LIBRARY 
 
 OF THE 
 
 University of California. 
 
 Class 
 
THE 
 
 New Directory 
 
 FOR 
 
 BAPTIST CHURCHES 
 
 ** Ut scias qiiomodo opporteat te in Domo Dei 
 Conversari, quae est Ecclesia Dei vivi, Coliimna 
 et Firmamentum tertians,'' 
 
 BY 
 
 Edward T. Hiscox, D. D. 
 
 n 
 
 Author of "Baptist Church Directory," "Baptist Short Method' 
 
 "Standard Manual," "Star Book for Ministers," "Pastor's 
 
 Manual." "Star Book Series," etc. 
 
 PHILADELPHIA 
 
 AMERICAN BAPTIST PUBLICATION SOCIETY 
 
 I70J CHESTNUT STREET 
 

 Copyright bv 
 
 EDWARD T. HISCOX. 
 
 1894. 
 
 Published June, 1902 
 
\^\V 
 
 PUBLISHERS' NOTE. 
 
 In presenting a new edition of Dr. Hiscox's valu- 
 able work to our churches, the publishers take 
 pleasure in saying that the " New Directory " has 
 been everywhere welcomed with approval and 
 commendation by both pastors and people. Our 
 denominational journals have uniformly given it 
 very high praise. To our knowledge there has 
 been no exception. Some of the author's previous 
 manuals have been for many years in use, have 
 enjoyed a wide circulation, and have largely con- 
 tributed to the harmony, unity, and good order of our 
 churches. Not a few manuals by other authors on 
 specific departments of our faith and practice, have 
 also been used, many of them of special value, and 
 some of which are still doing good service. But 
 nothing so comprehensive and so complete as 
 the " New Directory " has ever before been offered 
 to our people. A few testimonials from some 
 of our prominent men, and some of our leading 
 journals, are introduced, and certify to the esti- 
 mation in which the book is held by them. A few 
 changes and additions have been made in the text of 
 the present edition, and a carefully prepared index 
 has been appended, which will add much to its value. 
 
 We commend with increased confidence the 
 " New Directory " to the favor of American Bap- 
 tists, as a sound and scriptural exposition of New 
 Testament church polity, as represented by our 
 faith and practice. In addition we express the 
 hope that its use will be still more largely in- 
 creased as a conservative and an educating force 
 among our churches. 
 
 3 
 
 222660 
 
SOME TESTIMONIALS TO THE NEW DIRECTORY 
 
 Dr. Hovey, President of Newton Theological Seminary, 
 says : "I have read ' The New Directory ' with great satis- 
 faction. The style is well-nigh perfect, and the views which 
 it inculcates are wholesome. I am delighted to see them 
 stated so fully and so lucidly. The volume will be of great 
 service to the denomination." 
 
 Dr. Strong, President of Rochester Theological Seminary, 
 says: "I take great pleasure in commending 'The New 
 Directory' for Baptist churches, by E. T. Hiscox, d. d., as, 
 on the whole, the most complete and satisfactory manual on 
 the subject extant. I regard it as surprisingly accurate and 
 faithful in its presentation of our polity and usages." 
 
 Dr. Weston, President of Crozer Theological Seminary, 
 says: "Dr. Hiscox has unquestionably given us in 'The 
 New Directory* the book which will be the recognized de- 
 nominational standard for years to come. He has covered 
 the ground which a Baptist directory should occupy, and has 
 done it well." 
 
 Dr. Corey, President of Richmond Theological Seminary, 
 says : " It is a most valuable book, and its wide circulation 
 among the rising ministry will be productive of very great 
 good. I shall recommend its use in the classes of the 
 seminary." 
 
 Dr. MacArthur of New York, says : "As this is the last 
 so it is the ablest of all the manuals Dr. Hiscox has prepared. 
 The whole denomination may well rise up to honor Dr. 
 Hiscox for the important service he has rendered, the denomi- 
 national inspiration he has imparted, and the sound instruction 
 he has giv^n." 
 
 4- 
 
\^- 
 
 ONTENTS 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Preface 7 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 Propositions and Statements »..».. 1 1 
 
 CHAPTER n. 
 A Christian Church 20 
 
 CHAPTER nr. 
 
 Church Membership 6i 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 Church Officers 83 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 Christian Ordinances 119 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 Church Government 142 
 
 CHAPTER VH. 
 Church Discipline 160 
 
 CHAPTER Vni. 
 Unusual Difficulties 192 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 Christian Worship 210 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 The Church's Mission 252 
 
 5 
 
6 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER XI. PAGE 
 
 The Christian Ministry 277 
 
 CHAPTER XH. 
 Baptist Councils 311 
 
 CHAPTER xnr. 
 
 Related Societies . . 330 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 Ordination 344 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 Christian Baptism 386 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 The Lord's Supper 445 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 Infant Baptism 468 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 Baptist History 492 
 
 APPENDIX 
 
 A. Creeds and Confessions 525 
 
 B. Optional Resolutions 564 
 
 C. Glossary of Authorities 567 
 
 D. Rules of Order 576 
 
 E. Forms and Blanks 585 
 
 F. Benevolent Societies 594 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 Thirty-four years ago (1859) the Baptist Church 
 Directory was published as an ecclesiastical manual 
 for use among Baptists. It met with immediate and 
 hearty approval by both pastors and members of 
 the churches, and was welcomed at once by a large 
 circulation. That such a book is still needed is 
 proven by the fact that after a constant and unin- 
 terrupted use for an entire generation, it is in as 
 great demand as ever. This, for a book of the kind, 
 is declared by the publishers to be a case *' altogether 
 phenomenal." Since its first issue, within its field of 
 denominational literature, probably a dozen differ- 
 ent books treating of some departments of Baptist 
 Church polity have appeared, had a brief run, then 
 disappeared. The Directory, by its general plan, 
 method of treatment, and exposition of principles, 
 has so commended itself to the denomination as to 
 be declared as nearly a *' standard " on the subjects 
 of which it treats, as anything short of the New 
 Testament can be. About sixty thousand copies 
 have been circulated in this country, while it has 
 
8 PREFACE. 
 
 been translated more or less fully into at least seven 
 different languages, by our missionaries in foreign 
 lands, for use among the native churches. For 
 such signal service rendered to Gospel truth and 
 our distinctive faith, the author is devoutly thankful. 
 
 Since the first appearance of the Directory the 
 author has published several other manuals, mostly 
 smaller, designed to meet the needs of specific de- 
 partments in our Church life, usage, and order. In 
 all, there are now nine of these manuals, the com- 
 bined circulation of which, in this country, so far as 
 can be ascertained, is not less than one hundred and 
 sixty thousand copies. The Standard Manual has 
 be^n translated into Spanish, for use in our churches 
 in Mexico, Cuba, and elsewhere, among Spanish- 
 speaking peoples. 
 
 The present work, though constructed on the 
 same general plan as the Directory, is an entirely 
 new book, much more comprehensive, and contains 
 more than double the amount of matter. It is entire- 
 ly in harmony with previous manuals, as to Baptist 
 polity, and neither abrogates nor antagonizes any 
 of the fundamental principles announced or advo- 
 cated in those previous issues. During the past 
 quarter of a century the author has been writt-^in to 
 repeatedly, asking his opinion and advice as to per- 
 plexing cases in Church order and discipline, ^^vick 
 
PREFACE. 9 
 
 as will frequently arise, and which no prescriptive 
 rules can possibly anticipate. This work is intended, 
 so far as possible, to meet such cases, by more ex- 
 tended explanations of general principles. The ar- 
 rangement of subjects and matter is lucid, the style 
 is plain and simple, and the arguments are believed 
 to be convincing. The book, it is confidently ex- 
 pected, will commend itself to the people as a care- 
 ful and sound exposition of Baptist Church polity 
 and practice. 
 
 When the Directory was issued in 1859, American 
 Baptists numbered less than one millioti Church 
 members. Now they have about three and one-half 
 millions. Many thousands of young people, and per- 
 sons from other denominations and from families 
 without religious instruction, are yearly gathered 
 into our churches. These recruits came among us 
 with all the rights of franchise, but with little or no 
 previous instruction as to their exercise. They need 
 to be taught as to the nature, duties and privileges 
 of membership in the Church of Christ, if their ad- 
 mission is to be made a blessing. Our Church 
 members also, both young and old, need instruction 
 as to our distinctive principles, and the reasons for 
 them, if the integrity of our faith is to be preserved. 
 If there be reasons for the maintenance of a dis- 
 tinct denominational existence, there is special 
 
10 PREFACE. 
 
 urgency for the declaration and the defense of those 
 reasons. The principles on which this Manual is 
 constructed are drawn from the New Testament, 
 and never in our history was there so much need of 
 such an exposition and guide for members in our 
 Church fellowship, as there is to-day. Let the 
 necessity be recognized and met. 
 
 May the favor of our gracious Heavenly Father 
 attend this, as it has sanctioned previous efforts in 
 the same direction, and make it a means of further- 
 ance to the unity, harmony, spiritual vitality and 
 efficiency of the churches, resulting in the glory of 
 our Lord Jesus Christ, through the salvation of souls 
 and the edification of the saints, is the sincere and 
 prayerful desire of the writer, E. T. H. 
 
 Mount Vernon y N. F., May 20, 1893. 
 
THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 PROPOSITIONS AND STATEMENTS. 
 
 Prop. I. The Bible is a Divine Revelation given 
 of God to men, and is a complete and infallible 
 guide and standard of authority in all matters of 
 religion and morals; whatever it teaches is to be 
 believed, and whatever it commands is to be obeyed; 
 whatever it commends is to be accepted as both 
 right and useful; whatever it condemns is to be 
 avoided as both wrong and hurtful; but what it 
 neither commands nor teaches is not to be imposed 
 on the conscience as of religious obligation. 
 
 Prop. II. The New Testament is the constitution 
 of Christianity, the charter of the Christian Church, 
 the only authoritative code of ecclesiastical law, and 
 the warrant and justification of all Christian institu- 
 tions. In it alone is life and immortality brought 
 to light, the way of escape from wrath revealed, and 
 all things necessary to salvation made plain; while 
 its messages are a gospel of peace on earth and of 
 hope to a lost world. 
 
 Prop. III. Every man by nature possesses the 
 
12 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 right of private judgment in the interpretation of the 
 Scriptures, and in all religious concerns; it is his 
 privilege to read and explain the Bible for himself, 
 without dictation from, or dependence on, any one, 
 being responsible to God alone for his use of the 
 sacred truth. 
 
 Prop. IV. Every man has the right to hold such 
 religious opinions as he believes the Bible teaches, 
 without harm or hindrance from any one on that 
 account, so long as he does not intrude upon, or in- 
 terfere with, the rights of others by so doing. 
 
 Prop. V. All men have the right, not only to be- 
 lieve, but also to profess and openly declare, what- 
 ever religious opinions they may entertain, providing 
 they be not contrary to common morality, and do 
 no injustice to others. 
 
 Prop. VI. All men possess the common right to 
 worship God according to the teachings of the 
 Scriptures, as they understand them, without hin- 
 drance or molestation, so long as they do not injure 
 or interfere with the rights of others by so doing. 
 
 Prop. VII. Civil governments, rulers and magis- 
 trates are to be respected, and in all temporal mat- 
 ters, not contrary to conscience and the word of 
 God, to be obeyed; but they have no jurisdiction in 
 spiritual concerns, and have no right of dictation to, 
 of control over, or of interference with, matters of 
 religion; but are bound to protect all good citizens 
 in the peaceable enjoyment of their religious rights 
 and privileges. 
 
 Prop. VIII. No organic union of Church and State 
 
PROPOSITIONS AND STATEMENTS. 1 3 
 
 should be tolerated, but entire separation maintained: 
 the Church should neither ask for, nor accept of, sup- 
 port from civil authority, since to do so would imply 
 the right of civil dictation and control. The sup- 
 port of religion belongs to those who profess it. 
 
 Prop. IX. Christian men are to be good and law- 
 abiding citizens, sustaining and defending the gov- 
 ernment under which they live, in all things not 
 contrary to conscience and the word of God; while 
 such government is bound to protect them in the 
 full enjoyment of all their rights and privileges, both 
 civil and religious. 
 
 Prop. X. Religion is to be free and voluntary, 
 both as to faith, worship and service; neither con- 
 formity to, nor support of, religion in any form, 
 should be compulsory. Christian faith and practice 
 are matters of conscience and personal choice, and 
 not subject to official dictation; and for either civil 
 or ecclesiastical authority to enforce conformity, 
 punish dissent, or compel the support of any form 
 of worship, is a crime against the rights of man, an 
 assumption of divine prerogatives, and treason 
 against Christ, the only Lord of the conscience and 
 sovereign of the soul. 
 
 Prop. XL None but regenerated persons ought 
 to be, or properly can be, members of a Christian 
 Church, which is a spiritual body separate from the 
 world and distinct from the state, and to be com- 
 posed of spiritual members only. 
 
 Prop. XIL Pastors are not to be imposed on 
 churches nor taken from them without their consent; 
 
14 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 but are to be chosen by them, each for itself, at its 
 own option, as by free men in Christ, who have a 
 right to the choice and election of their religious 
 teachers. 
 
 Prop. XIII. Christ is the only Head over, and 
 Lawgiver to, His churches. Consequently the 
 churches cannot make laws, but only execute those 
 which He has given. Nor can any man, or body of 
 men legislate for the churches. The New Testa- 
 ment alone is their statute book, by which, without 
 change, the body of Christ is to govern itself. 
 
 DISTINCTIVE CHARACTERISTICS. 
 
 In what respects do Baptists differ from other 
 Christian denominations ? 
 
 This is a question sometimes asked, and one which 
 even Baptists themselves not unfrequently find it 
 difficult to answer. If others misunderstand or mis- 
 interpret them, they should understand their own 
 position, and be able to give a reason for it; they of 
 all men, should be well instructed in the " kingdom 
 of heaven," especially so far as relates to their pecul- 
 iar faith and order. Every honest mind searching 
 for truth will ask, "What does the Bible teach.?" 
 rather than, '' What do men believe ? " Yet the for- 
 mer is often better learned by well understanding 
 the latter. The opinions of men and the creeds of 
 the churches are important to be known, for infor- 
 mation if not for authority. 
 
 The following points indicate the more important 
 
PROPOSITIONS AND STATEMENTS. 1 5 
 
 respects in which Baptists differ from others, as to 
 reHgious opinion and practice: 
 
 1. As to a Christian Church. 
 
 They hold that a Church is a company of disci- 
 ples, baptized on a profession of their faith in Christ, 
 united in covenant to maintain the ordinances of 
 the Gospel, and the public worship of God; to live 
 godly lives, and to spread abroad the knowledge of 
 Christ as the Saviour of men. 
 
 Consequently an ecclesiastical system consisting 
 of many organic units, a confederation of religious 
 societies under one general government or head, 
 is not a Christian Church, though sometimes bearing 
 that designation. 
 
 2. As to Baptism. 
 
 They believe that baptism is the immersion^ dip- 
 ping, or burying a candidate in water, on a profes- 
 sion of his faith in Christ, and that such is the only 
 form of baptism taught in the New Testament, or 
 practised by the Apostles and first Christians. Con- 
 sequently the form is essential to the ordinance, 
 and nothing but immersion can be scriptural baptism. 
 
 Therefore sprinkling, pouring, and whatever other 
 use of water may be resorted to, are not baptism at 
 all, but substitutes for it. On the contrary, Pedo- 
 baptists hold that sprinkling and pouring are equal- 
 ly valid baptism with immersion, and because more 
 convenient, are to be preferred. 
 
l6 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 3. Proper Subjects for Baptism. _ 
 Baptists assert that the only proper subjects for 
 
 baptism are regenerated persons; those who have 
 exercised and professed a saving faith in Christ, and 
 are living orderly Christian lives. 
 
 On the contrary, some hold and teach that unre- 
 generate persons may be baptized as a means' of 
 grace; while all Pedobaptists claim that unconscious 
 infants, unregenerate and incapable of faith, should 
 receive baptism on the faith of parents, or sponsors. 
 All of which Baptists declare to be plainly contrary 
 to the word of God and the economy of grace. 
 
 4. Proper Subjects for Communion. 
 
 As to who have the right and properly should 
 come to the Communion of the Lord's Supper, Bap- 
 tists claim that only regenerate persons, baptized 
 on a profession of their faith, and living in a godly 
 and Christian manner as members of a church, have 
 a right to, or can properly partake of, the Supper. 
 Of course, then, baptism is prerequisite to the Sup- 
 per; of course, also, the Church is to judge the 
 qualifications of those who enjoy its privileges. 
 
 On the contrary, some believe and teach that 
 baptism is not prerequisite to the Communion, 
 therefore unbaptized persons may rightfully come 
 to the Lord's table; some also teach that conversion 
 is not prerequisite to baptism and church-member- 
 ship, while others assert that each one should judge 
 of his own fitness, and the Church cannot properly 
 deny the privilege to any one who desires it. 
 
PROPOSITIONS AND STATEMENTS. 1/ 
 
 All Pedobaptists invite to the Supper persons 
 only sprinkled, whom Baptists regard as unbaptized; 
 the Roman Church gives to the laity the Commun- 
 ion in one kind only, withholding from them the 
 cup, and the Greek Church gives the Eucharist, as 
 they do baptism, to unconscious infants. All of 
 which Baptists consider contrary to the Scriptures, 
 and subversive of Gospel order in the churches. 
 
 5. Subjects for Church Membership. 
 
 What class of persons should be admitted as 
 members to the fellowship of Christian chmches ? 
 Baptists say that godly persons, baptized on a 
 profession of faith, are the only proper and suit- 
 able persons. That all others should be denied ad- 
 mission, and if already within the Church should be 
 cast out. 
 
 Consequently, to receive unconverted persons, 
 whether infants or adults, destroys the spiritual 
 character of the body, and forms an unholy alliance 
 with the world, instead of maintaining a broad and 
 distinctive separation between them. 
 
 6. The Form of Church Government. 
 
 Is there any form of government for the churches 
 taught in the New Testament .-^ And if so, what is 
 it .•* Baptists assert that each particular local Church 
 is self-governing, and independent of all othei 
 churches, and of all persons and bodies of men 
 whatever, as to the administration of its own affairs; 
 that it is of right, and should be, free from any other 
 
1 8 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 human authority, whether civil or ecclesiastical, and 
 that this is the New Testament idea of church gov- 
 ernment. 
 
 Others, however, with great diversity of opinion, 
 hold and teach that local congregations of Chris- 
 tians should not govern themselves, but be gov- 
 erned by popes, bishops or priests, assemblies, 
 conferences, conventions, councils, consociations, 
 synods or presbyteries. All of which Baptists con- 
 sider as contradictory of the New Testament and 
 the practice of the primitive churches. 
 
 7. As to Church Officers. 
 
 What and how many are the Scriptural officers of 
 a Christian Church t Baptists hold that they are 
 two; pastors and deacons: besides these, there are 
 no others. They assert that bishop and elder in the 
 primitive churches were identical in office and au- 
 thority, being pastors when holding the superinten- 
 dence of churches, and evaitgelists when preaching 
 from place to place; and that ruling and teach- 
 ing elders were not, and properly should not be, dis- 
 tinct and separate offices in the churches. Conse- 
 quently bishops are not a superior order of the 
 clergy, nor ruling elders an order distinct from 
 teaching elders. 
 
 On the contrary, other denominations claim more 
 than two orders in the ministry and officers in the 
 churches, running through a long list from pope 
 to pastor, from cardinal to curate, from dean to 
 deacon. 
 
PROPOSITIONS AND STATEMENTS. 1 9 
 
 8. As to Doctrinal Belief , 
 
 In doctrine, Baptists agree very nearly with 
 other evangelical Christians. They are what is 
 usually called Calvinistic, as opposed to Arminian 
 views of free-will and the sovereignty of grace. 
 They hold the unity of the Godhead, and the equal 
 Divinity of the Father, Son and Spirit: a full and 
 free salvation proclaimed to all in Christ; the atone- 
 ment and redemption by the meritorious sacrifice of 
 Christ; justification by faith, not by works; the ab- 
 solute necessity of regeneration in order to salvation; 
 the Holy Spirit the author and finisher of saving 
 faith and sanctification; the personal election of be- 
 lievers; the perseverance of the saints by upholding 
 grace; the resurrection of the body, and the life 
 everlasting; also the endless duration of rewards 
 and punishments, to be assigned by Christ, the judge 
 of quick and dead, at His coming and glory. 
 
 There may be others, but the above named con- 
 stitute those which chiefly mark the difference be- 
 tween Baptists and other Christians. These are the 
 questions in respect to which misapprehensions most 
 frequently arise, and on which information is most 
 likely to be sought. And on all of them, while Bap- 
 tists do not claim to be faultless, nor beyond the 
 possibility of mistake and error, they appeal to the 
 Bible, to history, to philology, in justification of their 
 views, and in support of their position. 
 
CHAPTER II. 
 
 A CHRISTIAN CHURCH. 
 
 A Christian Church is a company of regen- 
 erate persons, baptized on a profession of faith in 
 Christ; united in covenant for worship, instruction, 
 the observance of Christian ordinances, and for such 
 service as the gospel requires; recognizing and ac- 
 cepting Christ as their supreme Lord and Lawgiver, 
 and taking His Word as their only and sufficient 
 rule of faith and practice in all matters of conscience 
 and religion. 
 
 I. MEANING OF THE WORD. 
 
 The word Church is of uncertain derivation : Eng- 
 lish, Church; Scottish, Kirk; Anglo-Saxon, Cyric; 
 German, Kirche; Danish, Kyrke ; Swedish, Kyrka; 
 Russian, Zerkow. It is used as the equivalent, if 
 not derived from the Hebrew Kahal; Latin, Curia, 
 and has usually been derived from the Greek Kuri- 
 akon — "belonging to the Lord." This is, however, 
 disputed by good authority. But Ekklesia is the 
 accepted equivalent Greek word used in the Nev/ 
 Testament, and translated Church. This word is 
 used to designate the visible " Kingdom of heaven" 
 on earth, the company of God's elect people chosen 
 in Christ Jesus; His spiritual Israel of the New Dis- 
 
A CHRISTIAN CHURCH. 21 
 
 pensation — what Alford calls ''the congregation of 
 the faithful."* 
 
 Ekklesia is composed of ek^ from, or out of, and 
 kaleoy to call — called out from. It denotes a com- 
 pany, or assembly of persons, called out, selected, 
 chosen and separated from a larger company, a more 
 general concourse of people. According to the 
 usages of Greek civil life, the Ekklesia was, as the 
 lexicons define it, ''an assembly of citizens called 
 together for deliberative purposes ; a legislative 
 assembly, called to discuss the affairs of state." It 
 was an orderly and an organized assembly, consist- 
 ing of those possessing the rights of citizenship, for 
 the consideration of public affairs, and the enact- 
 ment and enforcement of laws pertaining to the 
 public welfare, as distinguished from the common 
 populace at large, an incidental concourse, or a dis- 
 orderly crowd of people. t 
 
 Bishop Trench gives the following elucidation : 
 
 "We have Ekklesia in three distinct stages of meaning — the 
 Heathen, the Jewish, the Christian. In respect of the first, 
 Ekklesia, as all know, was the lawful assembly in a free Greek 
 city of all persons possessed of the rights of citizenship foi 
 the transaction of public affairs. That they were summoned, 
 is expressed in the latter part of the word ; that they were 
 summoned out of the. whole population, a select portion of it, 
 including neither the populace, nor yet the strangers, nor 
 those who had forfeited their civic rights; this is expressed 
 
 * See Matt. i6: i8; i8: 17. 
 
 f See Grimms-Wilkes N. T. Lexicon, Liddcll & Scott, Robin- 
 son, et al. 
 
22 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 in the first part. Both the calling, and the calling out, are 
 moments to be remembered when the word is assumed into 
 a higher Christian sense, for in them the chief part of its 
 peculiar adaptation to its auguster uses lies." — Synonyms of 
 the New Testament, pp. 17, 18; Ed. 1837. 
 
 Still true to its original classical idea and scope 
 of meaning, when the word was adopted into Chris- 
 tian literature and applied to higher and more sacred 
 uses, it designated a company called out from the 
 world, elected, chosen and separated — Eklekiot, the 
 elected, the faithful, called to be saints. And thus a 
 selected and separated company, to constitute *' the 
 Kingdom of Christ," "the Church of the living God," 
 *'a peculiar people" sanctified to Himself. Here, 
 also, we have the further idea, fundamental to its 
 primitive meaning, of an organized company, with 
 laws, officers and ordinances for the orderly trans- 
 action of affairs, and the performance of service con- 
 templated in their calling and institution. 
 
 II. USES OF THE WORD. 
 
 The word Ekklesia is found one hundred and fif- 
 teen times in the New Testament. In one hundred 
 and ten of these instances it has reference to the 
 institution known as the Church. In three instances 
 it is used in what Trench calls the " heathen sense," 
 being applied to the assembly gathered at Ephesus, 
 on the occasion of the riot incited against Paul and 
 his associates — Acts 19: 32, 39, 41. Notice, how- 
 ever, that the excited and riotous multitude was the 
 
A CHRISTIAN CHURCH. 23 
 
 oklos — a crowd, a confused and disorderly multitude, 
 Acts 2 : 35, and not the Ekklesia, which was the 
 official and authoritative assembly, to which such 
 cases of popular disturbance and disorder were ap- 
 pealed for suppression and settlement. In /z£;^ cases 
 this word is used in the "Jewish sense," being ap- 
 plied to ancient Israel as God's chosen and separated 
 people. In the address of Stephen before his ac- 
 cusers, when referring to Mosaic history, he said : 
 " This is he that was in the Church {Ekklesia) in the 
 wilderness, with the angel which spoke to him." — 
 Acts 7 : 38 ; and in the Epistle to the Hebrews, a 
 citation from the Twenty-second Psalm, according 
 to the Seventy, ** I will declare thy name unto my 
 brethren; in the midst of the Church (Ekklesid) will 
 I sing praise unto thee." — Heb. 2:12; Ps. 22 : 22. 
 The Alexandrian translators of the Hebrew Scrip- 
 tures into Greek used this word to designate the 
 entire congregation of Israel, the whole Hebrew 
 commonwealth, as an organic unity. Under the 
 theocratic government of the Old Dispensation, the 
 seed of Abraham constituted a distinct congrega- 
 tion, called out and separated from all other peoples 
 and races, organized under a polity peculiarly their 
 own, with laws, ordinances and services as distinct 
 as their own calling and race life. Hence the pro- 
 priety and force of this word as a designation of the 
 Hebrew people. 
 
 In the " Christian sense" the word Ekklesia has a 
 twofold signification in the New Testament. First, 
 it is used, in its primary and literal sense, to desig- 
 
24 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 nate a visible, local congregation of Christian disci- 
 ples, meeting for worship, instruction and service. 
 Second, it is used in a secondary and figurative sense, 
 to designate the invisible, universal company, in- 
 cluding all of God's true people on earth and in 
 heaven. There is, then, the visible, local Church, 
 and the invisible, universal Church. In the latter 
 case the word represents a conception of the mind, 
 having no real existence in time or place, and not a 
 historical fact, being only an ideal multitude with- 
 out organization, without action, and without cor- 
 porate being. 
 
 Of the one hundred and ten instances in which 
 Ekklesia is rendered Church in the New Testament, 
 more than ninety are applied to a visible, local con- 
 gregation, or company of disciples, meeting in a 
 given place, for a given purpose. This is the pri- 
 mary and literal signification of the word. Thus it 
 is said, "Paul called the elders of the Church;" 
 "The Church of God at Corinth;" "The Seven 
 churches of Asia;" "The ChurchofEphesus;" "The 
 churches of Galatia." But when it is said, "Christ 
 also loved the Church, and gave Himself for it, that 
 He might present it to Himself a glorious Church," 
 etc., Eph. 5 : 25, 27, it presumably refers to no par- 
 ticular congregation of believers, but to the entire 
 company of the saved — the universal, invisible 
 Church. In the same way is interpreted the much- 
 quoted declaration of Jesus : "On this rock will I 
 build my Church."— Matt. 16: 18. Also, "To the 
 intent that now .... might be known by the 
 
A CHRISTIAN CHURCH. 2$ 
 
 Church the manifold wisdom of God." — Eph. 3 : 10. 
 " He is the head of the body, the Church." — Col. i : 
 18. "The general assembly and Church of the 
 first-born, which are written in heaven." — Heb. 12: 
 23. These, with a few other passages, are supposed 
 to refer not to any localized congregations of be- 
 lievers, but to the universal fellowship of the faith- 
 ful. And yet it is likely that some of the passages 
 usually thus interpreted might, by a more careful 
 exegesis, be found to bear the primary and literal 
 meaning of a particular congregation. Certain it is 
 that this literal meaning of the word is its first and 
 ruling signification, as is certified in a vast majority 
 of cases. And if in certain cases another meaning 
 attaches to it, such other meaning is purely tropical 
 and secondary. And such secondary meaning 
 grows directly out of, and bears a strict resemblance 
 to, the primary. 
 
 The word Church, in common language, is used 
 with a large latitude of meaning. It is applied to a 
 congregation of Christian worshipers, to a religious 
 establishment, to a given form of ecclesiastical or- 
 der, to the aggregate of all the saints, and to a 
 building used for religious purposes. This last-named 
 use, though common, is hardly legitimate, and the 
 passages of Scripture sometimes cited to justify it 
 (Rom. 16: 5; I Cor. 11: 18; 14: 19, 28) will not war- 
 rant such application. And to call the aggregate 
 of those who profess the Christian faith — of all 
 names in all the world — *' the Christian Church," is a 
 misuse of the word not warranted by the Scriptures. 
 
26 THE NEW DIRECTORY.> 
 
 There is no such thing as a universal Church on 
 earth embraced in one grand communion. Equally 
 baseless and unsupported by Scripture is the claim 
 that all the religious congregations of a nation, or of a 
 given form of faith in a nation, constitute a national, 
 or a denominational church. It contradicts the New 
 Testament idea. It is common to speak of "the 
 Church of England," or " the Church of Russia," or 
 " the Church of Rome." We understand what is in- 
 tended, but such terms are extra-evangelical, and 
 untrue to the New Testament idea. 
 
 III. MARKS OF A TRUE CHURCH. 
 
 Are there any marks, or signs, by which a true 
 Church can be known .-* If so, what are they ? If 
 our ideas as to what constitutes a true Church be 
 erroneous or confused, we shall be likely to go 
 astray as to all that follows, and misinterpret its 
 polity, order, ordinances, its structure, government 
 and purpose. All the various Christian communions, 
 both ancient and modern, have, in their dogmatic 
 symbols, more or less fully, given their conception 
 of a true Church. These definitions are found in 
 their standard creeds and confessions of fait'h; and 
 it is to be observed that they all assume to start 
 with the New Testament idea. But as they proceed 
 they do more and more diverge, and complicate the 
 primitive simplicity with their ecclesiastical sur- 
 roundings, their educational prepossessions, or with 
 what trusted authority decides a Church ought to 
 be, rather than what it is. 
 
A CHRISTIAN CHURCH. 27 
 
 It may be noted that our Savior used the term 
 Ekklesia but on two occasions, in both briefly, and 
 without definitions or explanations, as reported in 
 the Gospel narratives — Matt. 16: 18; 18: 17. His 
 oft-repeated expression was, "the Kingdom," "the 
 Kingdom of God," many times repeated ; " the 
 Kingdom of heaven;" "the Son of man coming in 
 His Kingdom;" " my Kingdom;" " the children of 
 the Kingdom." Now, it is manifest that the Kmgdom 
 and the Church are vitally related, but not identical. 
 The Kingdom is a fact in the world, being a moral 
 and spiritual reign of truth and righteousness in the 
 hearts and lives of men, Christ Himself being King, 
 His word law, and His Spirit the indwelling life. 
 But there is no outward form, no organization, no 
 corporate life. The Church is the outward, visible, 
 organic expression and development of this spirit- 
 ual, real, but invisible Kingdom of Christ ; not a 
 perfect counterpart, but an imperfect representation; 
 since the Church may contain some not in the 
 Kingdom, and the Kingdom may contain many not 
 in the churches. 
 
 The Latin Church gives this definition of a 
 Church : 
 
 "The company of Christians knit together by the profes- 
 sion of the same faith, and the communion of the same 
 sacraments, under the government of lawful pastors, and 
 especially of the Roman bishop, as the only vicar of Christ 
 on earth." — Bellarntine De Eccl. Mil., III., 2. 
 
 The Greek Church gives this definition : 
 
 "The Church is a divinely instituted community of men, 
 
28 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 united by the orthodox faith, the law of God, the Hierarchy, 
 and the sacraments." — Full Catec. of the Orthodox Est. 
 Church. 
 
 The Church of England defines after this 
 manner : 
 
 " A congregation of faithful men, in which the pure Word 
 of God is preached, and the sacraments duly administered 
 according to Christ's ordinances, in all those things that of 
 necessity are requisite to the same." — Thirty-Nine Articles, 
 Art. XIX. 
 
 The Augsburg Confession has the following : 
 
 "A congregation of saints, in which the gospel is purely 
 preached, and the sacraments are rightly administered." 
 —Aug. Con/., Art. VII. 
 
 The Helvetic Confession states it thus : 
 
 *' The Church is a community of believers, or saints, gath- 
 ered out of the world, whose distinction is to know and to 
 worship, through the Word and by the Spirit, the true God 
 m Christ the Savior." — Helv. Conf., Art. XVII. 
 
 The Belgic Confession gives this definition : 
 
 "A true congregation or assembly of all faithful Chris- 
 tians, who look for their salvation only from Jesus Christ, as 
 being washed by His blood and sanctified by His Spirit." 
 —Belg. Con/., Art. XXVII. 
 
 The Saxon Confession defines in these words : 
 
 " A congregation of men embracing the gospel of Christ, 
 and rightly using the sacraments." — Saxon Con/., Art. XII. 
 
 The Scottish Confession puts it in these words : 
 
 "The Church is a society of the elect of all ages ar.d 
 
A CHRISTIAN CHURCH. 29 
 
 countries, both Jews and Gentiles; this is the Catholic, or 
 universal Church. This Church is invisible, and known only 
 to God."— 5^^/. Conf., Art. XVI. 
 
 The Westminster Assembly's definition is this: 
 
 "Particular Churches in the primitive times were made 
 up of visible saints, viz., of such as being of age, professing 
 faith in Christ, according to the rules of faith and life taught 
 by Christ and his Apostles, and of their children."* — West. 
 Assem. Directory ; Neats Hist. Puritans, Vol. II., p. ^bg. 
 Appendix. 
 
 Baptists have attached less importance to creed 
 statements than most other denominations. Never- 
 theless they, too, have some historical symbols 
 which they respect and use, but to which they are 
 not bound. 
 
 A Confession of Faith, issued by seven Bap- 
 tist Churches in London, put forth A. D. 1643, ^.s 
 a vindication from the aspersions and calumnies of 
 their opponents and enemies, defines a Church as 
 follows : * 
 
 " Jesus Christ hath here on the earth a spiritual kingdom 
 which is His Church, whom He hath purchased and redeemed 
 to Himself, as a peculiar inheritance : which Church is a com- 
 pany of visible saints, called and separated from the world 
 by the Word and Spirit of God, to the visible profession of 
 the faith of the gospel; being baptized into that faith, and 
 joined to the Lord, and to each other, by mutual agreement, 
 m the practical enjoyment of the ordinances by Christ their 
 head and King."— ^^/. Conf., 1643, Art. XXXIII. 
 
 *See Schafl's Creeds of Christendom; Smith's Bible Diet.; Ap- 
 pend. B., Art. Ch. ; Cyclop. Bib. Eccl. and Theo. Lit. Art. Ch., 
 ttaU 
 
36 THE NEW DIRECTORY, 
 
 A Baptist Confession, put forth by the elders 
 and brethren of many Baptist congregations in Lon- 
 don, 1677, evidently based on that of 1643, and 
 adopted by the ''General Assembly" of ministers 
 and delegates of more than one hundred "baptized 
 Churches," in 1689, says: 
 
 "The Lord Jesus Christ collecteth out of the world to 
 Himself, through the ministry of His Word by His Spirit, 
 those that are given to Him by the Father, that they may 
 walk before Him in all the ways of obedience, which He pre- 
 scribeth to them in His Word. Those thus called He com- 
 mandeth to walk together in particular societies or churches, 
 for their mutual edification, and the due performance of the 
 public worship which He requireth of them in the world. 
 The members of these churches are saints by calling, visibly 
 manifesting and evidencing their obedience unto the call of 
 Christ; and do willingly consent to walk according to the 
 appointment of Christ, giving up themselves to the Lord, and 
 one to another, by the will of God, in professed subjection 
 to the ordinances of the gospel."* — Art. XXVI., sees, j, 6. 
 
 The New Hampshire Confession more briefly 
 gives the following definition of a Church : 
 
 " A visible Church of Christ is a congregation of baptized 
 believers, associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship 
 of the Gospel; observing the ordinances of Christ, governed 
 by his law, exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested 
 in them by His Word."— A^. H. Con/., Art. XVI. 
 
 * In 1742 the old Philadelphia Association adopted, with some 
 additions and changes, this English Confession of 1689, since 
 which it has been known in this country as " The Philadelphia 
 Confession." 
 
A CHRISTIAN CHURCH. 3i 
 
 IV. SIGNS OF A TRUE CHURCH. 
 
 By what signs, notes, or attributes may a true 
 Church of Christ be known ? 
 
 To this question the Roman Catholic Catechism 
 answers: ''Unity, holiness, catholicity, apostolicity, 
 and perpetuity." To these, Bellarmine and others, 
 from the ultra papal standpoint, add various others. 
 These attributes Protestants accept as signs, only 
 with their own definitions. But, if accepted, they 
 must be predicated, to a certain extent, of '* the in- 
 visible, universal Church." More distinctively Prot- 
 estant, however, are added these marks, oft-repeated 
 in their definitions, " the preaching of the pure Word 
 of God, and the right administration of the sacra- 
 ments." But these have reference rather to the ac- 
 tion of the Church's life, than to the substance of 
 that life — to what is done in the Church, rather than 
 to what constitutes the Church. 
 
 I. Unity. This is true from the New Testament 
 point of view, which Baptists emphatically accept as 
 thus taught: ** Endeavoring to keep the unity of the 
 Spirit, in the bond of peace. There is one body, and 
 one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of 
 your calling; one Lord, one faith, and one baptism; 
 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and 
 through all, and in you all." — Eph. 4 : 3-6. There is 
 one head — Christ. There is one body — the Church. 
 But the doctrine that the unity of the Church consists 
 in the combination of many separate congregations 
 of Christians into one general or universal assembly 
 
32 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 of like faith and order, whether taught by Catholics 
 or Protestants, is not taught in the Scriptures, and is 
 repudiated by Baptists. There is, however, a spir- 
 itual unity in the *' Communion of Saints," existing 
 among all who are truly born of God, however vari- 
 ous and dissimilar their ecclesiastical polity and 
 relations may be. 
 
 2. Holiness. This marks a true Church, because 
 only such as are born of the Spirit, and become 
 " new creatures in Christ Jesus" are suitable persons 
 to be, or can properly become, members of it. They 
 are called "saints," sanctified ones. "Unto the 
 Church of God, which is at Corinth, to them that are 
 sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints." — i Cor. 
 I :2. "As the elect of God, holy and beloved." — 
 Col. 3 : 12. " Ye also, as lively stones, are built up 
 a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual 
 sacrifices." — i Peter 2 : 5. This holiness may not be 
 perfect and absolute as to any one member, much 
 less as to the entire body; nevertheless it is what 
 the gospel claims, and is the prevailing mark of 
 those who are united to Christ, as the branch is to 
 the vine. Being characteristic, therefore, of individ- 
 ual believers, it becomes characteristic of the con- 
 gregation of believers. But the papal claim that 
 holiness comes from a union with that, as the only 
 true Church, is an absurd fiction, not to be credited, 
 or seriously considered. 
 
 3. Catholicity. Various ecclesiastical establish- 
 ments arrogate, each to itself, universality, and 
 claim to be the only " Catholic Church." Such a 
 
A CHRISTIAN CHURCH. 33 
 
 claim is made by the Latin, the Greek, the English, 
 and other prelatical systems. Such claims, how- 
 ever, have no foundation whatever in the historical, 
 or doctrinal teachings of the New Testament. But 
 if catholicity may be interpreted to mean a recog- 
 nition of the essential spiritual unity of the faith in 
 all of Christ's redeemed people, and a willingness 
 to accord sainthood to all of every name and nation 
 who bear the image and have the spirit of their 
 Lord, then every congregation of evangelical disci- 
 ples is a Catholic Church. '* Of a truth I perceive 
 that God is no respecter of persons; but in every 
 nation, he that feareth Him, and worketh righteous- 
 ness, is accepted of Him." — Acts 10:34, 35. "For 
 the same Lord over all, is rich unto all that call 
 upon Him." — Rom. 10: 12. 
 
 4. Apostolicity. It is the claim of the Roman, 
 and of some other prelatical and High-Church com- 
 munions, that they have an unbroken succession of 
 ministerial gifts and ordinations direct from the 
 Apostles — what is sometimes termed ** the historical 
 episcopate." And if a succession in the ministry, 
 then a succession largely also in Church order, and 
 sacramental efficacy. This claim is historically 
 groundless, and doctrinally useless. But the true apos- 
 tolicity consists not in succession, but in possession; 
 for they who possess and exhibit the doctrines, the 
 spirit and the life of the Apostles, have right to 
 claim this mark of a true gospel Church. " For 
 ether foundation can no man lay, than that is laid, 
 which is Jesus Christ." — i Cor. 3:11. ** Now there- 
 S 
 
34 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 fore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but 
 fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household 
 of God; and are built upon the foundation of the 
 Apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being 
 the chief corner-stone." — Eph, 2: 19, 20. 
 
 5. Perpetuity. This has reference, not to a con- 
 tinuance of official administration, as in the previous 
 note, but to visible and corporate Church life. And, 
 strange to say, some Baptists have been cour- 
 ageous enough, and indiscreet enough to assert that 
 an unbroken succession of visible, organized congre- 
 gations of believers similar to their own, and there- 
 fore substantially like the primitive churches, can 
 be proven to have existed from the Apostles until 
 now. Such claims may well be left to papal audacity. 
 For those who learn from that storehouse of sacred 
 truth — the New Testament — what are the spirit, doc- 
 trine, ordinances, and polity of a Church of Christ, 
 and practice the same, it matters nothing whether 
 the chain of organic perpetuity may never have 
 been broken, or broken a thousand times. They are 
 the true disciples of Christ who have His spirit; the 
 true successors of the Apostles who follow their 
 teachings, and imitate their lives. " They continued 
 steadfastly in the Apostles' doctrine, and fellow- 
 ship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers." — 
 Acts 2 142. *• And you being in time past alienated 
 and enemies in your mind, by wicked works, yet 
 now hath He reconciled, in the body of His flesh, 
 through death, to present you holy and without 
 blemish, and unreprovable before Him; if so be that 
 
A CHRISTIAN CHURCH. 35 
 
 ye continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and 
 be not moved away from the hope of the gospel." — 
 Col. I : 21-23. 
 
 Strictly speaking, perpetuity is predicated of the 
 invisible Church only. It is " the kingdom of heav- 
 en" on earth; "the Messiah's reign," which is per- 
 petual. " In the days of these kings shall the God 
 of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be 
 destroyed." — Dan. 2:44. ** But the saints of the 
 Most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the 
 kingdom forever, even forever and ever." — Dan. 
 7 :i8. *' Upon this rock will I build my Church, and 
 the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it." — 
 Matt. 16:18. *'Lo, I am with you alway, even 
 unto the end of the world." — Matt. 28 : 20. 
 
 But visible churches — local congregations — are 
 largely subject to the mutations of human society. 
 They rise and fall ; they grow and decay ; they 
 flourish, decline and disappear. Many a "candle- 
 stick" has been removed out of its place, and many 
 more will be. But the cause is imperishable, and 
 the foundations shall never be removed. 
 
 V. NOT A CONFEDERATION. 
 
 A Christian Church, therefore, is not a confedera- 
 tion of many local congregations, under some one 
 general head, whether that be a person, as bishop, 
 patriarch, or pope; or under some system of gov- 
 ernment, as presbytery, synod, conference, or assem- 
 bly. It is not an ecclesiastical system, extending 
 over a wide area of country, claiming the right of 
 
36 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 control over all of similar faith within such territory. 
 Such, at least, is far from the New Testament idea 
 of a Church. The expressions found in the Acts 
 and the Epistles clearly define and fix the primitive 
 notion of a Church. 
 
 We read: "Then had the churches rest," and 
 *' were established in the faith." Not " the Church^' 
 mark, as if all disciples were grouped in one com- 
 prehensive body. " The churches of Christ salute 
 you." " The churches of Galatia; " not *' the Church." 
 "The churches of Asia salute you." "Messengers 
 of the churches^ "The churches throughout all 
 Judea and Galilee and Samaria;" "the churches of 
 Macedonia; " " the Church which was at Jerusalem ; " 
 " the Church of the Thessalonians;" " the Church of 
 the Laodiceans." "As I teach in every Church." 
 " Ordained elders in every Church." " The Church 
 which is at Cenchrea." "Greet the Church that is 
 in their house." " If therefore the whole Church be 
 come together into one place." "With the Church 
 in their house." No one can fail to understand the 
 force of such expressions. 
 
 Note i. — An organization of professing Christians may 
 fail in some respects to meet the requirements of the Gospel, 
 and still be a Church, providing it fulfills the fundamental 
 conditions of a Scriptural faith and practice, holding the 
 headship of Christ, maintaining the Ordinances and the mm- 
 istry of the word in their purity. 
 
 Note 2. — But if it ceases to recognize and submit to Christ 
 as its supreme ruler, and to receive His word as its supreme 
 law, then it ceases to be a Church of Christ, though it may 
 
A CHRISTIAN CHURCH. 
 
 37 
 
 still preserve its religious character and retain many evangeli- 
 cal marks. 
 
 Note 3. — No Church, however sound its orthodoxy, or 
 perfect its order, can fulfill the conditions of its existence 
 without the indwelling life of Christ in its members, they 
 ivalking in the Spirit, and not fulfilling the lusts of the flesh. 
 Its importance and efficacy, therefore, depend not on mere 
 mechanical conformity to any, even a divine model, so much 
 as on the life and power of godliness in its constituent ele- 
 ments. 
 
 VI. ANALOGICAL DEFINITIONS. 
 
 The Church is not unfrequently spoken of in the 
 New Testament in figurative language, in which 
 certain analogies are suggested, in the use of which 
 the nature, purpose and relations of this institution 
 are more clearly represented. The fact that these 
 tropes were not intended as logical definitions, and 
 do only incidentally define, makes them perhaps the 
 more interesting. The similarities elucidate, and 
 the comparisons, so far as they were intended to ap- 
 ply, are accurate and instructing. 
 
 " And gave Him to behead over all things to the 
 Church, which is His body." — Eph. 1:22. Christ 
 the head, and the Church His body. This is equally 
 true of the Church universal and invisible, and of the 
 Church local and visible. Head over all things, 
 and in all respects. The head is the intelligent 
 director, the authoritative lawgiver, to the body, 
 and furnishes the will-force for active obedience. 
 The Church as the body is to obey the directions, 
 and to execute the authoritative mandates of Christ, 
 
38 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 the head. The figure indicates the intimate, sensi- 
 tive, and sacred relation existing between Christ and 
 His people. Also observe, there are not many 
 heads, but one only — Christ. A many-headed body 
 would be a monstrosity. In God's methods and 
 operations there are the beauty and the symmetry of a 
 sacred unity. 
 
 ** Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also 
 loved the Church, and gave Himself for it." ** So 
 ought men to love their wives as their own bodies " 
 "For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but 
 nourisheth it, even as the Lord the Church." '' This 
 is a great mystery; but I speak concerning Christ 
 and the Church." — Eph. 5: 23-32. Here the relation 
 subsisting between Christ and the Church, is illus- 
 trated by the relations of husband and wife. A re- 
 lationship intimate, tender, affectionate, sacred; on 
 the recognition of which relations, cherishing their 
 proper spirit, and discharging their implied obliga- 
 tions, depends the success of the purpose for which 
 they exist. If to the husband be accorded, in the 
 divine economy, headship over the wife, it is not for 
 her servile subjection, but for the common good ; 
 and that his affection, protection, and support, may 
 be made the more manifest, and the more abiding. 
 If the Church is to be subject to, and directed by, its 
 Head, it knows that " Christ loved the Church, and 
 gave Himself for it." And if He seems exacting in 
 His requirements, for its service and its sanctity, it 
 is, ** that He might present it to Himself, a glorious 
 Church, not having spot,or wrinkle, or any such thing." 
 
A CHRISTIAN CHURCH. 39 
 
 '* The house of God, which is the Church of the 
 living God, the pillar and ground of the truth." — 
 I Tim. 3 : 15. If *'the pillar and ground of the 
 truth " refer to the '* Church of the living God," as is 
 almost universally conceded, and indeed is almost 
 necessary to suppose, and not to the " mystery of 
 godliness," as some would make to appear, but which 
 would seem forced and harsh, then we have a vivid 
 conception of the importance of each individual con- 
 gregation of the saints, as the organized unit of the 
 '* kingdom of heaven," in the world. The pillar sup- 
 ports the superincumbent portion of the building. 
 The ground^ literally foundation^ is that on which 
 the building rests, and upon which it is reared. 
 Thus, while in an emphatic sense Christ is the only 
 foundation for the faith of saints, the hope of souls, 
 yet in a very important sense does the Church be- 
 come the support of all Christian endeavor, whether 
 for the edification or the sanctification of the saints, 
 or the spread of the gospel and the evangelization 
 of the world. As a historical fact the churches of 
 Christ have acted this part, and served this purpose, 
 and are now serving it — indeed, this is the very end 
 for which they were instituted. Without them, all 
 those Christian activities which are filling the world 
 with light and blessing, would soon become inert 
 and fail. It is from beneath the threshold of the 
 sanctuary, the river of life flows forth to the nations. 
 ** Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath 
 shined." — Ps. 50:2. No human influence is so much 
 a pillar and foundation to the truth as a spiritual, 
 
40 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 orderly, active Church, composed of godly members, 
 well ordered and faithful to their Lord. 
 
 But may there not be a still further resemblance, 
 intended or implied, in this use of the ''pillar ? " The 
 stylos often had a memorial as well as an architec- 
 tural value. The obelisk was reared to perpetuate 
 the memory of great men, and of noble deeds. It 
 preserved the records of historical events, and both 
 instructed and inspired succeeding generations, by 
 its inscribed memorials. It cultivated a becoming 
 pride in national character, and sustained a worthy 
 patriotism for national defence. The churches of 
 Christ are monumental. Their preservation is 
 miraculous ; their very existence is a wonder. They 
 perpetuate the grandest events in human history : 
 the Incarnation, the Crucifixion, the Resurrection, 
 the Ascension, and the Mediation of Christ. They 
 do not simply honor the name and the deeds of the 
 greatest and best of men, but of Him who is Lord 
 of lords, and King of kings. In all senses each true 
 Church is a pillar for Him, who is the Truth, and aids 
 to support and to proclaim the profound mystery 
 of godliness. 
 
 '* Ye are God's building." " Know ye not that ye 
 are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God 
 dwelleth in you } " — i Cor. 3: 9-17. This is true, in a 
 very important sense, of each individual Christian. 
 But here it was declared true of the Corinthian 
 Church. The Apostle asserted that he had laid the 
 foundation of the edifice, and others had built upon 
 it. He declares the building to be holy, as the shrines 
 
A CHRISTIAN CHURCH. 4I 
 
 of heathen gods even, were supposed to be; and 
 cautions them not to defile this sanctuary. It is the 
 abiding presence of the Spirit in a Church, that gives 
 importance to its existence, and efficacy to its minis- 
 trations. As a mere human organization it would 
 not rise above the level of other moral and benev- 
 olent institutions. But the divine element in it lifts 
 it to a loftier position. An ornate and costly ma- 
 terial structure, a magnificent and imposing ritual, 
 numbers, wealth, fashion, social attractions, can never 
 meet the demand, nor realize the sacred purpose 
 of the churches' life, without the indwelling presence 
 of the Spirit, as the presence of the Shekinah in the 
 Tabernacle of old. 
 
 All this is suggestive to those who are active in 
 planting, and laborious in building up the churches. 
 No mistake should be made as to what manner of 
 institutions they are to be. A salutary discipline is 
 implied, as is elsewhere plainly enjoined, since ** the 
 temple of God is holy." While this spiritual house 
 "groweth up," each one in his place, and according 
 to his ability, is to aid in rearing the sacred edifice, 
 and at the same time each member as a " living 
 stone," is " builded together for a habitation of God 
 through the Spirit." — Eph. 2 : 22. But Christ is the 
 " Chief Corner-stone," and the abiding life, ** in 
 whom all the building, fitly framed together, groweth 
 unto a holy temple in the Lord." — Eph. 2:21. 
 
 *' As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good 
 to all, especially unto them who are of the house- 
 hold of faith." — Gal. 4 : 10. Here the household, or 
 
42 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 family idea, represents the Church in the Apostle's 
 mind, and gives direction to his counsel. The chap- 
 ter begins with directions as to the proper spirit in 
 which disciplinary culture is to be administered in 
 the churches; for this epistle is dedicated, not to 
 the saints at large, '' but unto the churches of Galatia." 
 By a natural and easy transition the writer con- 
 ceives of each particular Church as a family, a 
 household, where mutual affection should rule; the 
 members careful for each other's good, bearing one 
 another's burdens, and with fraternal solicitude, 
 striving to restore to the truth such as are faulty 
 and out of the way. A similar idea underlies the 
 Apostle's address to the Ephesian Church. ** Now, 
 therefore, ye are no more strangers and sojourners^ 
 but ye are fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the 
 household of God." — Eph. 2 : 19. Here is a double 
 metaphor. The Church is likened to a state, a com- 
 monwealth, of which the saints have been made citi- 
 zens, now no longer strangers, temporarily sojourn- 
 ing, but naturalized and permanently abiding, en- 
 titled to all the immunities of citizens native born. 
 And then, in a narrowed circle, but a more in- 
 timate and sacred relationship, they are represented 
 as members of the holy family of God, the Father. 
 And if it may be said that ih.Q family here bears a more 
 general signification, a wider application than to the 
 individual Church, yet it must be remembered that 
 the whole address is to a particular Church, " the 
 saints which are at Ephesus;" and out of this spe- 
 cific idea grows the more general notion of the 
 
A CHRISTIAN CHURCH. 43 
 
 larger fellowship of the saints, which the tropes sup- 
 ply, of citizenship in the state and membership in the 
 family. Thus, again to the Ephesians, Paul says, "I 
 bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus 
 Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and on 
 earth is named." — Eph. 3:15. Or, as the New Ver- 
 sion renders it, " from whom every family in heaven 
 and on earth is named." The thought is distributive, 
 and the conception is individualized. If the idea be 
 that of the completed company of the saints, the 
 Church universal both above and below, it mani- 
 festly aggregates it out of all the individual families 
 of the faithful, the separate and distinct churches of 
 Christ, called to be saints. 
 
 In the closing chapter of the Revelation we have 
 the Church idea brought to view in a somewhat 
 strange commingling of figures. But it is the Church 
 triumphant; and the unusual mixing of the metaphors 
 gives a strange and vivid picturesqueness and 
 beauty to the conception. It represents the com- 
 pany of the saved, both as a bride ^ and as a city, and 
 Christ as a bridegroom, and as a lamb. '* And I 
 John saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming 
 down from God, out of heaven, prepared as a bride 
 adorned for her husband. And there came unto 
 me one of the seven angels .... saying, 'Come 
 hither, and I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's 
 wife.' And he carried me away in the spirit to a great 
 and high mountain, and showed me that great 
 city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven 
 from God." — Rev. 21:2, 9, 10. The purity, beauty 
 
44 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 and glory of the redeemed saints are implied in the 
 bridal relation, and the affection of the Lamb, who 
 is the Bridegroom, and his joy at the final reception 
 of his bride, so beautiful, for whom he had suffered so 
 much, and waited so long, that he might present 
 her to himself, **a glorious Church, not having 
 spot or wrinkle, or any such thing." It realizes the 
 prophet's declaration to Zion, " As the bridegroom 
 rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice 
 over thee." — Is. 62: 5. The added conception of a 
 city to represent the company of glorified saints, 
 may imply the transcendent glory of the final habi- 
 tation of the righteous; and that the Church trium- 
 phant shall be orderly and active as well as blissful 
 and glorious; governed by a polity as really as is the 
 Church militant, law-abiding and obedient, under 
 the joyous and loving reign of their Lord, the prince 
 of life, "the King eternal, immortal, invisible." 
 
 Thus the teachings of Scripture as to the Church 
 idea do show the peculiar place in human society 
 which this sacred brotherhood, this divinely ap- 
 pointed institution holds, as well as explains the 
 purpose which, in the economy of redemption, and 
 in God's purposes of mercy to a lost world, the 
 Church was designed to serve. 
 
 VII. THE NATURE OF A CHURCH. 
 
 The Christian Church is the only divinely organ- 
 ized society among men. It was instituted for a 
 purpose by Christ, who gave to it laws, and an 
 
A CHRISTIAN CHURCH. 45 
 
 economy of methods and order by which to accom- 
 plish its sacred mission, and who still retains head- 
 ship and kingship over it. A Church is the " Society 
 of Jesus" in a truer and better sense than Loyola 
 knew when founding the order of Jesuits. Each 
 such organized company of saints constitutes a body 
 politic in a spiritual realm; in the world, but not of 
 it; being able to maintain its existence and discharge 
 its functions in all conditions of social and civil life, 
 under all forms of human government: while not 
 untrue to any, yet is in subjection to none, but gives 
 allegiance to a foreign potentate, '* the Prince of the 
 kings of the earth." Jesus said, *'My kingdom is 
 not of this world." — John 18:36. And of his disci- 
 ples he said, " They are not of the world even as I 
 am not of the world." — ^John 17: 16. 
 
 Members of the Church have all the rights, privi- 
 leges, and immunities of citizens in civil government, 
 as others have, and owe allegiance to that under 
 which they live, in all matters temporal, so long as 
 such allegiance does not interfere with perfect obe- 
 dience to the claims of Christ upon them. But if 
 human laws, and the demands of human govern- 
 ments, contravene the divine claim, or in any way 
 interfere with the rights of conscience or religious 
 faith, and the freedom of belief and worship, then God 
 is to be obeyed rather than man. His claims are 
 supreme, and annihilate all rival claims. "Render 
 unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God 
 the things that are God's." Christian men should 
 be good and law-abiding citizens, unless obedience 
 
46 THE NEW DmECTORY. 
 
 to human law demands a violation of divine law. 
 Their fealty to the higher law must be prompt and 
 unquestioned. ** Submit yourselves to every ordi- 
 nance of man, for the Lord's sake ; whether it be to 
 the king as supreme, or unto governors, as unto 
 them that are sent by him for the punishment of 
 evil doers, and for the praise of them that do well. 
 For so is the will of God, that with well-doing ye 
 may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men."— 
 I Peter 2:13-15. As to things spiritual, the state 
 has no right of control over, or interference with, 
 them. Matters of conscience, faith, and worship the 
 civil power has no right to meddle with, so long as 
 the government is not injured, nor the rights of others 
 put in jeopardy by their exercise. 
 
 The nature of a Church is very different from that 
 of other societies and associations. Its members 
 may be connected with other organizations, whose 
 objects contemplate the furtherance of commerce, 
 literature, science or the arts ; they may be moral, 
 philanthropic, and even religious. But they do not 
 reach the high ideal of the Church's vocation, nor 
 fill the broad sphere of the Church's mission. That 
 is no less than the glory of God and the salvation of 
 souls. Fellowship in such other associations will 
 be consistent and harmless — it may be even com- 
 mendable — providing the objects they seek, and the 
 methods by which they are sought, be consistent 
 with Christian morals ; and providing, also, their 
 duties to these in no way interfere with their duties 
 :o, and usefulness in, the Church, whose claims are 
 
A CHRISTIAN CHURCH. 47 
 
 first and most imperative. In such other associa- 
 tions good may be accompHshed by the wider dif- 
 fusion of intelligence, the cultivation of social 
 morals and of public virtue, the mitigation of human 
 suffering, and the advancement of a true civiliza- 
 tion. 
 
 All these aims are good, and all good men should 
 encourage them. But all these aims are contem- 
 plated by a Christian Church, and can and will be 
 better reached by a Church, if true to its calling and 
 mission, than by any other society ; while beyond 
 and above all these remains the one special and 
 unique object of the Church's life, which all other so- 
 cieties lack ; a regenerated humanity, in order to con- 
 stitute the ultimate '* Church of the first-born, which 
 are written in heaven." — Heb. 12:23. ^^^ riot He 
 who founded the Church, who knew what was in man, 
 and who understood the world He came to save, 
 who gave Himself to restore the divine image in 
 man, and the divine authority over man, know what 
 sort of organized endeavor, what kind of a society 
 would be best adapted to accomplish the simple but 
 sublime object contemplated ? Every effort at social 
 virtue and moral reform should find its best exam- 
 ple and its most efficient advocacy in the Church 
 of God. It would be a shame for those who are 
 expressly set forth to be the " light of the world," 
 and the '* salt of the earth," to fall below the stand- 
 ard of goodness in worldly societies, or the concep- 
 tions of virtue in carnal minds. Then would they 
 no longer be ''holding forth the word of life." 
 
48 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 VIII. THE AUTHORITY OF CHURCHES. 
 
 All associations of men are supposed to possess 
 such and so much authority as may be needful to 
 control their members within the limits of their as- 
 sociational relations, to guard their organizations 
 against perversion and disaster, and to secure the 
 objects for which they exist. This authority they 
 have the consequent right to exercise, and power 
 to enforce. It is derived either from voluntary com- 
 pact, where each individual surrenders to the body 
 a part of his personal freedom of action, or else is 
 conferred by some external and superior authority. 
 Thus with churches. 
 
 Its members, on uniting with a Church, do volun- 
 tarily surrender some personal prerogatives, that 
 they may be invested in the body, the organic 
 whole. But such personally surrendered preroga- 
 tives constitute but a small part of its authority. 
 Its chief authority is given by Christ alone. The 
 state cannot bestow it; nor can legislatures, or 
 courts of civil jurisdiction, or princes, or parliaments, 
 either bestow or annul the charter by right of which 
 the churches of Christ exist and act. Quite as little 
 can that authority emanate from any ecclesiastical 
 source, since all ecclesiastical orders emanate from, 
 and grow out of, the churches, and are created by 
 them — do not create them. Popes, patriarchs, 
 bishops, priests, synods, assemblies, conventions, 
 conferences, supposing they were Scriptural, do not 
 make churches, but are made by them; cannot in- 
 
A CHRISTIAN CHURCH. 49 
 
 vest churches with authority, since they possess 
 no antecedent authority in the premises, but are in- 
 vested by the churches, directly or indirectly, with 
 all the authority they claim to possess. All right- 
 ful authority, therefore, is conferred by Christ, the 
 king in Zion. He builds them: "On this rock will 
 I build my Church." He commissions them: "Go 
 ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them 
 in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of 
 the Holy Ghost." He is personally ever with them, 
 superintending, and giving them success : " Lo, I am 
 with you alway, even unto the end of the world." — 
 Matt. 16 : 18 ; 28 : 19, 20. What He does not give is 
 not possessed. What He does not sanction is not 
 legitimate. What He does bestow is a sacred trust, 
 to be guarded and used for His purpose and praise. 
 This, then, is the source, and the only authoritative 
 source, of the Church's right of rule. It can assume 
 none and derive none from any other source. 
 
 This authority a Church can exercise on none but 
 its own members. They can bring the moral force 
 of their persuasion, of their consistent living, and of 
 their Christian character, to bear on all around them, 
 as indeed they should; but as to authoritative ad- 
 ministration, they can claim no right of interference 
 with any except those with whom they hold cove- 
 nant relations in the fellowship of the body. Said 
 the Apostle to the Corinthians, "For what have I 
 to do to judge them also that are without ? Do 
 not ye judge them that are within ? " — i Cor. 5:12. 
 Nor can a Church exercise authority over its own 
 
50 THE NEW DIRECTORV. 
 
 members in any respect except as to spiritual con- 
 cerns. With their personal rights and duties as 
 members of society, it cannot interfere. It cannot 
 dictate what they shall eat or drink, or wherewithal 
 they shall be clothed; what business they shall pur- 
 sue, what associations they shall keep, what privileges 
 they may enjoy; except^ that in all these they shall 
 do nothing which shall be inconsistent with their 
 position and profession as Christians ; nothing that 
 shall harm or hinder the gospel of Christ; nothing 
 that shall destroy their influence for good, place a 
 stumbling-block in the way of unconverted men, or 
 cast a reproach on the Christian name. And of all 
 these questions the Church has the right to judge. 
 The sphere of a Church's authority is therefore dis- 
 tinctively and exclusively moral and spiritual. 
 Those so-called churches, whether of the past or 
 present, that have assumed dictatorship over theif 
 communicants in all matters both sacred and secu- 
 lar, have forfeited their claim to be recognized as 
 true churches of Christ, and are to be held as relig- 
 ious societies only. They have transcended all 
 proper bounds, violating personal rights by their 
 assumptions. 
 
 Nor yet can a Church dominate the faith or con- 
 science of its members. With such personal relig- 
 ious liberty no man, or combination of men, has a 
 right to interfere. For such liberty and its lawful 
 exercise each one is responsible to God alone. The 
 Church's authority goes not so far. It can and 
 should secure harmony in the faith and fellowship 
 
A CHRISTIAN CHURCH. 5 1 
 
 of the body. But to what extent it may require 
 doctrinal conformity, and how it should treat dis- 
 sent, whether it may or may not become a court of 
 jurisdiction in matters of faith, or only of morals, 
 and whether its acts may be punitive, will be con- 
 sidered more at length in the chapter on discipline. 
 
 IX. THE COMITY OF CHURCHES. 
 
 Churches hold relations of comity and fraternal 
 courtesy with each other, but sustain no legal gov- 
 ernmental or organic connections. No Church can 
 exercise discipline upon another, or for another, or 
 interfere in any way with another's disciplinary acts. 
 No member has a right to vote in the meeting of 
 any Church but his own, or even to be present at 
 such a meeting, or participate in the Communion ex- 
 cept by invitation and as a matter of courtesy. No 
 pastor has a right to exercise his ministry in any 
 Church but his own except on invitation. Churches, 
 however, are fraternal and exchange courtesies, 
 dismiss members by letter to each other, and re- 
 ceive those dismissed, respect each other's disci- 
 plinary acts, but are not bound by them. Pastors 
 exchange pulpits. Churches unite fraternally in 
 associations for mutual benefit and for missionary 
 work. They bear themselves toward each other 
 with that respect and affection which become dis- 
 ciples of a Common Master, but to talk of an inter- 
 dependence of organic and official Church life and 
 action, as some have done, is most absurd. There 
 
52 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 is no such thing. These questions will be more 
 fully considered in another place. 
 
 X. CHURCHES CONSTITUTED. 
 
 Churches are constituted by voluntary covenant 
 on the part of those who wish to become members. 
 The constitution of a Church, strictly speaking, is to 
 be found in the New Testament only, as regards 
 both faith and practice. But it is customary to 
 have these formulated, which thus become creed 
 symbols, and to a certain extent serve as standards. 
 And though no Church and no Church-member is 
 asked to sign them, or is required to pledge allegi- 
 ance to them, yet a general and substantial assent 
 and conformity to them is expected, in order that 
 harmony in the churches and among the churches 
 may be secured. And this harmony is secured to a 
 remarkable degree among Baptists, when we con- 
 sider the great number of their churches, the wide 
 extent of territory over which they are scattered, 
 and the great diversity of social life, local customs, 
 and educational bias- which naturally influence them; 
 and especially when we consider the tenacity with 
 which they maintain the independence of the indi- 
 vidual Church, and the right of private judgment in 
 the individual member. 
 
 The process by which new churches are consti- 
 tuted is very simple. The necessity for, and the 
 practicability of, organizing one, must be decided by 
 those who are to constitute it, and who are to bear 
 
A CHRISTIAN CHURCH. 53 
 
 the expense and the responsibility of its support. 
 These may be persons belonging to some other 
 Church or churches, who find themselves living 
 where there is none, but where one is believed to 
 be needed, and where the increase of population 
 shows a need for increased religious privileges. Or 
 such persons may be converts from some recent re- 
 vival in a neighborhood where there seems both 
 room and a demand for another Church. After ma- 
 ture deliberation on the part of such persons, meet- 
 ing together for consultation, canvassing all sides of 
 the question, taking counsel of wise and discreet 
 brethren, with much prayer for divine direction — 
 since such a movement is one of grave concern — 
 general agreement being secured, a meeting is 
 finally called for the organization. A committee 
 most likely has been previously appointed to secure 
 some approved form of Church Covenant, and 
 Articles of Faith,* to be considered and adopted by 
 the body. 
 
 Before the organization actually takes place, how- 
 ever, such persons as propose to constitute the body, 
 should procure letters from the churches of which 
 they are members, given y<?r the purpose of forming 
 a new Church. Should there be among them per- 
 sons who have been members of regular Baptist 
 churches, but have for any reason lost their mem- 
 
 * Such a form of Covenant, prepared for this work, widely 
 adopted, and many years in use, may be found in this volume, as 
 also well-known and extensively used Articles of Faith. Sec Ap- 
 pendix. 
 
54 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 bership without special fault of their own, who are 
 living consistent Christian lives, and are acceptable 
 to the others, they can, by consent of the company, 
 be admitted as constituent members. So can others 
 who have been baptized on profession of their faith 
 in Christ, for the purpose of so uniting in the forma- 
 tion. 
 
 The ''Constituting act" would properly and ap- 
 propriately be the unanimously voting — perhaps by 
 rising — a resolution like this : 
 
 ''Resolved^ That, guided as we believe by the 
 Holy Spirit, and relying on the blessing of God, we 
 do, here and now, by this act, constitute ourselves a 
 Church of Jesus Christ to perform His service, and 
 to be governed by His will, as revealed in the New 
 Testament. And to this end we do hereby adopt 
 and agree to the following Covenant and Articles 
 of Faith." Here let the Covenant be read, to which 
 agreement may be witnessed by each one raising 
 the right hand. Prayer for strength, guidance, and 
 blessing should follow. Such an act makes such a 
 company of disciples, ipsofactOy a Church of Christ 
 with all the rights, powers, and privileges of any 
 New Testament Church. Officers can afterward be 
 chosen, as seems to them best, a pastor, deacons, 
 trustees ; only that some one should at once be se- 
 lected, temporarily or permanently — unless pre- 
 viously chosen — to act as clerk, to preserve a minute 
 of these and of all subsequent proceedings, as well 
 as the antecedent proceedings which have led to this 
 organization. 
 
A CHRISTIAN CHURCH. 55 
 
 Some churches, at their organization, adopt a very 
 elaborate and complicated " constitution and by- 
 laws " for their guidance, a course of very doubtful 
 expediency. They are never necessary, and often 
 more trouble than help. The well - understood 
 teachings of the Scriptures are a sufficiently plain 
 guide in all matters of morals and discipline, and 
 such special cases as may arise can be dealt with 
 on their merits at the time, or provided for by stand- 
 ing resolutions to be placed upon the records, as 
 subsequent guides in all similar cases. For in- 
 stance, if the body wishes to make any deliverance 
 or establish any rule, as may be the case, on the 
 subjects of Temperance, Missions, Sunday-schools, 
 Sabbath-keeping, or Covetousness, they can embody 
 their views in standing resolutions, place them on 
 their minutes, and hold them as standards for sub- 
 sequent action in similar cases.* 
 
 Note i. — The multiplication of feeble churches should be 
 guarded against; and the organization of new interests with- 
 out the prospect of becoming independent and efficient, 
 should not be encouraged, especially in a community already 
 well supplied with religious privileges. 
 
 Note 2. — More particularly should the formation of new 
 churches as the outgrowth and fruit of strife and dissension 
 in older ones, be avoided and discountenanced, except in 
 extreme cases. A large and careful observation proves that 
 very few churches so constituted ever attain to any consid- 
 erable degree of prosperity or usefulness. 
 
 Note 3. — The existence of officers is not essential to the 
 
 * See " Optional Resolutions " in Appendix. 
 
$6 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 existence of churches, possessing all ecclesiastical possi- 
 bilities and powers. Officers are developed out of the mem- 
 bership by election and investiture by the Church. And 
 in the absence of formally invested officers, the Church can 
 select some of its members to officiate, temporarily, in all de- 
 partments of its service; either to conduct its Worship, dis- 
 pense the Word, or administer the Ordinances. 
 
 XI. CHURCHES RECOGNIZED. 
 
 It is customary for a new Church to call a Coun- 
 cil to recognize it. Occasionally this precautionary 
 act takes place at the time of the constitution of the 
 body. More frequently at a subsequent period. 
 The object of the Council is to examine their doc- 
 trines, inquire into the circumstances, and the rea- 
 sons for their organization, so as to be able to ex- 
 press approval of their course, and certify to the 
 churches they represent, their fellowship for the new 
 body as a regularly constituted Church of the same 
 faith. The calling of a Council for this purpose is 
 entirely optional with the Church. It is a pruden- 
 tial measure, very proper and well to be continued 
 as a guard against irregularities in doctrine or prac- 
 tice, and is likely to secure the sympathy and ap- 
 probation of sister churches ; but it is in no sense 
 essential. The body is no more a Church for hav- 
 ing the approval of a Council, and no less one for 
 being without it. 
 
 The object of the Council, after being organized, 
 is to inquire into the facts of the case for which they 
 were convened. They hear a statement made by 
 
A CHRISTIAN CHURCH. 5/ 
 
 some person selected to speak for the Church ; ex- 
 amine their Articles of Faith and Covenant, the 
 letters by which those from other churches have 
 united in the organization ; carefully consider 
 whether there be apparent need of a Church in that 
 particular field ; and when the whole subject is fully 
 before them, vote approval of the steps taken, if 
 they do approve, or advise to the contrary if they 
 disapprove. It is customary to hold some public 
 religious service appropriate to the occasion, calcu- 
 lated to give them encouragement in their enter- 
 prise, and assure them of the fellowship and sym- 
 pathy of sister churches. Such services may take 
 any form preferred by the body or advised by the 
 Council ; usually there is a discourse preached, a 
 charge given to the Church, and the hand of fellow- 
 ship extended, with remarks, through some one 
 chosen by the Council, to some one selected by the 
 Church to receive this expression of fraternal good- 
 will. 
 
 Note i. — If a Council should decline to recognize a newly 
 constituted Church, deeming the organization unwise and 
 uncalled for, still that Church would have the right to main- 
 tain its organization and to continue its work and its worship. 
 The Council could not unmake it, and it would as really be a 
 Church without, as with their sanction. It would seldom, 
 however, be wise to proceed against the wisdom and adv'ce 
 of pastors and members of other churches assembled in a 
 Council. Such adverse decision would lessen their influence 
 in the community, and abate the sympathy and confidence 
 of sister churches. 
 
 Note 2. — It not unfrequently happens that a Council 
 
58 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 doubts the propriety of recognizing a new Church, and yet 
 hesitates to refuse, lest a refusal might be a mistake, place 
 difficulties in the way of a struggling interest, and hinder a 
 good cause. In such cases the wise course is for the Council 
 to adjourn for a specified time — three or six months — and 
 wait developments. At the end of that time the case may 
 be clearer, and admit of definite settlement. 
 
 Note 3, — To prevent mistakes in organizing churches, 
 some hold that the Council should be called before constitu- 
 tion, to advise as to whether it is best to constitute, rather 
 than afterward to recognize. This course would doubtless 
 avoid some mistakes, though it is open to some objections, 
 and is not usually followed — possibly because of the inde- 
 pendency of those concerned in the formation of new churches, 
 
 XII. CHURCHES DISBANDED. 
 
 It sometimes happens, under stress of circum- 
 stances, that it becomes needful, or at least seems 
 wise, to abandon Church organizations and to trans- 
 fer the efforts made for their support to new fields, 
 or to a union with other churches. It is always a 
 matter of serious concern thus to remove the candle- 
 stick out of its place, and should be determined on 
 only after long consideration, much prayer, and 
 consultation with wise and unbiased brethren. But 
 duty may require that it shall be done. Cases have 
 occurred, where complicated and inveterate troubles 
 in the body have been so long continued as to dis- 
 courage all hope of further comfort, edification or 
 usefulness, promising only further contention and 
 scandal to the Christian name. The only resort 
 may be to disband, and the members go into other 
 
A CHRISTIAN CHURCH. 59 
 
 churches, or, such as believe they can free them- 
 selves from the old troubles, and work harmoniously 
 together, unite in forming a new Church, leaving 
 out the old roots of bitterness and seeds of conten- 
 tion. 
 
 Of the wisdom and propriety of such a step the 
 body itself must be the judge, with all the light 
 it can obtain ; and since this step will most likely 
 be opposed by some, the question must be finally 
 decided by a majority of the members, as in other 
 cases. There are some things, however, that ma- 
 jorities even cannot rightfully do, and they must pro- 
 ceed cautiously. 
 
 1. Each member has an indefeasible right to all the 
 immunities of Church membership, whether moral, 
 spiritual, social or otherwise; which rights cannot 
 be abrogated or alienated, and must be regarded as 
 sacred. If the Church be disbanded, therefore, let- 
 ters must be given to all the members, which will 
 secure them admission to other churches, without 
 loss of position or privilege. 
 
 2. There are rights of property also to be con- 
 sidered, if the Church holds property, purchased or 
 given for religious uses. The deed by which such 
 property is held, or the charter by which the Church 
 has become a body corporate for the purpose of 
 holding and controlling temporalities, would have to 
 be well understood, so that such property might not 
 be lost, or diverted to other uses than those for 
 which it was given or purchased. The laws of the 
 state, and the decisions of courts would have to be 
 
60 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 consulted, so that such property should still be used 
 according to its original design. 
 
 3. If a Church be disbanded, and absolutely dis- 
 solved, and a new one constituted on the same 
 ground, and of the same materials, the new one can- 
 not hold the property, retain the officers, perpetuate 
 the history, or claim the immunities of the old one, 
 but must begin anew, unless, indeed, it may so far 
 be allowed by legal process to hold the property, 
 appropriating it to its legitimate use. 
 
 The process by which the organization is dis- 
 banded, or dissolved, is very simple. After all pre- 
 liminary preparations are attended to — for no Church 
 acts can be performed after the final act of dissolu- 
 tion has been passed — letters having been voted to 
 its members, and the clerk authorized to give such 
 letters to any person who may subsequently appear, 
 and have right to them; then a simple vote, "that 
 we do here and now, by this act, disband as a Church, 
 and cease to exist as a corporate and covenant or- 
 ganization," will accomplish the purpose. What 
 disposition shall be made of the records, of any fur- 
 niture, or other effects belonging to them, would 
 previously have been determined. 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 CHURCH MEMBERSHIP. 
 
 The character of a building depends very much 
 on the materials of which it is constructed. Chris- 
 tian disciples " are builded together for a habitation 
 of God, through the Spirit." Any society or asso- 
 ciation is largely what its constructive elements are. 
 Combination and intercourse may, to a certain ex- 
 tent, modify individual peculiarities, but the corpo- 
 rate character will be the result of the various 
 personalities which compose the body. The esti- 
 mation in which will be held its internal life and 
 order, the efficiency with which it will work toward 
 its purposed end, will all be determined by the char- 
 acter of its individual elements. 
 
 It is sometimes said that a Church is a voluntary 
 society. This is true in a sense, and only with an 
 explanation. It is true in that no external force or 
 authority can compel the relation of membership to 
 be formed, or dissolved. The Church can compel 
 no one to unite with it, nor can the individual oblige 
 the body to receive him. But it is not true that it 
 is a matter merely optional and indifferent whether 
 or not a believer identifies himself with the House- 
 hold of Faith. He is under moral obligation to do 
 chat. It is for his own spiritual good to do it; it is 
 one of the appointed means of grace; the Church 
 
 6i 
 
62 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 needs his presence and influence, and the cause of 
 Truth is furthered by a combination of Christian 
 influence and eflbrt. All are under law to Christ, 
 and are bound by sacred obligations to obey and 
 please Him. He has ordained that His followers 
 should associate themselves together in these broth- 
 erhoods of faith and aflection. A Church, therefore, 
 is more than a voluntary society: it is a society under 
 law to Christ. 
 
 Church membership, therefore, becomes a ques- 
 tion of grave moment, and should be carefully 
 studied and well understood. 
 
 Let it be observed: 
 
 Note i. — The character of the persons who are to consti- 
 tute the churches and hold membership therein, is fixed and 
 prescribed by Christ Himself, and is to remain permanent 
 and unchanged. 
 
 Note 2. — Consequently, the Church, by whose act per- 
 sons are to be formally admitted to membership, has no right 
 or authority to alter the terms or conditions of membership, 
 but must conform strictly to those prescribed by the Law- 
 giver; much less can the wish or the will of the pastor be 
 allowed to change these conditions, since he has no au- 
 thority in the case; still less can the desire or judgment of 
 the candidate himself modify the divinely prescribed condi- 
 tions. 
 
 Note 3. — The benefits to be derived by Church associa- 
 tion and fellowship, whether to the individual or to the body, 
 can be certainly anticipated only by exact conformity to the 
 prescribed qualifications of admission, and subsequent con- 
 formity to the principles of the Church's internal polity. 
 
 Note 4. — Decline, perversion and decay of spiritual life 
 and evangelical doctrine, are more likely to result from the 
 
CHURCH MEMBERSHIP. 63 
 
 admission of unsanctified and unsuitable materials into its 
 membership than from almost any other deviation from the 
 divinely constituted order of building the spiritual temple. 
 
 Note 5. — The moral purity and spiritual vitality of the 
 membership is the best conservation and the surest guar- 
 anty of the doctrinal soundness and spiritual vitality of the 
 ministry itself. Where vital godliness rules in the body, the 
 same will be demanded and supported in a teacher and 
 leader, and there an unevangelical ministry will not long be 
 tolerated. But a carnal membership will endure, and even 
 demand a carnal ministry. " Like people, like priest." 
 
 I. CONDITIONS OF MEMBERSHIP. 
 
 The very great importance of the subject hereby 
 becomes apparent, and the question of vi^ho may and 
 who may not be admitted to membership is one of 
 primary moment. What are the scriptural qualifi- 
 cations for citizenship in this spiritual kingdom, for 
 brotherhood in the family of the faithful, for mem- 
 bership in the society of Jesus ? What are the con- 
 ditions on which this privilege depends ? 
 
 These conditions are four: 
 
 I. A regenerate heart. 2. A confession of faith. 
 3. The reception of baptism. 4. A Christian life. 
 
 I. A regenerate heart. 
 
 None but converted and godly persons have any 
 right in the Church of Christ as members. To admit 
 the ungodly and the profane to the fellowship of the 
 holy, to share the privileges of the faithful, and par- 
 take of the sacred Communion of the Body and the 
 Blood of Christ, would be a scandal and a shame, 
 
64 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 not to be perpetrated or endured by those who 
 profess to be His disciples. Nor is it enough that 
 one's moral character be without reproach, and his 
 life orderly. He must give good evidence that he 
 is " a new creature in Christ Jesus," that he ** has 
 passed from death unto life," and that " Christ is 
 formed in him," or he has no place in His body, 
 which is the Church. If our churches are to fulfill 
 their mission, remain true to their traditions, and 
 honor their apostolical pretensions, they must in- 
 sist, with unabated vigor, on a regenerated meni' 
 bership. Nor must they insist on it in theory 
 only, but take every precaution to maintain it in 
 practice. 
 
 This position, however, is one with which many 
 Christians, deemed evangelical, not a few Christian 
 teachers, and some entire denominations do not agree; 
 such persons claiming that nothing more than good 
 moral character and a serious disposition to attend to 
 religious instruction should be demanded in candi- 
 dates for Church membership. Their theory is, that 
 within the Church regeneration and salvation are to 
 be found, rather than before entering it. By this 
 practice the holy and the profane are brought into 
 unseemly fellowship in the body of Christ, the 
 broad distinction between the Church and the world 
 is diminished or obliterated, the salt loses its savor, 
 and the city set on a hill to that extent is hid, and 
 ceases to be a monument of grace to men. This 
 becomes more emphatically true, since churches 
 which hold this theory hold also to infant baptism 
 
CHURCH MEMBERSHIP. 65 
 
 and Church membership without pretension of sav- 
 ing faith or spiritual birth. Such associations lose 
 the foremost characteristic of Christian churches, 
 and become religious societies, where carnal and 
 spiritual mingle in inharmonious fellowship, only a 
 part of which can pretend to be members of the 
 body of Christ. 
 
 The teachings of the New Testament are clear 
 and emphatic on this point. Both Jesus and His 
 Apostles made it manifest that His kingdom was 
 not of this world, and those who constituted it were 
 such as are born of the Spirit. In the constitution 
 of the first churches, both Jewish and Gentile, the 
 persons who composed them were not indiscrimi- 
 nately gathered, but those called out ix ova the masses 
 of the people on a confession of faith in Christ, and 
 a change which betokened a regenerate nature. 
 This was the case at the Pentecost, and subsequently 
 it was " the saved " who were added to the churches. 
 So was it at Samaria, at Antioch, at Ephesus, at 
 Corinth, at Philippi — everywhere. 
 
 The Church at Rome was addressed as '* Beloved 
 
 of God, called to be saints." — Rom. I : 7. And 
 
 these same disciples Paul reminds of their former 
 
 condition, ** When ye were servants of sin," and 
 
 contrasts it with their present condition: " But now, 
 
 being made free from sin, and become servants to 
 
 God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end 
 
 everlasting life." — Rom. 6 : 20, 22. The salutation 
 
 to the Corinthians is, " Unto the Church of God, 
 
 which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in 
 5 
 
(£ THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 Christ Jesus, called to be saints." — I Cor. I : 2, 
 His second epistle he inscribes: "■ Unto the Church 
 of God, which is at Corinth, with all the saints which 
 are in Achaia." — 2 Cor. i : i. The Ephesians he 
 addresses as: " The saints which are at Ephesus, 
 and the faithful in Christ Jesus." He says they 
 "were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise." 
 Also, they "were dead in trespasses and sins," but 
 God had " quickened them together with Christ." — 
 Eph. I : i; 2 : i, 6. 
 
 The broad distinction between what they once 
 were and what they had become, indicative of the 
 great change, is carried through all the epistles. 
 To the Philippians, it is, " To all the saints in 
 Christ Jesus, which are at Philippi." — Phil. I : i. 
 Elsewhere it is the same: "To the saints and 
 faithful brethren which are at Colosse." — Col. 1 : 2 ; 3:3. 
 He says: " Ye are dead, and your life is hid with 
 Christ in God." Peter, addressing the saints, says: 
 " Ye also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual 
 house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sac- 
 rifices, acceptable to God, through Jesus Christ." 
 And further, he declares: "But ye are a chosen 
 generation, a royal priesthood, a peculiar people; 
 that ye should show forth the praises of Him who 
 called you out of darkness into His marvellous 
 light." — I Peter 2 : 5, 9. The unvarying tone of 
 New Testament utterance is the same. Those gath- 
 ered in fraternal fellowship to constitute the churches 
 of our Lord, are such as have been called out of 
 darkness into light, and from the power of Satan 
 
CHURCH MEMBERSHIP. 6'^ 
 
 unto God. Once were they darkness, now are they 
 light in the Lord. 
 
 Were it not for a too ready disposition in many 
 quarters to admit to the churches almost any one 
 who might desire to enter, or could be induced to 
 come — not only gold, silver and precious stones, 
 but wood, hay and stubble as well — it would appear 
 puerile to insist on a spiritual nature, a regenerate 
 heart, as the first requisite for membership in the 
 Church of Christ. 
 
 2. A professed faith. 
 
 Before the Church can consistently welcome one 
 to its fellowship, the members must obtain the evi- 
 dence that he, too, is of like precious faith with 
 themselves; that he has also passed from death unto 
 life, and become a new creature in Christ. The 
 bond of fellowship among the saints is the love of 
 Christ shed abroad in all hearts alike, binding all in 
 a common experience, a common hope and a com- 
 mon sympathy to the Cross, the one common cen- 
 tre of their new life. In order to make this fellow- 
 ship real and personal to each, the new-comer who 
 seeks admission to their company must give them 
 the evidence that he, too, has been born of the 
 Spirit, and become an heir of God. How is he to 
 give and they to obtain this evidence } By a con- 
 fession to that effect, and by such change in char- 
 acter and conduct on his part as he is able to show. 
 Without this, no evidence of fitness for member- 
 
68 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 ship with the disciples becomes apparent, and no 
 fraternal fellowship is begotten. 
 
 This confession of faith is made verbally, by a 
 declaration of the great change which has trans- 
 pired. He who remains silent, and can bear no 
 testimony to the loving kindness of the Lord, gives 
 small reason to believe that he is a child of God. 
 The declaration of those who experience this spir- 
 itual transformation in all ages, climes and condi- 
 tions, is substantially the same: "Come and hear, 
 all ye that fear God, and I will declare what He 
 hath done for my soul." — Ps. 66\ i6. And thus is 
 realized the declaration: " With the heart man be- 
 lieveth unto righteousness, and with the mouth con- 
 fession is made unto salvation." — Rom. lO : lO. 
 Without a confession of saving faith in Christ, and 
 a profession of pardon and peace through the 
 blood of the Covenant, there can be no spiritual fel- 
 lowship, and membership in the Church would be 
 little more than a pretense. Those who accept 
 Christ as their Lord and Saviour are expected to 
 declare their new obligation. By this confession 
 largely the Church gains the evidence that they have 
 passed from death unto life. The old Baptist way, 
 from times immemorial, is, to have persons wishing 
 to unite with the Church, to come personally before 
 it and " relate their experience," tell what the Lord 
 had done for them and in them. However much 
 such matters may be referred to pastor or deacons 
 or committees, as preliminary, candidates must 
 come personally before the Church and speak for 
 
CHURCH MEMBERSHIP. 69 
 
 themselves. And this custom should be heroically 
 maintained. They need not plead timidity, and say 
 they cannot speak in the presence of others. They 
 deceive themselves. If they have experienced any- 
 thing, they can say something about it. If their 
 hearts have been changed, they can speak of it. If 
 they know the love of God, they can say so. 
 
 3. A Reception of Baptism, 
 
 Especially is a confession of faith to be made in bap- 
 tism. A regenerate heart constitutes the spiritual 
 qualification for Church membership. A professed 
 faith and a consistent Christian life constitute the 
 moral qualifications. And baptism constitutes the 
 ritual or ceremonial qualification for that sacred fel- 
 lowship. Except by baptism no person can be re- 
 ceived as a member of the Church, without violat- 
 ing the prescribed conditions, and vitiating the 
 divine method. One may become a member of 
 **the kingdom of heaven" by being "born from 
 above," but he cannot become a member of the vis- 
 ible Church except he confess that spiritual change 
 in the waters of baptism. In that symbolic act he 
 declares himself dead to the world and sin, buried, 
 and raised up to newness of life through the death 
 and resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. The 
 spiritual change of the new birth begets Christian 
 fellowship; but to secure Church fellowship, that 
 change must be confessed in baptism. This is the 
 New Testament order. At the first it was so; they 
 repented, they believed, they were baptized, then 
 
/O THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 added to the Church. Without confession in bap- 
 tism there could be no Christian churches. 
 
 4. A Christian deportment. 
 
 This condition must appear manifest. The first 
 act of Christian obedience after conversion, is, natu- 
 rally, baptism. In most cases, in primitive times, it 
 followed immediately after an exercise of saving 
 faith. " They believed and were baptized." There 
 was, consequently, little or no opportunity to test 
 the sincerity of their profession, or prove the gen- 
 uineness of their conversion by a well-ordered life 
 and godly conversation. With us it is usually some- 
 what different; for while no specified time is required 
 for probation, or proof of sincerity, some time usually 
 does, and prudently should, elapse after a profession 
 of faith, before Church membership is consummated. 
 Union with the Church usually follows baptism im- 
 mediately, but baptism does not usually follow con- 
 version immediately, as it might lawfully do. 
 
 But whatever time and opportunity there may be 
 for observing the spirit and conduct of professed 
 converts, that spirit and conduct should be found in 
 harmony with the professed change of heart. If 
 they still choose their old companions, find pleasure 
 in their old pursuits of worldliness, are captivated 
 with the vanities and frivolities of life, to say no 
 more, who could believe that any vital and radical 
 change by grace had passed upon the soul } If the 
 old things have not passed away, and all things 
 become new, how can a Christian character be de- 
 
CHURCH MEMBERSHIP. 7I 
 
 tected in them ? And if that be not apparent, how 
 can they be fit members for the Church of God ? 
 
 An external Christian life must corroborate the 
 profession of an internal Christian faith. This apos- 
 tolic injunction must, to a good degree, be made 
 manifest to all in every professed disciple. '' If ye 
 then be risen with Christ, seek those things which 
 are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of 
 God; set your affections on things above, and not 
 on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your 
 life is hid with Christ in God." — Col. 3:1,2. No 
 amount of attestation can make the world believe 
 that he is a Christian whose conduct does not cor- 
 respond to his profession. And if there cannot be 
 a good degree of conformity between the professed 
 and the practical, persons had better remain out of 
 the Church than to enter it. Positively so, if there 
 be a manifest disparity and contradiction between 
 the two. 
 
 Note i. — Not every person can give an equally satisfac- 
 tory relation of Christian experience before the Church, nor 
 are those always the most certainly regenerate who can tell 
 the most remarkable experience. But no person can consist- 
 ently be admitted to its fellowship unless the Church in some 
 way obtains satisfactory evidence of his conversion, and hears 
 him personally declare his faith. 
 
 Note 2. — Persons on entering a Church may be ignorant 
 of many things in Christian doctrine, and must be ignorant 
 of many things in practical Christian life, which they will 
 afterward learn. Nor should they be rejected simply on 
 that account. Indeed, they enter the Church as a school of 
 sacred learning, to be instructed. But no one should be ad- 
 
72 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 mitted who holds and maintains matters, either of faith oi 
 morals, contrary to the Scriptures, as understood by the 
 Church. Especially so, if such differences are likely to be 
 proclaimed and advocated. For, even admitting that the 
 candidate may be right and the Church wrong in the matters 
 wherein they differ, such oppositions would produce discords 
 and dissensions, interrupting the harmony of the body, and 
 thus becoming obstructive, both to its peace and to its use- 
 fulness. 
 
 Note 3. — In all matters fundamental, both as to faith and 
 practice, members of the same Church should hold and act 
 alike, since harmony in the body is of the greatest impor- 
 tance. But it would be unreasonable to demand or expect 
 that considerable numbers of persons, differing in education, 
 habits of thought, constitution of mind and independent 
 opinions, could attain perfect uniformity of belief in all mat- 
 ters of Christian truth. This would be impracticable, and in 
 minor matters large Christian liberty should be allowed. 
 
 Note 4. — The relation of Christian experience before the 
 Church, while the practice should be maintained, cannot 
 usually give full and satisfactory evidence of conversion. 
 The excitement of the occasion and the timidity of the can- 
 didate may do injustice to the most devout and pious per- 
 sons. The pastor, deacons and others should, by personal 
 intercourse and private conversation, obtain the facts in the 
 case, and lay them before the body as evidence. 
 
 Note 5. — In the relation of experience it is not so much 
 the words spoken as the manner by which, and the spirit in 
 which, they are spoken, that convince and satisfy those who 
 hear. And it is more difficult to judge, and requires more 
 caution in the case of strangers, with whose history, manner 
 of life and habits of thought they are unfamiliar, than of 
 those well known. 
 
 Note 6. — Those pastors make a grave mistake, and are 
 grievously in fault, who hurry persons into the Church with- 
 out giving the body a fair and full opportunity of gaining 
 
CHURCH MEMBERSHIP. 73 
 
 evidence of their regenerate state. They may ask a few 
 leading questions themselves, which anyone, saint or sinner, 
 could answer, and virtually debar others the privilege of ask- 
 ing others, call a vote on their reception, to which a few will 
 respond and many remain silent. No fellowship is accorded 
 by the body, since no evidence is obtained. The Church 
 may seem to be prosperous, because baptisms frequently oc- 
 cur; but the moral strength of the body is weakened, rather, 
 and disorder introduced where order should prevail. 
 
 Note 7. — Neither age, sex, race, past character, nor con- 
 dition in life should serve to keep one out of the Church, if 
 the evidence be abundant and satisfactory that such an one 
 be a subject of renewing and saving grace; and that the 
 character and conduct since professed conversion be in ac- 
 cordance with the gospel of Christ. 
 
 II. MODES OF ADMISSION. 
 
 It is not proposed to admit persons to member- 
 ship by an imposing ceremonial, the better to im- 
 press on them and others the importance of the 
 act, as is done in some societies, and even in some 
 churches. For, though the act be an important one, 
 the simplicity of Christ does not call for parade to 
 make it seem impressive. The form is simple, 
 though the act be serious. While no gorgeous pa- 
 geant marks initiation to the fellowship of the 
 Christian mysteries, it may well be questioned if 
 we do not hold too lightly and make too little of 
 admission to membership in this sacred brother- 
 hood. 
 
 There are three ways in common use, by either of 
 which persons may be admitted to the Church, ac- 
 cording to their religious standing and their relation 
 
74 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 to a profession of faith. But the difference in either 
 case has reference to the form or mode, the sub- 
 stantial act in all these cases being the same, viz.: 
 a vote of the body to receive the candidate. Each 
 new member must be admitted by the free and vol- 
 untary consent and approval of those already mem- 
 bers, which consent is usually expressed by a formal 
 vote. By this method alone, and not by the per- 
 sonal action of the minister, nor yet by the decision 
 of a board of official members, no,r yet by some ex- 
 ecutive committee specially appointed for this pur- 
 pose, are new members to be received, if the sym- 
 pathy and confidence of the body are to be secured 
 to each one added. An examination before the 
 pastor and deacons, or before some official consis- 
 tory or committee, might be preferred by many can- 
 didates, and even to others might seem more desir- 
 able, because more private. All this may be had, 
 but if had, it is preliminary and precautionary. The 
 final and efficient act is the vote of the Church in its 
 corporate capacity, after having listened to the can- 
 didate's personal statement, and being satisfied as 
 to his fitness. 
 
 The following are the three modes of admission : 
 I. By Baptism. — A person may be admitted to 
 the Church, on a profession of faith in Christ, by 
 baptism. This is the more common method. Such 
 an one makes known his Christian hope and desire 
 for baptism and union with the Church, to the pas- 
 tor or brethren. If they, after proper investigation 
 of the case, become satisfied of his fitness for that 
 
CHURCH MEMBERSHIP. 75 
 
 Step, he is encouraged to come before the Church at 
 such time as they are accustomed to receive candi- 
 dates, relate his Christian experience and his desire 
 to be received to their fellowship. After he has 
 made this relation and retired, the Church considers 
 the question of his reception, hears the testimony 
 of those who have become familiar with the case, 
 and then, if satisfied, it is moved and voted that he 
 be received as a member, on being baptized. 
 
 2. By Letter. — In the changes of social and domes- 
 tic life, which are constantly transpiring, members 
 often remove from the vicinity of the Church with 
 which they have united. Then it becomes their duty, 
 and should be their desire, to connect themselves 
 with a Church of the same faith near their new home, 
 where they can conveniently work and worship. 
 By the comity of Christian fellowship, and by that 
 courtesy which each Church owes to each other, the 
 one of which he is a member gives him a letter of 
 commendation and dismission, by which his mem- 
 bership may be transferred to the other. This letter 
 certifies to his good Christian character and regular 
 standing, and commends him to the confidence of, 
 and membership in, the other Church. If satisfied, 
 he is received by a vote of the Church, as in the 
 former case — the letter serving as a certificate of 
 character and standing, with permission to unite. 
 Though not considered essential, yet it is desirable 
 that the person should be present when his letter 
 is read, and verbally express his desire to be re- 
 ceived. 
 
76 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 3. By Experience. — It sometimes happens that 
 persons who have been baptized, but by some means 
 have lost their membership, desire to unite with a 
 Church. They bring no letters, nor are they re- 
 baptized; but give an account of their conversion 
 and Christian life, which, being satisfactory, they 
 are received by vote on their confession — or, as it 
 is usually stated, ** on experience." 
 
 Note i. — In some churches the names of all candidates 
 are announced at a meeting previous to that on which action 
 is to be taken, in order that all may be acquainted with the 
 fact, and make objection, if they know of any good reason 
 for objection. 
 
 Note 2. — In some churches, also, there is a standing com- 
 mittee, before which all applicants for membership must first 
 go, and if that committee regard the application unfavorably, 
 it is not presented to the Church at all. Such action may at 
 first appear somewhat arbitrary, perhaps, but in cities and 
 other crowded communities great care is needed to guard 
 against imposition by designing and unworthy persons, who 
 may be influenced by sinister motives in such a step. Of 
 course, a final appeal is to the Church, and not to a com- 
 mittee. 
 
 Note 3. — In some churches, particularly in large commu- 
 nities where individuals may not be so well known, the pastor 
 requests some careful and competent member to act as com- 
 mittee to ascertain the facts in the case of each one apply- 
 ing for membership. Or there may be a standing committee, 
 to which all such cases are referred. Or if there be a pru- 
 dential committee, through which all applications must come, 
 they act in the matter. In either case a report is made to 
 the church, when action is taken. But, in addition, a care- 
 ful pastor will personally investigate every case. 
 
 Note 4. — Persons cannot be received to membership on 
 
CHURCH MEMBERSHIP. 'J'J 
 
 the credit of letters from other denominations. Such letters 
 are accepted as testimonials of previous Church standing and 
 Christian character; but the applicants are to be received by 
 baptism — if not already baptized — or otherwise on their 
 Christian experience, related in person before the Church. 
 
 Note 5. — It is a rule generally acted on, that no person 
 shall be taken into the Church to the grief of any one already 
 a member. Hence, members should be received not simply 
 by a majority, but by a unanimous vote. If objection be 
 made, the case should be postponed, to ascertain the facts. 
 If the objections be found to be factious and unreasonable, 
 they should not be further regarded; and if persisted in, 
 would subject the objectors to reproof and censure. 
 
 Note 6. — At times it may be found expedient to postpone 
 the reception of a candidate for a better acquaintance, and 
 for greater harmony in action respecting him. Moreover, it 
 is always better to use great deliberation than to proceed 
 with great haste in such a matter. But the Scriptures cer- 
 tainly do not authorize any system oi probation by which all 
 candidates are required to wait a specified time before being 
 admitted to the full fellowship of the body. 
 
 Note 7. — To baptize persons who do not unite with any 
 Church, is considered bad policy, as subversive of good order 
 and destructive of Church organization. They should be ap- 
 proved and received by the body for full fellowship 7£/^<?« bap- 
 tized. Yet there are possible exceptions to this rule where 
 no Church exists, or where they are baptized to constitute 
 one, and in some other unusual circumstances. 
 
 Note 8. — Nor is it expedient, or promotive of good order, 
 for ministers to baptize persons who wish to unite with 
 churches of other denominations. Such persons should re- 
 ceive the ordinance from the pastors of the churches with 
 which they are to unite. Nor is it consistent Christian walk- 
 ing for such persons to unite with churches which uphold 
 and practice a form of so-called baptism which they them- 
 selves reject and condemn. 
 
78 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 Note 9. — Persons who fulfill all the Scriptural conditions 
 and possess all the requisite qualifications for membership, 
 have a right to be admitted to baptism and the privileges of 
 the Church, if they request it; though no extraneous force 
 or authority can compel their admission. 
 
 Note 10. — Uniting with a Church must be a free and vol- 
 untary act on the part of the individual; there is neither civil 
 nor ecclesiastical authority among us to compel or require it. 
 But there is a moral obligation resting on every professed 
 lover of the Saviour to identify himself in fraternal union 
 with the company of His disciples. 
 
 Note ii. — No civil or religious disability can, with us, be 
 inflicted on those who are not communicants, as is the case 
 in countries where there is a state Church, and where religion 
 is supported as a civil establishment. The gospel idea of 
 religious faith and service is, that all should be voluntary and 
 free, and that civil authority has no right of control over, or 
 interference with, matters of religion. 
 
 Note 12. — It is customary, when members are admitted 
 to the Church, whether by baptism, letter or experience, for 
 the pastor to give them the right hand of fellowship. This 
 is usually done at the communion semce immediately before 
 the elements are distributed. The candidate rises, while the 
 hand is extended with a few words of kindly welcome. The 
 act is fraternal, but not essential; is designed simply as an 
 expression of the Church's welcome. It does not make them 
 members, and adds nothing to their standing, but recognizes 
 them in the presence of the body as fellow-disciples. In 
 some churches — particularly at the South — in addition to the 
 pastor's hand of fellowship, the various members pass by in 
 order, each extending the hand of welcome; a practice which, 
 though somewhat less conventional, is more expressive. 
 
 Note i 3. — The reception of persons by restoration is not 
 essentially different from that by experience, Members who 
 have been excluded from fellowship may be received back, 
 when the causes which led to the withdrawal of fellowship arf» 
 
CHURCH MEMBERSHIP. 79 
 
 removed, and the individual requests restoration — the Church, 
 being satisfied with his fitness, votes his reception. The 
 "hand of fellowship" properly follows in this case, as in 
 the others. Such cases are reported as additions by "res- 
 toration." 
 
 Note 14. — Persons received to membership have equal 
 rights and immunities with any and all other members, with- 
 out distinction of sex, age or condition, unless for cause un- 
 der discipline and censure. Persons not members enjoy the 
 privilege of worship with the Church, but can claim no cor- 
 porate rights, including the ordinances. 
 
 in. MODES OF DISMISSION. 
 
 Church membership is held to be of perpetual 
 obligation. What has been elsewhere said as to its 
 voluntary character will apply to the dissolving as 
 well as to the forming of this relation. No human 
 authority can hold one in the Church, who resolves 
 to go out of it. The Church is more than a mere 
 confederation of men and women; it is " the body of 
 Christ," where each one, "is a member in particu- 
 lar." Each one who unites with it does so, pre- 
 sumably, not as a mere matter of convenience, or 
 personal caprice, but from a sense of religious 
 obligation. Voluntarily and of choice indeed, yet 
 still doing it, *' as unto the Lord." When he becomes 
 a member therefore, it is for life, unless some provi- 
 dential interposition should break the bonds. Bap- 
 tists hold that Christians should not live outside the 
 fold of the Good Shepherd, but within the shelter 
 of its fellowship; unless, indeed, they become un- 
 worthy the position, and have to be " put away." 
 
80 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 Provision is, however, made for a transference of 
 membership from one Church to another. 
 
 There are three ways, by either of which the re- 
 lation of members to the body may be dissolved: 
 
 1. By Letter. — A member may, on application, 
 receive a letter of commendation and dismission 
 from his Church, with which to unite with another 
 of the same faith, and thus, not pass out of Church 
 relations, but be transferred from one fellowship to 
 another. 
 
 2. By Exrclusion. — When the Church, in the ex- 
 ercise of its lawful authority and discipline, with- 
 draws fellowship from one proven to be an unworthy 
 member, his connection with the body is dissolved 
 and thenceforth ceases. 
 
 3. By Death. — The death of members of course 
 dissolves the relation, and transfers them from the 
 Church on earth, to that above. 
 
 No other modes of dismission, or disconnection 
 are recognized among our churches. 
 
 Note i. — It is customary for the validity of letters to be 
 limited to some specified time — usually six months — after the 
 expiration of which time they are worthless; but may be re- 
 newed, if satisfactory reason be given the Church for their 
 non-use. 
 
 Note 2. — The one receiving a letter is still a member and 
 subject to the authority and discipline of the Church grant- 
 ing it, until he has used it by actually connecting himself 
 with another Church. 
 
 Note 3. — Letters thus given can be revoked, for cause, by 
 the Church at its discretion, any time previous to their being 
 used. 
 
CHURCH MEMBERSHIP. 8l 
 
 Note 4. — Any member in good standing has the right at 
 any time to ask for, and receive from the Church a certificatt 
 of his membership and standing; but subjects himself to dis- 
 cipline if he use it for any improper purpose. 
 
 Note 5. — Letters cannot properly be given to be used in 
 uniting with a Church of another denomination. It would 
 be manifestly inconsistent for a Church to commend and dis- 
 miss its members to unite with those with whom it did not 
 hold Church fellowship. 
 
