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’£antbnavli llaitnet i C'hi'i’oltce tiaptisl.
JESSE M. WOOD, )
Editor. )
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L. T. DOYAL, Griffin, Ga. / „...
J. J. D. RENFROE, Talladega, Ala. f Corresponding Editors.
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JESSE M. WOOD,
JOHN 11. Klt'E.
Proprietors.
SHORT SERMON—No. 34.
For behold, the <];iv coilicth, that shall
burn as an oven ; and all the proud, y ,; *
and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble:
and the day that eometh shall burn them
tip, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall
leave them neither root nor branch.
But unto you that fear my name, shall
the Sun of righteousness arise with healing
ju his wings; and ye shall go forth, and
glow up as calves of the stall. And ye
shall tread down the w icked ; for they shall
be ashes under the soles of your feet in the
•lay that 1 shall do this. saith the Lord of
hosts.
H- ... 'I tier ye tMB w oi Mos,
vant, which 1 commanded unto him in llo
rcb for all Israel, uiM the statutes ami
judgments. Behold. 1 will send you Elijah
prophet before the •coming of the great
and dreadful day of the Lord. And he
shall turn the heart of tin- fathers to the
children, and the heart of the children to
their fathers, lest 1 come and smite the
earth with a curse, BIBLE.
I 01IMIA 11' ITlin s.
For the Banner <t Baptist.
BOARD QUESTION.
No. .8.
IJow essentially and radically different
is the Church of Christ from all tin- plans
to ameliorate the world's ■-■mdition that
have been devised by human wl< |om. 1
have glanced at the origin of our great ec
clesiastical organizations; the eiieumstam es
that gave, rise to them ; their centralizing
tendency, the results of their natural work
ing, as seen at the present day ; at)d eon
firmed the facts and allusions by reference
to Church history in the early centuries,
where eventually the same causes produced
the same results. We are now the better
prepared to take a glance at the peculiari
ties of that remarkable though simple in
stitution set up in the day s of Tiberius
C.usAit. It is just here worthy of remark
at the juncture now alluded to, the system
vs forms, ceremonies, and outward splendor
pertaining to the Jews, in which human ef
fort figured to so great an extent, had forever
passed Away. Christ was the founder ot
his ovvu church. Rejecting earthly power,
and royal aid, he put human learning and
riches to shame w hen-lie chose fishermen
and publicans to be the foundation stones
of his spiritual building, lie taught them
the lesson of equality when he said unto
then*,” We are all brethren"; that of hum
jlity, when he. said, "He that is greatest
Among you. let him become vour servant";
Jie enforced individual obligation and re
spcmaibility when he sent them forth, two
.and two without purse and scrip, and on
the grand occasion of the outpouring ot
spirit, whciß they were gifted with
tongues and went everywhere, each mar
for himself preaching the Word. They, the
disaipl«&. practically recognized equality e:
right, when on their first election, undei
the direct , r. of the Spirit, they east lots
;ind again when they ordained the sevo:
deacon*; while every effort made by th.
Apostles and ministry was a practical de
nuuiatraimn of individual effort. Imbuec
w ith the Spirit, every believer was an ac
five, faithful workman, and as a polishes
stone, reflecting light ; while each church
in its own locality and sphere, by its col
l«x'..vt‘ capacity was developing the sam«
principle. AH one in heart and faith, will
distinctive, individual action.
This ughou*. the central parts of th<
If ■■■s.oi Empire were formed individua
• Lurches, v .,ch with the power effexpand
mg w:‘er and wider, by virtue eff th.
leaven of impiar.UNi until sc para:
i .. •- 5 < bins©!,
in oonstituGvn a. ’ operation, the oh
■ ject aimed at by each, was one and single,
the preaching of the word as the most suc
cessful means of regenerating the world.
The hearty union in the individual churches 1
’ I was their strength; the attending to the !'
. ’ power and the propagation, of the gospel ■ ■
: the means by which that spiritual strength
was to be increased,and developed. This
. distinctive, individual vitality' both in 1
’ churches and persons single, is the prin- . 1
. cipie which the head of the church stamped ; ;
, on his own orgapiz ifion as that which ’ 1
should characterise, sustain and develope • 1
. it. He could hayc/ordered it-otherwise, but I
he did not do it. AVhy Christ selected this* '
plan so simple, sb-diffcreut from eveev fornij-
• not be now ne'cessary to inquire; that he 1
: did it. should be. enough for us to know. '
. I
i j There are three points, however, which '
L mark it as the result of infinite wisdom— 1
' , and which thoroughly secure it as long as 1
I: maintained in its purity from all the cor- : 1
[ | ruptions of government—rights of con- ; ’
• science—freedom of speech—and indivi- '
' duality in religion, as to obligations, and
I •. . . . k
; responsibilities. He know without the prac
i tical tests of all plans and governments,
' what was necessary to accomplish our ends
, and therefore gave us that system, which, '
; if implicity followed, would ever save us
i from those untold evils that flow from the
’ ; fruitful source of erring wisdurn. How true
ii ... . ° .
