In considering movements which affect the mass that professes itself Christian in one's own day, it is often as important as it is difficult, to divide between that which is of man and that which is of God. When the mass is out of order, a great truth may often act upon it in a way which shows the mass is out of order. Perhaps instead of such and such a truth, being, as it appears to be, the expression of the faith of the mass,-an action of the mass,—it has become an act from outside upon the mass; if so, there may, there will, be much that is defective, much, perhaps, that is positively evil manifested, and yet a truth of God may be there, and be to be recognized.
Take, for instance, the Bible and the Missionary Societies. What strong effects have been wrought upon the professing mass by these associations. That the associations were themselves defective, cannot be doubted-they were human associations; not the church of God as set up by Him; each attempting a part of the church's work and but a part—and mixing up the good sought after with a quantity of human evil. The love of the Bible, and the sense of its claim over all men, was of God; so was the evangelist character of the body professing faith in Christ,—even this, that the holders of Bible-truth should be men to carry the message the wide world over men that can utter its contents. But these two principles in our day were the principles of a few, and they have used them in these societies as a means of acting upon the mass, which still lies practically in the world; they were not, they are not, the real principles of the many even yet. I am not finding fault; for, however defective and mixed the constitution and actions of the societies may have been, I am persuaded God has had His part, which is the precious to be taken forth from the vile.
Sense of responsibility; first, as to having the Bible, and, secondly, as to helping on the preaching of it to the heathen—can only be of God. The sense of both the one and the other marked the early Christians—was inseparable from the faith and the presence of the Spirit. The Bible Societies are but modern and human expressions of the former principle, and Missionary Societies of the latter. The principles are of God, and dear to every child of God. The difference between the constitution of the societies and that of the church tells its own tale; so also, I conceive, does the fact that the action of these societies is both partial in its object (each society having some one object) and is rather an action upon the mass of nominal Christians, than the action of the mass.
Within the last few years we have seen another association—the Evangelical Alliance. This is rather the effect of the action of a principle held by a few upon the many, than the action of the many from principle; and, while the scope of the action is less controlled than in either of the before-mentioned societies, it is yet limited and arbitrary. I conceive in this movement, also, there is the precious which faith will recognize as being of God, and take forth from all the vile with which it may be mixed. The master-principle here I conceive to be that stated by James in his epistle, viz., that one trait of faith is, that it is energetic, and will act and show itself by good works. I thank God for the good, and though I keep myself apart from the evil of confederacy, I can rejoice if that which in solitude I am acting upon to God, is used by others before the public to act upon the mass, and to lead the mass to act at all. To act by means of a truth upon another, and to communicate that same truth so as to become the spring of action to that other, are two very different things. The principle itself is one of eternal and divine moment; faith acting, through life, in the soul, must show itself by recognizing God, and that which is of God before man. The irregularity of the movement I conceive to be the proof of the mass being out of order, and that, while the principle of the few who are acting is in itself divine, they err through not seeing aright its bearing.
One effect of all these associations is, to the considerate mind, clear, though little thought of by the actors in them. Their action has been showing, and is showing, the error and insufficiency of the ecclesiastical apparatus of the day; and they have been, and are, developing new objects and new motives, which cannot exist long with the old machinery. It is not for me to prophesy how these things will work; how far, on the one side, they may be overruled of divine grace to gather His elect together, where there is faith; or how far, on the other, where mere human will, and energy, and novelty have had their sway; they may lead many into a maze, out of which they will see no readier exit than infidelity. I. am persuaded the old high church view was correct, viz., that all these things were innovations upon, and not consistent with, the church order of 1800; that to sanction them would be to endanger it. And I am afraid, too, that the tendency of all these associations is to hurry man out of his walk, as an individual with God, into public, where human influences may neutralize faith.
One point I would notice as to the evangelical alliances, whether in England or on the continent, which I conceive to be solemnly important, because it is the denial of the doctrine of the church of the living God. It is this that Christians, AS SUCH, are to be united together for every good work. I purposely state the principle broadly, because of the various modifications found in the various alliances and their branches. That good works should be pressed as inseparable from life is blessed; but that association, upon the ground of life in Christ, should be used, as it constantly is, for the setting aside of God's, holy order and the government by the Lord Jesus in heaven, through the Holy Ghost down here, is most evil.
It is impossible to read the reports of the Evangelical Alliance at London, in Paris, etc. without seeing with sorrow the self-complacent joy at finding that they could all be happy there together, in spite of all their differences of judgment and conduct when at home. And where was there godly sorrow for the then exhibition of the sectarian, schismatic state of the professing church-where the grief and mourning for the quenching and grieving of the Holy Ghost?
Many will remember how, at one of the earlier meetings of the Alliance in London, a godly man, now with the Lord -a popular preacher of no little eloquence too -raised the question, whether the table of the Lord was not properly the first expression of Christian fellowship. I believe it to be so most surely; and more than that, even that the association of Christians, apart from discipline and the owning of the Spirit of God, is the very denial of the church of God as set upon earth -it is the denial of God, present as the living God, to govern now the people He has saved; it makes little of man's sin in continuing the present state of disorder; and in the occasional table, so, from time to time held, there is nothing but dishonor practically put upon the various guests and the usual habit of their church association, if they have any.
Principles may be of God, may be connected with the life and conduct of the church of God, as such; and yet, if held apart from other truth, which originally was connected with them, or if acted out in another energy, or with other objects than those originally proposed, they lose much of their blessedness, and oft become even mischievous as to the glory of God and the well-being of His people.
"Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all."