Harbinger, July 1, '67. Lord," and I take the washing away of sins to have more to do with the calling or prayer than with the baptism. IN.-Then, according to your view, that text does not at all indicate what the baptism was for. Well, where then shall I find it? I want to be baptized as Christ commanded, but I think I ought to know what it is for; unless you say that the Bible does not anywhere say what its design is. But I am sorry I cannot stay longer. I will, however, call again, and then I shall be so glad if you will read to me from the Bible what baptism is for. Now! Will our good brother name chapter and verse, so that when Inquirer calls again, he may have the design or purpose of baptism-what it is for-in Bible words? Yours, dear Sir, with best wishes, THE DISCIPLES OF CHRIST NOT A DENOMINATION. In the popular and proper acceptation of the term, the Disciples of Christ scattered abroad throughout the States of North America, England, Australia, Canadas, &c., are not a denomination. The Roman Catholics, the Lutherans, Presbyterians, Methodists, and others, are properly denominations in the professed Christian world. They rightfully claim to be such. They are respectively ecclesiastic or church bodies. They are distinct bodies,— distinct religious organizations, claim to be and are, and want to be, from choice. The distinguishing characteristics of these respective bodies, or denominations, are as clearly and plainly marked as the distinctive differences of the various civil governments of the world. Each party has its own fundamental basis or platform-its internal regulations, policies and appliances, and each is striving to build up, support and increase by accessions to its own. These bodies stand out in the face of open day, as separate and distinct ecclesiastic bodies. This, under all tolerant and liberal civil governments, they have a right to do. The same fundamental law that protects one party in its rights protects all, and no party should claim any exclusive privilege. "A fair field and a free fight," should be the motto and watchword of all. But as there are many religious bodies, all professing to be Christian bodies, why is there more than one? "Is Christ divided? The Catholics, Methodists, Presbyterians, &c., all have truth in their creeds and confessions of faith. Truth is always consistent with itself. No two truths are antagonistic to each other. Truths brought together from afar, when brought into juxtaposition, "like kindred drops, mingle into one." The particles of truth attract each other. Their native, inherent properties have a tendency to combine. How is it, then, that there are different denominations of professed Christians? Just because there is not a denomination of professed Christians on the earth that has not incorporated into its religious creed, errors-radical errors. This affirmation is proved, beyond all dispute, by the testimony of the parties themselves. For instance, take twenty creeds-the bonds of union of twenty denominationsselect one party, arraign it for trial, ask the question: "Guilty of error or not guilty?" The answer will be, "not guilty." Call the other nineteen upon the stand as witnesses, and they will swear that the accused is guilty. Go the entire round of the twenty, one at a time, and the other nineteen will testify that the accused is guilty. So by the time the trial of all is through, all are proved to be guilty of fundamental religious error. What is the reason for this? The reason! Why, the reason is just as clear as the sun day at meridian. The errors in each are antagonistic to the errors in the other. The advocate of each respective human creed see the errors of his neighbor's creed, and is blind to the errors of his own. Hence, the antagonism and conflict of human creeds. If by chance, or otherwise, there should be a member whose intelligence discerns the errors of his own creed, he dares not say anything by way of opposition. If he do, it is at his own peril, and he runs the risk of being excommunicated. If he persist, he is turned out of the organization, to seek a home elsewhere. If he is a man of ability and determination, he proceeds to gather around him another party, and they make another human creed, and thus parties and creeds multiply in the land, and the professed followers of the Son of God become more and more divided and sub-divided. Those instruments drawn up by frail and erring man, as bonds of union and communion, become bones of contention and apples of discord. And so it will be until all human creeds, as formulas of doctrine and rules of church government, are given to the moles and to the bats,"—absolutely abandoned, divorced, and sent away as sources of evil, discord, and sin. Early in the present century this state of sectarianism into which the professed Christian world had fallen, by reason of human creeds, and the means whereby the unfortunate posture of affairs might be corrected and amicably adjusted, were clear to the apprehension, and fully within the comprehension, of some good men. In view of the fact that the Roman Catholic Church that was then present differed widely from primitive Christianity, as taught in the pages of the New Testament Scriptures, in government, in faith, in doctrine, in everything; indeed "the whole head was sick, the heart faint, and from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot, there was no soundness-nothing but wounds and putrifying sores, which had never been mollified or bound up with oil." In view, further, of the Harbinger, July 1, '67. fact, that the sects protesting against Catholicism were at variance, and continually criminating and recriminating one another, and knowing the fact that this unpleasant and unwarranted state of things in the Protestant world, which was the only hope, as in