, 1876-01-24
CHICAGO, MONDAY, JANUARY "a, 1875.

claims 10 tho propEietoFshin Of Tho Church Of
Cbttet: saying: "Tho Kingdom Of God ID
hoto!" propose. than. to-day not only to aAk
but to endeavor to aaswer tho question: what
| ts tho Church
10 the Nov Testament thoro arc two arcol
Words which sfc insorchangcably transistod
kurios-sho Lord tho other (skkscsia) slsni-
flying au assembly or congregation. Putting
| both together, we dednct tho plain apd ssmple
fact 10 bo that the church ia neithsr mora nor
Lofd's ,profeseing people. ThAt church may
10 large or small It mAttoss not. 1t mar e1i,t
10 one place or auother; In one oIlune. OF ia iii
climee: partial or universal; it may b. tho
fras Ch1fssikna after tho 1narty.dom OF tho
| Lord, In , lonely upper room, Ia tho hidden
depths Of tho castcombs. or A. 1 have sean tn
Mexieo, Away up yoodsr. An,d tho mountain
enenies. It MAJ. gathes in ; ruls log hut out
| thcro upon tho border, with!n tpach of unr-
hoops Of savage Indian Ia tho depths Of
pltmoval toroas OF here in our proud city, amid
to-, TOO gorgeous. -. 1t sprsara 70 me. for Ap-
poclal!y whun II bo not rsId for.
II may hare pomp add glory for It's adorument,
ita EninIsser-for thore are no "pfies.s now
inaJ DO reHtod or invested. cithor iu white or
black music the most thrilling mar be heard
reAoundiug "tl,Eo' long-lta1n aisles and frettea
y" P1Aa AFRA FEA! l4dHth IoFIQ 1fOtQ
mighty organ. in glorious accompaniment OF an
hn.dsed vocca or, 1t tuay be the simp!ess and
Holitar1ost paatmody Of tho two Of shrce wbo
lead tue pfstaes Of that little band In yonder
Biphops and Arehbshopu, Cariluals and fre-
bends Catops,. Doctors, Aud other dgnitarios
iunnmerabe, clothed IN purple and auo linen,
a. tho Least. II not faring sumptuous'y e1cry
aaY-thcso may be az the beauties Of arcllitec-
tuso In the surroundings all ihAt ministers to
the senses. OF that ts gratifying TO this Rsthetio
or acoustic taste. or everything mar be severely
simple-Quaker fashion. Il you rlease-cold,
batss bald as enow.capped peak or frozen g1a.
olsE. caro- not how tho Church Of Chrtat Is
not 90 poor thing that It must needs depend on
accidents Ike these for Its existence, Tho
Church Of Christ, my bEothren. IL not In tho
bead. nor IN tho eye; not In tic bra,n, nor Ia
tho car Of mau-ndt In any ethor OF aIl OF Its
five nonscs. but III the heart!
Nov by whom waB this Church founded7
Firsi-D7 God Himself. Il IL, consequently,
no Institution Of man; aod therefore belongs
nos to man 70 piece and parcel out At pleasure,
Tor God hao no need Of any Vicar" upon
earth. He IL perfectly eompeten. to ttle supor-
iutendenco Ct Ills own work, without any help
o1 mortal. IT dttes fat away back through tho
ages to Tue dnys Of Adam, OF Noah, Of Abraham.
q priest aud prophet through tic ceut1res.
We $40 It In tla solemn and imposing ceremonial
Of the Aaronic pslesthood In The HAokinAh anl
altar OF sscriilcs in tue foativals Of tho Jew!sh
Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel; no 1oo 1t, In short, IN
all tho types mud ordinanccs Of tue Old Tests
ment dlupenSAtlop, and In tho BcriptuseB of tue
Old Testauon: prophecies.
Sfco'al--TLon camo ClrIkt: not to do away
with the Jaw, but to magnify and mako It honUr.
ab1o, Tho sype yields place TO tic autitype.
Iho ceremonial ia laid aside aud tho spiritual
established in its s.ead. The blood Of bulls aod
OF goats, Which could never put away q aiu, is
DOW substituted by tue Offering up bY Chris, Of
HfmEGjf f1r all hnf,rn nt&
stona Of God'a Church !sid saar,
sud sud cemsneed anew In tho blood Of tho
Medee'nst's M a:ooouout. !lo Was tue ereat High
kluRdom OF human hearts consecrated to Hls
service to gather peop.e to H1msof, that liz
might rfosoIs them to tho Father. "a eloroua
shiur Ghn1c' Without SPOT q .rokle or any uneeaa
typo hnd Of shado~, Of ngnIo and emblem.
