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RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA, OCTOBER 8, 1851.
VOLUME VIII.
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NUMBER 19.
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From the Christian Palladium, Extra, No. 2. f
EVILS OF CREEPS.
( Concluded.)
I am here reminded of the following circum
stance. /
A certain community has long been divided in
to party faclions, and were unsocial, unfriendly,
and unhappy ; and all their misery came upon
them in consequence of each family retaining
in'their dwelling some at tides of useless furniture,
which were very obnoxious to their neighbors.
They desired and labored for union ; met in coun
cil, and devised many plans, but as no one would
destroy his useless furniture, the union could not
be effected. Thoy, therefore, resolved on leaving
th^1 field of strife, and on taking up their march
for a distant city where all would be peace and
harmony, and where their old useless furni
ture, which bad caused them so much trouble
could not be admitted nor wanted. But strange
as it may appear, with these facts fresh in their
minds, not one of the numerous families could be
prevailed upon to leave the useless and obnoxious
articles behind. They went on, sweating and toil
ing under their enormous and deformed burthens,
frequently stopping to quarrel with each other by
the way, until covered with disgrace, they reach
the gates of the city. Here every man’s bundle
of rubbish was thrown off without receiving
thanks or reward for his lugging it so far./
The application is easy. The community is the
wrangling sects, the obnoxious furniture is their
worse than useless creeds, no one will give his up,
all will admit that they will not be wanted nor
admitted in the milennial city, but still they lug
them along without any profit to themselves, and
to the great annoyance of their neighbors. They
serve as a bone of contention on our pilgrimage.
Therefore, wisdom would dictate to leave these
worse than useless appendages in the land of strife
where they were produced, and bearing no other
burthen than the yoke of Christ, to join in Chris
tian friendship, and march with joy to the holy city.
Having shown that all ecclesiastical rules of
church polity should be rejected from the fact that
they are imperfect in origin and character, by the
indulgence of my attentive brother, I will, in the
spirit of true friendship, now endeavor to convince
you that they should be rejected from the consid
eration that
THEIR DEMANDS ARE UNJUtsT.
My good brother will take no offence at this
declaration, though it parfers a serious charge
against his favorite creed. Your better judgment
has taught you to hear my reasons before you
decide on a case of this importance. I will give
them without preliminaries. That creeds are un
just in their demands is evident from the fact that
iney
1st. Require implicit faith in their abstract pro
positions. They command us to believe without
evjdence, which is as impossible as to create a
new world, or breathe without air, hear without
sound, and see without light. God does not de
mand faith in his word without the strongest and
/ most clear evidence of its truth. It would be un
just for him to do otherwise, Thousands would
believe in human creeds, who are now denounced
for rejecting them, if they could ; but they cannot.
They can see no evidenoe of their divine authen
ticity. They cannot stretch their honest souls to
believe that to be gospel which is an acknowl
edged mystery, maae up of absurb and contradic
tory propositions. It is impossible to believe that
three infinite beings make but one infinite being ;
that the immortal Jehovah actually died; that
God is impartial, and still has created some men
for misery and others for bliss, and many other
similar-propositions which creeds demand us to
believe. . , ,.
We may call them profound mysteries, but this
will not holp the case. No man ever belived in a
mystery. As soon as it is a subject of faith it
ceases to be a mvstery. He mav believe there
are mysteries, but to tell how they exist he can
not. If creeds simply to required us believe that
the existence of God and all his works are a mys
tery, their ^demands would be just: but they do
more—they attempt to explain and define these
inexplicable mysteries in a few abstract proposi
tionfand then brand us with Heresy if we do not
subscribe to their contradictory conclusions. As
the unjust laws of Egypt required briok without
giving straw, so creeds call for our faith without
furnishing the necessary evidence to produce it.
2nd. They demand uniformity of faith. This
requirement is unjust, for the natural endowments
of the human mind render it impossible for all
to see and believe alike on all points. To one
man is given ten talents, to some five, two, and
to others one talent. The wide disparity be'
tween the mind possessed of ten talents and
that of but one is satisfactory evidence that many
of the most sublime truths and stupendous works
of God, by the two, must necessarily be viewed
in a very different light. In short, the difference
in their comprehension and powers of faith are as
ten is to one ; -yet both can have faith and a full
faith ; they can believe according to their ability.
And what can be more unjust than to attempt to
circumscribe the capacious mind, and cramp the
exalted faith of the man of ten talents down to
the narrow limits of him who has only one. To
reverse the case would be equally unjust.
