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32 THE PRACTICAL CH RIST IAN.


•


" For by ONE Spirit are ~' I'e ~ II baptized in!


one ! Jody , wh ether we be J ews or Gentils


wh etb el' we he hond or free; allll hav e blill


a ll IlIllde to drink in to on e S pir it. [ l Cor. l~


13,] So tllat it is the ONE haptism of th e S Jli~


tb ey nil ha ve r ec eiv ed . t E p hes ians iv: 3. U


II Rom. xv. 7. b ROlli. x iv. 3. c F. ph. iv. I. l


d Act s xvi . 17.


1. What has unyEClmrch, professing 10 beI


Chu rch of Chri3l, a right to require IU a condi


tion oj admission ti> its f ellow, ship and privilegu!


No t un ag reem ent iu se n time nt, certuinlj


This is not th e condition on ' which Christ 1'&


ce ives nnrl fellowships individual s. T o lmi


tnte hi s examp le iS, to demund th e slime eon


dition of ' fe llowsh ip a nd commuion that lit


does, and no Otl le r ,' A uniform ity of se nti


ment is not to 100 expect ed, in th e Oh urch, B


on ce on ull points of th e C h is tian faith, W.


sho uld tolerate th os e diversities of' se utlmen


which Christ tolerat es; T o . ue t ' oth erwise


would be to effect II greater s tr ic tness and pu,


rit y than He ohserv.. s, How j us t ly does the


celebru terl Rob ~ rt Hall remark, wh en he say~


" There lire ce rta in proposi tions which produce


on a niind tree from pr ejudice sucli instunrune­ous


co nv iction, us scarc elytondmh of form al


proof. Of thi s natu re is th e following posi­tio


n, that is pres umptuous 10 aspire to g realel,


JlllIity and sl1ietnt ss, in selecting the malel'iall


ofa church, than. arc observ ed by il.~ Divim


Founder ; and those whom heforms Clnd acl u­ales


by his spirit, an d admits to comniunioll wilh


himself, are SlIjJiCiClilly quulffied f or Ihe com · .


1Illmion of mortals ." Heli ce th e llI, sw er to th e


lJuest ion proposed is perfectly pla in. No


CllltJ'(; h has a right to r f. quire any other c01Uli tioll


of admission 10 itsfellolVship and privilegulhan


Iltat 011 which Christ receives and , filiowshiJl$


individuals . And , tha t co nd itio n is simple


f aith in Him. This, th en, is th e on ly allthor­iz


ed coud ition ~ f Chllreh fellow ship ail e! com­munirlll


in C hrist's honse. All othe r comli tions


ure ltllClUl/ lOri::: ed, a nd at op en Will' with the


grea t n ead or the Clllm: h. " '


II. Whal is FlIndam ent al in relig ion ?- The


light ofthe a hove principl e will co nd uc t us


with unerrillg cc rlfli lllY to th e jll'Oper Rnswel


to this IJlHlstio n. 7'/ wt, onl, 1J, can bt fitl1damen.


tal which involves the condi tion on which Chrisl


reccives ami fellowships individuals. Thi;


eOlldi tio n is II d. lli tle rl ou a ll hallds to he filithl


, . ,


in him liS th e Savior. So that uo mun errs,.


{ irndamenlally, uul ess h is errol' in volv e di sbe,


lidi ll C hr ist . Therefore, to mlllee lilly other'


poillts fu ndamcntal, is an nll nillhoriz ell as.


s llmpt iou, uo t to he tol el'llted ill th e C h urc h.


IV. Wh~ t is~ heresy in reli~ o ll ?- Thi s q ~ s.


tion ca u he easily solved, in th e light of the


ahn vc p~ inciple. ' VI' hav e seen, thut to ~ re.


ceive 11 11 wh om Christ recei,' es, is, th e su preme


law of tlo e Ch ureh. T o devi at e fi'orll thi s and


form a sec t a llloug C hrist inns, on ac count 01


ce rtllin div ersities of opino n, on , p" iuts not es.


se utial to sulvatiou, is th e heresy, of the Bible.


