The Portland daily press., 1881-06-16
THE CONFERENCE SERMON.

The following is an abstract of the Confer
ence Sermon, preached by the Rev. Dr. Will
liam P. Fisher. His theme was the solidarity
of the church, and his texts Eph. iv-3: EN-
deavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the
bond of peace;" Mark ix-4O, sFor he that is
not against US is on our part
1. The first portion of the discourse set forth
the fact of the solidarity of the church, notwith-
standing conventional divisions; the mutual
recognition among national churches at the
Reformation and now: and the insufioiency
of doctrinal discussion to prevent this oneness
when viewed with competent knowledge and
in a large spirit
II. The second part was statement. of
practical duties arising from this fact. L. The
need of large recognition of historical Chris
tianity. 2. The need of a large recognition
OF Christianity geographically. 3. This prin-
ciple involves the recognition of each of, the
constituents or denominations of the entire
Church. 1t is as impracticable to disown the
peculiar features we disapprove of as for the
American traveller in foreign land to disown
some distasteful specimen of his compatriots
4. Over-sensitiveness to the defects of churches
is weakness amounting to timidity. Too
much false pride may lead individuals and
churches to such an attitude towards others as
makes them appear to have no part in Christ's
Church. 5. 1t is the office of each church to
advance the piety of each other. ALI manage
ment which seeks to supplant is violation of
loyalty to the church as whole. Churches
must not take the position of rival enterprises
competing for patronage. Unseemly methods
cause the object of church's existence to be
forgotten; yet these methods are an unavoid-
able result OF the assumption of false position
of a church as mere faction. Each element
of the church should justify its existence, by
being an actual benefit to the other parts that
make one whole 6. Loyalty to Christ is most
honorably manifested by loyalty to this king
dom in the particular form with which we are
familiar; A masterfol sympathy with the
surrounding Christianity is of far more practi-
cal value than any admiration for remote
forms and traditions. Z. Some denomina-
tions called by the Christian name take such
an ambiguous attitude as to make any relation
with them awkward. But they generally SET
tie the matter for us. Some utterly disown us;
them we can let alone. Others demand much,
but use such language concerning and toward
others as make fraternity impracticable Loud
abuse has this advantage that it is label up
on him who utters it. On the other hand fun
the paint wears off the real grain appears.
Where people are at heart in sympa thy with
the church general they are very anxious to
show this, and are likely to succeed.
Ill. The relation of the churches we repre-
sent to the entire church. l. The loyal ad-
herence Of free churches to the faith and hon
or OF the church universal. is occasion, of pro-
found satisfaction. y. We are always to guard
against carrying the freedom of the individual
church to excess. 8. We disown the represen-
tation that Professionalism or Independancy was
even implicitly in the interest of license in be-
lief. Freedom was not sought as an end but
means. The object was purity. 4. A simple
relation OF churches is favorrble to catholicity.
The further churches get away from the Co
pernican theory that makes self the centre
about which all things revolve, the more CON-
petent they are to perceive the meaning and
order of Christ's universe. We belong to the
church universal. The past with all its con-
tests and all its fruits is ours. The church
OF the present, which has not learned to use
Alright its liberties but is reaching out with I'M
precedented benovolence and energy to ameli-
crate human conditions and carry its truths
into the regions beyond ours; the church of
the future with its unknown adaptations-the
one great church of all ages, is ours. The less
our eyes are filled with those elements of our
Lords kingdom which are human. earthly,
temporal, the more clearness and open vision
we have to behold the extent and grandeur of
His present accomplishments and His remain
ing promises. 8. Accordingly we decline to
be crowded into moulds made for JUS. We
possess our traditions and value them, but they
do not possess US. The things which were obi