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 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 <il' Ix'licvci-s, imiit'd Inr tlic iJiirpusi' nT |]rnmiiliiiu- ilirii' own <_nowili 
 ill <ri'iii;(' i\n<l pcisoiiMl holiness, miiiiitiiiiiiiii; tlic oriliiiiiiu'iv (if tlii' ^'()s|ifl. iiiiil cxtfiiiliim- tlic kiniiildiii of .lisus < 'in ist 
 ill tlicc.iitli. Tiic liiidy uf cliristiiiiis wlin iiifct in tliis nuilii'iu'c rimni t(Mliiy. mssmiih' to lie sncii, iiccuiiJiMi: Id tlic 
 lOiicliii)}; nf tlic New 'i'cstiinicni. Doiilitlcss most oi' ynn iirc riiniiiiiir with the oiiirin, ci-avth mikI toiin;iti(Hi ot the 
 First I'Mptisl ('linrch. as iiiiiiatiMl hy Dr. E. M. SmuihIci-s, Th.it was ii happy day lor Hniil'a.x, when Lord DidlKMisic's 
 Cliiiplaiii |iro("lailiied the irlorioiis lio.'Jpcl ol the hlessed (iod hi-re. He was at least to one "a liiiLihl and shiniiiL' 
 light." for thi'oniih his preach inij .h'siis " the power of tiod. and the wisdom of (iod. " ^^l■. .1. T. TwininLr, M 'iir.-iic ,,1' 
 St. I'anl's) was hrouirht into the iilierty of tlie Lrospel. As a natural consci|neiuc of his conversion. Mr. Twiiiii'.ir 
 pleached the same jj;ospel. and throiiy:h his [ircachiii;^. the ji;os|)cl jirovcd to he the power of (iod nnto salvation, unto 
 many that hclievcd Mcintj iiroliahly jcalmis of the urowini; popularity of his converted Curate, the Kcctor, ^^l•. 
 Iiifliis, dismissed Mr. 'rwininir fn in his service. Xoik can wonder th.it most of the reirular attendants .it St I'aiiTs si 
 far symiiathiseii with Mr. Twiiiiiiu. as to follow him. Aftei a hiicf consultation, he ;nid they decided to ciiirairc a 
 luiilding where they could woishi]! (ioil according to their coii.>!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, attende<l hv old and 
 young, was vigonuisly carried on. This young church gave birth to the most effective form of Home Mission work 
 which has since grown into its present .•<troiig aii<l inter-iirovincial character. Foreign Mis,sions also have ever had a. 
 large place in the church's benevolence, wliich iias been also practically illustrated in the connecration to tlie work of 
 Mi« DeVVo'f and M!!»« Wianlit. members of this cliurch. To tli- talent and inHuence of thii^ church, thedeuniniuation 
 is indebt(>d 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><S7. 
 
 The 1i»tal expenditure ainiKHit* to i54^.o:^l.OO. ('out of the I -and SS.^Hq.oo. ("osl of the Vestry sH.ooo.oo. Cost 
 
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of tin' AiidieiKH' Hnoni ?i •6, 096.1)0. Cost of tlu' ()r<;im 52.300. T'ost of Pnlpit mid otlier Fiirnisliinjjs 51,250.00. Grand 
 total 543,0^1.90. Piiid ;?3o,93i.90. Jifiiving ii dolit to dny of 5' -,100.00. 
 
 Wlien this House occupied in April, 1887, tiiore wtis a mortgage on the whole of 515,000.00. On the lirst day of 
 ()ct((h('r of the three following years, 1880, 1H89, 1S90. 51,000.00 were paid, and it ouglit to l)e the very lowest aim of 
 this coiigregation to do the same every year till the whole mortgage is cleared oil". 
 
 In order to aeeomplisli this very desirahle end, it is necessary that we raise $250 every quarter, and this caHnot he 
 done unless we contnhute systematically, a given sum a(!e()rding to our ahility. Are we equal to the task? I.s tliis 
 congregation linancnally aiile lo carry out this proposition ? 1 do not think that thi're is any douht iss to oiU' ahility, 
 and I cannot question our willingness. Ac(|uaintance with a very little of yom- history, convinces me that wlien a need 
 lias heen demonstrated as right, reasonahlc, and attainatile. you liave ever heen willing to undertake its accomplishment. 
 It is certainly scri|)tuial for a church or a christian to '"owe no man anything," it therefore ust he a right thing to jiay 
 oH'this delil. As a matter of commerce it is not the hest policy to pay 5600.00 a year interest, if tliat sum could hi^ 
 devuteil lo heuev ilent purposes. .\nd it is crrtainly reasonai)le tiiat we shouM undertake to<lo that which we aie ahle 
 to ac(Mimpiisli. 'I'herelore 1 ask you to study the following propositions. ■ 
 
