Duty of Christians to Unite with Some Church and Unite where they statredly Worship

THE DUTY OF CHRISTIANS TO UNITE WITH SOME CHURCH; AND THE DUTY OF CHURCH MEMBERS TO UNITE WITH THE CHURCH WHERE THEY STATEDLY WORSHIP.
BY REV. S. P. FAY.
BOSTON: NICHOLS AND NOYES. 1866.
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 18G 6, by NICHOLS AND NOYES, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts. CAMBRIDGE: STEREOTYPED AND PRINTED BY JOHN WILSON AND PONS.
The Duty of Christians and Church Members
WE are told, in Acts 4:23, that, as soon as Peter and John had been dismissed by the chief priests, “they went to their own company," they went to their old friends, and returned to their Churchfellowship. They neither thought themselves exalted above their brethren, nor were they deterred from joining their own company, either by their desire of ease or by the fear of the wrath of their rulers. If they had followed their own personal wishes, they might have retired to their closets, and spent their time in quiet, peaceful retirement; but they were men in a public station, and must seek the public good also. They knew that their place was with their own company; and, in going “to their own company," they revealed a law of our nature. It is this, that we associate with those of our own kind. We choose our social circle; we choose our party. We unite ourselves with those who are most like ourselves. We may not be able to agree with them in all points, to indorse every thing that the majority receive; but we go with those in politics and social life, that, in most particulars, are of our " own company." Much more in religious matters, " being let go ' from the bondage of sin, should we " go to our own company."
I wish to apply this principle to those who think they have accepted the plan of salvation by Jesus Christ, and are seeking to lead lives of secret devotion, but who have made 110 public choice of the side on which they stand. They think they have accepted Christ as their Saviour, but do not join themselves with His followers. They seek to serve Christ in secret, but leave the Christian community utterly in doubt to which party they belong. They hope that they are Christians; but, if they are, they refuse "to go to their own company."
Now, I maintain, and wish to illustrate and enforce the principle, first, that it is the duty of every Christian to unite with some Church; and, secondly, that it is his duty to unite with the Church where he statedly worships.
In the New Testament, we find the Church referred to under two ideas. (1.) The Church as the aggregate of true believers. This includes all those who have been redeemed by Christ, and of which Christ is the spiritual Head: all who are regenerated by the Holy Ghost, and only such, belong to this Church, universal and invisible. It is the assembly of believers, and it is evident' that onlv believers do in fact belong to it. Others may profess to do so, and the genuineness of their profession may not be suspected; but the revelations of the last day will discover the mistake, and show that they never were members of the true Church, however they might be called by the name of Christ. The only means of access into this Church is regeneration by the Spirit of God. " He that climbeth up some other way is a thief and a robber."
But, (2) besides this spiritual body, there is the Church as an association of professed disciples, an organized, localized, officered body, into which are to be gathered all those who are supposed to be the true disciples of Christ. Such was the " Church of God which was at Corinth," " the Church of Laodicea," each of " the seven Churches of Asia." When Christ gave to His followers a rule of discipline for His Church, in Matthew 18:15-18, they understood that all believers, who in their totality would constitute the one enduring Church, would also enter into forms of association, under mutual obligations and responsibilities. I have not space to develop the idea at length, and can only say that the truth is abundantly and clearly established in the New Testament, that Christ meant that all such as profess to be real saints, and appear to be so in the eye of Christian charity, should be gathered into and constitute a gospel Church. This is meant by the Church when Christ says to Peter, “Upon this rock will I build my Church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." The idea is fundamental that this visible Church is not a voluntary and human association. It is a distinct and entirely different society and kingdom from civil, worldly associations and confederations: it is of Divine authority. It is called, in the Scriptures, " the kingdom of heaven," " the kingdom of God and of Christ," Who said, “My kingdom is not of this world." Christ is the Founder and Head of the Church. He " loved the Church and gave Himself for it, that He might present it to Himself a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing," and tfc God hath put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be the Head over all things to the Church." If, now, the visible Church is of Divine authority, and is organized by the command, and according to the rules, of Christ, for the perfecting of His saints and the observance of His ordinances, then it follows that the disciples of Christ are not at liberty to belong to it or not. They are bound, by every relationship to Christ, to belong to it. But there are special reasons why all who have been regenerated by the Holy Ghost will naturally go to their own company, the Church.
