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THE CHRISTIAN INDEX,
published every avednesday morning
AT MACON, GEORGIA.
BY A COMMITTEE OF BRETHREN,
FOR THE
GEORGIA BAPTIST CONVENTION.
TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION,
Two Dollars in advance: or paid within the year
If suffered to overrun the yea* 1 , Two Dollars and
one half will be chained in all cases.
S \MI EL BOYKIX, Editor.
VOLUME XXXIX.
PRESTON & LUMPKIN CHURCH
ES. ’
The following statement, Letter and
Reply were sent to us by the Lump
kin church, with the request to pub
lish them.— [Ed. Index.]
EXPLANATORY STATEMENT.
A female member of the Preßton
church was charged with a high crime.
Upot) the trial, a majority of the church
professing not to be satisfied with
the proof of her guilt, refused to ex
clude her. After the final action of the
church, some 20 or 30 members with
drew—some with letters of dismission
and some without letters. This mi
nority have called upon certain church
es to meet, by delegates, at Preston on
a certain day, to determine which is
the true church, they or the majority.
LETTER TO LUMPKIN CHURCH.
Preston, July 3rd, 1860.
To the Baptist Church at Lumpkin.
Hear Brethren:
In behalf of a company of brethren
and sisters in Christ, you are request
ed to send your Pastor, to meet in
council, at Preston, August 15th, at
ten o’clock, a. m„ to consider the pro
priety ot recognizing said company of
brethren and sisters, as Preston Bap
tist church.
The following churches are invited,
(vizQ Pineville, Beunavista, Union,
Antioch, Shilo, (Sumpter,) Rehoboth,
Ebernezer, Pontown and Americus.
Affect i- natel y yours in Christ,
JOHN M. SHEPHERD,
J. J. CIIAPPEL,
E. P. BEAUCIIANESS.
J. D. STAPLETON,
Committee.
REPLY OF LUMPKIN CHURCH.
Lumpkin, Ga., July 12th, 1860.
Dear Brethren :
The Lumpkin Baptist Church, in de
clining to accede to your request, as ex
pressed in your letter of the 3rd inst,
have appointe 1 us, a committee, to pre
sent to your consideration, the reasons
of her refusal.
Ist. The I nmipkin church recognises j
no warrant in the New Testament for
such a council as you have called ; nor
for any council to pass judgment on
the act of a church. It is easy to con
ceive and appreciate the necessity, in
some instances, of calling upon sister
churches to mediate, by advice and
counsel, in those cases, of much doubt
and intricacy, where the church is un
willing to act without such friendly
assistance. Various reasons may jus
tify a church in summoning to her aid
the piety and wisdom of other church
es. The utmost that the brethren
called upon, can do, is to advise / they
have no authority to hind or coerce. —
But yours is a different case, and the
results, sought to bo accomplished, are
widely different; inasmuch as the
council, you have invoked, is to deter
mine which is the true church ; your
selves and those associated with you,
or the majority whom you accuse of
disorder? Its decision is intended to
be of effect, and to bind somebody,
either morally or legally, or else its ses
sion will result in an abortion. Where
do you get New Testanveut author
ity for binding any one by the deci
sion? If it can legally bind no one,
where is the use of its session ? It
must be evident to you, and to all right
thinking people, that the council can
possess no binding authority. The
want of jurisdiction attaches to it in
the beginning, and follows it through
all its deliberation. It can not deter
mine anything. After it shall have
performed all of its functions and ex
hausted all of its powers, the churches
will not be bound by its action ; on the
contrary, it will be under the highest
obligation to disregard its decision.—
Having no jurisdiction, and conse
quently no authority, either express or
implied, inherent or derivative, it can
impose its mandates on no one. The
body that might, thus summarily, and
unscripturally, be decreed to be a
church, would be no less nor n3 more a
church, than before the decree was is
6ued. Nor would the church, un
churched, be any less a church, than
before. Are not these propositions
and conclusions true ? Can you show
how it is possible to invest the deci
sions of an illegal body with the essen
tial attribute of legality ? A council
called without authority, setting with
out scripture warrant, is informal and
illegal; and its solemn adjudications
are utterly null and void. Os course,
the Lumpkin church could not be a
party to a proceeding so lacking in
these essential elemeuts of regularity,
legality and jurisdiction—a proceeding
that would not bind her, and which
she would be under no obligation to
respect, no matter what might be the
result.
