Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1869-08-31
What Ais the Church.

There is no ingenuity equal in subtlety to
that with which majority of our church
members persuade themselves, and also, as
they hope, persuade their Lord, that they
entirely accept his conditions Of service,
while they do not the things he commands.
Our churches and their pastors have, in eff
feet, voted unanimously to accept the Bible
as Gods own version of mans whole duty,
leaving each individual free to adopt such
of its more peculiarly spiritual demands
upon him as accorded with his own inclina-
ton. This is holding the truth in upright
eousness. Soundness in doctrine is no sub
stitute for obedience to the divine commits
sion, Ito every man his work" This is the
clarion note to be rung out through all our
churches. Church members, one and all
must be warned that in doctrinal sound
ness, without obedience, is no salvation.
We must become peculiar people, a
chosen generation, a royal priesthood" In
this regard are not the several divisions Of
the church under common condemnation ?
The evil is not to be repaired by running
from one division to another. What would
have been thought of such a course during
the late rebellion? If your division of the
army of the Lord has fewer fighting men,
and harder field if it contains men whose
loyalty needs watching; if, on miry soil,
contending with an unyielding foe, is it a
| time to run to those in some more favored
ter service to be rendered there than in our
division? Because the cavalry are doing
well as cavalry, is it certain or probable
that our Commander wishes the artillery
disbanded, or transferred to some other
arm of the service?
There isalways in the several division,
of the church of Christ a propensity tC
make much of some distinguishing pecu
liarity; to give it more than its due. One
brother is sure we might be raised to high
er piety by great many short prayers, anC
bursts of song, with only the briefest re
marks. Another says, "Nay, but faitl
cometh by hearing the word of God; anC
the impulse to pray ought mainly to b.
fetched from some lesson in that word an,
only the zeal and the devotion thus deriv
ed can be counted on for purity and 70
continuance what we want is a praye
meeting" says one, SIS not instruction, no
eXhortatiOn, but experience and prayer
warm-hearted utterances to God and ma
by both brethren and sisters" Says an
other: "Utterances to God or man, fit fC
the prayer meeting, must come Of joy-ir
spring truth, jOyously received; and thi
treatment of the truth, cannot, by any cor
siderable number of persons, be reached 8
, will over the low plain Of mere lively talk.
If it be true that the life can be taken 1roI
the prayer meeting by too much eXpo,itio
, of the bible, by too labored unfolding O
the truth by slow and heavy speaker
which I will not deny; Is there, onthe otl
other hand, no danger of installing the il
tluence Of great many short prayers an
testimonies for Jesus, by men and womc
whose utteranccs add nothing TO our know
edge Of God, to our sense Of his mercies. ,
to the strength Of our purpose to ser,
Him? Surely solid Christian progre
must be gotten from Gods truth, progress
lively acquired, conjoined with Christia
work persi,tently performed L. oagrcg.
h0n0lia.