The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1868-05-27

ger III much or our modern troUeSCdhC u
ism, and the cause of much of our unsuc-
cessful activity. "The eye saithsto the
hand, I have no need of thee, and the
head to the feet, | have no need of you.
And the very evils which existed among
the Corinthian Christians exist among
us, and need to be corrected, to restore
our efficiency. If then we can reyiye this
corporate life, without weakening She in
dividual life, and bring it to bear on our
daily work and warfare, as parts of the
Sacramento host, citizens of the city shat
hath foundations, members of the house
hold offaith, portions of the body of Christ,
we shall remedy an undoubted defect in
our modern piety, and give an added EN-.
ergy to every operation of our beloved
Church. Hence we now inquire
II How did the Primitive Church en-
body and use THIS principle Of corporate
Efe2
We may perhaps best see this by fol-
lowing Timothy or Titus in some of their
evangelistic tours through Crete or Gala
tia. They enter city where Paul has
sown, and Apollos watered, but where the
increase has not yet been gathered, and
garnered. They find small company of
persons ready to take their stand as
avowed believers of Jesus. Some Of
them are isolated individuals, cast off by
their families; some compose an entire
household; and they are baptized there
fore as individuals or households, and
thus organized into church. 1t is very
difficult for us in these distant days,
when familiarity with Christian truth has
blunted our perceptions, to comprehend
the exquisite freshness of the wonderful
facts revealed by Christianity to its first
converts. 1t was heaven let down upon
earth, and awakened vividness of emo
ton that is but dimly apprehended now,
even by "a soul in It's earliest love. A
midnight landscape of utter darkness is
suddenly flushed with the rosy tints of
the dawn and every headland and noun
tain top stands flashing in crimson and
gold, as the day star arises in their
hearts. The very hatred of Jew and
Gentle binds them together by the COM
mon sympathy ola common suffering, and
the love that is repelled by all without
burns with only an intenser fervor to-
wards all within. Robbed often of all
worldly goods, so that they feel deeply
their insecurity, and kindling with the
consciousness of a treasure in heaven,
they feel that the best and safest use they
can make of these uncertain riches is to
share them with one another, and so by
mere spontaneous impulse, have all
things common. The little band of be-
levers are thus fused into the brother
hood of common family, whose mutual
love is intensified by common Joys and
sorrows. When they meet and part it is
with the family kiss of charity. When
they salute each other it is not with the
usual phrases of salutation, but with the
words, "Christ is risen" When they
wish to recognise each other by secret
token they use perhaps the sign of the
cross. or some other expedient to elude
the vigilance of their enemies. Thus they
are daily drawn closer and closer to each
other by attraction from within, and by
pressure from without.
But they need instruction and super
vision. Grave and devout men are Sc
lected to do this; now called elders, be-
cause of their identity with the elders of
the synagogue; now bishops, because of
their supervision of the flock; now pas
tors, because they feed Christ's sheep and
lambs; and to this collective eldership
the spiritual care of the Church is en-
trusted. Some of these elders, being
capt to teach" are called to labor in
sword and doctrine" and give themselves
wholly to "prayer and the ministry of
the word" Thus the Church is furnished
with that eldership, which these evangel-
lists were to ordain in every city.
But many of these people are poor,
disownedby their friends, widows, orphans,
aged or sick, and need aid to keep them
from actual suffering. There are no hos
pitals or asylums to receive them, and
provision must be made for them. Hence
another set of officers is chosen, men of
prudence and active benevolence, who are
called deacons or administrators. They
are to act as overseers of the poor, hos
pital stewards, nurses of the sick, guardi-
ans of the orphan, and take charge fthe
temporal wants of the Church, as the
elders do of its spiritual; and as the habits
of Grecian society prevent men from per-
forming these duties efficiently to the
other sex, grave and mature women are
selected to do this work, and like Phebe
of Cenchrea, become deaconesses.
But the children need instruction. If
sent to the ordinary schools they will be
ostracised like their parents, and taugh
what these parents know to be false
Hence suitable teachers are selected, and
the children of the Church, and all others
who are willing to attend are organized
into a school and taught on Christian
principles.
But these operations require funds, and
hence on the first day of the week each
Christian brings his savings as God has
prospered him, and deposits them in the
treasury of the Church as asavings bank,
whose security and dividends he knows to
be all that he can desire, and from which,
as life-insurance and health-insurance
agency of the simplest and safest kind,
he knows that he or his widowed and
fatherless family can certainly expect
such disbursements as they may need