CHRISTIAN
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ÜJCRAT j D.
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ing of the pastors of the different would be another wonder of thé
denominations of Christians in the world. When a man feels bis de
city,” and among them will appear feat, it is natural for him to refer
I
EDITOR :
Brother Shadle, pastor of the de
nomination
that calls, itself the to it “ reluctantly and how could
J~.F. FLOYD,
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^hri^iHn church,” but is more it be otherwise with the A dvocate 1
ÎM not at all
widely known oui^^’
FRIDAY, JAN. 19, 1883.
The following is from the CHRIS- limited circle as the “ Campbellite remarkable that its Editor has no
’
tiajc H erald , the paper and organ church.”
“ taste ” for “ debates.”
Work.
of the “ Christian church ” publish
He will be received and respected
2. If it is a question of “ fact,”
We mean work for Christ, and ed at Monmouth, Oregon :
as the pastor of one of the Christian
then it is a fact that we are not a
for every thing that is good, pure
Wa Like the following editorial note denominations of the city. It has
and lovely. One of the pressing from the Pacific Christian Advocate, a everything that makes a denomina “denomination,” the Advocate to
needs of the day is more hard work Methodist paper published at Portland : tion that any other denomination the contrary notwithstanding. “ A
The C hristian H erald has the fanny has. It has nothing that entitles it drunk man thinks every body else
for our Master and less theorizing habit,
whenever it gets a new editor, of to call itself the Church of Christ
and speculation about what should undertaking to correct the Advocate and that they have not. If they are is drunk.” Because the Advocate
be done and what we are going to the other religious papers of the coast in denominations it is. To that de claim«! to be nothing but a denomi
quite a penagogical way. Last week it
the nomination the H erald belongs, nation and thinks we are one, does
do sometime in the future. We says that the Advocate •uiks about
’ _ LI"
don’t mean that wTe must make a different branches of the Church of whatever it may “profess not to not makp it so. If Bro. Shadle
Christ,” and it asks the original and belong to.”
should appear in answer to a call
great noise, flourish our trumpets very profound question if “ the Advocate
“ If the Church of Christ is a for a meeting of the pastors of the
and attract all the attention we can does not know that the Church of Christ branch, will tha.A dvocate please tell
had no branches ?” The Advocate has
from the world in order to become only to ask, if the H erald J oss not con us what it is a branch of ?” The different denominations of the city,
popular with the people, draw a big sider the little denomination to which it Advocate has never said the Church he would not appear there to rep
belongs a branch of the Church of of Christ is a branch. The Church resent a mere sect or denomination,
crowd to listen to our preaching Christ, what is it a branch of?”
of Christ, in Its largest sense, con although the denominational pas
arid seek to please men generally ;
A profound question, indeed !
sists of the whole body of believers,
but we mean a straight-forward
We reply 1. The H erald does not and as such a whole may be spoken tors might think he did. Will the
consistent course of quiet, daily profess to belong to a ** denomination ” of as a body, like the body of a Advocate ask -him ? It might
work for Christ and the establish at all. As we can find no place for the tree, of which the various denomi gain a ray of light. Paul appeared
denominations.in the New Testament,
ment, of his cause. It’• WWJ we know of no better use to which WB' nations may very properly be called in a Jewish synogogue in answer to
the branches. The Church is not their eall for Jewish worship; but
easy matter for some Christians to oan put them ^¿ q f<j turn them over to I the^
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vine,”-andif it is. not the vine, he. went there as a Christian nnl y,
sing, “ Work, for the night is com oar Methodist'friends oat of which to what can it be but the branches ?
ing“’ and then lie down in the shade m&ke “ branches." We profess to be
3. This is a wonderful paragraph. and a member of the one Church,
and wait for the night to come so long simply to the Church of Christ. Will our readers turn back and scan although they doubtless thought he
they can have a good nap ; and the If we do not belong to that, then we be it again ? What a wonderful man came there to represent that“ sect”
long to nothing, and if the Church of
longer the night the better with Christ is a branch, will the Advocate' we nave among us. And stolen in which was everywhere spoken
so.quietly too.