 Note 6. — When a member unites with a Church of an- 
 other denomination, the hand of fellowship is withdrawn 
 from him, though otherwise of good Christian character, and 
 though he may have acted conscientiously in what he had 
 done. This act implies no censure; but since his Church is 
 not in fellowship with that to which he has gone, they can- 
 not consistently continue fellowship with him in that Church. 
 
 Note 7. — No member can withdraw from the Church. 
 He must be regularly dismissed by the action of the body. 
 Nor can one have his name dropped, or be excluded at his 
 own request. Such action, if taken at all, must be taken by 
 due process of discipline on the part of the Church. 
 
 Note 8. — Nor can the Church compel 2i member to take a 
 letter and withdraw, without his consent. This would be a 
 virtual exclusion from its fellowship; in order to which, due 
 course of discipline must be pursued, on charges made, and 
 for sufficient reasons. 
 
 Note 9. — When members remove their residence so far as 
 to render worship with their Church impracticable, they 
 should take letters, and unite where they go. Their churches 
 should require this of them, if at all practicable. The too 
 common practice of holding membership in one Church, and 
 worshiping in another deserves severe reproof. 
 
 Note 10. — In voting on the reception, dismissal, discipline 
 or exclusion of members, several cases should not be included 
 in the same vote, but each one be acted on separately, and 
 decided on its own merits. 
 6 
 
82 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 Note ii. — The dropping of members is merely placing on 
 a separate list the names of those of whom the Church has 
 lost all knowledge. They are neither dismissed, nor reported 
 as members; and whenever found, their names are restored 
 to the record. No one can be dropped as an act of discipline, 
 nor when his residence is known, nor simply to get rid of a 
 disturbing element. 
 
 Note 12. — Persons excluded ixova one Church should not 
 be received to the fellowship of another, except after care- 
 ful investigation, and when most manifest injustice has been 
 done such members; and also when the excluding Church 
 refuses to correct the wrong done. Yet cases may, and do 
 occur, where it is the duty of one Church to bear this testi- 
 mony against the wrong done by another, and receive the 
 unjustly excluded member to its fellowship. 
 
 Note 13. — Sometimes a letter of simple commendation, 
 or occasional communion, is given to a member who is to be 
 temporarily absent from home, for the purpose of affording 
 him Christian introduction where he may visit, or worship 
 during his absence. This may be given by the pastor, or 
 clerk, or by the action of the Church, and should be limited 
 to the time of his probable absence. 
 
 Note 14. — The conception of a perfect Christian brother- 
 hood is not to be realized on earth. Many defects and faults 
 may be expected, both in the individual, and in the body. 
 The member may think the Church little better than the 
 world; and the Church may regard the member as a burden 
 rather than a blessing, and wish to be rid of him. But those 
 who are truly Christ's, " have crucified the flesh with its af- 
 fections and lusts," and must " bear one another's burdens," 
 and take no unlawful or unkindly means to break the bonds 
 of their fellowship, and sever their connection. 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 CHURCH OFFICERS. 
 
 Every form of organized society, whether civil, 
 social or religious, is supposed to have officers, duly 
 constituted to execute the laws, administer the 
 government, and secure the ends contemplated by 
 the organization. The Church is a commonwealth, 
 a society, a family, and has its officers as leaders 
 and administrators of its affairs. Officers, however, 
 are not essential to the existence of a State, nor are 
 they to the existence of a Church. They are never- 
 theless important to their highest efficiency, and the 
 best exercise of their legitimate functions. The 
 State does not lapse and cease to be, because its 
 executive dies, resigns, or is removed. Nor does 
 the Church cease to be a Church though it may be 
 without officers. It was a Church before it had offi- 
 cers, and supplied these administrative functionaries 
 from among its own members. And should they all 
 resign, or be removed, the Church would still sur- 
 vive, and supply the deficiency by the election of 
 others to fill their places. 
 
 What are the officers of a Christian Church ? How 
 are they secured ? What are their functions ? And 
 whence is their authority .<* These are questions of 
 importance to be asked and answered; and to which 
 
 83 
 
84 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 various replies will be given, according to the ec- 
 clesiastical theory on which the reply proceeds. 
 
 But suppose we make the questions somewhat 
 more specific, and ask, " What are the Scriptural 
 officers of a Christian Church ? " We shall by this 
 means simplify the inquiry, and be directed not to 
 ecclesiastical standards, but to the New Testament 
 for an answer — a source of authority which to all 
 Christians ought to be more satisfactory than any 
 other, in such matters; and to Baptists, certainly 
 will be, if they be true to their convictions as Bible 
 Christians. 
 
 They are of two grades. 
 
 In the New Testament we find but two orders 
 pertaining to the ministry; but two officers to a 
 Church. These are pastors and deacons. And, yet, 
 this is a question still to some extent in dispute. 
 All prelatical churches insist there are, and of right 
 should be, three orders^ and the Romish Church 
 has carried the number up to ten or twelve. 
 
 But if the Scriptures be appealed to, and primitive 
 churches be accepted as examples, it would seem to 
 be a question settled, that in apostolic times, and 
 for many years after, pastors and deacons only were 
 known as permanent Church officers. The intro- 
 duction of other orders subsequently, was a part of 
 that system of change and perversion, which 
 eventually reared a gigantic and corrupt hierarchy 
 on the ruins of the simplicity of the Gospel, and 
 substituted an oppressive and tyrannical worldly es- 
 tablishment for the Church of Christ. All of which 
 
CHURCH OFFICERS. 85 
 
 changes and corruptions come largely through the 
 unwarranted assumptions of the clergy themselves. 
 
 I. PASTORS. 
 
 In the New Testament the term episcopos^which. is 
 usually rendered bishopy and presbuteroSy which is 
 rendered eldevy are used interchangeably, and often 
 applied to the same person. The episcopos was an 
 overseer y what the term properly denotes; it was the 
 word used chiefly by the Greek Christians as applied 
 to the pastor^ who had the oversight of the flock, 
 and performed the work of a shepherd in spiritual 
 concerns. The term presbuteros or elder, was evi- 
 dently derived from the synagogue, and used chiefly 
 by Jewish Christians, to designate the same person, 
 especially as in the synagogue elderly and dignified 
 persons were selected as the official directors of re- 
 ligious aflairs. 
 
 The term pastor signifies a shepherd, and well in- 
 dicates the nature of the relation he sustains to the 
 Church; that of leading, feeding, guiding and guards 
 ing the flock committed to his care. He is alsq 
 called a minister {diakonos), one who serves and 
 ministers to others; as the pastor is supposed to 
 minister in holy things to the Church. Thus the 
 prelatical distinction of Bishops, Priests and Dea- 
 cons, constituting three orders in the clergy, cor- 
 responding to the three orders. High-priest, Priest 
 and Levite, in the Jewish hierarchy, finds no warr 
 rant in the use of the terms, episcopos , presbuteros 
 
86 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 and diakonos, in apostolic writings. And to this 
 many distinguished prelatists, historians and com- 
 mentators agree. 
 
 Neander, the most distinguished of Church his- 
 torians, gives the following explanation : 
 
 "The name oi presbyters, which was appropriated to this 
 body, was derived from the Jewish Synagogue. But in the 
 Gentile churches, formed by the Apostle Paul, they took the 
 name {episcopoi) bishops, a term more significant of their of- 
 fice, in the language generally spoken by the members of 
 these churches. The name oi presbyters denoted the dignity 
 of their office : that of bishops, on the other hand, was ex- 
 pressive rather of the nature of their office, to take the over- 
 sight of the Church. Most certainly no other distinction 
 originally existed between them." " They were not designed 
 to exercise absolute authority, but to act as presiding officers 
 and guides of an ecclesiastical republic; to conduct all things 
 with the cooperation of the communities; as their ministers, 
 and not as their masters." " I can discover no other differ- 
 ence between the elders and bishops, in the Apostolic age, 
 than that the first denotes the dignity, the second the duties 
 of the office, whether the reference is to one or more." — Ch. 
 Hist. Vol. I. , p. 184: Plant, and Train, p. 147: Intro, to Cole- 
 man's Prim. Ch., p. 20; Plant, and Train, p. 148. 
 
 * Mosheim says : 
 
 " The rulers of the churches were denominated sometimes 
 presbyters or elders — ^a designation borrowed from the Jews, 
 and indicative rather of the wisdom than the age of the per- 
 sons; and sometimes also bishops; for it is most manifest 
 that both terms are promiscuously used in the New Testa- 
 ment of one and the same class of persons." "In those 
 primitive times each Christian Church was composed of the 
 people, the presiding officers, and the assistants or deacons. 
 
CHURCH OFFICERS. 87 
 
 These must be the component parts of every society. The 
 principal voice was that of the people; or of the whole body 
 of Christians." — Eccl. Hist. Cent. I. part 2, ch. II., sees, j, 8, 
 
 Waddington says: 
 
 " It is also true that in the earliest government of the first 
 Christian Society — that of Jerusalem, not the elders only, but 
 the whole Church, were associated with the Apostles; and 
 it is even certain that the terms bishop and elder, ox presbyter, 
 were in the first instance, and for a short period, sometimes 
 used synonymously, and indiscriminately applied to the same 
 order in the ministry." — Hist. Ch., chap. II., sec. 2. 
 
 GiESELER says: 
 
 " The new churches everywhere formed themselves on the 
 model of the mother Church at Jerusalem. At the head of 
 each were the elders (presbyter, bishop), all officially of equal 
 rank, though in several instances a peculiar authority seems 
 to have been conceded to some one individual, from per- 
 sonal considerations." — Ch. Hist., Period /., div. I., chap. 
 II., sec. 2g. 
 
 Coleman says: 
 
 "It is generally admitted by Episcopal writers on this 
 subject that in the New Testament, and in the earliest ecclesi- 
 astical writers the terms bishop and presbyter, or elder, are 
 synonymous, and denote one and the same office." " The 
 office of presbyter was undeniably identical with that of 
 bishop, as has been shown above." " Only two orders of 
 officers are known in the Church until near the close of the 
 second century. Those of the first are styled either bishops 
 ox presbyters; of the %^Q.oVidi, deacons." — Ancient Christianity 
 Exemplified, chap. VIII., sec. 6; chap. VI., sec. j. 
 
 This author still further cites many of the early 
 Christian Fathers, who took the same view of the 
 
88 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 subject, declaring that only two orders existed in 
 the primitive ministry, and that all pastors were of 
 equal rank among themselves. Of these writers 
 are: Clement of Rome, Polycarp, Justin Martyr, 
 Irenaeus, Jerome, Chrysostom, Theodoret and oth- 
 ers; authorities extending from A. D. lOO to A. D. 
 looo, and nearly all of them defenders of prelatical 
 supremacy. 
 
 Dr. Jacobs, an Anglican churchman, says: 
 
 " The only bishops mentioned in the New Testament 
 were simple presbyters; the same persons being called bishop 
 {episcopos), superintendent, overseer, from his taking an over- 
 sight of his congregation, as is distinctly shown by Acts 22:20 
 and other passages; and a presbyter {presbuteros) or elder, 
 from the reverence due to age. It may, however, be observed 
 that the term elder is of Hebrew origin, while that of bishop 
 is Hellenic, and is applied in the New Testament on^y to the 
 officers of Gentile churches, though it did not supersede the 
 use of the word presbyter among them." — Eccl. Polity of 
 N. T., pp. 72-3, 
 
 SCHAFF says: 
 
 " Bishops or presbyters. These two terms denote in the 
 New Testament the same office: the first signifying its du- 
 ties; the second, its dignity." — Hist. Christ. Ch., First period, 
 sec. 42, I. 
 
 . Kurtz says: 
 
 *' That originally \h.^ presbuieroi {€iA^x^ were the same as 
 the episcopoi (bishops), we gather with absolute certainty 
 from the statements of the New Testament, and of Clement 
 of Rome, a disciple of the Apostles." — Text-Book of Ch, 
 Hist., Vol. I., p. 67, 
 
CHURCH OFFICERS. 89 
 
 Prof. Fisher says: 
 
 " Until we approach the close of Elizabeth's reign there is 
 no trace in the Anglican Church of the jure divino idea of 
 episcopacy — the doctrine that bishops are necessary to the 
 being of a Church, and that without episcopal ordination the 
 functions of the ministry cannot be lawfully discharged." — 
 History Christ. Church, p. jyj. 
 
 Prof. Plumptre, a Church of England clergy- 
 man, and a prominent biblical scholar, declares the 
 identity of episcopos 2iV\d presbuteros in New Testa- 
 ment usage, and adduces four reasons from the 
 Acts and the Epistles for this opinion. To his 
 statement and proofs he adds: 
 
 " Assuming, as proved, the identity of bishops and elders 
 of the New Testament, we have to inquire into : i. The re- 
 lations which existed between the two titles. 2. The func- 
 tions and mode of appointment of the men to whom both 
 titles applied. 3. Their relations to the general government 
 and discipline of the Church." — Smith's Bible Diet., Art, 
 Bishop. 
 
 The Ency. Britannica says: 
 
 " The identity of the office of bishop and presbyter being 
 thus clearly established, it follows that the presbyterate is 
 the highest permanent office in the Church, and that every 
 faithful pastor of a flock is successor to the Apostles in every- 
 thing in which they were to have any successors." — Art. 
 Presbyterian. 
 
 The Pantalogia says: 
 
 *' There is no scriptural difference between bishop and 
 presbyter." Furthermore, the same competent authority adds: 
 " To this purpose the declaration made of the functions of 
 
90 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 bishops and priests, signed by more than thirty civilians and 
 divines, among whom were thirteen bishops, Cranmer and 
 others included, affirm that in the New Testament there is no 
 mention of any degrees or distinctions in orders, but only of 
 deacons, or ministers, 2Sidi priests or bishops." — Arts. Bishop 
 and Presbyter. 
 
 In Acts 20:17 it is stated that Paul called to- 
 gether the elders (presbyters) of the Ephesian 
 Church. But in Acts 20 : 18, he calls these same 
 persons bishops (overseers). In this case both 
 terms were applied to the same office, and were 
 used interchangeably to designate the same officer. 
 
 Dean Alford says: 
 
 "The E. V. has hardly dealt fairly in this case with the 
 sacred text in rendering episcopous, v. 28, over seer s\ whereas, 
 it ought there, as in all other places, to have been bishops, 
 that the fact of elders and bishops having been originally and 
 apostolically synonymous, might be apparent to the English 
 reader." — Com. on Acts, 20 : 17. " The episcopoi of the N. T. 
 have nothing in common with our bishops." " The identity 
 of the episcopos and presbuteros in apostolic times is evident, 
 from Titus i : 5-7." — Com. on i Tim. j: i. 
 
 Paul and Timothy, in their address to the Phil- 
 ippian Christians, specify three classes as composing 
 the Church, and manifestly consider these as con- 
 stituting the entire body. They say: " To all the 
 saints in Christ Jesus, which are at Philippi, with 
 the bishops and deacons'' — Phil. I : I. Saints, bish- 
 ops and deacons, therefore, comprised the entire 
 membership — the whole Church. Bishops and pas- 
 tors were identical. 
 
CHURCH OFFICERS. 9I 
 
 Timothy is instructed by Paul as to the qualifi- 
 cations necessary for those who should be chosen 
 as pastors and placed over the churches. These of- 
 ficers are called bishops. Particular directions are 
 given as to the choice of bishops and deacons^ but 
 no mention is here made of elders or presbyters, 
 clearly because they were the same as bishops. — 
 I Tim. 3 : i-io. 
 
 Titus is in like manner directed by Paul to place 
 pastors over the churches in Crete. These pastors 
 he calls elders in the fifth verse and bishops in the 
 seventh. Here both terms are applied to the same 
 persons, and must indicate the same office. — Titus 
 
 But little discussion would be needed on a ques- 
 tion so clear, at least when viewed from the position 
 of the apostolical epistles, were it not for the per- 
 tinacity with which the somewhat arrogant, and 
 not seldom offensive assumption is put forth by 
 Episcopal denominations — both clergy and laity — 
 that there are no genuine churches save those duly 
 organized with three orders in their ministry, and 
 no scripturally ordained ministers except such as 
 have been ordained by the imposition of hands by 
 Episcopal bishops, as a superior order of the clergy. 
 How groundless and absurd such lofty pretensions 
 are, let any careful reader of the New Testament 
 judge. The " historic episcopate " finds no founda- 
 tion and no warrant in the New Testament. 
 
 During their lifetime the Apostles would, of ne- 
 cessity, be regarded with peculiar veneration, as 
 
92 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 having been the companions of, and received their 
 appointment directly from, Christ Himself; and, 
 also, as having been specially inspired and qualified 
 for their work. But in all of this, they had no suc- 
 cessors. After their death, such pastors as had as- 
 sociated with them, or had been appointed to office 
 by them, would, for that reason, receive special re- 
 gard from the churches and the younger ministry, 
 and this special regard might deepen into reverence 
 so profound as to concede them a foremost official 
 position — a kind of patriarchal attitude among the 
 churches, with a larger dignity of office and a larger 
 liberty of action than was allowed to others. This 
 in time could easily lead to the recognition of a 
 higher rank and a superior order in the ministry. 
 
 Moreover, in process of time, as the first planted 
 churches in the more important cities grew older 
 and stronger, they might readily claim, and have 
 accorded to them, a preeminence over the newer 
 and feebler — especially the suburban and rural 
 churches. In like manner the pastors of the older 
 city churches could, without difficulty, assume a 
 preeminence over the pastors of the smaller churches 
 about them. In this way grew up the rule of 
 the metropolitan churches over the provincial 
 churches, and the authority assumed by the pas- 
 tors of the former over their brethren in humbler 
 positions, resulting finally in a clerical caste, or 
 higher order of the clergy. 
 
 GlESELER, in his history of the Church, declares 
 that: 
 
CHURCH OFFICERS. 93 
 
 *'A^ter the death of the Apostles and their pupils, to 
 whom the general direction of the churches had always been 
 conceded, some one among the presbyters of each Church 
 was suffered gradually to take the lead in its affairs. In the 
 same irregular way the title of bishop was appropriated by this 
 first presbyter." — Ch. Hz'st., Period /., div. /., chap. III., 
 sec. J2. 
 
 To the same efifect is the testimony of Neander 
 and nearly all early Church historians, including 
 many prelatists. Moreover, it appears that each 
 Church usually contained several elders, and the 
 one among them who presided in their meetings, 
 and, whether for age or ability, was more promi- 
 nent, would come to be recognized as peculiarly 
 the episcopoSy though all were of equal rank. Thus 
 gradually matured, through a course of years, either 
 because of assumption on the one hand, or of con- 
 cession on the other, or of both, that vast, compli- 
 cated and despotical system of ecclesiastical domi- 
 nation and hierarchical tyranny, which culminated 
 in the oppressive rule of the Greek and Roman 
 establishments, falsely called churches. 
 
 This broad departure from apostolic practice, and 
 from the order and simplicity of the Gospel, was 
 natural, though unfortunate, and no imitation of it, 
 however remote, should be countenanced or con- 
 tinued now. Its course of evil progress is easily 
 traced in history, and generally conceded by schol- 
 ars and divines. Not the less to be deplored that 
 it was begun soon after the Apostles and their im- 
 mediate successors had ceased to watch over and 
 
94 Tli^ NEW DtRECtORY. 
 
 guide, by their wisdom and piety, the churches they 
 had planted. 
 
 THE PASTORATE AND THE MINISTRY. 
 
 The Pastorate and the Ministry are related, but 
 not identical. A pastor is a minister, but a minister 
 is not necessarily a pastor. The minister is the 
 kerux, the herald, who preaches the Gospel, who 
 proclaims the glad tidings to men. The pastor is 
 the poimen, who folds and feeds and leads the flock. 
 The pastor has the care of a Church; the minister is 
 a preacher, and may or may not have the care of a 
 Church. James is understood to have been pastor 
 of the Church in Jerusalem; but Paul and Barnabas, 
 Apollos and Cephas preached the Gospel from place 
 to place, as ambassadors of Christ and heralds of the 
 great salvation, planting churches and setting in 
 order affairs, but without a local and permanent cure 
 of souls. 
 
 In our time — though we have evangelists, mis- 
 sionaries and other ministerial service without pas- 
 toral responsibility — yet, for the most part, ministe- 
 rial service is identified with the pastorate. It may 
 be, as some have supposed, that in primitive times, 
 when in each Church the Spirit developed a plural- 
 ity of ministers, some — according to their peculiar 
 gifts and graces — devoted themselves especially to 
 pastoral work, as each Church might desire or have 
 need, and some to preaching only, or chiefly. Cer- 
 tainly, in all ages, some have been better adapted 
 to the one department of the ministry, and some to 
 
CHURCH Ol^FICERS. 9S 
 
 the other. Thus could the churches have the largest 
 amount and the best application of the ministerial 
 service, and be most edified. 
 
 The present discussion will be confined to the 
 pastorate, its functions and relations, leaving a more 
 general consideration of the ministry to another 
 chapter. 
 
 I . Nature of the pastor s work. 
 
 The religious cultivation of his Church and con- 
 gregation constitutes the peculiar work of the pas- 
 tor. It is the shepherding of the flock. He is not to 
 be indifferent to their temporal interests, but their 
 spiritual welfare is his special charge. He is to be 
 the ever ready, sympathizing and helpful friend to 
 all; but his endeavors should aim at, and be made 
 subservient to, the ultimate purpose of the Gospel — 
 to win souls to Christ, and edify the saints. The 
 details of his work will be manifold; and while he 
 should not assume too many duties, or take re- 
 sponsibilities alien to his proper calling, he must 
 not too hastily repulse those who repose confidence 
 in him, and whom he may be able in many ways to 
 benefit by a variety of service. 
 
 The pulpit will constitute the stronghold of his 
 power on his congregation and the community. 
 For though a pastor, he must still be a preacher, a 
 Gospel herald to his flock. The minister is, per- 
 haps, first of all, a teacher. Therefore he must not 
 neglect his preparations for the pulpit. If he can- 
 not hold the people by his preaching, he cannot in 
 
96 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 any other way. Many devices may be resorted to, 
 to draw and hold an audience, some of which de- 
 serve no better name than tricks, which if they 
 serve their purpose at all, are short-lived, and fail 
 utterly to command the confidence of thoughtful 
 people. For, while some men have not, and can- 
 not have the same attractive power in the pulpit as 
 others, yet sound Gospel sermons, ably prepared, 
 and earnestly delivered, constitute the only kind of 
 pulpit service which can long commend itself to the 
 consciences of the people. He who neglects his 
 pulpit preparations for any cause whatever, will 
 find frequent pastoral changes to be imperative — 
 and possibly, not always in the most pleasant way. 
 The same will be true of him who relies on a facility 
 for extemporaneous discourse, under the inspiration 
 of a present audience, to the neglect of previous 
 careful preparation. 
 
 Emphasis must also be laid ow pastoral visitation. 
 Here peculiarly he is the pastor. He may not visit 
 so much as many would wish. Some are never satis- 
 fied. Nor should he visit to the detriment of his 
 pulpit preparation. Since, according to the present 
 constitution of religious society, the Christian minis- 
 ter is expected to fill the twofold office of preacher 
 and pastor, he should labor to discharge the func- 
 tions of both, with the greatest possible fidelity and 
 success, giving to each conscientiously its appro- 
 priate share of his ability. He must know his peo- 
 ple in their homes; must know their joys and sor- 
 rows as they themselves will relate them. They 
 
CHURCH OFFICERS. 97 
 
 must know him, as they cannot know him in the 
 pulpit simply. Both he and they miss boundless 
 good, if this be not done. These visits should be 
 brief and religious. They should not degenerate 
 into social chit-chat, or even into religious gossip. 
 They must not be morose nor melancholy, but 
 genial, gentle and sympathetic. Young ministers 
 may find it hard work, and dread it as a drudgery; 
 but they will come to feel differently when for a few 
 times they have been able to comfort the sorrowing, 
 relieve the burdened, and know the luxury of doing 
 good to those in trouble. 
 
 It would not be just nor true to say, that the pas- 
 tor's sphere is exclusively the spiritual life of the 
 Church, while the deacons are assigned to its tem- 
 poralities. The pastor has the oversight and super- 
 intendence of all the interests of the Church, and of 
 all departments of its work, both spiritual and tem- 
 poral. And while he should not lord it over God's 
 heritage, he should feel himself responsible for the 
 guardianship and watch-care of all with which he is 
 put in trust. Nor should he needlessly interfere 
 with the deacons, or trustees, or Sunday-school 
 workers, nor assume dictatorial authority over 
 others in their service. Yet it is his privilege and 
 his duty to hold a watchful supervision over all, 
 that all may be done to the edifying of the body of 
 Christ. 
 
 The pastor should have great care for the relig- 
 ious culture of children and the youth. But not to the 
 neglect of others. Class distinctions are invidious, 
 
9§ THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 unhappy in their influence in a Church, and should 
 never be encouraged, or countenanced. As this is 
 not a treatise on pastoral duties, it need be pur- 
 sued no further than to say, the pastorate should 
 be assumed, not of constraint, nor for selfish ends, but 
 out of love to Christ, and for the triumphs of His 
 truth. 
 
 Note. — Ministers are not /r/Vj/j in any ecclesiastical sense 
 to offer sacrifices on behalf of the people, or propitiate an 
 offended Deity; nor yet do they mediate between God and 
 men, as is taught by the Romish, and other sacramenta-. 
 rian communions. They cannot consecrate elements, and 
 have no exclusive right to the ministration of sacraments— ► 
 indeed, there are no sacraments, in the commonly understood 
 sense of that term, as means which in themselves effectually 
 convey grace. The minister is not a priest, save in that sense 
 in which all true Christians constitute a " royal priesthood." 
 Sainthood, therefore, without distinction of rank or office, 
 constitutes a spiritual priesthood. Thus also said Peter to 
 the elect believers, scattered abroad. "Ye also as living 
 stones, are built up a spiritual house, to be a holy priest- 
 hood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God, 
 through Jesus Christ." "A chosen generation, a royal 
 priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people." — i Peter 2: 5, 
 9. Christ Jesus, the Great High-Priest of our profession, is 
 the one only mediator between God and men. 
 
 2. How pastors are obtained. 
 
 If it be asked how the churches are to secure pas- 
 tors, the reply is, by election, as the free choice of 
 the people, in each individual Church. It is an es- 
 sential part of the independency of the churches, the 
 right to choose their pastors and teachers; and that 
 
CHURCH OFFICERS. 99 
 
 no individual, or combination of men, can appoint 
 pastors over therh, or compel a Church to accept as 
 officers those whom they have not chosen by their 
 free suffrages. This is the polity of the New Testa- 
 ment, and has ever been the usage of our people. 
 A free people demand and maintain the right to 
 choose their own rulers. They may ask, or accept 
 advice; but no man is a pastor to any people until 
 he has been chosen by a majority vote of that 
 Church. Nor does it require the consent of any 
 synod, presbytery or council for him to enter at 
 once upon the duties of the office. Primarily and 
 properly, though not necessarily, the pastor is chos- 
 en from among the members, after the Church has 
 had evidence that the Spirit had called to, and fitted 
 him for, the work of the ministry; and after having 
 abundant evidence of his adaptation to the position. 
 But if not a member of that particular Church, he 
 should become such before entering upon his official 
 duties, as pastor of it. 
 
 The selection and election of a pastor is one of 
 the most important acts — if not the most important 
 — pertaining to the independency of the Church. 
 The interest of the body, and the welfare of religion 
 depend so largely on it, that it should be entered 
 upon with the utmost care, deliberation and prayer 
 — prayer for divine direction. That a wise and safe 
 leader, an able and instructing teacher, a devout, 
 spiritual and holy man may be secured for the sacred 
 office, and that the choice be influenced by no carnal 
 ambition, by no personal prejudices, and for no selfish 
 
too THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 ends, When the choice is made, and the pastor 
 secured, then let him be received, loved, supported, 
 honored and obeyed, as one sent of God for this 
 sacred work. 
 
 And let it be further considered that no man can 
 do of himself all that is desired and expected of a 
 pastor. He must not only have divine help, but he 
 must have the sympathy, codperation, and prayers 
 of the Church. Some miserable failures in the min- 
 istry are due to the faults of the ministers them- 
 selves; still more are due to the churches, which 
 too often abuse what they professed was the gift of 
 God, when they secured their pastors. 
 
 3. The Pastor's Authority. 
 
 . The pastor is to be loved, honored and obeyed, in 
 the Lord. He is placed over the Church by both 
 the Head of the body, and by the free and voluntary 
 act of the body itself. Though he professes no 
 magisterial authority, and has no power, either 
 spiritual or temporal, to enforce mandates or inflict 
 penalties, yet the very position he occupies as 
 teacher and leader supposes authority vested in him. 
 On the one hand, the minister is not to be regarded 
 with ignorant and blind devotion, as if possessed of 
 superhuman attributes, whose official acts must be 
 venerated even though his private life be scandal- 
 ous ; nor yet, on the other hand, is he to be con- 
 sidered a mere puppet for the capricious mistreat- 
 ment of such as wish to show their independence, 
 and " use their liberty for a cloak of maliciousness." 
 
CHURCH OFFICERS. 'lOI 
 
 As a rule, the pastor who maintains a dignified 
 and consistent Christian and ministerial life, com- 
 mending himself to the confidence of the people, 
 will receive all the deference he desires, and will 
 have accorded to him all that personal respect and 
 official reverence which he needs to claim. His 
 authority will be a moral force, to which those who 
 love and honor him will yield. He need not worry 
 and fret because he does not receive the respect 
 which he thinks his due. Let him command it by 
 his character and deportment. He may too much 
 attempt to enforce his authority. As a preacher of 
 the gospel his authority is of another and a higher 
 kind, in that he is an ambassador from the king, 
 and speaks with an authority more than human. 
 True, his words, even in the pulpit, are not beyond 
 question, since they are to be judged by the infalli- 
 ble standard of the word of God. But in the ad- 
 ministration of Church affairs he should secure the 
 cooperation of his members, and gain his object by 
 reason and persuasion, rather than attempt to force 
 compliance by authoritative dictation. 
 
 4. Length of the Pastorate, 
 
 The spirit of Christian liberty, and the voluntary 
 principle on which all Christian institutions should 
 be supported, control the relations of pastor and 
 people. There is no power that can compel a Church 
 to accept a pastor, or a pastor to accept a Church. 
 The relation is formed by mutual agreement between 
 them. And when once formed, the relation can be 
 
I0'2' '■' ' *THE .^EW* DIRECTORY. 
 
 dissolved by no external authority, civil or eccle- 
 siastical, but by the mutual consent of the parties 
 themselves. In some of the other denominations, 
 where ecclesiastical systems instead of Church in- 
 dependency prevail, the relations of the pastorate 
 are regulated by higher official authority, instead of 
 by the mutual agreement of the parties. Even 
 there, however, the free spirit of religious life mani- 
 fests itself, indirectly, if not directly, and the churches 
 do not quietly consent to receive pastors unwel- 
 come to them, nor to retain them when the relation 
 becomes irksome, notwithstanding the action of 
 bishops, conferences, or presbyteries. 
 
 The ideal pastorate is, no doubt, life-long ; but in 
 practical life this is seldom realized. In theory 
 there is something beautiful in the case of a minister 
 who spends his whole life among the same people, 
 loved, honored and venerated till his death ; around 
 whom the new generation grows up as his support- 
 ers, when the fathers have passed away. Honored 
 by his compeers, loved by the young, venerated by 
 the children, he becomes the typical patriarch and 
 shepherd of the flock. Such things have been ; but 
 seldom can they now be found — certainly not in our 
 denomination. And perhaps, on the whole, it may 
 be just as well. The restless spirit of a headlong 
 age and a busy life demands change — change in hope 
 of progress, but change at any rate. The romance 
 of a beautiful theory cannot control the activities 
 of society, not even in Christian circles, since there, 
 also, a carnal, utilitarian spirit is likely to rule. 
 
CHURCH OFFICERS. IO3 
 
 It is unquestionably true that the long pastorates 
 have their trials no less severe — sometimes more 
 painful — than short ones. The pastor has more 
 than once seen the time when, restless and uneasy, 
 he would gladly have resigned, had any eligible 
 field elsewhere opened for him. And the Church 
 has more than once seen the time when it would 
 have rejoiced at a change, but had too much regard 
 for him, and too much respect for themselves, to 
 force a change. Many a pastor, who has the faculty 
 of ''holding on," has outlived his usefulness on a 
 given field, either because devoted to the theory of 
 long pastorates, or because he saw no way to better 
 his situation ; and that, too, very likely, when he 
 knew the people would be quite willing for a change. 
 Quite willing for a change for the sake of the cause, 
 though they loved and honored him. 
 
 Quite as unfortunate in its effects, and more fre- 
 quently than long and fruitless pastorates, is the 
 sudden and hasty change so often made by many, 
 and sometimes on the most trivial occasion. There 
 are in every Church, most likely, mischief-makers, 
 whose influence is chiefly felt in opposing others 
 and stirring up strife. Let a pastor possess his soul 
 in patience, and not be made unhappy by every 
 little cross-current in his affairs. But if any consid- 
 erable number of his kind, prudent and judicious 
 brethren think a change is desirable; or if he him- 
 self, after long and prayerful consideration, believes 
 it his duty to leave, let him act accordingly. But 
 let a minister flee " Church quarrels " as he would a 
 
I04 THE NEW DIRECTORY, 
 
 pestilence. . He may not be responsible for them, 
 but if he becomes involved in them, though the 
 merits of the case may be on his side, yet he can- 
 not remain to fight them out without suffering more 
 in peace of mind and reputation than any victory he 
 can win will be worth. Let him retire to more 
 quiet fields, where he can live in peace and do good 
 without conflict, and leave the fighting to those 
 who have less at stake. The world is wide, and 
 he can do good and be happy in many another 
 field. 
 
 5. Pastoral Support. 
 
 A pastor should be well and generously supported 
 as to his salary, according to the ability of the 
 Church he serves. Few things exhibit the essential 
 meanness of human nature — Christian human nature 
 even — more clearly than for a people to stint and 
 crowd a pastor down to the smallest pittance, while 
 they have an abundance, or live in affluence. The 
 tfue minister of Christ will cheerfully share necessi- 
 ties with his people. But it is cruel and contempti- 
 ble for them to lade him with heavy burdens which 
 they are not willing to help him bear. He will not 
 expect to live up to the standard of the wealthiest ; 
 he ought not to be expected to live down to the 
 standard of the poorest. And if there be one thing 
 more dishonorable than cramping him to the smallest 
 amount of salary, it is that refinement of cruelty of not 
 paying him the salary agreed upon, when it is due, 
 compelling him to endure the shame and grief of 
 
CHURCH OFFICERS. 10$ 
 
 living in debt, unable to pay for the necessaries of 
 life, while they have an abundance. 
 
 When the Church extends a call they name the 
 amount they are willing to pay. Of course it is 
 optional with him whether to accept the call on 
 such conditions. If he does, he cannot find fault 
 that they give no more. Unless, indeed, as is not 
 unfrequently the case, they delude him with the 
 promise that they will increase the amount the next 
 year ; a promise often made, but very seldom kept. 
 But let the stipulated sum be regularly and promptly 
 paid, otherwise he will not be able promptly to pay 
 his debts, and his reputation will be compromised, 
 and his character imperiled. It is a fearfully bad 
 and injurious thing for a clergyman to get the name 
 of not paying his debts. In the payment of salary, 
 never allow donations and personal presents to be 
 counted. It is little less than an insult to ask a 
 minister to discount his salary for a bushel of pota- 
 toes, a bag of meal, or a barrel of apples. These 
 personal presents are of value in the family; can 
 often be made without sacrifice, and will go far to 
 eke out a scanty support. But let them be per- 
 sonal presents and the salary come by itself, in full 
 tale, and promptly. 
 
 It may be added also, with propriety, that a min- 
 ister devoted to Christian work should not engage 
 in secular employments simply for the purpose of 
 making money. But if the Church cannot, or will 
 not, support him in comfort, he may, if opportunity 
 offers, add by the labors of his hands what will re- 
 
I06 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 lieve himself and family from want — as Paul sus- 
 tained himself by tent-making that he might the 
 better preach the Gospel. 
 
 6. The Pastor a Peacemaker. 
 
 Troubles in Church life unfortunately do some- 
 times arise. And whether the pastor be the cause, 
 or only the victim of them, he always more or less 
 suffers from them. Very many of these troubles are 
 no doubt to be charged upon pastors themselves. 
 If they do not originate them, their indiscreet and 
 unwise management and partisan conduct foment 
 instead of allaying dissension. Some pastors, like 
 some private members, are imprudent, irascible, 
 impetuous and severe. It is not wise to give heed 
 to everything said and done. Many exasperating 
 things are cured or conquered by letting them alone. 
 A minister of the Gospel, of all men, should be a 
 peacemaker. He should soothe and heal. It is 
 better for himself and better for all concerned. He 
 must ''endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus 
 Christ." Of course he has his rights, which are not 
 to be lightly invaded ; he is not required to be 
 trifled with, or trampled on, for the sport of the 
 envious or the vile. But he is to be an example to 
 the flock in patient endurance. 
 
 On the other hand, the Church should carefully 
 guard the reputation and the feelings of their 
 pastor, and not allow the gossip-loving or the en- 
 vious to assail him. His people are bound to pro- 
 tect him. If he be in fault, let them tell him so, 
 
CHURCH OFFICERS. IO7 
 
 and win him from his mistakes. A pastor ought 
 not to be compelled to stand guard as a watchful 
 sentinel over his own good name, to defend it 
 against the idle but wicked calumnies of mischiev- 
 ous tongues. There ought to be advocates and de- 
 fenders on every side. Ordinarily there will be. 
 Both pastor and people should regard all dissension 
 and strife with so much dread as to check it by any 
 amount of effort and sacrifice at the very beginning. 
 If, however, it defies all attempts at repression, and 
 involves the peace and harmony of the Church, the 
 pastor will find it wise to flee from the windy storm, 
 and serve the cause he loves in some more quiet 
 sphere. 
 
 Churches cannot be expected to prosper, or the 
 Gospel to have free course, while rent by dissen- 
 sion and strife, especially if it be strife connected 
 with, or on account of the pastor. The philosophy 
 of spiritual and religious growth is the same now as 
 at first, when this record was made : " Then had 
 the churches rest throughout all Judea and Galilee 
 and Samaria, and were edified ; and walking in the 
 fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy 
 Ghost, were multiplied." — Acts 9:31. 
 
 Note i. — Great care is needed in the selection of a pastor. 
 Grave interests are committed to his charge, as the religious 
 teacher, leader, and example for the flock. Very serious re- 
 sponsibility devolves on the deacons and leading members of 
 the Church especially. An act so vitally connected with the 
 welfare of the cause and the spread of the Gospel, should be 
 preceded by, and accompanied with, earnest and protracted 
 prayer for divine direction in the choice. 
 
f08 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 Note 2. — In calling a man to the pastorate, the Church 
 should take deliberate care to know his record; what he has 
 done elsewhere, and how he is esteemed and valued where he 
 has previously lived and labored. It is a piece of reckless 
 folly, of which churches are often guilty — and for which they 
 justly suffer — that on the credit of a few flashy or fascinating 
 sermons, wholly ignorant of his private character and of his 
 ministerial history, they call and settle a pastor. A man of 
 deep piety, thoroughly in love with the word of God, is 
 much to be preferred to the brilliant platform declaimer. 
 
 Note 3. — If a young man without a record is called to be 
 ordained and begin his pastorate, his reputation for piety, 
 sound sense, and pulpit ability should be carefully considered 
 and well understood. If he be of the right spirit and the 
 right material, he will grow into larger usefulness through 
 study, the endowment of the Spirit, and the prayers of the 
 people. 
 
 Note 4. — In giving a call, the Church usually appoints a 
 meeting for that express purpose, notice being publicly given 
 two Sundays in succession, the purpose of the meeting being 
 distinctly stated in the notice, and a three-quarters vote of all 
 present at such a meeting should be deemed essential to a 
 call. Certainly no prudent or self-respecting man would ac- 
 cept a call on anything less than that. Nor even on that if 
 but a very small number are opposed to him. Such meeting 
 should be managed with Christian sincerity, without caucus- 
 ing or partisanship for the purpose of electing a favorite 
 man. The candidate should be informed exactly how the 
 vote stands, and what the feeling toward him is, concealing 
 nothing. Let there be transparent honesty in so delicate and 
 important a matter, and no deception practised. 
 
 Note 5. — The connection between pastor and people is 
 sometimes made for a specified and limited time. But more 
 generally — now almost universally — for an indefinite time, to 
 be dissolved at the option of either party, by giving three 
 months notice; or otherwise by mutual agreement. Perma- 
 
CHURCH OFFICERS. IO9 
 
 nency in this relation is greatly to be desired, as tending to 
 the best good of all concerned, if it be the permanency of 
 active concord. Trifling disadvantages are better endured 
 than remedied at the expense of more serious evils, which 
 frequent changes seldom fail to bring to both pastor and 
 people. 
 
 Note 6. — The too common practice of hearing many can- 
 didates preach on trial cannot be approved, and usually 
 works evil to the Church which indulges in it. A few ser- 
 mons preached under such circumstances form no just cri- 
 terion of a man's ministerial ability, pastoral qualifications, or 
 personal worth. \i the churches wish to avoid men unsuited 
 to them, and especially if they wish to escape the plague of 
 unworthy men in their pulpits, they must use more caution 
 in the calling and settlement of pastors. 
 
 Note 7. — Is it right for one Church to call a pastor away 
 from another Church ? Merely to call a man would be neither 
 wrong nor dishonorable — would violate no law of personal 
 courtesy or of Christian comity as among the churches. Let 
 the responsibility, then, rest with him of accepting or declining 
 the call. But if one Church should use other means to unsettle 
 him by arguments, persuasions, and the offer of special in- 
 ducements, it would be both unchristian and dishonorable. 
 It would surely not be doing as they would wish to be done by. 
 
 II. DEACONS. 
 
 The term deacon {diakonos) in the New Testa- 
 ment means a minister; a servant; one who minis- 
 ters to, or serves others. This, taken in a large 
 sense, gives a very wide range of meaning to the 
 word. It is applied to the Apostles and even to 
 Christ himself. In ecclesiastical usage, however, 
 it designates an officer in the Church. But precisely 
 what relation the diaconate sustains to the Church 
 
no THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 and the pastorate is a matter of opinion or of inter- 
 pretation, in respect to which men differ. 
 
 Those who favor prelatical forms of Church or- 
 ganization and government, claim, as has been here- 
 tofore stated, a threefold ministry, and demand an 
 episcopate^ a pastorate^ and a diaconate. The dea- 
 con, then, is the first and lowest order of the min- 
 istry. But Presbyterian and Independent Churches 
 reject the episcopate, holding that bishop and pastor 
 are the same, and the deaconshipdoes not constitute 
 an order in the ministry, taking that word in its ordi- 
 nary sense, though the deacon be in the primitive 
 sense a minister, but a minister of temporalities, and 
 a helper to the pastor in his ministry of the Word. 
 
 I. Their Origin. 
 
 The diaconate is usually supposed to have origin- 
 ated in the election of the Seven, as helpers to the 
 Apostles, recorded in Acts 6 : i - 6 ; though they 
 were not called deacons. Some, however, have re- 
 garded the election of the Seven as a temporary 
 expedient to meet that special emergency, and claim 
 that they had no successors. But inasmuch as a 
 similar service in Church work became permanent, 
 similar help would be permanently needed. Also 
 since the Apostle subsequently recognized the 
 office in the Epistles to Timothy and Titus, giving 
 specific directions as to the qualifications necessary 
 for those who should fill it, we are in no great per- 
 plexity as to the fact or the nature of the diaconate 
 as permanent in the churches. 
 
CHURCH OFFICERS. Ill 
 
 Subsequent to the Pentecost, the large ingather- 
 ing of converts had so multiplied the number, that 
 the care of the needy among them and such tem- 
 poral concerns as were a necessity, became a bur- 
 den to the Apostles, so great as seriously to inter- 
 fere with their spiritual duties in the ministry of the 
 word. Hence, having called the multitude of the 
 disciples together, they explained the matter and 
 requested them to select " seven men of honest re- 
 port, full of the Holy Ghost, and wisdom," to whom 
 this service should be committed, that they them- 
 selves might " give themselves continually to prayer 
 and to the ministry of the word." This request was 
 complied with and seven men selected, whom the 
 Apostles, set apart to the work for which they were 
 chosen, by prayer and the laying on of hands. 
 
 2. Their Duties. 
 
 They are to be chosen by a free vote of the 
 Church — ''the multitude of the disciples" — and are 
 to be faithful, prudent, experienced, and devout 
 men. They are to have charge of the sick and 
 needy members, and whatever temporal affairs may 
 require attention. They are also to act as counsel- 
 ors and assistants of the pastor in advancing the 
 general interests of the body, both temporal and 
 spiritual. Of the original seven, Philip and Stephen 
 were most effective preachers of the Gospel, but it 
 was not for this they were specially chosen. With 
 many of our churches the deaconship has come to 
 be a merely nominal affair, regarded as of small im« 
 
112 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 portance, and accomplishing a questionable service. 
 This ought not so to be. 
 
 3. Their Number, 
 
 The number of deacons in a Church is a matter 
 discretionary with the body. Usually it is from two 
 to seven, according to the conditions and necessities 
 of the case ; the latter being the original scriptural 
 number, many unwisely consider it needful to have 
 seven, whether the Church be large or small. Dea- 
 cons, however, should not be appointed merely to 
 keep the ranks full, nor as official ornaments, but 
 only for real and needed service to be rendered by 
 them. And the men appointed should be fit men 
 for that service. 
 
 4. Their Time of Service. 
 
 The period of time for which they are chosen, as 
 well as the number, is discretionary with the Church, 
 since no scriptural precept or precedent directs. 
 More commonly they have been chosen for an in- 
 definite period, which was substantially for life, un- 
 less they resigned, died, or removed. But since it not 
 unfrequently happens that persons in the office be- 
 come inefficient and sometimes obstructive, the 
 practice of electing them for a limited period has 
 come to be quite prevalent ; generally for three 
 years. In this way the office expires by limitation, 
 and if better men are available they can be chosen 
 without offense. Which is the better rule, each 
 Church must judge for itself. Other things being 
 
CHURCH OFFICERS. II3 
 
 equal, permanency in this as well as in the pastoral 
 office, usually tends to secure a higher regard for the 
 office itself and greater usefulness on the part of 
 those who fill it. 
 
 5. Their Ordination. 
 
 The Seven were set apart to the discharge of their 
 duties by prayer and the laying on of hands by the 
 Apostles, as indicating the sacred and important 
 duties committed to them. In our older churches 
 this practice was carefully adhered to, as it still is 
 by some, particularly at the South. But in many 
 parts, of late, it has fallen very much into disuse, 
 and the diaconate is regarded as little more than a 
 committee service. The office is coming to be far 
 too little esteemed, and the scriptural qualifications 
 of the men chosen, too little insisted on. Ordina- 
 tion, if generally practised, would invest both with 
 more importance. Too much care cannot be taken 
 to secure the right kind of men for the ofifice, when 
 we consider that the permanent influence of a dea- 
 con is scarcely surpassed by that of the pastor him- 
 self. A good deacon is a peculiar blessing both to 
 the pastor and the Church. 
 
 Note i. — Notice that the deaconship was not instituted 
 by Christ, but by the Apostles, and grew out of the emer- 
 gencies of the case. The fact that Paul subsequently recog- 
 nized the office and specified the qualifications which the 
 incumbents should possess, shows that it was to remain a part 
 of the permanent constitution of the churches. 
 
 Note 2. — The Seven were elected by the Church, that is, 
 8 
 
il4 tHE NEW DIRECTOkV. 
 
 by " the multitude of the disciples ; " they were chosen from 
 among their own number, but their setting apart or designa- 
 tion to their work was by the Apostles with prayer and the 
 laying on of hands. This is called their ordination, and gave 
 added importance and impressiveness to the office, and the 
 work to which they were chosen. 
 
 Note 3. — Itdeservesnotice that while no instance is found 
 in the New Testament in which any preacher of the Gospel was 
 inducted into his office by formal ordination or by any cere- 
 mony whatever — hands were laid on Paul and Barnabas when 
 sent to the heathen, but they had then been in the ministry 
 many years — now ceremonial ordination to the ministry is 
 strenuously insisted on. And yet, while we have primitive 
 precedent for formal ordination of deacons, now that cere- 
 mony is very generally disregarded. 
 
 Note 4. — The qualifications made requisite for the office 
 sufficiently indicate its importance, and the care with which 
 it should be filled. " Men of honest report, full of the Holy 
 Ghost and of wisdom." Indeed, these qualifications differ 
 but slightly from those required for bishops or pastors. 
 
 Note 5. — It is evident from the character of the Seven, and 
 the personal history of some of them subsequently, that while 
 their specific official duties were the temporalities of the 
 Church, yet at the same time they were foremost as counsel- 
 ors and co-adjutors with the Apostles in the spiritual inter- 
 ests as well. Having been among the most devout, prudent, 
 and faithful before their election, and as the reason for their 
 election, they would not be less so afterward. Such are the 
 men for the office. 
 
 Note 6. — Some people and some churches seem to think, 
 that about the only duty of a deacon is to pass the elements 
 at the celebration of the Supper. And so the office becomes 
 almost a nullity. Any one on whom the pastor may call can 
 pass the elements. The original ' ' serving of tables " was 
 quite a different work from this. The diaconate implies a 
 substantial and an important service in the Church, of which 
 
CHURCH Ol^FICERS. 115 
 
 the serving at the Supper is a proper, but only an incidental 
 adjunct. If their practical relations to the Church be reduced 
 to this, they may well be considered as little more than an 
 ornamental appendage to an organization. 
 
 Note 7. — The secular concerns of the Church, including 
 its financial affairs, would seem legitimately to be embraced 
 in the duties of the deaconship according to the original pur- 
 pose, as belonging to its temporalities, but now these matters 
 are usually committed to an entirely different class of men 
 known as trustees, elected under the specific direction of State 
 laws. 
 
 Note 8. — Deacons should be watchful guardians of the 
 purity and good order of the churches, striving to maintain 
 a healthful tone of piety and Christian activity in the body. 
 But they do not constitute a coordinate branch for the ad- 
 ministration of its government, and in the exercise of their 
 functions must act only in conjunction with the pastor, not 
 independent of him ; possibly, except in very rare and urgent 
 cases. Hence, while it is desirable for the pastor to have 
 meetings with his deacons often or statedly for consultation 
 and advice, it is not proper for them to hold meetings as a 
 " board of deacons," independent of and without the advice 
 of the pastor, as sometimes is done. 
 
 Note 9. — In the absence of a pastor it becomes the duty 
 of the deacons to conduct the devotional meetings, provide 
 for the supply of the pulpit and administer the affairs of the 
 body generally. In case there be no pastor it would be legiti- 
 mate for them to bring before the Church, as by them di- 
 rected, such persons as were deemed suitable candidates for 
 the pastorate. But this is often, perhaps usually, performed 
 by a " pulpit committee " appointed for that purpose. 
 
 Note 10. — The deacons' wives {gunatkos), mentioned in 
 I Tim. 3: 2, were probably not the wives of deacons, as has 
 usually been inferred, but deaconesses or female assistants, 
 appointed by the churches to minister to the sick and per- 
 form other services to those of their own sex, which could 
 
Il6 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 with more propriety be done by them than by the deacons or 
 other male members. A few churches retain the practice; 
 and since female members in all the churches are the more 
 numerous, and as a rule, the more efficient in charitable min- 
 istrations, it is difficult to see why such a class of helpers, 
 more or less formally designated for Christian work, should 
 not be continued in our churches. 
 
 III. OTHER OFFICERS. 
 
 The above-named officers constitute a twofold 
 ministry for the churches, and all that are provided 
 for by the New Testament economy, and all that 
 are necessary to the best organization and highest 
 efficiency of these bodies, since all the functions 
 essential to a working Church may be efficiently 
 discharged by these alone. Yet it is usual to sup- 
 plement these by several called " Church officers," 
 merely as a matter of convenience or of expediency. 
 
 Thus a clerk is appointed to take minutes and 
 preserve records of its business proceedings, with all 
 other papers belonging to the body. A treasurer 
 is chosen to hold, disburse, and account for moneys 
 for Church purposes. In most of the States, if not 
 all, trustees are elected, as required by law, accord- 
 ing to specified procedure, in order legally to hold 
 property and rightly to administer its financial 
 affairs. But the dutiesof these various offices could 
 well be performed by the deacons and constitute a 
 part of their appropriate work. Yet it may be right 
 and wise to distribute the labors of the Church 
 among its members, all the more so if those better 
 fitted for these peculiar services can be found. Es- 
 
CHURCH OFFICERS. II7 
 
 pecially should the requirements of civil law be 
 conceded, as in the case of trustees, in order to en- 
 joy the legal rights of corporate bodies as property 
 holders. 
 
 Note i. — The laws for the incorporation of religious so- 
 cieties differ in the different States. In some the Church itself 
 can become an incorporate body, and thus control and ad- 
 minister its temporal affairs as it does the spiritual, without 
 interference by any persons not Church members. This is 
 right, and, according to the independent theory of Baptist 
 Church government, they ought everywhere to be able to 
 do this. In other States the corporate body is a society com- 
 posed of all attendants who are regular contributors, whether 
 members of the Church or not. This admits persons not 
 Christians to participation in the management of Church 
 affairs. Though usually no harm arises, yet harm is always 
 liable to arise and the theory is wrong. Still, the churches 
 should conform to the legal requisitions of the States v/here 
 they are located. 
 
 Note 2. — Trustees are really a standing committee, ap- 
 pointed for a specific purpose. And since the Church is the 
 responsible and authoritative body, even though there be a 
 society, the trustees should hold themselves bound by every 
 consideration of morality and honor to carry out the wishes 
 of the Church and to act under their instructions, whatever 
 technical rights civil laws and the decisions of courts may 
 give them in certain emergencies. 
 
 Note 3. — The trustees have a treasurer through whose 
 hands pass the funds for current expenses, including pastor's 
 salary and other items, provided for by pew rents, subscrip- 
 tion, and gifts for these uses. It is customary also to have a 
 Church treasurer, usually one of the deacons, who receives 
 and disburses, as directed, funds for benevolent purposes, 
 moneys for the needy, and other uses not included in current 
 expenses, or for care of the property. 
 
ri8 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 Note 4.— It is supposed that the Church clerk will do 
 more than keep in record the bare items which may be trans- 
 acted at business meetings. His journal should show a con- 
 densed history of the Church's current life, including all 
 items of note, and whatever transpires in its affairs of interest 
 to be mentioned and preserved. 
 
 Note 5. — The various offices and responsible services in 
 the Church should be as widely distributed as possible among 
 the members, so that the same persons need not fill several 
 offices at the same time. A few individuals should not be 
 overburdened with service, nor should any one be tempted, 
 by too much office, to dictatorial authority and an assumptive 
 personal control of affairs. And yet incompetent and unfit 
 persons should not be appointed to important and responsi- 
 ble positions, even though two offices might be imposed on 
 the same individual. 
 
 Note 6. — It is undoubtedly true that the different official 
 positions require somewhat diverse personal qualifications 
 for their incumbents. Trustees, as having to transact busi- 
 ness matters, should be sound, careful, and accurate business 
 men. Deacons, as being more concerned in spiritual affairs, 
 should in a marked degree be spiritually minded and devout. 
 A Church clerk should be a good penman, prompt, careful, 
 and accurate in detail. An appropriate fitness should be 
 sought in all these affairs. 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 
 CHRISTIAN ORDINANCES. 
 
 Christian ordinances are defined to be ** institu- 
 tions of divine authority relating to the worship of 
 God, under the Christian Dispensation." In this 
 general sense there are various ordinances ; since 
 preaching and hearing the word, prayer, singing, 
 fasting, and thanksgiving may all be considered as 
 institutions of divine authority. 
 
 But in a narrower and a more distinctive sense it 
 has been common to call Baptism and the Lord's 
 Supper by this name, and to say they are the only 
 Christian ordinances committed to the churches, and 
 are for perpetual observance. These rites are also 
 by some called sacraments,"^ the number of which 
 the Catholic Church has increased to seven, includ- 
 ing, with Baptism and the Eucharist, Confirmation, 
 Penance, Extreme unction, Matrimony, and Orders. 
 But in the sense in which the Roman and Greek 
 Churches explain the meaning of sacrament, to which 
 meaning other ritualistic churches do strongly in- 
 cline, Baptism and the Supper are not sacraments 
 at all. Sacraments, by them, are interpreted to 
 mean not simply outward signs of inward grace and 
 
 * From the Latin " Sacramentum," a soldier's oath of fealty 
 and consecration to the military service in which he enlists. ; 
 
 X19 
 
120 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 spiritual operations, but outward rites which work 
 grace and produce spiritual operations. This view 
 of sacramental efficacy Protestant confessions reject, 
 and against it Baptists do strongly protest. 
 
 These two, therefore. Baptism and the Supper, 
 are the two sacred rites, and the only ones, enjoined 
 by Christ for perpetual observance in His churches. 
 They are not only visible signs which appeal to the 
 senses, but they are teaching institutions which ap- 
 peal to the understanding and the heart. They are 
 the two symbols of the new covenant ; the two 
 visible pillars of the spiritual temple ; the two 
 monuments of the new dispensation. Christ has ap- 
 pointed no others. They are positive institutions, 
 as distinguished from those of a purely moral 
 character, their claim to honor and obedience aris- 
 ing exclusively from the fact that Christ has ap- 
 pointed and made them obligatory. Their claim to 
 respect and observance rests not on their peculiar 
 fitness, though that is manifest, but on the simple 
 fact that Christ has established them and com- 
 manded their observance. 
 
 These ordinances, so simple in form, so expres- 
 sive in action, and so intelligible in meaning, have 
 been the occasions of heated, sometimes of bitter 
 controversy through all the ages of Christian his- 
 tory. Their forms have been changed, their purpose 
 perverted, the manner of their administration encum- 
 bered by numerous and puerile ceremonials, and 
 their entire effect and efficacy misinterpreted and 
 misstated. Baptists claim to hold and use them in 
 
CHRISTIAN ORDINANCES. I2i 
 
 their original simplicity and purity. But a fuller 
 discussion of the subject must be reserved to an- 
 other place. 
 
 I. BAPTISM. 
 
 Baptism is sometimes called "the initiatoiy rite," 
 because persons are not received to membership in 
 the churches until they are baptized. But baptism 
 of itself does not admit to the fellowship of the 
 churches ; it, however, stands at the door, and ad- 
 mission is only on its reception. It has by some 
 been called "the seal of the new covenant," as cir- 
 cumcision was the seal of the old. It is, however, 
 a witness and a testimony to the covenant, since it 
 is naturally and properly the first Christian act of 
 the believer after an exercise of saving faith. It 
 certifies therefore to the acceptance of Christ, and 
 the union and fellowship of the renewed soul with 
 its Saviour. It becomes a badge of discipleship, and 
 is, in that sense, a seal of the covenant of grace. 
 
 I. Its Institution. 
 
 Christian baptism was instituted by Christ, when 
 He submitted to John's baptism, adopting its form, 
 with some change of meaning. John's baptism was 
 unto repentance and faith in Him who was to come. 
 Jesus baptized (or His disciples did) into Himself, 
 as the Messiah who had come, and as the sign that 
 His kingdom had already been established in the 
 hearts of those who received it. 
 
 This baptism did not come in the place ojcircum- 
 
122 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 cision or any other sign or seal of the old covenant, 
 but was ordained for the new. Thus, ** John did 
 baptize in the wilderness, and preached the baptism 
 of repentance for the remission of sins." — Mark i : 4. 
 **John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed 
 baptize you with water, but one mightier than I 
 Cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy 
 to unloose ; He shall baptize you with the Holy 
 Ghost and with fire." — Luke i : 16. " Then cometh 
 Jesus from Galilee to Jordan, unto John, to be bap- 
 tized of him. And Jesus, when He was baptized, 
 went up straightway out of the water ; and lo, the 
 heavens were opened unto Him, and He saw the 
 spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting 
 upon Him : and, lo, a voice from heaven saying, 
 This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." 
 — Matt. 3 : 13, 16, 17. "And He said to His dis- 
 ciples, Go ye therefore and teach all nations, bap- 
 tizing them in the name of the Father, and of the 
 Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to ob- 
 serve all things, whatsoever I have commanded 
 you : and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the 
 end of the world." — Matt. 28 : 19, 20. 
 
 The circumstances in which this characteristic 
 Christian rite was inaugurated, as well as the per- 
 sonal glory of Him who appointed, and who com- 
 manded it as a badge of discipleship for all who 
 confess His name, make it impressive and august in 
 its simple form, and sacred in its influence on both 
 those who receive and those who witness it. 
 
CHRISTIAN ORDINANCES. 1 23 
 
 2. Its Administration, 
 
 Christian baptism is defined to be the immersion 
 of a person in water, on a profession of his faith in 
 Christ, in, or into, the name of the Father, Son, and 
 Holy Spirit. Baptism, therefore, is an immersion 
 or dipping in water, with this meaning, and for this 
 sacred purpose ; and without this dipping there is 
 no Scriptural baptism. The immersion is essential 
 to the rite, and pouring or sprinkling water upon a 
 person is not, and cannot be, baptism, as will here- 
 after be shown. 
 
 And this sign of the Christian dispensation is dis- 
 tinguished from all the ablutions, washings, and 
 sprinklings of the Mosaic dispensation, for none of 
 which was it a substitute. *' And were baptized of 
 Him in Jordan, confessing their sins." — Matt. 3:6. 
 '* And they went down both into the water, both 
 Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him." — 
 Acts 8 : 38. " Therefore we are buried with Him by 
 baptism into death." — Rom. 6:4. "Buried with 
 Him in baptism." — Col. 2 : 12. This impressive form 
 and manner of administration was practised by 
 Christ and His Apostles, and continued unchanged 
 in the churches for generations ; but finally, at the 
 dictate of prelates, or for the convenience of priests, 
 it underwent changes which destroyed its beauty 
 and robbed it of its significancy, and a human device 
 was substituted for a divine ordinance. 
 
 3. Its Subjects, 
 
 Baptism is to be administered to those, and to 
 
124 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 those only, who have exercised and professed a 
 saving faith in Christ ; that is, to believers. This 
 saving faith supposes an exercise of godly repent- 
 ance for sin, and a turning to the Lord with full 
 purpose of heart. 
 
 Pedobaptists say baptism is to be given to believers 
 and their children. But that is a fiction of human 
 ingenuity. The New Testament knows nothing of 
 the baptism of unconscious infants, nor of unbeliev- 
 ing persons, either young or old. Neither does it 
 teach or admit the inference that children can be 
 partakers of the benefits of grace simply because of 
 the faith of their parents. Each one must believe 
 for himself in order to be saved. " He that believeth 
 and is baptized shall be saved ; but he that believeth 
 not shall be condemned." — Mark i6 : i6. But "when 
 they believed they were baptized, both men and 
 women." — Acts 8 : 13. *' Then they that gladly re- 
 ceived His Word were baptized." —Acts 2 :4i. " If 
 thou believest with all thy heart, thou mayest." — 
 Acts 8 : 36. None but believers were baptized. 
 
 If baptism be "an outward sign of an inward 
 grace," showing forth the washing of regeneration 
 and the renewing of the Holy Ghost, then it can 
 have no significancy to those who have not received 
 the inward cleansing of the Spirit. 
 
 4. Its Obligation. 
 
 All men are under obligation to repent of sin, and 
 believe on Christ as the only means of salvatiom 
 And all believers in Christ are bound by the most 
 
CHRISTIAN ORDINANCES. 12$ 
 
 sacred considerations to obey their Lord's command, 
 and confess Him before men in baptism. No one 
 who trusts Him for salvation can h'ghtly esteem His 
 authority, or willingly disregard His command, nor 
 yet neglect to profess a faith which to him is precious, 
 by submitting to this ordinance. 
 
 It is not a question as to whether he can be saved 
 without baptism ; but whether he can be a true dis- 
 ciple, and refuse or neglect thus to obey and confess 
 his Saviour. *' Repent and be baptized, every one of 
 you, in the name of Jesus Christ." — Acts 2 : 38. 
 •'Arise and be baptized, and wash away thy sins." 
 — Acts 22 : 16. Baptism may not be essential to 
 salvation, but it is essential to obedience. The wish 
 to live unrecognized as a Christian, unwilling to 
 share the responsibilities, or discharge the duties of 
 discipleship, and yet hoping for all its blessings and 
 rewards, is both selfish and mercenary, and indi- 
 cates that the new birth has not yet transpired. 
 
 5. Its Efficacy. 
 
 It may well be asked. What is the efficacy of bap- 
 tism } What does it do for him who receives it .-* 
 Is it an efficacious means of grace ? In what respect 
 is the disciple different, after his baptism, from what 
 he was before } In reply it may be most positively 
 stated that baptism does not produce faith and a 
 new heart. It possesses no magical power to con- 
 vert the soul. Baptismal regeneration, as taught 
 by some, is altogether a false and pernicious doc- 
 trine. Regeneration is by the Holy Spirit alone, 
 
126 tHE NEW DIRECTORV* 
 
 and should precede baptism. Out of this mistaken 
 view of its efficacy grew the unscriptural dogma of 
 infant baptism, in the early ages, since it was feared 
 that dying infants could not be saved without it. 
 
 But as an act of obedience to Christ, the reception 
 of this ordinance usually brings peculiar light, joy, 
 and comfort to the soul. This is especially true as 
 a witness usually borne soon after conversion, when 
 every act of obedience is a service of love, and the 
 soul's sensibilities are alive and tender. Moreover, 
 the disciple feels that in baptism he has effectually 
 and openly come out from the world, and committed 
 himself to Christ and His service. This gives to 
 the spirit a moral triumph, and fills it with bound- 
 less peace. Baptism, therefore, is an act of obedi- 
 ence, and as such brings the candidate into a more 
 intimate and exclusive fellowship with his Lord ; 
 but it possesses no power in itself to remit sin, to 
 change the heart, or sanctify the spirit. 
 
 6. It is Commemorative. 
 
 Baptism has its retrospect. It points back to 
 Christ in His humiliation, death, burial and resurrec- 
 tion ; and keeps constantly in the minds of both 
 candidates and spectators Him " who died for our 
 sins and rose again for our justification." It testifies 
 that He suffered, died, was buried, and rose from 
 the dead, to perfect the work of redemption. 
 
 What Christ did and suffered gives to this ordi- 
 nance its significance and its force. " So many of 
 us as were baptized into Christ were baptized into 
 
CHRISTIAN ORDINANCES. I27 
 
 His death." — Rom. 6:S. *' Buried with Him in bap- 
 tism, wherein also ye are risen with Him." — Col. 11 : 
 12. The past is brought to view. There is ''one 
 Lord, one faith, one baptism " — Eph. 4 : 5 — thus for- 
 ever connecting the disciple in this act with his 
 Lord. **We are buried with Him by baptism, into 
 death." — Rom. 6:4. If the past could be forgotten, 
 this sacred ordinance would lose its moral power 
 
 7. // is Predictive. 
 
 That is, in the sense of looking forward and antici- 
 pating things to come, it foreshadows. Most im- 
 pressively does it prefigure the resurrection of the 
 body from the grave, when one rises from the bap- 
 tismal waters ** like as Christ was raised up from the 
 dead by the glory of the Father." — Rom. 6:4. ** If 
 the dead rise not at all, why are they then baptized 
 for the dead } " — i Cor. 1 5 : 29. Though this passage 
 is of doubtful interpretation, yet in some sense it 
 clearly connects baptism with the resurrection from 
 the dead ; thus uniting the hopes of the future 
 with the memories of the past, binding both in the 
 realities of the present by baptism. 
 
 8. // is Emblematic. 
 
 Baptism is a creed; a confession of faith. The 
 symbolism of that sacred rite teaches the great car- 
 dinal doctrines of the gospel. It represents Christ's 
 death and burial for our sins, and His resurrection 
 from the dead for our justification. "But I have a 
 baptism to be baptized with; and how am I strait- 
 
128 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 ened till it be accomplished ? " — Luke 12 : 50. It rep- 
 resents the candidate's death to sin, and his rising 
 to a new spiritual life in Christ, and, therefore, his 
 fellowship with his Lord, both in dying and living. 
 " For as many as have been baptized into Christ 
 have put on Christ." — Gal. 3 : 27. 
 
 It teaches the resurrection of the saints, of which 
 the resurrection of Christ is the prophecy and the 
 pledge. " For if we have been planted together in 
 the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the 
 likeness of his resurrection." — Rom. 6 : 5. The life 
 everlasting follows in sacred proximity the death 
 to sin; for "if we be dead with Christ, we believe 
 that we shall also live with Him." — Rom. 6 : S. It 
 represents in an outward sign the inward work of 
 renewal and cleansing. " According to His mercy, 
 He saved us by the washing of regeneration, and the 
 renewing of the Holy Ghost." — Titus 3 : 5. This 
 inward cleansing by the precious blood of Christ, 
 through the operation of the Spirit, is symbolized in 
 the submersion and ablution of baptism. *' The like 
 figure whereunto even baptism doth now save us 
 (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but 
 the answer of a good conscience toward God), by 
 the resurrection of Jesus Christ." — I Peter 3:21. 
 
 It also shows the unity of the faith, and the fel- 
 lowship of the true people of God, who, in the one 
 baptism, profess their trust in the one Lord, and 
 their acceptance of the one faith. '* For by one 
 spirit we are all baptized into one body." — I Cor. 12 ; 
 13. Is not this impressive ordinance, therefore, a 
 
CHRISTIAN ORDINANCES. 1 29 
 
 proclamation of the great cardinal doctrines of the 
 gospel ? 
 
 Note i. — The beauty, impressiveness, and general effect of 
 the sacred rite of baptism are not a little affected by the man- 
 ner of its administration. It should be so carefully arranged, 
 and performed with such propriety that no mistakes could 
 occur, on the part either of the candidate or the adminis- 
 trator, to excite any other emotions, on the part of spectat- 
 ors, than those of reverence and devotion. Great haste and 
 all excitement should be avoided, and all infelicities care- 
 fully guarded against. If the administrator be calm, self- 
 possessed, acting under a sense of the importance and solem- 
 nity of the occasion, the candidate will usually be calm and 
 free from agitation. The moral force of the ordinance, 
 somewhat to the candidate, and largely to observers, depends 
 on the dignity and propriety of its administration. 
 
 Note 2. — Baptism is usually administered by ordained 
 ministers. And this is proper, regular, and orderly. But should 
 occasion require, and the Church so direct, it would be 
 equally valid if administered by a deacon or any private 
 member selected for that service. The validity depends 
 on the character and profession of the candidate, and not 
 on that of the administrator. As to the qualifications of ad- 
 ministrators the New Testament is silent, except that they 
 were disciples. Nor need the churches deprive themselves 
 of the ordinances because an ordained minister is not obtain- 
 able, as they, unwisely, often do. 
 
 Note 3. — The question has often arisen, in receiving to 
 membership in our churches persons who have been im- 
 mersedhy ministers not themselves immersed, Issuch baptism 
 valid ? or, should they be rebaptized in order to admission ? In 
 the South and Southwest our churches quite generally insist, 
 on re baptism in such cases ; at the North, East, and West they 
 do not. It has been almost universally conceded that the 
 validity of baptism depends on the character of the candi- 
 9 
 
130 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 date, and not on that of the administrator. If the candidate 
 has received the ordinance properly administered in good 
 conscience, in obedience to Christ, and on a profession of 
 faith in Him, giving evidence of genuine conversion at the 
 time, such baptism cannot be invalidated, whoever may have 
 performed the ceremony. 
 
 Note 4. — Both ordinances are usually administered on 
 Sunday, and commonly each month, particularly the Supper. 
 But both the time when and the place where they shall be 
 observed, are in the discretion of the Church, as circum- 
 stances may require. 
 
 Note 5. — Baptism, strictly speaking, is not to h& repeated. 
 But cases may occur in which it had been administered in 
 form to candidates, who, at the time, as subsequently ap- 
 peared, had not exercised a saving faith in Christ, and had 
 not made an intelligent confession of such faith. In such 
 cases baptism may be repeated, when the candidate becomes 
 duly qualified. This would be rebaptizing in form, but not 
 in fact, since, in the former case, a lack of faith made the 
 act invalid. Such cases seldom occur, and, when they do, 
 can be mutually adjusted by the candidate and the Church. 
 
 II. THE lord's supper. 
 
 The Eucharist, or Lord's Supper, is the other 
 ordinance established by Christ, and ordained to be 
 observed in His churches till the end of the time. It 
 has equal simplicity and impressiveness with bap- 
 tism, but holds a very different relation to the econ- 
 omy of grace, and the order of the Church; and as 
 a teaching ordinance represents a different phase of 
 vital doctrine. This, too, perhaps still more than 
 baptism, has been the occasion of heated and often 
 of bitter controversy among the professed followers 
 of Christ, through the ages of Christian history. 
 
CHRISTIAN ORDINANCES. 131 
 
 I. Its Institution. 
 
 The Supper was instituted by our Lord during, or 
 at the close of, the last paschal supper which he ob- 
 served with His disciples, on the evening before He 
 suffered. It is thus described: " As they were eat- 
 ing, Jesus took bread and gave thanks, and brake, 
 and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; 
 this is my body, which is broken for you; this do 
 in remembrance of me. And He took the cup, and 
 gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye 
 all of it; for this is my blood of the New Covenant, 
 which is shed for many for the remission of sins. 
 This do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of 
 me. For as oft as ye eat this bread, and drink this 
 cup, ye proclaim the Lord's death till He come." — 
 Matt. 26: 26-28; Mark 14: 22-26; Luke 22 : 14- 
 20; I Cor. 1 1 : 23-26. 
 
 It will be noticed that in the various accounts of 
 the institution there is a substantial agreement, with 
 slight verbal differences. But each of the added 
 sentences gives additional interest and impressive- 
 ness to the scene. It was at the close of, or immedi- 
 ately following, the passover supper, which was the 
 seal of the Old Dispensation, now passed away, and 
 sanctified by the sacrifice of the paschal lamb, that 
 Jesus inaugurated His own memorial, which should 
 be a seal of the New Dispensation, and a memorial 
 of the sacrifice of the Lamb of God, who taketh 
 away the sins of the world. The sad, tender, and 
 sacred associations of the time and the place have all 
 
132 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 passed into history, and are reproduced in the hearts 
 of all true and loving disciples, as they surround the 
 table of their Lord. 
 
 2. Its Administration, 
 
 The Supper is a provision of bread and wine — the 
 loafy and the cup — as symbols of Christ's body and 
 blood, partaken of by the members of the Church 
 assembled, to commemorate His sufferings and death 
 for them, and to show their faith and participation 
 in the merits of His sacrifice. The loaf is to be 
 broken, and the wine to be poured. 
 
 Usually this is observed either at the close of a 
 preaching service, or as a special service on Sunday 
 afternoon, when more time and more prominence is 
 given to it, though fewer usually attend at that 
 time. Occasionally it is observed in the evening, be- 
 ing, as some think, a more appropriate time for a 
 supper, but less favorable for the attendance of the 
 members. If held as a distinct service, it is preceded 
 with singing, prayer, reading the Scriptures, and 
 brief remarks. If as a supplementary service, the 
 introduction would be much abridged. 
 
 The pastor breaks the bread, and fills the cups in 
 order, preceding each with a brief prayer of thanks- 
 giving, as did the Lord, and passes the plates and 
 cups in order to the deacons, who distribute to the 
 members. It is customary for the deacons and pas- 
 tor to partake after all the others are served. 
 
 Some ministers seem to lose sight of the real pur- 
 pose of the service, or else lack the spirit of the oc- 
 
CHRISTIAN ORDINANCES. 1 33 
 
 casion, and talk during the exercises. After very 
 brief remarks to introduce the ordinance, and the 
 equally brief prayer of thanksgiving-, complete 
 silence should prevail; a silence which the attend- 
 ants, in passing the elements, should be careful not 
 to break. It is presumption and folly for the pastor 
 to draw the thoughts of the worshipers to himself, 
 when they should remember only Him whose sym- 
 bolic body is broken, and whose symbolic blood is 
 shed. "This do, in remembrance of me." 
 
 It is an almost universal custom among our 
 churches to take a collection at the close; "the 
 offering for the sick and needy," of which the dea- 
 cons are the custodians and almoners. It is also a 
 well-nigh unvarying custom to close with singing, 
 in imitation of Jesus and the Apostles; "and when 
 they had sung a hymn, they went out into the 
 Mount of Olives." 
 
 3. Its Obligation. 
 
 It is a sacred privilege for every disciple to re- 
 member his Lord in the observance of the Supper, 
 and it is his solemn duty as well. Few signs 
 more effectually tell of a spiritual decline in the 
 individual soul or in the Church than a neglect of 
 the sacred Communion. It is the duty of every 
 believer to be baptized, and the duty of every bap- 
 tized believer to commemorate the dying love of 
 his Lord at the Supper. "Take, eat; drink ye all 
 of it." " Divide it among yourselves." " Do this in 
 remembrance of me." Such were the words of 
 
134 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 Jesus Himself. Let no disciple who loves his Lord 
 lightly esteem or neglect this sacred rite. 
 
 Sometimes negligent Christians attempt to ex- 
 cuse their failures by saying there are unworthy 
 members present, or that some member has done 
 something wrong. That is no excuse. If Judas 
 himself were present, it should keep no one else 
 away. ** This do in remembrance of me,'' not in 
 remembrance of some one else deemed unworthy 
 of the place. The communion is not with each 
 other, save incidentally, but each one with his Sav- 
 iour, who has promised to be present. Few Chris- 
 tians ever plead such excuses until their own hearts, 
 and perhaps their lives likewise, are far out of the 
 way. A neglect or misuse of the Supper not only 
 reveals but produces spiritual derangement and de- 
 cay. It was for this reason the Apostle reproved 
 the Corinthians, when he wrote, *' For this cause 
 many are weak and sickly among you, and many 
 sleep." — I Cor. 1 1 : 30. 
 
 4. Its Subjects. 
 
 Who ought, and who have a lawful right to come 
 to the Lord's Table will be seen by a careful study 
 of the Scripture narratives. From these it is mani- 
 fest that baptized believers, walking orderly in the 
 faith of the Gospel, and in the fellowship of the 
 Church, constitute the proper subjects for this priv- 
 ilege. And no others. Some have insisted on its 
 having a wider scope; some even going so far as to 
 hold that no limitations or restrictions whatever 
 
CHRISTIAN ORDINANCES. 135 
 
 should be imposed on the privilege. This question 
 is argued at length in another place. 
 
 Observe that our Saviour at the institution " sat 
 down, and His Apostles with Him." — Luke 22 : 14. 
 Here was a very restricted, and, so to say, close 
 Communion. Neither His own mother, nor His 
 brethren, nor the many relatives and friends who 
 had followed Him, were invited to be present; for 
 what reason we do not know, but they were not 
 there. Only the twelve Apostles. He gave the 
 bread and the cup to His disciples, and said, ** Take 
 this, and divide it among yourselves." — Matt. 26 : 
 26; Luke 22 : 17. He did not tell them to distrib- 
 ute it to others, nor invite others to come in, and 
 partake of it. That little company in the upper 
 chamber was substantially the incipient Church ; and 
 the Supper was with and for the Church alone. 
 
 5. It is Commemorative, 
 
 It was designed to commemorate the death of 
 Christ for human redemption, and to be a perpetual 
 memorial in His churches and to His people of His 
 sacrifice for men. The loaf and the cup represent 
 " His broken body, and His shed blood," as sealing 
 the covenant of grace. "This do in remembrance 
 of me : " ** This do, as oft as ye drink it, in remem- 
 brance of me." — I Cor. 11 : 24, 25. 
 
 The paschal feast, and the slain lamb, commem- 
 orated the death of Egypt's first-born, and the de- 
 liverance of Israel from death and bondage. The 
 Eucharist is sometimes called the Christian Pass- 
 
136 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 over, and is the fulfillment of that ancient and ex- 
 pressive type. It is when partaking of this sacred 
 feast, the soul looks back to see the anguish of Him, 
 who suffered as a lamb without spot and without 
 blemish. 
 
 6. // is Predictive, 
 
 The Supper not only points the Christian back to 
 the sufferings of the Cross, but onward to the tri- 
 umph and glory of Christ's second coming. It is a 
 kind of mediator, a middle link, binding the shad- 
 owy past, the radiant future, and the joyous present 
 in one. He who was dead is alive again; the suf- 
 ferings of death could not hold Him. The past lays 
 the foundation of the saint's hope, while the future 
 holds the bright fruition. ** But I say unto you, I 
 will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, 
 until that day when I drink it new with you in my 
 Father's Kingdom." — Matt. 26: 29. ** For as oft as 
 ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye proclaim 
 the Lord's death till He comeT — i Cor. 1 1 : 26. 
 
 7. // is Emblematic. 
 
 While it perpetuates the significance of the work of 
 redemption by the death of Christ, the Supper is a 
 teacher of vital Gospel doctrine. This, too, is a creed, 
 a confession. It proclaims the love of Christ to the be- 
 liever as a seal of the Covenant of grace, and a token 
 of His faithfulness to them that trust Him. " This is 
 the new Covenant in my blood." — Luke 22 : 20. It is 
 not a communion of the partakers, one with the 
 
CHRISTIAN ORDINANCES. 1 37 
 
 other, but of each one with Him whom it commem- 
 orates. It expressly declares their union with Him. 
 **The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the 
 communion of the blood of Christ ? The bread 
 which we break, is it not the communion of the body 
 of Christ.!*" — I Cor. lo: i6. As intimate as is the 
 relation between the loaf and the cup which we take 
 to nourish our physical nature, so intimate is the 
 fellowship of the partaker in the sacred rite with 
 his remembered Lord. It expresses, inferentially 
 indeed, a fellowship of all who partake with each 
 other, though this is not the special object of the 
 ordinance. 
 
 As they sit together in one place, with the same 
 hopes, with common joys and sorrows, and a com- 
 mon interest in the same Lord, they, though many, 
 constitute the one body, and Christ the one head. 
 " For we, being many, are one bread, and one body; 
 for we are all partakers of that one bread." — I Cor. 
 lo : 17. The Supper declares this vital doctrine: 
 That the Christian's spiritual life and nourishment 
 are derived from Christ. As natural bread and wine 
 feed the body, so Christ, the bread of life, feeds the 
 renewed soul. ** For ye are dead, and your life is 
 hid with Christ in God." — Col. 3:3. *' For even 
 Christ, our passover, is sacrificed for us. Therefore 
 let us keep the feast ; not with old leaven, . . . but 
 with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth." — i 
 Cor. 5 : 7, 8. 
 
 For, though the reception of the elements cannot 
 convey grace to the soul, yet they teach the doc- 
 
138 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 trine of effectual grace conveyed from Christ as the 
 only and abounding fountain of grace. '' I am the 
 living bread which came down from heaven; if any 
 man eat of this bread he shall live forever. And 
 the bread that I give is my flesh, which I will give 
 for the life of the world." — John 6:51. 
 
 Note i . — As in the case of baptism, the Supper is commonly 
 and properly administered by the pastor, or some other or- 
 dained and accredited minister. But should occasion require, 
 and the Church so direct, it would be just as valid if served 
 by a private member. A deacon, or any devout member, 
 could, with propriety, give thanks and distribute the ele- 
 ments. The churches should not deprive themselves of these 
 means of grace, nor fail to remember their loving Lord for 
 want of a clergyman. Baptists are not such sacramentarians 
 as to suppose the ordinances invalid unless ministered and 
 made holy by priestly hands. 
 
 Note 2. — The deacons usually and properly distribute the 
 elements. But any member can be called on for that ser- 
 vice, should occasion require, and the service would be just 
 as lawful, valid and proper. 
 
 Note 3. — The doctrine taught by the Roman Church, and 
 some other communions of the '' real presence' — that is, 
 that, after consecration by the priest, the bread and wine do 
 actually become the very body and blood of Christ — is to be 
 held as an absolute falsehood, a most pernicious error, and a 
 monstrous absurdity. 
 
 Note 4. —When Jesus therefore said, "this is my body," 
 and "this is my blood," He did not mean, and could not have 
 intended, it in a literal sense, since His body and His blood 
 at that moment were not in the loaf and cup, but in His cor- 
 poreal person. He must, therefore, have meant what Prot- 
 estant Christendom holds, generally, that He did mean, 
 aamely, that these elements represented His body and blood. 
 
CHRISTIAN ORDINANCES. 1 39 
 
 There is, therefore, no transubstantiation, or change of ele- 
 ments, and the bread and wine, when received by the com- 
 municant, are Hterally the same as before their use and dis- 
 tribution, and nothing different. 
 
 Note 5. — Nor is there any such thing as a consecration of 
 elements in the Supper. Jesus did not bless the bread and 
 the cup at the institution.* He blessed God, nqt the bread ; that 
 is. He gave thanks, as in one record it is rightly rendered. — 
 Luke 22 : 19. The minister's part, therefore, is to thank God 
 for the elements, and for the glorious realities they repre- 
 sent and ask His blessing on them as applied to a sacred use. 
 
 Note 6. — The ' ' hand of fellowship " is usually given to new 
 members at this service, just before the distribution of the 
 elements. This act is simply a fraternal welcome, and has 
 no other significancy; it does not make them members, but 
 only recognizes their membership, already effected by vote of 
 the Church. 
 
 Note 7. — It has been the prevailing custom for the pastor, 
 before the ordinance, to give an invitation for " members of 
 sister churches, "or " members of churches of the same faith 
 and order," or " members of other Baptist churches," who 
 might be present, to remain and partake with them. But 
 some pastors give no invitation at all. It is not, however, 
 the right of the pastor to give or to withhold any invitation, 
 except as the Church directs. It is the prerogative of the 
 body to decide that question. The pastor should assume no 
 responsibility in the matter, but let it all rest with the Church. 
 He is their servant, not their master, in these matters. 
 
 Note 8. — Strictly speaking, however, the privileges of a 
 Church are coextensive with the authority of the Church. A 
 right to the communion, therefore, is limited to those over 
 whom the Church exercises the right of discipline; that is, 
 
 * The pronoun " it" is not in the Greek text, and is improp- 
 erly supplied in two of the records by the translators. This, how« 
 ever, is corrected in the New Version. 
 
140 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 its own members. Consequently, if the members of sister 
 churches are invited to partake, it is an act of courtesy prof- 
 fered, and not a right allowed. This rule would of itself 
 forbid a general, open, or free communion, since that would 
 bring in persons whose characters the Church could not 
 know, and whom, if they were unworthy, the Church could 
 not discipline or exclude. 
 
 Note 9. — It often happens that members of Pedobaptist 
 churches, or other persons not entitled to the privilege, being 
 present at communion service, remain and receive the ele- 
 ments. No harm is done by this, and neither the pastor, nor 
 any one else, need be disturbed by it. They were not invited 
 — and could not lawfully have been — and probably knew it 
 to be contrary to the custom of the churches. It would not 
 be wise to ask them to retire, and thus disturb the service. 
 But if the same individuals should often repeat the act, the 
 pastor, or some judicious member, should take occasion pri- 
 vately, in a kindly way, to talk with and dissuade them from 
 such a course, unless, indeed, they were prepared to unite 
 with the Church in full communion. 
 
 Note 10. — Since the Supper is distinctively a Church ordi- 
 nance, it is to be observed by churches only, and not by 
 individuals, even though Church members; neither in private 
 places, nor in sick-rooms, nor on social occasions, and not 
 by companies of disciples other than churches, though com- 
 posed of Church members. But a church may by appoint- 
 ment, and in its official capacity, meet in a private house, a 
 sick-room, or wherever it may elect, and there observe the 
 ordinance. 
 
 Note ii. — There is no Scriptural rule as to the frequency 
 with which, nor the time or place at which, it shall be ob- 
 served. The primitive Christians evidently kept this feast 
 daily. " And they, continuing daily with one accord in the 
 temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their 
 meat with gladness and singleness of heart." — Acts 2:46. 
 Subsequently it came to be a weekly service, at each public 
 
CHRISTIAN ORDINANCES. I4I 
 
 assembly. By some it is still so observed. Some churches 
 observe it quarterly, some bi-monthly; but with our people it 
 has come to be a general custom, especially in cities, towns 
 and villages, to have the Communion monthly, and usually 
 on the first Sunday in the month. This is not so often as to 
 impair its sanctity by frequency, and not so seldom as to 
 allow it to pass out of mind and be forgotten. 
 
 Note 12. — A neglect of the Supper by Church members is 
 a grave evil. It betokens a decline of spirituality, and pro- 
 motes it. And it is usually without excuse. If there be but 
 one service in the month that a member can attend, that ser- 
 vice should be the Communion; and if there be but one other, 
 that should be the Covenant Meeting. Pastors and deacons 
 will do well to watch with jealous care this index to the 
 churches' vital piety, and strive to inspire the absentees with 
 a sense of its importance, and their own duty in respect 
 to it. To disregard it is an indignity to Christ's ordinance, 
 a breach of good order, and a violation of covenant obliga- 
 tions, which the Church should endeavor promptly to cor- 
 rect. Some churches, by a rule of discipline, have each mem- 
 ber visited, who is absent twice in succession, to learn the 
 cause of such absence. To a devout Christian it is a sacred 
 privilege, which he would not willingly forego. 
 
 Note 13. — Pastors often blame their members for a 
 neglect of the Supper more than they instruct them as to 
 its nature, significancy, and claims. The people should 
 be well taught as to the meaning of the ordinance, and its 
 true relation to their faith and spiritual life. 
 
 Note 14. — The objection to the "individual commun- 
 ion cups," and the practice of holding the bread till all are 
 served is, that it tends to exalt the form over the spirit and 
 make the service ritual rather than spiritual. 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 
 CHURCH GOVERNMENT. 
 
 Is there any particular form of Church govern- 
 ment revealed in the New Testament? And if so, 
 what is it ? 
 
 These questions will be variously answered by 
 Christian scholars and Bible students. Some hold 
 that no specific form can be deduced from the sacred 
 records, and that no one form is best suited for all 
 people and for all places ; and that it was purposely 
 left for Christian wisdom and prudence, guided by 
 experience, to decide that question. But the greater 
 part believe that a specific form is at least outlined 
 in the New Testament ; and, naturally enough, each 
 one believes the form with which he is identified is 
 that divinely given form. It may be safely allowed 
 that no one class or company of Christians has at- 
 tained to all the truth, leaving all others exclusively 
 in error ; and it is a comfort to know that, however 
 believers may differ in opinion as to any matter of 
 doctrine or of duty, if with loving hearts they sin- 
 cerely desire to know the right and do it, they are 
 blessed of God. As Peter said at the house of Cor- 
 nelius, we may say, '' Of a truth I perceive that God 
 
CHURCH GOVERNMENT. I43 
 
 is no respecter of persons : but in every nation he 
 that feareth Him, and worketh righteousness, is ac- 
 cepted with Him." — Acts 10 : 34, 35. 
 
 If, however, there be any definite plan plainly 
 taught or clearly deducible from the words of 
 Christ or His inspired Apostles, we should, if pos- 
 sible, ascertain that fact and be guided accordingly. 
 Or if — what would be equivalent — we can ascertain 
 how the Apostles, under the guidance of the Spirit, 
 organized and ordered the churches they founded, 
 with what regulations they were instituted, and 
 what polity was impressed upon them, our questions 
 will be substantially, and, it should seem, satisfac- 
 torily answered. Indeed, there appears to be light 
 on the subject in this direction ; for though no for- 
 mal plan of government is detailed, yet there are 
 numerous incidental references in the Epistles which 
 clearly disclose formative and conclusive facts in the 
 case. 
 
 I. THREE PRINCIPAL FORMS 
 
 of Church government are in current use among the 
 denominations : 
 
 1. The Prelatical ; in which the governing power 
 is in the hands of prelates or bishops, and the clergy 
 generally, as in the Roman, Greek, English, and 
 most of the Oriental communions. 
 
 2. The Presbyterian ; in which the governing 
 power resides in Assemblies, Synods, Presbyteries, 
 and Sessions ; as in the Scottish Kirk, the Lutheran, 
 and the various Presbyterian bodies. 
 
144 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 3. The Independent ; in which the governing power 
 rests entirely with the people, i. e., the body of the 
 members of each local Church, each being entirely 
 separate from and independent of all others, so far 
 as authority and control are concerned ; as among 
 Baptists, Congregationalists, Independents, and 
 some others. 
 
 Now, is either of these forms taught in the New 
 Testament ? And if so, which } And which best 
 accords with the genius of the gospel, and with 
 what we know of the constitution and government 
 of the apostolic churches } 
 
 Baptists claim that a Christian Church is a con- 
 gregation of baptized believers associated by mutual 
 covenant, self-governing, and independent of all 
 others ; having no ecclesiastical connection with 
 any other, though maintaining friendly and associa- 
 tional intercourse with all of like faith and order. 
 It has no power to enact laws, but only to adminis- 
 ter those which Christ has given. 
 
 The government is administered by the body 
 acting together, where no one possesses a preem- 
 inence, but all enjoy an equality of rights ; and in de- 
 ciding matters of opinion, the majority bears rule. 
 The pastor exercises only such control over the 
 body as his official and personal influence may 
 allow, as their teacher and leader and the expound- 
 er of the great Lawgiver's enactments. His influ- 
 ence is paramount, but not his authority. In the 
 decision of questions he has but his single vote. 
 His rule is in the moral force of his counsels, his 
 
CHURCH GOVERNMENT. I45 
 
 instruction and guidance in matters of truth and 
 duty, and also in wisely directing the assemblies 
 whether for worship or business. Much less have 
 the deacons any authoritative or dictatorial control 
 over Church affairs. Matters of administration are 
 submitted to the body and by them decided. 
 
 II. CHURCH INDEPENDENCY. 
 
 As has been said, each particular and individual 
 Church is actually and absolutely independent in 
 the exercise of all its churchly rights, privileges, 
 and prerogatives ; independent of all other churches, 
 individuals, and bodies of men whatever, and is un- 
 der law to Christ alone. The will and law of the 
 great Lawgiver are to be found in the New Testa- 
 ment, which is the only authoritative statute book 
 for His people. 
 
 This statement is broad and comprehensive, and 
 needs not defence, but explanation only. That In- 
 dependency is the true form of Church government, 
 as opposed to Prelacy and Presbyterianism, will not 
 now be argued, but is assumed, as accepted by all 
 Baptists, taught in the New Testament, verified by 
 history, and justified by the genius of the gospel 
 itself. But all human liberty is under limitations ; 
 strictly speaking it is not absolute. 
 
 How is Church Independence Limited? 
 
 I. The liberty which the independence of churches 
 
 exercises is limited by the laws of Christ as ex- 
 10 
 
146 THE NEW directory: 
 
 pressed or clearly implied in the Scriptures. A 
 Church is not a legislative body, but administrative 
 only. It cannot make laws, but it is the interpreter 
 of the laws of Christ; the interpreter for itself, not 
 for others. Nor can others interpret laws for it. 
 The opinions of the wise and good have their 
 weight, but no man or body of men external to itself, 
 has the right to become authoritative interpreters of 
 the word of God to a Church, and compel submis- 
 sion to their dicta — to a Church, or indeed to an in- 
 dividual, even. 
 
 Churches may perform many unwise and unjusti- 
 fiable acts. They may misapply or misinterpret, or 
 openly do violence to both the letter and spirit of law. 
 But there is no human tribunal to which they can be 
 brought for trial and punishment, except that of 
 public opinion. Others, in the exercise of their per- 
 sonal or Church liberty, may condemn their acts 
 and disclaim all responsibility in connection with 
 them ; may withdraw all fellowship and intercourse 
 from them. But farther than this they cannot go, 
 except by the moral force of their dissent and con- 
 demnation. And it is fortunate that such is the 
 case, since to crush liberty and destroy indepen- 
 dency in the churches of Christ would be a greater 
 calamity than to bear all the evils which may spring 
 from a misunderstanding of the one, or a misuse of 
 the other. 
 
 2. The independence of the churches is limited, 
 so far as its corporate acts are concerned, or any 
 matters of personal rights or legal equity may be in 
 
CHURCH GOVERNMENT. I47 
 
 question, by the laws of the State in which they are 
 located. This, however, has reference only to the 
 temporalities of Church life, and cannot touch any 
 question of doctrine, worship, or Christian duty. 
 Most churches, by an organized ** society," or in 
 some other way, hold relations to civil law, in order 
 to enjoy its protection in rights of property. To 
 this extent they are subject to civil authority, and 
 both as bodies and as individuals they should be 
 law-keepers and not law-breakers. But as to all 
 matters of spiritual concern in questions of religious 
 faith and practice, the State and civil law have no 
 rights of control over, or interference with, the 
 churches in any manner whatever, except to pro- 
 tect them in the enjoyment of all their lawful priv- 
 ileges. 
 
 It may also happen that in the exercise of its 
 ecclesiastical functions in acts of discipline or ex- 
 clusion, a Church or even a Council may be charged 
 with decisions which are defamatory in their nature, 
 calculated to injure the reputation or interfere with 
 the secular interests of the individual, and he may 
 seek redress at the civil courts. Such occurrences 
 have sometimes transpired, and under stress of cir- 
 cumstances, are liable to take place. Civil courts 
 usually observe this rule when appealed to in 
 ecclesiastical matters, viz. : that the established 
 usages of any body of Christians have a right to be 
 followed, and if these have been carefully observed 
 and not transcended, the courts will not interfere. 
 But if from passion, prejudice, or ignorance, these 
 
148 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 have been disregarded, and the precedents and cus- 
 toms of the denomination have been violated, the 
 court may interfere to give relief, only so far, how- 
 ever, as to require that the case have a new trial, in 
 which their own established rules and precedents 
 shall be strictly observed. 
 
 3. By some it has been held, that, while each 
 Church is independent in theory, its liberty is some- 
 what abridged by its relations to other churches, 
 and because of that fellowship and comity which 
 exists between them. By such it is claimed that 
 the relation of each Church to the great body of 
 churches is similar to the relation of each member 
 of a Church to the body of members which consti- 
 tute that Church ; and, therefore, as each member 
 relinquishes something of his personal liberty on 
 becoming a member, and consents to be subject to 
 the authority of the body, so the individual Church 
 does on becoming one of the general fellowship of 
 churches. Or, they argue, to take another figure ; 
 as each particular State, though in a sense sovereign 
 and independent, yet has its independency limited 
 by being a member of the federation of States, and 
 submits in certain matters to be subject to the gen- 
 eral government, while represented in it, so is it 
 with a single Church in the federation of churches. 
 
 This condition of affairs has sometimes been called 
 the interdependence of churches. Precisely what 
 that term means is not easily explained. But it is 
 safe to pronounce it a fiction. There is no such 
 thing as interdependence in the sense of a limitation 
 
CHURCH GOVERNMENT. I49 
 
 of the self-governing right and authority of a Church. 
 And that is the sense in which their interdependence 
 is asserted. One Church may be poor and need 
 help from one that is rich ; or it may be in perplex- 
 ity and need advice from one supposed to be more 
 experienced — as the Church at Antioch sought 
 counsel of the older and more experienced Church 
 at Jerusalem, or as the churches in Macedonia and 
 Achaia contributed to the poor saints in Judea. 
 But these facts do not touch the question of polity 
 or government ; their relations to each other in 
 these respects remain the same. Fellowship and 
 fraternal concord may be strengthened ; the help- 
 fulness of the one and the gratitude of the other 
 may be increased, but the one is none the more in- 
 dependent, nor the other any the less so, because 
 of these friendly interchanges. 
 
 But this whole course of argument alluded to is 
 fallacious and misleading, and the illustrations used 
 are unauthorized, inapplicable, and contrary to the 
 facts. There is no such relation subsisting between 
 the various churches constituting a general fellow- 
 ship as exists between the individual members of a 
 single Church. No hint or intimation of any such 
 similarity is found in the New Testament, where 
 the constitution and polity of a Church is taught. 
 There is no other and larger organization provided 
 for, with officers, orders, and regulations, including 
 many smaller ones, called churches, as its units. If 
 this similarity of relation be insisted on, then we 
 shall have this comprehensive confederacy of 
 
I50 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 churches claiming authority over the individual 
 churches, receiving, disciplining, and excluding 
 them, and otherwise exercising powers similar to 
 those exercised by the individual Church over its 
 members. Admit so much, and we have prelacy or 
 papacy at once, in spirit and in fact. 
 
 Nor is there any relation subsisting between the 
 separate churches, which can be fitly compared to 
 the union of States in a federal government. If it 
 were so we should have a de facto Presbyterianism. 
 This whole course of reasoning, if carried out to its 
 logical results, would not leave a vestige of Church 
 independency. The only limitation, the only check 
 upon the exercise of Christian liberty required by 
 the Gospel, is loyalty to Christ as King in Zion, 
 fidelity to His truth, and a constant exercise of that 
 kindly courtesy which is innate in the Gospel and 
 essential to the true Christian life, whether individ- 
 ual or organic, whether personal, social, or official. 
 This spirit dominant will give all the fellowship 
 which churches need or can demand ; and all which 
 a Scriptural polity can render or allow. 
 
 4. It is sometimes objected that Baptists are too 
 independent, and that their liberty degenerates into 
 license. Now, on calm reflection, all this must be 
 denied. They cannot, as churches, be too inde- 
 pendent, using that word in a true Christian sense. 
 Nor can liberty become license. 
 
 Ignorant and foolish men may be charged with 
 many wrong acts. They may practise injustice and 
 oppression in the name of liberty, and under pre- 
 
CHURCH GOVERNMENT. I5I 
 
 tence of independence. But liberty and independ- 
 ence are, at the very most, only the occasion, and 
 are in no sense to be made responsible for the evils 
 which perverse and wrong-headed persons perpe- 
 trate under the shelter of their name. Church inde- 
 pendency has its peculiar liability to misuse and 
 abuse, but it cannot be shown that its difficulties 
 are any more numerous, or any more serious than 
 those to which other forms of Church government 
 are liable. Indeed, if this be the true, the divine 
 plan, then it is the best plan, with the fewest evils 
 and the most advantages. The defects lie not in 
 the plan, but in those who administer the govern- 
 ment; and, as a m.atter of fact, it can be shown that 
 churches acting under the independent polity, act- 
 ually suffer from fewer and less serious difficulties 
 than those subject to stronger and more centralized 
 governments. 
 
 5. The independence of a Church is limited by 
 the personal rights of its individual members. That 
 is to say, the liberty of the body to act cannot law- 
 fully be used to infringe the lawful liberty of its 
 members. A Church, as a body, has no right to 
 violate the rights of its members in the exercise of 
 its authority. These rights need to be clearly de- 
 fined and well understood on both sides. If the 
 morals of the member do not coincide with the 
 morals of the Gospel, the Church has the right to 
 put him away from it, if he cannot be reclaimed. 
 But the body cannot properly interfere with the 
 rights of faith, or conscience, on the part of the 
 
152 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 individual. If his faith be judged heretical, and an 
 element of discord, they can withdraw fellowship 
 from him ; but they can neither compel uniformity 
 nor punish dissent — except by separation. 
 
 6. And still further, the liberty of a Church is 
 limited by the terms of the great Commission, and 
 by its divine institution, to the pursuits and the pur- 
 poses contemplated in the Gospel. Whatever its 
 members may do in their individual capacity as citi- 
 zens and members of society, the Church as such 
 must confine itself to the mission for which it was 
 founded — the spread of the Gospel, and the advance- 
 ment of the Kingdom of God in the world. It can- 
 not become a corporation for mercantile or manu- 
 facturing pursuits ; it cannot become a political 
 organization ; it cannot become a scientific or liter- 
 ary association. On all moral questions, however, 
 the Church as a body, as well as its individual mem- 
 bers, should be plainly pronounced and clearly 
 understood as standing for the defence of virtue, 
 purity and good order, since these are essential ele- 
 ments of Christianity. Also it should have an un- 
 mistakable record as an abettor and helper of good 
 works, charitable and benevolent endeavors, since 
 these are inherent in, and grow out of, the gospel. 
 The Church cannot dictate what a member shall 
 eat or drink or wear ; what shall be his business or 
 his pleasure. But if, in any of these matters, ques- 
 tions of morals and religion come to be involved to 
 the reproach of truth and the Christian profession, 
 then the Church has the right to interpose. 
 
CHURCH GOVERNMENT. I53 
 
 III. EVIDENCE OF IT. 
 
 Wherein lies the proof that the primitive Church 
 government was an independency f 
 
 In Matthew, chap. 18 : 15-17, where our Saviour 
 for the first time, and, with one exception, the only- 
 time, in His personal conversation, speaks of the 
 Church distinctively, His recognition of it as the 
 only source of ecclesiastical authority is positive 
 and complete. In giving directions for the adjust- 
 ment of difficulties among brethren and the pacifica- 
 tion of their social disturbances, He first expounds 
 their personal duties ; but when He speaks of 
 authoritative action, tJiat belongs to the Church. 
 And the Church's action is final. That action ad- 
 mits of no reversal and of no review. There was to 
 be no court beyond or above the single Church. 
 He recognized no hierarchy, no presbytery, no 
 synod, no assembly, no council ; but "■ tell it to the 
 Church." That ends the matter of appeal. ** If he 
 neglect to hear the Church, let him be unto thee as 
 a heathen man and a publican." 
 
 The course pursued by the Church at Antioch, in 
 Syria is suggestive. When a difficulty arose pertain- 
 ing to the engrafting of Jewish customs upon a Chris- 
 tian polity, respecting which they were in doubt, 
 they sent a delegation to the Church at Jerusalem, 
 as being not only at the seat of the Jewish cultus^ but 
 of the earliest Christian knowledge as well, besides 
 having in their fellowship the apostles. From this 
 source, therefore, they would obtain authoritative 
 
154 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 instruction. — Acts 15. This deputation, including 
 Paul and Barnabas, on their arrival did not appeal 
 to any select company of officials, not even to the 
 inspired Apostles; but to the whole Church, inclu- 
 sive of these. " And when they came to Jerusalem 
 they were received of the Church, and of the Apos- 
 tles, and elders." — v. 4. After a full statement and 
 discussion of the case, and an expressed opinion by 
 James, the pastor of the Church, they agreed on 
 what reply to make to the Church at Antioch. 
 " Then pleased it the apostles, and elders, with the 
 whole Church, to send chosen men of their own 
 company to Antioch, with Paul and Barnabas." — 
 v. 22. In addition to this delegation they sent let- 
 ters also conveying their judgment in the case. 
 And these letters recognized the Church in its three 
 estates. ** The apostles and elders and brethren 
 greeting, unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles 
 in Antioch." — v. 23. And they added : *' it seemed 
 good unto us, being assembled with one accord." 
 And " it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to 
 us." — vs. 25-28. 
 
 One independent Church, wishing advice, sought 
 counsel of another independent Church, in whose 
 experience and wisdom they had more confidence 
 than in their own. And the Church appealed to, 
 in the exercise of their independence, gave the ad- 
 vice sought. Nor did the Apostles, though in- 
 spired, assume to dictate in this matter, or to act 
 without the cooperation of the elders and breth- 
 ren. Nor yet did the Apostles and elders assume 
 
CHURCH GOVERNMENT. 1 55 
 
 to act alone; "all the multitude," and "the whole 
 Church," were present to hear and act with their 
 leaders. 
 
 The Apostles regarded and treated the churches 
 as independent bodies, having the rights of self- 
 government, without subjection to any other author- 
 ity. They reported their own doings to the churches, 
 and addressed their epistles to them, as to inde- 
 pendent bodies, and not to a confederacy, includ- 
 ing many distinct congregations ; nor yet to any 
 official representatives of these congregations. In 
 communicating with them the Apostles recognized 
 their right to choose their own officers, to admit, 
 discipline, and exclude members ; primary and 
 fundamental rights, which, being conceded, imply 
 all other rights necessary to a self-governing com- 
 munity, acting under divinely enacted laws. They 
 also enjoined upon them, as the responsible and 
 authoritative executives of this power, the exercise 
 of these functions, especially in the discipline and 
 exclusion of unworthy members. 
 
 And nothing could more distinctly or more em- 
 phatically declare what is here claimed, than the 
 fact that the Lord, in the Apocalyptic Epistles, 
 addressed specifically the individual churches of 
 Asia, through the angels, or pastors of these 
 churches. The counsels, warnings, reproofs and 
 commendations are in each case for the particular 
 Church addressed, as responsible, censurable, or 
 commendable. They were not addressed as a com- 
 bination, or system of churches, either hierarchical 
 
156 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 or synodical ; not as '' the Church of Asia," but the 
 churches, individual and separate. 
 
