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No. i

• /'

PURITY OF COMIinJNION,

ITS IMPORTANCE,

iUf9

THP BEST MEANS OF PROMOTING IT :

AN ESSAY,

WmnXM AST TBS UQUB8T OF TB|B OOXa&IOATIOWAL OiaOV OT (UlTABA,
« ■ Ain^ EEAD TO THB A99iaiBI,T, JUMB IYtB, 1864,

-:>.

V ^'

HENRY WILKES, D. D.

FZFT9 THOXrSAlID.

•/:; ■■ *■.

Montreal:
JOHN DOUQALL, ST. PAUL STREET.

VBIirrED r(»l THB CONOaEGAHONALUNIOX OF CANAQA, Bt JOHN XOTXIiIw

- 1854. ■ ■' '■ •

Price Id. eiSm or 6b. per 100.

|,l»*,-- 'V ' ♦

PUBITY OF COMMUNION.

'is-

"My Kingdom is not of thia world " was tho profounldf
declaration of Jesns Christ, when about to bo oflcred up in
Bacrifice. Ho was a King ; but his dominion was spiritual ;
and though he camo to establish it in the world, it was not
to be ^ the world. Its subjects Were to be men and Women
of regenerate hearts, whoso position is described by an
Apostle. — " For here have we no continuing city, but we
seek one to come :" — and the churches of ^yhich it is com-
posed were to bo assemblages of these subjects, devoted to.
the service of the Lord. The writer has lieen reauested to
bring out these points in an Essay, to be read on this
. occasion ; its subject being :-— "

" Purity of Communion^ its importance and the best
means of promoting itJ* \

The first point claiming attention is : What dp toe mean
hy purity of communion ^" If it be supposed that they who
maintain the importance of this matter, pretend to have
churches that are free frbnTsTn, and that every one who ap-
proaches the table of the Lord must be a perfect character ;
all we can say is that; the supposition is a mistake : we
^make no such pretensions. If further it be imagined that
with our utmost regard to pur principles we doiti tact secure
or suppose that we secure Churches, aW whose members are
undpuDted Christians, there is in this great misapprehension^
for it would obviously involve on the part of the i-eceivmg
agents, whoever they might be,' a power of heart searching
to which We lay no claim ; and it would further involve
the impossibility of self deception on the part of candidate*
fjr church membership, tban which few things can be more
inconsistent alike with Scripture and tvith fact.: Still fur-
ther, should it be supposed that our mfeaning is to exclude
all from fellowship as " outsi^ie barbai'iins'^ who do not" pro-
nounce our Shibboleth ^rid agree witll ois in all points of
dogma, of symbolical institution, or of ledslesiastical polity,
there would be still grievous mistake ; Ipj/ these points how-
ever relatively important, are not to bemeld as essential to
the validity of a christian profession, i|or are they of the
essence of a godly character.

Our meaning will be more correctly iscettained by a re-
srence to the New Testament. There, among the earliest
records of the kingdom after the day df pentecost, we read,
"alpd the Lord added to the Church dailj^.the saved," That
woik was conspicuously and essentially t le Lm-d's ; though
his Servants laboured zealously for its acc< >mplishment. The
addi^ons w ere t o an assembly. It was peither to a build-

iuff, nor a hierarchy, nor a clergy, nor a national or provin-
cial organization, but plainly loan assembly in a single
city, the company of believers, to which the additions were
made. These additions were inoroover numiroua and fre-
guent. They were most blessed times in the history of the
Kingdom when dailv there were added to the assembly
6f believers, the saved 1 Notwithstanding the opposition
of the authorities, and the hostile prejudices of the Jew- ,
ish people, converts were multiplied and the new coven^int
Zion rejoiced ! But the poitft of special concernment now
is : What was the character of the persons added V " The
Lord added (adjoined) the saved, day by day to the
iChiirch" ; so would we literally translate the passage. And
V)ho were the saved ? In reply we find the following state-
ments and descriptions : The name Jesus was given to him
who was " mjinh of woman, matle under the law," the reason
being " ho shall save his people from their sins," Wo are
toldlhat " He came to seek and to save those thdt were
' lost." The commission given to the apostles to preach the
gospel to every creature had appended to it the promise, " he
that believoth himW ho savcd:^ Hence wo are informed,
« it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to wgfr
them that believe,'' and it is declared with ''^^i^^rajg,
"whosoevershaU call upon the name of tho Lord shalPor
savad:' Did the jailer ask what must I do to be savedy;
Tho reply was, " Helicve in the^Lord Jesus Christ and thou
shalt be Saved. When the boon was received, the blessing
was celebrated in strains of joy and humility descriptive of
its nature: « By grace ye are «aW through faith." "Not by
■ works of righteousness which we have done, but. according
' to his mercy he. saved' us." " God hath saved ua, and
called us with a holy calling not according to our wprks, .
i>ut according to his own purpose and grace." " We are
saved hy ho\^Q" » ,

