The Democratic press. (Eaton, Preble County, Ohio) 1860-1865, 1861-12-12
BIBLICAL SKETCH ES.
BY " UNCLE WILLIAM"
SKETCH XIV.
THE SCRlPTURAL CHARACTERISTICS
OF A CHRISTIAN CHURCH.

L
swer by asking another question.
Ofwhom did the Primitive Church
es conslst2 Of believers, or of be-
levers and unbclievers indiscrimi-
nately? The Primitive Churches
were formed and organized of
none, knowingly, but believers,
such as gave themselves first to the
Lord, and then to his people. They
voluntarily embraced the truth and
agreed to unite together to bear
one another's burdens, and so full.
fill the law of Christ. They had
no other end in view than the glo-
ry of God, and the salvation of
mankind and the Lord added dis
ciples daily to their number. They
believed OH the Son of God, and
walked in all the commandments
of the Lord blameless. They con-
tinued daily 'in the Apostles doc
trine, in fellowship, in breaking of
bread, and i'll prayers They were
of one heart and one soul;' the
strong and rich helped the poor
and needy, and the more afluent
did not regard their property as
their own, but considered it as the
Lords, and therefore they give
much of it, as we'll as themselves,
to the Lord and to his people.
There was therefore no lack in the
Church of God. Though many of
them were poor, others were rich,
and the effect of their religion was,
to bring them all to such a state Of
feeling as to consider themselves
one family, engaged to watch over
one another in the spirit of love.
Their purity and holiness of life,
their aim and conversation were so
manifest to all around them, that,
of the ungodly, none dared to join
himselfto them and when driven
by wicked and ungodly men from
Jerusalem, the Primitive believers
were not idle; they went every
where, preaching, through the me-
dium of holy conduct, the truth
of the Gospel. To such, and only
to such, are all the EpiStles ad-
dressed. The faithful in Christ
Jesus called to be saints, beloved
of God, and believers in Christ,
are some of the descriptive names
by which they were characterized
by inspired men. Now as the law
of Christ is immutable on the sub
ject Of receiving members to the
fellowship of his people, it follows
that Gospel Church is formed of
believers, and that none but be-
levers in the Son of God have q
right to approach the Lords table,
or be united in Church fellowship
with the Lords people. Again,
as none but believers can enjoy the
blessings of the Gospel, and prop
agate the faith of Christ in the
world; so none but converted char
acters should be admitted to the
Church of Christ. Theinstitutions
of heaven cannot be of use to those
who are dead in their sins, and
consequently the Church of Christ
is composed of living and not of
dead members. AS numbers of
of those of whom many of the ear
ly Churches consisted were very
ignorant, not only among the Gen
tiles, but also among the Jews, the
Apostles and elders, as we'll as the
more experienced of the faithful,
saw the necessity Of using great
caution in receiving them into the
fellowship of the Churches; and
consequently persons were appoint
ed (Catechumens) to instruct them
in the first principles of Christian
ity. These Catechumens, in pro-
cess of time, about the close of the
second century, began to abuse
their Office by extreme rigor, pre-
scribing rules and qualifications for
communion which wnro NOT ,uor