Henccforward. tAeao done away, Uod's people
were @ to worship Hum ~ Spirit aud In truth.
:, NAero was this Churcn Intended to extst +,
this Nnr!d shall bocomo those OF our Lord aud
" Hlo Church; 1. His uamo stati b oue
Throughout, all I'll, eaFtn.. On this Nock wc
ntand. God hasten the colllIpg Ut that dayl No
!opgor in Jerusalem do mon worship tbs Father;
hut eselywbcro,-in oil cIimes, regions, couu.
trioa, and amongst Ail peoplos beneath tho broad
canopy Of hcayen; The Church Of Romo,itben.
manifold aportasies, sho bo INDEED a bfaach.
Neither is thu Church Ill England. or Franco, or
America the Church OF God atoue TIo Couttc.
ana s1o Hestorssn, tho Grcok and Tic
nogI1slplsa aa,I ~ tnn aTeI!es On tls daoges
tot, the JaPAneBe. aou she once full ywcr Of Con.
fucius,-all noH unto Ii bendiug tho knee to
Jesus oi Nazareth. ned 10 acknowledging His
sway as king OF hinga and Lord Of Lords. These
form paris mud porcola OF that glorious Church
Chs'at came to redeem and to bAyo NTH IN oycr.
lasting salvation, At tAs cost VI HIS owu precious
blood. The branch IL not tho t,eo. Tho parts
are not tho whole; nor mar any ono Of tho com
Here it may bo asked, What arc the couutlons al
nlemberslip in this church, Bubscr,pt.ona TO
csesda aud formulasies7 No! Tuero IL no au-
thor4tJ ta Scripture to demand assout to tie
~ categorical stascmob.a Of neutrality-suspicious.
necessary safeguards OF tho faith but thor aro
not required in Holy Scripture. and couso 1uen,ly
oelong 70 thu province Of Christian liberty. We
u tho uni1eL niadom Of tho Church. For my
part, feel thankful for tho Apostolic and nj.
cenn formula and should fool retoiced 70 heo
Incorporated in our Liturgy Aat grand old |
oass Tps Tasss The
regard ~ moro helps to our understanding Of |
tue 6cllpturea-as !h5 Church'a authoritative |
exposition Of the tcachings Of Gods Word Gu
cetta,n points, not a, By All! moaus. an tn1!y- |
ponsabs prerequisite 10 Church momdsrahip. l |
trust thla 1lefo1mad Church, whilst over u1ital-
teringlY faithful 10 Evangelical truth will novor
seek 10 mAko PEocrusseAu bod, aul stro.ch or
cut every inan to fit Il, - VAS onco thn fashion
Or tue lnqulaltloo. tsuzt Hhu will mover hs |
found to idoiize word. bau,Bh any truo Chris
tian uRn who, for conscionra aake, may be un. |
Ablo to .eay snibboleth Lot us hope that tho |
aype, OF men who, had thoy lived iu his day. |
Tuuld hayo Prosecuted a tialileo, are PASSING /
away: Lot us hops that the damon OF unssncti-
nod intolerance may uovcr lina admstAnco to /
ot1r tanhs nouid impose noue ~ I fozooful |
tost Tor admission to Church membership whlch |
tho Scripture hea not required. l.opeutancoq
to"arda uod, and faith III tho Lord Josus
Christ. were o2actsd BY tbs Apostles-theso aud |
nothing moro. Tho man who comes wlsh such |
qualifications should 10 admitted The ho.es!o
~ TO those, REJECTED.
What ara the characteristics Of this Church OF
the tcdeonlora mar b. we'll presented ~ our
!, noxt II point q inquiry; "TAat i!e might present
!! i 10 n'mse!f' ~ tho ApoHt!e Paul. glorious
Clutch. Aot having spot, OF wrinkle, Or my
hucn shlng hut that should 10 holy and without |
b!emiall." Ephrlaa. ", ~.
From tho atrosa somn mon IAv upon it, Quo
would think hnrganto upityh WAN thA vrsnk