Church membership; or, The conditions of New Testament and Methodist Church membership examined and compared
x-'^SHWK)^^iWMatt« ^nutm^. m, ijwt. v>tv -■^t!r^'wr>'WK-'^!!;"w^'ss¥Si--<!^; Digitized by tlie Internet Arcliive in 2008 witli funding from IVIicrosoft Corporation littp://www.arcliive.org/details/cliurclimembersliipOObonduoft CHURCH MEMBERSHIP; OR, THE CONDITIONS OF NEW TESTAMENT AND METHODIST CHURCH MEMBERSHIP EXAMINED AND COMPARED. BY S. BOND, Methodist Minister of the Montreal Conference. TORONTO : WILLIAM BRIGGS, 78 & 80 King Strbkt East MONTREAL : C. W. COATES. HALIFAX : S. F. HUESTIS. 1882. PREFACE. It is a common and natural desire when a man ap- pears before the public in the printed page, to explain the reasons. The Author of this essay has written and published, because of the pressure of a conviction that the subject of it needs to be studied by the people of the Church to which he belongs. He has marked with regret a disposition to ignore the importance of Christian fellowship to the individual Christian ; and he has heard many statements as to the relation which it bears to the proper conditions of Church membership, which he believes were made through misconception of what the New Testament teaches on this subject. The views thus expressed tend very directly to make those who hold them feel that the conditions of mem- bership in the Methodist Church are purely arbitrary ; and in their application necessarily exclude some who have a right to membership, according to their ideas. Believing that a correct knowledge of what is the evidence afforded by the New Testament, would remove such feelings, and lead these persons, and many others, to highly prize what now they shun, I have here IV PREFACE. sought to present a candid statement of its testimony on this interesting, but neglected subject. This object is the writer's excuse for presuming thus publicly to discuss the subject of the following pages. Whether the ability of the treatment, as well as the importance of the subject, justifies his temerity, is for others to determine, if they wish. If conviction of the correct- ness of the teaching of this essay is produced, and a more general and cheerful use of Christian fellowship follows, I shall be abundantly rewarded. S. BOND. INTRODDCTION. The effects of Christianity on our race is a subject of surpassing interest. The attention need not be confined to those things that are purely spiritual, in order to discover much that is both remarkable and pleasing. In its working and progress among men it has developed many different phases ; extending all the way, from the most perfect exhibition of its real nature, down to the most defective, until all that is Christian fades away in worldliness. The same is true in regard to the acceptance of its doctrines. There have been examples of the most cordial and complete belief of what it teaches, and there have been cases of the loosest acceptance of the least portion of divine truth, until it has been indistinguishable. Yet through a large portion of these phases of its working, and indeed perhaps through all, this fact holds true ; that each succeeding period has been characterized by a larger measure of grace and truth in the admixture. The worldly character has been more conformed to the Christian, even when the Christian character has been more conformed to the worldly ; and the false doctrine has had less of antagonism to the truth as it is in Jesus, or the Christian doctrine has covered a wider range of the human thinking ; and error has been confined to a narrower range. The same relative phases have been produced in the VI INTRODUCTION. organic life of the Church. There have been and still are, instances of the most exact and pronounced ecclesiasticism, denying all grace beyond its pale ; and there have also been, and still exist instances where divine grace is believed neither to require nor produce any form of ecclesiastical organization. Often these two extremes have come into conflict; while betimes they have been found working side by side, without greatly disturbing each other. They have come even closer than this, and their workings, though silently proceeding, have tended to some form of upheaval. It is when they work within the same ecclesiasti- cal organization that the conflict becomes dangerous. For the one tends to enforce high-churchism, and the other almost no-churchism. The most important phases of some Church organizations of to-day centre round this point. Methodism has had a quiet struggle for some years within her fold between these two phases of Church doctrine, and Church life. This conflict of opinion in regard to what properly con- stitutes membership in the Church is not one of external ecclesiastical order, but is doctrinal in its nature. A clear perception of what is the nature of New Testament Church membership will settle in most minds within her enclosure, and in many with- out, the question of duty in regard to the manner of holding membership in the Church. In order to aid, if I may, by a candid enquiry into the question as it is presented in the New Testament, I now ask an impartial consideration of the following investigation into the question. CONTENTS. iNTRODtCTION. Pam. CHAPTER I. New Testament Church Membership 9 1. In the Invisible Cliurch. 