The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-10-06
A Case, With Comments.
| RdptiSt CO,iricr.1

'NfN
"a lady Of our church has become tho wife
of an EpiScopalian gentleman, and wishes Ia
be dismissed from us TO Join the Episcopal
Church. What action should we take?'
II she cannot be made to see the better way,
let the church vote her q certificate Of good
standing as Il Christian, and order Der name
erased from the roll Of members. But We beg
10 add n few remarks.
We are afraid there Is a good deal Of religion
in the world which is not entirely Il matter OF
conscience. In opinions and In practices re.
ligious people seem to be, in q multitude OF
Instances. just what personal friendship, or
them. They::ure in this church or In
that, they observe the solemn ordinances OF
Christ In one form or another, they profess
faith In tAirty-nine articles, or any other
heard a divine voice saying This is the way,
walk ye In it,; not because looking into the
Holy Scriptures they have cried, 20 my God,
lead me into al truth-make me TO run In the
way of thy commandments" and have then
done what after honest searching they be
lieved to be the will Of God. No, but shutting
out conscience from the courcil chamber OF
the heart, they have taken natural affection,
or transient impulse, or mere taste and fancy
for their guide. So people often come into
Baptist churches, and so we presume they 60
elsewhere. We do not know how much such
people may be worth TO others, but they are
very little worth to us-nny, we are sure they
are little worth to the cause and kingdom OF
the Master. They have in them no spiritual
bone and muscle. For the works to be done
and the burdens to be borne they have no
strength or courage. They are the stuff out
of which back-sliders are made, or ut least,
that numerous class whose devotion to
worldly pleasures, and indifference to the
opportunities Of worship aud work in the
name Of Jesus, are Il perpetual grief to all
deeply earnest Christians.
This Is not saying that every man who is
we'll indoctrinated and uncompromising In
his views Of truth IL Il blessing to the church.
On the contrary, some OF the most un-Christ.
like Christians we ever saw were the most
rigid;y orthodox. 1t Is only saying that the
man who lacks the onSciCntiOusness which
would make him scrupulous to please Christ
In the least thing, will not likely be very
careful to please MIN IN the greater. 1t Is say
ing that he or she who invests In religion only
so fur as may be supposed necessary to give
security against eternal bankruptcy, who sees
no beauty in truth rs TRUTH, no specia! Value
or Importance In knowing and doing oil the
will OF God Just because II Is the Will OF God.
and entirely apart from the Question is 1t
essential or n0nessentlal to s~alvation'-that
such a one will ave no moral grip, but will
be driven about by every wine OF doctrine,
rolled In the dust by every foe TO holiness or
peace, and will never have the hcroiSm to do
or dare anything worthy Of soldier Of
Christ.
BY ul means. then, let us ave religious
and practices which are the rcsultOf
cundcd inquiry, and conscientious conviction.
Whatsoever such inquiry and conviction may
lead, though wide mistakes may be made,
and much Of error be embraced, there will be
hope for the truth, and God Will be hOnOred.