against. We are not responsible
them. Like Jonah, they delight in please tell as what it is a branch of f
It is a wonder that there was not
going down into the bottom of the
2. We claim to be a “ branch ” our a moral and intellectual earthquake for the Advocate's inability to see
ship to sleep; and it requires no selves. Christ said to bis disciples : “I when he touched Oregon. We, and this distinction; and until the first
small storm and no inconsiderate am the vine, ye are the branches." Does our co-temporary “ religious papers principles of Christian courtesy
the Advocate understand ?
of the coast,” have the command : have been learned, we expect to be
voice, “ What meanest thou, O
3. If the Advocate and “ the other re “ fold up your sheets and retire
sleeper ? arise, and call upon thy ligions papers of the coast ” do not wish from the theological field or speak called *' Campbellite church ” out
If the
God,” to arouse them from their to be “ corrected,” they may expect to as the oracles of God speak.” ac side of our own circle.
slumbers. They are literally asleep do one of two things, either to fold ap cording to the interpretation of the Church of Christ has everything
their sheets and retire from the theolog giant of Monmouth. “ Upon what that makes it a denomination and
in Jesus.
ical field, or to speak as the oracles of
nothing that entitles it to call it
When the husbandman sent men God speak. A portion of the H erald ' s meat does this Ceasar feed ?”
Now if the Editor of the H erald self the Church of Christ, then we
into his vineyard he commanded special work is not only the correction, does not know that all such talk as
them to work, and when he saw bat the absolate destraction of sects- he has given us in that beautiful belong to a denomination; other
others standing idle he sent them ■rianiBm in all their forms, and from bit of self fondling is set down by wise, we do not.
3. The Advocate says: The
that they might have something to present indications a good large portion the average Oregon “ theologian ” as
will have to be devoted to this work gasconade, he will find it out by the Church of Christ, in its largest
do.
In like manner does our
We consider this a fair introduction.
time he has summered and wintered sense, consists of the whole
Savior send men *into his spiritual
on this coast. If the H erald ’ s body of believers, and as such
There
is
something
in
the
above
vineyard.
The exhortation to so openly amenable to the charge of “ special work ” is “ the destruction
Christians is to work out their own a “ strife about words to no profit, of sectarianism and denomination- and a whole may be spoken of
salvation with fear and trembling. but to the subverting of the hearers ” alism in all their forms” on this as a body, like the body of a tree,
There is no escape for any, for if that we refer to it reluctantly lest coast, we advise it to go to work on of which the various denominations
some can not do one thing, there we might fall under the same con its own “sect” for everybody in may very properly be called the
Oregon understands that it is the
will be other kinds of work pro demnation. And we do so with the most “ sectarian ” sect, the most de branches.” But did it never occur
assurance to our readers that the
vided for them. -This is a beauti Advocate will not depart from its nominational denomination on the to the Advocate that the denomina
ful system of things, and we ought well understood and well approved coast. The Advacate does not claim tions as such are no part’ of the
to thank God that he has so amply course in regard to such debates. that Methodism is more the Church body ? This is the very question
provided for all. We may have The Advocate has no space for of Christ than any other denomina in dispute. When he proves them
tion of Christians, with all of which to be any part of the tree it will be
our faith and hold our theories, but them, its Editor has no taste for
them, and it arid he can be employ we gladly fraternize and affiliate.
this alone will not save the people. ed in much holier and more charit
Having said this much we take time enough to talk about its being
We want a Christianity that is able uses. We refer in a few words leave of this subject,, without any proper to call them “ branches ” If
more practical ; something that the to the three points attempted by intention of returning to it again. our friend should see a tree which
eople can see and feel
feel. We want the H erald , as they are numbered
REPLY.
had more than six hundred different
people
’l.Kat reaches thr
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1. Just as we expected.
Raw kinds of branches, and bearing so
a. Christianity
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• many kinds of fruita, ha would
home, the farrn, the workshop, the to belong to a denomination at all ”
store, the school-room, the steam This is not' a question of “ profes well trained ones never. And if a doubtless conclude that there was
something wrong with the whole
ship, the railroad $nd in short every sion ” but of fact. Let
a notice be Methodist paper should make an affair. Let him study the applica-
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vocation of life alike. Such and published in Portland for “i a meet- argument and then defend it, it tion.
C hristian H erald .
such only will save the soul, con
vince the skeptic, ami build up and
advance the cause of Jesus Christ.
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