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JESSE M. WOOD, /
Editor. '
H. C. HORMADY, Americus, Ga. -.
L. T. DOYAI-, Griffin, Ga. I v ,-. .
J. J. D. REXFROE. Talladega, Ala. f
It. P. EVERETT, Florida. I
JOS. N. BAKER, Fla. Traveling Correspondent.
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JOHN II BICE.
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SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS.
Mau l/itfr is horn of a woman is of few
days, and full of trouble. lie comoth forth
like a flower, and is cut down; he fleeth
also ns a shallow, and continucth not. And
dost thou open thine eyes upon such none,
and bringest. me into judgment with thee?
Who can bring n clean thing out of an un
clean ? not one. Seeing his days are de
termined, the number of his mouths are
with thee, thou hast appointed his bounds
that he cannot pass ; turn from him, that
he may rest, till he shall accomplish, as a
hireling, his day. For there is hope of a ;
tree, if it lie ent down, that it will sprout i
ftfc again, and that the tender branch thereof j
Will not cease. Though the root therof j
wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof
die in the ground ; get through the scent of
►*” water it will bud, and bring forth boughs I
like a plant. But man dieth, and wasteth
/ away : /e.a, man giveth up the ghost, and
where ss he ? As the waters fail from the
sea, mid the flood decayeth mid drieth up ;
! So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the
heavens Ac no more, they shall not awake,
nor be raised out of their sleep. Oh that
thou wouldst hide mo in the grave, that
thou wouldst keep me secret, until thy
wrath bo past, that thou wouldst appoint
me a set time, and remember me ! If a
num die, shall he livem/om / All the days
of my appointed time will I wait, till my
change come. Thou shalt call, and I will
answer thee: thou wilt have a desire to the
work of thy hands. For now thou mim
lierest my steps : dost thou not watch over
my sin ? My t is sealed up in
a bag. and thou sewest up mine iniquity.
And surely the mountain falling cometh to
nought, atid the rock is removed out of
his place. The waters wear the stones:
thou washest away the things which grow
out ot‘ the dust of the earth ; and thou de
strovest the hope of mam I hou preiail
est for ever against him, and he pasaeth :
thou changes! his eountenaniv, and wildest
him away. His sons come to honor, and
he knoweth it not; and they are brought
low, but he perociveth it not of them. But
his flesh upon him shall have pain, and his
soul with him shall mourn.
I (HIMI Ml ITIOU.
For the Banner <k Baptist.
RELIGIOUS PREJUDICE.
It is a fact, observable by all, that :
religious prejudice is one of the strongest {
passions in the human soul, and that it ex- |
ert« a emitroliiig influence over the minds
of millions. Pagan, Mahomedan, Christian,
all, with very rare exceptions, are swayed
bv this debasing passion. It may be inter
esting, as well as profitable to us, to
examine the principles on which this pas
sion is Itased— trace it ta it* true origin—
and hint at some of its injurious results him
Before entering upon this work, it will
be proper to define what is meant by pre
yud<ce, and w hat by religious prejudice.— i
The term prejudice is derived from the '
lottin pojudtclum, (which is itself derived I
from the proposition “peru" {‘before*] and |
"judloi," ‘tn judge.’ It signifies, therefore, j
jpuxs judgment before baud; i. e. ft> ■
judgment for, or against a person, thing, or
principle, before due examination —beforv
all the f.v ts in the case arc considered.— !
