The British and Foreign Evangelical Review and Quarterly Record of Christian Literature - Softcover

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1869. Excerpt: ... in this condition; yet there is no instance of a church called out of a church, of a body of Christians separated from a body of Christians, of a command for the "few names" to come out and form a new church, nor, anywhere in Scripture, an example of any division that was not reprehended, nor a call to come out of any church but that in which idolatry is established and a false faith set up. It is boldly maintained, however, that " the seven assemblies in Asia, spite of the evil found in nearly all, were really churches; they were gatherings of saints, or of those believed to be such, separate from the world, into some of which Satan had succeeded in introducing more or less grave evils." But surely the Brethren will admit that Jezebel, the Balaamites, and the Nicolaitanes, were actually within and not without the churches of Asia Minor; that they were included nominally in their fellowship? Will they dare to say that these monsters of impiety and impurity were "saints, or believed to be such V "They would have ceased to be true churches, if they had refused to deal with the evil." Precisely so; but they were still true churches with the evil remaining in their midst, and if such evils--or one-tenth part of them--existed now-a-days among the Nonconformist bodies, the Jezebels and Balaamites would quickly feel the sharp edge of ecclesiastical discipline. But the Brethren differ altogether from the churches on the nature and design of discipline. They attempt to justify separation, on the ground that the churches do not exercise a discipline to separate believers from unbelievers, the inference being, we presume, that they can effect the necessary separation in their purer community. But where both parties in a church--believers and unbelievers--equally pro...