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 -* X 
 
 PRESBYTERIANISM. 
 
 By WILLIAM J. REID, 
 
 PASTOR OF THB FIRST UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, PITTSBURGH, FA. 
 
 (second edition.) 
 
 PITTSBURGH : 
 
 UNITED PRESBYTERIAN BOARD OF PUBLICATION, 
 
 68 & 53 NINTH STREET. 
 1883. 
 
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1881, bj 
 
 The United Presbyterian Board of Publication, 
 
 In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C. 
 
 FERQUSON BROS. & CO., 
 
 PRINTERS AND ELECTROTYPERS, 
 
 PHILADELPHIA. 
 
Peeface. 
 
 ONE of the duties of a pastor is to train the young 
 to be consistent members of the visible church. 
 To do this, he must instruct them as to the nature of 
 faith, the necessity of a public confession, and the doc- 
 trines of the church. This instruction can be given, 
 in part, in the formal preaching of the gospel, but 
 something more seems to be necessary. He must 
 gather them in classes; he must talk with them in 
 private; he must direct their reading. The author 
 has long felt the need of some book, which he could 
 put into the hands of the young as a part of this train- 
 ing; but finding nothing which met his ideas, he has 
 prepared the following chapters. He would hope that 
 other pastors may find the volume helpful in their 
 work. 
 
 The volume does not profess to be an exhaustive 
 discussion of the subjects treated. It was not intended 
 for advanced students in theology, but for those who 
 are inquiring about the first steps in duty. Its aim is 
 to instruct, in plain and simple language, those who 
 are just beginning the Christian life. 
 
 (3) 
 
4 PREFACE, 
 
 To the young, into whose hands this volume may 
 fall, it is affectionately commended. It was written 
 especially for you, by one who has not forgotten the 
 experiences of his own youth, and who deeply sym- 
 pathizes with you in your longings and questionings 
 after the truth. If it proves of any use in guiding 
 your investigations, and in answering your questions 
 as to present duty, its design will be accomplished. 
 
 The author would dedicate the volume to the mem- 
 bers of his own Bible class, whose questions and 
 answers have suggested many of the thoughts which 
 have been presented and discussed. Your interest and 
 progress in Bible study have given you a warm place 
 in your teacher's affections. He rejoices that the most 
 of you are "walking in the truth," and he hopes and 
 prays that all will be made "wise unto salvation.'^ 
 The time we spend together on the Sabbath afternoon 
 is one of the pleasantest hours of the week. May this 
 little book be to you a memento of past intercourse, a 
 token of increasing friendship and a help to a closer 
 walk with God ! 
 
 Your friend, teacher and pastor, 
 
 WILLIAM J. REID. 
 
 FiTTSBUEGH, Pa., June 21, 1881, 
 
Contents. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 FAQE 
 
 Faith < 
 
 CHAPTER 11. 
 Confession of Faith 23 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 The Church 39 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 The Different Churches . . . .56 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 The Presbyterian Churches . . ,72 
 
 CHAPTER YI. 
 The Creed of the Presbyterian Churches 90 
 
 CHAPTER YII. 
 The United Presbyterian Church . .109 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 The Conclusion 180 
 
 (5) 
 
United Presbyterianism, 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 FAITH. 
 
 Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved. — Acts 
 xvi. 31. 
 
 "VTO one can ask a more important question than 
 ■^^ this : " What must I do to be saved ? " On its 
 answer depends our present and future happiness. 
 We know that we are sinners. The evidence of sin 
 without us and within us is too manifest to be denied. 
 We know that sin is rebellion against God, and that 
 the justice of God will not suffer it to go unpunished. 
 We know that " it is not all of death to die," that the 
 soul is immortal, and that there is a life beyond the 
 grave. We are sure that there is a heaven into which 
 sin and sorrow can never enter, and a world of woe 
 from which holiness, peace, and joy are forever ban- 
 ished. How can we escape this world of woe ? Ho\^r 
 
 (7) 
 
8 UNITED PRESBYTER FAmSM. 
 
 can we reach the heavenly home ? How can we be 
 delivered from the guilt, pollution, and punishment 
 of sin ? How can we become heirs of eternal life ? 
 Or, to sum up all these questions in one, What must 
 we do to be saved ? This is a question which human 
 wisdom cannot answer. Man, if left to himself, could 
 never discover the way to heaven. But the word of 
 God answers the question, and reveals the way of sal- 
 vation so plainly, that "the wayfaring men, though 
 fools, shall not err therein." That revelation is briefly 
 comprehended in the words, "Believe on the Lord 
 Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." As faith is so 
 inseparably connected with salvation, it deserves our 
 attention and study. In the present chapter, we will 
 discuss the nature of faith, the means we must employ 
 in order to become believers, and the reasons why we 
 should believe. 
 
 THE NATURE OF FAITH. 
 
 1. We must get a dear definition of faith in our 
 Lord Jems Christ firmly fixed in our minds. Faith 
 is often spoken of in the word of God, and it is from 
 this word that we must learn what faith is. It would 
 be useless to attempt to repeat the inspired passages, 
 which describe the duty, importance, necessity, evi- 
 dence, and rewards of faith ; to do this would be to 
 
FAITH. 9 
 
 transcribe the most of the Bible. John says, "This 
 is the victory that overcometh the world, even our 
 faith/* Paul says, "Now faith is the substance of 
 things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen/' 
 Jesus says, " He that believeth on him is not con- 
 demned ; but he that believeth not is condemned 
 already, because he hath not believed in the name 
 of tiie only begotten Son of God." These passages 
 are but a specimen of the teaching of the Scriptures. 
 Is it possible to gather up this teaching and express it 
 in a brief definition? Many attempts have been 
 made. One of the most successful is the one found in 
 our Shorter Catechism, "Faith in Jesus Christ is a 
 saving grace, whereby we receive and rest upon him 
 alone for salvation, as he is offered to us in the gospel." 
 We believe that this is a correct statement of what the 
 Bible teaches with regard to faith. From this defini- 
 tion, which is easily remembered, we can learn much 
 of the nature of faith. 
 
 2. The object of faith is the Lord Jesus Christ. 
 Faith, in general, is an assent to truth upon testimony. 
 Religious faith is an assent to divine truth on divine 
 testimony. Therefore, the general object of religious 
 faith is the whole word of God. We are to believe all 
 the revelations of Scripture, not on the testimony of 
 any man, or of the church, or because they commend 
 
10 UNITED PRESBYTERIANISM. 
 
 themselves to our reason^ but on the authority of God 
 himself. But this is not the faith under discussion. 
 The special and personal object of saving faith is the 
 Lord Jesus Christ. Hence, this faith is called "the 
 faith of Jesus Christ," and " faith towards our Lord 
 Jesus Christ." It consists in believing the testimony 
 of God concerning his Son. This divine testimony is 
 summed up in the words, " God so loved the world, 
 that he gave his only begotten' Son, that whosoever 
 believeth in him should not perish, but have ever- 
 lasting life." We are to believe that Jesus is the Son 
 of God, that he took upon himself our nature, that he 
 suffered and died in our room, that he was raised from 
 the dead on the third day, that he ascended into 
 heaven, where he ever liveth to make intercession for 
 us, and that he is our prophet, priest, and king. In 
 one word, we are to believe all that God has told us 
 concerning his Son in the gospel. 
 
 3. The 'principal acts of saving faith are receiving 
 and resting upon Christ. Faith is always the belief in 
 ' testimony, but it must correspond with the testimony 
 believed. If the gospel was a mere statement of truths, 
 or a record of facts, the assent of the mind to these 
 truths, and the crediting of these facts, would consti- 
 tute the faith of the gospel. But the gospel is some- 
 thing more tlian a statement of facts and doctrines 
 
FAITH. 11 
 
 respecting the Saviour. It contains a free offer of 
 Christ and salvation through him to sinners of every 
 class. Therefore, that saving faith may correspond 
 with the testimony to be believed, it must include 
 the acceptance of Christ, as offered to us in the 
 gospel. • 
 
 Faith is described by many different words, because 
 Christ is represented and offered under various figures. 
 Christ is the ark of safety, and we are to enter into 
 him ; he is the city of refuge, and we are to^ee to him ; 
 he is lifted up, as Moses lifted up the serpent in the 
 wilderness, and we are to look unto him; he is the 
 bread and water of life, and we are to eat his flesh and 
 drink his blood ; he is the robe of righteousness, and 
 we are to put on Christ to cover our nakedness ; he is 
 the gift of God, and we are to receive him ; he is the 
 only sure foundation, and we are to rest on him. The 
 last two figures are the ones referred to in the defini- 
 tion of the Shorter Catechism: "Whereby we receive 
 and rest upon him alone for salvation.*' It is to be 
 observed that these terms do not denote different acts 
 of faith — they are only different expressions for the 
 same act. 
 
 These figurative expressions make it evident that 
 saving faith is something more than an assent of the 
 mind to the facts and doctrines of the gospel ; it is an 
 
12 UNITED PBESBYTERIANISM. 
 
 accepting of Christ and a relying on him as the Saviour. 
 This acceptance of Christ does not come from any 
 knowledge of God's purposes respecting our individual 
 salvation, or from the possession of any good qualities 
 which distinguish us from others; it proceeds solely 
 from»the free offer of salvation to the chief of sinners. 
 We accept Christ, because he is offered, and as he is 
 offered. Herein is the difference between the faith of 
 true disciples and that of devils ; for devils have faith. 
 We are told that " the devils also belieVe and tremble.'' 
 They believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and that he 
 suffered and died in the room of sinners ; they believe 
 all the teaching of the gospel concerning Jesus; but 
 they cannot believe that he is their Saviour, because 
 he is not offered to them. We may accept him as our 
 Saviour, because he is offered to us. It is this offer of 
 Christ which gives us the right to receive and rest 
 upon him for salvation. 
 
 THE MEANS WE MUST EMPLOY IN ORDER TO HAVE 
 FAITH IN CHRIST. 
 
 1. The author of saving faith is God. In our defini- 
 tion of faith, it is said to be "a saving graced It is 
 so called, because it is freely given to us by God. The 
 Scriptures are plain on this point. Faith is declared 
 to be " the gift of God," " the operation of God." The 
 
FAITH. 13 
 
 Holy Ghost is called " the Spirit of faith," and faith is 
 mentioned among " the fruits of the Spirit," because it 
 is wrought in the hearts of men by the Spirit, as the 
 ai^plier of the redemption purchased by Christ. But 
 some one may say, ''If faith is the gift of God, I have 
 nothing to do ; if God giv^es me faith, it will be well ; 
 if he does not, I am helpless." This is a perversion 
 of the doctrine of grace. Though faith is the gift of 
 God, it is given through the use of appointed means. 
 If these means are rightly used, faith is bestowed ; if 
 they are not rightly used, the case is hopeless. The 
 whole history of the church proves the truth of the 
 assertion, that every one who has properly used the 
 appointed means has been saved. What, then, are the 
 means we must employ in order to have that faith in 
 Christ, which is the gift of God? 
 
 2. Faith is usually wrought in the heart by the 
 word. " Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by 
 the word of God." As faith is an assent to testimony, 
 men must know what that testimony is before they can 
 believe. As saving faith is an assent to God^s testi- 
 mony concerning Christ, and an acceptance of Christ 
 as he is offered in the gospel, we must know who 
 Christ is, what he has done, and how he is offered, 
 before we can have saving faith. Tliis knowledge is 
 reached only through the word. The Scriptures alone 
 
14 UNITED PRESBYTERIANISM. 
 
 tell us of the person, work and offer of Christ. There- 
 fore, it is evident that if a man would know of Christ, 
 he must go to the inspired word. A knowledge of 
 the Scriptures, like knowledge of every other kind, 
 can be acquired only through the use of means. We 
 are to read them with diligence, to treasure them up iu 
 our memories, and to use all our powers and all the 
 helps within our reach to understand them. Prom- 
 inent among these helps are commentaries and religious 
 books. There is danger, in these days of many books, 
 that the Bible may be neglected or forgotten, but if 
 we would reach the true knowledge of Christ, and that 
 faith which comes through knowledge, we must make 
 it our chief study. We must also attend on the 
 preaching of the word, for ^^it pleased God by the 
 foolishness of preaching to save them that believe." 
 In all the ages of the church, the voice of the living 
 teacher has been a powerful instrument in making 
 men acquainted with the truth, and in moving them to 
 obedience. 
 
 The conclusion from all this is obvious. If we 
 would have saving faith, we must study the Bible dili- 
 gently, and listen attentively and regularly to the 
 preaching of the word. Those who do not read the 
 Scriptures, who absent themselves from church, or who 
 pay no heed when they are present in the place of 
 
FAITH. 15 
 
 preaching, have no reason to believe that they will 
 ever receive and rest upon Christ, as he is offered in 
 the gospel. "How shall they believe in him of 
 whom they have not heard ? And how shall they 
 hear without a preacher ? " On the other hand, those 
 who read and hear the word of God, as it ought to be 
 read and heard, have a right to expect that their read- 
 ing and hearing will result in saving faith. It cer- 
 tainly is true that God is the author of faith, but he 
 ordinarily works through the means of the word. 
 When Lydia heard the preaching of Paul, "the Lord 
 opened her heart.'' The apostle tells us how his 
 preaching became a blessing to those who heard him : 
 " Our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also 
 in power, and in the Holy Ghost." To this day, those 
 who attend aright upon the ordinance of the word, 
 both read and preached, may expect that the Spirit 
 will bless it to their salvation, and that the Lord will 
 open their hearts to understand and believe. 
 
 3. Serious meditation is another means which ought 
 to be employed, and which God has often blessed. 
 Such meditation is necessary in order to fix the truths 
 of revelation on our memory. " Therefore, we ought 
 to give the more earnest heed to the things which we 
 have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip." 
 The world has so many labors, cares and pleasures, 
 
16 UNITED PRESBYTERIANJSM. 
 
 which are pressing upon our attention, that we must 
 put forth no little effort, or the word, read and 
 preached, will be "as water spilt on the ground, which 
 cannot be gathered up again." Meditation is also 
 necessary that we may make a profitable use of the 
 providences which visit us and our fellows. God in- 
 structs men by his providences as well as by his word, 
 but the accidents, sicknesses and bereavements, which 
 befall us and others, will have no good effect on us, 
 unless they are attended and followed by serious 
 thought. It is too often the case that we try to blot 
 out the impression, which some passage of the word or 
 some startling providence has made upon our minds. 
 The Bible describes in terrible words the guilt, pollu- 
 tion and punishment of sin, and these descriptions 
 fill us witli apprehensions. Death overtakes one of 
 our friends, and we are reminded that we must die and 
 stand before the judgment seat. We try to banish 
 the thoughts suggested by these things, by engaging 
 in worldly pleasures, by mingling with gay compan- 
 ions, by devoting ourselves to business, by reading 
 light literature, or in some other way. And some- 
 times we succeed in removing all serious impressions. 
 This ought not to be. Serious meditation on the word 
 and the events of providence should be cherished and 
 improved as a means of grace. Many a man has been 
 
FAITH. 17 
 
 led, in this way, to accept the Saviour. He who 
 strives with all his might to drive away serious 
 thought will not likely attain to saving faith. He 
 who meditates much on the revelations of God, as 
 made in inspiration and providence, is using one 
 means, which the Spirit has often blessed to the sal- 
 vation of the soul. 
 
 4. Among the other means of grace, prayer should 
 not be forgotten. He who gives good heed to the 
 word of God, and who engages much in serious medi- 
 tation, will be drawn to the throne of grace. If we 
 learn, from the Scriptures, our sinfulness and helpless- 
 ness, and the love of God as manifested in the gift of 
 his Son, we will often pray. That man, who is thus 
 brought to his knees, is not far from the kingdom of 
 God. "Behold, he believeth," follows hard after, 
 " Behold, he prayeth." 
 
 Nothing need be said, in this connection, of man^s 
 natural inability. The Saviour's words are unques- 
 tionably true : " No man can come to me, except the 
 Father, which hath sent me, draw him." Neverthe- 
 less, it is true, that every one in a Christian land can 
 read the word, listen to its preaching, cherish serious 
 thought, and pray to God ; and the history of the 
 church warrants the assertion that those, who make a 
 right use of these things, will inherit eternal life. 
 
18 UNITED PBESBYTERIANISM. 
 
 Though God is the author of faith, every man can use 
 the means which God has uniformly blessed. Jesus 
 spake as never man spake when he said, " Ye will not 
 come to me, that ye might have life." Therefore, if 
 we do not have saving faith, we are ourselves to 
 blame. 
 
 SOME REASONS WHY WE SHOULD BELIEVE. 
 
 1. One reason why we should accept Christ as our 
 Saviour is because this is God's command. It is God 
 who has said, '* Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and 
 thou shalt be saved ; " " This is his commandment, 
 that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus 
 Christ, and love one another, as he gave us command- 
 ment." Too many regard the words, " Believe on the 
 Lord Jesus Christ," as an invitation which they are at 
 liberty either to accept or reject. It is to be remem- 
 bered that they are a positive commandment, binding 
 on every one to whom the gospel is preached. The 
 same Grod who says, " Thou shalt have no other gods 
 before me," "Thou shalt not kill," "Thou shalt not 
 steal," says also, " Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ." 
 Nor does this positive command refer to some indefi- 
 nite time in the future. We are commanded to believe 
 now, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his 
 righteousness." " Remember now thy Creator in the 
 
FAITH. 19 
 
 days of thy youth." Those who say, as many do, that 
 they will believe at some future time, are claiming to 
 be wiser than God. It is as if they said, *^It is true, 
 God commands us to seek his kingdom first, but we 
 know better; we should first seek education, wealtii, 
 or pleasure; after that it will be time enough to seek 
 the kingdom. It is true, God has commanded us to 
 remember him in the days of our youth, but we know 
 better; old age is a more favorable time." If this is 
 true, those who do not believe in Christ are guilty, not 
 only of disobedience, but also of blasphemy. God's 
 command is the supreme reason for present faith. You 
 know that there is a God, that he is a God of power 
 and justice, and that his commands cannot be dis- 
 obeyed with impunity. Therefore, believe, and believe 
 
 71010. 
 
 2. Another reason why we should believe in Christ 
 is because salvation is inseparably connected with faith, 
 " He that believeth shall be saved, but he that believ- 
 eth not shall be damned." It is true, faith does not 
 save us ; we are saved by Christ : but faith is the ap- 
 pointed prerequisite to salvation. This may be illus- 
 trated by the miracles which Jesus wrought when he 
 was on earth. The blind men, who came to him to be 
 healed, had faith in his power. Still, it was his power, 
 and not their faith, that healed them ; their faith only 
 
20 UNITED PRESBYTERIANISM. 
 
 brought them into a place in which his healing power 
 was exercised. So faith does not save the soul, but it 
 brings the soul into a position to be saved. Faith 
 seems a small thing, but on it eternal life depends. It 
 is only the bucket, let down into the well of God's 
 grace; but without it we cannot drink and live. It is 
 a purse of cheapest and coarsest material, but it holds 
 that which gives " the true riches." Many have 
 entered heaven, but not an unbeliever is found in their 
 number ; many have gone down into the world of the 
 lost, but no believer is there. It needs no prophetic 
 insight into the future to say that, if you are saved, 
 you will have faith, and that, if you are lost, it will be 
 because you have no faith. Is not salvation to be de- 
 sired? Though we do not yet fully know in what the 
 future glory consists, we know enough to awaken the 
 greatest expectations. Heaven is the home which God 
 has prepared for his people; and that which God has 
 prepared must be perfect. In heaven all the desires 
 of the immortal soul will be satisfied. This divine 
 home of complete satisfaction can be reached only 
 through faith. If you would ever enter its gates and 
 be a partaker of its joys, you must believe. 
 
 3. Another reason why we should at once believe in 
 Christ is because the time is short. Death will come, 
 and "then shall the dust return to the earth as it was; 
 
FAITH. 21 
 
 and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.'' 
 The dying Seliever immediately passes into Paradise; 
 the dying unbeliever is straightway in "torment." If 
 we do not accept Christ as our Saviour in this life, 
 there is no hope, for we will have no opportunity to 
 accept him in the life to come. And death may come 
 at any moment. We carry about in our bodies the 
 seeds of dissolution, which may ripen at any hour of 
 the day or night. As we may die at any time, it is the 
 part of wisdom to do now that which ought to be done 
 before death. It will not do to defer this important 
 matter of faith till our dying hours, for death may 
 come without warning, or we may be rendered uncon- 
 scious through the power of disease. Even if there is 
 warning and consciousness, we will have enough to do 
 in that hour without having to make our peace with 
 God. If we cannot conquer our doubts and fears when 
 we are in the full vigor of health, how can we expect 
 to conquer them in the gathering weakness of the last 
 moments of life ? " If in the land of peace, wherein 
 thou trustedst, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou 
 do in the swelling of Jordan ?'' It is not safe to put 
 off the duty of faith, even if we were sure that we 
 would live many years. The great majority of those 
 who are converted are converted in youth. When 
 youth has passed, every year lessens the probability of 
 
22 UNITED PRESS YTERTANISM. 
 
 conversion. If we are not led to love God while the 
 heart is tender, it is not likely that we will ever love 
 him. Therefore, believe, and believe now. 
 
 These are some of the prominent reasons why we 
 should at once believe in Christ. Oh ! that the Spirit 
 would bring them with such power to our souls that 
 each one of us would say, " I receive and rest upon 
 Christ alone for salvation, as he is offered in the 
 gospel." 
 
CHAPTER 11. 
 
 CONFESSION OF FAITH. 
 
 With the mouth confession is made unto salvation. — Itom. x. 10. 
 
 "TpAITH is man^s great duty. The only answer 
 "-■- which the word of God permits us to make to 
 the question, "What must I do to be saved?" is, 
 "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ." But is this all ? 
 Reason teaches us that if there is faith in the heart, it 
 must manifest itself in the life. The Scriptures teach 
 the same truth. Inward belief and outward confession 
 must go together. Jesus says, " Whosoever shall con- 
 fess me before men, him will I confess before my 
 Father which is in heaven." John says, " Whosoever 
 shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwell- 
 eth in him and he in God." Paul says, "If thou shalt 
 confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt be- 
 lieve in thine heart that God hath raised him from the 
 dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man 
 believeth unto righteousness ; and with the mouth con- 
 fession is made unto salvation." These passages make 
 
 it plain that, if we have that saving faith, in which we 
 
 (23) 
 
24 UNITED PRESBYTERIANISM, 
 
 receive and rest upon Christ alone for salvation, as he is 
 offered in the gospel, we will and must confess our faith 
 before men. 
 
 And what is confession ? The word, which is trans- 
 lated "confess" in the passages quoted, is often ren- 
 dered " profess.'' It properly means an expression of 
 our agreement with something which is spoken or 
 maintained by others. In a religious sense, confession 
 is an expression of our agreement with what God holds 
 and declares to be true. This confession must be a 
 public one, for it is expressly said to be " with the 
 mouth." A confession or profession of religion, there- 
 fore, denotes a public assent to all the declarations 
 of God about his nature and law, about our sinfulness 
 and need of a Saviour, about heaven and hell, about 
 the Holy Ghost and the Lord Jesus, and about all 
 other matters contained in his holy word. As the doc- 
 trine respecting the Redeemer is the leading doctrine 
 of revelation, and as faith in the Redeemer is our main 
 duty, a religious confession may be defined to be an 
 open and public acknowledgment of our belief in 
 Christ as he is revealed and offered to us in the gospel. 
 vSuch an acknowledgment includes a profession of our 
 belief in all the kindred truths of revelation. Bearing 
 in mind this definition, we are ready to discuss in this 
 chapter the relation between faith and confession, the 
 
CONFESSION OF FAITH. 25 
 
 way in which confession should be made, and the im- 
 portance of such a confession. 
 
 THE ORDER OF A CONFESSION OF FAITH. 
 
 Confession is not man's first duty, for it is manifest 
 that he must have faith before he can confess it. A 
 public confession is not a means of grace, in the sense 
 in which prayer and the reading of the word are means 
 of grace. We can exhort every one to '^search the 
 Scriptures," and to be diligent in prayer, and we can 
 assure him that there is hope that he will be saved, if 
 he uses these means rightly ; but we cannot advise a 
 man to make a profession of religion till he has some 
 religion to profess. Faith must precede confession. 
 The first duty is, " Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ;" 
 the second is, "Confess that Jesus is the Son of God." 
 This is the divinely appointed order, and it cannot 
 be reversed. Every man must, therefore, determine 
 whether he has faith in Christ, before he can take this 
 second step in the path of Christian duty. Can this 
 be determined? Can any one know whether he has 
 saving faith ? Are there evidences of faith, so plain 
 and easily understood, that they cannot be mistaken ? 
 The word of God answers these questions in the 
 affirmative. What are some of these evidences? 
 
 One evidence of faith is a hatred of sin. Nothing 
 
26 UNITED PRESBYTERIANISM. 
 
 reveals the great evil of sin so plainly as the sufferings 
 of Golgotha. If we believe that Jesus died for our 
 sins, we will hate them and turn from them. Of 
 course, we cannot hope for perfect sinlessness in the 
 present life, "For there is not a just man upon earth, 
 that doeth good, and sinneth not." While we remain 
 in the flesh, we must expect the flesh to lust against 
 the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh. Still, the 
 man who believes in Jesus will long and struggle for 
 deliverance, and will hate sin more and more. Do you 
 hate sin ? Do you "abhor that which is evil, cleave 
 to that which is good ? " If you do, you have one 
 evidence of the possession of saving faith, for hatred 
 of sin is a result of faith. 
 
 Another evidence of faith is love for God. By 
 nature, the sinner fears God, for he knows that he is 
 an enemy of God. He dreads every approach into the 
 presence of God. But when he sees the love of God, 
 as manifested in the gift of his Son, and feels that Go4's 
 love is extended towards him, his fear and dread give 
 place to love for the heavenly Father, who has done 
 so much for him. It ought not to be difficult to dis- 
 cover whether we love God or not. We have no 
 trouble in deciding whether we love an earthly friend. 
 If we love God, we will take pleasure in thinking 
 .about him, in communing with him, and in doing that 
 
CONFESSION OF FAITH. 27 
 
 which is pleasing in his sight. Our old thoughts of 
 God as a tyrant will pass away, and we will think of 
 hira as our reconciled Father.<» Do you love God? 
 Is your meditation of him sweet? Is it your delight 
 to please him ? If so, you have another evidence of 
 the possession of saving faith, for love to God is a 
 result of faith. 
 
 Another evidence of faith is love for the saints. 
 "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, 
 if ye have love one to another." This Christian affec- 
 tion is cherished towards all disciples, not because they 
 are bound to us by the ties of nature or of gratitude, 
 but simply because they are disciples. It reveals itself 
 in kind words, helpful deeds and loving prayers. Do 
 you have such love ? If so, you have another evidence 
 of the possession of saving faith. 
 
 Another evidence of faith is a sincere resolution and 
 endeavor to keep the commandments of God. "Ye 
 are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you." 
 We can learn the Lord's commandments only from the 
 Scriptures. Those who study the Bible, and who live 
 according to its precepts, have evidence of faith, 
 "Because the carnal mind is enmity against God : for 
 it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can 
 be." 
 
 Another evidence of faith is a consciousness of having 
 
28 UNITED PRESBYTERIANISM, 
 
 accepted Christ as he is oiFered in the gospel. P>ery 
 believer ought to be able to say, " He loved me and 
 gave himself for me." This assurance does not rest 
 on any revelation of God's purposes concerning our 
 election, or on the possession of any good qualities 
 which recommend us to the favorable notice of God, 
 but solely on the free oifer of Christ to sinners. We 
 accept him because he is offered to us, and as he 
 is offered. Do you thus accept Christ and rely on 
 him alone for salvation ? If you do, you have 
 faith. 
 