Hercsy and sectar ian ism were wo rd s of the


sa me import, in the primitive C hurc h.- T he y


were cOllsiu ered aij sy llony lllous terms hy OUI'


trall silltors. The Greek 1V0rd ai resis the y


hav e sOllletimes rendCl' ed hy th e word sed


and so me t imes hy Ilie wor d hCrfS!/. PUIII \\' 81


accu sed hy T ertullus of Ioe iug a " I'in g- Ieadel


or the sec t of the Nazaren es.". In hi s defen ce,


he ndlllils that, " Ill th e way th ey culled hererJ' '


so Jill worsh Ipp ed the God i, f hi s Fathe ,


T o n: lIk e this part of hi s vindic8ti oll pertine I


heresy mu st lI1ean th e s~ lI1e thing as sect in Ih(,


nccusll linn ofTer tul hls; and sho u ld have beel '


so trailsluted. This is th e only pr oper render,


illg of tloe lVord airesis RS used in the Ne~


T I, starn ent, ' VI' ar e supported in this opiniol


hy Drs . Clark, Campbell andmuny others. Dr


Campbell very jll stly ohserves, that " An IIndlll


lI11ueluncnt to one pllrt , , llId a co nse' 1ue nt lllien


niion of ' affection from another part, of tiM '


C hr istian commu nity comes und er the den om


in ; llion of schisllla. When this di sp08ition h.


• proceed ed so far as to Jll'Odtlce an ' actunl part)


or filc lion among them, thi s effec t is termed


ail'esis. A wl if bas beetl remarked thllt eYII


tllis lerlll , wa s at that time c ur rc ntly ~ ppl ied


wil en mailers h ad not c ome to an open rup


tllre I\ nd separll tion, in piout of comlllllnion.'


This, he says, is evide nt, / i'ClIII th e applic" atili


of tile terlll . hv Paul, to the sta te of things tba •


exi8ted in th e - Corintbian Chnrcll, at th e ti


. rle wrote hi s first ep istle. They had IIpt,


tllllt time, co me to 1111 ope n rupture. Ifthl


heresy ' WllS so strongly denounced hy tb.


Apostl e, witb ' vllat lemlS wonld he r eprollll


th at wlli cll is so feRdully prevnlent at LII


pr esent time ?-. [ T o be concludt. d.]


The example of Christ, is the flLlldamentul


law of His Church, in mailers of f ellowship or­der


and discipline. T{ Iis th e Bih Ie 1II0st IIne-,


quivocltlly teach es . With s tr ikin g li'ell, ' len cy


th e eXlIlllple o f onr Lot'd is referr ed to hy the '


Apo~ tl es, as of S n preme ohli gati on , in the


, Clillrch. They s ee nJedto ba" e regarded it as


Ihe only fu ndnlliental law of Iter statute Book'.


L et us atte nd to a few Ser iplnra l e vid en ces 0/ 1


thi s point. "' Vherefbre recei ve ye on e anoth­er;


as Chist also l'eceived 1/ S, to th e glory of


God." a " Let not hilllthut elrtet h . de~ p ise him


th at eate th not ; lind let not him whicl i ellteth


not , judge him th at ealeth : For God hath re­ccived


lti1ll." b " lle ye imitalors of G. od , us


dear c bi luren, a nti walk in Im'e as Christ al.' I/


loved us." c


" Forasmuc h th en, ' as God gllve th elll th e


like giti as he did nnto ns wh o beli eved on th e


Lord J esn s Christ, what was 1 that i could


wilhstalld God ?" d Tho duties her e enjoine d


ninst be pe rfectly Obv ious . T he pl: inciples so


fucidly deve loped , in th es e passa ges, apply


eq ua lly to C I; ris tia ns in th eir indtviduul lIllll


associ ate cltpacity . They ~ re th e following:


1st. ' fhlll wc are to receive and fellowship


others on th e sallie principl e, lind for th e sln;; e


rea son, th at C hr ist recei ves a nd fellowships liS.


