men to elect, and allowed them freely to choose for themselves. The Apostles did not think the multitude were too ignorant to be entrusted with this work, and that they therefore ought to take it out of their hands and appoint these officers for them. They (the Apostles,) did not see any danger in permitting the "whole multitude" to sit in conference, or church-session. All such discoveries are of later date, are of uninspired authority,—are the offspring of man's proud heart, in his reaching for power and distinction among his fellows.

But once more.

In adjusting a difficult case which originated in the Church at Antioch, we see the same purely republican principles observed throughout the whole investigation. "THE MULTITUDE," that is, the whole church were permitted to sit in determining the case. (See Acts xv: ver. 4.) And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of THE CHURCH, and of the Apostles, and elders," (ver. 12.) "Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul," (ver. 22.) "Then pleased it the Apostles and elders with the WHOLE CHURCH."(ver. 23,) "And they wrote letters by them after this manner, The Apostles, and Elders and BRETHREN, send greeting unto the brethren," &c.-(ver. 30.) "So when they were dismissed, they came to Antioch; and when they had gathered THE MULTITUDE, (the Church) together, they delivered the epistle. -(ver, 31,) "Which when they had read, they rejoiced for the consolation.

All the above procedure is in perfect harmony with the doctrine. inculcated in Matthew, xxiii: 17. "If he shall neglect to hear them, tell it to THE CHURCH; but if he neglect to hear the Church, let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a publican. This is our Lord's rule; there is no appeal from it. The case ends at the decision of "the Church." It is not to be removed up to a Presbytery, Synod, or Conference of Bishops and Elders.

In perfect accordance with our Lord's rule is that of Paul. "If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge, who are least esteemed in THE CHURCH. What a rebuke upon all modern organizations.

The simplicity and beauty of the Church organization, as given in the New Testament, cannot be easily misunderstood by any one who is disposed to investigate the subject. The Church is required to judge of the fitness of those who apply for membership, and to determine cases in reference to exclusion from her body, and from her decision there is no appeal to a higher judicatory; for she is herself the highest. "Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputation." Paul would teach the Romans that they had a right of judgment in these cases; but he does not teach that they may receive, into their body, him who

has No faith. In the exercise of their judgment they are to receive him who is weak, but not even the weak, if there is any doubt or disputation among them in consequence of it. From this, as well as from other passages, we learn that a member cannot be initiated into the Church over the head of any one who may dissatisfied. The unity of the Spirit is to be preserved in the bond peace.

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CHRISTIAN UNION can exist only among Christian elements. Believers,-converted persons,—are the only proper characters for Church membership. The Apostle Peter represents the Church as a body of believers. "Ye also, as lively stones are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. "* Unbelievers

(whether men, women, or children,) cannot offer up "spiritual sacrifices." They cannot be called, "a holy priesthood," in any sense of the word. The conclusion, therefore, is inevitable, that none but BELIEVERS are proper subjects for initiation into the Church of Jesus Christ.

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John the Evangelist has instructed us on this point. He says, "He (Jesus,) came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name; which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."† Jesus " came unto his own, that is, the Jews as a nation, who were nationally God's peculiar people. He came unto them, but they, as a nation, did not receive him, that is, did not believe on him. But as many as received (i. e. believed on him) to them gave he power to become the sons of God; that is, authority to enter his new kingdom, the Church, which is declared to be "a holy nation," which were born, not of blood, (as the Jewish nation,) nor of the will of the flesh, (as the Gentiles were,) nor of the will of man, (as all human beings are,) but of God," as all Christians are. The children of Jews were entitled by birth to the privileges of the "Jewish nation." So by birth from heaven, individuals are to be admitted into the Church of Christ, the holy nation; and only such have power or authority from God to join the Church, and thus openly 66 BECOME THE SONS OF GOD.

Paul asserts the same sentiment. "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers,—come out from among them, and be ye separate saith the Lord-and ye shall be MY SONS AND DAUGHTERS."t

It is designed by our blessed Lord that his holy nation, the Church, shall have holy power in the earth; hence the materials in her organization must be holy. CHRISTIAN UNION can be promoted only by promoting a knowledge of the truth; for a

* John i: 11-13. 6-Vol. 3.

† 2 Cor. vi: 14—18.

union that is not cemented in truth is not the union of Christ. Whenever the truth is set aside by compromise among Christians, that moment the body loses its only adhesive principle, and falls into a mass of inanalyzable existence. It is only when we walk in the light, as Christ is in the light, that "we have fellowship one with another. " He who does not walk in the truth walks in darkness.

What a pity that the bold reformers, who laid hold on the "mother of harlots" to strip her of the unholy vestments with which she had decked herself, should bring away, and bring down to our day, those relics of tradition, INFANT BAPTISM, and DIOCESAN CHURCH POLITY! The first of these has been a subject of ceaseless disputation. The second has ever been viewed as assuming power over the liberty and conscience of men, -as wresting from them that freedom of thought and of judgment which is the inalienable right of moral agents. Both of these relics, being unknown in the New Testament organization of the Church, are to be rejected. From the Sacred Scriptures we are thoroughly furnished unto all good works. When we pass beyond the limits of revelation, to explore the regions of the Fathers, and to examine the decisions of uninspired councils, we are in a wilderness without a lamp to our feet or a light to our path.

