15 THE EAENEST CHBISTIAN.EDITOBIAL.LOVE FOB CHBIST.Tie strongest appeal that can be madeto any true Christian is based upon thelove he bears for Christ. -This will alwaysmove him to do his duty. To address tohim lower motives, implies a want of confidencein his sincerity. Let him know,beyond a doubt, that tlie Master has •needofit.&nd any thing at his disposal—moneyor iufluence—houses, or lands, or lifeitself, all is freely ofi'ered. A man whoacts from pride or love of applause willgive, to have pride gratified, and his namesounded abroad, but this is not Christianity.How can ye believe who receive honorone of anotlier, and seek not tlie Iwuor thatcomes from God only ? If you love Christhis approbation is more to you than theapplause of the whole world. When ministerssay that their people will not give,unless in a way to gratify pride, what is itbut saying that they do not love Christ ?That they are Christians only in name?If a church cannot be built without sellingthe best seats to those whose pride will beflattered by tbe distinction, it had better>by far, not be built. The worst possiblestate that a human being can be in, is astate of self-deception. But churcheswhich cater to pride, which encourage theirmeinbers to do good acts from base motives,are, as they multiply converts, onlyswelling the numbers of the self-deceived.The motive is the main thing that Godlooks at But in churches sustained byappeals to pride, and to the love of pleasure,by selling pews, by fairs, festivals andsocial parties, the motives are corrupted,and the foundation ol all good works isdestroyed.Look to your motives. Stoutly refuse todo a good act from a wrong motive. Whatsoeveryou do for the cause of God let thelove of Christ constrain you.»-•-•LOTTEBIES,It needs no argument to prove thatgambling is thoroughly demoralizing.—That it leads to idleness, dissipation, ruin,and violent death is abundantly demonstratedby experience.Lotteries are a. species of gambling.Tlieir influence was found to be so bad,that in the most of the States laws werepassed against them. These laws weretolerably well enforced untilMliey werebroken down by the cliurclies. Pride isexpensive. To uiaintliin the splendor ofthe religion of the day required more moneythan the people were willing to contribute.So festivals, with their lotteries, ringcakes,grab-bags, and various forms ofgambling were introduced. These havebecome general throughout the country.Even the children are trained to gambling,under the sanction of the Sunday school.Lotteries are employed to replenish the libraries,and to support the various beuevclent enterprises of the church.The infection lias spread. When the<strong>Church</strong> leads off in sin the world is notslow to follow. Let the pulpit sanction awrong principle, let the church set a badexample, and sinners wUl push to the utmostthe advantage thus given them. Lotterieshave become quite general througlioutthe country. They are very fast assuminggigantic proportions. Ticlcets toconcerts are sold, and the fortunate holderof the prize ticket is promised a city mansion,or a valuable horse, or a sum ofmoney. Of course the great mass getnothing; but the love of gambling Ivasbeen excited, and to gain what tliey havelost they are tempted to try it again. Oncein the whirlpool and there is scarcely achance for escape. Those who receiveprizes are eiicouraged to spend in idlenessand dissipation what was gained withoutan effort. When a man makes up his mindthat there is for hiiu an easier way to getmoney tlian by fairly earning it, he is notfar from the brink of ruin.So wide spread has the evil become tliatpreachers have taken the alarm, resolutionshave been passed by preachers' meetings,denouncing these extensive lotteries. Theeffect has'been to excite the ridicule of thepublic and the press. These ministersshould first confess the wrong that theyliave done by their complicity with gamb-
