fess, infallibility. Our friends in North street speak as if, indeed, they claimed for their decision some peculiar authority. They disavow that they are a church, and claim to be the church-"the pillar and support of the truth;" and that, too, as if their opposing an individual must necessarily put him down. There must be a mistake in their minds, or in that of the Printer, who made two paragraphs of one. See sections 2d and 3d. I will not take any advantage of this error of the Elders or of the Printer. One of them is certainly at fault. They are not the church of Chris-not even of the United States, Maryland, or the city of Baltimore-much less of the world. They are only a church, a congregation, a community-and fallible at that.* But I hasten to greater matters. As preparatory to a full examination, I submit the following five propositions: I. The kingdom of Christ, sometimes called his church, is one great community composed of all the particular communities and individual persons that have acknowledged and received Jesus of Nazareth as the Son and Messiah of God-as the only Head, King, Lawgiver, and Arbiter of angels and men. II. All the particular congregations that compose this great congregation, this general assembly, called "the kingdom of God," "the holy nation," are responsible to one another and to the Lord, as much as the individual members of any one of them are to one another and to the Lord. III. Congregations therefore are under certain obligations and owe certain duties to one another, the faithful discharge of which is indispensable to that free and cordial communion and co-operation essential to the holiness of the church and the triumph of the gospel in the world. IV. Among these obligations and duties are, the maintenance of the doctrine and discipline of Christ's kingdom, and a due regard for all the acts and decisions of one another; because a neglect of the former, and a disparagement of the latter, would necessarily destroy that union, communion, and co-operation essential to the designs of Christ's kingdom. V. When, then, any particular congregation offends against the constitution of Messiah's kingdom by denying the doctrine, by neglecting the discipline, or by mal-administration of the affairs of Christ's church, essentially affecting the well-being of individual members or other congregations, then said church is to be judged by the eldership of other churches, or by some other tribunal than her own, as an accused or delinquent member of a particular congregation is to be tried by the constituted eldership of his own congregation. This last proposition being the only one in doubt amongst us, we shall proceed to its examination. The first four are regarded by our The article the and the place attached to a community, makes it particular, and not general. The state of Ohio and the church of Corinth, are neither the state nor the church-as they of North street seem to imagine. communities as indisputably plain and settled. Should any one, however, have reflected so little upon the subject as to deny any of them, let him place them in the negative form, and by a single glance of his mind he will detect his error-as, for example, the third:Congregations are under no obligations and owe no duties to one another; therefore nothing can mar their free and cordial communion, &c. The reader will please here pause and read again the fifth proposition. Let him then place it in the negative form, and read it as follows:-When any congregation ofends against the constitution of Messiah's kingdom by denying the doctrine, by neglecting the discipline, or by mal-administering the affairs of Christ's church, essentially affecting the well-being of individual members or other congregations, then said church is not to be judged by any tribunal on earth, but to be held in as high esteem as before. No one so ignorant as to assert this proposition. But, says another, there is no tribunal before which she can appear; therefore let her alone, but fellowship not her acts. And what is that but to judge and condemn her without even the form of a trial! Tried she must be. I repeat it again, tried she must be. No man of reflection can doubt it. The only question then is, By what tribunal shall she be tried? By every man's own opinion, or by a properly constituted tribunal? There is no other alternative: there is no third way. An invincible necessity has so decreed. Every church that departs from the faith or from the discipline of Christ's kingdom, or that unrighteously and unwisely administers its affairs to the great detriment of individual members, a particular congregation, or the whole church of Christ, must be tried by some tribunal. Any one that pushes his notions of independency so far as to deny this, is deluded by a word which he does not understand; as much as he who makes his little borough, city, or county, so independent as to deny the supervision and jurisdiction of the nation, kingdom, or state to which it belongs. The tribes of Israel were independent