! has this foresight, of infinite wisdom proved ;
■ I to be. So long as it was practical and cn- j
I | fdreed by the Apostles, and early chris
i tians, see with what tremendous strides
t the gospel of' salvation was borne over
. . the civilized world. For more than two
centuries not one word is said of visible ,
union, amalgamation, aggregation, until the
gradual growth of corruption ever eon
sequent on the change of the divine order,
required this aggregation to promote am
bitious views or ecclesiastical efficiency.—
\\ hi'ii this change became established and
I 1 erine.r.''!' 1 as the unavoidable result, right
of conscience, liberty of speech and iudi- i
vidual religion, were all removed, to give
place to those effects appropriate to their
own cause. 'J'hc nature and constitution,
however, of the Church of Christ, is such ;
that under this form ot'government its ef
liciciicy never can be promoted without j
, Hint great clement ot its success—grace — !
for the lack of which no union, no combin
ed itiflueiice < ver ear,, e. o.qu u, Ate. 'l'., say
the churches cannot do this work is the
I
greatest reflection on the wisdom of God. I
They did it under the Roman Empire when
their piety and zeal were commensurate
. with their own work, and w ill do it again,
• when it shall please God, by ills wonder
working power, to pour out His spirit iu
■an abundant measure upon us. But to
I hasten such a glorious period, is by return-
I ing to the old paths, and however humble .
' it may to make ourselves tools that
' we max become wise, and stand still and
' see tl«' salvation of the Lord.
Such are the few, simple elements of the
, I church that enable us to understand its
s nature and constitution in contradistinction ,
t ' to that form of government, w hkh, whether
j I in religion or polities, culminates in the
subjection of the masses to the rule and
s ' tj r.nniy of the few. No people but a pure
, and I id} people are prepared for the Jaith.
. 10l and successful working of the govern-
! ment of Christ's Church. Thia is the ,
I reason why men. nnli -s imbued with the
; I religion of Christ, eamiot w ork sucec>>tiiL
| ly a pure d. moeraey. It enables us to see
j.'why religion-., <-xii't ■ I .ni l free America
.-.pproxiinates s > much nearer this high and
!. ; exalted stat;.:.ti I of government, than iu
,- 'f: \1 Eraiiev ;:nd priest-ridden Spain. So
k the two systems are finally presented in
i 5 1 direct contrast, under the concentrated Huht
r ; >’f all past historx. In religion departure
f. ' from the divine standard, with a real dis
t. 1 proportion to knowledge, calls t r the aid
,f of human wisdom—human wisdom proud
at heart gives th best it can devise in any
d ' ijivcn age—but as all human governments
a tend towards centralization, so the plan
s given, sooner or later, furnishes us the same
n results in the ecclesiastical as in the p. li
o tical world. On the other hand, a holy and
i- spiritual people are a zealous and working
n . people, capable of self-government—requir
'; ing no restraints but such as divine author
>. ity imposes; and consequently tenacious
o of rights of conscience and liberty of speech,
n This people, and only such are ripe for
>f that pure form ot government, which in its
h successful operation ace. napiisiies the great
n est amount of good by that spirit of obedi
e enee and entire consecration which eharae
f terizes its true subjects. So the two sys
■r tents are intv.ngruous, irreeoncil i.', utterly
; at variance. The one by worldly wisdom
n .ntd zealous endeavor, trying to do what
io the other fails to accomplish, for the want
e- of piety and gospel conformity. To the
•d first I could say, in the language eff divine
is truth. ’Not by might, nor by power;"
d without me ye can do nothing; to the
li, second. "But by my spirit, saith the Lord;" ;
1- ”1 can do ali things through Christ which
:e strengtheneth me." Let it be inscribed on
h the heart of every believer, no system, no
aggregation of power, no wealth can com
persate fi r the lack . f that go '...ress. spiri
tua! vitality, and entire consevruion, with
4. out which we ear. do nothing, but with
se which the world can be subdued unto
: t Christ, even by the migLy utiw of :~di»
1c vidual churches and chrisuans.
