To the Law and to the Testimony.
THERE is one thing which is worthy of special notice, and that is, that in many of the arguments used in defense of the carnal divisions which so dishonor the Lord and disquiet his church, there is a marked absence of anything like an appeal to the word of God. Men who, when discussing other points, appeal to Scripture, and who claim for their position and their creeds the indorsement of holy writ; who demand and offer in every controversy the testimony of "the word of the Lord," when they come to these matters, leave that word entirely out of the question, and appeal to interest and prejudice rather than to the Scriptures of divine truth. We hear sometimes parables and illustrations comparing the different and warring sects that disgrace Christianity, to different regiments in the army of the Lord; but we have no reference to any scripture which so describes them. On the contrary, the Scripture compares the church to a flock with one shepherd; a body with one head; a building with one foundation; a temple with one headstone thereof; but all these representations are left one side, for none of them meet the circumstances of the case, or give countenance or warrant to the unscriptural separations that prevail among the people of God. Hence these different "regiments" have been invented by denominational leaders to cover their sectarian sins. Any person who will for himself examine the arguments by which members of different sects justify their dissensions and divisions will mark the utter absence of all reference "to the law and to the testimony." And yet the prophet said, "If they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." Isa. 8:20. The simple truth is, there is nothing in the Scripture which can justify the positions which they have assumed. There are no proof texts which warrant the divisions, and strifes, and bickerings which so disgrace the Lord, in whose name they are carried on. These things are simply of the earth, earthy; they are not born of that wisdom which is from above. Where dissension and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. Where one saith "I am of Paul, and I of Apollos" there is unmistakable evidence that they are carnal, and walk as men. We recollect a single reference to Scripture in this connection. A man who professed to take the Bible as his guide, referred to the fact that the Almighty is described as "the Lord of Hosts"; and the hosts there referred to were the sectarian hosts fighting under the banners of the different isms and schisms which prevailed. The Lord was "the Lord of Hosts" long before any of these isms and schisms were known, and will still be "the Lord of Hosts" when they are forgotten, and buried in eternal oblivion. The grand remedy for these unhappy and unchristian separations is to be found in personal acquaintance with God, and subjection to his will and to his word. When this lesson is learned, and when the spirit of Him who prayed for his people that they all might be one, pervades their hearts, and controls their lives, we shall have no more of these far-fetched arguments to justify a flagrant wrong, but shall instead of that, find Christ's true disciples drawing nearer and nearer to him who is their Lord and head, till they all come "in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; but speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love." (Ephesians 4:13-16.) —Armory.