Unity church call

Preface

After proving that the Negro race has become of age in America, now having the right and authority to serve God from the Bible, according to the dictates of our own consciences, as any other race on earth.

Then He said: "Let the race have her own discipline for her churches." After he had organized the denomination He said in our beginning: " Let all things be done decently and in order." — ist Cor. : 14 ch.. 40 ver.

Published by

Post office : Tomberlins, Ark.

Chapter I. Page

The Nature of the Church 3

What is a Christian Church ? 4

Morals Among Morals 4

Faith in Christ 5

The Constitution of the Church , 7

Recognition of Churches 9

How Members are Received 9

Probation 10

How a Member Ceases to be a member 11

The Offices of the Church 11

The Doctrine of the Church 12

1st. Declaration of Faith 13

2d. Of the True God 14

3d. The Fall of Man 14

4th. Of the Way of Salvation 15

5th. Of Justification ^ 16

6th. Of the Freeness of Salvation 16

7th. Of Grace in Regeneration 17

8th. Of Repentance and Faith 18

Qth. Of God's Purpose of Grace 19

10th. Of Sanctification 20

nth. Of the Perseverance of Saints 21

12th. Of the Harmony of the Law and Gospel 21

13th. Of a Gospel Church 22

14th. Of Baptism, Foot Washing and the Lord's Supper 23

15th. Of the Christian Sabbath 24

16th. Of Civil Government 25

17th. Of the Righteous and the Wicked 26

Chapter IV. Page

Of the Holy Baptism 28

2d. The Foot Washing — How and When 30

3d. The Lord's Supper — When and How to Take it in Second

Order 34

4th. A Few Scriptural Remarks about the Supper 37

5th. What to Use in the Sacrament — it must be Water 38

6th. How to Pray 41

7th. Practical Prayer Meeting 42

8th. Preaching the Gospel..... 43

gth. Singing as a Leader 43

10th. Ordination of Preachers 43

nth. Why we Ordain Before Allowing to Preach 44

12th. Ordination of Deacons 45

13th. Treasure Department — How and When 45

14th. Visiting the Sick 46

15th. Selection of Officers... 46

16th. Elders of the Church 48

17th. The Collective Agency Officers 48

18th. Children Baptism. 49

19th. Sabbath School of the Church 50

20th. On Becoming as Little Children 51

21st. Services of this Church 52

Appendix

Business Meeting of a Church 57

Concerning Motions 58

The Privilege Question 59

Not Debatable 59

Form of Credentials 61

Certificate of an Evangelist 62

Marriage Ceremony 62

General Conclusion of Rev. B. B. Smith and Son 63

Unity Church Call.

Chapter I. The Nature Of The Church

The term church occurs in the New Testament more than one hundred times. The word church translated means congregation or assembly, but it does not indicate the purpose for which the congregation or assembly meets ; hence it is used in Acts, 19 ch., 32, 39, 41 vers., and rendered assembly in every other place in the New Testament so far as we can understand. And so it is translated church. In its application to the followers of Christ it refers either to a particular congregation of saints or to the redeemed, in the aggregate it is employed in the latter sense in Eph., 1 ch., 22 ver., 3rd and 21,5, 25, 27 vers. So here we have the expression heard over all things : To the church ! to Him be glory ! In the church by Christ Jesus! throughout all ages, world without •end, amen !

Christ loved the church and gave himself for it that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish. So now if we rightly understand the word church, it is meant individual person, or individual persons.

He or they that will or do worship God in spirit and in truth, will flourish like a palm tree. In this she will sustain a nature like that of Christ. So the apostle writes to such supposed churches. There you will see he wrote to the church at Jerusalem, and to the church of God, which is at Corinth, and the church of the Thessalonians. There we see that the Thessalonians had a church ; also the church in Smyrna, the church in Phrymust, etc., etc.

Now we see that in this church, or in that church, that keep the sayings of Christ is a relation to Christ, and sustains a share of the love of Christ for the church he built. There we see the apostles patronize all such churches, though they are few in number in some places. For we see Paul writing to Aquillia and Priscilla and the church which is in their house. And in His letter to Philemon he says "to the church in thy house." So we see that the church is recognized by the New Testament. If it is only two in number, it is a church in Christ.