2nd. The Lumpkin church, claim
ing for herself, sovereignty and inde
pendence, could never submit her
.lights, and what is more, her existence
as a church , to the arbitrament of any
class of men, nor any ecclesiastical
council on earth. This position of sov
ereignty and independence, carries
with it, the right, inherent and inali
enable, of disciplining her own mem
bers. Whenever she has jurisdiction
over the offence and the offender , she
claims that her judgment is final;
and, in the name of Christ and by the
authority of the word of God, she de
mhnds complete respect for her jndg
t ment on the part of her sister church
es. She can not, and will not consent
to have her acts—acts performed with-
(Drgan nf % <s. |la|i. Cmibnifttm: ftdwfdr to Jjftssnras, LUligwn, mtir % Intefs af % gcitoimitafimt.
| in her own exclusive jurisdiction and
dominions, passed upon, nor her rights
invaded, not her existence jeopardised
by any earthly tribunal, however
imposing or august it may be. She
would fetl it to be her duty to carry
this determined persistence in the
maintenance of her rights of sovereign
ty and equality, within her own do
minion, rights which are indispensable
to the proper eniorcement of disci
pline, and which lie at the foundation
of her existence as a free and indepen
dent body, to the extent of severing ev
ery tie that binds her to her sister as
sociated churches, rather than submit
♦o a successful invasion from any quar
ter. Hording these views of her own
rights, she can not, without a reckless
abandonment of principle, trench up
on the rights of another; on the con
trary, the duty is paramount to abstain
from any act that may in the most re
mote degree, imperil the rights, or put
in jeopardy, the existence of a sister
church. The golden rule is as applica
hie to churches as individuals; and
the results of strictly obeying it, are
salutary beyond'the conception of the
wisest and best of the earth.
3rd. Even if the majority had have
united and concurred in the request,
this church would have declined send
ing a delegate to sit in a council con
vened for such a purpose. The prece
dent would be a dangerous one; and
the ultimate consequences might tend
to the overthrow and subjugation of
the churches, and the destruction of
their powers and supreinay by the
erection over them, of a power higher
than they are—a power unknown to
the primitive churches—a power hos
tile to our republicanism, arrogant in
its pretensions, and despotic in its gov
ern ment.
Y ou are respectfully reminded that
a council, called, by the Emperor Con
stantine, to settle a difficulty between
two pastors, was the precedent for call
ing the council of Nice in A. D. 325,
from which, in process of time, grew
up one of the most formidable and co
lossal hierarchies the world has ever
known. Infants in time, grow up to
the vigor of manhood ; sou little coun
cil of local pretentions, called to settle
a local dispute, grew finally into the
proportions of a giant, that folded in
its Briarean arms, States, Empires and
Continents, the curse of 15 centuries,
and the scourge of civilization and
Christianity. Against this spiritual
despotism, the Baptifet have waged an
unceasing warfare as far back as his
tory unveils the past, for which they
have suffered persecution even unto
death. Beware of small beginnings.
Power is aggrandising, and never vol
untarily takes any backward steps or
relinquishes its dominion. Its pro
gress is onward and monopolising, un
til liberty languishes and dies in its nil
fraternal embrace.
4th. It should be the policy of sister
churches to localize all such difficulties,
and confine them to the particular re
gion that gave them birth. They
should never be permitted to widen
out and extend to other communities.
It is apprehended, yea historically cer
tain, that the council would only aug
ment and scatter the flames. The ma
jority would not be bound by its ac
tion if against them. It the decision
should be in favor of tin minority,
they would claim the benefit of it, and
at once set about the assertion of their
supposed rights. The association,
would then become the receptacle of a
dispute, over which, it has no jurisdic
tion, and which was not contemplated
in its organization. If the association
should so far invade the rights of the
church, as to constitute itself into an
appelate court, the difficulty is at once
magnified in its proportions, the dan
gers are increased, and the breach sud
denly becomes too wfide ever to be
bridged over. By far too many outsi
ders become interested partizans for
anything like a speedy reconciliation.
