Sectarianism: For The Signal Of Liberty

UKNTLEMEx:- An inionymous nrlicle appcared in the 2th number of iho Signa! emitled, "Slavcry and the Church," m which the doven tapt of sectarianism appeirs too conspicuous, to escape a passinunotice. The writer commcnces as follows "It iso'üjected by some cundid and intelligent Chrislians, that slaveholdcrs should notbe exciuded from the comtnunion and tnem)ership of Churches in the free' States, )8cause thcru aro aniong thein sincere Christians vvho hone?tly ihink it ri"ht tohold property in man, and such ought not lo be excluded. They think every real Chrialian is eni;led to a place in the Lord's iamily." "Now we believe their whole diflicully lies in a misapprdiension of ihe ol.jects of Church discipline and a fallacy i'i the proposición wiih which ihey sturt.' Fur bo it (ronj me lo apologize ibr sluvery, or the siaveholder- I would be one of the very last to defend his claims lo cnurch membershij). But candor compels me to acknowlcde thnt I ara one of ihose wlio embrace and beli'eve the fallacy conuined iti the proposiiion that "everv real Christian is entitled to a place ín theLord'á family." To iho íaw and to (he testimony- k-If ihey speak not according t( this word, it is because Ibere is no ligia ín them."- Is-a. c. 8 v. 10. It is because the ms9 of error, Ignomncé, prejudice, orsuperalilion have darkened iheir understandings and becloudcd their tn:n is. - What ihen are ihe requisilious of tliat unerring rule n refercnco to this subject.which the writer referred t vvould be slow lo discard. Mere human asseitiond are poor authorhy, especially when opposed lo Scriplure. Romans c. 14, v. 5, "Him ihat is weak in the fuith receive ye, but not to düublful disputations." Samv, c. 15, 5 to 7 vs. inclusive, "Now the God of jalicnce and consolation grant jou to be ike minded one tovvard another accordin o ChristJesus: That ye may with one mindnnd one mouth glurjfy God, even the "'ather of our Lord Jesus Christ.upon receive ye one nnoiher as Christ also received us to the glory of God ." Mail c. 10, v. 40, "He thát receiveth you reeiveth me, and he that receiveth me reeiveth Him tlmlsent me." Such ihen are the positive injunctions of the sacred volume relalive to the prop osilion which the writor umler review declares to be "a fullacy." These passnges,and nurntierless others, clearly establish the truth ot the ''proposition llmt everv re al Cliristian is cntitlcd loa place iñ the Lord's tamily,1' - a truih discarded by bigoted sedarían?, but which nevcrüieless the great "Head of the Cliurch" wíll deiend and maialnin before an assemblerl Universe. "Tho whole diíiiculty lies,'1 then, not inwy misapprehension ot'the truih on the part óf (hose '.vho siart with this propositioti - bul tnerely in a fullacy" in the opinión of this writer. Certain'y, il there be an error in the propo?iiion with which these anarchisis (in the opinión oí this writer) starl, it is not thut "everv real Christian is entiiled to a place m ihe Lord'ts (unily" - but the error lies in supposing that slaveholders are such - are sincere Chrislians. Now it is conceived (n oppusition to the opinión óf this writer) ihnt Scriplure proves that every real christian is an obedient christian. Proof, lst John , c. 3, v.G, "Whosoever abideth in líim, sinneih not: who&oever sinneih hath not seen htm, neilher knowelh him." Also, John c. 15, v.40, "Ye are my fnends ifyedo whatsoever 1 command you." - Now it is believed that no enlighicned christian will detiy that slavery is prohibited by the golden rule, and the second comniand. But perhups you rcply, "Truc nnd here lies the diíiiculty," "Christinn slaveholdors are unenüghtened in regard to the sinfuhicss of slavury." Admitled, and whal Ibllowa? Why, one's duty is to endeavortoenlighlen and instruct him relalive to the sinfulncss of slavery, and not to exclaim in the truo spirit of sectarianism. "Siand by ihyself for I am holier thnn ihou art." But having exerted ourselves,in irue chrislinn churiiy, to the utmost, to divest hitu of bis dark prcjudices, and lo induce hún tt) repent of lus heinous sin, should be still persiet in his wickedness, what then? Why reject himj dcny him n "place in the Lord'a family." On what account? beca use his tille lo a place in that faniüy is unsupportcd by ihe requisito evidence ihat he is indeed Christs. How cun he boa christian who lias nol ihe grcat and fundnmeutal lavv of love written in hisheart? Tlius we urjive at the conclusión, that the iníerence of the writer, with which ho closes his argument, is un warranted.1 canuol concluJe without nolicing the ariful mantier in whicli this Sophist aitempls to justify all the sccuirinnism n the universe, or at least as inuch of it as is emboiiied in his favorito creed. After attempting an Ilustrution of his nrguments l)y an exhibitiun oí' what he