Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1844-06-20
gSsljSeeCCd11eonS.
CHRISTIAN CHARITY.
BY d. P. BROWN, ESQ.

Belonging TO the great family humankind,
| look upon all, without regard to sect or
condition, as my friends and my brethren.
Show me the man that agrees in the essen.
tlals of Christianity, and who practically
endeavors to conform TO them, and dis.
regard all mere sanctailan distinctions.
Depend upon il, he is your enemy, and
no true soldier of the Cross, no disciple
of the meek and lowly Saviour, who shall
attempt to stimulate you to hatred, to
strife, and TO boodshed. You are all
children OF the same Republic, and she
looks upon all with the same benignant
and maternal eye. You al, though in
various forms worship at Heavens High
Alter, and IN the spirit Of that worship,
sbouId dwell harmony and love. The
best Tractble and lcas; questionable de-
notement Of sincerity aud sanctity of
heart, is the open, voluntary and unre-
served REIMBURSEMENT of those prejudlccs
aud passions by which mankind are too
otter severed and sundertd from each
other; which disguise and deform the fair
face ofnBture; which obliterale from the
soul the cherished image If the Creator :;
which distract families, communities, and
countries of protesting Christ ans, and en-
list one against another in unsparing war
to the manifest injury, if no; the utter an
nlhlauon, Of all.
Like bloody brothers. fighting for orthright,
Woundug the parent bosom that would part them
Brotherly love is the essence of pietv,
o. in other words, II IS the very foundation
upon which Religion is built; and upon
nomination t wti appeal that there is no
affection 4 the human heart, the exercise
Of which is so lrequoLty nj So solemny
enjon,d upon m,n in the word OF Gnd, as
that Of loye,-mutual brOtherly love-
Glove one another" For love is G d,
and every one that oveth is born Of God,
aud knoweth God he that loveth not,
knoweth not God, for God is love.
All thoughts, all passions, all delights,
Whatever stirs this mortal frame,
All are but ministers of Love,
And feed his sacred flame.
If you would initiate your great exam
plar, who died for the sins of all mankind,
and for the redemption even Of those
through whose very agency he persisted,
furnishing thereby practical example OF
the sublime lessons which he taught
Glove even your enemies" If this be
the doctrine, therefore addressed to man
kind in general, how peculiarly approprl-
ate is it to body of protesting Christians,
avowed soldiers Of the Cross, and decIal-
ed disciples of the Saviour. Christian
charity and religious liberation may be
despised by those who live in open oppo-
sition to religion and Christianity but
even their condition must be preferable,
lar preferable, to that of others who, hav-
ing enlisted under the divine banner, are
in the daily exercise of those principles
which are calculated TO bring their faith
into odium, Ieproach or contempt. And
it is perfectly in vain for any man to en-.
terrain hope Of forgiveness through the
mediation ofthe Saviour, though he should
wear out the stones Of the altar by kneel-
ing in prayer, who at the same time with
holds his forgiveness from the compare
lively venial errors or transgressionS OF a
fellow man towards himself. If this doc
trne be true, and who dares doubt 1t,
what right have we to draw lines, and
create distinction between mere modes oil
worship, when it is remembered that all
religion is the product Of the renewed
heart VIVA, right have we, assuming
to ourselves the attribute OF the Deity, 10
steal, as il were, the livery of Heaven, to
serve the Devil in, and prlding ourselves
upon our virtue, like the self-rlghteous
Pharisee, to condemn our brother, be-
cause, although he believes as we do, he
may surround the body Of his belief with
a different apparel, and recommend or en-
force 1t by different ceremonials, and cal
himself by another name, and worship in
another temple. To tho eye of the Gre.
ator, garments are nothing--ceremonies
are nothing--names are nothing--tem-
Iples are nothing, except so far as they are
sanclihed through faithful and devou