A Book of Gems, or, Choice selections from the writings of Benjamin FranklinFranklin, Benjamin
Religion
A Book of Gems, or, Choice selections from the writings of Benjamin Franklin
Franklin, Benjamin
Churches of Christ
The Christian law enjoins that we “follow _peace_ with all men and
holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.” It is not enjoined
that we follow peace with a political party, but “peace with _all_
men,” and holiness. The Lord said, “Blessed are the _peace-makers_, for
they shall be called the children of God.” The angels of God shouted
when Jesus was born, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth _peace_
and good will toward man.” Shall that religion enjoining its adherents
to “follow _peace_ with all men,” promising a blessing upon the
peace-makers, whose divine Author was introduced into the world, with
an angelic shout of “_peace_ on earth,” be made an instrument in the
hands of a misguided and worldly priesthood, in the political strifes
of the world? If it shall, we betide him who does it. It will kill
every preacher and every church that ever had the Spirit of God in
them, to do it. Indeed, all of this description are now dead. Not a
man nor a church among them, throughout the length and breadth of
the country, is doing anything for the cause of God. Not a sinner
is converted by them, nor a saint comforted. Many of them, old men,
that formerly had the spirit of the Lord, preached Christ with great
power, with their souls full of the love of God, converted sinners,
edified and comforted the children of God, now sit in the company of
worldlings, read and discuss politics on the Lord’s day, while the
house of God is forsaken.
Our mission is to preach Christ, Christianity, and to disentangle it
from all connection with these side-artifices, devised to draw men away
from the Lord. We have only alluded to slavery, and the excitement
about it, so far as to discover the proper course for a christian, but
not to discuss its merits, as a system, at all. In doing this, we have
simply applied to it the rule that we do to all questions of the kind,
viz: To inquire for the _course pursued by the Lord, the apostles, and
the first Christians, and follow it as infallibly safe and right_. In
doing this, we have certainly shown that those warring upon us in this
matter, have no commission from heaven, from Christ, or his apostles,
or, in anything in all their lives and practice. We shall, therefore,
as far as God shall enable us, preach the pure gospel of the grace of
God, both North and South, East and West, to all, both great and small,
high and low, rich and poor, bond and free; and thus labor to bring
them into the kingdom that is not of this world—a kingdom that can
not be moved—where the pure in heart can enjoy God, his Holy Spirit,
and his people, though the wicked rule and the civil governments
are corrupt, with the blessed assurance that they shall one day be
delivered from all the perplexities of an imperfect and sinful state.
Here we must all turn our attention at last.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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