Now all these scripture statements and others that might
be quoted, indicate that tho parties designated the saved,
were " a peculiar people," "a chose» generation," " new crea*
tures in Christ Jesus." They had undergone a change in
state, for they wei-e justified by the precious blood of Christ
through faith," and were reconciled to God. They had
undergone a change of c/torae^fr for " old things hady
passed away and all things had beconre new," It was for
this cause that people took knowledge of them that they had
been with Jesus ; and because of the contrast they present- ^
ed, " of the rest durst no naan join himself unto them*"'
It -was not a ma tter of baptism or of any other ritual aer*

▼Ice 5 ft waiih Inward BpWtual chftngie expreased in an
outward lioly life. They are described) as "saints and
ftithftil in Christ Jeans." Their " work of faith and labour
of love" are spoken of, They are said to be " changed
int<vthe same imago (that of the Lord) from glory to glory
by the Spirit of the Lord." This was their profession, ,.
borne out by corresponding practice. Tliey were not alt'
;'eaWy. what they professed to be. Some of theiil afterwards
"made shipwreck of faith andof a good conscience." 0th-
*i;8 wejit out from the company .thereby declaring that though
nominally so they were never really of it. Others went to
the door of the Judge lil last and exclaimed, "Lord we have
ate and <Jrankin thy name : in thy name have we cast out
devils and in thy name done man v wonderful works;**
to whom he who never takes back his word answers,
*♦ I never knew you." But they all made a credible
profession, and afforded credible evidence of true disciple-
ship: they first gave themRclves in solemn profession of
.i^Iegiance to the Lord, and then to the Church.

It is maintained that this primitive practice is binding,
and that only such have any claim to be Church members.
The grounds are :

1. The design of (Jlirist in the institution of the
ChurcheSi

It may be regarded as twofold, both conservative and ag- .
gressive. The Churches are schools of training; gardens
for culture; in other words tbey are designed to nourish
the spiritual strength of disciples, and to train them for present
eflSciency and for future gl6ry. The exposition of divine
tnith,— the solemn worship of the sanctuary, — and the sym-
bolical ordinances to be observed by the Churches, are
designed to increase the knowledge and augment the piety
of their members.

^ But in order to this issue their possession of vital piety
is essential. The ptate of "death in trespasses and sins'*
cannot be cultivated into increase of spiritual life. There
must be life itself in order to growth. Thorns and briars
may be ever so much nurtured, they will neither be grace-
ful nor useful. They need uprooting. They must be su-
perseded by the " fir tiee and the myrtle tree" whose growth '
wndewjulture will promotevthe beauty of the scene and
add to the honour of the husbandman, In other words a
mait niiu&t be actually a Christian before he can grow in
grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ You cannot train a slave into an effiective free
isbonfer . Rrst give him his liberfy, iaid tEen the lireematt ~

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■fc**

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may be trained for tho designed position and work. The
source of actual character in its varied nmnifeHtatiohs lies
deep in the inoial nature of a man, Just as thn source of
many streams is found in Romo bubbling fountain, issuing
from ft hidden cave. So long aa that moral nature is un-
transformcd by the Spirit pf CJod through the Gospol, it is
vain toexptict a holy character. Your attempts to train it to
to good, will prove as vain as wonld bo tho ellort to make the
streams wholesome while tho fountain rcmjiined poisonous,
Ifthe Head oftheChurch designed the churches to accomplish
a conservative work of spiritual ctJlture ; if- it was his pur-
pose that plants of righteousness should be trained for ul-
timate transplantation into th6 paradise of God, then most
assuredly he intended they should l>o composed of his true
disciples, who alone are susceptible of such a training.

