The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-11-20


| day of innocence, it is the type and EN-
| blem of that union which is betwixt Chris
and the Church. The freedom of the
| chaste, pure, Christian home stands pre-
eminent among the earthly blessings be-
slowed on US in~ChTist.
How is it, then, that some among you
| have presumed 10 put away wife except
| for the cause of tornication2 We are
distressed TO know that some, under the
pretext OF civil divorce, have without ade
quate cause dismissed an uncongeniaI
| wife or husband, and after marrying an
other, have profaned the holy sacrament
| BY coming to it with body thus defled
| BE We well assured, brethren beloved
| that whatever license may be tolerated by
| society and by civil courts, If any persons
| be Joined together otherwise than as God S
| Word doth allow, their marriage is not
/ lawful. Be admonished that if any cleave
not to his wife, but unlawfully marries an
| other, and then comes to the table of the
| Lord, although he doth carRally and visi.
| bly, press with his teeth las Saint Angus
| tine saith the Sacrament of the Body
and Blood of Christ, yet in no wise is be
| partakeT of Christ, but rather, to his own
| condemnation doth eat and drink the
sign or sacrament of so great a thing.
La your freedom yet again, you are not
| under minute direction or prohibition
concerning the manner of employing the
Lords day, the observances OF domestic
piCty, the participation in amusements
! or the accumulation of gain. Much trust
ed in all these particulars, how studiOus
should you be to make the day of rest and
praise honorable and holy, to maintain
all the sanctities of the Christian home,
to avoid frivolity and riot, and to take
care that charity as we'll as justice re-
strain you in asking all your dues, or in
seeking your lawful profit!
We tell you plainly that in these par
ticulars some among you are greatly to be
blamed. Whether it be due to the lntiu--
ence of a laxity of opinion imported
among us from abroad, or to the democrat
iZation of Continental travel, or to the
want of lively interest in holy things, so it
is that the Lords Day is perverted from
its sacred uses of rest and worship, while
in many homes, throughout the week, no
voice of prayer is heard at morning and at
evening, and even the daily bread is eat
en- without mention of God, the glver.
Sadly do we need in all the land a revival
Of domestic piety, SO that by family devO
tons, and the right use of the first day OF
the week, our homes may be kept clean
and pure.
Especially do we admonish you against
the laXity of morals which tOlerates the
participation by Christian men and wo-
men in amusements which outrage de-
ccncy and inevitably soil the purity OF
those who share in them.
We specify plainly the numerous indie
cCucies which are enacted OnthG stage,
and the improper familiarity which char
avterizes some, not all, ofthe amusements
of the social circle. Let our men value
their own purity of thought. and our
muidens believe that modesty is now, as
Of old, an ornament, not disgrace. And
think not because you avoid the prOfana-
ton of the Lords Day and licentious
sh TVS and immodest dances, that all is
well with you. There is a temptation,
ana a fearful one, to license of another
sort that unrestraiut of the lust of gain
which leads to usury and extortlOn-to
gambling speculation, instead of honest
toll. For such things just as certainly as
for folly and dissipation, God will surely
call us into judgment.
Before passing to other considerations,
we can but pause and revert again to the
importance, if we would rear up gener-
alton of sanity men and women, of teach
Ing children to show plety at home. Cat
ecaising by the clergy is a most valuable
function Of their holy Office, and Sunday
schools and Bible Classes, under their SUI
pervision and direction, are usefai agen-
cies in training the young. Bat neither
Pastor nor teacher, however skiiltul, may
exOnerate the parent from his own respon-
sihilitY. Christians fathers and mothers
may not withdraw from duty which
they are so specially fitted to discharge.
They must be at pains themselves to In
struct their children in the truths OF re
Hgi0n and to assist them by their cOunsetS
aud announcements in the trials OF their
Young Christian life In the depart ment
of experimental and personal religion,
the parent who is loved and trusted by
the child. and who in turn is we'll &C
Guainted with the temper and disposition
OF the child, has it Ia has power to lmpart
howyeit in artless and NEUROLOGICAL
phrase, the most valuable lessons OF holy
wisdom and of practical goodness.
Nor should religious education be arrested
here. A long established Canon reminds
the Clergy, and the same duty IS alter
their manner binding on the laity IN
their more limited spiritual cures, that
they shall not only be dIllgent IN instruct
irg The children in the catechIsm, but
shah also, by stated catechetlcal lectures
and instruction. be dlligent IN Informing
the youth and others ia the Doctrines,
Constitution, and Liturgy Of the CHURCH.
maintains the Faith in Its purity and IN
tcgrity as taught in the Holy Scriptures
held by the primitive Church, summed up
IN the Creeds, and affirmed by the undls
mated General Counciln her Constitution,
La 0nI ancient
authors. she has not invented, bGt lpherIt-
ed from tbs days of old; her Liturgy was
moulded by the breath of many sanity
men. Your children sLq4lQ kGOw the
value of these precious gifts, and the
grounds on which we receive and love
them. In an age of indifferentism, when
so many seek to reduce all religion to a
sentiment it is cruel to expose a child to
the olicitati0us Of variant systems OF be
lief and Practice without q knowledge OF
the origin and history of the Church OF
Christ, aud an intelligent understanding
of the authority on which she relies for her
doctrine and order.
Z. And lastly. we would admonlsh you
OF the precio.sc Liberty of Love. We are
not under the rule, This do, or thou shalt
die, but Love is the fulfilling Q the law.
We are free to love GCd with all olr
hearts, and the more we love Him the
more Glorious is our Liberty.
Ii becomes us not TO ask whether lie
viii be content with less or more. lie
has gwen US blessing without stlpt, and
we should render Him back love without
Iaea,ure. The Son of GCd loved me and
gavc himself for me-" We love Him who
first Iovedus. With such thoughts in our
hcaIts, obedience is liberty, and trials be-
come sweet, and the humblezt Offering
finds its rich reward. The thought OF
Gods love for sinners is the healing Leaf
which can sweeten the bitterest fountain
al which we are called to drink.
The Christian soul is sensitive to the
love Of God and loves all things in Him
and for His sake. 1t loves even the dumb
creatures lie has made, because he con-
descenns to be the God of the sparrow,
and considered the very cattle that were
in Niueveh Gcntleness to the animals
which serve us, protection to the depend
emit aoek which typifes the chosen people
of the Lord, pity for the callow brood IN
fragile nest, are iessCGs which men OF
love are not ashamed to impress upon
themselves and upon their children. Let
us love the Church and lavish on 1t the
very best we have. Men may ask IN
scorn, What is thy beloved mOfe than an
other beloved? but we know Christ loved |