We now take leave of this part of our work, to enter on that for which all that has hitherto been said must be considered as preparatory-I mean the direct work of bringing men to the knowledge and possession of SALVATION. BOOK V. THE CHURCH AND THE PULPIT IN AMERICA. CHAPTER I. IMPORTANCE OF THIS PART OF THE SUBJECT. We now come to that part of our subject which more immediately bears upon the salvation of men's souls, and the importance of which will be readily owned, therefore, by all who rightly appreciate the nature and value of that salvation. thing which would impede the discharge of its high functions. But we must not misapprehend the Church's office. She has received no power of original legislation. She is nothing but an agent. Christ is the Lawgiver and the Head of the Church. He has given her the revelation of his will, and clearly defined her sphere of action. Nor can she justly expect his blessing if she goes beyond the It is interesting to mark the influence of pose of the Sabbath-the civilizing effect By a holy life on the part of her memof the people assembling in their churches bers; by a conversation such as becometh and the great amount of knowledge saints; by well-directed efforts to make communicated in the numerous discourses known the Gospel to dying men everyof a well-instructed ministry. Apart from where, whether by the faithful proclamahigher considerations, the benefits indi- tion of it on the part of the ministry whom rectly conferred upon a community by an God hath appointed, or by more familiar evangelical ministry are well worth all instruction in the Sunday-school and the that it costs. It softens and refines man- Bible-class, or around the family altar, or ners, promotes health, by promoting atten- by the distribution of the Scriptures and tion to cleanliness and the frequent change other religious books, united with constant, of apparel; it diffuses information, and fervent, and believing prayer, that the Holy rouses minds that might otherwise remain Spirit may render all these means successignorant, inert, and stupid. But what is ful, the Church is required to exert her inthis compared with the preparation of the fluence in saving the world. It is thus that immortal spirit for its everlasting destiny? she becomes "the light of the world;" it is This world, after all, is but the place of thus that she proves herself to be "the salt our education for a better; of how much of the earth." But, in order to fulfil this moment, then, that the period of our pupil-high mission, she ought to be as nearly as age should be rightly spent! The Church, with its institutions, is of Divine ordination. It was appointed by its great Author to be the depositary of the economy of salvation as far as human cooperation is concerned, and is designed to combine all the human agencies which God, in infinite wisdom, has resolved to employ in the accomplishment of that salvation. How important, then, that the Church should meet the design of its Divine Founder, not only as regards its proper character, but also in the development and right employment of the influences possible what the Saviour of men intended her to be-a company of saints redeemed by his blood, renewed by his Spirit, and devoted to his service-ever bearing the cross, that she may wear the crown, and preparing for that day when she shall be presented to her Lord," not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing," but "holy and without blemish," for she is "his body." CHAPTER II. which it was constituted to put forth for THE EVANGELICAL CHURCHES IN THE UNITED the salvation of the world! STATES MAINTAIN DISCIPLINE. As the Church on earth is but preparatory THIS is a point of inexpressible importo the Church in heaven, it was obviously tance to the prosperity of a church; and I intended to bear some resemblance to the rejoice to say that such is the light in which celestial state. As the depositary to which it is viewed by Christians of all the evanGod has committed the custody of his re-gelical denominations in the United States, vealed truth, and as his chosen instrument almost without exception. for its diffusion among mankind, it ought obviously to be kept as pure as is possible for an institution placed in the hands of imperfect creatures at the best, from every I do not suppose that there is a single evangelical church in the country that does not keep a record of its members; I mean of those whom it has received according to some regular form or other as members, candidate for admission to the Church and and who, as such, are entitled to come to participation in its most precious privileges; the Lord's Supper. As this whole subject and such evidence, too, as induces the beis not only important, but by some readers lief that, as the Scriptures express it, he may not be easily comprehended, I may has "passed from death unto life." The venture upon some detail. belief is almost universal that the sacrament of the Lord's Supper was appointed for the converted or regenerated, and should, as far as possible, be administered only to such. The number of those who hold a different opinion is small. Accordingly, it would be found, upon inquiry, that all the pastors of our evangelical churches are very careful to explain with what dispositions of the heart and will, as well as with what views of