Creeds make no provision for the diversity of
the human intellect. They try the weak and the
strong in the faith by the same rigid rule. Deal
out the same meat, and in equal portions to babes
and men in Christa The high and low of statue
are chained to the same iron bedstead, “and if
too short they must be stretched, and cut off if
too long.” And 0, what mangled limbs and dis
torted features has this unholy work produced !
How many a pure but weak Christian has suffered
his tortured mind to be stretched until every holy
sensibility of the soul was lost, in order to com
prehend and believe the daik mysteries of a creed.
How many, naturally endowed with the highest
gifts, have been stunned in their growth, and their
usefulness forever lost by suffering their master
minds, like the galley slave, to be cramped and
fettered, and chained to the narrow limits of a
human creed. The heart mourns at the sight,
and the eye turns to weep in sorrow when it be
holds the past and present divisions of Christians
with all their consequent evils, which have been
caused and are still perpetuated by the unjust de
mands of creeds upon the free-born mind.
What else, my brother, but the unjust demands
of theologians on the faith of others has contrib
uted to divide the saints more than their vain at
tempts to coerce a uniformity of sentiments ? to
compel all to believe in a few abstract and contra
dictory propositions, presented in a form of a
creed ? Nothing. And it is a matter of surprise
that this fruitless work has not long since been
abandoned. We are expressly taught to ‘ receive
the weak in the faith, without regard to difference
of opinions,’ and to ‘ keep the unity of the spirit
in bonds of peace.’
3rd. They prevent the increase of o arts nan
knowledge. There is no truth more clearly reveal
ed than this, viz: * Knowledge shall increase 1 if
we follow on then shall we know,’ &c. But do
not creeds prevent this, and keep those whom
they fetter in bondage in ignorance ? My brother
will admit this is the case with the Catholics.
Their wretched condition can never be improved
„for the better until the yoke of iron upon their
necks is broken off. Well, can you offer one good
reason why your own and all protestant creeds do
I not produce the same effect, in kind if not in degree?
Are members of any of the protestant sects per
mitted to look beyond the narrow limits of the
reflected light of their creeds for Christian knowl
edge and faith ? If they are, why then are these
human and dark lines drawn around their atmos
phere V Why the necessity of looking at all to
these wandering stars for light ? And why my
brother, have so many honest enquirers after truth
been cut off from the church and branded with
heresy, when their only crime has been they had
seen and embraced some new light from the sun
of righteousness, which had never shown upon
the dark pages of their creed ?
These human dbstructionsgjust be removed out
of the way before all Christians can * run to and
i fro, and the true knowledge of God be increased.’
Gross darkness will continue to reign over the
people, and divisions, as a matter of course, will
continue while the unjust demands of creeds are
submitted to. Assume your right, then, my brother,
and aid in removing the cause which separates the
flock of Christ. But hear me further, for I have
more to say on the baneful effects of human creeds.
THEY ARE YOKES OF BONDAGE.
My brother’s actual knowledge and observation
are sufficient to prove the truth of this position.
So far as you have a knowledge, you know that
all true Christians have once believed alike on the
fundamentals of Christianity. Before forgiveness
they believed in God, his Son, the spirit, the word,
that they must repent of their sins, and obtain a
pardon through the blood of Christ, or be lost.
When the sealing evidence was given of their ac
ceptance? with God, they all told the same happy
story. Those opinions of men, which, by the dif
ferent creeds, are made tests of Christian commu
nion, were not receive^ as a part of the faith of
the convert until some time after God .had forgiv
en his sins. And when he was called to take a
party name, and bow his neck to a spiritual yoke
of bondage, he did not do it from any conviction
of his own that it was right, but because his spir
itual guides told him it toas his duty.
Thousands have been decoyed in this manner.
In the heat of an excitement, when nothing but the
gospel is preached, when the deformities of creeds
are kept out of sight, when the mind is uniformed,
but full of love, and loves all Christians, it is then
the shackels of bondage are fastened upon it.
The converts are born free, are made to believe
their liberty will not be taken from them if they
join the church. But alas! they are deceived, and
soon begin to see and feel their sore bondage.
They find themselves bound to believe and defend
a rule of faith which clashes with the truths of
the Bible, and denied the privilege of holding
communion with all Christians. To freely di
vulge their honest sentiments will expose them to
church labor, and exclusion from the body. To
join in communion and holy worship with the
saints of another creed will give offence to their
own brethren, and bring upon them the chastise
ment of their avenging rod. But to deny them
selves these heaven-bought blessings in sacrificing
their dearest rights. And now they must either
obtain their liberty against fearful odds, and to the
loss of their Christian reputation, or tamely sub
mit to wear the fetters with which they are bound.