2 ; ld. ' l'h ut we 31' 1' not, in an y case 10 cOllllemn


one wh olll G ~ ( I ha s re cei ved . 3d. Thut to de­ny


th e hllild of Ch, ristinn fell o, vship 81lli


Chu rc h privil eges to on e to wh olll God ha s


/! iven his S pil'it, is to make war IIpon God.


4th'. That we u're to exerc ise the salli e love to­wards


beli ever s thut Chris t did towards IIS­And


hence , 5th . That the example ofour L ord,


in all particulars, is Ihe law of the Church. ­This


is clearly Ih e snm total of all th ese COIII­mands.


The example of Chr is t, th en , is th e


s uhlime s ta llda n l to whi ch , a ll onr actions arc


to be strictl y a nd sc ru pu lous ly conforme d. To


carry ou t th is principle, is the great ohj ect o f


, the Christi lln life . Awl on thi s principle, orrly,


can a clesirahle a nd perman ent Union, aill on g


tlie sa ints be formcri. This is th e only' firm


and riutho rizc d ba sis for s nch a super structure.


L et thi s prin ciple he ad op ted aud carriee! out,


and all schism s in the h o~ y would ceas e ; and


it would again'a ssume its original sy mme try , .


unity and loveliness.


moral en terp rises-> chec ks a growth in grace


- call s forth and s tre ng the ns ~ the baser pas-'


sions of fi~ lI eu human ity- genclers prid e , av er ­sionnud


j ealousy- c- scuner s th e seeds of th ese


u p pa lli n~ ev ils ' on pagan lands- rohs heav en


of its riglufu) inh nbitants- c- and peopl es perdi ­tion


with co unt less bein gs fur whom Christ


' d ied. These, we regarrl, liSsome ofth e d eadl y


and direful fruits o f thi s pe rn ic io us tr ee. S u~ h


a tree , producing suc h' fruit s , s ho ul d 1I 0t, most


ce rta in ly , he permitted to occu py a pla ce it')


th e Gurden of the L ord . .


2. Duty of immediate Union.-. No truth hns


so mu ch prominen ce in the Bible, as th e un ity


ofth e sa i '~ ts . No point do th e Ap ostles so, of­ten


und so strong ly ur ge- lIo' dn ty, 80 so lemn­ly


lind so frequ entl y en force , as th e perfect one­neS$


of'be lievers. Aud th ey p hlf ~ ed th eir union


on h il.' h lind s ll~ re d gro und . " l'he o nen'es,~ ~ f


th eir splrlt un l o rigin- the onenf. SSor th eir re lu­tio


ll- the oueness of lh ei,!' hope- s- theoueness df


the body of whic h th ey lire th e memhers - c­the


oneness of th e S pi rit which nuima tes it­ihe


on Wes,~ of th e l l eu. l that rulnrn s . lIlHi con­trois


it- the O llent.~ s of th eir fa ith, and of th eir


Illlptislll, " co n8titute d elllpha t ic rea son s in th e


ey es of th ~ Apostles I( ))' their pC/ fect u llity . t -


I f the n, as a ll 1II1' lst IHhn it, it is th e dllt y of


Ch ris tia ns to be one, it is a pl'esent dUly. Not h­ing


sho u ld Ire h'lld va liel , lhllt keeps them di su­nit


ed a Ulonllmt. No co ns ide1' lltions ' of sup­posed


ex ped ielwy. s ho u ld tempt them to re­main


in th eir present d ivided sta te . They lire


honnd by th e l1Iost solellln ohlig atio ns 10 di s­ca


l'll Itn ll rem ove, il/ lmediately , whatever is


fiJ; lIld to hinll f. lr a re- nnion of Lhe Ilislll elllher­ed


fi'rtgillents of th e C hurc h of Christ , Until


thi s is don e , and suc h It un iou effected as IIiI'


