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About Christian herald. (Portland ;) 1882-18?? | View Entire Issue (June 15, 1883)
■ 3 fl K R ALD. Z___ C------------------------------ --------- ------------------------------------------------------------------- -v, rightfully belongs to all God’s point, great and small, in the Meth ing pen and pitifully bleats, “ We people alike, but that all will be odist Discipline! Therefore you could’nt all get into your pen ’* held alike responsible to God for will - need to exercise all the sense We don’t want you in our pen. If and grace you have.” you have sufficient strength, tear not wearing it arid otter Bible From this it seems that there is, down your own pens, and you will names to the exclusion of all hiinian no.escape for a Methodist preacher then find us in the open field where and sectarian names which divide who refuses to mind every point, the great Shepherd has placed us. God’s children, and are an abomina- ----- =-------- ===== H-ytHt-aro-atA-ablerOur — pline ; and this is tlie more appar ness is to give you assistance. We 2. His answer to our question in lianw of the day grew oiit Of differ- ent when it is seen that by a single jent interpretations of the Scrip reference to creeds is simply no refusal he fails to exercise all the have besieged these pens and now have our battering-rams turned tures. We replied that this was a answer at all. He knows that the sense and grace he has. against them, and by the help of Kn intake, that God’s people are not primitive Christians had no book of Here then we find one of the pens God we will bring them to the 'divided about whatls in the Bible, discipline apart from the Bible, and that separate the Lord’s sheep. ground sooner or later. Dear but over thatwhich isJiioZ in it. that the word of God alone was alj ......... S.Wp.did not nsfc al mu t Method As an example, we asked, " Does he they needed. Why then draw up ism, but we asked if the Method brother, you need not be surprised ■find it in the Bible that the primi a book of Disci£»liiitJ “now Tor the ist church was found in the Bible ? to see your pen fall at any time, tive ve Christians wore human names Churches containing the interpreta If not, then why not be satisfied and if you will take our best ad divine authority, and that it is tions of the Bible ? If the “ Holy with simply the Church of Christ vice, you will keep out from under .the. ,fal ling timhers. ^-^-------- ------ ----- - S e ri p ffttr e s “ Cont a i n "ftIk4ldngH“- neees 5. We repeat that the Advocate he not answer this question instead sary to salvation,” etc.,* why have “ pen ?” According to the Advo of trying to show that the name another book of Discipline ? Can cate’s own definition taken from does misrepresent us in stating that ^Cln istian Church ” was not given we improve on the Bible ? Is it not the Discipline, the Methodist church we contend that our Church is the ÎK divine authority ? 'Who Said it a fact that creeds have alvvaysbeen is not in the Bible and hence is not “•only Christian Church.” We have as? and what has that to do with a cause of strife and division among the Qhurch of Christ or any part of said no such thing. We affirm the question ? This forcibly' re professed Christians, and is It not a it. For 1. The pure word of God simply that our local churches are grinds us of a public discussion we that-they are really and- direet- L. ls~not pfeS’ched in it.2. Tire "sacra-’’ churches_ of. Christ Thfi_.. other held some years ago with a promi ly rules of faith and practice in ments are not duly administered churches are to be measured by the nent Methodist divine in .Mo. - who many churches instead of the Bible ? (1) In this church the Lord’s table Bible. The Church of Christ in Affirmed that “ Sprinkling and It is not strictly true that “ any is set quarterly, whereas the Scrip the aggregate is composed of all Christians, many-of whom are still — pourin g is S c riptural‘BaptLsin,’* and itntn who undertakes to interpret tu r es r e quire it weekly. then spent most of his time in the Scriptures has a creed,” that his mersion, the act Christ commanded, in the Babylon of Sectarianism. ■trying to show that those who understanding of what the Bible is set aside and sprinkling and Heribe our grand plea. The Advo ^were immersed in primitive times teaches is his creed,” etc. It is. only pouring substituted for it. ’ (3) In cate still needs to be enlightened. ■were immersed “ naked F and when men’s opinions and interpre fants are sprinkled, a thing not Will he? now correct ? . 