By entreaties, fair promises, and threats, thous
ands are induced to take the latter course. But
while they continue in their first love, they sigh
for the liberty of the sons of God. They want
the privilege of freely expressing the honest sen
timents of their hearts, and would gladly join in
full communion with all the dear saints. But
while shut up within the cold walls of a human
creed, and lashed into submission to the dogmas j
of men by those who hold the rod of their op
pression, they sigh "for these blessings in vain. J
You know, my brother, that many, very many,!
in your own church, do not believe in all that your
creed savs, and that they dare not express their
sentiments only in secret. You know very well
that the great majority of the members of different
churches would gladly leave their party distinctions
and unite in all the work and worship of God if
their creeds were not in their way, or did not bind
them asunder. And you must admit these yokes
of ecclesiastical bondage will never be broken and
the saints united until those who wear them as
sert their rights, throw off their yokes, and sub
mit'to the easy yoke of Christ. Then why not
begin the work now ? Wait not until another j
leads the way. If you would be free you must]
labor for the inestimable blessing. Are you now
free ? never sacrifice your liberty for all the pro
mised blessings which a human creed can offer.
Give yourself to Christ, join with those who bear
his name, wear his yoke, believe and obey his
word, possess his spirit, and then you will enjoy the
true liberty, and full blessings of the sons of God.
But does my brother doubt the justness of my
remarks ? Does not he call for further evidence to
convince him that human compositions, to govern
the church of God, serve to divide rather than to
unite the saints ? Then I will call your attention
to another familiar yet painful fact, which can on
ly be traced in its origin to the doctrines and com
mandments of men. It is
THE SPIRIT THEY INSPIRE.
Who, my brother, can fully delineate the char
acter of the spirit of sectarianism—the spirit of
creeds. We may, however, know something of
its depravity by following it in some of its paths
of strife and blood since the commencement of
the goilpel era. It is that spirit which met the
Saviour at his birth with jealousy and murder,
| moved against him the tongue of slander, perse
cution from city to city, and nailed him to the
painful cross. It prompted the disciples to for
bid devils being cast out by any but those who
followed with them, and filled their hearts with
the unmerciful principle to call fire from heaven
on their opposers. It caluminated and martyred
the holy apostles for their work of philanthropy,
—ifas been the accuser of the saints, and the in
stigator of all their persecution, tortures and death
to the present time. It has given life to the man
of sin, and birth to every division in the fold of
Christ. It has fired with a false zeal the leaders
of party names, creeds, and churches, to build a
temple to their old fame, and to carry on a war
of. calumhy^and carnal strife with each other.
And it has tattle thg. -nations of the earth drunk
with its intoxicating influence, and led deceived
thousands from the path of love and peace, blind
folded to bow at the shrine of their temples of
worldly honor, ambition and unholy strife.
Where do we see the spirit of brotherly love
and true Christian affection manifested between
churches of different creeps that characterized
the primitive saints ? No where. It is true there
mav be times of revival when the spirit of creeds
are not sufered to show their cold and dividing in
fluence; but then it only slumbers for awhile
that it may awake with fresh vigor to the work of
discord—its legitimate fruits. Mark that com
pany of converts. At first their souls are deep
ly imbued with the spirit of Christ. And how
humble, how unassuming. What pure friendship
and holy love for each other. What heavenly
smiles on their countenance when they give the
warm hand of Christian friendship. How harmo
nious and sweet their worship, and how pleasant
the sight to witness their holy communions. See
them again, and Oh, how changed is the charac
ter of the once holy brotherhood ! The spirit of
creeds has chilled the warm affections of their
souls. They meet each other now with coldness
—spend their short interviews in contending about
the opinions, doctrines and commandments ol men
—brand each other urith heresy, and turn away
with scorn, each thanking God, like the proud
Pharisee, that he is more holy than his deceived
brother ! Is this change, this unholy work, caused
by the spirit of Christ or his gospel ? or has the
1 spirit of sectarianism of creeds done it ? \ ou
know, my brother, the latter is guilty of the
change. How can you theu longer sustain
them ?
Again, look at the apostles and first ministers
of Christ. How freely their own opinions, preju
dices, and honor, were sacrificed for the cause of
their Master. What holy love united them in the
great work of redemption. When divisions threat
ened the flock, and offered an opportunity for eacl
to head a party, how true then, to their trust
Hear their solemn and benighted rebuke against
the spirit that would divide the saints undei
worldly leaders. And when you hear, O ye whe
profess to be their successors and imitators, an
supporters of divisions, tremble at your doom,—
‘ Ye are carnal and walk at men.’