denomínales "the apphcatlon of the rule to similar cases," instunccs in tho example of some churches in excluding "distillers nnd ruin sellers from fellowship," he says the s urne observation applies to the Sabbalh, buptirm, the Lord's supper &c." Among many "observatiuns," it is nut very obvious to which the writer refers from the obscurity in wliich all are enveloped ; bul I eupjose he will not deny his inteutinn asserl that, "every real chrisiian whose opinons relative lo the Öubbaiii, Baptism, the Lord's Bupper, &c." do not coincido with lis own, both he and the church have a Bible right to cxclude from fellowship, on he ground that all uch occupy a positionsimilar (o "dietülers, nirosellers, slaveblders, &,e." I have no reason to doubi that there are n grcat many genuine chrtstians who would be driven, by thc oppliplication of this sweeping rule, to ihe necessity of forming n separate community ; thus exiending ihe evils of sectnrianism and perpetuaring error. For if truth is strongerthdn error," both left free to contend Ibr viciory, truth is triumphnnl; conequentlv the sedarían is accouniable for (he prevalence oí those very errors (I do not siiy sins) wbich he had aimed to ubverf. The writer's assertion, however, relntive to the point in qucstion , being based upon the sophism "that real christiuns nay be excluded from fellowship," which ias been exposed and refntcd by Scripture íutLority, falla with it. But í ívuuldpose lor ihe special benefit of this writer, if he wiil appear over his own proper sinature, und the columns of the "Sijjnal" cin be obtained, to discuss wilh hinj any or nll of the fuilowing prupositione, supporiing the ailirmativc, viz: All writlen creed8 (exccpt the Bb!e) are productive ufnioreevilingooiJ. 2d. Sectorianiaai is the greatost sui in the world. 3d. VVaIer Biipiism is jiot essenliul lo salvation. 4-i li. I's administro t ion or recepiion in nnvíorm, ia not oblintory on any individual, mless in consequence of convictíons of duy on the pan oí'such iadividuül. Jn case he writer in qüestiyn decline, ihis chalengc is respectfuily extended ió nny clergyniun or 1 y tan uf any clirislian denomnation in (fila State. U'hat say you, gens lemen, will you open the columna of the 'Signa!" íorthe publication of biief añiles on any of ibo preceedmg topics? - four readers might be amused, if not ediíed thereby, ond you, I thinlt, ought, incoD8cience, be the very last to '"Gag dis- cussion," Mure espccial'y on a subject of such vital importance tu the success of abolition as anti-sectarianism, for. I think the proposhion susceptible oí' demonstration, that slavery could not exist a single year, were it not for ihe support derived trom secturianism. Nhv more, tlat profamty and inlemperancc, war, liceatiousness, wilh all olher siria that degrade man and disgruce ihe world, vou!d speedily share a similar overthrow, and Satan's kingdom be quickly demolished, and theglory of the latter day be ushered n to oless n world darkand benighted, bnt nev ertheless ultimateiy destined Jur such a ranscendaníly glorious change through the omn potent power oftrliih. In conclusión, since pro-slavery anc sectarian Biblcs sccrn to be n high repute permit me to quote one or two verses o; the latter for the ".edifica (ion, exhortation nd comfori" of our sedarían brelhien. - Altuk, c. 12, v. 25, "And Jesus knew thcir ihoughtö and ïmid unto ibein, cvery kieg-1 dom" excepl Chrisis, "divided agoinst iíelf, is bruught lo desohition, nnd every city ar.d house" except rnins "Jivided .ig.iinst itself, shall not stand." $t Cor. c 1, v. 10, '-Now 1 heseech you, breihren, by,the name of our Lord Jtsus Christ, that ye all speak the same tliitig, ünd that there 5e no divisiuns" except sectarian, "among you but that ye bo peif.ctly joined t:ether in ihe same mind and Q the sarnejudgmcnt," except in non esscnlials. - Eph. c4, v. 2, 8, "TFith all luveliness nnd me e Ij nes?, wnh long suffe ring, forbëaring one anolher in love; endeavuring to keep ihe uni'y of the spirit in the bond of pencc," except where you may conccive that church order and church discipline wou ld thereby be subverted, in ihat event, you. may divide and subdivide into as many sec:s and partiesas thero are individuals in the church, for no two think exactly alike, nor hold precisely the same tenets, and how cnn two walk together except they be ngreed! Yours for the suppression ofall vicc and lie promotion of pure mornüty and "uodeüed relicioh" on earth.Note. - We have no spaco in the Signa! for the discussion of the topics enunneatcd above; and we most therefore c!cline the offer of our correspondent. The Signal is an anti slavery, and pot a sectaiian paper. We have ndmiited the cotnmunicottpQ of Mr. TFeekes,because it was offerred in reply to one previously published, an.l bolh sides have now beon heard. - Ed. Sisnal.