 MOSHEIM, the Church historian, says of the first 
 century : 
 
 "In those primitive times each Christian Church was 
 composed of Xh& people, the presiding officers, and the assist- 
 ants or deacons. These must be the component parts of 
 every society. The principal voice was that of the people, 
 or the whole body of Christians. " " The assembled people 
 therefore elected their own rulers and teachers." Of the 
 second century, he adds: " One president or bishop presided 
 over each Church. He was created by the common suffrages 
 of the whole people." " During a great part of this century 
 all the churches continued to be, as at first, independent of 
 each other. Each Church was a kind of small independent 
 republic, governing itself by its own laws, enacted or at least 
 sanctioned by the people." — Eccl. Hist. Cent. I. part I. Ch. 
 II. sees. J, 6; Cent. II. Ch. II. sees, i, 2. 
 
 GlESELER, in his Church history, speaking of the 
 changes which occurred in ecclesiastical order dur- 
 ing the second century, says : 
 
 "Country churches, which had grown up around some 
 city, seem, with their bishops, to have been usually, in a cer- 
 tain degree, under the authority of the mother Church. 
 With this exception, all the churches were alike independent, 
 though some were especially held in honor, on such ground 
 as their Apostolic origin, or the importance of the city in 
 which they were situated." — Ch. Hist. Period I. Div. I. Ch.j 
 sec. ^2. 
 
 SCHAFF, in his history, says : 
 
 "Thus the Apostolic Church appears as a free, independ- 
 ent, and complete organization; a system of supernatural 
 
CHUkCtt GOVERNMENT. 15/ 
 
 divine life, in a human body. It contains in itself all the 
 offices and energies required for its purpose. It produces 
 the supply of its outward wants from its own free spirit. In- 
 stead of receiving protection and support from the secular 
 power, it suffers deadly hatred and persecution. It manages 
 its own internal affairs with equal independence. Of union 
 with the State, either in the way of hierarchical supremacy or 
 of Erastian subordination, the first three centuries afford no 
 trace."— C^. Hist. Vol. I. sec. 4^, p. 138. N. V., 1871. 
 
 Waddington, on this subject, says : 
 
 " It is also true that in the earliest government of the first 
 Christian society, that of Jerusalem, not the elders only, but 
 the whole Church, were associated with the apostles. And 
 it is even certain that the terms bishop and elder or presbyter, 
 were in the first instance, and for a short period, sometimes 
 used synonymously." — Hist, of the Ch., p. 41 
 
 Abp. Whately says of the primitive churches : 
 
 " Though there was one Lord, one Faith, and one Baptism 
 for all of these, yet they were each a distinct independent 
 community on earth, united by the common principles on 
 which they were founded, by their mutual agreement, affec- 
 tion and respect." — Kingdom of Christ, pp. ioi-ij6. N. Y, Ed. 
 
 Dr. Burton says : 
 
 " Every Church had its own spiritual head, or bishop, and 
 Was independent of every other Church, with respect to its 
 own internal regulations and laws." — Cited by Coleman^ 
 Primitive Christianity, p. ^o. 
 
 Dr. Barrow says : 
 
 " At first every Church was settled apart under its bishops 
 and presbyters, so as independently and separately to man- 
 age its own affairs. Each was governed by its own head, 
 
15^ THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 and had its own laws." — Treatise on the Pope's Suprem. Works 
 Vol. I. p. 662, Col Prim. Christ. 
 
 Dr. Coleman says : 
 
 "These churches, wherever formed, became separate and 
 independent bodies, competent to appoint their officers and 
 administer their own government without reference or sub- 
 ordination to any central authority or foreign power. No 
 fact connected with the history of the primitive churches is 
 more fully established or more generally conceded." — Prim, 
 Christ' y Exemp. Ch. 4, sec. 4, p. p>j. 
 
 Dr. Francis Wayland says : 
 
 "The Baptists have ever believed in the entire and abso" 
 lute independence of the churches. By this we mean that 
 every Church of Christ — that is, every company of believers 
 united together according to the laws of Christ — is wholly 
 independent of every other. That every Church is capable 
 of self-government; and that therefore no one acknowledges 
 any higher authority under Christ, than itself; that with the 
 Church all ecclesiastical action commences, and with it all 
 terminates." "The more steadfastly we hold to the inde- 
 pendency of the churches and abjure everything in the form 
 of a denominational corporation, the more truly shall we be 
 united, and the greater will be our prosperity." — Princs and 
 Pracs of Bap. Chs., pp. 17 S, igo. 
 
 Dr. David Benedict, the Baptist historian, says : 
 
 "The doctrine of absolute Church independence has 
 always been a favorite one with our people. Under it they 
 have greatly flourished, and very few have complained of its 
 operation." — Fifty Years among the Baptists, p. jgg. 
 
 That the apostolical churches, therefore, were 
 independent in their form of government, seems to 
 
CHURCH GOVERNMENT. 1 59 
 
 be clearly proven. Many prelatists, as well as 
 others besides those here cited, concede this point. 
 In this respect, therefore, and so far as their inde- 
 pendency is concerned, Baptists are manifestly 
 founded on the New Testament order of Church 
 building and Church life ; and, so far, are true suc- 
 cessors of the Apostles. Nor does it avail to urge 
 objections to this independency, or magnify the dif- 
 ficulties to which it is liable. It can be shown that 
 other forms have inherent in them even greater lia- 
 bilities to misuse ; while this, if it were established 
 by divine wisdom, must be the best fitted to its pur- 
 pose, and is the one to be used and preserved. 
 
CHAPTER VII. 
 
 CHURCH DISCIPLINE. 
 
 Every organization which proposes to work 
 smoothly, and yet efficiently, must have certain 
 rules and regulations to be followed; certain laws 
 for the individual members to obey. Failing in this 
 — either without laws or with laws disregarded — all 
 effort will go wide of the mark, and all endeavors, 
 instead of succeeding and furthering each other, will 
 counteract and interrupt each other; confusion will 
 ensue, the wisest designs be frustrated, and the best- 
 laid plans become abortive. This is true every- 
 where. In the State, in the family, every associa- 
 tion whether for business, politics, scientific, literary 
 or art research or improvement, all must be regu- 
 lated by laws adopted for the common good, to 
 which obedience is to be rendered by the members. 
 And the object sought to be attained must fail un- 
 less there be conformity to the laws by which the 
 organization is bound together, and obedience to 
 which constitutes its vital force. 
 
 There is no society to which these remarks apply 
 
 more appropriately and with more emphasis, than 
 
 to that one divinely constituted organization, the 
 
 •60 
 
CHURCH DISCIPLINE. l6l 
 
 ** Society of Jesus, "the Church of Christ. It has its 
 laws, not human enactments, but divine. They are 
 few and simple, not difficult to be understood or 
 obeyed. '* His commandments are not grievous;" 
 and on conformity to them, both by the Church as 
 a body, and by the individual members as well, de- 
 pend the peace, harmony and efficiency of the so- 
 ciety. When these regulations fall into disuse, and 
 the good order of the body is neglected, it becomes 
 weak and inefficient, neither commanding the con- 
 fidence of its own members, nor the respect of the 
 world. It is true that mere laws are a dead letter 
 without the indwelling spirit of life in Christ Jesus. 
 But the indwelling spirit of life becomes effectual 
 only as it works to its purpose in harmony with 
 those laws given for its guidance. Law and life ! 
 Life and law ! Life to energize; law to guide. 
 This is the philosophy and the method of the uni- 
 verse, both in nature and in grace. 
 
 To some the word discipline has an unpleasant 
 sound. It seems punitive. It savors of transgres- 
 sion, conflict and punishment. But Church Dis- 
 cipline is not to be taken in this narrow sense alone; 
 nor does it develop these unlovely features, except 
 where, by the culpable neglect of pastors and others, 
 it has fallen into decay, good order and the well-be- 
 ing of the body have been long disregarded, and 
 the Church has become a lawless and disorderly 
 company. Then a very hasty, and possibly an in- 
 temperate effort to make matters right, without suf- 
 ficient prudence and precaution, may develop dif- 
 11 
 
l62 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 ficulties. As chronic disorder and disregard of law- 
 ful regulations in every society tend not only to a 
 decay of efficient action, but to the ultimate de- 
 struction of the society itself, and prepare for con- 
 flict, if a vigorous effort be made to reestablish 
 good order and the reign of law; so many a Church 
 has declined even to imbecility, if not to death, by 
 long neglect of judicious and healthful discipline. 
 Many a Church has found serious trouble in rees- 
 tablishing a healthful order and discipline, after long- 
 continued neglect and disorder. But many a Church 
 has also found that a thorough course of Christian 
 labor, and the reestablishment of a healthful scrip- 
 tural discipline has brought back to the body order 
 and harmony, reinvigorated its wasted energies, has 
 produced a better tone of practical piety, and be- 
 come the precursor of a revival of religion. 
 
 Discipline, in its larger sense, means training, 
 cultivation, improvement, according to prescribed 
 rules; subordination to law; administration of gov- 
 ernment and submission to lawfully constituted 
 authority ; from disco, I learn ; disciple y a learner, 
 one under discipline, taught and trained. Church 
 discipline is sometimes distinguished 2iS formative 
 and corrective; the former having reference to cul- 
 ture, training and development according to Chris- 
 tian law, and the latter to the management of dif- 
 ficulties, and the correction of offenses as they arise 
 in Church life and practice. It is to the latter, mote 
 especially, that attention is given in discussions on 
 the subject, and the latter is usually understood to 
 
CHURCH DISCIPLINE. 163 
 
 be meant when Church discipline is mentioned. To 
 this more particularly is attention here given. But 
 this is not because formative and cultural discipline 
 for edification and development is less important, 
 but these ends are largely attained by instruction 
 from the pulpit, the various departments of worship 
 and the general activities of Christian life. 
 
 That corrective discipline may be carried to an 
 unwise and an injurious extent is not denied; but 
 the prevailing tendency among our churches is in 
 another direction. It is to too great laxity, and not 
 to too great severity. Pastors and official members 
 find it easier to let things drift than to attempt the 
 unpleasant task of correcting abuses. But pastors 
 do not wisely forecast their own comfort, nor the 
 honor of the Church, who do not strive to preserve 
 the purity of the body while they keep out and cast 
 out everything that can justly become a scandal to 
 the Christian Church, or a disgrace to the Christian 
 profession. 
 
 The Church is the school of Christ; let the school 
 be controlled with strict, yet wise and kindly dis- 
 cipline, or the pupils will learn more of evil than of 
 good, and anarchy and confusion will supplant good 
 government. The Church is a family; let there be 
 law and order in the household, tempered with ten- 
 derness and discretion, otherwise the family fails of 
 its mission, and becomes a reproach rather than a 
 blessing to society. The Church is the organic 
 representative of the kingdom of Christ; unless law 
 prevail in the kingdom and order be maintained, 
 
164 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 how shall the King be honored, the kingdom be ad- 
 vanced, or the world be blessed by its coming and 
 triumph ? 
 
 It is therefore of the utmost importance that a 
 correct scriptural discipline be strictly maintained. 
 The neglect of it fills a Church with evils which 
 check the growth of piety, hinder the success of the 
 Gospel, and reproach the Christian name, while 
 from an injudicious and unscriptural exercise of it, 
 more dissensions have arisen than perhaps from any 
 other single cause. Every well-organized society 
 has its regulations, in which each one, on becoming 
 a member, acquiesces, to which he pledges his sup- 
 port, and by which he submits to be governed, so 
 long as he shall belong to it; and leave it, if he ever 
 does leave it, according to its stipulated forms. 
 
 A Christian Church is the most perfectly con- 
 structed society known to men, and its system of 
 government the most simple and complete. As 
 each member on entering it, solemnly covenants to 
 maintain, defend and abide by these regulations, so 
 he should consider himself bound by the most 
 sacred considerations to honor and keep his cove- 
 nant inviolate. 
 
 I. THREE LAWS OF CHRIST'S HOUSE. 
 
 There are three laws of Christ's house, royal de- 
 crees, given by Him who is '* Head over all things 
 to the Church," which stand invested with all the 
 sanctions of divine authority, and which, could they 
 
CHURCH DISCIPLINE. I65 
 
 be known, loved and obeyed, if they did not abso- 
 lutely prevent all offenses, would obviate the neces- 
 sity for private labor and public discipline. They 
 would make churches '* households of faith," where 
 Christians should abide " in the unity of the Spirit, 
 and in the bond of peace." Green pastures where 
 the flock should rest in safety, and feed with joy. 
 Will not every Church member make them the 
 guide of his life } 
 
 First law : for every disciple ; the law of Love, 
 " A new commandment I give unto you, that ye 
 love one another ; as I have loved you, that ye also 
 love one another." — ^John 13:34. This, if strictly 
 obeyed, would prevent all cause of grief and offense, 
 either personally to brethren or publicly to the 
 Church. It would prevent cold indifference to each 
 other's welfare, unfounded suspicions, causeless 
 accusations, jealousies, animosities, bitterness, ha- 
 tred, and strife, and cause each to love the other 
 " with a pure heart fervently." 
 
 Second law: for the offender; the law of Con- 
 fession. " If thou bring thy gift to the altar, and 
 there rememberest that thy brother hath aught 
 against thee, leave there thy gift before the altar, 
 and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, 
 and then come and offer thy gift." — Matt. 5 : 23, 24. 
 This law makes it obligatory on every one who sup- 
 poses that a brother has aught against him, to go to 
 such an one without delay and secure, if possible, a 
 reconciliation. And this he must do, whether there 
 be, in his opinion, just cause or not for that brother 
 
l66 THE NEW PIRECTORY. 
 
 to be offended; whether or not he has given occa- 
 sion for offense. But knowing that a brother has 
 grief on his account, he must go and attempt a 
 reconciliation. Nor must he suppose that his gift 
 will be acceptable to God, while he is unreconciled 
 to man. 
 
 Third law : for the offended; the law of Forgive- 
 ness. " If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke 
 him; and if he repent forgive him. And if he tres- 
 pass against thee seven times in a day and seven 
 times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent, thou 
 shalt forgive him." — Luke 17: 3, 4. This law enjoins a 
 perpetual personal forgiveness of injuries; of injuries 
 repented of and confessed. It does not enjoin that 
 the often transgressor be held in the same esteem as 
 before, for that might be impossible. Nor does it 
 require that a Church should abstain from the exer- 
 cise of a needed and healthful discipline, nor that it 
 should discontinue a course already begun because 
 the individual declares his repentance. In some 
 cases this may be done ; but instances not unfre- 
 quently occur when it is not required. In another 
 form, the substance of this law was affirmed by Jesus, 
 when, in answer to Peter's question as to how often 
 he should forgive a brother, He replied, " I say not 
 unto thee until seven times, but until seventy times 
 seven." — Matt. 18: 22. That is, constantly. But this 
 has no reference to Church action. 
 
 Note i.— It is true that Jesus did not proclaim these stat- 
 utes for just the occasion for which, nor in just the relation 
 to each other, in which they have been placed here, But 
 
CHURCH DISCIPLINE. 167 
 
 they cover all the ground of social Christian intercourse, 
 whether in or out of Church relations, and apply with pre- 
 eminent fitness to that intercourse which may involve mat- 
 ters of discipline. 
 
 Note 2. — Some have mistakenly inferred that because 
 perpetual personal forgiveness is enjoined by our Lord, there- 
 fore all corrective Church discipline is needless, if not out of 
 place. This is doing violence to common sense and plain 
 facts. Because a father is bound constantly to forgive an 
 erring but penitent child, is that a reason why all family gov- 
 ernment should be abrogated, and the sinning child not be 
 called to account for his repeated offenses ? Certainly not. 
 
 Note 3. — An erring brother may not, and probably will 
 not, be able to regain at once the confidence forfeited by his 
 offense, and especially if his offense be repeated. Confidence 
 lost is slowly restored. Nevertheless, if his repentance seem 
 sincere he should be treated with hearty good will, and not 
 be regarded with suspicion. 
 
 Note 4. — It is not always satisfactory or sufficient evidence 
 of penitence that one says he is sorry. He must "do works 
 meet for repentance, " in order that the Church should be un- 
 der obligation to restore him to its favor, particularly where 
 the offense has been grievous, or oft-repeated. 
 
 IL THE SCOPE OF DISCIPLINE. 
 
 Unhappily, offenses do come, and these rojyal 
 decrees are not always strictly observed. Hence 
 the nature, scope and purpose of these administra- 
 tive methods need to be well understood. 
 
 r. The Object of Discipline. 
 
 The object and purpose of discipline is to prevent, 
 restrain, or remove the evil that may exist, to en- 
 courage and protect the right, and cherish the good, 
 
l68 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 '• for the edifying of the body of Christ," that it may 
 be ** perfect in love," and without reproach. It is 
 not to gratify personal prejudice, or secure any self- 
 ish ends, but to reclaim the wandering, guide the way- 
 ward, and secure the best spiritual interests of each 
 member, and the purity, good order, and efficiency 
 of the entire body. That Church is always held in 
 higher esteem by its own members, and more re- 
 spected and honored by the world, where a high 
 standard of Christian morals is maintained, and a 
 jealous watch-care is exercised over the faith and 
 conduct of its members. 
 
 2. The Spirit of Discipline. 
 
 The justification and the effectiveness of discipline 
 depend not a little on the spirit with which it is ex- 
 ercised. It must not be exercised in a spirit of arro- 
 gance, nor of dictation, nor of assumed superiority, 
 much less of vindictiveness, but of fraternal solic' 
 itude, of gentleness and love. If the impression be 
 given to the offender that there is a disposition to 
 condemn and punish, the whole purpose is frus- 
 trated. Paul's injunction to the Galatians was, 
 " Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye 
 which are spiritual restore such a one in the spirit 
 of meekness; considering thyself lest thou also be 
 tempted." — Gal. 6: i. This should be a perpetual 
 guide to the temper of Christian labor with erring 
 disciples, and is worthy to be inscribed in gold on 
 the walls of every Church; or, better still, written by 
 the Spirit of God on every Christian heart. The 
 
CHURCH DISCIPLINE. 169 
 
 work oi restoration is to be done, and not neglected; 
 but it is to be done in a spirit of meekness, with a 
 sense of one's own liability to err. 
 
 3. The Right of Discipline. 
 
 That churches have a right to exercise a watchful 
 supervision over their members, to reprove them 
 when erring, and withdraw fellowship from them 
 when incorrigible, is a necessity arising from the 
 very constitution of their organization. The right 
 to exercise discipline inheres in the very nature 
 of government, whether the government be in the 
 hands of one, the few, or the many. This right was 
 recognized by Christ and His Apostles, and was ex- 
 ercised by the first churches. '* But if he neglect 
 to hear the Church, let him be unto thee as a heathen 
 man, and a publican." — Matt. 18: 17. "Now we 
 command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord 
 Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every 
 brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the 
 tradition which he received of us." — 2 Thess. 3 : 
 6. "A man that is a heretic after the first and 
 second admonition, reject." — Titus 3 : 10. 
 
 4. The Duty of Discipli7te, 
 
 Not only has a Church the right to exercise disci- 
 pline, in the milder forms of fraternal labor, for the 
 removal of evils, but to the extreme of excision it is 
 the imperative duty of every Church to administer 
 this needed and salutary part of government. That 
 Church is unfaithful to itself, to its members and to 
 
I/O 
 
 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 its living Head, that neglects it. Not that it should 
 seek opportunity to find faults, or to deal with the 
 weak and the wandering, but it should be faithful to 
 do this when occasion calls for it. ** If thy brother 
 trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, 
 forgive him." — Luke 17: 3. ''Them that sin rebuke 
 before all, that others also may fear." — i Tim. 5: 20. 
 " Wherefore come out from among them." — 2 Cor. 6 : 
 17; because "Whether one member suffer, all the 
 members suffer with it." — i Cor. 12 : 26. "I beseech 
 you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and 
 offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have 
 learned, and avoid them." — Rom. 16: 17. " There- 
 fore put away from among yourselves that wicked 
 person." — i Cor. 5: 13. 
 
 5. The Limit of Discipline. 
 
 The exercise of discipline is limited in its range, 
 by the laws of Christ as applied to Christian faith 
 and morals, kindly and generously interpreted, in 
 the spirit of fraternal affection, and yet with fidelity 
 to the purity of truth, and the honor of the Gospel. 
 Also it is limited to such matters of covenant agree- 
 ment as were understood by each member on enter- 
 ing the Church, as forming the rules and regulations 
 of the body. Evidently it would not be expected 
 that such matters as were purely personal to the in- 
 dividual, not violations of any law of the New Testa- 
 ment, not transgressions of Christian morals, nor 
 yet of covenant obligations, should be deemed of- 
 fenses for which discipline should be invoked. 
 
CHURCH DISCIPLINE. 17I 
 
 Personal rights are to be held sacred, and no un- 
 authorized yoke placed upon the necks of the dis- 
 ciples ; no yoke but His. " Now I praise you, 
 brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and 
 keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you."— 
 I Cor. 11:2. 
 
 6. The Result of Discipline. 
 
 Discipline has a positive and definite purpose. It 
 is not an aimless and vagrant administration. Its 
 design is to heal the offense, or remove the offender; 
 the correction of the evil, or the expulsion of the 
 evil-doer; so far, at least, as corrective discipline is 
 concerned. So soon as the erring one can be in- 
 duced to turn from his evil way, making acknowl- 
 edgment of it, with promise of a better course, the 
 labor with him is to cease, the proper result having 
 been attained; that is, in all ordinary cases. Some 
 exceptions may be hereafter mentioned. ** If he re- 
 pent, forgive him." — Luke 17 : 3. *' If he neglect 
 to hear the Church, let him be unto thee as a heathen 
 man and a publican." — Matt. 18: 17. '' Purge out, 
 therefore, the old leaven, that ye may be a new 
 lump, as ye are unleavened." — i Cor. 5 ; 7. 
 
 III. AS TO OFFENSES. 
 
 Offenses are usually considered as of two kinds, 
 private and public ; or personal and general. These 
 terms do not very accurately define the distinction, 
 or indicate the nature of the offenses themselves. 
 Nor are these classes of evils very clearly defined, 
 
172 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 since they often run into each other. There are 
 other terms which would perhaps more accurately 
 express the two classes; but as these are in common 
 use, they will be retained here. 
 
 It has been already intimated, that in the social 
 relations of Church life, personal peculiarities on the 
 part of some may appear, which to others are un- 
 pleasant and even offensive, but which can in no 
 sense be amenable to discipline. Such are to be 
 endured with patience, as disagreeable things in the 
 family are borne with, and remedied, if remedied at 
 all, by the moulding influence of kind and genial 
 intercourse. Not every infelicity of character or of 
 conduct is to be regarded as an occasion for disci- 
 plinary labor. Great wisdom and discretion are 
 needed in order to judge, both when such labor shall 
 be attempted, and how it shall be directed. 
 
 Note 5. — There are in most churches certain persons with 
 so keen a scent for defects in others, and with such a stern, 
 almost relentless, sense of judicial orthodoxy in matters of 
 order, that they are always finding somebody who deserves 
 to be disciplined. These severe censors of their brethren 
 never seem so much at home as when actively engaged in 
 bringing to justice some offender. Then they appear at their 
 best. They are probably honest and conscientious, and mean 
 only to guard the purity and good name of the Church. But 
 they need watching and moderating. Not less deplorable is 
 the influence of those who are opposed to all disciplinary ac- 
 tion. 
 
 Note 6. — In judging of the gravity of offenses, the con- 
 dition in which the offender is placed, the influences under 
 which he acts, and the peculiar provocations that affect him. 
 
CHURCH DISCIPLINE. 173 
 
 are to be considered. One man may be much more guilty 
 for the same act than another, since he may have had fewer 
 incentives to evil, and more strength to withstand temptation. 
 All palliations should have due weight. 
 
 IV. PRIVATE OFFENSES. 
 
 A private offense has reference to the personal 
 relations of individual members. It may not be 
 an act w^hich scandalizes the Christian name, or 
 ^njures the Church as a body; but an injury done 
 • >or claimed to have been done — by one member 
 \n another, intentionally or unintentionally, by 
 which his feelings are pained or in some way he 
 believes himself to have been wronged in person, 
 reputation, or estate. The offense is therefore 
 personal, and the matter rests between those two 
 members alone. Except that, when it becomes 
 known, others may become interested in it or af- 
 fected by it. 
 
 So long as such matters of difficulty are treated 
 as personal and kept private — that is between the 
 parties themselves concerned, and are not made 
 public, or brought to the notice of the Church, 
 they are reckoned as private offenses; but when, 
 in any case, they cannot be settled privately, they 
 are referred to the Church to be adjudicated, then 
 they become public offenses. 
 
 V. THEIR TREATMENT. 
 
 The course of treatment in all cases of private 
 offenses is the one prescribed by our Saviour, and 
 
174 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 to be found in Matthew i8 : 15-17. The course 
 there prescribed is to be followed; and any de- 
 parture from that rule is itself an offense deserving 
 notice. Also any deviation from it would modify 
 subsequent action which the Church might take if 
 appealed to in the case. This course consists of 
 three steps, and the final results. 
 
 First step. The one who considers himself in- 
 jured must go to the offender, tell him his cause 
 of grief, and between themselves alone adjust the 
 matter, if possible, and settle the difficulty. *' If 
 thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell 
 him his fault between thee and him alone; if he 
 shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother." 
 
 Note 7. — It is thus made obligatory on the injured or of- 
 fended one, to go to the offender, and not the reverse. This 
 is wisely ordained, since, although the offender is bound by 
 every consideration of justice to go to the offended brother, 
 and confess his sin, yet possibly he may not be aware of the 
 evil he has done, or he may be so perverse and evil-minded as 
 to be unwilling to do justice to an injured brother. But the 
 offended one, having done no wrong himself, would be likely 
 to go in a kindly and forgiving temper of mind, prepared to 
 "gain a brother." Moreover, for him to take the initiative 
 in the movement would be likely to moderate any exaspera- 
 tion he might feel under a sense of wrong suffered. 
 
 Note 8. — This rule requires that the interview should be 
 between themselves alone. No other persons should be pres- 
 ent, either to help or to hinder, or to spread abroad the 
 knowledge of the trouble. No fear or false delicacy must 
 prevent his telling the offender his fault. He must tell it to 
 him, but to no one else, till this step has failed to effect a 
 reconciliation. He must not tell it in the presence of a third 
 
CHURCH DISCIPLINE. I75 
 
 person ; nor must he plead that because the other is the 
 oflfender, therefore the first step must be taken by him. And 
 his object must be to "gain his brother," not to humiliate, 
 accuse, or condemn him. 
 
 Second step. If the previous step shall fail of suc- 
 cess, then the offended one must take one or two 
 of the brethren with him. Seek another interview 
 with the offender in their presence, and with the 
 aid of their united wisdom and piety hope to suc- 
 ceed where he himself alone had failed. He is not 
 to abandon the effort with the failure of the first 
 step, nor throw the responsibility of further effort 
 on the offender. ** But if he will not hear thee, then 
 take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth 
 of two or three witnesses every word may be estab- 
 lished." 
 
 Note 9. — The offended one must not make the matter 
 public with the failure of the first attempt, nor must he aban- 
 don it, unless, indeed, he has " gained his brother;" nor tell 
 it to any, except the " one or two more." 
 
 Note 10. — The object of taking the "one or two more," 
 is chiefly that the Church, should the matter come before 
 them, may have witnesses, and not depend on the complain- 
 ant, whose testimony very likely would be contradicted by 
 the defendant. They could witness to the temper and spirit 
 of the two, and to the facts, so far as ascertained. More- 
 over, they could act as mediators between the parties, and 
 possibly aid in a friendly adjustment of the trouble, without 
 an appeal to the Church. 
 
 Third step. Should the second attempt be* in like 
 manner unsuccessful, and no reconciliation be ef- 
 fected, then the offended one must tell the whole 
 
176 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 matter to the Church, and leave it in their hands to 
 be disposed of, as they shall judge best. His per- 
 sonal efforts failed ; his effort, with one or two for 
 witnesses and helpers, was unsuccessful ; he has but 
 one other appeal; that is to the Church. And this 
 is ultimate. " And if he shall neglect to hear them, 
 tell it unto the Church." 
 
 Note i i. — Having gone so far, the effort to gain a brother 
 and to remove an offense is not to be abandoned. The of- 
 fended brother is not to say he is sufficiently vindicated by 
 the witness of the " one or two more," and he will drop the 
 matter. The end is not yet gained. The influence is not 
 salutary on either of the brethren nor on the body, to leave 
 it incomplete. The Church is the final arbiter, and its de- 
 cision is to be invoked. The matter is not a trifle now, even 
 if it were such at the first; let the voice of the Church be 
 heard. 
 
 Note 12. — When told to the Church its private character 
 disappears, and it becomes 2. public offense, to be treated as 
 such. Both parties are then in the hands of the body, to 
 await and abide by their decision. No further action on the 
 part of either is to be expected, except for the offended to 
 make his statement, and the offender to make his defense; 
 as to both of which the " one or two more " are witnesses. 
 
 The result. The Church is to pass the final sen- 
 tence, after a full and fair hearing of the whole case. 
 There is no higher tribunal, and no further appeal. 
 The great Head of the Church has directed what 
 that decision shall be, if the offender be still un- 
 moved and incorrigible. The object all the way- 
 through is to "gain a brother." Failing in this he 
 is to be no longer a brother. As he will not show 
 
CHURCH DISCIPLINE. I77 
 
 a brother's spirit, and will not act a brother's part, 
 he is to be removed from the fellowship of the 
 brotherhood. '' And if he neglect to hear the 
 Church, let him be unto thee as a heathen man and 
 a publican." 
 
 Note 13. — Let it be borne in mind that the mere neglect 
 to hear the complainant, brings it before the "one or two 
 more," and a neglect to hear the " one or two more," brings 
 the matter before the Church; and a neglect to "hear the 
 Church" ends in exclusion. No oflfensive deportment, no 
 other insubordination to authority, no vindictive spirit on 
 the part of the accused, is necessary to secure this final sen- 
 tence, but simply a " neglect to hear." That becomes a re- 
 fusal to submit to lawfully constituted authority, as well as a 
 violation of voluntarily accepted covenant obligations when 
 admitted to its fellowship. 
 
 Note 14. — We have, in this language of our Lord, the only 
 time and place where He is recorded to have spoken of 
 Church action, a clear and explicit recognition of the author- 
 ity and independency of the local Church. The case was 
 not to be appealed to any priest or hierarch, to any bishop 
 or presbytery, to any council or conference or any other rep- 
 resentative body; but to " the Church," whose decree was to 
 be final in the case. 
 
 Observe. It should be solemnly impressed on 
 the minds of pastors, deacons, and every member of 
 every Church that the preceding course for the 
 treatment of personal difficulties in Church relations 
 was prescribed by Christ as a positive law for His 
 churches, always and everywhere ; and that it 
 abides invested with all the sanctions of divine 
 authority ; that it cannot be abrogated, nor de- 
 parted from with impunity. If every Church would 
 12 
 
178 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 require a strict and invariable compliance with its 
 requirements, it would greatly lessen the number of 
 personal difficulties, and make less harmful those 
 which are inevitable. On pastors, as the teachers 
 and leaders of the churches, largely rests the re- 
 sponsibility of seeing that these positive, wise, and 
 salutary provisions are complied with. 
 
 Note 15. — Let it be repeated with emphasis that to effect 
 its best, its true results, all discipline is to be administered in 
 love and meekness — in the spirit of the Master, with the de- 
 sire and the manifest design to win an erring brother rather 
 than to punish an offending member. 
 
 Note 16. — Although the divine law requires that the of- 
 fended shall first seek the offender, yet any one who is at all 
 aware that he has grieved or offended another, should with- 
 out delay seek the aggrieved, and by such efforts as he may 
 be able to make — explanations and acknowledgments — re- 
 move, if possible, the cause of grief. Let him first be recon- 
 ciled to his brother, then offer his gift. Even though he may 
 claim that he has not injured his brother, yet if that brother 
 believes he has, let him be sure to remove, if possible, such an 
 impression. 
 
 Note 17. — If a member attempts to bring before the 
 Church, or in any other way make public, any matter of pri- 
 vate grief or offense, before he has fully pursued the above 
 course, according to the Gospel rule, he makes himself an 
 offender thereby — subject to labor and discipline. 
 
 Note 18. — If members become involved in personal diffi- 
 culties, and make no efiort to settle or remove them, or if 
 they take any other than the scriptural course, they become 
 themselves offenders against the Church, and subject to its 
 discipline. 
 
 Note 19. — When personal difficulties are known to exist, 
 which the parties themselves cannot, or will not settle, the 
 
. CHtJRCM DiSClPLiNE. 179 
 
 officers or other members should use their best endeavors to 
 reconcile them privately, and avoid, if possible, the publicity 
 of bringing them before the Church. 
 
 Note 20. — But if all private endeavor fails to heal such 
 difficulties the case should be taken before the Church, and 
 treated as a public offense. The continuance of such dis- 
 turbing elements is greatly injurious to the prosperity of the 
 body. The old leaven should be purged out that the body 
 of Christ may be wholly a new lump. 
 
 Note 21. — There may be instances where wrongs are per- 
 petrated, but the member who is wronged is unwilling to pur- 
 sue any course of labor with the offender, or to make any 
 complaint, or take any notice of it, yet the Church, knowing 
 the facts and considering its own character compromised or 
 its welfare periled by the case, may find it necessary to take 
 it up and act upon it. 
 
 Note 22. — When a member refers any private difficulty to 
 the Church, which he is unable to settle, he should then 
 leave it entirely in their hands, and be satisfied with such 
 disposition as they may think wise to make of it; neither 
 complaining of the result, nor attempting to prosecute it 
 further.* 
 
 Note 23. — Nothing can properly be considered a reason- 
 able cause of offense or just ground for discipline, but what 
 is manifestly contrary to the Scriptures. Members may see 
 many things in others which they dislike — personal idiosyn- 
 crasies perhaps offensive, but which cannot be justly con- 
 sidered subjects for complaint, or ecclesiastical censure. 
 They are matters for Christian forbearance, to be endured, 
 if they cannot be corrected in some other way. 
 
 Note 24. — And yet should one, on uniting with the 
 Church, understand ingly agree to covenant pledges, or ad- 
 ministrative regulations, which afterward he may come to 
 regard as extra-scriptural and unpleasant, he must still sub- 
 mit to them according to the promise, or bear the discipline 
 which their violation imposes. 
 
l80 THE NEW DIRECTORY, 
 
 Note 25. — Nothing can be considered a just and reasonable 
 cause for the withdrawal of fellowship, and exclusion from 
 the Church, except it be clearly forbidden in, or manifestly 
 contrary to, the Scriptures, and what would have prevented 
 the reception of the individual into the Church had it existed 
 at the time and been persisted in. Even these do not usual- 
 ly lead to disfellowship, providing they be confessed and for- 
 saken. 
 
 VI. PUBLIC OFFENSES. 
 
 A public offense is one claimed to be a breach of 
 Christian morals, or a violation of covenant faith 
 or duty. It is not an offensive act committed against 
 an individual, of which that individual might com- 
 plain. It is an injury to the cause of piety, a scandal 
 to the Christian name and profession. 
 
 In such a case, one member is no more interested 
 in or vi^ronged by it than another. The whole body 
 is equally concerned and equally responsible.- And 
 while the *• steps of private labor "taken by any 
 member in such a case would be appropriate, and 
 might be effective, yet it is obligatory on no one 
 more than another to take them. And since there 
 is a natural indisposition to do it, such personal ef- 
 fort usually goes undone, and it is left to the Church, 
 or its official members, to move in the matter. For 
 instance, if it be credibly reported that a member is 
 addicted to intemperance, or profanity, or dishon- 
 esty, or if he have departed from the faith, or vio- 
 lated the order of the Church in some grave matter, 
 these are considered general, or public offenses, 
 
CHURCH DISCIPLINE. l8l 
 
 since in no sense are they personal or private in 
 their commission or bearing. 
 
 VII. THEIR CHARACTER. 
 
 It would be impracticable to attempt to specify all 
 possible occasions when labor might be called for in 
 this line of irregular Christian conduct. The Church 
 must judge each individual case on its merits, and 
 decide whether discipline be needed, and if so, to 
 what extent. But in the Epistolary writings we 
 have not only a watchful disciplinary supervision of 
 the Church enjoined, but various occasions for the 
 exercise of discipline specified. The following may 
 here be mentioned as prominent : 
 
 1. False Doctrine. 
 
 Holding and teaching doctrines fundamentally 
 false, contrary to the law of God, as understood by 
 the body, and subversive of their accepted faith. 
 "If any man preach any other Gospel unto you, 
 than that ye have received, let him be anathema." 
 —Gal. 1:9. "If there come any unto you, and 
 bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your 
 house, neither bid him God speed." — 2 John 10. 
 
 2 . Disregard of A uthority. 
 
 When a member refuses to submit to the require- 
 ments of the Church, and thus becomes insubordi- 
 nate to lawfully constituted authority. '* But if he 
 neglect to hear the Church, let him be unto thee as 
 a heathen man, and a publican." — Matt. 18 : 17. 
 
l82 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 " Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are 
 unruly."— I Thess. 5 : 14. 
 
 3. Contention and Strife, 
 
 Where a member is factious, foments discords, 
 stirs up strife and becomes a leader of party, dis- 
 turbing or destroying the peace and harmony of the 
 body. " I beseech you, brethren, mark them which 
 cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doc- 
 trines which ye have learned, and avoid them." — 
 Rom. 16 : 17. '* But if any man seem to be con- 
 tentious, we have no such custom, neither the 
 churches of God."— i Cor. 11 : 16 
 
 4. Immoral Conduct. 
 
 This takes a wide range and embraces many par- 
 ticulars. Such acts and practices as are inconsist- 
 ent with the honor, rectitude and purity which the 
 Gospel inculcates and requires. It is on the theory 
 that the Christian Church must have a higher stan- 
 dard of moral virtue than the world holds essential. 
 Otherwise how can it be the light of the world and 
 the salt of the earth.? "But now I have written 
 unto you, not to keep company, if any man that is 
 called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an 
 idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortion- 
 er, with such a one, no, not to eat." — 1 Cor. 5:11. 
 
 5. Disorderly Walk, 
 
 Such a course of conduct and habit of life as brings 
 the Christian profession into disrepute, and becomes 
 
CHURCH DISCIPLINE. 183 
 
 subversive of the established faith and good order 
 of the Church. It does not necessarily imply im- 
 morality of conduct. "Withdraw yourselves from 
 every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after 
 the tradition which he received of us." — 2 Thess. 
 3:6. " There are some which walk among you 
 disorderly, working not at all." — 2 Thess. 3: 11. 
 
 6. A Covetous Spirit. 
 
 Cases where members will not contribute of their 
 means, according to their evident ability for the 
 support of the gospel, or for other Christian work; 
 throwing heavy burdens on others, of which they 
 refuse to bear their proportion. For while the 
 Church cannot compel liberality, nor dictate what 
 its members shall give, but leaves all offerings to be 
 free-will, yet liberality is required, and any one who 
 refuses to share an equality of responsibility while 
 enjoying an equality of benefits, exposes himself to 
 reproof and discipline. *' For this ye know, that no 
 covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheri- 
 tance in the kingdom of Christ." — Eph. 5:5. " If 
 any man that is called a brother, be covetous, with 
 such a one no, not to eat." — i Cor. 5:11. 
 
 7. Arrogant Deportment, 
 
 When a member, in a spirit of arrogance and 
 pride, assumes authority, and affects superiority, un- 
 dertaking to domineer and rule the Church. '* I 
 wrote unto the Church, but Diotrephes, who loveth 
 to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us 
 
1 84 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 not; wherefore, if I come, I will remember his 
 deeds." — 3 John 9, 10. 
 
 8. Going to Law. 
 
 The going to law with brethren "before unbe- 
 lievers," and the prosecution of fellow-members at 
 civil tribunals, instead of private and peaceable arbi- 
 tration •• before the saints." This was severely 
 censured by the Apostle, and deserves to be made 
 a cause of discipline in every Church where it takes 
 place. •• I speak to your shame ; brother goeth to 
 law with brother, and that before the unbelievers. 
 Now, therefore there is utterly a fault among you, 
 because ye go to law with one another. Why do ye 
 not rather take wrong ? Why do ye not rather be 
 defrauded?"— I Cor. 6 : 5-7. 
 
 Note i. — Observe: where in these Epistolary citations, the 
 churches are enjoined, with disorderly walkers, and evil per- 
 sons, " not to eat," the evident meaning is not to eat with 
 them in the celebration of the Supper. Not to commune 
 with them. And when it is said, "from such withdraw your- 
 selves," reference is evidently had to Church fellowship, and 
 not to social intercourse. 
 
 Note 2. — The Apostle manifestly did not purpose to give 
 a list of disciplinable offenses, and those cited above are only 
 such incidental cases as occurred in the churches, with re- 
 spect to which he had occasion to give instruction. But 
 they show conclusively two things. First: that purity of 
 faith and doctrine, and virtue and good order in the manage- 
 ment of Church affairs, were matters of importance, which 
 they needed to understand. Second: that each Church 
 was to be held responsible for a faithful and earnest admin- 
 
CHURCH DISCIPLINE. 185 
 
 istraticn of its government, so as to keep itself true to the 
 law and the kingdom of Christ. 
 
 Note 3. — Whatever may be thought of the relative im- 
 portance of some of the faults of Christian character men- 
 tioned above, as compared with others, and still others that 
 might be named, they are all blemishes and defects which 
 should, by a judicious treatment, be corrected; they con- 
 stitute stumbling-blocks to unbelievers, and a dangerous ex- 
 ample for other disciples. They be all evils. Therefore put 
 away the evils, or the evil-doers. 
 
 VIII. THEIR TREATMENT. 
 
 In the treatment of public offenses, the proper 
 course of labor and discipline would be substantially 
 as follows : 
 
 It must, however, be borne in mind that various 
 cases have some peculiar features, and require pe- 
 culiar treatments. The treatment of the case will 
 therefore vary somewhat with the circumstances. 
 Those who have the direction of them must be famil- 
 iar with the general principles which apply; if beyond 
 these some way-marks can be given, wise and prudent 
 men need not go far astray in their arrangements. 
 
 I. The first member who has knowledge of the 
 offense should, the same as in private cases, seek 
 the offender, and, if possible, remove the diffi- 
 culty. True, he is under no special obligation to 
 do this simply because he chanced to be the 
 first to learn the fact. But if he can win a brother 
 from his evil way, and remove a reproach from 
 the Church, such would be a work of faith and 
 a labor of love, with which any Christian might feel 
 
1 86 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 greatly satisfied. This personal labor should be un- 
 dertaken because each member of the body suffers 
 in any wrong inflicted on the body, and because 
 such personal efforts are often the most effectual. 
 Should there be many individual efforts, by many 
 members at the same time, aiming at the same end, 
 so much the more effectual would it be. 
 
 2. But if no one can or will pursue this course of 
 personal private labor, or if such a course should 
 prove unsuccessful, then should the one who has 
 knowledge of it consult the pastor and deacons — or 
 if, as in some churches, there be a prudential com- 
 mittee for such purposes, refer it to them — and leave 
 it to their judgment as to what further course should 
 be taken. If they will not notice the matter, this 
 brother could bring it up at the next business Church 
 meeting. But even then it would be well not to 
 give names and facts, but say a case deserved atten- 
 tion, and ask that a committee be appointed, to 
 which facts would be referred. All such cases should 
 be kept out of the Church, and managed privately, 
 so long as there seems hope of an effectual settle- 
 ment by that means. 
 
 3. The Church, having formal knowledge of the 
 matter, would, perhaps, as the most kindly fraternal 
 "first step" in their movement, visit him, hear his 
 explanation and excuse, and ascertain his purpose 
 in the case. They might, indeed, without tran- 
 scending the limits of propriety, at once cite him 
 before the body to answer for himself, disprove th^ 
 charges, or make his defense. 
 
CHURCH DISCIPLINE. 1 87 
 
 But this course at the beginning seems a little 
 more judicial and harsh than the visit of a commit- 
 tee, and a brother "out of the way" might not ac- 
 cept it too readily. But the case should ultimately 
 come before the Church, where the offender shall 
 know the charges, hear the witnesses, and be allowed 
 to answer for himself. 
 
 4. If a committee act in the case, they should act 
 in the name of the Church, and with their authority; 
 but they should go in the spirit of meekness and 
 love, with the desire uppermost to win a brother. 
 If the offender will not appear before the Church, 
 by that refusal he sets its authority at defiance, and 
 the body must decide how long they will bear with 
 his insubordination. If he be so situated that he 
 cannot appear before them, they must depend on 
 the report of a committee, and act according to their 
 best judgment in the matter. 
 
 5. If, in any case of discipline, and at any stage of 
 the proceedings, the accused brother disproves the 
 charges, or, in any ordinary case, if he admits them, 
 confesses the wrong, makes suitable acknowledg- 
 ment and reparation, so far as possible, together 
 with promise of amendment, this should be deemed 
 sufficient, and the case be dismissed. The purity of 
 the Church is vindicated, its authority sustained, and 
 an erring brother is won back to Christ, and to the 
 fellowship of His people, 
 
 6. But if, after patient, deliberate and prayerful 
 labor, all efforts fail to reclaim the offender, then, 
 however painful the necessity, they must withdraw 
 
1 88 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 from him their fellowship. He has refused to hear 
 them, and must be put away. With such a one, 
 ** no, not to eat." Better to lose many members 
 than that the government and good order of the 
 Church should be prostrated and trampled on and 
 its good name become a by-word. When a course 
 of discipline has been inaugurated, it must be carried 
 on till the offender is reclaimed, or excluded. 
 
 Note 4. — Any one tried by a Church should be allowed 
 every opportunity, both as to time, place and circumstance, to 
 vindicate himself. The very justice of Christ's house should 
 incline to mercy. It should be made manifest that the object 
 is not to punish, but to reclaim. 
 
 Note 5. — Every person so tried has a right to demand and 
 receive copies of all cha-ges against him, the names of the 
 accusers and witnesses, both of whom he shall have the priv- 
 ilege of meeting face to face, hearing their statements, bring- 
 ing witness on his side, and answering for himself before the 
 Church itself as the ultimate and authoritative tribunal. 
 
 Note 6. — All persons on trial, or having been excluded, 
 have a right to receive authenticated copies of the records of 
 all proceedings held by the Church in their cases. 
 
 Note 7. — It would not be proper for a member on trial to 
 bring any person as his advocate who was not a member of 
 the body to plead his case, without special permission from 
 the Church to do so. The whole matter pertains to the 
 Church alone, and outside parties have no right of inter- 
 ference. Moreover, it would be strange if the entire body 
 should be so swayed from right and justice as not to give any 
 member under accusation a reasonable hearing and an equi- 
 table treatment. Such a case might be possible, but would 
 not be likely to occur. 
 
 Note 8. — In every case of exclusion the charges against 
 the member, and the reasons for his exclusion, should be 
 
CHURCH DISCIPLINE. 1 89 
 
 carefully and accurately written out, and entered on the rec- 
 ords of the Church, the excluded member to receive an au- 
 thentic copy if he desires it. 
 
 Note 9. — It is customary, also, to notify the individual that 
 fellowship is withdrawn from him by sending him a copy of 
 the reasons for the final action in the case, or otherwise, at 
 the option of the clerk, as directed by the body. 
 
 Note 10. — The Church should not commence disciplinary 
 proceedings, nor even entertain a charge against a member, 
 unless the evidence be such as to make the truth of the 
 charge highly probable, if not absolutely certain. 
 
 Note ii. — Offenses may, and not unfrequently do, occur, 
 of such an aggravated character as to require, when confessed 
 or fully proven, immediate exclusion, without the need of 
 further labor, and notwithstanding confessions, penitence and 
 promises; though not without a hearing. No temporizing or 
 delay should be allowed, but the Church of Christ should 
 show the world that it will not shelter in its bosom, nor hold 
 in its fellowship, gross transgressors. 
 
 Note 12. — Should the Church at anytime find that it has 
 dealt unjustly with a member, or excluded him without suf- 
 ficient cause, it should at once proceed, of its own accord, 
 without waiting for solicitation, to repair, so far as they may 
 be able, the wrong done, and by concession and restoration 
 make it apparent that they are as ready to reverse their action 
 when they see it was wrong, as they were to take it when 
 they believed it was right. 
 
 Note i 3. — The members of the Church should be impressed 
 that they still owe a duty and a service of love to those " cut 
 off." They have once been among them, members of the 
 family and brethren beloved, now, though wayward and un- 
 worthy of fellowship because of their errors, yet may it not 
 be hoped that, through their prayers and kindly treatment, 
 they may come to themselves, repent of their errors and seek 
 again their Father's house. Follow them with blessing; they 
 may be saved. 
 
190 tttE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 Note 14. — ^The Church should at any time be willing to 
 grant a rehearing of his case, if requested by an excluded 
 member, providing he gives assurance and makes it appear 
 probable that he can establish his innocence, show their mis- 
 take or satisfy them by his acknowledgments. 
 
 Note 15. — The Church should restore to its fellowship, at 
 his request, any excluded member whenever his confession 
 and reparation for the past are satisfactory and his present 
 walk according to godliness. 
 
 Note 16. — Pastors, deacons, and all officers are subject to 
 the same discipline, administered in the same way, as other 
 Church members; except that unusual caution should be had 
 in giving credence to charges that lead to discipline, accord- 
 ing to apostolic injunction: "Against an elder receive not 
 an accusation, except at the mouth of two or three witnesses. " 
 — I Tim. 5 : 19. And also it may be added, that considering 
 the prominent position they occupy and considering the fact 
 that disciplinary proceedings in their case may have a more 
 serious effect, both on themselves and on the cause, than in 
 ordinary cases, therefore unusual caution should be used and 
 perhaps a Council, or the advice of wise brethren be called 
 in aid.* 
 
 Note 17. — In all things not contrary to his conscience, 
 the member should submit to the Church, but in all questions 
 of faith and conscience he should do what he honestly be- 
 lieves to be right, whether the Church, in the exercise of ad- 
 ministrative function should commend, or condemn him. 
 
 Note 18. — While on the contrary, the Church as an exec- 
 utive body must not fail to exercise its legitimate and 
 rightful authority, and discipline its members for what it 
 regards as sufficient cause, even though such members may 
 think the discipline unjust, and believe themselves injured 
 by it. 
 
 * The discipline of accused ministers is treated at length in the 
 chapters on Councils. 
 
CttURCH DISCIPLINE. I9I 
 
 Note 19. — No one, while on trial before the Church, can 
 properly accuse or bring charges against another member as 
 a vindication of his own cause, or a palliation of his offense. 
 His own case must be first decided on its merits. If his 
 offense be proven, or confessed, no accusation of others can 
 justify it, or should be allowed. But any legitimate evidence 
 can be adduced in his own favor, even though such evidence 
 may implicate others. 
 
 Note 20. — The relation of the pastor to persons accused, 
 and to processes of trial before the body, is delicate and im- 
 portant. He is not to act the partisan for or against the 
 accused, much less is to be the prosecutor of his erring 
 brethren. He is to be judge and expounder of law and evi- 
 dence; and whatever may be his private opinion, he is to 
 maintain fairness and equity on all sides and to all parties. 
 As moderator of the meeting, he is to keep all parties to 
 good order, and just measures. It is important that he be 
 familiar with parliamentary rules, and with the principles of 
 scriptural discipline, so that the results reached shall com- 
 mend themselves to the reasonable approval of all. 
 
 Note 21. — The pastor, by virtue of his office, is moderator 
 of all business meetings. But in cases where he may him- 
 self be personally involved in the difficulty, or charged with 
 complicity in it, he should not preside, but resign the chair 
 and allow the meeting to elect some one else. 
 
 Note 22. — The pastor, by virtue of his office, is moder- 
 ator of all church business meetings, but not of society 
 business meetings, which meetings are held according to 
 statute law, for the election of trustees and for other 
 matters pertaining to temporalities. These meetings, even 
 though composed of the same individuals, yet are not the 
 same official bodies. The moderator is elected on nomina- 
 tion. The pastor is eligible to election the same as any 
 other member of the society, but cannot assume the chair 
 by right of his office. 
 
CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 UNUSUAL DIFFICULTIES. 
 
 In the maintenance of good order, and the ad- 
 ministration of equitable discipline in a Church, 
 there will at times arise cases of unusual difficulty; 
 cases which require more than ordinary wisdom and 
 prudence to manage justly, not to say satisfactorily; 
 not so much, perhaps, because of the gravity of the 
 offense, as because of the persistency of those con- 
 cerned, the complications which arise in the prog- 
 ress of the case, the party spirit which may be 
 engendered, and possibly, worst of all, the mistakes 
 which the Church itself may make in the treatment 
 of the matter. These mistakes thus give the culpable 
 parties occasion to complain at the course pursued, 
 even when they would not have condemned the 
 final issue itself. 
 
 I. A DIVIDED CHURCH. 
 
 It is probably safe to say that two-thirds of such 
 vexatious cases grow out of misjudged or misman- 
 aged discipline. A wiser course pursued would, in 
 most instances, have reached a just and a peaceful 
 
UNUSUAL DIFFICULTIES. I93 
 
 termination. But prejudice, self-will, and heated 
 passion, make partisans contend for the mastery, 
 and rend the body of Christ. Our churches do not 
 have too much discipline — indeed, they have too 
 little — but it is often so unwisely administered as to 
 produce more evil by the method than is removed 
 by the act. It may be too much influenced by per- 
 sonal animosities, by a party spirit engendered, or 
 by ignorance of the principles according to which 
 all true discipline should be exercised. 
 
 Such proceedings, even when instigated by suffi- 
 cient provocation, may degenerate into a mere 
 party or personal conflict for supremacy, in which 
 leading members and related families become iden- 
 tified, and the pastor himself, possibly, involved. 
 Alienations are produced, bitter feelings engen- 
 dered, and discord rends the Church. The example 
 becomes a reproach, bad men rejoice, and the good 
 are grieved. Injustice has most likely been done to 
 some one, if not by the final act, yet by some of the 
 passionate and ill-advised proceedings leading to it. 
 Unable to harmonize their difficulties, advice from 
 outside is sought, a Council is called to extricate 
 them from the difficulty. Each party of course be- 
 lieves itself to be right, and as firmly holds the 
 other to be wrong. 
 
 All that a Council can do is to hear patiently the 
 
 statements of all parties, corroborate, or disprove 
 
 confused assertions, so far as possible, by collateral 
 
 testimony ; sift the mass of excited personalities 
 
 from the vital facts and the underlying principles 
 18 
 
194- THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 involved ; make a careful digest of the substance of 
 the case, what and where they judge the mistakes 
 and the wrong to be, and advise what course they 
 think the parties concerned should pursue. The 
 Council has, of course, no power to enforce its de- 
 cisions, to impose penalties, or to compel the per- 
 formance of its recommendations. But if the advice 
 is carefully and kindly given, and seems reasonable 
 and wise in itself, public sentiment will sustain it, 
 and bear with a heavy moral force against those 
 who reject it. 
 
 One very common and very serious difficulty is, 
 that Councils, when called for such purposes, do not 
 usually take sufficient time to thoroughly under- 
 stand the case, and to put in proper form their find- 
 ings. The members have little time to devote to 
 other people's troubles, and but little patience to 
 unravel the confused tangle of personal contentions 
 which have run through months and years of con- 
 flict. Hence they are likely to hurry through the 
 examination, make a hasty and not too well-con- 
 sidered report, dismiss the case, and return to their 
 homes. The report, which was kindly meant to be 
 equitable to all parties, very likely will not be ac- 
 ceptable to any, and the conflict will continue. 
 
 True, a similar fruitless issue may follow the most 
 patient and considerate action, owing to the perver- 
 sity of the contestants ; yet a Council, when called 
 for advice, should give all the time and care which 
 the gravity of the case demands. If the petty 
 squabbles of misguided good men and women do 
 
UNUSUAL DIFFICULTIES. I95 
 
 not deserve so much, yet the peace of the Church, 
 the cultivation of Christian virtue, and the honor of 
 the Christian name, are worthy of such labor for 
 their maintenance. 
 
 The Order of Proceedings. 
 
 When such difficult cases are to be investigated 
 by the aid of a Council, the order of proceedings 
 would be substantially as follows : 
 
 1. The Council is to be organized the same as for 
 other purposes by the election of a moderator and 
 clerk ; by prayer for divine guidance and a right 
 spirit ; by the preparation of a list of messengers, 
 showing how many messengers are present, and 
 from how many and what churches they come ; and 
 then by a distinct statement of the object for which 
 they are convened. This statement may be made 
 by the moderator or by those who have called the 
 Council. Usually it is enough to read a copy of the 
 letter missive, which should set forth the object of 
 the call. This object must be kept in view, and not 
 departed from during the proceedings. No foreign 
 or extraneous matters should be admitted ; nothing 
 beyond what may be presented as evidence or for 
 the elucidation of the main question. Of the rele- 
 vancy of such matter the moderator must judge ; and 
 if his decisions be doubted, the Council must decide 
 by a vote. 
 
 2. Those who have called the Council will then 
 present their case as they wish it to stand before 
 the body. In doing this they will pursue their own 
 
196 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 course and make such a presentation as they choose, 
 embracing statements, documentary evidence, and 
 the testimony of witnesses. In doing which they 
 should not be interrupted, except that questions may 
 be asked for explanation of matters not understood. 
 
 3. If it be a mutual Council the party which con- 
 siders itself aggrieved and seeks redress, will pre- 
 sent its case first ; a full statement of all the facts 
 bearing on it, with the testimony of witnesses if de- 
 sired, and documentary evidence. 
 
 4. Following such a presentation, the other party 
 will make their statements with such collateral evi- 
 dence as they desire to offer, and with such reply to 
 the other side as they may wish to give. 
 
 5. To this, a rejoinder of the first party may be 
 made, with explanations, refutations, and new evi- 
 dence, if any be had. And to this a rejoinder by 
 the second party is allowed. 
 
 6. If it be an ex parte Council, in which no second 
 party appears, there will of course be no rejoinders, 
 but the chairman or members will ask such questions 
 as may elicit the fullest information, and present 
 the whole case clearly to the minds of the members 
 of the body. 
 
 7. The discussion should close when the Council 
 is satisfied that all the facts, in their proper relations 
 are before them, so that they fully understand the 
 case on which they are to express an opinion. 
 
 8. No discussion, crimination, or contradiction 
 between the parties themselves should be permitted. 
 No other interruption than asking or answermg 
 
UNUSUAL DIFFICULTIES. 197 
 
 questions for information should be allowed by the 
 moderator ; otherwise irritation will be increased 
 rather than allayed. The moderator should pro- 
 tect all parties in the exercise of their rights, that 
 the simple truth may be reached. 
 
 9. It would not be in accordance with usage, nor 
 consistent with the principles on which such refer- 
 ences proceed, for parties in difficulty to procure the 
 services of lawyers^ the more skillfully to present and 
 defend their course. It is not a contest before a 
 civil tribunal for a judgment, but a confidential 
 reference to brethren for advice. There could, 
 however, be no objection, if parties deemed them- 
 selves unable to do themselves justice in the pre- 
 sentation of their case, to have some member of the 
 Council act for them in the matter. Or, did the 
 Council agree and no party to the difficulty object, 
 have some brother outside, whether layman, lawyer, 
 or minister, perform this service. No person, how- 
 ever, outside the Council and the parties in dispute, 
 could have any right to appear before the body in 
 advocacy. If they so appear at all it would be only 
 by permission of the Council and of the parties 
 calling it. 
 
 10. As the single object in statement and discus- 
 sion should be the attainment of truth, by the as- 
 certainment of facts, therefore the technicalities of 
 legal proceedings in secular courts need not be re- 
 garded, but parliamentary rules should be observed, 
 and good order strictly maintained through all the 
 proceedings. 
 
198 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 11. When all the evidence is in, and all the facts 
 are supposed to be understood, it is voted that the 
 case be closed, the parties retire — spectators too, if 
 such be present- — and the Council goes into private 
 session for deliberation. Or the Council itself may 
 retire to some convenient place for deliberation, all 
 others remaining if they so desire. 
 
 12. In private session there is a free and full dis- 
 cussion of the subject ; perhaps the moderator sums 
 up the case by presenting in condensed form the 
 various points which constitute its substance. If 
 there be any forgetfulness of facts, the parties can 
 be recalled to repeat their statements. Then a 
 committee may be appointed to embody the results 
 of their deliberations in certain resolutions. This 
 expression of opinion is sometimes called th.^ find- 
 ings of the Council, and is twofold, as containing : 
 I. The substance or result of the investigation as 
 they understand it ; 2. The opinion expressed as 
 to the merits of the case, embracing the advice 
 given to the parties asking counsel. 
 
 13. It would seem proper that in making up 
 these findings, no statement or resolution should 
 be adopted except by a unanimous vote, though 
 of course a majority vote would carry any ques- 
 tion. 
 
 14. When the work is completed the parties are 
 called in and the moderator announces the result by 
 reading the statement. This statement, when once 
 made on the basis of facts as presented, is under- 
 stood not to be subject to revision or change. And 
 
UNUSUAL DIFFICULTIES. I99 
 
 yet it is supposable that a case might occur where 
 facts or evidence had clearly been misapprehended, 
 and the findings might and should, by unanimous 
 consent, be modified accordingly. But this could 
 not be done after the Council had finally ad- 
 journed. A Council ceases to exist on final ad- 
 journment. 
 
 15. It is usual to give the parties calling a Council 
 authenticated copies of the proceedings and the re- 
 sults reached; and also, if desired, to order their 
 publication. 
 
 16. If the proceedings be in the nature of a trial 
 of some person or party before the Council, who may 
 be called on to answer to an accusation, or to re- 
 fute charges made, then the accused, as in all other 
 cases of trial, must have copies of all charges, with 
 specifications, including times and places and names 
 of witnesses, served on him sufficiently long before 
 the trial to allow him full opportunity for prepara- 
 tion to answer for and defend himself before the 
 body. 
 
 The foregoing statements cover the ground for 
 the treatment of difficult cases of discipline in all 
 ordinary circumstances where outside help becomes 
 needful. Extraordinary cases develop peculiar fea- 
 tures, which must be judged by general principles 
 and the good sense of advisers called to consult. It 
 must be presumed that those called upon for ad- 
 vice, whether Council or Reference, are impartially 
 disposed to ascertain the facts, and to act in kind- 
 ness and equity toward all concerned. 
 
200 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 II. AN EXCLUDED MEMBER. 
 
 Another frequent occasion for dissension and strife 
 in the churches, leading to protracted conflict, and, 
 most likely, to the calling of a Council, is that of 
 excluded members.'*' Such disfellowshiped mem- 
 bers very commonly, and perhaps very naturally, 
 believe themselves to have been unfairly dealt with, 
 and unjustly excluded. This feeling is the more 
 likely to be entertained if they have occupied a 
 prominent position in the Church, and if the disci- 
 plinary course, which finally led to exclusion, was 
 protracted and exciting. Then it is likely to be re- 
 garded as the act of a hostile party, and not of the 
 Church, as such — the result of passion, and not an 
 act of justice. 
 
 Now, while the presumption is, that in such cases 
 the Church was right in its action, and the individ- 
 ual was justly disfellowshiped, the fact may be, and 
 sometimes evidently is, that the action of the Church 
 has been ill-judged and unjust, and the individual 
 has good cause for complaint. This is most likely 
 to occur where the exclusion is the issue of a pro- 
 tracted dissension between contending factions, 
 maintained by headstrong leaders and partisan ad- 
 herents. Moreover, it is sometimes true that, while 
 the individual justly deserved discipline, and possi- 
 
 *What has been already said in the preceding pages might 
 apply to the case of excluded members as treated in this section- 
 But in this case there arise some peculiar features not presente</ 
 in the other. 
 
UNUSUAL DIFFICULTIES. 201 
 
 bly exclusion even, on the merits of his case, 
 yet the manner in which the case was managed, 
 and the method by which the result was reached, 
 were improper, ill - considered, and unjust to 
 him. 
 
 For these reasons, if for no others, an excluded 
 member has a right at least to lay his grievance be- 
 fore a Council, and ask such relief as their opinion 
 and advice may afford. If it were not so, and if, as 
 some have absurdly claimed, an excluded person 
 should not be allowed the right of calling a Council, 
 then such prohibition must be urged on the ground 
 either that the Church could do no wrong, or else 
 that an excluded member should have no redress 
 for wrongs inflicted by unjust Church action; both of 
 which suppositions are monstrous. 
 
 Church independency and personal liberty are 
 both to be conceded and defended. If any man be- 
 lieves himself to have been wronged, he has the 
 inalienable and unquestioned right to lay his griev- 
 ances before any man or any number of men, and 
 ask their opinion and advice. When a Church has 
 excluded a member, their connection with him and 
 control over him ceases. They have no further 
 right to say what he shall or shall not do, nor what 
 others shall or shall not do respecting him. And 
 for churches or ministers to enter into a compact, 
 formal or implied, that, because he is an excluded 
 man, they will not even hear his statement, nor give 
 advice, would be the most intolerable religious tyr- 
 anny — especially for liberty-loving Baptists. Such 
 
202 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 a proscription would approach the anathema of 
 papal excommunication. 
 
 A Church may exscind a member judged unwor- 
 thy of further fellowship, after due process of disci- 
 plinary law; but having cut him off, they cannot 
 continue to hold the rod in terror over him, and bar 
 him from the counsel, and even from the sympathy 
 of others, simply on the ground of their action. And 
 they ought to be ashamed of themselves if in any 
 wise they attempt to follow him with maledictions 
 after they have cast him out. 
 
 While, therefore, the presumption is, that the ac- 
 tion of the Church in his exclusion has been just 
 and right, the possibility is that it may have been 
 unjust and oppressive. And such a possibility en- 
 titles the individual to a hearing before unprejudiced 
 brethren, should he so desire — not being able to 
 find relief in any other way. 
 
 What Causes Invalidate Church Action ? 
 
 Since a Church may err, and invalidate its action 
 of exclusion by irregular and unjust methods of pro- 
 cedure in discipline, as well as for insufficient cause 
 in exclusion ; we may inquire, what are the more 
 common mistakes in processes of discipline, which 
 would invalidate such action and give a member, 
 thus disfellowshiped, good reason to complain of 
 injustice done to himself.? 
 
 I. He might complain that his exclusion was for 
 insufficient cause, even though the proceedings in 
 the case were orderly and fair. The Church, of 
 
UNUSUAL DIFFICULTIES. 203 
 
 course, would hold a different opinion ; therefore, 
 those who undertook to advise him would need to 
 know the facts as the Church understood them, in 
 order to advise discreetly. 
 
 2. It might be claimed that no first steps had 
 been taken by those whom he had offended, in case 
 his offense was a personal one. No matter of per- 
 sonal difficulty should be brought before the Church 
 until the aggrieved member, who brings the charge, 
 shall first have faithfully pursued the course pre- 
 scribed by our Saviour in the eighteenth of Matthew. 
 Whoever fails to follow this direction, makes him- 
 self an offender and subject to discipline for so doing. 
 
 3. The Church may have acted on his case with- 
 out having furnished him with a copy of the charges 
 or having allowed him opportunity to hear the wit- 
 nesses against him, or sufficient opportunity to de- 
 fend himself. All this would be unfair. 
 
 4. Final action on his case may have been taken 
 on some unusual occasion, at some other than the 
 proper meeting for hearing such cases, and without 
 due notice to him that his case would be then acted 
 on and decided. 
 
 5. There may have been refusal or failure to give 
 full opportunity for defense before the Church, as a 
 body, rather than before the officers or some commit- 
 tee, privately. It is the right of each member, when 
 accused, to defend himself in the presence of the 
 whole Church before he is condemned by it. 
 
 Other irregularities might occur, but the above 
 named are such as are most likely to take place. 
 
204 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 W/tat Course Shall He Pursue ? ' 
 
 It would be a piece of very great folly for every 
 excluded member, exasperated at what he thinks 
 unfair treatment, to undertake immediately to pre- 
 cipitate a Council in the hope that they will right 
 his wrongs, and antagonize the Church on his be- 
 half. There are certain preliminary steps which 
 good order requires him to take to justify the calling 
 of a Council for his relief. 
 
 What Are These Preliminary Steps f 
 
 1. He should, after a little time, and when the 
 heat of excitement has died down, make an appeal 
 to the Church for a re-hearing of his case. In do- 
 ing this he should give his reasons for claiming that 
 he did not have a fair trial, and that he was unjustly 
 judged. If a new hearing should be granted, with 
 the opportunities he claims, then he must submit to 
 the results. If the new hearing should be granted, 
 but with similar irregularities as at first, then he is 
 left in the same attitude as at the end of the first 
 trial. If a re-hearing be refused, then : 
 
 2. He should request them to unite with him in 
 calHng a mutual Council to which the case may be 
 submitted. If this request be granted, he will have 
 the selection of one-half of the Council. Whatever 
 the result of such a reference may be, it would be 
 unwise for him to prosecute the matter any further. 
 At any rate, the action of a Council so convened 
 must be very extraordinary to justify him in any 
 further attempts at self-vindication. If this request 
 
UNUSUAL DIFFICULTIES. 205 
 
 for a mutual Council be declined by the Church, 
 then : 
 
 3. He might present himself to some other 
 Church and request to be received to its fellowship 
 on his experience, as an excluded member, giv- 
 ing them all the facts. The Church thus appealed 
 to might think it wise to call a Council to advise 
 them as to the propriety of receiving a member ex- 
 cluded from a sister Church. Should they, how- 
 ever, see fit to receive him — as they would have an 
 undoubted right to do without a Council — that 
 would dispose of the case, giving him Church stand- 
 ing and fellowship again, and he would have no 
 occasion to pursue the matter further. And should 
 this be done, the Church which excluded him could 
 have no just ground for complaint. One Church has 
 the same right to take a man in as another has to 
 put him out. But should the Church appealed to, 
 for any reason, decline to receive him or to call a 
 Council, then ; 
 
 4. He might with propriety — and it would be his 
 undoubted right to do so, as the only further step 
 toward redress — call an ex parte Council, before 
 which the whole case could be laid ; both as to his 
 trial and exclusion and as to his subsequent efforts 
 for reconciliation. Of course he should be ready to 
 place before the Council, when convened, all the 
 facts and evidence needed to justify his course in 
 having called them together. 
 
 5. Any one thus calling a Council should have a 
 clear and definite idea of what it can and what it 
 
2o6 THE NEW DIRECTORY, 
 
 cannot do. Otherwise he may be much disap- 
 pointed in the result. He must not expect a Coun- 
 cil to right all his wrongs, fancied or real, to redress 
 all his grievances, or to punish the Church for what 
 he believes, or even they may think, misjudged and 
 unjust action in his case. The functions of a Coun- 
 cil not h^ing judicial J but advisory only, they can, 
 at most, only express an opinion on the merits of 
 the case, and give him advice. Even the expres- 
 sion of an opinion on the merits of the case they 
 may withhold, but some advice they are bound to 
 give ; it was for that purpose they were called, and 
 accepted the invitation to sit as counselors. The 
 moral effect of their opinion and advice constitutes 
 the only vindication or condemnation they have the 
 power to pronounce. 
 
 III. AN ACCUSED MINISTER. 
 
 One of the most grave and difficult cases of dis- 
 cipline which is likely to arise to vex, and possibly 
 to divide a Church, is that of a minister who has lost 
 public confidence, and who, by unchristian or unmin- 
 isterial conduct, is believed to be unfit to discharge 
 the functions of, or to remain in, the sacred office. 
 No case occurs where churches more need the 
 wise and prudent advice of others, or where a 
 Council finds a more legitimate field for its friendly 
 offices than this. 
 
 Great caution should be exercised, even in giv- 
 ing heed to unfavorable reports against a minister 
 
UNUSUAL DIFFICULTIES. 20^ 
 
 of the gospel. Christ's anointed ones should not 
 be touched with unholy hands. The Apostle wisely- 
 decreed that, '* Against an elder, receive not an 
 accusation except at the mouth of two or three 
 witnesses." — i Tim. 5 : 19. Charges which impli- 
 cate their moral or ministerial character should not 
 be entertained, only on very strong evidence. Their 
 position is a very delicate one. Called by profes- 
 sional duties into almost all sorts of company, 
 and placed in well-nigh all kinds of positions, evil- 
 minded persons can, if disposed, excite suspicions 
 against them on the most trivial occasions. They 
 themselves are bound to exercise perpetual vigi- 
 lance and care, while their reputation and good 
 character, on which their comfort and usefulness 
 so much depend, should be sacredly guarded and 
 defended. But their sins should not be covered 
 when they deserve exposure, nor should they escape 
 discipline when they merit it. 
 
 Such cases are important and difficult, because: 
 First — Of the high position and wide influence of 
 a minister, and the fact that he stands before the 
 public as an example of godliness, a religious teacher 
 and leader of the people. If he proves himself an 
 unworthy man his case becomes more a reproach 
 and scandal to religion, and more an obstacle to 
 the progress of truth than if he were a private mem- 
 ber of the Church. The purity of the ministerial 
 character and the honor of the Christian profession 
 must be vindicated. 
 
 Second — A minister's character and good name 
 
208 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 must be held sacredly and dealt with tenderly, since 
 they are his richest possessions, and usually all he 
 has as a means of usefulness, for the maintenance of 
 a respectable position in society, or the continued 
 support of himself and family with the ordinary com- 
 forts of life. When these are gone, all of worldly 
 worth is gone. They must not be trifled with. 
 
 FACTS TO BE KEPT IN MIND. 
 
 In dealing with such a case, therefore, unusual 
 caution should be exercised ; and there are few 
 churches so strong, so wise, so well-balanced and 
 self-contained that it would be prudent to proceed 
 to extremities without calling a Council, or in some 
 way securing outside aid and advice. 
 
 In the calling of such a Council the following facts 
 are to be kept in mind: 
 
 1. As in all other cases, it must be accepted that 
 Baptist Councils are advisory only, and never au- 
 thoritative. They are called to give advice to those 
 who have called them — advice based on their knowl- 
 edge of the merits of the case, after having care- 
 fully examined it. 
 
 2. Neither ministers nor others can organize 
 themselves into a Council, nor can they, self-moved 
 and unasked, call one for the trial of a minister 
 whose presence may be unwelcome to them, and in 
 whose character they may have no confidence. 
 Such cases have occurred; but such an act is a gross 
 outrage on personal rights and Church independ- 
 
UNUSUAL DIFFICULTIES. 209 
 
 ericy, as well as a violation of Baptist polity, by an 
 unlawful assumption of authority. 
 
 3. A Council called to advise in matters relating 
 to the trial of an accused minister can only be 
 called by a Church; and by that Church of which 
 such minister is a member. Any other Church 
 could call a Council to advise them what course 
 they ought to take in respect to the fellowship of 
 a Church which persisted in sustaining a pastor 
 whom they believed unworthy. A party in a 
 Church — even a very small party — might call a 
 Council to advise them as to their duty, if their 
 Church were sustaining a minister in whom they 
 had no confidence; but in neither of these cases 
 could a Council try or pronounce judgment on the 
 character of the man himself. They were not con- 
 vened for that purpose. They could only advise 
 those who called them, as to their duty in the 
 premises. 
 
 4. A Council, having no ecclesiastical authority, 
 cannot be called to /rj, and, if found guilty, to de- 
 pose a minister. Judicial acts belong to a Church, 
 and not to a Council; nor can a Church transfer its 
 authority for the exercise of judicial functions to any 
 other body. A Council, in order to express an opin- 
 ion and give advice, is asked to examine all the 
 facts, consider all the circumstances, sift and weigh 
 the evidence on all sides, the accused having full 
 opportunity to defend himself. In a modified, but 
 not in a judicial sense, it may be called a trial of 
 the accused: because it is a search for the merits of 
 
 14 
 
210 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 the case, by an investigation of all the facts, and a 
 sifting of all the evidence. 
 
 5. The minister on whose case his Church may 
 call a Council, is not obliged, and cannot be com- 
 pelled, to appear before such a Council, or in any 
 way submit his case to them. He is amenable to 
 the Church alone. But it is his right to appear be- 
 fore them, have copies of all charges, hear all testi- 
 mony, examine witnesses, and answer for himself. 
 And usually it is better for him to take this course 
 than to stand upon his reserved rights, and treat a 
 Council with disregard. The presumption is, that a 
 company of Christian men will judge impartially on 
 the evidence placed before them. And though this 
 presumption may not always be justified, it is better 
 for one to meet all charges frankly, and all accusers 
 face to face, than to seem to evade an investigation 
 of matters laid against him. 
 
 6. There is no absolute necessity inherent in the 
 case itself, for the calling of a Council in the disci- 
 pline or trial of a minister. If done at all, it is done 
 for expediency, and not from necessity ; for order 
 and safety, and not for authority. But because 
 many churches are weak as to numbers, and inex- 
 perienced in the treatment of difficult matters, be- 
 cause, in serious and complicated disciplinary pro- 
 ceedings, there is likely to be much irritation and 
 impetuosity, when even good men are too much 
 influenced by party zeal and prejudice — therefore it 
 is wise to call in the experienced, prudent and im- 
 partial, for advice. Such advice will invest the 
 
UNUSUAL DIFFICULTIES. 211 
 
 Church's final action with weight, and give the pub- 
 lic greater assurance of its equity and justice. 
 
 7. In most cases of the kind, where a Council is 
 resorted to, it is best to make it a tnutual Council, 
 by agreement between the Church and the accused. 
 He would then have the privilege of selecting one- 
 half the members. If this be not done, and the re- 
 sult be unfavorable to him, he will be almost sure, 
 with the advice of friends — for he will have friends 
 — to call another to counteract the influence of the 
 first, and to place his case in a more favorable light 
 before the public. 
 
 8. After the investigation has closed, and the 
 Council rendered its opinion and advice, the Church 
 will take such action as, in view of all the facts, may 
 be deemed wise and right. They are not obliged 
 to follow the advice given. The Council has no 
 power to enforce its recommendations, and should 
 have no desire to do it. The responsibility of the 
 final action lies with the Church. But the advice 
 given would naturally constitute an important factor 
 in their final decision. It would require very 
 weighty reasons to justify a Church in disregarding 
 the judgment and advice of a Council of its own 
 selection. Such a case would seldom occur. 
 
 The Church's Final Action. 
 
 9. The final action of a Church, as to an ac- 
 cused minister, may take any one of the following 
 forms : 
 
 a. That of an acquittal; where no fault worthy of 
 
212 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 further consideration was proven against him; the 
 charges were not sustained, and he is pronounced 
 innocent. 
 
 b. That of admonition; indiscretions which caused 
 reproach and hindered his usefulness, having been 
 shown ; suspicions being excited, the enemies of 
 religion had occasion to magnify his faults to the 
 injury of the cause of truth. To caution and ad- 
 monish him to greater circumspection may be all 
 which the case requires. 
 
 c. That of a withdrawal of fellowship from him 
 as a minister of the Gospel, with a declaration, that 
 in their opinion he is unworthy of, and unfit to con- 
 tinue in, the ministerial office. This may be done, 
 and the man still be retained in the fellowship of the 
 Church as a private member. There may be faults 
 which would disqualify him for the exercise of a 
 public ministry, which might not unfit him for pri- 
 vate membership. Such an act of disfellowship as 
 a minister, would virtually be an act of deposition 
 from the sacred office, so far as any act of Church 
 or Council could depose him. 
 
 d. That of the withdrawal of fellowship from him 
 as a Church member ; thus excluding him from the 
 body. This, accompanied with a declaration of his 
 unworthiness as a minister of the Gospel, constitutes 
 the final and utmost act of the Church's disciplinary 
 power, in such a case. They can do no more. 
 This puts him out, and deposes him from the minis- 
 try, so far as any human power can depose him. It 
 also clears the Church from any further responsi- 
 
UNUSUAL DIFFICULTIES. 21 3 
 
 bility as to his character or conduct. His disfel- 
 lowship as a member adds emphasis to his disfellow- 
 ship as a minister. 
 
 To the above-named acts a Council may advise ; 
 but the acts themselves, to be valid and of any force, 
 must be the acts of the Church and not of the Coun- 
 cil. It would be an impertinent assumption for a 
 Council to attempt such an exercise of ecclesiastical 
 authority. 
 
 Shall A nother Council Follow ? 
 
 10. If the final action of the Church — based on 
 the advice of a Council — be unfavorable to the min- 
 ister on trial, and result in his degradation, or ex- 
 clusion, he will very likely think that still greater 
 injustice has been done him, and seek relief by call- 
 ing another Council. If the former was a mutual 
 Council, in the calling of which he had part, and to 
 which he consented to commit the case, it would be 
 extremely unwise for him to prosecute the matter 
 further — except, indeed, in very extraordinary cir- 
 cumstances. If the former were an ex parte Coun- 
 cil, called by the Church without his concurrence, 
 there would be more occasion for him to call 
 another, especially if so advised by wise and pru- 
 dent friends. It certainly would be his right to do 
 so, should he be disposed. But the fewer Councils 
 the better. It is quite as well to suffer for want of 
 them as to suffer by means of them. 
 
 Should he decide to call another, three rules 
 should be observed in reference to it : 
 
214 "^^E NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 a. He should invite the Church to unite with him, 
 and make it a mutual Council, in whose judgment 
 all parties might acquiesce. Nor should he hesitate 
 to do this, because the Church had hitherto refused 
 similar requests from him. To repeat the request 
 would put his case in a better attitude before those 
 who might be called to consider it. 
 
 b. Have the Council larger than the previous one, 
 and, if possible, more marked for wisdom and ex- 
 perience. Some would advise that such a Council 
 should be composed of new men entirely, since 
 those on the previous Council had already judged 
 the case, and could hardly re-judge it with impar- 
 tiality. Others would advise that it be composed 
 largely of the same members, with such additions 
 as might counteract any local or personal prejudice 
 that might previously have existed. And this would 
 seem a wise course. 
 
 c. Such new Council, when convened, should con- 
 fine its action strictly to the object for which it was 
 called. It should not attempt to traverse the ac- 
 tion, either of the Church, or of the previous Coun- 
 cil, and should consider them only so far as to obtain 
 information, in order that they may justly and wisely 
 form an opinion and impart advice. 
 
 By such a course the action of councils will, so 
 far as practicable, prove conservative and salutary, 
 vindicating the right, and giving furtherance to 
 equity and truth. 
 
 Note i. — A Council possessing no ecclesiastical authority 
 can neither make nor unmake a minister. No Council, 
 
UNUSUAL DIFFICULTIES. 215 
 
 therefore, can put a man out of the ministry. All it can do, 
 is, to declare him, in their opinion, unfit for, and disqualified 
 to remain in, the ministry, and that they cannot fellowship 
 him as a minister; and they can add the advice, that the 
 Church exclude and depose him. 
 
 Note 2. — Though all ecclesiastical authority resides in a 
 Church, yet a Church cannot, in any absolute sense, depose, 
 and put a man out of the ministry, except so far as that min- 
 istry relates to themselves. They can depose him from being 
 their minister, and declare him, in their opinion, unworthy 
 to fill the sacred office. But any other Church can have hin?. 
 for their minister, if they so desire, since each Church is en- 
 tirely independent as to the choice of its pastor and the 
 management of its internal affairs. 
 
 Note 3. — Such action, however, on the part of councils 
 and of churches, though having no power to compel silence, 
 or to enforce penalties, substantially effects the same end, 
 through the force of public sentiment. This will, sooner or 
 later, lead an unworthy man to retire from the ministerial 
 calling. 
 
 Note 4. — A Church might declare a man unfit for the 
 ministry, and depose him from the office, and yet retain him 
 in its fellowship as a private member. His ministerial rather 
 than his Christian character being involved in the discipline. 
 
 Note 5. — If a minister be excluded from the fellowship of 
 a Church, such exclusion is equivalent to a deposition, so far 
 as Church action can effect a deposition. For if he be not 
 worthy of Church fellowship, he surely is not worthy to hold 
 the office and discharge the functions of a Gospel minister. 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 
 CHRISTIAN WORSHIP. 
 
 Religious faith expresses itself both in worship 
 and in work. In such acts of religious service as 
 may declare the soul's devotion to the Deity, and in 
 such works as are believed to be pleasing to Him, 
 and such as naturally grow out of the faith cherished, 
 and correspond to the worship offered. 
 
 Worship, properly speaking, is adoration and 
 praise offered to God. The emotion is instinctive in 
 a devout soul and tends to exalt and magnify Him 
 to whom all honor and glory are due. It is offered 
 in view of the glorious excellency of the divine 
 character ; and also because of what God has done 
 for men. Both for what He is, and for what He 
 does. Worship is usually attended with confession 
 for sin and with supplication for pardon and needed 
 grace. It is an important duty and a gracious 
 privilege. But no act of devotion can be acceptable 
 to Him, unless it be spontaneous and sincere. If it 
 be such, He delights in it and accepts it with pleas- 
 ure from His creatures. Its influence on individual 
 piety, on the Church's spiritual life, and on the 
 moral sense of the community, is not sufficiently 
 understood nor highly enough valued. 
 
 3X6 
 
CHRISTIAN WORSHIP. 21/ 
 
 While, strictly speaking, it is defined within nar- 
 row bounds, yet in ordinary language all religious 
 service is spoken of as worship. All recognize the 
 Divine Presence as the inspiration of devotion and 
 the object of veneration. The various parts of pub- 
 lic and social worship claim brief attention. 
 
 I. THE PREACHING SERVICE. 
 
 As public religious service is usually arranged by 
 evangelical Churches generally, preaching holds a 
 foremost place and the service is secondary. With 
 a liturgical Church it is different. There the service 
 rules, and preaching is largely subordinate. Preach- 
 ing, strictly speaking, is not worship, though calcu- 
 lated to inspire and assist worship. Preaching is a 
 proclamation of truth, not an address to the Deity. 
 The preacher is a herald {kerux), a proclaimer, and 
 his address {kerugmd), a message delivered to an 
 audience. 
 
 I. The Object of Preaching. 
 
 The true object and design of preaching is the 
 salvation of sinners and the edification of the saints 
 by means of instruction and persuasion. Instruction 
 may properly be said to be the first object of preach- 
 ing. Most emphatically it is not to entertain or 
 recreate an audience ; nor to crowd the house with 
 hearers, nor to build up wealthy and fashionable 
 congregations ; nor to rent pews and replenish the 
 treasury; nor to teach literature, science, or art; but 
 
2l8 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 to save and sanctify souls by an exhibition of Christ 
 erucified. All preaching which fails of this, fails of 
 its chief design. For this purpose our Lord ** gave 
 some to be pastors and teachers, for the perfecting 
 of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the 
 edifying of the body of Christ." — Eph. 4 : 11, 12. 
 
 And the Apostle's ministry was, ** Warning every 
 man, and teaching every man, in all wisdom, that 
 we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus." 
 — Col. I : 28. There are occasions which press the 
 minister of the cross very sorely to diverge from, if 
 not altogether to forget, this high aim of his calling, 
 and adapt his efforts to draw admiring and curious 
 crowds to his ministry. And for this purpose, 
 themes not Gospel and not even strictly religious, 
 may be resorted to. But viewed from the low 
 ground of expediency even, this is a mistake. 
 Preachers who hold, longest and strongest, the con- 
 sciences and the confidence of the community, and 
 who command the most respectful attention of 
 the people, are those who are loyal to the truth as 
 it is in Jesus. 
 
 2. The Character of Preaching. 
 
 All preaching to be profitable should be plain and 
 simple in style, spiritual in tone, experimental and 
 practical in substance. The very basis and founda- 
 tion of every sermon should be instruction. In the 
 arrangement of the matter, order should be so mani- 
 fest that the parts will follow each other by a 
 natural sequence, so that the minds of the hearers 
 
CHRISTIAN WORSHIP. 219 
 
 will ^a'/f.ly Comprehend their relations. As to the 
 style, i^lewncss is of the first importance. The 
 speaker is not preaching in an unknown tongue, 
 and every sentence and word should be so trans- 
 parent in its meaning that none can misunderstand. 
 A mere jumble of words, a heap of figures and of 
 flowers are as chaff compared with these qualities. 
 All the arts of oratory and the adornments of 
 rhetoric poorly compensate for the absence of trans- 
 parent clearness. 
 
 Nevertheless, with these qualities possessed, the 
 more interesting and attractive the preaching, in 
 style, matter, and manner, the more welcome and 
 useful it is likely to prove. And every preacher 
 should strive to become as attractive and useful to 
 the people as possible. There would be poor com- 
 fort in saying a sermon was good, if the style were 
 such as to make it incomprehensible, or the manner 
 of its delivery such as to make it repulsive. With 
 these drawbacks it certainly would not be good for 
 its purpose. Every preacher should ** study to 
 show himself approved unto God, a workman that 
 needeth not to be ashamed." — 2 Tim. 2:15. Many 
 sermons, in themselves really good, would be far 
 more effective were the manner of their delivery 
 more intelligible, animated, and impressive. 
 
 3. The Frequency of Preaching, 
 
 According to established customs in religious 
 society, it is expected that in our places of public 
 worship, two sermons will be regularly preached on 
 
220 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 each Sunday. Formerly it was customary to have a 
 lecture — a somewhat informal sermon — on some 
 evening during the week. Special and protracted 
 preaching services, daily or nightly, are often held 
 during seasons of unusual religious interest or to 
 produce unusual interest. 
 
 In primitive times, as now on mission fields, preach- 
 ing was less formal and more pervasive. Itwas*' daily, 
 from house to house," '* instant in season and out of 
 season," that people might by any means hear the 
 glad tidings of salvation. Now, congregations or- 
 dinarily require too much preaching in proportion to 
 the more social services of religion. So far as the 
 Church members and the stated congregation are 
 concerned, it is questionable if any better arrange- 
 ment for Sunday service than the following could be 
 devised ; viz., a sermon in the morning, the very 
 best the preacher is able to produce ; a Bible class, 
 and Sunday-school service in the afternoon, and a 
 prayer and conference meeting in the evening, so 
 arranged as to be animated and attractive. 
 
 In our cities, towns, and larger villages, the Sun- 
 day evening congregation is largely different from 
 that of the morning, consisting to a great extent, of 
 a floating population, with but few of the Church 
 families, and to a considerable extent made up of 
 young people. Of course it is not thought be'^t to 
 abandon preaching for that service. To meet this 
 tendency, not a few preachers have held very loosely 
 the evangelical character of their evening services, 
 and instead of Gospel themes, have treated semi- 
 
CHRISTIAN WORSHIP. 221 
 
 secular and otherwise alien subjects to catch the 
 drifting current. This is a great mistake ; for no 
 subjects can be so attractive in a Church service as 
 simple Gospel themes, if rightly presented. It 
 would seem that music should have a larger place 
 in evening than in morning worship. 
 
 Considering the necessities of the world, and that 
 men perish perpetually without the gospel, those 
 called to that sacred work should *' Preach the 
 word ; be instant in season, out of season ; reprove, 
 rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and doctrine." 
 — 2 Tim. 4 : 2. 
 
 Note i. — Though no fixed rule can be adopted for the 
 length of sermons, yet when the Sunday is crowded with 
 services, as it usually is, that should not be protracted. 
 Ministers are not usually complained of for long sermons un- 
 less they be uniformly long. If it be only occasional it is 
 borne. Some discourses require more time than others, and 
 some will be listened to with more interest and patience than 
 others. Seldom, however, should one consume more than 
 forty minutes, and the entire service should be something less 
 than an hour and a half on all ordinary occasions. 
 
 Note 2. — Very unreasonable objections are at times made 
 to doctrinal preaching. It is a little doubtful whether those 
 who object really know what doctrinal preaching is. In fact, 
 doctrine is the very essence and marrow of the Gospel, and 
 little instruction in godliness can be imparted without doc- 
 trine. It is the framework of the building where edification 
 — upbuilding — is enjoined as the special duty of the religious 
 teacher. No doubt doctrine can be preached so abstractly 
 and uninterestingly as to be a burden to the hearers. 
 
 Note 3. — Should manuscripts be used in the pulpit, or 
 should sermons be extemporaneous in manner, are questions 
 
222 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 which the preacher must decide for himself. Opinions differ. 
 The excellency or usefulness of a sermon does not largely de- 
 pend on either method. Some subjects cannot be accurately 
 treated without writing. Moreover, writing is an important 
 aid, and an invaluable mental discipline to the preacher. It 
 helps him to think systematically and to express himself con- 
 cisely and forcibly. But for all ordinary occasions of preach- 
 ing it cannot be doubted that an extemporaneous style of 
 address is most in accordance with the spirit of the Gospel, 
 and more agreeable, forcible, and profitable to the congre- 
 gation. 
 
 Note 4. — The great temptation, however, to extempora- 
 neous preachers — especially if they have large facility in the 
 use of language — is to neglect the preparation of their ser- 
 mons and depend on the inspiration of the occasion. This 
 temptation, if yielded to, becomes fatal to both the reputa- 
 tion and the usefulness of the preacher. 
 
 Note 5. — Sermons need not be read ^v^n though they be 
 written. Nor, if a manuscript be used, need the manner of 
 address be servile and lifeless. Some ministers are as free, 
 animated, and vigorous in using a written sermon as others 
 are who never wrote one. The trouble is not with the manu- 
 script, but with the manner of using it. 
 
 Note 6. — Perhaps no better advice could be given on this 
 subject than that one written and one extemporaneous ser- 
 mon should be prepared and preached each Sunday. Two 
 well-prepared and well-written sermons each week, with the 
 \nany pastoral duties and the many interruptions incident to 
 a minister's position, will prove a severe tax on his time and 
 energies, or an utter impossibility. 
 
 Note 7.— Probably no more effective method could be 
 adopted than for the preacher to write his sermon carefully, 
 then make a brief abstract or skeleton for use in the pulpit, 
 leaving his manuscript at home. He would thus largely 
 combine the advantages of a written style with the freedom 
 and force of an extemporaneous delivery. 
 
CHRISTIAN WORSHIP. 223 
 
 Note 8. — Above all things, let the preacher have some- 
 thing to say ; know what it is ; be thoroughly penetrated 
 with the importance and the spirit of it ; then say it earnestly 
 and devoutly as an ambassador of Christ, to do the people 
 good. The Spirit will help his infirmities. 
 
 II. THE PRAYER SERVICE. 
 
 Prayer is an important element in all religious 
 service. Not only is it vital to the individual Chris- 
 tian life, its importance in social religion is scarcely 
 less important. ** Ask, and it shall be given you ; 
 seek, and ye shall find ; knock, and it shall be 
 opened unto you," vv^as the positive declaration of 
 our Lord to His disciples. — Matt. 6 : 7. 
 
 There are special blessings promised to united 
 prayer, as vi^ell as to personal prayer. " If two of 
 you shall agree on earth, as touching anything that 
 they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my 
 Father vi^hich is in heaven." — Matt. 18 : 19. Secret 
 prayer, and personal communion alone with God, 
 is essential to the soul's spiritual life, and is encour- 
 aged by the promise of special blessing. " But thou, 
 when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when 
 thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which 
 is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret 
 shall reward thee openly." — Matt. 6 : 6. 
 
 Prayer adjusts itself in form to the various oc- 
 casions which demand its exercise, but in spirit it is 
 essentially everywhere the same. The pastor's 
 prayer before his congregation would speak for them 
 as well as for himself, and would be different from 
 
224 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 his prayer in his own study, at the family altar, in 
 the sick-room, with a penitent sinner, or with a dy- 
 ing saint. An intelligent faith will adjust its form 
 to the peculiar circumstances in which it is called 
 forth. The prayer before the sermon would natu- 
 rally be somewhat different from that at its close. 
 If the petitioner have the true spirit of supplication, 
 the petition will take on suitable language for its 
 expression. The form will need to give no anxiety. 
 
 1. The motive of prayer. — Prayer includes wor- 
 ship in its strictest sense. He who prays is sup- 
 posed to shut out the world, and become insensible 
 to aught else, while he communes with God. It 
 includes adoration, confession, thanksgiving and 
 petition. In its narrower sense prayer is supplica- 
 tion {precari — to beseech, to supplicate); making 
 request for needed blessings on behalf of the wor- 
 shiper, and other objects of divine clemency. The 
 intercession of Christ must evermore be recognized 
 as the only prevailing influence with, and cause of 
 blessing from, the Father. ''Whatsoever ye shall 
 ask the Father in my name, He will give it you." — 
 John i6 : 23. While the office of the Holy Spirit 
 must be relied on as the only means of communica- 
 tion with the Throne of Grace by the merits of 
 Christ. " For we know not what we should pray 
 for as we ought; but the Spirit Himself maketh in- 
 tercession for us, with groanings which cannot be 
 uttered."— Rom. 8 : 26. 
 
 2. Preparation for Prayer. — There needs to be a 
 preparation for prayer, in order to lead profitably 
 
CHRISTIAN WORSHIP. 22$ 
 
 the devotions of others in addresses to the mercy 
 seat. Not a preparation of words, but of the heart; 
 not a forethought of phrases for that particular occa- 
 sion, but a spirit in harmony with the divine fulness 
 and a felt necessity for the blessings sought. He 
 who would have the preparation, when in the pulpit, 
 must obtain it before he goes there. ** He that Com- 
 eth to God must believe that He is, and that He is 
 a rewarder of them who diligently seek Him." — 
 Heb. II : 6. ** But let him ask in faith, nothing 
 wavering." — James i : 6. "Praying in the Holy 
 Ghost." — ^Jude 20. 
 
 To make prayers and to pray, are very different 
 things. Anyone can make a prayer, who can com- 
 mand the use of language; but to pray, the soul 
 must commune with God. There is constant dan- 
 ger that prayers offered in the pulpit will become 
 stereotyped and monotonous, so constantly are they 
 repeated, and under circumstances so almost ex- 
 actly similar. The best preventive is a fervent spirit, 
 and a deep sense of the need of divine assistance. 
 
 3. Style of Prayer. — While prayer is not to be 
 measured and meted out by mechanical rules, nor 
 subjected to the rigid canons of logic or rhetoric, 
 yet the petitioner is not — ordinarily, at least — be- 
 yond a self-conscious sense of certain proprieties, 
 which even prayer, as a public or social exercise, 
 should not transgress. Nor need it dampen the 
 spirit, or interrupt the flow of devotion, to regard 
 those proprieties. Prayer should be simple, direct, 
 
 and brief It should be so simple in style that all 
 15 
 
526 The new directory. 
 
 in the assembly can intelligently unite in it. It 
 should be direct as to what is prayed for, and not 
 wander over all possible subjects, seeking nothing 
 in particular, and expecting nothing in particular. 
 It often seems as if prayer was offered in public 
 worship, not because there was a felt need of it, but 
 because it is the prevailing custom to pray in that 
 particular part of the service. 
 
 Prayers should be brief : of course, in some cases 
 more so than in others. There is no excuse for the 
 painful length of what is called *' the long prayer" 
 preceding the sermon in the case of many clergy- 
 men. In fact, the *'long prayer" is a calamity, to 
 both the minister and the people. It is often diffi- 
 cult to perform it, and painful to endure it. Very 
 largely it is not prayer at all, but a religious address, 
 the rather, discursive in style and promiscuous in 
 matter. If it could be confined to three or five min- 
 utes, the "■ long prayer " would be no more, and pub- 
 lic v/orship would gain immensely. But the tyranny 
 of estabHshed usage still preserves and inflicts it on 
 preacher and people alike without compensation. 
 
 Prayers should be distinctly uttered, so that all 
 can understand and unite in them; nor should there 
 be anything, in manner or expression, so peculiar as 
 to divert the thoughts of hearers from the devotion. 
 Especially should not the petitioner '' use vain repe- 
 tition as the heathen do; for they think they shall 
 be heard for their much speaking." — Matt. 6 : 7. 
 Besides which, the whole style and manner of ad- 
 dress should be penitential, reverential, and digni- 
 
CHRISTIAN WORSHIP. 21^ 
 
 fied withal, savoring of meekness and humility, as is 
 becoming in sinful, helpless creatures when ap- 
 proaching a holy God. All flippant familiarity with 
 the sacred names, which seems an affectation of un- 
 usual piety, should be avoided, as most offensive to 
 sensible minds. 
 
 4. Faults in Prayer. — It may seem a most ungra- 
 cious thing to criticise so sacred an exercise as 
 prayer ought to be, and point out defects which not 
 unfrequently mar its excellencies. The one pre- 
 vailing defect, no doubt, is want of faith, spirituality, 
 and the influences of the Holy Spirit. But these 
 attach to all Christian exercises. There are, how- 
 ever, certain defects in the drift of prayer — more 
 particularly prayers in the social meetings — into 
 which the pious sometimes unconsciously fall, which 
 deserve attention and correction. 
 
 Preaching Prayers^ in which Scripture is ex- 
 plained, doctrine expounded, and instruction offered 
 to the audience. 
 
 Exhorting Prayers^ where warnings, rebukes, 
 and exhortations seem addressed to classes, or in- 
 dividuals, and possibly personal sins are pointed out. 
 
 Historical Prayers^ in which facts and incidents 
 are related, from which inferences and arguments 
 are adduced. Not to be commended, though Da- 
 vid, Solomon, and Ezra indulged in them on very 
 special occasions. 
 
 Oratorical Prayers, which seem framed with spe- 
 cial regard to the language, as if intended for crit- 
 ical ears. 
 
228 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 Complimentary Prayers, where the excellencies 
 of persons present or absent are effectively dwelt' on, 
 as if individuals were flattered, rather than the Deity- 
 worshiped. Clergymen in praying for each other, 
 on public occasions, often use flattering speech. 
 
 Fault-finding Prayers, which make prominent 
 the real or fancied faults of the Church or of indi- 
 viduals, existing difficulties deplored, advice given, 
 remedies suggested, or rebukes administered. 
 
 All such things should be avoided. 
 
 THE PRAYER-MEETING. 
 
 The Prayer-meeting is emphatically a Christian 
 institution. For while prayer, as a religious exercise, 
 or form of religious service, is by no means confined 
 to Christian assemblies, nor indeed to Christian life, 
 yet gatherings for social worship, chiefly for thanks- 
 giving, suppHcation and song, are peculiarly the 
 outgrowth of the Gospel of Christ. In saying this, 
 the fact is not overlooked that among idolatrous 
 and barbarous races, even, there are assemblies for 
 worship constantly recurring, largely and enthusias- 
 tically attended. But the prayer-meeting idea does 
 not enter into the purpose or conception of such 
 assemblies. I'he disposition to pray, to petition the 
 Supreme Being for benefits needed, and for defense 
 against impending evils, is instinct in the human 
 mind. But the idea of worship, in its strict sense, 
 of fellowship with the spiritual, and communion 
 with the unseen, seems never to have entered into 
 
CHRISTIAN WORSHIP. 229 
 
 the idea of prayer, except to those illuminated by a 
 divine revelation. 
 
 The teachings of Jesus revealed to men the fact 
 that God is a father interested in human affairs, 
 caring for the welfare of His creatures, and that He 
 is pleased to have them approach Him, and make 
 known their requests with prayer and supplication. 
 Indeed, under the old dispensation, God declared 
 Himself to be a praying-hearing, and a prayer- 
 answering God. But Jesus brought the divine 
 presence nearer to believing souls, and gave as- 
 surance of the Eternal Father's loving care, which 
 even a weak faith could not question. " Ask, and 
 ye shall receive; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and 
 it shall be opened." And He further assured His 
 disciples, that God was more willing to give the 
 Spirit to those who asked, than parents were to give 
 good things to their children. 
 
 In the Old Testament much is said of prayer, 
 many remarkable instances of which are narrated, 
 with equally remarkable answers to them. But 
 nothing is said of prayer-meetings for worship. 
 The temple services contained nothing equivalent 
 to it. During the captivity the Jews had their as- 
 semblies for mourning and lamentation over the 
 desolations of Zion. They may have mingled pray- 
 ers for the promised restoration. Of this we do not 
 know. It is certain that the jubilant spirit of social 
 worship could not have inspired their assemblies 
 without song, for they hanged their harps on the 
 willows, and refused to sing the Lord's songs in a 
 
230 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 strange land. In the triumphs of a Christian faith, 
 Paul and Silas beguiled the midnight hours, in the 
 Philippian jail, with prayer and singing, though 
 their feet were held fast in the stocks of the inner- 
 most prison. After the captivity it appears that 
 the synagogue service, in some cases at least, did 
 approach the social worship of the prayer-meeting. 
 Pious Jews, not numerous enough, or not rich 
 enough to build and sustain a synagogue in heathen 
 cities, were accustomed to have oratories, places of 
 prayer, cheap and temporary resorts for worship. 
 In one of these the Apostle found Lydia and her 
 associates, out of the city of Philippi, by the river- 
 side, where they were accustomed to pray. 
 
 It does not appear that even Jesus and His dis- 
 ciples held seasons of social prayer together. He 
 prayed much, and taught them how to pray, as 
 John also taught his disciples. But immediately 
 after the ascension, the spirit of the new life took 
 possession of the disciples, even before the baptism 
 of the Pentecost, and they resorted to '' an upper 
 room," where '* these all continued, with one accord 
 in prayer and supplication, with the women, and 
 Mary, the mother of Jesus, and His brethren." 
 There was born the prayer-meeting of the Christian 
 dispensation, which has, through all the generations 
 continued, with non-liturgical churches, a compo- 
 nent, and a most important part of Christian worship 
 'T-in theory at least, however much it may be neg- 
 lected in practice. 
 
 As the services of evangelical churches generally 
 
CHRISTIAN WORSHIP. 23I 
 
 are arranged, the principal prayer-meeting, or, as it 
 is sometimes distinguished, "the Church prayer- 
 meeting," comes in the middle of the week. As 
 a rule it is not numerously attended. But the 
 most spiritual and devout members attend; and 
 those who do habitually attend become the devout 
 and spiritually minded, if they were not such before. 
 This service not only reveals, but nourishes and de- 
 velops the religious vitality of the Church, and the 
 importance of the service as a spiritual force can- 
 not well be overestimated. The pastor who is wise 
 unto righteousness for the good of his people, will 
 cultivate this part of worship with the most pains- 
 taking assiduity. Those pastors who have been 
 most successful in edifying their churches, have 
 most magnified the prayer-meeting. Those minis- 
 ters who have been most successful in winning 
 souls, have most magnified the functions and the 
 efficacy of prayer. And those churches which most 
 devoutly pray for the success of the gospel among 
 them, are the most likely to realize that their work 
 is not in vain in the Lord. 
 
 Some Suggestions. 
 
 Doubtless every pastor believes himself fully ca- 
 pable of so ordering this service as to produce the 
 best results, without advice from any one. And 
 yet it is probably safe to say, that not one minister 
 in ten knows how to make a prayer-meeting efficient, 
 and about one in twenty would kill the best one that 
 could be put into his hands. By many it is consid- 
 
232 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 ered a very unimportant affair, that will care for 
 itself, or, if not cared for at all, it matters little. 
 No wise pastor will make such a mistake. 
 
 The following suggestions — a few out of many — 
 may be helpful to some.* 
 
 I." The success and utility of the prayer-meeting 
 depends on the leader^ more than on any other 
 one thing, save the presence of the Holy Spirit. 
 The leader will presumably be the pastor. He cer- 
 tainly ought not to commit the management of so 
 important a matter to other hands, as a rule. And 
 he ought to give diligence and prayerful study to 
 bring this department of worship to the highest 
 possible state of interest and efficiency. 
 
 2. The success of the service does not depend on 
 the' numbers who attend. Though a full meeting is 
 desirable, yet a very full meeting may.be a very 
 poor one, and a very small meeting may be a very 
 good one. And all attempts to crowd the service 
 by introducing other than legitimate topics, is a 
 mistake. The prayer-meeting has its special mis- 
 sion. Diverted from that, it ceases to be the true 
 prayer- meeting, though it may prove an interesting 
 service of some other kind. 
 
 3. The prayer-meeting is not a ** teaching service." 
 Though its exercises will convey instruction, yet 
 instruction is not its special function. That belongs 
 
 *For a more extended discussion of the subject see " The Star 
 Book on Prayer-Meetings," published by Ward & Drummond, 
 New York. 
 
CHRISTIAN WORSHIP. 233 
 
 to the pulpit, the Bible class, and other similar 
 exercises. This is for the heart rather than for the 
 intellect. To feed the spiritual hunger of the soul. 
 To cheer, inspire, comfort. Many keep silent be- 
 cause they say they cannot instruct. But that is 
 not the peculiar vocation of the service. They can 
 console, sympathize, encourage. 
 