the understanding, one should come to the Lord's Supper, and that these are truly such as no unregenerate person can possess. This holy sacrament is rarely dispensed in our churches without. being preceded by a discourse on the nature of the preparation required in order to a right "communicating," or receiving of this ordinance; and all irreligious persons 1. There is no evangelical church in the United States, that is, no organized body of believers worshipping in one place, that does not hold a creed comprehending the following points, at least the existence of one God, in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, of the same substance, and equal in all the attributes of their nature; the depravity, guilt, condemnation, and misery of all mankind; an all-sufficient and only atonement by the Son of God, who assumed human nature, and thus became both God and man in one person, and by his obedience, suffering, death, and intercession, has procured salvation for men; regeneration by the Holy Ghost, by which repentance and faith are made to spring up in the soul; the final judgment of all men; and a state of everlasting misery for the-in fact, all persons, be their lives outwicked, and of blessedness for the righteous. On these doctrines, in their substantial and real meaning, there is no difference among the evangelical churches in the United States. 2. Neither is there any evangelical church in America that does not hold the necessity of a moral life—of a life against | which no charge inconsistent with a Christian profession can be brought-in order to a man's being a proper member of a church of Jesus Christ; or which would not promptly exclude an immoral person, on being sufficiently proved to be such, from its membership. No doubt there are immoral persons among the members of the churches. They are persons whose guilt cannot always be established by such proof as the laws of Christ's house require, but their number, it is believed, is comparatively small. 3. There are few, if any, evangelical churches in which the profession of a mere general or "historical belief,” as it is called, in the great doctrines above stated, accompanied even by an outwardly moral life, would be considered sufficient to render a man fit to be admitted to the Lord's Supper. Nineteen twentieths of all the evangelical churches in this country believe that there is such a thing as being "born again," " born of the Spirit." And very few, indeed, admit the doctrine that a man who is not "converted," that is," renewed by the Spirit," may come without sin to that holy ordinance. There may be difference of opinion among truly evangelical Christians respecting the amount of evidence of conversion necessary in the case. But I may unhesitatingly affirm that, with few excepons, all expect some evidence in every wardly what they may-who have not the testimony of their consciences that they possess, so far as they honestly perceive the state of their hearts, the qualifications described, are solemnly warned of the sin, and consequent danger to their souls, incurred by unworthily partaking of that holy supper. It is, indeed, too true that, with all this care, unworthy persons do come to the Lord's table. Many, no doubt, gain admission to the churches who are, after all, not converted. To say that many do so from base, hypocritical motives, would imply a very mistaken view of the case, for with us there is no visible inducement to such a course. No civil privilege hangs on a man's being a member of the Church and receiving the sacrament, as is the case in some countries in Europe,* nor is it reckoned dishonourable for a man not to belong to some church. None among us presumes for a moment that a man must have committed a crime, and on that account been excluded, if he be not seen going twice or thrice a year, at least-on the great festivals, for instance-to the sacrament of the Lord's Supper. No such idea is known in the United States. Our pastors and other church officers, whose duty it is to govern the churches, do not profess to be infallible. They cannot know the heart. They can only judge according to the evidence presented to them. They very naturally lean to the side of charity; and with every desire on their part to do their duty, there are many, doubtless, admitted in every church without being truly convert * In Sweden, for instance, a man cannot give his sacrament of the Lord's Supper within the year imtestimony in a court of justice who has not taken the mediately preceding! ed, and when once admitted remain mem- | alone is requisite in order to a man's members, unless they withdraw of their own bership in a church. This, too, it is said, choice, or go to some other part of the often takes place without saying a word country, or are excluded on account of to the pastor, or any other officer of the some open immorality. church. Widely different is the practice which obtains in the evangelical churches of the United States. I will describe it in few. words. Every faithful pastor, who preaches regularly in any particular place for a year or two, is supposed to become pretty well acquainted with the people of his charge. In most cases, he not only comes to know the families that compose his flock, but also, more or less, nearly every individual, especially of the adult population. This is