Again, the churches are centres of sacred intluonce, as
a city set on a hill which cannot bo hid. Their commis-
sion is to the world, proclaiming to its people salvation
through Jesus Christ. They aro the salt of tho earth. The
lights of tho world. The epistles of Christ known and read
of all men. To them is committed tho great work,
monientpus in all its issues, of making known the unsearch-
able riches of Christ, and seeking tho everlasting well-
being of immortal souls. They publish the tidings of.
mercy, and their prayer i^, J|| b d be merciful unto us and
bless us, and cause his fal^io shino upon \\a that thy.
way may be known on earth, thy saving health among all
nations," This is the aggressive mission of the churches ia
the name of J<?su3 upon the kingdom of Siitan in the
vhrld. Their Masto* designa that they, should effectively
.:"' prosecute it» '

But iu order to the fulfillment of this design they must
yoe composed, of an aggn'gate of . true disciples of Christ.
Only smjh are " lif/htin the Lord,^^ hence only thet/ can shine.
These alone aro " the salt of the earth," The influence of
no other is truly hallowed. Unless a false epistle of Christ
is to bo known and ^ read of all men, tho true disci-
ples of Christ gathered into the Churches must con-
stitute that epistle. They, as bearing their Msistor'a
image, his workmanship in them, tho exhibition of tho
blessed effc>cts of his grace, arc living epistles of him to the
people, -which maybe known and read of all men. Iri-
every view men, the design of Christ in the institution lof-
churches, clearly includes only his people among their mem-
bers; none otijier can improve as he would have them, none
jither can put forth influence and effort as he would have

them. The Lord adds to the churches of the savid,

'■■^

The arffument for purity of communion is of a nature which
throughout indicatcB its irhiwriaoce. Hence wo notice a»
confirmatory of the view for which we ore contending :

2. The dcscriptiona and declarations of Scripture.

The pnMago di'scriptivo of tlio oarly progrcw of <he
gospel, Acfg 2, 47, has been nhoady noticed as an explicit
testimony. The epistles were addressed to the s^neial
churclu!8, and tlioir nu'mbers are in those htters dcscrihed as

saints and fail hful in Christ Jesus," " calh-d to ho saints,"

those who call on the name of tho Lord." The entire
narrative of the gathering nnd formation of churches re-
corded m the book of the Acts of tho AjwHtlcs is confirma-
tory ot this view. If there be any weight in Apostolic prao
t;ce and example, then are we enipliatically taught that the
churches ought to bo composed of those who are saved.^

To this estimate of present duty it is however objected,
that the primitive churches w^e not in fact pure.' We
read of schisms and contentions in them ; of evils in tem-
per and evils in practice.

The correctness ofthis allegation is in part admitted, and the
fact meets another objcction,namely that with all care now, we
have not m truth churches composed exclusively of believers.
It IS not pretended tliat either in early days or at present
^ any arrangements can keep out of the churches hypocrites
and^self Receivers, nor is it supposed that the tnio disciples
^ the churches are perfectly sanctified and freed from sin.
• But these admissions in no wise interfere with the correct-
, uess of the theory, that credible evidence of regeneration
.-was in primitive days an essential qualifica^'on of cliurch-
membership. The apostle warps the subordinate buildere *
the pastors, against building upon the fmindation which ho
had laid, "wood, hav, stubble," as weiras « gold, silver and
spj-ecious stones." When scandals arose in the churches,
and "it must needs be^hat oflenccs will come," tho laws of
Ghnst's house required the exercise of a godly discipline.
Some were to bo rebuked ; othoi^ were to be put away
"delivered over unto Satan for 1 lie destruction of the flesh*"
that the spirit might be saved in tho day of the Lord Jesus.
It 18 objected that our Lord countenanced an opposite
view in his teaching and practice. Tho parable of the
tares and tho wheat is adduced by the objector, in forgetful-
iiess that the field in which they are found is the World
and not the Church. It has been supposed to mean that
« 6o<^ must grow together "MMAe CAwrcA" until the har-
vest." Now if ibis be so, {I) the introduction oi the tares*
18 expre ssl y at t ributed to the efiem^ and feer e fore cannot

.. ^^« adduml an nn cxnmpio ; nnd tlien (2) tho Intornre-

tation would abHoIutely iirohil.it all liiscipline. » Lot tht'tti

grow together until thy hirrvoHt." 'J'ho apoHtl.'H command

1 Cor. 6, id iiicompfttiblo with thin theory, " put uway from

you that wickc.l person." Iiide,.d oiir Lortf's injurielioti " Let

hini bo unto you u heathen man and a publican," in cnially

inconMWfent; for the intermctation is 'M,ii|<k thcin not Up h't

both grow together until the harvcMt." Hiit if "the (h>"id be'//w

irorW," as our Lord expressly states, all is^iniph! an<l ai)pro-

priate ; it is a solemn «v/<vy»/ against persecution. Let not men's

religion, or want of religion atfect their civil rights. Let

them dwell in (Jod's world until the harvest, lie will tnko

care of IiIh own hotiour, in the ultimate is^sue.

