Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1874-01-30
,le the only rule of faith and practice

See the "Old" ana new school PreSDy-
terians," ssThe Cumberland Presbyteri-
ans" ssThe Associate Presbyterians,"
''The Seceder Presbyterians. ''The Re-
formed Presbyterians, "The Congregation
alists,' ''The Unitarian Congregational
lists" "The Universalist Congregational
list, . ''The Methodists,' - "The Methodist
Brethren" 1.-THE Methodist Society,""
"The Methodist Episcopal" "The Metho-
dist Protestant 'The Reformed Metho-
dist, ''The Bible Christian Methodist, "
''The United Methodist" "Free Church
Society,"" "The Primitive Methodists,
''The Welsh Methodist Calvinistic," and
1.-The True Wesleyan Methodist Church, "
and then come "The Lutherans, "and "The
Dutch Reformed" and "The German Re
formed" and ''The Evangelical Luther
ans, and still the procession is moving
along and we recognize our Baptist Breth-
rem; "The Calvinistic Baptists," "The
Free Will Baptists,'' ''The New Connec-
ton Baptists," "The Unitarian Baptists, F"
''The Seventh Day Baptists,' ''The Par
ticular Baptists, ""The General Baptists,"
''The Scottish Baptists," 1.-The German
Seventh Day Baptists, "The Free Com
munion Baptists," "The Six Principle
Baptists, ;" ''The Campbelite Baptists,"
and'still the procession continues-"The
Menonites,' % ''The Reformed Menonites,"
''The Quakers," "The Tunkers," and
'Restorationists,' 'Millenarians,,' and
'"The New Jerusalemites'" and "The Sec
ond Adve mt Men. ""United Brethren in
Christ, '"Moravians, Christians, '"'True
Christians, '"'Christian Unionists, - "Ply-
mouth Brethren, "-last of all the Reformed
Episcopal Church.
Do you smile It is a cause for tears.
"Father pray that they may be one, as
thou, Father, art in me and in thee, that
they all may be one in us, that the world
may believe that thou hast sent me-"
IS THERE NO SUCH SIN AS sCHIsM E?
Listen to the inspired Apostle, st. Paul
Now beseech you brethren by the name
Of our Lord Jesus Christ, that We all speak
the same thing and that there be no di-
visions TOR schisms) among you, but that
We be perfectly joined together in the same
! mind and in the same judgment" And
again he says 'there should be no schism
in the Body"
John Wesley in a sermon on schiSm,
| land it must be remembered that to the
very last he was the unf1inching opponent
| of separation from the English Church, and
opposed it not from expediency but upon
conscience says, ''many persons who pro-
| fess much religion have not the least con-
| ception of this matter, (schism) neither
imagine such separation to be any sin at
all. They leave Christian Society with
as much unconcern as they go out OF one
room into another. They giue occoeicn to
all this complicated mischief and wipe
their mouths and say they have done no
evil.'
THE ERRORS OF RITUALISM ARE NOT THE
ONLY THINGS
of which our Lord Jesus Christ and His
Apostles bid us beware, and which we
must shun. Schism, is surely one of the
most grievous, when new Sects can be
started every year and no one thinks it
out of the sway" much less sin. Oh,
that God would raise up Reformers Of this
evil, the reproach Of the Church of God
when in these evil days the Unity, which
is SO near the heart of Christ, is clos anil
| thrown aside"-His seamless robe torn into
| shreds and scattered to the winds''
| Have any dozen men in this town a
| right, in Gods sight, to start a dozen new
Churches ''What did the English Re-
| formers then 20 When the Church of
Christ was so over laden with errors and
corruptions, when the Sacraments were
| not duly administered, when the word of
God was sealed book, when celibacy was
enforced and the doctrine of purgatory
controlled every fibre of the Church, ruin
ing countless souls at such a time they
arose, in Gods name and with Gods smile
| upon them, to reform the Church of Christ.
In the name of truth, in the name of
God, ask, is there any parallel between
the two cases
Shall leave my Church because some
have lost all hope that the evils they COM
plain of will ever be eradicated? To use
Bishop Lees words as these evils were
never sanctioned by the authorities, legis-
lative or executive, those who denounce
| them stand on vantage ground in this re-
spect.''
"But with regard to the evil itself why
should we be hopeless In combating
such errors have we not with us the word
of God, the doctrinal standards OF our
Church, the protest of the English reform
ers, the blood of the martyrs, the sympathy
and prayers of thousands of Christians?
Is SUCH CAUSE TO BE DEsPAIRED OF :?
Does not truth rise up invincible from de-
| preston and defeat and vindicate her
heavenly birth ? believe better things of
that grand old Church, whose light has
never been quenched, since kindled at mar
tyr pyres, and which for centuries has
borne the brunt of outward hostility and
inward treachery. But admitting the dan
gers to be great and the prospect gloomy,
is that reason why the pilot should de-
sert the helm ?-the Shepherd abandon the
flock? If the Shepherd sees the wolf COM
ing is not that the time to stand at his
post, even if he must give up his life for
the Sheep? Is it the part of q good SOL
der of Jesus Christ to desert, in the hour
of peril, brethren who are striving to
eight the good fight Of faith ?''
have seen more than once during the
late war, in battle, when the missiles of
death were being hurled in sheets of living
flame, and the battle was at the crisis, evil
IDENTIFY to be decided in little while-I
have seen and heard good and true men
and brave soldiers say, <swe are whipped
boys come let us give it ups, and some