54 BIOGRAPHY OF
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nd party spirit among professing Christians, principally owing to the adoption of human creeds and forms ofgovernment, While they were united under the nameof a Presbytery, they endeavored to cultivate a spirit _ of love‘and unity with all Christians; but found it ex- tremely difficult to suppress the idea that they them-selves were a party separate from others. This diffi-culty increased in proportion to their success in theministry. Jealousies were excited in the minds of otherdenominations ; and a temptation was laid before thosewho were connected with the various parties, to viewthem in the same light. At theirlast meeting they un-dertook to prepare for the press a piece entitled Obser-vations on Chureh Government, in which the worldwill see the beautiful simplicity of Christian church go-vernment, stript of human inventions and lordly tradi-tions. As they proceeded in the investigation of thatsubject, they soon found that there was neither preceptnor example in the New Testament for such confede-racies as modern Church Sessions, Presbyteries, Synods,General Assemblies, &c. Hence they concluded, thatwhile they continued in the connection in which theythen stood, they were off the foundation of the Apos-tles and Prophets, of which Christ himself is the chiefcorner stone. However just, therefore, their views. ofchurch government might have been, they would havegone out under the name and sanction of a self-consti-tuted body. Therefore, from a principle of love toChristians of every name, the precious cause of Jesus,and dying sinners who are.kept from the Lord by theexistence of sects and parties in the church, they havecheerfully consented to retire from the din and fury ofconflicting parties—sink out of the view of fleshlyminds, and die the death. They believe their death _ will be great gain to the world. But though dead, as above, and stript-of their mortal frame, which only servedto keep them too near the confines of Egyptian bond-age, they yet live and speak in the land of gospel lib-erty ; they blow the trumpet of jubilee, and willingly
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