The point in our Lord's jrracticc which is rosfed upon
relates to Judas Iseariot. lUit (1) Jle (ner gave 8uch
.credible evidence of piety, that his fellow discipU>8 did not
dream of his hypocrisy, instead of Huspecting him, thev
mquired, " Lord is it Ir And our Lord's omniscience h^
nothing to do with the argument; for as an example to
the churches, that iniist be put out of the question. And
then (2) 4t seems plain frorii the narrtitive that he went
out betoro tjio iimtirution of the supper of the Lord. He
did not eat of that bread and drink of that cup.

It is furtlior alleged that attempts at punty of com-
munion promote priilo and self-surticiency, Now it must
be admitted that through the corruption of the human
heart, a good principle and practice may be abused so
as to become, in given oases, of hurtful influence. Thus
attendance upon the ordinances of the sanctuary may
practically issue in Iiaidening the sinner's heart. 8o may
the professed disciphj plume himself on being a member of
a church which desires to receive none but tnie disciples
into Its communion, and having passed through the ordeal
ot examination and of solemn profession, may leel assured
that all IS right, and may go so tar as evyi to despise
others, but this is manifestly an abuse of what may never^
theless be a great good. The tnuteney of correct views
ot divine truth, and of godly church communion, is to
humble the soul. If saved, it is by grace. If graciously
:^M«rf, the Lord sought. If cA/wm, it was merely of "sove-.
reign pleasure. And then the heart is known to be deceit-
iul^ The need and duty of constant watchfulness mi i^
id fine, instead of pride and self-sufficiency, there are. as
the natural effect of the grace of God in the heart, the ~'

reliance of the child, the humility of the pemtent, the

mruggle of the combatant, and the vigilance of the en-
dangered.

•V

^ii^i^&Si^lis^^^^aiii^^lialitL^iaAs^

It will also be found on «9xamination that all these-
objectionB would prove too much. They actually require
ths admission .0/ the ungodly into the churches^ The
openly immoral and profligate must be pressed into the
company. . A line of demarcation does not exist at all,
according to these objections. But the objectors shrink from
this is9ue. From strictly indiscriminate communion they
revolt. There is a natural feeling of incongruity which no
theory can suppress. This is discoverable in the spontaneous
exclamation ot worldly men, when a professor of religion
falls into flagrant evil; 'thatlie ought not. to be a member
of a Christian Church. ' The. ne^c? of some line is intuitively
felt. It may bo asked, what line can you have other
than credible evidence of true discipleship ? tJnless this
be adopted we are involved in endless inconsistencies and
difficulties. ,

In our judgment there is vast importance attached to
this miatter. 'Promiscuous church membership is perhaps
the bane of the visible kingdom of Christ at this present
time ; it mingles (he church and the world in an unhallowed
union, and confounds those eternal-iiistinctions which the
Head of the Church would have ever visibly set forth. It
moreover deceives and ruins immorlul souls. No one can
'Calculate the wide waste of ruin produced by it. In most
cases it acts as a triple shield against the artows of con-^
viction, when God's word is faithfully and searchingly
preached. It induces, with lamentablie frequency, the cry
of peace, peace, where there is no peace. Under its soporific
influences men and women live and die self-deceived ; sup-

{)Osing that they are disciples when they have no part nor
otin th(6 matter, and entering the fearful realities of eternity
with a lie in their right hand. i

At the same time it is of almost equal moment to avoid •
" breaking the bruised reed or quenching the smoking flax."
There is a rigidnessof requirement sometimes; which is ^like
unscriptural .and hurttul. .We have no authority for
demanding large and comprehensive views of divine truth,
nor the indications of a full-aged Christianity, In order to
membership." 'Hie flock of the Lord hath many Iambs as
well as Ml'grown sheep, and the fold is equally for /Am.
There are babes in Christ who are in the Church to be fed
"with the "sincere milk of the word" as well as men whose
requirement is " strong meat." Nor have we warrant f9r
demanding the statement of an experience that involves
precise dates and means of conversion. It not unfrequently
happens that such thing^, when given, are false imaginings.

