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Apollos; or, The Way of God.

Scriptures, set forth neglected and imperfectly accepted truth. I am going to begin with Scripture, to continue with Scripture, to end with Scripture-with the Scripture that never ends, the everlasting Gospel. Only, seeing I live in times that are intolerant of close, didactic argument, I propose not to sermonize, but to indulge in table-talk. Perhaps I may get the ear of many, by a conversational tone and argument, who would not let me preach to them. I recognise my times. It is the age of journalism, and he that cannot condescend to write, and to write what people may read easily, may rival Demosthenes, perhaps, in his periods, but he must consent to declaim, like him, to the wild waves of the sea; or, more practically, to empty pews and benches. The grave old Fathers did not all die of dignity; even in the times of the Arians some of them could argue merrily. I, therefore, am content to weave Cilician hair-cloth for the time, and to talk like Aquila, the tent-maker.

I trust some gifted Apollos may condescend to learn from me one or two ideas, and will be favoured of God to take them up and urge them forward in the minds and hearts of this generation. Christians, now-a-days, all claim to be Bible-Christians; and I am very glad of it. To the Bible only do I now refer them. "Dost thou appeal unto Scripture? unto Scripture shalt thou go."

II. ELEMENTS.

1. POSITION DEFINED.

BEFORE I take another step, let me define my position.

For the purposes of this reviewal of sundry neglected Scriptures, I wish to be understood as occupying absolutely the position of a Primitive Christian. For the time, I am

not an Anglican, but am supposed to allow that the Anglican Church, and the Churches in her Communion, may be very faulty, very imperfect, very lukewarm, very much in need of reformation and revival. I do not wish to conceal the fact that I, myself, belong to that Communion, but I must not be regarded as designing to present it as a model for all Christians to follow. For my present purposes, I may admit much that her enemies might say against our Church. I cheerfully admit the precious faith of other Communions, and the noble examples they set us of fruitfulness in good works. I disclaim the Laodicean self-complacency which Christ hates; I am ready to gather new ideas, if I meet them anywhere in my inquiries. I only assert this as a fact, viz., that as a Primitive Christian, that is a Scriptural Christian, and that is a Catholic Christian, I can adhere to the Communion in which I am placed, with a good conscience. If, in my inquiries, I come to any Scriptural principle which is inconsistent with my practical position, I will either set myself to reform it, or I will put myself where I can serve Christ better. That is to say, (1) if I meet with Scripture principles that are organic, and which conflict with my position in this Communion, I will

go elsewhere, provided I can find a Communion more entirely Scriptural; or if (2) I meet with merely functional difficulties, those I will strive to reform, in so far as my vocation and ministry permit. This is what I consider the duty of all Christians in the present condition of Christendom. For, if we would begin by admitting that there is a 'way of God," and would all agree to labour to bring up ourselves, or our divers Communions, or both, to this one standard, then, sooner or later, the Holy Spirit working with us, we should all find ourselves approaching some common standard; and, meanwhile, though we may never see primitive Christianity restored, we should ourselves be imbued with its spirit, and satisfied with the blessed rewards of a peace-making heart and life. In return, then, for what I promise to do, on this principle, I desire to elicit from others equivalent propositions. And, as I proceed, I shall be glad to receive from any brother Apollos such Scriptural light as I am trying, in the spirit of Aquila, to afford to others.

2. A HALF TRUTH.

The question now presents itself, What was there that Apollos required to be taught? He was a believer, a penitent, a converted sinner,—a saint in fact, in faith a strong man, a great runner, a great wrestler, and "mighty in the Scriptures." I am quite sure nine-tenths of American Christians, perhaps of English Christians, certainly of German and Swiss Evangelicals, would ask, What more do "His heart is all right," they would answer; you want? "the rest is of no consequence whatever." Any religionist of our days, no matter how utterly erroneous his system of belief an unbaptized Quaker, a creedless Unitarian—if he

can furnish half the evidence of being right, in the sight of God, which is recorded concerning this disciple of the Baptist-yes, and even though it is certain he cannot-is left there where he is, by universal consent.

"Knowing only the baptism of John," says the Scripture. But, this record is itself a superfluity, if popular views be the true Gospel. Who cares about his baptism? That is immaterial, says one. If John baptized him, says another, he was dipped, at all events, and that's the great point. But, what John's relations were to Christ, and what His disciples had yet to learn, they care little to inquire. "His heart is right-what more do you want ?" is the cant of the day. It never occurs to anybody to "teach him the way of God more perfectly." If it should occur to somebody, and if any Aquila or Priscilla should undertake to do it, this sweet, heavenly charity is rebuked as bigotry. bigotry. What uncharitable, bigoted, conceited creatures those were, to presume to suggest that the Rev. Apollos Alexandrine might possibly be taught "the way of the Lord more perfectly." And by such as they !

The half-Christianity of our day never gets any further than this: its bare idea is, if one can get to heaven with such an imperfect Gospel as he may possess, what need of more perfect knowledge? If it be possible for a soul to be saved without being baptized with water, then why should I be baptized? or why should I plague my Quaker friend about it, seeing he does not attach any importance to it? This is the common-consent Christianity of our day.

3. A SECOND HALF.

And this they willingly are ignorant of: that there is another half of Christianity which has respect to other souls

than one's own, and to unborn generations. The Gospel has not done its work in getting you and me to heaven: there are yet millions to be saved besides us; ages to come must be provided for. The Gospel, therefore, does not contemplate a believer as "living to himself, or dying to himself." The Gospel is not a philosophy, nor an idea, nor a doctrine, nor a book, nor a head without a body. The Gospel is the entire Christ, the Head and the Body; and the incorporation of all believers, as His visible body, is part of the Gospel. If you believe, your faith must not be kept for yourself alone, you must be so incorporated with Christ as to make part of the continuous life and labour of His visible body. You are your brother's keeper, and you must let Christ economize you, in His own way, for carrying on His own work, so that the promise may be to you, and to your children after you, and to as many as the Lord our God shall call. I do not deny, nor do I doubt in the least, that God may save your individual soul in the state in which Apollos was found by Aquila and his spouse. I do say that unless you "gather with Christ, you scatter; I do say that you may be saved, "so as by fire," your work being lost, and perhaps worse than lost. There is something, then, in a whole Christ which this generation

sees not.

4. ALL THINGS DOUBLE.

It is a principle which runs through nature; it is illustrated in everything "whose seed is in itself." See, here is a fine animal or a fine plant, a bull, a peach-tree, a vine. Two ideas are in its nature: (1) its immediate, individual being; (2) its relations to continuous life. The beef can be fitted for every use of a beef, under the first idea, even