b- The question has been asked for •• Aar
ROME, GEORGIA, THURSDAY, AIAY 31, 1860.
plan ' — as if the w hole matter turned on
the ability to discover in the Bible a speci
fic, well-defitied order, by which the Gospel
could be promulgated throughout the
xvorld. This is but a specious objection,
and finds its force more in the present cor
rupt state of the church than in pure, valid,
logic. We fiiil to remember that in the
days of the Apostles, the efficiency of'the
church was in its unity, while now its weak
ness is to be found in the distinctive in
fluence of a score of so called branches of
the church, variant, discordant and bcl
ligvn Ht. T<j present this poii
the mind in a ,plain, practical, cohhwon
WWW
lv necessary, the raising of funds and their
distribution. As to the first the Bible is ;
clear and explicit. “Upon the first day 7 of
the week, let every one of you lay by him
in store, as God hath prospered him, that
there be. no gatterihgs when I come.” And
And as to tiie second, is equally clear, and
describes what a board ought to be, viz:
!
“nothing more than a financial agency,”
but every one knows, one man is as com
petent to transmit funds as a dozen, and
that even unbelief does not necessarily dis
qualify a man for that position. It is ex
pressed thus, “Whomsoever you shall ap
point by your letters, them will I send to
bring your liberality to Jerusalem.” .Now
every one acquainted with the history of
those times will knows the method of trans
mission which necessitated a foot or horse
back journey for the least object of a finan
cial character. With us there is no such
necessity, as we are supplied with all the
appliances for the transmission of funds to
the rvmolcst quarters of the Gbibc by the
best of' fmancial atiente. Hence, in this
sense, the word Board is a misnomer, and
should he abandoned as calculated to con
vey a wrong impression. It is only proper
m hen convey ing the idea of power assumed
or c nifiTcd. AVhile 1 believe churches to
be the ordained, scriptural instrumcntalitv
for propagating the gospel, I hold of all or
ganizations devised by human wisdom, that
oi' a small collection of churches for this
only purpose to be the best, as being most
free from dangerous complications and
ramifications that sonier or later distract
our Zion, and better able to develope the
indivi lualstrength, of Christians and church-
Tiiesv articles on this interesting subject
contain merely my v’mws, which have been
matured, in the face of my proclivities and
y>rc/x>sscssm.’is. and an earnest desire to sus
tain. our Convention. The sentiments 1
solicit im one to egtertain, except under a
conviction of their truth. 1 have given
them in candor, and, in good part, on the
merits of the question at issue, n. t •■.’ al!
with reference to our Board as mei', with
whom it was my pleas ire, as tlb-v <an 11
testify, to maintain, during rnv sojourn in
Africa, relations pleasant ami agreeable.
To them, and to all my brethren who mav
■ dither with us on tins question, as well as
to myself, I would say, - Prove all things,
hold fast that which is good,” And mav
the great Head of the Chun h, to whom be
al! the glory, ever direct us in rdl things.
W. 11 CLARKE.
For the Banner A Baptist.
CORRECTIVE CHURCH DISCIPLINE
FINAL ARTICLE.
1 L ak Bro. W ood :
The matter which 1 brought to vour no
tice at tlit" <'olivetit ;• n at Macon, was es
teemed by me to be of but little import
ance. and would not have been referft-d to
had it not been that 1 was agreeably throw n
into your eotiq any. The editorial to which
1 rcfcrrid could be construed to contain
the insinuation that the Publication Society
and certain editors on the one side, and I
on the other, hr. 1 enter, j into a conspiracy
to efleet a certain object—that it had 1 cen
agreed upon between us in advance that 1
should write—-that thv editors should catch
at my articles, and secure their prompt
publication by papers all over the country
—and that the Publication Society should
issue them simultaneously in book form—
that thus it might appear that "C< ve
Church D-sciplii.e had received a denomi
national endo:sement. N .w, aii I meant
communicate to ymu on the subject was in
the shape of a fact. To .1 sal use your
mind, and to afford you ar. opportuntyy to
disabuse the minds of your readers. I sta
ted to you the/icf that I had communicated
with no one cn the subject before com
; menc'nig to write—that i had written to
you and brethren Dawson, Walker and
Warren by* the.’same mail; and that r.u
communication had passed between the
Publication Society and myself in reference
to its issue in book form, until some s x
or eight numbers of the series nau appear
ed. 1 meant not to pass any criticisms q• r
the course of any newspapers, and least o!
all did I design to m ike any av. wais oi
disavowals as to intentions or motives. I
my little book on Discipline is properly
written, it is applicable, in principle, to any
case that has occurred in the past or th .:
can happen in the future.
