The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1873-10-22

are also to receive the instruction, warning
admonishing and prayers of the church,
" Baptize them and teach them all things
whatsoever have commanded you. But
here, taking this as the substance of the
law, His instructions cease. These persons
are not yet responsible to the church for
their conduct, but the church is responsible
for her conduct towards them. She must
faithfully do this duty which God has laid
upon her, Just as long as these persons are
alivs. If God blesses her work, and these
persons openly assume the responsibilities of
Gods people, then the laws governing Gods
people as such, are in active force upon
them. They ask to be admitted to full
membership, and in doing SO become respon-
sible to the power which God has vested in
his Church for its government. Only full
membership admitsof full discipline.
The sinner is not lost finally because of
reflections of Christ at years of maturity.
But he is born "a, ste and condemned al
ready" And so he stands until he believes
in Jesus Christ. If the infant dies, we be-
ieve that the Holy Spirit applies to it, in
Gods great mercy, the benefits of Christ's
atonement. Thus only is the child of sin
saved from its curse. But if be lives to
years of maturity, this does not increase the
fact of his condemnation. If sinner at all,
he is sinner from his birth. (See David's
idea about this, Psalms Ii: 5, and Jobs xiv:
4, and Paurs Eph. ii: 3.)
This is bis condition also while in cove
nant relations to God, and all of the time in
which he is under the care of the church.
For this condition the church is not at all
She is responsible only for the
discharge of the duties already mentioned,
which God has epjoined upon her. And if
she is not responsible for this condition, how
can she excOmmunicate the man for showing
that it is his condition? If he does not be
lieye in Christ, ere he dies, God will surely
visit sins penalty upon him. But the
church cannot, and never does excOmmuni-
cate or visit penalty upon any man because
be willOnot believe, If she touches man
by Judicial prosecution, it is because he has
onee declared himself believer, but after
wards lived unworthily of Ais profession. The
has made no profession,
therefore he cannot be called to account for
not hOnoring one
1t follows that as the bad conduct for
which the communicant is suspended or ex-
is the di8honoring of the
profession which he has made before the
church, therefore the non-communicant can
not be guilty of that same bad conduct, for
be has neusr Profsssed to be other than he as
Jy nature-a child of wrath. He cannot
lishonor Christ's name, for he does not bear
{. He cannot djshonor religion, for he does
lot profess it. He cannot be expelled from
he Lords table, for he has never approached
t. Actual Judicial prosecution then, can
oe exercised only against those who, having
made certain professions, and been received
nto the communion of Gods professed peO.
Die, have dishOnored that profession and re-
preached that communion. The non,com-
nunicant remains just where God has placed
lin, until he passes from that place by
aith in Christ, or stand at Gods bar of
Judgment. SEWAH.