Communications: Letter From Rev. Mr. West

NO. 5. Mo.NROB, Mich. 7th July, 184S. To ike. edilors Sig. of Libi-rly. Ann Arbor, Mich.The Umty and pdkitv of the Church.Tur. UiMTï of tur Chuuch! the vnity of tle Uhiirchü Tliis remitida me of a most admirable print whic'i I dare sny you have seen, respecting ihe fraternal rmbrnce of Culhonn and Clny in the U. S. Sermto, immeihntoly after the Jatter had concluded his fnmous speech on slavery: the right foot of earh of those patriarchs resiing on the prostrated bod y of the slave. This is the Unity of the chnrch for which Rev. Mr. Vet plcids - "n union over the crushed and Meeding body of tlieslave." - Sig. Lib June 19, p. 1. Col. 4. Gentlemen: - Perhnps you have never seen my answer to Mr.Clay's 'fomous speech alluded to in the parograpli quoted above, founded iu 'Jie words - this is the third time, Sic. I tüke it for granieJ !hat you have nol; i Tor if you Kavè rend that 'nrticlc, I cannnt see liow you could, as hottest Eililars of a Period! ical purporting to advocate snch ;Genuine religi'ii' as the Signal of Liberty proféseles to do, havegiven place in your panor to such a roes misrepresenlaüon as the above quotation inclufles. Bot 1 wil] procced to sliow ti-,e Unity óf :lie chntch, for which I do p!ead, nnd lel imparlinl readers jddnfe whether it is a tjiiiön, 'foir lli." purpose of hceping 'prostrale the enishcd and bleeiling slavc,' nnd vhether my motives in pleödirtg lor tlie tini'y of ourchurch at the late Geiicrül .4sseniby wete similar to those which your late nfiper nllrilmied to the 'uo Soul hern Senators nüudrd to, wliüe folding onch ot!.er in their 'fratenml rnjbroce wilfi encli his riglit foot rcsting on the prostrated body of i lie Slave.' The trtie rcasons for pleading for tliennity of Uie ciiurch ore derived i'rom God - from : ministerial obügation - and from the fuct, that union s tlie foundation of efficiënt aciion in perfecting thechurch, and in' removing uint is wron fiotn the wbrld. A trne cliurch is a secieiy of truc believers ! i'i the Lord Jesus Ciirist. All truc hehevers ! I of every nume, nnd naïion, and age óf the world aro collectively calied the cluiich of God. God is One in the unity of Iiis essence: nnd His chnrch shonld be one. Tn tlie God-j lirad iherc are three per?ons; and yct, I witnsi.'ind'iig' Uie ph.ialiry of persons, v? ore io !o miiid, on the one ham!, as not lo confotmd tiie iiüity óf eesence by calüng it perso'i?; so on tile other hnnd, vvuare to consio'pr Ihe dilinction of persons a.s not to divide the unity of the (üvint essence: Thus maintainin (Iiat 'the Lord our God s one Lord.' The essence of truc religión is the love of God, : slici! uhrOTul in the heai t. This essence is one in its divine nature. Il is the true spirit oí" unión, and bond of peace to ihe church. And i however mnny prrsons may be unitcd in the I samo church; and hou ever they may ditler personally nnd officially from cach othcr, we shoulrl so tniiidj in preserving onity, thut we confound not ihe uni:v of tio essence i tuting true religión, willi persons ;nnd)-et i sider ihe distinction of persons so as noi to divide the essence. The love of God in true believers is the spring and fountain from whence all the outflowinga of love to ench other, as bretbren in Christ, proceed, If Ihis ba the essential bond !HHBBHiBBB8nSB3MinBS3nBnBaECHÍnESBHU3EBB3DHEIIB&28ÍM of unión in the redeemed church of God, tlien a efloris tending to división and disunion amoiigetthose wbo love God, ought to be resisted by all proper means, thus maintaining that the truochurch of Christ is une. And they aru, indeed, the true fol.owers of Cliriát who eek to consolídate Uáa church into one body: One in Ihe nalyro of that divine esfence wbich shoulü bind tliem together: One in eyslem of doctrine, that they tnny bc nll 'auj;ht of God: O.ne in eymmetry of governiiicif, that peace mny reign: and O.ve in the unify of action, that the united moral jorce of the whole body might líe feit to be rcsi.stlcss by the united and combind powers of the vvorld, the flesh, and the (levil. Is Christ divided? If nof, why shoald bis real follotvers be divided? aguin the similitudes whicii God lias givcn in lus word, illuslrating the nature ond character of lus redeemed and united Churcb, urge upon tis very slrong reasons aírninsi división. I will mention a few of these. The church is called a city, wlnch iá one in itself: bnt factions in a city uniformly tend to the destruction of the peace and safefy of its nhabitants, and its final overthrow. Tbe Moon, uhich luminary is united and one in iïself, and