2. In the Visible Church. Relation of Baptized Persons to these Forms of the Church. CHAPTER II. The Conditions op Membership 22 1. Not Correct or Extensive Religious Knowledge. 2. Not Baptism. 3. But the Attainment of Spiritual Life Begetting Desire for Alliance with others Like-minded. 4. The Practice of the Christian Life, 5. Use of Christian Fellowship and Ordinances. Evidence of Obligation to attend the Select Christian Assemblies — («) From Express Command. (6) From Apostolic Approval of Uniform Practice, (c) From the Conditions of Reception of Lord's Supper. CHAPTER III, The Character and Work of these Meetings 40 Scripture Evidence that the Disciples Were — 1. In the Habit of Meeting for Mutual Edification. 2. Under Apostolic Sanction. 3. Not in a Promiscuous Company, but of Avowed Disciples. 4. Had Duties and Privileges that did not Permit the Presence of the Careless and Worldly. Vlll CONTENTS. 5. The Exercises Consisting of Mutual Prayer, Fellow- ship, Exhortation, Instruction, Exercise of Dis- cipline, Participation of the Lord's Supper, &c., &c. 6. Obligated to Participate in these Gatherings. CHAPTER IV. Agreement of Methodist Church Conditions 48 1. In not Requiring Agreement of Doctrine, &c. 2. In Requiring Abstinence from " Evil of every Kind." 3. In Requiring to do good of every Kind, to run the Christian Race, &c. 4. In Requiring the use of all Christian Means and Or- dinances of which the Select Church Meeting is a Principal. Correspondence of this Rule to N. T. Usage and- Principle. (a) It is Similarly Constituted of Believers only. (b) Characterized by Similar Exercises. (c) Reason and Principle of Rule of Attendance Similar Testimony of Dr. Paley, and Dr. Dale. CHAPTER V. Collateral Evidence 55 1. Adaptation of these Means to Produce the object of the Church's Existence. 2. Harmonizing with Instincts of Human Nature. 3. General Practice of the Godly in all Ages. Synopsis of Preceding Argument. CHAPTER VI. The Advantages of such a Method 62 1. Gives a Correct Exhibition of the "Love of the Brethren." 2. Secures Distinctness and Compactness of Church Life. 8. Utilizes the Gifts of all the Membership. 4. Employs the Graces and Strength of all for the Needy. 5. Preserves the Spirituality of the Church. 6. Provides Means for Aiding the Awakened, and those Seeking a Knowledge of Salvation. CHURCH MEMBERSHIP. CHAPTER I. NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH MEMBERSHIP. What is Neiv Testament Church M embership ? Christ taught His disciples, " My kingdom is not of this world ; " " The kingdom of God is within you." And yet the Church of the living God is spoken of by Him and His apostles as something that men could see and recoornize. He instructs us that the ofFending: brother that will not be reconciled to him who is offended, by private conference or friendly com- munication with two or three, is to be reported unto "the Church." Paul teaches the spiritual nature of the kingdom of God, saying, " The kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost ; '' and yet in his history the record is, he went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem and saluted the Church. To many minds these statements may appear contradictory and incon- sistent ; and to others they will, perhaps, be confusing. Only to him who comprehends, to some considerable degree, the nature of Christ's work will there be perfect clearness. But when a man sees that the " new creature " is the thing that is essential, then the mode of divine procedure will explain the order Christ has adopted. By His Spirit he works in man to the production of a 10 CHURCH MEMBERSHIP. new life, that so influences its subjects as to produce a brotherhood. This feeling of brotherliness creates a community, whose members voluntarily submit one to another, because Christ has wrought in them that which distinguishes them from all others. They can at once see that this work of Christ, and this com- munity of brethren, formed by mutual feelings, are two distinct things. The one has relation to God, and the other has relation to men. But the former is always the cause of the latter. Identification with the community can never give the new life and the consequent community of feeling. All the organiza- tion is the result of the power of Christ upon the heart and life. To suppose the opposite order of working, i.e., the formation of the organization for the purpose of producing the new life, is to suppose what Christ did not establish. And yet the community, developed by the new life, was to be an instrument to influence others to the obtaining of this same new creation. But its office was always to be merely instrumental ; the new creation was always a divine work. Here then, we have the idea in its most concrete form — the Church is a community of saved persons, drawn together by divine life in them, and governed by Christ's law as revealed in the New Testament. In the progress of the divine work, where the life is the essential thing, and the organization is but the casket to hold the precious treasure, there is almost of necessity some divergence of these two separate things. We see them separated in fact, and we learn of the divine recognition of this distinction. CHURCH MEMBERSHIP. 