1. A very obvious and conclusive reason is, because the Saviour commands it. Simple, prompt obedience to all of God's commands is the chief characteristic of every true child. It is hard to see where one can get the evidence of adoption without obedience. The Bible does not leave you at liberty to follow your inclinations or caprices. You are bound to obey the commands of the Master at all hazards. Christ says, "If ye love Me, ye will keep My commandments." Now, the command is most plain and positive: “Take, eat; this is My body broken for you." This was a general command, given to all disciples, because the sacrament itself was designed for all disciples. If you are a disciple, the command is addressed to you. Put, now, this command with that other strong statement of our Saviour, " Whosoever, therefore, shall confess Me before men, him will I confess before My Father Which is in heaven; but whosoever shall deny Me before men, him will I also deny before My Father Which is in heaven." The expression, “before men," shows the act here referred to, to be a public one. It is a clear declaration, that, if we refuse to obey the Divine command to confess Christ before men, Christ will deny before His Father that we are His disciples. This is in exact agreement with the principle laid down in 2 Corinthians 6:1-18, respecting separation from the world; and the conclusion of the apostle is, " Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord." Do you say, “I am not good enough to eat of the bread and drink of the cup "? But God knew just how bad you were, when He commanded you to “eat." He knew what even the wife of your bosom did not know. If you are a disciple, He commands you 'to come to His table, and He assures you that His blood shall cleanse from all stain and spot. He says, “Come; because I live, you shall live also."
But you ask, "If I join the Church, shall I not bring dishonor upon it? If I make a profession of religion, shall I not make matters worse for the side I pretend to take? If I knew I could live a consistent religious life, I would make a profession; but I do not wish to lead a life that would dishonor Christ." But what are you now doing but dishonoring Christ? Is the obligation to obey Christ, on those in the Church more than on those out of the Church? Is not every disciple a child of God, and under one law? A man that stays away from duty and from God dishonors the cause of God, whether he is in the Church or out of it. You cannot bring half as much dishonor upon the cause of Christ by trying to obey Him, as you do now while you publicly refuse to obey the command to eat and drink " in remembrance" of Christ.
2. Christ has not only commanded us to eat and drink, but He has enjoined it upon us under the most impressive conditions. “This do in remembrance of Me." It was His dying command; this fact ought to bind us to obedience. “He died for us, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him Who died for them and rose again." Look at the facts. You were dead in sinfulness, in guilt, under the law. God was against you, a holy God, and you unholy. You were proud, prayerless, and ungodly. But Christ came and died, that you might live: He spoke to you in love. That love was the procuring cause of all your mercies here and hopes hereafter. He established the Church, and instituted the sacrament on purpose to commemorate that wondrous love; and, with His dying lips, He asks you to eat and drink in remembrance of Him. Can any Christian heart refuse to obey the command? Will not the love of Christ constrain you to do this act in remembrance of Him? This is one of the first things that a man should do, when God has delivered him from the bondage of sin and the power of the Devil. It is the least that he can do. Nobody else has suffered so much on his account as Christ; nobody else has such a claim upon his remembrance. When Christ has accepted him, and promised to save him, and healed his lusts and his appetites, there is nothing more rational and right than that he should stand up and take the vows of Christ upon him. Under such circumstances, silence and hiding God's work in the soul is monstrously ungrateful and wicked. And therefore, when Christ says, " Do this in remembrance of me," He commands you to do that which accords with every sentiment of gratitude, and with every sense of justice.
3. It is a testimony to the Divine cause, to God's law and Christ's kingdom in this world, that you are in duty bound to give.