Woe, be, to any association that ever
enters upon such an arena of strife!—
She scatters firebrands in her own
midst, that may ultimately consume
her. Principle, policy, expediency,
all unite, in forever closing the doors
of associations against all such cases.
In this section, the temptations to for
ensic displays, and star performances,
in our associations, are too alluring to
be resisted. Such exhibitions, so hu
miliating, and so derogatory to the
Christian character, of even some of
our ministers, are fatal to everything
like that calm consideration and cool
judgment, so essential to an impartial
settlement of all such cases.
Affectionately, therefore, we beg
you to abstain trora any further move
ment in the direction you have indica
ted. Either re-unite with the church,
in disorder, though it may be, and wait
for time, and a kind Providence to cor
rect the evil; or else use your letters
in the formation of a separate church.
Those who have no letters are in disor
der, and their duty is too plain to need
a suggestion from this church. By
living an orderly, upright life, by dwel
ling near the throne of grace, by es
chewing all strife, by repelling ail in
termeddling from without, and culti
vating those things that make lor
peace, the dissension will as certainly
he healed as that God dwells in Zion.
Rare indeed, are the churches that do
not fail at times to satisfy all their
members. If in all such cases the dis
satisfied party seeks redress by deny
ing the existence of a church, and cast
ing off its authority, no church can
maintain its organization, or enforce
its discipline. It becomes the duty of
church members, at times, to submit
to wrong, for the saka of the good that
may come of 6uch submission* Rel^l
MACON, GA., WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 8, 1860
lion and insubordination to church au
thority, rarely ever succeeds in right
ing the w T rong. It is not unfreqnently
a dangerous and fatal remedy.
We beg to state, in conclusion, that
we do not profess to know anything of
the guilt or innocence of the accused,
about which this difficulty has oc
curred. All we know is, that a sister
was accused ot a high crime, and that
a majority of the church professing
not to be convinced of her guilt, re
fused to exclude her.
In behalf of the church, we are
Yours fraternally,
J. M. CLARK,
W. L. MANSFIELD,
S. WARNER,
J. R. ROCKWELL,
Committee.
lo John M. Shepherd and others,
committee, Preston, Ga.
REYIEW OF • “CORRECTIVE
CHURCH DISCIPLINE.”
Deductions from Previous Principles
—Church Sovereignty and Indepen
dence.
No. 10.
The points in the article now to be.
noticed are as follows:
Ist. That ‘there are cases in which
a minority may pronounce the majori
ty no longer a church.’ As ‘when a
church not only in fact, but ostensibly
and by profession, departs from the
faith, and order that Christ has given
* * * if it denies that the im
mersion ofa professed believeris alone
baptism, and avows and practices in
fant sprinkling *’ * * * * jf it
should by resolution deny church sov
ereignty.’ These are a few of the ‘ca
ses’ in which Prof. Mell concedes that
a minority would be j ustifiable in pro
nouncing ‘the majority no longer a
church.’
2d. That ‘a church has the right, if
it think best, to Uke into considera
tion the conduct of her offending mem
ber, even though the case may have
been irregularly, and, if you please,
wickedly brought before her.’
3d. That there is no escape from ex
pulsion, even though the charge be
‘wickedly’ preferred.
4th. No error indiscipline can justi
fy a minority in pronouncing the ‘ma
jority no longer a church.’
Some other positions will be notice I
incidentally. Let us examine the above
fairly and dispassionately.
1. The first proposition—that a mi
nority may, in some cases, pronounce
the majority no longer a church—is.
readily admitted.
The second—that a church has the
right to entertain a charge irregularly
and wickedly preferred against a mem
ber —is what may, it seems to me, be
justly styled a theological enormity I
J. The accuser acts ‘irregularly’-—i„
e., brings into the church a matter
which ought not to be introduced.—
The church sees the irregularity, and
makes it her own by entertaining it.
Y r et she has the right to do this!!
2. The accuser ‘wickedly’ prefers a
charge agaiust a member. The church
sees the wickedness, and makes it her
own by entertaining the wicked charge!
