The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-04-23
Christian Brotherhood.
SERMON BY PROF. JOHN r. RILEY,
OF ADGER COLLEGE.
Delivered to II Large Assembly Of Wor-
shippers Ill the Presbyterian Church
ut .Abberlllc, sunday Evening, April
ID. lST9.-An Appropriate Discourse
IL. LIZ. EL.L. - l.n. h.iurr

l3, lSI9.-An appropriate DISCOURSE
for the Close of p~rcsbytcry.
TEXr.-'Dnc Lord. II t.ith. ono baptism,;
n:r God and Father nf nil. who i, above all,
nnh through You all, and in you ali. -El'i'c-
S!H:Is is ), T..
. W"rhurrh Of Jesus Christ is nnr-'.AS the
different oceans ralir. by different names
6rfin "iir i""ly )" The different dcnoinina-
joins OF christians form one church, have
>,''l This illustration Of the unity OF the
. church "a mts> ni quicksilver lrt fall on
In" iprr Will split into II vast nurihrr Ui
rIu''uirs. Gather them up and put them to-
""t!I"r and iht y will rr-lnit" into on" body
., i"iur". Tins Cots elect below are s''liit-
.;:nus crumlb!ru and distinguished into va
r;nr.> .rrli"S. though they all in fact are
E..'n!"rS G; one and the same mystic body:
rni wien i:trn up from the world ami put
~ir@,i!irr in heaven they will constitute" one
gi',rIutl$ undivid"d riii;rrli for ever and ever.
'nw'iry says. as HE Ark was made Of
many pieces OF wuD. and Joined together IN
one; 50 the church cOh>iStrih Of many menu
hrr> kni; t""rtllrr in one faith"
lDr. Guthrie says. "thIist has but ono
church. The Second Adam, Exc the First, Is
the husband only OF one wife. just rs tie
church rtIiHnt have two lrAlS, so the one
li'ru! can not have two bodies: ln: us that
iI"ly were Il monster. which had TWO heads 50
ii'' '!"al, which had twn separate bndicS.'
TE'rci> II" truth more universally admit
trl and more clearly established among
Christians than the unity of the Church
ii christ. Ind perhaps: nothing Is %oflcncr
repeated tl.an This There Is only ON"
rUuIriI." Il lisa settled principle, with most
processing christians. but few comparatively
.crim 10 lIivGa proper conception of what 1t
j. tina! constitutes the oneness or unity Of the
christian Church. som" seem to think that
some on. OF the various S,rlS or drn0mimI-
ii"ls j. the trur church. ami consequently al
a." diners are in error. There are some who
lr"ll i!EHi the particular denomination Ia
which they belong is the only one true
church.. and they do This To the exclusion Of
ali ether protesting Christians.
HEY AE:uG ATE To THEMSELVES TIE EN-
CLiSiT" PRIVILEGE
Of belonging To the Church Of christ. They
W3rhiircn all denominations Of christians
sa%r SIC unr with which lhry stand connect
81. The wn:'i church to their mind signifies
That particular denomination 10 which they
''.run. They have M other conception n!
the c!urril uf Jesus thri>t than that restrict
ri s"lSr -! tn" term which has been adopt
rd 10y their sect. They seem to have not the
l".si >Ialuw Of Il doubt bu' that the drnnlmi-
haitian To- which they belong is the true
riurr! the one church aud the only church.
They never >'rni to inquire rs to the nature
ri the Church. and what are It's lrn" marks.
mn,l in what its unity consists. They en-
i'r,'c and defend with warmth and zeal, re-
.i.i"lS d"-llaS on no other ground thalr that
Iii %: HAT has been tie practice, or d"rtrinc
Of III" sect which they call IN" chnrrh. They
nave rom" to attach Il kind Of infaliibility to
what they call their church,. and the consc-
Iurmr" j. they never question any of its
iISlGcS or tlbcl!lllrS.
THEY HAVE DEiFIED TIE CHURCH.
Mad" It. Il Kind nf divin" oracle. The qucs-
tInn with them Is not what saith the Lord.
but what SAYS the church. They receive the
dnciriur Or the unity nj the Church but they
!.ul,l That The one true Church Of Christ is
restricted to their ,i"nnmina;inn f" which
they belong. In saying this ! do not have In
Inil,l any ono sect or denomination but ! am
Slranin. of certain religious type that is to
~" found in Il @r"airr Or less degree IN
MI Christian congregations. Far he ii
from me. especially while in the pulpit. To
say anything t" tn" prejudice of any branch
Of rnri>t's Church, rs sur'l. There arc those
in every denomination VIII" lrold
r~E:uSnnis VIEWS OF TuE IIrEcT
And il Is - very common error, especially on
!l" part OF those vii" ar not we'll informed.
Ia r"lir' IL regard iiI.ir own denomination rs
IT," Church u: Christ. And there is Il wrong
Eo.!ni !rrv3hiug l!ir UHiHd> eff those who as
yet !rlN" mac! u" procession "f faith, with re-
card :" The church. II is this. They think
i!:cI" l. Il true Church. 80 FIR tlir% are right.
TIE >rriptur"v l":;rh this. They thinl; that
there j. only one Church Of Christ. In this.
i"n. HEY :tr" right. f"t there Is II %llisiakr
in t!l">in- that of III! IN" denominations
uui| one nf them can It, the true Church Of
CHRIST and that tho ether, are all wrong.
Tury seem t. think that their getting into
the true Church depends upon what rhn:cru Of
,'""" I they '',kr; If hey E'rr r"
Church. thea all Will b" well. i;y connecting
themselves win il. they I"cn!nc mcInh"rs Of
tho n:,iy irlr tlriStinu Church. Persons are
suIi."iiihrS lrrrI"Ntfl no little. i'm coming to
i Grri>inn wi:ar denomination to join. This
i IL" result OF
\ FALSE tuNf!fTibS or THE Unity OF THE
"!iiNriI q" CHRIST.
