The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1900-08-24


you believe it? Do you believe God said
this? And If God said it, do you believe
that he meant it? Jesus said: 'Ye are my
friends, il We do whatsoever command
you
Nov the term denomination, | un-
derstand 10 be body of religious people,
gathered under one name, and under
system of doctrines, some of which are
found and others not found in the Bible,
gathered together with one idea, very
often the advancement of their move
ment, no matter whether that movement
is strictly scriptural in every particular
or not The leaders of these denomina-
tons all claim that their respective
bodies are branches of the true vine or
the true church, although different from
and perhaps better than all other
branches, still not the church itself, but
simply branch or part of it, do not
want to belong to branch; want to
belong To the church itself aud to follow
the teachings of the old book as nearly as
possible. Our Lords beautiful words,
Il am the vine and We are the branches,
are often quoted by ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
in indicating their existence in separate
bodies; but is this fair and intelligent
use of our Masters words? Was the
Lord Jesus Christ talking to denomina-
tons when he uttered these words, when
they did not exist? 1t is not the Ian
guage of prophecy, and we know well
that denominationalism in the common
acceptation of the term did not exist for
several hundred years after he spoke
these words. Not even the hoary
headed church of Rome existed then.
We are sure then that he was talking to
individual christians, and his language
ought never to be applied to body
movement such as modern denomina-
ton. | believe it is criminal to make use
of the word in that way.
"By the term church, | understand
the body of Christ, the called out by him,
separate people; in short, body of
baptized believers. Then the church is
composed of obedient servants of God;
composed of those who have from the
heart believed repented and been bap-
tiZed, and from the heart have obeyed the
form of doctrine found in the holy book.
Still, the various denominations look to
men for the distinctive tenets of their
several systems, and we as a christian
brotherhood or church of Jesus Christ
should look to the word, and to the
word alone. We should never be gov
erned by what men have to say in these
things. 1t is evident, therefore, that
denominationalism is not all that people
have been led to think it to be, and if
| may speak my own honest convictions,
its perpetuation is an unnecessary and
even sinful thing, and as members of
the body of Christ, everywhere, tits time
we were awaking to this fact and to
sense of our duty in reference to these
things.
IL am glad however to note, as | pro-
coed in the discussion of this question
that the various churches, the various de-
nominations are closer together to-day
than they have been in the past century,
closer by 30 per cent than they were %
years ago. While ! was still in the semi
nary, remember that three or four de
nominations could not sit on the same
platform. Twenty-Five years ago, we could
never have held a union Sunday evening
service, such as we are holding now dur
ing the heated season, the people were
so far apart; and if a minister of one
church stepped into the church of
another pastor, he was liable to get a
club over his head before leaving.
"Some may ask, why is denomna
tionalism a sin?' | answer briefly by
saying, because it utterly ignores the
teaching of the Bible. 1t is well known
to me that there is much disagreement
on this point Our Lord says: Teaching
them to observe all things, whatsoever
have commanded you UNCONVENTIONAL
ism says; 'Superficially and outwardly
we are separated, but essentially and
spiritually we are one Have you never
heard this statement made? If not, you
are not up-to-dare. Denominationalism
says, We are only divided on the non
essentials These are sugar coated state
ments; seeming rather palatable at first,
but it would go down more readily if
there were some real gospel sugar about
IL. Let us have thus saith the Lord
Upon this we must insist before we ac-
cept any theory or doctrine held up by
any man for inspection. Christ prayed
that we might be one, in the text have
given you this morning; multiplicity of
denominations thwarts an answer to that
prayer.
ITO my way of thinking, at least, it is
folly to talk about unity in diversity,
when the christians of the world are
split up into such an appalling number
of different churches or denominations,
while between many of these exists the
worst sort of hatred and dislike. With
so many churches preaching so many
conflicting doctrines, we may look for
little else but confusion and bitterness.
The book teaches US not to engage in
strife, and the same book tells US that
God is not the author of confusion, but
of peace. In the face of these facts, can
/ as minister of Jesus Christ and as a
man of God stand up and defend that
which is filled with all envy, strife and
rancor, with all its babel of conflicting