Daily Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1882-1893, 1888-03-18
CHURCH UNITY.
An Elaborate Argument in Favor
of a Combination of the
Denominations.
This Grand Project Desirable
from an Economical Point
OF View.
CHURCH UNITY.
A Paper Read at the Recent Meeting of the
PresbytsTy Of Montana at Helena.
BY Rev. 7. c. Armstrong

A Paper Read at the Recent Meeting of tn
Presbytsry Of Montana at Helena,
BY Rev. 7. c. Armstrong.
Church unity is u new phase ol
form Of church life that Is demanding
attention Within the last ecade th,
subject Of Christian union has beer
more or less sgitsted and discussed il
religious periodicals., literary review
and in Christian conventions.
There have been some imprAetioabl
theorists, who msgnifying the divis
ions In the Christian church hav
sought by mere mechanical rules h
heal these divisions, and bring Chris
tian bodies into one Organization and
ia localities to bring Christian bodies
into united church, to be known al
a Union church, but generally in such
cases such churches have either gone
to pieces or have been merged iutc
some one of the great denominations
of the country. Independent churches
or Union churches do not generally
have long life. There Is the need OF
Identification with q large Christian
body for sympathy, moral support and
psrmanence.
Division exists in the Protestant
churches from differences of judgment
on ninor points Of doctrine, modes of
worship and church polity. We are
all one:on the fun fundamentaI,doctrines OF
the gospel and cheerfully recognize
one another as Christian bodies.
We have much In common and re.
Gently we have been seriously think
ing that our points Of concord are SO
greatly, We might say, SO infinitely
paramount to our points of differen CO
that In the minds Of many the subject
Of organic oneness has become one OF
serious thought, prayer and plan.
The time seems TO have come in the
development OF Protestant Christian.
ity, when there should be combina-
tion OF her Christian forces, and a
united attack on all forms u evil, or
at least when there should be some
inter-denominstional plan and admin.
istration with reference to money and
men.
Whenever subject like this 10 ser
iously discussed and largely discussed d
1t foreshsdows a grand coming event.
First-The desirableness OF church
unity.
Is church unity desirable; Would
the Protestant churches do better
work for our common Lord by being
united in one organization than by
separation We give an affirmative
answer to the question with emphasis.
We believe the time will soon be past
when these divisions will longer be
justIfisble.
Church unity is desirable from an
economical point Of view. This may
be the least reason for such q aunity
but IL is u reason nevertheless. This
emporal side OF the church's welfare
Is very important to be considered.
From business point Of view the
church is maintained by money, and
here worldly wisdom which is COM
mepded by the Saviour would suggest
the administration of the churhe's AZ
fairs with economy. Money does not
grow on trees, even In this
prosperous country II is often hard to
obtain, and the children Of light need
TO administer the affairs Of Christi
visible kingdom on an economic al
basis, and whenever there are more
Christian denominations In commu.
nifty with the expense Of erecting
houses Of worship and maintaining
pastors, than are needed by the relig.
Gus Interests of the community there
il poor economy exercised.
A large majority Of western work is
organized and maintained by the aid
given from church extension and
home mission boards. and we believe
many thousands of dollars are unnec-
essarily spent every year In assisting
feeble rival congregations In sparsely
settled western communities, while
the religions beyond are hungering for
the gospel and are needing the Chris
tian ministry.
Just here = word ofcautionl Perhaps
there are some " who eagerly learn this
point Of Christian economies empha-
sized from motives OF personal econo'
my. Poor souls, they sraspst this or
gument with eagernsss and congrstu'
late themselves when church unity IL
brought about, their church dues will
be less, but let US remember the object
sought IN 10 curtail expenses In one
community or section OF country 10
appropriate more largely in other