: .Drns Iiian once applied /" me- to know II
""i''l ~ any wny help him out Of his
'r,.h,r. Ills difficulty WAS :iii>. II" hal be-
r"!nr d,r!'!r c"nrrrnrI for The salvation u!
li> >,,l. he l!ad cTiLrI;iy found peace in
i"!i"v!u" "a :Hr Lord l">u>. He now felt
'G"ti il Was n dn;H 10 uEi'" with III" Church.
bat li, lad " II il into his head !h:iI his get.
:iu- iI'n ia" irI" Church h"i"n,tro on the
"l.":". "i Denomination hr iWa'ir. He had
correctly ini'rIr';'ri tn" trainings OF Scrip
.uI". that there is only one Church of Christ.
hul h. had
r~">r"rNpEn cutHrII WITH nrSuMIHA-
lis rc".na;u- was: If there is but one
, church. ll'"H !i"rc can he but on" !rmoIa.ua.
sion iInr - ~!islIi, "r il i possible far tllrih
ali I" Il" wr'G.. He rru!l not rrcnnc!lr ST.
unity Of ihr church. lie did in: S"c how
isrI" could hr many ami W; The many he
iii; "nr. ! "n'l";tv"i"l to show him in what
tie uIrnr>> 81 ;lrisl'S Church consisted.
>huW!i" according a. SER l,'t!rr. lIn" ever
different the crrrIInni"S and The outward
form Oi government. IliHl tlIcr" w'r" certain
essential things IN which iii christians were
agreed. .tlul ih!> ;:-rr"lltnt made them al,
one fraternity, onr christian hruilrrhond.
on" 'itI,Tcil. i"wcvrr wi'ir 'lari they stood
ia "liic: r".l".;>. | r.Ii"HN"r,rl To show him
i!!ni circumstances uf cI,urnti"iI. family con-
:,r'i'n All U:lar r]ciIii,lls in lille might dc-
tcIlHi"C
y MANS CHOICE
n! hrn"Ini'mti"n without afir;ing in tlr
!,',t; t"grrr lis membership IN trri$t'S
irhurrh. There is nothing HAT initiates
NOR" itc+lna! that christian El!iy for which
Christ lra:"d. when ii" said That they all
I may Hr one: - Illru fullIcr arr in me. and
in thee: TIA. HEY ai:u may he one in rs.
llai IL" world HAY believe that thou hast
~>"ni.In".' say ttHt there j nothing more
pr. Judicial 10 This unity than wrong 10.
iiri. OF what the Church is and in what It's
uillN consists.
The :,xl brings h"fnr" rs fuur things which
max" ;h"rluicII of Ic>IS Christ one Church.
Tia" riiirrl! j. made up of ali Christians, all
over Ne lace OF the earth who believe In
tl,rl>; and acknnW lr,i-c him to be the Sa-
yi"ur o; mankind. lnto Him he glory In
tlr' Church ly Jesus Christ throughout all
ages world without end.
by THE World c!IunCI WE ARE TO
STAND
III" whole body Of Gods people in every pc.
riwl ui time. IIIu~r sill on earth are called
tn" church Militant. and th">" in heaven are
called til" church lr!nn"riiani. ITO the Gem
which axe WriiIunan heaven, and to God the
.1ui:" -! all and in1hrSiiriiso the Just made
r"vi,rt.' "Aml hath PIT MI things under
Ills irrt. and gave Him (" he the head over all
Things To TIC church, which Is his body, the
mlln">> eli Him that tIllc!h all in all" All
who are united "a Jesus Christ by faith belong
to His church aud His church is one. Differ
rIIcr us 80 denomination docs not destroy the
unity uf tnriSt'S church. For H. the body is
on" and hath many members and all the
mrtIh"r$ OF that utr" body being many are
one body; So also is Christ. Every organ
lad body upl'">r
y. DIVERSITY y UNITY.
Tiirr" must he different parts and these parts
50 united IS IT, constitute O!" living body.
Tlrr church i compared Ia me human body.
Willie ii. i lu:u!c up Of many parts or mcIn-
beers "tilrreis but one body -onC organic whole.
Diversity j. essential la unity. for unless the
!nhy consisted Of many members, there could
he no union nl parts so rs To make one organ
iZrt! body. II j. not Hrcrs&.ry that all he
lirvrr> should belong tu The sam" drnOlnina-
;irn in ORDER iOnlnkr them on"rhurch. They
nave wrong notion of christian unity and
fellowship Who think that
ALI nENuMIHATiON.AL DISTINCTIONS MUST
BE ul;I.IrERATED
before tho prayer Of liz" Saviour can b" real
il,,t, whrn he prayed that al believers might
he one. the very greatest unity OF the church
NAV l- rraliZrl, and believers remain as they
are. in distinct and different denominations
lur the \ apostle says AS We have many nlril-
hers in one body, and all members have not
the SAINT office, so we being many arc one
booty in Christ. and every one members one Of
another" We hrin" many congregations "r
,cany denominations are nevertheless one
body OF which
Jr:~l'S CHRIST Is THE HEAD,
Let ,S zee in what Respects all Christians.
however different the names by which they
are called are uilr. one body. TlIricXt clearly
shows What it j. that constitutes this unity
'Un" Lord. one faith. one baptism. one God
and Father Of nll who is above all and through
all. and in ynIi ALL" LIT Us apply this Ian.
.,-.I l.. a. rp -, Ia, prI 1nNt,G ~. !