Beffire ck-siug this my last article I avan
cd mvself of the rtunity to notice two
strictures passed upon my b<».k ;>y bro
Pendleton of Murf.-ves’t or Tenn.
1. He and his 00-editors characterize thi
• sentiments I advanced as “revolutionary, 1
and originated by men far present purpo
s's Nr*. r.o?’’. : t!g is mono cssv than
“HIS BANNER OVEl" US IS “LOVE"
. show that in this brdt.lendleton is mis- I
taken. His own tvsitSony and that of
Messrs. Graves and I ,yton will, furnish
• all the relief that I ami Y Bttle book need.
, I but repeat, in substaj ?, w’hat they have
published themselves, pt is their own
, teaching that a churclp, ' independent and
•. sovereign; that it .laOTKlusive jurisdiction
over its members'; majority must
rule in the
as othaf' things; action of the
is "
i.Ss.&Pyz'P? l 11 Is.-scat Ishow that I have ■
.• h m
Jiis colleagues have sei It- rth in elaborate
Anjulis. boa«e«iht n .. 1 urn .ary,
orthodox TJapmst
ments.
I will begin with the author of “The
■ Great Iron Wheel:”
Each particular church being independent
and sovereign, is the highest Source of authority, j
and from its decisions there can be no appeal; it, I
however, can reconsider its decisions, when-I
ever the majority is in favor of a reconsidera
tion. — Great Iron Wheel, p. bi'J.
It is the right and dutypf each church, as
; such, to decide and declare ulut it considers tin
teachings of Christ as it respects church order,
church ordinances, laws, terms of communion,
Christian doctrine and duties, to govern, its
members accordingly, (ib.)
It is the right and duty of the members of
each church to select and elect their own teach
ers, pastors, and officers, &c., Ac., such officers
| being accountable to the church for malfea
sance in office, or unchristian conduct, as are the
■ private members. (15.)
If the offender cannot be brought to repen
tance by private remonstraipe, lie is to be ar
raigned before the whole cliuicli —his brethren,
bis peers, and 5?/ them his c(<sc is tried and de
cided. If he will not submit to the decis
ion OF the church, he is to be expelled.—
There is no higher ecclesiastical court to which
he can appeal, (ib.)
He | Paul] does not comuand them, but af
fectionately beseeches ibemto restore to the
penitent their former fellow slip, saying—“Suf
. ficient to such a man is this [tuiisbineut, which
| was inflicted of many”—the wice of the whole,
' or of the majority of the membership.—p. 560.
Local associations are m>t judicatories, to
I which the Churches are amemblc, and to which
cases of church discipline >re appealed; but
they are the creatures of theciiurches, Ac., Ac.
1 They are also advising cotncils, and as such, i
give' advice touching questions of practice or ■
1 discipline, but they cannot legislate for the
churche-; which are sotercigi. independent bo
dies. The churches are I'rci' associate in the c
bodies or not.—p. 505.
The italics in the aboie quotations arc
’ mine.
True, the author states incidentally that
an excluded man may apply to and be re
ceived by another church ; but in this he
is not only inconsistent with himself, but
opposed to Bro. Pendleton also, as 1 shall
•Jmw below Hot Bro P will not
condemn me for eqincklihg with him rather '
than with the author of the "Wheel.” It is
true also, that the author has given us no
’ tice of some changes, to appear in a new
edition of his book; but those changes
1 were advertised after uiy series was pub
-1 lixlied, an 1 I could net have had th? benefit
of the new teaching.
■ 1 quote next fro!,-. Brother Pendleton’s
l ook ot 170 pages entitled "Three Rea-
' sons. He teaches that Baptist church go
, % eminent “ distim-tly recognizes these
’ I truths. ’’
1. That the goa l-nmtidulpower is in the hands
; j of lhe people.
2. The right of a majo; ity of the members of a
' Church to rule.
• 3. That the po/rer of a. church cannot be trans-
ft rrcd or alienated, ami that church action A
fund. [His italics.]— Thru .Reasons, p. 153.
If, as has been shown, the governmental
power of a church is with the members, it fol
lows that a majority mils' rule. That is to say.
! either the majority or minority must govern.
I But it i- absurd to refer the rule to Hw minori
.-iitv, That a majority must rule is so plain a pnn-
I cipl of cougregationaUsui. and so plain a prin-
I cipb of common sens, 1 , that it is needless to dwell
I upon it.—pp. 164-3. [My italics.]