 4. The opening exercises should be brief. So 
 should they all. Many pastors talk to death the 
 service, by long, dull, dreary harangues, just to 
 ** start the meeting ! " Give a desultory discourse, 
 a kind of pointless lecture, of a promiscuous char- 
 acter, confusing rather than illuminating the minds 
 of the people, giving them nothing in particular to 
 think about, to speak on, or to pray for. Then the 
 leader sits down, telling them to occupy the time 
 and be very brief ! Is it a wonder that no one feels 
 like moving, and that the meeting expires after a 
 few ineffectual struggles for animation } 
 
 5. Singing should have a large place in the pray- 
 er-meeting. Not so much as to absorb and cover 
 up, or exclude prayer and exhortation, or degen- 
 erate into a singing-school. The hymns should be 
 wisely adjusted to the service and the temper of the 
 occasion. After the meeting is fairly opened, one 
 stanza at a time is all that should ordinarily be used. 
 The hymns should be so familiar that all can use 
 them. At the opening and closing of the service 
 an instrument is of special use. But during the pro- 
 gress of the meeting, it is rather preferable, as being 
 more free and less formal, for some one to strike a 
 
234 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 familiar verse, without waiting to look it up in the 
 book, or for the instrument to lead. 
 
 6. Begin the meeting on time. That will help the 
 attendants to be prompt. If the leader waits for 
 the people, the people will be all the later. Train 
 them to habits of punctuality. Close on time, ex- 
 cept that, on occasion, the interest may justify pro- 
 tracting the exercises somewhat. But do not con- 
 tinue so long as to exhaust the interest, and have 
 to stop on a falling tide. 
 
 7. Have the place of meeting pleasant and at- 
 tractive. This can be done, however plain and poor 
 it may be, by those little arts of handicraft and good 
 taste which people anywhere can exercise. By the 
 use of flowers, inexpensive pictures and mottoes, you 
 can make a barn look pretty. Worshipers, espe- 
 cially the young, should associate beauty, purity 
 and good order with religion. 
 
 8. Be sure to have a plenty oi pure air and good 
 light in the prayer room. Few buildings are so 
 badly ventilated as our church buildings. On Sun- 
 day people can better bear to be poisoned with a 
 noxious atmosphere, when they have nothing to do 
 but listen to the preacher — or not listen, as the case 
 may be. But in the conference meeting, where they 
 are expected to take some part, it is absolutely es- 
 sential that they shall not be put to sleep, made 
 drowsy, or given a headache by vitiated air. 
 
 9. As the chief value and potency of the social 
 meeting lies in its spiritual unction and power, 
 therefore one of the chief subjects of prayer should 
 
CHRISTIAN WORSHIP. 235 
 
 be the implored presence and aid of the Holy Spirit. 
 And those persons are best prepared for it, and the 
 most useful in it, who do the most to live in and 
 walk by the Spirit. No intellectual or literary 
 qualifications can meet this demand. Here, the 
 spiritually minded bear the palm, though in all else 
 they may be quite behind. 
 
 10. As the fabric of the prayer and conference 
 meeting consists of this threefold texture, prayer^ 
 exhortation and song, does not assume the functions 
 of teaching, and relates largely to personal Christian 
 experience, therefore all, old and young, male and 
 female, learned and unlearned, can take part in its 
 service, be benefited, and benefit others. All who 
 have a personal experience of divine grace in their 
 own hearts and lives, are fitted to do good and to 
 receive a blessing in this sacred service. 
 
 OTHER PRAYER-MEETINGS. 
 
 Besides the mid-week general prayer-meeting of 
 the Church, many other occasions for special or 
 stated prayer are observed by most Christian con- 
 gregations. 
 
 The women* s prayer-meeting. In very many 
 churches Christian women have a weekly service of 
 this sort, conducted by themselves, where they can 
 feel more freedom than in the general meetings. 
 These services, sometimes inaptly called '* female 
 prayer-meeting," give occasion for those to exercise 
 their gifts who lack the courage, or possibly doubt the 
 
236 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 propriety of females speaking in promiscuous assem- 
 blies, as in some communities they do. 
 
 Young people s prayer-meeting. Within recent 
 years, the organization of classes, especially women 
 and young people, for religious and benevolent work, 
 has assumed proportions not formerly dreamed of 
 Great good has resulted, and greater good, we may 
 hope, will yet result, notwithstanding some doubts 
 and drawbacks as to the evils of class divisions in 
 Church life and work, as imperiling the unity of the 
 body. The young people's prayer-meeting is now 
 almost everywhere in the churches. The only ob- 
 jection that seems valid, as against them, is, that 
 having done their part in their own prayer-meeting, 
 they may either feel at liberty to absent themselves 
 from the Church prayer-meeting, or, if present, to 
 take no part. Where this does happen it is a serious 
 misfortune, and overbalances any good their separate 
 service may produce. The Church should not be 
 broken up into sections and segments of old people 
 and young people, male and female, but be as one 
 family, a sacred unity, as the body of Christ. But 
 these unfortunate results do not always follow. 
 
 The missionary prayer-meeting. The concert of 
 prayer for missionaries, and the success of the Gos- 
 pel in heathen lands, held once each month, seems 
 falling into neglect. Formerly it was generally ob- 
 served by all Evangelical churches. *' The week of 
 prayer," for the same object, and for the universal 
 revival of religion, is still generally observed on the 
 first week in the year. Usually very gracious re- 
 
CHRISTIAN WORSHIP. 237 
 
 suits follow in the churches which observe it. They 
 that water others shall themselves be watered. 
 
 The temperance prayer-meeting. This is not so 
 generally observed as it should be. For if there be 
 anything that appeals to Christian faith, and which 
 should lead Christian people to appeal to God, the 
 righteous judge, for help, it is this cause, — that the 
 gigantic iniquity of the saloon, and the drink habit, 
 which cause more suffering than war, pestilence and 
 famine combined, may be checked and destroyed. 
 With churches so apathetic, and good people on 
 every hand so indifferent, the rum power rides riot 
 over all that is fairest and best in society, destroy- 
 ing homes, impoverishing nations, and invading the 
 sacred altars of our holy religion. Appeals need to 
 be made to Him who is able to hear and save, for 
 who else can avail ? 
 
 The mothers' prayer-meeting. There is fitness in 
 the gatherings of mothers for special prayer for their 
 children, that they may escape the snares of sin and 
 the temptations of the world, be early converted, 
 and make honorable and useful Christians. Such 
 meetings, persisted in, have often been followed by 
 the most manifest blessing of God in answers to 
 prayer. But mothers who pray for the conversion 
 of their children must constantly strive to answer 
 their own prayers, by training them in the nurture 
 and admonition of the Lord. 
 
 The Sunday-school prayer-meeting. It is quite 
 natural for Christian workers in any department of 
 service to feel specially interested in that depart- 
 
238 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 ment, and to implore the divine favor to attend and 
 give success to their endeavors. Sunday-school 
 work has become so wide-spread, so vital as a relig- 
 ious agency, and so efficient among the young, that 
 it rightly holds a large place in the sympathies and 
 the prayers of the churches. It is most commend- 
 able, therefore, that special prayer, and special isea- 
 sons of prayer be designated for the success of this 
 line of Christian endeavor. 
 
 For colleges and schools of learning. An annual 
 "week of prayer" is now generally observed for 
 educational institutions, especially schools for higher 
 learning, that they may be made subservient to vir- 
 tue, truth and piety. For the conversion of stu- 
 dents, and the sanctification of all intellectual ac- 
 quisitions to the best interest of true religion. This 
 is a matter of the gravest importance, especially as 
 nearly all of our colleges and high schools were 
 founded, and are largely supported by the benevo- 
 lence of Christian men and women. 
 
 Ill, THE SERVICE OF SONG. 
 
 The power and influence of sacred song in worship 
 are not understood and appreciated as they ought 
 to be. 
 
 Even where music is highly cultivated in Chris- 
 tian congregations, it is rather for aesthetic effect 
 and popular attraction, than for spiritual uses ; 
 rather as an appeal to the intellect than to the 
 heart ; rather to gratify the taste than to answer the 
 
CHRISTIAN WORSHIP. 239 
 
 cravings of a devout spirit. Music may become 
 high art in the house of God, but that does not 
 make it worship. Of course it should be artistic in 
 the best sense of that term, but only that it may be 
 the more devout. In the old temple service of the 
 Hebrews, music, conjoined with sacrifices and offer- 
 ings, constituted almost their only worship. 
 
 Indeed in our less pretentious Christian services, 
 singing constitutes almost the only act that can be 
 called worship in the strictest sense. Like prayer, 
 the service of song may express adoration, confes- 
 sion, supplication and praise. But, unlike prayer, all 
 can vocally unite in this act of worship. Now, as 
 in the primitive churches, the saints can mitigate 
 their sorrows, beguile their griefs, elevate their af- 
 fections, and gird themselves with strength, '* Speak- 
 ing to themselves in psalms and hymns, and spirit- 
 ual songs, singing and making melody in their 
 hearts to the Lord." — Eph. 5 : 19. 
 
 Being performed in concert, where many unite, it 
 prevents an unpleasant sense of individual responsi- 
 bility, and becomes a pleasant privilege, instead of 
 a burdensome duty. It animates the dull, and 
 soothes the agitated spirit. While it comforts and 
 inspires the saints, it, more than any other part of 
 religious service, attracts the unconverted and the 
 unbelieving. It is the act of worship in which all 
 occupy a common attitude, and mutually bear a 
 part. It is not, therefore, strange that sacred song 
 has occupied so large a place in the history of 
 Christian worship, and that the affections of the re' 
 
240 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 newed heart cherish it so fondly, and resort to it so 
 constantly. Christianity has sung its triumphs 
 through the ages, and around the world. 
 
 1. The Character of Song-Worship. 
 
 It should be the united expression of the assembly 
 — the worship of all uttered in song. It is not to 
 be a performance by a company of musicians, for 
 the entertainment of the congregation, but an act of 
 worship by the congregation itself. It is not to be 
 an act of worship, performed by others, to which the 
 people are to listen, but an act of worship which they 
 themselves are to offer. "Let the people praise thee, 
 O God : let all the people praise thee." — Ps. 6y : 5. 
 
 Therefore singing should be congregational; that 
 is, the people should sing; all the assembly should 
 praise God in song. Singing is the people's worship. 
 The chant, the anthem, the oratorio are rather for 
 the cathedral and the temple. Though beautiful 
 and grand, and potent with a savor of worship, they 
 should be sparingly used in the Christian congrega- 
 tion. They may incite an audience to worship, but 
 the assembly does not to any considerable extent 
 worship in them. The genius of the Gospel requires 
 chiefly the chorus, where the people shall not simply 
 listen, and have devotion excited, but where they 
 shall sing, and express devotion. 
 
 2. The Style of Music, 
 
 Since the true idea of sacred song is that the peo- 
 ple shall worship, not witness a performance, there- 
 
CHRISTIAN WORSHIP. 241 
 
 fore the style of music should be such as the 
 people can perform. But the mass of worshipers 
 can never go beyond the simplest elements of any 
 art or science; therefore the music for Christian ser- 
 vice should be of the simplest kind, in structure and 
 execution, and limited to a small number of tunes. 
 Music more complicated in structure, and more 
 artistic in execution, a few could perform, and per- 
 haps more highly enjoy; but it could not express 
 the devotion of the great majority of worshipers 
 because they could not unite in it. Devotion seeks 
 plain choral harmonies in which to utter its worship. 
 The leaders ofChuych music will be constantly 
 endeavoring to treat the congregation to a greater 
 variety in style and execution; but this will be a de- 
 parture from the true idea of worship. As our re- 
 ligious services are usually arranged it may be very 
 well to introduce them with an anthem, a chant, or 
 a sentence by the choir ; and possibly a short set 
 piece somewhere before the sermon; perhaps im- 
 mediately following the " long prayer," before the 
 notices, and the second hymn. But the hymns — 
 and prevailing custom calls for three — should be 
 sung to simple music, so familiar that the people 
 can sing them, without an effort to remember the 
 tune, and without danger of losing it, all thought 
 being given to the sentiment and spirit of the words. 
 
 3. The Leader of Music. 
 
 It makes little difference whether the leader be an 
 organ, or a single voice, a quartette, or a choir. 
 16 
 
^42 THE NEW CIRECTORV. 
 
 Either of these would harmonize with the spirit and 
 design of worship, so long as it be simply a leader, 
 and not a performer. If the singing is to be done 
 for the people, and they take no part in it, it mat- 
 ters little whether that part be performed by an in- 
 strument, a single voice, or several voices. But a 
 Christian congregation should not omit so important 
 a duty, nor deprive itself of so sacred a privilege as 
 that of singing the praises of God in His house of 
 worship. 
 
 Note i. — The too common custom, in our large and 
 wealthy congregations, in cities and towns, of hiring a com- 
 pany of professional musicians, operatic or otherwise, carnal, 
 worldly minded, and irreverent persons, destitute of religious 
 sentiment, to perform this important part of religious service 
 for the Church, is a shameful perversion, which outrages 
 every sentiment of a pure spiritual worship, violates the pro- 
 prieties of a simple Gospel service, and ought not to be 
 tolerated by a Christian assembly. For while it is proper for 
 unconverted persons to sing in worship, and even to be mem- 
 bers of the choir if reverent, and while it is proper for per- 
 sons who devote valuable time and service to music to re- 
 ceive appropriate compensation, yet to give up to a company 
 of paid performers the most important part of worship, 
 simply because they possess musical taste and culture, is an 
 offense to the spirit of devotion, and it must seem to the 
 Spirit of grace as well. 
 
 Note 2. — While it is as proper for unconverted persons to 
 sing, as it is for them to read the Scriptures, or to pray, yet 
 it is altogether inconsistent for one not truly a Christian to 
 lead, have charge of and control the music for Church ser- 
 vice; as inconsistent as it would be for an unconverted man 
 to take charge of the prayer-meeting. The choir leadef 
 should be a thoroughly Christian man. 
 
CHRISTIAN WORSHIP. ^43 
 
 Note 3. — Since the music is a part of Church service, and 
 a principal part of its worship, the right and obligation to 
 engage, dismiss and manage those connected with it, belongs 
 to the Church distinctively, as pertaining to its spiritualities, 
 and not to the trustees, whose duties are confined to the tem- 
 poralities; though so far as the payment of salaries is con- 
 cerned, that falls to the trustees. Sometimes the Church by 
 a special act gives up the entire management of this depart- 
 ment to the trustees, to the deacons, to a music committee, 
 or places it in the hands of the chorister, making him re- 
 sponsible. Either of these courses the Church has the right 
 to take, judging for itself which is the wisest and best way. 
 
 Note 4. — It must be remembered that Church music is a 
 part of worship, and since the conducting of worship de- 
 volves on the pastor, and is his by right, so the management 
 of the singing should be only on consultation with him, and 
 with his approval. And while he has not the right to over- 
 rule or reverse the action of the Church, they should not at- 
 tempt to force on him musical adjustments which are un- 
 welcome, or repugnant to his sense of propriety. The pulpit 
 and the orchestra must be in accord, if worship is to be 
 pleasant and profitable. 
 
 Note 5. — All levity and irreverence on the part of singers 
 during the time of service should be strictly avoided, and if 
 need be, absolutely forbidden and prohibited. All whisper- 
 ing, trifling, leaving the gallery during the sermon, returning 
 in time for the closing hymn, with all other marks of indif- 
 ference and disrespect, are painfully incongruous in scenes of 
 devotion, especially on the part of those who occupy so 
 prominent a place in worship as do the musicians. The 
 same respectful attention to all the services should be de- 
 manded from them, as is expected from others of the con- 
 gregation. 
 
 Note 6. — In order to realize the full advantage of congre- 
 gational singing as an aid to worship, some churches have 
 weekly meetings, especially of the young people, for the pur- 
 
544 ^HE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 pose of practising, and becoming familiar with the hymns 
 and tunes used on the Lord's Day. 
 
 Note 7. — Every Church should provide for the instruction 
 of the young in the congregation and Sunday-school, in the 
 elements of vocal music. Such instruction, during six, or at 
 least three months of the year, with a weekly exercise, would 
 soon make congregational singing practicable and successful. 
 
 Note 8. — It certainly would seem that every Christian 
 congregation should be able to recruit a volunteer chorus 
 choir from its own members, without the necessity of hiring 
 professional artists from abroad. This would better har- 
 monize with the true idea of devotion. And if Church 
 music were sustained purely for worship, as it should be, and 
 not as a special entertainment or attraction, this might be 
 realized more frequently than it now is. 
 
 IV. THE WORD OF EXHORTATION. 
 
 Whether the gift of exhortation were one of the 
 special charisms bestowed-by the Spirit on the prim- 
 itive Church, as many believe, and as would seem to 
 be implied in the eighth of Romans, where it is men- 
 tioned as one of the gifts y and classed with proph- 
 ecy, the ministry, teaching and ruling, we do not 
 undertake to decide. Certain it is that it has always 
 been developed among the spiritually minded as a 
 powerful auxiliary to the preaching of the Gospel, 
 and other means of grace. It constitutes a consid- 
 erable part of worship in social religious meetings, 
 where God's people '' exhort one another daily," 
 and each ** suffer the word of exhortation." — Heb. 
 3 : 13; 13 : 22. The meaning of the original word 
 {Jfarakaleo) is significant of the importance of the 
 
CHRISTIAN WORSHIP. 245 
 
 exercise. It means to call for, or upon, and espe- 
 cially to call upon in the sense of cheering, encour- 
 aging, comforting, inspiring, those addressed. 
 
 There are persons in every Church who have a 
 depth and richness of Christian experience far be- 
 yond the common average, whose remarks are at- 
 tended by a peculiar unction and power unknown 
 to the ordinary Christian life. This is, doubtless, 
 largely owing to their closer fellowship and more 
 intimate communion with God. But, aside from such 
 special cases, every saint can speak of his experi- 
 ence in the life of faith, and by a recital of both his 
 sorrows and his joys, exhort and encourage others. 
 They are not called upon to expound the Scrip- 
 tures, nor to conduct public meetings, but they 
 can tell of the love of God and the grace of Christ 
 as revealed to them. 
 
 The exhortations of God's children form one of 
 the most effectual means of spiritual improvement 
 and edification to the churches, ** Or he that exhort- 
 eth on exhortation.":— Rom. 12:8. 
 
 I. Who should exhort. — All who have the spirit. 
 It is the privilege, and, doubtless, at times, the duty 
 of all who know the grace of God, without distinc- 
 tion of age, sex or condition, to speak of their ex- 
 perience in the divine life, and thus encourage oth- 
 ers. This is an exercise specially fitted for the 
 social meetings. There, where the greater freedom 
 of "the household of faith" prevails, they should 
 ** exhort one another, and so much the more as they 
 see the day approaching." — Heb. 10 : 25. 
 
246 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 2. The gift of exhortation. — Whether there be a 
 special gift for this exercise, and whether some are 
 called to it as others are called to preach, it is clear 
 that some are specially gifted in it, as some are in 
 prayer and some in the ministry of the word. But 
 every one who has an experience in godliness can 
 speak to edification, and the deeper and more con- 
 stant is that experience the more gracious and edi- 
 fying will be the exhortation. Ordinary abilities, 
 sanctified by the Spirit, cannot fail to be profitable. 
 Those who speak the most fluently and the most 
 eloquently do not always speak the most profitably; 
 but those who speak with the Spirit never fail to 
 edify those who walk in the Spirit. 
 
 3. Faults in exhortation. — Christians sometimes 
 fall unconsciously into faulty habits in this exercise, 
 which hinder their usefulness and mar the pleasure 
 of spiritual fellowship. 
 
 Gloomy and despondent expressions should be 
 avoided. Comforting, inspiring, stimulating utter- 
 ances befit the meaning of the. word and the wants 
 of the saints. 
 
 A preaching stylQ should be avoided, though pass- 
 ages of Scripture will often be mentioned, suggesting 
 reflections of great interest and profit. 
 
 Prolix exhortations should never be indulged in, 
 since they become wearisome and unprofitable, and 
 deprive others of their privileges. 
 
 Ones self should not be too often mentioned, lest 
 it might appear boastful and egotistic. 
 
 Fatilt-findirig and complaining should be most 
 
. CHRISTIAN WORSHIP. 24/ 
 
 carefully shunned. It closes the ears and hearts of 
 the hearers, and casts a pall over the spirit of the 
 meeting. 
 
 Denunciation and a censorious spirit is, if possible, 
 still worse. It exhibits a spirit opposed to the Gos- 
 pel, and never fails to do harm. 
 
 Hobbies are unprofitable. Some dwell on hack- 
 neyed themes until both themselves and their sub- 
 jects are distasteful to the audience. 
 
 Foreign subjects should not be often introduced, 
 except as illustrations, or from which to draw les- 
 sons of instruction. Experimental religion furnishes 
 the fittest themes for exhortations. 
 
 Adulation and excessive praise of individuals are as 
 unwise and offensive as harsh criticism and denun- 
 ciation; though commendation and approval, when 
 called for, are praiseworthy. 
 
 Confessing one's self a very great sinner, parad- 
 ing his shortcomings, will be understood as an af- 
 fectation of unusual piety. This is not wise exhorta- 
 tion. 
 
 V. THE COVENANT MEETING. 
 
 The Covenant Meeting is an orde/ of religious 
 service, very generally, though not universally ob- 
 served among Baptists. Its observance, however, 
 is extending, and becoming more general. In form, 
 it is a usage peculiar to our people, but in spirit and 
 purpose, it has its counterpart in some of the other 
 denominations. Somewhat like the " class-meet- 
 ing," it aims to secure some expression of Christian 
 
^48 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 experience from each Church member present; and 
 somewhat like the " preparatory lecture," it pro- 
 poses to become a fitting preparation for the com- 
 munion of the Lord's Supper, to be observed on the 
 following Sunday. 
 
 The origin of this service, in its present form, is 
 not known. It was peculiarly valued by the old 
 New England Baptists, and traveled West and 
 Northwest with the tide of their emigration, more 
 than South and Southwest. Its spirit is instinct in 
 the fellowship of the Gospel, and the spiritual sym- 
 pathy of the Christian brotherhood. The saint, at 
 conversion, enters into joyous covenant with Christ, 
 and with His people. Whether formally expressed 
 or not, every Christian does, on being baptized and 
 received to the fellowship of the Church, covenant to 
 walk together with the other members, in all sin- 
 cerity and godliness, as common heirs of the grace 
 of life. This pledge, to love, pray for, and help each 
 other, shunning all ungodliness, and living soberly 
 and righteously before the world, is the renewed as- 
 surance of fellowship, in the bonds of a common 
 faith, and the love of a common Saviour, from time 
 to time renewed. These covenants of mutual sym- 
 pathy and help, had a significancy amidst the perse- 
 cutions of the early martyr age of Christianity, 
 which they have not now. The same may be said 
 as to the times of persecution, when the early Bap- 
 tists of New England endured much cruel opposition 
 and suffering inflicted by their fellow-Christians, 
 for conscience' sake, and for Christ's sake patiently 
 
CHRISTIAN WORSHIP. 249 
 
 borne. The renewal of this covenant is with both 
 Christ as the Head of the Church, and with the 
 members of the body. 
 
 In favor of the covenant meeting, as a means of 
 spiritual help and culture, much may be said. If a 
 member could attend but one service of the Church 
 during the month, that one should undoubtedly be 
 the Communion of the Lord's Supper. This is the 
 highest expression of piety, and brings the soul into 
 most immediate fellowship with its exalted and liv- 
 ing Lord. If there be but one other service which 
 the member can attend, that other one should be 
 the covenant meeting, which anticipates the near 
 approach of the commemorative Supper, and reviews 
 the vital relationship of the disciple to His Saviour 
 on the one hand, and to his fellow-disciples on the 
 other. And where the service is so conducted as to 
 realize its true ideal, it becomes the most endeared 
 to those who attend, and the most spiritually stimu- 
 lating and helpful of all occasions of social worship. 
 
 But the covenant meeting, in order to realize its 
 benefits, must be made distinctive, and kept true to 
 its purpose. The service is unique. It is not a 
 prayer-meeting, it is not a lecture service, it is not 
 a teacher's meeting. It is for each member. So 
 far as all are willing — for there is no compulsion^ 
 to speak briefly of his religious estate and experi- 
 ence, especially during the past month, and in view 
 of the approaching Communion. After the usual 
 opening exercises, and brief remarks from the pas- 
 tor, along the special line of the meeting's purpose, 
 
250 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 calculated to be helpful to what follows, the mem- 
 bers are expected *' to speak to their covenant," or 
 in more common phrase, '* to renew their covenant." 
 This is done in few words by each in turn, by a re- 
 newed declaration of their interest in, and fellow- 
 ship with, the Church and the Christian life, with men- 
 tion of any peculiar experience of joy or sorrow, 
 during the previous month. The whole area of 
 Christian experience comes under review, as each 
 one's meditations may be led. 
 
 It is not always an easy task to induce an as- 
 sembly of Christian people to speak readily and 
 freely concerning their own religious experiences. 
 Some have so little experience in godliness; some 
 are so little accustomed to speaking before others; 
 some shrink with such timidity from speaking of 
 themselves, that there is probably more difficulty in 
 reaching a satisfactory attainment in this service, 
 than in any other social meeting. No one is called 
 on personally. But some pastors, to save so large 
 a loss of time, and to secure a larger number of 
 testimonies, have the speaking begin at a particular 
 part of the room, and go in order through one row 
 of seats after another, till the whole is completed. 
 Each one speaks, or declines, as he chooses, when 
 the turn reaches him. This plan is a little more 
 formal, but a much larger number of testimonies 
 will in this way be secured, and usually the effect 
 of the meeting is better. Many will have some- 
 thing to say when their turn comes, and others im- 
 mediately about them have spoken, who other-^ 
 
CHRISTIAN WORSHIP. 2$ I 
 
 wise would remain silent. And those who are thus 
 induced to bear their part in the service find them- 
 selves to have enjoyed it vastly more on that ac- 
 count. The covenant meeting is held monthly, on 
 the week preceding the communion Sunday. In 
 cities, towns and villages, it usually takes the place 
 of the prayer-meeting for that week, notice being 
 given on Sunday, that it may be kept in mind. In 
 frontier districts, and sparsely settled country 
 neighborhoods, it is common to hold it on Saturday 
 afternoon, as more convenient for attendance. In 
 such cases it is usual for them, in addition to the 
 covenant service, to transact any Church business, 
 needful to be done. 
 
 Note i. — To the Articles of Faith, which the churches 
 use, there is generally attached a form of Church Covenant. 
 This, some pastors are accustomed to read to the Church 
 when assembled at the Supper, and to which they give as- 
 sent by standing while it is being read, Some read it at the 
 Covenant Meeting, as a partial substitute for, or supplement 
 to, the meeting. 
 
 Note 2. — It will be understood that with our churches no 
 formal pledge, creed or covenant is made compulsory on 
 members, either on being received to their fellowship or sub- 
 sequently. On making application for membership, copies 
 of the articles of faith and covenant are put into their hands 
 — or should be — and they are asked to examine them care- 
 fully. A general concurrence in these is expected, but no 
 pledged conformity is ever exacted. 
 
CHAPTER X. 
 
 THE church's mission. 
 
 Churches are Heaven's appointed agencies for 
 the salvation of men. For, though it would be false 
 and profane to say that men could not be saved 
 outside the churches, and without their aid, yet, as 
 a matter of fact, but few are converted and saved 
 aside from associated Christian effort, as represented 
 by the churches, or the zeal of personal piety, as 
 nourished and stimulated by them. 
 
 The mission of a Christian Church, therefore, is 
 to a " world lying in wickedness," to men '* dead 
 in trespasses and sins," as the bearer of glad tidings 
 to '' prisoners of hope," and herald of the great 
 salvation to lost men. In order to accomplish this, 
 the Church must sustain a suitable spiritual condi- 
 tion, and maintain itself in the faith and discipline, 
 the order and ordinances of the Gospel. Indeed, for 
 this cause Christ gave Himself for the Church, ** that 
 He might present it to Himself a glorious Church, 
 not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; but 
 that it should be holy and without blemish." — Eph. 
 5 : 27. A carnal, selfish, worldly minded Church 
 can never perform this holy mission ; indeed, is 
 neither worthy of it, nor fitted for it. 
 
 252 
 
THE church's mission. 253 
 
 The responsibility of a Church is both corporate 
 and personal. As a body it is bound to make its 
 influence felt far and near. But the body is what 
 the individual units which compose it make it to 
 be. Each member, therefore, should strive to be 
 and to do what the entire Church ought to be and 
 to do, " the light of the world and the salt of the 
 earth," " a city set on a hill, that cannot be hid." 
 There is work for all, and work adapted to the con- 
 dition and ability and capacity of each, however 
 weak and humble. Old and young, great and small, 
 male and female, have something to do, and some- 
 thing that each can do — if there be a heart to do it. 
 The efficiency and usefulness of a Church depend 
 on each member's filling his own place, and doing his 
 own work, so as neither to attempt the work of 
 others, nor yet to stand idly by while others serve. 
 In nothing, perhaps, are the wisdom and skill of the 
 pastor and officers more apparent than in finding 
 work for all, and giving something fit and adapted 
 for each to do. 
 
 It is a sad and somewhat humiliating reflection that 
 so many churches clustered together in communities 
 with all the appointments and means of grace at 
 their command, and yet that they exert so small 
 an influence on these communities — make such 
 trifling inroads on the domain of sin, and win so few 
 trophies for the truth. The moral influence of these 
 institutions of Christianity ought to do more to re- 
 press iniquity, and to increase righteousness. The 
 results of Church life and action are often more ap- 
 
5^4 'J'K^ ^^^ DiRECTORY. 
 
 parent in heathen than in Christian lands. Doubt- 
 less the explanation of this is to be found in a lack 
 of vital godliness, and for want of a higher standard 
 of Christian living among us. 
 
 The common and ordinary means of doing good, 
 and the methods of Christian work as now usually 
 organized, are as follows : 
 
 I. GOSPEL MINISTRATIONS. 
 
 The preaching of the Gospel, the proclamation 
 of pardon and eternal life through faith in Christ, 
 is the foremost and the most effective instrumentality 
 for the salvation of the world. 
 
 It is divinely ordained, and divinely sanctioned 
 and sustained. The command is, '' Go ye into all 
 the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature. 
 And lo, I am with you alway, unto the end of the 
 world." — Mark i6 : 15 ; Matt. 28 : 20. The promise 
 is, " My word shall not return unto me void, but it 
 shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall 
 prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." — Isaiah 
 55:11. Though an apparently feeble, even an obnox- 
 ious agency, yet it is ''mighty to the pulling down 
 of strongholds." '* We preach Christ crucified, unto 
 the Jews a stumbling-block, and unto the Greeks 
 foolishness; but unto them which are called, both 
 Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the 
 wisdom of God." — i Cor. i : 23, 24. 
 
 I. It is taken for granted, as a matter of course, 
 that every Church will support a faithful and an 
 
THE CHURCHES MISSION. 1t$^ 
 
 evangelical ministry among them, for ordinary ser- 
 vice in the house of God. This is for the edification 
 of the Church itself, and for the instruction and con- 
 version of all, old and young, who may be attracted 
 to it. A home ministry should be able and faithful, 
 and generously sustained. If the nations are to be 
 fed, the family at home must be built up and in- 
 structed in the purposes of grace. The more the 
 saints know and taste of the word of life, the more 
 liberally and earnestly will they send living bread 
 to the perishing nations. 
 
 2. But there come times in the history of every 
 Church, when extraordinary services seem de- 
 manded, special occasions indicated by the Spirit's 
 movement, and an unusual disposition on the part 
 of the people to give heed to spiritual and eternal 
 concerns. While all times are times of favor from 
 the Lord, and truly times of need with men, yet it 
 is clearly manifest that there are times which are 
 more hopeful for sowing, and more abundant in 
 reaping than others. Such should be specially im- 
 proved. 
 
 3. Within the range of every Church, and within 
 the parish lines of every pastor's field, there are cer- 
 tain peculiarly destitute places, which are generally 
 very much neglected, and to which few, if any, means 
 of grace are furnished. The people cannot, or do 
 not attend the churches. If they have the Gospel it 
 must be carried to them. And often they are more 
 ready and eager hearers of the word than stated 
 congregations, surfeited with its abundance. Under 
 
256 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 faithful spiritual cultivation such destitute communi- 
 ties often become fruitful as the garden of the Lord. 
 4. But the world is the field, whose bounds ex- 
 tend beyond home, and country and kindred. Be- 
 gin at Jerusalem, but do not stop till all nations are 
 reached, and every creature taught the way of life 
 through Christ crucified. Each Church and each in- 
 dividual should feel his obligation to aid in sending 
 the Gospel to the destitute the world over. That 
 was Christ's purpose and design. For that He died. 
 And those who have His spirit will strive to carry 
 forward the work He began; and '*if any man have 
 not the spirit of Christ, he is none of His." 
 
 Note i. — In some of these destitute fields, pastors will find 
 some of their most pleasant hours of labor, and some of their 
 richest rewards. In such services there will be a sincerity and 
 a simplicity hardly expected in the more formal, and often 
 perfunctory services of the sanctuary. The hearty welcome 
 given to simple truth, instead of cool reserve, or critical 
 hesitancy, is quite refreshing to the spirit of a true minister 
 of Christ. 
 
 Note 2. — Some churches do, and many more might — and 
 ought — sustain a colporteur, or missionary, to labor a part, or 
 all of the time in such destitute neighborhoods. Not a few 
 able churches support a pastor's assistant to aid in work too 
 large and laborious for one man to do in addition to pulpit 
 ministrations. Most churches could accomplish tenfold 
 more in such ways than they do. 
 
 Note 3. — Great good has been effected by a few churches, 
 in developing and putting to use lay-preaching. In almost 
 every Church are brethren who possess more than ordinary 
 gifts for exhortation, expounding the Scriptures, addressing 
 congregations, and conducting religious meetings. Why 
 
THE church's mission. 257 
 
 should such abilities lie dormant, and find no appropriate 
 exercise? They will not push themselves to the front; but 
 they can be encouraged to assume responsibilities. It would 
 be a great blessing to the churches themselves if such capa- 
 ble members should be called into requisition for holdmg 
 meetings in destitute places, and bearing the gospel to those 
 beyond the ordinary means of grace. 
 
 II. SUNDAY-SCHOOL WORK. 
 
 In their spirit and purpose, Sunday-schools are in 
 harmony with gospel methods of doing good ; 
 though, unlike the Church, there is no scriptural 
 precept or precedent for their separate and inde- 
 pendent organization. 
 
 The churches should provide religious instruction 
 for the children and youth of their own families, and 
 for the children and youth of other families who may 
 be disposed to avail themselves of the privilege, 
 quite as much. Particularly should this instruction 
 make prominent a study of the Bible. This is the 
 one text-book for, and the one purpose of, Sunday- 
 school and Bible-class study. It is likely that, so 
 far as the local congregation is concerned, next to 
 the preaching of the Gospel, the Sunday-school 
 is to be ranked in importance as an evangelical 
 agency. To what extent its object is realized de- 
 pends largely on the course pursued by the super- 
 intendent, officers and teachers. 
 
 The influence of Sunday-school work is threefold: 
 
 The direct influence on the pupils in storing their 
 
 minds with religious knowledge, forming their char- 
 17 
 
258 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 acters to virtue and moulding their hearts to good 
 morals. The indirect influence on the homes of the 
 pupils, to which they carry their impressions from 
 the school; their books and papers to be read, and 
 the songs they had learned to sing, to be repeated 
 in their own families. The reflex influence on offi- 
 cers and teachers, and all who are interested in, and 
 work or make effort for, the school. Those who 
 are engaged in doing good are benefited as much 
 by the effort as those to whom the good is done. 
 Hence, those who stand aloof from any Christian 
 service are the chief losers. 
 
 The religious training of the young, both in the 
 household and in the Church, is undervalued, and 
 too much neglected. The character of men and 
 women, and their influence for good or evil in sub- 
 sequent life, depend largely on their moral and re- 
 ligious training in childhood. Divine wisdom has 
 foreseen and provided for this, and has enjoined 
 that: " These words which I command thee this 
 day shall be in thine heart; and thou shalt teach 
 them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of 
 them when thou sittest in thine house, and when 
 thou walkest in the way, and when thou liest down, 
 and when thou risest up." — Deut. (^-.^^y. Aside from 
 the direct beneficial influence on the young them- 
 selves, no greater boon can be conferred on poster- 
 ity than to train the rising generation to virtue, 
 honor and integrity; and this is most effectually 
 done by Christian culture. In accomplishing this, 
 the Sunday-school is a potent agency. 
 
THE CHURCH S MISSION. 259 
 
 I. The Relation of the School to the Church, 
 
 There are in the main three prevailing theories of 
 Sunday-school control, somewhat diverse, and not a 
 little at variance with each other, each of which for 
 the greater part works smoothly, because of the good 
 disposition of those concerned in the work. 
 
 First — That the school is created by, dependent on, 
 and controlled by the Church, as a part of its legiti- 
 mate work. In this case the Church appoints its 
 ofificers, with or without instructions, as it would 
 appoint a committee for any other service. Of course 
 these appointments would be on consultation with 
 the workers, and not in an arbitrary manner. The 
 Church is responsible for all expenses incurred, and 
 for the general management of the body. The pastor 
 is the official head of this, as of all other Church 
 work, even though not practically engaged in its 
 details. Undoubtedly this is the true normal relation 
 of the school to the Church. 
 
 Second— T)!^! the school is a benevolent associa- 
 tion, like any other organized for a specific purpose, 
 not created by, dependent on, or subject to the 
 authority of the Church. On this theory, individuals 
 interested in the work, from the same or from differ- 
 ent churches, form themselves into a society, appoint 
 their own officers, make their own laws, meet their 
 own expenses, and manage their own affairs. The 
 Church sympathizes in the work, aids it, if so disposed, 
 but assumes no responsibility in connection with it. 
 
 Third — That the school adopt its methods, appoint 
 its officers, and administer its government, subjec* t,Q 
 
26o THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 the approval of the Church, which holds a veto power, 
 and the right of ultimate control in all matters of 
 authority. The school is allowed independence with 
 non interference, so long as its management meets 
 the approval of the Church, but when they differ, the 
 Church rules. This method is a modification of the 
 two preceding. 
 
 Note i. — In the case of a " home school " — that is, one 
 growing out of a given Church, and occupying the Church's 
 premises for its service, the Jirs^ oi these plans is the only 
 consistent one ; although many home schools are organized 
 on the second plan, where the pastor and Church have no 
 more authority or control than if it were a temperance soci- 
 ety or a literary club. This is all wrong, and the wonder is 
 that troubles do not more frequently arise. 
 
 Note 2. — Where schools are organized in destitute regions, 
 and sustained by persons from different churches, constitut- 
 ing distinctively mission schools, the second method is per- 
 haps the only practicable one, since they are the outgrowth 
 not of Church activity, but of individual zeal. 
 
 Note 3. — Every Church should feel obligated to provide 
 religious instruction, under its own inspection, for its own 
 children, and should know what kind of instructors they 
 have, and what kind of instructions they receive, in this most 
 important part of their education. In such a service the pas- 
 tor should lead the way, and insist on its being done, and 
 being properly done. 
 
 2. T/ie Continuance of School Service. 
 
 In city schools, formerly, two sessions were com- 
 monly or frequently held on Sunday. In a few in- 
 stances this practice is continued, but is of doubtful 
 expediency. Certainly it is of doubtful expediency 
 
THE church's mission. 261 
 
 in home schools, whatever may be said of mission 
 schools. In many thinly populated neighborhoods 
 and frontier settlements school exercises are wholly 
 intermitted during the rigors of winter weather. In 
 not a few this is inevitable, but in many others, no 
 doubt, with a little more energy and perseverance, 
 they might be continued throughout the year, 
 though possibly with a diminished attendance. 
 
 3. Character of the Government. 
 
 A Sunday-school cannot be governed quite like 
 other schools. The government must be paternal 
 and kind. Corporeal punishments and ordinary pen- 
 alties are not resorted to, but moral forces and the 
 power of love must rule. Neither should the prom- 
 ise of rewards be too freely used. Presents, pic- 
 nics and festivals, held out to the pupils as an in- 
 ducement to attend, present a wrong and selfish 
 motive. Once in a while these have a good effect, 
 not as a promise beforehand made, but as a pleas- 
 ant enjoyment afterward granted. 
 
 4. Exercises Should be Diversified. 
 
 The exercises should be greatly diversified, in 
 which singing should have a large place. Sing- 
 ing pleases children, and they readily learn to unite 
 in it. It instructs and elevates the sentiments, while 
 it softens and subdues the ruder traits and rougher 
 passions. Children soon weary of protracted appli- 
 cation, therefore the exercises should not be long 
 continued in any one direction. It requires all the 
 
262 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 versatility of superintendent and teachers to sus- 
 tain the interest of the school and the classes. Of 
 course this should not be carried to any such an ex- 
 tent as to dissipate serious interest, and make the 
 school seem a play resort instead of a place for 
 learning. 
 
 5. Books for the Library. 
 
 The books furnished for the children to read and 
 take to their homes deserve very special attention. 
 It is no easy task to make a judicious selection of 
 books for such a use. Good books are one of the 
 best appliances for Sunday-school work. But the 
 practice of admitting to these libraries so large a 
 portion of fiction, even if it have a weak flavor of 
 religion, is to be severely condemned. The sickly, 
 sentimental love stories, with a little prayer-meeting 
 talk interspersed, fifth or sixth rate in literary qual- 
 ity, will counteract a large part of the good the 
 school will otherwise accomplish. But good books 
 are greatly to be commended. For some years 
 past periodicals adapted to this use have come 
 largely into vogue, and to a considerable extent 
 have displaced the libraries. Papers are cheap, and 
 being pictorial, are attractive and pleasing. Good, 
 sound books will, however, hold their places. 
 
 6. Bible-Class Study. 
 
 This is a similar, not a separate, department of 
 religious instruction. These classes contain the 
 older and more advanced portions of the youth, 
 
THE church's mission. 263 
 
 together with adults, associated for mutual study 
 of the Word of God. The formation and support 
 of such classes should be encouraged for the great 
 advantage to those who compose them, and also as 
 a place for the members of lower classes when they 
 suppose they have outgrown the proper dimensions 
 of their own. 
 
 As this is not a manual on methods of study and 
 plans of management, the subject need here be no 
 further pursued. 
 
 Note 4. — Since the study of the word of God is the one 
 specific object of Bible-school work, the one thing which 
 justifies its existence and gives it importance, therefore noth- 
 ing should be allowed to obscure that one thing, or inter- 
 fere with its successful prosecution. All the arrangements 
 of the school should make prominent the lesson, illustrate its 
 meaning, and enforce its teaching. 
 
 Note 5. — Nor is it enough that the letter of the lesson be 
 comprehended. Teachers should never be satisfied until the 
 spt'rzt and power of the truth shall savingly affect the hearts 
 of the pupils. An intellectual mastery of the Bible will effect 
 but little unless the salvation of the soul be secured. To this 
 result should all the labor tend. 
 
 Note 6. — In this field of Christian endeavor the /aj/^r has 
 great responsibility and great opportunity. He should exer- 
 cise a constant, watchful care and guardianship over it. He 
 may, or he may not, become statedly identified with its ex- 
 ercises, but he should often visit it, speaking such words of 
 cheer and making such suggestions as may seem wise. It 
 will make him familiar with the children, and give him influ- 
 ence with all. 
 
 Note 7. — Very little should be said in the school, even by 
 way of notices, calculated to divert the minds from the one 
 purpose for which they are assembled. And the custom in 
 
264 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 some schools, of circulating tickets for fairs, festivals, pic- 
 nics, suppers, with elaborate notices and explanations, can- 
 not be too severely condemned. All religious impressions 
 are prevented or obliterated by these captivating devices. 
 They should not be permitted ; other opportunities may be 
 allowed for them. 
 
 Note 8. — It is to be feared that the Bible itself is becom- 
 ing too much a stranger in the Sunday-school classes. So 
 much dependence is had on "lesson leaves" and other 
 " helps," while the Bible is overlooked as the constant hand- 
 book and text-book of the service. In a study of the Scrip- 
 tures there is a vast advantage in each teacher and each pupil 
 having his own Bible, in searching that, and becoming fa- 
 miliar with it. It serves a purpose, but not the same purpose 
 nor one equally important, to read a text or a lesson from a 
 slip of paper as from the book itself. 
 
 Note 9. — The school deserves and should receive the 
 prayers, sympathies, and sustaining help of the entire Church. 
 Parents and other members, not engaged in it, should often 
 visit it, and thereby show their interest. It is the least they 
 can do, and workers will be cheered by their presence. 
 
 Note 10. — A school may be full of vital activity, while all 
 the Church besides may be very dull or very dead. And yet 
 it is very foolish and very absurd to say the school is as im- 
 portant as the Church, and doing more good. A Church 
 may be degenerate, and false to its mission, but still it is a 
 divine institution. Even the life of the school is the Church's 
 life transferred to, and centered in, that particular department 
 of service. Unreasoning enthusiasts make a great mistake 
 when they exalt the school at the expense of the Church. 
 
 III. RELIGIOUS VISITATION. 
 
 Religious visitation is an effective means by which 
 the churches can further their mission among the 
 families of their own immediate field of Christian 
 
THE church's mission. 265 
 
 work; at least, such families as are supposed to have 
 no Church relations, and to be under no definite re- 
 ligious influence. 
 
 It is presumed the minister will visit such house- 
 holds, and afford them religious instruction and con- 
 solation. But the point here is, that the Church, 
 under the leadership of the pastor, should adopt 
 some plan for systematic religious visitation carried 
 on by private members. The purpose is to hold 
 religious conversation with the inmates, read the 
 Scriptures, and have prayer; invite them to the 
 house of God, and bring the children into the Sun- 
 day-school. If in sickness, want, or other misfortune, 
 report them to the Church, and furnish such relief 
 as may be practicable; especially, as in more needy 
 homes, suitable raiment may not be possessed, to 
 furnish it. And in any other way that may be open, 
 to relieve temporal necessities to those found to be 
 really deserving. 
 
 In no other way can Christians more effectually 
 imitate their Lord and Master, who '' went about 
 doing good," mitigating and removing the temporal 
 sufferings of men, that He might the more effectually 
 reach their souls with spiritual food. There is no 
 more Christly mission for the churches than this, 
 and every member can bear some part in it, if there 
 only be a willing and ready mind. Hearts oppressed 
 with sorrow hunger for sympathy, and welcome the 
 counsels of those who will give it. 
 
 This ministry of Christian faith and love cannot 
 well be overestimated in its value, both to those who 
 
2^ THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 perfor-n it, and to those who receive it. James was 
 right: ''Pure religion and undefiled before God and 
 the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows 
 in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from 
 the world.'* — James I : 27. And yet how few of 
 God's people appreciate this work, or are anxious to 
 imitate this most notable feature of the life and char- 
 acter of Jesus 1 
 As to the method ior this service: 
 
 1. Let the whole field, which the Church is sup- 
 posed to occupy, be divided into districts, and a cer- 
 tain number of families be apportioned to each 
 member, male or female, who is willing to undertake 
 the service; or, let them go ''two and two," which 
 is better, and according to the apostolic plan. Let 
 these visitors report the results of their mission, from 
 time to time, in the social meetings of the Church, 
 or at specially designated times, and at the end of 
 the year make a full report of the work done, and 
 the realized results. Such reports will not only be 
 interesting, but cannot fail to stimulate Christian 
 activity through the entire body. 
 
 2. But if the Church as a whole cannot be moved 
 to such a service, then let the few who are willing, 
 agree among themselves to attempt it. The Lord 
 will bless the endeavor, and their success will 
 stimulate others. Should there be but one or 
 two who are willing to make so noble an endeavor, 
 let them try the blessed service, and spread the 
 result before the Church. The Lord can work by 
 few, as well as by many, " And he that reapeth 
 
THE church's mission. 26/ 
 
 receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eter- 
 nal." — ^John 4 : 36. 
 
 Note i. — Such visits, to serve their purpose, should be 
 strictly religious, and not merely social and friendly. Con- 
 versation should be had, so far as practicable, with the vari- 
 ous members of the family, as to their personal religious wel- 
 fare, with reading a brief portion of the Scriptures, and 
 prayer, unless circumstances make these exercises inconsistent 
 or impracticable. 
 
 Note 2. — The distribution of tracts and other religious 
 reading should accompany such visits, and will prove greatly 
 beneficial, providing such reading be wisely selected, and 
 adapted to their conditions. Bibles should be furnished for 
 homes destitute of them. A tract or book left at one visit, 
 to be replaced by another at the next, will both interest and 
 profit those disposed to read. This is substantially the work 
 which tract missionaries, Bible readers, and colporteurs per- 
 form with so much success. 
 
 Note 3. — The most needy and the most hopeful subjects 
 for such a ministry are the afflicted — the sick, the bereaved, 
 those in want, and otherwise the children of misfortune. To 
 such, sympathy and help are no empty compliments, but 
 blessed realities, and those who bring them will be welcomed 
 as ministers of mercy. Temporal mercies bestowed open the 
 heart for the reception of spiritual grace to be welcomed. 
 
 Note 4. — Since so large a part of poverty, affliction, and 
 distress in social life arises directly or indirectly from intem- 
 perance, constant endeavors should be made in all Christian 
 work to suppress this fearful evil, and to promote temperance ; 
 to win the inebriate from his destructive habits, and save his 
 home and household from this terrible curse — a curse which 
 falls on women and children with fearful and appalling se- 
 verity. 
 
 Note 5. — Cases of sickness and want should be reported 
 to the Church, both to stir them to sympathetic cooperation, 
 
268 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 and to secure the means of relief, and the Church should, 
 according to its ability, furnish temporal aid and relief, thus 
 conferring blessings on both the bodies and souls of the un- 
 fortunate. 
 
 Note 6. — Such visitation should aim to secure the habit- 
 ual attendance of adults on Church services, and of the chil- 
 dren at Sunday-school, wherever the preferences of the 
 people may lead them ; most naturally, though not neces- 
 sarily, where the visitors themselves worship. 
 
 Note 7. — These visits are most profitable if rndid^ statedly, 
 usually once each month. Then they will be expected, and 
 probably will be more impressive. In cases of sickness, des- 
 titution, or religious seriousness, or for other reasons, where 
 special need demands, or special good is promised, more fre- 
 quent calls will be required. When Christians with devout 
 spirits become interested in such a work, they will find great 
 pleasure, and an abundant reward in it. 
 
 IV. CHRISTIAN LITERATURE. 
 
 Another practicable and effective means for bring- 
 ing religious truth in contact with human minds is 
 in the use of the printed page; by disseminating a 
 sound and salutary Christian literature in the houses 
 of the people. Both for the quickening and edifica- 
 tion of Christians, and for the profiting of the uncon- 
 verted, religious reading is of the greatest impor- 
 tance. Every good book or periodical put into 
 circulation is a personal and a public blessing. And 
 this means of grace is so accessible that none need 
 be without it. Aside from the periodical religious 
 press, there are numerous societies with abundant 
 capital for the purpose, whose only business is the 
 publication and circulation of religious reading; and 
 
THE church's mission. 269 
 
 that, too, at prices so low as to bring it within the 
 reach of all. Our own, as well as other Christian 
 denominations, has its publication society, doing 
 nobly and well this work, and deserving the utmost 
 confidence and the largest patronage. 
 
 1. A few good books should be in every home. 
 Many are not needed, and a few can be obtained. 
 A few, read over and over until the mind is thor- 
 oughly imbued with their spirit, are better than many 
 carelessly read, or not read at all. Many families, 
 and many Christian families, it is a pity to say, have 
 masses of romances, novels, light and injurious read- 
 ing, to pervert the taste and poison the minds of 
 the children, and few or none of an instructive and 
 devotional character. 
 
 2. Church libraries^ composed of sound and sub- 
 stantial works of general as well as of religious lit- 
 erature, are an excellent means for intellectual and 
 religious instruction. These serve for adults what 
 Sunday-school libraries do for the young. They 
 can be entirely free to the congregation, or used at 
 a trifling fee, which may go to replenish the list. 
 
 3. Religious periodicals are, if possible, still more 
 important than books, not in their intrinsic worth, 
 indeed, but because they are so much more easily 
 obtained, and so much more likely to be read. The 
 cost of a weekly religious paper is so small that few 
 are too poor to obtain one, while its value in the 
 family is very great. Few things could become 
 so efficient an auxiliary to a pastor in his pulpit and 
 pastoral work as a really good religious paper in 
 
270 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 every family. And a wise pastor will see to it that 
 his people are well supplied with such helpers; help- 
 ers both for them and him. A reliable denomina- 
 tional paper should be in the home of every Church 
 family. It is certainly a shame for Baptists not to 
 know what is going on among their own people. 
 
 Note i. — An easy and effective method of scattering re- 
 ligious truth in a community is by lending good books and 
 periodicals from house to house, among those destitute of 
 them. Few persons would refuse, or neglect to read what 
 was kindly loaned, though they did not care to purchase, or 
 even to read, if it were their own. 
 
 Note 2. — If churches, or benevolent individuals would 
 pay for copies of papers to be sent gratuitously to those un- 
 able to buy — as some do — they would do a good service, and 
 one becoming Christian philanthropy. A small fund could 
 be raised for this purpose. Such seed-sowing would be 
 blessed. 
 
 Note 3. — Denominational periodicals should be gener- 
 ously sustained, and widely circulated. They are maintained 
 as the advocates of evangelical truth in general, but espec- 
 ially of those distinctive truths, which are denominationally 
 cherished, and held as vitally important, and which in this 
 way are effectually defended and propagated. 
 
 V. DISTINCTIVE MISSION WORK. 
 
 Christianity is the most emphatic missionary force 
 in the world, and every Christian Church is a 
 divinely appointed missionary society, of the primi- 
 tive type. If every Church were instinct with the 
 life of its Divine Head, and true to the purpose for 
 which it was instituted, no other missionary organiz- 
 
THE church's mission. 2/1 
 
 ations would be needed to send the Gospel of the 
 blessed God to the ends of the earth. In apostolic 
 history, no others were known, and yet they went 
 everywhere preaching Christ, and filled the world 
 with the Gospel of His salvation. 
 
 What has thus far been said as to the mission of 
 the churches, has had principal reference to their 
 specific but limited work, in the fields where they 
 are located. Every Church and every disciple, 
 however, is under bonds to Christ to aid in carrying 
 out, and fulfilling the great commission, " Go into 
 all the worldy and preach the Gospel to every 
 creature!' No Church can hope for prosperity at 
 home unless it strives to give the means of salva- 
 tion to all men. He that waters others shall him- 
 self be watered. And they that withhold more than 
 is meet will find it tending to poverty. 
 
 It is a fallacy with which many curse themselves, 
 to say that they have hard work to sustain their 
 own Church, and therefore cannot help others. They 
 that withhold from others who need, dry up the 
 fountains of their benevolence, and have less for 
 themselves, instead of more. He who alone can 
 give the increase, prospers those who trust and 
 honor Him. The churches that do not sympathize 
 with, and aid missionary endeavor, are never very 
 flourishing or prosperous. The missionary churches 
 are uniformly the most honored and useful, whether 
 rich or poor, large or small. 
 
 We have our missionary societies, for both home 
 and foreign Christian service, in their various dc 
 
2*J2 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 partments doing grand and most effective work, 
 having a long and honorable history of good deeds, 
 and noble successes. They possess all the ap- 
 pliances for the most effective and economical 
 prosecution of their gracious enterprises. Their 
 service commands our confidence, and we know 
 their work is in harmony with gospel purposes. 
 The churches are bound to give these societies their 
 sympathies, their prayers, and their generous pe- 
 cuniary support. Thereby they help to give the 
 knowledge of salvation to those beyond the reach 
 of their individual endeavors. The success which 
 has attended the missionary work of American Bap- 
 tists, through these societies, both in our own coun- 
 try, and in foreign lands, is most amazing, and testifies 
 unmistakably to God's blessing on the work, and the 
 favor with which He regards the methods pursued. 
 In all that is said or may be said it must be con- 
 stantly borne in mind that a very large responsibil- 
 ity does and necessarily must rest on the pastors. 
 For such purposes is the pastor made overseer of 
 the flock, to instruct in duty as well as in privilege, 
 and lead on to the discharge of every obligation. 
 Few churches will be missionary churches if the 
 pastors feel no interest in such work, and do not 
 stimulate them, propose plans, impart information, 
 and lead the people forward. With a pastor to do 
 this faithfully, few churches would fail or fall short 
 of a good degree of effectiveness. 
 
 Note i. — In most of our churches there are missionary 
 and other benevolent societies of various kinds, acting in 
 
THE church's mission. 273 
 
 concert with larger external societies. The wisdom and e* 
 pediency of this course may well be questioned. Indeed, it 
 is a humiliating confession that it is the apathy of the 
 churches touching the objects contemplated, which at all 
 justifies the existence of such organization within them. 
 They, at times, accomplish great good, and their intention is 
 always good. But the Church was instituted by Divine Wis- 
 dom for these very purposes, and is an organization better 
 fitted for their accomplishment than any other can be. 
 
 Note 2. — It is to be feared that the churches find relief 
 from a sense of their legitimate obligation, and throw the re- 
 sponsibility of benevolent action on supplementary organiza- 
 tions. This should not be done. In such a case, " let every 
 man bear his own burden." A Church cannot alienate its 
 duties any more than its privileges, nor transfer to others its 
 obligations, and still be guiltless. 
 
 Note 3. — In some churches there are so many interior 
 organizations that the Church proper is well-nigh lost sight 
 of, covered up and submerged by these secondary circles. 
 This cannot be wise, nor according to the Founder's plan. 
 They abstract the vitality of the parent body, and concen- 
 trate the active energy of the whole around their specific 
 parts ; they, therefore, leave the remainder of the Church in 
 apathetic inactivity, as but the segments of a circle, of which 
 these societies are the vital centre. 
 
 Note 4. — Another difficulty, possible in such circum- 
 stances, is that these specific circles tend to restrict and localize 
 benevolence, by confining all their endeavors each to one 
 special department, overlooking for the time all others. It 
 makes specialists in good works of the members of each 
 separate society. No doubt more work is done, and more 
 money is raised for that one object by making it special. 
 But whether that is the best training, particularly for young 
 Christians, is a question. The benevolence of the gospel, 
 and the impulses of the new life are as broad and varied as 
 the wants of humanity, and the opportunities offered for do- 
 18 
 
2/4 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 ing good. The including whole should be regarded, while 
 the included parts may be held in special remembrance. 
 
 Note 5. — Is there not, for all this energy and working 
 power — which certainly should not be repressed nor discour- 
 aged — a better way f If a Church will do nothing for mis- 
 sions, or any other Christian work, except poorly to sustain 
 its own languid life, let those who feel impelled to do more, 
 instead of forming a separate organization for the purpose, 
 labor to inspire the pastor and other members with their 
 own enthusiasm, and if they cannot be moved, then let them 
 go to work personally, with agreement but without organiza- 
 tion ; do what they can to stimulate others ; raise what 
 money they can for the purpose ; make a report of their do- 
 ings, at the close of a prayer-meeting ; seek the cooperation 
 of others, and continue this course for a while. It would not 
 be long before the whole body, instead of a fraction of it, 
 would be interested and moved to recognize the need, and 
 work for it. 
 
 VI. MORAL REFORM SOCIETIES. 
 
 What relation does a Church sustain to the vari- 
 ous reformatory movements, supported by organiza- 
 tions which contemplate the suppression of specific 
 vices, and the confirmation of specific virtues, but 
 which are not expressly religious in their purpose t 
 Such societies exist for the suppression of intemper- 
 ance, Sabbath-breaking, gambling, licentiousness, 
 and other vicious and corrupting practices. 
 
 A Church is a society emphatically for the sup- 
 pression of all vice and for the encouragement of 
 all virtue. And no person should be admitted to, 
 or retained in, its fellowship who will not both agree 
 to, and walk by, this rule. If the churches were loyal 
 
THE church's mission. 275 
 
 to their duty, and true to their mission, they could 
 do more for the suppression of immoralities than 
 any other organization. But, as it is, no doubt 
 some forms of moral evil can be better antagonized 
 by distinct organizations, where all are of one mind 
 concerning the object to be accomplished. The 
 confession must be made, however mortifying, that 
 in some churches there are members, who, for per- 
 sonal reasons, do not like to hear much said on the 
 temperance question, and some ministers there are 
 who lack courage to say much on it; while the souls 
 of others burn with zeal to do something to suppress 
 the fearful evils of intemperance. 
 
 Since churches, as such, cannot identify them- 
 selves organically with other societies, they should 
 in every consistent way give their moral support to 
 encourage such endeavors, as well as pray for their 
 success. All that any moral society professes, the 
 Church professes; and the Church professes more 
 — not only to conserve the morals of society, but to 
 save the souls of men. Only let them be true to 
 their profession. They can well give their *' God 
 speed " to every individual, and to every organiza- 
 tion which honestly strives to do good in the world. 
 
 Note i. — It is often a serious question, how far a Church 
 member may consistently identify himself with societies 
 whose object is the suppression of prevailing moral evils. 
 Certain it is that every Christian should encourage, and, so 
 far as practicable, aid every good enterprise. It is equally 
 certain that no Church member should favor any alliance with 
 outside associations, however good their intent, which will 
 
2^(> THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 interfere with his most faithful performance of duty in the 
 Church. There his first service is due. The claims of the 
 Church are paramount and imperative. The man who can 
 be false to his Church, while he is faithful to other fraterni- 
 ties, shows how unworthy he is to bear the Christian name. 
 
 Note 2. — The moral reform societies are not inimical to 
 Christianity or to the churches ; certainly not so far as their 
 objects are concerned, whatever unwise and fanatical mem- 
 bers may sometimes affect to be. With many mistakes they 
 have done great good, and will do much more. With the 
 prevailing indifference, on the part of churches, to these 
 moral issues. Christian men can often work more hopefully 
 through them, than in any other way. 
 
 Note 3. — As to the propriety of Church members connect- 
 ing themselves with secret societies, this is to be said : that 
 whether such societies be good or bad in themselves, all the 
 advantages they propose can be obtained in less objection- 
 able ways, since on the part of many there are strong objec- 
 tions to them. It is not a Christian act to grieve brethren 
 for the sake of some slight personal gratification. To minis- 
 ters of Christ this reason applies with double force. Why 
 they should wish to be identified with secret organizations it 
 is impossible to see. Such a step seems quite beneath the 
 dignity of the high office of the heralds of salvation. Their 
 company is, of course, earnestly sought for to grace these 
 secret conclaves, but why should men in such positions de- 
 sire to hold offices with high-sounding titles though with 
 empty honors, or with childish vanity wish to be decked out 
 with tinsel and showy trappings } Christian ministers should 
 possess a holier ambition. Oath-bound societies of all 
 kinds should be greatly deprecated by Christian men. 
 
CHAPTER XI. 
 
 THE CHRISTIAN MINISTRY. 
 
 Few questions can be so vitally important to any 
 Church, whether as relates to its own peace and 
 prosperity, or to the success of the work it is ap- 
 pointed to do, as that of the kind of ministry which 
 shall serve and lead it. 
 
 No greater blessing can be granted of Heaven to a 
 Church than a capable, judicious, pious pastor; and 
 no greater calamity can befall one than to have an 
 incompetent, unfaithful, secularized, and worldly 
 minded minister. The people naturally contemplate 
 the office with feelings of reverence, and conse- 
 quently regard the incumbent with very great def- 
 erence, to say the least. The young, in a special 
 manner, consider what he says as true, and what he 
 does as right. The position commands high regard, 
 for the minister is looked upon not only as a teacher, 
 but as an example. He is, therefore, accepted as 
 the one who is to illustrate, by his private walk and 
 public deportment, the doctrines and morals which 
 he inculcates from the pulpit. 
 
 The old prophet's declaration, "like people, like 
 priest," is as true now as when Hosea uttered it. 
 
2^% THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 For where the people have freedom of choice, and 
 select their own pastors, they will choose them on 
 the plane of their own religious thinking and acting. 
 Moreover, there is a constant tendency, on the part 
 of the preacher, to keep somewhere near the stand- 
 ard of the people. It requires a heroic effort for the 
 pulpit to rise far above the level of the pews, as to 
 Christian teaching and consecration, and he who 
 long sustains himself in that position may expect, 
 sooner or later, to hear the mutterings of dis- 
 content. But then, contradictory as it may seem to 
 be, the converse of the prophet's epigram is equally 
 true: "like priest, like people." Indeed, this is the 
 form in which the proverb is usually quoted by the 
 laity, as a salient thrust at an unfaithful or incompe- 
 tent pastor, supposing they are quoting Scripture. 
 The implication is, that if the Church is not right, 
 it is the fault of the pastor. To a large extent this 
 may be true, and the censure just. For, to a large 
 extent, by faithful, judicious, and persistent en- 
 deavor, a godly pastor can mould and win the 
 Church to a higher standard. To that extent will 
 the spirit of all-powerful grace work with him and 
 for him, while an unworthy and carnally minded 
 man in the pulpit will surely degrade and lower the 
 standard of piety among his people to somewhere 
 near his own. 
 
 The old prophets — notably Jeremiah — represented 
 the people of Israel under the similitude of a flock, 
 led, and fed, and guarded by shepherds, called pas- 
 tors. It was a promise of peculiar favor by Jehovah, 
 
THE CHRISTIAN MINISTRY. 279 
 
 that He would give them pastors after His own 
 heart; while the lamentation over some of their heav- 
 iest calamities was, that the shepherds destroyed 
 the flock, and fed themselves instead. The same 
 figure Jesus used when He declared Himself to be 
 the Good Shepherd that gave His life for the sheep. 
 The relationship between pastor and people is inti- 
 mate, vital, and sacred: Woe to the churches and 
 the cause of Christian truth, when they have not a 
 faithful, capable, and spiritual ministry! 
 
 Christian congregations under the control of State- 
 churchism, or subject to ecclesiastical domination, 
 cannot choose their own pastors, but receive such 
 as are sent them. All the currents of religious life 
 stagnate under such a system. It is one of the first 
 and most important fruits of religious liberty and 
 Church independency, that congregations of Chris- 
 tian worshipers can elect their own religious teach- 
 ers. They may make mistakes, but they insist on 
 the right, and they will not willingly submit to the 
 dictation or control of others in this regard, either 
 from civil or ecclesiastical authority. This is a point 
 Baptists have always emphasized, maintaining this 
 as well as other expressions of religious freedom 
 for the individual Church. 
 
 The ministry is of divine appointment, and its 
 purpose is to instruct and edify the Church, and to 
 bear the knowledge of salvation abroad to the 
 world. As a means and medium of spiritual good 
 to men, the Gospel ministry stands preeminent; it 
 is without a parallel among beneficent agencies. 
 
280 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 Every true disciple is under obligation to preach 
 the Gospel according to his ability and opportunity; 
 but the economy of grace anticipated the need of 
 special leaders and teachers for the congregations of 
 the saints, and the Spirit of God moves on and fits cer- 
 tain men for the work, while the providence of God 
 develops and calls forth their ministry. It is all under 
 the direction of the chief Shepherd and Bishop of souls, 
 who sends among His people the under-shepherds. 
 This work He began while among men. He " or- 
 dained twelve, that they should be with Him, and 
 that He might send them forth to preach." — Mark 
 3 : 14. Also, *' After these things, the Lord ap- 
 pointed other seventy also, and sent them two and 
 two before His face into every city and place, 
 whither He Himself would come." — Luke 10 : i. 
 And His final instructions, as He was about leav- 
 ing them, were: '' Go ye, therefore, and teach all 
 nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father 
 and the Son and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them 
 to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded 
 you, and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the 
 end of the world. Amen." — Matt. 28 : 19, 20. 
 
 I. HOW THE MINISTRY ORIGINATES. 
 
 Does the ministry grow out of the churches, or 
 the churches out of the ministry ? These are ques- 
 tions which require thoughtful care to answer cor- 
 rectly. Which is first in the order of time, and ac- 
 cording to the genius of the Gospel ? 
 
THE CHRISTIAN MINISTRY. 28 1 
 
 Where the Gospel is proclaimed, converts will be 
 made and churches will arise. Converts will asso- 
 ciate, will assimilate, will aggregate, and so become 
 churches. These are the sheaves brought together 
 on the harvest field, and bound in bundles for the 
 Master's use; the fruit of the seed-sowing. Also, 
 where there are churches a ministry will be devel- 
 oped. Jesus preached the Gospel of the kingdom, 
 and disciples were gathered — gathered and assimi- 
 lated, and held together as a band by the attraction 
 of His personal presence and influence. A Church, 
 we may say, inchoate and unorganized; but still, to 
 all intents and purposes, an ekklesia, called out 
 from the world and concentred about Himself The 
 centripetal force of their fellowship did not die with 
 His removal from among them. They kept together 
 after His death, and especially after His resurrec- 
 tion. At the Pentecost the number of converts in- 
 creased, under the preaching of Peter, by the power 
 of the Spirit; the Church became more clearly de- 
 veloped, and more definitely organized. With the 
 increase of the Church the ministers increased, 
 until, not very long after, on the breaking out of 
 persecution, they went everywhere, preaching Christ. 
 Heralds of the glad tidings were multiplied; they 
 were begotten of the Spirit and born of the Church 
 in such abundance as the occasion required. 
 
 Thus has it ever been, and thus must it ever be. 
 Our ascended Christ furnishes for the churches, and 
 from the churches, the only true Gospel ministry. 
 They are not by natural descent of one appointed 
 
282 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 lineage, as was the Aaronic priesthood, from the 
 loins of Levi — born with a prescriptive right to the 
 sacred office. They are not to be assigned by either 
 civil or ecclesiastical establishments to the **cure 
 of souls," with only a perfunctory knowledge of, and 
 fitness for, the place. '* When He ascended on high 
 He led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men. 
 He gave some apostles, and some prophets, and 
 some evangelists, and some pastors and teach- 
 ers." — Eph. 4:8, II. These were Christ's "ascen- 
 sion gifts " to His churches, and these He continues 
 to bestow, in one form or another, on the churches 
 and the world. 
 
 II. CLERGY AND LAITY NOT PRIMITIVE. 
 
 It is well to bear in mind that the distinction 
 which has for ages prevailed in Christian society 
 between clergy and laity is not primitive; was not 
 known in the apostolic age. There was an apos- 
 tleship and a discipleship, but no clerical caste, 
 separated by a wide gulf of sacramental ordination 
 from the common people. The Holy Spirit work- 
 ing in each believer developed those gracious quali- 
 ties which were profitable to the edifying of the 
 body of Christ. All alike constituted a holy and a 
 royal priesthood, "ordained to offer spiritual sacri- 
 fices unto God." The churches chose for their pas- 
 tors and teachers such of their own members as 
 exhibited the needed qualities which fitted them for 
 the positions. 
 
THE CHRISTIAN MINISTRY. 283 
 
 Dr. Bloomfield says : 
 
 " But when, in the next generation [after the first], it was 
 thought expedient that presbyters should be confined to 
 their sacred duties, and kept apart from all secular occupa- 
 tions — which, by the way, occasioned the two classes of 
 clergy and laity — then ordination would become a much 
 more solemn affair." — Com, on Acts, 14: 2j. 
 
 Dean Stanley says: 
 
 " In the first beginnings of Christianity there was no such 
 institution as the clergy; and it is conceivable there may be 
 a time when they shall cease to be." — Christian Institutions^ 
 p. 173. N. Y., ed. 1 88 I. 
 
 Dr. Coleman says : 
 
 " There was then no such distinction between clergymen 
 and laymen." "They were all equally the priests of God." 
 "The first instance of the distinction of the clergy and laity, 
 as separate orders of men in the Christian Church, occurs in 
 Tertullian, at the beginning of the third century." — Ancient 
 Christ. Ex., pp. gj-ioy 
 
 Gieseler says : 
 
 " There was yet [in the apostolic age] no distinct order of 
 clergy, for the whole society of Christians was a royal priest- 
 hood."— Cy^. Hist., Vol. I., p. 38. 
 
 SCHAFF says : 
 
 " The Jewish and the Catholic antithesis of clergy and 
 laity has no place in the apostolic age." — Hist. Christ. Ch., 
 Vol. I., p. 131. 
 
 Fisher says : 
 
 " The basis of ecclesiastical organization was the fraternal 
 equality of believers. ' All ye are brethren.' Instead of a 
 
284 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 sacerdotal order, there was a universal priesthood." — Hist, 
 Ch. Church, p. jj. 
 
 RiGALTius, Salmasius, Selden, and others, 
 
 assert the same as cited by Bingham, who finds the ear^ 
 liest historical evidence of the distinction of clergy and laity 
 in the third century after Christ. — Ancient Christ. Ch., B. 
 /., chap. 3. 
 
 III. THE PURPOSE OF THE MINISTRY. 
 
 The general purpose contemplated by the ap- 
 pointment and sustenance of an ofificial ministry in 
 the churches is clearly enough defined in the popu- 
 lar mind, and well enough understood by the pre- 
 vailing customs of religious society : to shepherd 
 the flock, to instruct congregations in religious truth, 
 and guide the churches as to internal order and the 
 practical activities of Christian life. But, to be more 
 specific, it may be said the ministerial purpose is 
 twofold : the edification of saints and the conver- 
 sion of sinners. Or, to reverse, and perhaps make 
 more natural the order, the conversion of men, and 
 then their instruction and upbuilding in the faith of 
 the Gospel. Thus did Jesus, in His farewell injunc- 
 tion, command His disciples to go forth, preach the 
 Gospel, disciple men, baptize them, and then teach 
 them to observe all things whatsoever He had com- 
 manded them. 
 
 Not infrequently extremists are heard to say that 
 there is nothing comparable to the conversion of 
 souls; that is the one great object of preaching. It 
 
THE CHRISTIAN MINISTRY. 2S5 
 
 is allowed to be one great object, but not the only 
 one to the exclusion of the other. Both should be 
 constantly sought, and devotion to one does not 
 exclude the other. It is quite supposable that God 
 may be as much glorified and the world as much 
 blessed by the development of character, the en- 
 largement of graces, and the increase of good works 
 on the part of believers, as by the addition of con- 
 verts. Read the epistles to the churches, and see 
 how much is said about edifying the body of Christ; 
 about growth in grace; about perfecting the saints 
 in holiness; about being filled with the Spirit. The 
 truth is, when Christians are living in the fullness of 
 the blessing of the Gospel, and exhibiting the life 
 of Christ, sinners will be converted. The ministry 
 will be crowned with divine success. 
 
 There is a passage in Paul's Epistle to the Ephe- 
 sians on this subject, the force and comprehensive- 
 ness of which is only equaled by the beauty of its 
 diction, and the vivid imagery employed. After 
 saying that Christ gave gifts, some to be apostles, 
 prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, he 
 states for what purpose these gifts were bestowed; 
 namely, '' For the perfecting of the saints, for the 
 work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of 
 Christ : till we attain unto the unity of the faith, and 
 of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a full- 
 grown man, unto the measure of the stature of the 
 fullness of Christ."— Eph. 4 : 12, 13. How grand 
 the conception of an advancing Christian growth, 
 under the culture of pastors and teachers, even to 
 
2&6 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 the attainment ofa" perfect man;" not a perfect 
 angel, but a perfected humanity in Christ ! How 
 sublime the upward sweep of Christian develop- 
 ment, from the inchoate believer in the infancy of his 
 new life, along all the planes of development, until 
 finally the full purpose is realized in the '' measure 
 of the stature of the/?/ Ihiess of Christ ! " 
 
 IV. A CALL TO THE MINISTRY. 
 
 If the spiritual life of the churches is to be main- 
 tained, and the power of godliness to be preserved, 
 a divme call to the work of the ministry must be in- 
 sisted on by the Churches. 
 
 It is not enough that a man — young or old — has 
 piety, and ability, and education; that he possesses 
 a facility in the use of language, and can address a 
 congregation with ease and interest, both to himself 
 and to them. Nor is it enough that he has an ear- 
 nest desire to do good. All this maybe, and yet he 
 may not be called to the sacred office. All these 
 are important, but not of themselves sufficient. It 
 must not be the mere choice of a profession; nor 
 the dictate of an ambition which looks to the pulpit 
 as a desirable arena for achieving distinction, nor 
 even as the best field for usefulness. Nor must it 
 be a yielding to the opinions or persuasions of over- 
 partial, but, it may be, injudicious friends. A true 
 call to the work of the ministry must rest on more 
 solid ground than any or all of these evidences. 
 
 " No man taketh this honor unto himself; but he 
 
THE CHRISTIAN MINISTRY. 2&f 
 
 that is called of God, as was Aaron." — Heb. 5 : 4, 
 He that would lawfully enter upon this work must 
 do it from a deep, abiding and unalterable conviction, 
 wrought into his soul by the Holy Spirit, that such 
 is the will of God concerning him; and that noth- 
 ing else is, or can be, the work of his life, whether it 
 may bring joy or sorrow, prosperity or adversity. 
 He that can follow any other pursuit or profession 
 with a peaceful mind, and a conscience void of of- 
 fense, should never enter the ministry. This inward 
 movement and monition of the Spirit does not cease 
 with a single impression, nor subside with a single 
 occasion; but it continues usually through weeks 
 and months, and perhaps years, holding the mind 
 to this one conviction; not always continuously, but 
 from time to time, calling it back from all other pur- 
 poses and plans to this conviction of duty. 
 
 As this conviction of duty is slowly working its 
 way into the soul, various emotions are excited. 
 Not unfrequently the mind revolts at what seems 
 the inevitable conclusion, and sometimes violently 
 rebels against it. The thoughts of unfitness for the 
 work; the apparent impossibility of being able to 
 secure the proper qualifications; the fact that many 
 cherished plans for life, which seem to promise 
 more of pleasure and of profit, must be abandoned; 
 and, what to some minds with noble instincts is 
 most of all humiliating and painful, that if one en- 
 ters the ministry he must become dependent on 
 others, in a certain sense, for his living, and subject 
 to their caprices in many ways for his comfort ; 
 
288 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 the temptation to sink his personal independence, 
 so as not to antagonize the opinions of his hearers, 
 and to modify messages of truth, rather than offend 
 the ignorance or the prejudices of those on whom 
 he is dependent, to an over-sensitive nature become 
 difficulties of no ordinary magnitude. But through 
 it all the Spirit holds the mind true to its destiny, 
 until at length it submits, silences every objection, 
 sacrifices every consideration, accepts every con- 
 dition, and yields implicit obedience to the divine 
 call. Then a new peace fills the soul, and light 
 from a new horizon irradiates all its sphere. 
 
 The evidences of this divine call are various. The 
 most convincing is that just named, where the Spirit 
 works the ever-deepening conviction into the soul, 
 that it must be so. Another sign is that the mind 
 is being led into a fruitful contemplation of the 
 Scriptures, whose spirit and meaning, whose deep 
 and rich treasures of truth are unfolded and made 
 plain to an unusual degree. An increasing facility 
 of utterance in addressing religious meetings, es- 
 pecially when attempting to explain and enforce 
 particular portions of the word, is another evidence. 
 This, however, is not uniform, owing to many 
 causes. For sometimes, instead of joyous liberty, 
 every thing seems dark and confined. Particular 
 cases, either on the one side or the other, are not 
 so much to influence the judgment as the general 
 trend and current of these tokens. Still more, if one 
 has been divinely called to this work, there will 
 soon rise a conviction of the fact in the minds of 
 
THE CHRISTIAN MINISTRY. 289 
 
 pious and prayerful people. All truly spiritual 
 saints are, in a sense, prophets to discern spiritual 
 things. If they be interested in, and profited by, 
 the exercise of such gifts, that fact itself goes far to 
 establish the call. 
 
 And further: if one be divinely called to preach 
 the Gospel, Providence will open such ways of 
 needed preparation for the work, as may be best in 
 the circumstances. Precisely what that fitting 
 preparation may be, it is impossible here to tell. It 
 should be the best that can be secured. But there is 
 a great variety of fields, and of conditions of work, 
 and an equal variety of ability, and of intellectual 
 preparation is needed to fill them. There may be 
 difficulties in the way; but let not the young man 
 who believes himself called to this service, be im- 
 patient, nor too hasty. Let him "wait on the Lord," 
 observe the indications of Providence, and not run 
 before he is sent. Our Lord Himself waited in pa- 
 tient preparation till He was thirty years of age, be- 
 fore entering upon His public ministry; and that, 
 too, when He was to have but three short years of 
 active service afterward. Let the young man im- 
 prove his gifts as occasion offers, and wait; sooner 
 or later he will become satisfied, as will also his 
 brethren, whether or not he is called to preach. 
 
 AoTE I . — It is not an evidence of a call to the ministry, that 
 the heart sets itself in persistent rebelHon against the moni- 
 tions of the Spirit. So commonly is this resistance to the 
 gracious movement felt, that some seem to think they lack 
 good evidence of such a call, unless they stoutly fight against 
 19 
 
296 THE NEW DIRECtORV. 
 
 God. On the other hand, some of the most devout and use- 
 ful men in the ministry did most earnestly desire the sacred 
 office, though feeling themselves unworthy of it, and unfit- 
 ted for it. Paul said, " If a man desire the office of a bishop, 
 he desireth a good work." 
 
 Note 2. — Any man whom God has not called to that 
 work, will find the pulpit the most difficult and disastrous of 
 all positions, and the work of the ministry the most irk- 
 some and uncongenial. No hope of gratifying a carnal am- 
 bition, no expectation of praise for learning or eloquence 
 can mitigate the uncongenial burden of a service in which 
 the heart is not enlisted. 
 
 Note 3. — Young men exercised on this point, as to the 
 choice of the ministry, should not attach too much impor- 
 tance to the flattering encouragements of ardent, and over- 
 partial friends, whose judgments may not be as sound as 
 their impulses are generous. Nor, on the other hand, should 
 they be too much discouraged, if any throw stumbling-blocks 
 in their way. Let them carefully weigh all things, pray for 
 divine direction, and decide the question according to their 
 best light. 
 
 V. THE PERPETUITY OF ITS OBLIGATIONS. 
 
 Is the obligation involved in a divine call of per- 
 petual force ? Or may a man called to that work 
 leave it for some other profession or calling at his 
 option ? Is a man ** once a priest, always a priest"? 
 Or may there be a demission of sacerdotal functions ? 
 
 This is a question in which our churches have not 
 so much interest as men already in, and candidates 
 for, the office most naturally have. It is, however, 
 admitted almost universally by evangelical Chris- 
 tians, that such a call is of perpetual obligation. It 
 
THE CHRISTIAN MINISTRY. 29 1 
 
 is manifest that if divine authority puts a man into 
 the ministry, the same authority is requisite to direct, 
 or give permission for him to leave it and enter 
 upon some other work. There are, no doubt, men 
 in the ministry who never ought to have entered it, 
 and who would confer the greatest possible benefit 
 on the churches and the cause by leaving it. There 
 are doubtless many instances in which men are in- 
 capacitated by sickness, or other causes, for a dis- 
 charge of its duties. Providence clearly indicates 
 that such should seek some other sphere of service, 
 where they can still be useful, and yet secure sup- 
 port for a dependent family. In such cases of mani- 
 fest necessity, temporary diversion from exclusive 
 ministerial labor would be not only permissible but 
 commendable, and perhaps even imperative. 
 
 But young men, looking to this calling, should re- 
 gard it as a life-long service, and not consider a 
 change to a more lucrative or less laborious pursuit as a 
 possible contingency. Providential causes may arise 
 where temporarily the active duties of the ministry 
 — especially of the pastorate — may be remitted, to 
 be resumed when the obstacles are removed. But 
 how one, who believes himself called of God to 
 preach the Gospel, can quietly and conscientiously 
 devote himself to other callings, secular or semi- 
 secular, without such providential compulsion, it is 
 difficult to understand. And there are many of 
 our ministers, men of sound health, and ability for 
 usefulness, who have abandoned pastoral service for 
 these side issues; positions for which laymen would 
 
292 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 be quite as competent, and often better fitted. It is 
 not a sufficient answer to say that these posts are 
 important and useful spheres of service. All that 
 may be true, and they may have peculiar qualifica- 
 tions for the places, but it was not for these, or such 
 as these, they professed to have been called, and to 
 which they were ordained and set apart. If they 
 were mistaken in their original purpose, it is well 
 they have made a change. 
 
 Note 4. — The question may arise, How far is it allowable 
 for a minister to engage in outside work for the sake of added 
 gain, while holding a pastorate and receiving a salary from 
 the people? Though no general answer can be given that 
 would meet every case, yet it is safe to say that no outside 
 work should be engaged in that will in anyway interfere with 
 a full and faithful discharge of his duties to the Church and 
 congregation of his charge. If they give him a respectable 
 support he should devote his best energies to them. 
 
 NoTF 5. — But it often happens in small and feeble congre- 
 gations, especially in frontier settlements and rural districts, 
 that congregations cannot — or think they cannot — support a 
 pastor, and he is obliged to supplement a scanty salary from 
 other sources. This is right not only, but most commend- 
 able in such cases. It should, however, be done not for 
 gain, but iov godliness, that he may be the better enabled to 
 preach the Gospel, and give his family the comforts of life. 
 Paul worked at his trade of tent-making, that he might the 
 better b^ able to preach Christ. 
 
 VL THE SPHERE OF MINISTERIAL LABOR. 
 
 A minister is not necessarily a pastor. If a min- 
 ister have not a pastoral charge, to whatever field 
 
THE CHRISTIAN MINISTRY. 293 
 
 he may be designated, there lies his first and chief 
 obligation for service. If he be a pastor, his Church, 
 and congregation, and the community about him 
 constitute his principal sphere of ministerial labor. 
 To neglect them would be disloyalty to his Church, 
 and to his Lord. Unless that be cultivated with fi- 
 delity, zeal, and a good degree of devotion, he need 
 not expect any great amount of success. Nor yet 
 need he expect that his work will be greatly appre- 
 ciated, or widely demanded. He should, however, 
 countenance and aid, to the extent of his ability, 
 every good word and work, consistently with his 
 duties to his own people. His nature should vibrate 
 in sympathy with all endeavors made to ameliorate 
 the sufferings of humanity, to suppress vice, and ele- 
 vate virtue everywhere. He should stand the friend 
 and abettor of missions, temperance, and of every 
 virtue which the Gospel inculcates and promotes. 
 He would be unfaithful to his holy trust, should he 
 stand quietly by, without a hand to help in giving 
 the means of salvation to the world, for which Christ 
 died; should he remain unmoved amidst the ravages 
 of sin, and not strive to withstand them; should he 
 be indifferent to the ignorance of a world lying in 
 wickedness, and not labor for its enlightenment. 
 
 It sometimes happens that pastors can, in special 
 emergencies, render needed and valuable aid to 
 other pastors in times of great discouragement or 
 of special religious interest. Other occasions will 
 arise when incidental aid can be rendered a good 
 cause outside the limits of his ordinary duties, with- 
 
294 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 out injury to other interests. And yet the apostolic 
 injunction must continue to be the pastor's guide: 
 *' Take heed unto yourselves, and to all the flock, 
 over which the Holy Spirit hath made you over- 
 seers; to feed the Church of God, which He hath 
 purchased with His own blood." — Acts 20 : 28. 
 
 VII. THE SOURCE OF MINISTERIAL AUTHORITY. 
 
 Whence does the minister derive his authority for 
 the exercise of ministerial functions ? For preach- 
 ing, administering the ordinances, and other pre- 
 rogatives .'' **For no man taketh this honor unto 
 himself" — Heb. 5 : 4. 
 
 Whence is it then } Not from the Church, for no 
 Church holds in itself any such authority to bestow. 
 Not from a Council, since councils possess no ec- 
 clesiastical authority. Not from the State, for the 
 State has no right of interference in matters of faith 
 and conscience, and possesses no control over, or 
 authority in, ecclesiastical affairs. The minister, 
 therefore, derives his credentials as a preacher of 
 righteousness, and the right to minister as a priest 
 in spiritual services from no human source, but di- 
 rectly from Christ, the great Head of the Church, 
 by the witness and endowment of the Holy Spirit; 
 He who calls, endows and authorizes. He sends 
 forth His heralds with authority to preach the Gos- 
 pel to the end of the age. 
 
 All that a Church or a Council can properly do is 
 to recognize, and express approval of a man's en- 
 
THE CHRISTIAN MINISTRY. 295 
 
 tering the ministry. The force of ordination is simply 
 a recognition and sanction, in a public and impress- 
 ive manner, of what is believed to be the divine 
 appointment of the candidate to the sacred office. 
 The object of Church and Council action is not to 
 impart either ability or authority to preach the Gos- 
 pel, for these they cannot give; but to ascertain if 
 such ability and authority have been divinely given, 
 and if so, to approve their public exercise. If not in 
 so remarkable a manner, yet probably just as really 
 is every true minister called and invested as was 
 Paul: " But when it pleased God, who separated me 
 from my mother's womb, and called me by His 
 grace to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach 
 Him among the heathen; immediately I conferred 
 not with flesh and blood." — Gal. 1:15, 16. 
 
 Note 6. — Any one who believes himself called and author- 
 ized of God to preach the Gospel, as one under law to Christ, 
 and ultimately accountable to Him alone, has a right to 
 preach the Gospel, though churches and councils should op- 
 pose his course. But he would not have the right to preach 
 in any congregation without their consent. 
 
 Note 7. — The right of any man to be the minister and 
 pastor of any particular Church is derived from that Church 
 itself. No man, no body of men can make him a minister to 
 thejfi without their consent. While on the other hand, if 
 they so determine and choose him, he is a minister to them 
 though councils and churches should forbid it. Others are 
 not obliged to recognize or fellowship them or him, but 
 they cannot interfere with them. A man's right to preach 
 the Gospel, and administer the ordinances comes from God 
 alone ; a man's right to do this in any particular Church 
 comes from that Church alone. 
 
296 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 Note 8. — But suppose a man believes himself called to 
 preach, and insists on the exercise of that right, while the 
 Church of which he is a member, after long and careful con- 
 sideration, is convinced that he is mistaken in his convictions, 
 and that he ought not to undertake the work. The Church 
 has its authority, as well as the individual his rights. In such 
 a case, while the Church should be careful not to infringe on 
 the individual's rights of conscience, or freedom of action, 
 they may, in the exercise of their lawful and legitimate au- 
 thority, labor with, admonish, and, if need be, rebuke such 
 a one, he being a member in covenant relations with them ; 
 and if he will not hear them, and they judge the occasion 
 calls for it, discipline, and even withdraw fellowship from 
 him. They possess that right. 
 
 VIII. QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE MINISTRY, 
 
 It is not to be expected that of all men the minis- 
 ter alone vi^ill be perfect. And yet in no other man 
 is a near approach to perfection so imperative as in 
 him. Of all men, he should prayerfully strive to 
 have as few faults and as many excellencies as pos- 
 sible. For in no other man do they count for so 
 much, either for or against truth and righteous- 
 ness as in him. 
 
 He should be a man of good physical health. 
 This counts for vastly more, even in a spiritual point 
 of view, than is usually supposed. And if, by heredi- 
 tary taint, or for any other reason, he may lack phys- 
 ical vigor, he should, by careful self-training in 
 regard to diet, exercise, and otherwise, strive to re- 
 invigorate his energies. This is a duty as sacred 
 and imperative as prayer, the study of the Bible, or 
 
THE CHRISTIAN MINISTRY, 297 
 
 other spiritual exercise. He will find that an en- 
 feebled body impairs his best endeavors. He should 
 also avoid all of those habits which tend to ener- 
 vate and undermine his health. Irregularity of life, 
 late hours, heavy suppers, and the like; while the 
 use of tobacco, opium and alcohol should be re- 
 garded as an abomination, not to be tolerated by 
 one who preaches a gospel of purity, and who him- 
 self should be pure. 
 
 It must not, however, be understood as saying 
 that a man manifestly called of God to the work, 
 should not undertake it because he does not enjoy 
 robust health, and has not been favored with a vig- 
 orous constitution. Some of the most godly and 
 useful ministers who have ever blessed the world 
 and the churches, have been life-long invalids and 
 sufferers. And sometimes the active and varied du- 
 ties of the pastorate, especially in rural fields, have 
 been highly conducive to physical health and lon- 
 gevity. Still, "a sound mind in a sound body" 
 must be insisted on as of the greatest importance, 
 for the possession of which no prudent or persistent 
 effort is too great a price to pay. 
 
 Moreover, the minister should be a Christian gen- 
 tleman in the best sense of that term. Not a tech- 
 nical gentleman, flippant and finical, according to 
 the standard of so-called genteel society, but far 
 better and higher than this — a true gentleman at 
 heart, courteous, considerate, gentle, generous, and 
 kind to all. There is no excuse for a minister's being 
 rude, boorish, inconsiderate of the proprieties of so- 
 
298 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 ciety, and indifferent to the feelings or comfort of 
 others. He who is such, no matter what amount of 
 talent he may possess, will drive people from him, 
 and his life will be largely unfruitful of good. Some 
 ministers seem to think it a mark of superiority to 
 be rude and supercilious toward others. It is simply 
 a mark of superior boorishness, and a disgrace to 
 the profession. 
 
 But those special qualifications named by the 
 Apostle, and detailed in the epistles to Timothy and 
 Titus (i Tim., chap. 3; Titus, chap, i), should be 
 insisted on by both churches and ordaining coun- 
 cils. They are such as all who aspire to that sacred 
 ofBce can possess, and such as, if possessed, may 
 give assurance to the most humble and timid that 
 their work and labor of love will not be in vain in 
 the Lord. According to these inspired specifica- 
 tions, the bishop or pastor should be *' blameless, 
 the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good 
 behavior, given to hospitality, apt to teach, not 
 given to much wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy 
 lucre, patient, not a brawler, not covetous, one that 
 ruleth well his own house, having his childrerl in 
 subjection; not a novice, having a good report of 
 them that are without, not self-willed, not soon an- 
 gry." Such qualifications, quickened and sanctified 
 by the Spirit, could not fail to make good ministers 
 of Jesus Christ. There is no impossible endowment 
 enjoined, and the morality of the Gospel, so largely 
 prominent in these qualities, should be conspicuous 
 in a religious teacher and leader of the people. 
 
THE CHRISTIAN MINISTRY. 299 
 
 Note 7. —As to those qualifications which are purely 
 scholastic, whether literary or theological, as a preparation 
 for the work of the ministry, no certain amount or given 
 standard can be fixed. The importance and difficulties of 
 the profession make it necessary that the divinity student 
 should avail himself of the largest and most liberal culture 
 possible in the circumstances. The indications of Provi- 
 dence, his own convictions of duty, and the advice of wise 
 and judicious friends must decide that question. 
 
 Note 8. — The wide field over which our churches are 
 scattered, the vast variety of social conditions which mark 
 the different congregations, not only make possible, but de- 
 mand all types and varieties of ministerial gifts. Certain it 
 is, that many a field would welcome the man without the 
 culture of the schools, but with a knowledge of men and a 
 deep insight into the Gospel, much more readily, and find 
 him much more useful, than the scholar from the seminary, 
 thoroughly versed in books, but ignorant of men and prac- 
 tical life. 
 
 Note 9, — It is desirable that every young man preparing 
 for the ministry should, if possible, be able to read intelli- 
 gently the Scriptures in the original Greek and Hebrew. 
 This, and all other linguistic knowledge, will be to him of 
 great value, if rightly used. But of all " book knowledge " 
 that can be named, none can compare with a deep, thorough 
 knowledge of the English Bible. The importance of this to 
 the minister of Christ outranks all others, and does more 
 than any other literary attainment to make a man an able 
 minister of the New Testament. And this qualification is 
 within the reach of all — even the plainest and the poorest. 
 
 Note 10.— It is of great practical advantage to the student 
 that, during his preparatory studies, he should not unfre- 
 quently exercise his gifts in preaching, as occasion offers. It 
 will give him opportunity for developing his capabilities, 
 testing his theories and correcting his faults under the most 
 favorable circumstances. But this should be done with 
 
3CX) THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 caution, and not to any such extent as seriously to interfere 
 with his studies, which for the time constitute his principal 
 business. 
 
 Note ii. — Let no young man deem the time wasted that 
 confines him to the class-room in mental training, and the 
 acquisition of knowledge preparatory to the great work. He 
 serves his Master best who patiently and faithfully prepares 
 best to serve Him. That foolish enthusiasm for the work 
 which hurries one into the field only half fitted, when a bet- 
 ter preparation was possible, will always after be deeply re- 
 gretted. 
 
 IX. THE LICENSING OF MINISTERS. 
 
 It is one of the prevailing customs of our churches 
 to grant a license to young men believing them- 
 selves, and believed by others, to have been called 
 to preach the Gospel, but not yet prepared to 
 enter upon the work of the ministry."^ This is 
 simply an approval by the Church of the course 
 -which the candidate is pursuing. It confers no 
 rights and imparts no authority, but expresses the 
 conviction that the bearer possesses gifts and ca- 
 pabilities which indicate a call to the ministry, and 
 a promise of usefulness in it. The giving of li- 
 censes is not universal in such cases. Theological 
 schools usually require them of students entering, 
 as an evidence that they have the approval and con- 
 fidence of their churches. Churches should be very 
 careful not to grant licenses without sufficient evi- 
 dence of a divine call, and not till they have had 
 
 * The form of a license may be found in the Appendix to this 
 volume. 
 
THE CHRISTIAN MINISTRY. 3OI 
 
 sufficient opportunity to judge wisely in the case. 
 And where there is good evidence of a call, the 
 Church should be as ready as they are careful to 
 encourage the candidate in his chosen course. 
 
 Note 12. — Ordination does not necessarily follow the 
 granting of a license, though usually it does. The Church 
 may have occasion to change their opinion of the case, and 
 may, for sufficient cause, revoke the license. 
 
 Note 13. — A license should never be granted simply be- 
 cause it is sought, nor to gratify the candidate or his friends, 
 nor because they dislike to refuse. It is a serious and an im- 
 portant matter, and should be acted on with kindly feeling, 
 but with conscientious care. 
 
 Note 14. — A letter of commendation is sometimes given a 
 young man, approving of his entering upon a course of 
 study, with the ministry in view, but deferring a license until 
 better opportunities are offered to judge of his gifts and 
 calling. 
 
 Note 15. — It is, of course, understood that the practice 
 of licensing is merely a cautionaiy measure, a custom not es- 
 sential and not uniform, but salutary, and tending to good 
 order. 
 
 X. THE ORDINATION OF MINISTERS. 
 
 The importance of selecting and placing over 
 the churches the right kind of men as pastors and 
 teachers cannot be overestimated. But the high 
 regard, the almost sanctity, in which our churches 
 hold the ceremony of setting apart, of the inaugura- 
 tion of the clergy, finds no parallel and no sanction 
 in the New Testament, and is derived directly from 
 sacramentarian communions, remotely from the 
 
362 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 Romish Church, which holds ordination as one of 
 the seven sacraments. 
 
 The New Testament meaning of the word ordi- 
 nation is choosing, electing, appointing a man to 
 the office of bishop or pastor, and has no reference 
 to a ceremonial setting apart, or investiture with 
 the functions of the office. A president is elected 
 — that is, ordained — to the presidency by the votes 
 of the people; but the ceremony of his inauguration 
 is quite a different thing; very proper, becoming 
 and impressive, but not essential. He is as really 
 president without it as with it: president by virtue 
 of his election, not of his inauguration.* Our 
 churches, unfortunately, have come to apply the term 
 '* ordination " exclusively to the ceremonial induc- 
 tion, and not to the election, which was its primitive 
 and is its proper meaning. Thus laying all the 
 stress on the ceremony, they have come to insist on 
 certain ritual observances as essential to its valid- 
 ity. All the more notable is this since Baptists con- 
 tend so earnestly for following the New Testament 
 in all things. And however appropriate such forms 
 of induction may be, they find no warrant for them 
 in the Scriptures. Therefore they should be urged, if 
 
 * As the question of ordination holds an important place among 
 the usages of our Church life, and as not a little misapprehension 
 and perplexity often arise from the diversity of views enter- 
 tained by our people respecting it, and its relation to primitive 
 Church practice, it has seemed wise to devote a separate chapter 
 in this work to a somewhat full discussion of the subject. See 
 page 344. 
 
THE CHRISTIAN MINISTRY. 363 
 
 urged at all, as matters oi order, and not matters of 
 authority; as appropriate and becoming, but not es- 
 sential. 
 
 No reasonable objection can be made to our usual 
 forms of ordination service, providing these forms be 
 rightly understood and held at their right value. 
 But no instance can be found in the New Testament 
 where any man was set apart to the work of the 
 Gospel ministry, at his first entrance upon it, by any 
 ceremony whatever. The seven deacons were cere- 
 monially inducted into their office, but not the 
 preachers of the Gospel — or if they were, we do not 
 know it. 
 
 The Order of Proceedings : 
 
 The usual course of proceedings in ordinations is 
 as follows : 
 
 The Church which calls for the ordination — and 
 of which Church the candidate should be a member 
 — invites a Council, by sending letters to such other 
 churches (and individuals) as they may desire to have 
 present, requesting them to send their pastor and 
 brethren (usually two) to consider and advise them 
 as to the propriety of setting apart the candidate 
 to the work of the Gospel ministry. In some parts, 
 particularly at the South, a Presbytery is called in- 
 stead of a Council; that is, a number of ministers 
 personally invited without the presence of laymen. 
 So far as the validity of the action is concerned, 
 there is no choice in the methods. 
 
 The Council, when convened and organized, list' 
 
304 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 ens to a statement from the Church calling them, 
 through a committee appointed for the purpose, and 
 then proceeds to the examination of the candidate. 
 This examination usually traverses three principal 
 lines of inquiry, but may go beyond them, viz. : 
 
 1. His Christian experience. 
 
 2. His call to the ministry. 
 
 3. His views of Christian doctrine. 
 
 Other topics than these may appropriately be 
 made subjects for inquiry, providing they be ger- 
 mane to the occasion, but remote subjects and 
 profitless discussion should be avoided; especially 
 such subjects as those on which members of the 
 Council themselves may be divided. 
 
 When the Council is satisfied with the examina- 
 tion, the candidate is allowed to 7'etire^ while the 
 body proceeds to discuss the matter, and the action 
 to be taken. If there be any particular dissatis- 
 faction in the case, such matters are considered; and 
 if desired, the candidate can be recalled to give his 
 views more fully on doubtful points. If not, on 
 motion duly made, the Council votes its satisfaction 
 on each of the above three distinct topics of inquiry. 
 Then a final vote to this effect is passed: ''Re- 
 solved : that being satisfied with the result of our 
 examination, we approve the setting apart of the 
 candidate, and recommend the Church to proceed 
 to the public services of ordination." As the Coun- 
 cil was called to advise the Church, this is the ad- 
 vice they give. The committee of the Church act- 
 ing for them, request the Council to take charge of 
 
THE CHRISTIAN MINISTRY. 305 
 
 the services, and assign the several parts, with the 
 concurrence of the candidate, as they may think 
 desirable. 
 
 What these various parts shall be, and who shall 
 perform them, is a matter of no importance beyond 
 the wishes of the candidate, and the Church. 
 Usually they are as follows : 
 
 1. Preliminary services, consisting of music, read- 
 ing the Scriptures, and an introductory prayer. 
 
 2. Sermon : preached usually by some one pre- 
 viously selected by the candidate. 
 
 3. The ordaining prayer: during which the candi- 
 date kneels, and near the close of which he who 
 offers the prayer, and some others, lay their hands 
 on his head. 
 
 4. The hand of fellowship : in a short address 
 welcoming the candidate to the fellowship and 
 fraternity of the ministry, and to all the pleasures 
 and toils of the sacred service. 
 
 5. A charge to the candidate: in an address, 
 usually by some older minister, reminding him of 
 the various duties and responsibilities the ministry 
 imposes. 
 
 6. A charge to the Church : in an address enjoin- 
 ing on them their reciprocal duties and responsi- 
 bilities, in consequence of his settlement among 
 them; duties to him, to themselves, and to the com- 
 munity. 
 
 7. This closes the service, and the benediction is 
 
 usually pronounced by the candidate; before which 
 
 the minutes of the proceedings are read and ap- 
 20 
 
3o6 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 proved, and a copy voted for the candidate, as his 
 certificate of ordination — and perhaps notices 
 ordered sent to the papers. 
 
 Note i6. — The Church which calls the Council usually ap- 
 points a committee to represent it before the Council in 
 giving information, answering questions, or making sug- 
 gestions, but such a committee is no part of the Council, 
 and cannot vote on any question. 
 
 Note 17. — Should the Council decide against the pro- 
 priety of ordaining the candidate, still the Church can have 
 him as their minister if they choose to do so, and none can pre- 
 vent. The independence of churches cannot be questioned. 
 This, however, in ordinary circumstances would be highly 
 inexpedient. Neither the Church nor candidate would be 
 likely to command the approval or confidence of other 
 churches, or of the community, should they utterly ignore 
 the judgment and advice of a Council of their own calling. 
 
 Note 18. — A call to the ministry does not necessarily in- 
 volve an immediate entrance upon its duties. Hence a 
 Church or a Council may agree that a man is called, but on 
 account of his inexperience, ignorance of doctrines ov oi 
 duties, or for other reason, may decide against immediate 
 ordination, and advise to defer that step until he shall be bet- 
 ter qualified, and more thoroughly instructed in the ways oi 
 the Lord. Quite often, no doubt, this would be a wise course 
 to take. 
 
 Note 19. — Since the peace and prosperity of a Church so 
 vitally depend on the knowledge, discretion, and experience 
 of a pastor, and his ability to guide its affairs, as well as hig 
 gift in preaching the Gospel, therefore the utmost caution 
 and prudence should be used on the part of the churches in 
 calling men to ordination. The Council that examines the 
 candidate, also, should give a wide range to their investiga- 
 tions, and thoroughly ascertain the candidate's general com- 
 petency for the work. 
 
THE CHRISTIAN MINISTRY. 307 
 
 Note 20. — It will be clearly inferred from statements al- 
 ready made, that the right of ordination inheres in the 
 Church, and not in the Council. This must be so, if, as is uni- 
 versally conceded in our churches, all ecclesiastical authority 
 resides in a Church. And also since the Church is of divine 
 appointment and authority, while the Council is not.* 
 
 Note 21. — The practice of "laying on of hands," is an 
 Oriental custom of immemorial usage, as a form of bless- 
 ing conferred by the old upon the young, and by superiors 
 upon inferiors. In the ritualism of the Mosaic economy it 
 was a symbolical act. Jesus laid His hands on the sick to 
 heal them, and on little children to bless them. With the 
 Pentecostal gift of the Holy Spirit, miraculous effects fol- 
 lowed the laying on of the Apostles' hands. Some of the 
 Baptist fathers laid hands on the head of each candidate 
 baptized, pronouncing a brief blessing; a few continue the 
 practice. Since the original significancy of the act is no 
 longer realized, and since no gifts, either common or ex- 
 traordinary, are pretended to be conferred, the act should no 
 longer be deemed essential as a part of ordination services, 
 nor as affecting the completeness of ministerial character, or 
 the validity of ministerial acts. 
 
 XI. RECOGNITION, INSTALLATION REORDINATION. 
 
 Services bearing these designations are some- 
 times, though with no considerable degree of uni- 
 formity, resorted to. Nor does any considerable im- 
 portance attach to them, except that reordmation 
 from time to time becomes a question of perplexity 
 and of controversy among our people. 
 
 * For a more exhaustive discussion of the subject of Councils, 
 their nature, prerogatives, and uses, see the chapter on that 
 subject. Also " Star Book on Baptist Councils." 
 
3o8 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 Recognition. When a pastor changes his field, 
 and takes a new one, he is at times welcomed by 
 some special services to celebrate the event, and 
 introduce him to the community. Neighboring 
 clergymen and others, are invited in; a sermon is 
 preached by some personal friend of the pastor, or 
 by some other one selected, or several addresses 
 are made instead; attractive music is had; the pas- 
 tor is congratulated on his field, the Church on 
 its pastor, and a pleasant time is enjoyed. There 
 can be no objection to such a service — and it is dif- 
 ficult to see how any marked benefit can arise from 
 it, especially as the pastor may change his field 
 again in a year, and some one else take his place — 
 when the service will be repeated. 
 
 Installation. This term has no proper use in the 
 customs of Baptists ; though it is sometimes used 
 by accommodation to indicate a recognition service, 
 where a minister takes possession of a new pastor- 
 ate. The word is properly used to designate the 
 service by which a minister is placed over a new 
 charge, with appropriate ceremonies by his ecclesi- 
 astical superiors. To install is to place in a stall or 
 "^at, indicative of official duties and functions, by 
 which the incumbent is invested with official author- 
 ity. The term is appropriate only where a minister 
 is placed in a charge by superior ecclesiastical func- 
 tionaries, acquiring new rights and prerogatives 
 thereby. 
 
