IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I 1 21 IIIII2.5 illM 40 22 2£ 1.8 1.25 1.4 1.6 M 6" — ► V} ^^ // c? <$> c^ •> y -(^ Photographic Sciences Corporation # A^ «■ \ \ ^\^ ^> ^ 6^ - (meaning "CON- TINUED '), or the symbol V (meaning "END"), whichever applies. Un des symboles suivants apparaitra sur la dernidre image de cheque microfiche, selon lb cas: le symbole — »> signifie "A SUIVRE", le symbole V signifie "FIN". Maps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent dtre film^s d des taux de reduction diffdrents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seul clich6, il est film6 d partir de Tangle sup^rieur gauche, de gauche d droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images n^cessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la m^thode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 e I A OM H n Ttje Fourllj Unqiversary of llie Openiiig of Ibe Spriqg Garden i{oad {tome of the First Baptist Giiurcti, Halifax, N. S., LORD'S DAY, APRIL 12, 1S91. Have we a Mission ? Are the Baptists needed to-day ? PA ADDRESS BY THE PASTOR, HENRY F. ADAMS. A cliiucli 111' .Icsus Cluisi, is M visililo society !cicnce. and have the irospel preached in its piirilv. The telii|ioiai\ slriii'tlire heiiiuovcr-flciwcd with cargcr listeners, the .secoders coiiimeiiced to erect tor themscUes a pcrniaiK'iit hoiiie. This oliject was reached in the erection of thi' (iiaiiville street <;ha|)ei,at a ciist of si 1,250. Most of the aeeeilers returnintr to St. Paul's, hefore the huildiiiu: was linished. It was purchased hy those wi,,, had liecome convinced that iJaiitisiii hy imiiiersion was the only scriptural niotle. and helievcis the proper siihiects. ( )i the 'arge miiiiher who originally came out from St. I'aiirs, oiil\ ahoiit twenty stayed out. part of whom were the consti- tuent mcmhi is of this Baptist i'hiirch. , I. -The Uird's Day oi Septemhei%otii 1827, was a' great day, for it was the hirtliday of the Granville Street Baptist Church. Ill tlie morning Profeaeor piiuse, of Newton Tlieolo{!;ipfll Semin.iry, haptined .six believers in the BeHtord Basin, wliich was a most solemn and impressive «cene. In the afternoon, 'the hiiilding erected hy the secedert* and linislied by the baptised portion, was opened for the first time for public worship. This first pnblio meeting was the recognition service of the new Baptist Church, consisting of 16 persons. Prof. Chase, reprt«enting the American Baptists, extended the liand of fellowship to Dr. Lewis .lohnson, who represented all the members of the Churcli. Fr(ini that day onward, the new and small church had evident tokens of the divine approval, that the right step had been taken in tlie lormation of a churcii after the pattern of the New Testament, and one week after the recogni- tion service, the cliurch met to ordain a Pastor and Deacons. From tlie first day, the Lord sealeil the truth proclaimt^l, siails were saved antl added to the church, cliiistian character was built up. and the developoient of the energies of the members secured. A Sabbath School for instruction in the word of God, attended lor the founding and nian.igement of tlu; "Ohmlian MesKeniier" which for maiiy yeiirs h(!l(i a prominent place in the cbiistinn jourimlieihi of tiie provinces We could m-cupy a large space in sketchini; the birth and growth of our bel.ived and honored Acadia College, to which has been devoted much of tlie thought, lime and moiiev ol the nieniliers of this chiuc.ii. ,. ' , < Last but not luilsfj^we wvv'd m<. ''-^n th, f,-,;.. i.io:i .. ilu' Noriiiuil l/.utiii.)iitli chu: he*, o,' which this (diiireh is I ne liioilier ; she also aided in toimding the " Baptist Hook Room." For ueiiiiy sixty Ncars ihc^ church worshipped in the old stone building on (irauville Street, where amidst storm anil sunshine, sometimes within and