The inquiry J*ere arises, whence does a
church derive this light ? From the
Scriptures ? In what chapter and
verse ? Please be specific. There is no
such record in God’s word. A license
to propagate wickedness comes alone
from Satan and his emissaries. Does
someone say, ‘the right is implied in
church sovereignty !’’ It may be re
plied, ‘the church has no sovereignty
aside from that intrusted to her by
Christ ; and what that sovereignty is,
must be learned from Ilis word.’ If
the doctrine is recorded, it can be poin
ted out. Let those who teach such
doctrine find the Scripture that con
tains it. If they cannot do this, let
them condescend to give a reason to
support it. To receive such theology
without Scripture, or even reason, to
sustain it, is too great a tax on credul
ity!
In opposition to this doctrine, I af
firm that for a church to entertain a
charge ‘irregularly’ and ‘wickedly’ pre
ferred, is sinful.
1. Because it is contrary to the spir
it of the New Testament. ‘Let no man
deceive you with vain words: for be
cause of these things cometh the wrath
of God upon the children of disobedi
ence. Be not ye therefore partakers
with them,’ (Eph. v : G, 7.) ‘Lay hands
suddenly on no man, neither be par
taker of other men’s sins,’ (1 Tim. v.
22.) ‘‘lf there come any unto yon, and
bring not this doctrine, receive him
not into your house, neither bid him
God speed ; for he that biddeth him
God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.’
(2 John : 11.) Now, whatever else
these passages teach, no one will deny
that they teach that it is sinful for a
Christian, or for a church, to become a
partaker in other men’s sins ; which
must be the case whenever a church
entertains a charge against a<nember,
‘irregularly’ and ‘wickedly’ preferred.
2. Because it is contrary to common
sense.
Suppose a citizen’should ‘irregular
ly’ and ‘wickedly’ accuse his neighbor
before the bar of his country, and the
court should, with a full of the facts,
entertain the charge; would not the
court become a party to the wicked
ness ( Would it not sanction the wick
edness, endorse the guilt, and be just
ly chargeable with the whole? Such
j are the teachings of common Bense. —
I Analogy, taken from all correct human
j governments, sustains this view ; and
not only so, but teaches us that the
man wishing to plant a suit‘irregular
ly’ (i. e. contrary to law,) and ‘wicked
ly,’ would be ‘non suited’—the charge
would not be entertained.
A church, therefore, has no right,
religious or moral, to entertain a charge
‘irregularly’ and ‘wickedly’ preferred.
Prof. M., it appears, does not wish
openly to sanction this monstrous doc
trine ; yet it will be seen, from a care
tal examination, that his conclusion
cannot follow without admitting it. —
After stating that some writers believe
the doctrine, he says, ‘ln all this these
writers may be mistaken.’ He then
speaks of the matter (of entertaing the
‘irregularly’ and ‘wickedly’ preferred
charge) as merely an ‘error’ of the
church! He then 6ays it has been
shown that an ‘error unintentionally
committed, does not annihilate a
Church ; nor does it afford ground suf
ficient for a minority to unchurch the
majority.’ If we are to take assertion
for proof, Prof. M. has ‘shown’ this ;
it not, not. But let us present his ar
gument in a few words: ‘Some writers
contend that a church has a right to
entertain a charge ‘irregularly’ and
‘wickedly’preferred; but in all this
these writers may be mistaken ; if they
are, the decision of the church —to en
tertain Buch a charge—would be but
an error, which could not annihilate
it: (therefor) So it will be seen that a
member under dealing, cannot escape
expulsion by retiring with the minori
ty ot the church; and that such minor
ity, so far from shielding him by their
rebellion, subject themselves to the
same penalties he endures.’
If sophistry knew any blush, her
cheek would crimson now! What con
nection has this conclusion with the
premise ? None, necessarily.
Tin’s conclusion can follow, with log
ical certainty, 1. Only when it has
been established, as a rule without ex
ception, that a church has the right to
entertain a charge ‘irregularly’ and
‘wickedly’ preferred. But this, we
1 have already seen, can never be the
case. Prof. Mell himself admits that,
i hu all this these writers may be mis
taken.’ Or, 2. When it shall have been
established, as an invariable law, that
a majority are incapable of commit
ting a fatal ‘error’ in discipline. In
his intermediate steps, before reaching
his conclusion, he says, ‘an uninten
tionalerror’ cannot annihilate achurch;
but in his conclusion hear what lie
says: ‘So it will be seen that a mem
ber under dealing cannot escape ex
pulsion by retiring with the minority
of the church, and that such minority
* * subject themselves to the same
penalty he endures !! Can you, sir,
be in earnest? Would you take ad
vantage of the ignorance of your read
ers? Y'our argument, fairly stated,
now runs thus: ‘No unintentional er
ror in discipline can afford sufficient
ground to justify the accused and the
minority in retiring from the majority.