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If it is approved by two or three members of some sister church of the same faith and order, after and investigation of the matters connected therewith, and if they agree and it be needed or required, it is a Christian church, and Christ will be in the midst. See Math., 18 ch., 19, 20 vers.

WHAT IS A CHRISTIAN CHURCH?

In answer to this question will say: A Christian church is a congregation of baptized deciples of Christ, acknowledging Him as their only head over them, relying upon His atoning sacrifices for justification before God, and depending on the Holy Spirit for sanctification, united in the belief of the gospel, agreeing to maintain its ordinances and obeying its demands, and keeping its sayings, and following its precepts, as they have been delivered to us r and meeting together for worship and co-operation for the extension of Christ's kingdom in the world.

MORALS AMONG MORALS.

Pre-requisite to membership may be mentioned repentance. John the Baptist, who was a forerunning prophet of Christ, sent from God to prepare the way before Christ. The way he was preparing was, it seems, the way and is now the way, men should go before Christ comes the second time.

John was his true forerunner to teach the people repentance, as all true Christians now-a-days should be true runners to the second coming as John's was to the first coming. So we began preaching the same gospel.

What was it that he preached? Was it singing and praying first? No. What then? His text to all was : "Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at band."

Repentance means to lay down wrong and take up right, and that before the kingdom comes. John preached him at hand, and so do we, ready to save and have power to damn the unrepentant. Repenting is man's own work to do, and he must do that before he can expect God's blessing. Repentance is as stated, to lay down wrong and take up right. It is not to please ourselves but our Savior, for it seems that all men love to do wrong; but this, my brethren, belongs to the immoral man. Now we see that the people confessed to John that their ways were wrong, which was their sin. and that they would do right, and he baptized them with water in water, and so do we. Now, when John was cast into prison, Jesus came into Galilee preaching of the kingdom of God. and saying that the time is fulfilled and the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Repent ye, and believe the gospel, and so say we to all men. Believe the gospel, for when the apostles were sent forth by Christ to preach, they came and their text was repent.

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The Lord Jesus, after his restoration, said that it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sin should be preached in His name among all nations. And Peter, on the day of Pentecost said : 4 'Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins." And Paul, who testified for three years at Athens, said : "Repentance towards God." "Faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ," and proclaimed in Athens that "God commanded all men everywhere to repent now." So if we will notice the book of the New Testament we will find it full of this doctrine of repentance, and it is a doctrine of the Father and of the Son that man should repent.

Repentance seems to be man's only doorway into righteousness, and the man's protection after he has broken the law of his creator and redeemer. It was not until the gospel dispensation that all men were permitted to repent for their sins, for they were held under the law and the penalty was death. Man's only safeguard through eternity is to repent now. Repentance is to put the wrong down and let it stay down, and take up the right and keep it up. Repentance is a change of mind, an afterthought, accompanied by the deeds of the lamb's book, which is the New Testament. This must take place in man, and he must confess the same before being baptized, and be baptized, and join the church of God, for the purpose of doing right therein. Then let him that stoled steal no more; don't lie no more; don't whoremong no more ; don't commit fornication no more; don't drink •strong drink no more, neither be a wine bibber nor whatsoever other things the Scripture requires or forbids, attend thereto.. This is the fruit of repentance that John called for before the coming of Christ, and what we want to-day is right-down, upright living, and we must have it for the second coming. The church is the place of righteousness, and everybody in the church should do right, teach right, work right, act right, and be right, and every one that comes to join the church should come to do right, for the church is the place of righteousness, a place for the righteous and not the wicked. Such intentions make you eligible to the church.

FAITH IN CHRIST.

