Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1885-04-16
&eadina for the Sabbath,
CONDUCTED BY
REV. ROBERT LATHAM.
(Original., [
THE CHURCH.

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(orginal.l
THE CHURCH.
That there is at present in the world an
organization which, by all English speaking
people, is called the Church, no one will, for
a moment, hesitate to admit. That this or
ganization, if such it may be called, is, in its
leading features, different from every other
organization, will be generally, if not uni
versally admitted. 1t differs from every
other organization in the character of it's
members, in the object which it is designed
to accomplish, in its constitution and in the
character of the frame of its constitution.
The members of the church are very dlf-
ferent from those who are not members OF
the church. That difference does not consist
in physical appearance, or in mere animal
modes of existence. Members of the church
require food and raiment, rest and exercise,
Just as other individuals do. Members Of
the church are, like other individuals, SUBJ
ject to disease and death. They have joys
and SORROWS, cares and anxieties, disappoint-
ed hopes and blighted expectations, like
other men. In fact, in all that pertains to
the mere animal, members of the church
are, in the main, just like those who are not
members of the church. Notwithstanding
all this, members Of the church constitute a
y
which thesun shines. They dosome things
which those who are not members of the
church do not do, and they refrain from
doing some things which those who are not
members of the CHURCH practice daily.
1t amounts to nothing to say that some
members Of the church are just like the
men of the. world. They love the same
things and they hate the same things, they
think the same things and they say the
same things. This will not be denied, but
reverse the order and we are enabled to see
the difference. No one will dare say that
there is as much piety among those who are
those who are. Whoever says this makes
the declaration in the face of facts. Church
members are the praying class Of every
community. Many of them pray very little
and all of them too little, but still all the
prayers, or nearly ALL that are offered up
night and morning to God, through Jesus
Christ, are offered up by church members.
There is vast amount of sin committed
every day, in every community on earth,
but little piety as there may be in the church,
only very small portion of the sin that is
committed in every neighborhood, can be
rightly charged to the members OF the
church.
One difference between the members of
! the former try to serve God, and the latter
do not. This is very noticeable difference.
Mere men of the world have to be restrained
by the strong arm of the law. TO prevent
them from tramping each others rights in
the dirt, prisons have to be erected and
jailors appointed. TO such an excess does
the laWlessness of mere men of the world
proceed that one part is often forced, in self
protection, to deprive the other part. not
only Of their liberty, but also of their lives.
1t is admitted that members of the church
sometimes commit deeds worthy of death,
but such cases are very rare. Little piety
as there is among the members of the church,
it is only occasionally that one gives the
community any trouble, and when such a
case does occur it produces as great sensa-
ti0n in the neighborhoOd, as if it had been
visited by plague.
The design for which the church was Or
ganized and for which it is laboring inces-
sanity and untiringly to accomplish is total
ly different from that of every other organ
ization at present in the world, or that ever
was in the world, at any period in its past
history. Without casting any reflection on
any merely human organization, it may be
said, with strict regard for truth, that it
aims at nothing higher than individual ad-
vantage. No merely human organization
organizers. The calculation is in strict ac-
cordance with the rule of profit and loss to
the persons entering into it, This is the
principle which underlies agricultural So
cieties, banking corporations, mechanical
associations, and trade unions. Even those
organizations which aim at intellectual de-
velopmentand mental culture, so far as they
are merely human, contemplate nothing be-
yond the present man. The object which
the church aims to accomplish includes all
that these human organizations design to
effect and something beyond and far, greater.
The first and main end which the church is
designed in its organization is the showing
forth of the glory of God. 1t is designed to
do something, which neither creation nor
providence, either separately or combined,
do. The mission of the church is far great
er than that Of the sun, or the moon, or the
stars. In these is seen the wisdom Of God,
but in the church is seen the manifold wis
dom of God. The church is designed to
bring to God tribute of praise which crea-
tion and providence are not designed to
God of mercy. A secondary object which
the church is designed to accomplish is, un-
der the guidance and direction of its divine
head, the reconciling Of the World-the
human family-to God. This may be re-
garded as the means chosen to accomplish
the first and main design. Now, there is no
other organization which aims at clarifying
God, either as its primary or secondary OBJ
ject. No other organization which aims at
elorifying God by reconciling sinners to God.
The church is different from every other
organization in the character of its constitu-
ton. All the laws and bylaws of the church
are contained in the book which is called
the Bible. In fact all the laws of the church
NAV be said to be contained in the ten COM
mandments These, with eminent proprie-
ty, may be said to be the constitution of the
church. This constitution is so minute that
it specifies every duty and every sin. 1t is
SO brief that the whole may be printed in
large type on a single page of letter paper.
These have been the constitution of the
church, without single addition or single
repeal for more than three thousand years
This is marvellous antiquity. No other
constitution can lay claim to anything like
it. In this constitution there is perfection
which no other constitution possesses. There
is not single government on earth which
has constitution that does not possess de-
fects which no amount of legislative skill
can remedy. Nothing is better known
than the fact that human constitutions and
human laws are defective, and these defects
cannot be remedied The constitution Of
the church has no defects. 1t contains eve
rything that is necessary and nothing more.
The law of the Lord is perfect. 1t is adapt
ed to man at all times and in all countries.
There is this remarkable feature about the
constitution of the church that itnever con-
flicts with conscience. Obedience to human
laws or human constitution involves, very
often, SHINING against conscience. Such