COBTTEST BETWEEN TRUTH AND FALSEtfOOD IN THE CHURCH.
N the Apostle's age, the chief contest between Truth and Falsehood lay in the war waged by the Church against the vorld, and the wofld against the Church —the Church, the aggressor in the naine of the Lord; the wofld, stung with envy and nmlice, rage and 10ride, retaliating sl)iritual weal)ons with carnal, the Goslel with 1)ersecution, good with evil, in the cause of the Devil. ]ut of the conflict within the Church, such as if is af this day, Christians knew comlamtively little. True, the 1)rol)hetic S1)irit told them that "even of their ownselves should men arise, sl)eaking perverse things, fo draw away disciples after them;" that "in the last days lerilous rimes should corne. '« Also they had the exl)erience of their own and former rimes fo how them, as in type, tha in the Chtu'ch evil will! Acts xx. 0; 2 Tire. iii. 1.
always naingle with the good. Thus, at the flood, there were eight men in the Ark, and one of them was rel)robte; out of twelve Aloostles, one was a devil; out of seven Deacons, one (as if is said) fell away into heresy; out of twelve tribes, one is drololoed at the final sealing. These intimutions, however, whether by instance or lrolohecy, were hot sufficient to realize fo them, before the event, the serious and awfttl truth implied in the text, viz.—that the warfare which Christ began between lfis little flock and the v¢orld should be in no long while transferred into the Church itself, and be carried on by members of that Church one with another. This, I say, the early Christians did hot see fulfilled, as out eyes see it; and so hard is it to lOOSSeSS ourselves of a true conviction about it, that even at this day, when if may be llainly seen, men will not see it. They will hot so olen and surrender their minds to Divine truth, as fo admi that the tIoly Clmrch bas unholy members, that blessings are given to the unworthy, that "the Kingdom of Heaven is lfle a net that gathers of every kind." They evade this mysterious a.ppointmen in various ways. Sometimes they deny that bad men are really in God's Church, which they think consists only of good.men. They bave invented an Invisible Church, distinct and complete af loresent, and leololed by saints only,—as if Sciipture said one word, anywhere, of a sloiritual body existing in this world seloarate from, and indeloendent of, the Visible Church; and they consider the Visible Church to be nothing but a mere paoE of this v¢orld, an establishment, secS, or party. Or, again, while they admigi as a Divine ordinanee, they lower its standard of faith and holiness, and its privileges; and, eonsidering the eomnmnion of saints fo be but a name, and ail Christians to be about alike, they effeetuaily destroy ail notions, whether of a Chureh or of a eonfliek Thus, in one way or other, they refuse to admit the idea, eontainecl in the text, that the dissimilitude, the enmity, and the warfare which once existed between the world and the Church, is now transferred into the Chureh itself. ]3ut let us try, with God's blessing, to get a firm hold npon this truth, and see if we eannot draw some instruction from if. The text says, that "the Kingdom of tIeaven," thag is, the Christian Chureh, "is like unto a net that was east into the sea, and gathered of every kind." Elsewhere St. Paul says, "In a great bouse there are hot only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some o honour, and some fo dishonour. '' Now, Iassages sueh as these adroit of a very various application. I shall eonsider them hem with reference to the contes between Truth and Falsehood in the Church. Doubtless, in the eye of natural eson, if wodd be a 1)rivilege, were the enemies of Christ and of our souls separated from us, and did the trial of our faith take place on some broad questions, aboub which there could be no mistake; but such is no the fact "in the wisdom of Go&' Faith and unbelief, humbleness and pride, love and selfishness, bave been Irom the A1)ostles' age nnited in one and the saine body; nor can any means 2 Tire. il. 20.