almost certain to be the case where the flock is not very numerous. This general acquaintance gives him some knowledge of the character of almost every individual. With most, if not all, he endeavours to have some conversation, more or less directly, on the subject of salvation, and the hopes of eternal life which they may be entertaining. But while we cannot hope that even in the evangelical churches which are most rigorously strict in their admission to membership, and to the communion of the Lord's Supper, all the members are converted persons, yet the number of such as are of scandalous lives is small. Nor are such persons suffered long to continue when their characters become known. On this subject our churches form a very striking contrast with some which I have seen in other parts of the world. Nor have we many persons who come in crowds to the Lord's Supper on some great festival, such as Easter or Christmas, and stay away from it during the rest of the year. Still less will there be seen, what I have been told sometimes occurs in Protestant churches which I have visited in other lands, not a few persons waiting outside the church, on such occasions, until the communion service commences, who then make their way in, approach the communion-table or altar, receive the emblems of the Saviour's body and blood, and as soon as possible hasten out and depart! As if there were any virtue in such horrible Besides, he is not alone. The mockery and profaneness! I bless God elders, deacons, or other officers of his that we have nothing that even approaches church, assist him much with their co-opto this in point of impiety; and yet we eration. Through these, as well as through have to mourn over the fact that many of zealous, judicious, and faithful private memthe members of our churches do not mani-bers of his church, he learns continually fest that spirituality, devotion, and zeal the state of mind of most, if not of all the which they ought to possess. But were people in his congregation. This knowlthere no discipline in our churches, and edge is of the greatest consequence when were all the world, whatever might be persons come to converse with him retheir character, permitted to come to the specting their salvation. In our revivals, Lord's Supper, the state of things would as will appear presently, it is common for be in every respect infinitely worse. We the pastor to appoint a time for meeting at do make an effort to separate the Church his house, or at some other convenient from the world, and to make it manifest place, those who are awakened to a sense that there is a difference, and that not a of the importance of religion. On these small one, between those who belong to occasions he converses with each individthe former, and those who seek their hap-ual if it be possible, gives such directions piness in the latter, and have their desires bounded by it. CHAPTER III. THE WAY IN WHICH MEMBERSHIP IN OUR OFTEN has the question been addressed to me, "How do people become members of your churches in America?" This has been said to me particularly on the Continent, where, in too many countries, discipline seems to be almost unknown, and where, I have been assured, there are many churches in which all who choose may come to the Lord's Supper, and that this In addition to this, his Bible-classes and Sunday-schools bring him into frequent contact with the more juvenile part of the people over whom the Holy Ghost has made him overseer. He finds frequent opportunities of speaking with them about their souls. as they may need, and prays with the whole. When they are too many for him to speak to all of them, he makes use of the assistance of some of the most experienced of the officers of his church. Sometimes a neighbouring minister will come and help him. I have seen twenty, fifty, a hundred, and even as many as three hundred persons, all, with few exceptions, adults, come together in deep distress of soul, on such occasions. In such little meetings the pastor learns the progress of religion in the souls of his people. But when there is no special "seriousness," as we say, or uncommon attention to religion among his people, then it may be that the number of those who come from time to time to speak to him respect have any. these summaries of faith and covenant, I here give the * As the reader may be desirous of seeing one of following one, selected from among the many which I have seen. The pastor addresses the candidates standing in the midst of the church in the following language : FAITH. belief in one God, the Almighty Maker of heaven and Art. 1. You solemnly and publicly profess your earth, who upholds all things, and orders all events according to his own pleasure, and for his own glory. "Art. 2. You believe that this glorious Being exists in three persons, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost; and that these three are one, being the same in substance, equal in power and glory. ing their salvation will be small. And if forward and take their places before the he ceases to be faithful in preaching the pulpit. He reads their names aloud, and Gospel, and his church becomes cold in its baptizes those of them who have not been zeal, in its faith, and in its prayers, then baptized before. He then puts certain it may happen that for a while he may not questions to the adults, imbodying the chief articles of the church's creed, and to In many of our churches the sacrament these they answer in the affirmative. This of the Lord's Supper is administered once is sometimes followed by his reading out in three months, in many once in two, and the form of a covenant, which they must in others once a month. Some time be-give their assent to and engage to keep.