The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1895-09-12
ONE CHURCH ONLY.
Rev. H. Beer Is Exceedingly Tart
and Crisp.


To THE EDITOR: A fortnight ago,
you were kind enough to publish for me
an article under the above caption.
This subject of lone Church Only"
or a union of all Christian churches,
is engrossing the attention of Christian
men and women in these days. Next
to temperance, it is probably the fore
most question agitating the mind of
the Christian church at this time.
In that first article of mine, I pro-
posed that in order to obtain that
church union, which all Christians are
yearning for, all denominations
should go back to the primitive church
of the apostolic and sub-apostolic
times, and each of them Loyalty &C.
cept whatever doctrines, practices, and
form of church government was found
to be in use in those days in that
church, providing it is not contrary to
the Scripture. I took the ground
that the church in those days must
have been, in these matters, just what
Christ commanded and desired; for
His inspired apostles would have al
lowed nothing that was contrary to
His will to remain in the church, with
out making protest and an effort to
reform the irregularity. What they
accepted we must believe was accord
ing to His wishes.
But now comes the question-how
shall we find out what we're the doc
trines, practices and form of church
government which prevailed in that
apostolic church? I suggested, that in
order to ascertain these things, we
take the bible and the page of history.
1 showed that the bible alone, was
not sufficient, for it is since the Bible
has been scattered broadcast through
out the world, that all these hundreds
of churches have come into existence.
The Baptist has studiously and care
fully read his bible and conscientious
" believes that his church is the
right one. The Presbyterian again is
just as conscientious and as intelligent
as the Baptist, and he also gets his
scheme of theology and church gov
eminent from the bible. And so it is
with each of the denominations; all
are equality intelligent and conscien
tious, and all are equally sure theirs is
the true church of the bible. 1t is
only nonsense to say that they differ
because they have not been we'll in
structed in the bible. There are men
of the brightest intellects and pro-
foundest scholarship in nearly all de-
nominations. The bible, then, is toe
brief and not precise enough to enable
us from it's pages to settle on one
universal church, that shall suit all
men. The writer's of the bible had nc
idea that men would depart from the
primitive church in these matters as
they have done, and SO they did not
draw up formal constitution and sci
of bylaws.
Of course l know: that in making
such statement as this, l make some
people open their eyes very wide
The bible is with some, sort of fetish
or charm, which will they think, sure,
ly guide even the most ignorant read.
ers to the exact truth. But l point to
the hundreds of denominations, al
deriving their scheme from the bible
as a proof that such an idea is a
fallacy. I yield to no one in intelli-
gent respect for Gods holy word, but
I cannot deny the evidence of my
senses.
But after all, l do not believe that
the bible gives us more help, than the
ordinary reader is ready to believe, ii
this matter of deciding which is the
church that is most in accord with the
mind Of Christ. The fact that fol
fifteen hundred years, that is from
the times of the apostles to the time
of the reformation, only one form O.
church government prevailed in al
the Christian world, and that at the
present time, about nine-tenths of thu
Christians still have that same form
of church government, this say, is t
me, a very conclusive proof that tn
bible must speak pretty definitely OF
that particular subject at any rate
For fifteen hundred years Episcopacy
prevailed in the church and even now
the vast majority are Episcopalians