The people of the Lord should be united. This is as certainly the prayer of every Christian, as it is certain that every Christian prays. God is not the author of that state of things which separates the believing wife from her pious husband at the Lord's table. Nor can God require any of his children to yield any truth to get to his table. Has God granted us the liberty "not to hold the truth?" Has he allowed us to make an outward show of what is not an inward reality? Have Christians peculiarities in their creed which may be laid down in their approach to the table of the Lord? If they have, most assuredly those peculiarities should never be taken up again. The Lord's table is easy of access. The way to it is plain,-is open,-is free. He has thrown no bewildering difficulties around it. Men have written volumes about it; and have shrouded the subject in all the fogginess of sophistry. But Luke who wrote the Acts of the Apostles, has given us the whole matter in two short verses. Here it is.

"Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued steadfastly in the Apostle's doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. This Apostolic rule when analyzed simply comprizes the four following things, viz.

*Acts ii: 41, 42.

1. Believe, that is gladly receive the word of the Lord. 2. Be baptized.

3. Then be added to the Church-the same day, if possible. 4. Then continue steadfastly, in the Apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and in prayers.

Does any thing in this rule shut the door against a Christian? Is there any thing in it which a minister should not exhort a Christian to do? Is there any thing which prevents a Christian from a free participation in the privileges of the Lord's house? This Apostolic rule throws the door wide open and says,WHOEVER WILL LET HIM ENTER. The Lord himself has established the laws for the regulation of his house, and he requires all to abserve them. All Christians should feel themselves obliged to obey speedily and joyfully.

The simple act of coming together around the Lord's table, if at the sacrifice of principle, is a sinful thing. It never has done away, nor can it do away sectarian feeling and effort. Our text

requires that our "conversation" in all the affairs of religion, should be as it becometh the gospel of Christ, that we should stand fast in one spirit, with one mind, striving TOGETHER for the faith of the gospel. But are all professed Christians doing this? Were we to assert it, the unbelieving world would charge us with weakness, or insincerity.

5. Divisions, or sects, among Christians, are injurious to the spread of the gospel in the world, and are in no sense a blessing, but an evil.

We have said that divisions among Christians are incongenial with their pious feelings. We now say, they are injurious to the growth of grace in the soul. They originate, not in the Word of God, but in the corruption of the human heart; and they fall so readily in with the current of men's sinful nature, that they read the Scriptures more, and labor more, to maintain their erroneous positions, than they do to eradicate the roots of bitterness which spring up in their unsanctified hearts. Instead of striving together, they are often striving against each other. By their words, they are desiring union; but by their works they are laboring to remain divided-professing love, but practicing hatred towards each other.

Let any one denomination of Christians get up a religious meeting in a town, and let it become a revival season with them. The rest, for the most part take but little interest in it,—probably speak lightly of it. To them, in their turn under similar circumstances, the same state of feeling and conduct is manifested. Some insinuating, under current is set at work to defeat their gress and prosperity. This is the present state of things in the divided, confused and weakened religious world,-each striving to counteract the other, and to build up its party. O! tell it not, that this state of religious affairs is a blessing to the world, and that God is the author of it, The text forbids it, the pious

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feelings of the child of God forbid it, the prayer of the blessed Savior forbids it, the precepts of Apostles forbid it, the tears and groans of the penitent soul seeking to enter in at the gate of mercy forbid it, the perishing condition of the unbelieving world forbids it. O, then tell it not !-tell it not!!

Look at the facts. The father unites with the Baptists, the mother with the Methodists, a son with the Presbyterians, a daughter with the Episcopalians,-is this the kind of union urged in our text? Is this what God meant when he said by his prophet, "I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever; for the good of them and of their children after them." No, my friends, never can words so plain be so distorted as to bear such an interpretation. The irreligious world see these things, and conclude that christianity is nothing but the wild working of a weak and disordered mind. The beholder is not struck, at once, with the belief that the Christian religion is from. heaven. In such a state of things religion loses its holy preponderance, and sectarian power is sought more than the salvation of souls.

One denomination is numerous and strong in a village, another is small and feeble; and as "weakness invites insult," the dominant party is ready to make a formidable effort to put the feeble down, if not by reason, probably by ridicule. Who is so dimsighted as not to have seen this sort of work? One minister preaches his views to-day, and another announces that he will answer him to-night or to-morrow. All the non-religious Church members are pleased; and infidels, and gamblers and loafers are ready to witness this unholy war. Many are pleased to see the sacred sanctuary profaned by the contentions of these self-constituted champions of their respective sects.

A little village scarcely able to support one minister, has three. places of public worship, and three sectarian defenders of the faith to occupy them. The Sabbath comes, and these houses are about one third or one fourth filled with hearers, crying, Lo, here! Lo, there! What little religion there is in these chapels is made a sectarian threshing-machine, to beat out and beat down every thing but its own party. The sectarian doctor-the sectarian lawyer, -the sectarian teacher, and not unfrequently the sectarian politician, is made the idol of sectarian religionists.

Is the Lord in all this whirlwind of confusion? No. Is this promotive of the religion of the meek and lowly Savior? No, it has made more infidels than all the writings of infidels themselves. This language may seem strong; but it is feeble-it is feebleness itself, when compared with the language of the Son of God on the subject. "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city, or house divided against itself shall not stand." * "And if satan rise up against himself and be divi

Matt. xii: 25.