Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1860-08-02
PASTORAL Address.-lSGO,

The General Conference Of the VI. E.
Church TO her ministers and members send
greeting.
DEARLY BELOVED BgoTHERs-It hath
pleased God TO grant US health and peace
during our session, and we trust and hooe
He has guided US by his Spirit and aided U.
by his grace, through the prayers Of the
Chuch, and has led US to safe and profitab e
conclusions, outstanding the many cor.
trarieties OF opinions and interests and feel.
iSgs which naturally and almost necessarily
arise in a tody representing million of
communcants. scattered over many States
and Territories. After having reached
these conclusions, our hearts turn with con.
fdence and interest to you, TO whom We
wish to address few candid and earnest
remarks.
l. Personal religion is not only the
ground o! hope in each one for happiness in
future life, but it is the source OF go yer in
the Church, and in the world. BY which he
may save Others; therefore, dear brethren.
let practical pieiy be the first and grea, end
towards which your whole lives shar tend:
and as God hath granted US the ordinances
Of his Church for ,he promotion of our spirit.
ual health, see to it you never allow any.
thing to interfere with constant and prayer.
fdl attendance upon all paris oe the pubic
worship and service Of God-and especially
the Lords Supper.
Q. Fumily religion in the first and most
essential form in the combinations of person.
ui'piety, and there is not on earth anv more
clear aud powerful exhibition of RELIGION
than in the lives OF a Christian man and hi.
yfe-manifesting BY the union and gody
conduct the union which is betwixt Chris,
and his Church. Under the influence Of
this family religion. coujugal bliss is Itself
not only perfected, but the children of this
union are to a certain extent initiated into
the kingdom OF Christ. BY rece wing Christ
ian baptism under the protection and with
the pledges of parental pieiy, and thus they
become, in an important sense. the cbilde en-
OF the Church, and participate in her spirit
ual life, which is powerful prep, ration to
the experiences o! personal religion, under
the infu nee Of the Holy Spirit. Let, then.
each inmily in The Church be a sanctuary in
8. The Church is The grea, and perfect
combination or all Chrisr ian families, of
which Christ is the head. Hence, the
Church is the kingdom OF God on earth. Be-
ing Kingdom, she has authority derived
from Christ, her King; and yet from the fret
she has had liberty f. ON her King to use
large share of discretion, under the circun !.
stances as they have arisen, to adjust her
forms OF action, so that they be within the
fundamental lines which Christ her X ing
has given her in the Holy Scripture. The
conc clus;ons which the Church has reached
In her experience under the exercise of this
discretion, have grown into authority, and
for this authority, in whatever department.
ii is manifested and thus become incorpora.
ted with the ecclesiastical arrangements OF
the Church, we earnestly ask due and con.
siderate respect. Let US not be IN haste to
unsettle anything whi h experience has set.
tied as profitable to the Church. Let us
entertain the idea of change only when he
Church feels within herself an invitation
which will not let her rest, or the want OF
something without which she cannot accom-
plish her mission. These two conditions
we Judge, are the only ones which Justify
an abatement of the reverence and respect
for the long-tried offices and arrana emenis
Of a prosperous Church. We are the more
earnest in our exhortations to you to defer
to the authorities Of the Church. because the