Gosp el co ntl'IIIp illte8ltnd imperioll sl y ell joi ns"


the C hnrc h , will be cl oth ed in sackc lot h; Iwr


" tears " will be perp etu all y on her " cheeks;"


IIl1d th e s tr ings e, fb er" llItrps nponthe wi llows ,1>


will only he swept, " hy th e moumful breczes


of th e sn rrou nd ing desolation." ,


IlL The ' Plan' of Union.- What .'' ptan'' of


Union sho u ld be ado pted? , h I what shlJllld


tbi s Union co nsist? These lire gl'Rve ' 1" 1' 8­tions,


and th ey delllan d se r ious aud de lin ite


au sw er s,


DECLARATION Ot' SENTUIENTS- t: XTRACTS.


1. E vils of S eclwianism.- We most so lemn­ly


beli ev e th at Sectarilmism, wh er ever it ex ists,


or und er whatever circumstonces found , is a


s in or'ihe first IIll1 gliitu I! e: It is ~ elaril ; g en ­croac


hllle lll up on th e Divine pr erogati ve8- a


hold 8SS U lll pt~ 0 1l o f un authori zed a nd ir res po'n­sible


power- a d e t~ l'Inined war on tl; e d i" ine­Iy


Cllllst itutei \ a rrungeme nts ~ r th e C hurc h of


C hrist- a n op cn and ! llirpctll al infi- llClion of


th e sacred right s of. co nsc ience- a ruthl ess


sllnde ring ' of thc ties of s pi rit na l consau gninity


- lind is utt erl y and for cv er repuguan t to th e


go nius of th e Gosp el , a nd every fea ture of th e


C hr istian system: It se ts up new alld antago­n


ist int erest s ill the Kin gdom ofGod , which


a re mad e parnmoulII to tb e comlllOIl illt eresis


of C hristiani ty- assumes tb e logi slutiv'e fun c ­.


tion in th e C hurch- iu; poses lIew an'd un all ­th


ori z cd tests . of Church mem bership- sllper-sede


s tb e Di vin e Cons tiltl ticin of . th e Ch, urc h,


hy a COIle of Jaws of its OWII ell8c teme nt­br


eal, s up th e Hou seh old of fillth iu to enu! ess ly


warrin g filC tiolls- d islIJr bs th e peace, destroys


the sy minetry, marsthe beuuty,', wa stes th e en­erg


ies, a nd , e ndn nge rs th e ex iste ilce of th e


hody of Christ , by. llI!, king it th e seu l of an gry


s tr ife and perenl) illl war s- robs th e follower s


of Cl irist of the di stingn ish ed burlge of di8ci­pleshii)-


gri eves th e S pirit- he tm)' s the cause


to th e ene my - promotes evcry spee ie8 of er­ror-


arms infid eli ty wi th its 1Il0st. deadly wea­pon


with \ vh ich to ass! lil C hristia llity- abe ts


I\ lOSt effectll a l. ly the Pap al t1surpRtion- defeats


sc r ip tural' d iscill iine- op en s th e doors of


th e Church to hypocrites- cr eat es a nd main­t!


lius, a wortpl ess, un evangelical, and tim e- ser- ,


vin g ministry- appropriates th e s u hsta n c~ of


th e C hurch to th e mainten Rnec, stre ng the ning


and perpetuity of its own in terests- st a)'!; the


conq uests of the Cross - re nde rs the Gospel


powerless- hinders th e con version ofsin ners


- destroys th e for ce of Ch ris tian testirn ~ ny­pre~


nts th e cultivation o f hellthen fields of la­b


or, by monopolizing, the serv ice s of mini sters


- opposes the obj ect of th e prnyer of our Lord


- pillS an emba! go on th e inr ell ect- prohihils


the increas e of scriptural knowled ge- obstnu: ts


the ma rch of moral improvement- impedes all


ing a nd wntching for th e coming of. tile S on of


IIl11n .