Helus', a prenHitnrf juJgmeitt in favor oy
or I%' term, prejudice, denotes
that slate «4* the nund (including the intel
tert and cMofAtM.*.) which rveudts fn»tn a
prewuttwrv Arwwx of the As the
em<4ioi»s (or feelings) ucvewarily arise
from the of the judgment, and arc
feicuJly. or iuitag«mistie to the person, or
thing, with reference to which the derision
i« made; the term, prvjndicx*. is uMd. cepe
eiaUy. bishmute the fer.Vu w, con-sequent on
a |*4vmatuA' Jccrfem >4 tlu- judgment.—
Since «‘ur may be in taxor «»t,
or a , ’aii-st any ptrtiicular |u<rsmi, or prin
ciph»: >t ism uh nt tluit our rre/iajni will be
incliius! to jxartakc of tbs' aatnrf nt thr«
Tandmatll BaiwiCT $ Ctemtet Sagfist
judgment. This is the history of the.wor
so far as its etymology is concerned; hi
there is a species of prejudice—more e>
tensiveand universal than any other—whic
r seems to result, not so much from ad(
cision of the mind, as from other causes.—
!* -
t To illustrate. The. son is a Democrat, or
Whig, because his father is; or a Baptist
Ib-esbytcrian, Methodist, or Catholic, “i
' faith,” because his parents are. Even th
little prattler is often ardently attached t<
some party, or creed, befiire he knows any
thing about their distinctive principles. I
is perhaps legitimate to suppose that th,
tender judgment, so fir as it is able to ac
I al all, in some way hist youthfu
I feelings; though it is inauili-st yggt t hy-aJe
I cision of his iTi. > •7\ J eT7 weak,
wholiii unndiable. It is a fact worthy ol
note, that these youthful feelings will cling
to one till manhood, and often through
life; and always remain with one, in a
greater or less degree, until corrected by
the after judgment. It argues the mental
sup<>riority of him, who, in after life, is
able to east aside his youthful prejudices,
and examine, for himself, any subject in
regard to which he entertained strong pre
judice in his youth. From this explanation,
it is easy to see that religimt* prejudice is
that state of mind, w hich one person, party,
or denomination entertains for his own
party, or denomination, or against others.
And, from what has already been said, it
is clear that this species of prejudice may,
and often does arise (if it has atty connec
tion with the judgment at all) from a de
cision of the judgment, very imperfect, and
wholly unreliable — that, in the case of those,
whose prejudice arises in youth, it amounts
to the same thing, as if they had exercised
no judgment at all.
Os this species of prejudice there are
two classes, which, for convenience, may be
denominated —
1. Subjective, and
2. Objective religious prejudice.
1) Subjective religious prejudice prevents
one from seeing the. defects in his own faith
and practice, or that of his denomination,
or party, as the ease may be. Ilis feelings
rally around these with so much enthusiasm,
that his intellect cannot, in ordinary cases,
see any thing wrong in them. These feel
ings arc, in many persons, so strong as to
force the judgment to give decisions, precise
ly -oppoaita to the truth, and to wliat it
would, under other circumstances, have
given. Thus it is that conscience often sus
tains those who are in error. Thus it is too
that the minds of millions become darkened,
so that they believe a lie, and are damned.
On this principle, we must explain the
numerous absurd rites of the heathen, as
well as the errors of professing Christians
in zealously advocating, ns the word of
(Jod, what the Bible does not teach. Hence
the truth of the old proverb—
“ Convince a man agninst his will,
And he holds the same opinion still.”
2) Objective religious prejudice is that
state of mind which prevents one from
examining, impartially, the dm'trines and
practices of those who differ from him—
causes a man to look uncharitably on what
his op[>onents believe, or do—is the foun
dation of all bitterness, wrangling, hatred,
aversion, Ac. It causes one to think him
self and his party right, while he feels con
fident that every body, differing from him,
is wrong.
The fatal tendencies, and deleterious re
sults of Imth these classes of prejudice will
l>e further considerwl after we have defined
and pointed out its peculiarities more fully.
2. H’Aence is this prejudice •
As the principles by which human livings
an' actuated, are either good, or evil; and
as th<'se principles exist indepently of man,
and arc the standards by which human, as
well as all other actions of intelligent beings,
are to be tested ; religious prejudice must
J have its origin in the anfatjonism existing
■ between virtue and pee —truth and false
I hood—iunoceoce and guilt—justice and in
justice—God and Satan. It is perfectly
legitimate, in accordance with what has
been said, for a man to lie prejudiced
against the truth, sincerely liclieving all
the time that ho is in the right. In this
case, ho believes he is right— mistakes false
h<M»d tor truth, and acts as zealously as it
he were right. The poor blinded man thus
liccomes the advocate of Satan’s cause,
though he snpp»>ses he is fighting for God.
The explanation is simply this : Ilis ow n
I principles are in unison with the principles
' of veil, and. as a consequence, he opposes
I any thing good; being led by Satan, the
! guardian of all evil.
That this view is correct, is evident from
the fact tliat if there were no evil in th«
world, there could be no prejudice; and
■ vice versa, if there were no good, then
could l»e no prejudice.