 Reordination. The question of reordination arises 
 when a minister of some other denomination unites 
 
THE CHRISTIAN MINISTRY. 309 
 
 with us, and wishes to become a pastor among 
 us. He has professed conformity to our denomina- 
 tional views, and has been baptized into our fel- 
 lowship. But that gives him only the standing of 
 a private member and not that of a minister. He 
 was, however, an accredited minister in an evan- 
 gelical denomination before, regularly set apart to 
 the sacred office. Now, the question is, in order to 
 become a Baptist minister, will his previous ordina- 
 tion suffice, or should he be ordained again as though 
 he had never been a clergyman } On this point 
 opinions somewhat differ. 
 
 Some answer in the affirmative and some in the 
 negative. But really it makes very little difference 
 which course is pursued. Either would be valid, and 
 neither is essential. Considering what ordination 
 is, and what use it is intended to serve, in the case 
 supposed, a recognition would be as good as an 
 ordination ; and the reverse would be true. In case 
 of a minister coming from some other communion, 
 before he should be admitted to ministerial functions 
 among our churches, it would be every way desir- 
 able that a Council or a Presbytery should be called 
 by the Church which proposes to have him as pastor, 
 to examine and ascertain his views as to Baptist 
 doctrine and Church order. If satisfied, some pub- 
 lic services would be proper and desirable. Call it 
 a recognition or a reordination ; the difference is 
 slight. Indeed, the only difference in ceremony is, 
 that in the latter the laying on of hands is practised, 
 but omitted in the former. Let the wish of the 
 
3IO THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 candidate, or the Church, or the Council — if they 
 have a preference — be gratified. A man is a minis- 
 ter none the more with the imposition of hands, and 
 none the less without it. * 
 
 * On the discipline of unworthy ministers, see Chapter on 
 Discipline, page 206. 
 
CHAPTER XII. 
 
 BAPTIST COUNCILS. 
 
 Councils for consultation and advice in ecclesi- 
 astical affairs are an established usage among 
 American Baptists, especially at the North, East, 
 and West. With the Southern churches there is a 
 prejudice existing against them lest their action 
 should come to be considered authoritative, and 
 threaten a domination of the churches. For this 
 reason they are seldom resorted to in that section. 
 
 Indeed, through the whole extent of our denom- 
 ination their doings have been watched with jealousy 
 and regarded with not a little of suspicion, for fear 
 they might grow to an interference with the inde- 
 pendence of the churches; this doctrine of Church 
 independency being held by them with great tenac- 
 ity, both because they believe it taught in the New 
 Testament and also because of the wrongs perpe- 
 trated on the true people of God during past ages, 
 by acts of Councils and papal decrees in the name 
 of ecclesiastical authority. 
 
 Hence Baptists watch with commendable vigi- 
 lance against every combination of men, and every 
 form of action which by any possibility may threaten 
 
 3" 
 
312 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 an assumption of power over, or interference with, 
 the free and independent action of the local 
 churches. Thus it has come to pass that Associa- 
 tions, when appealed to to decide disputes which 
 vexed the churches, or to settle perplexing ques- 
 tions which disturbed their peace, have either de- 
 clined to respond altogether, lest they might come 
 to be regarded as a court of appeals, or if they did 
 reply, did it with the distinct avowal that they could 
 not dictate to, nor interfere with their internal order 
 in any wise. It is just and proper jealousy. 
 
 It is indisputable that Councils have, at times, 
 done great good both to churches and to individuals, 
 by prudent and well-considered advice in cases of 
 great perplexity. It is equally evident that at times 
 they have been the occasion of much harm, even of 
 manifest injustice, by decisions hastily reached, or 
 based on false assumptions. Whether, on the whole, 
 they have been productive of more good than evil, 
 is still an unsettled question with those who have 
 known them the longest, and watched them the 
 most carefully. The danger lies in a constant ten- 
 dency to recognize them, in some sense, as a court 
 of appeal and of arbitration — in effect if not in form. 
 And this danger is the greater, because there will 
 always be among us some who think they see the 
 need of a stronger government for the control of 
 virulent disorders than the independency of the 
 churches furnishes. They desire some more speedy 
 and more effectual method of removing rank 
 offenses than the slow and uncertain process of 
 
BAPTIST COUNCILS. 313 
 
 Church discipline. They would therefore welcome 
 a quasi authority in the action of Councils, which 
 should make an end of all controversy with the 
 contentious and the perverse. 
 
 But such tendencies, fortunately, have thus far 
 been counteracted by that innate apprehension with 
 which the Baptist mind regards any possible ap- 
 proach to dictation, and stands guard against the 
 interference of any external authority whatever, be- 
 yond the simple act of giving advice, when advice 
 is a-sked. 
 
 I. THE ORIGIN OF COUNCILS. 
 
 It has generally been taken for granted, by both 
 Protestant and Papal authorities, that all Church 
 Councils had their origin and find their sanction in 
 the conference held in Jerusalem (Acts, fifteenth 
 chapter), convened to consider questions which dis- 
 turbed the Gentile churches, as to the reception ol 
 Jewish customs. 
 
 That meeting, it is claimed, was a Council some- 
 what within the accepted meaning of that term. 
 And it is quite notable, not to say remarkable, that 
 all men, and all classes of men, have with an easy 
 liberality of interpretation, explained that primitive 
 conference to meet their own peculiar views of 
 Council need, and of Council action. Whether 
 Papal or Protestant, ultra-Prelatical or moderately 
 Congregational, every man who desires to find 
 some central authority, some Church court to settle 
 
314 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 disputed questions, and to coerce or control Church 
 action, claims to find a warrant for his particular 
 theory in ** the Council held in Jerusalem." That 
 is declared to have been apostolic ; and an appeal 
 to the fifteenth of Acts is assumed to be the end of 
 all controversy. 
 
 It has been made the warrant and justification for 
 ages of spiritual tyranny exercised over the churches 
 of Christ and over the freedom of Christian thought 
 and action, by men ambitious to lord it over God's 
 heritage. By this means Christian liberty «and 
 spiritual life almost have been crushed out of 
 Christ's free churches, and the flock of God has been 
 made a prey to the rapacity of men whose spiritual 
 pride blinded them to the true methods of the Gospel. 
 
 The Syrian Christians had been disturbed by cer- 
 tain Jewish teachers who insisted they must ob- 
 serve the law of Moses ; especially must they be 
 circumcised. Against this they rebelled, and Paul 
 who had planted these churches, refused to impose 
 on the Gentile converts such a yoke. To settle the 
 matter, therefore, the Church at Antioch sent Paul 
 with certain others to Jerusalem, to ask the opinion 
 and advice of the mother-Church in reference to the 
 matter. This mother-Church would be more likely 
 to understand the genius of the Gospel, especially 
 in its relation to Judaism ; and moreover they had 
 the Apostles with them, whose inspired judgment 
 in such a case could not go amiss. When the mes- 
 sengers from Antioch arrived, the Church at Jerusa- 
 lem had a meeting to consider the matter. 
 
BAPTIST COUNCILS. 315 
 
 It was no Council, no Synod, no Consociation, 
 but a church-meeting simply. Just that, and noth- 
 ing more. It consisted of the Apostles, and elders, 
 and brethren. That is, the entire Church. And 
 the Church, with just this composition, heard the 
 case, deliberated, and, under the guidance of the 
 Holy Ghost, gave a decision. This is the view 
 taken of the matter by Hackett, Alford, Schafif, 
 Waddington, and indeed nearly all Church authori- 
 ties. 
 
 MOSHEIM, in his Church history, says : 
 
 " To call it a Council is a perversion. For that meeting 
 was a conference of only a single Church, collected together 
 for deliberation; and if such meetings may be called eccle- 
 siastical Councils, a multitude of them were held in those 
 primitive times. An ecclesiastical Council is a meeting of 
 delegates from a number of confederate churches." — Eccl. 
 Hist., Vol. I., p. 72, sec. 14, note 17. 
 
 Councils are oi human, not o{ divine origin. They 
 cannot therefore take precedence of, nor claim au- 
 thority over, churches, which are divinely instituted. 
 Nor were Councils known during the first age, and 
 not until Christianity began to be corrupted. And 
 to organize combinations of ecclesiastics to govern 
 and dominate the churches, was one of the early 
 corruptions which afflicted the kingdom of Christ. 
 
 Dr. Coleman says : 
 
 "The apostolic churches were entirely independent ol 
 each other." " But in the second century rhis primitive 
 
3l6 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 liberty and independence began to be relinquished, and 
 merged in a confederation of the churches of a province, or 
 country, into a larger association." " They [Councils] were 
 appointed by merely human authority, and were regarded as 
 being instituted neither by Christ nor by His Apostles." — 
 Ancient Christ. Exemp., pp. 47^, 476. 
 
 Dr. Mosheim further says : 
 
 " Nor does there appear in this first century any vestige 
 of that consociation of the churches of the same province 
 which gave rise to ecclesiastical Councils. But rather, as is 
 manifest, it was not till the second century that the custom 
 of holding ecclesiastical Councils first began, in Greece, and 
 thence extended into other provinces." — Eccl. Hist. B. I., 
 Cent. 7, part 2, ch. 2, sec. 14. 
 
 Dr. Emmons, one of the fathers of New England 
 Congregationalism, says : 
 
 " All the present disputes about Councils, mutual or ex 
 parte, in respect to their authority, are vain and useless, be- 
 cause they have no divine authority at all." " The human 
 device of giving power to Associations, Consociations, or 
 Councils, to decide in ecclesiastical causes, has been a fruit- 
 ful source of ecclesiastical injustice, tyranny and persecu- 
 tion." — Emmons's Works, Vol. III., pp. ^84, j86. 
 
 There is, how^ever, a sense in which the Church 
 conference at Jerusalem may be said to have con- 
 tained the germ of subsequent Councils — Councils 
 in their better form. It is the dictate of common 
 sense, and of Christian prudence as well, for those 
 called to deal with grave and difificult matters, espe- 
 cially if such matters be new and unfamiliar, to seek 
 
BAPTIST COUNCILS. ^If 
 
 advice from those supposed to be better informed, 
 whose counsel can instruct their minds and guide 
 their action more wisely. In a multitude of coun- 
 selors, also, there may be safety. A large number 
 of wise and pious men, viewing a question from dif- 
 ferent points, with unbiased judgments, will be 
 more likely to reach a safe and just conclusion, than 
 a smaller number, less experienced, who are per- 
 sonally interested in it. And therefore it is natural 
 and wise to ask advice in cases of moment and of 
 doubt, in order to be helped by the wisdom and the 
 experience of others. This explains the philosophy 
 of Councils, committees of reference, and Presby- 
 teries, as used by Baptists. The fellowship of in- 
 dividuals, and the fraternity of churches, lead Chris- 
 tian men to desire concurrence in matters of local 
 interest, and so far as may be, to secure uniformity 
 in matters of general concern. 
 
 But uniformity would be purchased at too great a 
 cost if the rights or the liberties of the churches 
 should be imperiled. When usage becomes uniform, 
 it is not difficult to have it considered as essential; 
 and when it is conceded to be essential, it has 
 already become authoritative. Councils may be 
 desirable and beneficent, but they are not essential 
 for any purpose for which their advice is usually 
 invoked ; nor are they authoritative in any opinion 
 they may express, or in any decisions they may 
 render. Their possible perversions should not 
 wholly condemn them, nor their probable benefits 
 unduly magnify them. 
 
3l8 tHE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 II. GENERAL PROPOSITIONS. 
 
 The principles on which, and rules by which — 
 according to common usage and general consent — 
 Baptist Councils are constituted, and their action 
 governed, may be stated in the following proposi- 
 tions : 
 
 1. It must be accepted as a rule without excep- 
 tion, that such Councils are advisory only, always 
 and everywhere ; they neither have, nor can have, 
 any ecclesiastical authority. They bind individuals 
 and churches so far, only, as they may choose to 
 submit to their judgment and advice. Their prov- 
 ince is simply counsel — what the name implies. 
 Never, and in no sense, are they Church courts for 
 authoritative decrees ; much less are they legisla- 
 tive bodies for the enactment of laws for the 
 churches. 
 
 2. Councils have no original authority for action, 
 and, indeed, no antecedent right of existence. 
 Their existence depends on those who call them 
 into being, and their right to act is derived from the 
 same source. No company of persons, not a Church, 
 has the right to convene, organize and take action 
 on ecclesiastical matters which have not been sub- 
 mitted to them. 
 
 3. A Council is composed of delegates or messen- 
 gers^either laic or cleric — appointed by the churches 
 of which they are members, at the request of those 
 calling it. A committee of reference is composed 
 of individuals personally asked to advise, but with- 
 
BAPTIST COUNCILS. 319 
 
 out any Church action as to their appointment. A 
 Presbytery, in the Baptist sense, is a company of 
 ministers personally invited to assist in ordination, 
 or to advise in any Church matter. 
 
 4. Councils may be convened by churches or in- 
 dividuals — more commonly by churches — to consult 
 and advise touching questions to be submitted to 
 them. Individuals in difficulty with their churches, 
 or persons excluded from them, may call a Council, 
 if the Church will not, in circumstances hereafter 
 explained. 
 
 5. But individuals in difficulty among themselves 
 in the same Church, could not with propriety call a 
 Council to settle their difficulties. Such difficulties 
 would constitute a case of discipline which the 
 Church would be under obligation to see adjusted. 
 But the Church might feel the need of advice, and 
 call a Council on the ground that it could not effect 
 a settlement of the trouble without such assist- 
 ance. 
 
 6. The usual and proper method for convening a 
 Council, is by sending letters to such churches as 
 may be selected, a majority of which should be 
 those located in the vicinity, asking them to appoint 
 their pastor, and one or more — usually two — breth- 
 ren, to sit in consultation with them. These letters 
 are called letters missive, and constitute the only 
 authority for the assembling of the body, and the 
 charter under which it must act when assembled. 
 
 7. The letters missive should be uniform, their 
 statements identical, distinctively announcing when 
 
320 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 and where the body is to convene, and what churches 
 and individuals are invited as members. 
 
 8. The letters missive should also distinctly state 
 what matters they will be asked to consider, and 
 respecting which they are to advise. It is an ad- 
 mitted rule, sanctioned by common consent, that a 
 Council cannot be convened under a roving commis- 
 sion^ to act on any subject that may chance to be 
 presented, but must confine its deliberations to such 
 matters as were specified in the letters by which it 
 was convened. 
 
 9. The delegates, or messengers, who compose 
 the Council, are in no proper sense representatives 
 of the churches which appoint them. They cannot 
 therefore act for their churches, to bind them by 
 their action. A Baptist Church cannot be repre- 
 sented in any other body ; nor can it transfer its 
 authority or its functions to any persons either within, 
 or external to itself, to act for it. It can send mes- 
 sages by messengers, but cannot delegate its power 
 to act. 
 
 10. A Council, when duly organized, is an inde- 
 pendent body within its own sphere of action. It 
 cannot be coerced, dictated to, or controlled by the 
 churches from which its members come, nor by 
 those who called it. Its acts are the result of the 
 judgment of a majority of its members, and have 
 the weight and force which such opinions may com- 
 mand — simply that, and nothing more. 
 
 11. It is somewhat common for those calling 
 Councils, to invite, in addition to Church messen- 
 
BAPTIST COUNCILS. 321 
 
 gers, certain individuals whose presence and coun- 
 sels they may desire. To this custom, though it 
 constitutes a somewhat mixed commission, there 
 seems to be no reasonable objection. They are 
 members by invitation, not by appointment. 
 
 12. Parties cannot properly convoke a Council to 
 investigate or pass judgment on the case of persons 
 with whom they hold no ecclesiastical connection — 
 such as a member or pastor of another Church than 
 that of which those convoking the Council are con- 
 nected. But one Church may call a Council and 
 ask advice as to their duty in respect to some other 
 Church with which they are in fellowship. 
 
 13. The messengers, when convened, at the hour 
 named in the call, organize by the election of a 
 chairman and a clerk. These elections are usually 
 on nomination ; and any one may call the meeting 
 to order and ask for a nomination. But sometimes, 
 in very important and difficult cases, a temporary 
 chairman and clerk are chosen, and a committee is 
 appointed to recommend permanent officers. After 
 this the credentials of messengers are called for, 
 and the clerk makes an accurate list of members, 
 and of their churches. Then the object for which 
 the Council was called, is stated — usually by read- 
 ing a copy of the letter missive. By this the body 
 understands what it is desired to do, and what it 
 will be lawful for it to attempt. Further explana- 
 tions, the presentation of evidence, and a discussion 
 of the subject follow, concluding with such action 
 
 as the body may agree to take. The usual parlia- 
 21 
 
^52 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 mentary rules govern in order and debate, unless 
 different rules are adopted at the beginning of the 
 session. 
 
 14. A Council is composed of all the persons 
 present in response to the invitations sent out. 
 This number of members can neither be increased 
 nor diminished. Its composition is fixed by those 
 who call it, and cannot be changed by its own ac- 
 tion, nor by the authority of any other body. It 
 cannot, therefore, admit others to membership, nor 
 exclude those who are members by appointment. 
 
 15. But, as an exception to this rule, all delibera- 
 tive bodies have the primal and inherent right to 
 protect themselves against insult, disgrace, and 
 such interruptions as would frustrate the object of 
 their deliberations. Such co-nduct, therefore, on 
 the part of any member during the proceedings, 
 would make him liable to censure or expulsion. 
 
 16. If, however, any member be dissatisfied with 
 the presence of any other member or with the pro- 
 ceedings of the body, he can refuse to act, and with- 
 draw. He has no other remedy. 
 
 17. Usage has not decided that any specified 
 number of messengers appointed shall be necessary 
 to constitute a quoj'tim for doing business. Any 
 considerable number, or even a small portion of 
 them, usually proceed to act, especially if the case 
 be one involving no great difficulty. If, however, 
 the matter be important and complicated, action 
 should not be taken without a full attendance of 
 members. In all important cases, it would be a 
 
BAPTIST COUNCILS. 323 
 
 salutary rule, that no action should be had unless a 
 majority of those called to constitute the Council, 
 were present ; or unless a majority of the churches 
 invited had responded by messengers present. But 
 so diverse are the views of those who convene 
 Councils, as well as those who act on them, that no 
 rule on this point, fitted to all occasions, has thus 
 far been established. 
 
 18. A Council may adjourn from time to time, if 
 necessary, to accomplish the purpose for which it 
 was convened. But it cannot perpetuate a con- 
 tinued existence as a standing court of appeals. 
 When its object is accomplished it expires by limit- 
 ation ; but a formal vote to dissolve or to adjourn, 
 sine die, is usually passed. 
 
 19. If a Council adjourns, it must retain the same 
 composition when it subsequently meets as at its first 
 session. It cannot have new members added to it, 
 except by mutual consent of the body and all par- 
 ties interested in its action. Nor can it be dimin- 
 ished, except that the absence of some members 
 would not vitiate its action. 
 
 20. Before the final adjournment, the minutes of 
 the proceedings are read, corrected, and approved, 
 and a certified copy is ordered to be given to the 
 parties by whom it was called, as containing the 
 results of the deliberations, and the Council's answer 
 to the request for advice. 
 
 2 1 . When finally adjourned or dissolved, the Coun- 
 cil ceases to exist, and cannot reconvene at its own 
 option, or by the authority of its members. If con- 
 
324 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 vened at all, it must be by process similar to that 
 which brought it into being at first. It would, in 
 fact, be a new Council, though composed of the same 
 individuals. 
 
 22. It is not proper for one Council to sit in judg- 
 ment on, or review the action of, a previous Council. 
 But a matter not satisfactorily disposed of by one 
 may be referred to a second. Such a second should 
 so far, only, canvass the proceedings of the first as to 
 ascertain the facts they had before them, and the 
 ground of their decision. 
 
 23. When a second is called to consider some mat- 
 ter submitted to a previous one, the second should 
 contain, so far as practicable, all or most of the mem- 
 bers of the previous one, with such additions, how- 
 ever, as will be likely to counterbalance any local 
 or personal bias or prejudice, or any want of infor- 
 mation or experience, which may have prevented 
 satisfactory results in the former case. 
 
 24. In the calling of a Council no packing process 
 should ever be resorted to, seeking to compose it 
 of such persons only as would be likely to favor the 
 object of those who called it. Such a course may be 
 a device of worldly policy, but is unworthy of Chris- 
 tian men, who in all honesty should act on higher 
 principles, and seek not simply the endorsement of 
 a man or a cause, but equity and justice, truth and 
 right. For this, and not for the furtherance of per- 
 sonal or of party ends, should they ask counsel of 
 their brethren. 
 
 25. A Council may be called by a single Church, or 
 
BAPTIST COUNCILS. 325 
 
 by several churches united; by a single individual, 
 or by several persons acting in concert. The letters 
 missive should distinctly state by whom the call is 
 issued, as well as the object for which it is issued. 
 
 26. Councils called to adjust and settle difficulties 
 are usually designated as either mutual ox ex parte. 
 A mutual Council is one in which the several parties 
 to the difficulty unite in the call and reference. An ex 
 parte Council is called by one party to the difficulty. 
 
 27. In the calling of a mutual Council, each party 
 uniting in the call — whether an individual, several 
 persons, or a Church — has the selection of one-half 
 the members; otherwise there might be a want of 
 fairness in the composition of the body. While the 
 parties may confer together as to the churches or 
 individuals to be invited, yet neither has the right 
 to object to those selected by the other, provided 
 they be all reputable members, in good and regular 
 standing in Baptist churches. 
 
 28. An ex parte Council should not be called un- 
 til all proper efforts have been made for, and have 
 failed to secure, a mutual Council. The reason is 
 obvious. General harmony and agreement are de- 
 sirable, and are more likely to be secured in a mutual 
 representation, where all parties can be heard. 
 
 29. Parties not uniting in the call can have no 
 rights or standing in the Council when convened. 
 But as a matter of courtesy, or for the sake of ob- 
 taining all possible information, other persons who 
 have knowledge of the case may be heard by con- 
 sent of the body and those who convened it. 
 
326 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 30. Parties calling a Council cannot be members of 
 ity and have no vote or right of action in it, except 
 to place before the body all the information they 
 possess, through persons chosen by them for that 
 purpose; otherwise they would sit as judges of their 
 own cause. 
 
 31. An ex parte Council cannot, by its own act, 
 transform itself into a mutual Council. Such a 
 change can be effected only by the consent and 
 agreement of the various parties involved in the dif- 
 ficulty. 
 
 32. When a mutual Council is to be called, to ad- 
 just difficulties between a Church and some of its 
 members, the letters missive should be sent out by, 
 and in the name of, the Church, and not of the indi- 
 viduals. But the fact of its being by mutual agree- 
 ment of the parties should be stated in the letters. 
 
 33. A Council cannot review and pass judgment on 
 the conduct of any other Church than that which 
 has called it and submitted its case; nor can a Coun- 
 cil properly be called for such a purpose. No body 
 of men holds the right to try and pass judgment on 
 an independent Church, except by its own request; 
 nor review its acts of internal order and discipline. 
 Such a body would thereby become judicial — a 
 Church court; which Councils are not. 
 
 34. But either churches or individuals may call a 
 Council to advise them what is their duty in relation 
 to a Church deemed heretical in doctrine or irregu- 
 lar in practice; or for other reasons thought impor- 
 tant. In such a case matters pertaining to that 
 
BAPTIST COUNCILS. 327 
 
 Other Church would necessarily come under review, 
 so far, and so far only, as the facts were concerned 
 regarding which advice had been asked, and so far 
 as might be needful to enable the Council to advise 
 intelligently and discreetly in the case. 
 
 35. Members, if aggrieved by the attitude of their 
 own Church, believed by them to be heretical or 
 disorderly, having failed in efforts at adjustment, and 
 in efforts for a mutual Council as well, before pro- 
 ceeding to call an ex parte Council, would do well 
 to lay the case before some neighboring Church or 
 churches, as a matter in which such churches have 
 an equal interest with themselves. Churches thus 
 appealed to could, with propriety, ask a Council to 
 advise them as to their duty in regard to the matter, 
 or to advise the aggrieved members as to their duty 
 in the case. Should such churches decline, as not 
 deeming the occasion sufficient, or not wishing to 
 become involved in controversy, then the individu- 
 als may proceed to call one to give them advice. 
 The call should state what efforts had already been 
 made for the adjustment of the difficulty. 
 
 36, Councils, when convened to aid in settling dif- 
 ficulties, should take sufficient time to understand 
 the case thoroughly, and then act heroically in ex- 
 pressing their opinions as to where the blame rests, 
 and in giving their advice as to what should be done. 
 Aim to be right, rather than try to please. It is 
 usually a vain thing to attempt a compromise. 
 As a rule, this pleases neither party. Whatever 
 is decided, almost certainly one party, and very 
 
328 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 likely both, will be dissatisfied. Too much must 
 not be expected from Councils; they can give ad- 
 vice and express opinions; beyond this they can- 
 not vindicate the right or punish the wrong. 
 
 37. When persons, excluded, as they believe, un- 
 justly, resolve to call a Council ex parte, they cannot 
 be expected to ask the excluding Church to send 
 delegates to sit in the Council. It would be con- 
 trary to a natural sense of justice for those who had 
 prejudged the case, and decided against the plain- 
 tiff, unfairly, as he believed, to be asked to sit again 
 on its decision. Such persons could not be regarded 
 as unbiased or impartial judges. But the exclud- 
 ing Church should be asked to send some one to 
 the Council to give any information to the body, and 
 to present their version of the case. 
 
 38. If those who are invited to sit with councils 
 do not approve the object of the call , and decline to 
 act, they should at once notify those inviting them 
 to that effect, giving their reasons for non-concur- 
 rence. Such communications should be laid before 
 the body when convened. But it is better to respond 
 to the call — unless the circumstances be very re- 
 markable — and by one's presence and influence, 
 prevent unfortunate action, rather than permit it by 
 their absence. 
 
 39. It is a course of questionable propriety for a 
 Council to require the parties to a difficulty to pledge 
 themselves at the beginning to abide by whatever 
 decision the body may reach. This is sometimes 
 done with the commendable purpose of putting an 
 
BAPTIST COUNCILS. 329 
 
 end to the controversy. But it seems hardly con- 
 sistent with freedom of conscience to pledge agree- 
 ment beforehand to a course of action at the time 
 unknown, and contingent on future and unforeseen 
 events. As a matter of fact, such pledges when 
 made are seldom kept. 
 
 40. Councils for the adjustment of difficulties in- 
 volving Church action should not be called, unless 
 the need seems imperative. Churches should admin- 
 ister their own affairs^ exercising their own prerog- 
 atives, and discharging their own responsibilities, 
 without external aid, so far as possible. They may 
 make some mistakes, but that is inevitable in all 
 human affairs, and the aid of Councils will not abso- 
 lutely obviate that misfortune. But against all ten- 
 dency to relieve the churches of their appropriate 
 duties, to intrude into the sphere of their just author- 
 ity, or to undermine their rightful independence — 
 against all this Councils should constantly and sa- 
 credly guard.* 
 
 * For further and more specific application of Council action, 
 especially in difficult cases of Church discipline, and the trials of 
 unworthy ministers, see chaps. 6 and 7, pp. 193-214. 
 
CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 RELATED SOCIETIES. 
 
 While the churches are the only Christian socie- 
 ties provided for by the New Testament economy, 
 and, therefore, the only ones really essential to the 
 accomplishment of the purposes contemplated by 
 the Gospel, yet combinations of individual and local 
 efforts have been found convenient for the carrying 
 on of Christian work on wider areas and more dis- 
 tant fields than could well be cared for by individual 
 service. These combinations have grown into vast 
 systems of organized endeavor, making societies 
 almost innumerable for Christian and benevolent 
 service of many kinds. It may well be questioned 
 if there be not quite too many such. Some of the 
 more common, which have grown into established 
 usage with our churches, are the following: 
 
 I. ASSOCIATIONS. 
 
 There is at times no little confusion of thought 
 occasioned by want of a clear understanding as to 
 the true nature and real purpose of Associations; 
 and that, too, by ministers themselves, who ought 
 
 330 
 
RELATED SOCIETIES. 33 1 
 
 to be able expounders of Baptist polity and usage. 
 Especially as to the relation which these bodies 
 sustain to the churches; whether they can act /^r 
 the associated churches, and in some sense bind 
 them by their action. 
 
 It is customary for churches occupying a given 
 extent of territory — usually less than a State, per- 
 haps limited portions of contiguous States, not 
 so widely extended as to make it difficult, because 
 of distance, to meet in one place, nor yet embrac- 
 ing so many churches as to make the meetings 
 inconveniently large — by common agreement to 
 organize on some simple basis of association for 
 mutual helpfulness and counsel. 
 
 These churches agree to cooperate in the Associa- 
 tion, and meet yearly with some one of them, by 
 their pastors, and a certain number of members, 
 appointed as messengers^. These meetings usually 
 hold two days, sometimes more, and the time is 
 occupied in hearing reports from the various churches 
 — each one sending with the messengers a letter, 
 setting forth their condition as to anything of spe- 
 cial interest to themselves or to the body. Sermons 
 are preached, prayer-meetings held, and various 
 matters pertaining to the prosperity of the cause 
 
 * The term representative is sometimes used, and delegate more 
 frequently. Both terms are liable to be misunderstood, as imply- 
 ing that an Association is a representative body, and that the 
 messengers bear delegated authority to represent their churches 
 and act for them. The term messenger was commonly used by 
 the earlier Associations, is least objectionable, and most accu- 
 rately characterizes the purpose for which they are appointed. 
 
332 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 come under consideration. Missionary work on 
 their field is fostered, new churches are planted, and 
 weak ones aided. If any of the churches have pe- 
 culiar difficulties to encounter, and choose to ask 
 advice and help, such .matters are considered, and 
 help rendered, if practicable. 
 
 When the body meets to observe its anniversary, 
 the moderator of the previous year calls the meeting 
 to order at the appointed time, and presides until a 
 new moderator is elected, with clerk and treasurer; 
 then the body is fully organized for business. 
 Thence its services proceed according to its by- 
 laws, or a prearranged programme. It is customary 
 to hear, during the sessions, appeals with important 
 information from the representatives of various mis- 
 sionary and benevolent bodies, for the sake of in- 
 structing and stimulating the members in reference 
 to such causes. 
 
 These annual gatherings constitute not only favor- 
 able opportunities for projecting plans for mission- 
 ary work within the bounds of the Association, but 
 they also give occasion for pleasant fraternal inter- 
 course on the part of members of the various 
 churches, who, at these Christian festivals, form and 
 foster personal friendships of a most pleasant and 
 profitable character. This is particularly true in 
 rural districts, where they have few opportunities 
 for personal intercourse. 
 
 Observe the Following Facts. 
 
 I. The term Association is used in two distinct 
 
RELATED SOCIETIES. 333 
 
 and quite dissimilar senses; by not observing which 
 fact much confusion, and at times no small difficulty, 
 arises in the minds of people. 
 
 Firsty the organized body which meets annually 
 for the transaction of business, is called the Associa- 
 tion. This body corporate consists oi pastors and 
 messengers, as its constituent elements and active 
 members. It has its constitution, by-laws, its order 
 of business, meets and adjourns, publishes its pro- 
 ceedings, enrolling the names of its pastors and 
 messengers, who alone have the rights of member- 
 ship in its sessions. 
 
 Second, in a somewhat vague and ideal sense all 
 the associated churches, and the geographical limits 
 over which they are scattered, are called the Asso- 
 ciation. Thus we speak of the dearth or the pros- 
 perity which prevails in this or that Association, or 
 we say that revivals have, or have not been ex- 
 tensive in such or such an Association. No ref- 
 erence is here had to the organic body which meets 
 annually for business, but to the territorial field, and 
 the local churches, from which the pastors and mes- 
 sengers come. 
 
 2. An Association — the organized body that 
 meets for business — is not composed of churches, 
 but of individuals, the pastors and messengers. It 
 is a common way of speaking, but a very loose and 
 misleading way, to say it is composed of churches. 
 This arises from a misapprehension, and perpetu- 
 ates a misunderstanding. A Baptist Church cannot 
 be a member of any other body whatever. It would 
 
334 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 violate its sacred charter, and lose its identity as 
 the body of Christ, to attempt such a union. And 
 if many churches should enter into organic relations, 
 and constitute an ecclesiastical confederation, the 
 local churches would be absorbed, losing largely 
 their individuality and their independence. Also, 
 in that case, the confederate body would possess leg- 
 islative and judicial control over the separate con- 
 gregations. This is the actual status of most Christian 
 denominations. But our polity and our traditions 
 repudiate both the inference, and the hypothesis on 
 which it rests. 
 
 3. But it may be asked. How is it, if churches are not 
 members of the body, that the Associations uniformly 
 receive new churches to their number, or dismiss, 
 or drop churches from it } The reply is this : 
 Churches are not received to membership, though 
 such expressions are often, and indeed ordinarily 
 used; but they are received \o fellowship and co- 
 operatio7i ; which fact is evinced, by their pastors 
 and messengers being admitted to membership, 
 thus composing its constituent elements. 
 
 4. An Association is not a representative body, in 
 the ordinary acceptation of that term. A Baptist 
 Church cannot appoint persons with delegated 
 authority to act for it, so as to bind it by their action. 
 It cannot transfer its authority and responsibility to 
 any person, or persons whatever. It can appoint 
 persons as committees to perform service for it, and 
 report their doings. If it be still insisted, for the 
 sake of terms, that the churches do meet in the ..\s- 
 
RELATED SOCIETIES. 335 
 
 sociation, by their representatives, the pastors and 
 messengers, the reply must be — such is not the 
 case, and cannot be, either actually or constructively 
 for a Baptist Church cannot be represented by dele- 
 gates authorized to act for it in any other organiza- 
 tion whatever. 
 
 5, An Association is a voluntary society formed 
 and maintained for mutual help among the churches 
 associated, and for the religious welfare of the field 
 it occupies. It is of human, not of divine authority; 
 it grows out of the sympathies of Christian fellow- 
 ship, and the need of mutual help. No Church is 
 under obligation to affiliate with it; and any con- 
 nected Church can withdraw cooperation, at any 
 time, for any reasons which seem to itself sufficient, 
 without prejudice to either its evangelical or its 
 denominational reputation and standing. But while 
 it continues associated, it must abide by the rules 
 and regulations, mutually agreed upon, by which 
 the body is governed. 
 
 6. Because an Association is not a representative 
 body, and because a Church cannot be represented in 
 any other organization, and because a Church cannot, 
 even if it would, alienate, or transfer its powers and 
 responsibilities to any man, or body of men, tJiere- 
 fore an Association cannot legislate for the churches, 
 
 exercise any authority over them, or bind them in 
 any way by its own action. Whatever is done 
 while in session, is of authority only to those who 
 do it; that is, the members — pastors and delegates. 
 They may make suggestions to the churches, or 
 
336 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 present appeals, and lay requests before them; to 
 all of which the churches will give such attention 
 as may seem to them right and proper. 
 
 7. The fact that the messengers are appointed by 
 their respective churches argues nothing as to their 
 being invested with delegated power. This ap- 
 pointment is made at the request of the Association, 
 and according to its constitutional provisions, as the 
 most convenient and equitable method of constitut- 
 ing the body, not because the appointment carries 
 any ecclesiastical authority with it. These messen- 
 gers bear the letters and salutations of their churches, 
 and consult with the other members as to the ob- 
 jects for the interest of which they meet. 
 
 8. An Association is an independent body, not 
 subject to the authority or control of the churches 
 any more than the churches are subject to its au- 
 thority and control. It frames its own constitution, 
 makes its own by-laws, elects its own officers, and 
 manages its own business, without dictation from 
 any one. Within its own sphere of action it is just 
 as independent as a Church is within its sphere of 
 action. It fixes the terms of membership and the 
 conditions on which the churches may associate; 
 designates the number of messengers to be sent from 
 each Church, orders its own exercises, meets and 
 adjourns at its own pleasure. If any Church does 
 not approve the proceedings it can refuse to affili- 
 ate, and withdraw at any time from the Associa- 
 tion, if it thinks best. 
 
 9. In the exercise of its independence, also, the 
 
RELATED SOCIETIES. 33/ 
 
 Association can refuse to receive its messengers, and 
 drop from its fellowship any Church that has vio- 
 lated the constitution and the original compact, or 
 that has, in any matter deemed vital, departed from 
 the faith and practice of the associated churches 
 and the denomination. Provisions for such emer- 
 gencies are made in the constitutions of all Associa- 
 tions; also, the process of fraternal labor to be pur- 
 sued with the recusant Church before final excision 
 shall be decreed is likewise prescribed. 
 
 Note i. — Should one of the associated churches be com- 
 monly reported to have become unsound in the faith, or 
 irregular in practice, to have violated the constitutional pro- 
 visions, or broken the compact accepted at the union, and 
 these reports seem credible, it would be the right and the 
 duty of the Association to inquire into the case, by commit- 
 tee or otherwise, and ascertain the facts. The Association 
 would have no right to call the Church to account, to exer- 
 cise any authority on it, reprimand or censure it; but only to 
 ascertain the facts in the case, and then to take such action 
 as their mutual relations warranted, Such action might re- 
 sult in the Church being disfellowshiped, dropped from the 
 minutes, and all intercourse with it discontinued. That 
 would be the extent of an exercise of disciplinary power on 
 a Church by an Association. 
 
 Note 2. — If an Association should disfellowship a Church 
 and drop it from its minutes, that act would not interrupt 
 the intercourse and fellowship of said Church in its relation 
 to other churches. An Association cannot act for the 
 churches, but only for itself; nor can it exercise disciplinary 
 power beyond its own corporate limits. Such an act of dis- 
 fellowship would indeed be presumptive evidence that some- 
 thing was wrong in the Church dropped. But if the fellow- 
 22 
 
338 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 ship of other churches is to be interrupted, or withdrawn, it 
 must be by their own act; the Association cannot do it; it 
 acts for itself alone, not for the churches. 
 
 Note 3. — Should the pastor of one of the associated 
 churches be known, or believed, to be a disreputable and 
 unworthy man, the Association would not be obliged to ac- 
 cept him as a member of the body, or allow his name to ap- 
 pear on their minutes — to do which would give him a quasi 
 endorsement and recommendation. They could refuse to 
 do this, and thereby free themselves from all responsi- 
 bility as to his standing. Such an act, however, could not 
 affect his relation to the Church of which he was the pastor, 
 nor yet to other churches. If those relations are to be inter- 
 rupted, it must be by the action of the Church, or the churches 
 themselves. No one else can act for them. 
 
 Note 4. — If an associated Church persists in retaining and 
 supporting for its pastor a man of bad reputation, generally 
 believed to be unfit for the ministry, and unworthy of confi- 
 dence, the Association can refuse to receive the man, and 
 they can disfellowship and drop the Church, should the case 
 become serious. They possess this right; but such disfel- 
 lowship does not carry with it the disfellowship of the other 
 churches. Their intercourse with the dropped Church or 
 man is not interrupted until they interrupt it by their own 
 action. The Association acts for itself, not for the churches. 
 Such action may at times become necessary, in order to free 
 the body from apparent complicity with evil, and to relieve 
 other pastors and messengers from all responsibility in sus- 
 taining and giving currency to an unworthy man or an un- 
 worthy Church. 
 
 Note 5.— Many of the larger Associations— especially 
 those that centre in cities and towns — became incorporated, 
 with a board of legally elected trustees, for the purpose of 
 holding and managing real estate, not for speculative uses, 
 but to aid mission stations and feeble churches to houses of 
 worship. These trustees act for, and under the direction of, 
 
RELATED SOCIETIES. 339 
 
 the body, while the churches furnishing funds for the purpose. 
 Thus the Association becomes an efficient missionary organ- 
 ization within its own bounds. 
 
 Note 6. — In former times, when churches were less nu- 
 merous, and obtaining counsel in perplexing matters was 
 more difficult, it was no uncommon thing for them, vexed 
 with divisive questions of doctrine, order or discipline, to 
 send up queries to the Associations at their annual meetings, 
 and thereby seek advice from the assembled wisdom, which 
 might dispel their doubts. These queries were considered 
 warily, and answered with caution; usually protesting that 
 they could not meddle with the internal affairs of the 
 churches, and that the Association was not a legislative 
 body to enact laws, nor an ecclesiastical court to settle ques- 
 tions judicially for them. They could express an opinion, or 
 give advice — nothing more. They were very jealous for the 
 independency of the churches. So it is now, and should ever 
 continue to be. 
 
 II. STATE CONVENTIONS. 
 
 As a single Association covers a limited extent 
 of territory, and the various Associations, whose 
 boundaries touch, hold no organic relation to each 
 other, but each working for the same end, in a sim- 
 ilar way, it has been thought wise to have a more 
 general organization, extending over and embrac- 
 ing the fields of all the Associations in the State. 
 This is called a Baptist State Conve7itio7i, or, as in 
 many States it is termed, a General Association. 
 This latter designation is by some supposed more 
 accurately to express its relation to the local or 
 district Associations. 
 
 The Convention is a missionary organization, to 
 
340 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 operate in extending evangelical religion within the . 
 bounds of the State, in connection with the Associa- 
 tions and churches. It works by sustaining feeble 
 interests and supporting missionaries in destitute 
 neighborhoods. This is done either in cooperation 
 with the Associations within their bounds, or else 
 in fields which they cannot cultivate. Sometimes 
 the Associations work under the general direction 
 of the Convention, and report to it and through it. 
 But all this is according to mutual agreement, since 
 each is equally independent in its own sphere. In 
 addition to the strictly spiritual culture of their 
 fields, State Conventions not unfrequently plant and 
 foster educational institutions, especially denomina- 
 tional academies and schools for higher learning. 
 
 The composition of State Conventions is varied 
 and indefinite. Associations are uniformly consti- 
 tuted by the pastors and delegates or messengers 
 from the churches. The membership of Conven- 
 tions, according to their mutually arranged and 
 voluntary constitutional provisions, is composed of 
 persons appointed by contributing churches, dele- 
 gates sent by cooperating Associations, individuals 
 who make themselves annual or life members by 
 the payment of a specified sum, and perhaps still 
 other classes, as may be provided; while no person 
 can be a member, unless he be a member in good 
 standing of some regular Baptist Church, yet, to a 
 large extent, a money qualification is insisted on, 
 the better to stimulate liberality and secure funds 
 to the treasury. 
 
RELATED SOCIETIES. 34I 
 
 The meetings are held annually for two or three 
 days — one day being usually given to a State pas- 
 tors' conference. Reports are made by the Asso- 
 ciations, addresses by missionaries and others, plans 
 projected for enlarged endeavors — special time and 
 attention being given to the Sunday-school cause. 
 The anniversaries alternate between different sec- 
 tions of the State, and are held chiefly in the larger 
 communities, the smaller churches finding it diffi- 
 cult to accommodate the numbers which attend, for 
 whose entertainment gratuitous provision is usually, 
 though not always made. 
 
 III. MINISTERS' MEETINGS. 
 
 In nearly all compact communities, and, indeed, 
 in many rural and scattered neighborhoods, the 
 Baptist pastors form associations for mutual inter- 
 course and improvement, called Ministers' Meetings ^ 
 Pastors' Conferences^ or other similar names. They 
 organize with a simple constitution and by-laws, 
 and constitute a voluntary and independent society 
 for the purpose set forth. They have no organic 
 connection with the churches, and possess no eccle- 
 siastical character or significancy. Essays are read 
 for criticism on assigned topics, plans of sermons 
 presented, sermons preached also for criticism, and 
 discussions held on subjects germane to ministerial 
 culture and service. 
 
 These meetings are held monthly, or, in larger 
 communities, weekly. They are composed mostly 
 
342 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 of pastors, but in some, ministers without a charge, 
 and even deacons, are admitted. These meetings have 
 no right of interference with the churches, and no 
 action they can take with reference to any pastor 
 who is a member, can affect that pastor's relation 
 to his Church. They have the right to admit, dis- 
 miss, or expel their own members, but cannot inter- 
 fere with the relations the various pastors sustain 
 outside the conference itself. 
 
 IV. OTHER SOCIETIES. 
 
 There are other denominational societies, well 
 known to all, sustained for Christian service in con- 
 nection with our denominational activities. The 
 Missionary Union, for conducting Baptist mis- 
 sions in foreign lands; the Home Mission Soci- 
 ety, performing a similar service in our own coun- 
 try ; the Publication Society, for disseminating a 
 denominational literature; an Education Society — 
 indeed, many of them, one general, and many 
 local — for the establishment and support of schools 
 of learning; a Historical Society, for the collection 
 and preservation of denominational records. The 
 Southern Baptist Convention represents the mis- 
 sion work of Baptists in the Southern States, both 
 home and foreign.* 
 
 These various missionary organizations are so 
 many voluntary and independent societies, sustain- 
 
 * See Appendix for a historical sketch of our various mission- 
 ary organizations. 
 
RELATED SOCIETIES. 343 
 
 ing no organic connection with the churches; are 
 not controlled by them, and cannot control them. 
 They derive their financial support from the churches, 
 to which churches they make appeals, and to 
 which appeals they respond as they may feel in- 
 clined. Membership in these various organizations 
 is largely secured by the payment of a stipulated 
 sum of money. Usually they are incorporated so- 
 cieties, holding property devoted exclusively to the 
 purposes of their work. Many other societies not 
 here named, exist, operating on local fields for va- 
 rious beneficent purposes connected with our de- 
 nominational work and welfare. 
 
CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 ORDINATION. 
 
 Ordination, in its popular sense, is that form of 
 service by which men are admitted to the ranks of 
 the Christian ministry, and to the exercise of its 
 functions. So important a relation does this ser- 
 vice sustain to the character of the men who fill 
 their pulpits and become the instructors and guides 
 of the churches, that ritualistic communions hold 
 it as a sacrament. While ordination is but one of 
 the avenues by which worthy men can be admitted 
 to, and unworthy men excluded from, the sacred 
 office, yet it is one, and should be sedulously guarded 
 by watchful churches and conscientious Councils 
 and Presbyteries — that the ministry be kept pure 
 and true to its high calling. For, while neither 
 churches nor Councils can prevent a man from 
 preaching, if he desires to do it, and can secure 
 hearers, they can refuse him recognition and fel- 
 lowship in such a course, and ought to do it, if they 
 believe him unfit or unworthy. 
 
 Ordination, therefore, as the act by which men 
 are admitted to the rank and functions of religious 
 teachers among our people, and pastors of the flock 
 
 344 
 
ORDINATION. 345 
 
 of Christ, becomes a matter of serious moment, and 
 should be well considered. Its motive, its purpose 
 and its effect should be clearly understood. 
 
 To do this in the light of Baptist Church polity, 
 the following questions must be asked and an- 
 swered: 
 
 I. What is ordination.? 2. By whom is ordina- 
 tion ? 3. What is the effect of ordination } 4. Is 
 ordination to be repeated } 
 
 Primary Propositions. 
 
 The discussion which follows will maintain, and 
 it is believed will establish, the following proposi- 
 tions: 
 
 Prop. I. That the ordination of the New Testa- 
 ment was an election, or appointment, to the minis- 
 terial office, and not a ceremonial setting apart, or 
 consecration to that office. 
 
 Prop. II. That there is no proof in the New Tes- 
 tament that persons chosen to the office of elder, 
 pastor or bishop in the apostolic churches were des- 
 ignated for, or inducted into, that office by any 
 formal service or ceremony whatever. 
 
 Prop. III. That, though the laying on of hands was 
 common on many occasions, as an ancient Oriental 
 Jewish and early Christian form of blessing, espe- 
 cially in the bestowment of the gifts of the Spirit, 
 yet there is neither precept nor precedent in the 
 New Testament to require its use in the ordination 
 of Christian ministers. 
 
 Prop. IV. That, while some public service of in- 
 
346 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 auguration and designation for one who first enters 
 the ministry, or at any subsequent entrance upon a 
 new field of labor, would be very appropriate and 
 becoming as expressing the approval and fellowship 
 of other ministers and the churches, yet such ser- 
 vice is not of divine authority, and cannot be made 
 obligatory or essential, either to the lawfulness of 
 ministerial standing or to the validity of ministerial 
 acts. 
 
 Prop. V. That if such ordination or recognition 
 services be held, their form and order are matters 
 of liberty and choice with those concerned in them, 
 since they are prescribed by no Scriptural authority. 
 
 Prop. VI. That, since all ecclesiastical authority 
 resides in the local, visible Church according to the 
 New Testament polity, therefore the right to set 
 apart, as well as to elect, belongs to the Church alone, 
 and the only sphere of Council or Presbytery action 
 is that of advice to, and cooperation with, the Church, 
 being in no sense authoritative or essential. 
 
 Prop. VII. That while, for the sake of order and 
 propriety it is becoming for accredited ministers to 
 conduct all public religious services on ordinary oc- 
 casions, yet ceremonial ordination is not essential 
 to the ministry of the Word, nor to the administra- 
 tion of the ordinances; therefore, a Church without 
 an ordained minister may, with the strictest propri- 
 ety, direct a private member to administer the ordi- 
 nances, conduct its services, and preside in its 
 assemblies; and, indeed, this should be done for the 
 edification of the body. 
 
ORDINATION. 34? 
 
 Prop. VIII. That reordination, in the case of minis- 
 ters who come to us from other evangelical denom- 
 inations, is a matter of Christian liberty, optional 
 with those concerned, but cannot be made essen- 
 tial to ministerial character or the validity of min- 
 isterial acts, though it may with propriety be made 
 to conform to prevailing custom, for the sake of 
 uniformity in usage. 
 
 Our space will admit of little more than a state- 
 ment of positions deemed true and tenable ; while 
 many of the arguments, and most of the authorities 
 by which these positions are maintained must be 
 omitted. 
 
 I. WHAT IS ORDINATION ? 
 
 This question, to be clearly answered, needs 
 definition and limitation. Ordination means differ- 
 ent things to different minds, and according to dif- 
 ferent ecclesiastical standards. 
 
 It is defined to be the act and form of setting one 
 apart to the work of the Christian ministry; or in- 
 duction into the sacred office. Or, in a little more 
 formal and churchly language it is " the act of con- 
 ferring holy orders, with prayer, and the imposition 
 of hands." If, however, a more comprehensible ex- 
 planation be desired, as to both the form and sub- 
 stance of it, we must keep in mind the point of view 
 from which it is contemplated. 
 
 First, there is the ordination of present usage 
 a.s held and oractised by the various Christian de- 
 
348 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 nominations, with great diversity of subjective im- 
 port and ceremonial observance. 
 
 Second, there is the ordination of history which 
 found its highest conception and most complete ex- 
 pression in the mediaeval Latin and Greek churches, 
 which held it as a sacrament, invested it with the 
 sanctity of inspiration and surrounded it with the 
 pageantry of an imposing ritualism. 
 
 Thirdy there is the ordination of the New Tes- 
 tament, which differs from both the others, and which 
 alone need command the regard or research of those 
 churches who claim to draw both the form and spirit 
 of all life from that sacred fountain of ecclesiastical 
 order and authority. 
 
 Our inquiry, then, is narrowed to this question. 
 What is the ''ordination" of the New Testament .!* 
 
 The English words ordain and ordained, are used 
 with some frequency in the sacred writings, and 
 render several Greek words, but constitute, as every 
 careful reader knows, no argument for ceremonial 
 ordination, as now or formerly practised. 
 
 In Mark 3 : 14 it is said Jesus *' ordained {epoieese) 
 twelve, that they should be with Him." It implies 
 no ** setting apart," but simply an appointment, a 
 choice. 
 
 In Luke 10: I it is said, "the Lord appointed 
 {anedeixen) other seventy also." The word means 
 to point out, to declare, to appoint. Has no refer- 
 ence to formal induction into office. 
 
 In I Tim. 2 : 7, Paul says, " Whereunto I am or- 
 dained {etetheen) a preacher, and an apostle." Here 
 
ORDINATION. 349 
 
 the word means to set, to constitute, to appoint, and 
 has no reference to ceremonial ordination. 
 
 In Acts I : 22 Peter declares that one must be 
 ordained {genesthai) to be a witness of the resur- 
 rection of Jesus, to fill the place of Judas. Here 
 the word means to select, elect, appoint, to bring 
 about, cause to be. 
 
 In Acts 14 : 23 it is said of Paul and Barnabas, 
 *' when they had ordained {cheirotonee sanies) them 
 elders in every city," etc. This much-quoted word, 
 which has been relied on to prove a ritualistic or- 
 dination, by the " laying on of hands," the best 
 scholarship decides to mean the stretching out 
 of the hand or the lifting up of the hand as in vot- 
 ing. The meaning of which here is, that the Apos- 
 tles secured the election of elders by the vote of the 
 churches, with no reference to ceremonial induction 
 into office.* 
 
 The word used in Titus i : 5, ** ordain elders in 
 every city," is katasteesees^ which means to set, to 
 
 * This word, Cheirotoneoo, Robinson, in his N. T. Lexicon, de- 
 fines, " to stretch out the hand, to hold up the hand, as in voting; 
 hence to vote; to give one's vote. In N. T. to choose by vote, to 
 appoint." Green, \n his N. T. Lexicon, defines it, "to stretch 
 out the hand; to constitute by voting; to appoint." Donnegan,\ti 
 his Greek Lexicon, defines, " to stretch forth the hand; to vote in 
 an assembly by extending the hand; to elect, to choose." The 
 only places where this word is used in the N. T. are that already 
 named. Acts 14: 23, and 2 Cor. 8: 19, where Paul speaks of the 
 brother " who was chosen {Cheirotoneetheis) of the churches to 
 travel with us." Here the choice or appointment of the brother 
 is the only thing indicated. 
 
3^0 THE NEW DlRECTORV. 
 
 place, to constitute, to set over. And which Rob- 
 inson defines, '* to constitute, to make;" and Green, 
 ** to place, constitute, set, appoint." 
 
 I. The TestUnony of Scholars. 
 
 Dr. Dexter, with reference to these cases, says : 
 
 " There being no hint in either case of any thing of a 
 character like what is commonly called ordination in our 
 time." " Fairly translated, and unmodified by any coloring 
 from subsequent unscriptural ecclesiastical usage, these texts 
 would never have suggested any such act as that which is 
 called * ordination* hy the common speech of men." — Con- 
 gregationalism, pp. fjS, ijg. 
 
 Dean Alford says : 
 
 " The word {Cheirotoneesantes) will not bear Jerome's and 
 Chrysostom's sense of ' laying on of hands,' adopted by 
 Roman Catholic expositors. Nor is there any reason for de- 
 parting from the usual meaning of electing by show of hands. " 
 — Comments on Acts 14 : 2j. 
 
 Dr. Hackett renders the phrase : 
 
 " Now having appointed for them elders in every Church, " 
 which he interprets thus; "having appointed for them by 
 their outstretched hand." — Comment in loco. 
 
 Dean Alford renders the passage, Titus i : 5, 
 
 "And mightest appoint, city by city, elders. " He sees no 
 ceremonial ordination in it. 
 
 Conybeare renders it : 
 
 " Mightest appoint presbyters in every city." — Com. in loco. 
 
ORDINATION. 3.5 1 
 
 Bloomfield says : 
 
 " There is indeed no point on which the most learned have 
 been so much agreed, as this, that Cheirotoneesantes here 
 simply denotes having selected, constituted, appointed."— 
 Com. on Acts 14: 2j. 
 
 Dr. Lyman Coleman says : 
 
 " This conclusion is sustained by the most approved au- 
 thorities. According to Suicer, the primary and appropriate 
 signification of the term is to denote an election made by the 
 uplifted hand, and particularly denotes the election of a 
 bishop by vote." "In this sense it continued for a long 
 time to be used in the Church, denoting not an ordination 
 or consecration, but an election. Grotius, Meyer, and De 
 Wette so interpret the passage, to say nothing of Beza, 
 Bohmer, Rothe, and others." — Prim. Christ., p. 64. 
 
 Matthew Tindale says : 
 
 " We read only of the Apostles constituting elders by the 
 suffrages of the people. Acts 14 : 23, which is the genuine 
 signification of the Greek word, Cheirotoneesantes, so it is ac- 
 cordingly interpreted by Erasmus, Beza, Diodoti, and those 
 who translated the Swiss, French, Italian, Belgic, and even 
 English Bibles, till the Episcopal correction, which leaves out 
 the words, ' by election,' as well as the marginal notes which 
 affirm that the Apostles did not thrust pastors into the 
 churches through a lordly superiority, but chose and placed 
 them there by the voice of the congregation." — Rights of a 
 Christian Church, p. jjS. 
 
 Dr. Victor Lechler (in Lange), says : 
 
 ** Cheirotonein signifies to raise the hands, to vote, to 
 elect by stretching out the hands. The expression, accord- 
 
352 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 ingly, suggests the thought that the Apostles may have ap^ 
 pointed and superintended a congregational election. And 
 this view is supported by the circumstances related in chap. 
 6:2,when the Twelve directed that the election of the Seven 
 should be held."^ Com. on Acts 14: 2j. 
 
 Dr. Gill says : 
 
 " The election and call of them [pastors] with their ac- 
 ceptance, is ordination. Election and ordination are spoken 
 of as the same." " Though there was a stretching out of the 
 hands, there was no imposition of hands in ordination." 
 " No instance can be given of hands being laid on any or- 
 dinary minister, pastor, or elder at his ordination." — Body of 
 Divinity, pp. 523-6. Phil. Ed., 18 10. 
 
 A want of space forbids further citation of au- 
 thorities. Nor is it needful. New Testament or- 
 dination was an election, an appointment to oflfice, 
 and had no reference whatever to any formal induc- 
 tion into office ; did not imply any ceremonial in- 
 vestiture, or setting apart to the functions of that 
 office. The New Testament calls an election to 
 office, ordination ; we call the setting apart of those 
 elected, ordination. Those who are jealous for 
 New Testament models, should correct their phrase- 
 ologies by the New Testament standard. 
 
 It may be fairly asked — admitting that ordination 
 in the New Testament sense was an election, an 
 appointment — Were not those, thus elected, set apart 
 by formal ceremonies to the discharge of their offi- 
 cial duties } This we can neither affirm nor deny. 
 We simply do not know. There is neither precept, 
 example, nor manifest inference to decide the ques- 
 
ORDINATION. 353 
 
 tion. It has usually been taken for granted that the 
 primitive ministry was inducted into office by formal 
 services, and that " prayer with the laying on of 
 hands," was the essential part of such ordination. 
 But this has been accepted as scriptural, not be- 
 cause it is found in the Scriptures, but because Pre- 
 latical and Presbyterial authorities have interpreted 
 the Scriptures by their own ecclesiastical usages, 
 rather than adjusted their usages to the New Testa- 
 ment teaching. They have seen Episcopal and 
 Presbyterian ordination in the New Testament be- 
 cause they saw it in their Church standards and 
 practices. Their scholars have largely so inter- 
 preted the text, and Baptists have accepted their 
 conclusions without even their justification. 
 
 2. The Laying on of Hands. 
 
 But does not Paul expressly declare to Timothy 
 that he was ordained and set apart to the work of 
 the ministry by the laying on of his hands and the 
 hands of the Presbytery } No ; he makes no such 
 declaration. Does he not enjoin Timothy not to 
 ordain any man hastily by suddenly laying hands 
 on him } No ; he makes no such declaration, as we 
 shall see. 
 
 The subject of " the laying on of hands " must be 
 
 treated very briefly in this place. It was an old 
 
 Jewish and common Oriental custom, by which 
 
 benedictions were conferred or invoked, and other 
 
 symbolical acts performed. Our Lord laid His 
 23 
 
354 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 hands on the sick to heal them ; on the little chil- 
 dren to bless them. The Apostles did the same. 
 But in the apostolic church this act was chiefly 
 associated with the special impartation of the Holy 
 Spirit. The Charismata was thus conferred. Peter 
 and John laid hands on the converts at Samaria, 
 and they received the Holy Ghost. So did Paul on 
 the twelve disciples at Ephesus. Ananias laid his 
 hands on Saul at Damascus that he might receive 
 his sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. Jesus, 
 after the resurrection, conferred the Holy Ghost by 
 breathing on His disciples. And His farewell bless- 
 ing, when He ascended, was conferred by the lifting 
 up of His hands. 
 
 Now, the apostolic precedents relied on to en- 
 force ceremonial ordination by the laying on of 
 hands, are the following : 
 
 I. The ordination of the Seven as related in Acts 
 6 : 1-6. The true ordination, i. e., the election in 
 this case was by the ** whole multitude," '* the mul- 
 titude of the disciples." 
 
 But this case is not in point, and constitutes no 
 argument ; since this setting apart was to a secular 
 office and not to a spiritual ministry ; to the serv- 
 ing of tables and not to preaching of the Word. An 
 induction into the Diaconate and not into the Epis- 
 copate. Moreover, this act was by inspired Apos- 
 tles, who have no successors. Neither the Diaconate, 
 the Episcopate, nor the Presbyterate can claim to 
 be the official successors of the Apostolate. Pre- 
 sumably this act was for their especial endowment 
 
ORDINATION. 355 
 
 by the Charismata. It has no authority unless it 
 be in the ordination of deacons. 
 
 2. The next precedent relied on is the case of 
 Barnabas and Saul, sent forth to the Gentiles by the 
 Church at Antioch, Acts 13 : 1-3. 
 
 But this was not an ordination in any technical 
 sense. Both these men had been engaged in the 
 active work of the ministry for years — not less than 
 eight or nine, possibly twelve, according to the best 
 chronological data. They were not here inducted 
 into the ministry, but designated to a new field of 
 work. Moreover, this designation was by the 
 special and express dictation of the Holy Ghost, 
 showing that it was not a common and customary, 
 but an extraordinary and wholly exceptional thing, 
 and therefore not an imitable example. Also, it is 
 wholly undetermined who laid hands on them, 
 whether the prophets, the elders, or the disciples 
 generally. 
 
 Dr. Hackett says : 
 
 " Paul was already a minister and an Apostle, and by this 
 service he and Barnabas were now merely set apart for the 
 accomplishment of a specific work. " — Com. in loco. 
 
 3. The next case usually quoted to the same end, 
 is Paul's injunctions to Timothy ; ** Neglect not the 
 gift that is in thee, which was given thee by 
 prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the 
 Presbytery."— I Tim. 4 : 14. Also, "Wherefore, I 
 put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of 
 
356 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 God, which is in thee, by the putting on of my 
 hands." — 2 Tim. i : 6. 
 
 These passages are held to prove primitive or- 
 dination by the laying on of hands. This inferen- 
 tial reasoning is quite of a piece with that which 
 proves primitive infant baptisms from the fact of 
 household baptisms. The fact is, the Apostle 
 makes not the least allusion to ordination in these 
 citations. He speaks expressly and only of *' the 
 gift of God " (to Charisma tou Theoti)^ which 
 had been bestowed by the laying on of hands. It 
 would do no more violence to the text to infer that 
 Paul laid his hands on the disciples to ordain them, 
 or that Peter laid his hands on the converts at Sa- 
 maria for the same purpose, than to say that the 
 above texts refer to Timothy's ordination. 
 
 Dr. Van Oosterzee, in Lange, says : 
 
 " There is here absolutely no mention of ordination in the 
 later hierarchical sense." — Coin, on 2 Tim. j : 6. 
 
 Dr. Ebrard, the continuator of Olshausen, says ; 
 
 " Ordination, in its later sense, is in no way referred to." 
 — Com. on 2 Tim. i: 6. 
 
 Dr. Olshausen says : 
 
 " In these passages, indeed, it is the laying on of hands for 
 the communication of the Spirit that is spoken of, not, how- 
 ever, for a definite sphere of duty or a special calling, but for 
 the general calling of the Christian."— 0?^. on i Tim. 4: 14, 
 
ORDINATION. 357 
 
 Dr. Van Oosterzee, in Lange, says : 
 
 " Laying on of hands. This was of old a symbol of th© 
 communication of the Holy Spirit." — Com. i Tim, 4: 14. 
 
 Dr. Whitby says : 
 
 " The Charisma, or gift here mentioned, being the gift of 
 the Holy Ghost, was usually conferred by the laying on of 
 the hands of an Apostle."— G?^. on 2 Tim. i : 6. 
 
 Dr. Gill says : 
 
 "And since gifts have ceased being conveyed this way, 
 the rite of laying on of hands in ordination seems useless and 
 of no avail." — Covi, on i Tim. 4: 14. 
 
 Dr. Conybeare says: 
 
 " The grace of God required for any particular office in 
 the early Church was conferred after prayer and the laying 
 on of hands. This imposition of hands was repeated when- 
 ever one was appointed to a new office or commission."—' 
 Com. on 2 Tim. i: 6, Note 6. 
 
 To say the very most for those who insist that 
 these passages refer to ordination, it must be con- 
 fessed the foundation is too slender and uncertain to 
 allow of resting on them any doctrine, or imposing 
 any ceremony that shall be regarded as essential to 
 the validity of ministerial acts. It is not strange 
 that many interpreters, looking at these passages 
 through their own standards and usages, should see 
 ordination recognized where the Apostle seemed to 
 see nothing but extraordinary spiritual gifts imparted 
 by the imposition of hands. 
 
358 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 4. We come lastly to mention the text much re- 
 lied on to prove ceremonial ordination as existing 
 in the apostolic Church; and while it fails to sub- 
 stantiate that doctrine, it is undoubtedly the strong- 
 est citation for that purpose that can be made from 
 the New Testament. It is i Tim. 5:22. — ** Lay 
 hands suddenly on no man." This is interpreted to 
 mean, " do not ordain and put into the ministry any 
 man, hastily." If it does refer to ordination, the 
 inference would be strong — though not conclusive — 
 that a custom prevailed, of inducting men into the 
 sacred office by the imposition of hands. But does 
 it refer to ordination ? It has generally been so in- 
 terpreted. But we learn to distrust the scholarship 
 which interprets the word of God under the bias of 
 ecclesiastical prepossession. 
 
 This passage stands near the end of a chapter 
 composed of a variety of preceptive injunctions, in 
 which Timothy is advised how he shall conduct the 
 various matters referred to among the churches. 
 The injunction immediately preceding is, '* Do 
 nothing through partiality." That immediately fol- 
 lowing is, " Neither be partakers of other men's 
 sins." The connection gives us no clew to its proper 
 application. 
 
 Dean Alford, while he believes that it refers 
 to ordination, cites DeWette, Wiesenger, Huther, 
 Hammond and EUicott, who interpret it of receiv- 
 ing back into the Church excommunicated persons, 
 as from the later testimony of Cyprian, the Nicene 
 Council, and other sources, is proved to have been 
 
ORDINATION. 359 
 
 the early practice ; except as Luther regards it as 
 simply a form of expressing an ecclesiastical bene- 
 diction. 
 
 Dr. Ebrard says : 
 
 " It should be understood of receiving into the Christian 
 fellowship in general, or of restoring to this fellowship those 
 that had fallen." He adds, " I prefer the latter view, with 
 DeWette, from regard to v. 20." " Baur explains the passage 
 principally of the restoration of heretics, of which he adduces 
 examples from a later period." This is also- his opinion, 
 though he does not regard the evidence as decisive. — Com. 
 in loco. 
 
 Dr. Hammond says : 
 
 "This belongs to the laying on of bishop's hands in ab- 
 solving penitents." — Com. in loco. 
 
 Dr. Van Oosterzee, in Lange, while he does 
 not feel sure as to the interpretation and application 
 of the w^ords, says : 
 
 '• But the question is, * To what laying on of hands does 
 the Apostle here refer?' According to DeWette he means 
 the admission of such as had been excluded from the Church 
 fellowship. Without doubt the connection favors this opin- 
 ion. And already, at an early day, the laying on of hands 
 was practiced as a sign of absolution for excommunicated or 
 heretical persons, restored into the pale of the Church." — 
 Com., I Tim. 3: 22. 
 
 Dr. Ellicott says : 
 
 " The preceding warning, however, and still more the de- 
 cided language of the following clause, appears to point so 
 
360 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 very clearly to some disciplinary functions, that it seems best, 
 with Hammond (so also DeWette and Wiesenger) to refer 
 these words to the Cheirothesia, on the absolution of peni- 
 tents and their re-admission to Church fellowship." — Com- 
 ment. i Tim. j / 22. 
 
 McKnight says : 
 
 "Lay hands suddenly on no man. Appoint no one to 
 any sacred office, hastily, without inquiry into his character 
 and qualifications." — Com. in loco. 
 
 Dr. Wm. B. Johnson, one of the most honored 
 of American Baptists, says : 
 
 " As there is not a solitary case in the New Testament of 
 ordination to the ministry by imposition of hands, I cannot 
 suppose that the direction of Paul to Timothy, to lay hands 
 suddenly on no man, does refer to imposition of hands in 
 ordination." — The Gospel Developed, pp. /jj, 1^6. 
 
 Dr. J. B. Jeter, a man acute, discriminating and 
 conservative, says : 
 
 "In the primitive age very little stress was laid on the 
 ceremonies attending the induction into office. The Apos- 
 tles laid on their hands several times to confer the gift of the 
 Holy Ghost; but never in confirmation of an appointment to 
 office — except in the case of the Seven." "There is no 
 scriptural proof that any elder or bishop of any Church was 
 ordained by the laying on of the hands of an Apostle, or of 
 any Christian minister." "In the apostolic times ordination 
 was simply an appointment to office." "A formal ordina- 
 tion service is not essential to the performance of ministerial 
 duties; but it is eminently becoming and useful. The ap- 
 pointment of a Church is the essence of ordination." — Relig- 
 ious Herald, editorial of May 2j, iSy6, 
 
ORDINATION. 361 
 
 An attempt to extort apostolic authority for a 
 ceremony deemed important, if not absolutely es- 
 sential, from a text so variously understood, in 
 which, with its contexts, Schleiermacher found *' an 
 extraordinary confusion," and which the best schol- 
 ars find it difficult to construe with satisfaction, 
 would be something more than absurd. 
 
 Note i. — Ordination, therefore, by the laying on of hands, 
 since not taught in the New Testament, by either precept, 
 example, or clear inference, is not essential nor obligatory. 
 
 Note 2. — While, however, it is not a matter of obligation, 
 it is also not contrary to the letter or spirit of the Scriptures, 
 and as a matter of Christian liberty, is permissible. 
 
 Note 3. — As a matter of liberty, also, the form and man- 
 ner of induction into the ministerial office is optional with 
 the churches and candidates for orders. 
 
 Note 4. — Uniformity in order among the churches is de- 
 sirable. But if uniformity be demanded as essential to ortho- 
 doxy, or to validity, in any thing not clearly taught in the 
 New Testament, then the demand should be resisted. Christ 
 is the only lawgiver for the churches. 
 
 J. Its Place among the Churches, 
 
 Our most orthodox Baptist churches formerly 
 practiced the laying on of hands upon persons bap- 
 tized. Some still practise it ; not a few believe it 
 of apostolic origin. Dr. David Benedict, the his- 
 torian, declares, "This was a practice of high au- 
 thority in our denomination in other countries, and 
 in this country it formerly prevailed much more ex- 
 tensively than at the present time."* When the 
 
 * Fifty Years Among the Baptists, p. 160. 
 
362 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 Philadelphia Association adopted the London Bap- 
 tist Confession of 1689, they added, Sept. 15, 1742, 
 an article (the 35th) beginning, '* We believe that 
 laying on hands with prayer, upon baptized believ- 
 ers, is an ordinance of Christ, and ought to be sub- 
 mitted unto by all such persons that are admitted 
 to partake of the Lord's supper."* This article, 
 however, was afterward omitted. 
 
 In the modern Roman Church imposition of hands 
 is deemed essential in the sacraments of ordination, 
 confirmation, and baptism. Also in the Anglican and 
 other Episcopal churches it is similarly used. In other 
 Protestant churches, our own included, it retains its 
 place only in ordination, in all of which it is insisted 
 on with a tendency to sacramental effect. 
 
 Ordination, therefore, by public prayer and the 
 imposition of hands by other ministers, is not essen- 
 tial to the genuineness of ministerial character or 
 the validity of ministerial acts. It does not make a 
 minister any more than inauguration makes the 
 president. He is president, de jure and de facto ^ by 
 virtue of his election, with all the rights, powers and 
 privileges which belong to the office, with or with- 
 out an inauguration. Such is the relation of ordina- 
 tion to the ministry. It is their inauguration, mak- 
 ing public the election, with the approval and 
 commendation of those who take part in the ser- 
 vices. And this only. 
 
 The fathers of New England orthodoxy took this 
 
 * See Cutting's Historical Vindications, p. 189. 
 
ORDINATION. 363 
 
 view of the matter ; even the rigid leaders of the 
 Standing Order 
 
 Cotton Mather said : 
 
 " Our fathers reckoned ordination not to be essential unto 
 the vocation of a minister, any more than coronation to the 
 being of a king; but that it is only a consequent and con- 
 venient adjunct of his vocation, and a solemn acknowledg- 
 ment of it, with a useful and proper benediction of him in 
 it." — Magnah'a, Vol. III., pp. 242-j. 
 
 Thomas Hooker said : 
 
 "It is plain that ordination presupposes an office consti- 
 tuted; does not constitute. Therefore it is not an act of 
 power, but of order." — Right and Power of Ordination. 
 
 The Cambridge Platform says : 
 
 " Ordination we account nothing else but the solemnly 
 putting a man into his place and office in the Church, where- 
 to he had right before by his election; being like the install- 
 ing of a magistrate in the commonwealth." — Chapter g, 
 sees. 2, 4. 
 
 Isaac Backus, clarum et venerabile nomen among 
 Baptists, said : 
 
 " And ordination of ministers is no more than swearing 
 them to be faithful in that office. Their being furnished 
 with grace and gifts for it is the most essential thing in the 
 affair."— ///j/. N. E. Churches, p. in. Phil, ed., 1833. 
 
 Dr. Knapp says : 
 
 " That a religious teacher should be solemnly consecrated 
 to his office, or ordained, is indeed useful, both to the teacher 
 
364 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 himself and to the Church. But in itself considered it is not 
 a matter juris divino. It is nowhere expressly commanded 
 of God, and contributes nothing, considered as an external 
 ceremony, to efficiency and activity in the sacred office." — 
 Christ. TheoL, p. 477, 21st Am. ed. 
 
 To induct a minister into the sacred office to 
 which he has been chosen by some public service, 
 though required by no scriptural authority, is there- 
 fore, nevertheless, becoming, appropriate and im- 
 pressive. The kind of service and the form of the 
 ceremony may well be left to those directly inter- 
 ested to decide.* 
 
 II. BY WHOM IS ORDINATION.? 
 
 Admitting that, for the sake of order, ceremonial 
 ordination should be continued, where resides the 
 right and the power to set men apart to this service } 
 Is it in a Church, or in a Council or Presbytery } 
 
 The answer is brief, and should be conclusive. 
 The right of ordination is inherent in the Church; 
 and in no other body of men whatever. This con- 
 clusion is inevitable to those who hold to Church 
 
 * It would be difficult to conceive of a more impressive ordina- 
 tion service than that of the celebrated Robert Hall, by the Church 
 of which he was a member, and of which his father was pastor, at 
 Arnsby, England. Of this we have an account in his memoirs 
 by Dr. Olinthus Gregory, copied from the Church records. 
 After a careful examination of the candidate by his father and the 
 Church, and an appropriate sermon preached by his father, the 
 Church set him apart " by lifting up their right hands, and solemn 
 prayer."— ^a//* J Works, Vol. III., p. 8. 
 
ORDINATION. 365 
 
 independency, and repudiate sacramental ordination 
 and hierarchical assumptions, as Baptists do. The 
 contrary claim, that the right inheres in a Council 
 or Presbytery, and that the ceremony must be per- 
 formed by those who have had hands laid on them, 
 in order to be valid, is so preposterous, that no man 
 should make it unless he be prepared to defend holy 
 orders by Episcopal hands as a sacrament, with an 
 uninterrupted apostolical succession. For to that 
 he must be finally driven. 
 
 That the right of ordination resides in the local, 
 visible Church — though ministers may be called 
 upon to advise in the matter, and to perform the 
 public services — will be evident from the following 
 considerations : 
 
 I. Because all ecclesiastical authority resides in 
 the local Church. This is the only organic form of 
 Christian life divinely appointed. Christ instituted 
 no society but the Church, and to it He committed 
 authority to administer His laws. This is the Bap- 
 tist doctrine, held, taught and defended, always and 
 everywhere. Councils and Presbyteries, as organ- 
 ized bodies, are of human, not of divine origin or 
 authority, and cannot be essential to, much less 
 supersede, the Church in the performance of any 
 ecclesiastical functions. 
 
 Dr. Francis Wayland says : 
 
 " While we believe that men are to be set apart for the 
 duties of the ministry, in whom we see the evidence of min- 
 isterial gifts, yet, that it is the Church itself — by which I 
 
366 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 mean, not the clergy, but the whole body of Christians — 
 which sets them apart; and that when thus appointed to this 
 work, they are, by this act, rendered no better or holier than 
 their brethren." — Principles and Practices, p. Jji. 
 
 A Council is created by the Church which con« 
 venes it. Now to suppose that a Church has not 
 power to ordain, while a Council has, is to suppose 
 that the body created has more power than that 
 which created it. Moreover, the Council has no in- 
 herent power, and possesses only what the Church 
 which called it has conferred upon it. It is, there- 
 fore absurd to suppose the Council can do more 
 than the Church. 
 
 And further, Christ gave to the churches pastors 
 and teachers. But if Councils hold the right to or- 
 dain, the churches cannot enjoy these most impor- 
 tant gifts of ministerial service divinely bestowed, 
 without the consent of a Council, a body of men 
 for which the great Head of the Church made no 
 provision. 
 
 2. Because a Church is a body complete in itself 
 as to authority, though without officers. It has 
 power to create officers out of its own members, and 
 set them apart to the service for which they may be 
 chosen, by any form or ceremony it may choose, or 
 without any ceremony, at its option. The right to 
 choose and enjoy the ministry of its own religious 
 teachers, without let or hindrance from any, is one 
 of the primary rights with which Chrij^t has invested 
 His churches.* 
 
 * See chapter on Councils. 
 
ORDINATION. 367 
 
 Haynes says: 
 
 " The Church is competent to make her own ministers, as 
 far as man can make them, and this she always does among 
 the Baptists. She authorizes him to preach by her own H- 
 cense, which is granted or withheld, as she thinks best. The 
 essential act in ordination is her election of him for the pur- 
 pose, and he may become a minister or a pastor without the 
 agency of the Presbytery." — Baptist Denomination, p. 2^0. 
 
 3. Because that in the primitive churches, though 
 there was an apostleship and a discipleship, there 
 was no such division into clergy and laity as after- 
 ward sprang up and now prevails. There was no 
 official caste or class, save as the Holy Spirit, 
 working in each, developed certain gracious capa- 
 bilities, which the churches used for the edification 
 of the body. It was neither clei'ic nor laic, but a 
 common discipleship. All alike constituted a holy 
 priesthood, ordained to offer spiritual sacrifices unto 
 God. And the churches selected and elected teach- 
 ers and leaders, as the fitting qualifications were 
 developed which commended the individuals.* 
 
 Dean Stanley said: 
 
 " The Church, the Christian society, existed in those faith- 
 ful followers, even from the beginning, and will doubtless last 
 unto the end." " But even for years after the Lord's depart- 
 ure such a society existed without a separate order of clergy." 
 — Christ. Institutions, p. 17 g. 
 
 It is indisputable that after the primitive age the 
 common discipleship was divided by this class-dis» 
 
 * See chapters on the Ministry for other authorities. 
 
368 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 tinction into clergy and laity. Then developed the 
 hierarchical tendency to wrest ecclesiastical author- 
 ity from the churches and vest it in an ambitious 
 clergy. Especially did this tendency show itself in 
 the claim that the right of ordination belonged ex- 
 clusively to the clergy. For in no other way could 
 they so effectually dominate the churches as by 
 holding in their own hands the exclusive right to 
 consecrate and invest their pastors. This right con- 
 ceded, the churches were powerless in the grasp of 
 their despotic spiritual rulers. The demand now 
 for an exclusive clerical ordination has this same 
 hierarchical tendency for its germ and life. 
 
 Dr. Crowell said: 
 
 "It is evident that the right to consecrate is involved in 
 the right to elect; and this right, as we have seen, the Lord 
 Jesus Christ has vested in each Church." " The choice or 
 election of a man to the ministry is a greater act than that of 
 consecration or induction into office. Consequently, the 
 Church, which is competent to do the greater, must possess 
 in itself the power essential to the valid performance of the 
 less." — Ch. Members Manual, pp. 106-7. 
 
 Dr. Dexter says: 
 
 " If ordination is the mere solemn installing of a function- 
 ary, previously appointed, in the place to which he has been 
 chosen, since the putting in the place is a lesser act than the 
 electing to the place, and since the Church has done the 
 greater, it must follow that the power must rest with it to do 
 the less. So that, if a Church may elect its pastor, it may 
 ordain him — which is but the carrying out of that election to 
 its full completion and result." — Congregationalism, p. 14.1, 
 
ORDINATION. 369 
 
 Dr. Wm. B. Johnson said: 
 
 "The sole power of ordaining to the pastorate or bish- 
 opric is lodged with the churches." — Gospel Developed, pp, 
 133. 144. 
 
 Dr. Strong says: 
 
 " It is always to be remembered, however, that the power 
 to ordain rests with the Church ; and that the Church may 
 proceed without a Council, or even against the decisions of a 
 Council. Such ordination, of course, would give authority 
 only within the bounds of the individual Church." — System- 
 atic Theology, p. ^14. 
 
 Dr. Wellman said: 
 
 " It should not only be understood, but it should be more 
 distinctly and formally acknowledged than it usually is, both 
 by the ordaining Council and the members of the Church, 
 that the ordaining power is vested in the Church, and not in 
 the Council." — Church Polity of the Pilgrims, p. 114. Cited 
 by Dexter, p. 61, note. 
 
 4. Because the claim made by some, that while 
 a Church may have the right to ordain or set apart 
 a minister for themselves, ordination by a Council 
 makes one a minister for the whole denoininatioriy is 
 false, illogical and absurd. A Church cannot, in- 
 deed, make a man a minister to any but themselves. 
 The fact that they had chosen him and approved 
 his ministry, would to that extent give him credit 
 with other churches. Nor yet can a Council do 
 any more than give a man the credit of their ap- 
 proval and commendation. They cannot make him 
 
 a minister for any Church save that one which 
 24 
 
370 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 asked their advice and cooperation in his ordina- 
 tion. 
 
 It js preposterous to claim that a Council can 
 assure the confidence and fellowship of the entire 
 denomination to any man on whom they may lay 
 their hands. What is the denomination ? It is 
 not an organic entity; it has no corporate exist- 
 ence; it is not an ecclesiastical body; it has nei- 
 ther organization, laws nor officers, and has no 
 means of expressing approval or dissent. It is a 
 mere conception of the aggregate of all the churches. 
 The ministers who lead and direct its activities are 
 not the denomination ;,the journals that speak to 
 and for it are not the denomination ; and in the 
 sense in which it is so often appealed to, or spoken 
 for, it is a fiction. 
 
 When, therefore, did the denomination authorize 
 a Council or Presbytery to ordain a man into its 
 ministry, or give him the credit of its fellowship 
 throughout the land } What havoc it makes with 
 our theory of Church life, to claim that a Council 
 sitting in Maine or Vermont can make a man an 
 accredited minister for all the churches in Missis- 
 sippi or Texas or Montana; or that a Presbytery 
 acting in New York can give a man the fellowship 
 of the churches in Chicago, St. Louis or San Fran- 
 cisco, and elsewhere and everywhere. 
 
 And since it is by this same theory claimed that 
 a Council is necessary to depose an unworthy man, 
 because a Church can neither make nor unmake a 
 minister, we have such inconsistency and confusion 
 
ORDINATION. 3/1 
 
 as this. A Council in Massachusetts ordains a man 
 and makes a minister of him for the whole denomi- 
 nation, it is said; while a Council in Virginia, for 
 cause, deposes him, and thereby unmakes a minis- 
 ter of him for the whole denomination ! And nei- 
 ther Council knew what the other had done, or that 
 it existed ; and the denomination — that mythical 
 something — was ignorant of what both had done, 
 while trading on its credit and acting without its 
 authority. This whole theory of Council authority 
 is false, untenable and pernicious. There is no such 
 discrimination to be made in favor of the power of 
 a Council, and against the power of a Church in the 
 ordination and deposition of ministers. All that a 
 Council can do is to examine, advise and assist a 
 Church when called upon to do so. 
 
 It is right, however, for the sake of order, cour- 
 tesy, and prudence, that the churches consult and 
 cooperate with each other. But if this be insisted 
 upon as a matter of necessity, then we protest, and 
 fall back on what the fathers called *' the power of 
 the keys," committed by Christ to the churches. 
 Uniformity in order is greatly desirable. But when 
 uniformity is made compulsory by making it essen- 
 tial in things not vital, then nonconformity becomes 
 a virtue and is to be commended. 
 
 John Cotton said : 
 
 "The warrant by which each particular Church doth de. 
 pute some of their own body, though not presbyters, to lay 
 their hands on those whom they have chosen to be their 
 
372 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 presbyters, is grounded upon ' the power of the keys ' which 
 the Lord Jesus Christ hath given to the churches."— Way of 
 the Churches, p, 43. 
 
 John Robinson, John Davenport, Thomas Hooker, 
 Samuel Mather, and the other fathers of New Eng- 
 land Congregationalism, held the same opinion. 
 Usually, and orderly, of course, they held that the 
 elders, when present, or easily accessible, should 
 perform this service, just as when present they 
 should conduct other religious services ; but their 
 presence and assistance was not iinperative. The 
 power was in the churches. 
 
 The Cambridge Platform, their standard of 
 Church order, says : 
 
 " In such churches where there are no elders, imposition 
 of hands may be performed by some of the brethren, orderly 
 chosen by the Church thereto. For if the people may elect 
 officers, which is the greater, and wherein the substance of 
 the office consists, they may much more (occasion and need 
 so requiring), impose hands in ordination, which is less, and 
 but the accomplishment of the other." 
 
 Dr. Francis Wayland, on methods of admit- 
 ting to the ministry, says : 
 
 " I believe that our mode is not only as good as any other, 
 but that it is more nearly than any other conformed to the 
 principles of the New Testament. Let our churches, then, 
 never surrender the authority to single ministers, or to Coun- 
 cils, or to any other organization whatever. I believe that 
 Christ has placed it in their hands, and they have no right 
 to delegate it. Let them use it in the manner required by 
 
ORDINATION. 373 
 
 the Master, and it can be placed in no safer hands." — Prin- 
 ciples and Prac. of Bapt. Chs. , p. 100. 
 
 III. WHAT IS THE EFFECT OF ORDINATION? 
 
 What does ordination do for a man } What is he 
 different after it, from what he was before "i Does 
 it impart any new rights, powers, privileges or 
 qualifications to him } 
 
 It is not usually claimed — certainly not among 
 Baptists — that ordination endows the candidate with 
 any intellectual, moral, or spiritual grace which he 
 did not before possess. To claim that it did would 
 place them in the ranks of sacramentarians, who 
 see, in the imposition of hands, the pledge of special 
 spiritual gifts, as in apostolic times. But this ques- 
 tion is answered by prevailing custom and current 
 Christian sentiment thus: the ordained minister can 
 lawfully solemnize marriage, administer the ordi- 
 nances, and lay hands on others, which the unor- 
 dained cannot lawfully do. Is this true } 
 
 Marriage is held by law to be a civil contract, 
 and its conditions prescribed by statute. The vari- 
 ous classes of persons permitted to take the ac- 
 knowledgments of the contracting parties, are 
 specified. Among these are accredited clergymen 
 of the various denominations, so recognized by the 
 usages of their own churches. An unordained per- 
 son, in the eyes of the law, is not a clergyman, and 
 therefore is not legally qualified to solemnize mar- 
 riage, although the marriage contract is not invali- 
 dated by such defect, when so performed; but he 
 
374 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 who marries the parties, being thus disqualified, is 
 subject to complaint and fine. A licentiate is not, 
 in a legal sense, a qualified minister. 
 
 As to imposition of hands in the ordination of 
 ministers, any one whom the Church may select is 
 competent for this service. It is customary and 
 proper for ministers to do it, if such be present, just 
 as it is proper for them to read the Scriptures, give 
 out the hymns, and make the addresses. But as to 
 its validity and lawfulness, the one is just as good 
 as the other. 
 
 This question then remains. Is it right and proper 
 for an unordained man to administer the ordinances ? 
 The prevailing opinion is, that he has no such right 
 until the hands of the Presbytery have been laid on 
 him — an opinion that finds no warrant in the New 
 Testament. It is every way proper and becoming 
 for an accredited minister to baptize, and preside 
 at the observance of the Lord's Supper, just as it is 
 proper for him to preside at any other religious ser- 
 vice. But it is a notable inconsistency that current 
 religious opinion will welcome almost any man into 
 the pulpit, who can talk, even though his talk be 
 little more than a travesty of Gospel preaching, and 
 yet insist that the administration of the ordinances 
 is too holy a service for any unordained man to per- 
 form. 
 
 Paul made it a strong point that he did not bap- 
 tize, except in a very few cases.* His call Vas to 
 the higher office of preaching the Gospel. The 
 * I Cor. I : 14, 15. 
 
ORDINATION. 375 
 
 ordinances were committed to the disciples. And 
 this arose from no depreciation of the ordinances, 
 but from the fact that higher spiritual qualifications 
 had been imparted to him, as an ambassador of 
 Christ, for the work of the ministry. Any of the 
 " royal priesthood " of the discipleship could baptize 
 converts, and break the loaf and fill the cup at the 
 Supper; preaching the Gospel was a higher function. 
 There is no evidence in the New Testament that 
 any Apostle presided at the "breaking of bread," 
 and scanty evidence that they baptized converts — 
 beyond the few baptized by Paul. They may have 
 done it, but if so, we lack the evidence. The 
 beauty and impressiveness of these sacred symbols 
 do not depend on the administration — only so that 
 they be decently and reverently served — but on the 
 inherent sanctity of the ordinances themselves. 
 Many small and feeble churches go without the 
 ordinances for months, or years, because no or- 
 dained minister is accessible to serve them. This 
 is all wrong. Let them select some deacon, or 
 private member to serve in this capacity, as they 
 would choose one to lead a prayer-meeting. The 
 ordinances were committed to the churches; and 
 Christ's institutions should not be neglected. The 
 neglect of these by the pastorless churches is one 
 cause of their long-continued weakness and decline. 
 
 Tertullian said: 
 
 " In itself considered, the laity also have also the right to 
 administer the sacraments, and to teach in the community. 
 
376 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 The Word of God and the sacraments were communicated 
 to all, and may therefore be communicated by all Christians, 
 as instruments of Divine grace." " If we look at the order 
 necessary to be maintained in the Church, the laity are to 
 exercise their priestly rights of administering the sacraments 
 only when the time and the circumstances require it." — Bap- 
 tism, chap. 17, Cited by Neander, Ch. Hist,, Vol. I., p. Tg6. 
 
 MOSHEIM says: 
 
 " At first, all who were engaged in propagating Chris- 
 tianity, administered this ordinance [baptism] nor can it be 
 called in question that whoever persuaded any person to em- 
 brace Christianity, could baptize his own disciple." — Eccl. 
 Hist. , Cent. I. , part II. , chap. 4, sec. 8. 
 
 Dr. Jacobs says : 
 
 " There are positively no sacred rites or acts which it is de- 
 clared in the New Testament must be administered by men 
 ordained or in any way separated from the general body of 
 Christians. The two sacraments are justly considered the 
 most solemn of Christian ordinances. But even of them such 
 administration is nowhere commanded." — Eccl. Polity of the 
 New Testament, p. 144. 
 
 Dr. Pressense declares : 
 
 "That the words of St. Paul to the Corinthians imply 
 that all Christians might break the bread and bless the cup 
 at the Lord's Supper, and not an officiating minister only. 
 For he says: 'The bread which we break, and the cup of 
 blessing which we bless.' " — Vol. II., p. 224. 
 
 Pr.OF. Curtis says: 
 
 *' Originally every Church member, as such, was an evan- 
 gelist wherever he could be. As Neander has shown, and all 
 
ORDINATION. 377 
 
 Church history proves, the distinction between the clergy and 
 laity was much less marked at first. In regard to the admin- 
 istration of baptism, this was quite as much the case as in 
 teaching. It belonged to the original priesthood of all, at 
 first, or was, at least, committed to them, except as limited by 
 the Church." — Prog. Bap. Principles, pp. 2g8-gg. 
 
 Dr. Charles Hodge, while he believes that the 
 common and orderly way of serving the ordinances 
 is by an ordained minister, yet says: 
 
 " If baptism be a washing with water, in the name of the 
 Holy Ghost to signify and seal the ingrafting into Christ, 
 does it cease to do this, if not administered by an ordained 
 minister ? Does not the man thus baptized make a profession 
 of his faith? " "Can it therefore be any more invalid than 
 the Gospel preached by a layman ? " — Systematic Theology, 
 Vol. III., p. 523. Ed. 1875. 
 
 Dr. Davidson says: 
 
 "Thus when a Church has no elders, the members may 
 legitimately partake of the Supper. An elder's presence is not 
 essential to the validity of it. It is desirable, because the pre- 
 sumption is, that such an one is better qualified to lead the 
 devotions of the brethren than an individual selected from 
 among themselves. " ' ' But it is certainly unnecessary to send 
 for the elders of another Church ; for such an one bears no of- 
 ficial relation to any society except his own." " When a 
 Church, therefore, is without an elder or pastor, let them by 
 all means partake of the Supper; It is their duty and privilege 
 to do so. To neglect it is culpable." " A deacon selected 
 by the brethren may preside." " There is no one passage in 
 the New Testament which proves that it is the exclusive right 
 of the elders to baptize. And yet the notion is tenaciously 
 held. Coming as it does from the Church of Rome, and re- 
 ceived from that source by the Protestant Episcopal Church, 
 
3/8 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 it has taken hold of other denominations." — EccL Polity of 
 the N. T., pp. 280, 283-86. 
 
 Dr. Lyman Coleman says: 
 
 " The duty of administering the ordinance [baptism] does 
 not appear to have been restricted to any office in the Church. " 
 " Lay baptism, of which frequent mention is made in the 
 early history of the Church, was undoubtedly treated as valid 
 by the laws and usages of the ancient Church." Of the Sup- 
 per he says: " Nothing is said in the New Testament re- 
 specting the person whose prerogative it is to administer 
 this sacrament." — Ancient Christ. Exemp., pp. jgo, 2-427, 
 
 Dr. Henry M. Dexter says: 
 
 " The supposed need in the case of evangelists and mis- 
 sionaries grows out of the assumption that only an ordained 
 person has the right to administer baptism and the Lord's 
 Supper. But that assumption is a legacy of Popery which 
 Congregationalism will do well to decline; since the Bible 
 does neither affirm nor endorse it. Scripturally one of the 
 deacons, or any brother of the Church whom it may authorize 
 for the purpose, is competent — in the absence of the pastor — 
 to baptize, or preside at the remembrance of Christ at the 
 Lord's Supper." — Congregationalism, pp. iJ^-^J. 
 
 Dr. Leonard Bacon says: 
 
 "I have found nothing in the Bible, and nothing in what 
 I have seen of the earliest Christian writers, which implies 
 that it was the peculiar duty, or the peculiar honor of this or 
 that officer, to administer baptism." — Manual of Ch. Polity ^ 
 
 Dr. Daniel Curry, than whom there has been no 
 abler man in the Methodist Episcopal Church, says: 
 
 **The sumpf th^ whole matter is, that whosoever is called 
 
ORDINATION. 379 
 
 of God is thereby invested with all the essential characteristics 
 and prerogatives of a Gospel minister; and whether inducted 
 by one form or another, or without any form, and acknowl- 
 edged by no fellow-minister, he has an indefeasible right, de 
 jure dtvino, to administer the sacraments and ordinances, and 
 feed the flock of Christ. And if occasion requires, he may 
 recognize other ministers by solemn forms, and appropriate 
 ceremonies." — Editorial, Christian Advocate, Nov. ii, iSy^. 
 
 Andrew Fuller said: 
 
 " It appears to me that every approved teacher of God's 
 Word, whether ordained the pastor of a particular Church or 
 not, is authorized to baptize." " I see nothing objectionable, 
 if, when a Church is destitute of a pastor, it [the Supper] was 
 administered by a deacon, or an aged brother. I know of no 
 Scripture authority for confining it to ministers. Nay, I do 
 not recall any mention in the Scriptures of a minister being 
 employed in it, unless we reckon our Lord one." — Works, 
 Vol. III., p. 494. Phil. Ed., 1845. 
 
 Dr. Francis Wayland says : 
 
 "I know that we restrict to the ministry the administra- 
 tion of the ordinances; and to this rule I think there can be 
 no objection. But we all know that for this restriction we 
 have no example in the New Testament." — Sermons to the 
 Churches, p. 33. Ed. 1838. 
 
 Dr. Richard Fuller, while he approves the 
 present usage, yet says : 
 
 " Suppose, however, there is a Church that has no ordained 
 pastor; I grieve to say that there is so much popery among 
 us that some churches in remote places go without the Sup- 
 per for years because they cannot get a Baptist priest to con- 
 secrate the elements. " "As to the abstract question whether 
 
38o THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 an ordained minister is necessary for the ordinances, I an- 
 swer, no. Andrew Fuller, Robert Hall, and all our eminent 
 men were of one sentiment here." — Autograph letter to the 
 author, Sept. 12, 1876. 
 
 Dr. Howard Malcom says : 
 
 " I cannot see that baptism can only be rightly performed 
 by an ordained minister. It would be just as valid if done 
 by any private member. The qualification belongs only to 
 the candidate. Hence, a Church without a pastor may desig- 
 nate any member to baptize, or break bread at the Lord's 
 Supper." — Autograph letter to the author, Sept. y, iSyd. 
 
 Dr. Galusha Anderson says : 
 
 " There is not a scrap of evidence in the New Testament 
 that either baptism or the Lord's Supper was administered 
 by the elders, or bishops, or pastors of the churches. That 
 they did administer the ordinances I think quite probable, 
 but there is no record of it in the Scriptures. " * ' Churches may 
 not only authorize unordained persons to administer the 
 ordinances, but I think they are bound so to do, rather than 
 suffer them to be neglected. The idea that the humblest 
 band of believers cannot baptize converts to Christ, nor 
 remember their Savior by breaking bread, is, to a New Tes- 
 tament student, absurd." — Autograph letter to the author ^ 
 dated Feb. 16, jSyj. 
 
 The Baptist Confession of Faith, issued in 
 London, 1643, by seven congregations, as a vindi- 
 cation against the aspersions of their enemies, says : 
 
 "The person designed by Christ to dispense baptism, the 
 Scripture holds forth to be a disciple, it being nowhere tied 
 to a particular Church officer, or person extraordinarily sent, 
 the commission enjoining the administration being given to 
 
Ordination. 381 
 
 them as considered disciples, being men able to preach the 
 Gospel." — Article 41. See Meal's Hist. Puritans, Ap., and 
 Cutting's Hist. Vindications. 
 
 More need not be said on this point. Ordination 
 does this for a man — this, and nothing more — it ac- 
 credits him to the churches and the public by the 
 moral force which the approval and commendation 
 of the men engaged in the ordination service carries 
 with it. Their certificate is a testimonial to the 
 Church and to the religious community. Nor do I 
 think much of the claim that Councils protect the 
 churches against unworthy men, who otherwise 
 would force themselves into the ministry. I do not 
 see but Councils are about as easily deceived by im- 
 postors as are the churches themselves. Probably 
 all the clerical cheats and rascals who deceive 
 and destroy the churches have successfully passed 
 the examination of Councils, received their com- 
 mendation, had hands laid upon their heads, and 
 gone out with their letters of credit in their pockets. 
 Presbyteries are a bulwark of gossamer against the 
 inroads of wolves in sheep's clothing intent to prey 
 upon the flock. Councils usually do what they are 
 asked to do. Churches should themselves be more 
 wary and cautious, and, perhaps, would be if they 
 had no Council upon whom to throw the responsi- 
 bility which they themselves should bear. 
 
 IV. IS ORDINATION TO BE REPEATED > 
 There is but this other question that needs here 
 
3^2 THE NEW DIRECTOkY. 
 
 to be considered, viz., Is the effect of ordination per- 
 manent or transient ? 
 
 Does it confer an indelible ministerial character ? 
 Or, does it need to be repeated ? If the minister 
 should lapse from the faith, be deposed, or leave the 
 sacred for a secular calling, and be restored, or re- 
 turn, would ordination need to be repeated ? Or, if 
 he pass from one denomination to another, is he to 
 be reordained by new forms ? or will his old inves- 
 titure be deemed sufficient and accepted as valid ? 
 The former aspects of the question, as to the char- 
 acter indelibilis, have occupied a large place in the 
 polemical disputations of past centuries. In these, 
 however, we have small interest, and on them we 
 need not dwell. The only aspect of the case with 
 which we have much concern is that of r^-ordina- 
 tion or recognition. 
 
 Should a minister, who comes among us from 
 another denomination, be ordained^ or simply recog- 
 nized? Do we accept his former ordination, if 
 among evangelical Churches, or do we not .'^ To 
 this. Baptist sentiment answers Yes^ and No. Some 
 do; others do not. And it is perfectly immaterial 
 which side of the question one accepts and defends. 
 Both are equally orthodox, and whichever the can- 
 didate, and the Church of which he is to be pastor, 
 should prefer would be safe to adopt. Just at pres- 
 ent the tide sets rather in favor of reordination; and 
 perhaps this, on the whole, is the wiser course, 
 since each Christian communion has its own method 
 ?^f induction into office. Baptists may well make 
 
ORDINATION. 383 
 
 theirs uniform in all cases of men set apart to the 
 ministry among them. It can be no reflection on 
 the sanctity of methods in other churches for us to 
 pursue our own. 
 
 The difference between ordination and recognition 
 lies mainly in this, that in the former there is an ex- 
 amination of the candidate, and the imposition of 
 hands ; in the latter these are omitted. But if a 
 Council be called, there is no good reason why they 
 should not examine the candidate sufficiently to 
 satisfy them of his fitness for the ministry — and, in- 
 deed, for the Baptist ministry. And the imposition 
 of hands would be quite as appropriate in this as in 
 any other case, and would be sanctioned by the set- 
 ting apart of Barnabas and Saul at Antioch, on 
 whom hands were laid after having been many years 
 in the ministry; they were thus sent forth to a new 
 field of labor with fraternal benedictions. 
 
 Let the question, therefore, be answered as fol- 
 lows : 
 
 I. Reordination is not necessary. For the sub- 
 stance of the first ordination — if it were to an evan- 
 gelical ministry — was to recognize a divine call to, 
 and a fitness for, that ministry, and to send the man 
 forth with commendation to the work. His "setting 
 apart" was not, presumably, to a ministry of denomi- 
 national specialties, but to a dispensation of the 
 word first; the other followed, of consequence, from 
 his position. To insist that ordination is essential, 
 is to insist that he was not set apart to an evangel- 
 ical service. Moreover, to demand reordination on 
 
384 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 the ground that it makes him an accredited and law- 
 ful minister to the whole denomination, proceeds on 
 the assumption that a Council called by one Church 
 can give a minister credit with all other churches, 
 an assumption somewhat too lofty for the character- 
 istic modesty of Baptists. That assumption has 
 already been discussed. 
 
 2. Reordination, or recognition, whichever the 
 Church and the candidate may prefer, is equally 
 effective, and a matter of indifference. The purpose 
 and the effect of both are the same. Some public 
 service would be appropriate; and an examination 
 of the candidate, on points which distinguished his 
 former ecclesiastical relations from those which he 
 has now assumed, would perhaps be needful. Oth- 
 erwise they could not give him their fellowship and 
 commendation in his new position. 
 
 3. To insist on the invalidity of all except denomi- 
 national ordination is to enter the list for a defense 
 of sacramentarianism, and to stand challenged be- 
 fore the Christian world for the proof of an unbroken 
 succession of sacred orders. This would be as im- 
 possible to prove, as it would be useless if proven. 
 We cannot accept the baptism of other denomina- 
 tions because it is not baptism, but sprinkling. It is 
 defective both in substance and in form. It is quite 
 otherwise with ordination, since both the form and 
 the substance in the various communions are virtu- 
 ally the same. And if they be not, there is no 
 authoritative Scriptural standard by which to be 
 guided, as in the case of baptism. 
 
ORDINATION. 385 
 
 4. Whether ordination be supposed to represent 
 the verity of a divine call, or the validity of ministerial 
 acts, in either case recognition and ordination stand 
 on the same ground. The one is as effectual in 
 ascertaining his call, and declaring his authority, as 
 the other, if what has heretofore been shown is to 
 be accepted, since ordination is not to empower, but 
 to approve. 
 
 5. The claim that the action of a Council or a 
 Presbytery can accredit a minister to the whole de- 
 nomination is to be emphatically denied. With 
 other denominations, which consist of a confedera- 
 tion of churches, or societies, bound together in one 
 general ecclesiastical system, represented and con- 
 trolled by a central legislative body, with Church 
 judicatories, it is different. They put men into the 
 ministry by established laws and usages, which are 
 authoritative to all, and command the recognition 
 of all the churches. No central body is empowered 
 to act for our denomination in anything. Common 
 usage is to be respected, but is not authoritative. 
 
 6. In the absence of special and weighty reasons 
 in favor of recognition it would, perhaps, on the 
 whole, be wise and prudent to reordain ministers 
 who come to us from other denominations, and thus, 
 so far as may be, unify the order of our Churches. 
 This course would probably harmonize with the cur- 
 rent drift of sentiment on this subject, while no valid 
 objection could ordinarily be urged against it. 
 
 26 
 
CHAPTER XV. 
 
 CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 
 
 BAPTISMAL PROPOSITIONS. 
 
 The subject of baptism constitutes one of the 
 primary and fundamental discussions between Bap- 
 tists and other Christian denominations, and has 
 reference to the form and uses of that ordinance. 
 The following propositions set forth the nature and 
 extent of the controversy, the proof of which prop- 
 ositions will amply justify the Baptist position on 
 that subject. 
 
 Prop. I. — That the baptism which John admin- 
 istered, which Jesus received and enjoined, and 
 which the Apostles practised, was an immersion^ a 
 dipping, an entire submergence of the person bap- 
 tized, in water, on a profession of repentance and 
 faith in Christ. 
 
 Prop. II. — That this same baptism of immersion 
 was used by the Apostles and disciples of our Lord, 
 and by the primitive churches, without any known 
 exception, for more than two hundred years after 
 Christ. 
 
 .386 
 
CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 38^ 
 
 Prop. III. — That the first recorded departure from 
 the practice o{ immersion in baptism was, about A. D. 
 250, in the case of Novatian, affused on his sick- 
 bed, being, as was supposed, incapable of baptism. 
 No earlier instance is known to history. 
 
 Prop. IV. — That from this Wm^ pouring, or sprink- 
 ling, for baptism, was occasionally resorted to as 
 substitutes, in cases of sick persons, called clinics ; 
 hence clinic baptism came into use in emergen- 
 cies. 
 
 Prop. V. — That for more than thirteen hundred 
 years immersion was the prevailing practice of Chris- 
 tian churches throughout the world in the adminis- 
 tration of baptism. 
 
 Prop. VI. — That the Greek and other Oriental 
 churches have never abandoned the primitive mode, 
 but still practise dipping, whether in the case of 
 adults or of infants, in all climates, and at all sea- 
 sons of the year. 
 
 Prop. VII. — That the substitution oi aspersion for 
 immersion was one of the corruptions of the Papal 
 Church, transmitted to, and accepted by, the Prot- 
 estant Christians in later times. 
 
 Prop. VIII. — That, after the Reformation, sprink- 
 ling for baptism came into general use among Prot- 
 estant Christians in Europe, by whom it v/as trans- 
 mitted to Protestant churches in America. 
 
 Prop. IX. — That the leading scholarship of the 
 world declares that the meaning of the Greek word 
 baptize is to immerse, and that immersion was the 
 original Scriptural baptism; while sprinkling and 
 
388 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 pouring are conceded substitutes, used for conven- 
 ience only, and are without divine authority. 
 
 Prop. X. — That more than half the nominal 
 Christians in the world still practise immersion in 
 baptism, denying the validity of any other form, 
 while all Christians, the world over, hold such bap- 
 tism to be validy primitive and Scriptural. 
 
 If these propositions be proven, it ought to end 
 the controversy — certainly, with candid and un- 
 biased minds. But the force of education, social re- 
 lations and religious predilections are often more 
 powerful to influence conduct than the combined 
 energies of truth, judgment, and conscience. The in- 
 junction of our Lord was and still is: *' If ye love me, 
 keep my commandments." Cotton Mather's words 
 could not have a more appropriate or emphatic appli- 
 cation than to such a case: ** Let a precept be never 
 so difficult to obey, or never so distasteful to flesh 
 and blood, yet if I see it is God's command, my soul 
 says, it is good; let me obey it till I die." 
 