11 1. There is membership in the body of Christ corresponding to presence in the Kingdom of God. This takes in all who are Christ's, whether of any- visible community or not. The Church in this sense i.'; spoken of as the "body of Christ," and is also often called in these times the invisible Church. It may more properly be called the spiritual or general Church, because it includes all who are in the Kingdom of God's grace. Such Scriptures as the following give us this view of the Church : Eph. 3. 10. " To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God. * * * For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named. * * * Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen." Eph. 5. 23. " For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church ; and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be unto their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it, 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. For no man ever yet hated his own liesh, but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church ; for we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones." Col. 1. 12 CHURCH MEMBERSHIP. 18. " And he is the head of the body, the church." Col. 1. 24, "Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church." Now, in all these passages the inward and spiritual state is the basis of the idea of the Church. Those who are of His body are His Church ; and they are of His Church who are subject to Christ — who are holy and without blemi.sh. Let there be union with Christ and there is membership with this Church. This Church corresponds with the Kingdom of God, mentioned by Christ, Matt. 5. 20, " For I say unto you, that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven," and John 3. 3, " Except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God," or by Paul, Rom. 14. 17, " For! the kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteous- ness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost," and also in Col. 1. 13, "Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son." It were useless to quote more at length on this point. We have given these for illustration sake, as well as for proof, of a very important point, that, though it is seldom denied, is nevertheless ignored. They show the universal Church of God as the " body of Christ," — as " the kingdom of God — the kingdom of heaven." And in whatever of these different CHURCH MEMBERSHIP. 13 descriptions it is presented to us, the spiritual state — the divine work — is the essential thing. Whether the subject be known to others or not he is still of Christ's body, nay, " of his flesh and of his bones." He needs no recognition from any others, whatever position they may hold ; nor is he introduced into this state by the act of any. Is he " delivered from the power of darkness and translated into the kingdom of God's dear Son," then is he of this Church, which Christ has " purchased with his own blood ?" No baptism of water is so much as mentioned ; the baptism of the Spirit is the initiating and the con- stituting act, by which he is introduced into the kingdom of God. To any one who has fully apprehended this divine plan of constituting the children of men heirs to the kingdom of heaven, it is almost an insult to urge any argument against an act of man having any force in such a work. And yet men have thought that the keys to the kingdom of heaven were held by those who had the right to administer water baptism. They have, without any evidence, assumed what ought to be very clearly proved, viz., that these particular persons only, hold the right to baptize by water ; and that water baptism initiates a man into the invisible Church of God. But does God make the salvation of one man de- pendent upon the will and act of another, so much, that one can actually keep his fellow out of the kingdom of God ? Does God make Himself de- 14 CHURCH MEMBERSHIP. pendent upon the offices of any man as to the bestowment of His grace ? Our enlightened reason can answer. " The Kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." " For in Jesus Christ neither circum- cision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but faith which worketh by love." I take it that neither man nor child is any more a child of God, or a subject of the kingdom of heaven, because of having been baptized by water. It is a mistaken notion of the nature of water baptism to assume the opposite of this. Such a view would make it a saving ordinance ; and in all who hold it, there is the tendency to ceremonialism, and priestly claims, whether with Anglican or Wesleyan. Children without baptism may all be included as in this Church or kingdom — whether we believe in the doctrine of an actual spiritual life imparted, or of covenant blessings unconditionally preventing damna- tion, save for personal sins. Let none hold up their hands in holy horror, as if the Church of God in this sense were being desecrated by the presence of the unbaptized. Wherever His covenant or His work of grace has assured any of His favor, there are found His members. And of them we need not be ashamed, as He is not. In regard to their recognition as members of the visible Church, I think too much is made of the question. But of the work of saving all children to the Church, whether baptized or un- baptized, we can never over-estimate the importance. CHURCH MEMBERSHIP. 