Alias retired with the minority of the
church at B : therefore they ought not
to have retired, and deserve exclusion
for so doing!! I commend this syllo
gism to the consideration of all logic
ians. If your ‘major premise’ had read
thus: ‘No error in discipline, whether
intentional or unintentional, can justi
fy the accused and the minority in re
tiring,’ etc., your logic would have
been correct, however bad your theol
ogy might have ; but your ‘major pre
mise’ says, ‘uN-intentionalerror.’ Now
please tell us what conclusion ought lo
be drawn, if we make the ‘major pre
mise’ run thus: ‘Every intentional er
ror,’ Ac. ? Would you affirm that no
unintentional error in discipline can
justify the minority in retiring, with
the accused, from the majority? What
say you ? If you say yes, you declare
that the church is infallible ; but this
you, in so many words, deny. If you
answer no, you must give up your con
clusion above. Y our conclusion, when
properly modified, reads thus: ‘So it
will be seen [it follows] that a mem
ber under dealing cannot [justly] es
cape expulsion by retiring with the mi
nority of* the church, provided the
church, in arraigning the accused, has
committed only an UNintentional, un
important error; otherwise, it may be
the duty (and sometimes is) of the” ac
cused to retire with the minority,’ Ac.
Y our error above consists in drawing
your conclusion from your major pre
inise, as if it were universal, embra
cing bo,th intentional and unintention
al errors, when it is particular (inclu
ding only unintentional errors.) An
unintentional departure from the law
of Christ may be denominated an er
ror ; but when the departure is inten
tional, treason or rebellion much more
properly designates the act. A full
discussion of the subject before us in
volves the use of the terras error, treas
on, rebellion, Ac. Then we may fiarne
as many independent questions.
(Conclusion of No. 10 next week.).
LITERS BOREALES.
Number 5.
Providence, R. 1., July 22<3, ’6O.
Dear Index:
In the fortnight that has elapsed
since the date of my last letter to yoor
readers, I have been absent from home,
and have seen several things, to which
in a pre eminent sense, the appellation
“ great ” belongs.
Let me see: First, there is a great
city; second, a great ship; third, a
great rail-road ; fourth, a great water
fall, and fifth a great feat. Suppose
this present letter to be a sort of lay
sermon, and take these five topics, for
its heads. And first, the great city—
I mean New York, the rapid growth
and extension of which excite my sur-
prise whenever I extend ray rambles
into its suburban regions. I am very
well aware that New York is not so
great as London, or Paris, or as some
ot the capitals of the far eastern coun
tries; but it is nevertheless an aston
ishing town. It will very soon cov
er the whole island of Manhattan
with its business and crowds, as it now
does with its municipal control. I had
occasion to visit some friends, residing
a few miles up the Hudson, and the
railway station at which I stopped,
near their residence was, at “one hun
dred and ffty-second street ” of the
city ! A short walk brought me to
Broadway, along which, as well as
along the avenues, the city has planted
gas-lamps, and the people are building
blocks of handsome houses and of
stores. There will soon be a dense
city above as well as below’ the magnifi
cent area of the Central Park. New
Y ork is great not only in its extent
and populousness, but also, in its
varied enterprise, in its architectural
display, in its municipal extravagance,
in its official ignorance and corruption,
and in the filthiness of its thorough
fares. The fact is, w r e have no city on
this Western Continent that is at all to
be compared with New Y'ork in any
of these respects. It is decidedly a
great place.