tribes, as Moses and Aaron were independent persons; but yet these independent tribes were all under one another as members of the commonwealth of Israel. They were, indeed, equal to one another in rank while under one another as constituent members of the nation. But in illustrating what I mean by independence and subordination through the well-known figures of a borough, a city, a county, or a tribe, I do not intend to institute a comparison in every point between any one of these and a particular church, as standing in connexion with the whole elect nation of Christ. Churches are all They are equal and independent in some respects, but not in all. also all equally subordinate to one another in the Lord. now no Mother Church, no Metropolitan, no Sanhedrim, no standing Council, no Vicar of Christ, no successors of the Apostles. But the churches in any given district—Judea, Macedonia, Achaia, Galatia, Pennsylvania, Virginia, or Ohio, for instance, are always supposed to be in more intimate acquaintance, union, and communion with one another, and to act in a more special co-operation than with the churches in any other kingdom, state, or district on earth. if, then, any one or more of these churches err from the faith, or from the discipline, or from a just, impartial, and Christian adminis. tration, they are amenable to the rest; and will be judged some way or other, and disallowed. The question, then, is, How shall this be done scripturally? for then it will be done right. But in propounding this question we do not expect to find either a broad precept or a stereotyed precedent of a case just as large as life. We expect to find principles and practices alleged that involve and commend this practice. Some who have never thoroughly examined this point are alarmed and become alarmists on the threshold because of some anticipated troubles that such course might open to the great disturbance of the whole Christian community. Like our friends in North street, they imagine the discontented would forever appeal. A more intimate acquaintance with the subject would have suggested a very different conclusion. We ask time, pațience, and candor. We demand for these five propositions a calm and full consideration. We may in our next enter more fully into the illustration and proof of the course we commend. Meantime, this pamphlet, by whomsoever written, certainly not by the Elders whose names are attached to it, assumes too much for 23 pages-the trial of the question of the right of appeal, and the vindication of the brethren in North street, any one of which is too much for such an effort. The confounding these two in a tract so hastily and inconsiderately got up, may have transferred to our remarks a similar confusion. In our next we shall attend to one subject at a time. A. C. SUMMARY OF NEWS FROM THE CHURCHES AND EVANGELISTS. THE unusual length of some articles of pressing importance in the present number, has very reluctantly excluded many letters and, some articles fully intended for it. In lieu of some of those letters we publish the following summary of good news: The new church in Baltimore has obtained a commodious house in St. Paul's street. Brother G. W. Elly held a meeting there of a few days, which resulted in the addition of 18 persons-13 by immersion.Brother Hall says, "Our church in Louisville is in peace and prospering. I have lately received the confession of 9 persons in the neigh 48 -We have almost weekly accessions: but for removals our borhood of our city."church would now at Mount Healthy amount to more than 100 members. D. S. Burnet. To the 120 recent accessions to our church in Lexingt on, Ky., amongst whom were several Methodists and Presbyterians, were 10 or 12 added by letter. J. J. Chinn.-In our recent tour through some counties in New York 27 confessed the Lord. W. Haden. Some 15 or 20 ac-In unpropitious circumstances I visited Paris recently. We had but 11 additions. The church is firm and the prospects are promising. J. T. Johnson cessions here, (Perry, O) this season. John Gault.Brother Bartlett, of New York, has recently visited us here, (Canton, Pa.) Eighteen were added by immersion-present number 170. Will some of the brethren from the West visit us? Elias Rockwell.The good cause triumphs in this region: 14 additions last month, (September.) In Johnson county, in this state, (Arkansas,) at a meeting I attended, my fellow-laborers being prevented, 21 were added: the congregation now numbers between 80 and 100. Brethren R. Harper and W. Harper have greatly contributed to the state of things here. Brethren Hazleton, Haden, snd Potter have assisted at Springfield, Mo. Sectarianism wanes J. Strickland. Twelve or fifteen were lately immersed here, (Luzerne county, Pa. J. J. Harvey. Two were lately immersed and added to the little flock of 25 on Duck creek, Monroe county, Ohio. J. R. Frame. We have now a little church of 26 Church organized here 26th April, of 46 disciples in Troy, New York. J W. Ager members, 33 of whom were immersed the previous week: since, we