of man's device disengage the one from the other. AR who are within the Church have the saine privileges; they a'e all bai)tized, all admitted fo the Holy Eucharist, all taught in the Truth, all profess the Truth. Af all rimes, indeed, there bave been those who bave avowed corrupt doctrine or indulged themselves in open vice; and whom, in conse¢luence, if was easy to detect and avoid. But these are few; the great body in the Christian Church profess one and the same fith, and seem one and all fo agree together. Yet, among these persons, thus apparently unanimous, is the real inveterate conflict proceeding, as from the beginning, between good and evil. Some of these are wise, some foolih. Who belong to the one, and to the other 1)arty, is hid from us, and will be hid till the day of judgment; nor are they af present ind[vidually formed upon the perfect model of good or evil; they vary one with another in the deo'ee and mode of their holding to the one or the other; but that there are two 1)arties in the Church, two parties, however vague and indefinite their outlines, among those 'ho lire, in one sense, as familiar friends, I nean, 'ho eat the saine sIiritual Food, and lrofess the saine Creed, is certain. ext, what do they contend abou? how and where is their conflict? The Apostles contended about the truth of the Gosl)el with unbelievers; their immediate successors contended, though witMn the Church, yet against open heresies, such as they could meet, confute, and cast out; but in after rimes, in ou own day, now, what do the two secret parties in the Church, the elect and the false-hearted, what do they contend about? [] o
If is diflïcult to answer this question suitably with he reverence due to this sacred place, in which the language of the wofld should hot be heard. Yet, in so important a marrer, one would wish fo say something. That conest, vllich vas first about the truth of the Gospel itself, next about the truh of doctrine, is now commonly about very small maers, of an evew-day character, of public affairs, or domestic business, or parochial concerns, vhich serve as tests of our religious state quite as truly as greater thi]gs, in God's merring judgment—serve as powerfully fo form and train us or heaven or for hell. I say, tllat as the eafly Chrisians were bouncl fo " contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints," so the trial of our obedience commonly lies in taking this or that side in a multitude of questions, in vhich there happen to be two sides, and vhich corne before us almost continually; and, belote attempting to explain vhat I mean, I would bave you observe how parallel this state of things is fo God's mode of trying and disciplining us in other respects. For instance, how is onr devotion to Christ shown? Ordinari]y, hot in great matters, hot in giving p house and 1,nnds for ttis sa.ke, but in mp.king little sacrifices vhich the world would -idicule, if if knew of them; in a]ridging oursclves of comforts for he sake of the poor, in sacrificing out private likings to religious objects, in going to Church at a personal inconvenience, in taking pleasure in the society of religious men, though ot 'ich, o: noble, or accomplished, or gifted, or enter- taining; in matters, all of them of very little moment in themselves. How is selï-denial shown? lot in litcrally bearing Christ's Cross, and living on locusts and wild honey, but in such light abstinences as colne in our wa3ç in some poor efforts at fasting and the like, in desiring fo be poor rather than rich, solitary or lowly rather than well-connected, in living within our income, in avoiding display, iii being suspicious of comforts and luxuries; all of which are too trifling for the loerson observing them to think about., yet bave their use in proving and improving his heart. IIow is Christian valour shown? lot in resisting unto blood, but in withstanding mlstaken kidness, in enduring importtmit3ç in hot shrinking from surprising and hurting those we love, in undergoing litt]e losses, inconveniences, censures, slights, rather than betray 'hat 'e believe to be God's Truth, be it ever so small a portion of it. As then Christian devotion, self-denial, cou'age, are tried in this day in litfle things, so is Christian faith also. In the Apostles' age faith was shown in the great raatter of joining either the Church, or the pagan or Jewish mtfltitttde. It is shown in this day by taking tlds side or that side in the many questions of opinion and conduct which corne before us, whether domestic, or parochial, or political, or of whatever kind. Take the most unlettered peasant in the humblest village; his trial lies in acting for the Church or against it in his own place. He rny happen to be at work vith others, or taking refreshment with others; and ho nmy hear religion spoken against, or the Church, or tho King; he nmy hear voices raised together in scoffing or violence; he must withstand laugh and jest, evil words and rudeness, and witness for Christ. Thus he carries on, in his day, the eternal conflict between Truth and Falsehood. Another, in a higher class of society, bas a certain influence in larish matters, in the application of charities, the appointment of oflcers, and the like; he, too, must act, as in God's sight, for the Truth's sake, as Christ would bave him. Another has a certain political loower; he bas a vote to bestow, or dcpendents fo advise; he bas a voice fo raise, and substance fo contribute. Let him act for religion, hot as if there were hot u God in the world. hl:y brethren, I must not venture fo keep silence in respect fo u province of Christian duty, in which men are especially tried at this day, and in which they especially fail. It is sometimes said that religion is not (wha; is