15 The question of their membership in the Church, similar to the membership of adults, is too often put forward as the ground of the duty to care for them. But their claim in this particular may be recognized and met on the one basis as well as on the other. The reader of the New Testament will notice that this phase of the Church is not one of which any- thing is said, save such as relates to personal duty and privilege, and such as relates to the divine work. It has nothing said of it, as of an organization in which man could act. There is another form of Church membership mentioned in the New Testament, viz. : 2. The Membership of the Local or Visible Community. This is the Church which is mostly mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles. It should correspond, so far as it extends, with the invisible Church. But the latter may extend much further than the local Church. They can never be made absolutely co- extensive. Nor is it necessary they should. None should be admitted into the visible who are not of the invisible Church. None, it is supposed, will seek admission till they are of the Kingdom of God. And the Church is not wilfully to tolerate within its pale those who neither are, nor earnestly desire and seek to be members of Christ's body. Many may be truly of the Kingdom of God and heirs of heaven who are not in this local or visible Church. As distance or some other physical cause may hinder some true Christians from this membership, so incapacity may hinder others. 16 CHURCH MEMBERSHIP. The student of the New Testament will notice that in regard to the local Church there is no very- precise law laid down. Whether children of believers, for instance, were recognized members, as much as their parents, is not a subject that is discussed. Even Bushnell's attempt to prove that they are ; by showing that in some of the Epistles they are personally addressed as to their duty, does not establish it. As well might we assume that all others who are ad- dressed or appealed to, are members of the visible Church. Paul says to some, " Be ye reconciled to God," just as truly as he says, " Children, obey your parents." Indeed, much that is in the epistles is addressed to those who are not Christians ; while each epistle as a whole is addressed to a local Church. The visible Church is not accounted the same as the saved world — nor as the baptized world. And most, if not all, the statements regarding the Church in the Acts of the Apostles, relate simply to the recognized Christian community, whose members personally par- ticipate in its privileges and duties, just as our modern discussion of Church membership must and should relate to those who personally can or do partake of its duties and privileges. The local Church of the New Testament is the Church with which laws and discipline have to deal. And it is the Church in this sense that now corres- ponds to these local Churches of the New Testament, about which all ecclesiastical assemblies have to deal, and for which they are to legislate " according to the CHURCH MEMBEESHIP. 17 rule and doctrine of Christ." We may " write up the people " in this sense ; but in the other sense God only knows them all, and it is both useless and presumptuous for man to attempt to regulate it. Any attempt to construct the visible Church so as to include in it as actual members and subject to its godly discipline all who are in the Kinsfdom of God, and therefore of the invisible Church of God, must prove a failure. More- over it is needless. There is no obligation imposed by the head of the Church requiring such an act of comprehension. All that is necessary to know and keep in mind is that the visible Church, that can be subject to discipline, does not control inheritance in " the Kingdom of Christ and of God." All believers in partaking of the new life, having thereby a desire begotten in them for this union with Christ's members, will seek it, and are obliged to have it. Visible Church membership will, then, according to these laws, include all who can be subject to the discipline of the Church, and all who can contribute to its edification — to its life and progress. Such a doctrine and practice regarding the Church, will correspond exactly to the Word of God, in all that it says respecting the duty of the Church and its relation to the world. Turn unto the testimony of the New Testament upon this subject. Christ on two separate occasions mentions the Church. The first was, when in reply to Peter's confession, " Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God," He said, " Upon this rock I will build my Church." Here he refers to B 18 CHURCH MEMBERSHIP. His Church in its most comprehensive sense, including the visible and the invisible. The other occasion is in regard to the offending brother : Matt. 18. 