Second : A great ship. 1 have lit
tle need to mention the “ Great Eas
tern.” I spent a forenoon upon this
monster of tfie sea—this unrivalled
mammoth among ships. It takes an
hour almost to get an external impres
sion of her vast size from some com
manding outside stand point. I
viewed her from the street and from
the river, upon her opposite sides,
and all the while the sense of hergreat
ness grew upon me; I went on board
—entering through a gang way in her
side and found myself in a huge room,
stretching from side to side of the ship,
and showing her iron ribs and frame to
great advantage. I ascended a long
flight of stairs to her main deck, and
stood amazed at the scene which
spread itself out before me. A furlong
off, I saw a multitude of people throng
ing the bows of the ship, and in the
midst of her, hundreds were travelling
the galleries of the wheel houses, and
the balcony bridge which unites them.
It is quite a little journey from one
mast to another, and from one funnel
to another of her smoke pipes. Giv
ing hasty attention only to the steering
apparatus, the steam donkies and oth
er deck novelties, I went eagerly down
into her cabins and state-rooms, and
lower still, into her penetralia, where
her hundred furnaces are wont to glow,
though they were then dark and cold—
where her mighty machinery, here,
the paddle wheel system, and there,
the screw engines spread their pon
derous bulk and their Briarean arms,
where the coal bunkers and the stokers
and the firemen are found—fifty-feet
below the ‘‘high life” of her saloons !
She is a marvellous ship—marvellous
in size, in construction, in ingenuity,
in capacity, and not marvellous only
in decoration and high finish. In
these respects our marine can furnish
her superiors, in such steamships as
the Adriatic and our lakes and rivers
in many of their “floating palaces.”
But the nineteenth century will
hardly reproduce the greatness of the
“Great Eastern .” Unless she should
prove an unexpected practical success,
she will remain the single marvel of
the age among steamships. She is
magnificent—a naval Mastodon! Just
think of the fact, that ten thousand
men would not exceedingly crowd her
available space in case of emergency.
It is announced that she will be closed
to the public, at the end of this week,
and after a trip to Cape May, will go
back to her island home. May great
success attend her.
Third: A great railroad. This is
the New York and Erie railroad, which
connects the Hudson River with Lake
Erie, by a main trunk of 400 miles,
and has several branches which swells
its total length to about GOO miles. It
has cost about fifty millions of dollars.
It traverses a region of great physical
variety, and beauty and fertility. It
crosses deep ravines, climbs bold hills,
spans broad river, stretches through
sweet pastoral scenes, and in the chan
nel of a great and growing traffic, be
tween the ocean and the inland seas of
New York and the West. I passed
over its main trunk as far as Elmira,
and along its chief branch to Canan
daigua, and my day’s experience of its
fine scenery, its engineering marvels,
its broad, spacious cars, and the cour
tesies of its officers is a very pleasant
memory —in spite of a slight mishap
of my own, which befell me in my
journey, and leaves me a little lame to
day.
Fourth: A great water-fad. I
reached the Falls of Niagara by the
Central Hail Road of New York,
which by its extent, its va6t business
and its admirable management, is en
titled to rank “A, No. 1” among Amer
ican railroads. Os Niagara, I shall not
attempt to say anything descriptive.—
It is daguerreotyped upon the mind
of every one who has seen its gran
deur, and to those who have not, words
will not adequately interpret the name.
Fifth : A great feat. This was the
“ascension” of M. Blondin across the
Niagara river on a rope. This daring
Frenchman performed the feat, for the
fourty time, while I was at Niagara.
Just below the marvellous “suspension
bridge,” he has stretched his cable
across the angry, seething flood of
Niagara, and as unconcernedly as if
he were only eating his breakfast,
he crossed and re-crossed the river—
his feet muffled in baskets, and his di-
versions, by the way, sundry surpris
ing swings and summersaults, which
made the multitude of spectators shout,
or shrink from the sight, according to
their nerve.
To these live great sights —the last
of which I reckon great on its fool
hardiness—l might properly have ad
ded a sixth, for there it hung in won
derful strength and grace combined,
close by Biondin’s rope, the Suspen
sion Bridge , which connects the Uni
ted (States and Canada at Niagara
Falls. I have not time to describe it,
but 1 never see it without a thrill of
admiration at the genius and daring
which conceived it, and the science
and skill which achieved the wondrous
work.
