Newspapers / The Christian Sun (Elon … / March 1, 1844, edition 1 / Page 1
Part of The Christian Sun (Elon College, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
M m a TIAN Sun and Shield/' From the Western Recorder. The Evils of a Sectarian Spirit* BY ASA SHINN. Mr. Editor:—As the primitive church J Was based upon an inspired foundation, both of faith and practice, arid aimed withJ impartial Hjbevolence to pririhote the wel- ] fare of all mankind, it is manifest that a sect is an or^tnized body which has de parted from the primitive foundation, tp embrace distinctive articles of faith, arran ged and estaldfched by human authority. The first sect of this kind appears to have arisen in the Apostles' days, as tve leam fjpm the epistles both of John aqA Jude. ^The first says, “ They went out from us, hut they were not of us; for if they hae^been of us, they wouldLno dattri have continued with us.” 1 John ii. 19. lot: the preceding verse he c&lled them “ Antichrists,” i^p. persons opposed to | Christ; and in the \22d verse he states explicitly wjtat the heresy was, on which their sect wa$dounded: “ Who is a liar, but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist that denieth the Father and the Son.” The apostle Jude says, “ These be they who separate them selves, sensual, having not the^pirit.” He says, moreover, that they 44 Ire mur murers, complainers, walking after their ijp|..|pt%;,,ji^“ uftgodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the"only Lord God, and our Lord Whether this was the origin of the s afterwards called Gnostics, we need no w inquire : it is well kno wn that many sects arose during the first three centuries, and the Nicene Creed was formed by three hundred and eighteen bishops, in the year 326. Hence it appears that the church of Rome was formed into a large sect of heretics^ as early as the fourth cen tury: and the Greek church w* formed *■< into another large sect, lgfj^be merous bodies of Protestants istence. The Romish sect, i herself Catholic, ana says she ther Church; but if we credit L* - ^x t ■ f xl_ _ x xl_ _ ;fore the nu %adan e x must believe that the church of Jeru Sjem was the Mother Churchy-~-«h& be* PI founded by the Apostles, on the only 'oundation that any man can lay, which is Jesus Chri*t*.„Jrhe Church of Rome jumot therefS^ be%he mother, unless she be the Mother of Harlots, whieh many wise and ledfhed men believe her to be, upon the joint testimony of Scripture and of History. In confirmation of the view above giv en, i will now produce the authority of Professor Wylie, %ho published a work in 1840, entitled “ Sectarianism is Here* sy.” Tl^ distinguished minister does not believe that any church, whether call ed Catholic or Protestant, or that any or ganisation of men, civil or ecclesiastical, ja& a right to make a creed to be enforced authoritatively upon Christians. For, if any have this right, the church of Rome had it, and “ the Reformation was wrong, and Luther and Calvin were what the church pronounced them to be—heretics.” p. 15. He says, “ Heresy means the choice, or adoption ofrany opinion or te ^mL which is inconsistent with the unity of the church, or the acting upon, or rying out into practical consequences, of any such tenet or opinion—that is, taking such measures as will lead to the estab lishment of a society or party, based on such a tenet or Opinion. The principle of such a society is heresy, and the soci ased upon it as a sect; and whoever s such a principle and adheres to a party in religion, is a heretic or ion.” p. 16. Again: “Thechurch m .the exercise of her made certain tenets, or res of her own arbitral
The Christian Sun (Elon College, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
March 1, 1844, edition 1
1
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75