This is another moral qualification of church membership, and of great importance in the Scriptures attached to faith in Christ. Such faith as this is required of man to enjoy the Scriptures, as will appear from the following passages : "He that believes in the Son has everlasting life. These things were written that ye may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God, and so believing ye may have life through his name. He that believeth in Him is not condemned; he that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved by Him. All that believe are justified from all things whom God has set forth as a proportion through faith in his blood, that he might be the just and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus. Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.'' These passages and many more like them clearly show in the economy of the gospel, that faith in Christ is recognized as an essential principle, and it is the world's duty to have faith in the only begotten son of God for several reasons, ist. We are satisfied since he has come and done son-men among the sons of men that no man could do ; we are persuaded of the truth that Jesus is the son of God ; we look after him knowing that he was so glorious in himself, and was so kind to us. 2d. We search the Scripture after him; we see nothing he done to die for himself, therefore we believe that he must have died for the sons of men; we believe intellectually that he is the son of God, and to believe in him is to believe in doing what he has required, and in not doing what he has forbidden.

For his disciples to believe otherwise would be wrong it seems. We believe as Christ died for us he loved us. He loved us too well to tell us to do anything that would damn us, or cause us to be damned. We believe that his blood was the only blood that could save man ; that his words, commandments and ordinances, are the only way of getting home to rest ; we believe that each of his words have as much power as the other ; we believe that the Scripture is a letter written from God to us, telling us what to do and what not to do to miss eternal punishment, and we take it as such. We read in it that whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God, so borned is belief, and belief is borned. So this is the letter we have on this subject, and that is all we know about it. but we believe that every man, believing that Jesus is the Christ, ought to join God's service, and obey him in all things, and if we find one that confesses it we will try and get him in the church to serve God, teaching him that keeping God's commandments is the only way to know God, and the way for us to know him is to keep his commandments. He that sayeth he knows God and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar and the truth is not in hini. Hereby know we that we are in him if we keep his commandments. The believer is required to be baptized, by which he is obligated to support the three persons in the Godhead, which is his first public confession of a renunciation of the world and the devil, all the balance of the work of confession is private matter between the soul and its maker. After the baptism any and all persons are entitled to the commandments of God, which is the book of the New Testament, and should be introduced to everyone, for as Christ said, "if ye keep them ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I command you." It we don't do them we are not his friends.

It is the duty of both church and confessor to know what the confessor confessed, and know whether there be a promise in the Bible for that confession, for Christ has not promised to confess us for everything we confess, but he said ' ' whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall I also confess before my father's face, which is heaven." So it is the duty of the confessor to confess if he believe that Jesus is the Christ, and that God raised him from the dead, and that he is both willing and able to save him if he will trust and serve him and are willing to do so at the same time, then let him say so. Then let the church receive him, for that is his duty to confess Christ here now, and Christ's duty to confess him there, then in the judgment before his father's face.

To believe that Jesus is the Christ is an internal belief, but there must be an external manifestation, which is made in baptism. After the confession with the mouth, the believer is to go into the water and be baptized by some ordained minister of the. same faith and order in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. And it is to be made known to him or her that they have through baptism obligated him or herself to support the three persons in the Godhead in righteousness, by being baptized in their holy names. Christ died for sin, so he or she is counted dead to the love of sin. So we the church expect a new life. So they are then given the book of the New Testament as the command of God, and tell the candidate if he or she keep the sayings of that book, they will never see death. Then their feet are washed and they are given a piece of unleavened bread as a representation of Christ's body, broken for them, and a swallow of clear water to represent the blood of Christ ; this puts on him the holy armor of God and has his feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace ; then he or she is a member in the unity, and without it no one is thus under the moral and ceremonial qualification for membership, for in accordance with the New Testament it will be seen by referring to the 13th ch. of St. John, between the 8th and 9th ver. : "If I wash thee not thou have no part with me." This is what Christ said to Peter after he had confessed him and had been baptized ; yet he was to have his feet washed or be rejected, so do we. We must teach them to observe all things whatsoever Christ commanded us. See Math., 28 ch. , 20 ver.

1st. The constitution of the church should be the rights and privileges that the Bible gives to the church of God ; first, in all of its meetings for business of any kind the meeting should be opened by reading a suitable passage of Scripture, and then singing, if necessary, then the Lord's Prayer should be repeated by one of the brethern united by the host, and then the house may be considered open for the business for which it meets.