There are two opposing forces in this world, and there is no third party: God and mammon, righteousness and sin, the Church and the world, these are drawn up in sharp and bitter warfare. Our Master declared that this world was the battle-field on which God and Satan were in conflict; and He says, " He that is not with me is against me." The conflict is still going on unabated in your day and mine. We are born into a world where struggle and strife are the law of moral growth. We are born into a world where two great contending influences right and wrong are seeking to overthrow each other; and the conflict will go on. You can take your choice as to which side you will be arrayed upon. You cannot take your choice as to whether you will be arrayed upon either or not. There is no middle ground. You are not at liberty, in this matter, to be indifferent. Under the circumstances in which you are placed, indifference is a sin. When the eternal welfare of your own friends and children is involved in your example, indifference is a crime. You are bound to determine which side you will take. God established the Church, that he might gather into it all who are His friends. He says to every man, “Choose you this day whom you will serve." Oh, how many there are in these congregations, who have been standing for a long while, feeling that they ought to be Christians, and that they ought to let it be known that they are Christians! but they have been ashamed of the service of Christ, they have been ashamed of themselves. They have been standing irresolute and uncommitted. They have not represented Christ before men. Whatsoever good things they may have had in the family, they have hid their light “under a bushel." Men do not think they are Christians, even though they may be; and it is time that you came out, and acknowledged your allegiance to Christ. It is time that the sanctuary became a safe place; for you are in danger of wearing out your heart and conscience. You are in danger of wearing out your susceptibility to truths that are most sacred. Woe be to you, if you have no taste for the bread or water of life, or for the fruit of the tree of life! Woe be to him who has lost conscience and faith and love and aspiration! and, under the circumstances in which God has placed you, you cannot help losing all these and more, by your continued refusal to give this public testimony to the Divine cause. The sense of gratitude must compel you to this course. You are the perpetual recipient of God's mercies. Christ has redeemed you from sin. There is not one moment in which He does not brood over you with His thoughts of love. And by what public act on your part has there been manifested any love or gratitude or recognition, that answered to the noble affection which He has displayed towards you? I do not ask you whether you believe in this Church or that, whether you hold to this doctrine or that: I present to you this love of God that has upheld you all the days of your life, and then lay before you the command of Christ, " Do this in remembrance of me," and ask you this question: Can you, with reason, with honor, with gratitude, with any sentiment that man ought to cherish, be indifferent to it? Can you refuse this act of public recognition of the love of God towards you?
But I must pass now to speak of “the duty of Church members to unite with the Church where they statedly worship."
Instability is one of the marked characteristics of our times. Men change their opinions and their pursuits, their residences and their connections, political, social, and religious, almost as easily as they change their dress. Hence the counsel of the Apostle, to be “steadfast, immovable," has gone into disrepute, so that the Christian world “abounds " less than it ought " in the work of the Lord."
Multitudes of Christians, in “good and regular standing," move their residence, but leave their covenant vows and Church relations at home. They give two reasons for doing so:1. Because they love the Church of their first espousal to Christ so much that they cannot endure to take their names from it. But if you have taken your personal presence and services from it, if your personal influence cannot be given to it, of what value is your name to it? It can only go to swell the list of those, who, being away from the watch and care of the Church, in scenes and temptations unknown to it, are a source of constant anxiety to every faithful Church. Nothing gives a Church, that is true to its Covenant vows, so much anxiety as its column of " absentees." Hence, a true and right love for the Church would constrain you to take your name from that list, if, in the providence of God, you are compelled to forsake it, in regard to your bodily presence and personal helpfulness.
Because they are uncertain how long they shall remain in a given place. But, if you remain long enough to take the trouble to move your goods, your residence, your family, you surely can take the trouble to remove your Church relationship, which can be done simply for the asking. This were better if you were to remove every six months. Your letter will be your introduction into the new Christian community. It will give you a spiritual home while you stay. And the re-examination as to your faith, and the reasons for your hope, and the reconsecration of yourself to the new Church, will tend to make you a live Christian.
I think there is something in the column of “absent," as given by the statistical Secretary in the “Congregational Quarterly," to make our Churches sad. This column is imperfect, because many Churches do not give their “absentees."