 By means of these and other evidences, laid down 
 in the word, and applied to the life in careful and 
 prayerful self-examination, every one can determine 
 whether he has faith in Christ. If he has not faith, 
 his duty is to believe. This is the first step, and no 
 other is possible till this is taken. If he has faith, 
 what is his next duty ? It is to confess his faith in the 
 way God has appointed. Just at this point many hesi- 
 tate and stumble. They hope they have accepted 
 Christ as their Saviour, but they are afraid they are 
 not yet ready to make a profession of religion. If you 
 hate sin, if you love God and his people, if you are 
 sincerely trying to keep his commandments, and if you, 
 knowing who Christ is and what he has done, intelli- 
 gently accept him as he is offered, you have faith, and 
 
CONFESSION OF FAITH. 29 
 
 it is your duty to show your faith by a public confes- 
 sion. How can such a confession be made ? 
 
 THE MANNER OF A CONFESSION OF FAITH. 
 
 1. A confession of faith is to be made by a union 
 with the church. A confession, as already defined, is a 
 public declaration of our belief in the testimony of God 
 concerning his Son, and of our acceptance of Christ as 
 our Saviour. It must be a public declaration. The 
 very essence of a confession " with the mouth " is mak- 
 ing known to others the belief of our hearts. Nothing, 
 therefore, can be called a confession which is not made 
 publicly, in the presence of men. Nor can anything 
 be called by this name which does not distinctly de- 
 clare our faith in the Lord Jesus. Whatever else there 
 may be in it, it must contain a profession of our ac- 
 ceptance of Christ as our Saviour. Anything which 
 fulfils these two essentials may be called a confession. 
 A man might stand at the corner of the streets with a 
 placard hung about his neck on which was inscribed, 
 " Christ is my Saviour ; " he might publish his faith 
 through the daily press ; he might stop every man he 
 met and tell him of his Christianity ; but these are 
 not the ways God has appointed. The way of divine 
 appointment is by a union with the church. 
 
 A union with the church meets the essentials of a 
 
30 UNITED PRESBYTERIANISM. 
 
 confession. Whether it is made in the presence of the 
 session alone, or in the presence of the session and con- 
 gregation, it is a public act. It is, also, a declaration 
 of faith in Christ, for while the man is required to pro- 
 fess his adherence to, and belief in the doctrines of the 
 church with which he is uniting, the most important 
 part of his profession is in answer to the question, "Do 
 you profess your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, your 
 acceptance of him as your Saviour, and your resolu- 
 tion, through grace, to continue in the faith ? '' He who 
 makes this profession, whose name is recorded as a mem- 
 ber of the church, and who takes his seat with the people 
 of the Lord at the table of the Lord, says by these acts, 
 in the presence of all men, "I am a disciple of Jesus.'* 
 Such a union with the church is the divinely ap- 
 pointed way of making a confession of faith. God 
 has established a church in the world, and he has 
 mentioned faith in his Son as the distinguishing char- 
 acteristic of the true members of the church. Hence, 
 it is evident, that the church is designed for believers. 
 God declares that his people are " not of the world ; '*' 
 he calls them "his peculiar people;'' he commands 
 them to be " separate," and the line of separation is 
 the line which divides the church from the world. 
 In connection with all this, the Saviour's repeated 
 words concerning confessing him before men, and 
 
COKFESSION OF FAIIH. 31 
 
 being ashamed of him before men, point plainly to a 
 union with the church. The design of the church, 
 the characteristics of its members, the commands of 
 God and the invitations of the gospel prove, beyond 
 question, that such a union with the church is the 
 divinely appointed way of making a public confession 
 of faith. 
 
 A union with the church is a natural expression of 
 faith. If a man believes that Christ has saved his 
 soul, he will love Christ ; and where there is love, 
 there will be an earnest desire to keep the Saviour's 
 commandments. One prominent command is, "Do 
 this in remembrance of me.'' But before we can 
 commemorate the Saviour's death by partaking of the 
 emblems of his broken body and shed blood, we must 
 make a profession of his name by a union with his 
 church. Can it be possible that any one, who has love 
 for the Redeemer, will knowingly and persistently re- 
 fuse to obey any of his commandments, especially his 
 dying request for remembrance? Humanly speaking, 
 we might forget or disobey any other command, but to 
 forget or disobey the command spoken by Jesus, when 
 he was about to drink to the very dregs the wine of 
 God's wrath prepared for us, would be beyond the 
 baseness of ingratitude. Besides this, if there is a true 
 love for the Saviour, there will be an earnest desire to 
 
32 UNITED PRESBYTERIANISM. 
 
 extend his kingdom and promote his glory. Can this 
 be done by remaining openly on the side of Satan ? by 
 using our example and influence in the service of the 
 great enemy of souls? It is impossible. If we would 
 fight the good figlit of faith and assist the Captain of 
 our salvation in his holy warfare against the adversary, 
 we must number ourselves with his followers, and put 
 on his uniform and armor. 
 
 As a union with the church is a matter of divine 
 appointment, and a natural expression of faith in 
 Christ, it may be said, without fear of contradiction, 
 that in ordinary circumstances the visible church is 
 the only door through which we can enter the church 
 invisible. We must enlist in the church militant, and 
 we must serve the time of our enlistment, whether it is 
 long or short, or we cannot expect to have our names 
 enrolled among the members of the church triumphant. 
 Of course, there are extraordinary circumstances, of 
 rare occurrence, in which a union with the church is 
 impossible ; but in all ordinary cases, union with the 
 church must precede entrance into glory. Those who 
 confess Christ before men in the appointed way are the 
 only ones who have the right to expect that he will 
 confess them before his Father, who is in heaven. 
 
 The conclusion from all this is obvious. If you 
 have scriptural evidence that you have accepted Christ 
 
CONFESSION OF FAITH. 33 
 
 as your Saviour, it is your duty to confess your faith 
 by a union with the church. Your faith may as yet 
 be weak, but you cannot strengthen it by neglecting a 
 plain duty. You may feel your un worthiness and sin- 
 fulness, but greater holiness can be reached only 
 through sincere endeavor to keep God's command- 
 ments. Delay can be of no advantage ; it but hinders 
 the blessing. Every man's first duty is to believe in 
 Christ. When this duty has been performed, he is to 
 show his faith by a union with the church. 
 
 2. A confession of faith is to be made by a holy and 
 consistent life. Some seem to think that their whole 
 duty is performed, when they have united with the 
 church and taken a seat at the communion table. 
 They regard their confession as then ended, and they 
 flatter themselves that all they have to do is to wait 
 till Christ acknowledges them in glory. But this is a 
 serious error. Union with the church is only one 
 step ; many others must be taken before the end of the 
 Christian journey is reached. These many other steps 
 are briefly described in the words, a holy and consistent 
 life. Such a life is the outgrowth and evidence of true 
 faith in Christ, and real membership in the church. 
 
 "What is it to live a holy life? It is to imitate 
 Christ's example, for he has left us an example that 
 we should follow in his steps. He went about doing 
 
34 UNITED PRESBYTERIAN ISM. 
 
 good, he healed the sick, he comforted the sorrowing, 
 he preached the gospel to the poor, he lived for our 
 fallen race, he was *Mioly, harmless, undefiLed, separate 
 from sinners." We are to strive to be like him. If 
 we would know how we should conduct ourselves at 
 any time or in any place, we should ask and answer in 
 the light of revelation this question: "What would 
 Jesus have said, what would he have done in such cir- 
 cumstances as these ?" To live a holy life is to keep 
 Christ's commandments. He has left us, not only an 
 example to be imitated, but also commandments to be 
 obeyed. These commandments are plain and com- 
 plete. He who is familiar with the Saviour's instruc- 
 tions will not often be at a loss to know what his duty 
 is. An earnest striving after perfect obedience is good 
 evidence of the reality of our faith and the sincerity of 
 our profession. Owing to our weakness and depravity 
 of heart, we will sometimes transgress. Because a 
 man now and then falls into sin, it is not conclusive 
 evidence that he is a child of wrath ; but no one can 
 claim to be holy who refuses to obey the known com- 
 mandments of God. To confess Christ and to disobey 
 him is a contradiction in terms. To live a holy life is 
 to submit to Christ's will. He is the Lord of provi- 
 dence as well as God of revelation. He sends or per- 
 mits the disappointments, sorrows and trials, which so 
 
CONFESSION OF FAITH. 35 
 
 often visit the homes and hearts of men ; and it is 
 as much our duty to submit patiently to these dispen- 
 sations of Providence as it is to obey the commands 
 of the decalogue. 
 
 Those who strive to imitate Christ's example, to 
 keep his commandments, and to submit to his will, are 
 living a holy life. Our imitation, obedience and sub- 
 mission may be, and must be, imperfect, but every 
 one who honestly tries for these graces is confessing 
 Christ. It is to be observed, that a union with the 
 church and an endeavor to live a holy life must go 
 together. Neither is sufficient in itself. If we unite 
 with the church and try, with watchfulness and 
 prayer, to live a holy life, we are confessing Christ be- 
 fore men, as he has commanded us to do, and we 
 have a right to expect his blessing. 
 
 THE IMPORTANCE OF A CONFESSIOX OF FAITH. 
 
 1. A public profession of faith is a safeguard against 
 temptation. It does not prevent temptations, but it 
 helps to resist them. A man who has taken the vows 
 of church membership, and who knows that the eyes 
 of the church and the world are upon him, finds it 
 easier to do the right and abstain from the wrong. A 
 sense of honor puts him on his guard. When he is 
 tempted to go where he should not go, to do what he 
 
36 UNITED PRESBYTERIANISM. 
 
 should not do, or to say what he should not say, the 
 remembrance of his solemn profession will check the 
 sinful step, deed, or word. He can say to every 
 tempter, " From henceforth let no man trouble me ; for 
 I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus/' 
 
 2. A public profession is a help to faithfulness. We 
 have many difficult duties to perform, and owing to 
 our weakness we need help in this direction. The 
 great inspiration to faithfulness is the love of Christ 
 and the reward he has promised to the faithful ; but 
 the assistance which comes from a confession of faith 
 should not be overlooked. Every man who has taken 
 the vows of God upon him, and who has any proper 
 sense of the obligation of these vows, will be diligent 
 in reading and hearing the word, in prayer and self- 
 examination, in laboring for his own sanctification and 
 the sanctification of others, in consecrating himself and 
 his possessions to the service of God, and in every 
 other good word and work. AYhen he grows careless 
 in duty, the remembrance of his public profession will 
 spur him to renewed diligence. His language will 
 ever be that of the Psalmist, " Thy vows are upon me, 
 O God ; I will render praise unto thee." 
 
 3. A public profession is necessary in order to exert 
 a good influence upon others. It should be the aim of 
 every man to lead his fellows to holiness, usefulness, 
 
CONFESSION OF FAITH. 37 
 
 and happiness. This end can be reached only by 
 bringing them to Christ. We are the keepers of our 
 brethren, whether we realize it or not. We are con- 
 tinually exerting an influence on them, either for good 
 or evil. If our influence would be for good, we must 
 not only give them counsel, we must also set them an 
 example. What influence can one have for good 
 who is openly on the side of evil ? What success can 
 a man have in bringing men to Christ who refuses to 
 acknowledge Christ as his Lord ? Eloquent preaching 
 will avail little without a holy life behind it. Earnest 
 entreaties are in vain where there is not a consistent 
 profession to give them emphasis. No one can hope 
 for any measure of Paul's success, unless he can say, 
 with something of PauFs sincerity, " Be ye followers 
 of me, even as I also am of Christ.'' 
 
 4. A public confession of faith is a commanded duty. 
 That which God has commanded must be important. 
 Has he commanded a profession of religion ? Every 
 one who is familiar with the teachings of the Bible 
 knows he has. Because this is a commanded duty, we 
 neglect it at our peril. 
 
 It is true, faith is the appointed prerequisite to sal- 
 vation, but it is not, in ordinary cases, the only one. 
 If we would be shielded against temptation, assisted 
 in duty, useful to others, and obedient to God, we 
 
38 UNITED PRESBYTERIANISM. 
 
 must make a profession of our faith. He who has 
 said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ/' has also 
 said, "Confess before men." The Bible makes a pro- 
 fession of religion as indispensable to salvation as be- 
 lieving. 1^, then, you have scriptural evidence that 
 you believe in Christ, it is your present duty to confess 
 him before men, for it is written, " With the heart 
 man belie veth unto righteousness ; and with the mouth 
 confession is made unto salvation." 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 THE CHURCH. 
 
 I>Lsi)ise ye the church of God? — 1 Cor. xi. 22. 
 
 rriHE divinely appointed way of making a confes- 
 -^ sion of faith in Christ is by a union with the 
 church. Before one can do this intelligently, he must 
 know what the church is. To the consideration of this 
 point we turn our attention in the present chapter. 
 What is the church? The answer to this question 
 must be sought in the word of God. We may learn 
 something of what the church is by studying its work- 
 ings and observing its members; but if we would know 
 what it was designed to bo, and what it ought to be, 
 we must go to the revelation of him who established 
 it in the world. When we turn to our Bibles, one of 
 the first things which arrests our attention is, that the 
 word is used in a variety of senses. 
 i 
 
 THE DIFFERENT MEANINGS OF THE WORD. 
 
 The word ''church'^ does not occur in our transla- 
 tion of the Old Testament Scriptures. Still, it is evi- 
 
 (39) 
 
40 UNITED PRESBYTERIANISM. 
 
 dent that there was a church before the incarnation. 
 The Jewish church is called "Israel," "Jerusalem," 
 "Zion." Every careful reader of the Bible knows 
 that the glorious things spoken of Zion and Jerusalem 
 in the prophets and the Psalms have reference to the 
 church of God. In our translation of the New Testa- 
 ment, the word is found no less than one hundred and 
 ten times, but it does not always have the same mean- 
 ing. The writers of the New Testament never use it, 
 as we so often do, to describe the house in which Chris- 
 tians meet for the worship of God, although it very 
 early received this meaning. 
 
 In the New Testament, the church sometimes de- 
 notes a single godly family, or a few individuals asso- 
 ciated together in observing the institutions of the gos- 
 pel. "Greet the church that is in the house of Aquila 
 and Priscilla." " Salute the church which is in the 
 house of Nymphas." It is likely that these churches 
 consisted of the children and serv^ants of the persons 
 named, and of a few neighbors and friends, who, hav- 
 ing professed the faith, met at their houses at stated 
 times to hear the word and to unite in prayer and 
 praise. We have reason to believe that* the early 
 Christians conducted their worship, for the most part, 
 in their homes. They were poor and unable to build 
 churches, and large gatherings in public places would 
 attract attention and excite persecution. 
 
THE CHURCH. 41 
 
 The church sometimes signifies all the Christians in 
 a particular city, whether they assembled for worship 
 in one place or in several places. Such expressions as 
 these are not uncommon in the New Testament: "The 
 church at Antioch," " the church in Jerusalem," " the 
 church in Ephesus." It is hardly to be supposed that 
 in such large cities, where the apostles had labored for 
 years, and where " much people " had been added to 
 the Lord, all the professed disciples of Jesus could 
 meet in one place for worship. We must, therefore, 
 conclude that all the Christian families and congrega- 
 tions of the same city are sometimes called the church. 
 We also read of the churches of Judea, the churches 
 of Galatia, the churches of Macedonia, the churches of 
 Asia. In such phrases, the term describes all the pro- 
 fessing Christians in the same country or province. 
 
 The church sometimes signifies all the disciples of 
 Christ throughout the world. " The church of God, 
 which he hath purchased with his own blood ; " 
 "Christ loved the church and gave himself for it;" 
 " The church of the living God, the pillar and ground 
 of the truth." In these passages, and in many other 
 similar ones, the terra includes all, in every country 
 and in every age, who acknowledge Jesus Christ as 
 their Lord. 
 
 This universal church is sometimes spoken of as the 
 
42 UNITED PRESBYTERIANISM, 
 
 church militant and the church triumphant. The 
 former comprehends those who are engaged in spiritual 
 warfare on earth, wrestling against principalities and 
 powers, struggling with the temptations of the world, 
 the flesh and the devil, and in some cases resisting 
 even unto death. The latter is made up of the glori- 
 fied saints, who have overcome by the blood of the 
 Lamb, and obtained the crown of life which fadeth not 
 away. But they both constitute one church, subject to 
 the same head, animated by the same spirit, interested 
 in the same things and engaged in the same worship. 
 
 Another distinction must be made. There is a 
 church visible and a church invisible. The Westmin- 
 ster Confession of Faith thus defines the invisible 
 church : *' The catholic or universal church, which is 
 invisible, consists of the whole number of the elect, 
 that have been, are, or shall be gathered into one 
 under Christ, the head thereof." Of this church the 
 Apostle speaks: "Christ loved the church and gave 
 himself for it ; that he might sanctify and cleanse it 
 with the washing of water by the word, 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." Some of the members 
 of this church have finished their course and entered 
 into heaven ; some are still on earth ; others have not 
 
THE CHURCH. 43 
 
 yet been born. They will not be brought into one 
 place till 'the end comes; and then they will constitute 
 " the general assembly and church of the first-born, 
 which are written in heaven." This is the true church 
 in which God dwells, for which Christ died, and to 
 which the promises are made. " Not one of them is 
 lost." It is said to be invisible, because it cannot be 
 discovered by the eye. That part of it, which is in 
 heaven, is beyond the reach of human knowledge. So 
 far as it exists on earth, it lies hidden in the visible 
 church, from which it cannot be certainly distin- 
 guished. The qualifications of its members are in- 
 ternal ; their faith and love are not objects of sense. 
 If we try to separate the two, we are liable to err, and 
 we may suppose saints to be hypocrites and hypocrites 
 to be saints. The church invisible is unseen by every 
 eye, save the eye of God. He only " knows them that 
 are his." But in the discussion in which we are now 
 engaged, we have to do mainly with 
 
 THE VISIBLE CHURCH. 
 
 The visible church, according to our Confession of 
 Faith, " consists of all those throughout the world that 
 profess the true religion, together with their children ; 
 and is the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ, the 
 house and family of God, out of which there is no 
 
44 UNITED PRESBYTERIANISM. 
 
 ordinary possibility of salvation." It comprehends, 
 therefore, all men, no matter to what sect they belong, 
 or how they may differ in some particulars, who pro- 
 fess faith in the Lord Jesus, acknowledge the Scrip- 
 tures of the Old and New Testaments to be the only 
 rule of faith and practice, and observe the ordinances 
 of the gospel. Of this church Paul speaks : "I perse- 
 cuted the church and wasted it ; " " God hath set some 
 in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, 
 thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of heal- 
 ing, helps, governments, diversities of tongues/' This 
 church is called visible, because the persons who com- 
 pose it are not angels or invisible spirits, but men 
 dwelling in mortal flesh. It is a human society, and 
 falls under the observation of our senses. Its members 
 are known; its assemblies are public; we may be 
 present in them and witness their peculiar rites and 
 ceremonies. We recognize it as we recognize any 
 other society. Having learned from the Scriptures the 
 characteristics of its members, wherever we see a so- 
 ciety which conforms to this Scripture pattern in its 
 creed and observances, we must recognize that society 
 as the visible church, or rather as a part of the visible 
 church. 
 
 THE HEAD OF THE VISIBLE CHURCH. 
 
 The head of the visible church is Christ. In this 
 
THE CHURCH. 45 
 
 respect, it is like the church invisible. Christ says 
 of it, "Upon this rock I will build my church/' It 
 is called " the church of God/' " the church of the 
 living God." Christ is said to be •' the head of the 
 church/' and the church is said to be "subject unto, 
 Christ." It is not the outgrowth of human wisdom, 
 God has established the church in the world. By his 
 word and Spirit he calls men into it and prepares them 
 for connection with it. He has given laws for its 
 government, which are to be found in his inspired 
 word. He has appointed certain officers, who are to 
 administer its affairs under his supreme authority, and 
 who are responsible to him for their faithfulness. He 
 defends its members from their enemies and assures 
 them of final victory. He has provided for them a 
 home and a kingdom in the glory he has revealed. 
 The church visible is God's church. It is compared 
 to a temple, in which he delights to dwell. Every 
 thing about this temple, from the foundation to the 
 topmost stone, is designed by him and wrought out by 
 his appointed agents. It therefore becomes us to think 
 and speak of the church with reverence, for it is the 
 dwelling-place of God. 
 
 THE DESIGN OF THE VISIBLE CHURCH. 
 
 As God is " the only wise God," we may be sure 
 
46 UNITED PRESBYTERIANISM, 
 
 that he had some design in establishing the church in 
 the world. This design is plainly revealed in the 
 Scriptures. It was designed to be the depository of 
 divine truth, in which the truth should be preserved 
 through all the ages, and by which it should be pub- 
 lished to the world. To the Jewish church were com- 
 mitted '' the oracles of God," and this sacred trust has 
 been transferred to the Christian church. This is the 
 reason why the Apostle calls the church " the pillar 
 and ground of the truth." It is the province of the 
 church to lift up the revealed truth in the presence of 
 men, so that all may know and understand it. That 
 church, no matter by what name it is called, which 
 does not, as a pillar, hold up the truth, is not fulfilling 
 the design of its appointment. 
 
 The church was also designed to maintain and pre- 
 serve the ordinances of Christ. Prominent among 
 these ordinances are the word, sacraments and prayer. 
 These ordinances were appointed for the glory of God 
 through the salvation of men, and it is important 
 that they should be observed while there is & soul to 
 be saved and a God to be glorified. 
 
 The church was also intended to be the asylum of 
 sinners. It is the place of safety in that time of de- 
 struction which is coming on the wicked. It is like 
 the cities of refuge in the promised land, to which 
 
 I 
 
THE CHURCH. 47 
 
 the man-slayer fled from the avenger of blood. Sinners 
 are called by the gospel to leave the society of the 
 world and to enter into the church by faith, that tliey 
 may escape from the aj)proaching woe. 
 
 The church is also the nursery of the saints. They 
 have duties to do in the present life and a happi- 
 ness to enjoy in the next; and they are trained and 
 prepared for present duty and future happiness by 
 the instructions, oversight and discipline of the 
 church. 
 
 This is what God designed the church to be and to 
 do; and that church which is not a depository of the 
 truth, an observer of the ordinances of Christ, an 
 asylum of sinners and a nursery of saints, is not ful- 
 filling the end of its organization. 
 
 THE MEMBERS OF THE VISIBLE CHURCH. 
 
 As God is the King and head of the church, and as 
 he has established it for the accomplishment of certain 
 ends, it is evident that he alone has the right to pre- 
 scribe the qualifications of its members. The teaching 
 of the word on this point is summed up in the follow- 
 ing statement : "All who profess faith in Christ and 
 obedience to his laws, together with their children, are 
 members of the visible church.'^ From this statement, 
 and from the texts of Scripture on which it is founded, 
 
48 UNITED PBESBYTERIANISM. 
 
 we can discover the qualifications of the members of 
 the visible church. 
 
 1. One qualification is baptism. Christ has ap- 
 pointed this as the rite of initiation in his church. 
 When he sent the apostles to establish the church on 
 earth he commanded 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.'^ Men 
 are to be made disciples by baptism. This does not 
 mean that baptism would constitute them such, or 
 that the apostles and their successors were to baptize 
 all who came in their way; but that they were to re- 
 ceive into the visible church, by baptism, all who 
 accepted the gospel and professed faith in Christ. As 
 the uncircumcised were not recognized as members of 
 the Jewish church, so the unbaptized have no right to 
 enter the Christian church. It does not follow, how- 
 ever, that baptism is necessary to salvation, for men 
 have been savingly enlightened when they were in such 
 circumstances that baptism was impossible. No doubt, 
 these men were members of the church invisible, but 
 they were not members of the church visible ; and it 
 is of the visible church we are speaking. When men 
 have access to this church they are bound by the 
 highest authority to enter its communion. If a man 
 knows that baptism is an ordinance of Christ, if it is 
 
THE CHURCH. 49 
 
 in his power to be baptized, and if he deliberately 
 neglects this rite, he cannot be regarded as a member 
 of either the visible or invisible church. 
 
 2. Another qualification of the members of the 
 church is knowledge. It is not easy to say how much 
 knowledge is necessary in order to a right profession 
 of faith. Men differ so much in education, talents, and 
 opportunities, that it would be unjust to require the 
 same proficiency in all ; but unless a person knows 
 something about his own character and state, some- 
 thing about the person, offices and work of the Saviour, 
 and something about the promises of God and the 
 duties of a Christian, he cannot make an intelligent 
 profession of faith, or be received as a member of the 
 church. The ultimate standard of knowledge is the 
 Scriptures. No one who is ignorant of the doctrines 
 of^race, as revealed in the Bible, has a right to a place 
 in the church. 
 
 3. Another qualification of the members of the 
 church is a pr^ofession of faith. It is not simply the 
 possession of knowledge which entitles a man to church 
 membership, but a public declaration of his knowledge 
 of the gospel, and of his acceptance of Christ as a 
 Saviour. Nothing need be said here on this point, 
 as it was discussed at considerable length in the last 
 chapter. 
 
50 ' UNITED PRESBYTERIANISM. 
 
 4. Another qualification of the members of the 
 church is a holy life. As this point was also discussed 
 in the last chapter, we pass it by with the remark, that 
 Jesus has made a holy life the rule by which we are 
 to judge of the reality of our profession, and of the 
 profession of others. " Ye shall know them by their 
 fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of 
 thistles ? '' 
 
 The officers of the church have to judge whether 
 professors of religion, and those who desire to become 
 professors of religion, have these necessary qualifica- 
 tions ; and as the officers of the church are men and 
 fallible, they are sometimes deceived. Therefore, in 
 the visible church there is a mixture of saints and sin- 
 ners, as there is of wheat and tares in the field, and of 
 grain and chaflp on the threshing-floor ; but every man 
 who has been baptized, who possesses a sufficient 
 knowledge of the Scriptures, who makes a public pro- 
 fession of faith, and who lives a consistent life, is to 
 be recognized as a member of the visible church. If he 
 is what he professes to be, he is also a member of the 
 church invisible. 
 
 THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE VISIBLE CHURCH. 
 
 1. Its first characteristic is its unity. Though it is 
 scattered through different lands and divided into dif- 
 
THE CHURCH. 51 
 
 ferent sects, it is one, because it has in all its divisions 
 " one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and 
 Father of all/^ Those who profess the true religion 
 agree in all fundamental points, and their oneness is 
 not destroyed by their disagreement in minor points. 
 Particular churches are but parts of the visible church, 
 which is one. 
 
 2. Another characteristic of the church is its catho- 
 licity. It is adapted to the needs of all men, and its 
 blessings are offered to all. It is called catholic, or 
 universal, not because all men are members of it, but 
 because it comprehends all, in every age and nation, 
 who profess the true religion and observe the ordi- 
 nances of the gospel. And inspired prophecy gives us 
 reason to hope that, in some future age, all the world 
 will be converted, and all its inhabitants will be wor- 
 shipers of the living God and followers of his Christ. 
 
 3. Another characteristic of the church is its "per- 
 petuity. In the most degenerate times God has had a 
 faithful seed to do him service, and we believe, on the 
 best authority, that as the church has existed from its 
 erection to the present day, so it will continue through 
 all subsequent ages, till the second coming of Christ. 
 "Upon this rock I will build my church, and the 
 gates of hell shall not prevail against it." 
 
52 UNITED PRESBYTERIANISM. 
 
 DESPISING THE VISIBLE CHURCH. 
 
 We might suppose that all men who know anything 
 about the visible church would delight to do it honor. 
 God has established it in the world ; its design is a 
 noble one ; its members are the honorable of earth ; its 
 characteristics are such as to commend it to a high 
 place in our esteem. It would seem as if God had 
 done everything to recommend his church to the favor- 
 able notice of men ; and yet there are those who are 
 daily brought into contact with the church who openly 
 despise it. v 
 
 How may we despise the church ? 
 
