New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1863-01-23

minute differences of opinion and feeling, but there
ia nothing to hinder our keeping tho unity Of tho
Spirit in tho bond Of peace. We are all sati fed
that we are walking in the path Of duty, and that
tho light Of Gods cOuutenaDce has been wonderfully
lifted up upon u.s. lie has c0mforled Us IN our dark
est hours, and has not permitted our heers to fant
in the day Of adversely.
These striking encOuagements vouchsated 10 s uS
from he Father OF Lord Jesus Christ, shond nv
our hearts with earnest devoeduess, and should iead
US even now oinquro " Lord what wilt Thou nave
us DO I" And the answer 70 this question VIII ie't
us your Chief Pastors, to speciiy tue points loMsu
which our efforts, as Christian Chuleu, e'''iu "
especially directed
Christ has founded His Church upon love-'or
GOD ia Love- IL ia the highest OF all Cnflstltu
g1aces. "And now abideth Faith, HOPE, Chail'y
these three hut tho greatest Of these Is Charlt!'
CHARITY not mere amsNving, whcn u Vh'y U"o Al
its manifestations, but L0ve' Christian i'oVe' AS
Cb,isf orr Lord loved the world so dyneiy that lie
yas sotisfsd TO suffer all things for its redemption,
so does lie command us 10 love one another ana W
be ready to do all things for each others saiEallo
This was His especial commandment: g new
commandment give | unto you that y love one
another" And this Il truly not only the new COM
uandment, but The summary OF al The conri"n1
meuts The whole Gospel 10 redolent with IT, win
a brond, comprehensive, all.embraclng love, Hp-
pointed like Aarons rod to swallow w all tue
other Christian grac s, and 10 mauieat ne Spinth,
glory of God in Christ A Church wltaoue 1--WE
81 .
Faith, or Il Church of Christ without Hope But
Love IL higher grace than either Faith or Hope,
and its absence from Church is just the absence oil
the very life.blood from the body. .o
Oar fret duty, therefore, MS he children Vi w -
is 20 send forth from this Council our greetings VI
love TO tbs Churches of God all tue world over. we
greet them in Christ, and rejoice tha' tney nio ia
takers with Ms of all the grace which u treasures W
in Him. We lay down to-day before we al'"I VI 'nu
CrUciiied all our burdens OF SIN ahoVne' Va,
may be tter aspect toward us politically, We cauJ'
FORGET That they rejoice with in the one iolu,
the Que Faith, the one Baptism, the one G9u am
Father Of all and we wish them Goa Il seo III al,
the sacred ministries OF the Church. NothIG ouI
love Ii cousODant with the exhibition OF Nnii7s
love which is manifested in His ChuFeh, ahu my
note OF mans bitterness, except ogaiust $40, WIu1'
be a sound of dlscord ningling with Tue SWEEP ns!
monies of earth and heaven. We rejoice III 'niS
golden chord which birds us together III ChfiS1 oar
kedeemer anu, IKE the ladder which JACOB sd" Ia
@ vision with he angels vi God ascending anu &c
scen0iug upon i, may IT ever be the chanhei aots
which shall flash the Christian greetings VI INC
children vi Coz.
But while we send forth this love 70 the whoio
Church Militant upon earth, lot us not forget 'na'
special love is due by us toward those OF our own
, housshold To us have been committed 'he .reas
ures OF the Church, and those OF our own hi"aIeI
aud lineage, who have sprung from our IONS pc'n
naturally aud spiritually, who are now united WIN
ms in sacred conflict for the dearest rights OF man,
AK us for the bread of life They pray us Tor 'hat
which we are commanded 70 give, the Gospel OF the
grace of God. They put ia 10 cl4'm Tor any sn.IB
vsorldly-fo- anything alien from the mission OF the
Church. Their petition is that we VIII 1uihi TIE
very purpose Of our institution, and give them The
means OF grace. Every claim which man eau nave
upon Eis fello man tley have upon us, and having
these claims they ask ony for the Church. lbey
prav us not 10 let them perish in the wilderness
not 10 permit them 10 be cut of from The sweet
comrlunion o. the Church. elf says the Apostle,
speaking OF Christian professors, aud alludlng 10
mere earthly things, any provide not Tor ms own
and especiiilv for them of his own house,
he hhth denied the faith and is worse thah
an infGel." What ihsli we say OF that Chnrch
which shall Dot provide for its own children now
can ope 10 be waered itself witO gracious rain
from Heaven when it boards up for itself the rivei
OF life, which ordained to flow through its chan
nels Of grace
/. Many Of the States of this Copfederacy are Mis-
sionary ground. The population IS sparse ana scat
tered the children OF the Church are lew and lar
Y bet ween the Priests of the Lord can reach them
only after great labor and privation. Hitherto has
d their scanty subsistence been eked out from the
# common treasury OF our united Church. Cut on
from that recourse by our political action, In which
ii they have heartily acquesced they turn to us aud
pray TO do at least much for them, as wo nave
o been accustomed 10 do for the Church from which
they have been separated by a civil necessity. We
can do what they ask, and we ought cheeruly to DO
, it, Unless we lake care that the Gospel Is sent to
, these isolated children OF the Church, who Will
: heed their cry They have no Church to cry TO,
but the Church wbich,we now represent; they Cast
themselves upon in full faith tnat we will do our
whole du,y toward them. They are one with us
in faith, iu care III sulering they are bearing like
evils with those which disturb us, and they have no
worship 10 cheer and support them, no Gospel 10
preach TO them patience and long-sufiering. For
Christ's sake they pray that they may be given at
/, least a Mothere bosom to die upon.
Voices of supplcation come 10 us also from the
distant shores Of Arca and the East, but only their
ecLo reaches Us from the throne Of grace. The
policy of man has shut out those utteranCes from u.s.
How can il help their cause 10 separate the children
+ OF God from one aDotherl lie ouly knows, tut we
can hear them when we kneel in prayer, and com
mune with their spints through the Spirit OF Christ.
But God is perchsnce intending, through these in-
iuscrulable measures, to shut US up 10 that great
work which be has placed at our very doors, aud
Il which is, next to her own expansion The Churchs
greatest work IN these Confederate States. The
laous instruction of the negroes has been thrust
upon us in such wonderful manner that we must
be blind not 10 perceive that not only spiritual
hut national life is wrspped up IN their welfare.
4 With them we stand fall, and God will not per-
nit us to be separated in interest or IN fortune.
J.. The time has come when the Church should
p!ess urgently than she has hitherto done
upon her lhity, the eOlemn act, that tho slaves OF
The South are not merely much property, but arc
a sacred trust committed to us. AS a people, 10 be
repaired for the work which God may have for
them TO do in the future. While under this tute-
age lie freely gives to us their labor but expects
us 10 give back 10 them that religious and moral
instruction which 70 elevate theu in tho scale Of
Being. Aud while intoxicating this truth the
Church must offer more freely her mnstrations for
their benefit and improvements Her laty must sci
the example Of readiness TO fulfill their duty to.
ward these people, and her clergy must strip them.
selves Of prIde and fss,idiousness and Incidence
aud rush with the zeal OF martyrs, TO this labor Of
love- The teachings of the Church are those which