15, 16, 17, " Moreover, if thy brother trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone : if he hear thee, then thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church ; but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a publican.'' Here it is a visible community, and one that can take cognizance of what each of the parties has done. Whether it included any who would be unable to take due notice of the act, such as children for instance, is not fully established ; but the natural construction of the terms leads to the conclusion that it did not. But the question is not left to be settled by this alone. The first mention of the Church in the Acts of the Apostles is in Chap. 2. 47, " And the Lord added unto the church daily such as should be saved." The visible Church of the New, Testament was then in its formative state. It was little better than in embryo. The reading of the Revised Version is expository of this view : " And the Lord added to them day by day those that were being saved." The Church was made by drawing or uniting together those that were saved. The idea of community is that which first finds CHURCH MEMBERSHIP. 19 expression in the early days : " They went to their own company." " The multitudes of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul." The organized society comes afterward, and in the same way as would naturally come now in any analogous case. Men of similar minds, sympathies, and purposes naturally coalesce. The visible community soon comes to be spoken of as the Church. Acts 5. 11, "Great fear came upon all the church." Acts 8. 1, " A.t that time there was great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem," — a sort of intimation that there might be a Church elsewhere ; and so it really happens. Acts 9. 31, " Then had the churches rest throughout all Judea and Galilee." Already a number of local, visible Churches — simply companies of believers, who according to the Revised Version are " the Church." Its reading is, " So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace, being edified." Acts 11. 22, mention is again made of the Church which was at Jerusalem. They heard of the spread of the Gospel to Antioch and of a company of brethren there ; so they sent Barnabas. He went, and soon after brought Saul from Tarsus ; " And it came to pass that a whole year they as- sembled themselves with the church and taught much people, and the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch." The disciples are the Christians, and the Christians are the Church there. This com- munity of believers at Antioch is again mentioned in the 13th chap., 1st verse, as a Church, where Paul and 20 CHURCH MEMBERSHIP. Barnabas were designated by the Holy Ghost for the work of God, as evangelists. Being separated by the Church for this purpose they begin a tour of mission- ary labor in preaching the Gospel far and wide. On completing it, they returned " to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch," " confirming the souls of the disciples.' Acts 18. 23, " And when they had or- dained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord on whom they believed." Here is still the same idea of the visible Church — " the disciples," " the believers ; " and here we have the development of the organized community or Church. Elders are appointed. In Paul's charge to the elders of Ephesus, Acts 20. 28, we have a fuller recognition of the organized Church, " Take heed, therefore, unto yourselves, and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God which he hath purchased with His own blood." These instances might be still more extended ; but they are sufficient from the historical part of the New Testament. It is to be noticed that they all are local Churches, composed of actual believers — members who could perform the acts attributed to them. Perhaps two or three times these different Churches combined are called the Church — the visible, general Church. Passing now to the Epistles, we find there the recog- nition of the local community, and the giving of rules to guide them as such. In the First Epistle to the Cor- CHURCH MEMBERSHIP. 21 inthians, there is extended discussion of certain phases of the Church's duty that gives much light on this subject, of what is the visible Church — or whether the Church is to be understood in any other sense than of all who are in the Kingdom of God. 1 Cor. 14. 4, 5. " He that speaketh in an unknown tongue, ediheth himself ; but he that prophesieth, edifieth the Church." "I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied ; for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church .may receive edifying." It is an as- sembly that can be profited by discourse on the things of God, and it is so made up that it is desirable that all could speak with tongues, and still more that they could " prophes3^" We shall have occasion to turn to this extended discussion of Paul again on another point of still greater importance. We need not mention other cases to show this idea of the Church ; but this somewhat extended presentation of the case is given because of its importance, and be- cause it is indicative of the fact of the frequent — nay general — mention of the Church in thissenseof local and visible. We thus see that membership in the Church, which is a subject of discipline and of human man- agement under divine law, is identification with a community of disciples of Christ, as they are drawn together by their common faith and love. It is secured by the voluntary act of the individual when he be- comes partaker of Christ. No initiation by any cere.