 1. We may despise the church by refusing to unite 
 with it The Saviour commands us to confess him 
 before men. We have seen that the appointed and 
 only way of confessing our faith is by identifying our- 
 selves with the church. Those who do not identify 
 themselves with the church are guilty of open disobe- 
 dience. They say that there is no use in the church ; 
 that they can be believers out of it as well as in it. 
 God did not think so, or he would not have organized 
 a church for the good of men. And what are we that 
 we should claim to be wiser than God ? Some excuse 
 themselves for not uniting with the church because of 
 the unworthy lives of church members. It is to be 
 
THE CHURCH. 53 
 
 regretted that their excuse has so much foundation. 
 Nevertheless, when God instituted the visible church, 
 he did not give the officers of that church the power 
 of omniscience, to know the hearts of men. There- 
 fore, there ever has been, and there ever will be, from 
 the very nature of the case, a mixture of saints and 
 sinners in the church. Though this is known to the 
 Saviour, he commands men to confess him ; and there 
 is no better way of confessing him than by a union 
 with the church, unworthy as many of its members 
 confessedly are. The sins of others do not excuse our 
 sinfulness. The inconsistent lives of church members 
 do not repeal the command of God. As long as that 
 command remains in force, those who refuse to connect 
 themselves with the church are guilty of despising it. 
 
 2. We may despise the church by an improper oh- 
 servance of its ordinances. Some of the members of 
 the Corinthian church had fallen into this sin. They 
 had been recently converted from heathenism, and, 
 taking pattern from the feasts they had been wont to 
 observe in honor of their former gods, they made the 
 Lord's Supper an occasion for revelry. Paul describes 
 and rebukes their sin in the question, " Despise ye the 
 church of God?'' Professing Christians do not now 
 make the sacrament of the Supper a drunken feast. 
 But this is not the only way of observing improperly 
 
54 UNITED PRESS YTERIANISM. 
 
 the ordinances of religion. Those who do not perform 
 
 the preparatory duty of self-examination, who look 
 
 upon baptism with superstitious feelings, who hear and 
 
 read the word of God with carelessness, and who 
 
 * 
 neglect secret, family, or public prayer, are guilty of 
 
 despising the ordinances of the church, and the church 
 
 itself. They say by their conduct that the divinely 
 
 appointed rites of religion are of no value. 
 
 3. We may despise the church by endeavoring to do 
 by other means what God intended to be done by his 
 church. We have already seen the design of God in 
 establishing the church, but men sometimes try to 
 accomplish this design in a way entirely separate from 
 the church. They attempt to increase human happi- 
 ness, to reform the vile, to care for the poor, and to in- 
 struct the young, by means of various societies and 
 associations. The design of these societies may be 
 commendable, but in so far as they aim to do what 
 God intended to be done by his church, they are to be 
 condemned ; and those who identify themselves with 
 these societies and neglect tlie church are manifestly 
 guilty of despising the church. 
 
 This is the visible church with which we must unite 
 if we would confess our faith in the appointed way. 
 If we do not connect ourselves with it we despise it, 
 and impute folly to God who established it in the 
 
THE CHURCH, 55 
 
 world. In uniting with the church we acknowledge 
 Christ as our king, we profess to have the character- 
 istics of its members, and we promise to labor and 
 pray for the advancement of the great designs for 
 which it was organized. In view of the love of God 
 as manifested in the church, and of the privileges and 
 blessings it offers to ourselves and others, the song of 
 our grateful hearts should ever be, " If I forget thee, 
 O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its cunning. 
 If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to 
 the roof of my mouth ; if I do not prefer Jerusalem 
 above my chief joy." 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 THE DIFFERENT CHURCHES. 
 
 I hear that there be divisions among you ; and I partly believe it. 
 —1 Cor. xi. 18. 
 
 rriHE visible church is one, having " one Lord, one 
 faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all." 
 This is what the word of God describes it to be. But 
 when we turn to the church, as it actually exists on 
 earth, we find that it is divided into different denom- 
 inations, each one claiming that its creed and ob- 
 servances are more in accordance with the revealed 
 will of God than those of any other. But we have 
 seen that the visible church "consists of all those 
 throughout the world who profess the true religion;" 
 that they agree in all fundamental points, that their 
 oneness is not destroyed by their disagreement in minor 
 points, and that particular churches are but parts of 
 the church visible, which is one. Still, it is impossible 
 for a man to unite with all denominations ; he must 
 select one out of the many, and identify himself with 
 it. Suppose, then, that we believe in Christ as our 
 
 Saviour, and that we are persuaded that the appointed 
 (56) 
 
THE DIFFERENT CHURCHES. 57 
 
 way of confessing him before men is by uniting with 
 his church, the question presents itself for an answer : 
 With what denomination of the church should we 
 unite? No man can answer this question intelligently, 
 unless he knows something about the various denom- 
 inations, and the grounds of their differences. 
 
 THE DIFFERENT FORMS OF CHURCH GOVERNMENT. 
 
 It would be difficult, if not impossible, to say into 
 how many sects the visible church has been divided. 
 Not a few of these sects, which have had an existence 
 in former ages, have passed away, and little is known 
 of them save their names. Many are now in exist- 
 ence, laboring side by side, and maintaining, with 
 greater or less faithfulness, the truth of the gospel as 
 they understand it. It is not unlikely that new sects 
 will be organized in the future. One thing, in which 
 these many sects differ, is in the form of their govern- 
 ment. Their agreement or disagreement in this re- 
 gard suggests a classification, which is easily remem- 
 bered, and which is sufficient for our present purpose. 
 
 It is essential to a church that it should have some 
 form of government. It is a human society, and men 
 cannot work together with efficiency without a system 
 of laws for the regulation of their conduct. It is 
 thought by some that the form of church government 
 
58 UNITED PRESBYTERIAN ISM. 
 
 is a matter of little importance, and that it can be 
 changed to meet the circumstances in which the church 
 is placed. We are told that one form is best in one 
 country and under one form of civil government, that 
 another is best in another land, and that God has left 
 it to the wisdom of his church to adapt itself to its 
 surroundings, so far as the mere form of its govern- 
 ment is concerned. But this theory is inconsistent 
 with the minute directions God gave for the govern- 
 ment of the Old Testament church. Its rulers, their' 
 duties, responsibilities and rank, are described with 
 the greatest plainness. If God thus regulated the 
 affairs of the Jewish church, it w^ould be unreasonable 
 to suppose that he would leave the Christian church 
 without regulation. Nor is this theory consistent with 
 the best interests of tTie church. The form of govern- 
 ment is, without question, an important element in the 
 growth, prosperity and success of the church. Eccle- 
 siastical history proves conclusively that the purity and 
 usefulness of the church depend largely on its methods 
 of administration. It would not be consistent with 
 the inspired representations of God's love and care for 
 the Christian church, to suppose that he would suffer 
 so important a matter as the form of its government to 
 be determined by fallible men. The history of the 
 Jewish church, and God's love for the Christian 
 
THE DIFFERENT CHURCHES. 59 
 
 church, must lead to the conclusion that some form of 
 government is of divine appointment. What that 
 appointed form is, can be learned only from the New 
 Testament Scriptures. 
 
 It is generally agreed that the New Testament is 
 the source of information on this point ; but the dif- 
 ferent denominations do not understand its teachings 
 in the same way. Therefore, some have adopted one 
 form of government; others have adopted another; 
 and all appeal to the Scriptures as their authority. 
 The different churches, in respect to their forms of 
 government, arrange themselves in three classes : the 
 Episcopal, the Congregational, and the Presbyterian. 
 To one of these classes every denomination must be- 
 long. Those who belong to the first class may differ 
 in other matters, but they agree in maintaining that 
 the Episcopal form of church government is the one 
 authorized in the New Testament. So those who 
 belong to the second class are of the opinion that Con- 
 gregationalism, and those who belong to the third 
 class, that Presbyterian ism is the appointed form for 
 the government of the New Testament church. The 
 question before us is : Which opinion is correct ? Is 
 the Episcopal, the Congregational, or the Presbyterian 
 form of government the one authorized by the word 
 of God ? When this matter is decided, we will know 
 
eo UNITED PRESS YTERTANISM, 
 
 with which of the three great divisions of the visible 
 church we should unite in order to confess our faith in 
 Christ before men ; for it is evident that we should 
 identify ourselves with the one, which is ^' agreeable to 
 and founded on " the word of God. It must be ad- 
 mitted that the form of church government is not so 
 fully and explicitly taught in the New Testament, as 
 the fundamental articles of faith and the great duties 
 of morality. None but the most furious zealot will 
 dare to say that there is no room for a difference of 
 opinion. Nevertheless, a study of the Scriptures, espe- 
 cially of the Acts of the Apostles, and of the worship 
 and government of the Jewish synagogue, which is 
 rightly supposed to be the model of the Christian 
 church, will lead to a reasonable certainty as to the 
 appointed order of church government. We will take 
 up the three forms of church government, and test 
 them by the infallible standard. An exhaustive dis- 
 cussion is impossible here. Such a discussion would 
 require a volume. We will attempt only in the brief- 
 est and plainest manner to reach the truth. 
 
 THE EPISCOPAL FORM OF CHURCH GOVERNMENT. 
 
 In Episcopacy there are three orders of spiritual offi- 
 cers — deacons, priests or presbyters, and bishops. The 
 lowest is the order of deacons, whose office is to read 
 
THE DIFFERENT CHURCHES. 61 
 
 the Scriptures, homilies, and prayers to the people, and 
 to assist the presbyters in the administration of the 
 sacraments. It is the duty of the presbyters to preach, 
 to read prayers, and to administer the sacraments. It 
 belongs to the bishops to confirm those who have been 
 baptized, to ordain, try, and depose presbyters and 
 deacons, and to rule over their dioceses, in which all 
 the clergy are subject to their authority. Neither pres- 
 byters nor deacons have any share in the government 
 of the church — it is vested solely in the bishops. The 
 Roman Catholic church, the Protestant Episcopal 
 church, the Methodist Episcopal church, and a few 
 others less widely known, are the representatives of 
 this form of church government. These churches 
 differ somewhat in their administration ; for example, 
 the Roman Catholic church affirms that the bishop or 
 Pope of Rome is the head of the visible church, and 
 that from him all the other bishops derive their au- 
 thority; but they are alike in maintaining that there 
 are orders of spiritual officers, unequal in rank and 
 diverse in duty, and that the power of government 
 belongs alone to the bishops. Hence the name Episco- 
 pal, which is derived from a Greek word which means 
 bishop. 
 
 What are the Scripture arguments in support of this 
 form of government? Are these arguments well 
 
62 UNITED PRESBYTERIAN ISM. 
 
 founded and convincing? One argument is drawn 
 from the constitution of the Jewish church, in which 
 there was, without question, a gradation in rank. The 
 Levites performed various inferior services in the 
 tabernacle and temple ; the priests offered sacrifices on 
 the altar; the high priest presided over all, and en- 
 tered into the holy of holies. And it has been inferred 
 that the same form of government has been continued 
 in the Christian church. It is to be remembered that 
 this arrangement belonged to the ceremonial system, 
 and that the ceremonial system was abolished at the 
 death of Christ. Therefore, the Old Testament argu- 
 ment has no weight ; our appeal must be to the Scrip- 
 tures of the New Testament. 
 
 Another argument in support of the Episcopal form 
 of church government is founded on the fact that 
 bishops, presbyters, and deacons are all mentioned in 
 the New Testament. It is to be remembered that the 
 words ^'presbyter'' and ^' elder'' have the same mean- 
 ing, and describe the same persons. It is true that 
 there were deacons in the early church. We have a 
 minute account of the circumstances which gave rise to 
 their appointment. From this account, we learn that 
 their official power pertained only to temporal things. 
 They were chosen to "serve tables." They had to do 
 with the temporalities of the church, especially the 
 
THE DIFFERENT CHURCHES. 63 
 
 collection and distribution of its charities. They had 
 no spiritual authority. It is, therefore, evident that 
 the deacons of the early church were not like the dea- 
 cons under the Episcopal form of government, for the 
 latter are regarded as spiritual officers. Their names 
 are the same, but their duties are entirely different. 
 The assertion that the deacon is a spiritual officer is 
 not in harmony with the teaching of the New Testa- 
 ment. It is also true that there were those in the 
 early church who are called bishops, or overseers ; for 
 the word translated ''bishop" literally means "over- 
 seer," and sometimes it is so rendered. It is assumed 
 by those who believe Episcopacy to be of divine appoint- 
 ment that bishops are a different order from jiresby- 
 ters or elders. But when we look into the New Testa- 
 ment, we find that they are convertible terms, and that 
 they are applied to the same individuals. When Paul 
 was on his way to Jerusalem, he stopped at Miletus, 
 " and from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called for 
 the elders of the church." When they came to him, 
 he said, among other things, "Take heed, therefore, 
 unto yourselves, and to the flock over the which the 
 Holy Ghost hath made you overseers," or bishops. It 
 is, therefore, evident that Paul knew of no distinction 
 between a bishop and an elder, because the persons 
 who are first called elders are afterwards called bish- 
 
64 UNITED PRESBYTERIANISM. 
 
 ops. Again, Paul says to Titus, " For this cause left 
 I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the 
 things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every 
 city." Then, describing the character of those who 
 were to be ordained elders, he adds; "For a bishop 
 must be blameless.'^ It would be a waste of time to 
 attempt to show that, in this connection, the bishop and 
 the elder are the same person. Because the terms are 
 convertible, Paul makes no mention of elders in his 
 first epistle to Timothy — he speaks only of bishops and 
 deacons. For the same reason, he takes no notice of 
 elders in his epistle to the Philippians — he addresses 
 himself to bishops and deacons. This omission cannot 
 be explained on the supposition that bishops and elders 
 are different orders. We therefore conclude that in 
 the New Testament bishop and elder are convertible 
 terms, and describe the same officer. 
 
 Another argument in favor of the Episcopal form of 
 government is founded on the fact that there was a 
 distinction in rank among the office-bearers of the 
 early church. It is at once granted that, at the organ- 
 ization of the New Testament church, there were some 
 extraordinary officers, prominent among whom were 
 the apostles, ordained to be witnesses of the resurrec- 
 tion of Christ, and endowed with miraculous powers. 
 It is manifest that these extraordinary officers, in their 
 
THE DIFFERENT CHURCHES. 65 
 
 peculiar gifts and qualifications, can have no successors. 
 The only permanent spiritual officers in the church, as 
 we will show afterwards, are elders, who are also 
 called presbyters and bishops. 
 
 It is not denied that other arguments are advanced 
 in support of the Episcopacy, but the ones mentioned 
 seem to be the strongest. As these strongest argu- 
 ments have been shown to be invalid, we are forced to 
 the conclusion that the Episcopal form of government 
 is not the one which Christ has appointed for the New 
 Testament church. 
 
 THE CONGREGATIONAL FORM OF CHURCH GOVERN- 
 MENT. 
 
 The peculiar principles of Congregationalism, or In- 
 dependency, are the following : Every particular society 
 of professors, agreeing to walk together in the faith 
 a!ul order of the gospel, is a complete church ; the 
 whole power of government is vested in each society ; 
 all censures and acts of government are administered 
 in a single congregation. From these principles you 
 will see the propriety of the name by which this form 
 of government is distinguished. It is called Congre- 
 gationalism or Independency, because each congregation 
 is a church, distinct from, and independent of all other 
 churches in the world, possessing all power in itsejf, 
 
QQ UNITED PRESBYTERIAN ISM. 
 
 and accountable only to Christ. There can be no ap- 
 peal from the decision of any congregation, for each 
 congregation is supreme in its own affairs. Several 
 congregations may, for mutual benefit, unite in an as- 
 sociation, but the power of such an association is only 
 advisory. The prominent representatives of this form 
 of government are the Congregational and Baptist 
 churches. They may differ in other things, but they 
 agree that the power of government is vested in the 
 congregation. 
 
 Let us examine the principles of Congregationalism 
 and see whether they are founded on Scripture. One 
 principle is that every society of professors is a com- 
 plete church. To establish this principle, Indepen- 
 dents labor to prove that the churches mentioned in 
 the New Testament are all single congregations. It is 
 granted that this is sometimes the meaning of the word, 
 as when the church in the house of a certain individual 
 is spoken of; but if the word is ever used to compre- 
 hend several congregations, we will be authorized to 
 conclude that the Congregational plan of church gov- 
 ernment is unscriptural. Let us take the case of the 
 church in Jerusalem, because its history is more fully 
 detailed. The believers of this city are repeatedly 
 called in the Acts of the Apostles "the church." 
 Were they accustomed to assemble in one congregation, 
 
THE DIFFERENT CHURCHES. 67 
 
 or were they so numerous that they must liave met, 
 from the necessities of the case, in different congrega- 
 tions? What are the facts? . We know that just after 
 the ascension of our Lord, " the number of the names 
 together were about one hundred and twenty/^ On 
 the day of Pentecost, "three thousand souls were added 
 to them." After the day of Pentecost, 'Uhe Lord 
 added to the church daily such as should be saved." 
 Not long after, under one sermon of the apostle Peter, 
 five thousand men believed. The subsequent growth 
 of the church in Jerusalem is indicated Wy such pas- 
 sages as these: "Believers were the more added to the 
 Lord, multitudes both of men and women;" "the 
 number of disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly;" 
 " thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews 
 there are which believe." No doubt, many of these 
 converts lived in foreign countries, but the hoftie of 
 the majority of them must have been in Jerusalem. 
 Could all these thousands meet in one place for wor- 
 ship? There was no building in the city large enough 
 to contain such a congregation, save the temple courts; 
 and we may be sure that the leaders of the Jews would 
 not permit the courts of the temple to be used as a 
 place of Christian worship. The argument is strength- 
 ened by the fact that many official persons were en- 
 gaged at the same time in administering the affairs of 
 
68 UNITED FBESBYTERIANISM. 
 
 the church in Jerusalem. All the apostles continued 
 there for a season, and they were so much occupied in 
 preaching that they found it impossible to care for the 
 poor of the church. With the apostles were asso- 
 ciated prophets, or inspired teachers, and elders. How 
 could all these apostles, prophets and elders be em- 
 ployed, if there was only one congregation and one 
 place of worship in Jerusalem? We must conclude 
 that there were several congregations in the city, and 
 that these congregations, taken together, are called the 
 church in Jerusalem. Therefore, a single congregation 
 is not a complete church, in the New Testament sense 
 of the term, and this principle of Congregationalism 
 falls to the ground. 
 
 Congregational ists also maintain that all acts of 
 government are performed in a single congregation, 
 and 'that from the decision of the congregation there 
 is no appeal. Is this principle founded on Scripture? 
 If we can find in the New Testament an appeal from 
 a lower to a higher assembly, and if the decision of the 
 higher was binding on the lower, we will be authorized 
 to conclude that a single congregation does not possess 
 complete powers of government. Is there such a case? 
 It appears that certain Jewish teachers had taught the 
 members of the church in Antioch, that unless they 
 were circumcised after the manner of Moses, they could 
 
THE DIFFERENT CHURCHES. 69 
 
 not be saved. As this doctrine was contrary to the 
 gospel, Paul and Barnabas opposed it, and sharp con- 
 tention followed. To settle the controversy, which 
 was of general as well as of local interest, it was re- 
 solved that "Paul and Barnabas and certain other of 
 them should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and 
 elders about this question." When this delegation 
 reached Jerusalem, " the apostles and elders came to- 
 gether to consider of this matter." After much dis- 
 cussion, in which Peter and James took a prominent 
 part, the assembly of apostles and elders came to a 
 unanimous decision, which was sent back to the church 
 in Antioch and to the churches of Asia Minor, by the 
 hand of the messengers who had brought up the ap- 
 peal. It is to be observed that this decision was 
 reached, not by inspiration, but by argument and dis- 
 cussion. It was the decision, not of the apostles in 
 their official capacity, but of the apostles and elders 
 sitting as a church court. It is also to be observed 
 that this assembly did not give advice ; it issued a de- 
 cree, for so the sentence is expressly called. The 
 Christians of Antioch were commanded to observe the 
 "necessary things'' which were contained in the decree. 
 Now, if the members of a single congregation in the 
 city of Antioch had power in all matters of govern- 
 ment, they would have decided the question concerning 
 
70 UNITED PRESBYTERIANISM. 
 
 circumcision, and the church in Jerusalem would have 
 had no right to issue a decree which would be binding 
 on the members of other churches. We are, therefore, 
 brought to the conclusion that this principle of Con- 
 gregationalism is without Scripture authority. In the 
 New Testament church the whole power of government 
 is not vested in a single congregation, from which there 
 is no appeal. 
 
 If these conclusions are correct, and they seem to 
 rest on a stable foundation, it follows that the Congre- 
 gational form of government is not the one which 
 Christ has appointed for the New Testament church. 
 What then is the form of church government which 
 is " agreeable to, and founded on," the word of God ? 
 If it is not Episcopacy, or Congregationalism, it must 
 be Presbyterian ism ; for these are the only forms which 
 any one supposes to be authorized by the Scriptures. 
 The Presbyterian order, and the arguments in its sup- 
 port, will be discussed in another chapter. 
 
 We must not suffer this discussion to drive out of 
 our memory the former discussions. Important as 
 the form of church government confessedly is, it is not 
 as important as the matter of faith in Christ. Every 
 man's first duty is to accept Christ as his Saviour; his 
 second duty is to confess his faith before men. When 
 he is persuaded that the appointed way of confessing 
 
THE DIFFERENT CHURCHES. 71 
 
 his faith is by a union with some church, he may con- 
 fidently hope that the Spirit will enlighten his mind 
 and direct him to the church with which he should 
 unite. Still, he cannot expect the enlightenment of 
 the Spirit in tliis direction or in any other, unless he 
 uses the proj^er means. We have been trying to assist 
 you in the use of such means. If the conclusions of 
 the present chapter are correct, the man who believes 
 in Christ, and who would confess him before men, 
 should unite with some church, holding to the Presby- 
 terian form of government, for this is the form of 
 church government which rests on the sure foundation 
 of the word of God. 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 
 THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHES. 
 
 Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by 
 prophecy, with tlie laying on of the hands of the presbytery. — 
 1 Tim. iv. 14. 
 
 "VXT'E have seen that the various denominations in 
 
 ' the visible church, so far as their form of 
 
 government is concerned, arrange themselves in three 
 
 classes, the Episcopal, the Congregational, and the 
 
 Presbyterian. Setting aside Erastianism, whicli teaches 
 
 that the church is only one form of the state, and 
 
 Quakerism, which does not provide for the external 
 
 organization of the church, these are the only three 
 
 radically different theories on the subject of church 
 
 polity. It has been shown that neither Episcopacy nor 
 
 Congregationalism is, in its distinguishing principles, 
 
 in harmony with the teachings of the New Testament. 
 
 We, therefore, infer that Presbyterian ism is the form 
 
 of church government which is "agreeable to, and 
 
 founded on,^' the word of God. But we are not left 
 
 to inference alone. A study of the Scriptures will 
 
 lead to a reasonable certainty on this disputed point. 
 (72) 
 
THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHES. 73 
 
 What is Presbyterian ism ? What are the principles 
 which distinguish it from the other forms of church 
 government? Are these principles scriptural? In 
 attempting to answer these questions our appeal must 
 be to the word of God ; for if God has appointed any 
 order for the government of his church, we can learn 
 what that appointed order is only from what God has 
 revealed. We might express it as an opinion that the 
 Presbyterian polity is the best fitted for accomplishing 
 the ends for which the church was organized ; that it 
 is in harmony with the best form of civil government; 
 that Episcopacy, like an absolute monarchy, does not 
 allow sufficient liberty to the individual ; that Congre- 
 gationalism, like the doctrine of State sovereignty, is 
 fatal to necessary unity and strength ; and that Presby- 
 terianism, like a republican form of government, unites 
 individual freedom with consolidated power. We 
 might support these opinions by many strong argu- 
 ments drawn from the nature of things and from hu- 
 man experience. Nevertheless, our final appeal must 
 be to the Scriptures, for from them alone can we hope 
 to learn the will of God concerning his church. And 
 our appeal must be to the Scriptures of the New Testa- 
 ment, for the questions before us have to do with the 
 government of the New Testament church, and not 
 with that of the Old. We will describe the officers 
 
74 UNITED PRESBYTERIANISM. 
 
 and courts of Presbyterian ism, and see whether they 
 have any authority in the New Testament. 
 
 THE OFFICERS UNDER THE PRESBYTERIAN FORM 
 OF CHURCH GOVERNMENT. 
 
 1. Under the Presbyterian polity, the highest ordi- 
 nary officer in the New Testament church is the teaching 
 elder or minister, who is invested with all the powers 
 that are permanent in the church. His duties are " to 
 preach the word, administer the ordinances, govern the 
 church, bless the people, ordain successors, and in gen- 
 eral watch for souls/^ That such an officer is men- 
 tioned and sanctioned in the New Testament will not 
 be denied. *^He is called by different names in Scrip- 
 ture, to express the different relations and duties of his 
 office: teacher, in reference to his duty to instruct the 
 people; bishop, in reference to his oversight of the 
 flock; pastor, in reference to his entire work of feed- 
 ing, as well as governing, the flock; ambassador, in 
 reference to his relations and duties as one commis- 
 sioned to declare the divine will, and beseech men in 
 Christ's stead to be reconciled to God; and minister, in 
 reference to his relations and duties as a servant of 
 Christ and his church." 
 
 This offipe is of divine appointment. Ministers are 
 not only ordained of God in the sense in which the 
 
THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHES. 75 
 
 civil powers are ordained of God ; they also derive 
 their authority from Christ, and not from the people. 
 This is proven by the ])lain assertions of Scripture. 
 We are told that Christ ''gave some, apostles ; and 
 some, prophets ; and some, evangelists ; and some, pas- 
 tors and teachers ; for the perfecting of the saints, for 
 the work of the ministry, and for the edifying of the 
 body of Christ." Christ, and not the people, appointed 
 these teachers. Paul thus exhorts the elders of Ephe- 
 sus : '' Take heed, therefore, unto yourselves, and to 
 the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made 
 you bishops." The same apostle says to Archippus, 
 "Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received 
 in the Lord." Of himself he says, "Christ hath given 
 to us the ministry of reconciliation." For these rea- 
 sons ministers are called the servants, the messengers 
 and the ambassadors of Christ. They speak in his 
 name and by his authority. They are sent by him to 
 the church to reprove, rebuke and exhort with all 
 long-suffering and doctrine. They are indeed the 
 servants of the church, for they labor in its service and 
 are subject to its authority; but they do not receive 
 their commission and power from the church. It fol- 
 lows from all this that the teaching elder is an officer 
 of divine appointment. 
 
 The qualifications required for this office are laid 
 
76 UNITED PRESBYTERIANISM. 
 
 down in the Scriptures. Ministers must be apt to 
 teach, well instructed, able rightly to divide the word 
 of truth, sound in the faith, ruling their own families 
 well; for if a man cannot rule his own house, how can 
 he take care of the church of God? Their duties are 
 also plainly described in the Scriptures. They are to 
 preach the word and administer the sacraments. They 
 are the organs of the church in executing the great 
 commission of the Master, to make disciples of all 
 men, teaching them, and baptizing them in the name 
 of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. 
 They are rulers in the house of God. To them are 
 given the keys of the kingdom, and the power to open 
 and shut the door of the church. They are clothed 
 with these powers of preaching, administering the 
 sacraments, ruling and exercising discipline, in virtue 
 of the office which Christ has conferred upon them. 
 If they are sent where no church exists, they exercise 
 these powers in gathering and founding churches ; if 
 they labor in churches already established, they exer- 
 cise these powers in concert with other laborers. AY hen 
 the minister is alone he must, of necessity, perform his 
 duties alone ; but when churches are gathered and or- 
 ganized, he is associated with other ministers and elders, 
 and he can no longer act alone in matters of govern- 
 ment and discipline. This is illustrated in the early 
 
THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHES, 77 
 
 history of the Christian church. The apostles, and 
 those ordained by them, at first acted singly in found- 
 ing churches; but afterwards always in connection with 
 others. 
 