called) lolitical. Now there is bad sense of the word "lolitical, '' and religion is nothing that is bad. ]3ut there is also a good sense of the word, and in this sense whoever says that religion is not loolitical speaks as en'ingly, and (whether ignorantly or hot) offends with his tongue as certainly, as if in St. t'ul's rime u man had said if mattered not whether he was Christian or heathen; for what the question of Christian or no Christian ws in the Apostle's day, such m'e questions of politics now. It is as right fo tke one side, and as wrong to take the other, now, in that multitude of matters -hich cornes before us of a social nature, as it was right to become a Christian in St. Paul's day, and wrong fo remain a heathen. I mn hot saying u'hich side is right md which is wrong, in tlJe ever-vm3"ing course of social duty, much less ara I saying that all religious peol)le are on one side and ail irreligious on the othcr (for then would that division between good and evil take place, which the text and other parables assure us is hot to be till the I)ay of Judgment); I only say there is a right and a wrong, that it is hot a marrer of indifference which side a man takes, that a man will be judged hereafter for the side he takes. Vhen a man (for instance) says tiret he takes part against the King or against the Church, because he thinks kingly power or established Churches contrary to Scripture, I think him as far from the truth as light is from darkness; but I understand him. IIe takes a religious ground, and, w]mtever I may think of his doctrine, I praise him for that. I had rather he should take a religious ground (if in sincerity) and be against the Church, than a worldly selfish ground, and be for if; that is, if donc in earnest, hot in pretence, I think if speaks more hopefully for his sou]. I had rather the Chnrch were levelled to the ground by a nation, real]y, honestly, and seriously, thinking they did God service in doing so (fearful indeed as the sin wmfld be), than that if should be upheld by a nation on the mere ground of maintaining lroperty for I think this a much 'eater sin. I think that the worshipper of mammon will ho in worse case before Christ's Judgment-seat than the rnistaken zealot. If a man must be one or the other (though he ought fo be neither), btt if I must choose for him, I had rather he shotfld be Salfl raging lfle wild beaet against the Church, than Gallio caring for none of these thigs, or Denms loving the prescrit vorld, or Simon trafiïcking 'ith sacred gifts, or Ananias grudging Christ his substance, and seeking fo be saved as cheal»ly as possible. There would be more chance of such a man's conversion fo the Truth; and, if hOt converted, lcss punishment reserved for him af the Last I)ay. Out Lo'd says fo the Church of LoEodicea, "I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will cast thee from BIy mouth! '' lV[en, however, generally act from mixed motives; so I do hot mean that they are a once in a fearflfl perfl, or as bad as fanatical revolutionists, for having somo re'ard fo the security of property, while they defend what is called the Chrch Established;—far from if, though I still think if 'otfld be better if the thought of religion absorbed all other considerations:—but I ara speaking against an avowed doctrine maintained in this day, that religion has nothing fo do with political matters; which wi]l hot be truc till if is t-ue that Goal does no govern the world, for as God nfles in human affairs, so must tIis servants obey in them. And what we have to fear more than anything else at this rime is, that persons who are sound on this point, and do believo that the concerns of the nation ought to be carried on le. iii. 1, 16.
on religious principles, should be afraid to avow it, and should ally themselves, without lorotcsting, with those who deny it; lest they should keep their own opinion to themselves, and act with the kindred of Gallio, Demas, Simon, and Ananias, on some mere secula.r basis, the mere defence of property, the security of our institutions, considered merely as secular, the maintennce of our national greatness; forgetting tht, as no man cau serve two lnasters, God and mmmon, so no nn cn a once be in the counsels of the servants of the two;—forgetting th. the Church, in which they and others are, is ne gathering of evcry kind; that it is no proof tha others are tobe followed and supported in all things, because they happen tobe in it and profess attachmen fo i; and tha though we are bound to associate in a general way with 11 (except, indeed, such as oi)enly break the rules of the Church, heretics, drunkards, evil livers, and the like, who ought of course to be pu out of it), ye we are no bound to countenance al1 men in all they do, and are ever bound to oppose bad principles—bound to attempt to raise the standard of faith and obedience in tha multitude of men whom, though we disapprove in many respects, we dare no affirm to be entirely destitute of the life of the Holy Ghost, and hot to surfer fi'iend or strnger to take prt against the Truth without wrning him of it according to our opportunities. Lastly, this union of the ]?rue and the False in the Chureh, which I have been spe -king of, bas ever existed in the governing par of it as well as anaong the people at lalge. Our Saviour sers this truth before us in the