3. What is the moral tfualdy of rrligiout
, pre/WuT .*
In order to olnaiu a correct answer t<
: this question, we have but to trace the act
lor mental state, to the principles fetus
I w h’w h it proxsecds. If the act proceetls form
evil, it must itself be evil; if frmn gxmd
good. It is not net'essary that the motive
in view of which an act is performed
should be evil, in order for the act itself t<
be stamped with evil; if the direct motiv
i lie good, amt the aet is in unison with th
principles of evil, the act will be evil, taooi
motives are aov.«mr» to a good action, bu
gvsd motive* do tu4 cuou
II If thi* is not *o. then right is referable
ATLANTA, GEORGIA, THURSDAY, JULY 12, 1860.
- ■
cd merely to the human mind—takes its origi
ut in man’s depraved heart; but this woul
x- exempt him from obligation to God, whic
eh is absurd and atheistical.
e- A Wrong action, performed from goo
- motives, must, therefore, be wrong ; an
a an action which, in all its externa! appeal
st, ances, seems to be right, is wrong, if pei
in formed with a bad motive. A right actioi
ie therefore, is one which is in union with th
to principles of right— with Go(f s law— and i
y- prompted by ,a good motive.
It The question next arises, Is religion
ic prejudice in unison with God’s law ? Tber
:t can be but one—viz: a negative, answer t<
it this question, wh.-u ibis pl--iudi<e
'J ; lipciLligainst-111..;
d and practice it. All such prejudice must
>f necessarily be sinful. But what of that
g prejudice which is entertained against thosi
h who hold and practice error ? Is it sinful
a or not? This is an important inquiry, and
y deserves a careful answer.
d To form a premature judgment, respect
s ing any doctrine, party or denomination
?, and base our action on this judgment, it
n not the part of reason. Reason says, “Ex
■- amine before you form your conclusion —
i, don’t lake a position igainSf a principle,
s party, or denomination, until yon have first
, seen that opposition is demanded—after
n you have, dispassionately looked into tht
i. fads, then it is time enough to oppose.”—
t Now. the question arises, Is it sinful to act
; unreasonably I A rigid morality would re
’• ply, “Every unreasonable act —if the act
- be an important one—must be sinful.”
1 The essence of religious prejudice is op
, posed to the spirit of Christianity. Christ
s taught the sublime doctrine, that his people
1 should love their enemies. Now, it is self
evident that prejudice contains nothing of
? love, but that it is, to the extent of its posi
-1 tive existence, opposed to love. It follows,
therefore, that prejudice, even against er
rorists, is sinful.
A. S. WORRELL.
, [to be continued.]
( ■» ♦
For the Banner & Baptist.
’ SOMETHING FOR ALL.—No. 5.
BY W. N. C.
Well, dear Banner: Some may want
something, but be it so. ant will be
your .master,” as used to be said to me,
and my experience has long since-verified
the truth of the remark.
ILLUSTRATION, &c.
Returning home from a religious meet
ing, recently, we for a time, were in fine
spirits. The large number of us together,
the destination— home, sweet word—all
’ made the starting pleasant. The first regular
P stopping place though, our number was
much lessened. The terminus of the rail
road was the place of another separation,
some taking one direction und some an
other, to meet no more on that trip. A day
I or two more and our original companions
1 all left, myself and brother traveller persue
1 the balance of the journey alone ; no, not
■ quite, perhaps, for ere it is quite comph-te,
I 1 may lie left to finish it all alone.
Thus, thought I in my musings, is life’s
» journey; and with how many of my dear
■ readers ha* it been thus, as well as with the
■ writer ? With what a number did I liegiu
> mv career! How pleasan!ly, tor awhile,
did we travel on. all so merrily, so <-heer-
• fully, *o free from care, and even the des-
I tination, as it loomed up in distant fancy—
-1 oh, those air-castles?—lent a charm to our
• journey, like that of home to the traveler.
But ah! what means it? Why here up
s on life’s journey are places of change, of
1 parting. A.parting word, the last look and
, bow, and on we are whirled, the number
s sadly lessened. Some have taken one diree
i. tion, some another, and we another, perad
t venture in the chain of inscrutable provi
t deiuvs, to meet at some depot on life's
great thorough-tare, jM'vhaps not. We weep;
-for a time sadness steals over us. but the
f excitement ot the way. dashing into vari<*l
s and new scenery, awakened all at one,' to
1 the fact that life is a reality with as, ai«l
I concerned aG>ut our future, we grow earn
s less, mitii another and a sadder parting has
s come, and we must hesitate and “pay th<
f last tribute of res|M'ct ’t<» some—and deal
s ones too—who liegan the journey with us.