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»'.»■

Nor have we anyri^ht to demand perfection of conduct
and of character, or a thorough training i^ the ways of tbe , V
Lord ;-*the church is the place to promote the one andr*^^
achieve the other. K'or are wo prepared to require any '
declaration of certainty that a hopeful conversion is real^
or that unmistakeably the soul is m Christ justified and
saved. There are no.such ideas as these in the New Testa-
ment sketch of the primitive churches. But there is,
throughout, the idea of membership which involves crediblo
evidence of the renewal of the hearts— of living faith in
Christ — and of a course of life bej^iing the goepel, >

It follows, however, that we are not to be surprised or
stumbled if some who have seemed ^o run well and who
were properly admitted into the Cl^irch, nevertheless fall
back and dishonour their profession. When individuals '
thus fall or wander from their holy profession, it is by no
means to be regarded, as a proof that they ought not to
,)iave been feceived'into the Church originally ; it is on the
contrary only an evidence of the deceitfulndss of the heart
and of the need, in the Church, of a godly discipline. The
apostle in writing to the Corinthians eonceniing the in-
cestuous man found in their fellowship, does not at all com-
plain of them for having originally received him into their
communion; he finds fault vvith them only /or re<aiwm^
him there while walking in sin. When the Apostle John "^
declares concerning some, "they went out from us, but they
were>ot of us ; for if they had been of us, they wpuld no
doubt have continued with us ; but they went out that
they might be made manifest that they were not all of us,"
he gives no hint of wrong doing in their original introduc-
tion to the Church ; he does not say "ye ought to have
judged better and to have refused them." Unless we mis-
take there is a tendency in our minds to this extreme;
being disappointed in some of whom wo hoped well, we are
tempted to keep out of the Church those who as babes in
Christ ought'to be cordially received. The true attitude
of every Church is one of attraction rather than of repulsion.
Its proper business is to allure back the waucterer, and in
imitation of its divine master " to draw with cords of a
maa with bands of love." It must most carefully avoid
rearing up a barrier in the path of the humble, contrite
soul; its message is "come with us and we will do you
good for the Lord hath spoken good concerning Israel."

Giving full weight to thiese views, we return to the point
of a sound scriptural communion. This, it is repeated, is of
unspeakable moment in every pomt of view. Three ele*

ments of that iinpoKfanco, which have been already hinted,
may be briefly Noticed as a.summary and an appeal. <

1. It. 18 of vast importance to the persmal welfare of
members of tJie Churches. J

, Without careful attention to this matter, crowds are
deceived to their eternal undoing, llask many there are
. who because they are recognized members have ho doubt of
their present spiritual health and of their final safety, and
yet they have no apprehension of the fii-st principles of vital
godliness. They are profoundly ignorant as a matter of
experience, of the nature and evil' of sin— of their personal
guilt— and pf the way of salvation by Jesus Christ.
The mischief, fearful as it is, does not terminate with them.
The welfare of genuine disciples becomes unfavourably
affected: The heterogenous mingling of the children of
the world and of the children of God is analogous to the
bringing of ice and heat into contact, the spiritual tempera-^
ture is sensibly lowered; the atmosphere breathed is un-
favourable to manly growth, energy, and holy enterprise, so
that the whole Institution becomes ^adly inefficient. The
aocial principle is miglity in its influence for good or for
evil. If a young christian begins his spiritual life in con-
nection with a church of mingled elements, in which .the
spirh of the world predominates, the eft'ect upon the for-
mation of his character, and upon his fttturo course, can
hardly fail to be disastrous.

2. It k important also in order to the exercise of a right
infirmice upon the world.

Our Lord makes this prominent in his figures of salt and
light. "Yetere the salt of the earth," was his declaration
to the disciples. "But if the salt hath lost its savour, where-
with shall it be salted, it is thenceforth good for nothing ;
it must be cast out and trodden under foot." ' " Ye are the
light of the world." « But if the light that is in you be
darkness ;" if it be a false glare ; if it be a deception ; « how
^ea,t is that darkness !" How ruinous to yourselves and
others! If the Light-houses erected on the dangerous
coast for guidance to voyagers i)rove treacherous and de-
ceptive, how fearful is the devastation they produce ! A
false epistle of Christ is one of theT worst of forgeries, and
by far the most disastrous in its issues. The cliurches are
cities set on a hill which cawwo< be hid. Whatever be their
character they are seen, and their influence is feltr You
cannot change tl^e fact of their influence—they cannot
exist without putting it forth. They ought to \>q centres
or holy %ht whose bieams radiating from'them illumine all

around. They are desipjnod to be nurseries of stronff men
and women full of courage and zeal, armed in the panoply
of truth and of faith, wlvo do worthy deeds in the name of
their Xord, being faithful, valiant and Bkilful. They are
intended to bo a spiritual, but mighty leaven, powerfully
attecting and at length wholly leavening the mass. It is
most clear, however, that they cannot be thus unless thev
are churches oft W saints. , /

