Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1879-11-27
&eading for the Sabbath.
CONDUCTED By
REV. ROBERT LATHAM.
[Orignal.
THE UNITY OF THE CHURCH.


notion of what is meant by the word CHURCH.
This, however, it will be found, is not the case
Some limit the meaning of the word to
house in which God is worshipped; others
make it to mean the same as the word demon.
ination. This latter class make as many
churches as there are different denominations
of Christians, and the former multiply the
number of churches until it equals the num-
ber of houses in which God is worshiped.
From this, it will appear to any rejecting
mind, that the word Church is but vaguely
understood by, perhaps the majority of per-
sons in Christian lands.
In the Scripture Specification of the word
Church, it means an assembly of persons who
have convened, by divine appointment, to
worship God. The Church was organized in
the days of Abraham, and, up to the time Of
our Saviour, embraced all the seed of Abra-
ham, through the line of his son Isaac, and
grandson, Jacob. Until the days of Solo,
mon, there was no house of worship. Hence,
there was Church before there was temple.
The New Testament Church is made up of all
who profess the true religion. BY the true
religion, is meant the religion Of the Bible
the religion of Jesus Christ.
1t lis manifest that while all the seed of Alb.
raham, through the line of Isaac and Jacob,
were, by the covenant compact between God
and Abraham, members of the Church, many
of them had not the faith of Abraham, and,
consequently, were only nominally members
of the Church. This being the case, We con-
clude that the Church is both visible and in
visible. It has an external organization, and
an invisible union with its head, Jesus Christ.
Of the invisible Church we cannot speak with
absolute certainty. Its members are known
only to God. 1t is the visible Church that is
made up of all those who profess the true re
ligion. Farther than public profession Of
the true religion, and manner of life con-
formable thereto, we cannot and dare not
judge. 1t is Gods peculiar province to dis
Germ the hearts of men. Of the invisible
Church we may say, that part of it is on earth
and part in heaven, and that that part which
is still on earth, is included in the visible
Church.
The visible Church is composed of all pro-
fessed believers in Jesus Christ. Some ofthese
have only name to live; others have actu-
ally believed, and, therefore, professed Christ
before men. The visible Church will not all
be saved, because all have not believed.
That feature of the visible Church which,
both in theory and practice, is often. even by
professed Christians, ignored, is its unity. In
other words, Jesus Christ established but one
Church-not many churches.
In the Scriptures, the Church is frequently
called the body of Christ. The language is
6gurative, and designed, among other things,
to illustrate and enforce the idea of the unity
of the Church. However many members
there may be in human body, they all form
but one and the same body; not different
body or many bodies.
The unity of the Church is manifest from
the fact that all believers have all things that
are essential to their spiritual and eternal well
fare in common, and all professed followers of
Jesus are entitled to the same privileges. All
believers, in their united capacity, are, as we
have seen, the body of Christ. This body is
one eve being many, are one body in
Christ, and every one members of one anoth-
er." Romans, 1876. The common relation.
ship which each believer sustains to Jesus
Christ, is that of member of the spiritual
body of which he is the head. This is not
all but as Paul declares, they "are members
one of another" They are united to each 9th
er as the several members of the human body,
are united to each other. This is the reason
that brotherly love is one of the best tests Of
being in Christ Jesus by living faith. As
there is but one body, so there is but one spir-
it by whom that body is animated. Its com.
mon to all believers that they, each and all,
have been quickened by the Holy Spirit. 1t
matters not how unimportant any one of the
members of Christ's body may appear to be,
in it dwells the Holy Ghost. The unity of
the Church is manifest from the fact that all
believers are filled with the same expectation
and desire. They all expect salvation, for
God has promised it, and they all desire it,
for by the spirit they have been enabled to
taste and see that the Lord is God. There is
one hope, and but one, and all believers are
filled with the same expectations and DESIRES
The destiny of all is heaven-a seat at Gods
right hand, where there are pleasures forever
more.
The unity of the Church is further manifest
from the fact that there is but one Lord Jesus
Christ He owns all believers, not simply
because he made them and provides for them; !;
but because, as Goldman, the redeemer, he
purchased them with his own life. He gave
his life ransom for the Church, and over it
he reigus Lord and Sovereign,
That there is but one Church, is evident
from the fact that there is only one faith.
The object of the faith of all believers is Je
sus Christ, and all believers embrace him with
their hearts, "With the heart, man believeth
unto righteousness and with the mouth, con-
fession is made unto salvation - ROM, 10: 10.
All who believe in Christ believe with the
heart, and this is the channel through which
they receive the Righteousness of Christ; by
which they are justified and all who receive
the justifying Righteousness of Christ, confess
with their mouths Christ, and this last is the
evidence of the former.