CHRISTIAN HERALD
I
In the direct line with the testi-
iqony of Dr. Phillipfl Ri w^V w -^mrmT-
in another column respecting the
influence of sectarianisms in India,
we wish to add another evidence.
The Rt Hon. W. E. Baxter, M. P.,
spent the winter of 1881 traveling
in India. He has given the public
the benefit of his observations in a
book of 154 pages; and of sectarian
he says: “ Hence let me say that
nothing so much impedes the pro-
gress of Christianity in that country
proceedingsoF"certain High
Church dignitaries, \vho so thor
oughly mistake the doctrines of our
most holy faith, and misrepresent
the teachings of their Divine Master,
as to treat clergymen of other de-
inatium
• very much on jgi level with the
heathen. Hindoo inquirers ask if
it is not true that a certain bishop
says that the difference between
Presbyterians and Episcopalians is
fundamental; and ) that another
bishop withdrew the licenses of
twenty-three clergymen because
they would not conform to his
ritualistic practices. Every one I
meet deplores the mischief done
by bigots of this kind.” The troble
with most of these bigots is that
they have never been converted to
Jesua Christ themselves, and how
oan they carry the pure bread of
life to the heathen ? Apostolic
Christianity and its consequent
brotherly love and union must be
taught at home. For those iVho
have not thus been taught to be
sent to the heathen is only adding
sin to iniquity.
PERSONAL MENTION.
Bro. J. Durham writes us very
encouragingly of his new home and
his work in Washington college. It
would seem that our brethren have
there a splendid location for a col
lege and we hope they will make
it a power for good on this coast,
especially in California..
has been lecturing in our State in
theInterest of temperance. He
gave us a call and spoke two or three
evenings in Albany. After coming
from Australia some years since,
Bro. Webb united with the Baptists;
but since coming to Oregon and be
coming better acquainted with the
bitter fruits of sectarianism and
thus made to feel the full force of
our noble plea for the union of all
God’s people on the Bible alone, he
pnblinnlly rlrnpn hi« liiiiiuni
and returns to the Church of Christ.
We hope he may prove a valuable
accession to our ranks.
Our readers will remember that
a few weeks aero we wr
ur bachelor editor, Bro.
J. M. Shepherd, of the Faithful
Witness, has anded a f Sisters’ De
partment’ to his paper, a young
sister at that. One more step is yet
necessary tocomplete the prosperity
of that paper, and we shall hold
our slipper in readiness.” By the
reading of the following card it will
be seen that we were not far wrong
after all, in our prediction. It now
turns out that there has been a con
solidation of the departments. E.
pluribus unum. ~ Esto perpétua.
Thé card says : “ J. M. Shepherd,
Topeka, Kansas, Ella B. Boyd,
Kansas City, Mo., Married, at Man
hattan, Kansas, February 5, 1884.
Mr. and Mrs. J. M. Shepherd, at
hoiifC, at their residence, Fair view
Place, Topeka, after February sev
enth, 1884.” So here goes our slip
per. We only wish we could go
with it, for it. would be a feast to
us beyond expression ; but as it is
we can only extend our hand over
their way and give him and his
happy bride a long shake of the
hand with our hearty congratula
tions and best wishes for their fu
ture happiness and prosperity. We
now expect better things of the
Faithful Witness.
Una Ecopa
nuova spazza bene.
■■
We heartily commend the article
in last week’s H erald on “New
Wine,” by Bro. Jas. W. Lowber.
Hie view of gleukos in Acts 2 : 13
is the one we have always held, and
we believe it to be the only correct
interpretation of the passage. Bro.
Lowber is one of the editors of the
Apostolic Church published in
Louisville, Ky., and is a good scholar
and a pointed writer. We hope to
hear from him often.
♦
-
We have recently formed the ac-
quaintence of Bro. J. W. Webb, of
California,who for some months past
IBLITHT
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THE GOSPEL IN THE
SYNAGOGUES.
