ies of professed Christians. Its author is, also, by conviction a Baptist; and has been led by providential circumstances to pay particular attention to this class of subjects. There is, also, in Baptist churches a deficiency of such books. The subject has not been studied by their members so generally as is desirable; and a guide to such study would, it is believed, conduce to important benefits. Questions of order and propriety occasionally arise, which require deliberation, and an acquaintance with principles and with the necessary results of those principles. A work, which should settle questions on its writer's authority, or according to any human standard, is not demanded; but a work, carefully presenting, in a proper series, principles pertaining to an individual's connection with a church, to the connection of churches with one another, to the ministerial office and the relations which the ministry sustains both to the church and to the world, and exhibiting the practical operation of these principles in various directions, is highly desirable as a guide to thought on the part of church-members. It is not surprising that Christians, and even ministers, have, in many instances, paid. but little attention to this subject, for the great theme of men's personal relations to God and prospects for eternity, has an almost absorbing interest. And yet a more extensive acquaintance with the principles which regulate ecclesiastical affairs, and a more intelligent apprehension of their connections and consequences, could not fail to be highly useful, as promoting stability and union, without invading the right of private judgment. A correct view of church-membership, as to its nature, the obligations it imposes, and the ends which it is designed to subserve, while it would strengthen the cords that bind a Christian to his Master and to his brethren in that relation, would also show a vast domain left open to a thousand-fold diversity of opinion and action: a diversity, entirely consistent with unity as to Christian character, and as to the mutual connection and fellowship involved in the church relation. Christian Union. Scriptural views of church-organization and membership thus contribute to union of affection and of Christian effort, not only between members of the same church, but also between churches similarly organized; so that, amid almost countless differences, there may exist Christian affection and harmonious coöperation in the great object which the gospel proposes, namely, the universal prevalence of holiness and the salvation of men. As Christian fellowship and coöperation among individuals have their appropriate limits, and are not interrupted by a variety of matters which occasion diversity of opinion and of feeling, so churches, organized on scriptural principles, may meet on the common ground of love to Christ and of desire to extend the gospel, without participating in their several opinions, or responsibilities, on other subjects. Difficulties in respect to coöperation in Christian efforts on the part of church-members who are diversely situated from each other, arise, in no small degree, from not properly limiting Christian fellowship and church-relation to the proper range of subjects embraced in such fellowship and relation. Hence, coöperation in acknowledged Christian duties may be misunderstood, as involving responsibilities wholly foreign from such united. effort; and by this misapprehension, the enjoyments and the benefits of Christian coöperation may be extensively lost. A careful study of the subjects discussed in this book, and an adherence to an intelligent apprehension of the scriptural principles in reference to them, would materially contribute to a union of the diverse sections into which the Christian world is now divided. For the few principles, which are recognized in the Bible, leave untouched very ample ground for the wisdom and taste of different communities and different individuals. And after all that has been said and written on the subject of Christian union, the requisites to all valuable union, on a smaller or a larger scale, may be summed up in a few words :- -In matters of religious faith and practice, let no Christian, on the one hand, enjoin what is not clearly enjoined in the Bible; and, on the other, let no Christian forbid any thing which is not plainly inconsistent with Christian principles. Here is freedom both from dogmatism and from laxness. The authority of the Head of the church is held supreme, and nothing is acknowledged, in such a principle of union, as a matter of obligation, but what has his authority; that which has his authority is not to be dispensed with; that which he has not regulated is left to men's discretion and taste, or to circumstances, and in regard to it no man should presume to prescribe for another, nor should diverse preferences produce such diverse parties as cannot, in all matters of obligation, flow together. The principle, just stated, seems strictly to accord with the spirit of Paul, in his endeavors to unite in harmony dissentient brethren; and as an appendix to it, his own words may also be adduced-Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing. (Phil. 3: 16.) Union on such a principle is feasible among the true-hearted and self-denying disciples of Christ: to other men, called Christians or not, the union which is valuable in the sight of Christ does not pertain. Such a union, we say, is feasible. But it would require a sacrifice in various quarters; and it would, after all, be more a union of heart, such as now exists, really, and, to a considerable extent, visibly, among the followers of Christ, than of outward forms and worship. On the one hand, let the simple principles of the New Testament which regulate church-membership, the government of the church, the nature, duties, and powers of the ministry, be universally adopted, and let nothing be enjoined that is not enjoined by scriptural authority; on the other, let there be an enlightened, enlarged, yet scriptural, liberality in regard to matters not regulated by scriptural precept, or example: then the obstacles to union would be removed, even in respect to the outward mutual relations of Christians. Since the union which is often sighed for is an