A church, by excluding a member, deciares
■ that member unworthy ot fellowship. M ill it
- I be asked, what is to be done if the action of a
. I church docs not give 'atisfaction to all co .ccrn-
ed? 1 answer, do what is done when the action
> .•’ a Presbyterian Gentgid A mbly. or Meth
, ! odist General Conference, or a Episcopal Gen
eral Convention does not give satisfaction.—
1 i There must be a stopping place. There must
>i be final action. Baptists’say, with the New
' ; Testament before them, that the action > f each
■ local congregation of believers is final.—p. 160.
I I On pages 153 and 159 h>- speaks of the
••-ore-fign ,'y" of the chur .ht s.
t If the sentiments I advane ■ are “revolu
-1 t:»: my,” ami “originated” i’ ’!’ » special
1 purpose, what are we to say of Brother
! when they arc the same pre
v i cisclv.
1 i have space to r'.,'.l:; but short quota-
- ‘ ti< ns from Dr. A. C. Dayton. Author of
A Baptist Church is. tn all that conc«rn» its
’ own members, as independent of the Associa-
■ tion. as it is of the Methodist Conference.* ****
n When a member has been guilty of some offence,
n it tries, condemns and excludes him, and from
, its decision there is no appeal to any Assoda
o : tion, local or general, or to any convention or
t ■ ■- •’<-f i'a-y. What it decides is the
decision" of th- ’’ui -b'ar.d ends 'he matter, ujj.
■ less it can be persuaded to revoke the decision,
i. as Paul besought the church at Corinth to re
store one whom it had cast out. * * * - * The
0 church is under no necessity to belong to any
d associati. n. — Tm -h-'.’ re>'. H, /. 451.
0 own c<?fisTiTCnoN. [ltalics and capi-
e rals his.] It may be possible that associaiioas
>e sometimes forget this, and act as though they
were not merely .ulvisory. but legislative or
X judicial l> lies; but if they ever do. they ? 'olate
r . all regular Baptist usage, and thoughtful and
; intelligent Bewisis will nt once disown them,—
n p. 454.
>! Much more of the same nature is found
r on these and coni iguana pages. Brother P.
and his colleagues ought surely to be the
- v last men to characterize my sentiments as
. v “revolutionary," and to charge me with
“originating" principles. I submit whether
with the above showing. I am not more
i- liable to the charge of being a mere co
° r. vis: -
o, 2. Another very strange mistake ot Bro
Pexdletox's I will notice, as it is conven
'•= lent. In the Tcr.-essec Baptf,: of Marcl
>” 10th he says;
-Prof. Meß*** expresses tie opinio:
■a tha’ a "hunch has the •“>»*t. if it think
4
Ito take into consideration the conduct of
her offending member, even thougla the
case may have been irregularly, and, if you
jilease, wickedly brought before her-.”!
Surely somebody must have imposed
i upon my good brother, or he would not
have made the above assertion, anc we
would have been spared the. many chinges
which have been rung upon the vord
“wickedly.” To show whether I “express .
the opinion” laid to my charge, it is only
necessary to insert here the whole jiara
grapb, from which the extract is takeij. It
is as follows:
“Are not the Saviour's directions for the '
government of private offences, of vital impor
tance? If, then, the majority of a church, in
ing the arranged out of the question,) stanfi tip ”
for the Saviour's rule, and unchurch the major- !
ity?” Let us sec what you mean by “disre
gard.” First. The church may honestly mistake j
that for a public which is merely a private of- !
fence; or, second. Knowing and acknow.ledg
l ing it to be a private offence prematurelj’ intro
| duced, it may defcide io entertain it any liqw.
Let us sec whether either of these is a “disre
gard” of the Saviour’s directions; and whether
they furnish sufficient, grounds for the minority :
to unchurch the majority. Iftlie majority hon
estly mistake the nature of the offence, it has on
ly committed an error; and we have shown in
the previous number, that a church is not anni
hilated whenever it commits an error. For the ■
same reasons, a mistake made by the church in ;
reference to the nature o's an ofl'ence, docs not
furnish sufficient grounds for a minority to tin- j
church the majority. But, second. Suppose the :
majority knowing and acknowledging that it is
a private offence prematurely introduced, should
nevertheless, entertain it—what then ? I answer, I
they may, like brother Baker, and other distin
guished writers on church discipline, believe
that these directions are addressed primarily to
the offended, to guide his deportment, and: that
the church has the rigid, if it think best, to
take into consideration the conduct of her of
fending member, even though the case may
have been irregularly, and if you please, wick
edly brought before her. In all this these wri
ters may be mistaken; and the church, in act
ing on this principle, may commit an error,
without designing to “disregard” the instruc- ,
tions of Christ. Now, as has been shown al- i
ready, an error unintentionally committed; does ’
not annihilate a church; nor does it afford
ground sufficient for a minority to unchurch
the majority. Infallibility does not reside in a ;
church, either in its majority or in its minori
ty. On a question whether a church can enter
| tain a private offence prematurely and irregu-
larly introduced, honest differences of opinion j
may be tolerated ; and surely a mistake on the
subject cannot involve annihilation. Ifachurch
were by rote and record to resolve that it would
’‘disregard" or erase from the Revelation receiv
ed by it the 18th of Mat., or any other part of
the Scriptures great or small, it would resolve >
itself into an infidel fraternity, and the believers j
in its midst should repudiate and denounce it. I
But, surely the a rowed rejection of the 18th of I
.Mat., and the erroneous application of its law, \
while its binding force is acknowledged, are
very diflerent things.
