, 1869-06-14

storm. And on some lowering day Of
ns in lis ru5y down Tie mountain side It acted o.
that giant birch ns sn mighty lever, and sxayiug
and hearing 1t in It's rude embrace. NOT only over
Torn out of the solid earth and leaving, where II
oaee @ nad heen en-, yawntag pit, shastly yod true
se IT, .reisFsn eRnsas'a sm sa M, hq%aa p.1
tho seed Of his faith upon the et,rnal Rock Of
Ages he may send down the rooss Of his spirit
round and round tic sold ruth .'Tnc blood Of
Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sln.'' But II
there BE- error IN the tree ITSELF II false doctrine
natural Its inevitable, tendency Is to grow month
By month and year By year, I'LL nj last 1t involves
the danscs q eas'ln9 ChEiss out Of the heart and
Some docutusl error-tn Itself by no means
fatal to religion OF contradictory to the essential
truths OF the Gospel-haa get gained such full
all important
But, beloved, We need not go back to years gone
birth outside Of our own Church for Illustration
o. luis same building wall Of wood, hay or stub
1e nPoa foundation Of e1ea ;S 3as roeE As tT9
this passage, tpld yo1 that In the denial OF the
divinity Of Christ lay as believed. the great perl
Of our American Christianity. SO am fully. per-
suadc that In this latter portion Of the text Is In
dlcated the one great danger by which our 0Nn
branch OF the Church Of Christ Is threatened.
Go back with ne along the track OF time to the
day when the Apostle Paul wrote this ep!st!e
from which the text i taken, and enter that lux
nrtous CITY where he had arst planted the seeds Of
Gospel truth The church OF Cofinth Is not as
house at unity with ITSELF. Two elements exist
within It's fold. and two VARYING forms OF doctrine
divide its protesting disciples There, as tn every
other popu1ouS city IN the great basin Of the Ned
tterTanean Sea, unnumbefcd Jews had gained
home. Some OF them had been converted TO the
faith Of Christ and, IN the blood Of Ills cross had
brought within the fo:d Of Jesus, and made men,-
be5s Of Ills Church, they claim that the GENTLE
Christians must adort every pec1liarity BY Ehlcn
they have no claim to he called disciples OF Christ
At all. Every ancient ceremony which the sons OF
Jaeop had peomed ana wheh .as Aosnic aT
upon every Christian. Now, wherein Was these
mems errorc St Paul does not charge them with
that they trusted 10 their Jewish pecullar1tles as
ground for the hopes OF heaven, but, making the
cross Of Christ their one cornerstone, they piled
exaggerated the valne and over. est!mated the im-
poTtance Of what was peculiar to themselves
Dear friends! It seeing hardly neSeS say tnat I
tu1c taken from the early church We stand
among the marsh21led hosts Of Protestant Chris
tianlsy, with history, 9 constitution apd Mor-
eeleal believers. We bold that these reculiantses
are eminently right md ScHptufaL But this q
70 ens e
| through q maGnsfJtnK lens. They make them the
marks Of Christianity ITSELF. We are told that
| there Is no church without Bishop. and that
eplscopacy Is 30 absolutely essential to the yery
being Of the church, that the authority to preach
read I Upon cpl Episcopal ordinaiion. n cona1maton IS
exalted 70 the rank OF au Indispensable require
men, for admission to the Supper OF the Lord and
Word oi cod should eceapy: Beloved. i dld no no
such teaching in the Bible; ind no such teach
ing In the creeds or the ARTICLES IN which cur own
more: the whole theory is utterly foreign md re-
pugnant TO the spirit Of the relormeEs, Cr'lnner,
a5a and Rsas and nPspe the 's
at the stake In defence Of the Protestant truth
which II ieaches, go far from adopting tnls
episcopal reformers Of the continent tn the franz
Ing Of the liturgy, and admttel to The ministry Of
| the English Church men whose only ordination
there are many among the members OF our church
| who make the whole 6urersrrncturc OF their re-
l!c1on ous Of s1ch material ns this unwafTantahle
tlcal peculta1tties I say the supcrstructure Of
their religion, for dear friends, far be 1t from nc
| to deny that mnny Of them rest their hopes Of
! Church, but On the merits Of the Lamb Of God.
But, brethren. when man becomes SO eDgrossed
with the beauty OF the casket that his eyes are
never weary OF fcaEting upon its elaborate adorn-
ments, 1t ls an almost inevitable result th4t he
Will neglect the jewel it contains: auu such ts the
tendency ten Of thts undue estimate q episeopasy:
| toward other Christians Of tho6e Wig hold it. You
can See II In an arrogance and suE.rclllous con.