 Let it be distinctly understood, however, that all the 
 eminent and learned authorities hereafter cited are 
 Pedobaptists. Baptist witnesses are wholly omit- 
 ted, not because they are less learned, or less valu- 
 able, but because we prefer to allow our opponents 
 in this controversy to bear witness for us, rather 
 than to testify in our own behalf Possibly, also, 
 the testimony of their own scholars may have more 
 weight with our Pedobaptist brethren than would 
 the testimony of ours, who might be thought inter- 
 ested witnesses in such a case. 
 
CHRISTIAN BAPTISM.. 389 
 
 WHAT IS CHRISTIAN BAPTISM? 
 
 This is the greatest question that enters into the 
 baptismal controversy, and the one in which Bap- 
 tists take sides against the Pedobaptist world, both 
 Papal and Protestant, so far, at least, as their prac- 
 tice is concerned. Other questions of moment arise 
 in connection with this sacred rite; questions as to 
 its mode, its purpose, and its efficacy. They have 
 their importance, and a legitimate sphere of discus- 
 sion. What shall precede baptism, or accompany 
 it, or follow it ? Whether salt or oil shall be used; 
 whether a black robe or a white robe, or no robe at 
 all shall be worn, by candidate or administrant; 
 whether the candidate shall be dipped once, twice, 
 or thrice, forward or backward, standing or kneel- 
 ing — all these, and many others, which burdened 
 mediaeval polemics, are mere accidents, having ref- 
 erence to mode^ in which we have no special interest. 
 But it is of primary importance to know what con- 
 stitutes baptism itself. That point, once settled, 
 will decide the form of its administration. To say 
 it is a ceremony in which water is the element used, 
 and by which persons are admitted to the Christian 
 Church, does not answer the question. What is 
 baptism } As a Gospel ordinance, the New Testa- 
 ment must define it. 
 
 Baptists answer the question by saying that bap- 
 tism is the immersion or dipping of a candidate in 
 water, on a profession of faith in Christ, adminis- 
 tered in the name of the Father, Son and Spirit. 
 
390 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 Pedobaptists answer the question by saying it is 
 either the sprinkling or pouring of water upon the 
 person, touching the forehead with a wet finger, or 
 the dipping of the candidate into water, in either 
 case in the name of the Father, Son and Spirit; and 
 that it may be administered to one on his own pro- 
 fession of faith, or to an unconscious infant on the 
 professed faith of some other person. This would 
 make four forms of the ordinance, administered to 
 two classes of subjects. 
 
 Baptists hold to a unity in the ordinance, as in 
 the faith, believing that as there is but one Lord 
 and one Faith, so there is but one Baptism, and not 
 four. And the one baptism is the immersion in 
 water, in, or into the name of the Father, Son and 
 Spirit. Neither pouring nor sprinkling water upon, 
 nor any other application of water to a person, is 
 baptism, though it may be called such ever so often, 
 and ever so earnestly. 
 
 MEANING OF BAPTIZO. 
 
 The word '^baptize'' is, properly speaking, a 
 Greek word {baptize), adapted to the English lan- 
 guage by a change in its termination. This is the 
 word used by the sacred writers to express and de- 
 fine the ordinance. What does this word mean as 
 originally used .? For it is certain that Divine Wis- 
 dom, in commanding an ordinance to be observed 
 by believers of all classes, in all lands, and through 
 all ages, would use a word of positive and definite 
 
CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 
 
 391 
 
 import, and one whose meaning would admit of no 
 reasonable doubt. 
 
 What, then, does '' baptizo'' mean? Let us ask 
 Greek scholars — men familiar with and skilled in 
 the use of Greek words. How do the dictionaries 
 define it } What do lexicographers and scholars 
 say .-* 
 
 Scapula says : 
 
 " To dip, to immerse, as we do anything for the purpose 
 of dyeing it." 
 
 SCHLEUSNER says : 
 
 " Properly, it signifies to dip, to immerse, to immerse in 
 water. " 
 
 SCHREVELIUS says : 
 
 "To baptize, to merge, to bathe." 
 
 ParKHURST says : 
 
 "To dip, immerse, or plunge in water." 
 
 Greenfield says : 
 
 "To immerse, immerge, submerge, sink." 
 
 Green says : 
 
 " To dip, immerse, to cleanse or purify by washing." 
 
 DONNEGAN says : 
 
 " To immerse repeatedly into liquid, to submerge, to soak 
 thoroughly, to saturate," 
 
392 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 Stevens says : 
 
 "To merge or immerse, to submerge, or bury in the 
 water. " 
 
 Alstidius says : 
 
 " To baptize signifies only to immerse, not to wash, except 
 by consequence." 
 
 Passow says : 
 
 " To immerse often and repeatedly, to submerge." 
 
 SCHOTTGEN says : 
 
 "To merge, immerse, to wash, to bathe." 
 
 Stockius says : 
 
 " Properly, it means to dip, or immerse in water." 
 
 Robinson says : 
 
 " To immerse, to sink. " 
 
 LiDDELL AND ScOTT say: 
 " To dip repeatedly." 
 
 Sophocles says : 
 
 '* Baptizo, to dip, to immerse, to sink." 
 
 Anthon says : 
 
 " The primary meaning of the word is to dip, to immerse." 
 
 Cremer says : 
 
 " Baptizo, immersion, submersion, for a religious purpose." 
 
 Grimm's Lexicon of the New Testament, which 
 in Europe and America stands confessedly at the 
 
CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 
 
 393 
 
 head of Greek lexicography, as translated and 
 edited by Prof. Thayer of Harvard University, thus 
 defines baptizo: 
 
 "(i.) To dip repeatedly, to immerse, submerge. (2.) To 
 cleanse by dipping or submerging. (3.) To overwhelm. In 
 the New Testament it is used particularly of the rite of sa- 
 cred ablution; first instituted by John the Baptist, afterward 
 by Christ's command received by Christians and adjusted to 
 the nature and contents of their religion, viz., an tmmersion 
 in water performed as a sign of the removal of sin, and ad- 
 ministered to those who, impelled by a desire for salvation, 
 sought admission to the benefits of the Messiah's kingdom. 
 With ezs to mark the element into which the immersion is 
 made; en with the dative of the thing in which one is im- 
 mersed." 
 
 The noun baptisma, the only other word used in 
 the New Testament to denote the rite, this lexicon 
 thus defines : " A word peculiar to the New Testa- 
 ment and ecclesiastical writers; used (i) of John's 
 baptism; (2) of Christian baptism. This, according 
 to the view of the Apostles, is a rite of sacred im- 
 mersion commanded by Christ." 
 
 Moses Stuart, one of the ablest scholars Amer- 
 ica has produced, says : 
 
 *' Baptizo means to dip, plunge, or immerse into any liq- 
 uid. All lexicographers and critics of any note are agreed 
 in this." — Essay on Baptism, p. j// Bib. Repos,, iSjj,p. 2g8. 
 
 ROSENMULLER says : 
 
 "To baptize is to immerse or dip, the body, or part of the 
 body which is to be baptized, going under the water." — 
 Scholia, Matt. 3:6. 
 
394 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 Wetstein says : 
 
 "To baptize is to plunge, to dip. The body, or part of 
 the body being under water is said to be baptized." — Com. 
 on Matt. j:6. 
 
 Leigh says : 
 
 "The native and proper signification of it is, to dtp into 
 water, or to plunge under water. " — Critica Sacra. 
 
 TURRETIN says : 
 
 "The word 'baptism' is of Greek origin, which signifies 
 to baptize, to dip into, to immerse." — Inst. loc. ig, quest, ii, 
 
 Beza says : 
 
 "Christ commanded us to be baptized, by which word it 
 is certain immersion is signified." — Annot. on Matt. 7:4: 
 Acts ig :j; Matt, j : 2. 
 
 Calvin says : 
 
 "The word baptize signifies to immerse; and the rite of 
 immersion was observed by the ancient Church." — Institutes, 
 B. IV., ch. I J, sec. ig. 
 
 WiTSIUS says : 
 
 " It cannot be denied that the native signification of the 
 word baptism, is to plunge, to dip." — Econ. Cove., B. IV., ch. 
 16, sec. I J. 
 
 Luther says : 
 
 " The term baptism is a Greek word. It may be rendered 
 a dipping, when we dip something in water, that it may be 
 entirely covered with water." — Cited by Du Veile on Act$ 
 8:^8. 
 
CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 395 
 
 VOSSIUS says : 
 
 " To baptize signifies to plunge" — Discourses on Baptism, 
 Dis. I. 
 
 Wilson says : 
 
 "To baptize, to dip one into water, to /blunge one into 
 the water." — Christ. Diet., Art. Baptism. 
 
 Campbell says : 
 
 ' ' The word baptizein, both in sacred authors and in clas- 
 sical, signifies to dip, to plunge, to immerse; and was ren- 
 dered by Tertullian, the oldest of the Latin fathers, tingere, 
 the term used for dyeing cloth, which was by immersion." 
 '—Translation Gospels. Note on Matt, j: 16. 
 
 Very many other competent scholars and critics 
 familiar with the Greek language, might be cited to 
 the same effect. Can there be any reasonable ques- 
 tion that the true, indeed the only proper, meaning 
 of baptizo is to dip, plunge, imnierse, or bury in 
 water } And if at any time it may have the secon- 
 dary meaning of wash, cleanse, saturate, or dye, it 
 is in consequence, and by reason of, the manner in 
 which these acts are performed by immersion. As 
 to the meaning of the word there can be no dispute. 
 Both classic and sacred Greek are in harmony as to 
 that. The New Testament decides its meaning as 
 an ecclesiastical term applied to a Gospel ordi- 
 nance. 
 
 SIGNIFICANT USE OF THE WORD. 
 
 Our Lord in commanding baptism, evidently used 
 such words as conveyed His meaning in no doubtful 
 
396 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 terms. And the sacred writers in transmitting His 
 command to posterity, as well as His Apostles in 
 preaching His Gospel to the nations, chose from all 
 the words of the Greek language that one which ac- 
 curately and truthfully conveyed His meaning to 
 those who should believe upon His name. The Greek 
 language is rich in terms to express all positive 
 ideas, and all varying shades of thought. Why was 
 this one word, and no other^ selected to describe an 
 ordinance of great significancy, intended to be ob- 
 served by all believers, to the end of the world } 
 
 Baptizo is found eighty times in the New Testa- 
 ment, and is a derivative from bapto. In nearly all 
 it is used to designate this ordinance — and no other 
 word is ever used for that purpose. Baptisma, a 
 baptism, an immersion, is found twenty-two times, 
 and baptismos, the act of baptizing, or immersing, 
 four times, both formed from baptizo. Dr. Carson, 
 Professor Stuart, and others, have abundantly proven 
 that this word means to dip, plunge, or immerse; 
 and that, primarily and properly, it means nothing 
 else. Our Saviour, in leaving a command univer- 
 sally binding on His disciples, meant doubtless to 
 express it so plainly and so positively, that none 
 could misunderstand Him. Therefore, this particu- 
 lar word and no other has been used, because it 
 means just what He intended, and nothing else. 
 
 Bapto is found three times in the New Testament, 
 and also means to dip, but is never used to describe 
 baptism. Why not } Because it has other mean- 
 ings, as well as that of dipping; and with this word 
 
CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 397 
 
 the nature of the ordinance might be nriisunder- 
 stood. 
 
 Louo is found six times, and means to wash; to 
 wash the whole body; to bathe. If baptism means 
 to wash, as some hold, here was just the word to ex- 
 press it. But this word is never applied to the 
 ordinance; because washing is not baptism, and 
 baptism is not washing. 
 
 Nipto is found seventeen times, and means also to 
 wash, to wash the extremities, as the face, hands, 
 or feet, as distinguished from bathing the entire 
 body. But this word is never used to express bap- 
 tism. Why not, if a little water applied to the face 
 may be baptism, as some teach } 
 
 Breko is found seven times, and means to wet, to 
 moisten, to rain upon, but is never used to designate 
 the rite of baptism; therefore to touch or moisten 
 the forehead with wet fingers is not baptism, though 
 frequently declared to be such. 
 
 Rantizo is found /o7ir times, and means to sprinkle. 
 If baptism could have been performed by sprinkling, 
 as is at present so widely believed, this would have 
 been the word above all others to describe the 
 ordinance. But this word is in no case so used; 
 simply because sprinkling is not baptism. 
 
 Keo is found many times in its various combina- 
 tions, and means to pour, but is never used to desig- 
 nate baptism. But if baptism may be performed by 
 pouring water on a candidate, why was not this 
 word sometimes used to indicate the act } 
 
 Katharizo is found thirty times, and means to 
 
398 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 purify, but is never used to signify the act of baptiz- 
 ing. If the ordinance means to purify, as some 
 claim, this word would have expressed it much bet- 
 ter than the one used. 
 
 We again ask, why did the sacred writers, from all 
 the words in the Greek language, select only and 
 always that one which strictly means to dip or hn- 
 merse, to express the act by which the sacred or- 
 dinance which Christ had commanded, and which 
 His disciples administered, should be performed ? 
 The only consistent answer is, because baptism 
 means immersion, and nothing else — and nothing 
 but immersion is baptism. 
 
 THE BAPTISM OF CHRIST. 
 
 Of the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan, it is said: 
 "And Jesus, when He was baptized, went up 
 straightway out of the water." — Matt. 3: 16. Again 
 it is recorded that Jesus, '* was baptized of John in 
 the Jordan; and straightway coming up out of the 
 water." — Mark I: 9, 10. 
 
 Does not the very fact of His going down into the 
 water, so as to come up out of the water, show, if 
 not positively, yet presumptively, that His baptism 
 was an immersion, or burial in the water } For to 
 say He went down into the river for the purpose of 
 having a small quantity of water poured, or a few 
 drops sprinkled on Him, is quite too trifling to have 
 weight with candid minds. 
 
 Bp. Taylor says: 
 
 " The custom of the ancient churches was not sprinkling. 
 
CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 399 
 
 but immersion: in pursuance of the sense of the word in the 
 commandment, and the example of our blessed Savior." — 
 Com. Matt, j : i6. 
 
 Dr. Campbell says: 
 
 "Jesus being baptized, no sooner rose out of the water, 
 than heaven was open to Him." — Trans. Gospels, Matt, j: i6. 
 
 MacKnight says: 
 
 " Christ submitted to be baptized, that is, to be buried nn- 
 der water, and to be raised out of it again, as an emblem of 
 His future death and resurrection." — Epist. Rom. 6: j, 4. 
 
 LiGHTFOOT, the most distinguished and influential 
 member of the Westminster Assembly, says: 
 
 " That the baptism of John was the immersion of the body, 
 in which manner both the ablutions of unclean persons and 
 the baptism of proselytes was performed, seems evident from 
 those things which are related of it; namely, that he bap- 
 tized in the Jordan, and in Enon, because there was much 
 water; and that Christ, being baptized, went up out of the 
 water." — On Matt, j: 6. 
 
 Poole says: 
 
 " A great part of those who went out to hear John were 
 baptized, that is, dipped m the Jordan."— .«4««^/. on Matt.j: 6. 
 
 Olshausen, on the baptism of Jesus, says: 
 
 " The one part of the action — the submersion — represents 
 the negative aspect, the taking away of the old man; the 
 other — the emersion — denotes its positive aspect, the appear- 
 ance of the new man." — Com. Rom, 6:j, 4, 
 
 Dean Stanley says: 
 
 " The mode of John's baptism has been, and still i> much 
 
400 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 discussed, but the practice of the Eastern Church, and the 
 very meaning of the word \baptiz6\ leave no sufficient ground 
 for questioning that the original form of baptism was com- 
 plete immersion in the deep baptismal waters." — Hist. East- 
 ern Church, p. J4. 
 
 Geikie says of John's converts: 
 
 " He led them in groups to the Jordan, and ifnmersed 
 each singly in the waters, after earnest and full confession 
 of their sins." — Life and Words of Christ, Vol. /., p. 40^. 
 
 Dr. DolLINGER says: 
 
 "The Baptists are, however, from the Protestant point of 
 view, unassailable, since, for their demand of baptism by sub- 
 mersion, they have the clear text of the Bible; and the 
 authority of the Church and of her testimony is not re- 
 garded by either party." — Kirche und Kirchen, jjy. 
 
 Prof. Harnack says: 
 
 " Baptize in undoubtedly signifies i?mnersion. No proof 
 can be found that it signifies any thing else in the New 
 Testament, and in the most ancient Christian literature. 
 The suggestion regarding a 'sacred sense,' is out of the 
 question." — In Indepe7tdent , Fed. ig, 188^. 
 
 MUCH WATER FOR BAPTISM. 
 
 " Then Cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan, unto 
 John, to be baptized of him." — Matt. 3: 13. "And 
 John also vi^as baptizing in Enon, near to Salim, be- 
 cause there was much water there." — John 3: 23. 
 
 Thoughtful persons will ask why should they have 
 resorted to places expresssly because these fur- 
 nished large supplies of water, if baptism was per- 
 
CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 4OI 
 
 formed by sprinkling ? A very small quantity 
 would have answered the purpose in that case. Let 
 Pedobaptist scholars themselves answer the ques- 
 tion as follows : 
 
 Calvin, whom Scaliger pronunced the most 
 learned man in Europe, says: 
 
 " From these words of John (ch. 3 : 23) it may be inferred 
 that baptism was administered, by John and Christ, \iY plung- 
 ing the whole body under the water." — Comment. John 3 : 2j. 
 
 Bengel says: 
 
 " Many waters; so the rite of immersion required." — Com- 
 ment on John j : 2j. 
 
 Poole says: 
 
 " It is apparent that both Christ and John baptized by 
 dipping the body in the water, else they need not have 
 sought places where had been a great plenty of water." — An- 
 not. John j : 2j. 
 
 CURCELL^US says: 
 
 ' ' Baptism was performed by plungitig the whole body into 
 water, and not by sprinkling a few drops, as is now the prac- 
 tice. For John was baptizing in Enon, near to Salim, be- 
 cause there was much water there." — Relig. Ch. Inst., cited^ 
 Booth, Ped. Ex. ch. 4,p.^o. 
 
 Whitby says: 
 
 " Because there was much water there, in which their 
 whole bodies might be dipped." — Crit. Com. John j : 2j. 
 
 Adam Clark says: 
 
 ** As the Jewish custom required the persons 10 stand in 
 
402 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 the water, and having been instructed, and entered into a 
 covenant to renounce all idolatry, and take the God of Israel 
 for their God, then plunged themselves under the water, it 
 is probable that the rite was thus performed." — Com. on John 
 
 Geikie says: 
 
 " John had to leave the Jordan as too shallow at its acces- 
 sible parts for baptism, and go to another place — Enon near 
 Salim — an unknown locality, where pools more suitable were 
 yet to be had." — Lt'f^ and Words of Christ, p. 410, 
 
 PHILIP AND THE EUNUCH. 
 
 Why should Philip and the eunuch, or either of 
 them, have gone down into the water, if a mere 
 sprinkling or pouring of water, and not immersion 
 in water, was to be used } ** And they went down 
 both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch, 
 and he baptized him. And when they were come 
 up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught 
 away Philip."— Acts 8: 38, 39. 
 
 Calvin says: 
 
 " Here we perceive how baptism was administered among 
 the ancients; for they immersed tho. whole body in water." — 
 On baptism, ch. j, p. jd. 
 
 Dr. Towerson says: 
 
 " For what need would there have been of Philip and the 
 eunuch going into this [the water], were it not that the bap- 
 tism was to be performed hy immersion." — Com. Acts 8 : j8. 
 
 Grotius, whom his biographer declared one of 
 
CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 4O3 
 
 the most illustrious names in literature, politics and 
 theology, says: 
 
 " But that this customary rite was performed by im- 
 mersion, and not by pouring, is indicated both by the proper 
 signification of the word, and the places chosen for the rite." 
 — Annot. Matt, j : 6. 
 
 Venema says: 
 
 "It is without controversy, that baptism in the primitive 
 Church was administered by immersion into water, and not 
 by sprinkling, seeing that John is said to have baptized in 
 Jordan, and where there was much water, as Christ also did 
 by His disciples in the neighborhood of those places. Philip, 
 also, going down into the water, baptized the eunuch." — 
 Eccl, Hist., ch. J, sec. ijS. See Booth, Fed. Ex., ch. 4, sec. y6. 
 
 THE TESTIMONY OF EXPOSITORS. 
 
 The great question with every candid mind should 
 be, *' What is truth } What is right > " But as the 
 Scriptures are our only and sufficient standard in 
 matters of religious faith and practice, we ask, what 
 do the Scriptures teach } In order to ascertain this 
 point, we inquire of those pious men, eminent for 
 learning and a devout study of the Bible, who have 
 prepared able commentaries on the sacred text, as 
 to what they understand to be the nature of bap- 
 tism, and the form of its original administration. 
 What do expositors say } 
 
 Zanchius, whose opinion, De Courcy declares, 
 *'is worth a thousand others," says: 
 
 " The proper signification of baptize is to immerse^ plunge 
 
404 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 under, to overwhelm in -walcr/'^Wor^s, Vol. F/.,/. -?//. 
 Geneva, i6ig. 
 
 WiTSIUS says: 
 
 " It cannot be denied that the native signification of the 
 word daptem, Q.nd daptzzem, \s to plunge or dip." — Econ. 
 Covenants, p. 12 ij. 
 
 Bp. Taylor says: 
 
 " The custom of the ancient churches was not sprinkling, 
 but immersion." — Duct. Dubit, B. III., ch. 4, R. /j. 
 
 Luther, the great German reformer, says: 
 
 "The term baptism is Greek; in Latin it may be trans- 
 lated immersio; since we immerse anything into water, that 
 the whole may be covered with the water." — Works, Vol. /., 
 p. 74. Wit. Ed., 1382. 
 
 Melancthon says: 
 
 " Baptism is immersion into water, which is ma(;Je with 
 this admirable benediction." — Melanct. Catec, Wit., 1380. 
 
 Cave, in his able work on Christian Antiquities, 
 says: 
 
 "The party to be baptized was wholly immersed, or put 
 under water." — Prim. Chris., P. I., ch. 10, p. J20. 
 
 Bp. Sherlock says : 
 
 "Baptism, or an itnmersion into water, according to the 
 ancient rite of administering it, is a figure of our burial with 
 Christ, and of our conformity to His death." — See Bloom. 
 Crit.Dig., Vol. v., p. 537, 
 
 Beza says : 
 
 " Christ commanded us to be baptized; by which word it 
 
CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 405 
 
 is certain immersion is signified." — Epis. ad. Thorn. Tillium, 
 Annot. on Mark 7 .• ^. 
 
 Poole says : 
 
 " He seems here to allude to the manner of baptizing in 
 those warm Eastern countries, which was to dip or plunge 
 the party baptized, and, as it were, to bury him for a while 
 under water." — Annot. on Romans 6:4. 
 
 Mede says : 
 
 " There was no such thing as sprinkling used in the Apos- 
 tles' days, nor for many ages after them." — Discourse on Titus 
 3:5- 
 
 VlTRlNGA says : 
 
 " The act of baptizing is the immersion of believers in water. 
 This expresses the force of the word." — Aphorism 884. 
 
 Grotius says : 
 
 " That baptism used to be performed by immersion, and 
 not pouring, appears by the proper signification of the word, 
 and by the places chosen for the administration of this rite." 
 — A nnot. Matt. 3:6; John j : 2j. 
 
 Bp. Bossuet says: 
 
 "To baptize signifies to plunge, as is granted by all the 
 world." — Stennett against Russen, p. 174. 
 
 DiODATi says : 
 
 " Baptized — that is to say, ducked in the water, for a sa- 
 cred sign and seal of the expiation and remission of sins." — 
 Annot. on Matt. 3: 6. 
 
 Calvin says : 
 
 "The word baptize signifies to immerse ; and it is certain 
 
406 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 that immersion was the practice of the ancient Church." — 
 Institutes, B. IV., ch. /j, sec. ip. 
 
 Samuel Clarke says : 
 
 " In the primitive times the manner of baptizing was by 
 immersion, or dipping the whole body into water." — Exp, 
 Ch. Catec, p. 294. Ed. 6. 
 
 Storr and Flatt say : 
 
 "The disciples of our Lord could understand His com- 
 mand in no other way than as enjoining immersion, for the 
 baptism of John, to which Jesus Himself submitted, and also 
 the earlier baptism of the disciples of Jesus, were performed 
 by dipping the subject into cold water." — Bib. Theol., B. IV., 
 sec. log, par. 4. 
 
 Adam Clark says : 
 
 "Alluding to the immersions practiced in the case of 
 adults, wherein the person appeared to be buried under the 
 water, as Christ was buried in the heart of the earth. " — Com- 
 ment on Col. 2 : J2. 
 
 Bloomfield says : 
 
 " There is here plainly a reference to the ancient mode of 
 baptism by immersion." — Greek New Test. Exp. Rom. 6:4. 
 
 SCHOLZ says : 
 
 " Baptism consists in the immersion of the whole body in 
 water." — Comment on Matt, j : 6. 
 
 SCHAFF says : 
 
 '* Immersion, and not sprinkling, was unquestionably the 
 original form. This is shown by the very meaning of the 
 words baptizo, baptisma and baptismos, used to designate the 
 
CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 
 
 407 
 
 rite."— //"/>/. Apos. Ch., p. 488. Merc, ed., 18^1. See also 
 Noel on Bap., ch. j, sec. 8. 
 
 Prof. Browne says : 
 
 " The language of the New Testament and of the primi- 
 tive Fathers sufficiently point to immersion as the common 
 mode of baptism." — Smith's Bid. Diet., Art. Bap. Sup. 
 
 Dr. Jacobs says : 
 
 "It only remains to be observed that baptism, in the 
 primitive Church, was evidently administered by immersion 
 of the body in water — a mode which added to the signifi- 
 cancy of the rite, and gave a peculiar force to some of the 
 allusions to \\."—Eccl. Polity of the N. T., p. 2j8. 
 
 Neander says : 
 
 "The usual form of submersion at baptism, practiced by 
 the Jews, was passed over to the Gentile Christians. Indeed, 
 this form was the most suitable to signify that which Christ 
 intended to render an object of contemplation by such a 
 symbol: the itnmersion of the whole man in the spirit of a 
 new life." — Planting and Training, p. 161. 
 
 To the same effect might be adduced many others 
 from among the most able and distinguished of bib- 
 lical scholars and commentators connected with the 
 Pedobaptist communions. 
 
 APOSTOLIC ALLUSIONS. 
 
 The idea which Paul had of both the form and 
 purpose of baptism is very manifest from the man- 
 ner in which he refers to it in his Epistles. To the 
 Romans he says: ''Therefore we are buried with 
 Him by baptism into death." — Rom. 6:4. To the 
 
408 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 Colossians, using nearly the same language, he 
 says: '' Bur zed vj'ith Him in baptism." — Col. 2 : 12. 
 
 His conception must have been that of a burying, 
 a covering of the subject entirely in the water, by 
 a sinking into it. No other form could have been 
 true to the figure here used. And this fact has been 
 generally acknowledged. 
 
 Abp. Tillotson, on these passages, says : 
 
 " Anciently those who were baptized were immersed, and 
 buried in the water, to represent their death to sin ; and then 
 did rise up out of the water to signify their entrance upon a 
 new life. And to these customs the Apostle alludes. " — Works, 
 Vol. I. , p. 179. 
 
 Benson says : 
 
 " Buried with Him by baptism — alluding to the ancient 
 manner of baptizing by immersion" — Comment on Rom» 
 4:4. 
 
 DiODATi says : 
 
 "In baptism being dipped in water according to the 
 ancient ceremony; it is a sacred sign unto us, that sin ought 
 to be drowned in us by God's Spirit." — Annot. Rom, 4:4. 
 
 TURRETIN says : 
 
 "And indeed baptism was performed in that age, and in 
 those countries, by immersion of the whole body into water. " 
 ' — Comment on Rom, 6:j, 4. 
 
 ZwiNGLE says : 
 
 "When ye were immersed into the water by baptism, ye 
 were ingrafted into the death of Christ,"— Annot, Rom, 
 4:4. See Conant's Append, to Matt, 
 
CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 409 
 
 Whitby says : 
 
 "It being so expressly declared that we are buried ^ith. 
 Christ in baptism, by being buried under water." — Comment 
 on Rom. 4:4. 
 
 John Wesley says : 
 
 " Buried with Him — alluding to the ancient manner of 
 baptizing by immersion." — Note on Romans 4: 4, 
 
 CONYBEARE says : 
 
 "This passage cannot be understood, unless it be borne 
 in miiid that the primitive baptism was by immersion." — Life 
 and Epist. St. Paul, Rom. 4:4. 
 
 Bloomfield says : 
 
 " Here is a plain allusion to the ancient custom of baptiz- 
 ing by immersion ; and I agree with Koppe and Rosenmiiller, 
 that there is reason to regret it should ever have been aban- 
 doned in most Christian churches, especially as it has so evi- 
 dent a reference to the mystic sense of baptism." — Recens. 
 Synop. on Rom. 4: 4. 
 
 Samuel Clarke says : 
 
 " In the primitive times, the manner of baptizing was by 
 immersion, or dipping the whole body into water. And this 
 manner of doing it was a very significant emblem of the dy- 
 ing and rising again, referred to by St. Paul, in the above- 
 mentioned similitude." — Expos. Church Cate., 294, ed. 6. 
 
 Olshausen says : 
 
 "Particularly Paul (Rom. 6:4) treats of baptism in the 
 twofold reference of that ordinance to immersion and emer- 
 sion, as symbolizing the death and resurrection of Christ." — 
 Comment Matt. 18: J-15. 
 
4IO THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 Fritzsche says : 
 
 " But that, in accordance with the nature of the word, 
 baptism was then performed not by sprinkling upon, but by 
 submerging, is proved especially by Rom. 4:4." — Com. on 
 Matt., Vol. I., p. 120. See Conanf s Append, to Matt., p. loj. 
 
 ESTIUS says : 
 
 "For immersion represents to us Christ's burial, and so 
 also His death; since none but the dead are buried. More- 
 over, the emersion which follows the im7nersion has a resem- 
 blance to the resurrection." — Com. on Rom. 6:j. Cited by 
 Conant, Append, to Matt., p. 100, 
 
 Maldonatus says : 
 
 " For in Greek to be baptized is the same as to be sub- 
 merged." — Com. on Matt. 20:22; Luke 12 : ^o. 
 
 Whitefield says : 
 
 "It is certain that in the words of our text (Rom. 6 : 3, 4) 
 there is an allusion to the manner of baptism, which was by 
 immersion." — Eighteen Sermons, p. 2g'/. 
 
 Adam Clark says : 
 
 " It is probable that the Apostle here alludes to the mode 
 of administering baptism by immersion, the whole body being 
 put under water." — Comment on Rom. 6:4. 
 
 Bishop Fell says: 
 
 " The primitive fashion of immersion under the water, rep- 
 resenting our death, and elevation again out of it, our resur- 
 rection or regeneration." — Note on Rom. 6: 4. 
 
 Dr. Doddridge says: 
 
 " It seems the part of candor to confess, that here (Rom. 
 
CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 41I 
 
 6 : 4) is an allusion to the manner of baptizing by immersion, 
 as most usual in those early times. " — Fam. Expos, on Rom. 
 6:4. 
 
 Assembly of Divines say: 
 
 " In this phrase (Col. 2:12) the Apostle seemeth to allude 
 to the ancient manner of baptism, which was to dip the par- 
 ties baptized, and, as it were, to bury them under the water 
 for a while, and then to draw them out of it, and lift them 
 up, to represent the burial of our old man, and our resurrec- 
 tion to newness of life." — Annot. on Matt.j: 6; Rom. 6:4. 
 
 Such opinions, expressed by these learned and 
 pious men, do not surprise us. It is difficult to see 
 how they could have expressed any others. 
 
 HISTORICAL EVIDENCE. 
 
 Many learned men have studied with care the 
 early records of Christianity; have written histories 
 of the doctrines and ceremonies of the churches dur- 
 ing the times immediately succeeding the apostolic 
 age. What do they say of the practice as to bap- 
 tism in the first centuries of Christian history } 
 
 Barnabas, the companion of St. Paul, in an epis- 
 tle ascribed to him, and which must have been writ- 
 ten very early, whoever was the real author, speaks 
 of baptism as a " going down into the water." He 
 says: 
 
 •* We go down into the water full of sin and filth, but we 
 come up bearing fruits in our hands." — Cath. Epist., sec. g., 
 cited by Br ought on, Hist. Diet., Art. Baptism. 
 
 Hermas, writing about A. D. 95, in the •* Shep- 
 
412 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 herd," a work ascribed to him, speaks of the Apos- 
 tles as having gone " down into the water with 
 those they baptized," and *' come up again." — Sten- 
 nett against Russen, p. i^-J. 
 
 Justin Martyr, writing about A. d. 140, speaks 
 of those baptized as ** washed in the water, in the 
 name of the Father, Son and Spirit." — Apology, sees. 
 79, ^5, ^^' Reeve s Trans,; Orchard's Hist. Bapt.y 
 sees. I, 2, J, 4.. 
 
 Tertullian, about A. D. 204, says the person to 
 be baptized **is let down into the water, and, with 
 a few words said, is dipped'' — De Bapt., ch. 2. 
 
 HiPPOLYTUS, about A. D. 225, says: 
 
 " For he who goes down with faith into the bath of regen- 
 eration, is arrayed against the evil one, and on the side of 
 Christ. He comes up from the baptism bright as the sun, 
 flashing forth the rays of righteousness." — Dis. on the The- 
 oph., 10, See Conant's Append, to Matt, 
 
 Gregory, a. d. 360, says: 
 
 " We are buried ^\\h. Christ by baptism, that we may also 
 rise with him." — Stennett's Reply, p. 144. 
 
 Basil, a. d. 360, says: 
 
 " By three immersions the great mystery of baptism is ac- 
 complished ;" referring to trine baptism. — Baronius Annals, 
 v.; Bingham's Antiq., B. XI., ch. Ii. 
 
 Ambrose, a. d. 374, says: 
 
 "Thou saidst, I do believe, and wast immersed in water: 
 
CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 4I3 
 
 that is, thou wast buried." — Bing. Ant,, B. II., ck. 2. Sten^ 
 nett's Reply to Russen, p. 144. 
 
 Cyril, a. d. 374, says: 
 
 " Candidates are first anointed with consecrated oils; they 
 are then conducted to the laver, and asked three times if 
 they believe in the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; then they 
 are dipped three times into the water, and retire by three 
 distinct efforts." — Dupins Eccl. Ht:t., ck. 6., sec, 2; Orchard's 
 Hist. Bap., p. 4J. Nash, ed., 18^5. 
 
 Chrysostom, a. d. 398, says: 
 
 "To be baptized 2,^^ plu7iged\n the water, and then emerge 
 and rise again, is a symbol of our descent into the grave, and 
 our ascent out of it." — Horn. 40, on i Cor., p. 186; Bin^, 
 Christ. Antiq., B. XI., ch. 11. See also on all the Fathers, Co- 
 nant's Append, to Matt. 
 
 Salmasius says: 
 
 " Baptism is immersion, and was formerly celebrated ac- 
 cording to the force and meaning of the name. Now it is 
 on\y rant ism, or sprinkling, not immersion nor dipping." — 
 Wolf. Crit. Matt. 28:19; De Caes. Viro., p. 66g 
 
 Bingham says: 
 
 " The ancients thought that immersion, or burying under 
 water, did more lively represent the death, burial, and resur- 
 rection of Christ, as well as our own death to sin, and rising 
 again into righteousness." — Christ. Antiq., B. XI., ch. 11. 
 
 MOSHEIM says: 
 
 "In this century [the first] baptism was administered in 
 convenient places, without the public assemblies, and by im- 
 mersing the candidate wholly in water." — Eccl. Hist., B. /., 
 Cent. I., part II., ch. 4. 
 
4!4 I'HE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 Neander says: 
 
 "In respect to the form of baptism, it was, in conformity 
 with the original institution, and the original import of the 
 symbol, performed by immersion, as a sign of entire baptism 
 into the Holy Spirit, of being entirely penetrated by the 
 same." — Ch. Hist. Vol. /., p. jio. Also Hist. Plant, and 
 Train., Vol. /., p. 222. 
 
 Waddington says: 
 
 " The sacraments of the primitive Church were two: that 
 of Baptism and the Lord's Supper. The ceremony of im- 
 mersion, the oldest form of baptism, was performed in the 
 name of the three persons of the Trinity." — Church Hist., 
 ch. 2., sec. J. 
 
 SCHAFF says: 
 
 " Finally, so far as it respects the mode and manner of 
 outward baptizing, there can be no doubt that immersion, and 
 not sprinkling, was the original normal form." — Hist. Christ. 
 Ch.,p. 488, Mercer, ed. 
 
 FOR THIRTEEN CENTURIES 
 
 Not only was immersion the original normal form 
 of baptism, as received by Christ, administered by 
 His Apostles, and practiced by the earliest Chris- 
 tians, but it was that form which was retained in use 
 by all Christian churches, with few exceptions, for 
 many centuries. Indeed, with a large portion of the 
 so-called Christian world, it retains its position to 
 this day. 
 
 Dr. Whitby says: 
 
 "And this immersion being religiously observed ly all 
 
CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 41$ 
 
 Christians for thirteen centuries, and approved by our 
 Church " — referring to the Church of England. — Annotations 
 
 on Rom, 6 : 4. 
 
 Dr. StackhOUSE says: 
 
 " Several authors have shown and proved that this man- 
 ner of immersion continued, as much as possible, to be used 
 for thirteen hundred years after Christ." — History of the Bible, 
 B. VIII., ch. I. 
 
 Bishop Bossuet says: 
 
 " We are able to make it appear, by the acts of Councils, 
 and by ancient rituals, that for thirteen hundred years bsiptism 
 was thus administered [by immersion] throughout the whole 
 Church, as far as possible." — Stennett ad. Russen, p. 176; 
 Booth's Pedo. Ex., ch. 4. 
 
 Dr. Brenner says: 
 
 " Thirteen hundred years was baptism generally and or- 
 derly performed by the immersion of the person under water, 
 and only in extraordinary cases was sprinkling, or affusion, 
 permitted. These later methods of baptism were called in 
 question, and even prohibited." — Hist. Exhibit. Bapt.,p.jo6. 
 
 Von CoLLN says: 
 
 " Immersion in water was general until the thirteenth cen- 
 tury among the Latins; it was then displaced by sprinkling, 
 but retained by the Greeks." — Hist. Doct., Vol. II.,p.joj. 
 
 Hagenbach says: 
 
 " From the thirteenth century sprinkling came into more 
 general use in the West. The Greek Church, however, and 
 the Church of Milano still retained the practice of immer- 
 sion."— Hist. Doct., Vol. II., p. 84, note J. 
 
4l6 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 Winer says: 
 
 " Affusion was first applied to the sick, but was gradually 
 introduced for others after the seventh century, and in the 
 thirteenth became the prevailing practice in the West." — 
 Lects, Christ. Antiquity, 
 
 AUGUSTI says : 
 
 ** Immersion in water was general until the thirteenth cen- 
 tury, among the Latins ; it was then displaced by sprinkling, 
 but retained by the Greeks." — Archce.^ Vol. V.,p,^; Vol. 
 VII.,p.22g. 
 
 Bingham says : 
 
 " As this {dipping] was the original apostolical practice, so 
 it continued the universal practice of the Church for many 
 ages." — Antiq. Christ. Church, B. XI., ch. ii. 
 
 Van Oosterzee says : 
 
 "This sprinkling, which seems to have first come gener- 
 ally into use in the thirteenth century, in place of the entire 
 immersion of the body, in imitation of the previous baptism 
 of the sick, has certainly this imperfection, that the symbol- 
 ical character of the act is expressed by it much less con- 
 spicuously than by complete immersion and burial under 
 water." — Christian Dogmatics, p. 'J4g. N. Y. ed. 
 
 Coleman says : 
 
 " The practice of immersion continued even until the thir- 
 teenth ox fourteenth century. Indeed, it has never been form- 
 ally abandoned." — A7icient Christianity , ch. ip, sec. 12. 
 
 Encyclopedia Ecclesiastica says : 
 
 "Whatever weight, however, may be in those reasons, as 
 % defense for the present practice of sprinkling, it is evident 
 
CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 41 7 
 
 that during the first ages of the Church, and for many r^«- 
 /«r/.?j afterwards, the practice of immersion prevailed." — Ency. 
 EccL, Art. Baptism. 
 
 While these testimonials do not exhaust historical 
 evidence on this point, they are sufficient to satisfy 
 unbiased minds as to the primitive and long-con- 
 tinued use of immersion for baptism, in the Chris- 
 tian world. 
 
 These Pedobaptist scholars concede that for thir- 
 teen hundred years immersion was the prevailing 
 form of baptism, departed from only in special and 
 extraordinary cases. And that even when aban- 
 doned by the Latin, or Romish Church, it was re- 
 tained by the Greek, and other Oriental churches, 
 which do to this day preserve the original form of 
 that sacred rite. 
 
 USAGE OF THE GREEK CHURCH. 
 
 While it may not be an unanswerable argument 
 in favor of the position taken by Baptists, that the 
 Greek Church has always practised, and does still 
 practise immersion, yet the fact is too significant to 
 be overlooked. It constitutes collateral evidence of 
 no mean character. 
 
 The Greek Church extends over Greece, Russia, 
 Egypt, Arabia, Palestine, Abyssinia, and other Ori- 
 ental countries. Like the Romish Church, it has 
 corrupted the primitive purity of Gospel doctrine 
 and practice with many absurd glosses and super- 
 stitious rites. But as to the form of baptism, it holds 
 
 the primitive custom of dippmg the candidates. 
 27 
 
41 8 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 Stourdza, the Russian scholar and diplomat, 
 says : 
 
 " The Church of the West [Rome] has, then, departed from 
 the example of Jesus Christ ; she has obliterated the whole 
 sublimity of the exterior sign. Baptism and immersion are 
 identical. Baptism by aspersion is as if one should say, im~ 
 mersion by aspersion; or any other absurdity of the same na- 
 ture." — Consid. Orthodox Ch., p. 87; Conant's Append., p. pp. 
 
 Deylingius says : 
 
 " The Greeks retain the rite of immersion to this day ; as 
 Jeremiah, the patriarch of Constantinople, declares." — De 
 Prud. Past., P. III., ch. 3., sec, 26. 
 
 BUDDEUS says : 
 
 "That the Greeks defend immersion is manifest, and has 
 been frequently observed by learned men ; which Ludolphus 
 informs us is the practice of the Ethiopians." — Theol. Dog- 
 mat., B. v., ch. J., sec. j. 
 
 RiCAUT says : 
 
 " Thrice dipping, or plunging, this Church holds to be as 
 necessary to the form of baptism, as water is to the matter." 
 — State of Greek Church, p. i6j. 
 
 Dr. Wall, whose learned and laborious re- 
 searches into the history of baptism left little for 
 others to discover, says : 
 
 '•The Greek Church in all its branches does still use itn- 
 mersion, and so do all other Christians in the world, except 
 the Latins. All those nations that do now, or formerly did 
 submit to the authority of the Bishop of Rome, do ordinarily 
 baptize their infants by pouring or sprinkling. But all other 
 Christians in the world, who never owned the Pope's usurped 
 
CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 419 
 
 power, do, and ever did, dip their infants in the ordinary 
 use. All the Christians in Asia, all in Africa, and about one- 
 third in Europe, are of the last sort." — Hist. Inf. Bap., Vol. 
 n., p.J76> ed. 3. 
 
 Dr. Whitby says : 
 
 "The observation of the Greek Church is this, that he 
 who ascended out of the water must first descend into it ; 
 baptism, therefore, is to be performed, not by sprinkling, but 
 by washing the body, and, indeed, it can be only from igno- 
 rance of the Jewish rites that this can be questioned." — Crit- 
 ical Com. on Matt, j : 16, 
 
 Dr. King says : 
 
 "The Greek Church uniformly practices the trine immer- 
 sion, undoubtedly the most primitive manner." — Rites and 
 Cerem. Greek Church, p. ig2. 
 
 Coleman says : 
 
 "The Eastern Church has uniformly retained the form of 
 immersion as indispensable to the validity of the ordinance ; 
 and repeat the rite whenever they have received to their com- 
 munion persons who have been baptized in another manner." 
 — Ancient Christ. Exemp., ch. ig., sec. 12. 
 
 BrOUGHTON says : 
 
 "The Greek Church differs from the Romish, as to the 
 rite of baptism, chiefly in performing it by immersion, or 
 plunging the infant all over in the 'WdXQr."—Hist. Diet., Art, 
 Bap. Also Ricaufs Greek Church. 
 
 The Pantalogia says : 
 
 The Greek Church is "that part of the Christian Church 
 which was first established in Greece, and is now spread over 
 a larger extent of country than any other established Church. 
 
420 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 Amid all their trifling rites, they practice trine immersion, 
 which is unquestionably the original manner." — Article Greek 
 Church. 
 
 The Encyclopaedia Britanntca says : 
 
 "The Greek Church differs from the Romish, as to the 
 rite of baptism, chiefly in performing it by immersion, or 
 plunging the infant all over in the water. " — Article Baptism. 
 
 The Greek Church, like the Latin, has departed 
 from scriptural usage in baptizing unconscious in- 
 fants, and in many other matters ; but has retained 
 the true form of baptism. The Romish Church 
 claims the right to change and abolish ordinances. 
 For that reason, and on that ground alone, they 
 have abolished immersion, and use aspersion in its 
 stead. And this aspersion the Protestant Pedobap- 
 tist churches have accepted, with other ecclesias- 
 tical perversions, from that corrupt source. Why 
 will they not go back to primitive purity, and scrip- 
 ture teaching } Would they but discard rantism, 
 and adopt baptism according to the command of 
 Christ and the practice of the Apostles, it would do 
 more to secure Christian unity among Protestants 
 than all other proposed schemes combined. 
 
 THE TESTIMONY OF BAPTISTERIES. 
 
 It will cast some further light on this subject to 
 know what places were resorted to for a convenient 
 administration of this ordinance during the early 
 ages of Christianity. They never would have fre- 
 quented rivers, pools, cisterns, and other large 
 
CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 421 
 
 bodies of water, for the mere purpose of sprinkling 
 the candidates. 
 
 We know that John the Baptist and the disciples 
 of Jesus resorted to the Jordan for the purpose of 
 baptizing, and to Enon, near to Salim, *' because therQ 
 was much water there." 
 
 Tertullian says : 
 
 "There is no difference whether one is baptized in the 
 sea or in a lake, in a river or in a fountain; neither was there 
 any difference between those whom John baptized in Jordan, 
 and those whom Peter baptized in the Tiber. — De Bapt., ch. 
 4: Bing. Anttq., B. VIII., ch. 8, sec. i. 
 
 Dr. Doddridge says : 
 
 " John was also at the same time baptizing at Enon; and 
 he particularly chose that place because there was a great 
 quantity of water there, which made it very convenient for 
 his purpose." — Fam. Expositor on Matt, j: 16, 
 
 As Christianity spread and converts multiplied, 
 in many places, especially in large cities, there were 
 few opportunities for the convenient and agreeable 
 administration of the ordinance. Other cities were 
 not so well supplied with pools as was Jerusalem. 
 Then began to be erected baptisteries, expressly 
 designed for this use. These, at first, were con- 
 structed in the simplest manner; but, in process of 
 time, large, costly and imposing edifices were built 
 for this purpose. 
 
 MOSHEIM says : 
 
 " For the more convenient administration of baptism. 
 
422 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 sacred fonts, or baptisieria, were erected in the porches of the 
 temples. This was in the fourth century." — Eccl. Hist. Cent. 
 4, B. II., p. II., ch. 4, sec. 7. 
 
 BrOUGHTON says : 
 
 " The place of baptism was at first unlimited, being some 
 pond or lake, some spring or river, but always as near as pos- 
 sible to the place of public worship. Afterward they had 
 their baptisteries, or (as we call them) fonts, built at first near 
 the church, then in the church porch, and, at last, in the 
 church itself." " The baptistery was, properly speaking, the 
 whole house or building in which the font stood, which lat- 
 ter was only the fountain or pool of water in which the itn- 
 mersion was performed." — Hist. Diet., Arts. Baptism and 
 Baptistery. 
 
 Dr. Murdock says : 
 
 "The baptisteries were, properly, buildings adjacent to 
 the churches, in which the catechumens were instructed, and 
 where were a sort of cistern, into which water was let at the 
 time of baptism, and in which the candidates were baptized 
 hy immersion." — Mosk. Eccl. Hist., Vol. I, p. 281, note /j. 
 
 Dr. Schaff says : 
 
 "In the fourth century special buildings for this holy 
 ordinance (baptism) began to appear, either entirely separate, 
 or connected with the main church by a covered passage. 
 The need of them arose partly from the still prevalent cus- 
 tom of immersion." — Hist. Chr. Ch., Vol. II., p. ^38-g, sec, 
 M08. 
 
 Cave says : 
 
 " These baptisteries were usually very large and capacious, 
 not only that they might comport with the general custom of 
 those times — of persons baptized being immersed or put under 
 
CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 423 
 
 water; but because the stated times of baptism returning so 
 seldom, great multitudes were usually baptized at the same 
 time." — Prim. Christ., P. /., ch. 10, p. ji2. 
 
 Bingham says : 
 
 " In the apostolic age, and some time after, before churches 
 and baptisteries were generally erected, they baptized in any 
 place where they had convenience, as John baptized in Jor- 
 dan, Philip baptized the eunuch in the wilderness, and Paul, 
 the jailor, in his own house." — Christ. Antiq., B. XI., ch. 6, 
 sec. II. 
 
 Hagenbach says : 
 
 " That baptism in the beginning was administered in the 
 open air, in rivers and pools, and that it was by immersion 
 we know from the narratives of the New Testament. In later 
 times there were prepared great baptismal fonts or chapels. 
 The person to be baptized descended several steps into the 
 reservoir of water, and then the whole body was immersed 
 under the water." — Hist. Christ. Church, ch. ig, p. J24. 
 
 Coleman says : 
 
 "The first baptistery, or place appropriated to baptism, 
 of which any mention is made, occurs in a biography in the 
 fourth century, and this was prepared in a private house." — 
 Ancie?it Christ. Exemplified, ch. ig, sec 10. 
 
 The term ** baptistery" was applied properly to 
 the pool or font of water, but was also used to 
 designate the building in which the pool was placed. 
 
 Brande says : 
 
 " A building destined for the purpose of administering the 
 rite of baptism. The baptistery was entirely distinct from 
 the church up to the end of the sixth century; after which 
 period the interior of the church received it." — Diet. Arts , 
 Sci., and Lit., Art. Baptistery. 
 
424 THE NEW DIRECTORY, 
 
 The Encyclopedia Britannica says : 
 
 " In the ancient Church it was one of the exedra, or build- 
 ings distinct from the church itself. Thus it continued till 
 the sixth century, when the baptisteries began to be taken 
 into the church porch, and afterward into the church itself." 
 — Article Baptistery. 
 
 Some of these structures are still preserved, and 
 others are well known to have existed — as that of 
 Florence, Venice, Pisa, Naples, Bologna, and Raven- 
 na. That of the Lateran, at Rome, is considered the 
 oldest now existing, having been erected A.D. 324. 
 
 That at Pisa was completed A.D. 1160, the entire 
 structure being one hundred and fifteen feet in di- 
 ameter, by one hundred and seventy-two feet in 
 height, and of a circular form. That at Florence is 
 an octagonal building, ninety feet in diameter, with 
 a lofty dome. That of St. Sophia, at Constantino- 
 ple, erected by Constantine, A.D. 337, was capable 
 of accommodating a numerous Council, whose ses- 
 sions were held in it. Most of these structures are 
 large, elaborate, and costly edifices. 
 
 The baptistery proper, or pool for baptizing, was 
 an open cistern in the center of the large hall, or 
 main part of the building. 
 
 Can any one suppose these buildings would have 
 been provided if sprinkling and not immersion had 
 been the manner of administering baptism .-^"^ 
 
 * For a full account of Baptisteries, see Robinson's History 
 of Baptism, ch. 12, where, with much labor, the author has col- 
 lected a large amount of information on the subject. Also Dun- 
 can's Hist. Baptists, ch. 5, sec. 3. Also Crystal's History of 
 the Mode of Baptism. 
 
CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 425 
 
 THE DESIGN OF BAPTISM. 
 
 What was baptism intended to represent and 
 teach ? As an outward rite, it must be a type, or 
 sign, of some religious truth, or spiritual fact, meant 
 to be taught or enforced by its observance. And 
 the form of the rite, the manner of its administra- 
 tion, must be such as properly to express its design 
 and meaning. If the form be so changed that its 
 symbolic force is lost, and its design no longer seen 
 in its administration, then, manifestly, it is no longer 
 baptism in form or fact; its teaching is not under- 
 stood, and its chief purpose fails. 
 
 Now, it is not difficult to ascertain from the New 
 Testament what was intended by baptism. It was 
 clearly this : to show forth the death, burial, and 
 resurrection of Christ, who died for our sins, and 
 rose again for our justification. And every candi- 
 date who receives the ordinance professes thereby 
 faith in the merits of Christ's death as the ground 
 of his own hope and salvation, fellowship also with 
 His sufferings, and a declaration of his own death to 
 sin, and a rising to newness of life in Christ. It also 
 typifies the washing of regeneration, and the renew- 
 ing of the Holy Ghost, and declares the candidate's 
 hope of a resurrection from the dead, even as Christ, 
 into the likeness of whose death he is buried, was 
 raised up by the glory of the Father. 
 
 That immersion alone can teach this is evident; 
 which view the following testimonies abundantly 
 confirm: 
 
426 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 Tyndale says: 
 
 " The plunging into the water signifieth that we die and 
 are buried with Christ, as concerning the old life of sin. And 
 the pulling out again signifieth that we rise again with Christ 
 in a new life full of the Holy Ghost." — Obedience of a Christ. 
 Man, 14J, cited by Conant, Append. , /. gj. 
 
 Adam Clark says: 
 
 " But as they received baptism as an emblem of death, in 
 voluntarily going under the water, so they receive it as an 
 emblem of the resurrection unto eternal life, in coming up 
 out of the water." — Bap. for the dead. Com. on i Cor. 7j.- 2g. 
 
 Bp. Newton says: 
 
 " Baptism was usually performed by immersion, or dipping 
 the whole body under water, to represent the death, burial, 
 and resurrection of Christ together, and therewith signify 
 the person's own dying to sin, the destruction of its power, 
 and his resurrection to a new life." — Prac. Expos. Cate- 
 chism, p. 2gy. 
 
 Frankius says: 
 
 "The baptism of Christ represented His sufferings, and 
 His coming up out of the water His resurrection from the 
 dead." — Programme, 14, p. J4J. 
 
 PiCTETUS says: 
 
 "That immersion into and emersion out of the water, 
 practiced by the ancients, signify the death of the old man, 
 and the resurrection of the new man." — Theol. Christ., B. 
 XIV., ch. 4, sec. I J. 
 
 BUDDEUS says: 
 
 " Immersion, which was used in former times, was a sym- 
 
CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 427 
 
 bol and an image of the death and the burial of Christ."— 
 Dogmatic TheoL, B. V., ch, i, sec. 8. 
 
 Saurin says: 
 
 "The ceremony of wholly immersing us in water, when 
 we were baptized, signified that we died to sin." — Sermons, 
 Vol. III., p. lyi. Robinsons Trans. 
 
 Grotius says: 
 
 " There was in baptism, as administered in former times, 
 an image both of a burial and a resurrection, which in re- 
 gard to Christ was external, in regard to Christians internal." 
 — Annot. Rom. 4: 4. Col. 2: 12. 
 
 Olshausen says: 
 
 " As believers are in Christ's death dead with Him, and in 
 baptism buried with Him, so they are now also risen with 
 Him in His resurrection." — Comment on Col. 2: 12. 
 
 Macknight says: 
 
 "He submitted to be baptized, that is, to be buried un- 
 der the water by John, and to be raised up out of it again, 
 as an emblem of His future death and resurrection." — Com- 
 ment on Rom. 6: 4. 
 
 Baxter says: 
 
 "In our baptism we are dipped under the water, as signi- 
 fying our covenant profession, that as He was buried for sin, 
 we are dead and buried to sin. " — Para. Rom. 6 : 4. Col. 2 : 12. 
 
 Abp. Leighton says: 
 
 " Buried with Christ .... where the dipping into water 
 IS referred to as representing our dying with Christ, and the 
 
428 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 return thence, as expressive of our rising with Him." — Com. 2 
 Pet. J : 21. 
 
 Dr. Barrow says : 
 
 " The action is baptizing, or immersing into water." " The 
 mersion also in water, and emersion thence, doth figure our 
 death to the former, and our reviving to a new life." — Doct. 
 Sacra. Works, Vol. III., p. 43. 
 
 Dr. Cave says: 
 
 " As in immersion there are, in a manner, three several 
 acts — the putting the person into water, his abiding there for 
 a little time, and his rising up again — so by these were repre- 
 sented Christ's death, burial, and resurrection; and in con- 
 formity thereunto our dying unto sin, the destruction of its 
 power, and our resurrection to a new course of life." — Prim. 
 Christ., p. I., ch. 10, p. J20. 
 
 Dr. Hammond says : 
 
 " It is a thing that every Christian knows, that the im- 
 mersion in baptism refers to the death of Christ. The put- 
 ting the person into the water denotes and proclaims the 
 death and burial of Christ." — Comment, on Rom. 6:j. 
 
 Dr. Wall says: 
 
 " The immersion of the person, whether infant or adult, 
 in the posture of one that is buried and raised up again, is 
 much more solemn, and expresses the design of the sacra- 
 ment and the mystery of the spiritual washing much better 
 than pouring a small quantity on the face." — Hist. Inf. Bap., 
 pp. 404-408. 
 
 Dr. Schaff says: 
 
 "All commentators of note (except Stuart and Hodge) ex- 
 pressly admit, or take it for granted, that in this verse the 
 
CHRISTIAN baptism; 429 
 
 ancient prevailing mode of baptism by immersion and emer- 
 sion is implied, as giving additional force to the idea of the 
 going down of the old and the rising up of the new man." — 
 Note in Lange on Rom. 6 : 4. 
 
 Bp. Bloomfield says: 
 
 " There may also be (as the ancient commentators think) 
 an allusion to the ancient mode of baptism by immersion; 
 which, while typifying a death unto sin, and a new birth unto 
 righteousness, also, had reference to the Christian's com- 
 munion with his Lord, both in death and resurrection from 
 the dead." — Greek N. Test, on i Cor. 13: 2g. Bap. for the 
 dead. 
 
 Dr. Towerson says: 
 
 " Therefore, as there is so much the more reason to repre- 
 sent the rite of immersion, as the only legitimate rite of bap- 
 tism, because the 07ily one that can answer the end of its in- 
 stitution, and those things which were to be signified by it; 
 so, especially, if, as is well known, and undoubtedly of great 
 force, the general practice of the Primitive Church was agree- 
 able thereto, and the practice of the Greek Church to this 
 very day. For who can think that either one or the other 
 would have been so tenacious of so troublesome a rite, were 
 it not that they were well assured, as they of the Primitive 
 Church might well be, of its being the only instituted and 
 legitimate one ? " — On Sacra. Bapt., Part III., pp. 31-3S. 
 
 Canon Liddon, on the likeness to Christ's resur- 
 rection, said: 
 
 " Of this, the Apostle traced the token in the ceremony, 
 at that time universal, of baptism by immersion. The bap- 
 tismal waters were the grave of the old nature, while through 
 those waters Christ bestowed the gift of the new nature. As 
 Jesus, crucified and dead, was laid in the grave, so the Chris- 
 
430 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 tian, crucified to the world through the body of Christ, de- 
 scends, as into the tomb, into the baptismal waters. He was 
 buried beneath them; they closed for a moment over him; 
 he was ' planted,' not only in the likeness of Christ's death, 
 but of His burial. But the immersion is over; the Christian 
 is lifted from the flood, and this is evidently as correspondent 
 to the resurrection of Christ, as the descent had been to His 
 burial. Buried with Him in baptism, wherein also ye are 
 risen with Him." — Easier Sermon in St Paul's, June, i88g. 
 
 Such are the opinions of candid Pedobaptist 
 divines, as to the design of baptism. Immersion 
 alone can meet this demand, and serve its purpose. 
 Sprinkling, or pouring water on a candidate, has no 
 force in the direction of this sacred symbolism. It 
 cannot shovi^ the death, burial, or the resurrection of 
 Christ; nor the disciple's death to sin, and his ris- 
 ing to a new life. If immersion, therefore, be aban- 
 doned, the entire force of the ordinance will be de- 
 stroyed, and its design obliterated. 
 
 Sprinkling sets forth no great doctrine of the Gos- 
 pel. Only when the disciple is buried beneath the 
 water, and raised up again, do the beauty, force, 
 and meaning, which divine wisdom intended, ap- 
 pear in that sacred ordinance. 
 
 THE WATER SUPPLY. 
 
 Among the weak arguments used, and the inde- 
 fensible positions assumed by the advocates of 
 sprinkling, is this — one of the weakest, and least 
 defensible — that the Jordan had not sufBcient depth 
 
CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 43 1 
 
 of water for immersing the multitudes said to have 
 been baptized by John and the disciples of Jesus; 
 and that there were no conveniences in Jerusalem 
 for immersing the large number of early converts 
 who were baptized there. Consequently, they say, 
 those converts must have had water sprinkled on 
 them instead. 
 
 Puerile as may seem this objection, it has been 
 seriously put forth by not a few of the advocates of 
 aspersion, even in the face of Scripture testimony, 
 and against scholarship and history. Such asser- 
 tions indicate the ignorance or the recklessness of 
 those who make them, and show how prejudice may 
 unfit even good men for a just discussion of grave 
 subjects. The objection is too trifling to merit seri- 
 ous regard; and yet the testimony on this point is 
 so abundant, and so conclusive — and that, too, from 
 Pedobaptist sources — as to make it both pleasant 
 and fitting to adduce some of it in this connection. 
 
 Prof. Edward Robinson, in 1840, made a 
 careful survey of Palestine, including the Jordan 
 river. His statements corroborate those of others, 
 as to the abundant supply of water both in the Jor- 
 dan and in the city of Jerusalem itself. He cites the 
 earlier but well-known travelers whose published 
 works are familiar to the reading public: Seetzen, 
 who visited the country in 1806; Burckhardt, who 
 explored it in 1812; Irby and Mangles, in 1818, and 
 Buckingham, who traveled through it at about the 
 same time. These distinguished explorers pub- 
 
432 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 lished the results of their travels, which can be 
 consulted. — Rob. Bib. Resear., Vol. II., pp. 25J-26J. 
 
 Lieut. Lynch, of the United States navy, was, 
 in 1848, sent out by his government in charge of an 
 expedition to explore the river Jordan and the Dead 
 Sea. This, of course, had no connection with po- 
 lemic discussions, and least of all was it to settle 
 the baptismal question. It was done for antiqua- 
 rian research, and for the advancement of science. 
 
 The expedition passed down the entire length of 
 the Jordan, in boats, from the Sea of Galilee to the 
 Dead Sea; made frequent and careful surveys, which 
 were accurately recorded and officially published. 
 
 The river was found to vary in width from seven-- 
 ty-five to two hundred feet; and in depth irom three 
 to twelve feet. At Bethabara, where tradition has 
 fixed the place of our Saviour's baptism, and where 
 John baptized the multitudes, Lieut. Lynch gives 
 th^ width as one hundred and twenty feet, and the 
 greatest depth as twelve feet. There certainly is no 
 lack of water there, since one quarter of twelve feet 
 would be sufficient for burying converts in baptism. 
 
 It is a well-known fact that thousands of Chris- 
 tian pilgrims from adjacent countries visit this spot 
 at a certain season annually to bathe in the waters, 
 held sacred by them because of Christ's baptism 
 there. The expedition witnessed one of these 
 scenes, and had their boats in readiness to prevent 
 accidents, which it was feared might occur in so 
 great a crowd of fanatical devotees, in so great a 
 
CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. . 433 
 
 depth of water. Had the advocates of sprinkling 
 been present they might have found an argument 
 as perilous as it would have been convincing for a 
 sufficient depth of water for the immersion of Chris- 
 tian believers. Scarcely an occasion of this kind 
 transpires without some fatal accidents by drowning 
 in the deep and rapid current. — Lynch^ chs, lOy il. 
 
 Dean Stanley, a distinguished divine and 
 scholar of the English Church, made the tour of 
 the Holy Land in 1853, explored the Jordan valley, 
 witnessed the bathing of the pilgrims, and recorded 
 this remark touching the baptism of John: 
 
 " He came baptizing, that is, signifying to those who came 
 to him, as )\^ plunged \\i^m under the rapid torrent, the for- 
 giveness and forsaking of their sins." "There began that 
 sacred rite which has since spread throughout the world; 
 through the vast baptisteries of the Southern and Oriental 
 churches, gradually dwindling to the little fonts of the North 
 and West." — Stanley's Syria and Palestine, ch. 7, pp. J06-7. 
 
 Dr. Thomson, for a quarter of a century mis- 
 sionary in Syria and Palestine, and very familiar 
 with the Holy Land, traversed it in 1857, visited the 
 Jordan in the vicinity of Jericho, and witnessed the 
 bathing of the Greek pilgrims, as described by Lieut. 
 Lynch and others. Of this singular and exciting 
 scene he gives a graphic description. He says: 
 
 " The men ducked Xht women somewhat as the farmers do 
 their sheep, while the little children were csLtvied and p/uf^ed 
 under water, trembling like so many lambs." 
 28 
 
434 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 Being Pedobaptists, these Oriental fanatics may not 
 have performed their rites with becoming propriety. 
 But there was an abundance of water, and they be- 
 lieved in a thorough immersion. He adds: 
 
 " The current is astonishingly rapid, and at \^2J$,\. ten feet 
 deep" " Two Christians and a Turk, who ventured too far, 
 were drowned without the possibility of a rescue." A peril- 
 ous depth of water certainly. " At the bathing-place it was 
 twenty rods wide." " Boats could do nothing in such a cur- 
 rent, and it is too deep to ford." — The Land and the Book, 
 Vol. II., pp. 44^-446. 
 
 Prof. Osborne, who in 1857 made the tour of 
 Palestine for scientific research, makes this note of 
 a bath taken in the Jordan: 
 
 "The current was too strong to permit of swimming 
 across, though washing in its waters completely freed me 
 from the clammy sensation which was the consequence of 
 my previous bath in the Dead Sea." — Palestine, Past and 
 Present, p. 476. 
 
 Lord Nugent says of the Jordan: 
 
 " Its general breadth is between fifty and sixty yards, per- 
 haps a little wider; and in most parts it is too deep, within a 
 few feet out (when thus high), to allow any but swimmers to 
 trust themselves out of arm's reach of the brink, and its 
 drooping branches and tall reeds. The pilgrims who come 
 thither in crowds at Easter, bathe in this way. Some of us 
 tried to make way against the current, but were carried sev- 
 eral yards down before reaching even the full strength of it." 
 — Travels, Vol. II., p. 100. 
 
 The city of Jerusalem was abundantly supplied 
 with water, to a large extent by pools and cisterns, 
 
-CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 435 
 
 many of which were of great size. Outside, but near 
 the city, were others of still larger dimensions. 
 These were constructed in part for the purpose of 
 furnishing water for the ordinary uses of life, and in 
 part to supply conveniences for the many ablutions 
 enjoined by the Mosaic law. 
 
 These pools were abundant in our Savior's time, 
 and some of them still remain, containing water, 
 and even now affording admirable conveniences for 
 the administration of baptism in its primitive form. 
 Others, now in a ruined state, distinctly reveal their 
 original form and magnitude. The greater part o^ 
 them were in good repair, and continued to be used 
 for hundreds of years after Christ. 
 
 Dr. Edward Robinson visited Jerusalem in the 
 prosecution of his researches, and made careful and 
 extensive investigations touching the topography 
 and antiquities of the Holy City. The results, pub- 
 lished in his ** Researches " in 1841, have been fully 
 corroborated by other and more recent surveys. 
 They are as follows:* 
 
 The Pool of Bethesda is three hundred and sixty (360) 
 feet long, one hundred and thirty (i 30) feet wide, and seventy- 
 five (75) feet deep. When full, it was a considerable pond, 
 covering more than an acre of ground. 
 
 The Pool of Siloam is fifty-three (53) feet long, eighteen 
 (18) feet wide, and nineteen (19) feet deep; it now holds two 
 
 * Robinson's Biblical Researches, Vol. I., pp. 480-515. See, 
 also, Thomson's Land and Book, Vol. II., pp. 64 and 446, 
 
436 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 or three feet of water, which can readily be increased to a 
 much greater depth. 
 
 The Upper Pool is three hundred and sixteen (316) feet 
 long, two hundred and eighteen (218) feet wide, and eighteen 
 (18) feet deep, covering an acre and a half of ground. 
 
 The Pool of Hezekiah is two hundred and forty (240) feet 
 long, and one hundred and forty-four (144) feet wide, and is 
 partly filled with water. 
 
 The Lower Pool, or Pool of Gihon, is five hundred and 
 ninety-two (592) feet long, two hundred and sixty (260) feet 
 wide, and forty (40) feet deep, covering more than three and 
 a half acres of ground. This pool is now dry; but so lately 
 as the time of the Crusaders was fully supplied with water, 
 and free to the use of all. 
 
 Several other pools existed, either in or in the immediate 
 vicinity of the city. They were all constructed with sides 
 gradually sloping inward and downward, so as to make 
 a descent into the water to any required depth safe and 
 easy, and were, doubtless, in daily use for purposes of ablu- 
 tion, as constantly practised by the Jews. 
 
 Dr. Barclay, who spent many years in mission- 
 ary labor in Jerusalem, and who, so far as that city 
 is concerned, is perhaps the most competent and 
 reliable of all authorities, substantiates the above 
 statements by his own testimony. — City of the Great 
 King. See, also. Prof. Chase s Design of Baptism^ 
 with Dr. Sampson's Article , p. 115. 
 
 Dr. Thomson, in his efforts to identify the place 
 where Philip baptized the eunuch, says: 
 
 " He would then have met the chariot somewhere south- 
 west of Latron. There is a fine stream of water, called Mu- 
 rubbah, deep enough even in June to satisfy the utmost 
 
CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 437 
 
 wishes of our Baptist friends." — The Land and the Book, Vol, 
 II., p. J 10. 
 
 Good testimony that is, from a most competent 
 and reliable source, and from one who did not think 
 immersion essential to baptism. 
 
 How fully such testimony from well - informed 
 sources vindicates the views held by Ba'ptists, let 
 any one judge. And how futile are all objections 
 urged against immersion as the scriptural mode of 
 baptism, on the ground of an insufficient supply of 
 water for such a purpose, is manifest. And this tes- 
 timony comes from those who have no doctrinal 
 sympathy with Baptists. 
 
 ASPERSION FOR IMMERSION. 
 
 We may now properly inquire when and why was 
 sprinkling introduced and accepted as a substitute 
 for the original scriptural form of dipping in bap- 
 tism .-* Why and when did a human device super- 
 sede a divine institution .-* The question has its 
 interest and its importance, and is fully and satis- 
 factorily answered by Pedobaptists themselves. We 
 accept their testimony as a complete justification of 
 our position in respect to this ordinance. 
 
 For two hundred and fifty years after Christ we 
 have no evidence of any departure from the primi- 
 tive practice of immersion — the first authenticated 
 instance of such a departure being about the middle 
 of the third century, or A. D. 250. This was in the 
 case of Novatian. Eusebius, the historian, gives 
 
43? THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 this case, and no earlier instance could be found by 
 Dr. Wall in his laborious researches. Good evi- 
 dence that none earlier existed. What he failed in 
 this direction to discover, it would be difficult for 
 any other one to find. 
 
 Novatian was dangerously ill, and believing 
 himself about to die, he greatly desired to be bap- 
 tized, not having as yet received that ordinance. As 
 the case seemed urgent, and he was thought too 
 feeble to be immersed, it was decided to try a sub- 
 stitute as nearly resembling baptism as possible. 
 Water was poured profusely over him as he lay on 
 his bed, so as to resemble as much as possible a sub- 
 mersion. The word used to describe this action 
 {perichutheis, perfusus) has usually been rendered, 
 besprinkle; it rather means, to pour round about, or 
 upon and over one. This was, doubtless, the action 
 in the case of Novatian, and such a profuse over- 
 whelming with water, it was thought, might serve 
 the purpose, especially as the necessity was so 
 great. — See this case treated in Dr. Chase's Design 
 of Baptism y p. ^^. 
 
 EUSEBIUS, in his history, quoting from Cornelius, 
 bishop of Rome, gives the following accounts of 
 this case — a case which claims the more regard as 
 being the first recorded departure from apostolic 
 usage in the matter of baptism: 
 
 " He fell into a grievous distemper, and, it being supposed 
 that he would die immediately, he received baptism — being 
 besprinkled with water, on the bed whereon he lay, if that 
 
.CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 439 
 
 can be termed baptism." — Eccl. Hist., B. VI., ch. 4J. Cam- 
 bridge ed. 168 J. Also Bing. Christ. Antiq., B. XI., ch. Ji, 
 sec. J. Also B. IV., ch. j, sec. 11. 
 
 The historian himself seemed doubtful as to the 
 validity of such a rite. 
 
 Valesius makes the following comment on the 
 passage: 
 
 "This word, perichutheis, Rufinus very well renders be- 
 sprinkled (perfusus). For people who were sick, and baptized 
 on their beds, could not be dipped in water by the priest, but 
 were besprinkled by him. This baptism was thought imper- 
 fect, and not solemn, for several reasons. Also, they who 
 were thus baptized were called ever afterward Clinici; and 
 by the twelfth canon of the Council of Neocesarea, these 
 Clinici were prohibited priesthood." — Cited by Booth, Pedo-ex. 
 ch. 7, ref. 2. Also, Chase s Design of Baptism, p. jj. Bing. 
 Antiq., B. IV., ch. j, sec. 11. 
 
 Dr. Wall, the able historian and defender of in- 
 fant baptism, makes the following statement respect- 
 ing the case of Novatian : 
 
 "Anno Domini 251 Novatian was, by one part -of the 
 clergy and people of Rome, chosen Bishop of that Church, 
 in opposition to Cornelius, who had before been chosen by 
 the major part, and was already ordained. Cornelius does, 
 in a letter to Fabius, Bishop of Antioch, vindicate his right, 
 showing that Novatian came not canon ically to his orders- 
 of priesthood, much less was capable of being chosen Bishop; 
 for that all the clergy, and a great many of the laity, were 
 against his being ordained presbyter; because it was not law- 
 ful, they said, for one that had been baptized in his bed in 
 time of sickness, as he had been, to be admitted to any order 
 of the c\^x^."—Euseb. Eccl. Hist., B. VI., ch. 43. Walls 
 Hist. Inf. Bap., p. I J., ch. 9, p. 463. 
 
440 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 It is evident that such a substitute for baptism was, 
 at the time, generally considered as unscriptural 
 and improper. But, having been introduced, and 
 by some accepted, from that time the practice of 
 affusion or aspersion was resorted to in cases of 
 sickness; hence, denominated ** clinic baptism," 
 from clina, a couch or bed, on which it was received. 
 
 Bishop Taylor says : 
 
 "It was a formal and solemn question made by Magnus 
 to Cyprian whether they are to be esteemed right Christians, 
 who are only sprinkled with water, and not washed or dipped." 
 —Duct. Dubii., B. III., ch. 4, r. 13. 
 
 Dr. Towerson says : 
 
 " The first mention we find of aspersion in the baptism of 
 the elder sort, was in the case of the Clinici, or men who re- 
 ceived baptism upon their sick beds." — Sacra. Bap., p. III,^ 
 P'59' 
 
 Venema says : 
 
 " Sprinkling was used in the last moments of life, on such 
 as were called Clinics." — Eccl. Hist., Vol. IV., ch. 4, sec no. 
 
 Salmasius says : 
 
 "The Clinics only, because they were confined to their 
 beds, were baptized in a manner of which they were capable; 
 thus Novatian, when sick, received baptism, being besprinkled, 
 not baptized." — De Vita Martini, ch. /j. Cited by Witsius, 
 B. IV., ch. 16, sec. I J. 
 
 Grotius says : 
 
 " The custom of pouring or sprinkling seems to have pre- 
 vailed in favor of those that were dangerously ill, and were 
 
CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 44I 
 
 desirous of giving up themselves to Christ, whom others 
 called Clinics" — Comment on Matt. j. 6. 
 
 SPRINKLING PREVAILED. 
 
 In the Roman Church pouring for baptism was 
 tolerated in the eighth century, and in the sixteenth 
 century generally adopted as a matter of conven- 
 ience, that hierarchy presumptuously arrogating the 
 right to change ordinances. 
 
 Dr. Wall says : 
 
 " France seems to have been the first country in the world 
 where baptism by affusion was used ordinarily to persons in 
 health, and in the public way of administering it." — Hist. 
 Inf. Bap., p. II., ch. g, p. 470. 
 
 The same learned author states that Calvin pre- 
 pared for the Genevan Church, and afterward pub- 
 lished to the world, **a form of administering the 
 sacraments," in respect to which he adds, '* for an 
 office, or liturgy of any Church, this is, I believe, 
 the first in the world that prescribes aspersion abso- 
 lutely." — Hist. Inf. Bap, See above. 
 
 Dr. Walj. adds : 
 
 "And for sprinkling, properly called, it seems it was, at 
 A.D. 1645, just then beginning, and used by very few." " But 
 sprinkling for the common use of baptizing was really intro- 
 duced (in France first, and then in other popish countries) 
 in times of popery." — Hist. Inf. Bap., p. II., ch. g, p. ^rjo. 
 
 Of England, he says : 
 
 "The offices and liturgies did all along enjoin dippings 
 without any mention of pouring or sprinkling. " About 1 550, 
 
442 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 however, aspersion began to prevail, being used first in the 
 case of "weak children," and "within the space of half a 
 century, from 15 50 to 1600, prevailed to be the more general." 
 The English Churches finally came to imitate the Genevan, 
 and casting off the dominion of the pope, bowed to the au- 
 thority of Calvin, and adopted pouring in the place of dip- 
 ping.— IVa/rs Hist. Inf. Bap., p. II., ch. g, pp. 46J-47J. 
 
 The Assembly of Divines, in Convocation in 
 1643, voted by one majority, mainly through the in- 
 fluence of Dr. Lightfoot, probably the most influen- 
 tial member of the Assembly, against baptizing by 
 immersion, and the year following Parliament sanc- 
 tioned their decision, and decreed that sprinkling 
 should be the legal mode of administering baptism. 
 Both immersion and sprinkling had been in com- 
 mon use. This action ruled out immersion and 
 made sprinkling sufficient. The following is the 
 form finally decided and fixed by the Assembly for 
 the minister to use in baptism: 
 
 "He is to baptize the child with water, which, for the 
 manner of doing, is not only lawful, but also sufficient and 
 most expedient to be by pouring or sprinkling water on the 
 face of the child without any other ceremony." — Pittman 
 and Lightfoofs Works, Vol. XIII , p. joo. Cited in Debates of 
 Camp, and Rice, pp. 241-2. 
 
 The Edinburgh Encyclopedia gives the fol- 
 lowing account of the rise of sprinkling : 
 
 "The first law to sanction aspersion as a mode of baptism 
 was by Pope Stephen TL, A. D. 753. But it was not till 
 the year 1311 that a Council held at Ravenna declared im- 
 mersion or sprinkling to be indifferent. In this country 
 
CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 443 
 
 (Scotland), however, sprinkling was never practiced in ordi- 
 nary cases till after the Reformation; and in England, even 
 in the reign of Edward VI. (about 1550), immersion was com- 
 monly observed." — Article Baptism. 
 
 But during the reign of the Catholic Mary, who 
 succeeded to the throne on the death of Edward VI., 
 1553, persecution drove many of the Protestants 
 from their homes, not a few of whom, especially the 
 Scotch, found an asylum in Geneva, where, under 
 the influence of John Calvin, they imbibed a prefer- 
 ence for sprinkling. — Edinb. Eyicy., Art. Baptism. 
 
 *' These Scottish exiles," says the last-quoted au- 
 thority, *'who had renounced the authority of the 
 pope, implicitly acknowledged the authority of Cal- 
 vin; and returning to their own country, with John 
 Knox at their head, in 1559 estabHshed sprinkling 
 in Scotland. From Scotland, this practice made its 
 way into England in the reign of Elizabeth, but was 
 not authorized by the established Church." 
 
 It was not authorized in England until, as above 
 stated, the action of the Westminster Assembly in 
 1643, and confirmed by Parliament in 1644. 
 
 The Encyclopaedia Britannica states the 
 case, much to the same effect, as follows : 
 
 " What principally tended to confirm the practice of affu- 
 sion or sprinkling, was that several of our Protestant divines, 
 flying into Germany and Switzerland during the bloody reign 
 of Queen Mary, and coming home when Queen Elizabeth 
 came to the crown, brought back with them a great zeal for 
 the Protestant churches beyond the sea, where they had 
 been received and sheltered. And having observed that at 
 
444 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 Geneva, and some other places, baptism was administered 
 by sprinkling, they thought they could not do the Church of 
 England a greater service than by introducing a practice dic- 
 tated by so great an oracle as Calvin." — Ency. Britan., Ar- 
 ticle Baptism. 
 
 Thus we have given, briefly, but accurately, the 
 rise, progress, and final prevalence of this perver- 
 sion — the substitution of sprinkling for immersion, 
 in the administration of Christian baptism. 
 
CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 THE lord's supper. 
 
 The Lord's Supper in its institution, and also as 
 to its symbolic import, as well as in its relation to 
 Christian life and doctrine, has already been con- 
 sidered. It would be useless, in this place, to at- 
 tempt a history of the rite, especially a detail of the 
 perversions of its uses, the bitter controversies con- 
 cerning it, or the false claims set up for its sacra- 
 mental efficacy in working grace in its subjects. 
 
 The one question with which we are now con- 
 cerned is a purely denominational one, having 
 reference to the proper subjects of the ordinance, 
 and the spiritual and ritual qualifications of those 
 who partake of it. Also as to the proper and right- 
 ful authority of the Church in restricting its use, and 
 judging of the qualifications of the participants. 
 
 EUCHARISTIC PROPOSITIONS. 
 
 The following propositions may be stated : 
 Prop. i. — The Gospel calls on all men, every- 
 where, to repent and believe on the Lord Jesus 
 Christ unto salvation. This is the first act of sub- 
 mission to divine authority required of men. 
 
 Prop. 2. — Such as have exercised saving faith in 
 445 
 
44^ THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 Christ, and are thus born of the Spirit, are com- 
 manded to be baptized, as a declaration of that 
 change, and a profession of the inward washing of 
 regeneration, which has transpired in them. And 
 no one is required to be, or properly can be, bap- 
 tized till he has believed. 
 
 Prop. 3. — All persons, having savingly believed 
 on Christ, and having been baptized into His name 
 on a profession of that faith, are expected, and re- 
 quired, to unite themselves thereby with the com- 
 pany of disciples as members, in fellowship with a 
 Church which is Christ's visible body. And no one 
 can properly become a member of a Church till he 
 has believed and been baptized. 
 
 Prop. 4. — It becomes the privilege and the duty 
 of all who have thus been regenerated by the Spirit, 
 baptized on a profession of faith, and are walking in 
 fellowship with the Church, to celebrate the death 
 of Christ in the Supper. Moreover, it is the duty of 
 all who believe they love the Lord to be baptized, 
 and unite with His Church, in order that they may 
 obey His command, "This do in remembrance of 
 me." No true disciple should neglect it. 
 
 Prop. 5. — It becomes the imperative duty of the 
 churches, to whom the ordinances are committed, 
 to see to it, as faithful guardians of so sacred a trust, 
 that these regulations be faithfully observed, accord- 
 ing to the will of the Master, by all who are mem- 
 bers, and by all who desire to become members with 
 them. 
 
 Prop. 6. — The pastor, as *' the chief executive offi- 
 
c THE LORD*S SUPPER. 447 
 
 cer " of the Church, acts as its representative under 
 instructions in his sphere of service. But it is not 
 his prerogative to determine who shall be baptized 
 into its fellowship, or who shall enjoy its privileges, 
 including a right to the Supper. The right and re- 
 sponsibility of deciding those questions belong to 
 the Church itself, and not to its officers. 
 
 Prop. 7. — The pastor, in the exercise of his Chris- 
 tian liberty, is not under obligation to baptize any, 
 though the Church may approve, unless he believes 
 they are fit and suitable subjects. Nor can he bap- 
 tize any into the fellowship of the Church without 
 its consent. 
 
 I. OPEN AND CLOSE COMMUNION. 
 
 The difference between Baptists and other Chris- 
 tian denominations on this question has principal 
 reference to what is usually known as open and close 
 communion. These terms do not very accurately 
 define the distinction, but they are in common use 
 in popular discussions on the subject, and are quite 
 well understood. 
 
 Open^ free, or mixed communion, is, strictly speak- 
 ing, that which permits any one who desires, and 
 believes himself qualified, to come to the Lord's 
 table, without any questions being asked, or condi- 
 tions imposed, by the Church where the communion 
 is observed. But ordinarily the term open com- 
 munion is applied to the practice of the greater part 
 of Pedobaptist churches, in which they permit and 
 invite, not all persons, but the members of other 
 
448 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 evangelical churches to their Communion, whatever 
 may be their views of doctrine, or Church order, in 
 other respects. 
 
 Close, strict, or restricted communion is properly 
 that which does not invite all, indiscriminately, who 
 may choose to come to the Lord's table, but restricts 
 the invitation to a particular class. But ordinarily 
 the term close communion is applied to the practice 
 of Baptist churches, which invite to it only baptized 
 believers, walking in orderly fellowship in their own 
 churches. And by baptized believers, they mean, 
 of course, immersed believers; since they hold that 
 nothing but immersion is baptism. 
 
 Nearly all Baptists in the United States, and a 
 large part of those in foreign lands, are strict com- 
 munion in practice, as are also a few smaller denom- 
 inations; while the Latin, Greek, and Oriental 
 churches, and the greater part of Protestant churches 
 practise free communion. Which are right ? Let 
 us compare them by the infallible standard. 
 
 II. THE OPEN COMMUNION VIEW. 
 
 Those who favor and practice open or free com- 
 munion justify their course by various and some- 
 what divergent reasons. The following constitute, 
 in the main, the arguments they use : 
 
 I. Sprinkling Held to be Baptism. 
 
 The first class of ope?i-communionists are those 
 who hold that none but baptized persons should be 
 invited to the Lord's table, and that the Church is 
 
THE lord's supper. 449 
 
 the rightful judge of the fitness of persons to be re- 
 ceived to its privileges; yet they assert that sprink- 
 ling is lawful baptism, and that persons sprinkled 
 only, and not immersed, should, therefore, be ad- 
 mitted to the Supper. This Baptists deny, and 
 have, as they believe, proven the contrary— that 
 sprinkling is not scriptural baptism. 
 
 2. Baptism not Prerequisite. 
 
 The second class of open-communionists assert that 
 the ordinances sustain no necessary relation to each 
 other; that baptism can claim no priority over the 
 Supper, and, therefore, it is not a condition, nor pre- 
 requisite to it. Consequently, unbaptized persons, 
 if believers — for they do make faith a condition — 
 may partake of the Supper as lawfully as baptized 
 persons. Therefore immersion or sprinkling, either 
 or neither, is equally indifferent. This theory vir- 
 tually denies the memorial and symbolic character 
 of the ordinance, and regards it chiefly as a sign and 
 service of Christian fellowship. This course of argu- 
 ment, however plausible, is rejected and condemned 
 by the great body of Christians the world over, both 
 Baptist and Pedobaptists. 
 
 3. The Church is not to Judge. 
 
 The third class of open-communionists are those 
 
 who claim that the privilege of the Supper is based 
 
 on no ground of prescribed conditions, on no ritual 
 
 preparation, but entirely upon one's own sense of 
 
 fitness and duty. That the Church has no right of 
 29 
 
450 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 judgment in the case, and no responsibility concern- 
 ing it, but is simply to ** set the table," and leave it 
 to each and all to take or to refrain; whoever wishes, 
 and judges himself fit, may eat and drink in that holy 
 service without hindrance or question. 
 
 To this attitude as to the ordinances, and to this 
 mode of reasoning, Baptists strenuously object; as 
 do the great majority of Pedobaptists themselves. 
 It is not only the right, but the duty of each Church 
 to guard the sacred trusts committed to it, and to 
 judge whether candidates for its privileges are, or 
 are not, scripturally qualified to receive them. Each 
 Church must be its own interpreter of truth and duty. 
 It would be absurd to claim that the convictions of 
 an individual must be the authoritative standard by 
 which the body is bound to act. 
 
 If the judgment of the Church must yield to the 
 convictions of individuals in one thing, it may in all, 
 and then all order, government, and discipline would 
 be prostrated before an anarchy of conflicting per- 
 sonal opinions. If the privilege of the Supper be- 
 comes common, all others may be, since this is the 
 highest and most sacred of all. It would be a crim- 
 inal indifference to the Master of the household to 
 allow the safeguards with which He has surrounded 
 the sanctity of His institutions to be broken down. 
 
 III. THE BAPTIST VIEW. 
 
 The following will express with general accuracy 
 the view held by Baptists as to the conditions of the 
 
THE LORD'S SUPPER. 45 1 
 
 communion, and the qualifications of the contimuni- 
 cants. 
 
 1. Baptists hold that there are three scriptural 
 conditions to the privileges of the Lord's Supper, 
 which are imperative on the part of the Church to 
 be observed: 
 
 a. Regeneration; being born of the Spirit, and thus 
 becoming a new creature in Christ Jesus. Without 
 this, no one can be a member of His spiritual body, 
 or can rightfully be a member of His visible body, 
 the Church. 
 
 b. Baptism; being buried with Christ in water, 
 on a profession of faith in Him. This act must pre- 
 cede Church membership, and of course Church 
 privileges, including the Supper. 
 
 c. Godliness; an upright Christian life, orderly 
 walk, and godly conversation as a Church member. 
 For though one may have been truly converted, 
 and rightly baptized, if he be a disorderly walker, 
 violating his covenant obligations, living in sin, and 
 openly disobeying his Lord, he has no claim on the 
 Lord's Table. 
 
 2. Baptists claim that the Communion, strictly 
 speaking, is a Church ordinance to be observed by 
 churches only. That it cannot be administered, or 
 received by those outside the Church; that mem- 
 bers, in their individual capacity, cannot administer 
 or receive it. Nor can the Church authorize individ- 
 uals to administer, or receive it. The body must act 
 in its organic character in the use of it; and persons 
 must be within the Church, legitimately to enjoy it. 
 
452 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 3. Baptists insist that they neither may, nor 
 ought to, invite to the Supper any except persons 
 converted, baptized, and walking orderly according 
 to gospel rule. They believe the Church is bound 
 to judge of the fitness of those admitted to its or- 
 dinances as well as those admitted to its member- 
 ship. To invite, or permit persons to receive the 
 Communion without conditions, is to allow the vile 
 and the profane, the carnal and the impure, to 
 mingle with God's spiritual people, and eat and 
 drink, unworthily, the symbolic flesh and blood of 
 Christ. For, if the rule be allowed, to this extent 
 will the abuse be sure to go. 
 
 4. Baptists are firmly convinced, that, to maintain 
 the purity and spirituality of the churches, it is ab- 
 solutely needful to restrict the Communion to re- 
 generated persons, baptized on a profession of faith, 
 and walking orderly Christian lives in Church fellow- 
 ship. To adopt any other rule, or allow any larger 
 liberty, would break down the distinction between 
 the Church and the world; would bring in a carnal 
 and unconverted membership, with which to over- 
 shadow the spiritual, and control the household of 
 faith ; would virtually transfer the Communion 
 from the house of God to the temple of Belial. To 
 keep the churches pure, the ordinances must be 
 kept pure and unperverted, both as to their sub- 
 stance and their form. 
 
 5. Baptists give the following reasons in justifica- 
 tion of their course in the following cases : 
 
 a. They do not invite Pedobaptists to their Com- 
 
THE lord's supper. 453 
 
 munion, because they do not regard such persons 
 as baptized; they having been only sprinkled. The 
 fact that they think themselves baptized, does not 
 make it so. If they desire to commune, let them be 
 baptized according to Christ's command. 
 
 b. They do not accept invitations from Pedobap- 
 tists to commune with them, for the same reason; 
 they do not consider them baptized Christians. 
 Therefore their churches are irregular churches ac- 
 cording to the New Testament standard, both in 
 the misuse of the ordinances, and in the admission of 
 infant Church membership. Therefore to commune 
 with them would be disorderly walking, and would 
 encourage them in disorderly walking, by uphold- 
 ing a perversion of the ordinances. 
 
 c. They do not invite the immersed members of 
 Pedobaptist churches to their Communion, because, 
 though such persons may be truly converted and 
 properly baptized, they are walking disorderly as 
 disciples, by remaining in churches which hold and 
 practise serious errors as to the ordinances, as such 
 persons themselves judge. These churches use 
 sprinkling for baptism, and administer the ordinance 
 to infants; both of which are contrary to Scripture, 
 as such persons themselves allow. And yet, by re- 
 maining in these churches, they give their counte- 
 nance and support to uphold and perpetuate what 
 they confess to be errors, and thus help to impose 
 on others what they will not accept for themselves. 
 This is not an orderly and consistent course foi 
 Christians to pursue. 
 
454 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 IV. BAPTISM IS PREREQUISITE. 
 
 If the Supper was intended to be limited to those 
 converted, baptized, and brought into the fellow- 
 ship of the churches, it may be asked, Why was not 
 this fact made plain and explicitly stated in some 
 command or precept of Christ or His Apostles ? 
 Why was not this command as positively given as 
 that which enjoined baptism ? The reply must be, 
 It was plainly and explicitly enjoined. The form 
 of the ordinance was exhibited when instituted by 
 Jesus; the command enjoining its observance was, 
 "This do, in remembrance of me;" the qualified 
 subjects were those before Him; baptized believers. 
 
 But note the following considerations. 
 
 1. The example of our Saviour at the institution 
 of the Supper. Whom did He invite to partake of 
 the symbols of His body and blood } Not an in- 
 discriminate company; not all who deemed them- 
 selves fit, and chose to come; not all of His pro- 
 fessed disciples even. But a small and very select 
 company, who had received John's baptism, or His 
 own, not even including His own mother, brethren, 
 and other family connections. That first Com- 
 munion service, at the close of or during the paschal 
 supper, was a very restricted one. Certainly no un- 
 baptized persons were present in that upper cham- 
 ber to receive the elements. 
 
 2. The language of Christ in the Great Commis- 
 sion, and other similar forms of speech, if not con- 
 clusive proof, are very little short of it, in favor of 
 
THE lord's supper. 455 
 
 the necessary priority of baptism to the Supper. 
 He commanded to teach all nations, baptizing them; 
 His promise is to those who believe and are baptized. 
 This order is uniform; teaching, believing, baptiz- 
 ing. Where does the Supper come in ? Baptists 
 say, after the teaching, believing, baptizing, and 
 thus being "added to the Church.'* There is no 
 room for it before. But if it comes before — then 
 where before } Before the teaching, and before the 
 believing } Why not } If the divine order is to be 
 changed, then why not have the Supper come be- 
 fore the teaching and believing, and be given, as 
 Pedobaptists give baptism, to infants incapable of 
 either instruction or faith. Infant communion, as 
 practised from the third to the ninth century by 
 the Latin Church, and still practised by the Greek 
 Church, is equally scriptural with infant baptism, as 
 now practised by all Pedobaptists, whether Catho- 
 lics or Protestants. Nor would infant communion 
 after baptism be any more inconsistent than adult 
 communion before baptism. 
 
 3. The New Testament history affords no in- 
 stance which can be supposed to favor the theory 
 of communion without baptism. But abundant evi- 
 dence is furnished, in facts and circumstances men- 
 tioned, to show that all communicants were bap- 
 tized persons. Apostolic instruction, with reference 
 to the Supper and reproofs administered for an 
 abuse of that sacred ordinance, all are addressed to 
 churches and Church members. Those who believed^ 
 and gladly received the Word^ were baptized^ then 
 
456 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 added to the Church; then they continued steadfast 
 in the Apostles' doctrine, and in the breaking of 
 bread, and oi prayer. 
 
 4. The almost unvarying testimony of Christian 
 history through all its ages should be accepted as 
 important evidence in this case. Both Catholics 
 and Protestants, Baptists and Pedobaptists, with 
 singular unanimity^ declare baptism to be prerequi- 
 site to the Communion. 
 
 Justin Martyr, one of the early Christian Fa- 
 thers, about A. D. 140, says of the Supper: 
 
 "This food is called by us the Eucharist, of which it is 
 not lawful for any one to partake, but such as believe the 
 things taught by us to be true, and have been baptized." — 
 Apol. I. C, dj, 66, See Schafs Ck. Hist., II., ^16. 
 
 MOSHEIM, in his Church History, says: 
 " Neither those doing penance, nor those not yet baptized, 
 were allowed to be present at the celebration of this ordi- 
 nance." "The sacred mystery of the service was deemed so 
 great as to exclude the unbaptized from the place." — Eccl. 
 Hist. , Cent. II, , part II. , chap. 4, sec. j. 
 
 Neander, the great Church historian, says: 
 " At this celebration, as may be easily concluded, no one 
 could be present who was not a member of the Christian 
 Church, and incorporated into it by the rite of baptism." — 
 Ch.Hist., Vol. L,p.j27. 
 
 Cave, one of the most reliable writers on Chris- 
 tian antiquities, says the communicants in the prim- 
 itive Church were those 
 
 " That had embraced the doctrine of the Gospel, and had 
 
THE lord's supper. 457 
 
 been baptized into the faith of Christ. For, looking upon 
 the Lord's Supper as the highest and most solemn act of re- 
 ligion, they thought they could never take care enough in 
 dispensing it." — Prim. Christ., ch. ii,p.JSJ. 
 
 Bingham, in his able work on the antiquities of 
 the Christian Church, says of the early Christians: 
 
 "As soon as a man was baptized he was communicated," 
 that is, admitted to the Communion. Baptism, therefore, 
 preceded the Supper. — Christ. Antiq., B. XII., ch. 4, sec. g; 
 B.XV.,ch.j. 
 
 Wall, who searched the records of antiquity for 
 facts illustrating the history of the ordinances, says: 
 
 " No Church ever gave the Communion to any before they 
 were baptized. Among all the absurdities that were ever held, 
 none ever maintained that any person should partake of the 
 Communion before he was baptized." — Hist. Inf. Bap., part 
 II., ch. p. 
 
 Doddridge says: 
 
 " It is certain that, so far as our knowledge of primitive 
 antiquity reaches, no unbaptized person received the Lord's 
 Supper." — Lectures, pp. ^11, ^12. 
 
 Baxter says: 
 
 " What man dares go in a way which hath neither precept 
 nor example to warrant it, from a way that hath full consent of 
 both ? Yet they that will admit members into the visible 
 Church without baptism do so." — Plain Scrip. Proof, 24. 
 
 Dick says: 
 
 " An uncircumcised man was not permitted to eat the pass- 
 over; and an unbaptized man should not be permitted to par- 
 take of the Eucharist."— T/^^i?/., Vol. II., p. 220. 
 
458 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 D WIGHT says: 
 
 "It is an indispensable qualification for this ordinance, 
 that the candidate for communion be a member of the visi- 
 ble Church, in full standing. By this I intend that he should 
 be a man of piety; that he should have made a public pro- 
 fession of religion, and that he should have been baptized." 
 — Syst. Theol. Ser. i6o, B. VIII., ch. 4, sec. 7. 
 
 SCHAFF says: 
 
 " The Communion was a regular part, and, in fact, the 
 most important and solemn part of the Sunday worship, . . . 
 in which none but full members of the Church could engage." 
 —Ch. Hist., Vol. /., /. 3g2. N. V., 1S71. 
 
 Coleman says: 
 
 " None, indeed, but believers, in full communion with the 
 Church, were permitted to be present." " But agreeably to 
 all the laws and customs of the Church, baptism constituted 
 membership with the Church. All baptized persons were 
 legitimately numbered among the communicants as mem- 
 bers of the Church." — Ancient Christ. Ex., ch. 21, sec. 8. 
 
 These witnesses to our position, not being Bap- 
 tists, may command the more regard from those 
 who do not agree with us. Other similar testimo- 
 nies need not be cited. 
 
 V. ONE AND THE SAME RULE. 
 
 Here observe, that Baptists and Pedobaptists have 
 one and the same rule as to the conditions of the 
 Communion, viz.: they all hold baptism to be pre- 
 requisite, and that unbaptized persons have no law 
 ful ri^ht to it. 
 
THE lord's supper. 459 
 
 For though there may be a few ministers, and 
 possibly a few churches, that would invite anybody 
 and everybody, yet such a course would be con- 
 trary to the standards, and opposed to the usages of 
 their churches generally. They all practise a re- 
 stricted or close communion, since they restrict the 
 privilige to baptized believers. But inasmuch as 
 they hold that sprinkling as well as immersion is 
 baptism, their communion is more open, and tha^t of 
 Baptists is more close, by the difference between 
 their views of baptism and ours, and by that differ- 
 ence only. Therefore the question in debate is one, 
 after all, not of communion, but of baptism. Let 
 them/r^z^^ that sprinkling is baptism, or admit that 
 it is ftot, and the communion controversy will cease. 
 
 Dr. Griffin, one of the fathers of New England 
 Congregationalism, said: 
 
 "I agree with the advocates of close communion in two 
 points: i. That baptism is the initiatory ordinance which 
 introduces us into the visible Church — of course, where there 
 is no baptism there are no visible churches. 2. That we 
 ought not to commune with those who are not baptized, and 
 of course not Church members, even if we regard them as 
 Christians." — Letter on Baptism, i82g. See Curtis on Com., 
 p. 125. 
 
 Bishop Coxe, oi the Episcopal Diocese of West- 
 ern New York, says: 
 
 " The Baptists hold that we have never been baptized, and 
 they must exclude us from their communion table, if we were 
 disposed to go there. Are we offended? No; we call it 
 principle, and we re?-pect it. To say that we have never be- 
 
460 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 come members of Christ by baptism seems severe, but it is 
 conscientious adherence to duty, as they regard it. I should 
 be the bigot, and not they, if I should ask them to violate 
 their discipline in this or in any other particular." — On Christ. 
 Unity, in Church Union, July, i8gi. 
 
 Dr. Hibbard, a leading Methodist scholar and 
 divine, says: 
 
 " In one principle Baptist and Pedobaptist churches 
 agree. They both agree in rejecting from communion at the 
 table of the Lord, and in denying the rights of Church fellow- 
 ship to all who have not been baptized;" and with admirable 
 frankness he adds: " The charge of dose comfnunion is no 
 more applicable to the Baptists than to us [Pedobaptists], in- 
 somuch as the question of Church fellowship with them is 
 determined by as liberal principles as it is with any other Prot- 
 estant churches — so far, I mean, as the present subject is 
 concerned: /. e., it is determi7ied by valid baptism." — Hibbard 
 on Christ. Bap., p. II., p. 174. 
 
 Dr. Bullock, another Methodist divine, says: 
 
 "Close communion, as it is generally termed, is the only 
 logical and consistent course for Baptist churches to pursue. 
 If their premises are right, their conclusion is surely just as 
 it should be." And he commends the firmness of Baptists 
 in not inviting to the communion those whom they regard 
 as unbaptized. He says: " They do not feel willing to coun- 
 tenance such laxity in Christian discipline. Let us honor them 
 for their steadfastness in maintaining what they believe to be 
 a Bible precept, rather than criticise and censure because 
 they differ with us concerning the intent and mode of Chris- 
 tian baptism, and believe it to be an irrepealable condition 
 of coming to the Lord's table."— What Christians Believe. 
 
 The Independent, the most widely circulated 
 
THE LORD'S SUPPER. 461 
 
 and perhaps the most influential Pedobaptist paper 
 in the country, in an editorial, says: 
 
 " Leading writers of all denominations declare that con- 
 verts must be baptized before they can be invited to the com- 
 munion table. This is the position generally taken. But 
 Baptists regarding sprinkling as a nullity — no baptism at all 
 — look upon Presbyterians, Methodists and others as unbap- 
 tized persons." " The other churches cannot urge the Bap- 
 tists to become open communicants till they themselves take 
 the position that all who love our Lord Jesus Christ, the un- 
 baptized as well as the baptized, may be invited to the com- 
 munion table." — Editorial, July, iSjg. 
 
 The Congregationalist, the organ of the New- 
 England Congregational Churches, in an editorial, 
 says: 
 
 " Congregationalists have uniformly, until here and there 
 an exception has arisen of late years, required baptism and 
 Church membership as the prerequisite of a seat at the table 
 of the Lord. It is a part of the false ' liberality ' which now 
 prevails in certain quarters, to welcome everybody 'who 
 thinks he loves Christ ' to commune in His body and blood. 
 Such a course is the first step in breaking down that distinc- 
 tion between the Church and the world which our Saviour 
 emphasized; and it seems to us it is an unwise and mistaken 
 act for which no Scripture warrant exists." — Editorial, July 
 9, 18^9. 
 
 The Observer of New York, the oldest and 
 leading Presbyterian journal of this country, said : 
 
 " It is not a want of charity which compels the Baptist to 
 restrict his invitation. He has no hesitation in admitting 
 the personal piety of his unimmersed brethren. Presbyte- 
 rians do not invite the unbaptized, however pious they may 
 
462 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 be. It is not uncharitable. It is not bigotry on the part of 
 Baptists to confine their communion to those whom they 
 consider the baptized." 
 
 The Interior of Chicago, organ of the Western 
 Presbyterians, said : 
 
 "The difference between our Baptist brethren and our- 
 selves is an important difference. We agree with them, how- 
 ever, in saying that unbaptized persons should not partake 
 of the Lord's Supper. Their views compel them to think 
 that we are not baptized, and shuts them up to close Com- 
 munion. Close Communion is, in our judgment, a more de- 
 fensible position than open Communion, which is justified 
 on the ground that baptism is not a prerequisite to the Lord's 
 Supper. To chide Baptists with bigotry, because they abide 
 by the logical consequences of their system, is absurd." 
 
 The Episcopal Recorder said : 
 
 '• The close Communion of the Baptist Church is but the 
 necessary sequence of the fundamental idea out of which 
 their existence has grown. No Christian Church would wil- 
 lingly receive to its Communion even the humblest and truest 
 believer in Christ who had not been baptized. With the 
 Baptist, immersion, only, is baptism, and he therefore, of 
 necessity, excludes from the Lord's table all who have not 
 been immersed. It is an essential part of the system — the 
 legitimate carrying out of this creed." 
 
 The Christian Advocate of New York, said : 
 
 '* The regular Baptist churches in the United States may 
 be considered to-day as practically a unit on three points : 
 the non-use of infant baptism, the immersion of behevers 
 only upon profession of faith, and the administration of the 
 holy Communion to such only as have been immersed by 
 ministers holding these views. In our opinion the Baptist 
 
fHE lord's supper. 463 
 
 Church owes its amazing prosperity largely to its adherence 
 to these views. In doctrine and government, in other re- 
 spects, it is the same as the Congregational ists. In numbers 
 the regular Baptists are more than six times as great as the 
 Congregationalists. It is not bigotry to adhere to one's con- 
 victions, provided the spirit of Christian love prevails." 
 
 Many other similar concessions from candid Chris- 
 tian men, who differ from us, might be adduced, but 
 are unnecessary. 
 
 Thus, leading Pedobaptists themselves sustain the 
 position of Baptists, so far as the principle is con- 
 cerned on which close communion is based. They 
 hold, as we do, that unbaptized persons should not 
 be invited to the Lord's table; and that it is a false 
 liberalism which would admit everybody there, and 
 thus obliterate the distinction between the Church 
 and the world, in this the most sacred service of re- 
 ligion. Of course, they hold that sprinkling is bap- 
 tism, and therefore, that sprinkled persons have a 
 right to the Communion. 
 
 VI. THE SYMBOLISM OF THE ORDINANCES. 
 
 The design of Baptism was to show the death of 
 Christ for our offenses, and His resurrection for our 
 justification. Thus, in the two acts, the immersion 
 signifies burial^ and the emersion signifies resurrec- 
 tion. In baptism the believer professes his death to 
 sin, his burial with Christ, and his resurrection to 
 newness of life in Him — Rom. 6 : 4; Col. 2:12; the 
 coming forth from the baptismal wave, therefore, 
 proclaims a new spiritual life in Christ begun. 
 