2d. On church matters. No church should be organized

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nearer than one mile of a sister church in the country. But whether in town or country, it would be well for two or three brethren of a sister church to agree with the brethren that compose a new church, if upon an investigation of the matter it is found necessary and circumstances so require, the brethren that compose a sister church should give them, the brethren that compose the new church, a royal welcome and encourage them as circumstances may require.

3d. But if to the contrary it may be omitted and satisfaction and harmony sought for between church and church, let peace abide the house of God. As said Christ: "My peace I leave with you and let it remain so/'

4th. So in all of our works for God let us find his rights in his book for doing whatever we may have to be done, for Christ said : "He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." This is the faith of this church that we follow Christ in all things, for it is written "Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that is written in the book of life to do them. •

The Bible, which is a lamp to our pathway, should be followed in all things, as it is the only way-bill we have, so let us believe according to it, let us talk according to it, let us walk according to it, let us repent according to it, let us be baptized according to it, let us wash our feet according to it, let us pray according to it, let us take sacrament according to it, let us preach according to it, and so on in the constitution of this church. If we do these things, my brethren, we can't be lost.

Christ wanted us to be saved so came down from heaven and stayed thirty-three years, and taught us how to do and what to do to be saved, and we would be foolish not to heed his instructions. And he said unto you "Watch," he said unto all, "Watch." And he said again "Search the Scripture, for in them ye think ye have eternal life, and they are they which testify of me." So now the book of his orders is commended to us all in this our constitution, so be ye submissive unto it.

The ruling power of the church is with the elder or elders of the church when elected by the church as we see. God left it in the hands of the elders and they ruled it according to his will it seems.

We see Paul tell the church who should be excluded and who to take in, and when to and who to forgive, and his instruction was followed. And again it is said "The elder that rules well be counted worthy of double honor." And again in the last commission Christ gave charge he told them "To teach all nations, to baptize them." So we see in this that the elders are to teach and preach, and the church is to obey. But his teachings must be

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such that the church can unite with him, and it must be according as Christ has laid it down. So here we have it: "If any man preach any other gospel than that ye have received, let him be cursed." And again: "If any man come unto you and bringeth not these words, receive him not into your house, nor bid him godspeed, is meant the same words and the the same gospel that the apostles used to edify the church and bring souls to Christ. This is a strict warning to us, not to add nor take away, so let them rule. And again Christ said: "If we keep his sayings we are his disciples.' ' In conclusion will say, dear beloved, submit yourselves to every ordinance of the New Testament for the Lord's sake.

RECOGNITION OF CHURCHES.

All churches, congregations and assemblies that do, or are willing to do, the sayings of the Bible as it is written, and baptize with water in water, and wash feet, and take water for sacrament, and do admonish the Lord's Prayer, a prayer above all prayers, and are willing to take the Bible as a rule and a guide of his life, let it be large or small, the same are our brothers, sisters and mothers, and we will fellowship them as such.

To do the will of God is to be good principally to one another. Christ says: "He that doeth the will of my father, which is in heaven, the same are my brothers, sisters and mothers." And again he says : "None shall enter into the kingdom of heaven but he that doeth the will of my father, which is in heaven." The will of the father is, that we obey his son in all things. So let us do that.

HOW MEMBERS ARE RECEIVED IN THE UNITY CHURCH.

There are two ways : ist. Those being baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, and are willing to let their feet be washed, in the name of Christ, by the bishop or evangelist, pastor or elders, and will take water for sacrament instead of wine, which is a mocker, can become a member in this Union

2d. Those that have not been baptized can become members by believing the gospel and being baptized with water in water, as this appears to have been the only mode of baptism practiced by Christ and his apostles, so if we are going to follow them let us take them up and do so. We notice* that baptism with water in water has been omitted for hundreds of years. It was the opening of the gospel dispensation. It came from God, honored by Christ, and as it was good enough for Christ and his apostles, we think it good enough for us.