 1 am not fnify aci|Uiiiiited with the 'iaiieial ahility of all wiio compose this congregation, hut I l)eli(>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<j cents a (piarter regulnrly, than make an occasional huge effort in the form of a sah; 
 or Bazaar?" Of course this plan is simply propositive, and is suhmitted as tiie lietter one in my humhle judgment. If 
 yiai have oiu' that is lietter and more in liarinony with the wishes of the majority of the menifiers, you have the same 
 liliertv to propose it as I liave this one. I am only one of \()ur iiumhiT and (Usite to a.ssume no more rii.'ht to say 
 liow vou sliall rcHJuce the deht, than the poorest and the weakest in the church, (ftlu; church decides to liave a 
 Sale or Bazaar, or tn adopt any niher method lor r.iising money I have no pnwer 10 prevent tiie execution of niie 
 or all nf thcin. --» -- . - . ^ _ _ 
 
 But this I would like to say, as iheiesult of experience and ohservalion. I linnly i>(>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<i have as truly heen haptized hy 
 immersion as I have, and yel Iheir Ba)iiisin no more involve!* the Baptist principle than does the " ehrisli ning " that 
 I received in ' .\l' Soul's" Kpiscopal Church. Liaidon, F.ngland, in ni\' infancy, I know that many jieople who are 
 ignorant ol 1 he rundamental principle on which intelligeul Baptists iiase their argument for a separate denominational 
 existence, suppose that it is simply tlu^ f|Uaiility ol water thai divides us from other hodies. 
 
 Baptism hy immersion, is involveil in the B plist principle, hut the Baptist priin-iple is not involved in Baptism hv 
 immersion. .\ man may he haptized hy ininiersicai, and yet not he (|ualilied for admission into a regular Baptist 
 church : ther lore ha|itisin, with all its divin(> 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 
 
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 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 
 <lenominati(ai of this continent, olfer an illustration of tlie point I am trying to logically prove. I have given you 
 aigument. now just look a* the illustration. The Greek church and the Baptist body both baptize by inuuersion 
 If I were discussing the cause of separ.it ion between these two bodi(s with a priest of the Russian ('liiuch, vould we 
 spend a single minute on tiie subjeel of baplizini: by immersion ? Decidedly not. Why not '/ because just her( we 
 would both be Baptists. When I baptize I put the body under water, and when He baptizes. He also puts the whole 
 i)ody under water. But when He baptizes, the subject is an inl'ant, tlierel'ore our argumentation would not he on the 
 Dioilr of baptism but on the xiilijccl. My task would be to show him from the Word of ( lod, that he is disobeying the 
 order of the biblical ritual, which always and everywhere demands that faith in Christ as the Saviour of the soul, 
 shall jireeede baptism; whereas He baiilizes his sidiject before this (]Ualilicaticai can take place;. So that if We were 
 in Hussia to-day, we w<aild not be contending fur the faith (ai(!e delivei'e(l to the saints as t the scriptural 7niiil>> 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<l lom'nauds us to ol)ey, We chose " ohedienee to Christ " ii>' the <ine and only governing principle, that we call 
 tlie Baptist princi|ile. Not because we like or <lislike what He (jommands ; not lie<'ause it ministers to our comfort or 
 distingnishi's us from otheis, hut hecause tli(> 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 <ihedience |iidmpted hy love, we stiuid hy this old doi-trine for which our foret'atliers in the fiuth contendi-d so 
 e.iriKislly, ami loi' tlw conservation ;iud advancement ol which this old church meets here to-dny. 
 
 If a mail declines ohciiieiice to tlie |)l.iin oomm:lnd^' of Chiisi.he enters on i ci)ms ■ of llisllll(^l■encl^ that may 
 lead him. as i( has done miiny ethers, to the aiitipodes of Divine (ruth, lund from the mililei* forms of orror, many 
 hiive giavitateiri(i\v:iri|< rnilaii,iui<m, Univer.salism, H itionnlism, Deism. I'uithci^ui, inUii l(i<t in the va<t r(>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 <iuiet. easy, .-ind comfi rtable life, eu lini; her days in |i' ic"." li'f m- her- and now remind 
 you, thill immeili.itely this Church does that, sue at onci> 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'<l we are imidi^ lo feel lh;it w are set for 
 llie defence ol th.-it partii'iiliir Cdiiimand. let us leiiieniber that the I'lul of our ohlig.itiiai is not leaelieil. when we dliey 
 in baptism. The .-a me Lord who commands us to obey in bnptism, also commands us to ti>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<ilete comm^ind ' 'I hen so is Baptism. If w(> 
 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<i other can do. 
 Ddil s(( bra.vi'ly — .so kiiidlv - so well, 
 
 .\s Id i;laden all heaven, and silence all hell. 
 
 Dare to do riiiht -dare to be true. 
 
 K(M'p the ureiit .jmlgment seat alwavs in view ; 
 Look It your life, as you'll look at it then. 
 
 Scanned bv .lehovah, and angels, and men. 
 
 Dare lo do riulil dare t<i be t rue, 
 Other nii'ii's Inilnres can never save you ; 
 
 StnntI by your conscience, your (iod, and your faith. 
 Stand like a hero and battle till dt ath 
 
 Dare to do iii:ht — dare to lie true, 
 Ciimiot Omnipotence carry you through? 
 
 ('itv, and mansion, and thnaie all in sight. 
 Then \)\HK to b I'lU'K -ves. \)\\{K to .lo HKiHT.