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I. On the one hand it will be claimed that I am making altogether too much of the matter of organization; laying far too much stress upon ways and means of operation, and so losing sight of the essential thing in this whole discussion, or, at least greatly belittling it, to wit: the generating of the Christlike spirit among men. It will be said by some excellent people that he is a Christian who is animated by a Christly spirit and who leads a Christly life, without any regard to constitutions, creeds, church membership, a professional ministry, or anything of the sort, and that therefore these are either of no essential importance, or, if at all allowable, the less there is of them the better. Now I am not inclined to deny or question the primary factor of this proposition, but I do question and venture to deny the conclusion inferentially drawn from it. The reasoning seems to me utterly fallacious and deceptive. There are good scholars who have never shared the advantages of schools, colleges, etc. Shall we therefore, demolish or undervalue all our educational institutions and set at nought the curriculum of study and discipline which they represent and employ in carrying forward their work? The objection ignores what may be termed the social power in humanity; the fact that in all movements affecting the welfare and happiness of considerable numbers of people, "union is strength"; the fact that in the progress of the world all great reforms, awakenings, uplifts, have had their standard-bearers, their leaders and champions, their distinguishing principles, ideas,

objects; and the fact that as the adherents of such reforms, etc. have been wisely associated, have had their forces well-marshalled, well-disciplined, well-directed, so has been their efficiency and ultimate success in accomplishing the work they have undertaken. The question in debate is not whether a man can live an honest, reverent, Christian life without Christ or the Christian confession, without religious association, church organization and discipline, etc., but whether or not the masses will do so, can be made to do so without the appliances and helps which the church in its organic character supplies; whether or not Christianity can be made a great working force in the world and go forward to the accomplishment of its divine mission without that organic system of affiiliation, co-operation, and administration which I have endeavored to outline or suggest in this discourse. I take issue with my objectors on this question and cannot doubt that I am in the right. Moreover, I am confident that my view is in happy accord with the teaching and practice of the primitive church as recorded in the New Testament.

2. Still more emphatic objections to my positions will probably come from the opposite direction. Excellent people of a different type will deem me latitudinarian and lax in my proposed ways and methods of organized activity. Latitudinarian and lax I shall be charged with being in regard to the very nature of the church as a voluntary organization and not a divinely appointed institution; in regard to the ministry, as a body of teachers,

guides, helpers in the way of Christian living and not a hierarchy clothed with special authority and power; in regard to church membership, creeds, doctrines, ceremonies, ordinances, fellowship, discipline, etc. All this I expect but do not shrink from the ordeal. My appeal is "to the law and to the testimony," and at that tribunal I am sure of justification and approval. And I am no less sure that my conclusions cannot be invalidated at the court of rational inquiry. As I have discussed at length the numerous points involved and deemed exceptionable in Vol. II of this work, I need not go over the ground again at this time, but only remark that to give any of them the importance which these objectors claim for them would be to put the non-essential in place of the essential, make the conditional of equal importance with the absolute, thus compounding moral values, ministering to narrow conceptions of religious truth and duty, and disqualifying the church for the grand work of emancipating the human mind from all error and superstitution and of bringing men into that larger, nobler, more perfect life of which Jesus of Nazareth is the type and example.

In meeting the objections referred to on the one hand and the other I do not depreciate individual excellence and worth in any instance under whatsoever conditions produced, nor deny the use of any means or methods which help to bring men in any age into submission to Christ and his law of love to God and man. I only seek to bring order out of the confusion of bygone times, exalt what

is indispensable to Christlikeness above all incidental and subordinate auxiliaries thereto, relieve the church of all needless conventionalism or ecclesias. tical equipage, that it may go forth free and unencumbered to new victories on the battle-field of truth and to grander achievements than ever before for the cause of the kingdom of God and His righteousness.

DISCOURSE XVI.

ADMINISTRATIVE POLICY OF THE TRUE CHURCH.

“As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God."- 1 Pet. iv. 10.

"There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit; there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord; and there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.”—1 Cor. xii. 4–6.

"Let all things be done decently and in order.". 1 Cor. xiv. 40.

The seventh and last section of what I am pleased to denominate the absolute essentials of a true church relates to means and methods of carrying forward its distinctive work; or in other words its Administrative Policy. It contains six articles which I deem worthy of special exposition and comment, as is made to appear in the present Discourse; the already formulated order of sequence being observed.

I. "Members of the true church of Christ should hold frequent, regular, well-ordered meetings or convocations for mutual edification, religious service, and other purposes conducive of the nurture and growth of the divine life in their own souls and of the moral and spiritual improvement of society at large."

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