John met him with it at his first coming, so we will go out to meet him with it at his second coming. We believe that if it was good then, it is good now, for God's works never get old nor wear out. We don't believe that Christ would be baptized under one mode of baptism and then teach us another, so it is that we baptize with water in water. There has been, it seems, three changes made in the word of baptism but not in the mode. The mode seems to have been with water in water. Moses' words were €i in the cloud and in the sea." John the Baptist's were t; with water unto repentance." Christ's words, given in his last commission, was " in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost." Now you see he ordered a change in the words but not in the mode, so we will not change it; neither did the apostles re-baptize those that had been baptized in the name of Jesus afterwards. But pray that they might receive the Holy Ghost, and so we believe that it would be wrong to re-baptize any person that has been baptized in the three names of the Godhead, because we cannot condemn them that have been baptized under any mode unless we condemn the words with the mode, and that is beyond our power. Therefore the words of Christ would make any mode it seems right if did with the desires of the heart to please God ; yet there is only one mode taught and practiced by him it seems, and we will not have but that one to counterfeit. Any person having been baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, and then re-baptized in the same names, it seems would be blasphemy, therefore this part of the work is omitted by us, for it is the one baptism that we are required to have, which is in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, in water with water.

Of other modes I suppose that if the ministers of the words have and do believe, and teach the people to have their heads put under the water, and to sit in houses and let them pour or sprinkle it upon them, and that they did not have to wash their feet, and that they must drink wine for sacrament ; and the people did all these things with an intent to please God, then their intentions are good it seems, while the deed perhaps is wrong. Then it seems that their intentions would justify them before God, but they are to seek, search and knock to find the perfect will of God, and then do when they know, so they are required to do what they know. But God is the same, yesterday and to-day and forever more, therefore we will not re-baptize any one that has been baptized in his name. Paul did not do it, neither did any of the apostles, and we will follow them.

THE WORD PROBATION.

A word about probation. Where upon preaching the gospel sinners are required to repent at the time that they hear the gospel preached, but some think that they cannot do it all at once. I'll say to the church if such be the case with some in their churches,

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it should be the duty of the church to take their names and under the care of the church to pra> and watch for them and have them to repent. Such persons' names are received as penitents to the church if they agree to repent, which have no more authority in the church than before only the church is required to pray for her penitent souls.

HOW A MEMBER CEASES TO BE A MEMBER.

When a male or female fails to walk according to the faith of the Bible practiced by this church, then they offend the body and Christ said, 4 -If the eye or the foot offend thee, pluck it out and cast it from thee/' etc. See Matt. 18 ch., 8, 9 vers.

So it may be said the way out of Christ is to do wrong and the way out of the church is to neglect to hear the church which, gives one direct way and many circumstantial ways. For the apostle says withdraw yourselves from every brother that walkes disorderly.

So you may walk disorderly in many ways, it is for the church, to determine. We are ordered to walk upright and any departure from this rule is disorderly walk. Now if we will obey our teacher we will be found in the church in and after death so may it be.

THE OFFICES OF THE CHURCH.

The offices of the church seemingly are four, which were and seemingly must be. The first are apostles appointed by Christ to make and baptize disciples for the churches. While they were doing this those that were made by the apostle murmured because their widows were neglected and the apostle told them, look ye out seven men full of the Holy Ghost whom I may appoint over this business. Then we see the origin of the office of the deacon is by the apostle. Then it seems they had writers employed to write for them, which is another office which is a circumstantial office used by both Christ and his apostles. Also we see the churches had a plurality of elders, it seems for their safeguard in the world and their spirit's profit, and so do we in this church. It seems that these elders possess great power. See what they do in James 5 ch., 14 ver. Thus we see four officers, two of which is by Christ it seems, the inspired writer and the apostle. Then it seems that Christ left. In his church the apostle put in the deacons and the church elected the elders and so it all worked together for our good, and a church without them to-day is not much church. We don't think the man that Christ left and placed in the church is the overseer of the church. The writer is a recorder in and for the church : the elders are the eyes for the church it seems. The deacons are to serve the church in all temporal affairs ; elders in all spiritual affairs. The recorder and the church itself and all of its officers are under subjection to its elder, pastor