The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1867-05-08
CENTRAL PR SBYTERIAN

pTeCepto puo ~ ohouiu ouoW ITO Vii
tianity by its acts; rather than by reli
gious symbols. 1t is no part of its func-
tons to profess Christian creed. This
is the appropriate office of the Church.
She is to be Christ's witness before the
world. Such is Christ's own arrange
ments, and wherever it has been disre-
garded, and the Divine order reversed,
both Church and State have been the
sufferers. There may be greater ex-
ternal display of religion, but there will
be less of vital goodness.
We may further learn from our text,
that IN her organic and official action the
Church should be governed By the statutes
of her King; and her aims and objects
should be exclusively those aOhich he has
prescribed.
Nearly every schism which has married
the unity of the Church may be traced
to an assumption, on the part of the
Church, of power never delegated by
her Divine Head; a claim to legislate,
where Christ has not authorised legisla-
ton. But for this, we should not see
Christendom divided between Catholics
and Protestants. But for this, the Dis
senters of England would not outnumber
the members of the Establishment; nor
the Seceders of Scotland its ancient
Kirk. But for this, the Presbyterian
Church of this country would never have
been rent in twain; nor now be threat
ened with disintegration. The subjects
upon which the Church is authorised to
legislate are comparatively few. If min
listers individually, or as Church Courts
collectively, would command the Chris
tan conscience of the people; they
must not only plead Christ's authority;
but be able to adduce it, by citing the
explicit, or clearly implied, commands of
their Lord. The more intelligent Chris
tians become, they more they study and
interpret for themselves the oracles of
God, the more dangerous will it be for
Church courts to legislate beyond the
warrant of the Gospel; and the more
difficult will it be for preachers to invest
the mere {" commandments of men" with
the sanctity of " the doctrines !" of God.
This undoubtedly is one great reason
why in Scotland, and in our own land, the
Presbyterian Church has SO often been
rent by schism. Presbyterians are too
intelligent, too tenacious of the exclusive
authority of Christ to legislate for his
Church, passively to submit to legisla-
ton which transcends the limits of their
divine charter. Hence, if there be a
Church in the world which is bound to
adhere closely to its constitution, that
Church is the Presbyterian. Its mem
bers will submit to no lawgiver, or King,
but Jesus. Especially will this hold true
when Church courts venture to bind the
conscience by deliverances and laws,
which their very standards of faith forbid
them to enact. A so-called venerable
court" will command our generation, on
ly so long and so far, as it restricts itself
to its appropriate work; and governs
itself by divine statutes. The moment
an ecclesiastical council resolves itself
into political assembly, that moment it
loses its character as venerable
COURT" and is received and treated by
right-minded men with even less respect,
than convention of avowed politicians.
The same is true of all ministers, who
convert their pulpits into political ros-
trums. What is it which invests the
preacher of the Gospel with sanctity, and
his discourses with authority? 1t is the
fact, that he claims to stand before his
hearers as an ambassador from the King
of Kings; and to deliver message from
Him. So long as his messages are man.
ifestly divine; so long as he can furnish
credentials of their divine authority, by
the attestations of the Bible itself; so
long will he speak with power to all who
revere the Gospel. But when, as min
lister of the Gospel, he adventures to har-
rangue his hearers on matters political,
he ceases to be Christs ambassador to
them: for he can furnish no warrant from
Christ for what he has proclaimed. 1t is
simply his counsel, not Christ's message;
and all men have right to trust him and
his utterances as they would any mere
politician, or any newspaperaarticle.
But not only do such men cease to be
regarded with the Difference rendered to
faithful ambassador of Christ; they do
infinite evil to the cause of Christ, and to
the sacred office of the ministry. There
is enmity enough to the Gospel in every
heart, and in every community, without
gratuitously provoking it. Yet it is pro-
Yoked, wherever minister of "the ever
lasting Gospel" becomes political teach
er, and takes advantage of his pulpit to
propagate his sentiments. A few may
be gratifed at such perversion of the di-
vine Office, because it subserves party
purposes. But even such will less res
pect the preacher who has thus merged
the minister in the politician.
There is perhaps, no Church in our
land in which political discourses have
been delivered, where fruits of bitterness
are not already maturing. There are
lines of division, clearly marked, running
through thousands of congregations, that
have not, as yet, been formally divided.
There are multitudes who once were
stated attendants at the sanctuary, but
who now never enter it. There are null
titudes who have forsaken Protestant
churches, in the hope of finding quietude
in the bosom of the Catholic. Within
the past month, fifty-fve professed Pro-
testants were by baptism admitted into a
single Catholic church in a neioh boring