-. Ah !my soul, and how true the picture
I. i Here I am. whirling on. dashing forward
n in a strauge land. At one {mint my road
« lisl off from nearly all, both relatives and
s triends, with whom 1 commeneed life, leax
e iug me almost alone, till acquaintances
were made among the strange passengers
n At a depot, long, long ago, my mother was
e , put off. ami buried, when I was hardlx
I. f conscious of it. Back yonder, I stopper
c j and buried my father. The g*«xi. old coun
■ sellers of my early life, one after another
w i have all changed roads, or the end of their:
! has come. Hen* I am, with one soliinrt
o s friend, not one with whom I began the jour
t, I m-y, but with »hwa 1 soon "fell m” with
m and with whom 1 promised to travel unti
in i 1 should luive to stop and bury her, or sh-
d, I me.
e, I I mean the "friends of my youth” are al
J, gone, with the above exception, es. as
k> ; pen these few lines, memory, with faithful
re : ne*s. brings to mitui, as in bright visioii
le i the names, then the f>r>ns, features, au<
k! i ages ot those friends; cireumstanees. unde
nt! which we met. termed and strengthens
d, ! attachments never to be broken. The des*
le J hills, and neighborhooti roads; the “sulphtt
n.
“HIS BANNER OVER” US IS “LOVE”
fin springs’’, and other p’.aco of resort : the
ild first stroll my youiigTcmale acquaint
ch ance; and among all the others, the “old
cool spring meeting house, rudely con
od structed of.beech logs, where several of us,
ad early in.“life’s journey,” were made to re
ir- joice together “in hope of the glory of God,”
ir- because of the evidence (J pardoned sin,
n, and all other ties, strenghtened by the tics
lie grace, of religion. |
is Dear reader, I wifi not njk your pardon,
tho’ I have imposel upon—as I now find,
us after wiping away imbidden tears—a per
re sonal reverie, a practical article,
:6 which I purposed trv M ell, I
r-
atii cJeJr. "Bift, dear
it reader, once more, let me ask you to charge
it your mind with the fact that you must
ie reach the end of life’s journey soon. Upon
I, the recent occasion referred to in the com
d mencement of this article, my absence from
my own dear flock was but a few days
t- duration.
i, But it was long enough for one dear
young sister, stout and well, to sicken and
(- die; and that ever memorable sweet, re
- tiring, yet confiding wife and Christian, no
?, more sheds light around the hearts of
it “loved ones at home,” or cheers by her
r presence the hearts of her brethren and
e sisters, and pastor especially.
Now, sinners may die just as soon as this
’t young Christian did. But oh ! how unspeak
:- ably different the occasiofisT A dying chris
t tian. There is no such thing. They “sleep,”
their bodies sleep in the dust awhile, but
>- their spirits sleep not,vbiit live, and live
t on ; so
r “When they’ve been there u-u thousand years,
f Bright, shining as the sun;
They’ve no less days, to sing God’s praise,
Than when they first begun.”
But the sinner dies. Yes death— sad
’’ gloomy, horrible thought—death is his,
spiritual, temporal, eternal. “Death is
swallowed up” but only to victors. “The
king of terrors,” he will be sinner to you.
Upon the confines of eternity, you must
linger for a time in temporal death, which,
with all its horrors, will be but the pre
monition of death eternal. You (“an have
no hope then here, for it’s too late, and in
the future, the sentiments, expressed in
: verse by another, you will have to adopt
“ as yours, and say,
“Infinite years in torment pend.
! That will nevciv novr'r.
Btit I mnt*t He in torturing
J a umnif yearn an
For the Banner & Baptist.
QUESTIONS FOR THE AGE.