Returning my thanks to the Editor of |
the Hanner A Baptist for the courtesy and
i justice with which he has treated me as
one < f his contributors, I have onlv to add
that, so far as ! am concernrd, “the case
mav now go to the jury.”
P. 11. MELL.
University of Georgia, May 14.
y:;. " As the Tennessee Baptist professes
to be willing to give both sides to every I
question, and especially to do justice to ’
any one who has been unintentionally mis- j
represented in its columns, it is respect
fully requested to give the above an inser
tion, entire and unniutilatcd. The Christian
Index also is respectfully requested to
I publish. ' P. 11. M.
For the Banner A Baptist.
Brother Editor:
I dosed my last article with the gross in
consistency <>f Pedo-baptists in quoting the
Roman Catholic writers as the fathers of
1 the church of Christ, and at the sameithne
J ailmitthig that the Roman Catholic church
I is anti-christian, ami that the Pope is the
' man of sin spoken of in the scriptures. —
That the Jewish church was not the same as
1 the Christian church, which is that kingdom
the God of heaven was to set up iu the
I days of the Ca’sars, is clear, from the fol
lowing - •riptnres; "J esCs saith unto them,
did ye never read in the scriptures. The
stone which the builders rejected, thejsame
■ 1
the L-'id’s d->: g, and it is marvelloius in
our eyes? Tlc-refi.re 'iy 1 unto yoi.i. the
■ y° u
d
■ thi reof.” The kingdom ■ Gofi here
spoken of was not the church, but the gos
pel kingdom,—that kingdom which was
.- near at hand, as disclosed by the Baptist
John, and the apostles of our Lord. It
s ' could not have been the church, which was
- then about to be taken from the Jews and
handed over to the Gentiles—as is supposed
i ' by some—from the fact that Jesus Christ,
the corner stone laid of God in Siori. had
r '■
to have any place in their edifice. Peter,
■ in speaking to the Jews cn this subject,
; uses ‘he following strong and pointed lan
guage : ’’This is the stone which was set
> at naught of you builders, which is become
* the h-. lof the corner.”
It is verv evident from these scriptural
’• quota:; ms that the Jewish church and the
- Christian church cannot be the same, because
church is founded upon the
? r Christ Jesus. ’Upon this rock (pe/ra i
> I will build my church.” The Jewish church
n was not; they had rejected, disallowed, and
s set him at naught, as tint:: for a place in
, their edifice. He had been offered toithem.
I
i
h One of the houses having bc-er.
1
i|
v- rock was -file to withstand the floods anc
storms. “The gates of heli shall nejt pre
„ ▼nil against it.” Not so with theihoum
which wtr bt-i uncm *he Find, it wo:
not able to withstand the floods and storms; I
it fell and great was the fall thereof. Hence, '.
in this the two dispensations are graphically
set forth. The Jewish builders rejected ;
the chief corner stone, -the Lord Jesus I
Christ, from their house or church ; they i
also rejected the counsels of God against
themselves, and the result was their church
: or house fell, and great was the fall thereof.
