, 1874-03-30
horizon. Mon DO not grow ut tho namc rntc..
Mono arc oapsblo Of uniycraality. Hence do

horizon. Mon DO not grow at tho name rate.
nominations.
Tho denominations havo oonic Into being In
at,swer to Ibis Gull Of tho human heart, M tho
awakening tho noloai, a awslso,'; so % tho con-. con-.
aolence, inolting Tho hone OF hottor dominion,
croatlng longing for "ti,o Church uf tho f1-
'.fe'" ,' Demanding a. ;frccr md morc vigorous
bitter strifo,, of personal ambitions, q
guilty hetf9tls, and all manuor Of OWL
rasBiors What have said Is nono tho loss
true; rho Church neodod an Alternative. and
would hayo porlahod without IT,, Tho question
y not, whother tho bost ronody was Implied:
Men did aa well as thoy knew how to do, and
tnnt was enough. Many Of thom did glbrinusly.
Iho raritan AZ revival, 1naking war on tho Angli-
Gun establishment md at last building up now
originated now strenm Of religious thought for
the world, whoso watera, rushing onward, atao
oyerflowod into tho old rlycr.hod, mud gavo q now
vlgor to itH stagnant tide. When tho Wouloysbo-
Fan 1he,r prayormscetnga II tho vooo Of tho
qxporinlental religion enough, In tho Church Of
LnKlautl Ny people shall not lo bound" Whom
noBer Williams WAS driven out OF Massachusetts
r. To- sotle Mhoto Island, carrying with him tolora.
izcra Of tho Buy Colony NLike tie two disciples
wlo callod dow. fire from Heaven, 20 know not
Wtat manner Of spirit re arc Of"
Thoro Is d lesson worth regarding III tho
history Of tho formation. sixty years ago. Of tho
Cumberland p1eabyteria. Chuioh, al on;shoot
from tho church to which wo bolong, and hay
lug wrought its inlopeudent mission, very likely
to DO absorbed again iu tho original body. It
wus formed as protest against hyperorthodoxy.
and as don,and for revival spirit, protest,
and domnnd, determined and uncumpro1niaing,
aud unhoodod by tho powers Of tho Church. It
WAS formed amidst extravagancos which 1t Is
difficult for aobor mind to Justify. It was at-
teudod, also, by such maryolous demonstra-
tions Of rowcr by the Holy Ghost aH have raroly
boon soon since Christ aacendcd into Hoaven.
Tho vast cncampnents, sone OF tho people
miloa te uae attond i tho mootings % the numerous
conversions, hundreds Of people falling to tho
earth at tho samo moment as though awopt by
battery; tue whole State Of Kontucky, as woll
as neighboring places. ahaken as by IN oaytl-
Of tho pulpit coming up like tic voico Of tom
pest, tile Church, troadug it's beaten patl., caro-
ful Of its orthodoxy, hoatlle to rcvivals, ts life
Of low obb, could not comprehend.
The obstinate ministers y, o, insisted On
and on tho right, aleo, to license
OF those who woro scattered like Bheep without 4
shepherd. Thoy woro cut OF. Did God own tho
you or would have dono better than the snr-
goons. do not not make any harsh charges
against them, for tho history OF tllo affair shows
that it. WIS no easy matter to givo Judgment
when hell and heaven nmote. euch other
St Stop T. to aS'' ask. ss i %iElt do to to good psi
purpose il had time whether loss orthodoxy
aud more Of the spirit Of Paul, and Whitefeld,
and Edwards, would not have avoided schism,
.tlis vast outpouring Of tho spirit. simply ask,
Did God own tho remedy OF the surgeons? Did
tho severed limb die or live?
The minister's OF TINT day, Bays lilo historian,
"aimed at little else than. to enlighten the
understanding" They spoke Of tue elect, the
Individual accountability Or spiritual rogonsra~
tion. A stir, technical theology, or o dry,
speculative orthodoxy left tic hoart aid
conscience 11nmoved." Did God recognize tho
something better than tho husks OF tho pulpit.
From house to house she rung hor appeal. In
fidols in considerable numbers were among tho
numerous converts. III thrco years Cumberland
Presbytery grew into synod numbering alxty
Congregations. Iu eighteen years the one synod
lad multiplied into four, e1erting wiao and
beneficial influence over vast region. The
Cumberland Church to-dny numbers about fifty
Iresbyto1ieb, extending from OHIO and Indiana 10
the States on tho Gulf Of Moxico it's standards
ception that tho articles on DEGREES are Trimmed
ngaiust fatalistic interpretation. The rise and
prosperity Of this honorod branch Of tho great
1'rosbyteriau family. ia pa!pablo factor III tho
Church Of our day Church Of reyiyals, and 80
conspiouously that many may t1nd it hard to
suppono TINT time ever WAS when
zenl for the conversion OF men aud
q great religious awakening wore regarded
as almost i1falllble signs Of the Arn,lnian
"heresy."
A denomination is tho expression Of on idea,
tho perpetual demau1 that some thought, or
line Of Thought, shall ba recognized. Ibis more
emphatically at thu beginning. Tho idea. tho
liuo Of thought, being recognized, being project
other hand, Us IN some instances, the idea being
Judaio, " boggary," or trivial the "iBm"
loses prominence or passes away. Thu idea
perpetuated, tho denomination becomes simply
one Of tho great armies Of tue Lord, to which
people attach thomselyes, minister's aud laymen,
by the accidents Of propinquity of taste or under
tie stronger influence of habit and education,
and without the strong convictions that charao-
torizo d timo Of development or time Of con-
naolously, or for the purpose OF protesting
agaiuRt every other denomination, or for = tloo-
logical end, Or for the purpose OF reyiyiug tho
liternlisms and insisting on conformity to tho
iotas OF ~ wrltten laws; b9t because
for an "isna," but for tie Kingdom Of God
among mon, thoY regard this or that denonina-
tion as occupying substantially scriptural
foundation as suitiug their idea Of church
better than another; aa being something, in doc
trino aud poiity available to themselves and the
world. And, having entered, they love their
Church az they love father mud mother, ,+brothors
and sisters; a. they love tue old home, whero
corner, the sun-mark on window-sill, tho old
woodbine. and tho shade-trocs, nre full OF mcn,o-
RIGS, and worry likely we're touched by the foot Of
the la.ltlor whose top roached hoayon. And il
they ahould chance to BuTur IN old fenco to go
to decay, or to replaoe woodon latch by onc Of
iron, or to introduce chair with o back not 10
rigidly vertical, or to put tho granlsire's old
match-lock in tile curiosity y-Hhop Of tho house,
lhoy would be no luss loyal thau others, The
wLi!c mon work out tic works Of life.
4 denomination il to be Judged by two stand
ards,-its writton law, and custom and usage.