6. We are not concerned about ■therefore sprinkling and pouring tations are written out in the form found in the word of God. Hence Bs Scriptural baptism ! Of course of a book of doctrine ami discipline our greatest desire is not to improve what the Advocate has gone over Ave completely failed to convince and adopted by flib churches as the definition, but to get rid of all with Bro. Adams or any one else. iMiis preacher that his conclusion such that they become a rule of the isms, or pens, connected with We are fully aware that all secta did not necessarily follow from his action by which the church is to be the Church itself, and thus convert rianism, as other error, wants to be let alone. Of course it does, because premises. If our brother should governed. When thus formulated, it into a Church of Christ. tha appeal in case of doctrine and succeed in showing that the name 4‘. The Advocate resorts to the it cannot bear the light and logit of discipline is not directly to the “tChristian ” was of human origin, same old dodge of trying to con gospel truth. The narrow minded Bible, but tn the creed, and if the ■ould that prove it right for God’s vict us of that for which it con Pharisees saw any thing but Chris people either as churches or in creed is set at naught, the trans tends, viz.: denominationalism. tianity in the assaults of Christ on dividuals to wear such human gressor is regarded as unworthy of Would it not look a little more like their errors and traditions ; but still Barnes as Methodists, Presbyterians, further fellowship. As the Advo honest journalism to just answer the good work went on. And so Baptists, etc. ? It would only show cate has quoted from his Discipline, our question than to keep continu now, we shall go on overturning the ■hut we should get rid of the name we also wish to make a quotation ally charging us with something parts of churches and scattering I Christian ” along with all other just at this point. we positively disavow ? But then them to the four winds until all In the Book of Discipline, Sec. 8, any thing to evade the question. God’s people shall have been fiuman names and wear such names under the Duties of Ministers, we If we as a people are in a pen, why brought into the one true Church Only as are given by divine authori ty. Or does the Advocate think find the following questions put to is it so ? Is it l>ecause we have of Christ, of which He is the Head. ----------- . that God. has never named his them: “ Do you constantly attend built the pen or aided others in As we went to Scio the other t/’hurch ? How the Advocate in the sacrament ? Have you read building it ? We answer that it is the form of Discipline ? Are you Saturday, a few miles beyond Alba the face of all we have written can became our religious neighbors willing to conform to it ?” From represent us as contending that the this it would seem that ministers have built pens all around us, and ny wo had occasion to ask a gentle ..flame “ Christian Lean/* be^opyrly..^^ Uepthe ruks-of the Diack thus it is that. .Qur six-Jiundred, man if he could direct us to Central r He Inquired;~ “Ths appropriated by one ‘ Church ’ as pline. Under the same section, thousand are so hemmed in that UhapefT more, or more rightfully theirs, page 78, we have the following in they are compelled to graze to C-a-in-p-b e-l-l-i-t-e church ?' ” We than anothers,” without a wilfull struction given to Methodist preach themselves. A line specimen of said, y-e-s, and drove on. Breth lpisrepresentation of our position ers “ : Observe ! it is not your business primitive Christianity indeed for ren, don’t forget to let your light |s a mystery to us. If he knows only to preach so many times, and his boasted “ many times six shine in that neighborhood. Anything, he knows that we have to take care of this or that society; hundred thousand ” sheep to fence There is evil enough in man, God but to save as many as you can ; to «intended that the word “ Chris themselves off into more than six knows ! But it is not thginission tian ” was always applied by the bring as many sinners as you can hundred separate pens thus com of every young man and woman to to repentance, and with all your • Holy Spirit to individuals, and not power to build them up in that pletely hedging in one struggling detail and report it all. Keep the .fto the Church. Neither do we holiness without which they cannot Hock, while one old wether from a atmosphere as pure as possible and ¡limit its use to one “ denomination j see the Lord. And remember! A half starved flock thrusts his nose fragrant with gentleness and char ¡only,” but think that it not only | Methodist preacher is to mind every through a crack of the fast decay- ity- put when he remembers that near palf of that consisted of quotations from his own pen he has some less ground for complaint. Let us now see what there is in his reply. 1. Our brother raises a false issue to evade the real question. He • '<■