have received 15Brethren Whitapresent number 61. C. R. Morehead, Richmond, Mo. Brother Bullard is with us. Three were recently immersed in Scottsville, Va.. Nov. 30. R. L. Coleman cre and Harrison Jones lately visited us at Bethany. We had a good meeting. Thirteen At the meetings attended by these brethren since May last some 420 A. C. were immersed. were immersed! Queries and correspondence from brother Elley, of Pennsylvania; brethren Turner and Jackson, of Virginia; Kendrick, of Kentucky; and Winans, of Ohio, in our next. It is proposed by brethren Coleman and Goss to change the Christian Publisher from a monthly to a two-weekly. These brethren certainly deserve the patronage of. the whole brotherhood of Virginia in the undertaking. We wish them success in the enterprize. -+ PROPOSAL. The subscriber, by the request of various friends and advocatas of primitive Christianity, proposes to publish in this city, (Salem, Mass) a semi-monthly religious newspaper, to be called THE GENIUS OF CHRISTIANITY; to be devoted to the Christian religion in its primitive order, purity, and unity, without respect or deference to the will of existing religious parties or sects, The Genius of Christianity will maintain that in the authority of the teachings of Jesus and his Apostles, and by their example, is laid the true and only foundation of Christian union, church order, or Christian assurance: that the existence of party strife among religionists is proof that the elements of the striving parties are not of Christ: that the spirit of free but huinble investigation is indispensable to the knowledge of Christianity, distinct from the customs and traditions of men, which have made the word of God of no effect; and that the Christian religion in its primitive order, unity, and purity, is indispensably necessary to make men what God designed they should be. It will be open to all respectable persons for the free discussion of religious differences. It will pay particular attention to the evidences of the divine authenticity of the Christian religion-contend for the supremacy of the Word of God over all traditions, speculations, or customs of men, as a rule of faith and practice-plead for 'the perfecting of the saints, and endeavor to show that every plan or theory of union, perfection, sanctification non-resistance, anti-sectarianism, universal reformation, religious liberality &c. other than Christianity as it came from its founder and was demonstrated in the lives, practices, and precepts of Jesus and his Apostles. is a spirit of enmity to God and worthy of perpetual opposition. TERMS. Twenty four numbers to constitute a volume, at one dollar in advance. If not paid within three months, one dollar and twenty-five cents per volume. Any person who will forward five dollars in advance, shall be entitled to six copies to subscribers; and in the same ratio for $10, 15, 20, &c. No money to be sent till the first number is issued. To commence ds soon as sufficient encouragement is received. All letters, communications, &c. reative to The Genius of Christianity, to be ad dressed (post paid) to A. G. COMINGS, Salem, Massachusetts. October 22, 1840. Brother Comings is a gifted brother, and deserves patronage. The cause in New A. C. THE MILLENNIAL HARBINGER. NEW SERIES. VOL. V. BETHANY, VA. FEBRUARY, 1841. No. II THE COMING OF THE LORD.-No. II. Or all future events that of the coming of the Lord in power and glory, is the most soul-subduing, enrapturing, and transcendant. In one sentence, it is "the blessed hope." The church has been praying for it, and the whole creation groaning and travailing in pain for it for almost two thousand years. "Behold he cometh in the clouds of heaven, and every eye shall see him. They also that pierced him, and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him." Then will "heaven's eternal arches ring" with shoutings of glory, and honor, and blessing, and praise, while his enemies will be confounded with terror and clothed with shame. But when shall this most joyful hope be consummated in vision! When shall the Lord come! Whether shall it be before the triumphs of Christianity over Paganism, Mahometanism, Papalism, and Atheism, usually called the Millennium, or after this moral victory? This is the great question now in debate. My method of deciding it embraces in its philosophy as a primary evidence the events that are clearly and incontrovertibly declared to be concomitant with, or attendent upon his coming. These decided, and the question is, in my opinion, settled on the clearest and safest foundation. To discover and substantiate these, is the burthen of the present essay. Of necessity, therefore, this essay must consist mainly of testimony from which we may argue again. The points to which I solicit attention are four: 1st. The probability of the personal return of the Lord to this earth. 2d. The certainty of it. 3d. The manner of it. 4th. The events then to be expected. The probability of his return is argued from two facts:-1st. It is VOL V.-N. 8 5 |