llr~~ hren , be not d ish earten ed at th e co ntu­mely


alii! reproach which , in th e fulfilment of


yo ur mi ssion , may full to your lot . Hear with


th e ene my of the unregen erate heart , lind the


co ldness of those who lov e to be culled Rub­hi


, 1II1U sta ndin pla ces of spirltunl alllhority , ­E


xalt yo u rse lves with thut lib erty wh erewilh


C hr ist mak eth hi s people free, co nsc io us that


it is mor e blessed to walk with the d esp i sed~


unrl rejected , than to go with the multitud e,


whose God is th e world, What th ou gh di s­persed


in littl e hnndfuls, yo u ar e as s hee p


wi tho ut a s he p he rd, ha ve yOIl 1I0t one wh ose


voic e is blesse d, culling you beside the still wa­ter


s, a nd leading yo u in pa stures of livin g


gree u?, And enn you e ver wuut with suc h a


fr iend. 01' mi ss YO UI' WRy with suc h a gu ide?


Gird up YOllr loin s- pnt 011 th e hrenst- plnre of


sa lvn tio n- i- tnke th e swo rd of th e s pir it, ' IInd


" rejoice evermo re." As )' 011 journey to th e


land of p romise, join in th econ fide ut s trains of


th e poet :-


" \ Vhen in the snltr): glebe 1 fi. int,


Or on the thirsty, m onntain pant ;


' 1' 0 fertile va II' S and dewy meads


1\ 1)' weary, wandering ste ps 1; 1'' I ~ a d s ;


\ Vbere peacefnl ri,' crs . soft and slow,


Alnid the verdaot landscape flow ,"


In th e s tre ng th of Go d lind prin ci~, l e let liS


" press on towards th e ma rk fill' th e pri ze ofmit ·


high ca lling ." . Let our mission he perform ed


with Olit fear- withollt fav or. L et th e Di ville


Inw of I, w e he' se~ n in nil 011 1' uc t ion~, an u II


s illg le'eye he di rect ~ d to th e will of God, Whom


a lolle we ac k nowledge li S our Inwgivcr. ' Vith


zeal fot the tmth whidl J esu s t e~ ted hy his


h lood , let us heur It filithful testim ony a~ a i tJ~ t


a ll ev il in C h urc h oj · S tute. Finnlly, bretbren ,


Ict liS hea!' on th e Ark o f rig h teo usnes~, with


fidelit y nnd ' p erse ~' el- an ee - " I o okin g ' uuto J e­SIlS,


theuUlhor and fiui sh er o f our filith ; wh o


for th e j oy that wa s, s~ 1 hefiJre him, end nred


th e cross, ek spi sing th e sha me, a nd is set down


a t the : rug ht hund of the t h r() lIl~ of Go d ."


G, \ V. S.


CHRISTIAN UNION.


ORIGINAL MISCELLANY.


room.


BllETHREN, ARISE.


. A short Epislle 10 the True and Fa ithflli.


"\ Vherefo re, seeing we also are compas8ecl


aboilt '' Yith ! lO great a cloud of witnesses, let us


IRY IIsid e e very weight aud th e sin which doth


so eas ily beset us, awl let us run with pati eu ce


th e ra ce th at i~ se t before us, looking u nto J e­s


us , the author and fini sh er of our fa ilh ; ' who, '


fonhe j oy. that was set before h im , e ndu red


th e cross , desp ising di e shame, a nd is se t d o\ vn


at the right hun d of the thl'on e of God ."


Brethren : The " s igns of the times" cannot


fail to affor d enco ul'IIgeme nt to all wh o hav e


c as t off their attachment to an ea rt h ly ld ng­dom.


The dawn of a brighter era ha s ush er ed


in, Rnd to OIlIny the day ofl\ lillenial glo ry has


e ome ! Gou is calling up his Irue witnesses


from th e North and S outh , the ERst and West ,


to unfurl and hear oinvard th e s ta nda rd of


true hO, liness. Good s pir its and true, are da ily


leaving th e pri son- house of S ect Rrianism-: ­casting


off all a llegianc e to man an d party , and ,


lu. ving all upon th e altur of HUMANITY. I n th e


nRme ofGideon's God, let us " set up our hun ·


ners,". and, we ,5h. all soon be " compassc d abo ut


with a gr eat cloud of witnesses." ,


The waters, hoth of the World and Church,


are troubled. While the forrne ~ " wonder and


perish," th e latter strive t~ darken the lVi~ dolll


of Him who, " spal, e as never man spake - he"


fore ," by the cry 01 " ultraism." The key - n ot e


sounded bya timid ministry, and echoed Ily a


thousand tongues, will soon cease to be regard­ed.


