Names of Ecclesiastical Bodies

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Oct 7, 1886

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 12, No. 39.

Names of Ecclesiastical Bodies

THE Sunday School Times must be given the palm of aptness in illustration. Speaking of the names of ecclesiastical bodies it says: “Denominational designations mean much or little according to the personal views of the one who uses them, or who notes their use. There are high-sounding claims in the titles of denominations of very modest numbers. Thus there is ‘The Church of God.’ There are ‘Christians’ and ‘Bible Christians,’ and ‘The Catholic Apostolic Church.’” And then to show that in using these titles we do not necessarily imply that we think them descriptive of the people who wear them, it relates the following anecdote:—

“The story is told of a colored man crying, ‘Hot mutton pies’ in the streets of Boston on a winter morning. A countryman, longing for a hot morsel, bought one of those pies; but on putting his teeth into it, he found it as cold as ice. Calling the sable vender to account for his misrepresentation, he was met by the cheering response: ‘Why, boss, dat’s de name ob ’em—dat’s all! Hot mutton pies, dat’s de name ob ’em.’”

No one can fail to see the point in this.