The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-09-26
For the National Era.
SECESSION. No. |.

A III abolltl0DlStS believe that nOldlug men rs
property is always sinful, that 1t ought to be de-
cared term of communion in every church. and
that duty as well as policy demands the immedi.
ate emancipation of the enslaved But reformers,
though agreeing in principles, often disagree as to
the best means and ways Of carrying out their
principles This, while it does not prove their
principles to be false greatly retards the progress
Of reform.
Such difference has unhapply obtained
among us Some good men believe that we ought
TO burst the bonds Of fellowship with all those
churches which have not excluded shareholders
from their communion and from other organiza
tons Others honestly believe that such course
Is fraugbt with evil, not only to the Ant-Slavery
cause but TO the interests Of religion in general
To the latter class the writer belongs And AS
much has appeared in the Era, under Its different
names on the other side Of the question, he wishes
for once to break the silence on his side, and show
the reasons which actuate US.
We all agree that there are but two great par
ties on the earth--the church and the world !;
that the world consists of great many subordi.
nate parties as the Pagans, the Mahomedans,
the Jews, and apostate Christians; that the
church though one great whole by union with
common Head is unhapply divided into many
sects or parties; that a subordinate church may
become apostate and 20 back to the world, when
it is our duty TO withdraw from II and that the
man who belongs to one party in the world, has
fellowship not with that party merely, but with
the whole world Now, we would suppose il
would follow Of course from these principles that
the man who Is member of one branch Of the
church of Christ has fellowship with the whole
church, and that it is his duty to manifest this
fellowship by communing at the Lords table with
brethren Of other denominations, whenever he
has suitable opportunity. But these two prin-
cpes instead Of being admitted as true, form one
hinge Of the controversy between come outersn
and their opposers Let all admit that they are
true, and everything like close or party commun-
ion is at once swept from the church, and those
who set up such communions are chargeable with
"causing divisions contrary 10 the doctrine we
have received that is, unauthorized divisions,
such divisions as are not sanctioned by the teach
ings of the Bible. But are these principles true
Many Of the most earnest advocates Of secession
are Presbyterians. Their Confession of Faith y
says, chap. 20, sec 2, "Saints by profession are
bound to maintain holy fellowship and commun-
ion in the worship of God, and in performing
such other spiritual services tend TO their mu-
tual edifcation, which communion, IN God
offereth opportunity, Ii TO be extended unto all
those who in every place call upon the name OF
the Lord Jesusp According to this, "professed
saints are bound TO commune ~ he n0rsh,p Of
God with oil who call on the name Of Christ.
But In chap. 81, under the hesd " Religious Wor-
ship" II is declared that the due administration
and worthy receiving Of the sacraments instituted
by Christ Is part Of the ordinary religious wor-
ship OF God. What becomes, then, Of sectaran
communion, II this be true7 And what right
have those who hold this Confessio to set up and
maintain communions with the avowed purpose OF
being separate, not only from other Presbyterian
Christians, and Presbyterian snti-slsvery Chris
tians, but from all other Christians who cannot
adopt their peculisrities But, even with Pres
byterisns the Confession Of Faith 10 not the last
resort. To the word and TO the testimony
When Paul wrote his first epistle TO the church
Of Corinth, that church was rent and tossed with