 The office of the teaching elder is a permanent one. 
 This is plain from sev^eral reasons. The gifts and 
 qualifications for this office are permanent. In this 
 respect the teaching elder differs from the extraordi- 
 nary officers in the early church. The apostles were 
 qualified for their office by being competent witnesses 
 of the resurrection of Christ, and by the endowment 
 of miraculous powers. As these apostolic gifts have 
 passed away, there can now be no apostolic office. The 
 prophets of the New Testament were the recipients of 
 occasional inspiration. As the gift of inspiration has 
 ceased, the office of prophet has ceased; but as the gifts 
 of teaching and ruling are permanent, we conclude that 
 the office of teacher and ruler is permanent. The need 
 of this office is permanent. Ministers are commis- 
 sioned to make disciples of all nations, to preach the 
 gospel and to edify saints; and while there are souls 
 to be converted, a gospel to be preached, and saints to 
 be built up in their most holy faith, teaching elders 
 will be needed. Therefore the apostles ordained elders 
 in every city, gave directions for their ordination in all 
 subsequent ages, and prescribed their qualifications and 
 
78 UNITED PRESBYTERIANISM. 
 
 the mode of their appointment. In point of fact, teach- 
 ing elders have continued from the beginning to the 
 present day, and we have good reason to believe that 
 they will continue to occupy their place in the church 
 till the end of the dispensation. 
 
 The teaching elder is the highest permanent officer 
 in the church. It is admitted that there were officers 
 of a higher grade in the apostolic age, viz., apostles 
 and prophets ; but the peculiar gifts by which they 
 were qualified for their offices are no longer conferred 
 upon men, and therefore they can have no successors. 
 There are no higher permanent functions than those 
 attributed to ministers. It is theirs to teach and to 
 rule, and what higher office can there be? 
 
 This much, then, is plain. The teaching elder is an 
 officer of divine appointment. His names, qualifica- 
 tions, duties, and the permanence and rank of his 
 office are matters of revelation. He is the highest 
 permanent officer in the New Testament church. 
 
 2. Under the Presbyterian polity, the second in rank 
 of the ordinary officers of the church is the ruling elder, 
 " His official power is that of government alone, and 
 in this he is the equal of the teaching elder. He is to 
 rule well; and while he may not officially labor in 
 word and doctrine, he is to be a help in teaching, as in 
 ruling, instructing the ignorant; encouraging the weak, 
 
THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHES. 79 
 
 reproving and reclaiming the erring, and visiting and 
 comforting the sick." 
 
 These are the duties of the ruling elder, as laid down 
 in the manuals of Presbyterianisra. Is such an officer 
 appointed in the New Testament? Paul says to Tim- 
 othy: "Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy 
 of double honor, especially them who labor in word 
 and doctrine." From this passage it is Evident that 
 Paul recognized two classes of elders, those whose duty 
 it was to rule, and those whose duty it was to rule and 
 teach. The same apostle, when enumerating the orders 
 of church officers, distinctly calls some " teachers," and 
 others " helps " and " governments." The same apostle, 
 in another epistle, exhorts those who teach to wait on 
 their teaching, and those who rule to rule with dili- 
 gence. These passages certainly prove that there was, 
 in the early church, an officer whose official power, in 
 connection with the teaching elder, was that of gov- 
 ernment. And this is the officer who, in the Presby- 
 terian polity, is called the ruling elder. 
 
 We reach the same conclusion from inspired revela- 
 tions respecting the rights and powers of the people. 
 The church is a theocracy. Jesus Christ is its head. 
 His word is its written constitution. All power is de- 
 rived from him. But the church is a society, having 
 its officers, laws and government. Its power, however, 
 
80 UNITED PRESBYTERIANISM. 
 
 is purely administrative. Everything it does is to be 
 done in the name of Christ, and in accordance with his 
 directions. The church has, with this limitation, the 
 power to set forth in a creed a declaration of the truths 
 which it believes to be taught in the word of God, and 
 which are to be acknowledged by all who enter its 
 communion. It has power to adopt rules for the or- 
 dering of public worship and for its own government. 
 It has power to select and ordain teachers, to assign 
 them to their fields of labor, and to depose them if un- 
 faithful. It has power to receive the worthy into its 
 fellowship, and to exclude the unworthy. Now, the 
 question is, where does this power rest? Does it belong 
 to the clergy exclusively? or does it belong to the whole 
 church, to the people as well as to the ministry? Mani- 
 festly to the whole church. All church power arises 
 from the indwelling of the Spirit. Therefore those in 
 whom the Spirit dwells are the seat of church power. 
 But the Spirit dwells in the whole church, and not in 
 the clergy alone. Hence the members of the church 
 Lave a right to a part in its government. This right 
 is recognized and sanctioned by the apostles in almost 
 every conceivable way. When they thought it neces- 
 sary to complete the college of the apostles, they con- 
 sulted the people in the matter. When deacons were 
 appointed, the people chose the seven men who were 
 
THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHES. 81 
 
 to be invested with the office. The assembly, which 
 issued the authoritative decree concerning the contin- 
 ued obligation of the law of Moses, was composed of 
 " brethren," as well as ^' apostles and elders." Now,, 
 according to the Presbyterian system, ruling elders are 
 the representatives of the people. They are chosen by 
 the people to act in their name in the government of 
 tlie ciiurch. And what are the powers of ruling elders 
 in Presbyterianism ? They have a voice with the 
 teaching elders in framing and adopting the creed of 
 the church, in forming a directory for worship and 
 enjoining its use, in enacting rules for its government, 
 and in opening and shutting the door of the church in 
 the admission of members and the exercise of disci- 
 pline. Thus the Presbyterian polity, in the office of 
 the ruling elder, fulfils the Scripture by giving the 
 people a part in the government of the church. 
 
 The New Testament does not speak so plainly with 
 reference to the duties of the ruling elder, as it does 
 with reference to those of the teaching elder. The 
 reason of this is not difficult to discover. The former 
 office was no new thing in the church. There were 
 elders in the Jewish church. There was, in every syna- 
 gogue, a bench of elders who ruled over its affiiirs. The 
 early Christians were Jews, and they were familiar 
 with the government of the synagogue. As the ruling 
 
82 UNITED PRESBYTERIANISM. 
 
 elder was so much like the elder in the synagogue, few 
 instructions would be needed as to the duties of this 
 office. It was otherwise with the teaching elder. His* 
 office, in some of its relations and duties, was a new 
 thing, and therefore its duties are more minutely de- 
 scribed. Still, as we have seen, the ruling elder is 
 recognized in the New Testament as a permanent offi- 
 cer in the church. 
 
 3. Uhder the Presbyterian polity, the lowest of the 
 ordinary officers of the church is the deacon. "His 
 official power pertains to temporal things. He has no 
 spiritual authority. The duties of his office pertain to 
 the temporalities of the church, especially the collec- 
 tion and distribution of its charities." That there was 
 such an officer in the early church, and that these were 
 the duties of his office, is plain from Acts vi. 1-6, 
 where we have an account of the election and ordina- 
 tion of the first deacons, and of the circumstances 
 which gave rise to their appointment. Deacons are 
 not essential to the organization of the church, for the 
 church existed for a time before deacons were ordained. 
 In church government, the lower office is included in 
 the higher; and if the teaching and ruling elders have 
 the time and ability to care for the poor, this is a legiti- 
 mate part of their work, and there is no occasion for 
 the appointment of deacons. Nevertheless, there was 
 
THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHES. 83 
 
 such an officer in the early church, and he is given a 
 place in the Presbyterian form of government. 
 
 These are the three orders of permanent officers in 
 Presbyterianism. As we have seen that they, and no 
 others, are authorized in the Scriptures of the New 
 Testament, we conclude that the Presbyterian form 
 of church government, so far as its officers are con- 
 cerned, is "agreeable to, and founded on,'' the word 
 of God. 
 
 THE COURTS UNDER THE PRESBYTERIAN FORM OF 
 GOVERNMENT. 
 
 The Presbyterian doctrine on this subject is, that 
 the church is one in the sense that a smaller part is 
 subject to a larger, and a larger to the whole. Hence, 
 in its gradation of courts, Presbyterianism provides, 
 on the one hand, for the right of appeal, and on the 
 other hand, for the right of review and control. Is 
 this doctrine scriptural ? Let us notice the courts of 
 Presbyterianism, and see whether they are sanctioned 
 in the New Testament. 
 
 1. The lowest court of the church is the Session^ 
 which consists of the elders in a particular congrega- 
 tion. Usually there is one, and but one, teaching 
 elder, who is elected by the people, and ordained and 
 installed by the Presbytery. By virtue of his office, 
 
84 UNITED PBESBYTERIANISM. 
 
 he is the moderator of the Session. Associated with 
 him are several ruling elders. "The Session is charged 
 with the spiritual oversight and government of the 
 congregation. It belongs to it to decide upon the 
 qualifications of applicants for church membership, 
 to inquire into the knowledge, character and conduct 
 of members, to arraign offenders, to admonish, rebuke 
 or suspend them, as the proper exercise of discipline 
 may require; to dismiss members in good standing 
 with proper certificates to other congregations, and to 
 do whatever else pertains to their office in maintain- 
 ing the good order and promoting the edification of the 
 church.'' 
 
 The divine authority of this court is evident from 
 the history of the organization of the church, as re- 
 corded in the Acts and Epistles of the apostles. That 
 history shows that the first Christian congregations 
 were placed under the rule of elders, after the model 
 of the synagogue. We are told that Paul and Barna- 
 bas " ordained elders in every church." Titus was 
 left in Crete to " ordain elders in every city." James 
 says : " Is any among you sick ? Let him call for the 
 elders of the church." We read of the ^'elders" of 
 the church in Jerusalem, in Antioch, in Ephesus, and 
 in various other cities. It is evident from these pas- 
 sages in their connection that there were elders, both 
 
THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHES. 85 
 
 teaching and ruling, who had the spiritual oversight 
 of the congregation with which they were connected. 
 It is true, comparatively little is said in the New 
 Testament of the constitution and duties of this court 
 of the church. This is explained on the same ground 
 that little is said of the ruling elder. The early Chris- 
 tians were familiar with the bench of elders in the 
 synagogue, and they needed little instruction on this 
 point. But enough has been said by the inspired 
 writers to convince the careful reader that the New 
 Testament church was organized after the model of the 
 synagogue, and that the affairs of each congregation 
 were regulated by a Session, composed of teaching and 
 ruling elders. 
 
 2. The next court of the church is the Presbytery, 
 which consists of the ministers and one ruling elder 
 from each pastoral charge in a defined district. It 
 belongs to the Presbytery " to hear and issue com- 
 plaints and appeals from church Sessions, and refer- 
 ences for advice or adjudication, to admit and have the 
 care of students of theology, to examine and license 
 candidates for the holy ministry, to ordain, install, re- 
 move and try ministers of the gospel, to examine and 
 approve or censure the records of church Sessions, to 
 visit particular churches for the purpose of inquiring 
 into their state and redressing evils which may have 
 
SQ UNITED PRESBYTERIANISM. 
 
 ariseu in them ; to organize, unite or divide congrega- 
 tions, and in general to order whatever pertains to the 
 spiritual welfare and prosperity of the churches under 
 its care." 
 
 The authority of this court, like that of the Session, 
 is in the example of the primitive church. The facts 
 recorded in respect to the churches of Jerusalem, An- 
 tioch, Ephesus, and Corinth, prove them to have been, 
 in every essential particular, under an organization 
 answering to a Presbytery. It is evident that there 
 were several congregations in each of these cities ; that 
 they were intimately associated in government, and 
 that their bond of union was an assembly of elders, 
 whose decrees were binding. Such an assembly is a 
 Presbytery. 
 
 3. The next higher court of the church is the Synod, 
 which consists of the ministers and duly commissioned 
 elders of two or more Presbyteries. " It belongs to 
 the Synod to hear and issue complaints, appeals and 
 references regularly brought up from the Presbyteries, 
 to examine and approve or censure the records of 
 Presbyteries, to organize, unite or divide Presbyteries, 
 to propose to the General Assembly such measures as 
 may be deemed necessary for the welfare of the whole 
 church, and in general to take such order with respect 
 to Presbyteries, Sessions and the people under its care, 
 
THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHES. 87 
 
 as may, in conformity with the word of God and 
 the established rules of the church, tend to promote 
 the edification, purity, peace and prosperity of the 
 church." 
 
 As the Synod is in fact but a larger Presbytery, its 
 divine authority is the same as that of the Presbytery. 
 The assembly of apostles and elders, noticed at con- 
 siderable length in the last chapter, which decided the 
 question concerning circumcision, referred to it by the 
 Presbytery of Antioch, was in all essential features a 
 Synod. 
 
 4. The highest court of the church is the General 
 Assembly^ which may be an aggregate or a delegate 
 body, as the circumstances of the churcli may require 
 or permit. If it is an aggregate body, it consists of 
 the ministers and duly commissioned elders of all the 
 Presbyteries of the church. If it is a delegate body, it 
 consists of an equal delegation of teaching and ruling 
 elders from each Presbytery. It has " power to receive 
 and decide all appeals, references and complaints reg- 
 ularly brought before it, to review, approve or censure 
 the records of Synods, to resolve questions of doctrine 
 or discipline reasonably and seriously proposed, to warn 
 and testify against any error in doctrine or immorality 
 in practice, to organize, unite or divide Synods, to 
 establish and regulate theological seminaries so as to 
 
88 UNITED BBESBYTERIANISM. 
 
 secure uniformity in the course and term of study, to 
 conduct the missionary operations of the church, to 
 correspond with other branches of the church, and in 
 general to adopt measures to promote truth and holi- 
 ness throughout its bounds, and be a bond of union, 
 peace, concord and mutual confidence." 
 
 The General Assembly is the great Presbytery in 
 which the entire church is represented, and therefore 
 its divine authority is the same as that of the Pres- 
 bytery. 
 
 These are the courts of Presbyterianisra. They 
 secure to all within its pale the right to a part in its 
 government and the privilege of appeal ; and they 
 make the church one in the sense that a smaller part 
 is subject to a larger, and a larger to the whole. As 
 we have seen that these courts are authorized in the 
 Scriptures of the New Testament, we conclude that the 
 Presbyterian form of government, so far as its courts 
 are concerned, is "agreeable to, and founded on," the 
 word of God. 
 
 We must not forget the question, which underlies 
 our discussion. It is this : If union with the church 
 is the appointed way of confessing our faith in Christ 
 before men, with what denomination of the visible 
 church should we unite? If the conclusions of this 
 chapter are correct, we should identify ourselves with 
 
THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHES. 89 
 
 some branch of the church holding to the Presbyterian 
 form of government, for this is the form authorized in 
 the New Testament. While the system of government 
 is not a matter of the first importance, it deserves our 
 serious thought. Everything which God reveals is 
 important. We must decide as to the truth on this 
 subject, and be responsible for our decision. But lest 
 you should think this matter of greater importance 
 than it is, we point once more to the chief duty : " Be- 
 lieve on the Lord Jesus Christ ; " then pray for the 
 enlightenment of the Spirit that you may be guided to 
 the fellowship of those who, in church government and 
 everything else, live nearest the Scripture standard. 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 
 THE CREED OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHES. 
 
 To the law and to the testimony : if they speak not according to 
 this word, it is because there is no light in thena. — Isaiah viii. 20. 
 
 SEVERAL, denominations of the visible church 
 hold to the Presbyterian form of government. 
 The prominent representatives of this polity in 
 our land are the United Presbyterian Church, the 
 Presbyterian Church, the Reformed Presbyterian 
 Churches, the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, the 
 Lutheran Churches, and the Reformed (Dutch) Church. 
 These churches differ somewhat in the details of their 
 administration, but they agree that Presbyterianism, or 
 government by elders, is best fitted to accomplish the 
 ends for which the church was organized, and that it 
 is in harmony with the letter and spirit of the New 
 Testament. They also agree in the fundamental doc- 
 trines of Christianity, though in some points they do 
 not " see eye to eye." The doctrines in which they 
 agree, and in which they disagree, are plainly set forth 
 
 in their respective creeds. We have already reached 
 (90) 
 
CREED OF PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHES. 91 
 
 the conclusion, that if we would confess our faith in 
 Christ before men in the appointed way, we must unite 
 with some church holding to the Presbyterian form of 
 government. The question now before us. is this: 
 With what denomination of the Presbyterian family 
 should we identify ourselves ? In order to answer 
 this question intelligently, we must learn, from an 
 appeal to their creeds, wherein they agree and wherein 
 they differ, and we must decide whose creed is the best 
 expression of divine truth. To assist in this direction, 
 we will in the present chapter consider church creeds 
 in general, and the particular creed of the Presbyterian 
 churches. 
 
 A CHURCH CREED. 
 
 What is a church creed? It is a summary of Chris- 
 tian doctrines or articles of faith. Is there any neces- 
 sity for such a summary? Do we not have a sufficient 
 creed in the Holy Scriptures? All evangelical Chris- 
 tians believe the Bible to be the infallible and only 
 rule of faith and practice, to which nothing is to be 
 added and from which nothing is to be taken. AVhy, 
 then, is any other creed needed ? Simply because all 
 men do not understand the Avord of God in the same 
 way. Some maintain that it teaches one doctrine; 
 others, that it teaches another. This want of harmony 
 in understanding the Scriptures is an evidence of the 
 
92 UNITED PRESBYTERIANISM. 
 
 power of sin. Of course, God's word teaches only one 
 system of truth ; and if all Christians possessed the full 
 illumination of the Spirit, they would be of one heart 
 and mind. But, unfortunately, through imperfect en- 
 lightenment, a faulty education and strong prejudices, 
 they differ in their understanding of the Holy Scrip- 
 tures. As each denomination of the church is a human 
 society, there must be an agreement among its mem- 
 bers; for how "can two walk together except they be 
 agreed?" Hence the necessity of a creed, which ex- 
 presses in plain language what the church believes to 
 be the teachings of the word of God, and which is to 
 be assented to by those who enter its communion. 
 Nearly all denominations have framed and adopted 
 such a creed, and they regard it as essential to their 
 harmony and unity. 
 
 There has been a continuous and marked growth in 
 the creed of the church. The creed of the primitive 
 church was brief and simple. It would seem that men 
 were received into the visible society of believers on 
 their public confession that Jesus of Nazareth was the 
 Son of God and the promised Messiah. This confes- 
 sion involved the great difference between the Jewish 
 and the Christian churches. The members of both 
 believed the Scriptures of the Old Testament to be the 
 word of God; but the members of the former regarded 
 
CREED OF PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHES. 93 
 
 Jesus as an impostor, wliile the members of the latter 
 acknowledged him as the Saviour promised to the 
 fathers. Therefore the only article of faith to which 
 they were required to assent, who would become mem- 
 bers of the primitive church, is expressed in these 
 words: "We believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son 
 of the living God/' But errors rapidly multiplied ; 
 and to meet these errors, the church found it necessary 
 to enlarge its creed. One article after another was 
 added to it, until, by the middle of the second century 
 of the Christian era, it formed that brief summary 
 of Christian doctrine which is commonly called the 
 Apostles' Creed. It received this name from the tra- 
 dition that it was made by the apostles themselves, 
 who, at a meeting in Jerusalem, contributed each an 
 article toward an authentic, compendious and un- 
 changeable rule of faith; but this tradition rests on no 
 historical evidence. This creed, interesting from its 
 antiquity and from its general adoption by the Greek, 
 Roman and Protestant churches, reads 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 Ghoht, born 
 of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was 
 crucified, dead and buried; he descended into liell, the 
 third day he rose from the dead; he ascended into 
 
94 UNITED PRESBYTERIANISM. 
 
 heaven, and sitteth at 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/' 
 
 In the following centuries the creed of the church 
 continued to enlarge. As other truths were more clearly 
 apprehended, the church thought it necessary to for- 
 mulate them in its creed ; when new errors were taught, 
 the church testified against them in its creed. There- 
 fore the creed of the church has ever been changing, 
 and changing for the most part in the way of enlarge- 
 ment; though when an error has been forgotten, the 
 testimony against it has sometimes been dropped. The 
 creed of the church of the present day is a complete 
 system of doctrine, as the church believes it to be re- 
 vealed in the word of God, and a testimony against all 
 prevalent errors. It is not infallible, for it is the work 
 of men. It is to be tested by its agreement with the 
 word of God. Therefore the creeds of the churches 
 are called their "subordinate standards," the supreme 
 standard being the Scriptures of the Old and New 
 Testaments. It may be confidently expected that these 
 subordinate standards will, in the future, change for 
 the better, as Christians are more enlightened by the 
 
CREED OF PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHES. 95 
 
 Spirit aud brought to a better understanding of ihe 
 divine will. 
 
 The Presbyterian churches have their creeds. These 
 creeds, while agreeing in substance of doctrine, differ 
 somewhat in the different branches of the Presbyterian 
 family. The most of the English-speaking Presbyte- 
 rian churches have the Westminster Confession of 
 Faith, and the Catechisms, Larger and Shorter ; the 
 Lutheran churches have the Augsburg Confession; the 
 Reformed Dutch Church has the Heidelberg Catechism 
 and the Belgic Confession ; and the Presbyterian 
 churches of every nationality have their own subordi- 
 nate standards. To the first of these we now invite 
 attention. 
 
 THE WESTMINSTER CONFESSION OF FAITH. 
 
 1. The history of the preparation of the Westminster 
 Confession of Faith is of great interest. The attempt 
 of Charles I. to force upon the Scottish Church the 
 liturgy of the Church of England, and his oppression 
 of the dissenting bodies, caused great dissatisfaction 
 both in England and Scotland. This dissatisfaction 
 led Parliament to propose to the king that he should 
 give his assent to a bill for calling an assembly of 
 learned and godly divines and others^ for the settle- 
 ment of the government and liturgy of the church. 
 
96 UNITED PRESBYTERIANISM. 
 
 The king refused to give his assent, but Parliament 
 afterwards passed an ordinance calling such an as- 
 sembly. The Parliament taking this action is the one 
 famous in history as the long Parliament. The as- 
 sembly thus called together is known as the West- 
 minster Assembly of Divines, because it assembled at 
 Westminster, England. It met July 1, 1643, and re- 
 mained in session till February 22, 1649, or almost six 
 years. During this time it held 1,163 sittings. Par- 
 liament summoned one hundred and fifty -one persons, 
 viz., one hundred and twenty-one clergymen, ten lords 
 and twenty commoners, to meet and constitute the 
 Assembly. About twenty-five never appeared, and, to 
 supply the deficiency, about twenty additional mem- 
 bers were summoned. On September 15, 1643, four 
 Scotch ministers and two commoners were, by warrant 
 of Parliament, admitted to seats in the Assembly, but 
 without the privilege of voting, as commissioners from 
 the Church of Scotland. At the opening of the As- 
 sembly sixty-nine of the members were in attendance; 
 at different times ninety-six were present, though the 
 usual attendance ranged from sixty to eighty. The 
 must of the members were Presbyterians ; ten or 
 twelve were Independents or Congregationalists ; five 
 or six styled themselves Erastians. Among those \vho 
 were originally summoned there were about twenty- 
 
CREED OF PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHES. 97 
 
 five Episcopalians, but the most of them declined at- 
 tending, though some took part in the earlier meetings 
 of the Assembly. 
 
 The Assembly first turned its attention to the pre- 
 paration of a " Directory of Government, Worship and 
 Discipline." This was not finished till near the close 
 of 1644, and it was ratified by Parliament January 3, 
 1645. The Assembly then engaged in preparing a 
 Confession of Faith, which was finished and reported 
 to Parliament April 29, 1647. To make the system 
 of doctrine, contained in the Confession of Faith, more 
 available for the instruction of the young and ignorant, 
 two catechisms were prepared, one much larger than 
 the other. The Shorter Catechism was finished and 
 reported to Parliament, November 5, 1647, and the 
 Larger, April 14, 1648. The Confession of Faith and 
 catechisms were promptly ratified by the Scotch Gen- 
 eral Assembly, and they are now the standards of the 
 Scotch, English and Irish Presbyterian churches. They 
 have been adopted, with slight alterations concerning the 
 power of the civil magistrate in religious matters, by the 
 most of the Presbyterian bodies in the United States. 
 
 This is the history of the Westminster Confession 
 of Faith, which is the common creed of the Presbyte- 
 rian churches of Great Britain and Ireland, and of all 
 other Presbyterian churches which have descended 
 
98 UNITED PRESBYTERIANISM. 
 
 from them. The men who framed it were the flower 
 of the church of that age ; it was prepared after pro- 
 tracted and able discussions ; it has borne the test of 
 use for almost tw'o hundred and fifty years; and it is 
 yet dear to many denominations of tlie visible churcli 
 as their symbol of faith. 
 
 2. A brief analysis of the Westminster Confession 
 of Faith is all that can be undertaken in this connec- 
 tion. It consists of thirty-three chapters, which, in 
 their order, form a system of theology. 
 
 Chapter I,, *'0f the Holy Scriptur^,'' teaches tliat 
 the light of nature, though sufficient to leave men 
 without excuse, is not sufficient to enable any to attain 
 salvation. Hence, God has made a revelation of him- 
 self, which is contained in the Scriptures of the Old 
 and New Testaments. These Scriptures are inspired, 
 and the infallible and com])lete rule of faith and 
 practice. 
 
 Chapter II., ^^ Of God and the Holy Trinity," teaches 
 that there is hut one living and true God, who pos- 
 sesses all perfections in himself; that there are three 
 persons in the Godliead, the Father, the Son and the 
 Holy Ghost ; and that these three are one God, the 
 same in substance, equal in power and glory. 
 
 Chapter III., "Of God's Eternal Decree," teaches 
 that God, as the sovereign ruler over all his works. 
 
CREED OF PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHES. 99 
 
 has from eternity followed an unchangeable plan, 
 which comprehends all persons, things and events. 
 
 Chapter IV., "Of Creation,'' teaches that God created 
 the universe out of nothing for the roanifestation of 
 his own glory; that he created man, male and female, 
 after his own image, in knowledge, righteousness and 
 holiness, with dominion over his creatures; that the 
 whole human family has descended from the one pair; 
 and that our first parents, though holy, were capable 
 of falling from the estate in which they were created. 
 
 Chapter V., '' Of Providence,'' teaches that God, 
 ordinarily through the agency of second causes, but at 
 times by the direct energy of his purpose, continues to 
 uphold all his creatures and direct all their actions; 
 and that the end of his providential control is the 
 manifestation of his own glory, through the discipline 
 of his people and the punishment of his enemies. 
 
 Chapter VI., " Of the Fall of Man, of Sin, and of 
 the Consequences thereof," teaches that our first parents, 
 tempted by Satan, sinned against God by eating the 
 forbidden fruit ; that by this sin they were cut off from 
 communion with God, lost their original righteousness, 
 and were depraved in all their faculties ; that all men 
 sinned in Adam, who was their natural and federal 
 head ; that the sinfulness of that estate, into which they 
 fell, consists of the guilt of Adam's first sin, the want 
 
100 UNITED PRESBYTEBIANISM. 
 
 of original righteousness, and the corruption of their 
 whole nature, together with all their actual transgres- 
 sions ; and that all sin, whether original or actual, de- 
 serves punishment here and hereafter. 
 
 Chapter VII., " Of God's Covenant with Man," 
 teaches that God in sovereign grace entered into a 
 covenant, called the covenant of works, with Adam as 
 the representative of his descendants ; that the promise 
 of this covenant was life, and its condition, perfect 
 obedience ; that when this covenant was broken, God 
 was pleased to enter into another covenant, commonly- 
 called the covenant of grace, to deliver men out of the 
 estate of sin and misery, and bring them into an estate 
 of salvation by a Redeemer ; and that this covenant of 
 grace, though variously administered under the differ- 
 ent dispensations, is one and the same. 
 
 Chapter YIII., '' Of Christ, the Mediator," teaches 
 that Christ, as the appointed and voluntary Mediator, 
 was prophet, priest and king ; that he was true man and 
 very God in one person ; that he acts as Mediator both in 
 his estate of humiliation and in his estate of exaltation; 
 that he fully satisfied for his people by his obedience 
 and sufferings, and secured for them remission of sins 
 and an eternal inheritance; and that he applies his re- 
 demption to all for whom he purchased it by his inter- 
 cession, revelation, effectual calling and providences. 
 
CREED OF PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHES. 101 
 
 Chapter IX., ''Of Free Will," teaches that man is 
 endowed with the power of self-decision — that is, of 
 deciding in every case as he pleases ; and explains the 
 peculiar conditions of human liberty in the estate of 
 original innocence, in the estate of sin, in the estate of 
 imperfectly sanctified saints on earth, and in the estate 
 of glory. 
 