contrast with Roman Catholicism, for the perpetuity of Christology and Christianity, they proposed the sacred writings of the Evangelists and divinely in spired Apostles as "the only sufficient, and the alone sufficient rule of faith and practice." They proposed a return to ancient, apostolic Christianity, as taught on the pages of God's undying truth. A return in faith and in practice, in letter and in spirit, to pure and unadulterated Christianity. Holding this self-evident and perfectly obvious truth-that faith and obedience are, when put together, the sum total of God's requirements of his rational creature man and that speculative theology, mere matters of opinion, indifferent in themselves, having nothing whatever to do with man's salvation, here or hereafter, are, of course, not to be insisted on, or held up as a test of Christian character, or a bond of fraternal union and harmony. This platform is not the production of uninspired men. It cannot, by any possibility, contain any error. All the essential truths in all human creeds is here. All that the Roman Catholics possess, all that the Protestants have of religious truth, essential to the conversion of fallen man, in heart, in life, and in state, is here. All that is essential for justification, sanctification, and redemption, is here. All the means requisite to the ultimate the eternal salvation, glorification, and beatification of fallen humanity, is here. All that is required for the elevation of the thoughts and affections, all that is necessary for the government of the passions and appetites, all that is necessary for pureness and Harbinger, July 1, '67. Fourthly. The Disciples have a clear and indisputable right to all the truth, whether in regard to faith or practice, that is held by the Roman and Greek Catholics, and that is held by all the sects on the broad earth that protest against the Catholics. Fifthly. They denounce, discard, and repudiate all the errors that are recorded in all Catholic books, and all that are in all Protestant books, whether they are creed books or something else. I think I hear an objector say: How do the Disciples find time to read and study all these books in order to reject all the errors? We answer, it is not necessary, inasmuch as all es sential truth is in the writings of Evangelists and Apostles, without any admixture of error. As Dr. John Locke said: "The Book" has God for its Author, truth without mixture of error for its matter, and eternal life for its end." A Disciple of Christ is one under his teaching, and the Disciples were called Christians at Antioch. We read of the Churches of the saints, the Church of the living God, the Churches of Christ. We read of the beloved brethren, of saints, the called of God and sanctified in Christ Jesus. We read of the Church without any other adjective or qualifying adjunct. We do not read of the first, second or third Christian Church either in Jerusalem or in Babylon, when we read the sacred writings. We read of the seven Churches which were in Asia, but which was the first we are not informmed. We read of the Church in Philadelphia, in Ephesus, Pergamos, &c. Suppose I pass through a village. I am a stranger. I tarry over Lord's day there, go to meeting where the Disciples are met to keep the ordinances. I ask one of them the following question: What denomination do you folk belong to? What would be a proper answer to this question? What would an intelligent Disciple answer? Suppose I ask another question: How many does the Church to which you belong number? Suppose the answer is, about one hundred and fifty. Yes, say I, but I mean how many does the whole denomination embrace. I am properly answered, when I am told by this brother that he belongs to no denomination that he belongs to the Church of Christ in that vicinity, and is himself a branch, that Christ is the true vine. If he correct my mistaken and sectarian questions, by asking me whether I mean to ask the question, "How many Disciples of Christ or Christians are there?" he will serve me right, and answer that he cannot tell. N. J. M. 1 Harbinger, July 1, '67. FUNERAL OF JAMES WALLIS. THE following is from a Nottingham newspaper: "FUNERAL OF MR. JAMES WALLIS.-At noon yesterday the body of Mr. James Wallis, senior elder of the community of New Testament Disciples worshipping at Salem Chapel, Barker Gate, was interred at the General Cemetery, in a vault near the Holly Mount entrance, in the presence of a large concourse of spectators, most of whom were attired in funereal habiliments, and who were visibly affected by the sad ceremony. The hearse was followed by six mourning coaches, conveying personal friends and relatives of the deceased, among them being his widow, and the cortège was extended to a considerable degree by members of Salem Chapel congregation, who brought up the rear on foot. Mr. R. Mumby, who (we understand) succeeds Mr. Wallis in the office of elder, conducted the obsequies, and at times the emotion excited was so powerful that he was scarcely able to proceed. In the chapel he delivered a short address, couched in serious and pathetic language, which was listened to with great attention, and caused tears to flow from many eyes. They were assembled, he remarked, under very solemn and painful circumstances; a mighty man had fallen, and they had come to pay the last tribute of respect to one whom they all loved, revered, and honored. In the death of the deceased the poor had indeed lost a benefactor, the town a worthy inhabitant, diligent in business, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord,' sons and daughters a father, an aged mother a husband, the disciples of the Lord a brother, the church of God a pastor, teacher, and guide, and the world a reformer. After calling to mind the deceased's sympathy for perishing