- mony was necessary. Active participation in the 22 CHURCH MEMBERSHIP. duties and privileges of a common brotherhood gave any one status in this community called a Church. But such was the nature of the community, that only saved ones would seek it, or could fulfil its duties. We thus far in this connection state the nature of New Testament Church Membership. To go further, would be to anticipate the second point of enquiry. If in any way, those who are members of the Kingdom of God, while they are incapable of open participation ordinarily in its duties and privileges, as children, are members of this local community, it is not in such sense as in any way to affect the conditions of the membership of those of whom alone these records speak, and of whom extended discussion is made in the first Epistle to the Corinthians. CHAPTER II. THE CONDITIONS OF MEMBERSHIP. What were the Conditions of this Local Church Membership ? It is to be noted that only in the visible or local Church membership can we take account of these con- ditions. For whatever are the conditions upon which men enter into the kingdom of God, these are the conditions upon which they enter the spiritual, in- visible, or universal Church. Membership in the in- visible Church is not under the control of man, and he CHURCH MEMBERSHIP. 23 can appoint no regulations in regard to it. But mem- bership in the visible Church is more within the reach of man ; yet it is not a thing that man is to regulate, save in harmony with the Divine plan. The practice of the apostles, as given in the history of the Church recorded in the New Testament, must be the guide of the Church now. Yet even there is found no very ex- plicit rules, but rather great principles are presented. The Church of the present has no right to demand any conditions contrary to the practice of the apostles, nor should they demand any less. The visible Church should still be the best and nearest approach to that kingdom in which Christ reigns, that is to be found in this world. 1. While a certain amount of relijTious knowledge and acceptance of certain doctrines were necessary, yet knowledge and orthodoxy were not conditions of mem- bership in the Church of the New Testament. No such thing as an examination in regard to either of these points, is so much as once hinted at in any part of the record. Only as these could and did affect the desires and character of any person, did they come into con- sideration. Only as men knew the truth as it is in Jesus, could they earnestly desire to be saved. There would be no attempt to turn from sin until they saw its hatefulness, and there would be no turning to Christ as the Saviour of sinners until they believed Him to be the only Saviour. The saving, or, at least, the awakening process, must in the nature of the thing precede the question of Church membership. As well 24 CHURCH MEMBERSHIP. might we expect to see a community of savages joining in an organization to promote the circulation of a newspaper, as to expect sinful and unawakened men to join together in christian fellowship. The law of desire, if not of demand, is the controlling rule in this matter. The truth proclaimed, constrains men to cry out, " Men and brethren, what shall we do ? " They are told to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and doing so, there springs up in them a desire for closer communion with all who have in like manner fled to Christ for refuge. This becomes the basis of their relation to the commu- nity of disciples, — to the Church. To thus believe, in order to such result, there must be a certain amount of religious truth accepted, and to this degree this knowledge and correct view of truth becomes a condition of their connection with the visible Church. The test, however, is not applied at the point of their seeking association with the disciples, but as a condition of receiving such spiritual quickening as produces the desire for this relation to the Church, There is no application of this rule in such a case. Desire for, or attainment of the thing that draws together the christian community, precedes all consider- ation of the outward relationship. This secret divine power is the essential thing in the kingdom of God. It is the great need of man and of the race. This is the natural and the divine order. Cornelius seeks the knowledge of salvation by faith in Christ and the gift of the Holy Ghost, before any question of his relatio^i to the visible Church is so much as JiintecJ CHURCH MEMBERSHIP. 25 at. Lydia and the jailer at Phillippi are both con'- verted before Church membership is apparently so much as thought of. The new converts at Antioch are visited by Bai'nabas for their spiritual edification, not to or- ganize them into a Church. So when Peter and John went down to Samaria, after Philip had preached unto them, and they had believed and were baptized, their enquiry was not even whether the Church had been organized, or what was their faith or knowledge, but they "prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost, for as yet he was fallen upon none of them." Their concern was that these people should be true christians, that they should have that which is the true and essential characteristic of disciples, the Holy Ghost. And that which is characteristic of these cases is equally characteristic of the establishment of every Church mentioned in the New Testament. The cause and condition of their organization, or of individual membership, is not knowledge or orthodoxy, but the possession of that spiritual gift which draws them all to each other around the common centre, Christ. The Rev. William Arthur, in his " Tongue of Fire," says, " Christianity was established by the creation of christians." In like manner it may be said the Churches were organized by the creation of christians. 