New-York tribune., 1874-04-13
TIE CONSTITUTION OF THE CHURCH.


a. R B,.op Pok al 50 johns Methodist Episcopal Ch1rcA
The Rev. J. Il. Peck. ID. d., Bishop OF the
uethodst Episcopal Church, presiding al the new"
Conference now IN session, preached Yesterday moru0
in the st. Johns Methodist Episcopal Church IN fliiy'
third ST. from the text Holiness becometh my houSe
O Lord, forever" Psalms xciii., o.
Tho sneaker said in substance: Tie house on the LORD
b the Church ana we led TO consider the patrarcha
character " the Church. the atherhood Of God the son
,hin of the CHRISTIAN and the brotherhood Oi ehurch
Amosrs The House OF Israel the House OF jacob 'uo
uouso f God are familiar terms not reauy unIo 49,
uut The mind is directed TO tue idea OF tol c1a
- ~ "a crpaf family. We raise tue QuesIons NVn
nered " I'M tne idea OF holiness IN the Chnrchd ~
ton of fitness Guesdon OF prlYheSe anu atIesS NAV
power. Tue stuy VI the queslou VI o,pst,tti.
b-st be conducted by consiu9IlnS S GhSst in con
non , Oh 'uo u0cEdes the Headshp wbcn Christ,
tnr WuOm authoritative teaching Is elNeu' th
sue ground the doctrines, tne HUIds' o "o, tt"c
nitutons OF the Church. In each OF these sonetunE
s sna COS cd with regard to the question VI Ii1u n
TrcITJng the constitution OF the ChuIon we So @ ~
r;ci ''rn,se winch Is asserted most clearly ny Va"
,tudV of IN. Revealed Word Ihis purpose soCs ~ D0
,xprcssed IN the idea OF redemption hdu az n, ii, a.,
NV Le recovered out Oi that COudt"u mo Que OF oDe
fncs hove aud happiness lhe puLpVS0 " q,
inrDet II # holiness is lett Out OF the plan Ihe great
purpose OF GOd IN The CONSTITUTION Oi 'C , ,Ver f
gnilt ana moral corruption Any pan Oh Ie'iSi"T iit
institution not comprehensive ol Ao.,os' Ao,a nf
he iscousistrnt with the great purpose oi
redempu1u II Is nor possible that any one Dous - a
within the scope and power OF reueul,'iuu ~ a, IN
nDeIS @ 20 OF tne or.auizttiOn he Cnurcn We
Will discuss working Oat ot the mission OF % U, i0 ~
man f man Tle CuuIch not understood "h'n u A.
oohs!JeIe ;o aro me eGnircments OF trde Chris
ti,u urOtcruOOd7 They clnuOJ IAN 10 lucI"u3 t"o oO
ti.'l ne e.,otaI Ia u cnce OK man over man They must
ti, u "a, ey,lr1ri,l of soci 4 influence. Tue power OF
in(', \, culgd M he idea OF hOdess. IL IS Oecomus
t1at t1er. H. a dop!n Of love aud panty of hedrt
wAich viii reach the world ILL., a.. ;t., of
direction or authority which l. 70 hc hctu'i OF HIc
confns,ou i'm the Church Tlat authority is IL e Heau
hon, tur. there to be antdguil-tIcS 10 VHc EoNoli
ment of Inc Cnurcn. TIe holiness Oi jesus GemdudS
IiIn,ss anon Inc members OF household, but Of
thls come the principles winch are u Govern H. ciu
rs the prucpe OF dIyiue sovereignty aud oi human
subordnauou. An punclPGs %h,eh ar ar E,urNh T 'S
Cuutcn arc from the Had OI tHe S"ulou'
tnnr o a, the iact OF the Cuurch. uuhoy prnr.
pies could UclUng 90 the constitution C' tl'
would Barm tne Churcn; Il would lower status tue
f,ei t'tt tLose uriucp,es are mmltaOe ami ettILI.
will render % necessary try 70 hlmoh1e our ooIiup
on WIN these pure principles; We muNt eoc5ue thAt
II Is iucomajibc With these pncpes' aud to oc elm
mated from our characters ana ives ,.t., i .,o
We p,,s rom consideration Ol lh1se priuti y, Cu'
con uut0u of tIo Church 10 tne roy oI tue thui'h
Tue government OF The Church 4 IL tlc Lahs OF men;
Tue rcco-niOn OF th~ IHc' SHOWS ln'.' p pc M iu AM am
Uure i r. ana members ought 70 constitute ie ChuIt1
as 10 personality. 1t u tact commonly oltrIooA'u
that large discretionary pOWclls lil1' III t'V PDl'J
tue Church men, where the government = MOI &c
fuci. There is therefore large opportunity Tor ma ~
II The officers VI tie Churcb are uIhoiy hcu
tucu as II handed over To mcu TO maze Iuen lot lhe
Churcu, what of meu ought they to he 10 whom
such grave duties are mtrustedf INC interests are @ @
temporal, but etcrudl--nOt secular put SIIl'v'l
EtOm finite all SOUS allre toward lHc III
finite: from the earthly To the heayenIy'
The constitution OF the Church requires mcn Odea WIN
men ith pure mo ives and with CXdltdtOI OF chardc-
ter L. bears 90 largely the destiny 0l oaIth hous
tha We must careful when dealing with ts interest
Imust bring out another Thought IN relation 10 to Sn-
etiutlou ol the Church TIcre III 1t vast numbers
aud large POI deal powers. Christians are ctIzes; they
have right and are in duty bound 20 exercise the rights
OF cir zcns There a power to wleld an influence on
society that words can define -,
IuInus o symbols which arc given us, we nave
first the symbol OF water. We arc 20 be Whitc az
wool ana pure Somehow the power OF water
baptIsIn, symb1lzug the spiritual baptlsm shaIi 20
through and through ana wash us ana MAKE us cream
htte water l. sufficient for the symbol Inc hyMOol
of ire sugges 20 rs the burning OF the dIOss A the
foreign metals are uurHed IN the erucbe, leaving pure
gold behind sr our spiritual refinement Is complete
bc symbol of blood recalls 10 the blood thdt was
shed bv Jesus on Calvary That blood ls sacrIfci3l
blood ana is used as tie symbol ot the uuversdty or
tho atoucmcut. TIE fountain is Omen We We nO5
merely TIE blood shed Calvary bat the reach o! mat
blprd lnt0 all ua'iOus. ~~-
Cousi .erUg tho question OF power, We reaz'
that an far as enters, 10 taxes away from th5
the soul lt cuiCcDleS Us by denying 40 III 80
much uf the power sus Ot His dtOnemant, OF love-
and Of AGGRESSIVE labor. Holiness makes man broad
and poWCrful. The power IN the purity ut man Lou
Us iH!ulgci la charming fancy-a whole ehuIch VITA
the poN er OF ii the house OF the Lord with hiC per
feet love Whch casteth out fear May Goo grant us me
feeling thai nothing but good bctJmeth TIE house or
God Let us TedLls mission to men saved NY tue
power OF the Rcdecmer.
AT fne conclusion of the sermon Bishop Peck ordained
AS de4colS the following: ". A. Cuad WIck. Th0mas =
BOND T. d. Abrams Josiah 1ctiey, Elias Quick, Wm.
ii l..