Where at present can be found, among the min
isters of different creeds, the spirit of love and
union, which inspired the apostles of Christ ? No
where. And I speak it with sorrow, and to their
shame. The spirit of their creed fires their hearts
with party feeling, and moves them to contend
with each other, and each for his own sect. How
jealous of their sectarian rights. How zealous
to proselyte to their parties. How rarely two of
different creeds are seen together in the same sa
cred desk, lifting up their voices in sweet harmony
in proclaiming the gospel of love and mercy. Still
they all profess to be ministers of Christ, to pos
sess his spirit! But are they what they profess ?
or are they deceived ? Have you, my brother, so
learned Christ? You have not. The spirit by
which they are guided cannot be that spirit which
so united the primitive servants of Christ as to
cause the beholder to exclaim, * Behold hou> they
love one another.’ But the spirit of- creeds so di
vides them as!to cause an astonished world to say
to their confusion, ‘ See how they hate each oth
er !! ’
T., of font t/\n f,M> n Aivi/wtf f n lliof fi'ionrl _
ly neighborhood, where religion is not professed.
All is harmony, kindness and good feeling. But
soon a different scene is witnessed. G'od, at first,
has visited the people in mefcy-—sinners have
been saved and made happv. ‘Different creeds in
the second place have been urged upon the cre
dulity of the neighbors ; they become divided in
name, sentinjent, and spirit, and soon manifest
less brotherly kindness thin when in their sins.
The spirit of creeds has not only destroyed their
first Christian love, but has chilled with the blast
of death, the palural sensibilities and affections of
the soul! As Paul said, ‘ They are without nat
ural affection.' I have never witnessed an excep
tion to this case. It is true I have seen many
members of different churches on the most friend
ly terms, but then they were not under the influ
ence of their creeds.
See that lovely family, once bound together
with the strongest ties of kindred affection, but
now they are divided. They have all professed
faith in Christ, but it has been at different times
and under the ministry of different professions
The husband cannot commune with the partnei
of his bosom, nor with his own children. Broth
ers and sisters cannot eat the Lord’s supper to
gether. Yet they all profess to be children o
the same heavenly parent,. Why, my brother
this alienation of feeling ? Why this division it
the praying family circle ? I have witnessei
many similar cases ; and you know it is not a fic
tion. And I ask, has the uniting spirit of Ibi
gospel separated those whom its author has saic
are one ? or has the dividing influence of creed;
been the cause of this unrighteous work ? I leavt
you to answer the question before your God. Il
you decide against creeds, then as an honest man;
as a true friend of Christ, abandon at once these
systems of division and strife, and defend the law
of your Master, which makes all who obey it of
one heart and one mind. Hear me a moment
longer and I will take my leave of the subject
for a while. I wish to cite your mind, however,
to another objection to creeds—it is
THEIR OPPOSITION TO THE GOSPEL.
Where, my brother, does the sceptic obtain
what to him is his most fatal’Wn.pon^against Chris
tianity ? The collisions and absurdities of_ creeds
place it in his hand. He looks at their unreason
able and conflicting doctrines ; their unmeaning
ceremonies : their oppressive laws : but more es
pecially to the carnal spirit they inspire, and to
the work of division, -persecution and death they
have wrought; and attributies the whole to the
gospel of Christ. The different partisans say
their creed is founded on the Bible. The sceptic
believes it, and therefore raises his impious hand
against the truth of God, which to him is the root
of all sectarian evil. Remove creeds out of his
way, let the simplicity of the gospel of truth be
presented to his mind, and he has not an objec
tion to offer against it. Instead of defending the
gospel against infidelity, creeds prevent the inti
del from embracing it, and are the prolific soil from
which infidelity springs.
What stronger objection has the nominal believ
er against confessing Christ than the divisions o<
Christians ? He is at peace with his neighbors
thinks to profess religion he must take a party stand
under some sectarian banner, and fight againsi
those who are marshalled under opposing col.ors,
He does not love contention, therefore concludes
to neglect religion in all its forms, live in peace
with all, and trust his eternal interest on cold mor
ality. Creeds, or the divisions of Christians,
their legitimate fruits form an impassible bar
rier between him and the Saviour. Thousands
are standing in this position, and they must per
ish forever unless they come to Christ. And
shall Christians throw the greatest obstacle in
their way, and be the last to make an effort to re
move them ? Let those stumbling blocks be ta
ken out of the way of Zion and scores whom they
now prevent would soon crow<| the gates of sal
vation.
How many reformations have been checked in
their heavenly progress, how many seeking peni
tents have had conviction driven from their minds
and they turned back into sin, and perhaps forev
er lost, by the influence of creeds. All was har
mony at first, the gospel was the only theme of
the prayer, the sermon, the song, and exhortation.
