Dynamite for doubting castle : The necessity for the times; or, is the jesuite right?.

Entered according to Act of Parliament of Canada, in the year of our-Lord one thousand eight hundred and ninety-three, by "Asinus,"in the office of the Minister of Agriculture. PRE FACE.The preface is a plea for individual responsibility and personal effort to effect the unity of Christ's followers, and naming those with whom this plea should have an influence, for the following reasons :1. Honour."God's fellow-workers, or co-labourers with God," is the greatest honour to men on earth, and this designates the grandest partnership that is possible.For partnership suggests benefit to such union, and, in a sense, that all benefit must be men's, as God is infinite, it is clear that no association should commend itself more to man.2. Profit.But if the title, co-labourer, means anything, it certainly gives us the idea of toil and effort.Now, to apply this to God must mean something very different from the same when applied to man.For what meaning would there be in " labour " applied to God, when universal creation is only the fiat of His will.Therefore, in applying this term to Him it could only mean the extending of His glory in perceptive mind.3-Honesty.And surely it could only be an effort in the same direction that we could be worthy of " fellow-workers."And this in two ways : either by growing in the "grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ," or by our instrumen- tality seeking to awaken others to a consciousness " of a knowledge of the glory of Go 1 in the face of Jesus Christ" (2 Peter viii.18. 2 Cor.iv. 6) ; for just in proportion as the glory is realized in conscience, is it extended and becomes a reality in our belief.d Prntitudp ^nc* as ** becomes a reality in our being it is a formative * IxrailLuae.force j n our lives, for man acts on his belief, hence the vital import- ance of our belief being truth.A moment's reflection will show the force of the last sentence whether applied to science or religion.5 Sympathy If it be true that " When one member suffers all the members suffer with it" (r Cor.xii.24), and that "we who are many are one body in Christ, and severally members one of another," (Rom.xii.5), therefore it becomes the positive duty of every professing follower to do all possible to alleviate such suffering, whether it arises from the egotism of the individual or, which is much the same, from " Having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God because of the ignofi Wpnlt h ranee that is in them " (Eph.iv.18).But if Paul asserts ignorance as a cause of alienation from God, why should it be thought too horrible a shock for the courtesies of sectarianism if our denominationalism were to be accounted for for a similar reason ?For it is evident that we agree on everything we know, and it may just be as evident that we should or can honestly differ only on the things we 7 Rie'ht ^° not know or understand.I have said " honestly differ," and what I ° mean by this, is that one man may go on to the limit of his knowledge, another to the limit of his, and as a result stand far apart.Now this separation I call honest difference.There may be nothing wrong in such a difference, in such separation, if the talents and opportunities have not been similar ; but it certainly doesbecome criminal when we use means to obviate such separation and are satisfied with being babes in Christ, when time and opportunity demand that we should be full-grown men.For Paul teaches us that the arrangements of God are for this very 8 Ppno-ppco purpose, ' for the perfecting of the saints for the working of minister-OgreSS.j n g urt0 t h e building up of the body of Christ till we all attain unto the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto full-grown men unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ, that we may be no longer iv.PREFACE.children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the 9 Kindnpss slei S ht after the wiles of error " (Eph.iv.12-14).There is another thing to be said about " honest difference," it never can contain a contradiction, But there are differences in denominationalism which are complete contradictions.Now, neither may be truth, both cannot be truth.And surely these dif- ferences that involve a contradiction are the very things that should awaken our sus- picion and demand our first care; I say." arouse our suspicion," for there can be little doubt contradictions in the Church of Christ are there either through wrong motives, or defective inferences from truth ; and surely it would be much more likely 10 Remedv to secure the " unity of faith " by being more like the Bereans and ^'Paul, than joining in the majority lullaby of our day, and singing " Peace, peace, when there is no peace " (Jer.viii.11).And while it is the only manly way to face our difficulties, yet we should do it as seekers of truth, and with the con- descending example of God's " Come, now, let us reason together; though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow " (Isa.i. 18).It is quite clear that this should teach us a deeper sympathy and more hallowed fellowship just by the reasoning.11 <!pp™iinoce * appeal to humble and honest believers, is not the opposite of this 11.otsemiinesb.too often the case ?For instead of our differences humbling us, do they not become our boast ?not with, but without reason, and less scripture.And thus we set aside the lesson of the dear Master, with the little child placed among His contending disciples, that shows, too plainly for human vanity, who shall be the greatest (Luke ix 46).And sad as such vain boast appears to the child of God, it can only make it more sad to profess to be guided by che same blessed Book, and reason.For 12 Consistpnpv one A P ost ^e commands us to "be ready always to give answer to .v,ons»is>iency.everv man t h at as keth you, a reason concerning the hope that is in you, yet with meekness and fear'' (1 Peter iii.13); and another asserts, that "every Scripture inspired of God is also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction, which is righteousness : that the man of God may be complete, fur- nished completely unto every good work" (5 Tim.iii.16). DisciplineBut when we analyze this unseemly thing of sectarian strife, does it not rather reveal the glorification of self by our belief, than the glorification of the object of our belief ?Or, in other words, glorying in the earthen vessel that the excellence of the power may be of "man' and not " of God " (2 Cor.iv.7), " and having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof" (2 Tim.iii.5) ; and, as Peter says, " which the ignorant and unsteadfast wrest, as they do also the other scriptures to their own destruction " (2 Peter ii. 16).judging from the spirit so often seen in the discussion of differences it would seem that not many members of Christ's mystical body have spiritual homes, or how little heart work there must be in the churches with such beautiful prayers like the following : " Al- mighty and everlasting God, we beseech thee to inspire continually the universal Church with the spirit of truth, unity and concord : and grant, that all they that do confess Thy Holy name may agree in the truth of Thy Holy word, and live in unity and 14* AnrVmrHtv Godly love ?" And this is confirmed by Paul in a similar prayer 14.AUtnoniy.tQ " Qj v } n g diligence to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace ' ' (Eph .iv .3).And all still made more binding upon us by the very prayer of Christ himself to the Father, " I pray that they all may be one ; even as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they may be also in us " (John xviu 21).Now, whether this prayer refers to a visible unity or not, there can be no doubt about a spiritual one." For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God.But if any man hath not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His " (Romans viii.9. 141.And surely the plain duty for all who regard such scripture is to do all in their power for the spiritual unity of the Church.For there can be no visible union worthy of the name if it be not with the heart and understanding.And the first step to a real union is taught us by Christ in His prayer : "SanctifytheminThytruth; Thy word is truth" (John xvii.17).For certainly here " sanctify " would mean a separating us from our ignorance, and this can only be accomplished when " The Spirit of truth will guide you to all truth," and when " He shall glorify Me ; for He shall take of Mine and declare it unto you " .-TurpslT1Q (John xvi.14).Then the necessary functions of the Spirit will be largely lo.Means fulfilled when He reveals to us truth, and which "unity of the Spirit'' will be an effectual " bond of peace.".For, then truth will become part and parcel of self and " scripture " why I differ from the Jesuit on one vital point.And I appeal to the earnest and candid minds for the sake of " honor, profit, honesty, gratitude, sympathy, health, right, progress, kindness, remedy, seemliness, consist' ency, truth authority, means and peace."Wish.With the dedication of this effort for truth's sake to the " Spirit of all truth," I trust He may make the reading of this as effectual in the future as the oral delivery of it has been in the past, that peace and unity through the truth may be ours, and to His name be all the glory !

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