outward union, and must of course depend very considerably on external matters, an attention to these externals assumes no little importance; and inattention to them on the part of individual Christians, and especially of ministers, really tends to perpetuate and propagate division. If those externals in religion, concerning which there are scriptural precepts and precedents, are, notwithstanding, held to be submitted to human wisdom, or to convenience, the evil of division is of course allowed to extend itself; and any who may seek, in their outward obedience, to be entirely guided by scriptural views, though they may thus follow the only true standard, a regard to which would produce all desirable uniformity, must yet often bear the reproach of disuniting the followers of Christ, or of putting asunder what God has joined together. It is not they, clearly, that create disunion; the cause of disunion will rather be found at the door of those, if such there be, who do not seek and obey the Lord's will in reference to the outward organization and to other externals, as well as to the soul. No reproach is intended in this language. It will, probably, apply in various directions, and, perhaps, where it is least suspected. It is intended to awaken thought on this subject; a subject, which is too easily thrust aside, but which has too much importance to be neglected. If it be asked, now, from what Source of information. source we are to seek informaThe New Testament gives us authoritative instruction. There is here recorded the practice of inspired apostles and of the first churches under their guidance: we have, likewise, instructions to churches and individuals from apostles, which contain principles touching this subject: we have, also, the instructions of Christ, which contain the seeds of that order of things which grew into shape during the apostles' ministry. The ministry of the apostles extended over so many regions, and through so long a period, and was exercised amid so much diversity of character and circumstances, that we have reason to believe there is no deficiency in regard to the development of principles which regulate the whole subject of church-membership and government. Not that a minute system of external arrangements is exhibited in the New Testament; but the essential principles are easily discernible. These, as might be presumed from the nature of Christianity, are presented as occasion required, sometimes incidentally; they are few and simple, and give rise to certain necessary inferences, thus embracing the whole subject. Reverence There is a strong tendency in some quarters to overlook the instructions of the inspired records on this class of for antiquity. subjects, and yet to set up a plea for certain forms and practices on the ground of antiquity. The antiquity which is thus contended for, labors under the misfortune of not being / sufficiently ancient; for it did not enjoy the presence of inspired men. If it be said, that the third and fourth centuries furnish the best results of the apostolic beginnings, and that in those times we find specimens of character and outward arrangement which we should feel ourselves required to imitate, it must not be forgotten that those same centuries present developments, not very honorable to the Christian name, which some men have thought might be naturally traced to an inspired source. But it is very unsafe for our reason thus to mark out a path, or to subject itself to the reason, perhaps to the whims, quite likely to the perversions, of those ancient times. Let us, as the men of those centuries ought to have done, go at once to a more ancient time, to that of inspired men. By walking in the footsteps of inspired men, and imbibing their spirit, and regulating ourselves by developments which they sanctioned, we may have assured confidence that we are in the path on which the light of heaven has shone. Reverence for antiquity is exceedingly prone to misguide on subjects which require a different standard; and particularly on subjects of Christian faith and duty, antiquity, aside from the inspired records, has no authority, and may be dispensed with in our inquiries, except indeed as adding confirmation to opinions drawn directly from the word of God, or as showing at how early a period, and to how great an extent, the simplicity of Christian truth became corrupted. The great question should be, What says the New Testament? An observance that is venerable by a hoary antiquity, has no claim to our religious respect, unless it is evidently sanctioned by that book.* A church that came into existence yesterday, in strict conformity to the New Testament principles of membership, far *The remarks in this paragraph are particularly applicable to those writers, who seem to consider the ecclesiastical arrangements which were in vogue in the third and fourth centuries, as a sort of perfected model of Christianity. The spirit of them is also applicable to the manner in which Neander, the distinguished Lutheran of Germany, thinks infant-baptism may be vindicated as agreeing with Paul's sentiments. For while he distinctly acknowledges that infant-baptism was not instituted by Christ; that it did not originate from the primitive church in Palestine, nor from the apostles who preceded Paul; that it was not introduced among the Gentile Christians by Paul-inasmuch as such a substitute for circumcision would agree least of all with the peculiar Christian characteristics of this apostle;" that it cannot be inferred "from the instance of the baptism of whole families;" that faith and baptism were originally connected with one another; that no trace of infant-baptism appears till the time of Irenæus [who suffered martyrdom in the year 202]; and that it first became recognized as an apostolic tradition in the course of the third century, and that this circumstance" is evidence rather against, than for, the admission of its apostolic origin;" while he makes all these distinct acknowledgments, he yet thinks that the practice was "necessarily developed," in an age subsequent to that of the apostles, from some of Paul's views of the influence of Christianity. — See Neander's History of the Planting and Training of the Christian Church by the Apostles, pp. 101-103. |