464 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 The design of the Supper is to show that this new 
 spiritual life, thus begun, is to be nourished and 
 maintained by feeding on Christ. Eating and drink- 
 ing indicate sustenance and support. They show 
 the saint's dependence on Christ, who is the bread 
 of God, and the abundant supply of grace repre- 
 sented by the loaf and the cup. 
 
 Now, as life must begin before it can be nourished, 
 so baptism, which symbolizes its beginning, comes 
 before the Supper, which symbolizes its nourishment 
 and support. Thus it was in the apostolic age. 
 They believed and were baptized ; then they were 
 added to the Church ; then they continued in the 
 Apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking 
 of bready and oi prayers. — Acts 2 : 41 42. 
 
 VII. BUT ONE ARGUMENT. 
 
 Open communion has but one argument to sus- 
 tain it, viz., sympathy ; that, with some kindly minds, 
 outweighs all others. It has neither Scripture, 
 logic, expediency, nor the concurrent practice of 
 Christendom, either past or present, in its favor. 
 But to some it seems kind and brotherly to invite 
 all who say they love our Lord Jesus Christ, to unite 
 in commemorating His death at the Supper. And 
 to exclude any, or fail to invite all, seems to those 
 sentimental natures harsh, cold, and unchristian. 
 To them, the Supper is rather a love-feast for Chris- 
 tian fellowship than a personal commemoration of 
 Christ's love by those who have believed upon His 
 
THE lord's supper. 465 
 
 name, and been baptized into the likeness of His 
 death. But sympathy should not control in matters 
 of faith, and in "cts of conscience. 
 
 VIII. OBJECTIONS ANSWERED. 
 
 1. It is sometimes objected that we make too 
 much of baptism; that we make it a saving ordi- 
 nance; that it is not essential to salvation. 
 
 We reply: That baptism is not essential to salva- 
 tion; but it is essential to obedience, since Christ 
 has commanded it; and no one has a right to be 
 called His disciple, who, knowing His command, 
 deliberately refuses to obey. 
 
 2. Our Pedobaptist friends say they invite us to 
 their Communion, why should we not in like man- 
 ner invite them ? 
 
 We answer: They can well afford to invite us, 
 since they acknowledge that our baptism is valid 
 and scriptural; but we do not acknowledge theirs 
 to be either scriptural or valid. 
 
 3. Again, they say: It is the Lord's table, and we 
 should not exclude any of the Lord's people. 
 
 To this we reply: It is the Lord's table, and not 
 ours; therefore we have no right to invite any but 
 such as the Lord has designated. If it were our 
 table we could invite whomsoever we would. As it 
 is, we must obey the Lord at His own table. 
 
 4. They also ask: If the Lord has received us, 
 why should not you ^ 
 
 We reply: The Lord has received you to a spir- 
 
 30 
 
466 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 itual fellowship; so do we. But the Lord has not 
 received you to His visible ordinances unless you 
 have obeyed His direction. He receives pardoned 
 souls to His spiritual Communion, but not to the 
 outward Communion of His Church, till they have 
 obeyed Him in baptism. 
 
 5. But they say: We hope that all will commune 
 in heaven together; why then should we not on 
 earth ? 
 
 This objection is based on the assumption that all 
 who will commune together in heaven should come 
 to the Lord's Supper here. But this is fallacious. 
 There will be no baptism or Supper in heaven. 
 There the communion will be spiritual, and in spir- 
 itual communion all of God's people do unite now. 
 But Pedobaptists do not themselves invite to the 
 Lord's table all they hope to meet in heaven, chil- 
 dren, and many other unprofessed and unknown, 
 but true, disciples. Christ has given His churches 
 laws and ordinances for their earthly state, none of 
 which will be needed in the heavenly state. 
 
 6. And when they say that they do not object to 
 our baptism, but they do to our close communion , 
 we reply, as has been shown, that the difficulty is 
 not with the communion really at all, but altogether 
 with the baptism. And in order to remove the diffi- 
 culty, they must either show that sprinkling is true 
 scriptural baptism, or else that unbaptized persons 
 may properly be invited to the Lord's Supper. 
 
 7. In one respect, Pedobaptists are more close in 
 their Communion than Baptists, viz., in that they 
 
THBi LORD*S SUPI>ER. 467 
 
 exclude a large class of their own members from 
 the Lord's table; that is, baptized infants. Baptists 
 do not exclude their own members against whom 
 no charge is made. If unconscious infants can re- 
 ceive baptism on the faith of sponsors, they are cer- 
 tainly competent to receive the Supper in like 
 manner, as they did in the earlier ages, after the 
 introduction of infant baptism, from the third to the 
 ninth century, according to Church historians, and 
 as is still the practice of the Greek Church. Both 
 are alike contrary to reason and the Scriptures. 
 
 Dr. Coleman says : 
 
 " After the general introduction of infant baptism, in the 
 second and third centuries, the sacrament continued to be ad- 
 ministered to all who had been baptized, whether infants or 
 adults. The reason alleged by Cyprian and others for this 
 practice was, that age was no impediment. Augustine 
 strongly advocates the practice. The custom continued for 
 several centuries. It is mentioned in the third Council of 
 Tours, A. D. 813 ; and even the Council of Trent, A. D. 1545, 
 only decreed that it should not be considered essential to 
 salvation. It is still scrupulously observed by the Greek 
 Church." — Anc. Christ. Exemp., ch. 22, sec. 8 ; Bing. Orig., 
 B. XV., ch. 4, sec. 7 ; Cave, jj^-J49 ; Giesseler, Vol.11., p, 
 ^J2. Many other writers bear the same testimony. 
 
CHAPTER XVIL 
 
 INFANT BAPTISM. 
 
 The baptism of unconverted children and uncon- 
 scious infants has become common through the 
 Christian world. The Romish Church, the Greek 
 Church, and most of the Protestant churches prac- 
 tise it. Yet Baptists condemn it as unscriptural, 
 unreasonable and pernicious. They believe that 
 repentance d.nd faith should dXwdiys precede baptism. 
 Without these baptism has no significancy, and 
 serves no religious purpose. Whenever these gra- 
 cious exercises have been experienced, whether in 
 young or old, the subject may be admitted to the 
 holy ordinance of baptism. But never till he has 
 believed. Infants incapable of faith are, therefore, 
 unfit for baptism. 
 
 Manifest Propositions. 
 
 Baptists make and defend the following proposi- 
 tions respecting this practice: 
 
 Prop. i. — That there is in the New Testament 
 neither precept nor example found to authorize or 
 sanction infant baptism. Nor, indeed, is there even 
 
 an allusion to it in the Scriptures — very naturally, 
 
 468 
 
INFANT BAPTISM. 469 
 
 because it did not exist when the New Testament 
 was written. 
 
 Prop. 2. — That Christ did not institute it, nor did 
 either the Apostles or early Christians practise it. 
 
 Prop. 3. — That it arose with, and was a part of, 
 the corruption which in subsequent ages crept into 
 the churches, having its origin in the belief of a sac- 
 ramental efficacy possessed, and a saving power 
 exerted, by baptism on the soul of the child. 
 
 Prop. 4. — That the practice is unauthorized, pre- 
 sumptuous and censurable on the part of parents, 
 sponsors and administrators, and productive of evil 
 both to the child that receives it and the Church 
 that allows and practises it. 
 
 Prop. 5. — That it perverts the design and falsifies 
 the profession of the Church as the spiritual body of 
 Christ by introducing to its membership a carnal 
 element of unconverted persons. 
 
 Prop. 6. — That it originated with the unscriptural 
 dogma of baptismal regeneration, so it must still be 
 held by its advocates to have some saving or sanc- 
 tifying power on the child, or else it can have no 
 significancy, and be of no avail. 
 
 If these statements be true — and their truth will 
 be shown — how can the custom be defended and 
 continued by intelligent Christians ? 
 
 I. NOT OF SCRIPTURAL AUTHORITY. 
 
 Nearly all the learned and scholarly supporters ef 
 infant baptism have, with commendable rando 
 
470 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 admitted that it was not instituted by Christ, nor 
 practised either by His Apostles or their immediate 
 successors. 
 
 Dr. Wall, of the English Church, who wrote a 
 History of Infant Baptism, a work so thorough and 
 able that the clergy, assembled in convocation, gave 
 him a vote of thanks for his learned defence of this 
 custom, nevertheless says: 
 
 " Among all the persons that are recorded as baptized by 
 the Apostles, there is no express mention of infants. " — Hist, 
 Inf. Bap., Introd.y pp. i, jj. 
 
 Fuller, the historian, says: 
 
 " We do freely confess there is neither express precept nor 
 precedent in the New Testament for the baptizing of infants." 
 — Infanfs Advoc. , pp. yi, i^o. 
 
 Bishop Burnett says: 
 
 "There is no express precept or rule given in the New 
 Testament for the baptism of infants. " — Expos, jg Articles, 
 27 Art. 
 
 Baxter says: 
 
 " I conclude that all examples of baptism in Scripture do 
 mention only the administration of it to the professors of 
 saving faith; and the precepts give us no other direction."— 
 Disput. of Right to the Sacra., p. i^6. 
 
 Prof. Lindner says : 
 
 ''Christian baptism can be given only to adults, not to 
 infants. The Holy Spirit, which is given only to believers, 
 was a prerequisite to baptism." — On Lord's Supper^ 
 p, 123, 
 
INFANT BAPTISM. 47I 
 
 Goodwin says: 
 
 " Baptism supposeth regeneration sure in itself first. Sac- 
 raments are never administered to begin or to work grace. 
 You suppose children to believe before you baptize them. 
 Read all the Acts: still it is said, ' They believed, and were 
 baptized.'" — Works, Vol. I., part I., p. 200. 
 
 Cellarius says: 
 
 "Infant baptism is neither commanded in the sacred 
 Scriptures, nor is it confirmed by apostolic examples." — Shyn, 
 Hist. Mennonites, p. 168. 
 
 LiMBORCH says: 
 
 "There is no instance can be produced from which it may 
 indisputably be inferred that any child was baptized by the 
 Apostles." — Comp. Syst. Divin , B. V., ch. 22, sec. 2. 
 
 Field says: 
 
 " The baptism of infants is, therefore, named a tradition^ 
 because it is not expressly delivered in Scripture that the 
 Apostles did baptize infants; nor any express precept found 
 there that they should do so. " — On the Church, p. jjj. 
 
 Neander says: 
 
 " Baptism was administered at first only to adults, as men 
 were accustomed to conceive of baptism and faith as strictly 
 connected. We have all reason for not deriving infant 
 baptism from apostolic institution." — Ch. Hist. Vol. I., p. 
 jii; Torreys Trans. Plant, and Train., Vol. I., p. 222. 
 
 Olshausen says: 
 
 " We cannot, in truth, find anywhere a reliable proof-text 
 in favor of infant baptism." — Comment, Acts 13: 14* ^5' 
 
472 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 Hahn says: 
 
 " Neither in the Scriptures, nor during the first hundred 
 and fifty years, is a sure example of infant baptism to be 
 found." — Theology, p. jjd. 
 
 Robert Barclay says: 
 
 " As to the baptism of infants, it is a mere human tradi- 
 dition, for which neither precept nor practice is to be found 
 in all the Scriptures." — Apology, Propo. 12. 
 
 William Penn says: 
 
 There is ' ' not one text of Scripture to prove that sprinfc 
 ling in the face was the water baptism, or that children were 
 the subjects of water baptism in the first times. " — Defence of 
 Gospel Truths, p. 82. 
 
 Prof. L. IvAnge, of Jena, says : 
 
 " All attempts to make out infant baptism from the New 
 Testament fail. It is totally opposed to the spirit of the 
 .apostolic age, and to the fundamental principles of the New 
 Testament." — Inf. Bap., p. loi; Duncans Hist. Bap., p. 224, 
 
 Dr. Hagenbach says: 
 
 "The passages from Scripture cited in favor of infant bap- 
 tism as a usage of the primitive Church, are doubtful, and 
 prove nothing." — Hist. Doct., Vol. II., p. 2 00. 
 
 Dr. Jacobs says: 
 
 "Notwithstanding all that has been written by learned 
 men upon this subject, it remains indisputable that infant 
 baptism is not mentioned in the New Testament." " There 
 is no trace of it until the last part of the second century." — 
 Eccl. Polity of the N. T, pp. 270-71. 
 
INFANT BAPTISM. 473 
 
 Prof. Jacobi says: 
 
 " Infant baptism was established neither by Christ not 
 by the.Apostles."— y^r/. Baptism, Kittos Bib. Cyclop. 
 
 Dr. Hanna says: 
 
 " Scriptures know nothing of the baptism of infants."— 
 North Brit. Review, Aug., 18^2. 
 
 Observe that none of these authorities citdTl wer^ 
 Baptists. Many more witnesses from the ranks of 
 Pedobaptist scholars and divines could be adduced 
 to the same effect; but let these suffice. 
 
 II. HOUSEHOLD BAPTISMS. 
 
 Some, however, have supposed that the "house' 
 hold baptisms " mentioned in the New Testament 
 must have included children, and thus constitute a 
 warrant for the baptism of such. 
 
 This argument, like the others in its support, ig 
 founded on the faintest and most illogical inference. 
 It is inferred that these households certainly had in- 
 fant children in them, and that such children cer- 
 tainly were baptized ; both of which are wholly 
 gratuitous. There probably are but few Baptist 
 churches in the world, of any considerable stand- 
 ing and numbers, that do not have one or more en* 
 tire households in their communion, each membef 
 of which was baptized on a profession of faith. 
 
 I. Lydia and her Household. 
 The case of Lydia, baptized atPhilippi, mentioned 
 
474 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 in Acts, i6th chapter, is especially relied on as a 
 strong case. Now observe, Lydia was a merchant 
 woman, *' a seller of purple," from "the city of 
 Thyatira," and was at Philippi, some three hundred 
 miles from home, on business, when she heard Paul 
 preach, was converted, and then " she was baptized, 
 and her household." There is not the least evidence 
 that she had either husband or children. If she had 
 a husband why was she so far from home on mer- 
 cantile business } If she had infant children, they 
 would not likely have been with her on such a jour- 
 ney, so far away, and for such a purpose. Her 
 "household," doubtless, were adults, and employed 
 by her in her business — her company. The most 
 reckless sophism alone could build infant baptism 
 on such a case. A poor cause it must be that relies 
 for support on such evidence as this. 
 
 Dr. Neander says: 
 
 " We cannot prove that the Apostles ordained infant bap- 
 tism: from those places where the baptism of a whole family 
 is mentioned, we can draw no such conclusion." — Planting 
 and Training, p. 162. Ed. 186^. 
 
 Prof. Jacobi, with reference to these household 
 baptisms, says: 
 
 ** In none of these instances has it been proved that there 
 were little children among them." — Kitto's Bib, Cyclo,, Art. 
 Bap. 
 
 Dr. Meyer says: 
 
 " That the baptism of children was not in use at that time 
 appears evident from i Cor. 7 : 14." — Com. on Acts 16: ij» 
 
INFANT BAPTISM. 475 
 
 Dr. De Wette says: 
 
 " This passage has been adduced in proof of the apostoli- 
 cal authority of infant baptism; but there is no proof here 
 that any except adults were baptized. " — Com, N, 71, Acts 
 16 : IS, 
 
 Dr. Olshausen says: 
 
 " Baptism ensued in this case, without doubt, merely upon 
 a profession of faith in Jesus as the Messiah. But for that 
 very reason it is highly improbable that her house should be 
 understood as including infant children." And he adds: 
 " There is altogether wanting any conclusive proof-text for 
 the baptism of children in the age of the Apostles." — Com, 
 Acts 16 : 14, 7j, KencTs Trans. 
 
 Most manifestly, all of her household, whether old 
 or young, believed, as she herself did, before they 
 were baptized. Of this opinion, also, were Whitby^ 
 Law son y the Assembly of Divines ^ and other Pedo- 
 baptist authorities. 
 
 2. The Philippian Jailer and his Household. 
 
 The case of the Philippian jailer and his house- 
 hold, mentioned, also Acts, i6th chapter, is often 
 referred to as of force by the advocates of this prac- 
 tice. 
 
 Now observe that Paul and Silas, being released 
 from their confinement, spoke the word of the Lord 
 to the jailer, "and to all that were in his house." 
 Whether adults or infants, any one can judge; the 
 Gospel was preached to them. And the jailer "was 
 baptized, he and all his, straightway." Then " he 
 
4/6 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 rejoiced, believing in God, with all his house." Ob- 
 serve, the jailer's family was baptized; but first, they 
 listened to the preaching of the Word, then they 
 believed in God ; and then they rejoiced in their 
 new-found hope. Who believes that such a record 
 as this could ever have been made of unconscious 
 infants } There is not the remotest allusion to chil- 
 dren, and the narrative does not fit them at all. 
 Those who were baptized were those who believed 
 and who rejoiced. It was therefore ** believers' bap- 
 tism," beyond which fact the particular age of the 
 subjects is of no consequence whatever. 
 
 Bloomfield says : 
 
 "It is taken for granted that his family became Christians, 
 as well as himself." — Com. on Acts j6:ji. Greek N. Test. 
 
 Such is the faith of Baptists, and such the com- 
 mand of Christ : *' Believe and be baptized." Cal- 
 vin, Doddridge, Henry, and other Pedobaptist 
 scholars, declare that in this case they all believed^ 
 and therefore were baptized. 
 
 3. The Household of Stephanas. 
 
 Paul speaks, in i Corinthians, 1st chapter, of hav- 
 ing baptized ** the household of Stephanas." This is 
 also quoted as giving some support to the infant bap- 
 tismal theory. The course of argument, or inference, 
 is the same. It is supposed that the household con- 
 tained children, and that these children were bap- 
 tized. How entirely gratuitous ! Households are 
 
INFANT BAPTISM. 477 
 
 constantly being baptized and admitted to the fel- 
 lowship of our churches, but without infants in them. 
 Doddridge, Guise, Hammond, Macknight, and oth- 
 ers, consider this case as giving no countenance to 
 the custom of baptizing infants. 
 
 This same family of Stephanas, Paul, in i Cor., 
 i6th chapter, says were "the first fruits of Achaia;" 
 and he adds, " they have addicted themselves to the 
 ministry of the saints." This could not have been 
 spoken of baptized infants, but well describes the 
 Christian activities of adult believers. No infants 
 can be found in the household of Stephanas. 
 
 III. RISE OF INFANT BAPTISM. 
 
 But, it will be asked, if the baptism of unconscious 
 infants and unconverted children was not appointed 
 by Christ, nor practised by his Apostles, nor known in 
 the primitive age, from whence was it, how did it 
 arise, and when did it come into use ? 
 
 These questions are readily answered by the tes- 
 timony of its friends. 
 
 Tertullian is the first writer who mentions it in 
 history, and he opposes it.* This was at the close 
 of the second century, or about A.D. 200. His oppo- 
 sition proves two things. Firsly that it was in occa- 
 sional use, at least. Scco?id, that it was of recent 
 origin, and not generally prevalent. For it must 
 
 * Neander supposes that the much-disputed passage of Irenaeus 
 has reference to this custom— a little earlier than Tertullian*s 
 mention of it. See Neander* i Ch. Hist., Vol. I., p. 31 1. 
 
4/8 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 have been in use to be discussed and opposed, and 
 had it been long prevalent, it would have been ear- 
 lier mentioned. 
 
 Bingham, with all his scholarship and industry, 
 could find no earlier allusion to it than that of Ter- 
 tuUian, though he believed it to have previously- 
 existed. Had there been any earlier historic record 
 he would surely have found it. It must therefore, 
 as is generally admitted, have arisen about the be- 
 ginning of the third century after Christ. 
 
 Venema says : 
 
 " Nothing can be affirmed with certainty concerning the 
 custom of the Church before Tertullian; seeing there is not 
 anywhere, in more ancient writers, that I know of, undoubted 
 mention of infant baptism." — EccL Hist., Vol. III., ch. 2, 
 sees. 108, log. 
 
 Curcell^US says: 
 
 "The baptism of infants in the two first Q,^v\XMx\t.'s> after 
 Christ was altogether unknown, but in the third and fourth 
 was allowed by some few. In the fifth and following ages it 
 was generally received . " — Inst. Christ. Religion, B. I., ch. 12. 
 
 HiPPOLYTUS, bishop of Pontus, writing in the first 
 half of the third century, bears this testimony : 
 
 " We, in our days, never defended the baptism of chil- 
 dren, which had only begun to be practiced in some regions." 
 — Hippol. and his Age, Vol. I., p. 184. See Duncans Hist. 
 
 ">., p. iij ; Curtis Prog. Bap. Princs., p. loi. 
 
 Bunsen, the learned translator of Hippolytus, 
 declares that infant baptism, in the modern sense» 
 
INFANT BAPTISM. 479 
 
 " was utterly unknown to the early Church, not only 
 down to the end of the second century, but, indeed, 
 to the middle of the third century." — HippoL and his 
 Age, Vol. III., p. 1 80. 
 
 Salmasius says : 
 
 "In thQ first two centuries no one was baptized except, 
 being instructed in the faith and acquainted with the doc* 
 trines of Christ, he was able to profess himself a believer."— 
 Hist. Bapt. Luicer. Thesaur. , Vol. II. , p. iij6. 
 
 Such testimony, and from such sources, is quite 
 conclusive. Infant baptism was unknown until the 
 first part of the third century after Christ. Had it 
 existed earlier, some trace of, or allusion to, it would 
 have been discovered. But the most labored and 
 learned research has failed to make any such dis- 
 covery. 
 
 It should be added that when the baptism of chil- 
 dren did begin to be practised, it was not the bap- 
 tism of unconscious infants at all, but, as Bunsen 
 says, of ** little growing children, from six to ten 
 years old." He declares that Tertullian in his op- 
 position to infant baptism does not say a word ot 
 new-born infants. Cyprian, an African bishop, at 
 the close of the third century urged the baptism of 
 infants proper, because of the regenerating efficacy 
 which the ordinance was supposed to exert. He 
 and his associates were the first to take this ground. 
 —Hippo I. and his Age, Vol. III., pp. 192-s ; Curtis 
 Prog. Bap. Prin., p. 12^. 
 
48q the new directory. 
 
 iv. from what cause did it spring? 
 
 If it be asked from what cause did infant baptism 
 arise, the question is not difficult to answer. 
 
 It is well known that at a very early period in 
 Christian history the notion began to prevail that 
 the ordinances possessed some magical virtue. It 
 was believed that baptism conveyed saving grace 
 to the soul; that by it sins were washed away, and 
 the spirit fitted for heaven. Thus the sick were 
 thought to be prepared for death, and salvation 
 secured, or made more certain by its efficacy. Anx- 
 ious parents therefore desired their dying children 
 to receive baptism, and thus, ''washed in the laver 
 of regeneration," be secured against the perils of 
 perdition. Such was one of the errors of a super- 
 stitious age. Hence arose infant baptism, as one of 
 the many perversions which early corrupted the 
 doctrines and ordinances of Christianity. 
 
 ViTRiNGA says : 
 
 " The ancient Church, from the highest antiquity after 
 the apostolic times, appears generally to have thought that 
 baptism is absolutely necessary for all that would be saved 
 by the grace of Jesus Christ. It was therefore customary in 
 the ancient Church, if infants were greatly afflicted and in 
 danger of death, or if parents were affected with a singular 
 concern about the salvation of their children, to present 
 their infants or children in their minority to the bishop to 
 be baptized." — Observ. ad Sacra., Vol. I., B. II., ch. 4, sec. g. 
 
 Salmasius says : 
 
 *' An opinion prevailed that no one could be saved without 
 
INFANT BArasM. 48 1 
 
 being baptized ; and for that reason the custom arose of bap- 
 tizing infants." — Epist. Jus. Pac. See Booth's Pedobap. Ex., 
 ch. J, sec. J. 
 
 Venema says : 
 
 "The ancients connected a regenerating power and a 
 communication of the Spirit with baptism." He further 
 asserts that the early fathers believed baptism to possess a 
 saving efficacy, and cites Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Clemens, 
 Tertullian and Cyprian as of that opinion, the last-named of 
 whom has been called "the inventor oi infant baptism." — 
 Eccl. Hist., Vol. IV., p. J, sees. 2, j, 4. 
 
 ChrysOSTOM, writing about A.D. 398, as cited by 
 Luicerus, says : 
 
 "It is impossible without baptism to obtain the kingdom. 
 It is impossible to be saved without it." And, as cited by 
 Wall, he says : "If sudden death seize us before we are bap- 
 tized, though we have a thousand good qualities there is 
 nothing to be expected but hell." — Luicer. Thesaur., Eccl, 
 Vol. I., p. J. 
 
 Waddington, in his Church History, declares, 
 touching the opinions of the third century : 
 
 "The original simplicity of the office of baptism had 
 already undergone some corruption. The symbol had been 
 gradually exalted at the expense of the thing signified, and 
 the spirit of the ceremony was beginning to be lost in the 
 form. Hence a belief was gaining ground among the con- 
 verts, and was inculcated among the heathen, that the act 
 of baptism gave remission of all sins committed previously." 
 —Hist, of the Church, ch. 2, p. jj. 
 
 Thus we see plainly why, as well as when, infant 
 baptism arose. An invention of men, based on a 
 81 
 
482 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 perversion of Scripture doctrine, it is now boldly 
 claimed to be an ordinance of God. How can hon- 
 est and pious men make such a claim ? We are re- 
 minded of the words of the pious Charnock : *' The 
 wisdom of God is affronted and invaded by intro- 
 ducing rules and modes of worship different from 
 divine institution." And we venture to ask, with 
 the devout Baxter, though both had reference to 
 other subjects, " What man dare go in a way which 
 hath neither precept nor example to warrant it, 
 from a way that hath full current of both ?" 
 
 V. BAPTISMAL REGENERATION. 
 
 We have seen that the baptism of infants, with 
 that of the sick and dying, originated in a belief in 
 the saving efficacy of the ordinance. Thus, the un- 
 scriptural device of infant baptism grew out of the 
 unscriptural dogma of baptismal regeneration — a 
 dogma as pernicious as presumptuous, and as repug- 
 nant to common sense as it is to the Bible; but one to 
 which the advocates of pedobaptism have ever clung. 
 
 Episcopius asserts that the Milevitan Council, 
 A. D. 418, declared pedobaptism to be a necessary 
 rite. — Theol. Inst.y B. IV., ch. 14. 
 
 Dr. Wall says : 
 
 " If we except Tertullian, Vincentius, A. D. 419, is the first 
 man on record that ever said that children might be saved 
 without baptism." — Hist. Inf. Bap., part I., chap. 20, p. 2J2, 
 
 Hagenbach says : 
 
 " The Church of England taught the doctrine of baptismal 
 
INFANT BAPTISM. 483 
 
 regeneration, yet with cautions." He cites Jewell, Jackson, 
 Hooker, Taylor, Pearson, and Waterland, to justify the as- 
 sertion, which the baptismal service of that Church plainly 
 proves. — Hist, of Doct. , Vol. II. , p. j66. 
 
 The words of our Saviour, ** Verily, verily, I say 
 unto you, except a man be born of water and of the 
 Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God," were 
 almost universally applied to baptism, and supposed 
 to teach that there was no salvation without it. 
 
 Wall declares that, 
 
 " From Justin Martyr down to St. Austin," this text was 
 so understood. " Neither did I ever see it otherwise applied 
 in any ancient author." And he adds, " I believe Calvin 
 was the first man who ever denied this place to mean bap- 
 tism."— //"w/. Inf. Bap., Pari II., ch. 6, p. 334. 
 
 The Catholic Church held to baptismal re- 
 generation, and in the Council of Trent thus de- 
 clared it : 
 
 'Mf any one shall say that baptism is not necessary to sal- 
 vation, let him be accursed." — Catechism Coun. Trent, pp. 
 163, 173- 
 
 The Greek Church holds the same dogma. 
 Cyril, Patriarch of Constantinople, declares, 
 
 " That both original and actual sins are forgiven to those 
 who are baptized in the manner which our Lord requires in 
 the Gospel." — Confes. of Faith, ch. 16, 163 1, 
 
 Stapferus says : 
 
 They hold the absolute necessity of baptism, and that 
 " without it no one can become a real Christian ; and that it 
 
484 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 cannot be omitted, in respect to infants, without endanger- 
 ing their salvation." — Theology, Vol, V.,p.82. 
 
 The Protestant Churches generally have 
 held, and to a degree do still hold, the same per- 
 nicious doctrine. 
 
 Booth cites the following Confessions which 
 embrace it : 
 
 "That of Helvetia, of Bohemia, of Augsburg, of Saxony, 
 of Wittenberg, of Sueveland, of the Church of England, and 
 of the Westminster Assembly. " — Pedobap, Examined, chap. 
 J, ref. 3. 
 
 A large number of Pedobapti^st scholars and di- 
 vines are cited by the same author as holding this 
 doctrine, including Luther, Gerhardus, Vossius, 
 Deylingius, Fiddes, Whitby, Wilson, Scott, John 
 Wesley, and Matthew Henry. 
 
 Do its advocates and defenders now maintain the 
 same ground } Do they make the same claim for 
 its saving efficacy t If not, on what ground, and 
 for what reason do they hold to the baptism of in- 
 fants t Have they any reason for it, except that 
 they have been accustomed to it } 
 
 VI. reasons for infant baptism. 
 
 Now, since this rite was not instituted by Christ, 
 nor practised by the Apostles, nor known among 
 Christians until about A. D. 200, how is it justified as 
 a Christian ordinance by those who practice it t 
 And by what reasons is it sustained and defended } 
 
 I. Some good and honest people really believe, 
 
INFANT BAPTISM. 485 
 
 after all, that infant baptism is taught in the Bible, 
 and are greatly astonished, if they examine the 
 subject, not to find it there. A very little effort will 
 show how utterly without foundation is such a sup- 
 position. Read the sacred records through, from 
 beginning to end, and no allusion to such a practice 
 appears. 
 
 2. Its antiquity commends it to some. It has 
 been a long time in vogue, and very generally prac- 
 tised by various Christian communions. But does 
 that make it right ? Is a usage necessarily good 
 and true because it is old ? Heathenism is older 
 than the institutes of Christianity. Shall we adopt 
 and practise all the absurd superstitions of the early 
 corrupted churches — the worship of images, invoca- 
 tion of saints, prayer to the Virgin, oblations for the 
 dead, baptism of bells, and many others; not a few 
 of which came into use about the same time as this, 
 and some of which are still older; any one of which 
 has as much scriptural authority as infant baptism ? 
 Why do Protestants preserve this relic of popery 
 alone, and reject the others ? 
 
 Not what is o/d, but what is true should be our 
 rule. Not what antiquity, but what the Bible com- 
 mends should we obey. Not tradition, but, as Chil- 
 lingworth declared, **"the Bible only is the religion 
 of Protestants." As Basil said, so should we say, 
 " It is a manifest mistake in regard to faith, and a 
 clear evidence of pride, either to reject any of those 
 things which the Scripture contains, or to introduce 
 anything that is not in the sacred pages." 
 
486 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 3. Some there be, who confess that there is neither 
 clear precept nor example in the New Testament to 
 commend this practice, yet hold that the general 
 spirit of the Gospel favors it; fundamental truths 
 are there taught, from which the practice may be 
 inferred. A strange mode of reasoning, surely. 
 For if we may, by remote deduction and vague in- 
 ference, originate ceremonies, call them gospel 
 ordinances, and impose them on the consciences of 
 men, then the whole Jewish ceremonial, and, indeed, 
 the ritual of the Papal Church entire may be adopted, 
 used, and taught as of divine authority, binding on 
 believers. 
 
 But what a reflection is this on the wisdom and 
 goodness of God; that He should have left positive 
 institutions, designed for universal observance in 
 His churches, to be vaguely inferred from supposed 
 general principles, rather than to have been plainly 
 and explicitly taught in His Word ! Such reasoning 
 will not serve in matters of religion. This maxim 
 of Tertullian should have due weight, ** The Scrip- 
 ture forbids what it does not mention." And with 
 Ambrose we may ask, " Where the Scripture is 
 silent, who shall speak ? " 
 
 4. Some have claimed that baptism came in the 
 place of circumcision. Hence, it is inferred — only 
 inferred — that as all the male Jewish children were 
 to be circumcised, so all the children of Christians, 
 both male and female, should be baptized. What 
 connection there is between these two institutions 
 would require a philosopher to discover. And yet 
 
. INFANT BAPTISM. 487 
 
 this has been the argument chiefly relied on by 
 theologians, scholars, and divines in this country 
 especially, for generations past, to prove the divine 
 authority of infant baptism. More recently this 
 stronghold of the tradition has been less confidently 
 resorted to by learned men, and it may be said the 
 tradition itself is being slowly abandoned. It can- 
 not well endure the light of Christian intelligence. 
 
 Baptism did not come in the place of circumcision; 
 nor in the place of any other previously existing in- 
 stitution. It has no connection with, and no refer- 
 ence to, circumcision whatever. The following con- 
 siderations will make this plain : 
 
 a. If baptism, a Christian ordinance, was designed 
 to take the place of circumcision, a Mosaic rite, 
 would not Christ have so stated, or the Apostles 
 have mentioned the fact } But no allusion is to be 
 found to any such design. 
 
 b. Circumcision applied to males alone. If bap- 
 tism was its substitute, why are females baptized } 
 
 c. Circumcision was an external sign of an exter- 
 nal union with a national congregation, to secure 
 the separation of the Jews from all other nations 
 and races, and their unity as a people. Baptism is 
 an external sign of an inward spiritual work of 
 grace already wrought in the heart. It indicates 
 not the separation of races, but the unity of the true 
 people of God, of all races, as believers in Christ, 
 without distinction of blood or tongue. 
 
 d. If baptism did take the place of circumcision, 
 as is claimed, evidently the Apostles did not know 
 
488 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 it, else they would have made some mention of it, 
 either in the conference at Jerusalem or in Epistles 
 written for the guidance of the churches, or on other 
 occasions, when both these subjects were under dis- 
 cussion, and directions given respecting them. But 
 no allusion is anywhere made to such a substitution. 
 
 e. Jewish Christians for a time insisted on the 
 practice of both circumcision and baptism; which 
 proves they did not understand the one to have dis- 
 placed the other. With their strong Jewish predi- 
 lections they wished to retain circumcision as the 
 sign and seal of their fellowship with the Church of 
 Israel, and at the same time received baptism as a 
 sign and seal of their adoption into the faith and 
 fellowship of Christ and His kingdom. 
 
 The attempt to found a Christian ordinance on a 
 Jewish ceremony is unreasonable, futile and absurd. 
 
 VII. OBJECTIONS TO INFANT BAPTISM. 
 
 1. It is founded on a falsehood. It claims to be 
 a Gospel ordinance, when it is an invention of men. 
 Christ did not appoint it; the Apostles did not prac- 
 tise it; the Scriptures do not sanction it. This is a 
 sufficient reason why it should not be held as a 
 Christian rite. 
 
 2. It impugns divine wisdom and insults the di- 
 vine authority, because it claims to be needful, or 
 useful, to religion; though Christ, by not appointing 
 it when he instituted the Church, virtually decided 
 it to be neither needful nor useful. Also, by bind- 
 
INFANT BAPTISM. 489 
 
 ing the service on the consciences of Christian pa- 
 rents, as of religious obligation when God has not 
 commanded it, there is an unwarrantable assumption 
 of authority, and a grievous wrong is committed. 
 Divine wisdom knew best what institutions to or- 
 dain, and what commands to lay upon His people. 
 
 3. It deprives Christian converts of the pleasure 
 and privilege of believers' baptism. For having 
 received this rite in their unconscious infancy with- 
 out their consent or knowledge, if in after years they 
 become regenerate and truly united to Christ, they 
 cannot go forward in the discharge of this duty and 
 be baptized on a profession of their faith without 
 discrediting their earlier baptism — if baptism it may 
 be called. 
 
 4. Because it appears like a solemn mockery for 
 parents and sponsors to become sureties for the 
 child about to be baptized, and declare for it that 
 they believe in God's holy Word, and in the articles 
 of the Christian faith as contained in the Apostles' 
 creed; that they will renounce the vain pomp of the 
 world, the devil and all his works, with all covetous 
 and sinful desires of the flesh. 
 
 5. Because it requires the officiating minister to 
 declare what is false, in the very performance of 
 what should be a most sacred service. He declares 
 what is false when he says, *' I baptize thee," since 
 he rantizes, or sprinkles, and does not baptize at 
 all. Still more, and still worse, when he asserts 
 that in this act the child ** is regenerated d^vidi grafted 
 into the body of Christ's Church;" and, also, when 
 
490 TH^ NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 in prayer he thanks God " that it hath pleased Thee 
 to regenerate this infant with Thy Holy Spirit; to 
 receive him for Thine own child by adoption, and to 
 incorporate him into Thy holy Church." This is 
 solemnly declared, when no such thing is done, and 
 when the minister who says it knows that no such 
 thing is done, unless, indeed, he believes in bap- 
 tismal regeneration. The child is not regenerated, 
 nor adopted of God, nor incorporated into the Church 
 of Christ by this act. The service falsifies the facts 
 most flagrantly. 
 
 6. But, perhaps, worst of all, infant baptism still 
 teaches, to an extent, baptismal regeneration. It 
 is more than a false statement, it is a pernicious and 
 destructive error. What could be more reckless 
 than to assert, even by inference, that a few drops of 
 water on the face, with any form of words — no mat- 
 ter what — can make one regenerate, and a child of 
 God ? If the child, when grown, believes all this 
 — and why should he not believe it, when thus sol- 
 emnly taught by parents and minister i* — he believes 
 himself an heir of heaven, sealed and sanctified by 
 the Spirit, while blind to the fact that he is still in 
 the gall of bitterness, a child of sin, an heir of wrath, 
 and in the broad road to death. What blind lead- 
 ings of the blind ! too sad to be countenanced by 
 Christian men and Christian churches. 
 
 7. Infant baptism, in some sense — though its ad- 
 vocates are not agreed in what sense — makes the 
 child a Church-member, and thus introduces an un- 
 sanctified element into the nominal body of Christ, 
 
INFANT BAPTISM. 49I 
 
 making that body carnal instead of keeping it spir- 
 itual. It thus destroys the distinction which the 
 Divine Founder of the Church designed should be 
 maintained between it and the world. For even if 
 the infant, as such, is not a member, yet, when grown 
 to maturity, he is admitted to full membership, with 
 no other evidence of, or demand for, regeneration. 
 The purely spiritual character of the Church is 
 thereby destroyed, and, like other associations, the 
 Spiritual and the carnal indifferently make up its 
 communion. '' A regenerated Church-membership " 
 Cannot be the motto or the watchword of the advo- 
 cates of pedobaptism. 
 
 . Prof. Lange's protest should be pondered by 
 Protestant advocates of this papal emanation: 
 
 • " Would the Protestant Church fulfill and attain to its 
 final destiny, the baptism of new-born infants must of neces- 
 sity be abolished. It has sunk down to a mere formality, 
 without any meaning for the child." — Hist. Protestantism, 
 P'34' 
 
 Other objections than these mentioned may be 
 urged against this unscriptural practice. But these 
 would seem sufficient to deter any candid and con- 
 scientious Christian, who takes the Bible for his 
 guide, from giving it any countenance or support. 
 
CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 BAPTIST HISTORY. 
 
 Baptists have a history of which they need not 
 be ashamed — a history of noble names and noble 
 deeds, extending back through many ages, in which 
 the present generation well may glory. From the 
 days of John the Baptist until now, a great army of 
 these witnesses for the truth, and martyrs for its 
 sake, has illumined and honored the march of Chris- 
 tian history. The ages since Christ have known no 
 purer, nobler lives, no braver, more faithful wit- 
 nesses for the Gospel of Christ, no more glorious 
 martyrs for its sake, than many of those who honor 
 us by being called *' our fathers in the faith." They 
 were true to conscience and to principle, and loyal 
 to Christ, at a cost to which we are strangers. They 
 went gladly to prison and to death in defense of the 
 Gospel which they loved. Social ostracism, bonds 
 and imprisonments, confiscations and fines, whip- 
 pings, drownings, and burnings at the stake, not 
 only in solitary cases, but by hundreds and thousands, 
 are certified to, even by their enemies. Christian 
 martyrology has no bloodier and no brighter page 
 than that which tells, however imperfectly, of the 
 
 persecutions and sufferings for conscience' sake of 
 
 49a 
 
BAPTIST HISTORY. 493 
 
 Baptist confessors, received during past ages, not 
 from pagan barbarians so much as from professed 
 fellow-Christians. It is an equal honor to their 
 record that, while they endured persecution for the 
 truth's sake, they never persecuted others for con- 
 science' sake — never! How could they, when one of 
 their cardinal principles was, and is, entire freedom 
 of conscience and liberty of faith and worship, with- 
 out interference by any ? And the one priceless 
 heritage they have given to the world, with which 
 the world's religious life of to-day — and its secular 
 life as well — has become imbued, is that of entire 
 religious liberty of faith, speech and worship, and 
 entire separation of Church and State. 
 
 The time was when toleration in religion was 
 hailed as a peculiar boon, granted through a gracious 
 Providence. Baptists have contended and suffered, 
 not for toleration^ but for liberty in religion. 
 
 The world is slow to acknowledge its indebtedness 
 to them ; nevertheless, it remains. With a great 
 price they purchased it. But they did it, not for 
 glory, nor for gain, but for God and humanity. 
 
 No Baptist history, of adequate value, has thus 
 far been written. Not a few attempts have been 
 made, and much valuable material has been col- 
 lected and preserved. We do not, however, place 
 so much value on written history, as on present con- 
 formity to the teachings of Christ, a maintenance of 
 the doctrines, and an imitation of the lives of the 
 Apostles and the first Christians. It matters little 
 whether a Church can trace its lineage back one 
 
494 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 century or twenty. The great question is, Does it 
 inherit the spirit of Him who founded the Church, 
 and does it hold the doctrines and imitate the ex- 
 amples of Christ and His Apostles ? Still, whatever 
 of history can be brought within the range of vision 
 to be studied should be claimed and cherished. 
 
 If it be asked, When and where did Baptist history 
 begin ? Who were the first of their honored line ? 
 Without hesitation we reply. They comrnenced with 
 John the Baptist, or Jesus Christ, the Head of the 
 Church. And the first of their faith were His dis- 
 ciples, constituting the primitive churches. And 
 though, in the dim, uncertain light of subsequent 
 ages of error and corruption, we cannot at all times 
 follow their trail, or identify their presence with ab- 
 solute certainty, yet we feel positively assured that 
 they have always existed. Like a stream which 
 pursues its way from the mountains to the sea, and 
 never ceases, though its course at times be through 
 mountain gorges, trackless deserts, and hidden cav- 
 erns, we know it is somewhere, though we cannot 
 trace it, but we recognize it when again it comes to 
 light, with a grander sweep, a deeper current, and 
 a stronger tide. 
 
 Baptists make no pretence of establishing, by 
 documentary evidence, an unbroken succession of 
 churches in form and name, as now existing, ex- 
 tending back to apostolic times. Such a claim would 
 only make them ridiculous, as similar High-Church 
 pretensions have made some other communions. 
 Such a claim would be as impossible to prove as it 
 
BAPTIST HISTORY. 495 
 
 would be useless if proven. The old is not always 
 true or useful, nor the new false or useless necessa- 
 rily. Falsehood and error are hoary with age, from 
 Eden until now. Nevertheless, there is a survival of 
 truth often hidden under the accumulated rubbish 
 of human tradition, itself ages old; and he is wise 
 who searches for truth as for hid treasures. Bap- 
 tists trace their lineage, not through corporate desig- 
 nations, or forms of organic life, but by principles 
 avowed, maintained and defended. The doctrines 
 they professed, and the lives they lived, give us title 
 to the inheritance we claim in their history. 
 
 THE EARLY SECTS. 
 
 It is on all hands conceded that from the days of 
 the Apostles to the Reformation there existed con- 
 gregations and communities of Christians separate 
 from the prevailing and dominant churches, claim- 
 ing to be of a more primitive, and therefore of a 
 purer, faith. As these dominant churches fell into 
 alliance with the State, sought its patronage, became 
 subservient to its spirit, proud, corrupt and carnal, 
 departing from the simplicity and spirituality of 
 the Gospel, these separate communities maintained 
 their distinct existence, worshiped by themselves, 
 and served God according to their understanding 
 of the Scriptures and the dictates of their consciences. 
 They maintained the doctrines of the Gospel nearly 
 in their purity, as they were at first delivered to the 
 saints, and were the true and faithful followers of 
 
49^ THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 Christ in the midst of prevailing spiritual darkness 
 and decay. Even in the apostolic age not a few 
 errors from prevailing philosophies had crept into 
 the profession of the Christian faith, but after that 
 faith had been adopted by princes and became na- 
 tionalized, its corruptions became more numerous 
 and its perversions more glaring. All the more did 
 these dissenting communities need to maintain their 
 distinctive existence, not only for conscience' sake, 
 but as a protest against the outrages perpetrated on 
 the cause of Christ by others. 
 
 During all the dark ages since the kingdom 
 of Christ appeared, these companies and communi- 
 ties have confessedly existed. They have been 
 known by many names, and have differed somewhat 
 among themselves in different ages and in different 
 countries. By the prevailing and dominant secu- 
 larized churches they were stigmatized as heretics^ 
 and were defamed and persecuted perpetually, not 
 by pagans and barbarians, but by their professed 
 fellow-Christians. Those are usually the heretics 
 who differ from the majority, and have conscience 
 and courage enough to defend their position, and, 
 if need be, suffer for their faith. Thousands on 
 thousands of those dissenting disciples were put to 
 death by the most painful tortures for no other crime 
 than a purer faith than their persecutors possessed, 
 and because they would hold, profess and defend 
 that purer faith. Those who were permitted to live 
 were doomed to endure unequaled cruelties. Em- 
 perors, kings and princes, popes, priests and people, 
 
BAPTIST HISTORY. 497 
 
 Senates, Synods and Councils, pursued them with 
 every device of cruelty which malice could invent 
 or power execute, to waste, blot out and exterminate 
 them from the face of the earth. Language is too 
 weak to portray the diabolical and fiendish cruelties 
 perpetrated upon the innocent, helpless and, for the 
 most part, unresisting people of God by those who 
 were able to invoke the secular power to execute 
 their fell designs. 
 
 They were the few among the many, the weak 
 oppressed by the strong; with none to plead their 
 cause, or to defend their rights, they could do noth- 
 ing but suffer. Though calumniated by their ene- 
 mies, who accused them of every crime, and charged 
 them with every enormity, they were the purest and 
 the best of the ages and the countries in which they 
 lived. The doctrines and ordinances of the Gospel 
 they maintained nearly, if not quite, in their prim- 
 itive purity. The greater part had never been con- 
 nected with the Roman hierarchy, while many who 
 had, separated themselves from the false, that they 
 might enjoy the true Church of Christ. 
 
 Like some rivulet which pursues its way parallel 
 to, but never mingling with, the broad and turbid 
 stream, these people have come down from the first 
 ages of Christianity, preserving and transmitting to 
 posterity the purest forms of doctrinal faith and 
 practical godliness known to history during those 
 long succeeding ages of darkness and corruption. 
 The reproaches and persecutions they suffered were 
 because they bore witness against prevailing errors 
 32 
 
498 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 and crimes, perpetrated in the name of religion by the 
 papal Church. No doubt they had some faults, and, 
 perhaps, held some errors. How could it well be oth- 
 erwise, surrounded, as they were, by an atmosphere 
 of ecclesiastical falsehood and corruption ? 
 
 During the Jirs^ and second centuries, Messalians, 
 Euchites, Montanists, were the names by which 
 some of these sects were known. 
 
 In the thirdy fourth and fifth centuries, the No- 
 vatians arose and became exceedingly numerous, 
 spreading throughout the Roman Empire, notwith- 
 standing the destruction wrought among them by 
 persecution. 
 
 In the seventh and eighth centuries arose the 
 Paulicians, attracting much attention, becoming 
 very numerous, and drawing upon themselves the 
 hatred and hostility of the papal Church.* 
 
 Jones states that in the first part of the ninth cen- 
 tury^ Claude, bishop of Turin, a truly godly and 
 evangelical man, who preached righteousness, and 
 opposed prevailing corruptions, both as to doctrines 
 and morals : 
 
 " By his preaching, and by his valuable writings, he dis- 
 seminated the doctrines of the kingdom of heaven." " His 
 doctrine grew exceedingly. The valleys of Piedmont were 
 filled with his disciples, and while midnight darkness sat en- 
 throned over almost every portion of the globe, the Wal- 
 
 * See Benedict's, Orchard's, Robinson's, Jones's, et al., Histo- 
 ries, with all current Eccl. Hists. of the early ages of Chris- 
 tianity. 
 
BAPTIST HISTORY. 499 
 
 denses preserved the Gospel among them in its native purity, 
 and rejoiced in its glorious light."— Jones's Ch. Hist., Voi. I., 
 p. sg6; Rob. Eccl. Research., p. 447 : Allix. Rem., p. ^2. 
 
 If not technically Baptists, the principal points in 
 which they differed from the dominant churches, and 
 for vi^hich they were persecuted, were those which 
 Baptists have always emphasized, and in respect to 
 which they still chiefly differ from other Christian 
 communions. They held that none but regenerate 
 persons ought to be received to membership in the 
 churches; they rejected infant baptism; they bap- 
 tized by immersion, as did all Christians during 
 those ages ; they rebaptized converts received 
 among them from the Romish Church, and hence 
 were called Anabaptists. These are distinguishing 
 marks of them all, more or less clearly defined, as 
 noted by their enemies, from whom we receive the 
 greater part of our knowledge concerning them, 
 their own writings having largely perished in the 
 sore and bloody persecutions to which they were 
 subjected. Robinson, the historian, called them 
 " Trinitarian Baptists." 
 
 The Paulicians became exceedingly numerous, 
 and were so cruelly persecuted that the Empress 
 Theodora is said to have caused not less than otie 
 htindred thousand of these peaceable subjects to be 
 put to death, after having confiscated their prop- 
 erty.* They confined the ordinances to the regen- 
 erate, rejected infant baptism, and rebaptized con- 
 
 *See Orchard, Milner, Gibbon, et aL 
 
500 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 verts received to their fellowship. They were also 
 called Bogomilians, a name which became famous 
 in the annals of persecution. These communities 
 continued through several succeeding centuries, and 
 spread through both the East and the West. 
 
 Near the close of the tenth century, the Peterines 
 come into notice. They were substantially the 
 same people as had previously existed under other 
 names. Indeed, these various sects were the pro- 
 genitors and the inheritors of each other's religious 
 faith and practice. It was the irrepressible energy of 
 truth and the spirit of God, working in regenerate 
 souls to develop and reproduce the true Christian 
 life, in the simplicity of Christ, according to the 
 primitive type. Not only the individual, but the 
 Church life of the saints. Europe was well-nigh 
 flooded with these dissentients. The truly devout 
 welcomed them, since they yearned for something 
 better than the prevailing heartless and secular- 
 ized religion. And the prevailing and shameless 
 corruptions of the Romish clergy gave those of 
 purer lives great currency with the masses. For 
 there were no vices, however gross and degrading, 
 which the clergy, from the highest to the lowest, 
 from pope to priest, did not practise with greediness 
 and impunity. They were examples to the people 
 in all kinds of sin and iniquity. 
 
 In the eleventh and following centuries, the Wal- 
 denses, Albigenses, Vaudois, Cathari, poor men of 
 Lyons, and Anabaptists, attracted renewed at- 
 tention through Europe, and for generations con- 
 
BAPTIST HISTORY. 50I 
 
 tinued to increase and to suffer. They differed 
 slightly among themselves, but were variously 
 named according to their locations, or the circum- 
 stances in which they attracted the notice of the 
 public. Their prevailing characteristics were the 
 same as have been noticed above. They filled 
 Italy even, the very seat and centre of papal power, 
 corruption and crime, with their influence and the 
 truths they held. 
 
 In the twelfth century, so great became their in- 
 fluence, especially under the leadership of Arnold 
 of Brescia, a pupil of the renowned Abelard, that 
 the papal throne itself trembled to its foundation. 
 Arnold was as brave a reformer as was Luther four 
 hundred years later, and perhaps as learned. But 
 the times were not ripe for such a work as the Ger- 
 man reformer was raised up to lead. Arnold, how- 
 ever, dared to visit Rome itself, and by his attacks 
 on the vices and the unjust authority of the clergy 
 raised a revolt in the very face of the Vatican, which 
 finally compelled the pope to flee, and changed the 
 government for a season. But he had no powerful 
 nobles to espouse his cause, as had Luther, and the 
 people were unorganized and unreliable; while the 
 the influence of the clergy, with all their vices, was 
 still most potent. Wise and powerful leaders were 
 needed for a reformation. The people could endure 
 better than contend. This lesson they had learned 
 through generations of suffering. But the time had 
 not come for truth to triumph. A reaction set in, 
 and Arnold, like Savonarola three hundred years 
 
502 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 later, whose early history was also associated with 
 Brescia, fell a victim to the hatred of his foes, and 
 his immediate followers were scattered."^ But their 
 principles survived, as did countless numbers of the 
 various communities of dissentients from the domi- 
 nant communions. 
 
 Waddington, the historian, gives the following 
 statement, made by Saccho, one of their adversaries 
 and persecutors, as to the Vaudois, or Leonists, of 
 the twelfth century: 
 
 " There is no sect so dangerous as the Leonists, for three 
 reasons: First, it is the most ancient — some say as old as 
 Sylvester, others as the Apostles themselves. Secondly, it is 
 very generally disseminated; there is no country where it has 
 not gained some footing. Thirdly, while other sects are pro- 
 fane and blasphemous, this retains the utmost show of piety. 
 They live justly before men, and believe nothing respecting 
 God which is not good. Only they blaspheme against the 
 Roman Church and the clergy, and thus gain many follow- 
 ers." — Waddington, Ch. Hist., p. 2go. See Mosheim, 12th 
 Cent. 
 
 Orchard says of the Piedmontese: 
 
 " Though we have no documents proving the apostolical 
 foundation for these churches, yet it becomes evident that 
 some communities did exist here in the second century, since 
 it is recorded they practiced believers' baptism by immersion." 
 — Hist. Bap., p. 2^^, See also Rollinson, Allix, et al.. Hist. 
 Pied.; Walts Hist. Inf. Bap. 
 
 From the time of the Apostles to the Reformation 
 these various sectaries may be said to have consti- 
 * See Gibbon's Decl. and Fall, Mosheim, Allix, Jones, et al. 
 
BAPTIST HISTORY. 503 
 
 tuted the true Church of God. Their faith was the 
 most scriptural, and their lives were the purest the 
 world had. Of course they were not perfect. How 
 could they be with such environments .^^ And if at 
 times they did not wholly agree among themselves, 
 what marvel in age of doubt, corruption and unrest, 
 when the truest were the most reviled, and the 
 purest were the most persecuted ? In the sixteenth 
 century they came into public notice, largely under 
 the leadership of Menno Simons, whom the historian 
 calls, ** a reformer whose apostolic spirit and labors 
 have thus far failed to receive the recognition they 
 deserve." From him they were called Mennonites, 
 and flooded Europe with tens of thousands. ** Men- 
 nonites, the Anabaptists of the Netherlands first 
 called themselves in 1536." ** They were certainly 
 among the most pious Christians the world ever 
 saw, and the worthiest citizens the State ever had." 
 They crowded into Russia for shelter, where in our 
 times they have been persecuted and exiled. At 
 length they have fled to our own country for peace 
 and freedom which they found nowhere else for the 
 past four hundred years. 
 
 At the time of the Lutheran Reformation these 
 various sects to a large extent fraternized with, and 
 were lost in, the multitudes of the reformers. So 
 glad were they to find something, if not wholly to 
 their wish, yet so much better than had previously 
 existed in the papal churches, and to find leaders of 
 power, as also to find some shelter from civil and 
 ecclesiastical persecution, that they welcomed the 
 
504 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 Reformation, even with its imperfections, as a boon 
 from heaven. The Waldenses of Piedmont, and 
 some others, abandoned dipping for baptism, 
 adopted infant sprinkling, in common with State 
 churches, and the Calvinistic reformers generally 
 identified themselves with, and were largely lost in, 
 the mass of Protestant Pedobaptists. Not so how- 
 ever with the Baptists, or Anabaptists, as by their 
 opponents they were more generally called. They 
 maintained their faith and their position, not only 
 against their papal adversaries, but against their 
 Protestant friends as well, whose reformation they 
 insisted needed still further reforming. 
 
 These various protesting peoples through the 
 generations had at times been joined by enthusiasts 
 and fanatics, or such had sprung up within their 
 fellowship, like the " mad men of Miinster," whose 
 extravagances brought upon the entire brotherhood 
 reproaches they did not merit — their adversaries 
 being ever ready to find occasion against them, and 
 to magnify every fault and indiscretion to the larg- 
 est possible extent. But they were, on the whole, 
 so much superior in faith and life to the dominant 
 churches as to command the wonder and admiration 
 of those, who in a spirit of fairness, now study the 
 imperfect fragments of their history. They all 
 more or less strongly pronounced the following 
 statements of their religious beliefs: i. The Bible 
 as the only and sufficient standard of faith and ap- 
 peal in matters of religion. 2. Entire liberty of con- 
 science, confession and worship for all. 3. Com- 
 
BAPTIST HISTORY. 505 
 
 plete separation of Church and State, the Church 
 acknowledging but one Lord, even Christ. 4. The 
 churches to be constituted of spiritual members 
 only, such as were regenerate by the Holy Spirit. 
 5. Baptism to be administered by immersion, 6. 
 Infant baptism to be rejected, as alien to the New 
 Testament. 7. The churches to be self-governing, 
 and free from the domination of both lords spiritual 
 and lords temporal. 
 
 Such facts identify them with Baptists of later 
 ages, what no other denomination can claim. 
 
 II. THE SWISS BAPTISTS. 
 
 The secluded valleys and mountain fastnesses of 
 Switzerland and Piedmont have from the earliest 
 ages been the home and refuge of the persecuted 
 people of God. Not only those native to the soil, 
 but such as had fled from other countries to find 
 shelter and freedom in those Alpine retreats. Pauli- 
 cians, Albigenses, Vaudois, Pickards, Anabaptists, 
 with many others, are names bound up in history 
 with these wild mountain resorts. ** The Vaudois 
 and Waldenses," says a historian, "have from time 
 immemorial inhabited the vales at the foot of the 
 Cottian Alps." 
 
 ZwiNGLi, the Swiss reformer and co-laborer with 
 Luther, says: 
 
 "The institution of Anabaptism is no novelty, but iov thirteen 
 hundred years has caused great disturbance in the Church." ♦ 
 
 *See Intro. Orchard, p. 17; also Benedict et aL^ Ch. Hittt. 
 
506 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 If it had existed thirteen hundred years before 
 Zwingli, it must have extended back to within two 
 centuries of Christ, to say the least. And it is con- 
 fidently affirmed that it can be traced as far back as 
 to the fourth century. They too, in common with 
 their brethren of similar faith, suffered persecution 
 unto death, against which the strongholds of nature, 
 in the midst of which they dwelt, could not wholly 
 protect them.* The horrid massacre of these in- 
 nocent people by the Duke of Savoy, about the mid- 
 dle of the seventeenth century ^ equaled the dreadful 
 scenes of St. Bartholomew's day, and was protested 
 against by Cromwell, then in power. 
 
 III. THE WELSH BAPTISTS. 
 
 Few denominations have better claim to antiquity 
 than have the Welsh Baptists. They trace their 
 descent directly from the Apostles, and urge in 
 favor of their claim arguments which never have 
 been confuted. 
 
 When Austin, the Romish monk and missionary, 
 visited Wales at the close of the sixth century, he 
 found a community of more than 2,000 Christians 
 quietly living in their mountain homes. They were 
 independent of the Roman See, and wholly rejected 
 its authority. Austin labored zealously to convert 
 them — that is, to bring them under the papal yoke 
 — but entirely failed in the effort. Yielding things 
 
 *See Robinson, Allix, Danvers; especially Burrage an4 
 Schaff. 
 
BAPTIST HISTORY. 507 
 
 in general, he reduced his demands upon them to 
 three particulars: i. That they should observe 
 Easter in due form, as ordered by the Church. 2. 
 That they should give Christening or baptism to 
 their children. 3. That they should preach the 
 Word of God to the English, as directed. This de- 
 mand proves that they neither observed the popish 
 ordinance of Easter, nor baptized infants. They, 
 •however, rejected all his overtures, whereupon he 
 left them with many threats of war and wretched- 
 ness. Not long after Wales was invaded by the 
 Saxons, and many of these inoffensive Christians 
 cruelly put to death, as was believed, at the instiga- 
 tion of this bigoted zealot, the exacting and heart- 
 less Austin."'^ 
 
 IV. THE DUTCH BAPTISTS. 
 
 The Baptists of Holland are acknowledged by 
 historians to have had their origin at a very remote 
 period. 
 
 MOSHEIM, the historian, says : 
 
 " The true origin of that sect which acquired the name 
 of Anabaptists, is hid in the remote depth of antiquity, and 
 consequently extremely difficult to be ascertained." — Ecd. 
 Hist., Vol. IV., p. 427, Murd. ed.; Introd. Orchard's Hist. 
 
 Dr. Dermont, chaplain to the king of Holland, 
 and Dr. Ypeij, professor of theology at Graningen, 
 a few years since received a royal commission to 
 
 ♦See Ncal's Hist. Puritans; Rob. Hist. Bap.; Benedict. 
 
508 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 prepare a history of the Reformed Dutch Church. 
 This history, prepared under royal sanction, and 
 officially published, contains the following manly 
 and generous testimony to the antiquity and ortho- 
 doxy of the Dutch Baptists : 
 
 * ' We have now seen that the Baptists, who were formerly 
 called Anabaptists, and in later times Mennonites, were the 
 original Waldenses, and have long in the history of the 
 Church received the honor of that origin. On this account, 
 the Baptists may be considered the only Christian community 
 which has stood since the Apostles, and as a Christian society 
 which has preserved pure the doctrines of the Gospel throidgh 
 all ages" — Hist, Ref. Dutch Ch., Breda, iSig. See Hist, Men- 
 nonites, 
 
 MOSHEIM says of the persecutions of this people 
 in the sixteenth century : 
 
 "Vast numbers of these people, in nearly all the countries 
 of Europe, would rather perish miserably by drowning, hang- 
 ing, burning, or decapitation, than renounce the opinions 
 they had embraced." And their innocency he vindicates 
 thus: "It is indeed true that many Anabaptists were put to 
 death, not as being bad citizens, or injurious members of 
 civil society, but as being incurable heretics, who were con- 
 demned by the old canon laws. For the error of adult bap- 
 tism was in that age looked upon as a horrible offense." 
 That was their only crime. — Eccl. Hist., Cent. i6, sec. j, part 
 II., ch. j; Fullers Ch. Hist., B. IV. 
 
 This testimony is all the more welcome, because 
 it comes from those who have no ecclesiastical sym- 
 pathies with Baptists, but who, in fidelity to history, 
 bear honest testimony to the truth which history 
 
Baptist history. 509 
 
 teaches. The circumstances under which their evi- 
 dence was produced give it additional force. 
 
 Cardinal Hossius, chairman of the Council at 
 Trent says : 
 
 "If the truth of religion were to be judged of by the 
 readiness and cheerfulness which a man of any sect shows in 
 suffering, then the opinions and persuasions of no sect can 
 be truer or surer than those of the Anabaptists ; since there 
 have been none, for these twelve hundred years past, that 
 have been more grievously punished." — OrcharcTs Hist, Bap., 
 sec. 12, part XXX., p. J64. 
 
 Many thousands of the Dutch Baptists, called 
 Anabaptists and Mennonites, miserably perished 
 by the hands of their cruel persecutors for no crime 
 but their refusal to conform to established churches."* 
 
 V. THE ENGLISH BAPTISTS. 
 
 At what time the Baptists appeared in England 
 in definite denominational form, it is impossible to 
 say. . But from the twelfth to the seventeenth cen- 
 tury, many of them suffered cruel persecutions, and 
 death by burning, drowning, and beheading, besides 
 many other and sometimes most inhuman tortures. 
 And this they suffered both from Papists and Prot- 
 estants, condemned by both civil and ecclesiastical 
 tribunals, only because they persisted in worshiping 
 God according to the dictates of their consciences, 
 and because they would not submit their religious 
 
 * Benedict's Hist. Baptists, ch. 4 ; Neal's Hist. Puritani, 
 Vol. II., p. 355, Supplement; Fuller's Ch. Hist., B. IV. 
 
5 10 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 faith and worship to the dictates of popes and 
 princes.* In 1538 royal edicts were issued against 
 them, and several were burnt at the stake in Smith- 
 field. 
 
 Brande writes that : 
 
 "In the year 1538, thirty-one Baptists, that fled from 
 England, were put to death at Delft, in Holland; the men 
 were beheaded, and the women were drowned." — Hist. Re- 
 formers. See Benedict's Hist. Bap., p. joj; Neat's Hist. 
 Puritans, Vol. I., p. ij8; Note Vol. IL, p. 353, Sup. What 
 crime had they committed to merit such treatment as this? 
 
 Bishop Latimer declares that: 
 
 "The Baptists that were burnt in different parts of the 
 kingdom went to death intrepidly, and without any fear, 
 during the time of Henry Vlll." — Lent. Sertnons; Neat's 
 Hist. Pur it.. Vol. II., p. 336. 
 
 Under the rule of the popish Mary, they suffered 
 perhaps no more than under that of the Protestant 
 Elizabeth. During the reign of the latter a congre- 
 gation of Baptists was discovered in London, where- 
 upon several were banished, twenty-seven impris- 
 oned, and two burnt at Smithfield. t 
 
 Dr. Featley, one of their bitter enemies, wrote 
 of them, in 1633 : 
 
 "This sect, among others, hath so far presumed upon the 
 patience of the State, that it hath held weekly conventicles, 
 
 *See Histories of Baptists, by Crosby, Ivimey, Danvers, and 
 Benedict. 
 
 f Wall, cited by Neal, Hist. Puritans, Vol. I., p. 137; Vol. II., 
 p. 358, Supplement. 
 
BAPTIST HISTORY. 51I 
 
 rebaptizing hundreds of men and women together in the 
 twilight, in rivulets, and in some arms of the Thames, and 
 elsewhere, dipping them all over head and ears. It hath 
 printed divers pamphlets in defense of their heresy; yea. and 
 challenged some of our preachers to disputation."— £';5^. 
 Bap. Jubilee Memor., Benedict's Hist. Bap., p. J04. 
 
 Bailey wrote, in 1639, that : 
 
 " Under the shadow of independency they have lifted up 
 their heads, and increased their numbers above all sects in 
 the land. They h.2i\t, forty-six churches in and about Lon- 
 don. They are a people very fond of religious liberty, and 
 very unwilling to be brought under bondage of the judgment 
 of others." — Benedict's Hist., p. J04. 
 
 The first book published in the English language 
 on the subject of baptism was translated from the 
 Dutch, and bears date 1618. From this time they 
 multiplied rapidly through all parts of the kingdom. 
 The first regularly organized Church among them, 
 known as such in England, dates from 1607, and 
 was formed in London by a Mr. Smyth, previously 
 a clergyman of the established Church. 
 
 In 1689 the Particular Baptists, so called, held a 
 convention in London, in which more than one 
 hundred congregations were represented, and which 
 issued a Confession of Faith, still in use and highly 
 esteemed. 
 
 The last Baptist martyr in England was Edward 
 Wightman, of Burton upon Trent, condemned by 
 the Bishop of Coventry, and burnt at Litchfield, 
 April II, 1612. * 
 
 *Eng. Bap. Jubilee Memor., Benedict's Hist. Bap. 
 
512 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 VI. AMERICAN BAPTISTS. 
 
 The history of American Baptists runs back a 
 little more than two and a quarter centuries. In 
 this country, as elsewhere, they were cradled amid 
 persecution, and nurtured by the hatred of their 
 foes. This has been their fortune in every age and 
 in every land. 
 
 Roger Williams, a distinguished and an hon- 
 ored name, was identified with the rise of the de- 
 nomination in America. He has been called their 
 founder, because he organized the first Church, and 
 was intimately connected with their early history. 
 Williams was born in Wales, 1598, educated at Ox- 
 ford, England, came to America in 1630, and settled 
 as minister of the Puritan Church in Salem, Mas- 
 sachusetts. Not long after he adopted Baptist views 
 of doctrine and Church order, on account of which 
 he was banished by his fellow Puritans, and driven 
 out of Massachusetts, in the depth of a rigorous 
 winter, in a new and inhospitable country. Having 
 wandered far and suffered much, finding the savage 
 Indians more generous and hospitable than his fel- 
 low Christians, he finally reached and fixed his 
 future home at what is now Providence, R. I. Here, 
 with a few associates of like faith, he founded a new 
 colony, calling both the city and the colony Provi- 
 dencey in recognition of the divine guidance and pro- 
 tection, which he had in so remarkable a manner 
 experienced. 
 
 In 1639 Mr. Williams received baptism from one 
 
BAPTIST HISTORY. 513 
 
 of his associates, there being no minister to perform 
 that service. He in turn baptized his associates, 
 and a Church was organized, of which he was chosen 
 pastor. He was also appointed first governor of 
 Rhode Island. Full liberty was granted in matters 
 of religion. Thus Roger Williams became the first 
 ruler, and Rhode Island the first State which ever 
 gave entire freedom to all persons to worship God, 
 according to their own choice, without dictation 
 or interference from civil or ecclesiastical author- 
 ities. 
 
 On account of this unrestricted liberty many Bap- 
 tists, as well as other persecuted religionists from 
 other colonies, and from Europe, collected in con- 
 siderable numbers at Providence, and spread through 
 the colony. 
 
 It is a mistake to suppose that all the Baptist 
 churches in America grew out of the one which 
 Roger Williams founded. It is even doubtful 
 whether any single Church arose as an outgrowth 
 of that. As immigration increased, other churches 
 grew up, having no connection with that ; and with 
 considerable rapidity the sentiments of Baptists 
 spread into adjoining colonies, particularly west 
 and south. For a long time, however, they were 
 sorely persecuted, especially in Massachusetts and 
 Connecticut. Persecuted even by those who had 
 themselves fled from persecution in their native 
 land, to find freedom and refuge in these distant 
 wilds. 
 
 In 1644 the present First Church in Newport, 
 33 
 
514 l^HE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 R. I., was organized. But whether the present 
 First Church in Providence was constituted before 
 this date is still a disputed point. Both claim prior- 
 ity. In 1656 the Second Church, Newport, was 
 formed. Then followed, in order of time, the Church 
 in Swansea, Massachusetts, 1663 ; First, Boston, 
 1665 ; North Kingstone, R. I., 1665 ; Seventh-Day 
 Church, Newport, 167 1 ; South Kingstone, R. I., 
 1680; Kittery, Me., 1682; Middletown, N. J., 1688; 
 Lower Dublin, Pa., 1689; Charleston, S. C, 1690; 
 Philadelphia, Pa., 1698; Welsh Tract, Del., 1701 ; 
 Groton, Conn., 1705. Others, not mentioned, arose 
 within this period in these and other colonies. 
 With the increase of population Baptists rapidly 
 multiplied, and spread widely abroad over the 
 country. 
 
 VII. BAPTIST FACTS AND FIGURES. 
 
 For the first hundred years of Baptist history in 
 America their growth was slow. The population 
 was small and scattered. They were still dissen- 
 tients from the majority of their fellow Christians, 
 by whom they were defamed, opposed, and perse- 
 cuted. Though, in this country, none were burned, 
 hanged, or drowned, because of their faith, yet in 
 New England they were banished, fined, imprisoned, 
 and publicly whipped at the stake, because they in- 
 sisted on religious liberty, and would not submit to 
 the magistrates in matters of faith and conscience. 
 In the then condition of the country they lacked in 
 
BAPTIST HISTORY. 515 
 
 organization, intercourse, and mutual help. The 
 first Baptist Church known to American history was 
 organized by Roger Williams in Providence, R. I., 
 in 1639. 
 
 Edwards^ Tables gives the number of churches in 
 1768, more than a hundred years afterward, as one 
 hundred and thirty-seven. 
 
 Asplund's Register reported for 1790, 872 
 churches, 722 ordained ministers, and 64,975 Church 
 members. 
 
 Benedict's History states that in 18 12 there were 
 2,633 churches, 2,143 ordained ministers, and 204,- 
 185 members. 
 
 Aliens* Register, for 1836, enrolls 7,299 churches, 
 4,075 ministers, and 517,523 Church members. 
 
 The Baptist Almanack, for 1840, gives the follow- 
 ing figures: 7,771 churches, 5,208 ministers, and 
 571,291 members. 
 
 The Baptist Year Book, for i860, reports the fol- 
 lowing numbers, 12,279 churches, 7,773 ministers, 
 and 1,016, 134 members. 
 
 It must be borne in mind, however, that the fig- 
 ures given are always less than the facts would war- 
 rant, since complete returns can never be obtained 
 from Churches and Associations. 
 
 From the various sources of information acces- 
 sible, the following table of statistics is compiled, and 
 is doubtless approximately correct ; though, as to 
 the earlier dates the figures differ somewhat, ac- 
 cording to the sources from which they are de- 
 rived. 
 
5l6 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 Date. 
 
 Churches. 
 
 Ministers. 
 
 Members. 
 
 1768 
 
 137 
 
 
 
 1784 
 
 472 
 
 424 
 
 35.101 
 
 1790 
 
 872 
 
 722 
 
 65,000 
 
 1792 
 
 891 
 
 1,156 
 
 65.345 
 
 1812 
 
 2,164 
 
 1,605 
 
 173,200 
 
 1825 
 
 3>743 
 
 2,577 
 
 237.895 
 
 1832 
 
 5.320 
 
 3,618 
 
 384,926 
 
 1840 
 
 7.771 
 
 5,208 
 
 571,291 
 
 1842 
 
 8,546 
 
 5,600 
 
 649,138 
 
 1851 
 
 9.552 
 
 7.393 
 
 770.839 
 
 i860 
 
 12,279 
 
 7.773 
 
 1,016,134 
 
 1871 
 
 18.397 
 
 12,013 
 
 1,489.191 
 
 1877 
 
 23.908 
 
 14,659 
 
 2,024,224 
 
 1880 
 
 26,060 
 
 16,569 
 
 2.296,327 
 
 1882 
 
 26,931 
 
 17.090 
 
 2,394,742 
 
 1884 
 
 28,596 
 
 18,677 
 
 2,507,703 
 
 1886 
 
 30,522 
 
 19.377 
 
 2,732.570 
 
 1888 
 
 31,891 
 
 20,477 
 
 2,917.315 
 
 1890 
 
 34.780 
 
 22,706 
 
 3,164,124 
 
 1892 
 
 35.890 
 
 23,800 
 
 3,269,806 
 
 1893 
 
 36,793 
 
 24.798 
 
 3,383.160 
 
 1894 
 
 38,122 
 
 25.354 
 
 3,496,988 
 
 1896 
 
 40,658 
 
 27,257 
 
 3,824,038 
 
 1898 
 
 43,397 
 
 27.355 
 
 4,055,806 
 
 The Baptist Family, 
 
 The Baptist family of the United States is some- 
 times spoken of as included in three sectional divi- 
 sions: First, Baptists of the North and West, of 
 whom there are, according to the reports, 812,479; 
 Second, White Baptists in the South and Southwest, 
 of whom there are 1,333,124; Third, Colored Bap- 
 tists in the South, of whom there are 1,237,388. It 
 
BAPTIST HISTORY. 517 
 
 may be noted that the Northern Baptists reported, 
 in 1892, something more than $1,090,000 expended 
 the previous year in Home and Foreign Missions. 
 The Southern white Baptists reported, in 1892, total 
 receipts for Home and Foreign Missions, $287,542. 
 The colored Baptists of the South have their mis- 
 sion and educational enterprises under their own 
 management, for which they raise and expend 
 amounts very creditable to them, considering the 
 circumstances in which they live and act as Chris- 
 tians, but the figures are not at hand. 
 
 First things. 
 
 The following table of historical data, believed to be 
 correct, presents facts which may prove of substan- 
 tial value for reference. The first Baptist Church 
 in each State was organized at the date here given.* 
 
 1 Rhode Island 1639 14 Georgia 1759 
 
 2 Massachusetts 1663 15 Vermont 1768 
 
 3 Maine 1682 16 West Virginia 1774 
 
 4 South CaroHna 1682 17 Tennessee 1780 
 
 5 Pennsylvania 1684 18 Mississippi 1780 
 
 6 New Jersey 1688 19 Ohio 1790 
 
 7 Delaware 1701 20 Illinois 1796 
 
 8 Connecticut 1705 21 Indiana 1798 
 
 9 Virginia 1714 22 Arkansas 1799 
 
 10 New York 1724 23 Dist. Columbia 1802 
 
 1 1 North Carolina 1727 24 Missouri 1805 
 
 12 Maryland 1742 25 Alabama 1808 
 
 13 New Hampshire 1755 26 Louisiana 1812 
 
 * This table was compiled after laborious care in ascertaining 
 the facts, and published by Rev. David Spencer, D. D. 
 
5l8 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 27 Michigan 1822 38 Washington 1863 
 
 28 Indian Ter 1832 39 Colorado 1864 
 
 29 Iowa 1835 40 Idaho 1864 
 
 30 Wisconsin 1836 41 Wyoming 1870 
 
 31 Texas 1837 42 South Dakota 1870 
 
 32 Oregon 1844 43 Montana 1871 
 
 33 Minnesota 1849 44 Nevada 1873 
 
 34 CaHfornia 1849 45 North Dakota 1879 
 
 35 New Mexico Ter 1849 4^ Arizona Ter 1879 
 
 36 Kansas 1854 47 Utah Ter 1880 
 
 37 Nebraska 1855 48 Oklahoma Ter 1889 
 
 During One Decade. 
 
 During the decade from 1874 to 1884 there was 
 reported the following increase: churches, 7,086; 
 ministers, 3,313; members, 1,806,542. Full returns, 
 in many cases, not obtainable. 
 
 Numbers Baptized. 
 
 Some years have been marked by peculiar revival 
 power in the churches, when the numbers baptized 
 were very large. In 1886 there were reported 163,- 
 300 baptisms. In 1887, 158,373; in 1888, 134,563; 
 in 1889, 140,058; in 1890, 155,300; in 1891, 160,247; 
 in 1892, 166,322. Of course, it is possible that some 
 of these persons baptized may not have been truly 
 regenerate. There is always a liability to hasty ad- 
 mission to Church fellowship, especially in times of 
 high revival fervor. But they all professed to be 
 genuine converts, and the rule universally recog- 
 nized for admission is, that none except such as give 
 evidence of the new birth can be received to baptism 
 and Church membership. 
 
BAPTIST HISTORY. 519 
 
 Of the 166,322 reported as baptized during 1892, 
 there were 44,110 among the Northern Baptists, 
 75,604 among the Southern white Baptists, and 47,- 
 601 among the Southern colored Baptists. 
 
 Other Baptists, 
 
 There are in the United States various other 
 smaller sections of the great Baptist family, practis- 
 ing immersion, but differing in many other respects 
 from our own churches. In the Year Book of 1893 
 these are reported as follows: Free-Will Baptists, 
 about 107,782; Tunkers, or Dunkards, 73,845; Prim- 
 itive, about 87,571; Separate, about 1,600; Seventh- 
 Day, 9,317; Six-Principle, about 1,000; Church of 
 God, 22,511; Christians, 90,718; Disciples, 641,051; 
 Mennonites, 40,428; United Brethren, about 225,000. 
 
 Institutions of Learning. 
 
 American Baptists have seven theological semi- 
 naries, with 58 teachers, and 818 pupils, with prop- 
 erty valued at $778,230; endowments, $2,259,346; 
 with 120,500 volumes in the libraries. 
 
 They have 35 universities and colleges, with 602 
 instructors, 8,542 pupils, $7,295,785 value in prop- 
 erty, $11,954,667 in endowments, 54,556 volumes in 
 their libraries. 
 
 They have 38 institutions for female education, 
 with 397 teachers, and 4,834 pupils, with property 
 worth $2,141,127, and $1,226,700 in endowments, 
 with 45,530 volumes in their libraries. 
 
 They have 51 institutions for co-education, with 
 
520 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 362 teachers, 7,379 pupils, $2,280,240 value of prop- 
 erty, $1,116,789 in endowments, and 43,815 volumes 
 in their libraries. 
 
 They have 24 schools for the colored people in 
 the South, and 5 among the Indians, with 14 Chi- 
 nese mission schools, and 5 among the people in 
 Mexico. Whole number of teachers being 238, with 
 6,6Sy pupils enrolled. 
 
 Sunday-schools, 
 
 They report 19,930 Sunday-schools for 1892, with 
 143,600 teachers and officers, and 1,390,600 pupils; 
 about one-half as many schools as churches, and 
 about one-third as many pupils as Church members. 
 
 Benevolent Contributions. 
 
 American Baptists, as a denomination, are not 
 wealthy, yet, doubtless, could give much more lib- 
 erally than they do. According to the latest and 
 most reliable reports, they are credited with giving 
 for missions, last year (1892), $1,377,500; for edu- 
 cation, $236,776; miscellaneous, $2,463,538. For 
 salaries of pastors and other home expenses of 
 the churches, about $10,000,000 — an aggregate of 
 nearly $14,000,000; while they hold in value of 
 Church property, as reported, $71,080,945. It seems 
 difficult to reconcile these facts with a sense of duty 
 to Christ and the world; that they should expend 
 $10,000,000 on the churches at home, and only $1,- 
 207,243 for the conversion of the heathen world; or, 
 that they should lock up more than $71,000,000 in 
 
BAPTIST HISTORY. $21 
 
 Church properties, when it is so much needed for 
 disseminating the Gospel. At the same time they 
 have $31,760,000 in property and endowments of 
 educational institutions; or, a total of property and 
 endowments of churches and schools amounting to 
 $94»390»8ii. Highly creditable in one sense, but 
 the active work of giving the Gospel to the world 
 should claim a larger share. 
 
 Foreign Baptists. 
 
 In the Canadas, about 79,000 
 
 West India Islands, about 44,000 
 
 Great Britain, about 373»90o 
 
 Other parts of Europe, about 89, 100 
 
 Asia, including Burmah, China, India 97,672 
 
 Africa, all parts, about 3, 357 
 
 Australia, all colonies, about 16,600 
 
 It may properly be added, that in all parts of the 
 world where Baptists exist, they are steadily, and 
 in many places rapidly increasing, both as to num- 
 bers, culture, wealth, and influence. But their pol- 
 ity is most in harmony with free civil governments 
 and liberal institutions. In Russia, in common with 
 some other religionists, they still suffer oppression 
 and persecution. No missions among the heathen 
 have shown such large results, in proportion to the 
 means employed, as theirs; a fact in which they 
 duly recognize the most gracious favor of God, to 
 whom be the praise.* 
 
 ♦ For many other facts sec Baptist Year Book for 1893. 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 A. Creeds and Confessions. 
 
 B. Optional Resolutions. 
 
 C. Glossary of Authorities. 
 
 D. Rules of Order. 
 
 E. Forms and Blanks. 
 
 F. Benevolent Societies. 
 
A. CREEDS AND CONFESSIONS. 
 
 While all Evangelical Christians hold that the Bible 
 alone is the complete and sufficient guide in matters of 
 religious faith and practice, yet all denominations have, 
 each for itself, prepared forms of doctrinal statement, 
 setting forth, more or less fully, the fundamental truths 
 which they understand the Scriptures to teach. These 
 are put forth and accepted by the various communions 
 as standards of doctrine for the instruction and unity of 
 the people, and for appeal in controversy, while they are 
 not held as binding the conscience, or limiting the faith 
 of believers, save in a few cases. This function is — cer- 
 tainly by all Protestant Christians — conceded to the Bible 
 alone, that of binding the conscience. 
 
 This dealing in Creeds and Standards, as a department 
 in theological science, is termed symbolics. 
 
 These documents are very numerous, and some of them 
 very widely accepted, and held in great reverence. They 
 have served an important purpose in the economy of 
 grace by holding the faith of the people to the funda- 
 mental truths of Christianity. For, however much they 
 may differ in minor details, they do largely agree in the 
 more prominent teachings of the Scriptures. These 
 Creeds {credoy I believe), Confessions {confessus^ assent, 
 declaration). Symbols {sumbolon^ a token, a sign), Ar- 
 ticles of Faith {articulus Jidei^ something believed), as 
 
526 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 they are variously termed, have, to a considerable extent, 
 been sent forth with catechisms for the systematic instruc- 
 tion of the young in the doctrines they teach. By this 
 means the minds of the people become deeply imbued 
 with essential religious truth in early life, the convictions 
 of which usually abide through subsequent years. 
 
 These different Creed-forms, based on and drawn from 
 the Word of God, as understood by those who framed 
 them, have been of immense service to evangelical re- 
 ligion, by teaching the fundamental truths of the Scrip- 
 tures, and guarding against many pernicious and destruc- 
 tive errors. It must be conceded, however, that with all 
 their excellencies, they are not perfect, and do not fully, 
 and, in some cases, may not faithfully, represent the sacred 
 fountain of truth from which they are drawn. It is even 
 asserted by some that they are mischievous in their ten- 
 dency, by affecting to be ultimate, whereas they are only 
 tentative, and progressive toward more complete and final 
 statements; that they fetter investigation, and retard the 
 progress of thought; hence it comes to pass that ortho- 
 doxy is measured more by the Creeds than by the Bible, 
 and that heresy consists rather in the rejection of the Con- 
 fessions than in the perversion of the Scriptures. But 
 such results as these transpire only in exceptional cases, 
 and the Creeds, on the whole, have served most beneficent 
 purposes. They are to be valued and used as helpful, 
 bearing in mind that the Bible alone is a complete stand- 
 ard of faith and practice. Also, that the Creeds are sub- 
 ject to still further revision, since all of them have been 
 more or less frequently and materially revised. 
 
 Later in Christian history creed-making beca^ie com- 
 mon, in the hope of fixing a universally accepted standard 
 
CREEDS AND CONFESSIONS. $2/ 
 
 of faith. Indeed, the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, 
 the period of the Reformation, became the era of doctrinal 
 symbols. The effort was to unify the faith of the churches 
 by putting forth new statements of doctrine, hoping to 
 gain general assent to some one, and thereby to secure 
 uniformity of faith. But, to a large extent, the asperities 
 of theological discussion embittered and divided, more 
 than the Creeds harmonized and united, the various sec- 
 tions of Protestant Christendom. 
 
 Many of these confessions have become historic. Those 
 of Augsburg, of Basle, Heidelberg, the Helvetic, Belgic, 
 that of Saxony, the Synod of Dort, the Thirty-nine Articles 
 of the Anglican Church, the Westminster Assembly Con- 
 fession, based on, and similar to, the Thirty-nine Articles; 
 the Savoy, a modification of the Westminster's, and many 
 others of lesser note. Each denomination of Christians 
 has its own; and, save the Apostles' Creed, the oldest and 
 briefest of them all, there is no one in which all professed 
 Christians can agree as to its entire statements. 
 
 THE apostles' CREED. 
 
 The Apostles' Creed,^ so-called, the oldest summary of 
 Christian doctrine now extant, and one which the Roman, 
 Greek and Protestant Churches all accept, originated, as 
 is agreed, as early as the fourth century. It is not known 
 by whom it was prepared — certainly not by the Apostles, 
 whose name it bears, and to whom tradition long ascribed 
 it. "Truly, in fact, it teaches apostolic truth. Perhaps, 
 however, instead of being made, it grew, as most enduring 
 things have done. Possibly, also, the brevity of its form, 
 as well as the substance of its truth, has helped to preserve 
 it .from oblivion. Augustine pronounced it brevis et 
 
528 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 grandis — brief as to the number of its words, grand as to 
 the weight of its teachings. 
 It is as follows: 
 
 " I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and 
 earth: 
 
 ••And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, 
 
 ** Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, 
 
 " Born of the Virgin Mary, 
 
 " Suffered under Pontius Pilate, 
 
 " Was crucified, dead and buried. 
 
 " He descended into hades: 
 
 "The third day He rose again from the dead. 
 
 " He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God 
 the Father Almighty; 
 
 " From thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. 
 
 " I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic church; the 
 communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of 
 the body; and the life everlasting. Amen." 
 
 II. THE NICENE CREED. 
 
 The Nicene Creed also belongs to the fourth century — 
 which was a creed-making era— having been adopted by 
 the Council of Nice a. d. 325, enlarged and approved by 
 the second Council of Constantinople a. d. 381, in which 
 form it is commonly used, and is given below. It is some- 
 what longer than the Apostles', and much briefer and 
 more satisfactory than the Athanasian. It made emphatic 
 the divinity of Christ, and was designed as a breakwater 
 against the incoming heresy of the Arians. 
 
 It is as follows: 
 
 " I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven 
 And earth, and of all things visible and invisible, and in one Lord 
 Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, begotten of His Fa- 
 ther before ?11 worlds; God of God, Light of Light, very God* of 
 
CREEDS AND CONFESSIONS. 529 
 
 very God, begotten, not nnade, being of one substance with the 
 Father, by whom all things were made; who for us men, and for 
 our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the 
 Holy Ghost, of the Virgin Mary, and was made man; and was 
 crucified also for us, under Pontius Pilate; He suffered, and was 
 buried; and the third day He rose again, according to the Scrip- 
 tures, and ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of 
 the Father. And He shall come again with glory to judge both 
 the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end. And 
 I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of life, who 
 proceedeth from the Father and the Son, who with the Father 
 and the Son together, is worshiped and glorified; who spake by 
 the prophets. And I believe in one catholic and apostolic Church. 
 I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins; and I look 
 for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. 
 Amen." 
 
 III. THE ATHANASIAN CREED. 
 
 This also was the product of the fourth century, but is 
 not thought to have been prepared by Athanasius himself, 
 though he may have produced the original basis on which 
 it was built, while the superstructure underwent various 
 modifications by other hands before it crystallized into its 
 final form, after several centuries of use and change. It 
 is longer than the other ancient symbols, and less satis- 
 factory to the faith of the present age. In its final shape 
 it was designed to stem the current of Arian heresy by 
 strongly teaching the absolute divinity of Christ, and his 
 co-equality with the Father. A large part of the text is 
 devoted to this doctrine, the phraseology of which is as 
 offensive to a good literary taste as the doctrinal teaching 
 is perplexing to a simple Christian faith. It will do to 
 stand with the metaphysical subtleties of the schoolmen 
 rather than with the teachings of Christian truth. The 
 34 
 
530 . THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 greater part of it to common minds conveys no sense 
 whatever. Of course it embodies much truth. 
 It is as follows: 
 
 " Whoever will be saved, before allthings it is necessary that 
 he hold the catholic faith. Which faith, except every one do 
 keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish ever- 
 lastingly. And the catholic faith is this: That we worship one 
 God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; neither confounding the 
 persons nor dividing the substance. For there is one person of 
 the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Ghost. 
 But the Godhead of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy 
 Ghost is all one; the glory equal, the majesty co-eternal. Such 
 as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Ghost. 
 The Father uncreate, the Son uncreate, and the Holy Ghost un- 
 create. The Father incomprehensible, the Son incomprehensi- 
 ble, and the Holy Ghost incomprehensible. The Father eternal, 
 the Son eternal, and the Holy Ghost eternal. And yet they are 
 not three eternals, but one eternal. As also there are not three 
 incomprehensibles, nor three uncreated, but one uncreated and 
 one incomprehensible, so likewise is the Father Almighty, the 
 Son Almighty, and the Holy Ghost Almighty. And yet there 
 are not three almighties, but one almighty. So the Father is God, 
 the Son is God, and the Holy Ghost is God. And yet there are 
 not three Gods, but one God. So also the Father is Lord, the 
 Son is Lord, and the Holy Ghost is Lord. And yet not three 
 Lords, but one Lord. For like as we are compelled by the Chris- 
 tian verity to acknowledge every person by himself to be God 
 and Lord, so are we forbidden by the catholic religion to say 
 there be three Gods and three Lords. 
 
 " The Father is made of none, neither created nor begotten. The 
 Son is of the Father alone: not made nor created, but begotten. 
 The Holy Ghost is of the Father and the Son, neither made, nor 
 created, nor begotten, but proceeding. So there is one Father, 
 not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Ghost, not 
 three Holy Ghosts. And in this Trinity none is afore or after the 
 other; none is greater nor less than another. But the whole three 
 
CREEDS AND CONFESSIONS. 53 1 
 
 persons are co-eternal together, and co-equal. So that in all things, 
 as is aforesaid, the Unity in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity is to 
 be worshiped. He, therefore, that will be saved, must thus think 
 of the Trinity. 
 
 " Furthermore, it is necessary to everlasting salvation that he 
 also believe rightly the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. For 
 the right faith is that we believe and confess that our Lord Jesus 
 Christ, the Son of God, is God and man. God the substance of 
 the Father, begotten before the worlds; and man, the substance 
 of His mother, born in the world, perfect God and perfect man, of 
 a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting. Equal to the Fa- 
 ther as touching His Godhead, and inferior to the Father as touch- 
 ing His manhood. Who, although He be God and man, yet He is 
 not two but one Christ. One, not by conversion of the Godhead 
 into flesh, but by taking of the manhood into God. One alto- 
 gether not by confusion of substance, but by unity of person. 
 For, as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man, so God and man 
 is one Christ. 
 
 " Who suffered for our salvation, descended into hell, rose again 
 the third day from the dead. He ascended into heaven, He sittelh 
 at the right hand of the Father Almighty. From whence He shall 
 come to judge the quick and the dead. At whose coming all men 
 shall rise again with their bodies, and shall give account of their 
 own works. And they that have done good shall go into life 
 everlasting, and they who have done evil, into everlasting fire. 
 
 " This * is the catholic faith, which except a man believe faith- 
 fully, he cannot be saved. Glory be to the Father, and to the 
 Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now, 
 and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.' " 
 
 IV. LATER CONFESSIONS. 
 
 The Augsburg Confession is the principal standard of 
 doctrine for the Lutheran churches, and constitutes what 
 is considered " the first Protestant Confession," though 
 Luther had previously prepared articles for the Conven- 
 tion of Schwalbach, which, however, had not yet been 
 
532 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 published. The Emperor Charles T. called a German 
 Diet to meet at Augsburg, 1530, and directed the Prot- 
 estants to present a statement of their faith. The Elector 
 John of Saxony requested the doctors of Wittenberg to 
 draw up such a summary. Among them were Luther and 
 Melancthon, who were chiefly instrumental in the work. 
 These articles were presented and accepted, 1530, having 
 been completed by Melancthon. 
 
 The Sch7?ialcald Confession, drawn chiefly by Luther, as 
 a protest against the traditions and false teachings of the 
 papacy, was presented to the Protestant league of princes, 
 electors, and nobles, at Schmalcald, and by them ap- 
 proved in 1537, and published in German and Latin, at 
 Wittenberg, the next year. These articles are regarded 
 as authoritative by the Lutheran churches throughout the 
 world. 
 
 The Thirty-nine Articles, so-called, constitute the Con- 
 fession of the Church of England. Originally these were 
 forty-two. They were prepared by a royal commission, 
 appointed in 155 1, under Edward VI., for this purpose. 
 At the head of it was Archbishop Cranmer, who had previ- 
 ously prepared some articles, drawn largely from the Augs- 
 burg Confession. These became the basis of the thirty-nine. 
 Calvin, Melancthon, Bullinger, Peter Martyr, and others, 
 conferred as to their preparation. In 1553 they were 
 presented to the Convocation. Various changes were made 
 in them before they were confirmed by Parliament. Vari- 
 ous further changes were made by Convocation in 1562, 
 1566, and 157 1, but it was not till 1628 that they were issued 
 by royal authority under Charles I. In 1801 they were 
 adopted by the Episcopal Church in America, with some 
 further alterations, and the omission of one article, and 
 
CREEDS AND CONFESSIONS. 533 
 
 with still further changes they have become the accepted 
 Confession of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Am- 
 erica. 
 
 The Heidelberg Confession, called also the Palatinate 
 Catechism, was prepared under the direction of Frederick 
 III,, prince of the Palatinate, who had espoused the cause 
 of the Reformation. Its preparation was committed to 
 Ursinus, a pupil of Melancthon (who is regarded as its 
 principal author), aided by Olevianus, court preacher and 
 professor at Heidelberg. Catechisms of Luther, Calvin, 
 Melancthon, and Lasco, furnished materials, and the work 
 was completed, presented to, and accepted by, a synod of 
 the Palatinate, December, 1562, and published in 1563. 
 It has been published by millions, and translated into 
 nearly every known language. It has become the vener- 
 ated symbol and the accepted doctrinal standard of the 
 German and Dutch Reformed Churches everywhere. It 
 is strongly Calvinistic in tone, and is, beyond question, 
 one of the most admirable compends of Christian doctrine 
 extant. 
 
 The Canons of Dort were prepared by a national synod, 
 called to settle the disputes which had arisen between the 
 Calvinists and the Arminians. In this bitter controversy 
 the great Grotius and the equally noble Barneveldt were 
 engaged ; the latter of whom lost his life through the hos- 
 tile and heartless jealousy of Maurice, Stadtholder of 
 Nassau. The synod opened its sessions, November, 16 18, 
 in the great church of Dort, Holland, and closed them in 
 May, 1619. They approved as orthodox both the Heidel- 
 berg and Belgic Confessions, and issued their own Canons 
 of Doctrine, which are accepted as authoritative by the 
 Reformed Dutch Church, and some other communions. 
 
534 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 The Westminster Confession is the leading docrinal 
 standard of the Presbyterian churches throughout the 
 world, and, with some exceptions, is one of the best cora- 
 pends of Christian faith of modern history. It was pre- 
 pared by the Westminster synod, known as the " Assem- 
 bly of Divines," appointed by Parliament, and composed 
 of Presbyterians, Episcopalians, Independents, and Eras- 
 tians :* one hundred and twenty-one divines and thirty 
 laymen from England, and five from Scotland. The 
 meetings were held in Westminster Abbey, London, hav- 
 ing been convened in the presence of both houses of Par- 
 liament, July I, 1643. The assembly continued its ses- 
 sions until the dissolution of the Long Parliament by 
 Cromwell in 1653. Their labors included the larger and 
 smaller Catechism, and a Directory for public worship, in 
 addition to the Confession. This was based on, and 
 largely conformed to, the Thirty-nine Articles of the Eng- 
 lish Church ; indeed, it was little more than a revision of 
 that document, prepared a hundred years before, adopting 
 it, article by article, with few changes, to the close of the 
 fifteenth article, where their revision terminated. The 
 work was approved by the House of Commons, 1647, and 
 adopted by the Presbyterian General Assembly of Scot- 
 land, 1648. The Episcopalian and Independent churches 
 did not accept the Confession. Various changes have 
 since been made in it, and the form now used in this coun- 
 try — about which so much has been said during recent 
 years — as issued by the Presbyterian Board of Publication, 
 
 * Erastians were followers of Erastus, a German divine and 
 physician of the sixteenth century, who taught that the Church 
 ought to be wholly dependent upon the State for its support, 
 government, and discipline. 
 
CREEDS AND CONFESSIONS. 535 
 
 consists of Thirty-three Articles, or Chapters, with nu- 
 merous subdivisions, or sections, accompanied with scrip- 
 tural proof-texts, making a considerable book of 166 
 pages. 
 
 The Savoy Confession^ so-called from the Savoy palace, 
 the residence of the bishop of London, in which was held 
 the Conference, 1658, appointed by royal commission to 
 formulate a declaration of faith, which should, if possible, 
 harmonize the Nonconformists with the Anglican Church. 
 Both the Anglican and the Dissenting clergy were engaged 
 in the Conference, but the effort proved unavailing. The 
 Confession prepared is largely a reproduction of the 
 Westminster Assembly's, and to a considerable extent 
 verbally identical with it ; containing thirty-two articles, 
 one less than the Assembly's. It is an accepted standard 
 of the Independents and Congregationalists, though not 
 held as binding.* 
 
 V. BAPTIST CONFESSIONS. 
 
 The Protestant doctrine that the Bible alone is an au- 
 thoritative standard of religious truth, and the only suf- 
 ficient guide in faith and doctrine, is emphasized by Bap- 
 tists. All Protestant Confessions are professedly founded 
 on, and drawn directly from, the word of God, utterly re- 
 jecting the Romish claim that tradition is of equal authority 
 with the Scriptures. Baptists have their Confessions, or, 
 as they are more commonly called, " Articles of Faith." 
 Most churches have these summaries, and each Church 
 uses such form as it may prefer ; or no form at all, if such 
 
 * For a full discussion of this subject sec Schaff' s Creeds of 
 Christendom. 
 
536 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 be its choice. None are binding on the conscience of 
 any, and members are not required to subscribe to any. 
 The New Testament alone is their authoritative and bind- 
 ing standard. But these confessional compends con- 
 stitute convenient formularies for reference, and for the 
 instruction of the young. They help also to hold the 
 minds of the people to the radical forms of evangelical 
 truth. 
 
 Among American Baptists are to be found great num- 
 bers of these formularies, in a great variety of expression, 
 as the churches which use them, or the pastors who con- 
 structed them may be inclined, but with a remarkable—' 
 it may be said, with a marvelous — harmony of doctrinal 
 statements. Some of these have attained local notoriety, 
 and have been accepted by particular Associations. But 
 two in particular have gained wide currency, and have 
 been adopted over extensive fields. These are, the New 
 Hampshire Confession^ so-called, generally adopted by 
 the churches of the North, East, and West ; and the 
 Philadelphia Confession^ extensively used by the churches 
 of the South and Southwest. The former is much the 
 briefer of the two, and for that reason partly, no doubt, 
 is in more common demand. For that reason, also, largely, 
 and because of its general excellency, it has been choserf 
 for insertion in the Directory and in the author's othei 
 manuals. It now consists of twenty articles, with a cov 
 enant. A part of the proof-texts are omitted from this 
 work, as being inapposite, and to save space. 
 
 The Philadelphia Confession is substantially that of the 
 English Baptists, issued in London, 1689, by the ministers 
 and messengers of more than one hundred " baptized con- 
 gregations " in the United Kingdom, as an answer to the 
 
CREEDS AND CONFESSIONS. 53/ 
 
 misrepresentations and slanders of their enemies. That 
 was based on, and an enlargement of, the Confession pub- 
 lished in London, in 1644, ^7 seven churches for the 
 same purpose, and for substance of doctrine does not 
 differ from that. In 1742 the old Philadelphia Associa- 
 tion, feeling the need of some standard for the use of its 
 own members, and to which inquirers could be referred, 
 adopted this, which has since borne the name of that body. 
 But in its adoption some changes were made. Two articles 
 were added, one on " singing in worship as a holy ordin- 
 ance of Christ," and one on "the laying on of hands with 
 prayer upon baptized believers, as an ordinance of 
 Christ."* To these articles was added an essay on Church 
 Discipline. But both the added articles and the essay 
 were subsequently omitted. This Confession consists of 
 thirty-two articles, or chapters, with numerous subdivisions, 
 and an appendix on baptism. That of 1644 is much more 
 brief, though it contains fifty-two articles, but without sub- 
 sections, f 
 
 * The laying hands on the newly baptized before they left the 
 water was practised in many, if not in most churches, and is still 
 the custom of some ministers. 
 
 f On this subject see Neal's Hist. Puritans, Vol. II., p. 475, 
 Append.; Cutting's Hist. Vindications, Append., p. 113; Cath- 
 cart's Bap. Ency., Art. Confessions. 
 
 The Philadelphia Confession is a most admirable statement of 
 Christian doctrine, but is quite too long, and theologically too 
 abstruse for general circulation. Its length alone precludes it 
 from this work, as it would fill forty of these pages. Probably 
 the best edition now accessible is the reprint of Mr. Spurgcon's, 
 issued by Wharton & Baron of Baltimore, Md. It is somewhat 
 more pronounced as a Calvinistic symbol than the majority of our 
 present standards, though all claim to be Calvinistic — moderately. 
 
538 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 THE NEW HAMPSHIRE CONFESSION. 
 
 The New Hampshire Confession was of slow growth, as 
 most enduring standard documents have been. Its origin 
 dates back to 1830, when the New Hampshire Baptist 
 State Convention, holding its session at Concord, June 
 24th, authorized the preparation of a '* declaration of 
 faith," which might secure the approval and serve the 
 purpose of all the Baptist Churches in that State. The 
 proposition met with general approval, and a committee 
 of three was appointed to do the work, and report. As 
 the Convention met only annually the matter was finally 
 referred to the Board. The committee underwent various 
 changes, and it was not until 1833, after many modifica- 
 tions from the first draft, that the ''Declaration" was 
 approved, article by article, and unanimously adopted as 
 their standard of faith. 
 
 When, in 1889, the writer was contemplating the prep- 
 aration of a new and much enlarged edition of the Bap- 
 tist Church Directory — or, rather, a new and larger work 
 on the same plan — he sought in vain for definite inform- 
 ation as to the origin of the New Hampshire Confession. 
 It has been generally supposed that the late Rev. J. New- 
 ton Brown, D.D., was the author, as it was known he held 
 some connection with its preparation, and had in more 
 recent years issued a copy under his own name. Finally, 
 I wrote to my old friend, Rev. W. H. Eaton, D. D., so 
 long the honored pastor at Keene, N. H., who was very 
 familiar with denominational affairs in that State, to 
 know if he could give me any light on the subject. After 
 some delay, I received the following letter in reply, which 
 it gives me pleasure to insert, and for which I am under 
 special obligations. 
 
CREEDS AND CONFESSIONS. 539 
 
 " Keene, April 9, 1889. 
 *• My Dear Diu Hiscox : 
 
 " When I received your first communication I was satchel in 
 hand for the cars on a thirty-mile exchange. I came home sick, 
 and staid in the house nine days. I am gaining now quite fast. 
 
 " I will inform you about our Declaration of Faith. The first 
 edition was published in iSjj; the last, in 1S82. The history 
 seems to be as follows : In the Convention at Concord in June, 
 1830, Rev. Noah Nichols of Rumney introduced the following: 
 ' Whereas, The Baptist denomination of Christians are believed to 
 be united in their views of the important and essential doctrines 
 and practices of our holy religion (although their declarations of 
 faith are not in precisely the same language as it is desirable they 
 should be), therefore, 
 
 " 'Resolved, That Brethren N. W. Williams, Wm. Taylor, and I. 
 Person be a committee to prepare and present, at our next annual 
 session, such a Declaration of Faith and Practice, together with a 
 Covenant, as may be thought agreeable to, and consistent with, 
 the views of all our churches in this state.* This was adopted. 
 At Hopkinton in June, 1831, I find this record : ' The committee 
 appointed last year to prepare and present a concise and scriptural 
 Declaration of Faith and Practice, reported that they had made 
 some progress in the work assigned them, but, owing to peculiar 
 circumstances, had not been able to complete it.' 
 
 "At their request, the committee were discharged, and Rev. I. 
 Person appointed to finish the work and report to the Board of 
 this Convention as soon as convenient. By this vote the whole 
 thing was transferred to the Board. 
 
 " At the Board Meeting June 26, 1832, ' Rev. I. Person presented 
 his report in relation to the Articles of Faith and Practice, which 
 he was some time since appointed to prepare.' And they were 
 referred to a select committee, consisting of Stow, Brown and 
 Going, with the author. Again, in Convention at Portsmouth in 
 June, 1832, I find this record : 
 
 •• ' The committee, to whom the Board had referred the Articles 
 of Faith and Practice prepared by Brother Person, reported in 
 favor of adopting them with some slight alterations; but after 
 
540 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 some discussion it was resolved to refer them to the disposition 
 of the Board.' 
 
 " At the Board Meeting June 29, 1832, they were presented and 
 referred to Brethren Stow and Brown for revision. 
 
 " At the Board Meeting Oct. 10, 1832, they were presented and 
 considered, article by article; then Bro. Brown was appointed to 
 prepare a copy with such alterations as had been suggested by the 
 Board.' 
 
 " At the Board Meeting in Jan., 1833, it was voted to erase the 
 word 'article' or 'articles' wherever it was found, and substitute 
 the word ' Declaration.' Then Bro. Brown presented the copy he 
 had prepared, and they adjourned for one hour. Then, after a 
 second adjournment, it was 
 
 " ^Resolved, That the Declaration of Faith and Covenant pre- 
 pared by Brethren Stow and Brown, and now read before the 
 Board of this Convention, are entitled to their unanimous appro- 
 bation, and are by them cordially recommended to the adoption 
 of the churches.' Then arrangements were made for publishing 
 them. 
 