 Chapter X., "Of Effectual Calling,^' teaches that 
 there is an internal as well as an external call necessary 
 to salvation; that the subjects of the internal or 
 effectual call are the elect ; that it is an act of divine 
 power through the Holy Ghost, and works a radical 
 change in the moral condition of the whole man ; and 
 that it is effected by the instrumentality of the truth, 
 except in the case of infants and others incapable of 
 knowledge. 
 
 Chapter XI., "Of Justification,'' teaches that all 
 those who are effectually called are justified ; that 
 justification is a judicial act of God, and is a decla- 
 ration that the person justified is right in the eye of 
 the law ; and that it proceeds upon the imputation of 
 Christ's righteousness, which is conditioned on faith 
 alone. 
 
 Chapter XII., " Of Adoption," teaches the nature of 
 adoption, and the privileges of those who are taken 
 into the family of God. 
 
102 UNITED PBESBYTERIANISM. 
 
 Chapter XIII., ^^Of Sanctification/' teaches that 
 sanctification is a growth in holiness, wrought by the 
 word and Spirit in those who are effectually called and 
 justified ; that it extends to the entire man ; and that it is 
 never perfect in the present life, though it never fails. 
 
 Chapter XIV., " Of Saving Faith,'' teaches that 
 saving faith is the work of the Holy Ghost ; that 
 while its general object is the whole word of God, its 
 specific acts are receiving and resting upon Christ 
 alone for salvation ; that it varies in strength in differ- 
 ent persons and in the same persons at different periods; 
 and that in time it grows up to the measure of full 
 assurance. 
 
 Chapter XV., "Of Repentance unto Life," teaches 
 that true repentance rests on a sense of guilt and 
 pollution, and an apprehension of the mercy of God in 
 Christ ; that it consists in hatred of sin, turning unto 
 God, and an endeavor after new obedience ; that though 
 there is no merit in repentance, every sin when re- 
 pented of will be forgiven ; that repentance should ex- 
 tend to all sins ; and that every man should confess his 
 sins to God, and to those who are injured by them. 
 
 Chapter XVI., "Of Good Works," teaches that any 
 work, in order to be good, must be commanded and 
 must spring from a right motive ; that though the 
 ability to do good works is wholly from God, we must 
 
GREED OF PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHES. 103 
 
 exert ourselves in this direction ; that though the best 
 works of believers are imperfect, they are accepted 
 and rewarded through Christ; and that the works 
 of the unregenerate are not acceptable in the sight of 
 God. 
 
 Chapter XVII., " Of the Perseverance of the 
 Saints,'^ teaches tliat the true believer can never totally 
 and finally fall from grace, though he may fall tempor- 
 arily; and that the ground of this perseverance is not 
 in the believer, but in the purpose, promise and grace 
 of God. 
 
 Chapter XVIII., ^^Of Assurance of Grace and 
 Salvation," teaclies that true assurance of salvation rests 
 upon the divine promises, the inward evidence of grace, 
 and the witness of the Spirit; that it is attainable ; that 
 it may be lost in various ways ; and that it should be 
 sought as a great privilege. 
 
 Chapter XIX., " Of the Law of God," teaches that 
 man was created a moral agent, subject to a moral law 
 of absolute perfection; that this law, since the fall, is 
 not the condition of salvation, but the rule of life; 
 that it is summarily comprehended in the Ten Com- 
 mandments ; and that it continues in force in the 
 gospel dispensation, and has manifold uses. 
 
 Chapter XX., '^Of Christian Liberty, and Liberty 
 of Conscience/' teaclies that Christian liberty includes 
 
104 UNITED PRESBYTERIANISM. 
 
 peace with God and deliverance from the guilt of sin, 
 the power of corruption, and the bondage of Satan, 
 afflictions and death ; that God alone is Lord of the 
 conscience ; that his will is revealed only in the Scrip- 
 tures ; tliat to require or yield belief in those doctrines 
 of men, which are contrary to the revealed will of God, 
 is treason to him; that Christian liberty has its limits; 
 and that God has established both church and state, 
 and he requires obedience to each. 
 
 Chapter XXI., "Of Religious Worship, and the 
 Sabbath Day," teaches the obligation, nature and only 
 proper object of worship ; the nature, matter and con- 
 ditions of acceptable prayer ; the ordinances of public, 
 family and private worship; the law of the Sabbath, 
 and the proper method of its observance. 
 
 Chapter XXII., "Of Lawful Oaths and Vows,'' 
 teaches the nature and obligation of lawful oaths and 
 vows. 
 
 Chapter XXIIL, " Of the Civil Magistrate," teaches 
 that civil government originates, not with the people, 
 but with God ; that its proximate end is the good of 
 the community, and its ultimate end the glory of God; 
 that it is lawful for Christians to be magistrates ; and 
 that the church and state are not to interfere with one 
 another. 
 
 Chapter XXIV., "Of Marriage and Divorce," 
 
CREED OF PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHES. 105 
 
 teaches the nature, end and lawfulness of marriage, and 
 the grounds of lawful divorce. 
 
 Chapter XXV., " Of the Church," teaches that the 
 invisible church consists of the whole number of the 
 elect that have been, are, or shall be gathered into one; 
 that the visible church consists of all those throughout 
 the world that profess the true religion, together with 
 their children ; that out of it there is no ordinary pos- 
 sibility of salvation ; that it can never fail, though it 
 may vary in purity at different times and places ; and 
 that Christ is its only head. 
 
 Chapter XXVI., "Of Communion of Saints," 
 teaches the communion and fellowship of Christ and his 
 people; and the communion, fellowship and mutual 
 duties of the saints. 
 
 Chapter XXVII., " Of the Sacraments," teaches that 
 a sacrament is an ordinance instituted by Christ; that 
 it consists of a visible sign and an inward spiritual 
 grace ; that it was designed to represent, seal and apply 
 the benefits of Christ to believers, and to be the badge 
 of their profession ; that its virtue does not depend on 
 the piety or intention of the administrator, but on the 
 divine appointment and the sovereign grace of the 
 Spirit ; and that there are only two sacraments in the 
 new dispensation. 
 
 Chapter XXA^II., '^Of Baptism," teaches that 
 
106 UNITED PRESBYTERIANISM. 
 
 baptism is a washing with water in the name of tlhe 
 Trinity ; that it is designed to signify and seal our 
 engrafting into Christ, and our engagement to be his ; 
 that not only professors of religion, but also infants of 
 believers, are to be baptized ; and that, though it is not 
 essential to salvation, it is a duty. 
 
 Chapter XXIX., " Of the Lord's Supper," teaches 
 the divine institution, perpetual obligation, design and 
 effects of the Lord's Supper ; points out the errors of 
 the Roman Catholic Church in respect to this sacra- 
 ment ; and states the true relation between the bread 
 and wine, and the flesh and blood of Christ. 
 
 Chapter XXX., " Of Church Censures," teaches the 
 divine appointment of a government for the church, 
 which is distinct from that of the state ; the nature 
 and extent of church power ; and the ends and methods 
 of discipline. 
 
 Chapter XXXL, ^* Of Synods and Councils," teaches 
 the design of church courts ; the way in which they are 
 to be assembled ; the matters which come under their 
 jurisdiction ; their authority; and the extent to which 
 submission to their decisions is a duty. 
 
 Chapter XXXIL, " Of the State of Men after Death, 
 and of the Resurrection of the Dead," teaches that man 
 consists of soul and body; that at death the bodies of 
 all return to dust; that immediately after death the 
 
CREED OF PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHES. 107 
 
 SQuls of believers are made perfect in holiness, and pass 
 into glory, while the souls of unbelievers are cast into 
 the world of the lost ; and that at thie last day the liv- 
 ing will be changed, and the bodies of the just and 
 unjust, which were laid in the grave, will be raised and 
 united with their souls. 
 
 Chapter XXXIII., ^^Of the Last Judgment," 
 teaches that God has appointed a day of general judgment 
 and has committed this judgment to his Son ; that all are 
 to be judged according to the deeds done in the body ; 
 that the righteous are to be exalted to eternal honor 
 and happiness ; that the ungodly are to be driven away 
 to everlasting punishment; that the time of the judg- 
 ment is unknown ; and that this uncertainty should 
 lead to constant watchfulness. 
 
 This is a very brief analysis of the Westminster Con- 
 fession of Faith. We believe that, " for substance of 
 doctrine," it is in harmony with the teaching of the 
 Scriptures. In most of the copies of the Confession of 
 Faith, the Scripture proofs are arranged under each 
 section. We commend these proofs to your careful 
 study. If such study brings you, as it has brought 
 many, to the conviction that the Westminster Confes- 
 sion of Faith is a correct expression in human language 
 of the divine will, you v\ ill be ready to give your in- 
 telligent assent to this common standard of the Presby- 
 
108 UNITED PRESBYTERIANISM. 
 
 terian churches. If the appointed way of confessiDg 
 our faith in Christ is by a union with the church, you 
 will be ready to unite with some branch of the Presby- 
 terian family, for the Presbyterian Church, in its creed 
 as well as in its form of government, " is agreeable to, 
 and founded on," the word of God. 
 
CHAPTER yil. 
 
 THE UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 
 
 Be ready always to give an answer to every man tliat asketh you 
 a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear. — 1 
 Peter iii. 15. 
 
 T I IHE United Presbyterian Church is one branch 
 of the great Presbyterian family. Wherein does 
 it agree with other Presbyterian churches? Wherein 
 does it differ from them ? These questions will be 
 answered in the present chapter. 
 
 ITS ORIGIN. 
 
 A brief sketch of the origin and history of the 
 United Presbyterian Church will be of advantage in 
 our investigations. In 1733 certain ministers seceded 
 from the Established Church of Scotland, on the 
 ground that there were corruptions in the doctrines 
 of the church, and tyranny in the administration of its 
 government. Soon after, they organized themselves as 
 a Presbytery, which was called the Associate, or Seces- 
 sion Presbytery. For a time they performed no ju- 
 
 (109) 
 
110 UNITED PRESBYTERIANISM. 
 
 dicial acts; but after waiting for three years, and seeing 
 no prospect of healing the breach between them and the 
 mother church, they proceeded to do the proper work 
 of a church court. At first there were but four seceding 
 ministers, but their number increased so rapidly that 
 they found it necessary, in 1744, to constitute them- 
 selves into a Synod, consisting of three Presbyteries. 
 
 A missionary spirit characterized the Associate 
 Synod of Scotland from tlie very first, and one of its 
 fields of missionary labor was the American colonies. 
 That Synod received petition after petition from the 
 Scotch and Scotch-Irish emigrants to America, to send 
 them ministers. For a time nothing could be done in 
 answer to these petitions, on account of the scarcity 
 of ministers at home; but in 1753 two missionaries 
 were sent to Pennsylvania, who organized themselves 
 into a Presbytery, under the name of the Associate 
 Presbytery of Pennsylvania. Afterwards other min- 
 isters were sent, and on May 20, 1776, the Presbytery 
 was divided into two, viz., the Associate Presbytery of 
 Pennsylvania and the Associate Presbytery of New 
 York. There were at this time a few ministers in the 
 United States who belonged to the Reformed Presby- 
 terian or Covenanter Church. A union was formed 
 between the Associate and Reformed Presbyterian 
 churches, June 13, 1782, and the united body was 
 
THE UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, m 
 
 called, from the name of the churches composing it, the 
 Associate Reformed Church. However, two ministers 
 of the Associate Presbytery of Pennsylvania disap- 
 proved of this union and continued their old organiza- 
 tion. This Presbytery was so strengthened by other 
 ministers, sent out by the Associate Church of Scot- 
 land, that on May 3, 1800, it formed itself into a 
 Synod, designated as the Associate Synod of North 
 America. 
 
 This was the origin of the Associate and Associate 
 Reformed Churches in this country. The two denomi- 
 nations occupied the same territory, and held sub- 
 stantially the same doctrines. The conviction grew 
 stronger and stronger that they should be united. 
 Efforts were made in the direction of union, but for 
 many years these efforts were unsuccessful. At last, 
 on May 26, 1858, the union between them was con- 
 summated in Pittsburgh, Pa., and the united body 
 was called the United Presbyterian Church of North 
 America. 
 
 In the year 1859 this church was composed of 42 
 Presbyteries, 408 ministers, 634 congregations, and 
 55,547 members; and during that year it raised for all 
 purposes $22,989. Since that time its growth has been 
 steady. In 1881 there were 61 Presbyteries, 704 
 ministers, 814 congregations, 82,937 members; and the 
 
112 UNITED PRESBYTERIAN ISM. 
 
 money raised amounted to $853,541, or an average of 
 $10.74 per member. 
 
 As we look back over the long separation between 
 the two denominations, which united to form the 
 United Presbyterian Church, we can only wonder that 
 Christians, who were so nearly of one mind, could have 
 been content to remain apart for such a length of time. 
 The harmony which has prevailed, and the progress 
 which has been made, prove that their union has 
 received the blessing of the King and Plead of the 
 church. 
 
 ITS GOVERNMENT. 
 
 The government of the United Presbyterian Church, 
 as its name indicates, is Presbyterian. Its government, 
 as set forth in its Book of Government and Discipline, 
 does not differ materially from that of other Presby- 
 terian churches. It was shown in a former chapter 
 that Presbyterianism, in its officers and courts, is 
 founded on the Scriptures. Therefore, the United 
 Presbyterian Church is, in respect to its government, 
 in harmony with the word of God. 
 
 ITS CREED. 
 
 It has already been stated that the Westminster 
 Confession of Faith is the common creed of all 
 English-speaking Presbyterian churches. The United 
 
THE UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 113 
 
 Presbyterian Church accepts this Confession, with 
 some modifications respecting the power of the civil 
 magistrate concerning religious affairs, as expressing in 
 plain language the teaching of the Holy Scriptures in 
 matters of faith and practice. An analysis of the West- 
 minster Confession of Faith was given in the last chap- 
 ter, and all were invited to test its truth by an appeal 
 to the supreme standard of the inspired word. If this 
 Confession is, as we believe, agreeable to and founded 
 on the Scriptures, then the United Presbyterian 
 Church, in respect to its creed, is in harmony with the 
 word of God. 
 
 ITS TESTIMONY. 
 
 It may be said : If the United Presbyterian Church 
 has the same form of government and the same creed 
 with other Presbyterian churches, wherein does it dif- 
 fer from them ? Why does it maintain a separate 
 organization? These questions are important ones, 
 and they deserve serious attention. It has been shown 
 in another chapter that there has been, from the begin- 
 ning of the present dispensation, a continual growth in 
 the creed of the New Testament church. As the church 
 increased in the knowledge of the truth, it thought it 
 necessary to formulate that truth in its creed. As new 
 errors were taught, the church testified against them 
 in its creed. The fathers, who took an active part in 
 
114 UNITED PRESBYTERIANISM. 
 
 the union which resulted in the formation of the 
 United Presbyterian Church, were of the opinion that 
 there were certain points which were not distinctly and 
 fully exhibited in the Westminster Confession of Faith, 
 and which the circumstances of the church, the signs 
 of the times, and the views and practices of other 
 churches, demanded to be more explicitly stated. 
 They accordingly prepared a statement of the truth on 
 these points, and it was adopted by both the churches 
 entering into the union. This statement is called the 
 Testimony of the United Presbyterian Church. It 
 contains a plain declaration of the belief of the church 
 on those points in which the Westminster Confession 
 of Faith seemed to be deficient, and it is a part of the 
 church's creed. It consists of eighteen articles, on as 
 many different subjects. W^e will take up these articles 
 one by one, and show that they were needed on ac- 
 count of the want of explicitness in the Confession of 
 Faith and the changed circumstances of the church, 
 and briefly state the argument in their support. 
 
 Article I., "Of tlie Plenary Inspiration of the Scrip- 
 tures," reads as follows: "We declare, not only that 
 God has in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testa- 
 ments made a revelation of his will to man, as the 
 only rule of faith and practice, but that these Scrip- 
 tures, viewed as a revelation from God, are in every 
 
THE UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 115 
 
 part the inspired word of God, and that this inspira- 
 tion extends to the language as well as to the senti- 
 ments which they express/' 
 
 The truth, here stated, is involved in the Confession 
 of Faith, Chapter I., Section 2, in which, after men- 
 tioning the several books of the Old and New Testa- 
 ments in their order, it is said, "All which are given 
 by inspiration of God to be the rule of faith and 
 practice." 
 
 But this statement, plain as it is, is not a sufficient 
 testimony against certain errors of the present day. 
 Loose views of inspiration are held by many who pro- 
 fess to believe that the Bible is the word of God. As 
 an illustration of these views, it will be sufficient to 
 say that some maintain that only portions of the Bible 
 are inspired ; others maintain that the thoughts of the 
 Bible were inspired by the Holy Spirit, but that the 
 writers, left unaided in the expression of these 
 thoughts, fell into many errors. In opposition to 
 these and similar theories of inspiration, the United 
 Presbyterian Testimony asserts that the whole Bible is 
 inspired, and that the inspiration extends to the lan- 
 guage as well as to the thoughts. Does this doctrine 
 of plenary or verbal inspiration accord with the teach- 
 ing of the Scriptures ? The truth of the doctrine may 
 be inferred from the fact that thq writers did not al- 
 
116 UNITED PRESBYTERIANISM, 
 
 ways fully understand what they wrote. Some of them 
 wrote of great mysteries, which lie far beyond the reach 
 of human knowledge; others predicted events which 
 did not take place till hundreds of years after the pre- 
 dictions were uttered. But no man can write intel- 
 ligibly on a subject he does not understand, unless the 
 very language is dictated. But we are not left to in- 
 ference ; we are expressly told that "all Scripture is 
 given by inspiration of God/' and that " holy men of 
 God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." 
 Paul asserts that he spake in the words " which the 
 Holy Ghost teacheth." David declares, " The Spirit 
 of the Lord spake by me, and his word was in my 
 tongufe." The Scriptures are called again and again 
 "the word of God." These assertions establish the 
 doctrine that the inspiration of the Bible extends to 
 the language as well as to the thoughts. The inspired 
 penmen were so influenced by the Spirit that they re- 
 corded with infallible accuracy the ideas which they 
 were moved to write. This is an important doctrine. 
 Anything short of verbal inspiration weakens the au- 
 thority of the Bible and throws a suspicion over its 
 teachings. If the sentiments only are inspired, we can 
 have no assurance that they are correctly expressed. 
 Therefore, the Testimony speaks in plain language on 
 this point, and its declaration is founded on the word 
 of God. 
 
THE UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 117 
 
 Article II., "Of the Eternal Soiiship of Christ," is, 
 " We declare, that our Lord Jesus Christ is not only 
 the true and Supreme God, being one in essence with 
 the Father, but also the Son of God, in respect 
 of his natural, necessary, and eternal relation to the 
 Father." 
 
 This truth is exhibited in the Confession of Faith : 
 " The Son is eternally begotten of the Father," Chap- 
 ter II., Section 3. But there are those who say that 
 our Lord is called the Son of God, because God gave 
 him a human body, and sent him to the world on his 
 mission of redemption. But this is not the doctrine 
 of the inspired word. Christ was the Son of God 
 before his incarnation. He could not be called the 
 Son of God on account of his eternal appointment to 
 the mediatorial offioe, for he is recognized as already a 
 Son in the very act of appointment: "Thou art my 
 Son, this day have I begotten thee ; " " God so loved 
 the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that 
 whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but 
 have everlasting life." In harmony with these pas- 
 sages, the Testimony declares that our Lord is the Son 
 of God, not because of his incarnation, but because 
 of his relation to the Father as one of the persons of 
 the Trinity. 
 
 Article III., "Of the Covenant of AVorks," is, "We 
 
118 UNITED PRESBYTERIANISM. 
 
 declare that God, having created man in a state of per- 
 fect holiness, and in possession of a perfect ability to 
 obey him in all things, did enter into a covenant with 
 him, in which covenant Adam was the representative 
 of all his natural posterity, so that in him they were to 
 stand or fall, as he stood or fell/' 
 
 The teaching of the Confession of Faith on this 
 point is in these words : ^' They/' our first parents, 
 "being the root of all mankind, tlie guilt of this sin 
 was imputed, and the same death in sin and corrupted 
 nature conveyed to all their posterity, descending from 
 them by ordinary generation," Chapter VI., Section 3. 
 " The first covenant made with man was a covenant 
 of works, wherein life was promised to Adam, and in 
 him to his posterity, upon condition of perfect and 
 personal obedience," Chapter VIL, Section 2. 
 
 Many, who profess adherence to the Westminster 
 Confession of Faith, affirm that Adam and his pos- 
 terity are connected only by a principle of social lia- 
 bility, according to which his sin was the occasion, but 
 not the judicial ground, of their sin and death, and 
 that we have no more to do with the first sin of Adam 
 than we have with the sin of any other parents. In oppo- 
 sition to this, the Testimony asserts that the transaction 
 with Adam was a covenant, and that in this covenant 
 Adam was the representative of all his posterity. Was 
 
THE UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 119 
 
 it a covenant ? There are two parties mentioned, God 
 and man ; there is a promise on the part of God ; there 
 is a condition imposed on man ; there is a mutual 
 agreement between the parties, which is expressed, on 
 the part of God, in his command and promise, and 
 implied, on the part of man, in his acquiescence. 
 Therefore, as this transaction has all the parts of a 
 covenant, it is properly called a covenant between God 
 and man. But was Adam the federal head or repre- 
 sentative of his posterity in this covenant? The Scrip- 
 tures tell us that " by one man sin entered into the 
 world," that all were "made sinners" by his dis- 
 obedience, and that all die in him. These passages 
 prove that Adam was not only the natural head or 
 parent of all men, but also that he was their moral 
 head, who appeared and acted in their name as well as 
 in his own. The same truth is taught by the inspired 
 parallel, which is drawn between Adam as the repre- 
 sentative of his posterity, and Christ as the representa- 
 tive of his spiritual seed. Therefore, the Testimony, 
 in declaring that the transaction with Adam was a 
 covenant, and that in this covenant Adam was the 
 federal head of his posterity, is in harmony with the 
 Scriptures. 
 
 Article IV., "Of the Fall of Man and His Present In- 
 ability,'' reads thus : "We declare that our first par^^-nts 
 
120 UNITED PRESBYTERIANISM. 
 
 did, by their breach of covenant with God, subject 
 themselves to his eternal wrath, and bring themselves 
 into such a state of depravity as to be wholly inclined 
 to sin, and altogether unable, by their own power, to 
 perform a single act of acceptable obedience to God ; 
 and that all their natural posterity, in virtue of their 
 representation in the covenant, are born into the world 
 in the same state of guilt, depravity and inability, 
 and in this state will continue until delivered there- 
 from by the grace and righteousness of the Lord Jesus 
 Christ." 
 
 The teaching of the Confession of Faith on this 
 subject is as follows: Our first parents "being the root 
 of all mankind, the guilt of this sin was imputed, 
 and the same death in sin and corrupted nature con- 
 veyed to all their posterity, descending from them by 
 ordinary generation. From this original corruption, 
 whereby we are utterly indisposed, disabled, and made 
 opposite to all good, and wholly inclined to all evil, 
 do proceed all actual transgressions," Chapter VI., 
 Section 3, 4. " Man, by his fall into a state of sin, 
 hath wholly lost all ability of will to any spiritual 
 ^ood accompanying salvation ; so as a natural man, 
 b6i(ng altogether averse from that good and dead in 
 sin, is not able, by his own strength, to convert him- 
 self, T>r to prepare himself thereunto," Chapter IX., 
 Sectioi\3. 
 
 \ 
 
THE UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 121 
 
 There are those who profess to believe the West- 
 minster standards, who assert that there is no such 
 thing as original sin, that infants come into the world 
 as free from corruption as Adam was when he was 
 created, and that the impenitent sinner, without the aid 
 of the Spirit, has power to repent, believe and perform 
 good works. The article of the Testimony now under 
 consideration is directed against these errors. That 
 our first parents, by their sin, became subject to a 
 death which included in it not only separation of the 
 soul from the body, but also separation of both soul 
 and body from the favor and presence of God, is evi- 
 dent from the account of the fall, and from the inspired 
 references to it in other parts of Scripture. Do the 
 posterity of Adam come into the world in this state 
 of natural, spiritual and eternal death? We might 
 infer an affirmative answer to this question from 
 Adam's representative character, but we are not left to 
 inference. The Scriptures declare that man is in a 
 state of death and condemnation, that his understanding 
 is darkened, that his will is opposed to the will of God, 
 that his mind and conscience are defiled, that his affec- 
 tions are corrupted, and that his body is an instrument 
 of unrighteousness. The Scriptures also assert that 
 this state of condemnation and depravity is universal, 
 extending to every individual of the human family ; 
 
122 UNITED PRESBYTERIANISM. 
 
 that it is total, corrupting the whole man ; and that it 
 is native, having been brought with us into the world. 
 If this is the natural condition of men, it is evident 
 that they are not able to beli-eve, or repent, or do any- 
 thing which is pleasing to God. Their inability in 
 this direction is expressly taught. The Saviour says, 
 " A¥ithout me, ye can do nothing ; " " No man can 
 come unto me, except the Father which has sent me 
 draw him." Paul declares that we were " without 
 strength." We are represented as "dead," and as 
 corrupt trees " which cannot bring forth good fruit." 
 In accordance with these and similar passages of Scrip- 
 ture, the Testimony declares that we, as well as our 
 first parents after the fall, are totally depraved and 
 altogether unable to obey the commands of God, and 
 that this state of depravity and inability will con- 
 tinue until we are delivered by the grace of the Lord 
 Jesus Christ. 
 
 Article V., "Of the Nature and Extent of the Atone- 
 ment," reads : " We declare that our Lord Jesus Christ 
 did, by the appointment of the Father, and by his own 
 gracious and voluntary act, place himself in the room 
 of a definite number, who were chosen in him before 
 the foundation of the world ; so that he was their true 
 and proper legal surety ; and as such did, in their be- 
 half, satisfy the justice of God, and answer all the 
 
THE UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 123 
 
 demands which the law had against them, and thereby 
 infallibly obtain for them eternal redemption." 
 
 The doctrine here declared is the doctrine of the 
 Confession of Faith : " The Lord Jesus, by his perfect 
 obedience and sacrifice of himself, which he through 
 the eternal Spirit once offered up unto God, hath fully 
 satisfied the justice of his Father, and purchased not 
 only reconciliation, but an everlasting inheritance in 
 the kingdom of heaven, for all those whom the Father 
 hath given unto hini»" "To all those for whom Christ 
 hath purchased redemption, he doth certainly and 
 effectually apply and communicate the same," Chapter 
 VIII., Sections 5, 8. 
 
 There are those who maintain that Christ did not 
 die in the room of sinners, but only for sin in general, 
 with the view of rendering salvation attainable, and 
 equally attainable, by all. What is the truth, as re- 
 vealed in the word of God ? That our Lord sustained 
 the character and relation of a substitute is plainly 
 taught in the Scriptures. He is called " the surety of 
 a better testament," or covenant. He was "made 
 under the law to redeem them that were under the 
 law." Our iniquities "were laid upon him;" he 
 " bore our sins ; " he was " made sin for us ; " he was 
 "made a curse for us." These and other passages 
 establish the truth that our Lord was the legal surety 
 
124 VISITED PRESBYTERIAN ISM. 
 
 of his people. If he was their surety, he must have 
 satisfied the justice of God and answered all the de- 
 mands which the law had against them. The ques- 
 tions then present themselves for an answer: For whom 
 did Christ act as surety? For whom did he satisfy 
 the demands of the law? He must have died for sin 
 in general, or for all the sins of all men, or for some 
 of the sins of all men, or for all the sins of some men. 
 He did not die for sin in general, for the Scriptures 
 represent him as dying not merely for sins, but in the 
 room of sinners. He did not die for all the sins of all 
 men, for then all would be saved; inasmuch as it is 
 impossible to conceive that any should be lost for 
 whom Christ died. He did not die for some of the 
 sins of all men, for then no one could be saved; for it 
 is a revealed truth that no one can make a sufficient 
 atonement for the least of his sins. Therefore, he 
 must have died for all the sins of some men. Hence, 
 those for whom Christ died are called his "seed," his 
 " sheep," and his " church." They are gathered " out 
 of all nations," "chosen," "given to him by the 
 Father," "redeemed from among men." Christ ex- 
 pressly declares that he did not pray for any but his 
 sheep; and we cannot conceive that he would refuse to 
 pray for those for whom he died. It is certainly true 
 that Christ's death possessed an infinite value. It was 
 
THE UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 125 
 
 sufficient as a ransom for all mankind, if it had been 
 the design of God that all mankind should be redeemed 
 by it. But the Scriptures represent him as dying for 
 a definite number, for whom he satisfied all the de- 
 mands of the law, and whose salvation he made infal- 
 libly sure. This Scripture doctrine is the one set forth 
 in this article of the Testimony. 
 
