The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1872-09-13


Mr.. Otts's sermon. which, by request, be
has kindly furnished us Tor publication.
He said in his conclusion IsH ati
The Church is here also presented FOR our
Observation-Disclosures the tender and touch
Ing relation of the, fanily-the one great
spiritual family Of God, in which Jesus
striving to do the viii of God. All the be-
levers are brethrel to one another, and to
Christ Jesus; they may live in different
may be separated in different organizations
and known among men by different names,
yet all true believers, Ofevery age and CLINE,
of every name and class, and of every grade
the one great spiritual family OF Jesus, and
each is brother or sister to Him who died for
the redemption Of all. All are redeemed by
the same blood, sanctified by the same
spirit, and have the same interests for time
and the same hopes for eternity, md the
same tolls and trials here and the same glC.
'rfous, destiny hereafter. .Whenever one
Christian meets another, he Iueets broth. ;
and they should recognize each other az
such, and all should blend together their
love and sympathies, and unite in harmo-
NOUS iabors to promote the prosperity and
glory bf the Church-their common family.
Wedo not mean that UNCONVENTIONAL dis
tinctions should be done away with. Weare
not Ofthose Gtopian dreamers who think this
possible, nor of those pious sentimentaifsts
who deem IL desirable. Unity in diversity is
the grand law OF nature throughout the uni
verse We see IL in everything from the
triunel God--threo. persons in One--on the
eternal throne down TO the Ininutist atom, Of
sand in his creation. We find this same
unity In diversity in the Church.. tits atree
spreading out into many branches,--th tree
sist in the idonity OF its roots Ind branciiet,
but In the sameness of the nature that pene-.
trates and peryades the whole tree from its
roots TO the extremity of ALI its numerous
branches. Who ever saw a tree with but one
branch unless it was aGead trunk, stripped
at once of its branches, its leaves, its gloIy,
and of its life and fruitfulness? il tile
Church should ever be Ont anu he Tn down
to one branch, 1t will then DO nothing more
than a dead, deformed, and decaying trunk
in the world. Down, we say then, with mar
row-minded bigotfy of sects rianism, which
can see no good outsidethe pale OF its OWN
littlesect. It is like worm-eaten branch
on the glorious tree.of Christian unity, bo1s;u
ing itself to beithe whole tree whiletLe yery
mistle,toe, with which II Is coyerec as Hs ),
decay and approaching fall. Give us the
green, living, growing tree of Christian unity
in diversity, shooting out its branches mall
sameness Of their nature and fruit. Let all
Christians of every name and denomination
gather together under its shadow, each hold
ing his own minor points of difference in
charity towards one enother, and ALI living
and working together in harmony and lote
as the children of one and the same holy
and happy family: 1t Is not only right thai
any other it is his duty 10 do SO; consss-
tency demands that of him.. We cheeTfuily
acknowledge that there are good in ali,
while we claim to have the best with us;
and we love all others the more, because we
love our own the most. IN this connection
allow usto express our:gratihcation AZ learn
ing, that during our absence a new church
has been organized in our commnnity-a
church of q different denomination from our
own. 'rhey are orr brethren in the Lord,
and we most cordially. extend TO them the
right hand of fellowship in Christ. We bid
them God-speed iii their iabOrs. We pray
that prosperity and peace from the Lord may
crown their efforts, and make them success
full in winning mpltit4deofs souls TO Christ.
AS all evangelical denominations are now
represented among US, no one can have any
excuse for not going 10 church. We thank
the Lord for chat! There is room enough for
US all, and, work enough for Us all. %ewilf
love and help one another. They are our
brethren. We,have with them one Lord,
one faith, and one baptism, though we may
hold d ifferont view from theirs as to the
proper moae snG lheRTopsr subjects OF ma ma
work and worship together. Phes have
preached and wo-shipped with US, and we,
are rsady TO preachand worship with thepl.,
We may be called by different names, yet
we all belong to the same family, and Ihe
surname of the family is the same. We as
cend to that higher platform, and meet in
that more, precieus nanre Of our common
family, and hold sweet fellowship with one
another in the ten thousand magnificent
points in which we all agree and then in
mutual charity for one another we will de-
scenG TO the lower platform OF our denomi.
national iii stinetiOnS. and each work out its
own peculiar aims and ptirposss witAoutin-
terfering with the other. The Church isone
grand brotherhood in Christ, but the Christi.
an family i like tte family Of Israel,.com-
tribes should walk up TO our spiritual Jeru-
salem in. concord and love, singing TO,
gether as they Journeys Behold, how good
IN IN WI
together in unityI 1t is like the precious
ointment upon the beard, even Aaron's
beard that went down to the skirts of his
garment; as theAdew of Hermon, and the
dew that descended upon the mountains Of
Zion: for there the Lord commanded his.
blessings even lie for eYermore.' L.