Let me add, as the last noticeable
thing I will mention of my fortnight’s
tour, that I travelled the six hundred
and fifty, miles, between Niagaia and
Providence, on my return journey, in
the very short period of twenty seven
hours. This is certainly a fast age.
R.
REFORM.
The rapid growth of the Baptist de
nomination for the last century, and
its freedom from the fires of persecu
tion which, for centuries before had
impeded its progress and purified its
membership, has prevented that spir
itual maturity w hich belongs to, and
should always characterize the church
of Christ.
It is now time for us to pause, in
this rapid march, examine the elements
of which we are composed, the foun
dation upon which we stand aud the
supertfracture we are erecting.
The elements which now form the
Baptist churches may be styled a Het
erogeneity . There are Calvinists and
Arminianists, there are the missionary
and the anti-missionary, the spiritual
and the formal, the Christ loving and
the world-loving, the prayerful and the
prayerless, the humble and the proud,
the useful.and the useless, the church
going and the home staying, the self
denying and the self-gratifying, the
children of light and the children of
darkness. With such a conglomera
tion, ’tis no wonder that the voice of
discord is often heard in the camp, and
that scenes of strife are familiar occur
rences. This is Satan’s master stroke
of policy.
In the early history of Christianity,
when he would extinguish its puie
spirit and paralyze its holy energies,
he converted Constantine and made
him head of the church, to tolerate
Christianity : soon after he christened
the statue of Jupiter into the name of
Peter, and united in unholy wedlock,
the rites of heathen idolatry, with the
forms of a holy Christianity. He can
never successfully assault the citadel
of a pure Christianity till he either
guilefully profess conversion and join
the church himself, or induce some of
his faithful followers to do so.
“The prudent manforeseeth the evil
and hideth himself, but the simple
pass on and are punished.”
Yerbum sat sapienti.
The Foundation upon which we
stand—the word ot God—is the same
in name. We have retained the orig
inal name, but have lost somewhat of
the substance. Never did a people
adhere more strictly to the Divine
Word, than our ancient brethren ; thro’
the long dark night of persecutions
which lasted for centuries, they were
just what th eyprofessed to be; those
noble sires bequeathed to us a sacred
trust which we should never betray,
to which we should never prove recre
ant.
We profess to accept as true, that
the word of God is the rule of faith
and practice. Asa Denomination ,
we make much boast about the sound
ness of our foundation, and we are
prepared, on the slightest challenge,
to prove, from the sacred pages, the
correctness of -our position ; and this
is right. But as individual Christians,
we are not so fond of resorting to the
same source for justifying our manner
of life. Indeed, in too many cases, it
becomes the law of condemnation,
rather than of justification.
*Tv e are much more familiar with Bi
ble teachings on the subject of baptism
and church polity, than with what it
says about secret prayer, personal con
secration, Christian zeal, beneficence
and brotherly love. We diseant with
pious indignation upon the absence ot
obedience to the plain teachings of the
Bible upon the part of Christians of
other denominations, but manifest an
enlarged charity towards our own want
of faithfulness : the mote in our broth
er’s eye greatly amazes us,but we sleep
quietly with a beam in our own. As
a denomination we are willing to take
the Bible strictly construed as a rule
of faith, and practice, but as individ
ual Christians we give its teachings, as
to a godly life, a latitudinarian conse
cration: it has for us a great many fig
ures of speech upon the subject; and,
after all we aie willing to fallback up
on the apostolic complaint, ‘in me, that
is in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing,’
and ‘therefore it is no more I, but sin
that dwelleth in me’—and upon apos
tolic justification : “By grace are ye
saved—not of works, least any man
should boast.’t
Now, ‘as the body without the breath
is dead, so faith without works is dead
also.” “Not every one that saveth
Lord, Lord, shall enter into the king
dom of heaven, but he that doeth the
will of my Father which is in heaven.”
“The doer of the word shall be bles
sed in bis deed.”
The Superstructure is marred in the
hands of the builders. Materials not
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N. S., VOL. 28, NO. 32.
designed for a place in so beautiful a
spiritual building, are used. Quarry
stones without polish are set where the
tried ones should be ; and those which
cannot be squared are put in for their
extreme beauty. Wood, hay and stub
ble are used where living stones alone
can stand, and the consequence is, our
building wants symmetry, polish and
durability.
