. Because to rehear the ease
would promote endless litigation and
destroy the peace of the churches.
Xow it may, now and then, perhaps
in one case out of a thousand, happen
that a member may be wrongfully ex
cluded from the church and these
rules may bear hard upon him; but
laws of know’ll and acknwledged wis
dom and justice must, never bend to
suit individual cases; cases must al
ways bend to the laws*—otherwise jus
tice would be fickle and capricious,
and afr tfie wfiinr and limey of every
administrator of its sacred functions.
It were far better therefore that an
isolated case should now and then ex
ist of a person’s being wrongfully de
prived of of church privileges chan
that a half dozen well established
rules be violated—the’ fundamental
policy of our denomination attacked,
and the harmony of Zion’s hosts de
stroyed. The writer, however, ven
tures little in saying that in Oh out of
every 100 of such cases the excluded
member who thus wantonly tliusts
himself forward as an apple of discord
and division, is unworthy of church
membership anywhere, The sequel
generally is, that the church that gets
him loses much, gains little, and is
generally sick of her bargain in more
ways than one. The churches would
do w r ell to look with suspicion upon
the merit and Christian character of
all such applicants.
Aside from all these great principle
of sovereignty, comity and good faith,
the good sense of the rule that “a man
shall be tried by the people of hi3
vicinage, neighborhood or county, is
as apparent in church as state trials.
Justice is more apt to be done to the
public and the accused. This rule
owes its existence to the fact that the
moral status of a man in best known
in the country of his residence. All
the states of this Union, and most, if
not all the States of Europe have re
cognized its soundness ; and the in
habitants of every country, who live
honestly, will recognize its, soundness
in their own trials. Men ofbad char
acter had rather be tried by strangers,
but men of good character will trust
their “lives, their fortunes, and their
sacred honor” into the hands of those
who know them best. So is the reli
gious character of a man best knowu
in his own church. The church is the
last enemy a good man has on earth ;
and may we not say she is his surest
and best friend. When a member
gets so good that his church becomes
his enemy and his ‘persecutor he is
too good for this world by all odds. —
Who does not know that the members
of a man’s church have a more ap
preciative view of his good qualities
and a more charitable view of liis
faults than all others in the world.—
The writer had rather risk his reput a
tion and character into the bauds of
his brethren of the same church than
into the hands of any other member
ship on earth. He knows that those
brethren could never measure out to
him anything short of even handed
justice.” Should lie ever be so unfor
tunate as to bo wrongfully excluded
from his present church membership
he would never be content to seek for
a home or justice any where else.—
Here, and Here only, would he seek
for both, though he might be a life
time in finding them.