Query—Why did it fall ? Because it was
i founded upon the sand. The Christian house
: or church, being founded upon the rock, j
■ Christ Jesus, it cannot fall; though storms I
I oppression and persecution may howl :
j and rage, but still she will stand-unmoved, I
: because she is founded upon a rack.- Tfie I
’agaTnST Tier, with aij. of arHli'c-ryp but |
she shall triumph over them all, because '
( she is founded upon the rock Christ Jesus. ;
I Some Pedo-baptists contend that Paul, in I
the eleventh chapter of his letter to the I
Romans, brings forward the Jew ish church,
under the notion of a good olive, tree, and |
that some of the Jews, the natural branch- ■
es of the Jewish church, were broken off >
or excluded because of unbelief. And that |
: the Gentiles by reason of faith were graft- j
j cd into the good olive tree (the Jewish
! church.) It the good olive tree is the
Jewish church, and some of the natural
branches (the Jews) were broken off (cx-
I eluded from the church) ; and the Gentiles
were grafted in (received into the Jewish
church) contrary to nature, then the wild
i olive tree must represent the Gentile church,
or a wild church; because if olive tree
means, church in one cast, it must in the
other. The good olive tree represents the
true faith, the faith of Abraham, whois the
father of all the I'ailhli;!, mid the wild olive
: tree the faith of the heathen. The Jews
supposed because they were the natural dc
' scendants of Abraham, that they were ev-
I cry way worthy to become members' of
Christ’s spiritual kingdom or church, which
. he was then about setting up, according to
! Daniel’s prophecy. John, the Baptist,
I taught them that there was something more
| necessary to entitle them to membership
. in this spiritual kingdom, than simply hav
: ing descended from Abraham. “Bring
I forth therefore limits meet for repentance.
I And think not to say within yourselves,
: We. have Abraham to our father : for I say
. j unto you, that God is able of these stones
j to raise up children unto Abraham.”—
I , n l.| N T r- > 4,0.
born again.’’ He said to the Jews, “.Ex-
J cept ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.”
, When Christ ‘spoke to tiie members of
! his spiritual kingdom, he spoke very difl'er
| ently from what he did when speaking to
the Jews. “Fear not, “little flock ; for it
i is your father’s good pleasure to give you
the kingdom. And 1 appoint unto you a
I kingdom, as my father hath appointed unto
' me : tmit yo may eat and drink at my table
lin my kingdom. As the father hath loved
me, so have I loved you ; continue ye in
my love. If the world hate you, ye know
■ that it hated rue before it hated you. If
: ye wore of the world, the world would love
his own ; but because ye arc not of the
: world, but I have chosen you out of the
world, therefore the world hat.'th yon.—
Sanctity them through thy truth : thy word
is truth.” Thus he spoke to his people,
’i members of his kingdom. But when he
, to the other Jews, the wicked, he spake
thus: “Fill ye up then the measure of
' your fathers. Ye serpents, ye generation i
' of vipers, how shall she escape the damna- ’
tion of hell." At one time when he came •
near the city of Jerusalem, he was moved '
with such tender.compassion for that )-co- I
pic. that he wept over it, saying, “If thou I
hagst known, even thou, at least in this thy
day, the things which belong unto thy ■
peaceßut now they are hid from thine I
■ eves. For the day shall come upon thee, i
that thine enemies shall east a trench anout
1 thee, and compass thee round, and keep
thee in on every side, and shall lay thee
1 even with the ground, and thy children
: within thee : and they shall not leave in
■ thee one stone upon another: because thou
■ knowi-st not tin. time of thj visi'.’tion.'’
• John in the twelfth chapter of the Apoc-
• alypse, brings forward the Christian church
5 under the emblem of “A woman clothed
‘ with the -sun, and the moon under her feet,
‘ and upon her head a crown of twelve stars.”
’ In this, the revelator exhibits the two
• churches, the Christian and the Jewish.—
The Christian is exhibited under the cm-
’ blem of a woman clothed with the sun ;
• and the Jewish is exhibited under the cm
’ blem of the moon under her feet. If this
• be correct, (which is admitted by all Pedo-
J baptist expositors and commentators) it is
as clear as the noon-day sun that the Jewish
church and the Christian churches are not
e ‘ the same. Had they been, similes so very
e unlike each other would not have been se
e lected by the Spirit of God, to represent
) the two. As God has declared them differ
h ent, and likened one to a woman clothed
d with the sun. and the other to the moon
o under her feet, we ought to he very care
b fui lest we be found contradicting God.—
0 “And the ransomed of the Lord shall re
e turn, and come to Zion with songs and ev
n erlasting joy upon their heads : they shah
d obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow an(
e sighing shall flee away.”
a h’ F. 3IORRISON.
d . »
yiJWWisdom is wealth; but ;f there
■o were do other wealth than that of wiodom
ls this world w~.-?ld lx- shockingly poor.
( TERMS 92.
( ALWAYS IN ADVANCE.
( VOL. 1.
! NO. 34.
UH!JIREVS & S. S. IIILIMN.
FOR THE BANNER A BAPTIST.
The Ten Commandments for Children.
No. 4.
Now what is the next commandment,
Marion I
“Honor thy father and thy mother,” tec.