sinners, Mr. Mumby dilated upon the 'transporting news' of the Gospel, that the grave had lost its victory and death its sting, and he then commented on the brevity of life and certainty of death, and administered consolation to the bereaved family and church. The coffin was borne to the grave by six of the 'disciples,' six others acting as pall bearers, and in its descent into the vault it destroyed the beauty and fragrance of numerous flowers, strewn within the tomb by those who will not soon forget him whose body has there found its final resting place. At the grave side appropriate passages of Scripture were read, and Mr. Mumby again made a few observations, principally directed to the unconverted, the ceremony terminating with prayer." On the Lord's day following a funeral sermon was delivered in Barker Gate Chapel by R. Mumby. The beginning and progress of death in the human family were traced from the murder of Abel, and the promises of life eternal were brought into review. An outline of the life and labor of the departed found place in the concluding part of the discourse. He has gone, but has left a sweet savour behind him, He has gone, yet we mourn not in sorrow despairing, We'll work and hope on for the love-bringing day. (For the love that is lost, and the rare friends departed, Intenser shall glow the great fires of devotion, More brightly shall shine forth the good and the true, He has gone to the rest that succeedeth to toiling, And the tears that would flow- for the sad heart's despoiling Harbinger, July 1, '67. He is lost to the circle beloved and loving, Who joyed in his friendship and gave him their own; He is found by a nobler band endlessly moving, In love and in joy that to earth are unknown. Elect of the ages-the spirits of just men, They live in God's presence, His name they adore ; The great and the mighty, the brave and the true men, Whose names shall be hallow'd and loved evermore. And among this rare band of the earth's truly noble, Items of News. ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA.-Dear Brother King-On Tuesday, Feb. 26, Bro. Gore and myself took our departure from Melbourne, leaving many kind hearts and weeping friends. We arrived in health and safety at this city on the morning of March 1, and were very cordially welcomed by numerous brethren and friends who awaited our arrival. As soon as arrangements could be made, a tea-meeting was held in "White's Rooms," and a public welcome was given us. It was numerously attended and great interest was manifested. I enclose slip from the newspaper of this city." Welcome to Messrs. H. S. Earl, B.A., and T. J. Gore, M.A. [From the Adelaide News.]-A tea and public meeting were held at White's Room, on Thursday evening, April 4, to welcome the American eyangelists, Messrs. Earl and Gore, the latter of whom has just arrived from America,having met Mr. Earl in Melbourne, from which place they arrived a few weeks ago. About 400 persons sat down to the tea, which passed off very successfully. The room was tastefully decorated by garlands; at the end, just over the platform, was a motto, formed in flowers, 'Welcome H. S. Earl and T. J. Gore;' and flowers and evergreens were suspended to the brackets along the sides. At the public meeting which followed, the room was crowded. Mr. P. Santo, M.P., presided; and, after singing and prayer, congratulated the meeting on being able to welcome in their midst the brethren who were present with them, and alluded to the reasons why it had been deemed desirable to signalize in a public manner the arrival of Mr. Earl and Mr. Gore, who were about to labor in spreading the Gospel among them. He expressed regret at the absence of Mr. Magarey, who had so successfully conducted the correspondence with the brethren in America up to the present satisfactory result. The Rev. S. Mead, in a feeling and earnest speech, moved 'That this J. C. meeting is desirous of cordially welcoming among them Messrs. H. S. Earl and T. J. Gore, evangelists from America, and rejoices in their accession to the number of faithful ministers of the Gospel in this colony.' Mr. George Pearce seconded the resolution. Mr. H. S. Earl was received with applause. He said it afforded him pleasure to see them that evening, and especially to be met with such a kind and cordial welcome. To many he was not a stranger. He saw those present with whom he had held sweet counsel, and to whom he had made known the Gospel of God. His purpose in coming among them was simply to preach Christ and Him crucified, Christ and Him raised, Christ and Him glorified, and Christ as the only Being who had a right to rule, guide, and control the hearts of men. It was not to build up any sect or party, but to maintain as far as in him lay the truth as proclaimed by the Lord and his apostles. He desired as closely as he could to follow the precepts of his Divine Master in his teaching, in his preaching, and in his daily life; for he was one of those who believed that Christianity entered into the daily walks of men's lives, and enabled them to become good husbands, good wives, good children, and useful members of society and of the State. He wanted the Christianity that could be seen and was manifested in daily life. He had nothing to do but to carry out his Master's will. He gave but very little for a man's opinions, but the plain and declared truth in God's Word was there for them to receive or reject. That was what he preached, and therefore it was that he had no fear in proclaiming it. That was his purpose, his desire, and, by the help of the Saviour, what he intended to do. It was a work of faith and not of opinion. So far for his purposes; then as to the prospects. He would say he was a little sanguine. He viewed the prospects from what had been accomplished. It was not a matter |