The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1869-11-11

suffer with ", or when one member Is hon.
orcd, all the members rejolcc with it.o
Why, therefore, should there be any dis
pute or contention among ,themi 4 Why
should they not agree TO dlfier--to live to-
gether In harmony-to work side by side,
andall, together, toll as "fcllow 'laborers for
Godi" 49,. iH
8. The third consideration Is that Christ
belongs to God that Is, Christ represents
and manifests to the world the unity and sole
supremacy of the one Jehovah, so that
"Christ Is Gods" In the sense that he en- |
bodies In himself the entire authority and |
majesty OF the Godhead. In this sense what |
he Is as redecmer and saviour OF mon, be- !
longs to God, as the body belongs 70 the |
soul, or as the various subordinate members |
belong to tho head which Is above and over !
all. Here is the grand ultimate Idea Of unity,
the unity OF the Church In Christ, as Christ
is one In the God. God Is q spirit. Gods
possession of Christ Is q SPIRITUAL posses
sion, not ply steal, and therefore the unity Of
the Church Is epivituai, and all who have the
same spiritual Lord, the same spiritual faith,
the same spiritual baptism, are spiritually
one In him. 1t Is OF little account what out
ward differences of visible powers and func-
tons, what intellectual Emergencies or spec
ulative coutrarietles subsist provided only
they are compatible withor not contradc-
tory Of this essential unity itself. And thus
II Is that we resolve the various diverse ques-
| tions existing among the denominations In
| respect to doctrines, ordinances and pollty.
| As to the doctrines, there are two principal
systems which divide the theological world,
which, having formerly been known under
other names, are now for convenience
recognized as Calvinism and Armenlanism. \
The flrst is a logical statement Of religious
doctrine from the premises Of the bible.
Whatever may be said OF the aspect II throws
over the divine character and government, as
a metaphysical demonstration, II Is, we think,
| irrefutable.
The Armenian system Is q statement Of
doctrines formed through the sensibiiitles Of
our nature, rather than by the speculative
reason. 1t is originated rather from the
heart than the head, and as the vast major
1 ity of mankind live more In the feelings than
| In the intellect, this system. as tItelage Of
the earlier periods OF Christi an experience,
Is likely to remain permanently popular and
effective. But neither Of these crceds are Of
any account whatever, save In so far as
they help our spirituality. A mans church
system Is his theological or ecclesiasti cal
harness. Some can work better In ono and
! some In another, and that harness 10 hest
which most helps men to fight their battle.
And because these are hung up In the Lords
great armory, these different sets OF harness,
shall 1t, on this account, be said that the
house Is dividedl The same may be said re-
|
principal differences are those Of interpreta-
tion and Of personal prediction. The qucs-
lions raised, upon the order and nature of the
Eucharist, involve the subject OF open and
close communion, and whether the Supper Is,
in any sense, a consubstantiation, or only a
commemoratlon-all which belong to the
province of the individual conscience, aud
are In no way essential to or violative OF the
high unity of the church. The mode aud
subjects Of Christian baptism Is question
purely of Interpretation and personal prefer
eucc, under the general law OF the institu-
ton, and belongs solely to the domain Of
things permitted.
The same may be said of the forms and
rituals of worship. Upon the subject of the
policy of the Church these general theories
have prevaled-Prelatical Presbyterial and
Congregational. The first represents the
monarchic system; the last Is pure democ-
racy; the second is essentially republican.
There are, indeed, logical conflicts upon
some of the points which distinguish these
three systems, the principal Of which are
''the apostolic succession" and ''the purity
Of the Christian ministry" But as neither
OF these points arc essential to Christian
unity, and belong wholly to the sphere of
outward uniformity, we see that they do not
at all conflict with that spiritual animus
which embraces all the members of Christ's
true body, as he and God are one And
this Is the last grand argument for the heal
Ing of divisions and contentious In the
Church. Why should those who have in
their spiritual life aud experience been drawn
upward into unity with God through Christ,
descend again to the lower plains and levels
of carnal conflict SO there we have true
Professionalism, a true Catholicty and a true
unity-a three-fold cord of argument which
can never be broken. 1t bound together
the Corinthian Church, and gave them a
long, protracted and glorious history. 1t
! will bud together the American Church as
1t has never been bound before; and God
grant that the glory Of the latter house may
US far surpass the glory Of the former as the
power and grandeur of the Christian dspen-
satiou shall exceed the wonders Of the Hebrew
t age.
!, Now 1t is upon this platform of Protest
antism, Of Catholicity and Of unity tina,
g American Prcsbytcrians have always pro
f fessed to stand. 1t is true that We firmly ad
here to our own theological system; to ouI
, ecclesiastical polty; to our formulas Of ordl
I nance and worship. For we believe that q
man Ia of small account who has no creed
no polity, no mode of religious observances
t lie Is like n man without clothes, a1d with.
: out the tools and implements of his voca.
: tion. But while so adheriug TO our own, w
| have at all times iudulged In larss ard
liberal spirit toward our fellow Christians oil
other names. We have never taken Tho
ground that all Who do not adopt oarsystspl
must be excluded from the pale Of the thfis
tian church, and while we arc not 1ndlfYer
ent to the claims of essential truth; while
we are profoundly convinced that there Is
vital relation between faith and practice, and
: that true life depends in large measure
: upon the principles adopted, We have, never
: theless, been far from the character and the
work of proselytlng people. We have
,, erred, Indeed, upon the other side. We have
been indifferent TO the diffusion OF proper in
structions on the very nature and structure
Of the Christian Church.; and thus while the
Jealous champions Of many other denominn-
lions are perpetually laboring to point out
the falsities or the Inconsistencies of our dis
tinctlve system, as they are pleased to inter-
pref 1t, whole generations arc permitted 10
grow up uniformed, and under the most
erroneous and distorted impressions of our
faith and practice.
And there Is indeed one remarkable event
In our history which has largely attracted
the public attention and given rise TO album
dant discussion among Presbyteriaus them
selves, as well as To much speculation aud
questioning in the world around them.
allude, of course, to the division ofthe Old and
New School Churches. Why did they separate,
and what Is the difference between themi
How many thousand times have these inter-
rogations been OH the tongues Of the peopls
through the last generation OF course there
Ia plain, historic answer to these questions.
The records Of this period of separation arc
only too full Of Its details, and may furnish
10 the curious, so far as the causes Of human
actions and events are traceable Ia the an
mails Of the time, an exposition Of tho motives
and the grounds of the division. Without,
therefore, attempting to 90 into any specific
narrative of these affairs, a slmllitude has
been happily suggested by another, which
we may well employ to epItomzo the whole
transaction.
Ont yondcr, in that vast. central, incom-
! parable valley of our country, rolls the
' Father Of Waters" Descending Its mighty
. tide, there appears before us u troubled
sheet Of the river, where deep below the sur.
face are hidden rocks that send up agitation,
. aud, hy-and-hy, dark points shoot forth, aud
stem tho currents force; at length head
l. land rises, and the earth, In Its commingled
elements, has for the present triumphed, and
. Tie giant stream Is spilt asuuder. And so
y for miles and miles together, the two cur,
. rents how apart, and 1t Is the debris Of the
y unhappy past that keeps them 30. But al
length, after long flowing, that strip of d.
: vlslon-earth, soil-sGcms to look narrower
v ! IL is growing thinner aud NOW in tho a