The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1857-12-12
The Benefits Of Church Discipline. So
DR.. Fuller and the Aberdeen Woman.

No duty of the session of church is per-
formed with more pain or reluctance than
the suspension of member from the privi-
leges of the church. Yet cases undoubtedly
arise, when it is necessary to be done, ''for
the honor of Jesus Christ, for the purity OF
his religion, for warning to others, and for
his (the ofender's) own benefit" The last
clause sounds strangely in the ears of not
few. What suspension for the offenders
benefit Cut man off from church privi-
leges to do him good? Ought he not rather
to be allowed to continue sin good and re-
gular .standing," if we wish to profit him
A closer view of the subject may lead us to
see that such discipline may be as truly
blessed to the sanctifcation Of the wrong
doer as to the purity andhonor Of the church.
When the suspension is such as will commend
itself to the offenders conscience in the
sight of God, there is something very pow
erful in such an act Below we give an an
ecdote, which we find in the life of DIR. An
drew Fuller, that very happily illustrates our
point. The Doctor had made a missionary
tour to Aberdeen. We give the story in his
words:
"As l was going to the moaning meeting,
Twas called aside by respectable minister,
and told to this effect: you will be request
ed to baptize woman before you leave
Aberdeen. have no prejudice against her
on account of her being a Baptist; but
think it nay duty to tell you, that she was
member Of one of our churches in this neigh
borhood, and was excluded for bad conduct
-sWhat conducsz.4-'Dishonesty towards
her creditors.'- Very well; thank You for
the information, and will make proper use
of it,
= ''When the woman was introduced,
the following is the substance of what pass
ed between us: well, Margaret, you have
lived in the world about forty years; how
long do you think you have known ChristT
"A little more than a year What, no
longer f-I think not And have you
never professed to know him before that
time ?'-'Yes, and was member Of an In
dependent Church for several years. "A
member of church, and did not know
l.
to be religious, and deceived myself and
others in protesting to be So and how
came you to leave that churchill was
cut off, what, because you were Bap-
stY---'No, because of my bad conduct
'Of what, then, had you been guilty 7'--'My
heart was lifted up with vanity got in
debt for clothes and other things; and then
preyaricated, and did many bad things.
And it was for these things they cut you
oGY-'Yes.' 'And do you think they did
right T---Oh es!-'And how came you to
the knowledge of Christ at last2' When !
was cut off from the church, sunk into the
deepest despondency-I felt myself an out
cast from God and mani wandered about
speaking, rs it we're, to nobody, and nobo-
dy speaking to me. My burden seemed
heavier than | could bear. AT that time
a passage or two of Scripture came to my
mind, and | was led to see that through the
cross of Christ there was mercy for the chief
of sinners. | wept much, and my sin was
very bitter. But saw there was no reason
to despair; for the blood of Jesus Christ
cleanseth from all sin. 1t is from thence
date my conversion 'And do the minister
and the church, of which you were mem
Der, know of all this ?'-'Yes. 'Why did
you not 90 and confess it before them, and
be restored ?'-Partly because | have re-
moved my situation some miles from them (;
and partly because felt in my conscience
that was Baptist
"After the conversation, ! saw the MI
MISTER who had told me of her, and informed
him of the whole, adding that the church in
his connection had done well in excluding
Margaret, and the Lord, hoped, had bless
ed it to her salvation"
The woman was accordingly baptized.
Suppose this woman, had never been dealt
with, what else could have been expected
than that she would have slept on until she
had lifted up her eyes in hell? The disci-
pline of the church was calculated to remind
her of the reality of religion, and being
Just and necessary for Christ's honor il
touched her conscience. We have reason tC
believe that her case is by no means soil.
tary one. Let Sessions be careful to com
mend themselves to the consciences of mer
in the sight of God, and their hope of bene-
fit to the offender will not always be VAIN