 Article VI., "Of Imputed Righteousness," is : "We 
 ^ declare that in justification there is an imputation to 
 the believer of that righteousness, or satisfaction and 
 obedience, which the Lord Jesus Christ, as the surety 
 of his people, rendered to the law; and that it is only 
 on the ground of this imputed righteousness that his 
 sins are pardoned, and his person accepted in the sight 
 of God." 
 
 This declaration is evidently in accordance with the 
 Confession of Faith: "Those whom God effectually 
 calleth he also freely justifieth," "by imputing the 
 obedience and satisfaction of Christ unto them, they 
 receiving and resting on him and his righteousness ^)y 
 faith," Chapter XI., Section 1. 
 
 Some affirm that the believer is justified on the 
 ground of his faith. Now faith, though it is the gift 
 of God, is nevertheless the'^act of the believer, in which 
 he performs a duty required of him by God. If he is 
 justified on the ground of his faith, his justification is 
 
126 UNITED PRESBYTERIANISM. 
 
 of works, which the Scriptures expressly deny. On 
 what ground, then, are believers justified? The Tes- 
 timony answers, on the ground of the imputed right- 
 eousness of Christ. The imputation of the righteous- 
 ness of Christ is placing to the account of believers 
 what Christ did as their surety. Is the satisfaction 
 which he rendered to the law placed to their account? 
 Such passages as these, " that we might be made the 
 righteousness of God in him," " made unto us right- 
 eousness," '^ by the obedience of one shall many be 
 made righteous," "the righteousness of God is unto all 
 and upon all that believe," fully establish the doctrine 
 of the imputation of the righteousness of Christ as the 
 ground of the believer's justification before God. This 
 is the doctrine stated in the article before us. 
 
 Article VII., "Of the Gospel Offer," is as follows: 
 "We declare that the gospel, taken in its strict and 
 proper sense, as distinguished from the law, is a reve- 
 lation of grace to sinners as such ; and that it contains 
 a free and unconditional offer and grant of salvation 
 through Christ to all who hear it, whatever may be 
 their character or condition." 
 
 The doctrine here stated is implied, though some- 
 what obscurely, in the Confession of Faith, Chapter 
 X., Section 4. After speaking of the effectual calling 
 of the elect, it is said that others "' may be called by the 
 minister of the word," 
 
THE UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 127 
 
 Such an important doctrine demands a more explicit 
 enunciation. The idea has been entertained that 
 salvation is to be offered to none but penitent and 
 awakened sinners, that only such sinners are war- 
 ranted to come to Christ, and that sinners are first to 
 prepare themselves to come to Christ by making them- 
 selves sensible of their need of him, and by exciting in 
 their hearts a desire for his salvation. This article in 
 the Testimony is opposed to this idea. It declares that 
 the gospel, as distinguished from the law, contains 
 neither precept nor sanction, and that it makes a free, 
 unconditional and unlimited offer of Christ and salva- 
 tion through him to all men. That the gospel contains 
 such an offer is evident from the express testimony of 
 God's word. "God so loved the world that he gave 
 his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him 
 should not perish, but have everlasting life ; '^ " Him 
 that Cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast out;" 
 "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any man 
 hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to 
 him and sup with him, and he with me;'' "The Spirit 
 and the bride say, come. And let him that heareth 
 say, come. And let him that is athirst come. And 
 whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." 
 Therefore, the minister of the gospel is to offer a free 
 and unconditional salvation to all, not because Christ 
 
128 UNITED PBESBYTERIANISM. 
 
 died for all, or because all will be saved, but because 
 this is the command of him to whom the Father has 
 given all power '^in heaven and in earth,'' and because 
 his obedience and death are a sufiicient ransom for all. 
 
 Article VIII., ^^Of Saving Faith," is: '' We declare 
 that in true and saving faith there is not merely an 
 assent of the mind to the proposition that the Lord 
 Jesus Christ is the Saviour of sinners, but also a 
 cordial reception and appropriation of him by the sin- 
 ner as his Saviour, with an accompanying persuasion 
 or assurance corresponding to the degree or strength 
 of his faith, that he shall be saved by him ; a\ hich ap- 
 propriation and persuasion are founded solely upon the 
 free, unconditional and unlimited offer of Christ and 
 salvation in him, which God makes in the gospel to 
 sinners of mankind." 
 
 The truth, here declared, is so plainly stated in the 
 Confession of Faith, that there seems little need of this 
 article of the Testimony. However, the importance 
 of the doctrine is a sufficient reason for its frequent 
 repetition. " By this faith, a Christian believeth to be 
 true whatsoever is revealed in the word, for the au- 
 thority of God himself speaking therein, and acteth 
 differently upon that which each particular passage 
 thereof containeth; yielding obedience to the com- 
 mands, trembling at the threatenings, and embracing 
 
THE UNITED PRESBYTERIAS CHURCH. 129 
 
 the promises of God for this life and that which is to 
 come. But the principal acts of saving faith are ac- 
 cepting, receiving and resting upon Christ alone for 
 justification, sanctification and eternal life, by virtue 
 of the covenant of grace," Chapter XIV., Section 2. 
 
 Faith, in the general acceptation of the term, is a 
 belief in testimony. Human faith is a belief in human 
 testimony; divine faith is a belief in divine testimony. 
 But faith must always correspond with the testimony 
 to be believed. If the gospel was only a record of facts 
 and a statement of doctrines, an assent of the mind to 
 these facts and doctrines would be the faith required. 
 But the gospel is something more than this. What is 
 the testimony of God concerning his Son? It is that 
 he has made in the gospel a free and unconditional 
 oifer of Christ to us as sinners. To correspond with 
 this testimony, we must receive and appropriate Christ. 
 If we refuse to do this, we disbelieve the testimony of 
 God, and make him a liar. This faith, which is not 
 merely an assent of the mind, but also a reception and 
 appropriation of Christ, must be accompanied by an 
 assurance that he is our Saviour, which rests on the 
 testimony of God speaking in his word. There is an 
 assurance, which rests on our experience of the work 
 of grace, begun in our hearts ; but the assurance, re- 
 ferred to in the article before us, rests solely upon the 
 
130 UNITED PRESBYTER I Ay ISM. 
 
 witness of God. We are persuaded that Christ is 
 our Saviour, because he is freely offered to us in the 
 gospel. 
 
 Article IX., "Of Evangelical Repentance," reads 
 thus: "We declare that that repentance, which is a 
 saving grace, is one of the fruits of a justifying faith; 
 and of course cannot be regarded as a ground of the 
 sinner's pardon, or as necessary to qualify him for 
 coming to Christ.'' 
 
 The doctrine here presented is exhibited in the Con- 
 fession of Faith, Chapter XY ., Sections 2, 3 : " By it 
 a sinner, out of the sight and sense not only of the 
 danger, but also of the filthiness and odiousness of his 
 sins, as contrary to the holy nature and righteous law 
 of God, and upon the apprehension of his mercy in 
 Christ to such as are penitent, so grieves for and hates 
 his sins as to turn from them all unto God, purposing 
 and endeavoring to walk with him in all the ways of 
 his commandments. Although repentance be not to 
 be rested in as any satisfaction for sin, or any cause 
 of pardon thereof, which is the act of God's free grace 
 in Christ; yet it is of such necessity to all sinners, that 
 none may expect pardon without it." 
 
 They are in error who call sinners to repentance as 
 a means of appeasing the wrath of God, or as qualify- 
 ing them for the reception of Clirist by faith. This 
 
THE UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 131 
 
 article of the Testimony is directed against this error. 
 It asserts that repentance does not go before faith, but 
 that it follows faith as an immediate fruit or effect. 
 That this is the truth will appear from the nature of 
 these two acts of the soul, and from the testimony of 
 the inspired word. " Repentance unto life is a saving 
 grace, whereby a sinner out of a true sense of his sin, 
 and apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ, doth 
 with grief and hatred of his sin turn from it unto 
 God, with full purpose of, and endeavor after new 
 obedience.'^ If this is a correct definition of evangeli- 
 cal repentance, and its correctness is assumed, it is 
 evident that no one can exercise it until he believes in 
 the existence of God, in the mission of Christ, and 
 in the mercy of God in Christ. Therefore, the very 
 nature of faith and repentance proves that the latter 
 is a fruit of the former. We reach the same conclusion 
 from the direct testimony of God's word. "A new 
 heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put 
 within you ; and I will take away the stony heart out 
 of your flesh. Then shall ye remember your evil ways 
 and your doings that were not good, and shall loathe 
 yourselves in your own sight, for your iniquities and 
 for your abominations." In accordance with this teach- 
 ing, the Testimony asserts that a man^s first duty is to 
 believe in Christ, and that repentance is a fruit of faith. 
 
132 VNITED PBESBYTERIANISM. 
 
 Article X., " Of the Believer's Deliverance from the 
 Law as a Covenant," is : " We declare that the moral 
 law is of perpetual obligation, and consequently does 
 and ever will bind the believer as a rule of life; yet 
 as a covenant, he is, by his justification through Christ, 
 completely and forever set free from it, both as to its 
 commanding and condemning power, and consequently 
 not required to yield obedience to it as a condition of 
 life and salvation." 
 
 This declaration is in accordance with the Confession 
 of Faith, Chapter XVI., Sections 2, 5 : " These good 
 works, done in obedience to God's commandments, are 
 the fruits and evidences of a true and lively faith, 
 and by them believers manifest their thankfulness, 
 strengthen their assurance, edify their brethren, adorn 
 the profession of the gospel, stop the mouths of the 
 adversaries ; whose workmanship they are, created in 
 Christ Jesus thereunto, that, having their fruit unto 
 holiness, they may have the end everlasting life. AVe 
 cannot by our best works merit pardon of sin or eternal 
 life at the hand of God, by reason of the great dispro- 
 portion that is between them and the glory to come, 
 and the infinite distance that is between us and God, 
 whom by them we can neither profit nor satisfy for the 
 debt of our former sins." 
 
 This article testifies against the error of those who 
 
THE UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. I33 
 
 maintain that the moral law has been abrogated, and that 
 it is not binding on Christians as a rule of life. That 
 the moral law is of perpetual obligation is proven from 
 the following considerations: It is called a law; its 
 author is God, who is the great Lawgiver; it has never 
 been repealed ; we are expressly said to be " under law 
 to Christ." But though believers are bound to keep 
 the whole law, it is a truth clearly taught in the word 
 of God, that they are entirely delivered from it as a 
 covenant. It does not promise life to them in case of 
 obedience, nor threaten them with death in case of dis- 
 obedience. Their freedom from the law appears from 
 the fact that Christ, as their surety and in their name, 
 fulfilled its precepts and endured its penalty. It also 
 appears from the declarations of the inspired word. 
 Believers *are " delivered from the law ; " " not under 
 the law, but under grace ; " " dead to the law ; " '^justi- 
 fied by faith." But though the believer is delivered 
 from the law as a covenant, he obeys it, not because 
 of the fear of God's wrath, or because of the hope of 
 life on the ground of his own works, but because of 
 God's love for him, and his love for God. Such 
 obedience is a sacrifice, with which the Lord is well 
 pleased. 
 
 Article XL, "Of the Work of the Holy Spirit," 
 is : " We declare that the Holy Spirit, the third person 
 
134 UNITED PRESBYTERIANISM. 
 
 of the Trinity, does, by a direct operation accompany- 
 ing the word, so act upon the soul as to quicken, re- 
 generate and sanctify it; and that without this direct 
 operation, the soul would have no ability to perceive, 
 in a saving manner, the truths of God's word, or yield 
 to the motives which it presents." 
 
 This statement accords with the Confession of Faith, 
 Chapter X., Section 1. "All those whom God hath 
 predestinated unto life, and those only, he is pleased in 
 his appointed and accepted time effectually to call, by 
 his word and Spirit, out of that state of sin and death 
 in which they are by nature, to grace and salvation by 
 Jesus Christ, enlightening their minds spiritually and 
 savingly to understand the things of God, taking away 
 their heart of stone and giving unto them a heart of 
 flesh, renewing their wills, and by his almighty power 
 determining them to that which is good, and effectually 
 drawing them to Jesus Christ, yet so as they come 
 most freely, being made willing by his grace." 
 
 This doctrine is opposed to the idea that regeneration 
 and sanctification are the result of moral suasion, and 
 of the mere presentation of truth to the mind. What 
 is the condition of the sinner, as described in the word 
 of God ? He is represented as " dead in sins," and as 
 "blind." If this is his condition, the precepts, doc- 
 trines, invitations and warnings of the Scripture can 
 
THE UNITED PRESBYTERIAy CHURCH. 135 
 
 liave DO effect on him, witliout the direct operation of 
 God. That there is such an operation, and that it is 
 the work of the Spirit, are truths of revelation. It is 
 called a creation, a renewing of the Holy Ghost, the 
 opening of the eyes, the opening of the understanding, 
 a quickening, and the giving of a heart of flesh. The 
 Spirit, in thus operating upon the soul, does not impart 
 any new faculties, but quickens, exercises and sanctifies 
 those which the sinner already })ossesses. This is the 
 doctrine of the article before us. 
 
 Article XIL, "Of the Headship of Christ," reads 
 as follows : " We declare that our Lord Jesus Christ, 
 besides the dominion which belongs to hira as God, has 
 as our God-man Mediator a twofold dominion, with 
 which he has been invested by the Father as the re- 
 ward of his sufferings. These are a dominion over the 
 church, of which he is the living Head and Lawgiver, 
 and the source of all that divine influence and author- 
 ity by which she is sustained and governed; and also, 
 a dominion over all created persons and things, which 
 is exercised by him in subserviency to the manifesta- 
 tions of God's glory in the system of redemption, and 
 the interests of his church." 
 
 The doctrine of Christ's headship is thus stated in 
 the Confession of Faith, Chapter VIIL, Section 1 : 
 "It pleased God in his eternal purpose to choose and 
 
136 UNITED PRESBYTERIANISM. 
 
 ordain the Lord Jesus, his only begotten Son, to be 
 the Mediator between God and man ; the Prophet, 
 Priest and King; the Head and Saviour of his 
 church; the Heir of all things, and Judge of the 
 world." 
 
 Christ as the second person of the Trinity has a 
 dominion as God ; but this article of the Testimony 
 affirms that Christ, as Mediator, has a twofold domin- 
 ion, distinct in some respects from his dominion as 
 God. In the first place, it is affirmed that he has 
 dominion over his church. For this we have the ex- 
 press testimony of the divine word. He is said to be 
 the "Head" of the church. He calls the church his 
 " kingdom." The angel declared that he should "reign 
 over the house of Jacob forever." Isaiah says that 
 "the government shall be upon his shoulder." Paul 
 speaks of him as "a son over his own house." David 
 sings of his " throne " and " sceptre." It is, therefore, 
 his exclusive prerogative to provide for the preserva- 
 tion and perpetuation of his church ; and it is a blas- 
 phemous assumption of power, and a direct encroach- 
 ment on the rights of the Lord Jesus, for any man, or 
 any body of men, either in the church or state, to claim 
 or exercise a legislative power in relation to the doc- 
 trines, government, discipline or worship of the church. 
 But the article under consideration also affirms that 
 
THE UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 137 
 
 Christ Jesus has a dominion over all created persons 
 and things. The proof of this assertion is the testimony 
 of Scripture. All power is given uaito Christ in heaven 
 and in earth. God has given him a name which is 
 above every name, put all things under his feet, and 
 left nothing which is not put under him. He has 
 given him power over all flesh. Jesus has the keys 
 of hell and of death. His dominion over all things is 
 exercised for the good of his people and the punishment 
 of his enemies. He is head over all things, " to the 
 church ;" he has power over all flesh, "that he should 
 give eternal life to as many as the Father gave him," 
 and that all things might " work together for good 
 to them that love God.'' Such being the universal 
 dominion of our Lord as Mediator, it follows that all 
 intelligent beings, angels, kings, magistrates, and men 
 of every condition, are bound to acknowledge his 
 supremacy in their respective stations and relations. 
 
 Article XIII., " Of the Supremacy of God's Law," 
 is : " We declare that the law of God, as written upon 
 the heart of man, and as set forth in the Scriptures of 
 the Old and New Testaments, is supreme in its author- 
 ity and obligations ; and that where the commands of 
 the church or state are in conflict with the commands 
 of this law, we are to obey God rather than man." 
 
 This declaration is in accordance with the Confes- 
 
138 UNITED PRESBYTERIAN tSM. 
 
 sion of Faith, Ciiapter I., Section 2: " Under the name 
 of the holy Scripture, or tlic word of God written, are 
 now contained all the books of the Old and New 
 Testaments, all which are given by inspiration of God 
 to be the rule of faith and practice/' Also Chapter 
 XX., Section 2: "God alone is Lord of the conscience, 
 and hath left it free from the doctrines and com- 
 mandments of men, which are in anything contrary 
 to his word, or beside it in matters of faith or wor- 
 ship." 
 
 This article of the Testimony is so manifestly in 
 accordance with the word of God, that it seems to be 
 hardly necessary to bring forward any arguments in its 
 defence; yet the principle which it embodies has been 
 opposed by some, and lost sight of by many. There 
 can be no doubt that the powers that be, both in church 
 and state, are ordained of God ; therefore, obedience to 
 civil and ecclesiastical authority is a duty. Neverthe- 
 less, there is a limit to the obedience. The authority 
 must be lawful in itself and in its exercise, or resistance 
 to it does not amount to resistance to the ordinance of 
 God. Even if it is unlawful, open and violent resist- 
 ance may not be a duty, for it is sometimes the duty 
 of Christians to endure wrong and submit to oppression. 
 But when human authority requires us to do what the 
 law of God forbids, or forbids what the law of God 
 
THE UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. I39 
 
 requires, it is to be disregarded, let the consequences be 
 what they may. Upon this principle Daniel, the He- 
 brew children and the apostles acted with the divine 
 approbation. The law of the land or of the church is 
 no reason for disobeying the commands of God, for we 
 are to obey God rather than man. 
 
 Article XIV., "Of Slaveholding/' is: "We declare 
 that slaveholding, that is, the holding of unoffending 
 human beings in involuntary bondage, and considering 
 and treating them as property, and subject to be bought 
 and sold, is a violation of the law of God, and contrary 
 both to the letter and spirit of Christianity." 
 
 The truth, here declared, is implied in the Confes- 
 sion of Faith, Chapter lY., Section 2: "After God had 
 made all other creatures, he created man, male and 
 female, with reasonable and immortal souls, endued 
 with knowledge, righteousness and true holiness, after 
 his own image, having the law of God written in their 
 hearts, and power to fulfil it." 
 
 It seems useless to adduce arguments in support of 
 this article of the Testimony, for the logic of events 
 has demonstrated its truth. It might now be dropped 
 from our standards, for the sin against which it testi- 
 fies has departed from our land. Around this article 
 some of the fiercest battles of our denomination have 
 been fought. It seems almost incredible that less thaa 
 
140 UNITED PRESBYTERIANISM. 
 
 a quarter of a century ago there were those in the 
 church and out of it who maintained that American 
 slavery was in harmony with the letter and spirit of 
 Christianity; and that the United Presbyterian Church 
 was one of a very few that declared that slaveholding 
 was a sin, and that those who were guilty of this sin 
 had no right to a place in the membership of the 
 church. It may, however, be of interest to state 
 briefly the arguments by which this article of the Tes- 
 timony was defended in those days of conflict; for 
 these arguments will be new to the young, and they 
 are already beginning to fade from the memory of 
 those of mature years, (a) The word of God repre- 
 sents the whole human family as made of "one blood," 
 and as possessing a common nature. This being the 
 case, the natural rights of all men are the same. As 
 slavery deprives some of their natural rights, it is at 
 war with humflnity. (6) The word of God, in the 
 grant of dominion which it makes to man, limits his 
 dominion to the lower creatures. In accordance with 
 this grant, man may make the lower creatures his 
 property, but if he attempts to make slaves of his 
 fellow-men, he assumes a power which was not given 
 him by the Lord of all. (c) The law of God recog- 
 nizes the right of all men to use their powers of body 
 and mind in" the pursuit of happiness, but slavery de- 
 
THE UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 141 
 
 nies some the exercise of this right, {d) The law of 
 God requires masters to give to their servants " that 
 which is just and equal/' but there is neither justice 
 nor equality in what the slave receives from the slave- 
 holder, (e) The law of God recognizes marriage as the 
 right of all, and it teaches that this relation is indisso- 
 luble by man, but in slavery husband and wife are 
 separated at the will of the master. (/) The law of 
 God requires parents to bring up their children in the 
 nurture and admonition of the Lord, but the parents 
 of slaves are prevented from performing this duty. 
 [g) The law of God commands every man to search the 
 Scriptures, but the slaveholder forbids obedience to 
 this command, {h) The law of God forbids man- 
 stealing, but in slavery one man makes merchandise 
 of another. These considerations show that slavehold- 
 ing is contrary to the word of God ; and against this 
 sin, the United Presbyterian Church testified in those 
 days when such a testimony was needed. 
 
 Article XY., "Of Secret Societies," is in the follow- 
 ing language: "We declare that all associations, 
 whether formed for political or benevolent purposes, 
 which impose upon their members an oath of secrecy, 
 or an obligation to obey a code of unknown laws, are 
 inconsistent with the genius and spirit of Christianity, 
 and church members ought not to have fellowship with 
 such associations." 
 
142 UNITED PRESBYTERIANISM. 
 
 This article is in accordance with the Confession of 
 Faith, Chapter XXIT., Sections 1-3: "A lawful oath 
 is a part of religious worship, wherein upon just occa- 
 sion the person swearing solemnly calleth upon God to 
 witness what he asserteth or promiseth; and to judge 
 him according to the truth or falsehood of what he 
 sweareth. The name of God only is that by which men 
 ought to swear, and therein it is to be used with all 
 holy fear and reverence; therefore, to swear vainly or 
 rashly by that glorious and dreadful name, or to swear 
 at all by any other thing, is sinful and to be abhorred. 
 Yet in matters of weiglit and moment, an oath is war- 
 ranted by the word of God under the New Testament, 
 as well as under the Old ; so a lawful oath being im- 
 posed by lawful authority in such matters ought to be 
 taken. Whosoever taketh an oath ought duly to con- 
 sider the weightiness of so solemn an act, and therein 
 to avouch nothing but what he is fully persuaded is 
 the truth. Neither may any man bind himself by oath 
 to anything but what is good and just, and what he 
 believeth so to be, and what he is able and resolved to 
 perform." We wnll also have occasion to see that the 
 teaching of some of the secret orders is in conflict with 
 this statement of the Confession, Chapter XIV., Sec- 
 tion 2: ''But the principal acts of saving faith are 
 accepting, receiving and resting upon Christ alone for 
 
THE UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 143 
 
 justification, sanctification and eternal life, by virtue 
 of the covenant of grace/' 
 
 It is important to understand clearly what is ob- 
 jected to in this article of the Testimony. It is not 
 the oath; for the oath is an ordinance of God, and its 
 administration is sometimes proper and necessary. It 
 is not the simple fact of secrecy. It is freely admitted 
 that an individual may become acquainted with many 
 things which it would be improper for him to reveal. 
 Wisdom demands that some business, transacted in 
 societies, corporations, and even church courts, should 
 be kept secret. What, then, is it that this article con- 
 demns? It is the administering and taking of an oath 
 to keep secret matters at present unknown, and to obey 
 laws and conform to principles which may be contrary 
 to the revealed will of God, and which we have good 
 reason for believing are inconsistent with the divine 
 law. 
 
 There are many secret orders, and some have more 
 laudable objects, more solemn obligations and more 
 erroneous doctrines than others. Therefore, all are not 
 to be placed on precisely the same level. Those who 
 oppose these societies believe that some are working 
 greater injury and are worthy of severer censure than 
 others. The orders of Freemasonry and Odd-Fellow- 
 ship are the strongest ; with their members we come 
 
144 UNITED PRESBYTEBIANISM. 
 
 most frequently into contact; their doctrines and prac- 
 tices seem to be most objectionable; hence, in our 
 remarks we will refer especially to them. At the same 
 time, it should be remembered that we oppose all other 
 associations, against which the same objections may be 
 urged. 
 
 We might object to secret societies on social grounds, 
 for they entice men away from their families and en- 
 tangle the young in companionships which often prove 
 their ruin; on political grounds, for they have become 
 a great power in local and general politics; and on 
 economical grounds, for we believe it can be demon- 
 strated* that the money paid for dues and other ex- 
 penses of the lodge would yield a far larger return if 
 invested in some other way. We might bring forward 
 objections, founded on the administration of justice, for 
 if the testimony of credible witnesses is to l)e believed, 
 judges and juries have perverted justice because of 
 their obligations to sympathize with and help their 
 brethren of the same society. We might base objec- 
 tions on the dignity of our humanity, for the regalia, 
 parades and ceremonies of these societies seem rather 
 like the play of children than the work of men. Many 
 other objections of a similar kind might be urged with 
 greater or less force, but these objections belong rather 
 to the reformer, the statesman, the politician and the 
 
THE UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 145 
 
 citizen. The Christian must have some higher and 
 stronger reasons than these, or he will not be justified 
 in bringing his opposition into the church. Are there 
 such higher and stronger reasons ? We believe there 
 are; and to three of them we call attention, not because 
 they stand alone, but because they are prominent ones 
 and sufficient for the present purpose, and because they 
 in some measure embrace the others. 
 
 1 . We oppose secret societies because they require a 
 profanation of the or^dinance of the oath. That some 
 of these societies impose an oath upon their members 
 will not be denied. The candidate takes upon himself 
 an obligation, sometimes in the form of an oath, and 
 sometimes in the form of a solemn promise, adminis- 
 tered to him by the officer of the lodge, and binds 
 himself under severe penalties to do certain things. 
 Now, what is an oath? It is a ^'declaration or prom- 
 ise, made by calling on God to witness what is said, 
 with an invoking of his vengeance, or a renunciation 
 of his favor, in case of falsehood." According to the 
 Confession of Faith, which we assume and believe to 
 teach the truth in this matter, an oath is to be admin- 
 istered only "upon just occasion;" but wherein is 
 there any sufficient occasion for such a solemnity in so 
 simple a thing as admitting a man into a merely human 
 
 society? According to the same authority, an oath is 
 10 
 
146 UNITED PRESBYTEBIANISM, 
 
 to be administered "with all holy fear and reverence." 
 Though there is reason to believe that there is a lack 
 of reverence in the administration of the oath in our 
 courts of justice, it is to be feared that there is even 
 less of reverence in the lodge. The Confession also 
 asserts that the oath must be " imposed by lawful au- 
 thority.^^ Such lawful authority can be derived only 
 from the church or state; but the lodge is neither the 
 one nor the other. The Confession further says that 
 whoever takes an oath should "avouch nothing but 
 what he is fully persuaded is the truth," but how can 
 a man be fully persuaded of the truth of laws, princi- 
 ples and acts of which he knows nothing? If this is a 
 correct exhibition of the teaching of the Scriptures 
 respecting the oath, it is evident that the administra- 
 tion of the oath by any merely human society is a 
 profanation of the ordinance. It is asserted by some, 
 who claim to know, that the oaths of some secret orders 
 contain such sentences as these : " Whether right or 
 wrong;" "treason and murder not excepted;" and 
 that they bind the persons taking them to do anything 
 required of them by the society to which they belong ; 
 but the argument under consideration does not rest 
 upon the truth of these assertions. Admitting these 
 charges to be untrue, the administration of an oath 
 without sufficient occasion, without reverence, by un- 
 
THE UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 147 
 
 lawful authority, and without a firm persuasion of 
 the truth, is a profanation of this ordinance of God. 
 