son. etimes without, she accomplished a <;oo(l work for (ioci and bnmaiiit v, the fruits of wliicli we enjoy li -day. Many have been the changes through which the church has passed, yet, she has not swerved in her lidelit> to the doctrines of grace, nor departed from the .New 'reslanii nl church polity esponsr'd bv its founders The extensicMi ot the city staith and west, made it necessary in the judgment of the cli;irch to occupy a more i'eiilral position in ordiT to reiudi a wider constituency, and thus increase its usefulness. X\\v first step towards this end was laki'ii in 1S70, when the grouinl was purchased on wdiich this building stands. Then after a few years tb« vestry was erected, and linally this spacious and handsome liouse of worship was begun in 18H6, ainl completed in i>vt' f am sah' ill sayinu that the lollowing division of eonlrihutors is within a j)o.ssihility : foN'rUllUToliS In U) 15 t^rAliTKHI-Y AMOINT. 520.00 IC.OO 5.o<} 2.50 1.60 50 qrAUTl'.Kl.Y AOOHIOdATI 5 1 oo.ocj 50.no 50.00 25.00 I 5.00 10.00 52.5o.GO r think that .some such easy and systematic plan for reducing our deht. is called for to-day, in the place of an occasional spasmo(lic effort, in the form of a Bazaar, ("oncert. &c. I iisk the ladies of this congregation, ' would you not pn.'fer to give one dollar, (a- 5(>lieve that tlie Oliurch of God is coming lo see, that lh(- only way liy which she can raist' money for religious and henevulent works, and pre- serve her s]iiritual |>ower, is hy free-will olleiings. She has jiroved hy hitler e.xiierience, thjil money iaise(l through methods, liy which t-he has sacrillced her e.xalted char,. cter as '• Chiisl's Bride ". has l)een a very small gain at an almost infinite loss (^Micstinnahle ways of getting money have often involved yeais nl spiritual weakness, and have made her a '' reproach and a hy word "in tlie moiitli,>* of ( 'hrist's enemies. I'heiel'oie whatever plan you ailopt for tlie attainment of this desirahle ind, 1 trust that il will lie one, that will not he incoiisi,>;teiil with the spirit of Christ's teachings, that it will lu' one that will not hiirdeii a few willing hearts, .and ease ihe inaiiv. and that it will he eaiy, e(|uitahle, and right. Has tiiis Church a miss-inii? Is there an ahsnlute necessil>- I'or its (>.xistence? I'iaiited on thi.s site, is there a hilile reason wliy wi' should live? If thi'se questions can Ik answered in the attirmative, then the questions we must put to ourselves are, .Vre we willing and prepaied to cany out our mission, to demonstrate the need for our existence ami to hring forth thihililc! reason why we sluaild lixeV What is the great princip'.' that forms the l)asis of o'lr separate d(>noniinaiional stiuctiire '! We helieve tiiat the fathers and founders ol tliis ' First Baptist Church" had a clearly delined kmsoii for which they willingly sacrilieed iinich that was dear ami pleasunihle. wlien I hey seceded from St. Paul's (;hurch. Now what was that |)rinei|)le that led them to contend for tlie laitli caice delivereil lo th" saints? I might answer it hy askintr another (luesijon. viz. : " Wliat is thai one element that runs all through the .Savimn's and the .\postle.>.' teaching, without attention to which the New reslan|<'nt is fully followed or understood, and which we claim is the distinctive principle of the " Begular Baptist Dinoinination " of this conliii' lit ? ' « Is it Bapiisin hy immersiun Y B>' no means, lor there are humlre(|s of lliiiiisaiids and scores of millions who have heen ha]itized hy imniersioM, who.ne not in our denomination nor do they adopt our distinctive ]irinciple. There are nw.oix) of " Camphe iles " on thi>! Continent, ami 65,01 ■n.mx) ut l!ll^sialls wh teaching, was not the prime principle I'or which the 16 constituent menihers of ihis <'hureh handed louelher on Sept. 30th, 1S27.li) contend