Our Savior often taught in the
Jewish synagogues, and a good
portion of the preaching of the
missionaries, especially that of the
Apostle Paul and his companions,
was done in the synagogues. These
facts have been held by the Seventh
Day Adventists and others who
believe in keeping the Sabbath, as
proof that the seventh day, instead
of the first, is still binding on the
people. But we think this is a
mistake growing out of the miscon
ception of tliepurposaihesa—teaeh-
ers and preachers had in view in
entering the Jewish synagogues.
In the first place, we must re
member that the public ministry of
our Savior was under the law of
Moses, and that he came not to de
stroy that law, but. to fulfill it.
Hence it was but proper that he
should, while himself subject to the
law, conform as far as consistent to
the customs of those under the law.
"Yet the Savior did not by any
means confine his teaching and
worship to the synagogue; neither
did he let any opportunity pass to
point out to his own people the
more perfect way. In all that
uringhis ministry
he did not give the leas^vidence
to the Jews that the Sabbath was
to be continued under his meditorial
reign; but quite to the contrary,
every thing pointed to the fast de
veloping fact that the Sabbath, in
connection with the rest of the
Mosaic institution, was to be nailed
to the croSs in his death.
But as for Paul and the other
missionaries under the last com
mission of Jesus, we prefer to let
the apostle give the reason for his
course in his own language. He
says : “ Fol* though I be free from
all men, yet have I made myself
servant unto all, that I might gain
the more. And unto the Jews I
became as a Jew, that I might gain
the Jews ; to them that are under
the law as under the law, that I
might gain them that are under the
law. * * * To the weak be
came l as weak, that I might gain
the weak ; I am made all things to
all men, that I might by all means
save some; And this I do for the
gospel’s sake, that I might be par
taker thereof with you.” 1 Cor. 9:
19-23. Notwithstanding the fact
that the law had been fulfilled and
abolished in the death of Christ,
the Jews, regarding Christ as an
imposter, were still keeping it. The
Sabbath was their day of worship,
and hence Paul and his companions
went into their synagogue on that
day, not to keep the Sabbath, nor
to teach the Jews to do so, but for
the gospel’s sake—that they might
have an opportunity of showing
them the better way, and thus gain
them from their erroneous and use
less custom and save them. It was
immaterial with tho apostle on
which day he preached the gospel
to them ; it was his business to
preach it every day he had an op
portunity. Hence he went into
the synagogue on that day, on the
same "principle Thaiwe would go
into a church of our Seventh l^ay
Adventists on their day of worship
that we might have an opportunity
of gaining them from the error of
their way—that we might teach
them to observe the first day, as
did the apostles
and primitive
posties ana
Christians, i instead of the Jewish
Sabbath.
| (
01
MINISTERIAL AEEILLA------ >
TION‘
It is as amusing some times as it
is humiliating to witness how some
preachers allow themselves to be
come entangled in the denomina-
ose
preachers who understand and
openly teach that the Church of
Christ is the vine and the different
denominations arc only so many
branches bearing fruit to the honor
and the glory of God, and whose
views and creeds on all matters
essential to membership are sub
stantially the same, can consistently
organize their preachers’ associa
tions and meet together on a com
mon plane for the purpose of pro
moting the interests of their res
pective churches. But how any
one who believes in the absolute
overthrow of all sectarianism and
denominationalism and in a com
plete restoration of primitive Chris
tianity can conscientiously affiliate
with these preachers, most of whom
perhaps have never been baptized
into Jesus Christ, and work har
moniously with them in their
associations for the advancement of
sectarianism, is, we confess, more
than we can comprehend. Imagine
such a brother working harmoni
ously with six or eight unimmersed
and avowed denominational preach
ers ! Here are six clergymen who
have not obeyed that positive com
mand, and hence our brother does
not believe they have been baptized
into Jesus Christ, that they are not
members of the Church of Christ,
in short, that they are not Chris
tians at all, and yet he can work
harmoniously with them and thus
give his influence to the teaching
and practicing of their unscriptural
and injurious things. It seems to
us that the relation our brethren
sustain to the denominational
clergy and their respective religious
societies plainly forbids such an
alliance with them; for it is a
noticeable fact that those things
which we understand to lie at the
basis of our plea for the restoration
of the ancient order of things are
the very things which they hold as