The voice ofthe ''' good Shepherd," wh ose


kingdom is not of this wor1ll, vibrates with ev-


' e ry breeze of heaven.' Blessed be God for


the cons tant ingathering of those who count


all things but dross- who repndiating honors,


titles and the fi'iendsh, ip ' of the world , ar e wdit-


The foll owing article was . designerl for tlte


last Ch ristinn, but was deferred for want o f


t -


' T HE CONTRAST.


FOURTH ' OF JULY:


This is tb e " evel' memorable ," " time- Iiouor­-


ed," " wine - honored" an niversary of that'e vent


which freed thi s Christian? country from th e


gulling oppression - of II penny tax on tea, and


other similar eno rm ities , and which sec ure d to.


it the enj oyment of th e following precious at­tendant


conseque nce s of FREEDOM :


lst, Lib ert yof' rhe pulpit, ( i. e . as fill' as the


brotherhood will pe rmit) and of ti, e press, ( i f


Judge Lynch will allow lt .]


2d . The unsp enkabl e privilege of hold in g in '


' h01' ldRge' ( hree million s of that ra ce who wer e


c reated to be sltlVcS~' · by thi s means perpetunt­ing


that " patriar dHlI," that " d ivi ue insti tut ion ,"


which is " the corner st on e of our r epublic ."


3d . The right ( i. e . th e powe r; fo r " might


makes right," ) ofexte rmina t ing th e origi na l in­habitants


of th e land in , honorable uui rfare, i. e.


hy the employme nt of bloodhounds 10 mangle


and s laug hte r inu ocent \' Vomen a lld chi ld re n.


. 41h . The in estimabl e hlessing of being per­m


itted to levy t!' Oops and ca rryon wur, on its


own r esponsihil \ ty, wi th other Chris lian nn­tions


; and of eVllllge l, iz ilig the heathen nnti ou ~


at th e cllnnon's nl(} tllh a nd at th e po int of th e


bnyonet .


, 5th. Man y othe r impol1ant advll nillges " too


nllmerons to men tion," su ch as du ell illg , coc k ­fi


~ htin g, horse - ra~ in g, a ~ d tb e like.


FIRST OF AUGUST.


TJ. i3 eillY comme mo rates nil even t t hat


ra ised eig ht hu ndred th ou salul humau heings


from th e eo nd itiun of c ha tte ls, / i'om a body


and 80u l slave ry, to th e positi oll of men, a nd


impRrteil to them th e following ad vantages :


. l s~. The possession of th em selv es, th eir


wi ves and ch iltlre n .


,2d. The poss ession of their ' wa ges and the


/ i'uits of th eir lab or.


3 d. Freedom of th e min,! : 1IId so ul from tb e


durkncss and igll oflln ce in which tlley wcre


fonn er! y plunged . ,


4th. Chapels, missionaries, sc hoo ls and the


mean s of instructi on in a ll its liran- ch s ; ami


5th. The enjoyme llt of allthe it · " i na lion, i l, le


ri gh ts, " with wh ich th e God of hea\' e n crea teJ


8nl\ enelowed tb em. ,


, Kind rend er, look ' at th e tw o pi clllres. ­'


Vhich of th e two d ny ~ is the more wortby of


~ e mem brntJce? What thinkest thou? F . II.


• " ' Vh ich pril'il ege would not be e njo)' e c!,


were thi s co tl lltry a co lollY of Great Britain.

Page 32 of Volume 1 from The Practical Christian 1840-1841

Ballou, Adin

1840