* fore, the pastor gives notice that he will meet at a certain time and place all such as wish to join the church on that occasion, and receive the communion for the first time. He meets with them, converses with them, and learns the state of their minds, as far as it is possible for man to judge. "In the presence of God and this assembly you do In many cases the persons come to him renow appear, desiring publicly and solemnly to enter peatedly to lay open their hearts, and re-into covenant with Him and his Church according to ceive his counsels. If he believes that the Gospel, professing your full assent to the followthey have met with the change of heart of ing suminary of faith. which the Saviour speaks in his interview with Nicodemus, he encourages them in the resolution to join the church. If he thinks that they are not prepared for this important step, he advises them to defer it for a season, that they may become so. In some cases, as in that of the Presbyterians universally, the pastor reports the matter to the session of the church, and the candidates have generally to appear before that body, which consists of the pastor and the elders, who may be from two to twelve in number. In the Congregational and Baptist churches, it is the "church," that is, the body of the members of the church, who hear the candidates relate the history of the work of grace in their hearts, and give their reasons for believing that they have become 66 new creatures in Christ Jesus." If the person who applies to be received as a member of the church is a stranger, or one of whose deep seriousness the pastor and the brethren of the church had been ignorant, then he is examined more fully upon his "experience," or the work of God in his soul. He is asked, to tell when and how he became concerned for his salvation, the nature and depth of his repentance, his views of sin, his faith in Christ, his hopes of eternal life, &c., &c. These examinations are sometimes long, and in the highest degree in-power.' teresting. Solemn, and yet, to the faithful pastor, joyful work, to deal with souls in these important seasons! But the faithful pastor is always engaged in guiding the souls of his people in the way that leads to life. The day arrives for administering the Lord's Supper; the preparatory services, including a sermon, are gone through; the moment comes for commencing those which relate to this sacred ordinance. Before he commences them, the pastor, in many churches, calls upon all those who are now about to join the church to come "Art. 3. You believe that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments were given by inspiration of God, and are our only rule of faith and practice. upright, and in his own image; that our first parents fell from their original uprightness, and involved themselves and their posterity in a state of sin and misery. "Art. 4. You believe that God at first created man "Art. 5. You believe that all men since the fall are by nature depraved, having no conformity of heart to God, and being destitute of all moral excellence. "Art. 6. You believe that Jesus Christ is the Sav iour of sinners, and the only Mediator between God and man. "Art. 7. You believe in the necessity of the renewing and sanctifying operations of the Holy Spirit, and that to be happy you must be holy. faith alone, through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus "Art. 8. You believe that sinners are justified by Christ. "Art. 9. You believe that the saints will be kept by the almighty power of God from the dominion of sin, and from final condemnation, and that at the last day they will be raised incorruptible, and be forever happy. Art. 10. You believe that the finally impenitent will be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his "Thus you believe in your hearts, and thus you confess before men." COVENANT. "You do now, under this belief of the Christian religion as held in this church, publicly and solemnly avouch the eternal Jehovah, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, to be your God and the God of yours, engaging to devote yourselves to his fear and service, With an humble reliance on his Spirit, you engage to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments. to live answerably to the profession you now make, submitting yourselves to the laws of Christ's king. dom, and to that discipline which he has appointed to be administered in his Church. That you may obtain the assistance you need, you engage diligently to attend, and carefully to improve all the ordinances he has instituted. The forms in which all this is done vary | God to appeal to such on behalf of Him in different churches and denominations, whose sorrows are so touchingly set forth but the substance is the same. It also in an ordinance which may truly be called takes place sometimes at the public servi- an epitome of the Gospel. ces on Saturday, preparatory to the celebration of the communion