linf carried on under the auspices and lortlie benefit of the church. F'irst cast outIk' beam out of thine oiim eye ; and thenjjaii thou see clearly to cast out the mote outof ihy brother's eye.TffEOLOGT IN THE M. E. CHUBCH.ibout fourteen rears ago, we wrote anutcle entitled " New School Methodism,"in phich we warned the <strong>Church</strong> against agrowing departure from the doctrines ofMdthodiem. It would have been well forthe <strong>Church</strong> if these warnings had beenheeded. That the alarm was not giventoo soon, the following reports of discnssionslately had in the preachers' meetingsin the city of New York, abundantly demonstrate.One prominent preacher thought that aman was " no better nor no worse for a beliefin, Unieersalism,—that no one ought tohe kept from joining the <strong>Church</strong> infulleonuaonbecause lie DENIES THE DI^TCNITY ofChrist, and denies the doctrine of the Trin-Uy!"Bev. Dr. Goodwin, of Indianapolis, saidthat at the west, " they receive -Brians andDeists and anybody into the Chnrch; buttheyvery soon get those ismsoutof them."Sadh may be the theory; but in practice itwill be found that if they do not get thefalse doctrines out of men before they jointlie| Charch, they will not afterwards.—TUB was attested by one of the speakers,fflip said in substance, that two-thirds oftha present members of the M. E. <strong>Church</strong>do plot believe their acknowledged articlesEDITOEIAL. 159of (faith. No- wonder that the Chnrchws!'Ut read the reports:[From tlie N. Y. Telegram of March 2fi.]THE METHODIST PRE.\CHEKS.row h (ind Spread of Heterodoxy in tlie<strong>Church</strong>—The Conditions of Membershipin the <strong>Methodist</strong> <strong>Church</strong>.The regular discussions in the <strong>Methodist</strong>ireachers' meeting, gave place yesterdayK> a most admirable essay, i)repared andpad by Rev. Mr. Pullman. It traversedtne history, foundation and organization ofte <strong>Methodist</strong> Episcopal <strong>Church</strong>, to ascerlaiuand make patent what were the conflitionsof memijership in the " united societies"imposed by John Wesley and hiscoadjutors. It also analyzed the " GeneralBules " of the <strong>Methodist</strong> Episcopal <strong>Church</strong>,and showed that they were in harmonywitli the liberal spirit evinced by Wesley;and then the " Twenty-five Articles ofFaith " were examined, and shown to botoo strict if enforced in the spirit and sectariannarrowness in which they are formulated,to admit one-third of those whoare now recognized members of the <strong>Methodist</strong>Episcopal <strong>Church</strong>. The essayistshowed how they exclude Friends, whodiffer with other evangelical Christians onthe sacraments and oaths; Unitarians, whodo not admit the doctrines of the Trinity;Baptists, who hold lo close communion ;Greek and Eoman Catholics, and manyothers, whose differences are as much teclinicalas doctrinal. He cited the Apostlesand Fathers, and also the early foundersof Methodism, to show that the onlyCONDITIONS OF CHTTBCH MEIDJEBSHIPrequired by tliem was a desire to flee fromthe wrath to come, and faith in the LordJesus Christ. The essay was very bold,elaborate and thoughtful, and took unmistakableground in favor of a more liberalsentiment in regard to <strong>Church</strong> fellowship.The preachers were a little deterred at firstfrom attempting to discuss it, and otherbusiness was taken up. But after a while,Bev. L. S. Weed made a few remarks, endorsingin the main the sentiments expressedin the essay. Dr. Eoache consideredits logic hard to overcome, yet hecould hardly agree fully with its propositions.The Bev. Mr. Dickinson was entirelyin accord with it. He thought the <strong>Church</strong>'had uo right to impose conditions of membershipnot declared necessary by Christor His Apostles. He had been brought upamong the Friends, but was convertedamong the <strong>Methodist</strong>s in California, andhe had hard work to persuade himself tobelieve the twenty-fifth article, which declaresthat swearing by a magistrals or beforea Court is not prohibited by the Scriptures.He considered it an impertinencefor any body of men to institute such testsof <strong>Church</strong> fellowship as are laid down inour creeds. Christian experience and thebaptism of the Holy Ghost should beenough at any time. Eev. John Parkerobjected to the experience test. He has ayoung man, a probationer, in his church,whom he has refused to receive into fullconnection in the Chnrch because the youngman, though a professing Christian andliving a godly life, yetDENIES THE DIVINITY OF .lESUS CHRISTand the doctrine of the Trinity. Mr. Dickinsonthought his brother Pirker had madea mistake in this refusal; but Dr. Kingquoting from the Discipline, showed tha