But, O what a chill of death is felt on every mind
when the work of proselyting and preaching the
commandments of men commences. You know,
by brother, the strongest sticklers for party
churches think it not good policy, when they wish
to ‘ get up ' a reformation, to preach their creed.
Hence, they will form a union, for the time being
with their ‘ Orthodox ’ brethren, with the under
standing that nothing but the gospel shall be
preached to the sinner. This practice is becom
ing very common among the * Orthodox ’ church
es ; and it is a tacit acknowledgement that my po
sition is true. For if a reformation cannot he com
menced by the influence of creeds, most surely
their introduction would stop its progress when it
had commenced.
Finally, creeds not only stand opposed to the
influence of the goSpel in the conversion of the
sceptic, the moralist, and sinner but they prevent
a universal submission of the >saints to the law
of Christ. For it is impossible for the divided
churches to submit to the perfect law while they
are governed by human laws, all different from it,
and opposite in character to each other. They
cannot serve two masters whose requirements are
so diverse. Hence the conclusion is irresistible
that a gospel union cannot be formed, by all pro
fessed Christians, while a large number are gov
erned by creeds.
You know, my brother, that the apostolical
church was govorned by no other ihan the law of
love, the perfect law of liberty—that the saints
were then all of one heart and one mind ; and the
work of God prospered in their hands. But n<*w
they are divided, and wasting their strength In
building up their sectarian parties, and contending
with each other. And as creeds have failed, af
ter a long experiment, in gathering into one fold
theiscattered flock, does not wisdom dictate that
weyshould no longer listen to these false guides ?
Should we not now hear their voice of the true
Shepherd, under whose guidance his sheep and
lambs where once united and happy ? Is not the
same foundation on which the church first rested
sufficient to build upon now ? And is there any
other foundation on which we can agree to build ?
Is there any other leader than Christ whom all
will or can consent to follow ? Will any other
law than his ever be acknowledged by all who
profess tojlore him! Can all be made cheerfully
to bear any other name than the one he has giv
en ! Will any other doctrine be universally be
lieved, and .ordinances uniformity submitted to,
than those taught in his word ? And will any
other principle, policy, or device, than that which
' at first united the saints unite them now " Cer
, tainly not. For the ways of God are as unchange
i able as he is immutable. We must therefore,
l abandon every false way, and humbly yield im
■ plicit obedience to his divine will. Then the un
: ion for which the Saviour prayed, which the prim
itive saints enjoyed and which all true Christians
; now most ardently desire, will again be restored
to the church.. ^
But I must take my™ave of you for a while.
Have I succeeded in convincing my brother that
creeds prevent the union of God’s people ? If so,
how can you longer give them your influence and
support ? And should you not, as a true friend
td the Saviour, lend your aid to that cause which
aims to free the church from their baneful influ
ence, and to unite the good of every clime in one
harmonious body ? Remember that he who is
not for Christ is against him. Then ;£> then ! be
ware how you longer supped the opposing laws
to his government; for you must soon render a
^trict account for your doings, when every pre
tended friend and enemy of the rightful Law giver
together with every doctrine, law, and command
ment of men, will meet their everlasting doom.
-J. MARSH.
PRINTERS AND PRINTING.
J. T. Buckingnam, in his series of remiscences,
in coarse of publication in the Boston Courier,
speaks of the importance for the printer to au
thors, as follows •.
“ Many who condescend to illumine the dark
world with the firb of their genius, through the
columns of a newspaper, little think of the lot of
the printer, who, almost suffocated by the smoke
of a lamp sits up till midnight to correct his false
grammer, bad orthography, and worse punctua
tion. I have seen the arguments of lawyers, in
high repute as scholars, sent to the printer in their
own hand writing, mauy words—and especially
techincal and foreign terms—abbreviated, words
mispelled, and a few or no points, and those few,
if any, were entirely out of place. I have seen
the sermons of divines sent to the press without
points or capitals to designate the division of sen
tences ; sermons which, if published with the
imperfections of the manuscript, would disgrace
the printer’s devil if he were the author. Sup
pose they had been so printed. The printer
would have been treated with scorn and contempt
as an illustrate blockhead—as a fellow better fit
ted to be a wood-sawyer than a printer. Nobody
would have believed that such gross and palpa
ble faults were owing to the ignorance and care
lessness of the author and no one but the practi
[ cal printer knows how many hours the composi
tors, and after him the proof-reader, is compelled
-to spend in reducing to a readable condition manu
scripts that the writer himself would be puzzled
to read.”