ID 3Ss thsse i @ 5
In The outward constitution OF the IsInistry. You
zee It IN the constant dwelling Of their thoughts
| our own church, and on the defects which up
pear In those around Us. fou see It In the grad:
i ual but certain narrowing Of their charity and
m ~ resd s cs4ssn eenes tnose
whom ,hey c:ll "the aects : and ''denonina,
Hons DEeth!en, heseecn ~ you to a. beware o.
opposed 70 the snole current mud dsitt Of the gos
pei And Just IN proportion az sou allow It :
place m your hearts II VII eat out the Spirituality
" on this point, for feel deeply. would to Got
that had a voice which might reach every lay
man through the whole length and breadth Of o;,
importance to the welfare Of the Church.
laty is true to the great Protestant principles
the faith. But that heart Is not awake 10 II
] danger which this exclusive theory involves.
Is not merely want OF lore and fellowship towal
: other evangelical belieser's- It !s somethtr
) deeper than all that-touch!ug the very yltals
Christianity. II is substitution Of the minute d
i the believers Bonl. 1t amuses the mind vi
/ showy ritual, with vestments, and altar CLOTH
and lighted candles and priest!Y professions, nt
J. Rome, while 1t drnws the heart away from II
+ simplicity that is IN Christ
: Dear frtends, I left In my home book; wish
| El4 luuUkAl ~ HIllE IL utlt1 Douk 0l!uEEssCI
c the Clergy and inliy-a hook called tThe Worsh
: Of the Body wish that you might behold Il
c boldue5s, the pcrEtstency, the unswerytug cot
e Impose uron the church the bo'dcst Romanisl
d tue most unsersptural theories that Popesy
i THAT BOOK IL one which undertakes to tell Il
= aity how, with the botsy they are to worship Go
It There is not word ahont worshipp.ng with Il
!. heart Itself should be devoted to the Savior. D
:, II IS filed With details describing the way 81
E should PROSTATE yourself In the church; how
: what IL called the altar looks down upon Il
: congregation; 1t tells yon wherever the name
d Jesus Is employed you should bow; 1t tells hot
4 you should cross yourselves; and then-to CROW
i the whole as Il the minister Of Jesus The "a
9 carthcn vessel who contains the treasures OF II
q Gospel, were some being 70 exalted with priest
/ power, with Ds1nc rrerncatires, that the peop
themselves priests nuto Cod BIZ divine ordinatio
z should bow down to him In Rdorltlon-t tells Il
. people, when the minister cntera the church I
: the congregation should rise.
+ Brethren, such Il the boldncss with which the
E men have proclaimed the outward theories
t Komanlsm. But bear In mind that this book
: not sold In Romish bookstore: the friend wi
gave It to me, found 1t in the most consplcuo,
G place IN church bookstore Ia the city ot St
9 fork-she bookstore where publications ha
d been endorsed publicly BY the bishop OF NJ
n nent position In our church
G Do you thtnl that speak too strongly. I cou
G tell you Of clergyman, high in station In I,
s Sos III he sas q h
e that sacrament scommenuEates, not the one r.
1 of ths dytng lore 81 ne Kedseuer, nnt the da
h carrying 1t 10 the lips without touching !. with
+ nnGeEss And On TINT mans soul rested tho
= ness. viii congrcga,lon gathered there 10 VIII
e. he could speak the word Of lie eternal for III
c, thirty minutes out Of seven days OF tcmpiat1.
It md toll, and care that was the message he had
ID Etve could tell you that in this very city pap
processing 10 represent The opinions OF our chur
u has openly advocated the Romtsh doctrine
C. long ago, manual OF devotion was publish
er with the sanction and under the editorial cont
Of one Of the most prominent rec;oEs Of this col
i sion as duty, pHestly absolntlon as necess
a. and the trAnsunstanuatton 0! the bread and "
q into the body and blood Of Christ as an actual fa
Is brethren, these are Eome OF The fruits OF this
b elusive theory. Not one Of these men who Il
N undermined the very basis OF Christian
.s who did not start with the theory I
$ Aplecoracy waa necessary to the being
1t IA church. 1t ls superstructure which impe
n ! t1a foundation OF the faith Oh. ~ there be tn
amons ySn who arc cllnS,ns tais the9s
Is condematloD,b but IN love For your own soul 6
ed for the sake Of the Church Of Christ-for the
q, test upon rhe belief you hold: Il 1t someth
be dug from.the quarry Of the Scriptures i Or
e something for which you depend on human AZ
as meuts to proves Nay, Is It something which
,e- made you any boiler or more Chris,like; that
~ given yon deeper ea1nestness IN your oWn ne
IN religion? Beloved, Euy heart 3 desire and PA
n; to God is, that this may be church In WI
eS CHRIST and Him cIuctbeu may he lnnnltely dea
1st | lnan all outward advantages Or beauties III
les to have this people so leA with the spirit OF
Gospel that they can ever feel, Grace be with
be thcu that love the LoNlJesus Christ In snceI1t
he long to hare them, nbore ali else, faithful to
he great evangelical principles that Characterize
OF standards OF our church.
tbs know, dear friends, that the truth have Il
si. To preach to-day Is often looked upon With
his ptcl0n. know that!t sometimes exposes him
ion pGlaB 10 Tue ca0fKe thal ne is :" no cnnrchm9