"Modern come-outism, or, better said, no-churchism." We hold that uniting with the people of God in church fellowship, even of our own choice, does not necessarily constitute us sectarians.—Gospel Banner.
In all love we would ask our kind Brother Brenneman to inform us of those modern "no-church" men of whom he speaks; give us the address of any man professing godliness who believes in and claims membership in no church.
Second. Is the body of Christ no church?
Third. If there is any way to get into the church besides Christ and through the Holy Spirit—if the church is something that men open the door of and admit members into—please give us "thus saith the Lord" for it.
Fourth. If uniting with one party or sect of the professed people of God does not constitute one a sectarian, then why should union with a Masonic lodge constitute a man a Freemason?
Fifth. If a person is in Christ Jesus, is he not in the church, and is he not already joined to all others that are joined to the Lord?
Pure Religion very smartly, as she supposes, ranks "come-outers" with "all other sects," by which she virtually admits that they are as good as the others, and then says that it takes the following elements to make a good "come-outer": 1. It is necessary that the person be "turned out of some church," meaning of course one of those "other sects," for a little sober, candid reflection upon the Bible will show any person that such remarks can not apply to the true church at all; for "the Lord added to the church daily such as should be [or, were being] saved," and 'no man [or ecclesiastical court] can pluck them out of his hand.'
If the editress of Pure Religion were half as zealous to know what the Bible teaches as she is to exhibit her wit, she would doubtless have learned that the church is not something that men organize and admit members into, but that it is "a holy temple in the Lord," "God's building, God's husbandry."
2. The editress thinks that to be a good "come-outer" the person should have a small stock of religion and "quite a good stock of ignorance." We presume that she did not consider that in those words she condemned as nearly graceless and very ignorant such men as Luther, Melancthon, Fox, and Wesley, who at the very time when they stood out of and condemned all sects and did not contemplate joining or forming any, wielded their greatest power for God.
The Good Way recently informed us that Wesley never contemplated the forming of a sect. What was he then but a "come-outer"? It is an undeniable fact upon record that he deplored the unhappy divisions and parties of Christendom.