I Transient Rest, Nash, N.C., i
June 19th. 1860. l
i Dear Bro. Wood:
' lam pDasod with the whole aspect of
> the Banner A; Baptist. It well deserves
' the name ‘Baptist’; and the little ‘Banner’
is* not inappropriate. It looks well, and 1
' like to sit under it; or to march in its
direction.
f But particularly with your creed, (if you
» will allow me to call it so,) in issue of May
24th, I readily accord ; if 1 may except the
s Sth article. For your relief, however, I
r add, before 1 proceed farther, that, in ob
a jeoting to your creed, 1 object to, nearly, it
1 not quite, a universal opinion. If. indeed,
’ the principle questioned be an error, and a
' universal mistake, then I need not notice it
1 as yours, but as the deviation of Ihe relig
ious world of this age.
r The error alluded to, relates to the order
■ and fellowship of Christ's ]*eople, viewed as
*" the church, or kingdom of Christ. But still
more directly to what is termed, the gov
J ernment of (bid’s people.
1 There lurks about my thoughts the Ivar,
that Baptists, (for them [ am chiefly von
oerned,) have suffered themselves to l>e
l " overburdened with undefmable terms and
8 phrases.
’’ Church (a name of our English version.)
e kingdom of heaven, kingdom ofG<al, (lioth
in our present version.) govern, rule, obey,
“ (all three scriptural,) organization, cousti
tntioii, e.xeeutix e, djjd'.eat ion, lav man. doctor I
of Divinity, and others, must be defined.
s Particular attention, at present, is due
e to three terms, namely, organization, gov
r eminent and executive.
1. What is tirgaiiizjition, as it relates to
’ Christ’s people ? According to the current
’’ opinion of organizing a ehtin h, where did
the baptized believers in John's day stand,
until Christ organize*! them into a church ?
Prior to such organization were they niem
s hers of his church, or not members ! What
' element was created, added, or given in
l " order to render th* Kiptiz. d a church ? I
■' can not but esteem it Important to under
stand what our blessed Savior did in his
’’ own name to organize a church, that he did
r ’ not do it through John’s ministry. If eal
ling, inspiring, and sending abrua<l the dis
ciples. wa; not otga izing, then what was
r it? Jf no church was organized under John's
ministry, then. Bro. Wood, what is ehnreh
“ > organization ? Does not this term
K ‘ | "Ltad to bewilffi-r.”
‘ if it d< *es wot
di j -Dazzle to blind?**
li 2. What is charehgovernment ’ Who
il- is law-giver ! Who are the governed .’ and
n. What is their law ! It Christ is Law giver,
id whom lias he appointed his Executive on
er earth .’ It seems to »v, that either he gov
?d ems by his written word, or else by a viee
ar gerent. If by a\i«-g«-rent. or vicegerents,
ur who is he? Or who are they ? If one mem-
3 her, or all the members are
- then which one, or ones, are Wh<
1 is delegated to govern the rest ? And wha
- is the precise power or law, which he mus
, execute? Power? Power in the church
- In whom is it vested ? Power, it
’ men? Who, I ask again, is td exercise W
, Discipline is what ? Is it the p
s power, or of law? What law, what poWeri
Church Discipline? Baptist Discipline.ti
, Lord right our tottering notions. Pfebipjinc
, is learning after Christ. LordJjfiJgjis fie
■ remember it. Power over disiaples is a
, dangerous thought. Ruling - ? Gox r ernuig
church Afajoi’ities rule? Minori
ties rule ! BlessSlNborcL chase back.Um
conception! Grace flies trom the seed!
Blood flows from its sprouting. Equal
members of Christ’s body, GOVERNED!
and that, by MEN! O, Savior, let they
word rule in our hearts, richly; and let
no vain heart imagine, nor usurping hand
touch the government of Christ over his
kingdom.
3. What is the Executive jmwer in the
Church of Jesus Christ? If there exists
such a thing, I know not where to find it.
The law of Christ will be executed; but it
will lie before a tribunal beyond the in
vented clerical courts of human decorum.
If 1 have not become a mental vagrant,
why may I not conclude that Christ’s
people were an organized church in John's
day, under the government of the New
Testament, xvith none but- Christ to govern
them ; with no such thing as power : that
one member has as much power as all the
rest put together, and all the others as
much as that one : that, to notice immoral
conduct in al! the members, is the duty of
one member, as much as it is the duty of
all the rest to notice it in the single mem
ber ; and as binding upon one member to
withdraw his fellowship from a hundred
other members, for heresy and vice, as it
is upon the hundred to withdraw' from one,
for such cause.
The power, then, to compare the behav
ior of our brethren with the Scripture rules
of Christian duty, and to withdraw our fel
lowship from the impious and unholy, is
all the power that our, or all the Church of
Christ ever had. And this is more like de
clining to exercise over our brother the
power we might have had, than it is like
exercising any delegated power over him.