fia'and to extend. Neither is that the 1 1 t "*-: » *• ' 4 - 1 principle for wliicli tho baptist hrotlierliocKJ contends to-day. And yd both many pcdo-liaptisis and i!in(.iiinl Hapti'ls tliinlv that baptism liy immersion is tbc atjiha ami omega of tlie ciiiises of our separation fnjm all other churches. It is not a tenacious attachment to any one |)art of scripture— whether it teach the nece.s.sity of the new birtli. justilication liy faith, the inspiration of the bible, Itejievers' baptism, or any other one doctrine — that we contend loi . But the fjreat principle tliat luiderlies them all, and no one more than another. And it is this principle tiial, to ever>' intellijjent Bajitist, forms the ground of every dnctrine he holds to, whether or not other (((nominations accept all his reasons for his faith and prju'tice. The Baptists <;reat guidiiii,' priiHnjile, was, is, and evci- must be nothint; more nor less, nothinj; broader nor narrower than "Obedience tt/ Christ in all tilings." Not olx'dience to any one doctrine or prec(^pt, but otiedience to all tlie teachinfr>< and conunaiidnients of the iiord in their spiritual sij^uiticance and their literal order. Others hav(> paid a j)rofound ,iiul reverent rejjard to certain parts of the Word of God, scrupulously fullillinir the letter, because ol an hereditary belief, or in siqiporl of a theorv they cherish in the heart. But to take the whole of the \ew IVstament sis the Holy 'Spirit has r(i('..)rded it, airl reu hw obedience to its conuiiands, both with regard to the individual believer and the orifanizcd church, this is the principle that has ever been the watchwia'd of, and is still the mission of the Baptists. Oiiedience ir. Ixjing baptized by imnun'sion, and (hsobedieuce with reu;ard to the dortriiie of " .Instilicatiou by Faith " would at once invalidate our claim to "Obedience to Christ " as the distinctive i)rinciple ot our mission, and we would rightly be reduceil to a mere ritualistic body as 'Immeisionists." But b(>e.uisesiinie other del lomi nations olicy in the doctriiu^ of being justiliecl by faith, and di.soln'y in the diH!triu(^ of believers' FJaptisni. we are made to appear as if baptism by inuuersion were the |)riiieiple tliat divides us from other denominations Whereas our mission is to obey and get others to obev, not only these two great truths, but all the related truths that eoinpise ;lie sublime sys- tem of revealed religion. When will our Bretlucn in other denominations cease to charge us with being specially bigoted witii regard to the Lord's supper'.' We have no desire to be diti'cu'ent from them in conserving this ordinance to immer.«ed believers, but the restrielinL' of the table to regeiier.ite and inuiicrsed believers, is the natural and legilimite comsimiuimuu' of oiu' having adopted " obedience to Christ " as (an- distinctive principle. If we adopted anotlier principle, such as F]pis- copacy, or MetlaMlism. I'reshyterianism or Congi'egationalism, not one ol whicli involves obedieiiC(! to (Christ in all things, and tlien C(a)ten(l lor the spri'ad of any one of tiiose forms of churcli government, a close table at the Loid's Suppei' would not and eiadd not be a natiual .«e(|Uence .\n(l wliy'? Because obedience to Christ in all things would not be the point at issut^ between us and other bodies: but we and tiiey would simply he having a 'ace for nunu'iictal supremacy. But becaust' we have made it our distinctive mi.ssion to obey, and gt>t others to obey . the pr(;cise onler ol oui- Lord's eoUHuandsas lie has given them to man, therel'or«! we have tn diirer from tho.se whodo not make this th(> fundamental principle of their (.haiominational existence : and because of our obligation to carry oiu this principle regarding tlie Lord'a Supper, we are semetini's called bigots. We are called " Baptists", sinrply because we obey