Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1870-03-23
For The URBASA UNION .r.
Which are the Evangelical Churches

For The URBASA UNION .t.
Which are the Evangelical Churches
Mr.. EDIROR: Being in pursuit Of
knowledge under great difficulties, it
has occurred to ME that perhaps some of
your numerous, WelI-informed- readers
may be able to throw a ray oflight on a
question that seems to be very much in
the fog. The question I desire to have
solved is: Which are the Evangelical
Churches@
Ihave never been able to get a salts
factory answer to this question; and vet
the phrase evangelical is thrust in
our faces wherever we go. At late
meeting held for the purpose of taking
steps preparatory to organizing a Young
Mems Christian association in Urbana,
the chairman said the enterprise would
be conducted by the Evangelical
churches of the city. He then proceed
ded to ''caIl the roll :" First Presbyter-
ian church First NJ E. church Second
NJ. E. church; Episcopal church Uni
ted Presbyterian church; Lutheran
church; First Baptist church. The Pas
tors responded by naming three dele
gates from each church This would
seem to settle the question, and I was
about to conclude that the information
impaired by the chairman would amply
pay me for the trouble of attending the
meeting; but just then it occurred to me
that the African Methodist, and the AT
rican Baptist churches had been omit
ted. and as they hold to the same doe
trines that the white churches of these
denominations do, I was left in a guam
dary. It would seem that i'm the esti-
nation of The chairman, orthodox and
'evangelicap are questions of color and
5inLs I may believe tlIe same d6ctrfnes
that he does, but ifmy skin is little
darker than his, and the kink in my
hair is a little shorter than his, then I
am not orthodox, nor evangelical. But
it would seem that in addition to the.
color and the kink in the hair, other
considerations enter into the question;
for there are our Catholic NfeIlow-citizen
and our swedenbDrgian neighbors,
whose complexion is as fair, and whose
hair is as straight as that of the worthy
chairman. Why should they be left
out? I confess Ieannot tell It is true
eSwedenbofgians believe nonly one
God, while thesosoaHed orthodox be-
lieve ia thres that IS. they believe the
Father is God he Son IS God, and the
Holy Ghost IS God; and, according to
the arithmetieians, that makes three.
But, then, the Catholics believe in three
Gods, that is they believe in three Di-
vine Beings or Persons, each of whom is
God; and, indeed I believe they origin
ated this doctrine. But still they are
not regarded as orthodox, OF. eYangelie-
al and I am still left to inquire what is
requisite to constitute a church evangel-
zeal. The chairman does not furnish US
with a standard by which we can deter
mine the question, but oracularIy de-
cides that certain denominations are ev-
angelical. But these favored few do not
agree among themselves as to which
are evangelical; the EpiscopaIian de-
nies that any church is evangelical cx-
cept his Own-no others are successors
Of the Apostles. The doctrines Of pre-
destination, reprObation and limited
atonement, which are corner stones in
the Presbyterian edifce, are denounced
in the severest terms by the Nethodisss,
while the opposite doctrines Of the
MethOdists are just as bitterly denoun-
ced by the Presbyterian divines. And
then our Baptist friends come in and
just sweep all denominations, but their
own clean out of the evangelical temples. 4
Rev. c. Z. w. DobJs Of Lexington, Ky.
writing on this word Evangelical, /" +
says: "This is a greatly abused word. /.
Evangelical is defined to be according
to the gospel.' Baptist Churches are
formed in the gospel ORDER and are
therefore evangelical churches. But
are organizations (which set aside the
requirements OF Jesusr to be calledevan-
gelieal9 Surely not, If we 4liave regard
to the meaning of the term. IF Baptist
churches are according to the gospel,
then Episcopalion, Presbyterian, NTetb-
odist, and other religious societies arc
not. 40, it is simply impossible to 50
stretch this much abused word as TO
make it cover The prtcstiy ritvalisal, the
baby aprhtE7iHg and roslE ulptjaimisp5
Of these several sects's.p .-
There, now Mr.. Chairman, Is good
orthodox, evangelical blast foryo How
do you like it? We heretics are used TO
such kicks and cuffs. The Lord, him-
self, while in the flesh, was denounced,
and abused by the orthodox Of that day;
and the disciple is not to begreatcr than
his Master.
The -qustiou remains -HHaasWer,d,
(which are the Evangelical Chmches:'
Hyou were inquiving for six honest, re-
liable men and six fellows would come
along and say 'H'c are thv chaps you
are looking for; and would endorse
each othor, yuu would, perhaps .as Che