Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-11-06
nv ritten for the Herald. q ~ =
I've EvaDgeIicaI Alliance Again;
Or the Methodist Church and
Close Comm union.s S~s;.St sTt.s.;I Is

Or the Methodist Church and
Close Conlmnnion. ~ q s5t:t.; y
Editor Rntlaqad Herald = - q For: as,
much as many have taken. in hand, to.
set forth in order declaration;of those
things which are most surely, believed
are 45g us" -Methoslists- sit: seemed
good for me also to write, y that the peo-
pie ''might know of the certainty of
those things wherein they have been in
structed.' I. ~ ii ~. 81.
1t is not our purpose to defend or de-
fame. the recent. Evangelical Alliance.
Wherein it does not speak for itself,
others have. spoken for it: Every one
ought to have an opinion of his own and
be ready always to. give an answer
to every man that asketh him q reason
for the hope that is. within him, with
meekness and fear. But when one un-
dertakes to tell the people what ,another's
opinion and hope are, and to give q, rea-
son for this mans hope. then that pub
lie teacher ought to 6isoa6 whereof he.
affirns. We respect the faith and feel
ings. of other Christians differing from
us in church covenants, ereeds; customs
and communions. With our brethren
in the ministry and the membership of
other churches of Christ, we seek. for
no controversy but would rather fol-
low after charity which envieth not,
which vaunteth not itself, is not puffed
up, is not easily provoked. When we
see heads that we, think are wrong, we
are sorry for those heads, but we say.
II thy heart, be as my heart, give me thy
hand -, ~ .r,,,'.'< $500.
= Several communications and sermons
have been called forth and published
from the pulpit and through the press,
concerning the late Evangelical. Alliance
either IN. commentator, friendly crit
cisni or. condemnation of the same.
These. communications; so far as we
have read them, we regard. in the main
as being expressed in the most fearless,
frank and Christian spirit. :. .-',s,,:. ~.
> The Congregatiohalis,, the Episcopal
ian and the Baptist pen or pulpit have
spoken; but, SO far as. we are concerned
the Methodist, the last, though not the
least, of the tribes, would have kept
: silence: had not this church been forced
on the witness stand and made to so tes-
tify as to aid and abet our neiebbofls
creed and communion, without oar con
sent ana. somewhat contrary to our Gus
tom. We are perfectly willing our
neighbors should man their. own boats
and sail their own ships ); they are well.
COME to sit at. meat with us and. even:
come aboard our little bark, but when
they get atbnlopr rigging and attempt
to fl1rl our sails and narrow our: pianks
and acqterb2g our Ship, we would say
Please keep clear and. let. US guide. our
own. craft. .:....: ...,'...e =
Now as to- our Christian neighbors,
creed. or. conscience or communion, we
have nothing to do. Because we differ
from our Baptist brother in faith and
forms, we do not propose: to. defend our
creed and church by the unmethodistic
method of tfying, to prove TO tie public
that we are right, because he is in tho
mud as deep as we are in the nire /; nor
should we speak at all on creeds and Gus
toms had we not been placed before the
public in a false position by false state
rlehts- mark -not falsehooJ!s I through
Ignorance we wot our brother did il 1in7
to us. 81 .:.....-.,3.- ~, ~.
In a recent number of. the Daily HIM
AID there appeared Communication
from the Rev. Dwight Spencer, pastor
Of the Baptist church, Fairhsven, IN
which he says asBeing a Baptist, / wish
simply to state that the denomination to
which / belong occupies precisely the
same ground occupied by. the leading de-
nominations of Evangelical Christians in
this country. y This. is glad news to as;
which we will not call in question, ~.
If the writer had made his simple
statement and then stopped, 1t had been
well,. but his. method of proof, and the
proof be brings, we do call in question.
That the Methodist Church is as close.
communion in. its discipline and practice.
as his own .so-called close communion
Baptist, we do not affirm or deny; we
leave that point for the public to judge
as they please. AS to the truth of this
we care but little; only to say we are.
glad to know that Bro. Spencer. and his
denomination are as open communion as
the Methodist Church, and we shall be
glad to express and confirm this agree
ment to the world by welcoming him
and his people to the Lords Supper in
our church, or by being welcomed openly
to the Lords Supper in his church.
He and his people may consider this
as a hearty, Christian, open, standing
invitation to such Christian communion.
Theoryis good but practical public
demonstration is better test of this
question. But as his Church is as open
communion as the Methodist, and seeing
we cannot well celebrate this Church
fellowship by personal participation in
Christian communion at the Lords Sup
per, because we are in separate places,
we will do it by proxy, and we hereby
delegate the pastor and people of the
Methodist Church in Fairhaven to rep
resent US at Bro. Spencer's communion
at the earliest convenience of all parties.
For if the Methodist Church is as close
communion as the Baptist, then of
course the Baptist is as open communion
as the Methodist. This is logic; let us
demonstrate it by practical test, when
it is 50 easily done.
That the Methodist and Baptist
Churches are in such close Christian fe,-
lowship and communion, be they either
open or close, is somewhat curiously
proved by Bro. Spencer. He does it by
quotations CD from various authors.
The quotation from DIR. Hubbard on