in being ba[)tiz((l tlie way our \a)V(\ was baptized. Our b(>ing called Bajitists ini]ili(s that those who are not immersed are not and caTinot be eall<'(l Baptists. But wt' nvi^ not -o nuich •' Baptists" as we are " Obidientists." For if all men were inuuersed, and yet were to disobey the coiHrnaiKl to rejuMit and believe, before being immerse(l, iliiii we would la' called by another name, and that name would rcpie- sent tlie docrine in which we olieyed and others pa.ssetl by as iKai-essential, We would then probably be called by the name of " Kegenc'atists " ; because we would refu.se professors of other denominations the privilege of coming to tlu! Lord's Table, Itecause they were nut converted, though they had been ba[)tiz(Hl the same way as we, by immersion. In tliat case you can plainly see that Baptism would not be a point at i.^sne, betw«;en us iuid other bodies, for everybody would be a Baptist, and the name "Baptists" (hop out of e.\istence. But we might still be (Mlled bigots, because we lefnsed to invite otheis to the Lf)rd's Tai le who had not obeyed the command to r('p(ait and believe the gos]iel. Even il a '' regenerate ehurch membership" were the point at issue b(>tween others and us, thai p.articular tenet W(aild not lie tlie Baptists' distinctive principle : biU it would still be nothing broad(.'r nor narrower, nothing nioic nor jess tlian " obiedence," though of course others would narrow the dilference hetwe(Mi us to the (aie thing, viz.. '' regeneraliiai" as they do to-ilay to "baptism." The enormous "Oi-eek Chureli '' of Hussia, and the Baptist > or baptism, but as to the jiroper nHbjfrls for baptism. In thin country we have to Ooth. .Ml authority centr s in Christ, and between Ilim and us we allfiwno Pope, Bishop, Synod. i'reshyt(>iy, I '(Wifereuen. or any other human antliority to e.xercise any power over us eithiM' as individual christians, or as organized churches. His words come to ul« with no vuicertain sound, but have behind them all .a " Thus s.dth the Lord," when he commands, it is subject neither to our apjiroval nor revision, but it comes as tlu' unalterable, irrevocabU?, ,iiid imjiera ive word of tlie Maji'sty of Heaven. He does not ask our oliedienci^ as a cold duty, and as such he never ■iDiiiiwi 'wwwvmmm'immm accL-pls il. liiil lie iisks lis to ii'iider olx'dipncc lo nil liis eonmiMiuls iVoni tlic sihik' iiiDtivc tliiit jjininiitcil llim to olicy His Faltier's will. He snys " if yo love M(>, kc'c|) My (•oimiiimdnu'iits." Since! " lovo is tlic I'lilliliiig of the law," there can lie no liinitalioii of our ol)e«lieiiee, while love is deep, and fervi'iit and .strong imt oiir love to Christ cannot he deeji, and fervent, and .stnaifj;, if we deliherately prefer the authority that is merely human, iiefore his au'liorily in His Word. There is no .such thing a.s loving Chri.st, and disregarding Hi.s eommand.s: for a love that fixes itself on the person ol Christ, hy tliat same act avows eternal loyalty to Hiw revealed coinniands. Therefore necaiise our Supreme ]»r' the King Eternal, hnmortal, Invisihle, the only wise fiod lias (^omniiinded us to ohey. Therefore taking His eiimmauds in tlu'ir spiritu:d siuuiiicance and their natural order, and , renderinu' then) the alui ol uuIm lieving indillereiilism. If yoii clioosi^ anothei' jirinciple thiit does not involv(! uiiconiiitional ohedi(>nc,(! to the simple woi'd of (iod. you niiisl have a foimulated cre(>d, in which to emhody yoiu' belief and defend your practice. In the Haptist denomination, without a cast ir. ai crceil, strappeil on the memhers and ministers, almost invariably they are charact(>i'ized bv lo\ ally to. and al)iding enjoyment of tlie great truths of the -rosix-l. We are the only great body ol christians that can mainl.iin uniai among ourselves, fidelity to the Word of ( iod, and succeed in the advancement of our mission without a wiitteii creed. We are the laily deuomiuiiliou in al ("hri^lend in tint can alForil to stay in.side the covers of the liible for aiUhoi'ily for all we believt^ and practise, hecius(! of o;n' ho'din'j; as the omi C(;ntriil priu 'iple ■' obeilii^nce toChrist " If any sh.'ill siiy ' The First Baptist Church of this City hn'. in'j; secure! :i la^intiful Home, that therefore she ouuhl to settle down to a iihiouHtes her claim to the principle of iibedieuce to C^hrist, as her dislinctive one. l''or this principle involves not only per.