allhough some times to us dark, yet on one part or other of its surfaco hus shining the true light of the son, ;n i's splcndor and Llry. An Olive tree, whicli is one, and compared to the church, because shc derives from Christ, her root, the truc oil of grace, ofTighf, and ofsalvalion. An Inn, which is ono, and compared to the church, because, in lier ampie provisions r.nd nccommodations, &lie inipar's iest, repose, refresbments, arH new strengtli to woundcd cor.Lci;nce?, and weary travellcrs to a better country. A vine, trinen is one rnany branches, none of which may bc taken frorn the stem bilt such as are pcrfectly fruitlesj. Nor will the fket that palmr worrns, canker worms, and calerpillars though some times found upon the branches and among the leave?, prove a sufficiont justification for enttinr off. Nothing will iJobut the proof of früitlessness, and not even then without first usin means of resuscitation, and that, after rfue trial, being fcund to be unavniling! Tliis is to teacli long suffering and bowcls of mercies: .5 body natural, which is one, nltbouh mnde up of many numbers. In a body natural, if a dislocation of joints take place, or if some members are ampuiated, that body is no loner the sanie. It cannot be expected to possess that life, octivtty, energy, and power, as when whole, sonnd, and united in all its parts; there should be no sdu'sm. therefore, in the body: Jl lily among thons, which is one and uniJed in ilself, and very beautifnl to ook upon; yet is it guarc!ed by thorns, to teach us that whoever will put forth a rude hand to pluck its I leave?, to spoil its plumagco'istcrb itsgrovvlh, ! or break it in sunder, shall have thorns to ! vince htm ihat he has a sor e. "iiandful for bis pnins! God has defences for bis cburch - 'mark yeu-ell her buhearks. And so I might proceed.cid my liniits permit, lo thow thal w!ictler the cliurch be called by tiie names already no!cd, or by the names cf temple, vineyard, virgin. wifc-, motlier, garden, golden candlestick, fiock of sheep, house, or familv; rachandall will prove the some poiut; that God designs his church to be, and remain one and united. And again, ihe prayer of our Lord, and the ! nnmerous directtons for unión, nd i tions and warriings against civi.--ion in the ! church. ns found m the script ures, fiirniüh additional and irrefragable rcaons for the coii'se j pursüed by the nmjority of the Generni senibly, in ciideavorng lo keep tbc unity of1 tl:e spirit in thï bond of peace. Our Lord prays most solernnly and fervently for the unity cf his chnreh. JIc pruys 'tliat llioy all may be om;, ns tbou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, ihat they also mny be onk in us- -that they m;iy be one as we are - that '■ l bey mny be one even as we are one- that i they mry be made perfect in one. Now tliis ! union, so devoutly prayed for by our adorable Rodéeme.-, tnplies ihat bis disciples should be one in mind, lovp, des;gn, doctrino, goveinment, discipline, and interest, that being unit erl, first by faith, to Christ, and by him to the Father, thoir might amongst all bolievcrs, be ' n union, somowhat rescmbling ihat nb!e ünd mystcrious union si bis in? between Ibe Father and lúa son Jpsus Christ! And al! Ier the re-tson ie assigüt, wliicli U - 'hat the world may liclievc ihat Ilion h;ist reñí me.' j O, whr.t on argument. is pe:fcct itiiinn mönp christiaiif, by wLith to cnnvince ?he world tha? JcBU8is ihe truoand onlv savior! The directions to maintain unitv, md the warnings ngainst división in the church of Christ,as found in the scriplures,furni.sh other i rong reasons yet, justifyinjr tbe majority of j ihe Aeembly for the course they piirsued, i wbich course is so opcnJy ond bitterly denoiinced in several numbers of your pnp'er. The followers of Christ are directed -to bc like-minded one towards another according to Christ Jes(?- with one mind and one month to glorify God- to stand fast in one spirit, and with one mind strive tog3ther for the fuith of t!ie gospel- to beof one mind and of one accord having the same love- that they ail &peak the same thiny- ihat there be nosions among them, bul thnt they be períectly joined together in the same mind, and in the same juJgcmont - that they are to mark those who cause divisions and ofFencea conlrary to ihe doctrine they have le.irned,and avoid them becausesuch serve not the Lord Jeus Chiisf, but their own bclly, and by good words and fair speeches deceive the simple; that they are to be on their guard ogainst some who hnviüg swervcd, asiíie unto vainjangüng, des:ring to be teachers