I am sure I do not break this command,
do I mother?
Let us see what it means before I decide.
It means I must love you and father,
: and do what you tell me, does it not ?
Yes! And it also means you>tnust do
■ those things you know we wish you to do,
! whether we have told you to do them or
? wi'iFglve yoti Vbe
You obtained permission, a few days since,
■ to attend the birth-clay party of one of your
; voting friends. In the course of the even.
' ing s entertainment, dancing and cards were
I introduced, neither of which your father or
j I approve. You refused to participate in
j their amusements, but still remained as a
I spectator. We would have been better
I pleased had you left immediately, though
I you had our permission to remain until
nine o’clock. We had no idea, your young
friends knew anything about dancing or
card playing, and I suppose these accom
plishments were acquired during Henry’s
and Emma’s recent visit to the city; and
their city cousins who returned with them,
have since kept them in practice. These
amusements are more injurious than bene
ficial to young persons, and knowing our
sentiments, with regard to them it would
have been best for you to have kept out of
the way of temptation. You should act
under all circumstances as though wc were
looking at y,ou, and then you will honor
your parents indeed.
Passing down the street yesterday, I
saw a crowd of boys collected at a corner.
They were trying to induce one of their
young companions to accompany them
upon a hunting and fishing excursion, and
as they spoke quite loud, I could hear all
they said. One boy declared they could
see no fun, if he didn’t go. Another ex
claimed he was in a pet and only wished
to be persuaded. Another, that he was too
chicken-hearted to kill anything. But he
manfully replied to all they could urge— ,
“My father does not wish me to hunt or
fish. He thinks lam too young to have a
—m y, i, r.m2 : I > fv,hsftg, he cMJ-j lazy
work.” They responded, he will never
know it, if you go this one time. But he
answered, “I never deceived my father, and
never intend to.” They left him and I
could not help thinking, he would grow up
to be a good and wise man.
L. O. G.
THE FOX AND TIIE CROW.
A crow having taken a piece of cheese
out of a cottage window, flew up into a
high tree with it, in order to eat it. Which
a Fox observing, came and sat underneath,
and began to compliment the crow, upon
the subject of her beauty. I protest, says
he, 1 never observed it before, but your
feathers are of a more delicate white than
any that I ever saw in my life. Ah! what
a line shape and graceful turn of body is
there. And 1 make no question but you
have a tolerable voice. If it is but as fine
as your complexion, I do not know a bird
that can pretend to stand in competition
with you. The Crow, tickled with this
very civil language, nestled and wriggled
. about, and hardly knew where she was;
but thinking the Fox a little dubious as to
the particular of her voice, and having a
’ mind to set him right in that matter, be
i gan to sing, and in the same instant, let
i the cheese drop out of her mouth; This
j being what the Fox wanted, he chopped it
up in a moment, and trotted away, laugh
ing to himself at the easy credulity of the
crow. jESOP.
Flattery is a most dangerous delusion
numbers listen to it to their disgrace or
> ruin: and those who are most pleased with
it in general have it bestowed most lavish
ly on the very gift in which they are re
markably deficient. It is indeed unsafe at
any time to plume ourselves upon our qual
ifications, for there may be always found”
I some in the world who will make their
advantage of our wackness; and not scru
' pic to profit themselves at our expense.—
i Let all think of themselves “soberly” and
i take care to be under the mark and not
above it in their estimate of their qualifl
’ ■ cations and endowments. And if my young
> friends would be wise, let them shun him
- who speaketh with a flattering tongue, and.
- useth deceitful words that would entice
; them astray. The applause or censure of
-a misjudging world are not of much mo-
s ment to those who should think and act
■- and speak for eternity, And as they are
3 ‘ for the most part entirely misplaced so
a they should by no means be the guide of
t him whose rule ol conduct is the 'law of
v God: and whose example, the wise and per
:- feet Saviour of men. *
t ♦
IDLENESS.
Carlisle says : Nine-tenths of the mis
d cries and vices of manhood proceed from
n idleness; with men ty>i quick minds, to
whom it is especially pernicious, this habit
_ is commonly the fruit of many disappoint
ments and shemes oft-baffled; and men
fail in their shemes not so much for the
want of strength as from ill direction of it.
II The weakest living creature, by concen
.l -trating bis powers upon a single omect,
■ can accomplish something, the strongest
bv dispersing his over many, may fad to
accomplish anything. The drop, by con
tinued falling, bores its passage t -‘ ro
e the hardest took—the hasty torrer.t rushes
over it with hideous uprowr, and leaves
behind.