3. It is also imjwrtant in order Jo effective effort to ad^
varm throughout the world the Kingdom of the Redeemer.
.. Oideons three hundred picked men are far more potent
m the Lords army than would be three or thirty thousand
promiscuously gathered. A small company of right hearted
friends of Christ, full of faith and of prayer will do more to
Allure men from the sway of Satan and bring, them to Jesus '
than could be^ effected by a host of nominal adherents. '
though they should make great noise in their movements
and march amid pomp and parade. The matter is at once
seen.where a powerful appeal is addressed to an audience
on behalf of immortal souls perishing, and of the glory of
the Redeemer m theii^ salvation. If the audience have no
rea^ godliness, no faith in Christ, no love for souls, no spin- '
tud aspirations ; not a single chord of sympathy is touched,
and the speaker prophesietb in vain. There does not exist
a tulcrum whereon to place the lever that would move them.
Mis appeals fall pointless in such presence. But If his
^ audience be such as a Church ought to be, the principles
he advanccB^ meet with an earnest response in their conVic-
tions, and his appeals excite them to prompt and vigorous
measures. ^It is such an assembly only that can be expected
80 to pray for the descent of the Holy Spirit, as to lecure
the boon witbout which the Kingdom of Christ makes no
progress in the earth.

The best means of securing this important object have
been hinted as we have proceeded. They are the faithful
enlightened preaching of God's Word-diligent regard to
credible evidence of regeneration in adiSisgion to the
churches-mutna spiritual culture and watchfulness amonff
the members of the churches-and the exercise of a ffodlv
disciphne In the mutual spiritual culture and watchfulness
mentioned should be included giving prominence to the idea
.that church rpembersh^ is of itself no evidence of a new
heart and right spirit : our meaning is that appropriate in-
struction should ofte^^all attention to the fact that real
god iness is a mattf of the heart-thpt it has to do pri-
m anly with the relation be tw een the soul and God— and t hat

-V

■■^f

nothing should satisfy Que short of persoh|J and present

■ ' evidence pf " repentance towards God, of fafth towards our
Lord Jesud Christ." It will be fouh^^ howe\^<er, tfeat one of
the best securities which a Ghiirch/ can hav6 against the
introduction of improper member^ is a^iigh state of spiH*^

. tuality. It is when the contraat is the most striking ^be-
tween the Church and the wond, that "of the rest durst
• ho man join himself to them.''/ While such a state of m^t* '

■'■'. tersin aChurch attracts the thoughtful and enquiring,it repels .
those whose hearts are given over to carnality.. When a
Church is filled with thfir Spirit of God and its services
and its entire course are/thereby animated, it has no attrac-
tion for the gay, the thoughtless, or the money or pleasure
. loving. They may jei^ and scoff, but they will n6t„ be dis-
posed to join. • ,^
H In conclusiQu it may be observed, that while the polity
of oiir churches is eminently fitted to foster and mamtain
purity of communion, there seems no» good reason why
adherents of other forms of ecclesiastical organization
should not give themselves to the same course. We dis-
cover a facility and a harmony in our polity which jsome
of them do not possess : but as it appears to us, they might
and they ought all of them to restrict the fellowship of the
churches to a comihunion of saints and faithful in Christ
Jesus< As to ourselves let us be specially watchful iii this
matter. It is tiie great thing for whieh we as a body dis-
tinctively contend. It is of more importance than ou^ tes-
timony against union of CJiurch and state, of moment as
, that is: it is of greater consequence than' our time-hon-
' cured . conflict for the suffrage of th^ Christian people with-
in the churches, and the independence of the churcHes
from all external control in the management of their affaits,
good and righteous as that conflict is : in fine, it is next, >
in momentous interest, to a clear and faithful preaching of/

^ • the gospel, if indeed it be not truly a part of stlch preach/

ing, a practical part. Let it be ours then, brethren, to be

I faithful to this great principle of communion, cost what ^it

, m^y in individual cases or in general estimate, assured tl^at

it is when a church is " fair as the moon and clear as the^

' sun " that it is terrible to the great foe of God and |ban'

" as an army with banners,"

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