216 Conlcst 3ctwccs Truth and tweny4hird chai»ter of St. Iathew's gosl»el, in which tIe bids tIis hearers obey their spiritual rulers in all lawtal flfings, even though they be unworflay ot heir office, because hey hold it—obey "as unto the Lord and net te men." "The Scribes and the I»harisees sit in çoses' seat; all, therefore, whasoever they bid you observe, that observe md de: but de net ye afer their works, for hey say, and de net." And no one can read, ever se little, the hisory of file Church since He was on earth, without lerceiving tha, under all the ferres of obedience and subordination, of -k_ind offices and social intercourse, which Christ enjoins, a secret conest has been carried on, in the nmst sacred chambers of he temple, between Truth and Falsehood; rightly, l»eaceably, lovingly by sonm, mcharitably by others, with a strange mixture at rinces of right 1)rincil)les and defective retaper, or of sincerity and partial ignorance; sill, on the whole, a centest such as St. Jolm's against Diorel»hes, or St: l'aul's against Ananias he High l'riest, or Timothy's against tImaeneus and Alexander. 5[eantime, the rules of ecclesitical discipline have been observed on both sides, as well as the professions of faith, as conditions of the contest; nevertheless, the contest h l»roceeded.:New I would bave evel T one who hears me bring w-mt I bave said home as a solemn truth te his own mind;—the solemn truth, that there is nothing indifferent in our conduct, no part of if without ils duies, no room for trifling, lest we trifle with eternity. If is very common te speak of our 1)olitical and social lrivileges as rights, which we may de what we like with; whereas they merely impose dtics on u in God's sight. A man says, "I bave a right to do this or that; I bave rîght fo give my vote here or there; I bave a right to fm'ther this or that measure." Doubtless, you have a right—you bave the right of freewiH— you bave irom your bilh the birthright of being free agent, of doing right or wrong, of saving yourse]f or ruining yourself; you bave the right, that is, you bave the power—(to speak 1)laiuly) the power fo damn yourself; but (alas!) a poor consolation will it be to you in the next world, fo know that your ruin was all your own fault, as brought upon you by yourself—for what you bave said cornes to nothing more than this; and be quite sure, naen do hot lose their souls by some one extraordinary act, but by a course of acts; and the careless, or rather, the self-sufficient and haughtyminded use of yom" political power, this way or tiret., at your pleasure, which is now so common, is among those acts by which men save or lose them. The young man whom Solomon speaks of, thought he had a right to indulge his lusts, or, as the rich man in the Gost)el, to "take his ease, eat, drink, and be merry;" but the 1)reacher says fo ldm, "Rejoice, O young man in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know tho, for all these thincjs God will brig thee into fltdgment. ''1 So, again, many man, when warned against the sin of leaving the Church, or of wandering abbut from one place of worship to another, says, "he bas right to x Eccles. xl. 9.
do so." So if is, he bas u strange notion that if is an Englishman's right to think what he wfll, and do what he will, in matters of religion.:hTay, itis the right of the whole wo'ld, not ours a]one; if is the attribute of all rational beings fo have a right fo do wrong, if they wilL Yet, after all, there is but one right way, and there u hundred wrong ways. You zay do as yott will; but file first who exercised that right was the devil when he fell; and every one of us, when he does this or tlmt in matters between himself and his God, mercly bccause he wills if, and not for conscience' sake, is (so far) following the devil's pattern.:hTow let us put aside these vain fancies, and look af out position steadily. Every one of us here assembled is either u vessel of mercy or a vessel of wrath fitted to destruction; or rather, I should s'y, will bc such af the Last Day, and now is acting towards the one or tire other. We cannot judge each other, we cannot judge ourselves. We only know about ourselves whether or no we are in some measure trying fo serve God; we know He has loved us and "blessed us with all spiritual blessings in Christ," and desires our salvation. We know about others around us that they too have been blessed by the saine Saviour, and are to be looked on as our brethren, till, by word or deed, they open]y renounce their brotherhood. Still it is true that the solemn process of se2a'atiort between bad and good is ever going on. The net bas af present gathered of every kind. Af the end" of the world will be the final division; naeanwhile there is a gradual sorting and sifting, silent but sure, towards if. It is also true that all the matters
Fa[shood i ghe Church. 9 'hich corne before us in the course of life are trials of out faith, and instruments of our purification. Itis also true that certain principles and actions are right and others wrong. If is true, moreover, that our part lies in finding out what is right, and observing and contending for it. And without judging of our brethren's state, and, again, without being over-earnest about little matters, itis our duty plaiuly to v¢itness agaiust others when we think them wrong, and to impress our seriousness Ul»On them by our very manuer towards thcm; lest we suffir sin in them, and so become l»artakers of if. If all this be true, may Goal Himself, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, enable us heartily to act Ul»On it! May tIe give us that honesty and simplicity of mind, which looks at things as He views them, realizes what is unseen, luts aside all the shadows and mists of pride, party-feeling, or covetousness; and not only knows and does what is right, but does it because it knows it, and that hot from mere reason and on grounds of argument, but from the heart itself, vith that inward and pure sense, and scrupulous fear, and keen faith, and gcnerous devotion, which does hot need arguments, except as a menus of strengthening itself, and of loersuading and satisfying others.