on the Sabbath following. CHAPTER IV. TO THE CHURCH. I may add that many, particularly of the Presbyterian churches in the interior, still THE RELATIONS WHICH UNCONVERTED MEN HOLD retain the old practice of the communicants taking their seats at a long table in the principal aisle of the church, the bread and wine being handed round, accompanied with prayer and a brief exhortation. In the cities and large towns the communicants occupy certain pews assigned to them, either in the middle of the church, or in the end next to the pulpit. In the Episcopal Church, the communicants receive the sacrament kneeling round the altar. Though the administration of this sacrament most commonly takes place immediately after the forenoon sermon, it is now celebrated in many churches in the afternoon, preceded by a short sermon or address. In a Presbyterian church in Washington City, it used, a few years ago, to be celebrated at night, and may be so still. The effect was solemn, and not unpleasant, and it had the advantage, in the eyes of those who attach importance to such matters, of coinciding with the hour of its first institution. But a more important advantage, in my opinion, lay in its admitting of the communicants being joined by many from other churches, on an occasion so well calculated to unite the hearts of all in Christian sympathy and love. Let me farther add, that in almost all our churches those who are not members usually remain and witness the solemn ceremony: a most proper and profitable custom, for the very occasion speaks in most affecting language to the unconverted heart, and affords an admirable opportunity for the faithful and skilful messenger of "Thus you covenant, promise, and engage, in the fear of God, and by the help of his Spirit. "In consequence of these professions and promises, we affectionately recognise you as members of this church, and in the name of Christ declare you entitled to all its visible privileges. We welcome you to this fellowship with us in the blessings of the Gospel, and on our part engage to watch over you, and to seek your edification as long as you shall continue among us. "May the Lord support and guide you through a transitory life, and after this warfare is accomplished, receive you to His blessed Church above, where our love shall be forever perfect, and our joy forever full. Amen." In some churches the summary of faith used on these occasions, and the covenant, accompanied by a short and pertinent address to the members of the church, is printed in a little book, which also contains a list of all their names, and their residences if in a city, a copy of which is possessed by each member. It is a convenient manual, as well as a solemn remembrancer, which it is profitable to consult frequently. I HAVE known many persons in different parts of Europe who, after listening to statements such as the above, seemed at a loss to comprehend the position held, with respect to the Church, by those who are not its members, and they have asked again and again for explanations on the subject. I have told them, in reply, that such of those persons as are the children of pious parents, hold towards the Church a very interesting relation, which, though invisible, if I may so speak, is real; and that such of them as have been baptized in infancy, in my opinion, maintain an important relation to it, which ought to be made much more of than is usual among the Pædobaptist branches of the Protestant Church, We are very faulty on this point in the United States, but not more so, I apprehend, than are our Protestant brethren in other lands. Very affecting appeals, nevertheless, are often made by our faithful ministers to such of their hearers as are not converted, yet who have knelt by the side of a devout mother, have felt her hand resting on their youthful heads, and who, when in the arms of a pious parent, received the symbol of that "washing of regeneration," without which none serve God acceptably, either on earth or in heaven. Nor are such appeals in vain.* But the question has often been proposed to me, "Are men who are not allow can ed to come to the Lord's Supper willing to attend your churches ?" Most certainly they are. They are too well instructed in religion not to be aware that admission to that ordinance would do them anything but good as long as they remain unreconciled to God through Jesus Christ.† Many * Some very interesting investigations have been made in the churches in New-England, the portion of the United States where the Gospel has been longest, most extensively, and most faithfully preached, taken as a whole, which have shown in the most decisive manner that the "children of the Church," that is, the children of believers, who have been dedicated to God, many of them in baptism, have shared most largely in the blessing of God's grace; and that nothing can be more completely unfounded than the reproach that "the children of Christians, and especially those of ministers and deacons. do worse than those of other people." The very reverse has been demonstrated by a widely-extended and carefully-prosecuted inquiry. Indeed, what other result could a man who believes God have expected? t Foreigners sometimes commit great mistakes from not being aware of our customs in this respect. A Spanish gentleman once called on the late Rev. |