It is indeed to retreat from a>ow;er, and re
tire'Tievou<t'TTu",“iu:TFA.-. •* -----
In conclusion, one individual has as much
right to judge for himself, as all the world
has to judge for him. All the people of
God never possessed, jointly, power enough
to bind upon the weakest Christian, one
tenet, or one ceremony, against his will.
I believe that the contorted, and miscon
ceived use of words and terms is doing
much to bewilder the people of God.—
Brethren would do well to be cautious how
they distinguish between kingdom of God,
and Church of Christ, and what they may
speak, or allow of church organization:
and never speak of ruling, or governing
with distempeied latitude, but banish all
ideas of authority from churches, from
majorities, ami minorities.
MARK BENNETT.
For the Banner & Baptist.
CHRISTIAN UNION—No. 1.
“That they all may be one, &e.” “One
fold and one shepherd.” Can it ever lie ?
Will tins poor sin-stricken w’orld ever be
hold the lieautiful sight ! Witness Zion's
watchmen, seeing eye to eye, and all speak
ing tho same things. Will this glorious
str«“iigth ever be Zion’s ' In it will she ever
array herself for the conflict and go forth
to conquer a rebellious world, conquer for
Jesus? “That the world may Mfrthat
thou hast sent mo.” And is tho consequence
of union among ehristiaiis so vast? Is the
conversion of the world suspended upon it?
With what importance then does it rise up
before us as something not only to lie de
sired, but labored for, yea sacrificed for.
Who ! ah! who that c*»utemplates il, in
• the light of the gospel, will dan- to feel a
, sectarian sentiment, or labor t<» promote a
i schism ? Reader, dear reader, if you are
a lover of Jesus, answer; not I. Would
you lie willing to divide an interesting and
lovely family ! Would you be willing to
scatter the fold of which you are a member?
So vast is the importance of Christian
union in the estimation of God’s people on
earth, that, scheme after scheme, device
: after device has been formed for it, and
plans have been proposed by the lea*liug
i minds iu christendom. The last great per
j adventure was the establishment of “Union
I Prayer Meetings.” Admiring thousands
] watched their progress, and the innocent
; pious ho[K“d almost to see the niillenial
I glory in their day. (They little knew or
underst*K*d the nature of the zeal which
carried the leaders of these meetings to the
house of prayer.) The press both religious
’ i and secular, proclaimed their praises, de
nounced their opposers, and eagerly an
| luxineed their glorious results (7rave
DD.’s wrote with unction on the gloriou*
; subject of Christian union—and I, even I.
,! whose hard heart tastes so little of the gior
[ ’ ions sweets, began to hope something woulc
i melt me. But let us mark progress—
i ' Where is the union ! Echo answers
- j where ? Are Drs. Barnes and Brantly an)
- better friends than Itefore these gloriou:
, “free" prayer meetings in Philadelphia
, I suspect not. Does any body know of ani
d, body' else who has been itnited? Arc we
io as Christians any nearer to union now than ■
it then ? Are the different denominations any .
st nearer together now, dear reader, than ’
? w'hen you can first remember? Alas! the -
nt breach grows wider, Do you know any j
■|i cfenofhination, the internal divisions of
>f which have been or are likely to be heal
ed ? There are just as many different kinds
-of Presbyterians, Methodists, &•£., now, as
e ever, and if there is any union among the j
p denominations,-it is a union of the sects
a agmiist tiie Baptists, and Baptist are divid-
i-).•■'^Tl.et,^WllOß^ ‘■' ; l*<klrl does no Leal .quieker
I : and one shepherd ?
J What is Christian union?
! Is it tho union of the various so-called
V i orthodox denominations in a soeietv, such
t! as the Bible or Tract Society, tee. ? You
.1 : smile at the simplicity of the question, for >
s > you know that this is not Christian union, i
; Well, is it Christian uiiibn, the union Christ:
3 ' prayed for, and prophisied of, when chris
s ; tians lay aside their denominational peculi
. ■ aritles (any such spoken of in the New
t ; Testament.) and go into a “I nion meet-
- . ing” or Union Sunday School ? Who in tho
: fear of God, will say, yes! ?
