y.
s
tIERJLr.D.
CHRISTIAN
sight of God, great moral impurity sin. This is so plainly taught in
attaches somewh'ere, in every case the language oT Jesus in Matt. IS th
of divorce. An exceptional purity and 19th chapters, and Mark loth
was required of the High Priest, as chaptet; it has been universally re
garded as conclusive on this point.
he was a type of Ch fist.
It establishes as true the state All commentators are agreed on
ment that, but for sin there never this. Among all religious bodies
would have been a widow or divorc nearly all ministers refuse to sol
ed person. The entire disregard of emnize marriage between parties
God’s marriage law, by the people unless they are morally as well as
before the flood brought upon them legally free. The language of Paul,
- welt f ee rf uLeonwquun eufl .iif phyj a i . .t ha t ■
husband she must remain uninar-
^Jiak-ineniaLanjl-j^^
. that God was compelled in mercy ried or be reconciled to her husband
I 'to the race, to sweep them from the is clear and emphatic. 1 makes
L face of the earth by the flood. It due allowance for difficulties that
I was the same thigg that so corrupt- may sometimes be encountered in
pj±~th^’tnbabitants of Sb Jo m' Kffd the^urrtsgr stater on R'CTOunrsf
r Gomorrah, that God had to destroy utter worthlessness, meanness or
them with fire from heaven. These* injustice and cruel treatment by
things should be warning and teach- either party, and allows a ’separa-
now, that a careful learning and
faithful observing of God’s law, are
‘“absolutely necessary to human wel-
i fare.
*
From whatever standpoint we
look at divorce, it is a great moral
' and social evil. It is allowed by the
■ law of Christ only when one of the
F parties has been guilty of one of the
greatest crimes. If it*is practiced
without this justifying eause, it is a
sin against the express provissions
of the law of Christ, as well as
agaki3t God’s universal law of mar
riage. It brings reproach upon the
parties to the case, causes misery
and suffering to them. It brings
these same things upon the children.
If the law permits divorce for many
causes, it thereby encourages per
sons to enter into the marriage re
lation carelessly and uncon sider-
ately, because they can be freed
legally, from the vowrs they have
i taken, and the bonds they are un-
I der. A legal freedom is by no means
I moral freedom, such a system can
I be only very immoral. It is one of
■ the greatest social and moral evils
I of our times, and calls imperatively
■ for the united and energetic efforts
■ of Christians to resist it.
. They should set their faces as
I flint against it, and not cease their
■ efforts, until the laws of our land
■conform to the law of Christ. This
■law is clearly and distinctly enun-
■ciated by this Lord Jesus himself.
Kle then teaches that there is but
Hme crime that will break the mar
riage bond. That if for any other
■ba use a man puts away his wife, or
HL woman puts away her husband,
Ohat they do so in utter and entire
■isregard of the obligations of the
■narriage relation, and will be ac
counted guilty of a most terrible
.......
.**' - ------------ ; — *
marriage. He expressly says that
he ordains this in all churches.
Our divorce laws, to conform to
N. T. law, should allow separation
and freedom from all legal claipi
upon property oT person in cases
where it is clearly proven that
there is and has been wilful and
determined-neglect of the marriage
obligations Jbut should entirely for
bid the remarriage of either party.
If one has been guilty of the crime
of adultery, the other or innocent
paity should be allowed to marry
again while the guilty one should
be debarred that privilege. Such
laws would prevent much sin.
They would make people more
careful about contracting marriage
and more studious about fulfilling
its obligations after it was entered
into. Hence there would be fewer
unhappy marriages, and more of
the benefits and blessings of the
marriage relation would be enjoy
ed. Many people who do not re
spect moral obligations would be
compelled to respect legal ones.
Separation would be of rare occur
rence and divorces would be still
more rare. I have aimed only to
be suggestive.. The limits of an
address would not admit of the ex
haustive treatment of so important
a subject. I submit in the fear of
God and the love of humanity. It
is’ with me a profound conviction
that human happiness here and
hereafter, requires that w« should
give this subject much careful and
prayerful study. That we should
learn God’s law in his word and
works, and having learned joyfully
and lovingly obey it.