Again : the good materials used are
not properly polished and put togeth
er. The master workman, or overseer
seems not to have marked the pieces
with a view to their appropriate place
iu the building. An intolerable ab
sence of judgment, or want of faithful
ness is most apparent, and hence our
superstructure cotters to its foundation,
when assaulted by the storms and sub
ject to strifes so prevalent. We some
times tremble for our work ; but frhy
should we i It must be tried by the
fire, sooner or later. We will lose
much of our work, and suffer great ap
parent loss; but the silver and gc'd
and precious stones in our building
will remain as good materials. As,
however, the work is not yet comple
ted, and we are still adding here and
there a piece to this mighty edifice, let
ns be 9ure to do faithful work in the
future. The crisis which is upon us
cri< , aloud for reform; and such re
form as is necessary we shall endeavor
hereafter to shew. Reformer.
SABBATII SCHOOLS.
No. 2.
In this article I propose to test the
importance of Sabbath schools by their
immediate results. I might without
being subjected to the charge of qnib
ling, urge that each truth comprehen
ded by the judgment of the scholar,
imprinted on his memory, received in
to his heart, or made to control his con
science, may be considered not only as
a most valuable, but a direct and im
mediate result, vindicating the impor
tance of these instruments of blessing,
and commending them to the Christian
heart, not only as something it ought
to approve but as something to which
it should consecrate its efforts and en
ergies. But what was designed, and
it is presumed was understood by the
term immediate , was that Sabbath
schools were blessed to the conversion
ofchildren ; that in childhood they bore
the fruits of holiness.
In the kingdom of grace, there is as
in nature, “seed time and harvest,”
yet it is not essential that seed “lie
buried long in dust,” nor is it necessa
ry that Autumn should come before the
harvest is ready to be garnered.’ The
grain may be sown in the Spring, and
in the Spring the crop may be gather
ed. God has given in the conversion
ot Sunday-school scholars the evidence
of His approbation.
In the writer’s own family there are
two of his children to whom these nur
series of piety have been directly bles
sed, and the church to which he be
longs contain a large membership of
young persons who were baptized
while pupils of the Sabbath-school.—
Nor is this church an isolated case.—
There are others in the writers knowl
edge furnishing the same gracious tes
timony.
Attention is called at this point to
the exceeding small number of child
th ip the communion of those chnrcli-
no attention to Sab. schools,
and to the large proportion of young
people in the communion of others,
that regularly and seduously keep them
in operation. The reason we think is
transparent. The Gospel is the means
employed by God in the salvation of
souls. But the Gospel to be made an
instrument of blessing must be so pre
sented as to come within th’ ge of
the intellect of the hearer. J. oannot
be profited by that which he does not
comprehend. The mode in which truth
is presented by the pulpit cannot be
grasped by the minds ot children. The
shaft, aimed at the head and conscien
ces of men, pass over the heads of lit
tle ones. It is not so when the te ..-ti
ers of righteousness approach the fee
ble intellects of the young—they come
down to their mental stature and em
ploy such modes of thought, and form
ot words, as can be thoroughly under
stood, and that same Gospel, accom
panied by the Spirit of Grace, becomes
the power of God to their salvation.
It is wholly immaterial to the posi
tion assumed, that immediate results
justify the importance of the Sabbath
School, how they ensue, if their exis
tence be proved. Facts are what we
want, and they are abundant.
Before closing this part of my sub
ject, indulgence is asked for present
ing to my readers a touching and beau
tiful illustration corroborating and en
forcing what lias been already urged.
A pet child of about six years of age
entered a school some two years ago.
Three truths entered his little mind :
1. That God created him.
2. That God was good.
3. That he should pray to God.
Going home after the exercises, he
climbed into his father’s lap and com
menced to catechise him.
“Papa, who made you ?”
“God made me, son.”
“Who made ma ?”
“ God ‘made ma; he made every
thing.” *
“Papa, I love God. for making me ;
do you love God, too, for making you ?”
Tbe*father answered, “yes; but”—
according to his narration before the
church when applying for membership
—“O what a pang! bow my conscience
smote me when I reflected that I had
told my innocent child a lie /”
The sequel was, his adoption into the