• : Nay, 1 tell you, these are not Christian
’ i unions. They are the unions of anti-Christ i
’ j against tho truth. The most plausible union
i we know of is the “union prayer meeting;” ■
1 : and yet with what singular motives men
!go there. Each with the secret hope that
his party will bo benefitted; ail with the
1 mental reservation to give up nothin" for
1 the sake of .the union about which they
I make such pretty prayers. The Presby- ‘
1 terian goes, tlie Methodist goes, the Bap-1 *
■ tist goes, and all the others; and they each i
’ go to lot the others know that they possess
I a large share of charity and Christian liber
ality, and are very catholic in their views.
■ No one likes to be called bigoted, and how
ever sectarian a man is or feels, you will ;
■ insult him to tell hi in ho is a schismatic.
1 Is it Christian union when different sects i
■ commune together? Is it not the. very !
1 mockery of the thing. Are Presbyterians |
: and who commune together, I
united. Ti you wish to hear a Methodist I
‘ well abused, put a Presbyterian at it.
1 Nothing will destroy his dignity so quick !
as to say, Methodist, to him. unless it be to
i tell of some immersion by a Baptist. And
1 mimes with Calvin's follow er, on the next i
I denounces what he holds dear as life. And :
1 the same may be said of pulpit commun-
1 ion. Allow it innocent, and is it Christian .
‘ union ? It is the very last and least, and 1
most pitiable effort to exhibit what no sect ■ j
can truthfully claim, catholicity. \\ ould it i 1
! be ehristian union t<» form from all denom
inations a universal one—each agreeing to I
allow the claims of all others to orthodoxy 1
—would this conglomeration be union ? 1
As an American citizen and sound union *
man, I sav, “the union upon the constitu- 1
tion;” as a citizen and subject of the king 1
dom of Christ, I say the same. When the I
Union of the United States was formed, (
each State entered the I nion by signing 1
the constitution, so let it be with the chris- •'
tian union: let each member sign the con- '
stitution.
Christian union, when attained, will, in !
. inv humble judgment, be the union of all ]
1 ehristiaiis upon one platform ; there l*eing ■
but one kingdom —there will be but one 1
i church organization—“ One fold and one '
shepherd.” This will be when Christians I
; seek the truth— not triumph.
1 propose in short numbers to discuss I
i the following points or queries, respecting |
■ this union, of which I have written thus far j
introductory
' Is it desirable ?
5 Is it attainable and practicable?
■ Should it l>c lalmred for, and how ?
’ Is there any denomination of ehristiaiis j
■ upon whose platform or confession all can
• unite ?
1 Are they united ? And are they doing
1 their duty for the union of all ?
1 I hope, Bro. Wood, 1 will not prove too
1 tedious, either to yon, or your readers.—
I 1 write only for the advancement of what
J is to me dearer, I hope, than life—the j
> Truth. W. M. V.
I
P.S. —I may be slow in furnishing what
I promise, as 1 have but little leisure.
i '
e
j For the Banner & Baptist.
OPEN COMMUNION.
A private letter has been sent to the
n Editor of the Banner, bearing the initials,
s “R. IL A.” The writer of the letter seems
t to be an honest seeker of truth, and re
| quests the Editor to give his views on cer
r tain poiqts connected w ith “Ounmunion
h but the Editor, l»emg pressed with other
e matters, has requested me to answer hi*
s correspondent's questions.
He wishes to know—
i- I. Who are the proper subjects of com-!
e i muuion?
« 3. Who is responsible— the individual
I. i rommunicant, or the church—when
r- an individual partakes of the Supper
d unworthily j
In reply to the first question, I answer—
s. Those, and only those, are entitled to par-:
y : take of the Sup; kt, who have liecome pro/xir |
subjects —i. e. who have la-en qualified ac-1
? ■ cording to God's Word. But what are the
y! Scripture requisites.
( TERMS S 2.
( ALWAYS IN ADVANCE.
1) Belief in Jesus Christ— belief to the
I “saving of the’soul.”
2) Baptism—i. e. immersion— by a prop
, erly qualified administrator.
i These are the indispensable requisites to
! church-membership, and, of course, none
ought to partake of the Supper, but mem
bers of the church.
But our correspondent asks, is not. a man
to examine himself, and so cat ; if so, is
not'each individual to judge, and decide for
himself, whether he will c.otnrnune or not?