2. Neither was baptism a condition of New Testa- ment Church membership. I have reference in this case to the initiation into membership in the visible Church. Baptism is an obligation of the christian 26 CHURCH MEMBERSHIP. religion, and cannot be neglected without commission of an act that is just ground of exclusion from the Church of God. But the same may be said of the Lord's Supper. It also is a plain duty of every Christian, and he who neglects this duty is also worthy of exclusion. Much more than this has been claimed for baptism. It has been assumed that it is an initiating act into the visible Church, so that only such as are baptized are admitted to be members of the visible Church. Some can see but little impor- tance in baptism except in this view of the case. This view we believe to be unwarranted, if not mischievous. That baptism was usually administered soon after conversion I readily admit. But so also the Lord's Supper was received very soon after con- version. And strong presumptive evidence exists that it was often received before baptism was administered; for as the Lord's Supper seems to have been received at every assembly of the disciples there was probably opportunity to receive it before baptism could have been administered. It might, therefore, be regarded as an initiatory rite just as fairly as baptism. So far as I can see this position has been assumed without any definite proof. It is not our business to prove the negative. It is sufficient to say, there is no evidence that water baptism initiates any one into the visible Church. In view of the absence of any intimation in the New Testament that it was initiatory — and therefore necessary to membership — its early recognition as CHURCH MEMBERSHIP. 27 initiatory must reasonably be regarded as one of those unhappy tendencies to ceremonialism that early showed themselves in the Church. A convert might receive baptism and then positively refuse to take membership in the visible Church. And there can be no visible Church membership with- out the person's own consent and act. It is a recogni- tion of what already exists — of his introduction into the kingdom of God, or of his sincere desire and endeavor to enter that kingdom. This idea is in harmony with the teaching of the Church standards on this point ; but the idea of initiatory rite into the visible Church, upon which much stress has of late years been laid, is not taught there. Nor is it im- plied in the nature of the act. As circumcision was a sign and seal of the righteousness had by him who received it, so water baptism is a sign and seal of the covenant blessings enjoyed or pledged. The reception of water baptism stood in no immediate or necessary relation to reception into the visible Church. That which fitted the character and disposed the will to seek it, and also union with God's people, secured membership without any external rite. I dwell upon it here because it has been assumed that every baptized person, and such only, was a member of the visible Church. This places water baptism where the Scriptures, as I conceive, do not put it. And from this position it has been urged that baptized children are members of the visible Church, and that great in- justice is done them if this membership is denied them. 28 CHUBCH MEMBERSHIP. Perhaps the error arises from misconception of what is meant by membership in the visible or local Church. The analogy of the Jewish Church, corres- ponding with the Jewish nation, does not uphold this claim. And the analogy does not exist. They may be regarded as members of the invisible Church, whether baptized or not ; and if we change the meaning of visible Church they may, as children of parents in the visible Church, be regarded as members also. But in such case we do not mean a Church of active members who can exercise discipline and be subject to it ; who can each participate in its privileges and perform the common duties of actual members. This we think must be accepted as the sense of Church in the New Testament, unless where it refers to the invisible Church. Then this " body of Christ " includes children even unbaptized. The baptism is a recognition of their standing and their claims to christian nurture. This sense of the local and visible Church is the one prevalent and underlying all modern ecclesiastical legislation. On no well established basis, therefore, can the question of the relation of baptized or unbaptized children to the visible Church, affect the nature or duties of visible Church membership in general, or of the conditions upon which it is acquired or retained. 