, 1875-08-02

fhiuttd BY WIcAItEn- On 10th Bttlea lhoFe Waa
eAngulhary contention, but none Of t!ir Chrths-
Ike apit,t. IT. tue forsnet part of hts rern.
Horny tito Etrls.l NaR . rarint. higotcd enough
! to burn the great translator Ttn.ial aud Ia vol
'instnoussy writo nEn''rt Luther ard in defnnsn
Of Tie Hoven hacratnenfn of tho Papul scot; hnt
IN Tho latter ratt. having fallen ont With tho
lnpe he asssirl,oA for hnaos the supreme lcn,-
crship OF The Church. From tirst to last, how
character. holiovo In tl,c doctrines that ron-
atsnos character. Herein lioa tho only sufficient
test Of ttntt. Wa need good mon, n.,d we can
not co'1placontly tolerate nny teachings that ta
no'ndor than their aoarss Tho only dnctrin'a
fur which The Church may in',cc"'ls conttMl
are tlIoae upon which, tho t'hrrtlIhrursH OF lta
| mcmborship dapondB. Tn Chnsell l1's no mill
SION but to mako good nnn. ...
II IL not nv pnrlosc, however, 10 dwell upon
tho inoxcuaabIo rcrnlssurrs of tin historical
Church, ,hut upon tho ovon mnre Intimate anu
destructive osiIa that lnvado our mchosn ccclo-
tic eucccHs l1,o old battle az tho no.
nominations haHtcnpcned In tho bitter l,oailItics
that prevail ntuotIg tho factionH Ut individual
ch,rcies, ufcousse, nssl'ne that si,o a,tas;-
1ua,ns to whcl. rcfcr arc not noctiod. lEnokcr
wisnly tcnlrkH: "There can nothing coma Of
contention hut tho mutual wns.o Of tho pnrtteH
enntonltng; till common eno,ny ,sancn ih tlIo
asItoa OF ttsem toth." t:tinrcI ,lunrreiu prococd
fran, tin rohellons human spirit. Church mens~
lers, anticipating tllo caesaihty OF lrrecanctac
Disputes, inro lcgislatcd fully in regard to thcir
.i!hpnsst,on; iat when wl.at they liall coolly
lonkcd Tor suddenly lsenka u]on tlIeul, legal
precautions nso for;otten in bi1nz anti rcnemtfni
personal feeling. 1lavonot ohn wuri Ut apology
for tteao ltltaocntly f''rinb af strfu and yet hy
| knowing thor cauacs poBHil,ly k,sno practical
] cxpediutts Ut euro ihay ba adduce'l. Among lilo
many causoH of Church Guarrals, could tsalno
conspicuous \ want throughout tho membership
| Of original t1cnotnitIationat agreement. tom.
u,onsiug OH tho rharisces mud tIoroaIans, San
tcrsosl uptIy says: "To destroy ths happy union
that should he among brethren. tley that woro
| sttAnBe1H md enemies TO ono another boforo
grow to MI unhappy aid curaol ilhits among
themselves. In sosao such way do unr church
! snembera oFtcn nnise to overthrow tho kingdom
Of darkness! II has como TO to fashionable, II.
indeed, IL la no. q I1at.ns of positive necessity
10 recruit our ehnreh-mombort!,lp by annual
1ieo. A's THO accessions ] 0l01 tus sslneI I lave ave
not lad tito benefits Of thorough
Sunday school tutcrasc. Tiny arc M lug s1t!icr-
ing of all sorts OF deAoninntipnsl pasttAlltica.
During tho fctyor Of roviyat enthusiasm, intsi-
,ectuai sliscorlaEco was forgotten. bat nav that
tho alarming tranquility Of almost pert,ct
spiritual apatnyhns supDrve"cd, these differences
irout deuom.nat!onal loyalty should bo en-
oousagod aa a primo conaitl{n, of pcaca. Know
lug how hard II III to reconcile conflicts Of opu-
ion, all good men sheul1 combine 10 prevent
thnm from arising. When thu nssur,n@ spirit
God, carefully cxamino the tonlcnetcs OF your
dnnomInattnnn taste. lrn1oro every 3rnbn-
bllity Of dispute with fellow churrh rnhtnbor.