In Massachusetts, nineteen Churches reporting 4, 172 members do not give the number of" absentees." Deducting this from the total, and you find 71, 246, of whom 11, 706 are absentees; i. e., one-sixth of the whole are absentees. Our own Churches in this city report (Mariner's Church not counted) 4, 960 members. Of these, the Old South and Central Church, with a membership of 718 do not give the number of " absentees; ' deducting these two Churches, and out of a membership of 4, 242 we find 889 absentees. Where are these absent ones? Who is watching over them, and seeking their edification as we covenanted to do? Are they guilty of a breach of covenant in withdrawing “from the watch and communion of the saints "? But other Churches send their members to us also. Let any Church in our city make an accurate estimate of the number of Church members elsewhere, who are worshipping with it without taking letters to it, and the result will be most significant. One who was a pastor in one of our neighboring Churches, searched this matter out carefully, and found this class forty per cent of the whole number belonging to his Church. It is to be feared that this case is not an exceptional one. There is thing wrong here. There is a defect somewhere. Either Churches are unfaithful to their covenant vows, or there is a sad depreciation of this solemn value of covenant vows on the part of the absent themselves.
The evil of this whole matter is, that it is a practical disowning of the Church relation. It is true, in theory, that these can never “be as they have been." The solemn vows “go with them through life and accompany them to the bar of God." They are everywhere and always accountable to God for the manner in which they keep these vows. But they are vows made to be kept in connection with the visible Church. Yet the Church at home cannot watch over them, and they cannot labor in connection with it, and they refuse to unite themselves with the people of God where they are. Are they not practically removed from the watch and care of the Church? There is something in our very nature which forces us to feel less perfectly an obligation which we do not acknoiuledge with those with whom we worship. Our vows do not bind us so perfectly, because we have not renewed our promise to keep them where God has cast our lot.
Then, also, it brings upon us the weakness of & divided heart. The vows of the professed follower of Christ bind him to give his affections and energies to the Church where his name is recorded. But his bodily presence and his daily interests bind him to the Church where he worships; and so, by a law of our nature, in this divided state of his heart his labors are paralyzed. His sympathy cannot flow forth strongly; and so, by a .natural consequence, he becomes absorbed in pleasures, or in the acquisition of honor, or in the accumulation of wealth. No man will labor with all his heart for the Master where he resides, unless the covenant vows of God are upon him. This is why God requires us to become His by taking upon ourselves the obligation, and pronouncing the voluntary pledge, the recorded and blood-sealed oath. In going from the familiar home of his early consecration, the Christian needs to carry his armor with him, and put it on, and openly range himself shoulder to shoulder with the followers of Christ. He must unite himself with the people of God where he is, and make to himself a new home for his faith, and a new field for his Christian service. The exigencies of no man's condition can be met by a hidden and secret Christian life, or by an occasional, incidental, and easy effort, or by worshipping here today and there to-morrow. That is not complying with the exhortation of Christ to “strive to enter in at the strait gate." The gate was designed expressly for entering; and God desires that men shall enter, and has established His Church, and made arrangements for all to enter, and He says, “strive, agonize to enter in," i. e., put forth every effort. When the mild and calm Saviour speaks thus, I know that there is peril about; I know that there is danger which may well arrest the attention and call out the utmost skill and exertion of man. No Church 110 Christian man, can afford to be indifferent in regard to these covenant vows. In the midst of peril and the thunder of excitement in a city like this, that man is especially in danger who is least awake. No man can afford to live without taking these covenant vows fully upon himself. No man can afford to treat the question of his soul's welfare as you do who make no profession, or you who think you can live and prosper without carrying the covenant vows with you wherever you go. You are drifting on towards the ocean of eternity with the idea, perhaps, that you are about as well off as other people. You look about you, and see a great many people who are living as you do, while they hope they are Christians, and perhaps have recorded their vows some hundreds of miles away; and you say, " I am as good as they are, and, if they go to heaven, I shall." But suppose that neither of you are going there. Our Lord declares that there are many who will go up in the last day, and say, " Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name, and in Thy name cast out devils, and in Thy name done many wonderful works? ' and who will hear the response, " I never knew you." All the probabilities certainly are that this number will be largely taken from those who have never confessed Christ before men, or, having confessed Him, are living in careless neglect of their Church relations. By all the honor that is in you, by all the truth that is in you, by the hope of your soul's health and happiness, I beseech of you to flee within the sacred enclosure of the Church. " Take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and, having done all, to stand."
Published by direction of the Congregational Churches of Boston.