How The Different Protestant Denominations Arose.
By D. T. Bourdeau
WHILE some of these denominations evidently sprang from selfish contentions on points of little or no importance, others arose in defense of important truths, and to engage in the noble work of reform. Among the latter, the Lutheran, Baptist, and Methodist churches have occupied conspicuous places. These and other churches started well, and battled nobly for truth. But overlooking the fact that truth is progressive in its development, and that God has reserved a burden of reform for every age, they have erred in retarding progress and binding the consciences of their members through their creeds, disciplines, or articles of faith. For instance, in “The Doctrines and Discipline of the Methodist Episcopal Church, chapter 1, section 1, we have the following on the ‘Origin of the Methodist Episcopal Church:’” “The preachers and members of our society in general, being convinced that there was a great deficiency of vital religion in the church of England in America,” etc. This starts off well, and furnishes a real necessity for reform. But on page 20 of the same work, we read on “Article of Religion”: “5. The General Conference shall have full powers to make rules and regulations for our church, under the following limitations and restrictions, viz:— “1. The General Conference shall not revoke, alter, or change, our articles of religion, nor establish any new standards or rules of doctrine contrary to our present existing and established standards of doctrine.” With this restriction before our Methodist brethren how can they keep pace with the light of God’s word, which was to shine more and more unto the perfect day? How can they receive the additional truths of the time of the end, when knowledge was to be increased? Dan. 12. How can they engage in the work of reform on the platform of the “commandments of God and the faith of Jesus,” Rev. 14:12, which is sufficiently broad to embrace all the true reforms of the past, and close up the work of reform, that a people may be prepared for the second coming of Christ? As their articles of religion clash with this platform, and are like the laws of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be changed, we see no other way for them to do this, than to step out of the pale of the church, as the primitive Methodists stepped out of the church of England, that they may feel free to follow the dictates of their own consciences. And so with members of other denominations. For though they do not all have similar restrictions in written disciplines, yet they generally claim that they have the whole truth, and treat those who differ with them accordingly. It would please God better for all the churches to lay aside party feelings, and advance unitedly on the platform for these times; but if they, as bodies, will not do this, but will oppose those who do, those who step out of the pale of the church, that they may obey the truth, honor the God of truth who bids them go forward; and the blame of the division rests on those who will not advance in the light.