of the law, understanding ncither what they syy, nor whereof they anïrm - That such teuchers,because they con sent not to whoiesome words, even the words of the Lord Jesus Chrisf, are proud, Imowing nothing, but doting obout quesüons and strifea of words whereof cometh envr, strifes, railings, and evil eurmisings, perverse djsputings; and that good ministers of Jeais Chiist are lo put the church n remembrance of these things, and lo charge them before tho Lord that ihey strive not aboul w.rds to no profit which %eat as floth a canker. Now all these, with rr.anj' olher reasons, derived direcl'y from God, are quite sufiicient in ihemselves to impel any set of conscientious ecclesiastics to resist every improper at'.empt at disuniop, r.nd every measure tending to disrup'ion in the church of God. Agnin; Ministerial obügation laya a heavy tesponsibiiity on the ministers and elders of our chinches, to aid, by all proper and lawful means in preserving the unity of the church. On receiving office n the church they solemn]y promise 'to mair:tain, zealously and failhfully, tlie truths of the gospel, nnd to study tlie peace, unily, and purity of the church, wha'ever persecution or opposition ,may arisc to them on thut account.' Here I may ask, why miiEt a man keep his word? Tiie answer to thisquestion I will give from Dr. Pa!ey. líe t-aye, in his principies of moral philosophy - 'Beca use he is urged to it by a violen! motive, namelr, the expectation 'of beir.gr, after this life, rewarded, if he does, or punished if he does not.' This he calis a violent motive, becausé it resiilts from either i a voluníary obügation, or a command of God, Hliis áhswer goes to the bottom of the ques iion,' and it fully justifies those, who, from ■ their consciences pronnsed to maintain tae ! peace, unity, and purity of the church, in endeavoring to do so by all proper means . - Vcry few ministers of Christ, and officers of i his church, who value truth, and recognize ! moral obügation, will agree to fot rfdtheir sol' emn vows, and stand cut before an enlightcned world, as ecclesiasticaily perjured persons, besidfs exposing themselves to the wrath of God forever as liars and covenant breakere. In the last place, here, on the unity of the church depentls the perfecting of the saints, and ihcremoval of what is wrong from tlie world. Hcnce it is, that the mediatorial gifts of Christ after his ascensión, given in the persons of 'Aposlles. piophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers to church, were for tlie perfecting of the snint.--, the woik of the ministry, and the edefying of the body of Chri.t; tili we all come to the unity of the faith and of the krovvledge of the son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fuüness of Christ.' And al-o, lo prevent the church from being, like ciiüdren, tossed to and fro, and cnrrieíl about wiih every wind of doctrine, by ihe slighl of man. The unity of the church is someiimes called one body, somctimes onc soul, but here a perfect man, as if all were but one. After this we are to stri ve until we aitain to its perfect ow. But divisions omong tlie true people of God never can facilítate this desirable object. - Moreover, the church, in her unity, exatnplc, and exeriion, is desigucd as Gods grent agen', in rcnovatinir the world. Slie is thereforo caücd the light of the world, the salt of the earth, a city set upon a hill. Siie is unitedly ordcre d by her greal head to work on until, not oniy 'no pricking briar, yrieving thorn, nor any thing to hnrt or hr.rni in v) the whole mountain,' be found in herself; but unlil her iufiuencc shall effêcUiaïly give Laws to the wc.rld, and subjugaie all the nations of the earth to Christ. But divisions divide the ener?.v diminish the influcnce,dstrncts the arrangenentp, disturb the poaco, hinder the succcsp.niu: etltcíuaNy eclipso ihe essen Í ia 1 beauty ;md glory of tho church of the living God! YYoe to tliem (hereforc, who are engaged in dividing the body of Christ. TliRse ronvirks, rentle : en, serve büt imperfcclly to unfold llioroal motives of the j j-trity of the late Gemrn' Assembíy in votingi against i mcnsure,wliich.if carried must as far j ns the judgemment of ííie majonty coild pp. i netrato, result inanarchy and confusión to the ! church, the unity and peace of which thev were under the most soletnn respon.'ibililies bound to aid in preserving. In my next 1 slinll advert, among oiher thing?, to tho qncstion, whether the fact of a member holding a slnve under any circurnstances should excludo him from cornmunion. : lieve me, as usual,