-caial obeijience l)Ut also its pei-petu,ition through, others. II by others neglecting the c^ mmmal to b(> bajilized ;is was our Loi'a('li others to obey in l)aptism : " (io ye into all the world ual pi'cach the gospel to every creature, he ttint believ(>th and is baptized shall lie saved, but be tliiii helievelh not shiill be (Hinilenur d. " Is this ,)u obs obey in being baptised, and ibeii ceasi to teach otheis to obey 'oo. we at once surrender the Bnplist principle, for we cease to be obivlieiit to Ciiri.~l. But let us not suppose that our missi m begins amt ends in getting people baptized, possibly it m;iy begin lower down, and end higher up. For there are .some things that iire irreater as well as some things thnt are h sser than bnptism. If yon are biouglit into contnct with a sfiiil that is unsaved, evidently your work in that (Mse is not to extend the doctrine of believers' baptism, but the •' I'nplist prineii^le." whii'h is ''obedience to Christ." Witli such a |>erson vou will urge the command to repent and believe the gospel, and tiial if He do not obey, he will peri-^h eternally. In thiit way you will exieinl the'' I'aiaist |)riiicip!e," fcir you will be ti'.-u'hin'..c Him to do ' the gr(>atest thing in the worlli " iiiimelv, to obev ( 'hrist. If you meet a man who h;is been crjaiviTled and baptized according to the oril(>r of the .New Testiimeiit, out who is neglecline family worshi|i ami his church relations, then you will not talk to him abdiit Haptism. nnt about those things in whi;'h ii(> is remiss, for in those things he has ceased to be obedient to Christ, and it is your duly to help to restore him lo obedienci to kiioivu cdinminds. If you icfiisi- to reclaim that baptized brotlier from his hillen state, ymi refuse to (wieiid the " Bnptist principle " for in that work yon refuse to obey I ",uist. Brethren ami Sislers —If I have succeeded in provini; our riglit to live ; I hnve shown tlmt this church has a. di.-linct mission in haiinony with the New Testament : If yot lire truly convinced that llie work the fonndeis of this c.iuu'ch acc()mplislied. is needed to-d:iv. then let us conseer.iti' our^elve^ aiiewt'i tliis eri';it and holy task ' .MidiU a century ;igo tile Baptist- on the whole of this continent numberel y.i.oyy. to-day the membership of the ii",;ular Baptist Cburcbes is three millions and :i (|U;irter. with .some ten millions of ndbereuts. Beholil ' what (!od halli wronglil b.v I be Irce and full distributinu of his uwn pure Word 1 lunl thei'c are yet grc^ater triumphs in stiu-e for that pi.werlnl gospel. The wea]ions of can- warfare are not carnal, bnl mighty through (iod, to thi' |)ullinu down of st rong- nolds, casting down imaginations (i. e. reasonings) and every high tliinir lti;it e.Xilleth itself against tlie knowledge of (iod, and bringing into cMptivit.\' every thought to the obeilience of ("hiisi ; our st reiigtli is gotten by prayer ; .ind oiir object is tlie ulor.N of (iod. lirethren ami Sisteis, be strong in the Lonl an 1 in tin power of his might, know the Iriilli. s(» :i- to be lillecl with the word of Christ in all wisdom :ind spirituil nil ier-f in ling iiid whoever for-^iikes the ninks. or vviinever wavers in that battle, do voii I »aie lo ilo right d re to be true. '^'oti have a Work that. n