 " You will see by the above that the proceedings about the Dec- 
 laration were all in the Convention and Board. 
 
 * * You understand that Stow was Baron Stow, D. D. , and that Brown 
 was J. Newton Brown, D.D. The tradition has always been that 
 the Declaration was the work of J. N. Brown. I trust that the 
 above will be satisfactory. If anything now is omitted, please let 
 me know. 
 
 " Yours most truly, 
 
 "W. H. Eaton." 
 
 At the meeting of the New Hampshire Historical Soci- 
 ety at Concord, Oct. 21, 1891, Rev. Wm. Hurlin of An- 
 trim, N. H., presented to that body a carefully prepared 
 history of the " Declaration," to which service he had been 
 previously appointed, which history was accepted, with the 
 thanks of the body. I wish to acknowledge my indebted- 
 ness to Rev. Mr. Hurlin for a copy of this report, which 
 
CREEDS AND CONFESSIONS. 54I 
 
 he was kind enough to send me. Omitting the details, the 
 following is the summary of that report : 
 
 " The following is a summary of the Records on this matter: 
 In 1830 the Convention appointed a committee of three to prepare 
 a Declaration of Faith and a Covenant. That committee made 
 some progress, and then in 1831 they were, at their own request, 
 discharged, and one of their number. Rev. I. Person (afterward 
 spelt Pearson), was appointed \.o finish the work. He presented 
 what he had done to the Convention of 1832, and it was accepted 
 and referred to a select committee of three persons in addition to 
 the author. This committee reported in favor of adopting the 
 articles 'prepared by Bro. Person, . . . with slight altera- 
 tions,' but after discussion, the Convention voted ' to refer them 
 to the disposal of the Board.' 
 
 " The Board referred them to two members of the select com- 
 mittee, Brethren Stow and Brown, to be revised and presented at 
 a future meeting. In October, 1832, Rev. J. N. Brown pre- 
 sented the report of this committee, and after a long and pro. 
 tracted consideration, article by article, it was accepted, and Rev. 
 J. N. Brown was requested to prepare a copy of it, including such 
 alterations as had been suggested by the Board. At a subsequent 
 meeting the Board voted still further amendments, and then Bro. 
 Brown presented the amended copy, and it was unanimously ap- 
 proved by the Board, and recommended to the churches of the 
 State. 
 
 " Thus far the indications are that it is the work of Rev. I. Per- 
 son, revised by Revs. B. Stow and J. N. Brown, and largely 
 altered by the full Board, and then finally prepared for the 
 press by Rev. J. N. Brown. It is to be noted here that in the 
 Resolution by which the Board approved and recommended it, 
 they speak of it as " The Declaration of Faith and Covenant pre- 
 pared by Brethren Stow and Brown,' thus speaking of these two 
 as joint authors. 
 
 " But in 1853 Rev. J. N. Brown republished the Declaration 
 and Covenant, under the title of The Baptist Church Mannal^ 
 ' with such revision as on mature reflection he deems called for 
 
542 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 after the lapse of twenty years/ and also * supplying two new 
 articles, one on Repentance and Faith, and the other on Sanctifi- 
 cation.' In the advertisement to this pamphlet Mr. Brown claims 
 the authorship of the original publication, and this would seem to 
 settle the question, which is otherwise obscure." 
 
 As first published, there were sixteen articles. Subse- 
 quently Dr. Brown added two : one on Repentance and 
 Faith, and one on Sanctification. When this author pre- 
 pared them for his Standard Manual in 1890, he divided 
 the article on Baptism and the Lord's Supper, making two, 
 and increasing the number to nineteen. Some verbal 
 changes were also made, which seemed to be improve- 
 ments, and a few of the proof-texts, which did not appear 
 pertinent, were omitted. For this work a further change 
 has been made by dividing the article on Repentance and 
 Faith, giving one to each subject, and adding an article 
 on Adoption, which seems to deserve a place in such a 
 document. It is to be noted, however, that none of these 
 changes have modified, or in any way altered, the doctrinal 
 substance, or teaching of the Confession. It now consists 
 of twenty articles, intelligible as to statement, simple as 
 to form, and loyal to New Testament truth. No other 
 creed form has attained to anything like its general circu- 
 lation among American Baptists.* It is as follows: 
 
 * About 100,000 copies have been circulated with the author's 
 manuals alone, besides its wide dissemination by other means. In 
 the Directory, not far from 60,000 have been sent out. In the 
 Star Book on Church Polity more than 30,000, and in the Stan- 
 dard Manual about 10,000. On the whole, for common use 
 among Baptists, no other form of doctrinal statement has so 
 much to commend it as this, though none can be claimed as 
 perfect. 
 
CREEDS AND CONFESSIONS. 543 
 
 ARTICLES OF FAITH. 
 
 I. THE SCRIPTURES. 
 
 We believe that the Holy Bible was written by men 
 divinely inspired, and is a perfect treasure of heavenly 
 instruction; that it has God for its author, salvation for its 
 end, and truth without any mixture of errror for its mat- 
 ter; that it reveals the principles by which God will judge 
 us; and therefore is, and shall remain to the end of the 
 world, the true centre of Christian union, and the supreme 
 standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and opin- 
 ions should be tried. 
 
 "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is 
 profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for in- 
 struction in righteousness; that the man of God may be 
 perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." — 
 2 Tim. 3 : 16, 17. Also, 2 Pet. i: 21; 2 Sam. 23 : 2; Acts 
 I : 16; 3 : 21 ; John 10 135; Luke 16 : 29-31; Ps. 119 : 3; 
 Rom. 3 : I, 2. 
 
 " Every word of God is pure. Add thou not unto His 
 words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar." — Prov. 
 30: 5, 6. Also, John 17:17; Rev. 22 : 18, 19; Rom. 3:4. 
 
 *' As many as have sinned in the law, shall be judged 
 by the law." — Rom. 2:12. "If any man hear my words, 
 the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in 
 the last day." — John 12:47, 48. Also i Cor. 4:314; 
 Luke 10 : 10-16; 12 : 47, 48. 
 
 II. THE TRUE GOD. 
 
 We believe the Scriptures teach that there is one, and 
 only one, living and true God, an infinite, intelligent 
 
544 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 Spirit, whose name is Jehovah, the Maker and Supreme 
 Ruler of Heaven and Earth; inexpressibly glorious in 
 holiness, and worthy of all possible honor, confidence and 
 love; that in the unity of the Godhead there are three 
 persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; equal 
 in every divine perfection, and executing distinct but har- 
 monious offices in the great work of redemption. 
 
 " God is a Spirit/' — John 4 : 24. " His understanding 
 is infinite." — Ps. 147 : 5. " Thou whose name alone is 
 Jehovah, art the Most High over all the earth." — Ps. 83: 
 18; Heb. 3:4; Rom. 1:20; Jer. 10:10. 
 
 "Who is like unto Thee — glorious in holiness?" — Ex. 
 15: 11: Isa. 6:3; I Pet. i: 15, 16; Rev. 4: 6-8. 
 
 '* Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, 
 and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all 
 thy strength." — Mark 12:30. "Thou art worthy, O Lord, 
 to receive glory, and honor, and power." — Rev. 4:11; 
 Matt. 10 37; Jer. 2: 12, 13. 
 
 **Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them 
 in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy 
 Ghost." — Matt. 28:19; John 15:26; i Cor. 12:4-6; i 
 John 5 : 7. 
 
 III. THE FALL OF MAN. 
 
 We believe the Scriptures teach that Man was created 
 in holiness, under the law of his Maker; but by voluntary 
 transgression fell from that holy and happy state; in con- 
 sequence of which all mankind are now sinners, not by 
 constraint but choice; being by nature utterly void of that 
 holiness required by the law of God, positively inclined to 
 evil; and therefore under just condemnation to eternal 
 ruin, without defense or excuse. 
 
CREEDS AND CONFESSIONS. 545 
 
 "God created man in His own image." — Gen. i 127. 
 ** And God saw everything that He had made, and behold, 
 it was very good." — Gen. i : 31; Eccles. 7 : 29; Acts 17 : 
 26; Gen. 2 : 16. 
 
 " And when the woman saw that the tree was good for 
 food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to 
 be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, 
 and did eat; and gave also unto her husband with her, and 
 he did eat." — Gen. 3 : 6-24; Rom. 5 : 12. 
 
 ** By one man's disobedience many were made sin- 
 ners." — Rom. 5 : 19; John 3:6; Ps. 51 : 6; Rom. 5:15- 
 19; 8:7. 
 
 " We have turned, every one to his own way." — Isa. 53: 
 6; Gen. 6:12; Rom. 3 : 9-18. 
 
 '* Among whom also we all had our conversation in 
 times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of 
 the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the chil- 
 dren of wrath even as others." — Eph. 2:3; Rom. i : 18; 
 Rom. I : 32; 2 : 1-16; Gal. 3 : 10; Matt. 20 : 15. 
 
 "The soul that sinneth it shall die." — Ezek. 18 : 19, 20. 
 " So that they are without excuse.** — Rom. i : 20. " That 
 every mouth may be stopped and and all the world may 
 become guilty before God."— Rom. 3 : 19; Gal. 3 : 22. 
 
 IV. god's purpose of grace. 
 
 We believe the Scriptures teach that election is the 
 eternal purpose of God, according to which He graciously 
 regenerates, sanctifies and saves sinners; that being per- 
 fectly consistent with the free agency of man, it compre- 
 hends all the means in connection with the end; that it is 
 a most glorious display of God's sovereign goodness, being 
 Infinitely free, wise, holy and unchangeable; that it utterly 
 85 
 
546 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 excludes boasting, and promotes humility, love, prayer, 
 praise, trust in God, and active imitation of His free 
 mercy; that it encourages the use of means in the highest 
 degree; that it may be ascertained by its effects in all 
 who truly believe the Gospel; that it is the foundation of 
 Christian assurance; and that to ascertain it with regard 
 to ourselves demands and deserves the utmost diligence. 
 
 " But be thou partaker of the afflictions of the Gospel, ac- 
 cording to the power of God; who hath saved us and called 
 us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but ac- 
 cording to His own purpose and grace which was given us 
 in Christ Jesus before the world began." — 2 Tim. i : 8, 9, 
 
 " But we are bound to give thanks always to God for 
 you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath 
 from the beginning chosen you to salvation, through sanc- 
 tification of the Spirit and belief of the truth; whereunto 
 He called you by our Gospel, to the obtaining of the glory 
 of our Lord Jesus Christ." — 2 Thess. 2 : 13, 14. 
 
 " Therefore I endure all things for the elects* sake, 
 that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ 
 Jesus with eternal glory." — 2 Tim. 2 : 10; i Cor. 9 : 22; 
 Rom. 8 : 28-30; John 6 : 37-40; 2 Pet. 1:10. 
 
 "Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God." — 
 I Thess. 4 : TO. 
 
 " Moreover, whom He did predestinate, them He also 
 called, and whom He called, them He also justified, and 
 whom He justified, them He also glorified." — Rom. 8 : 28- 
 30; Isa. 42 : 16; Rom. 11 : 29. 
 
 V. THE WAY OF SALVATION. 
 
 We believe the Scriptures teach that the salvation 
 of sinners is wholly of grace; through the mediatorial 
 
CREEDS AND CONFESSIONS. 547 
 
 offices of the Son of God; who according to the will of. 
 the Father, assumed our nature, yet without sin; honored 
 the divine law by His personal obedience, and by His death 
 made a full atonement for our sins; that having risen 
 from the dead. He is now enthroned in heaven; and unit- 
 ing in His wonderful person the tenderest sympathies with 
 divine perfections. He is every way qualified to be a suit- 
 able, a compassionate and an all-sufficient Savior. 
 
 " By grace ye are saved." — Eph. 2:5; Matt. 18 : 11; 
 
 1 John 4 : 10; I Cor. 3 : 5-7; Acts 15 : 11. 
 
 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only 
 begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not. 
 perish, but have everlasting life." — John 3 : 16; John i : 
 1-14; Heb. 4 : 14; 12 : 24. 
 
 << Who being in the form of God, thought it not rob- 
 bery to be equal with God; but made himself of no repu- 
 tation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was 
 made in the likeness of men." — Phil. 2 : 6, 7; Heb. 2:9; 
 
 2 : 14; 2 Cor. 5 : 21. 
 
 " He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised 
 for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon 
 Him; and with His stripes we are healed." — Isa. 53: 4, 5. 
 
 << Wherefore He is able also to save them to the utter- 
 most that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth 
 to make intercession for them." — Heb. 7 : 25. " For in 
 Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily." — 
 Col. 2 : 9; Heb. 2 : 18; Heb. 7 : 26. 
 
 VI. OF REGENERATION. 
 
 We believe the Scriptures teach that regeneration^ or the 
 new birth, is that change wrought in the soul by the 
 Holy Spirit, by which a new nature and a spiritual life, 
 
548 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 not before possessed, are imparted, and the person be- 
 comes a new creation in Christ Jesus; a holy disposition 
 is given to the mind, the will subdued, the dominion of 
 sin broken, and the affections changed from a love of sin 
 and self, to a love of holiness and God; the change is in- 
 stantaneous, effected solely by the power of God, in a 
 manner incomprehensible to reason; the evidence of it is 
 found in a changed disposition of mind, the fruits of 
 righteousness, and a newness of life. And without it salva- 
 tion is impossible. 
 
 " Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a man be born 
 again, he cannot see the kingdom of God," — John 3 : 13. 
 
 ** That which is born of the flesh is flesh; that which is 
 born of the spirit is spirit." — John 3 : 6. 
 
 " Born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorrupti- 
 ble, by the Word of God.'*— i Pet. i : 23. 
 
 **0f His own will begat He us, with the word of 
 truth." — James i : 18. 
 
 " If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature.^' — 2 
 Cor. 5: 17. 
 
 "Ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is 
 born of Him." — i John 2 : 29. 
 
 "And that ye put on the new man, which after God is 
 created in righteousness and true holiness." — Eph. 4: 24. 
 
 " And you being dead in your sins, and the uncircum- 
 cision of your flesh, hath He quickened together with 
 Him."— Col. 2 : 13. 
 
 " But yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive 
 from the dead." — Rom. 6:13. 
 
 "Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness and 
 hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son." — 
 Col. I : 13. 
 
CREEDS AND CONFESSIONS. 549 
 
 " Which were born not of blood, nor of the will of the 
 flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." — John i : 13. 
 
 " And such were some of you, but ye are washed, but 
 ye are sanctified, but ye are justified, in the name of the 
 Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God." — i Cor. 6:11. 
 
 VII. OF REPENTANCE. 
 
 We believe the Scriptures teach that repentance is a per- 
 sonal act, prompted by the Spirit; and consists in a godly 
 sorrow for sin, as offensive to God and ruinous to the soul; 
 that it is accompanied with great humiliation in view of 
 one's sin and guilt, together with prayer for pardon; also 
 by sincere hatred of sin, and a persistent turning away 
 from, and abandonment of, all that is evil and unholy. 
 Since none are sinless in this life, repentance needs to be 
 often repeated. 
 
 " In those days came John the Baptist preaching in the 
 wilderness of Judea, and saying. Repent: for the kingdom 
 of heaven is at hand." — Matt. 3 : i, 2. 
 
 *' From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Re- 
 pent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." — Matt. 4:17. 
 
 *' Saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God 
 is at hand: repent ye and believe the Gospel." — Mark 
 
 i: 15- 
 
 "Repent ye therefore and be converted, that your sins 
 may be blotted out." — Acts 3 : 19. 
 
 *' The times of this ignorance God overlooked, but now 
 He commandeth all men everywhere to repent." — Acts 
 17 130. 
 
 ** Testifying both to the Jews and also to the Greeks, 
 repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus 
 Christ." — Acts 20 : 21. 
 
550 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 •* Godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation, not to 
 be repented of." — 2 Cor. 7 : 2, 
 
 " And that repentance and remission of sins should be 
 preached in His name, among all nations, beginning at 
 Jerusalem." — Luke 24 : 47. 
 
 "Him hath God exalted with His right hand to be a 
 Prince and a Savior, to give repentance to Israel, and 
 remission of sins." — Acts 5:31. 
 
 "But thou, after thy hardness and impenitent heart, 
 treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath, 
 and revelation of the righteous judgment of God." — Rom. 
 
 2:5. 
 
 " Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous 
 man his thoughts; and let him return unto the Lord, and 
 He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He 
 will abundantly pardon." — Isa. 4 : 7. 
 
 VIII. OF FAITH. 
 
 We believe the Scriptures teach that faith^ as an evan- 
 gelical grace wrought by the Spirit, is the medium 
 through which Christ is received by the soul as its sacri- 
 fice and Savior. It is an assent of the mind and a con- 
 sent of the heart, consisting mainly of belief and trust; 
 the testimony of God is implicitly accepted and believed 
 as true, while Christ is unreservedly trusted for sal- 
 vation; by it the believer is brought into vital relations 
 with God, freely justified, and lives as seeing Him who is 
 invisible. Faith cannot save, but it reveals Christ to the 
 soul as a willing and sufficient Savior, and commits the 
 heart and life to Him. 
 
 " Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be 
 saved." — Acts 16 : 31. 
 
CREEDS AND CONFESSIONS. 55 I 
 
 " For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness, to 
 every one that believeth." — Rom. 10 : 3. 
 
 " Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with 
 God, through our Lord Jesus Christ." — Rom. 5 : i. 
 
 " Now, faith is the substance of things hoped for, the 
 evidence of things not seen." — Heb. 11 : i. 
 
 " But without faith it is impossible to please God." — 
 Heb. II : 6. 
 
 " For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from 
 faith to faith; as it is written. The just shall live by 
 faith." — Rom. i : 17. 
 
 ** And the Scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham 
 believed God, and and it was imputed to him for right- 
 eousness." — James 2 : 23. 
 
 " Blessed is the man who trusteth in the Lord, and 
 whose hope the Lord is." — Jer. 17 .-7. 
 - " They that trust in the Lord,shall be as Mount Zion which 
 cannot be removed, but abideth forever." — Ps. 125 : i. 
 ' " The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants, and none 
 of them that trust in Him shall be desolate." — Ps. 34 : 22. 
 
 " For we walk by faith, not by sight." — 2 Cor. 5 : 7. 
 
 "Even the righteousness of God, which is by faith of 
 Jesus Christ, unto all, and upon all them that believe." — 
 Rom. 3 : 22. 
 
 " With the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and 
 with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." — 
 Rom. 10 : 10. 
 
 IX. OF JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 We believe the Scriptures teach that the great Gospel 
 blessing which Christ secures to such as believe in Him 
 is justification; that justification includes the pardon of 
 
552 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 sin, and the promise of eternal life on principles of right- 
 eousness; that it is bestowed, not in consideration of any 
 works of righteousness which we have done, but solely 
 through faith in the Redeemer's blood; by virtue of which 
 faith His perfect righteousness is freely imputed to us of 
 God; that it brings us into a state of most blessed peace 
 and favor with God, and secures every other blessing 
 needful for time and eternity. 
 
 **0f His fulness have all we received." — John i : i6; 
 Eph. 3 : 8. 
 
 ** By Him all that believe are justified from all things." — 
 Acts 13 : 39; Isa. 3:11, 12; Rom. 8 : i. 
 
 " Being justified by His blood, we shall be saved from 
 wrath through Him." — Rom. 5:9; Zech. 13 : i; Matt. 9: 
 6; Acts 10 : 43. 
 
 " Being justified by faith, we have peace with God, 
 through our Lord Jesus Christ: by whom also we have 
 access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and re- 
 joice in hope of the glory of God." — Rom. 5 : i, 2; Rom. 
 5:3; Rom. 5:11; I Cor. i 130, 31; Matt. 6:33; i Tim. 
 4:8. 
 
 X. OF ADOPTION. 
 
 We believe the Scriptures teach that adoption is a gra- 
 cious act, by which the Father, for the sake of Christ, ac- 
 cepts believers to the estate and condition of children, by 
 a new and spiritual birth; sending the Spirit of adoption 
 into their hearts, whereby they become members of the 
 family of God, and entitled to all the rights, privileges 
 and promises of children; and if children, then heirs, heirs 
 of God, and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ, to the heritage 
 of the saints on earth, and an inheritance reserved in 
 heaven for them. 
 
CREEDS AND CONFESSIONS. 553 
 
 " For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are 
 the sons of God." — Rom. 8 : 14. 
 
 " But ye have received the spirit of adoption, whereby 
 we cry, Abba, Father."— Rom. 8 : 15. 
 
 " The Spirit Himself beareth witness with our spirit, 
 that we are the children of God." — Rom. 8 : 16. 
 
 "For ye are the children of God, by faith in Jesus 
 Christ."— Gal. 3 : 26. 
 
 " And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit 
 of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father." — Gal. 
 4:6. 
 
 " Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son: and 
 if a son, then an heir of God through Jesus Christ.'* — Gal. 
 
 4:7- 
 
 " Having foreordained us unto the adoption of children, 
 through Jesus Christ." — Eph. i : 5. 
 
 " Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed 
 upon us, that we should be called the sons of God." — i 
 John 3 : I. 
 
 " To redeem them that are under the law that we might 
 receive the adoption of sons." — Gal. 4 : 5. 
 
 *' If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with 
 sons." — Heb. 12 : 7. 
 
 *' But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a 
 peculiar people: that ye should show forth the praises of 
 Him who hath called you out of darkness into His mar- 
 velous light." — I Peter 2 : 9. 
 
 XI. OF SANCTiriCATION. 
 
 We believe the Scriptures teach that sanctification is the 
 process by which, according to the will of God, we are 
 made partakers of His holiness; that it is a progressive 
 
"554 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 work; that it is begun in regeneration; that it is carried 
 on in the hearts of believers by the presence and power of 
 the Holy Spirit, the Sealer and Comforter, in the contin- 
 ual use of the appointed means — especially the Word of 
 God, self-examination, self-denial, watchfulness, and 
 prayer; and in the practice of all godly exercises and 
 duties. 
 
 <* For this is the will of God, even your sanctification." — 
 2 Thess. 4:3. " And the very God of peace sanctify you 
 wholly."— I Thess. 5 : 23; 2 Cor. 7:1; 13 : 9; Eph. i : 4. 
 
 **The path of the just is as the shining light, which 
 shineth more and more, unto the perfect day." — Prov. 4: 
 18; 2 Cor. 3 : 18; Heb. 6 : i; 2 Pet. i ; 5-8; Phile. 12-16. 
 
 *< Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 
 for it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do, 
 of His good pleasure." — Phil. 2 : 12, 13; Eph. 4 : 11, 12; 
 I Pet. 2 : 2; 2 Pet. 3 : 18; 2 Cor. 13 : 5. 
 
 ** Exercise thyself unto godliness. "^i Tim. 4 : 7. 
 
 XII. THE PERSEVERANCE OF SAINTS. 
 
 We believe the Scriptures teach that such as are truly 
 regenerate, being born of the Spirit, will not utterly fall 
 away and finally perish, but will endure unto the end; 
 that their persevering attachment to Christ is the grand 
 mark which distinguishes them from superficial professors; 
 that a special Providence watches over their welfare; and 
 they are kept by the power of God through faith unto sal- 
 vation. 
 
 " And this is the Father's will that hath sent me, that of 
 all which He hath given me, I should lose nothing, but 
 should raise it up again at the last day." — John 6 : 39. 
 
 ** Then said Jesus, If ye continue in my word, then are 
 
CREEDS AND CONFESSIONS. 555 
 
 ye my disciples indeed." — John 8 : 31; i John 2 : 27, 28; 
 3:9; 5 :i8. 
 
 " They went out from us, but they were not of us; for 
 if they had been of us, they would no doubt have contin- 
 ued with us; but they went out that it might be made 
 manifest that they were not all of us." — John 2 : 19; John 
 13 : 18; Matt. 13 : 20, 21; John 6 : 66-69. 
 
 " And we know all things work together for good unto 
 them that love God, to them who are the called according 
 to His purpose." — Rom. 8 : 28; Matt. 6 : 30-33. 
 
 " He who hath begun a good work in you will perform 
 it until the day of Jesus Christ." — Phil. 1:6; Phil. 2 : 12, 
 13; Jude 24,25; Heb. i : 14; 13 15; John 4:4. 
 
 XIII. THE LAW ANQ THE GOSPEL. 
 
 We believe the Scriptures teach that the Law of God is 
 the eternal and unchangeable rule of His moral govern- 
 ment; that it is holy, just, and good; and that the inabil- 
 ity which the Scriptures ascribe to fallen men to fulfill its 
 precepts arises entirely from their sinful nature; to deliver 
 them from which, and to restore them through a Media- 
 tor to unfeigned obedience to the holy Law, is one great 
 end of the Gospel, and of the Means of Grace connected 
 with the establishment of the visible Church. 
 
 " Do we make void the law through faith ? God forbid. 
 Yea, we establish the law." — Rom. 3:31; Matt. 5 117; 
 Luke 16 : 17; Rom. 3 : 20; 4:15. 
 
 " The law is holy, and the commandment holy, and 
 just, and good." — Rom. 7 : 12; Rom. 7 : 7, 14, 22; Gal. 
 3 : 21; Psalm 119. 
 
 "The carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not 
 subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So 
 
556 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 then they that are in the flesh cannot please God." — Rom. 
 8 : 7, 8. 
 
 " For the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus hath 
 made me free from the law of sin and death. For what 
 the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, 
 God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, 
 and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh; that the right- 
 eousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not 
 after the flesh, but after the Spirit." — Rom. 8:2, 4; Rom. 
 
 10 : 4; I Tim. 1:5; Heb. 8 : 10. 
 
 XIV. A GOSPEL CHURCH. 
 
 We believe the Scriptures teach that a visible Church 
 of Christ is a congregation of baptized believers, asso- 
 ciated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the Gos- 
 pel; observing the ordinances of Christ; governed by His 
 laws; and exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges in- 
 vested in them by His word; that its only scriptural 
 officers are bishops or pastors, and deacons, whose qual- 
 ifications, claims, and duties are defined in the Epistles to 
 Timothy and Titus. 
 
 ** Then they that gladly received His word were bap- 
 tized ; and the same day there were added to them about 
 three thousand souls." — Acts 2 : 41, 42; Acts 5:11; 8:1*, 
 
 11 :3i; I Cor. 4: 17; i Tim. 3:5. 
 
 " They first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto 
 us by the will of God." — 2 Cor. 8:5; Acts 2 : 47; i Cor. 
 5 :ii, 18. 
 
 "Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me 
 in all things, and keep the ordinances as I delivered them 
 to you." — I Cor. 11:2; 2 Thess. 3:7; Rom. 16 : 17-20; 
 I Cor. II : 23; Matt. 18 : 15-20; i Cor. 5 : 5. 
 
CREEDS AND CONFESSIONS. 5 $7 
 
 " Teaching them to observe al' things whatsoever I have 
 commanded you." — Matt. 28 : 20; John 14 : 15; 15: 10; i 
 John 4 : 21; I Thess. 4:2; 2 John 6. 
 
 "With the bishops and deacons." — Phil. 1:1; Acts 
 14 : 23; 15 : 22; I Tim 3; Titus i. 
 
 XV. CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 
 
 We believe the Scriptures teach that Christian Baptism 
 is the immersion in water of a believer in Christ, into the 
 name of the Father, and Son, and Holy Ghost; to show 
 forth, in a solemn and beautiful emblem, our faith in the 
 crucified, buried, and risen Savior, with its effect, in our 
 death to sin and resurrection to a new life; that it is pre- 
 requisite to the privileges of a Church relation, and to the 
 Lord's Supper. 
 
 " And the eunuch said. See, here is water; what doth hin- 
 der me to be baptized ? And Philip said, If thou believ- 
 est with all thy heart thou mayest. . . . And they 
 went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch, and 
 he baptized him." — Acts 8 : 36-39; Matt. 3 : 5, 6; John 
 3 : 22, 23; 4 : I, 2; Matt. 28 : 19; Mark 16 : 16; Acts 2 : 
 38; 8 : 12; 16:32-34; 18:8. 
 
 " Baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the 
 Son, and of the Holy Ghost." — Matt. 18 : 19; Acts 10: 
 47, 48; Gal. 3 : 27, 28. 
 
 " Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into 
 death; that like as Christ was raised from the dead by the 
 glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in new- 
 ness of life." — Rom. 6:4; Col. 2:12; i Peter 3 : 20, 21; 
 Acts 22 : 16. 
 
 " Then they that gladly received His word were bap- 
 tized, and there were added to them, the same day, about 
 
SS^ THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 three thousand souls. And they continued steadfastly in 
 the Apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of 
 bread, and in prayers." — Acts 2 : 41, 42 ; Matt. 28:19, 20. 
 
 XVI. THE lord's supper. 
 
 We believe the Scriptures teach that the Lord's Sup- 
 per is a provision of bread and wine, as symbols of 
 Christ's body and blood, partaken of by the members of 
 the Church, in commemoration of the suffering and death 
 of their Lord; showing their faith and participation in the 
 merits of His sacrifice, and their hope of eternal life 
 through His resurrection from the dead; its observance to 
 be preceded by faithful self-examination. 
 
 " And He took bread, and gave thanks, and brake, and 
 gave unto them, saying. This is my body which is given 
 for you; this do in remembrance of me. Likewise also 
 the cup after supper, saying. This cup is the New Testa- 
 ment in my blood, which is shed for you." — Luke 22 : 
 19, 20; Mark 14 : 20-26; Matt. 26 : 27-30; i Cor. 11 : 27- 
 30; I Cor. 10 : 16. 
 
 " For, as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, 
 ye do show the Lord's death until He come." — i Cor. 11: 
 26; Matt. 28 : 20. 
 
 *' But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of 
 that bread, and drink of that cup." — i Cor. 11 : 28; Acts 
 2 142, 46; 20 17, II. 
 
 "And they continued steadfastly in the apostles* doc- 
 trine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread and in 
 prayers." — Acts 2 : 42. 
 
 XVII. THE CHRISTIAN SABBATH. 
 
 We believe the Scriptures teach that the first day of the 
 
CREEDS AND CONFESSIONS. $$g 
 
 week is the Lord's Day; and is to be kept sacred to re- 
 ligious purposes, by abstaining from all secular labor, ex- 
 cept works of mercy and necessity, by the devout observ- 
 ance of all the means of grace, both private and public; 
 and by preparation for that rest that remaineth for the 
 people of God. 
 
 " On the first day of the week, when the disciples came 
 together to break bread, Paul preached to them." — Acts 
 20 : 7; Gen. 2:3; Col. 2 : 16, 17; Mark 2 : 27; John 20 : 
 19; I Cor. 16 : I, 2. 
 
 " Remember the Sabbath Day, to keep it holy." — Ex. 
 20 : 8. "I was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day." — Rev. 1 : 
 10; Ps. 118 : 24. 
 
 " If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from 
 doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the Sabbath 
 a delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable; and shalt honor 
 Him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own 
 pleasure, nor speaking thine own words; then shalt thou 
 delight thyself in the Lord, and I will cause thee to ride 
 upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the 
 heritage of Jacob." — Isa. 58 : 13, 14; Isa. 56 : 2-8. 
 
 *'Not forsaking the assembling of yourselves together, 
 as the manner of some is." — Heb. 10 : 24, 25. ** The next 
 Sabbath Day came almost the whole city together to hear 
 the Word of God."— Acts 13 : 44- 
 
 " Let us labor, therefore, to enter into that rest." — Heb. 
 4:3-11. 
 
 XVIII. CIVIL GOVERNMENT. 
 
 We believe the Scriptures teach that civil government 
 is of divine appointment, for the interest and good order 
 of human society; and that magistrates are to be prayed 
 
560 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 for, conscientiously honored and obeyed, except only in 
 things opposed to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ, who 
 is the only Lord of the conscience, and the Prince of the 
 kings of the earth. But that civil rulers have no rights of 
 control over, or of interference with, religious matters. 
 
 " The powers that be are ordained of God. For rulers 
 are not a terror to good works, but to the evil." — Rom. 13: 
 
 " Be subject to every ordinance of man, for the Lord's 
 sake.'* — I Pet. 2 : 13. 
 
 " Render therefore unto Caesar the things that are 
 Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's." — Matt. 
 22 : 21; Titus 3 : i; I Pet. 2 : 13; i Tim. 2 : 1-8. 
 
 " We ought to obey God rather than man." — Acts 5 : 29. 
 " Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to 
 kill the soul." — Matt. 10 : 28; Dan. 3 : 15-18; 6 : 7, 10; 
 Acts 4 : 18-20. 
 
 "Ye have one Master, even Christ." — Matt. 23 : 10. 
 "Who art thou that judgest another man's servant ? " — 
 Rom. 14:4. " And He hath on His vesture and on His 
 thigh a name written. King of Kings and Lord of 
 Lords." — Rev. 19 : 14; Ps. 72 : 11; Ps. 2; Rom. 14 : 9-13. 
 
 XIX. RIGHTEOUS AND WICKED. 
 
 We believe the Scriptures teach that there is a radical 
 and essential difference between the righteous and the 
 wicked; that such only as through faith are justified in the 
 name of the Lord Jesus, and sanctified by the Spirit of 
 our God, are truly righteous in His esteem; while all such 
 as continue in impenitence and unbelief are, in His 
 sight, wicked and under the curse; and this distinction 
 holils among men both in this life and after death. 
 
CREEDS AND CONFESSIONS. 561 
 
 " Ye shall discern between the righteous and the wicked; 
 between him that serveth God and him that serveth Him 
 not."— Mai. 3 : 18; Prov. 12 : 26; Isa. 5 : 20; Gen. 18 : 
 23; Jer. 15 : 19; Acts 10 : 34, 35; Rom. 6 : 16. 
 
 " The just shall live by faith." — Rom. 1:17. " If ye 
 know that He' is righteous, ye know that every one that 
 doeth righteousness is born of Him." — Rom. 7:6; 1 John 
 3:7; Rom. 6 : 18, 22 ; i Cor. 11 : 32. 
 
 " And we know that we are of God, and the whole world 
 lieth in wickedness." — i John 5:19. "As many as are of 
 the works of the law, are under the curse." — Gal. 3 : 10; 
 John 3 : 36; Isa. 57 : 21 ; Ps. 10 : 4; Isa. 55 : 6, 7. 
 
 "The wicked is driven away in his wickedness, but the 
 righteous hath hope in his death." — Prov. 14:32. " Thou 
 in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise 
 Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted, and thou 
 art tormented." — Luke 16 : 25; John 8 : 21-24; Luke 12: 
 4, 5; II : 23-26; John 12 : 25, 26; Matt. 7 : 13, 14. 
 
 XX. THE WORLD TO COME. 
 
 We believe the Scriptures teach that the end of the world 
 is approaching; that at the Last Day, Christ will descend 
 from heaven, and raise the dead from the grave for final 
 retribution; that a solemn separation will then take place; 
 that the wicked will be adjudged to endless sorrow, and the 
 righteous to endless joy; and this judgment will fix for- 
 ever the final state of men in heaven or hell, on principles 
 of righteousness 
 
 "But the end of all things is at hand; be ye therefore 
 sober, and watch unto prayer." — i Pet. 4:7; i Cor. 7 : 29- 
 31; Heb. I : 10-12; Matt. 24 135; i John 2 : 17; Matt 
 28 : 20. 
 
562 THE NEW DIRECtOkV. 
 
 " This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into 
 heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him 
 go into heaven." — Acts i:ii; Rev. 1:7; Heb. 9:28; 
 Acts 3:21. 
 
 " There shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the 
 just and unjust." — Acts 24: 15; i Cor. 15 : 12-58; Luke 
 14 : 14; Dan. 12:2; John 5 : 28, 29; 6 : 40; 11 : 25, 26; 
 
 2 Tim. I : 10; Acts 10 : 42. 
 
 ** The angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked 
 from among the just." — Matt. 13 : 49; Matt. 13 : 37-43; 24: 
 
 3o> 31- 
 
 " And these shall go away into everlasting punishment, 
 but the righteous into life eternal.** — Matt. 25 : 35-41. 
 '< He that is unjust let him be unjust still; and he which 
 is filthy let him be filthy still; and he that is righteous let 
 him be righteous still; and he that is holy let him be holy 
 still." — Rev. 22 : 11: i Cor. 6: 9, 10; Mark 9 143-48; 2 
 Pet. 2 : 9. 
 
 " Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense 
 tribulation to them who trouble you, and to you who are 
 troubled, rest with us when He shall come to be glorified 
 in His saints, and to be admired in all them that be- 
 lieve." — 2 Thess. I : 6-12; Heb. 6 : i, 2; i Cor. 4 : 5. 
 
 " Seeing then that all these things shall be dis- 
 solved, WHAT MANNER OF PERSONS OUGHT YE TO BE IN ALL 
 HOLY CONVERSATION AND GODLINESS, LOOKING FOR AND 
 HASTING UNTO THE COMING OF THE DAY OF GOD ? " 2 Pet. 
 
 3 :ii, 12. 
 
 COVENANT. 
 
 Having been, as we trust, brought by divine grace to 
 embrace the Lord Jesus Christ, and to give ourselves 
 
CREEDS AND CONFESSIONS. 563 
 
 wholly to Him, we do now solemnly and joyfully cove- 
 nant with each other, to walk together in him, with 
 BROTHERLY LOVE, to His glory, as our common Lord. We 
 do, therefore, in His strength, engage — 
 
 That we will exercise a Christian care and watchfulness 
 over each other, and faithfully warn, exhort, and admon- 
 ish each other as occasion may require: 
 
 That we will not forsake the assembling of ourselves 
 together, but will uphold the public worship of God, and 
 the ordinances of His house: 
 
 That we will not omit closet and family religion at 
 home, nor neglect the great duty of religiously training 
 our children, and those under our care, for the service of 
 Christ, and the enjoyment of heaven: 
 
 That, as we are the light of the world, and salt of the 
 earth, we will seek divine aid to enable us to deny ungod- 
 liness, and every worldly lust, and to walk circumspectly 
 in the world, that we may win the souls of men: 
 
 That we will cheerfully contribute of our property, ac- 
 cording as God has prospered us, for the maintenance of 
 a faithful and evangelical ministry among us, for the sup- 
 port of the poor, and to spread the Gospel over the earth: 
 
 That we will in all conditions, even till death, strive to 
 to live to the glory of Him who hath called us out of 
 darkness into His marvelous light. 
 
 " And may the god of peace, who brought again 
 
 FROM the dead OUR LORD JESUS, THAT GREAT SHEPHERD 
 OF THE SHEEP, THROUGH THE BLOOD OF THE EVERLASTING 
 COVENANT, MAKE US PERFECT IN EVERY GOOD WORK, TO DO 
 HIS WILL, WORKING IN US THAT WHICH IS WELL PLEASING 
 IN HIS SIGHT THROUGH JESUS CHRIST; TO WHOM BE GLORY, 
 FOREVER AND EVER. AmEN." 
 
B. OPTIONAL RESOLUTIONS. 
 
 A Christian Church should be recognized, in the com- 
 munity where it is located, as professing and maintaining 
 a higher standard of morality than that of worldly society 
 about it. It should be the avowed friend, defender, and 
 example of all the virtues, and the uncompromising op- 
 ponent of all wrong and evil. So carefully should they 
 bear themselves, not only as individuals, but as a corpo- 
 rate society, as to command the respect of the world, and 
 have a good report of them that are without. Divinely 
 set forth as a light to the world, and as the salt of the 
 earth, they should recognize their commission, and be 
 true to it. In all that is pure, irreproachable, and of good 
 report, the pastor should be the wise and courageous 
 teacher, leader, and example of the flock. 
 
 There are certain questions of moral reform and social 
 good order, in respect to which there is often a wide differ- 
 ence of opinion, but in respect to which the churches 
 should have settled convictions, and hold a well-defined 
 attitude. It is not wise to put definitions and restrictions 
 touching such questions into covenants or articles of faith. 
 Nor does it seem wise to construct elaborate constitutions 
 and by-laws for the guidance of a Church, to forestall 
 possible violations of the code of Christian morals. A 
 better way is, for it, after due consideration, to adopt a 
 standing resolution on each such subject claiming atten- 
 
 564 
 
OPTIONAL RESOLUTIONS. 565 
 
 tion, to be placed on its records as a guide for future ac- 
 tion as to such subjects. 
 
 Something like the following, to be varied at the option 
 of the body, would serve as a declaration of principles 
 and guide for action: 
 
 1. Resolved^ That this Church expects every member 
 to contribute statedly to its financial support, according 
 to his ability, as God has prospered him; and that a re- 
 fusal to do this will be considered a breach of covenant. 
 
 2. Resolved^ That this Church will entertain and con- 
 tribute to Home and Foreign Missions, and to other lead- 
 ing objects of Christian benevolence, approved and sup- 
 ported by our denomination. 
 
 3. Resolved^ That the religious education of the young, 
 and Bible study, as represented in Sunday-school work, 
 commend themselves to our confidence, and we will, to 
 the extent of our ability, give them our aid, by both our 
 personal cooperation and our contributions, as we are 
 able. 
 
 4. Resolved^ That in our opinion the use of intoxicat- 
 ing drinks as a beverage, and also the manufacture and 
 sale of the same for that purpose, are contrary to Chris- 
 tian morals, injurious to personal piety, and a hindrance 
 to the Gospel; therefore, persons so using, making or 
 selling, are thereby disqualified for membership in this 
 Church. 
 
 5. Resolvedy That we emphatically discountenance 
 and condemn the practice of Church members frequent- 
 ing theatres, and other similar places of amusement, as 
 inconsistent with a Christian profession, detrimental to 
 personal piety, and pernicious in the influence of its exam- 
 ple on others. 
 
566 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 6. Resolved^ That the members of this Church are 
 earnestly requested not to provide for, take part in, or by 
 any means encourage dancing or card playing, nor furnish 
 intoxicating drinks to guests, on any occasion; but, in all 
 consistent ways to discountenance the same, as a hindrance 
 to personal godliness in their associations and tendencies, 
 a stumbling-block in the way of the unconverted, and a 
 grief .to brethren whom we should not willingly offend. 
 
 7. Resolved^ That we disapprove of Christians con- 
 necting themselves with secret, oath-bound societies, as 
 being needless, profitless, and an offense and grief to 
 many good people, and not conducive to piety or to Chris- 
 tian usefulness. 
 
C. GLOSSARY OF AUTHORITIES. 
 
 A list of the authorities cited in the foregoing pages is 
 here appended for the satisfaction of readers. The fig* 
 ures which follow the names indicate the date of birth. 
 The abbreviations show denominational connections : as, 
 Epis.^ Episcopalian ; Presb.^ Presbyterian ; Meth.^ Meth- 
 odist ; Cath.^ Catholic; Luth.^ Lutheran; Ref.y Re- 
 formed; Cong.y Congregational; Gr. Ch.^ Greek Church; 
 Diss.y Dissenting; Morav., Moravian. 
 
 Alstidius, John Henry, 1588. Ref. Luth. A learned 
 German divine, professor of theology at Herbon, and au- 
 thor of many works. 
 
 Ambrose. One of the early Christian Fathers, who 
 flourished about a. d. 374. 
 
 Anthon, Charles, LL.D. Epis. Professor of Greek 
 and Latin in Columbia College, New York. 
 
 AuGUSTi, Christian, D.D. 1772. Luth. Professor of 
 theology in the universities of Basle and Bonn, Germany. 
 
 Barclay, J. T., M.D. Christ. For several years mis- 
 sionary at Jerusalem, under the patronage of the Ameri- 
 can Christian Missionary Society. 
 
 Barnes, Albert. Presb. A distinguished clergyman, 
 and author of the well-known Notes on the books of the 
 Bible. 
 
 Barrow, Isaac, D.D. 1630. Epis. Eminent as a di- 
 567 
 
568 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 vine and mathematician. Vice-chancellor of, and pro- 
 fessor of Greek in, Cambridge University, England. 
 
 Basil. One of the Christian Fathers, who flourished 
 about A. D. 360. 
 
 Baxter, Richard. 16 15. Presb. An eminent Noncon- 
 formist divine, author of the Sainfs Rest^ and other 
 works. 
 
 Bengel, John. 1687. Luth. Distinguished as a pious 
 and learned German divine, biblical critic, and commen- 
 tator. 
 
 Benson, Joseph. 1748. Meth. One of the most elo- 
 quent preachers and able scholars of the early Methodists. 
 
 Beza, Theodore. 1519. Presb. One of the most emi- 
 nent of the reformers ; an associate of Calvin, and pro- 
 fessor of theology at Geneva. 
 
 Bingham, Joseph. 1668. Epis. Rector of Havant, 
 England ; author of the great work on Christian antiqui- 
 ties, the Origines. 
 
 Brenner, Frederick, D.D. 1784. Cath. A distin- 
 guished writer, member of the cathedral chapter at Bam- 
 berg, Bavaria. 
 
 BuDDEUs, John Franz. 1667. Luth. One of the first 
 scholars of his day ; professor at the universities of Halle, 
 Coburg, and Jena. 
 
 Bloomfield, S. T., D.D. Epis. Vicar of Bisbrook, 
 England. Editor of the Greek New Testament, and au- 
 thor of various works. 
 
 BossuET, James. 1627. Cath. Bishop of Meaux, and 
 state councilor of France. Distinguished as a preacher, 
 author, and controversialist. 
 
 Broughton, Thomas. 1704. Epis. Vicar of Bed- 
 minster, England ; author of various works. 
 
GLOSSARY OF AUTHORITIES. 569 
 
 Cave, William, D.D. 1637. Epis. Vicar of Islington, 
 England ; eminent as a scholar and author. 
 
 Calvin, John. 1509. Presb. The great German re- 
 former and theologian, whom Scaliger pronounced the 
 most learned man in Europe. 
 
 Campbell, George, D.D. 17 19. Presb. President 
 of, and professor of divinity in, Marischal College, Scot- 
 land. 
 
 Chrysostom, John. a. d. 347. Gr. Ch. Patriarch of 
 Constantinople ; called the "golden-mouthed" preacher. 
 
 Clark, Adam, LL.D. 1760. Meth. A distinguished 
 antiquarian and Oriental scholar. The great Methodist 
 commentator. 
 
 Clarke, Samuel, D.D. 1675. Epis. An eminent Eng- 
 lish divine, scholar, and author. 
 
 Conybeare, W. J. Epis. A clergyman of the English 
 Church ; joint author of the Life and Epistles of St. Paul, 
 
 Coleman, Lyman, D.D. Cong. Professor of biblical 
 literature in Lafayette College, Pa. Author of several 
 works. 
 
 CuRCELLiEUS, Stephen. 1586. Dutch Ref. An emi- 
 nent Greek scholar ; professor of divinity at Amsterdam. 
 
 Cyril. One of the Christian Fathers, who flourished 
 about A. D. 375. 
 
 Deylingius, Solomon. 1677. Luth. A German theo- 
 logian ; professor in the University of Wittenberg. 
 
 Diodati, John. 1576. Ref. An Italian divine, pro- 
 fessor of Hebrew and theology at Geneva. 
 
 DwiGHT, Timothy, D.D. 1752. Cong. President of 
 Yale College, and professor of theology. 
 
 DoNNEGAN, James, M.D. Author of a Greek and Eng. 
 lish lexicon extensively used. 
 
570 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 Doddridge, Philip, D.D. 1702. Diss. A pious and 
 popular English preacher ; author of the Family Expositor , 
 and various other works. 
 
 De Wette, William. 1780. Luth. Theological pro- 
 fessor at Basle ; '.'ninent in biblical learning. 
 
 Dick, John, D.D. 1764. Presb. A learned Scotch 
 divine ; professor of theology at Glasgow. 
 
 EsTius, Wm. von, D.D. 1542. Cath. Chancellor of, 
 and professor of theology in, the University of Douay, 
 France. 
 
 EusEBius of Caesarea. About a. d. 270. One of the 
 early Christian Fathers, intimate friend of the Emperor 
 Constantine. Called the father of church history. 
 
 Fell, John, D.D. 1625. Epis A learned English 
 prelate ; Bishop of Oxford, and Vice-Chancellor of the 
 university. 
 
 Flatt, Frederick, D.D. 1759. Luth. Professor of 
 theology at Tubingen; associated with Storr in theolog- 
 ical works. 
 
 Frankius, Aug. Herman. 1663. Luth. Professor of 
 Oriental and Greek languages in the University of Halle; 
 author of various works. 
 
 Fritzsche, Karl Erie. Aug. 1801. Luth. One of the 
 most learned of German philologists ; professor of the- 
 ology in the University of Rostock. 
 
 Greenfield, William. 1799. Epis. Noted as a linguist 
 and lexicographer. Editor of Bagster's Comprehensive Bible. 
 
 Gregory. One of the early Christian Fathers, who 
 flourished about a. d. 360. 
 
 Hagenbach, Karl Rudolph, D.D. 1801. Luth. Pro- 
 fessor of theology in the University of Basle, and author 
 of various learned works. 
 
GLOSSARY OF AUTHORITIES. 5/1 
 
 Hammond, Henry, D.D. 1605. Epis. An eloquent 
 English divine, rector of Penshurst ; nominated Bishop 
 of Worcester. 
 
 Henry, Matthew. 1662. Presb. Distinguished as a 
 preacher and an expositor of the Scriptures. 
 
 Hermas. About A. D. 95. One of the apostolical Fa- 
 thers, and supposed author of a work called the Shep- 
 herd. 
 
 HippoLYTUs. One of the Christian Fathers. Supposed 
 Bishop of Portus, near Rome. Flourished about a. d. 225. 
 
 Justin Martyr. One of the early Christian Fathers, 
 who flourished about a. d. 140. 
 
 King, John Glen, D.D. 1731. Epis. A distinguished 
 English divine and antiquarian. 
 
 Leigh, Edward. 1602. Presb. An English layman, 
 distinguished in biblical lexicography and exegesis. A 
 member of Parliament and of the Westminster Assembly. 
 
 Leighton, Robert. 161 1. Epis. A learned and pious 
 Scotch prelate, Archbishop of Glasgow. 
 
 Lightfoot, John, D.D. 1602. Epis. Distinguished 
 for learning, especially as a Hebraist ; Vice-Chancellor of 
 Cambridge University, and member of the Assembly of 
 Divines. 
 
 LiMBORCH, Philip. 1633. Dutch Ref. Professor of 
 theology at Amsterdam, and author of various works. 
 
 LiDDELL, Henry George. Epis. Dean of Christ Church, 
 Oxford, England. Associated in lexicography with Rob- 
 ert Scott, D.D., Epis.^ Master of Baliol College, Oxford. 
 
 Luther, Martin, D.D. 1483. Ref. The celebrated 
 German reformer, preacher, and author. 
 
 Macknight, James, D.D. 1721. Presb. A learned 
 Scotch divine and commentator on the Epistles. 
 
5/2 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 Mede, Joseph, B.D. 1586. Epis. A learned English 
 divine, eminent for scholarship in Greek. 
 
 Melancthon, Philip. 1497. Ref. The most learned 
 and eminent associate of Luther in the German Reforma- 
 tion. 
 
 Meyer, Frederick, D.D. Luth. A distinguished Ger- 
 man theologian, jurist, and scholar. 
 
 MoLDiNATUS, John. 1534. Cath. A brilliant and 
 learned writer, and teacher in theology and philosophy. 
 
 MosHEiM, John von, D.D. 1694. Luth. Chancellor 
 of the University and professor of theology at Gottingen. 
 Church historian. 
 
 MuRDOCK, James, D.D. 1776. Cong. A profound 
 scholar, professor in Theological Seminary, Andover, 
 Mass. Translator of Mosheim. 
 
 Neander, John Aug. Wil. 1789. Evang. Luth. The 
 great German scholar and ecclesiastical historian ; pro- 
 fessor in the universities of Heidelberg and Berlin. 
 
 Newton, Thomas, D.D. 1704. Epis. Bishop of Bris- 
 tol, England, and author of various works. 
 
 Olshausen, Herman, D.D. 1796. Luth. Professor 
 of theology in the University of Eriangen, in Bavaria. 
 
 Parkhurst, John. 1728. Epis. A learned English 
 divine and lexicographer. 
 
 Passow. 1786. Luth. A distinguished German phil- 
 ologist, professor in the University of Breslau. 
 
 Pictetus, Benedict. 1655. Presb. A learned Prot- 
 estant divine ; professor of theology at Geneva. 
 
 Poole, Matthew. 1624. Presb. A learned English 
 divine and commentator. 
 
 RiCAUT, Sir Paul. 1628. Epis. An English traveler, 
 author, and diplomatist, consul at Smyrna. 
 
GLOSSARY OF AUTHORITIES. 573 
 
 Robinson, Edward, D.D. Cong. Professor of biblical 
 literature in Union Theological Seminary, New York. 
 Author of N. T. Greek Lexicon. 
 
 RosENMULLER, John George. 1736. Luth, A German 
 scholar, and divinity professor at Erlangen and Leipsic. 
 
 Salmasius, Claude. 1596. J?e/. A French Protestant, 
 noted for scholarship ; professor of ecclesiastical history 
 at Leyden. 
 
 Saurin, James. 1677. J?e/. A celebrated French 
 Protestant pulpit orator and author. 
 
 Scapula, John. 1540. A native of Lausanne, chiefly 
 known for his work in lexicography. 
 
 ScHAKF, Philip, D.D. Presb. Eminent as a scholar 
 and historian ; professor in Union Theological Seminary, 
 New York. 
 
 ScHLEUSNER, Frederic, D.D, Luth. Professor of the- 
 ology at Wittenberg. Distinguished in New Testament 
 lexicography. 
 
 ScHOLZ, John Mar. Aug. Luth. A distinguished bib- 
 lical scholar, author, and professor of theology. 
 
 Sophocles, E. A., LL.D. Born in Greece, professor of 
 Greek in the University of Cambridge, Massachusetts. 
 
 ScHOETTGEN, Christian. 1687. Luth. Professor in 
 various German institutions of learning. 
 
 ScHREVELius, Cornclius. 16 15. Dutch Ref. An emi- 
 nent critic and lexicographer of Leyden, Holland. 
 
 Sherlock, Thomas. 1678. Epis. An English prelate ; 
 Bishop successively of Bangor, Salisbury, and London. 
 
 Scott, Thomas, D.D. 1747. Epis. An English di- 
 vine, well known for his Bible commentary. 
 
 Stackhouse, Thomas. 1680. Epis. An English di- 
 vine, well known as author of the History of the Bible. 
 
574 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 Stanley, Arthur Pen. D.D. Epis. Dean of West- 
 minster, and professor of ecclesiastical history at Oxford, 
 England. 
 
 Storr, Christian, D.D. 1746. Luth. A German divine 
 and author, associated with Flatt in biblical learning. 
 
 Stourdza, Alexander. 1738. Gr. Ch. A Russian 
 scholar, traveler, and diplomatist. 
 
 Taylor, Jeremy, D.D. 16 13. Epis. An eloquent 
 English prelate and distinguished author. Bishop of 
 Down and Connor. 
 
 Tertullian, Septimus Florens. One of the early 
 Christian Fathers ; author of several works. Flourished 
 about A. D. 200. 
 
 Thomson, W. M., D.D. Presb. Missionary of the Amer- 
 ican Board, for twenty-five years, in Syria and Palestine. 
 
 Tillotson, John, D.D. 1630. Epis. A noted English 
 prelate, Archbishop of Canterbury. 
 
 Towerson, Gabriel, D.D. 1630. Epis. A divine of 
 the English Church ; author of various works. 
 
 Turretin, John Alph. 1681. Fresb. A celebrated 
 scholar ; professor of theology at Geneva. 
 
 Tyndale, William. Epis. The great English reformer 
 of the sixteenth century ; suffered martyrdom in 1536. 
 Translated the New Testamen. 
 
 Valesius, Henry. 1603. Cath. A distinguished French 
 critic and scholar ; appointed historiographer of France. 
 
 Venema, Herman. 1697. Dutch Ref. Distinguished 
 as a scholar ; professor in the University of Franeker, 
 Friesland. 
 
 ViTRiNGA, Campegius, D.D. 1659. Luih. A learned 
 divine, professor of Oriental languages, history, and divin- 
 ity at Franeker, Friesland. 
 
GLOSSARY OF AUTHORITIES. 575 
 
 Von Colln, Daniel Geo. Con. 1788. Moray . Pro- 
 fessor of theology at Breslau, and author of theological 
 works. 
 
 Vossius, Gerhard. 1577. Epis. Professor at Leyden. 
 Eminent as a critic and philologist. 
 
 Waddington, George. Epis. An English divine, Fel- 
 low of Trinity College, and prebendary in the Cathedral 
 church of Chichester. 
 
 Wall, William, D.D. 1646. Epis. Vicar of Shore- 
 ham, England ; author of the learned History of Infant 
 Baptism. 
 
 Wesley, John. 1703. Meth. Founder of Methodism 
 in England. Most distinguished of the Wesley family. 
 An able scholar and preacher. 
 
 Wetstein, John James. 1693. Luth. Distinguished 
 as a biblical scholar ; professor at Amsterdam. Editor of 
 the New Testament. 
 
 Whitby, Daniel, D.D. 1638. Epis. An English divine 
 and commentator. 
 
 Whitefield, George. 17 14. Epis. The celebrated 
 preacher ; associate of Wesley and the Calvinistic Meth- 
 odists. 
 
 WiTSius, Herman. 1636. Dutch Ref. An eminent 
 Dutch divine ; professor of divinity at Franeker, Utrecht, 
 and Leyden. 
 
 Winer, George B. 1789. Luth. A German scholar 
 and theologian, celebrated for his knowledge of New Tes- 
 tament literature. 
 
 Zanchius, Jerome. Cath. Professor of theology at 
 Heidelberg. Embraced Protestantism with Peter Martyr. 
 
 ZwiNGLi, Ulrich. 1484. Ref. The great Swiss reform- 
 er; coadjutor and friend of Luther; scholar and author. 
 
D. RULES OF ORDER. 
 
 The ordinary parliamentary rules of order commonly 
 used in all deliberative bodies are those which govern 
 churches and other religious societies in their meetings 
 for business, in case no other rules are adopted at the 
 commencement of their deliberations. Any body has the 
 right to adopt any system of rules it may see fit to prefer. 
 While in ordinary Church meetings it may not be wise to 
 be over-punctilious as to order, it is wise to be very 
 orderly, and to avoid confusion and disorder in the pro- 
 ceedings. The spirit of worship should pervade the busi- 
 ness meetings of the Church. They should be opened 
 with singing, reading the Scriptures and prayer. The 
 pastor is, of right, moderator, and on him, more than on 
 any one else, will depend the good order, and the efficiency 
 of the proceedings. 
 
 Motions. 
 
 1. All business shall be presented by a motiotiy made by 
 one member, and seconded by another, and presented in 
 writing by the mover, if so required. 
 
 2. No discussion can properly be had until the motion 
 is made, seconded, and stated by the chairman. 
 
 3. A motion cannot be withdrawn after it has been dis- 
 cussed, except by the unanimous consent of the body. 
 
 4. A motion having been discussed, must be put to 
 
 576 
 
RULES OF ORDER. 577 
 
 vote, unless withdrawn, laid on the table, referred or post- 
 poned. 
 
 5. A motion lost should not be recorded, except so 
 ordered by the body at the time. 
 
 6. A motion lost cannot be renewed at the same meet- 
 ing, except by unanimous consent. 
 
 7. A motion should contain but one distinct proposi- 
 tion. If it contains more, it must be divided at the 
 request of any member, and the propositions acted on 
 separately. 
 
 8. Only one question can properly be before the meet- 
 ing at the same time. No second motion can be allowed 
 to mterrupt one already under debate, except a motion to 
 amende to substitute^ to commity to postpone^ to lay on the 
 table^ for the previous question^ or to adjourn. 
 
 9. These subsidiary motions just named cannot be in- 
 terrupted by any other motion; nor can any other motion 
 be applied to them, except that to amende which may be 
 done by specifying some //W, place^ or purpose. 
 
 10. Nor can these motions interrupt or supersede each 
 other; only that a motion to adjourn is always in order, 
 except while a member has the floor, or a question is being 
 taken, and, in some bodies, even then. 
 
 Amendments. 
 
 J. Amendments may be made to resolutions in three 
 ways : By omitting y by adding, or by substituting words 
 or sentences. 
 
 2. An amendment to an amendment may be made, but 
 is seldom necessary, and should be avoided. 
 
 3. No amendment should be made which essentially 
 changes the meaning or design of the original resolution. 
 
 87 
 
578 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 4. But a substitute may be offered, which may change 
 entirely the meaning of the resolution under debate. 
 
 5. The amendment must first be discussed and acted 
 on, and then the original resolution as amended. 
 
 Speaking. 
 
 1. Any member desiring to speak on a question should 
 rise in his place and address the moderator, confine his 
 remarks to the question, and avoid all unkind and disre- 
 spectful language. 
 
 2. A speaker using improper language, introducing im- 
 proper subjects, or otherwise out of order, should be called 
 to order by the chairman, or any member, and must either 
 conform to the regulations of the body, or take his seat. 
 
 3. A member while speaking can allow others to ask 
 questions, or make explanations; but if he yields the floor 
 to another, he cannot claim it again as his right. 
 
 4. If two members rise to speak at the same time, pref- 
 erence is usually given to the one farthest from the chair, 
 or to the one opposing the motion under discussion. 
 
 5. The fact that a person has several times arisen and 
 attempted to get the floor, gives him no claim or right to 
 be heard. Nor does a call for the question deprive a 
 member of his right to speak. 
 
 Voting. 
 
 I. A question is put to vote by the chairman, having 
 first distinctly restated it, that all may vote intelligently. 
 First, the affirmative^ then the negative is called, each so 
 deliberately as to give all an opportunity of voting. He 
 then distinctly announces whether the motion is carried, 
 or lost. 
 
RULES OF ORDER. 579 
 
 2. Voting is usually done by "aye" and "no," or by 
 raising the hand. In a doubtful case by standing and be- 
 ing counted. On certain questions by ballot. 
 
 3 . If the vote, as announced by the chairman, is doubted, 
 it is called again, usually by standing to be counted. 
 
 4. All members should vote, unless for reasons excused; 
 or unless under discipline, in which case they should take 
 no part in the business. 
 
 5. The moderator does not usually vote, except the 
 question be taken by ballot; but when the meeting is 
 equally divided, he is expected, but is not obliged, to give 
 the casting vote. 
 
 6. When the vote is to be taken by ballot, the chairman 
 appoints tellers^ to distribute, collect, and count the ballots. 
 
 Committees. 
 
 1. Committees are nominated by the chairman, if sa 
 directed by the body, or by any member, and the nomina- 
 tion is confirmed by a vote of the body. More commonly 
 the body directs that all committees shall be appointed by 
 the chairman, in which case no vote is needed to confirm. 
 
 2. Any matter of business, or subject under debate, 
 may be referred to a committee, with or without instruc- 
 tions. The committee make their report^ which is the 
 result of their deliberations. The body then takes action 
 on the report, and on any recommendations it may con- 
 tain. 
 
 3. The report of a committee is received^ when it is lis- 
 tened to, having been called for, or permitted by the 
 moderator, with or without a vote of the body. The 
 report is accepted by a vote, which acknowledges their 
 services, and places the report before the body for its ac- 
 
$80 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 tion. Afterward, any distinct recominendation contained 
 in the report is acted on, and may be adopted or rejected. 
 
 4. Frequently, however, when the recommendations of 
 the committee are of a trifling moment or likely to be 
 generally acceptable, the report, having been received, is 
 accepted and adopted by the same vote. 
 
 5. A report may be recommitted to the committee, with 
 or without instructions, or, that committee discharged and 
 the matter referred to a new one for further consideration, 
 so as to present it in a form more likely to meet the gen- 
 eral concurrence of the body. 
 
 6. A committee may be appointed ivith poiver for a spe- 
 cific purpose. This gives them power to dispose conclusive- 
 ly of the matter, without further reference to the body. 
 
 7. The first named in the appointment of a committee 
 is, by courtesy, considered the chairman. But the com- 
 mittee has the right to name its own chairman. 
 
 8. The member who moves the appointment of a com- 
 mittee is usually, though not necessarily, named its chair- 
 man. 
 
 9. Committees of arrangement, or for other protracted 
 service, report progress from time to time, and are con- 
 tinued until their final report, or until their appointment 
 expires by limitation. 
 
 10. A committee is discharged by a vote when its busi- 
 ness is done and its report accepted. But usually, in 
 routine business, a committee is considered discharged by 
 the acceptance of its report. 
 
 Standing Committee. 
 
 A committee appointed to act for a given period, or 
 during the recess of the body, is called a standing commit- 
 
RULES OF ORDER. 581 
 
 tee. It has charge of a given department of business 
 assigned by the body, and acts either with power, under 
 instructions, or at discretion, as may be ordered. A 
 standing committee is substantially a minor board, and 
 has its own chairman, secretary, records, and times of 
 meeting. 
 
 Appeal 
 
 The moderator announces all votes, and decides all 
 questions as to rules of proceeding and order of debate. 
 But any member who is dissatisfied with his decisions may 
 appeal from them to the body. The moderator then puts 
 the question, " Shall the decision of the chair be sus- 
 tainedV The vote of the body, whether negative or 
 affirmative, is final. The right of appeal is undeniable, 
 but should not be resorted to on trivial occasions. 
 
 Previous Question. 
 
 Debate may be cut short by a vote to take the previous 
 question. This means that the original, or main question 
 under discussion, be immediately voted on, regardless of 
 amendments and secondary questions, and without further 
 debate. Usually a two-thirds vote is necessary to order 
 the previous question. 
 
 1. If the motion for the previous question be ^arr/></, 
 then the main question must be immediately taken with- 
 out further debate. 
 
 2. If the motion for the previous question be lost^ the 
 debate proceeds as though no such motion had been made. 
 
 3. If the motion for the previous question be lost^ it 
 cannot be renewed with reference to the same question 
 during the same session. 
 
582 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 To Lay on the Table. 
 
 Immediate and decisive action on any question under 
 discussion may be deferred by a vote to lay on the table 
 the resolution pending. This disposes of the whole sub- 
 ject for the present, and ordinarily is, in effect, a final dis- 
 missal of it. But any member has the right subsequently 
 to call it up, and the body will decide by vote whether or 
 not it shall be taken from the table. 
 
 1. Sometimes, however, a resolution is laid on the table 
 for the present, or until a specified time, to give place to 
 other business. 
 
 2. A motion to lay on the table must apply to a resolu- 
 tion, or other papers. An abstract subject cannot be dis- 
 posed of in this way. 
 
 Postponement 
 
 A s\vcip\t postponement is for a specified time or purpose, 
 the business to be resumed when the time or purpose is 
 reached. But a question indefinitely postponed is consid- 
 ered as finally dismissed. 
 
 Not Debatable. 
 
 Certain motions, by established usage, are not debatable^ 
 but when once before the body, must be taken without 
 discussion. 
 
 These are : the previous question, for indefinite postpone- 
 ment, to commit, to lay on the table, to adjourn. 
 
 But when these motions are modified by some condition 
 of time, place, or purpose, they become debatable, and 
 subject to the rules of other motions, but debatable 
 only in respect to the time, place, or purpose which brings 
 them within the province of debate. 
 
RULES OF ORDER. 583 
 
 A body is, however, competent, by a vote, to allow de- 
 bate on all motions. 
 
 To Reconsider. 
 
 A motion to reconsider a motion previously passed must 
 be made by one who voted for the motion when it passed. 
 
 If the body votes to reconsider, then the motion or res- 
 olution being reconsidered stands before them as previous 
 to its passage, and may be discussed, adopted, or rejected. 
 
 A vote to reconsider should be taken at the same ses- 
 sion at which the vote reconsidered was passed, and when 
 there are as many members present. But this rule, though 
 just, is frequently disregarded. 
 
 Not to be Discussed. 
 
 If, when a question is introduced, any member objects 
 to its discussion as foreign, profitless, or contentious, the 
 moderator should at once put the question, ^^Shall this 
 motion be discussed? " If this question be decided in the 
 negative, the subject must be dismissed. 
 
 Order of the Day. 
 
 The body may decide to take up some definite business 
 at a specified time. That business therefore becomes the 
 order of the day for that hour. When the time mentioned 
 arrives the chairman calls the business, or any member 
 may demand it, with or without a vote, and all pending 
 questions are postponed in consequence. 
 
 Point of Order. 
 
 Any member who believes that a speaker is out of 
 order, or that discussion is proceeding improperly, may at 
 
584 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 any time rise to a point of order. He must distinctly state 
 his question or objection, which the moderator will decide. 
 
 Privileges. 
 
 Questions relating to the rights and privileges of mem- 
 bers are of primary importance, and, until disposed of, 
 take precedence of all other business, and supersede all 
 other motions, except that of adjournment. 
 
 Rule Suspended. 
 
 A rule of order may be suspended by a vote of the body 
 to allow the transaction of business necessary, but which 
 could not otherwise be done without a violation of such 
 rule. 
 
 Filling Blanks. 
 
 Where different numbers are suggested for filling blanks, 
 the highest number, greatest distance and longest time are 
 usually voted on first. 
 
 Adjournment. 
 
 1. A simple motion to adjour?t is always in order, except 
 while a member is speaking, or when taking a vote. It 
 takes precedence of all other motions, and is not debatable. 
 
 2. In some deliberative bodies a motion to adjourn is 
 in order while a speaker has the floor, or a vote is being 
 taken, the business to stand, on reassembling, precisely as 
 when adjournment took place. 
 
 3. A body may adjourn to a specific time, but if no time 
 be mentioned, the fixed or usual time of meeting is un- 
 derstood. If there be no fixed or usual time of meeting, 
 then an adjournment without date is equivalent to a dis- 
 solution 
 
E. FORMS AND BLANKS. 
 
 There are no fixed or necessary forms for Letters of 
 Dismission, Calls for Councils, Minutes of Conventions, 
 and the like. The customs of churches may differ, and 
 the taste of those who prepare these forms will vary. They 
 should be concise, intelligible and definite as to the pur- 
 pose for which they are designed. The following consti- 
 tute substantially the forms in common use: 
 
 I . Letters of Dismission. 
 
 The Baptist Church of 
 
 To the Baptist Church of 
 Dear Brethren: 
 
 This is to certify that is a member in good 
 
 and regular standing with us, and at own request, 
 
 is hereby dismissed, for the purpose of uniting with you. 
 When has so united, connection with us will 
 
 cease. May the divine blessing rest on and on 
 
 you. 
 
 Done by order of the Church. 
 
 Ch, Clerk, 
 
 New York, June , i8 
 
 This Letter is valid for six months. 
 
 Note i. — It is customary to limit letters to a specified time, 
 after which they are not valid, but may be renewed at the discre- 
 
 585 
 
586 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 tion of the Church, if satisfactory reasons are given for their 
 non-use. 
 
 Note 2. — A letter may be granted to " any Church of the same 
 faith and order," instead of to a specified Church, when the mem- 
 ber is uncertain with what one he may unite. 
 
 Note 3. — But a letter granted to a particular Church is valid 
 for some other Church, should that other see fit to accept it. Each 
 Church is sole judge of the fitness of those whom it receives. 
 
 2. Letter of Commendation. 
 
 This certifies that is a member in good 
 
 standing in the Baptist Church in , and is 
 
 hereby commended to the confidence and Christian fel- 
 lowship of sister churches wherever Providence may di- 
 rect course. 
 
 Pastor, or Clerk. 
 New York, June , 18 
 
 Note. — This form of letter is for members during a tempo- 
 rary absence from home, and may be given by the pastor person- 
 ally, or by the Church's formal action. 
 
 3. Letter of Notification. 
 
 New York, June , 18 
 To the Baptist Church. 
 
 Dear Brethren: 
 
 This certifies that was received by Letter 
 
 from you. to membership in the Baptist Church, 
 
 June , 18 
 
 Ch. Clerk. 
 
 Note i. — This form is attached to, or enclosed in, every letter 
 granted, and filled by the Church receiving the member, and re- 
 turned to the one granting it. 
 
FORMS AND BLANKS. 587 
 
 Note 2. — When members are dismissed to constitute a new 
 Church, that fact should be stated in the letters. 
 
 4. Minutes of Church Meeting. 
 
 New York, June , 18 
 The Church held its regular meeting for business this 
 evening at o'clock. 
 
 Pastor, moderator. 
 
 After singing, and reading the Scriptures, prayer was 
 offered by- 
 Minutes of the last meeting were read and approved. 
 [Then follows a faithful record of the business trans- 
 acted.] 
 
 Meeting adjourned. 
 
 Ch. Clerk. 
 
 Note. — The records of a Church should show not only bare 
 minutes of its business, but a concise mention of important events 
 and changes in its current history, for reference and information 
 in after years. 
 
 5. Call for an Ordaining Council. 
 
 New York, June 18 
 
 The Baptist Church of 
 
 To the Baptist Church of 
 
 Dear Brethren: 
 
 You are requested to send your pastor and two breth- 
 ren to sit with us in Council, July , at 
 o'clock p. M., to consider and advise as to the expediency 
 of publicly setting apart to the work of the Gospel minis- 
 try our brother . The Council will meet 
 
 in 
 
 The following churches are invited: 
 
 Bv order of the Church, 
 ^ Ch, CUrh 
 
588 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 6. Call for a Recognizif^ Council. 
 
 New York, June , i8 
 To the Baptist Church of 
 
 Dear Brethren: 
 
 In behalf of a company of brethren and sisters in Christ, 
 you are requested to send your pastor and two brethren, 
 to meet in Council at > July , at o'clock 
 
 p. M., to consider the propriety of recognizing said com- 
 pany as a regular and independent Church of Christ. 
 The following churches are invited: 
 Fraternally yours, 
 
 Com.^ or Clerk. 
 
 7. Call for an Advisory Council. 
 
 New York, June , 18 
 The Baptist Church of 
 
 To the Baptist Church of 
 
 Dear Brethren: 
 
 You are requested to send your pastor and two breth- 
 ren, to sit in Council July ,18 , at o'clock 
 p. M., to consider and advise as to certain difficulties exist- 
 ing among us, which disturb our peace, and threaten 
 serious injury to the welfare of our Church. 
 The Council will meet in 
 The following churches are invited: 
 By order of the Church, 
 
 Ch. Clerk. 
 
 Note i. — All Councils are advisory, in the sense that none are 
 authoritative. But it is usual to call those advisory which are 
 called to advise, especially as to the settlement of difficulties. 
 
 Note 2. — Advisory Councils may be called by either churches 
 
FORMS AND BLANKS. 589 
 
 or individuals, and also as to other matters than pending diflScul- 
 ties. The call should state the object. 
 
 Note 3. — For directions as to calling and using Councils, sec 
 the chapter on that subject. 
 
 8. Minutes of a Council. 
 
 New York, June , 18 
 An Ecclesiastical Council, called by the Church, 
 
 convened at this day, at o'clock p. m. 
 
 Organized by choosing , moderator, and 
 
 , clerk. 
 Prayer was offered by 
 
 The credentials of pastors and messengers were pre- 
 sented. The following churches were represented by the 
 following brethren: 
 
 Churches, Messengers. 
 
 The records of the Church relating to the call of the 
 Council were read, also the letter missive, showing the ob- 
 ject to be 
 
 [Then follows a faithful record of the proceedings as 
 they transpired.] 
 
 Council dissolved, or adjourned sine die. 
 
 Modirator. 
 Clerk. 
 
 Note. — A tru« copy of the minutes, signed by the moderator 
 and clerk, should be furnished to the parties calling the CounciL 
 
590 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 9. Minutes of a Committee. 
 
 New York, June , 18 
 
 The committee met at , at 
 
 o'clock p. M. 
 
 Present: 
 
 Brother in the chair. Prayer was offered 
 
 by 
 
 Minutes of the last meeting read and approved. 
 
 [Record of business.] 
 
 Adjourned. 
 
 Secretary. 
 
 10. Minutes of a Convention. 
 
 New York, June , 18 
 A convention called to consider met at 
 
 at o'clock p. M., this day. 
 
 was chosen chairman and sec- 
 
 retary. 
 
 After prayer by , the chairman stated the 
 
 object of the meeting to be 
 
 [Then follows a true record of proceedings.] 
 Adjourned, or dissolved. 
 
 Chairman. 
 Secretary. 
 
 Note. — The rules of order to be observed in all meetings, 
 whether religious or secular, are substantially the same — the or- 
 dinary parliamentary rules. But any organization or deliberative 
 body has the right to make its own rules at the commencement of 
 its sessions. If none are then adopted, common rules prevail. 
 
FORMS AND BLANKS. 59 1 
 
 1 1 . Form of a License. 
 
 It is customary for young men who believe themselves 
 called of God to the work of the Gospel ministry, to ask 
 from their Church a license^ granting the Church's ap- 
 proval of their exercise of ministerial gifts. Some theo- 
 logical seminaries require a license for every student 
 admitted to divinity studies. A license confers no cleri- 
 cal authority, but simply approves the course of the.licen- 
 tiate in the matter. 
 
 There is no invariable form of license, but the follow- 
 ing substantially serves the purpose: 
 
 License. 
 
 This certifies that Bro. is a member of 
 
 the Church, in good standing, and held by 
 
 us in high esteem; and, after having opportunity for judg- 
 ing, we believe him to have been called of God to the 
 work of the Gospel ministry, and hereby give him our en- 
 tire consent and cordial approval in the improvement of 
 his gifts in preaching the Gospel, as Providence may afford 
 him an opportunity. And we pray the great Head of the 
 Church to endow him with all needful grace, and crown 
 his labors with abundant success. 
 
 Done by order of the Church, this day, June , 
 
 18 
 
 Pastor. 
 Clerk. 
 New York. 
 
 Note i.— A license can be annulled or withdrawn at any time, 
 should the Church have, in its judgment, suflBcienl reason for 
 such action. 
 
592 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 Note 2. — A license in no sense invests the licensee with min- 
 isterial functions, beyond approval in conducting religious ser- 
 vices and expounding the Scriptures. 
 
 Note 3. — Quite commonly a license includes advice or approval 
 of the candidate's pursuing appropriate studies, the better to pre- 
 pare him for the work of the ministry, since a license by no 
 means implies an immediate entrance upon full ministerial func- 
 tions. 
 
 12. Certificate of Ordination. 
 
 This certifies that our Brother was pub- 
 
 licly ordained and set apart to the work of the Gospel 
 ministry with appropriate religious services, prayer, and 
 the laying on of hands, according to the usages of Bap- 
 tist churches, at , Aug. , 18 
 
 That he was called to ordination by the Church, 
 
 of which he was a member, and which, after full and suffi- 
 cient opportunity for judging of his gifts, were agreed in 
 the opinion that he was divinely called to the work of the 
 ministry. 
 
 That churches were represented in the Council 
 
 by ministers, and laymen, and that, after 
 
 a full, fair and deliberate examination, being satisfied on 
 all points, the Council did unanimously recommend his 
 ordination. 
 
 That our Bro. did accordingly receive the 
 
 full, entire and hearty approval of the Council in his offi- 
 cial entrance upon the work of the ministry, administer- 
 ing the ordinances, and other\^ise assuming all the func- 
 tions of a Christian minister. And may the blessing of 
 ihe great Head of the Church attend him, crown his la. 
 
FORMS AND BLANKS. 593 
 
 bors with abundant success, and make him an honored 
 instrument of good to Zion and the world. 
 
 Moderator. 
 
 Clerk. 
 New York, Sept. , 18 
 
 Note. — As a rule, men are not ordained, except as pastors of 
 churches, or to become missionaries and raise up churches. To 
 ordain men to occupy semi-secular positions, because it may class 
 them with clergymen, or enable them occasionally to serve the 
 churches by administering the ordinances, when they neither do, 
 nor expect to, enter fully into ministerial service, is not generally 
 approved, or deemed orderly. 
 
F. BENEVOLENT SOCIETIES. 
 
 To every true Christian desiring the universal coming 
 of the kingdom of Christ, and ready to do the best he can 
 for its triumph, " the field is the world." His sympathies 
 and endeavors will not be limited to the small area of his 
 Church and his community, though there is his first, and 
 probably his chiefest, obligation, but by all methods divinely 
 approved, he should strive to save men. Baptists have 
 well-established agencies, on which God has most gra- 
 ciously smiled, and to which he has given marked success 
 for doing Christian work outside of Church limitations: 
 Foreign Missions, Home Missions, Bible work and relig- 
 ious publications, with other appliances for Christian ser- 
 vice. Every Church, and every Church member, should 
 know what is going on in his own denomination as to the 
 progress of the Gospel. A brief reference to our principal 
 Christian agencies is here appended, for the benefit espe- 
 cially of younger members, who may be less familiar with 
 them than those who are older. 
 
 I. Missionary Union. 1814. 
 
 The Missionary Union is the society through whose 
 agency Baptists of the North, East and West send the 
 Gospel to foreign countries, and especially to heathen 
 lands. It was brought into being in a very providential 
 manner. At the beginning of this century little was 
 
 694 
 
BENEVOLENT SOCIETIES. 595 
 
 known in this country, and less done, by Christian peo- 
 ple, as to foreign missions. The grand work now be- 
 ing done by the Gospel in heathen lands is the achieve- 
 ment of the present century. February 19, 181 2, 
 Adoniram Judson and his wife, together with Rev. Mr. 
 Newell and his wife, sailed from Salem, Mass., as mis- 
 sionaries for Asia, under the patronage of the American 
 Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions. Only the 
 day before, Rev. Luther Rice, in company with Revs. 
 Messrs. Nott and Hall, sailed from Philadelphia for the 
 same destination. It was a very notable occurrence, which 
 has passed into history as providential, that during their 
 voyage, though separated on the sea, Mr. and Mrs. 
 Judson and Mr. Rice had their attention called to 
 the subject of Christian baptism — when they left home 
 none of them were Baptists — with similar results, namely, 
 that they adopted Baptist views respecting this ordinance. 
 On reaching India they united with the English Baptists 
 whom they found there, and resigned their connection 
 with the Board of Commissioners at home. American 
 Baptists had not yet sent missionaries to the heathen, 
 and these brethren at once sent back to America an ap- 
 peal to Baptists for support, and to awaken an interest 
 among the churches in the work of missions among the 
 heathen. 
 
 Strange to say, the effort of these brethren to establish 
 Christian missions in India was met by the most decided 
 hostility on the part of the British government, whose in- 
 fluence was potential, and they were compelled to leave 
 Calcutta. Thereupon Mr. Rice returned to America, to 
 stir up the Baptists, and excite a deeper interest in the 
 work, and Mr. Judson and his wife, in a very unexpected 
 
596 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 manner, and contrary to all his previous plans, entered 
 Burmah, and arrived at Rangoon in July, 18 13. 
 
 These events, so new and unlooked-for, aroused Amer- 
 ican Baptists, not only to the importance of the work, but 
 also to the responsibility so strangely thrown on them in 
 rijspect to it. The conviction became deep and general 
 that they should at once organize a missionary society for 
 tbe prosecution of Christian work in foreign lands. Ac- 
 cordingly, a convention was called for the purpose, com- 
 posed of delegates from churches and Associations. This 
 cc^jivention met in Philadelphia, May [8, 181 4, when the 
 *' Triennial Convention " was organized under the name 
 of ** The General Missionary Convention of the Baptist 
 Denomination in the United States of America for For- 
 eign Missions." It was to meet iriennially^ which gave 
 itj common designation. Under this arrangement the 
 society continued to act efficiently until November, 1845, 
 when, at a special meeting held in New York, several 
 changes were made in its constitution, and the name 
 clxanged to its present title, " The American Baptist Mis- 
 sionary Union." 
 
 The society now meets annually, and its affairs are ad- 
 Hjinistered by an executive committee located in Boston, 
 Mass. At the seventy-eighth anniversary, held in Phila- 
 delphia May 24, 25, 26, 1892, the treasurer reported, as 
 the total receipts from all sources during the preceding 
 year, $589,772, of which sum $130,000 was from legacies. 
 Missions were sustained in various heathen lands, and in 
 seven European countries. They have under their pa- 
 tronage 2,030 missionaries, with 1,459 churches, and 163,- 
 881 Church members. During the preceding year 18,549 
 converts were baptized and added to the churches. About 
 
BENEVOLENT SOCIETIES. 597 
 
 n,ooo of these converts were from among the heathen, 
 while churches among the heathen contributed, during 
 the year, $60,000 for mission purposes. In connection 
 with these mission churches are more than 78,000 pupils 
 in Sunday-schools. The report showed an increase over 
 the year before of 39 missionaries, 207 native preachers, 
 44 churches, and 11,239 Church members. 
 
 2. Baptist Publication Society. 1S24. 
 
 The Publication Society grew out of the " Baptist Gen- 
 eral Tract Society," organized in Washington, D. C, Feb- 
 ruary 20, 1824. The Tract Society itself seemed the 
 result of a concurrence of Providential circumstances, and 
 was largely the fruit of personal labors on the part of Rev. 
 Noah Davis, Rev. J. D. Knowles, and Rev. Dr. Stoughton, 
 chiefly instrumental in its organization. During its first 
 year this Society published nineteen tracts, containing in 
 all fifty-six pages, of which 86,000 copies were circulated. 
 In 1826 the Society was transferred to Philadelphia, as a 
 more desirable centre of operations. In 1827 the publi- 
 cation of a magazine was commenced. At length the 
 need for books became apparent, for family and Sunday- 
 school use. The necessity for tracts, books and periodi- 
 cals arose in the same way, from denominational consid- 
 erations. Other publishers and publishing societies would 
 not issue works distinctively Baptistic. If a literature 
 adapted to their faith and polity was to be had, they must 
 furnish it. 
 
 At the sixteenth anniversary, held in New York April, 
 1840, the Society was reorganized on a broader basis, 
 and called "The American Baptist Publication Society, ** 
 
598 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 for the publication of denominational and general relig- 
 ious literature. 
 
 In 1855 the constitution was still further amended, and 
 in 1856 the "New England Sunday-school Union," a so- 
 ciety similar in aim and purpose, was merged in this. 
 It should not be forgotten that as early as 181 1 the 
 ** Evangelical Tract Society " was organized by Baptists 
 in Boston, and became the centre of denominational pub- 
 lications But its work extended little beyond New Eng- 
 land. 
 
 The Publication Society now has a large and elegant 
 building of its own for headquarters, with all appliances 
 for a successful prosecution of its work. Its Sunday- 
 school periodicals have an immense circulation, extending 
 to many millions monthly. A large colporteur and Bible 
 work is done. It has also branches in six different States, 
 East, West, North and South. These constitute the cen- 
 tre of operations for the sections of country in which they 
 are located. 
 
 The sixty-eighth anniversary of the Society was held in 
 Philadelphia May 29, 30, 1892. Total receipts during 
 the previous year, from all sources, as reported, was $673,- 
 484. Of this amount $533,656.59 was from the business 
 department, by sales of its publications. The balance 
 was contributions for the benevolent work of the Society. 
 
 3. Home Mission Society. i8j2. 
 
 In 1802 ** The Massachusetts Baptist Missionary So- 
 ciety" was organized in Boston. This, strictly speaking, 
 was the first missionary society organized by American 
 Baptists. Its object was, ** to furnish occasional preach- 
 ing, and to promote the knowledge of evangelical truth 
 
BENEVOLENT SOCIETIES. 599 
 
 ill the new settlements within the United States, or further, 
 if circumstances should render it proper." This might 
 have been considered both a home and foreign missionary 
 society. Other organizations were subsequently formed, 
 more or less local and temporary. It was felt that a na- 
 tional society was needed, to plant and foster Baptist 
 churches in our rapidly growing country. 
 
 Through the efforts of Boston Baptists chiefly, an explo- 
 ration of the new States and Territories was undertaken, 
 with a view to more enlarged efforts in this direction. 
 This work was undertaken and efficiently performed by 
 Rev. Jonathan Going, and, from the information gained, 
 the demand for more extended and energetic mission 
 efforts in our own country became apparent. For the ac- 
 complishment of this a new society seemed a necessity. 
 Preliminary steps were accordingly taken, a convention 
 called, and held in New York April 27, 1832, at which 
 this society was organized. The efficient forerunner of 
 this work was Rev. John M. Peck, an able and conspicu- 
 ous pioneer, a man of large ability and great devotion, 
 who laid broad and deep foundations through the South- 
 west for all that has followed. 
 
 The executive board is located in New York city, and 
 holds monthly meetings— the Society meeting annually. 
 The work of the Society, as at present adjusted, is three- 
 fold : missionary work proper, planting and sustaining 
 churches, building chapels and church houses, and the 
 support of schools among the colored people of the South, 
 Indians, Chinese and Mexicans. About thirty schools of 
 various grades are sustained. At the sixtieth anniversary, 
 held in Philadelphia May 27, 28, 1892, the receipts re- 
 ported from all sources were, $500,390.97. The Society 
 
6oO THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 has its missions in 49 States and Territories, in British 
 America, and in Mexico. The missionaries numbered 
 1,053, and are themselves of 14 different nationalities; 
 had under their patronage 27 schools, with 6,687 pupils 
 enrolled, 466 of whom are ministerial students; 121 church 
 edifices were erected, situated in 33 different States and 
 Territories; 4,335 baptisms by missionaries reported; 1,122 
 Sunday-schools, with 69,453 pupils enrolled. And the 
 work and demand for means increase faster than at any 
 previous period. 
 
 4. Southern Baptist Convention. 184^. 
 
 From the organization of mission work among Baptists, 
 churches in all parts of the Union, without sectional dif- 
 ferences, had worked together. But finally it came to pass 
 that the question of slavery, then existing at the South, 
 disturbed the general harmony, and Southern Baptists 
 withdrew from cooperation in what were termed ** North- 
 ern Societies," and organized agencies of their own. 
 
 In response to a call from the Board of the Virginia 
 Foreign Baptist Missionary Society, a Convention met in 
 Augusta, Ga., May 8, 1845. This Convention was com- 
 posed of messengers from churches, local missionary so- 
 cieties, and other Baptist bodies, chiefly at the South. 
 After the presentation and discussion of the whole sub- 
 ject, "The Southern Baptist Convention " was organized. 
 Rev. William B. Johnson, D.D., was its first president, 
 and for many years filled that office. At first the Con- 
 vention met triennially^ afterward biennially^ but now an- 
 nually. The Convention, under one general administra- 
 tion, conducts all of its mission work. It has a Foreign 
 Mission Board, located in Richmond, Va. ; a Home Mis- 
 
BENEVOLENT SOCIETIES. 6oi 
 
 sion Board, located in Atlanta, Ga. ; a Sunday-school 
 Board, located in Nashville, Tenn. Missions are sus- 
 tained in Italy, Brazil, China, Africa, Cuba, and Mexico. 
 At i\\Q forty-sixth anniversary, held at Birmingham, Ala., 
 May 8-12, 1891, there were reported receipts for foreign 
 work during the preceding year of $113,522; for home 
 work, $67,188. On the foreign field they have 38 sta- 
 tions, 17 out-stations in cities, and 130 other preaching 
 places; 38 male and 48 female missionaries, 33 ordained 
 and 53 unordained native workers — 163 in all; 67 churches, 
 with 2,377 members; 361 baptisms reported the preced- 
 ing year; 22 schools, with 823 pupils. 
 
 5. Woman's Baptist Foreign Mission Society. iSji. 
 
 This Society is located in Boston, and works auxiliary 
 to the Missionary Union. At its twentieth anniversary, 
 April 22, 1 89 1, they reported receipts from all sources of 
 $102,629 for the previous year. 
 
 6. Woman's Baptist Foreign Mission Society. i8yi. 
 
 This Society is located in Chicago, and works auxiliaiy 
 to the Missionary Union. At its twentieth anniversary, 
 held April 14, 189 1, it reported a total of $39,620 from 
 all sources. 
 
 7. Woman's Baptist Home Mission Society. 1S77. 
 
 This Society is located in Boston, and works in affilia- 
 tion with the American Baptist Home Mission Society. 
 At its fourteenth anniversary, held May 6, 1891, it re- 
 ported $43,535 total receipts for the past year. 
 
6o2 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 8. Woman's Baptist Home Mission Society. i8yi. 
 
 This Society is located in Chicago, and more especially 
 represents the West. It works in affiliation with the Amer- 
 ican Baptist Home Mission Society. At its fourteenth 
 anniversary, held May i8, 1891, the receipts reported from 
 all sources were $35,492 for the previous year. 
 
 9. Woman' s Missionary Union. 1888. 
 
 This Society, located in Baltimore, Md., is auxiliary to 
 the Southern Baptist Convention, and at its third annual 
 meeting, May 9, 1891, reported a total of $38,990 re- 
 ceipts. 
 
 I o. General Baptist German Conference. 
 
 The German Baptist General Conference is composed 
 of the Consolidated Eastern Conference, the Central Con- 
 ference, the Northwestern Conference, the Southwestern 
 Conference, and the Texan Conference. Their work is 
 home mission, foreign mission and education, and is largely 
 in affiliation with the American Baptist Home Mission 
 Society. It meets triennially^ and the report of the last 
 anniversary is not at hand. 
 
 II. Conventions of Colored Baptists. 
 
 The New England Baptist Missionary Convention was 
 organized May 14, 1875. ^^^ Baptist African Mission- 
 ary Convention, for the West largely, was organized Janu- 
 ary 15, 1873. The Baptist Foreign Missionary Convention 
 was organized December, 1880. The American National 
 Convention, organized August 15, 1886, largely for edu- 
 cational purposes. Besides these, they have various edu- 
 
BENEVOLENT SOCIETIES. 603 
 
 cational enterprises, supported and managed by them- 
 selves. 
 
 12. American Baptist Historical Society. 18^3. 
 
 This Society is conducted by a Board located in Phila- 
 delphia. The object is to collect and preserve valuable 
 data connected with Baptist history and affairs. Materials 
 having reference to matters of denominational history and 
 literature are collected, stored and preserved for future 
 reference and use. 
 
 13. American Baptist Education Society. 1888. 
 
 Various education societies had previously existed, op- 
 erating on local fields, and limited in extent. This was 
 organized May 16, 1888, to embrace the whole extent 
 of our denominational field in America, and assist in 
 founding and strengthening Baptist institutions of learning, 
 both academic, collegiate and theological. At the third 
 anniversary, held May 8, 1891, the sum of $209,850 was 
 reported as appropriated to the objects of the Society, and 
 not less than $1,165,500 added to our educational insti- 
 tutions through the Society's agency. 
 
 14. Baptist Young People s Union. i8gi. 
 
 Of late years there has been a most energetic tendency 
 to young people's organizations. Baptists could not be 
 long behind. This was, to a large extent, the foundation 
 on a national scale of various local movements in the 
 West. The headquarters are located in Chicago, with 
 auxiliaries scattered through all the States. The objects 
 contemplated are broadly all Christian work— missionary, 
 educational and reformatory — each local society working 
 
604 THE NEW DIRECTORY. 
 
 with and through the Church with which it is connected. 
 They publish a weekly journal, raise and appropriate 
 funds for all objects of Christian benevolence, and seek 
 the production and development of Christian character 
 through personal influence everywhere. 
 
 Note. — The American and Foreign Bible Society, organized 
 in 1838, for faithful translations of the Scriptures into foreign lan- 
 guages; the American Bible Union, organized in 1850, for the 
 faithful translation of the Scriptures into all languages, including 
 the English; and the American Baptist Free Mission Society, or- 
 ganized in 1843, for foreign missions, as a protest against, and 
 freedom from, any complicity with slavery. These societies, 
 after long and faithful service, and having accomplished much 
 good, have all lapsed, and been discontinued as active agencies; 
 either the peculiar conditions which called them into existence 
 having ceased, or their work having been transferred to other 
 organizations. 
 
INDEX 
 
 Admission to church-membership, 63, 
 
 73-78. 
 Albigenses, and others, 500-505. 
 American l^aptists, 512. 
 Anabaptists, 506, 507. 
 Analogical definitions of a church, 37- 
 
 44. 
 Articles of Faith, 251, notes 1,2; 437- 
 
 440, 542. 
 Aspersion for immersion, 437-441. 
 Assembly of divines, 399, 442. 
 Associations, 330. 
 Authorities, glossary of, 567. 
 Authority of churches, 48. 
 
 Baptizo, its meaning and significant 
 use, 390-400. 
 
 Baptism, what it is and what it sig- 
 nifies, 15, 121-130. 
 
 Baptism, diverse views discussed, 386- 
 444. 
 
 Baptism, its nature and design, 425. 
 
 Baptism of Christ, 398-400. 
 
 Baptism of infants, 124, 468-490: not of 
 scriptural authority, 468; its rise, 
 when and how, 477 ; reasons given 
 for it, 484 ; objections to it, 488. 
 
 Baptismal regeneration, 482. 
 
 Baptists, distinctive characteristics of, 
 14. 
 
 Baptist Confessions, 29, 30, 535. 
 
 Baptists, various kinds of, 619. 
 
 Baptists, foreign, 521. 
 
 Baptist propositions and statements, 11- 
 14. 
 
 Baptist facts and figures, 514. 
 
 Baptist history, 492-521. 
 
 Baptisteries, what they teach, 420-424. 
 
 Baptist succession, 34. 
 
 Baptized, statistics of, 5' 8. 
 Benevolent contributions, 620. 
 
 605 
 
 Benevolent societies, 694. 
 
 Bethabara, bathing place of pilgrim*, 
 
 4:i2-434. 
 Bible, as ultimate authority, 11. 
 
 Call to the ministry, 286-288. 
 
 Candidating, 109, note 6. 
 ^ Choir (see Worship), 239-244. 
 
 Christian ordinances, 119-141. 
 
 Christian experience related, 72, notes 
 4-6. 
 
 Christians, the sect, 519. 
 
 Church, Christian, 20-60 : meaning and 
 uses of the word, 21, 22 ; signs of a 
 true church, 31 ; not a confedera- 
 tion, 35; figurative terms, 3? ; na- 
 ture of, 15, 44, 83, 163 ; comity of 
 churches, 51 ; each independent, 
 61, 148; churches constituted, 62, 
 53; churches disbanded, 58. 
 
 Church government, 142-159: three 
 principal forms of, 143, 144. 
 
 Church of God, 519. 
 
 Church laws, 14 (13). 
 
 Church-members, who? 13 (11), 17. 
 
 Church-membership, 61-82: condiUoDS 
 of, 63 ; modes of admission, 73; re- 
 storation to, 78, note 13 ; model of 
 dismission, 79; cannot withdraw, 
 81, note 7; dropping meinbera, 82, 
 note 11. 
 
 Church and Stale, 12, prop. 8. 
 
 Church letters, what and how used, 
 75-82. 
 
 Church, the: ita mlMlon, 252-276; what 
 it is, 252; giiit|M-l ministrations, 
 254; Sunday-school work , 257-264 ; 
 religious visitation, 264-268 ; Chris- 
 tian literature, 26H-270; dUliuctlve 
 mission work, 21Q-2't4. 
 
 Church, and moral reform 
 274-276. 
 
6o6 
 
 INDKX. 
 
 Church, and secret societies, 276, note 3. 
 
 Church officers, 83-118; two orders 
 only, 84 ; Pastors, office and duties, 
 85-109; deacous, office and duties, 
 109-114 ; deacons' wives,115, note 10 ; 
 other officers, 116-118. 
 
 Circumcision, 486-488. 
 
 Clerk, church, 118, note 4. 
 
 Clinic baptism, 438-440. 
 
 Close communion, 447. 
 
 Communion (see Lord's Supper, 130), 
 445. 
 
 Comity of churches, 51. 
 
 Consecration of elements, 139, note 5. 
 
 Confessions, 28, 525-543. 
 
 Congregational singing, 233, notes 6-8. 
 
 Conventions, State, 339. 
 
 Councils, Baptist, 311-329: origin of, 
 313; calling and conducting of, 
 318-329 ; when and how called, 58, 
 note 3, 201 ; for accused ministers, 
 208-215 ; ex parte, 205, 4 ; 325 (26, 
 28) ; 326 (31) ; mutual, 204, 205, 325 
 (35) ; 328 (37) ; powers of, 56, note 1 ; 
 193; 208, 1, 4, 8; 214, note 1; 306, 
 note 18 ; for recognition of church, 
 56-58 ; for ordination, 303 ; in cases 
 of discipline, 193-215. 
 
 Covenant, form of, 562. 
 
 Covenant meetings, 247. 
 
 Creeds and Confessions, 525, 543: early 
 Confessions, 525-529; later Confes- 
 sions, 531-535; Baptist Confessions, 
 535-542. 
 
 Deacons, their office and duties, 109. 
 
 Deaconesses, 115, note 10. 
 
 Denomination, what it means, 370. 
 
 Derelict churches, how to deal with, 
 137, 138, notes 1-4. 
 
 Difl5culties, unusual, in discipline, 192- 
 215 : a divided church, 192 ; an ex- 
 cluded member, 200; an accused 
 minister, 206. 
 
 Disciples, 519. 
 
 Discipline, church, 160-192: meaning of 
 the term, 162; object and scope of, 
 167 ; the spirit of, 168 ; the limit of, 
 170 ; the result of, 171 ; as to offenses, 
 X71-184; their treatment, 185-191. 
 
 Discipline, evils of, 192. 
 
 Dismission of members, 79. 
 
 Doctrinal belief, 19, 
 
 Dropping church-members, 82, note 11. 
 
 Dunkards, 519. 
 
 Dutch Baptists, 507. 
 
 Elders and bishops the same, 91. 
 
 Eucharist, 180. 
 
 Euchites, 498. 
 
 English Baptists, 509. 
 
 Enon, near to Salim, why sought for 
 
 baptism, 401. 
 Excluded members, 188-191 ; 82, note 12. 
 Exclusion, cause for, 180, note 25; 1^9. 
 Ex parte councils, 325-328, 204, 205. 
 
 Facts and figures concerning Baptists, 
 
 514. 
 First things in church planting, 517. 
 Foreign Baptists, 521. 
 Forms and blanks, 585. 
 Free-Will Baptists, 519. 
 
 Glossary of authorities, 567. 
 Government of churches, 142-159. 
 Governments, rulers, etc., 12, prop. 7. 
 Greek church, as to baptism, 417-420. 
 
 Hand of fellowship, given and with- 
 drawn, 78, note 12; 139, note 6; 81, 
 note 6. 
 
 Historic Episcopate, 33, 91. 
 
 History, Baptist, 492-514. 
 
 Household baptisms, 473. 
 
 Immersion, universal for thirteen cen- 
 turies, 414-417. 
 
 Incorporation of churches, 117, note 1. 
 
 Incorporation of Association, 338, note 5. 
 
 Independency of churches, 145-159, 177, 
 note 14: limitation of independ' 
 ency, 145-152; evidence of inde- 
 pendency, 145-152. 
 
 Infant baptism, 124, 468-491. 
 
 Infant communion, 467. 
 
 Installation of ministers, 307, 308. 
 
 Interdependency of churches, 148-150. 
 
 Jordan, where John baptized, 398-402. 
 Jordan, supply of water in, 430-434. 
 
INDEX. 
 
 607 
 
 Lawyers (see Ck)uncil), 188, note 7. 
 
 Lay-baptism, 129, note 2;. 138, note 1; 
 374-380. 
 
 Laying on of hands, 353-372, 307, note 
 21. 
 
 Leouists, 502. 
 
 Letters, church, 75, 80, 81. 
 
 Libraries, church, 262, 269, 270. 
 
 License, form of, 591. 
 
 Licensing ministers, 300, 301. 
 
 Lord's Supper, the, 445-167, 130-141: 
 eucharistic propositions, 445, 446; 
 open and close communion, 447- 
 480; baptism a prerequisite, 454; 
 Baptists and Pedobaptists agree, 
 458; the question one of baptism, 
 459; symbolism of the ordinances, 
 463; objections answered, 465-467. 
 
 Marriage contract, 373. 
 
 Mennonites. 503, 519. 
 
 Messalians, 498. 
 
 Minister, the, 85, 94. 
 
 Ministers as pastors, 293. 
 
 Ministers, accused, 206. 
 
 Ministers cannot be silenced, 215, notea 
 2-5. 
 
 Ministerial authority, 294. 
 
 Ministers' meetings, 341. 
 
 Ministry, the Christian, 277-310: im- 
 portance of to the church, 277 ; how 
 it originates, 280; clergy and laity 
 not primitive, 282; the purpose of, 
 284; -perpetuity of its obligation, 
 290; ministers' relation to the 
 church, 295. notes 7, 8; qualifica- 
 tions for, 296-300. 
 
 Mission of the church, 252-272. 
 
 Missionary societies, 342, 694-604. 
 
 Mission work, 270. 
 
 Montanists, 498. 
 
 Moral reform societies, 274. 
 
 Munster, mad men of, 50J. 
 
 Music (see Worship), 238. 
 
 Mutual councils, 325-328, 204, 205. 
 
 New Hampshire Confession of Faith, 
 638-542. 
 
 Offenses (see Disoiplioe), 271-291. 
 
 Officers of the church, 82-118. 
 
 Open communion, 448. 
 
 Optional resolutions, 564. 
 
 Ordinances, Christian, 119-141; bap- 
 tism, 121, 386; the Lord's Supper, 
 130, 445. 
 
 Ordination, 277. 344-385: what is ordi- 
 nation ' 347 ; what is it in the New 
 Testament? 345-352; its place 
 among the churches, 361 ; by whom 
 is ordination? 364; what is the 
 effect of it? 373-381 ; is it to be re- 
 peated? 381-385; to insist is sacr»- 
 mentarianism, 384, 3. 
 
 Ordination service, form of, 303-308. 
 
 Ordination of deacons, 114, note S. 
 
 Ordination of others, 5'J3, note. 
 
 Pastors, their office and work, 85-109, 
 
 276. 
 Pastorate and ministry, how related, 
 
 94. 
 Pastors accused 206. 
 Pastors, ministers, not priests, 86-M. 
 Pastors' conferences, 341. 
 Paullcians, 499, 505. 
 Peterines, 500. 
 Philadelphia Confession of Faith, 688, 
 
 537. 
 Pilgrims bathing in Jordan, 438. 
 Pools in and around Jerusalem, 435. 
 Prayer meetings, 228-234, 
 Preaching, 217. 
 Preaching lay, 266, note S. 
 Presbyter, bishop, and elder identical, 
 
 85-93. 
 Primitive Baptists, 519. 
 Private Judgment, 11, prop. 8. 
 
 Recognition of miolstera, 80S-810, 881 
 Reordlnatlon of ministers, 309, 881 
 Resolutions for church guidaooe, 864- 
 
 666. 
 Restoration of members, 78, note 18. 
 Rules of order, 676-684. 
 
 Sacraments, Baptists reject, 119, ISO. 
 Secret socirtles, 276, note 8. 
 Hect.s (see Baptist HUtury),!!! 
 Separate Baptists, 619. 
 
6o8 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Seventh-Day Baptists, 519. 
 Six-principle Baptists, 519. 
 Societies, related, 330-343. 
 Society vs. church, 117, notes 1, 2. 
 Song services (see Worship), 238. 
 Sprinkling for baptism, 441-444. 
 State conventions, 339. 
 Sunday-schcol work, 257. 
 Sunday-schools, statistics, 520. 
 Swiss Baptists, 505. 
 Symbolism of the ordinances, 463. 
 
 Temperance work, 267, note 4. 
 Treasurer, church, 117, note 3. 
 Trine immersion, 419. 
 Trustees of church, 117, notes 2, 3. 
 
 Tunkers, 519. 
 United Brethren, 519. 
 
 Visitation, religious, 264. 
 Voting in business meetings, 81, note 
 10; 578. 
 
 Waldenses, 500, 504. 
 
 Williams, Roger, 512. 
 
 Water supply for baptism, 430-437. 
 
 Welsh Baptists, 506. 
 
 Worship,Chris)ian, 216-251 : the preach- 
 ing service, 217 ; the prayer service, 
 223; (he service of song, 238; the 
 word of exhortation, 244 ; the cove- 
 nant meeting, 247. 
 
THIS BOOK IS DUE ON THE LAST DATE >1 
 STAMPED BELOW 
 
 AN INITIAL FINE OF 25 CENTS 
 
 WILL BE ASSESSED FOR FAILURE TO RETURN 
 THIS BOOK ON THE DATE DUE. THE PENALTY 
 WILL INCREASE TO 50 CENTS ON THE FOURTH 
 DAY AND TO $1.00 ON THE SEVENTH DAY 
 OVERDUE. 
 
 SEP 20 1958 
 
 ^ 
 
 ^ 
 
 REC'D LI> 
 
 ^06ll'65-5P^ 
 
 ftB0U989 
 
 wsi ; > FEB g 4 {9^ 1 8 
 
 LD 21-100m-12, '43 (8796s) 
 
VB 3382C 
 
 U.C. BERKELEY LIBRARIES 
 
 I 
 
 CDQblM77S3 
 
 \' i ■■ 
 
 222660