Dlacueston, goncrallg IL not in TIM !Htcrest OF
truth. It III II conflict of a. lonss twn inirl1tctB
| for tho mastery. Men do not feel gsuot-
| tempered wheu overcome in debate. Ir, how
eycr, you chance to lind ynnraoff II member Of a
denomination whoro thoology yuu cannot al-
prove, submit IN Hlonca or kindly withdraw to
= cougenthi fold. Avoid al controvorsy. Il cot,-
troytrHy ia AZ Hs1ro to end in quarrel, AZ iGni-
ton ia to !ntiato. or a. 1assion Is to Htulfs II
you conclude, notwithstanding, to remain. Do 40
hph hylttiI frnr ufn Inr,1u NtiS
eau command your intcllcct tn do what your
taste enn neror enjoy, though tho extreme folly
Of such aAneratiou cannot bo too distinctly
emphasized. TaB,o is lneant t, gaido your
cloco.
Another mort fruitful causo Of Church qusrrela
ID a largo debt-largo, Of courAe. in propurlioa
to tho Laying power Of tho numbcrslitp. It may
bo truc, u tlavei rcinarlia: THAT you
thoir next bread u TO come, apeahng ot tho
bounty Of thor God, whilo other Bnnae are re-
pinng IN tho midst of rionty," This is not .
eomn,on picture. Al! animals aro E,oye1ha!ly
Of providence, not of grace. ID 10 roIress tho
grievances Of appetite aud finance. It would DO
Infinitely better II onlv suck aItcos wcre esoo.-
cd "a Churches could pay Tor bolore thoy azo
negotiated at bank as soon as ple1Ssl, and
wllen sufficient uuulbor OF thoBo have been no.
cured and acceptsl, let The sacred eutoriiriso
begin. Gods cauRo does not neud what fls
Of our general civilization wonld doubtloss 10
facilitated by tho roauluto avoidance Of nl doht.
We may ihnocently build for tuo future ouly
What we can nowtpty for. It il obviously III
fnir to ask uther generations to pay for wAat
wo planned aud thrust upon thali. II IL said
that tho elegant and cxpotiHlye churches aro .
proper tribute to Almighty God tor all Ills NOR
rfeh 3; mud that thoHe caunok bo kec.,rtd without
tho incurrnnCo OF q large ilebt. Churches. am
and to know, arc usually built to exual ,hose
who ato NO unfortunate ~ to get thor houses uf
Worship first. Tho glory Of uod il q factor of
persuasion not accustomed to prasa| with am
yory doubtful whothor, Or not, God, whu dwclis
in lndaHorlbablo aplonaor, can mark ANY 1aa!
difference botwoon what wo call common aud
Rsi elegant church. Tho effect OF d largo
courage 1t, aud when mch get discouraged lhoy
grow quarrosome. When tno tido Of prosperity
H. rising thero are bit few complaints. but
when IL porsiatently continues to recc'lo, tho
best OF ordinary tsalporH hecomo MaGsn.
Churches TINT nrs III danger OF Htnsing ruder a
weight of 1oLt, eau readily neo dozen OF ether
rehsonB Why thoy should sink. Tho church
attor Gods own heart IL not in debt Its incor-
pofata wnfsl III as good for ANY amount it can be
persuaded 10 assl1sAo III 1loayon's own bond,
The frantic determination of each chnrcA to
oScol tho preceding ones in NATURAL embeiliah-
lnont, attractive p'Hpt osatory. aod III classic
elegance OF muHEc, laA becolMo to many Wisu
aul lovont Christians intolerably irkso'no. Tho
congregations aro groaniug, and acciinating
undor the enforced burden. A lArBe number or
worthy people arc dotort cd frulu church uacnl-
lossi.ip by Its responsiveness. They cannot
think Of boinR naoulbash without contributing \
fair proportion toward Tho maintenance Of tho
socisty; luIeetj, thoy cannot rolaln thsir OWL
self-respect anu not 10 an elus! part. These
burdonod churches Auccced in frightening mon
from thois fellowship. This III 4 now ground ot
dlsconrugu,uent aud 70 OF quarre1ing. Our
churches, too. should be n,otels of business
prudence and iucorruptibla integrity. Church
bnHincsB should ba ),uo OF transactions iu
whoHo sagaciLy aud honesty no fur criiciHin
should DO warranted. Young mcn sAonld lo ia-
sttel to atudy mud to insitaso, mud old mon tn
comme,a nuA publish. Whsteyor the Church
looa should DO blsueless in purity aud wlaa u
calculation.
II our church-,ae,nbess wefa mol moro honeat
In private business than tho majority OF our
churches arc Ill their Incorporate pledgcs,
Chriss's cause would be diBsraced, aul tlls e1-
sohtai foundations OF con,1nerrla credit would
Aa hopelossty uusottlod. All Of ttih iuotcasablu
mtafortNuo should DO at onco CORRECTED.
Aunnetntiv 1t,nt111 hn io1 kpu