Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1859-08-06
THE ANTI-SLAvERY BUGLE.
CHURCH ORGANIZATIONS.

The following is an extract from a sermon by
Rev. Henry Ward Beecher, and il, is rather liberal
for q clergyman.
"There is another class of Christians who put
the evidence of religion in being In the true church.
and conforming TO ordinances and church duties.
In this class are included three or four denomina-
tons representing very different beliefs. Any
church that takes an external observance, and
lifts it into the place Of the experience of the heart
puts itself into this category. One Of the denom-
nations belonging to this class soy that no man
is a Christian who is not in agreement with the
Holy Mother Church, which has Peter for its pro-
totype, and endless Popes as successors of Peter.
l would not hurt the feelings of any devoted Ro-
man Catholic, for the world but such is the evil
denoe of religion according to the Romish church.
Not that they disown love, for they do not. There
is no reason why o man 10 the Roman Catholic
Church should not be saved. There is enough in
the teachings Of this church to make any man who
belongs to it inexcusable If he is not a Christian.
At the same time, the test of religion with the
Roman Catholics consists in belonging to the
church, and in a certain conformity to ecclesiastic-
al ussges.
when you come to what are called the High
Church Episcopalians, who closely resemble the
Roman Catholics, you find that they take this came
ground that q man, to be q christian, must belong
to what they consider to be the true church and
observe it's ordinances. They hold that if a man
has been baptised into this church, and lives in
obedience to its outward requirements, he has ev-
idence of Christianity, and has the promise of sal
walton resting upon him. 1 would not hurt the
feelings of any that believe this to be the right test
of religion, though think they are mistaken.
There is enough truth in the teachings of the Epis
copal Church, to make any man who belongs to i,
inexcusable if he is not a Christian. But that portion
Of this church of which 1 am now speaking hold tha,
the communion of the Lords Supper, and baptism
t are indispensable to ones being in unity with
s Christ. So firmly do they hold to this view, that
if you ask them, Suppose a man thinks he is q
Christian, but refuses to be baptised, refuses to
join the church, and refuses to partake of the
Lords Supper, but yet lives so that every one who
D sees him is impressed that he is a good man-tha,
9 he is kind, benevolent, and unselfsh-is he q Chris.
tian p the only reply that you can get out OIL
them is this All things are possible with God,
but We are not at liberty to say that any man is a
Christian who does not conform to the ordinances
of the church,
"Now do not hesitate to say that a man is a
Christian, and shall be saved, although he never
was baptized, although he never touched iheLord's
Supper, and although his name was never enrolled
on the list of any church, if he yet loves the Lord
bis God and his fellow men, and by his life evil
dences the reality Of that love for the evidence
of piety is not in any outward form, but in the
inward experience. 1t is the working of tho in
ward experience in daily life that makes you
Jhristians--tha makes you like Christ, who is
your Pattern.