May the God of purity and peace
enable us to see light in his light,
to be faithful to all our obligations
in this life, and hence triumphant
in death and happy in eternity..
ifr-
> •
'•»A--*:
; / ■*,’
•ii * ‘
< ■
Church Government.
..
i ............................................. *<1 11 1 1
i n
—i n li
n
D. M. DOTY.
.
■
■■>........ ..
Reall before the Convention, Salem, Oregon,
Oct. 4, 1883.
The subject assigned for this
hour’s discussion, “ Church Govern
ment,” is one that has been preached
upon, written upon and debated by
the best minds in the church for
centuries past; and the committee
on programme in assigning to us
5
6 : 1-5. The disciples, as multi
tude, did the choosing anclset them
before the apostles, and they laid
hands on them (the seven). Here
we find the first division of labor
in the church. Again, in Acts 13:
2 and 4, we find the church at
Antioch fasting and praying and
laying hands on Saul and Barna
bas, arid sending them out to pro
claim the gospel to others. The
hfl<4 givoh 11« nr, nasty t.aak, We. should be done by the church, go _ ___
simply design in this fSaper to pre far we have not found an elder or
sent a few thoughts preparatory to deacon designated by that name in
a discussion of the subject, not to the working of the church, but we
elaborate, leaving that for this con find, as the work increases, that
fliffeWht indivicfuaTs are being
vention.
Church government, when pro called to different departments of
perly understood and faithfully the work. We pass on to Acts 20:
executed, is fraught with great 17. Here we find Paul at Miletus,
TTessTn^^
on
earth. Paul declares in Eph. 1 : at Ephesus, which he admonishes
22, that “ God hath put all things in verse 28th to feed the church of
under his (that is Christ’s) feet, and God over which the Holy Spirit
gave him to'be head over all things had made them overseers. These
to the church.” Again, he tells the were not simply old men, but over
church at Collosse, chap. 1 : 18, that seers and feeders of the flock, and
“he:(that is Christ) is head over were called to this position by the
the body, the church, who is the direction of the Holy Spirit. This
beginning, the first born from the department of work had become ne
dead, that in all things he might cessary in the church, and it was
have the preeminence.” As a delegated to certain individuals
people, wo say (in making our ap which the apostle here calls elders.
peal for a return to primitive In passing to the Epistles, in Phil.
Christianity) the New Testament 1: 1, we hear Paul addressing the
Scriptures is our rule of faith and saints in Christ Jesus, with the
practice. Then be it* so ; in these bishops and deacons, which is the
t
we find both precept and example, first intimation w’e have of an
and by these we must be governed officer called by the name of
Christ speaks of his kingdom oi deacon, for by reference to 1 Tim.
church which was to be set up in chap. 3, we find that both bishops
the near future, and when giving and deacons are officers in the
instructions to his apostles he said .church. By a close examination of
to them, “ Whatsoever you bind on the Scriptures we find that it was
earth shall be bound in heaven, not the duty of an officer to legis
and whatsoever you loose on earth late or make law’s to govern the
shall be loosed in heaven.” Here church, but to execute the law.
we find a delegated authority from Christ is King in Zion, hence all
him who has the preeminence in law must emirate from him, and
all things. We find our first ex through the church, which Paul de
ample of church government undeT clares is the ground and pillar of
the immediate reign of the in the truth. In giving instructions to
spired apostles in fulfilling their Titus, an uninspired evangelist, he
commission. We find them first says he left him in Crete to "set
preaching the gospel and baptizing things in order that were wanting
believing converts, and when the and ordain elders in every city.”
number of the disciples had multi From this simple and plain state
plied so that the apostles could not ment, wanting, we may learn,
attend to the wants of the multi (taking with it the precepts and
tude without neglecting the preach examples preceding it) first, that
ing of the word, they called the in the government of Christ’s
multitude (or whole church) to kingdom on earth, his authority
gether, and said to them, “ Look he delegated to certain individual
you out seven men full of the Holy members of the church called
Spirit,” to attend to the serving of officers, which were to rule in or
tables, (whatever that may. be) and execute the laws governing the
the saying pleased the disciples, body, and to look after the spiritual
and they selected the seven. Acts and temporal interest of the church.