 If the pledge given is a solemn promise, and not a 
 formal oath, there are objections to it of but little less 
 weight than those which have been urged against the 
 oath. Such an obligation is inconsistent with subjec- 
 tion to the law of God. This law is the supreme 
 standard. When a man promises to keep secret the 
 unknown transactions of any society, he does not know 
 but that the law of God will require him to reveal 
 them. When he binds himself to support principles 
 with which he has not been made acquainted, he does 
 not know but that the law of God may bind him to 
 oppose them. AVhen he ])]edges himself to obey a 
 system of unknown laws, he does not know but that 
 this system may be in conflict with the law of God. 
 Therefore, in giving such a promise, he promises to 
 do that which may involve him in sin. Such an ob- 
 ligation is also enslaving to the conscience. • God alone 
 is Lord of the conscience. But to promise to obey a 
 code of unknown human laws, whatever may be its 
 character, is doing violence to the freedom of the con- 
 science. It is a deliberate renunciation of the God- 
 given right of private judgment. It is making our- 
 selves the servants of men. 
 
 This is one reason for believing that secret societies 
 
148 UNITED PRESBYTERIAN ISM 
 
 " are inconsistent with the genius and spirit of Chris- 
 tianity." If they impose an oath upon their members, 
 they profane an ordinance of God. If they require a 
 solemn promise concerning things which are unknown, 
 they require that which is inconsistent with subjection 
 to the law of God, and enslaving to the conscience. 
 
 2. We oppose secret societies because they despise the 
 church of God. It is asserted by those who believe in 
 the wisdom and value of these societies that they are 
 intended and employed to accomplish certain good 
 ends. It is claimed that they are designed to promote, 
 and that they do promote, love, benevolence and 
 morality. The correctness of this claim might be dis- 
 puted. It might be said that their brotherly love is 
 restricted in its exercise, for they will not receive into 
 their membership sick and infirm men, or helpless 
 women ; that their benevolence is no greater than that 
 of life insurance companies, for they give only to those 
 who contribute to their funds; and that their success 
 in teaching morality is not very marked, for the com- 
 panions and associations of the lodge have ruined many. 
 But let us grant that everything which the advocates 
 of these orders claim for them is true; let us admit 
 that these societies do promote brotherly love, increase 
 benevolence and cultivate morality. These are among 
 the things which God designed to accomplish by the 
 
THE UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 149 
 
 church which he has established in the world. He has 
 commanded its members to love one another, to assist 
 the poor, not only of their" own number, but through- 
 out the world, as they may have opportunity, and to 
 live lives of holiness. K^o one who is acquainted with 
 the teaching of the Scriptures will question the truth 
 of these statements. If this is so, what is the meaning 
 of the conduct of those who establish and maintain hu- 
 man societies to do that which God intended to be done 
 by his church? It is an open declaration that they are 
 wiser than God; that the church cannot accomplish 
 what it was intended to accomplish ; and that, instead 
 of establishing a church with its constitution, officers 
 and ordinances, God should have established a lodge 
 with its rites and ceremonies. This is despising the 
 church ; for those who refuse to connect themselves 
 with the church, who neglect or profane its ordinances, 
 and who try to accomplish in any other way what God 
 intended to be accomplished by his church, are all 
 guilty of this sin. That it is a sin, and an aggravated 
 sin, to despise the church, no one who believes in its 
 divine appointment will deny. And because secret so- 
 cieties claim to do that which God intended to be done 
 by his church, we maintain that they ''are inconsistent 
 with the genius and spirit of Christianity," for in this 
 claim they despise the church and its King and Head. 
 
150 UNITED PRESBYTERIANISM. 
 
 3. We oppose secret societies because they teach a 
 false religion. This is a serious charge, and if it can 
 be proven, no consistent Clu'istian will have anything 
 to do with these societies. What is true religion ? Its 
 fundamental doctrines are these : there is a God ; men 
 are sinners ; there is but one Mediator between God 
 and man, the Lord Jesus Christ ; there is a place of 
 future rewards; the only way of reconciliation with 
 God and of securing everlasting happiness is by faith 
 in Christ. On these points all who believe the revela- 
 tions of the Bible are agreed. Any system of religion 
 which omits one of these fundamental principles, or 
 teaches a doctrine contrary to one of these fundamental 
 principles, must be a false religion. 
 
 Does any secret order teach religion ? If so, does 
 any one teach a false religion? In attempting to 
 answer these questions, we must make our appeal to 
 recognized authorities. It will not do to rest our an- 
 swer upon the testimony of individual members, for 
 they may be ignorant or mistaken. In determining, 
 for example, what are the principles of the United 
 Presbyterian Church, we must appeal, not to the be- 
 lief and practice of individuals, but to the acknowledged 
 standards. Now, there are recognized authorities in 
 these secret orders. There are books which have re- 
 ceived the endorsement of these societies, which lay 
 
THE UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 151 
 
 down their principles, and which can be purchased by 
 any one who desires. Among these books are Webb's 
 Freemason's Monitor, Carson's Monitor of the An- 
 cient and Accepted Rite, Mackey's Manual of the 
 Lodge, Grosch^s Manual of Odd-Fellowship, Town's 
 System of Speculative Masonry, Sickles' Ahiman 
 Rezon, etc. 
 
 Appealing to these recognized standards, let us 
 attempt to answer the question, do these secret societies 
 teach religion? We read of altars; and altars are 
 peculiar to religion. Their presence in any institution 
 is evidence of its religious character. We read of chap- 
 lains, grand chaplains, right worthy grand chaplains ; 
 of priests, high priests, most excellent high priests; of 
 prelates and most excellent prelates. All these are 
 religious officers, and it is their special business to 
 attend to matters of religion. We, therefore, infer 
 that these societies teach religion; for if not, what 
 room would there be in them for altars, priests and 
 prelates? But we are not left to inference. The 
 acknowledged authorities, already referred to, speak 
 plainly on this point. " The meeting of a Masonic 
 lodge is strictly a religious ceremony,'^ Webb's I^exi- 
 con, page -357. "As morality is the great doctrine 
 of the apprentice, and science the great purpose of the 
 craft, so religion, of a broad and universal character. 
 
152 UNITED PRESBYTERIANISM, 
 
 is the prime inculcation of the master's degree," 
 Webb's Lexicon, page 344. "All our regulations as- 
 sume, as a foundation that cannot be moved, a belief 
 in the being of a God, and a future state of rewards 
 and punishments, and cultivate the necessity of moral 
 purity as a qualification for future happiness ; and this, 
 according to our definitions, forms the sum and sub- 
 stance of religion in its most universal acceptation," 
 Mackey's Mystic Tie, page 85. " The explanations 
 of the symbols of the order, given in this degree, are, 
 worthy of your attention and remembrance; especially 
 as presented in three great divisions, teaching our duty 
 to God, to our fellow-men and to ourselves," Grosch's 
 Manual, page 369. " The right of induction, there- 
 fore, signifies the end of a profane and vicious life, the 
 new birth of corrupted human nature, the death of vice 
 and all bad passions, and the introduction into the new 
 life of purity and virtue. It also prepares the candi- 
 date, by prayer and meditation, for that mystic pilgrim- 
 age, where he must wander through night and dark- 
 ness, before he can behold the golden splendors of the 
 Orient, and stand in unfettered freedom among the 
 sons of light," Sickles' Ahiman Rezon, page 54. 
 "AVe now behold man complete in morality and intel- 
 ligence, with the stay of religion added to insure him 
 of the protection of the Deity, and guard him against 
 
THE UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 153 
 
 ever going astray. These three degrees form a per- 
 fect and harmonious whole, nor can we conceive of any- 
 thing that can be suggested more, which the soul of 
 man requires," Sickles' Ahiman Rezon, page 188. 
 ^' In advancing to the fourth degree, the Mason is 
 assured of his election and final salvation. Hence 
 opens the fifth degree, where he discovers his election 
 to, and his glorified station in, the kingdom of his 
 Father," Town's System, page 170. "Masonry is 
 a religious institution. The Mason on the night of 
 his initiation commences the great task which, in his fu- 
 ture Masonic life, is never to be discontinued, of erect- 
 ing in his heart a spiritual temple for the indwelling 
 of God," Mackey's Manual, pages 40, 41. 
 
 It is evident from these quotations that these socie- 
 ties teach religion. What is the religion taught by 
 them? Is it true or false? It is a religion whioh 
 ignores and denies the Lord Jesus Christ. In proof 
 of this assertion, we appeal again to the testimony of 
 acknowledged authorities. It is the boast of these 
 orders that in them men of all nations and religions 
 can meet on the same level, and unite in the same wor- 
 ship. Both Webb and Sickles say that, in the lodge, 
 "the distant Chinese, the wild Arab and the American 
 savage will embrace a brother Briton, Frank or Ger- 
 man." What is the religion of such a brotherhood as 
 
154 UNITED PRESBYTERIANISM. 
 
 this ? "Though in ancient times Masons were charged 
 in every country to be of the religion of that country 
 or nation, whatever it was, it is now thought more ex- 
 pedient only to oblige them to that religion in which 
 all men agree,'' Mackey's Manual, page 216. Evi- 
 dently, that religion " in which all men agree" cannot 
 be the Christian religion. The lodge must ignore the 
 Lord Jesus Christ, or the Jew and the Mahometan 
 could not unite in its worship. " The descendants of 
 Abraham, the diverse followers of Jesus, the pariahs 
 of the stricter sects, are gathered around the same altar 
 as one family, manifesting no difference of creed or 
 worship; they have Ifeft their prejudices at the door/' 
 Grosch's Manual, page 285. "A belief in God con- 
 stitutes the sole creed of the Mason, at least the only 
 creed he is required to profess," Mackey's Manual, 
 page 40. Accordingly, in the prayers and hymns, 
 which are given in their rituals of worship, the name 
 of the Saviour is omitted. How can any Christian 
 unite in such prayers, inasmuch as Jesus himself has 
 said, " No man cometh to the Father, but by me ? " 
 The name of Christ is also expunged from the selections 
 of Scripture which are read in the lodge. It is written 
 in the word, " Whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do 
 all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks unto 
 God and the Father by him." Therefore, those insti- 
 
THE UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 155 
 
 tutions which boast of their religion and worship in 
 which all men can agree, and which ignore the Saviour 
 in their prayers and other religious exercises, teach a 
 false religion, for it is a religion which denies the only 
 Mediator between God and man. 
 
 These societies also teach that salvation is secured by 
 good works. " White is emblematic of that purity of 
 life and rectitude of conduct by which alone we may 
 expect to gain admission into the Holy of Holies 
 above,'' Sickles' Ahiman Rezon, page 63. " We may 
 be received into thine everlasting kingdom, and there 
 enjoy the just reward of a pious and virtuous life," 
 Mackey's Manual, page 203. *'The Divine Being 
 views no moral character in a man with greater com- 
 placency than his who, in heart, strictly conforms to 
 Masonic requirements," Town's System, page 184. 
 And in the burial service, the members of these socie- 
 ties, no matter what their faith may have been, are 
 spoken of as "transferred by death from their work in 
 this lodge and life to the lodge and life above." In all 
 these authorities, repentance towards God, faith in the 
 Lord Jesus Christ and the sanctification of the Spirit, 
 are not so much as hinted at as needful to salvation. 
 But the word of God asserts that men are justified by 
 faith, and not by the deeds of the law. Therefore, that 
 religion which teaches that salvation i^ by works, and 
 
156 UNITED PRESBYTERIANISM. 
 
 "the just reward of a pious and virtuous life/' is a 
 false religion. 
 
 For these reasons, among others, the United Pres- 
 byterian Church testifies that these secret societies "are 
 inconsistent with the genius and spirit of Christianity," 
 and that church members ought not to have fellowship 
 with them. 
 
 Article XVI., "Of Communion,'' is: "We declare 
 that the church should not' extend communion, in seal- 
 ing ordinances, to those who refuse adherence to her 
 profession, or subjection to her government and disci- 
 pline, or who refuse to forsake a communion which is 
 inconsistent with the profession that she makes ; nor 
 should communion in any ordinance of worship be held 
 under such circumstances as would be inconsistent with 
 the keeping of these ordinances pure and entire, or so 
 as to give countenance to any corruption of the doc- 
 trines and institutions of Christ." 
 
 The teaching of the Confession of Faith on this 
 subject is as follows, Chapter XXYI., Sections 1, 2 : 
 "All saints that are united to Jesus Christ their head 
 by his Spirit and by faith, have fellowship with him 
 in his graces, sufferings, death, resurrection and glory. 
 And being united to one another in love, they have 
 communion in each other's gifts and graces, and are 
 obliged to the performance of such duties, public and 
 
THE UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 157 
 
 private, as do conduce to their mutual good, both in 
 the inward and outward man. Saints, by profession, 
 are bound to maintain a holy fellowship and commu- 
 nion in the worship of God, and in performing such 
 other spiritual services as tend to their mutual edifica- 
 tion, as also relieving each other in outward things, 
 according to their several abilities and necessities. 
 Which communion, as God offereth opportunity, is to 
 be extended unto all those who in every place call upon 
 the name of the Lord Jesus." 
 
 This article of the Testimony has two parts. The 
 first has reference to communion in sealing ordinances; 
 the second has reference to communion in all the ordi- 
 nances of worship. These two parts will be considered 
 separately. 
 
 It is to be observed that the Confession does not 
 answer directly the question, Who are to be admitted 
 to the sealing ordinances of the church ? It is not 
 speaking distinctly of communion in sealing ordinances, 
 but of the general subject of the communion of the 
 saints, which includes all their mutual duties, such as 
 the relieving of "each other in outward things, ac- 
 cording to their several abilities and necessities." It 
 states the great doctrine that Christians in different 
 lands should cultivate towards each other a holy 
 fellowship, and not suffer their mutual love to be 
 
158 UNITED PRESBYTERIANISM, 
 
 restricted by geographical boundaries or national dis- 
 tinctions. It certainly is true that fellowship in seal- 
 ing ordinances is a part of the communion of the 
 saints; but in interpreting the language of the Confes- 
 sion of Faith, we must take into consideration the 
 design of the Assembly that framed it. That design 
 was confessedly to effect, in the three kingdoms, a uni- 
 formity in doctrine, worship and government. It was 
 hoped that all the churches represented in the West- 
 minster Assembly would be brought together into one 
 church. This hope gave color to the declarations of 
 the Confession. The chapter on "The Communion 
 of the Saints " did not anticipate different denomina- 
 tions, holding to different creeds, but a united church. 
 Therefore, since the circumstances of the church are 
 very different from what the Westminster divines ex- 
 pected, it is necessary to give a more clear and explicit 
 answer than they did to the question, Who are to be 
 admitted to sealing ordinances in the church? The 
 answer of our Testimony to this question is, in sub- 
 stance, this : The church should extend such communion 
 only to those who adhere to its profession and are sub- 
 ject to its government. We believe this answer to be 
 in accordance with the statements of the Confession, 
 already quoted. While holy fellowship should be 
 cultivated and practised with all believers, communion 
 
THE UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 159 
 
 in sealing ordinances should be restricted to those who 
 agree in doctrine, worship and government, for such 
 agreement was contemplated and designed by those 
 who prepared the Confession of Faith. 
 
 The sealing ordinances of the New Testament church 
 are Baptism and the Lord's Supper. They are called 
 sealing ordinances because they seal the benefits, pur- 
 chased by Christ, to true believers. As a seal affixed 
 to a deed is an evidence of its authenticity, so these 
 ordinances are an evidence that those who partake of 
 them have a right to the blessings of the covenant of 
 grace. Some churches invite all persons who believe 
 themselves to be Christians to commune with them in 
 the sealing ordinance of the Lord's Supper; others in- 
 vite all who know themselves to be members of evan- 
 gelical churches, in good and regular standing. In 
 opposition to these latitudinarian views, our Testimony 
 asserts that the church should not extend communion 
 in sealing ordinances to those who refuse adherence to 
 its profession or subjection to its authority; in other 
 words, to those who are not its members. Several 
 reasons might be assigned in support of the correctness 
 of this position, but we will select two, which are easily 
 understood, and which will show that this article of 
 the Testimony rests on a substantial foundation. 
 
 The responsibility of the Session to the King and 
 
160 UNITED PRESBYTERIANISM. 
 
 Head of the church requires that communion in sealing 
 ordinances be restricted to those whom they know and 
 who are under their jurisdiction. It is now taken for 
 granted that the Presbyterian form of church govern-, 
 ment is "agreeable to and founded on the word of 
 God/' and that the Session is a divinely appointed court 
 in the Presbyterian order. What is the duty of Ses- 
 sions ? They are charged with the government of the 
 congregations; it belongs to them to inquire into the 
 knowledge, character and conduct of the members, to 
 exercise discipline when it is heeded, and to promote 
 the good order and purity of the church. If they do 
 not do this, the Saviour, whose officers they are, will 
 hold them responsible for the injury and dishonor 
 which their ignorance and carelessness may bring upon 
 the church. How can they do this, if they do not 
 know who are admitted to sealing ordinances? How 
 can they do this, if they admit to these ordinances 
 those who are not under their jurisdiction, and on 
 whom they can exercise no discipline ? Therefore, 
 every Session must say to those who are not members 
 of their congregation. We do not deny your Chris- 
 tianity ; but you are strangers to us, and we have no 
 authority to inquire into the correctness of your faith 
 and the holiness of your life; and the solemn obliga- 
 tions we have taken to maintain the order and purity 
 
THE UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 161 
 
 of the church will not suffer us to permit you, on your 
 own responsibility, to take part in these sealing ordi- 
 nances. Of course, every man is responsible to God 
 for his faith and practice; but the Session is also re- 
 sponsible for the faith and practice of those whom they 
 admit to the place of disciples. If the individual alone 
 was responsible, there would be no use for a Session. 
 But Sessions have a responsibility in this matter which 
 cannot be laid aside ; and, because of their responsi- 
 bility, they ought not to extend communion in sealing 
 ordinances to any one whose life and faith are un- 
 known to them, and who is not subject to their spir- 
 itual authority. 
 
 The proper exercise of necessary discipline requires 
 the same restriction. That the exercise of discipline 
 is a part of the duty of the church, no believer in the 
 New Testament will deny. Every church finds it 
 necessary to arraign, try and sentence its unworthy 
 members. To do this in a particular congregation is, 
 according to Presbyterian polity, the province of the 
 Session of that congregation. But a Session has no 
 power to fine or imprison offenders; all ifc can do is to 
 suspend or excommunicate them, and thus refuse to 
 extend to them communion in sealing ordinances. 
 Now, if a Session permits any one, on his own respon- 
 sibility, to partake of the sacrament of the Lord^s 
 11 
 
162 UNITED PBESBYTERIANISM. 
 
 Supper, how can its discipline be enforced ? Instances 
 like the following have occurred : Men have been sus- 
 pended in one congregation for error in doctrine or 
 immorality in life; they have immediately united with 
 some other congregation, less strict in faith and prac- 
 tice; and then they have returned and communed with 
 the congregation from whose membership they had 
 been suspended. Tlie Session of the first congregation 
 inflicted the censure of the church upon tliese men, but 
 its loose views on the subject of communion made its 
 discipline of no effect. It said that these men were not 
 worthy members of the church, but it could not keep 
 them from the sealing ordinances; it could not enforce 
 its own sentence. No Session can exercise such disci- 
 pline as the word of God requires, unless it restricts 
 communion in sealing ordinances to those who are 
 under its jurisdiction. 
 
 For these reasons, among others, we declare that 
 "the church should not extend communion in sealing 
 ordinances to those who refuse adherence to its profes- 
 sion, or subjection to its government and discipline, or 
 who refuse to forsake a communion which is incon- 
 sistent with the profession that it makes.'' To this 
 general rule there may be exceptions. Members of 
 other congregations in the same denomination, or of 
 congregations in a different denomination, may be kept 
 
THE UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 163 
 
 for a time by the providence of God within the bounds 
 of some congregation, and may regularly worship with 
 it. They may feel that it is a duty and privilege to 
 unite with it in the observance of the Lord's Supper. 
 If so, they should make their case known to the Session 
 of that congregation; and that Session, if convinced of 
 the sincerity of their motives, the uprightness of their 
 life and the reality of their profession, may extend to 
 them the desired privilege. Every such case must be 
 decided upon its own merits. Sessions must exercise 
 their discretion, and be responsible to the church and 
 its Lord for the manner in which they exercise it. 
 This is in accordance with the deliverance of the 
 highest court of the church. In 1868 a memorial was 
 presented to the General Assembly, asking certain 
 modifications in the Sixteenth Article of the Testimony, 
 "so as to concede to Sessions the authority of applying 
 the principles of it as their own discretion may direct." 
 In answer to this memorial, the Assembly took the 
 following action: "This authority Sessions already 
 possess. It is supposed that Sessions are composed of 
 men of understanding, and that they are acquainted 
 with the principles which they have embraced; and 
 they must, of course, exercise their discretion in the 
 application of these principles as cases may occur. 
 Sessions, of course, are responsible for the manner in 
 
164 UNITED PRESBYTERIANISM. 
 
 which they exercise this discretion; but the right to 
 exercise it is unquestionable. . . . The Sixteenth 
 Article of our Testimony lays down the general rule 
 on the subject of communion by which the church is 
 to be governed in all ordinary cases. It was not de- 
 signed to make provision for cases of an extraordinary 
 nature. When cases of this kind occur, Sessions, in 
 the exercise of a wise discretion, must dispose of them 
 as may be for the peace and edification of the 
 church.'' 
 
 The second part of the article of the Testimony 
 under discussion refers to communion in the ordi- 
 nances of worship, whether sealing or not, and forbids 
 such communion in any circumstances which would be 
 inconsistent with the keeping of these ordinances pure 
 and entire. Some deny the deity of the Lord Jesus ; 
 and to commune with them in any act of worship 
 would be a denial of him through whom alone we can 
 come to the Father, and a partaking of their sin. 
 Some, who claim the Christian name, pray to images; 
 and to commune with them in their prayers would be 
 to give countenance to idolatry. Some preach errors 
 in doctrine ; and to listen to their teaching gives coun- 
 tenance to their error, and endangers our own souls. 
 Against such fellowship as this the church testifies in 
 the article before us. Such testimony is manifestly 
 
THE UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 165 
 
 right. Christ has taught certain doctrines and ap- 
 pointed certain institutions ; and if we do anything to 
 corrupt these doctrines and institutions, or to encourage 
 those who corrupt them, we are not faithful to the 
 Master whom we profess to serve, or to the church 
 whose principles we believe to be founded on the re- 
 vealed will of God. 
 
 This is the teaching of the Testimony on the subject 
 of the communion of the saints. While we believe 
 that all Christians should cultivate toward each other 
 a holy fellowship in such spiritual and temporal ser- 
 vices as tend to their mutual edification, we also 
 believe that communion in sealing ordinances should, 
 in ordinary cases, be extended only to those who are 
 members of the congregation in which they are ob- 
 served, and that communion in any ordinance of wor- 
 ship should never be extended in circumstances which 
 would give countenance to any corruption of the ordi- 
 nances and institutions of Christ. 
 
 Article XVII., "Of Covenanting," is: "We declare 
 that public social covenanting is a moral duty, the 
 observance of which is not required at stated times, but 
 on extraordinary occasions, as the providence of God 
 and the circumstances of the church may indicate. It 
 is seasonable in time of great danger to the church, in 
 times of exposure to backsliding, or in times of refor- 
 
166 UNITED PRESBYTERIAN ISM. 
 
 mation, when the church is returning to God from a 
 state of backsliding. When the church has entered 
 into such covenant transactions, they continue to bind 
 posterity faithfully to adliere to and prosecute the 
 grand object for which such engagements have been 
 entered into." 
 
 This declaration is in harmony with the Confession 
 of Faith, Chapter XXII., Sections 5-7 : "A vow is 
 of a like nature of a promissory oath, and ought to be 
 made with the like religious care, and to be performed 
 with the like faithfulness. It is not to be made to 
 any creature, but to God alone; and, that it may be 
 accepted, it is to be made voluntarily, out of faith, and 
 conscience of duty, in way of thankfulness for mercy 
 received, or for the obtaining of what we want; 
 whereby we may more strictly bind ourselves to neces- 
 sary duties, or to other things, so far and so long as 
 they may fitly conduce thereto. No man may vow to 
 do anything forbidden in the word of God, or what 
 would hinder any duty therein commanded, or which 
 is not in his own power, and for the performance 
 whereof he hath no promise or ability from God." 
 
 When believers unite with the church, they enter 
 into a public covenant with God. God says to them, 
 "I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a 
 people; " they take God as their God, and promise to 
 
THE UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 167 
 
 perform those duties which are enjoined on them in 
 his word. In addition to this, the Scriptures authorize 
 the church to enter into covenant with God on special 
 occasions, by a formal and solemn deed. Again and 
 again, the Old Testament church, with the approbation 
 of God, " made a covenant before the Lord to w^alk 
 after the Lord, and to keep his commandments, his 
 testimonies and his statutes, with all their heart and 
 with all their soul." We learn from these examples 
 that the duty of covenanting is not a stated, but an 
 extraordinary one. It is to be performed only in pe- 
 culiar circumstances. God's people are called to it in 
 times of special danger, or of unusual awakening and 
 reformation. When the providences of God lead a con- 
 gregation or a church to engage in this solemn duty, 
 the covenant into which they enter is, in some respects, 
 binding on posterity. This is evident from the divine 
 dealings with the children of Israel, Avho are repeatedly 
 charged with breaking the covenant which had been 
 made with their fathers. The principle here recognized 
 is not peculiar to covenanting. It is acted on in all 
 corporate or organized bodies, whether civil or eccle- 
 siastical. An act of any society is not annulled by the 
 death of the members who originally passed it ; the act 
 remains in force till it is regularly repealed. The same 
 principle is recognized by the church in the binding 
 obligation of its covenants. 
 
168 UNITED PBESBYTERIANISM. 
 
 In observing the duty of social covenanting, a cov- 
 enant is prepared which sets forth the reasons for en- 
 gaging in this duty, confesses the sins of the people, 
 and pledges them to greater faithfulness in duty. On 
 the day appointed, after appropriate exercises of public 
 worship, each covenanter lifts his right hand, as in 
 taking an oath, while the covenant is read, and then 
 signs his name to the covenant to which he has sworn. 
 And the Testimony asserts that, on extraordinary 
 occasions, it may be the duty of the church, or of a 
 congregation of the church, to make such a public and 
 formal covenant. 
 
 Article XYIII., " Of Psalmody," is : " We declare" 
 that it is the will of God that the songs contained in 
 the Book of Psalms be sung in his worship, lk>th public 
 and private, to the end of the world ; and in singing 
 God^s praise, these songs should be employed to the 
 exclusion of the devotional compositions of uninspired 
 men." 
 
 This declaration is in accordance with the teaching 
 of the Confession of Faith, Chapter XXI., Sections 
 1, 5: "The acceptable way of worshiping the true 
 God is instituted by himself, and so limited by his 
 own revealed will that he may not be worshiped ac- 
 cording to the imaginations and devices of men, or the 
 suggestions of Satan, under any visible representation, 
 
THE UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 1(J9 
 
 or in any other way not prescribed in the Holy Scrip- 
 tures. The reading of the Scriptures with godly fear, 
 the sound preaching and conscionable hearing of the 
 word, in obedience unto God, with understanding, 
 faith and reverence, singing of psalms with grace in 
 the heart, as also the due administration and worthy 
 receiving of the sacraments instituted by Christ, are all 
 parts of the ordinary religious worship of God/^ 
 
 We believe that this declaration of the Testimony, 
 though its truth is denied by many, is in harmony not 
 only with the Confession of Faith, but also with the 
 word of God. We will not attempt an exhaustive dis- 
 cussion of the important question: What should be 
 sung in the praise of God ? We will briefly state the 
 line of argument by which we reach the conclusion 
 that it is the will of God that the inspired Psalms 
 should be sung in his worship, to the exclusion of all 
 other devotional compositions. AVe will not attempt 
 to answer the objections which are urged against this 
 position ; for if the doctrine of the Testimony can be 
 proven to be true and founded on the word of God, it 
 is evident that all objections, however plausible they 
 may be, will not overthrow the truth. 
 
