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and every minister should so be called, if any are, that we may have no invidious distinctions. In the primitive church, the right to teach belonged to no exclusive class. It was determined first of all by aptness to teaeh, either as found in superior knowledge of the Word of God, or in superior experience of the Christian life. And hence even Apollos, the eloquent, himself mighty in the Scriptures, with a sublime humility and doc ility, sat at the feet of Aquila and Priscilla, tent makers of Corinth, that he might be taught the way of God more perfectly. The church was a school; disciples were gathered to be taught. Hence came the simplicity of the original confes sion of Faith: “If thou believest with all thine heart thou mayest.” “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” (Acts viii.). A credible evidence of a renewed nature is to-day the only proper test, in ordinary cases, of church membership. A believer is an infant, new-born in Christ, to be nursed at the breast of the church, taught in the school of Christ. Is this candidate born of God, and has he sufficient knowledge to understand the rudiments or first principles of the doctrine of Christ, and to discern the Lord’s body? If so who has a right to repel that believer by demanding assent to an elaborate creed? Those 3,000 converts on the day of Pentecost were not even kept on probation; they were at once baptized and admitted to full communion. And then care was taken of them, that they should continue steadfastly in the Apostles’ doctrine and fellowship; and in breaking of bread and in prayers. And so they grew in grace and in knowledge! The church must understand that her great work among converts is educa tion and edification; the blocks blasted fTom the quarry are to be shaped, polished and built together in symmetry and beauty. IY. The early church as a HOME: What is more beautiful than the social, nay domestic character of. the primitive church? The church exists largely for the social reason: “It is not good for the man that he should be alone.” Hence comes the family which is the basis both of the church and the State. The church is the household of God—and, as in the family, there Is equality of rank, provision, privilege—a sublime unity of character interest and destiny; so in the true church. What true parent thinks of allowing one child to outrank an other? Of clothing one in purple and fine linen and leav ing another to rags? Of allowing to one privileges denied to the other?; There is a current feeling in our modern elegant churches, that our wood-work, carpets, cushions, ornamentation, etc., are too good to be put to popular uses, and possibly marred by the frequent presence of a promis cuous multitude. Were it not better to pull down our costly sanctuaries and build commoner ones that shall not be too good to be used for all the ends of a Christian home? Now mark that in the primitive church we find in the strict sense “a community.” 1. In accepted social standing. Never was there a democracy so pure and true since time began. Invidious distinctions abolished; no barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free, but Christ ajl, and in all; all one in Christ Jesus. All felt at home. How painful the difference as soon as schisms began to prevail and as at Corinth, “one said I am Paul, and I, of Apollos,” etc., and even at love feasts, and the Lord’s table, the rich and poor no longer partook of common food, but the delicacies and luxuries of a rich board looked down upon the meagre coarse fare of the poor. (1 Cor. i.: 11-13; xi.: 18). 2. There was a voluntary community of goods. (Acts (Continued on Page 115) ,
withal.” “Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us,” etc., etc. The work in the early church, among disciples was found in mutual burden—bearing and help: ministering to the poor, sorrowing, suffering, supporting the weak, instruct ing the ignorant, restoring the erring. The work out of the church—from the church as a cen ter—was very conspicuous. “He that goeth forth, and weepeth, bearing precious seed.” “Go ye into all the world.” “Go out into the streets and lanes.” The work in the church developes material already in the church; that is edification. The work outside carries the influence of the church to the unsaved; that is evangelization. Both ultimately result together in bringing outsiders within, and developing the capacity and spirituality of insiders. No secret of primitive church power and success is more vital, touches more closely the very pith, core, marrow of the whole matter. The whole church was an aggressive force. The Holy Spirit is careful to record that they who were "scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the word,” and to add, “except the apostles,” that we may un derstand that it was the common body of believers who spread these gospel-tidings. (Acts viii.:4, and xi.: 19-20). No wonder that e^en one generation wrought such results. To this one thought-;—working with God to reach un saved souls,—every other thought and purpose seem to have been subordinated. They had no consecrated places, and, so, no temptation to limit or bound their activity by the associations of the sanctuary. Where occurred Pente cost? we only know that they were “all with one accord in one place.” The passover which marked the very birth ef the Christian Church was held in an “upper room” be longing to a private man. They had no “churches,” but met- in private houses, by the river side, in the market place, anywhere, where men could be gathered. The greatest baptism of the Spirit, next to Pentecost, was in the house of a Gentile centurion in the city of the Caesars. One of the mightiest miracles of God-was wrought in the jail at Philippi, and Peter was by an angel released from prison, in answer to the prayers of disciples gathered at the house of Mary the mother of John Mark. It has been doubted whether the New Testament con tains even the authority for consecrated places. Instead of gathering in sanctified or consecrated places, they sanctified and consecrated every place where they gathered. God did not call them as of old to assemble where He recorded his name; but He recorded His name wherever they as sembled. (Compare Matt, xviii.: 20, and John iv.:20-24). The effect was that they did not establish worship within certain definite places and expect the unregenerate to come; but they went out after the unregenerate wherever they could be found. Again, they did not expend in costly and beautiful sanctuaries, money that could better be ex pended in evangelistic work, and yet again they had no places that were too good to be used for all possible pur poses of a popular assembly. Nothing in their eyes ren dered a place so holy as the fact that there God manifested His power, and that souls were born or bred for the king dom. , Mark also that all places of worship were free. Attend ants were not taxed by pew rentals or admission fees, di rectly or indirectly. Ministers of the Word were main tained either by the labor of their own hands, or the volun tary gifts of God’s people, HI. The church of former days was a SCHOOL for Christian instruction and spiritual culture. The word, doctrine, means simply teaching. To call a minister “Doctor,” is not calling him “Master,” but Teacher,
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