It is readily coneeded that “a man is to
examine himselfbut there are others
1 w hose duty it is to judge also of his worthi
uess to e;;t. Each individual church must
lireidc lor ii«-rseli, who shall and who shall
i not partake of the Lord’s Supper. If this
j be not so, then the infidel, thief, robber—
all may “examine” themselves, and judg
i ing themselves worthy Io eat, may ap
' proach tho table, and none can dare forbid
i them. But, if this be the correct view of
this subject, communion cannot be a church
\ ordinance any more than it is an ordinance
of the world. There is no stopping point
: short of a imfrersaZ’communion, unless the
church is to judge of those to whom she
will administer the ordinance. So we see
that, while each must, “examine himself,”
the church also must decide who shall, and
who shall not partake of the Supper.
Our correspondent says, “It is the Lord’s
Table, and therefore we have no right to
say, who shall eat.” For this very reason
the church has no right to admit any but
those whom Christ admits. If it is the
Lord’s table, He has the right to say wh<>
shall be his guests. No church has the right
to go outside of the. church to hunt up
guests for Him. Christ himself has estab
lished the necessary prerequisites in those
who shall partake of the Supper, and no
one has any authority to change what he
has established.
The fact that Christians cannot eat to
gether “here,” docs not prove that they
cannot eat. together “hereafter.” Many,
who have never attached themselves to the
church, or made any profession of religion
publicly, will, 1 have no doubt, be admit
ted into Christ’s heavenly kingdom; but
no one would think of allowing such to par
take of the Supper “here,” while in this
state; yet no one can give any plausible
reason why then* should be discord be
tween such persons and the open and true
-foiltfttOTs- -W- J.esus, wJnai all th* \eileeme-l
shaft he housed seeurdjur 1 leaven. AV*-,
cannot tell what will take place in the
future world.
2. Each communicant, as well as each
church, is individually responsible for the
purity of the ordin nee, as observed by
each church.
Each individual must examine his own
hcßrt, and see whether he can partake of
the emblems in the spirit required in the
New Testament. For his own decision,
each is accountable to Christ. The church
is to decide whether th- applicant is a
member of Christ’s Church—anil whether
his walk is such as to accord with his pro
fession of Christianity. The church is com
petent to hear a man’s ‘‘experience of grace”
and to judge whether he. has been immers
ed by the proper authority, as also to judge
whether the applicant demeans himself as
a follower of Jesus. If the church faithfully
performs her duty in those respects, no
blame can attach to her, even though the
communicant may be a hypocrite.
The Hum of the whole matter is this—-
1. Communion is a church ordinance —
hence none but members of the church
have any right t*» commune.
2. Eoeb member must “examine himselt,
aud so eat.
3. Each church, being responsible for the
purity with which she observes the
ordinance, must decide to whom she
will administer the ordinance.
Hoping that these views may satisfy
“R. H. A.” and others who have been
troubled in the same way, this article will
be extended no further for the present.
A BAPTIST.
THINGS LOST FOREVER.
The following beautiful words, from the
> pen of Lydia IL Sigourney, are full of in
structive meaning:
“ Lost wealth may be restored by in
dustry ; the wreck of health regained by
temperance; forgotten knowledge restored
by study ; alieniated friendship smoothed
into forgetfulness; even forfeited reputa
tion won by patience and virtue. But who
ever looked upon his vanished hours, re
cal’.ed his slighted years, stamped them
with wisdom, or effaced from Heaven’s re
cord the fearful blot of wasted time. The
foot-print on the sand is washed out by the
ocean wave; and easier might we, when
years are fled, find that foot-jtrint than re
call lost hours. ’
.
Drunkenness is now admitted by
! medical men to be a constitutional disease,
sometimes hereditary, sometimes acquired
i just like any other malady, and, like other
mala*li(-«, the subject of scientific treatment
and cure. The New York Inebriates’ Hos
pital recognizes this fact, and the public
also seem to be awakening to it. Though
the Hospital walls are m>t yet completed,
the trustees have received applications
from 3,132 persons for admission. Os these,
28 are clergymen, 3<> physicians, 42 law
yers. 12 editors, 3 judges, 7 army and navy
officers, 179 merchants, 55 farmers, 515
mechanics, and 410 women from the higher
j walks of life.
<
Be just and fear not.
j VOL. 1.
( NO. 39. .