 1. That book of the Bible which is called the Psalms 
 is inspired. No extended argument in support of this 
 proposition is necessary. It is laid down only because 
 
170 UNITED PRKSBYTERIANISM. 
 
 it prepares the way for subsequent propositions. The 
 Book of Psalms has always been received as a part 
 of the inspired canon. No one has ever called in ques- 
 tion the place it occupies in the Holy Scriptures. All 
 the Psalms were not composed by David. Some were 
 written by Asaph, some by Solomon, and some by 
 others, but the authors were all inspired ; and by some 
 inspired hand their writings were collected into one 
 book, and arranged in the order in which they now 
 stand. As thus collected and arranged, they are called 
 the Psalms of David, not because he is the author of 
 them all, but because he is the author of the most of 
 them, and because he is justly regarded as the leading 
 psalmist of the church. If these Psalms have a right 
 to the place they occupy in the (livine word, they must 
 be inspired, for " all Scripture is given by inspiration 
 of God.'^ And they have received peculiar sanction 
 in the New Testament. There is no other part of the 
 Old Testament which is so often quoted by our Lord 
 and his apostles. They refer again and again to the 
 words of David to prove the deity of Jesus of Naz- 
 areth, to show the necessity of his sufferings, and to 
 illustrate and express their own experiences. Some 
 have questioned the inspiration of the Pentateuch and 
 of the historical books of the Bible ; some have ques- 
 tioned the inspiration of the prophets ; but none have 
 
THE UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 171 
 
 questioned the inspiration of the Psalter, save those 
 who deny the fact of inspiration altogether. If any 
 part of the Old Testament is inspired, that part is the 
 Psalms of David. 
 
 2. The inspired Psalms alone were divinely ap- 
 pointed to be used in singing praise to God. The 
 truth of this proposition may be established from the 
 fact that David is called " the Psalmist of Israel." 
 When David, near the end of his life, looked back over 
 all he had been able to do for the glory of the heavenly 
 Father, he rejoiced, not in his own kingly dignity, or 
 in the decisive victories he had gained over his ene- 
 mies, or in the prosperity of his kingdom, but in the 
 fact that he had been raised up, through divine grace, 
 to be the psalmist of the church: "Now these be the 
 last words of David. David, the son of Jesse, said, 
 and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed 
 of the God of Jacob and the sweet Psalmist of Israel, 
 said: The Spirit of the Lord spake by me, and his 
 word was in my tongue." As an inspired teacher was 
 one whose great work it was to teach the church ; as 
 an inspired prophet was one whose great work it was 
 to deliver prophecies for the church; so an inspired 
 psalmist was one whose great work it was to write for 
 the church devotional compositions to be sung in the 
 worship of God. If, then, the Lord raised up David 
 
172 UNITED PRESBYTERIANISM. 
 
 to be the Psalmist of Israel, it was to the intent that 
 the Psalms he penned should be used by Israel in the 
 worship of their God. 
 
 That the Psalms were given by divine appointment 
 to be used in singing praise to God, is also evident 
 from the fact that they have been, under divine direc- 
 tion, collected into a book by themselves. They were 
 written by different authors at various times ; some of 
 them are to be found in other portions of the Old Tes- 
 tament; but they have all been arranged in one book, 
 which is called the Book of Psalms. There must have 
 been some purpose in this. What was this purpose? 
 What could it have been, except that these Psalms 
 were adapted to the worship of the church, and that 
 they were designed and collected to be used by the 
 church in its worship? 
 
 This conclusion is confirmed by the matter and 
 structure of the Psalms. They are full of praise to 
 God for what he is in himself, and for his wonderful 
 works in creation, providence and redemption. They 
 are written in the peculiar style of Hebrew poetry, so 
 that they could be sung or chanted. And this conclu- 
 sion is still further confirmed by the acknowledged 
 fact that the Psalms were used by the Jewish Church 
 in the worship of God. No mention is made, by either 
 inspired or uninspired writers, of any other. In the 
 
THE UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 173 
 
 temple and in the synagogue, down to the time of the 
 incarnation, and ever since, they have been chanted by 
 the children of faithful Abraham. Their joys and 
 their sorrows, their hopes and their fears, their long- 
 ings and their gratitude, have all found expression in 
 the words of the sweet psalmist of their nation. 
 
 But the truth of the proposition, that the Psalms 
 alone were given to the Jews to be used in singing 
 praise to God, will be admitted by all. Even those 
 who assert that the Psalms are not adapted to the 
 spirit of Christianity, will readily grant that they were 
 adapted to the Jewish economy, and that they alone 
 were appointed to be sung in the Jewish Church. 
 
 3. The divine appointment for the exclusive use of 
 the inspired Psalms in singing praise to God has never 
 been repealed. We search the Old Testament in vain 
 for any hint of such a repeal. Again and again are 
 the people of God commanded to sing Psalms unto 
 him, but there is no intimation that anything else is to 
 be used in his praise. When we turn to the New 
 Testament, we cannot fail to notice their unbroken 
 silence on this point. The priesthood of Aaron has 
 given place to the priesthood of Christ ; the sacrifices 
 and ceremonies of the temple have been abolished ; but 
 there is no change in the ordinance of singing Psalms 
 in the worship of God. The apostle James says: "Is 
 
1 
 174 UNITED PRESBYTERIANISM. 
 
 any merry? Let him sing Psalms; "and he refers, 
 without doubt, to the Psalms of inspiration. When 
 the Saviour commands us to "search the Scriptures, 
 for in them ye think ye have eternal life," what Scrip- 
 tures does he mean? Manifestly the inspired Scrip- 
 tures. So, when James commands us to "sing 
 Psalms," it is evident, from the same course of rea- 
 soning, that he means the inspired Psalms. 
 
 But it is said that the singing of hymns is also 
 enjoined in the New Testament. If this is so, and if 
 by hymns are meant the devotional compositions of 
 uninspired men, then the divine appointment for the 
 exclusive use of the Psalms in the worship of God has 
 been repealed. Let us examine the passages in which, 
 it is asserted, the use of uninspired hymns is com- 
 manded. We are told that when our Lord and his 
 apostles had observed the last passover and the first 
 supper, they "sung an hymn," and " went out into the 
 mount of Olives." What was the "hymn" which 
 they sung? It must be remembered that Jesus and 
 his disciples kept the passover in all respects as the 
 Jews were accustomed to keep it ; and that the Jews, 
 in keeping the passover, sung that portion of the psal- 
 ter which is called the Hallel, that is. Psalms cxiii. and 
 cxviii. inclusive. But they did not sing the whole 
 Hallel at once; they began the passover by chanting 
 
THE UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 175 
 
 the first verses of Psalm cxiii., and they so interspersed 
 the services with singing that the feast was concluded 
 with the last words of Psalm cxviii. We may, there- 
 fore, conclude that the hymn which Jesus and his 
 apostles sung as they went out to the mount of 
 Olives at the conclusion of the passover, was the last 
 verses of the Hallel. To this conclusion there are few 
 biblical critics who take exception. Farrar says: 
 " The hymn, which was sung before the departure of 
 the little company to Gethsemane, has with great prob- 
 ability been supposed to be the second part of the 
 great Hallel." Geikie says : " iSTow, at the close, the 
 voices of the eldest of them chanted with slow, solenni 
 strains the remainder of the Hallel, and the rest 
 responded with the word hallelujah at the close of 
 each verse. The anthem began fitly: ^Not unto us, 
 not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy 
 mercy and for thy truth's sake;' and closed with the 
 words of Psalm cxviii., ^ Blessed be he that cometh in 
 the name of the Lord.' Now all was over, and the 
 eleven, following their Master, went out into the night. 
 They were on their way to Gethsemane." This passage, 
 then, does not authorize the use of uninspired compo- 
 sitions in singing praise to God. 
 
 To prove that the exclusive use of an inspired 
 Psalmody is not enjoined upon the New Testament 
 
176 UNITED PRESBYTERIANISM. 
 
 church, we are sometimes referred to Ephesians v. 19: 
 "Speaking to yourselves in psalms, and hymns, and 
 spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your 
 heart to the Lord;'' and to Colossians iii. 16: "Let 
 the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; 
 teaching and admonishing one another iu psalms, and 
 hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your 
 hearts to the Lord." If the hymns and spiritual 
 songs were different from psalms, and if such hymns 
 and spiritual songs were used in the early church, it 
 is remarkable that not one of them has been preserved. 
 Albert Barnes says, and no one can accuse him of un- 
 due partiality for the exclusive use of an inspired 
 Psalmody : " The presumption is very strong that, if 
 there had been such hymns, they would have been 
 preserved with as much care as the Epistles, or the 
 Psalms themselves." But there is no evidence that 
 the hymns and spiritual songs were anything different 
 from psalms. A psalm is a hymn, and a hymn is a 
 spiritual song. In the titles prefixed to the Psalms 
 some are called "psalms," and some "songs," and 
 there are in the original several words which are trans- 
 lated "psalms." Hebrew scholars are not agreed as 
 to the exact difference in the meaning of these different 
 words, but the translators of the Septuagint have ren- 
 dered them by the terms, "psalms," "hymns," "odes," 
 
THE UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 177 
 
 or spiritual songs. Hence, these terms passed into 
 common use among those who were familiar with the 
 Septuagint, not to describe different Psalters, but dif- 
 ferent parts of the same Psalter. This is, no doubt, 
 the sense in which Paul used these terms in the texts 
 referred to ; for the Septuagint was the version of the 
 Old Testament which was generally used by those to 
 whom he was writing, and in the same connection he 
 exhorts them to " let the word of Christ dwell in you 
 richly." As if he had said : " Teach and admonish 
 one another by using the various psalms, hymns and 
 spiritual songs in the fiook of Psalms, which is a part 
 of the inspired word of Christ." These passages, then, 
 do not repeal the divine appointment for the exclusive 
 use of the inspired Psalms in the praise of God. On 
 the other hand, they expressly enjoin their use ; for 
 no other Psalmody can be called with equal propriety 
 " the word of Christ." If these passages do not re- 
 peal the divine appointment, there is no other passage 
 in the New Testament which does, and that appoint- 
 ment still stands. 
 
 4. If the divine appointment for the exclusive use 
 of the Psalms has never been repealed, they alone are 
 yet to be sung in the worship of God. One great 
 principle which underlies the ordinances of worship is 
 
 thus expressed in our Shorter Catechism : " The second 
 12 
 
178 UNITED PRESBYTERIANISM. 
 
 commandment forbiddeth the worshiping of God by 
 images, or in any other way not appointed in his tvord;'' 
 or as it is stated in the Confession of Faith, " in any 
 other way not prescribed in the Holy Scriptures.^^ This 
 is but another form of expressing the truth, which the 
 Saviour announced when he said : " In vain do they 
 worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments 
 of men/' Therefore, in deciding whether anything 
 may be used in the worship of God, the question is 
 not, is it forbidden ? but, is it commanded? It might 
 be affirmed that wine should be used in the administra- 
 tion of baptism, and in suppoft of this affirmation it 
 might be said that wine has never been forbidden. A 
 sufficient reply would be : It is true, wine has never 
 been forbidden, but it has never been commanded; it 
 is nowhere said, thou shalt not baptize with wine, but 
 it is said, thou shalt baptize with water. So, if it is 
 said that the use of uninspired hymns has never been 
 forbidden, we reply : It is true, they have never been 
 forbidden, but they have never been commanded; it is 
 not said, thou shalt not sing uninspired hymns, but it 
 is said, thou shalt sing Psalms. 
 
 An ordinance of God must remain in force till God 
 repeals it. The ordinance of sacrifice was enjoined upon 
 the Jewish church, and sacrifices were offi^red till the 
 coming of Christ, who " offered himself once for all." 
 
THE UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 179 
 
 Since that time there remains " no more sacrifice for 
 sin/^ So it was with the Sabbath. The seventh day 
 of the week continued to be the Sabbath until God, by 
 the example and teaching of the apostles, repealed the 
 original appointment, and the first day of the week be- 
 came the Christian Sabbath. So it is with the Psalms. 
 The ordinance of God for their use must remain in 
 force until it is repealed. But it has not yet been re- 
 pealed ; therefore, the Psalms alone are still to be used 
 in the worship of God. 
 
 This line of argument brings us to the conclusion, 
 that it is the will of God that the songs contained in 
 the Book of Psalms should be sung in his worship to 
 the end of the world, to the exclusion of the devotional 
 compositions of uninspired men. 
 
CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 THE CONCLUSION. 
 
 To-day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. — Heb. 
 iii. 15. 
 
 TT now remains only to apply and enforce the prin- 
 -■- ciples which have been stated, illustrated and 
 established in the preceding chapters. If the conclu- 
 sions we have reached are in harmony with the Holy 
 Scriptures, what is our present duty? A religious 
 duty is something enjoined on us by God. If we be- 
 lieve that God is, and that he is the rewarder of those 
 who diligently seek him, we ought not to hesitate in 
 obeying his commandments. What are his command- 
 ments? They are to be found in his word. However, 
 in speaking of our duty, we will not attempt to go 
 over the whole field; we will refer only to those duties 
 which are immediately connected with the doctrines 
 we have been considering. Tliese duties are summed 
 up in the words which David first penned, and \yhich 
 are quoted again and again in the New Testament, 
 " To-day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your 
 
 hearts." 
 (180^ 
 
THE CONCLUSION, 181 
 
 THE COMMANDMENT OF GOD. 
 
 1. God commands us to believe in Christ. "This is 
 his commandment, that we should believe on the name 
 of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he 
 gave us commandment." Every one who is acquainted 
 with the New Testament knows that this command- 
 ment is repeated, directly or indirectly, on almost 
 every page. Therefore, our first duty is to believe. 
 Of course, there are other duties which are connected 
 with faith, such as a study of the Scriptures, repentance 
 and prayer; but faith is the foundation on which they 
 all rest. It is to be observed and remembered that 
 faith is our duty, because it is commanded. Many 
 seem to think that the words, " Believe on the Lord 
 Jesus Christ," are only an invitation, which we are at 
 liberty to accept or reject. But this is a mistaken 
 notion. They are a commandment, which has the 
 same divine sanction as any precept of the Decalogue, 
 and which we cannot disobey with impunity. Have 
 you obeyed this commandment? Have you accepted 
 Christ as your Saviour? If you have, you are in the 
 right path; if not, this is your present duty. This is 
 the first step; and till this is taken, no other is pos- 
 sible. This is the reason why, in the word of God and 
 in the preaching of the gospel, immediate faith is so 
 often insisted on. If you would obey God's command- 
 
182 UNITED PRESBYTERIANISM. 
 
 ment, if you would be able to perform the other duties 
 of the Christian life, if you would be saved, "Believe 
 on the Lord Jesus Christ.'^ 
 
 2. God commands us to confess our faith in Christ. 
 " If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, 
 and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised 
 him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." When a 
 man has accepted Christ as his Saviour, his duty is 
 not ended; he must show his faith by a public profes- 
 sion. Such a profession is necessary to his well-being-'j^ 
 for it will shield him from many temptations, inspire 
 him with faithfulness, and strengthen his graces. It 
 is also necessary for the good of others; for if a man 
 refuses to number himself with the friends of Jesus, he 
 will be counted with the enemies. It matters not 
 what he may say in favor of the Saviour and the 
 Christian religion, the influence of his example will 
 be more powerful than the influence of his words. 
 Therefore, God has commanded all believers to make 
 confession of their faith. While such a confession is 
 to be made by a holy life, it is especially to be made 
 by a consistent membership in the church of Christ. 
 Christ has organized a church on earth, and he calls 
 on his disciples to be a peculiar people, separate from 
 the world. Hence, a man's second duty is to unite 
 with the visible church, and thus confess his faith 
 before men. 
 
THE CONCLUSION. 183 
 
 But the visible church is divided into raauy differ- 
 ent denominations; and no sooner is a man convinced 
 that it is his commanded duty to connect himself with 
 the church, than he is met with the question: With 
 what denomination of the church ought I to unite? 
 The design of several of the preceding chapters has 
 been to give assistance in answering this question. All 
 evangelical churches believe the Scriptures to be the 
 word of God and the only rule of faith and practice, 
 but they do not all understand the Scriptures in the 
 same way. Therefore, each church finds it necessary 
 to prepare a creed, which is a brief statement of what 
 the church believes to be the teacliing of the word of 
 God, and to which all its members are required to as- 
 sent. We have explained the Presbyterian form of 
 church government, and have proven that it, and not 
 Episcopacy or Congregationalism, is agreeable to and 
 founded on the divine word. We have considered the 
 Westminster Confession of Faith, the common creed 
 of the English-speaking Presbyterian churches, and 
 have shown that it is a correct statement of the doc- 
 trines of revelation as contained in the Holy Scrip- 
 tures. We, therefore, came to the conclusion that the 
 Presbyterian Church was more scriptural than any 
 other, and that the believer should confess his faith by 
 a union with some branch of this church. 
 
184 UNITED PEESBYTERIANISM. 
 
 We were then met by another difficulty. The Pres- 
 byterian Church is broken up into several denomina- 
 tions, holding to the Westminster Confession of Faith, 
 and the Catechisms Larger and Shorter, but differing 
 on certain matters of minor importance. The question 
 to be answered was this : With which of these denom- 
 inations ought we to connect ourselves? For it is 
 evident that it is our duty to unite with that denomina- 
 tion whose faith and practice are nearest the Scripture 
 standard. To assist in answering this question, we 
 considered the Testimony of the United Presbyterian 
 Church, which contains in eighteen articles a brief 
 statement of the belijef of the church on as many dif- 
 ferent points, on which the Westminster Confession of 
 Faith seems to be deficient in clearness and explicit- 
 ness ; and we showed that each of these articles was in 
 harmony with the teaching of the word of God. If 
 our reasoning was correct, we are brought to the con- 
 clusion that it is our duty to unite with the United 
 Presbyterian Church, because the creed of this church 
 is more in accordance with the infallible standard, 
 than that of any other church. 
 
 The divisions of the visible church are to be regretted. 
 They are evidence of the weakness, blindness and sin- 
 fulness of our fallen nature. It is a shame that those 
 who have been redeemed by the Lord Jesus are not 
 
THE CONCLUSION. I35 
 
 one. Nevertheless, in this respect as in every other, 
 God overrules the wrath of man and makes it to praise 
 him. The differences of opinion with reference to the 
 teachings of inspiration have led Christians to be more 
 watchful against error, and to be more diligent in in- 
 vestigating the trutb. The divisions in the church 
 have silenced many excuses. No believer in the Bible 
 can refuse to unite with the church, on the ground that 
 he cannot accept its creed ; for there are creeds enough 
 to express every man's views. While we labor and 
 pray that the time may soon come when all Christians 
 will be brought to see eye to eye, we are at the same 
 time to rejoice that God is able to overrule the di- 
 visions in his church for his own glory and the good 
 of his people. 
 
 It is the duty of every believer to show his faith by 
 a union with the church. In the present divided state 
 of the church, it is the duty of every believer to ex- 
 amine the creeds of the different denominations, and to 
 connect himself with the one whose creed is the best 
 expression of the teaching of the Holy Scriptures, as he 
 understands them. This is our second duty, viz. : to 
 confess our faith before men by a union with that branch 
 of the visible church whose subordinate standards are 
 most agreeable to the word of God. 
 
 3. God commands us to believe in Christy and confess 
 
186 UNITED PRESBYTERIAN ISM. 
 
 our faith at once. " Remember now thy Creator in 
 the days of thy youth ;" "Seek ye first the kingdom 
 of God and his righteousness;" '^To-day if ye will 
 hear his voice, harden not your hearts." All God's 
 commands relate to the present. He gives no com- 
 mandments about the future. He tells us to believe, 
 repent and confess, not to-morrow, but to-day. 
 
 It is an unquestioned fact that faith and salvation 
 are inseparably connected. If we believe, we will be 
 saved ; if we do not believe, we will be lost. And 
 salvation is an important matter. It includes all hap- 
 piness for the present and the future. Since these 
 things are so, when should the duty of faith be per- 
 formed? It will not do to wait till death has come. 
 The word of God teaches us that there is no oppor- 
 tunity for faith and repentance after the soul leaves 
 the body. There is no intermediate state between this 
 world and the next, in which the departed spirit can 
 prepare to meet its God. '^ Then shall the dust return 
 to the earth as it was ; and the spirit shall return unto 
 God who gave it." If any man needed to pass 
 through an intermediate state to prepare hina for 
 heaven, that man was the dying thief, who had lived 
 a life of open lawlessness; but the Saviour said to him, 
 " To-day shalt thou be with me in Paradise." Faith 
 is a duty which must be performed before death, if it is 
 
THE CONCLUSION. 187 
 
 performed at an ; and as death may come at auy 
 moment, it should be performed now. 
 
 It is not safe to postpone this duty till the last sick- 
 ness comes. There may be no last sickness ; death 
 may come in a moment. Or if there is a sickness, the 
 sick one may be unconscious* through it all. Or if 
 there is consciousness, he may be deceived as to the 
 nature and result of his illness. Oh I the deceptions men 
 practise in the sick-rooms of earth. Friends tarry at 
 the door to wipe the tears from their eyes, so that the 
 dying one may feel no alarm. They talk of journeys 
 in pursuit of health, when they know that the only 
 journey the sick one will take is along the road to the 
 cemetery. They talk of the coming summer and the 
 strength it will bring, when they know that the sum- 
 mer's flowers will bloom over the sick one's grave. 
 They talk of dresses, when they know that the sick 
 one's shroud has already been made. Others have been 
 deceived in this way, and so may we. If we are con- 
 scious during our last sickness, and if we fully realize 
 that the end is approaching, we will have enough to do 
 without having to make our peace with God. Anxiety 
 about the future, the sorrow of friends, and the sad 
 farewells will occupy our attention. If we could not 
 overcome our doubts and fears when body and mind 
 were in full vigor, how can we hope to overcome them 
 
188 UNITED PRESBYTERIAN ISM. 
 
 in that hour of weakness ? If Satan was too povverffil 
 for us in the days of our strength, how can we expect 
 to gain the victory over him when heart and flesh faint 
 and fail ? *^ If thou hast run with footmen, and they 
 have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend 
 with horses ? If in the land of peace wherein thou 
 trustedst, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in 
 the swelling of Jordan?" 
 
 It is not safe to postpone this duty of faith till to- 
 morrow. If we put off repentance another day, we 
 have a day more to repent of, and a day less to repent 
 in. He who has promised pardon on our repentance, 
 has not promised to preserve our lives till we repent. 
 Life is so uncertain that our important interests de- 
 mand our immediate attention. Even if w^e should 
 live for many years, the affairs of this world are so ab- 
 sorbing that every year lessens the probability of our 
 conversion. If it is a duty to believe in Christ, it is a 
 present duty ; if it is a duty to confess our faith by a 
 union with the church, it is a duty which should be 
 performed at once; for God " limiteth a certain day, 
 saying. To-day if ye will hear his voice, harden not 
 your hearts.'' 
 
THE CONCLUSION. 189 
 
 THIS COMMANDMENT OF GOD IS MADE KNOWN BY 
 MANY MESSENGERS. 
 
 Some may say : God has never commanded me to 
 believe and confess to-day. It is true, God does not 
 now speak to jnen in an audible voice from heaven, 
 as he sometimes did in former days; but he sends 
 his messengers who speak in his name and by his 
 authority. 
 
 One messenger of God is his written word. There 
 can be no question that the Holy Scriptures command 
 men to believe in Christ and confess him without 
 delay. If the Bible is what it claims to be, viz., God^s 
 revelation to man, then every one who has ever read 
 the Bible has heard the voice of God, saying, "To-day, 
 harden not your hearts.^' God also speaks to men in 
 the preaching of the gospel. Sermons differ in their 
 literary merits, and in their methods of presenting the 
 truth, but every gospel sermon exhibits some phase of 
 the plan of salvation, and invites men to accept Christ 
 as their Saviour. Every one who has listened to the 
 preaching of the gospel has heard the command of 
 God; for the message of the preacher is ever summed 
 up in this: "Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, 
 as though God did beseech you by us; we pray you in 
 Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.'' God some- 
 
lao UNITED PBESBYTERIANISM. 
 
 times enforces his commands by the voice of conscience, 
 that inward monitor lie has implanted in the soul, to 
 chide when we do wrong and to approve when we do 
 right. Every one has heard its still small voice. The 
 conscience of some may, through a long course of 
 wrong-doing, be seared as with a hot iron, but it was 
 not always so. The man does not live, to whom his 
 conscience has not said: Thou oughtest to do this; and, 
 thou oughtest not to do that. Every conscience, en- 
 lightened by the gospel, has warned its possessor as to 
 his duty, and this warning is the voice of God. God 
 speaks to men by the events of his providences. Dis- 
 appointments, financial disasters, sicknesses and be- 
 reavements are all divinely appointed messengers, sent 
 to persuade men to lay up their treasures in heaven. 
 There are few to whose homes and hearts these mes- 
 sengers have not come; and there is no one who will 
 not, some time in the future, receive a visit from one 
 or all of them. Their message is ever the same: 
 "Seek those things which are above, where Christ 
 sitteth at the right hand of God," God's voice is also 
 heard in the example and admonitions of Christian 
 relatives and friends. It is a sorrowful truth that the 
 life of so many professing Christians is not in harmony 
 with their profession ; but every one of us has known 
 some disciple who was manifestly walking with Christ. 
 
THE CONCLUSION. 191 
 
 It is to be regretted tliat Christians are so backward in 
 speaking to their unconverted friends about the duties 
 of personal religion ; but there are few who have not 
 been exhorted to attend to the interests of their souls. 
 All these are God's messengers, and tiiey come bring- 
 ing God's message, " To-day if ye will hear his voice, 
 harden not your hearts." 
 
 THIS COMMANDMENT OF GOD IS MADE KNOWN TO 
 YOU BY THESE MANY MESSENGERS. 
 
 You have read the Bible; you have listened to the 
 preaching of the gospel ; you are not strangers to the 
 reproofs of conscience ; you have heard the warnings 
 of Providence ; you have been admonished by Christian 
 friends; by all these messengers God has been calling 
 on you to believe in Christ and confess your faith at 
 once. We appeal to all to heed and obey the voice of 
 God. It is not a light thing to treat with indiiference 
 the commands of the Most High. Your salvation de- 
 pends on the response of your souls. But we appeal 
 especially to the children of the church. You have 
 been dedicated to God in the ordinance of baptism ; 
 and dare you despise the solemn vows your parents 
 took upon themselves in your behalf? You have been 
 trained in your homes to fear God and keep his com- 
 mandments; and can you trample this training under 
 
192 UNITED PRESBYTERIANISM. 
 
 your feet? Your father and mother have prayed for 
 your salvation; their life is bound up in your life; and 
 will you make light of their prayers, their love and 
 their happiness? You have been instructed in the 
 Sabbath school, and have listened week after week to 
 the preaching of the gospel ; and will you, by slighting 
 these instructions, heap up for yourselves wrath against 
 the day of wrath? The commandments of God have 
 been made known to you in times and ways without 
 number; and dare you disobey any longer? "If the 
 word spoken by angels was steadfast, and every trans- 
 gression and disobedience received a just recompense 
 of reward, how shall we escape, if we neglect so great 
 salvation ? " Be persuaded now to believe in Christ, 
 and to confess your faith by a union with the visible 
 church. "The Spirit and the bride say, come. And 
 let him that heareth say, come. And let him that is 
 athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the 
 water of life freely." "To-day if ye will hear his 
 voice, harden not your hearts." 
 
1 
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