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and Shield.” The Lord From the WeUern Recorder. The Evils of a Sectarian Spirit | Wo. 2. BY ASA SHINN. Mr. Editor:—Having in the foregoing “• if*' number exhibited the nature and founda tion of a sect, we now prgreed to exam ine in detail some of the eras of the sec tarian spirit. * The first evil we notice, is that it con tracts the affections, and thereby militates against that unrestricted benevolence, which is required by the law of Goa, and which is abundantly illustrated in the gos pel of his Son. Selfishness is the root of every sin, as benevolence m of every vir tue; and this selfishness, when embodied, is stronger and more destructive than in its solitary existence in an individual. The division ,of mankind into nat^ns, communities and families, is convenient and. necessary; but when a nation or fa mily becomes an organized body of self miy MVWI«V« —--J ishness, the edeclare most disastrous, le^rui This has been thetruitful source of near ly all the wars which have dremgheiLthq earth with blood; and history mil aoun dandy prove, that in nine instances out of ten, the celebrated virtue called patriotism, has consisted in a blind partiality to our own people, and a malignant antipathy to others; the degree of love for tjie former is gratuitous and unfounded, as the ha tred for the latter is unjust ancTextrava gant. Now the way to cure the evil, is not 4o break down the nations and die fa milies, but to melt down the selfish ex clusiveness which sets one nation, or one family, in hostile array against another; or in other words, to exchange selfishness for that^Mnevolence, which aims to pro mote the interests of the particular nation or family, so far only as will subserve the common welfare of the world, %r of sur rounding families. ed body sJK has no more right than an pursue its .own interest, or fame, or pie sure, at the expense of its neighbors, or of the general welfare of society. Now these remarks will apply, in all their force, to religious denominations; for, alas? it ftannot be successfully denied, that those bodies of men called churches, have disgraced the world, and outraged moral obligations by their selfish maligni ty as much as any other orders or com munities of rayddnd. The affections be commguthus wntracted, the whole ten dency of the soul is to recedi from \fhe ve ofGoi love of God; for and with him thei sons. “ If a man hateth his brother, h iv. 20. A second that it warps t universal love; respect of per love God, and a liar.m 1 John, sectarian spirit is, ent in matters re lating to the essential interests of the soul. The attention being donfined to matters of trivial import, which axe peculiarities of the*seot, these are magnified until in the opinion of the sectarian they become truths or duties of m#Krst importance, while matters of the greatest weight are neglected, or esteemed 6f little value, be cause they are common property, and have nothing in them5 whereby the favor ite partyis distinguished. * Thus the Pha risees payed tyths of mint, anise and cum min, and passed over; judgment, mercy and the love of God. They were punc tual in observing minute rules and regula tions concerning the Sabbath, fasting and making long prayers, as well as in wash ing cups and tables, because these things were established by the tradition of the elders; that is, because they were sectari an peculiarities. The Romish sect is ve ry strict in observing precise rules* and stated times of fasting, the observance of which, in their estimation, great duty, because these art
The Christian Sun (Elon College, N.C.)
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April 1, 1844, edition 1
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