The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1890-11-07

long he has a few kindred spirits in his train
and some bright morning he filings out to the
world a brand new church, Just finished, and the
church. read the other day a list of the one
hundred and eighty odd religious sects which
make Babel of England. One was defined as q
body which believes that its prayers alone can
influence the DEGREES of Providence; another as a
sect which believes that the Saviour's death has
saved all men, past, present or unborn another
as abstalners from animal food which has not
been bled; another as believers In a real pres
ence in the sacrament of the altar; another rs
unbelievers in the same presence. Every one Of
them championed or offered some theory-some
view The originators of these sects are precise
ly like Pharsees mentioned in the 18th chapter
OF the Acts-men who come. saying Except We
be circumcised, We cannot be saved"
Now the trouble, rule, is not at all with
the ideas which these various sects profess. 1t
is the idolatry of these ideas and the unwilling
ness to let other iceas live and the eevating of
these ideas into absolute universal truths. 81
do not rocall single division in thrstendom
since the last general council in ESQ., II am read
ing you the words OF one we all know and lovel
that did not come from making human opin-
ions condition of church fellowship. 1t is not
the things which are necessarily to be believed I'M
to salvation which divide the church OF God. 1t
is our infallibe selfwill, our private lnterpreta
tions of Gods word, our opinions about things
upon which men have right to differ, which
builds altar against altar, and sect against sect.
The distinctive features of nearly every Christ
ian body in America could be'held as matters OF
opinion without separation or schism in body
of Christians" This is quite as true as 1t was
years ago when Bishop Whipple said it. The
passion of trade-m rrks and specialtles has set
us to building hedges and walls. We are drawn
into various camps and under various flags.
Ideas divide us and we unchureh each other on
the basis of differing views:
Is il pOssble that men should ever agree? Is it
desirable that they should all and always agree?
Look at the variety i'll nature Think what
kind of world we should have if we were sur
rounded by dead uniformity Then think
what kind of world we should have If men
thought in the same way. The presence of po-
litical parties proves that we are not all OF one
mind here in our Republic But the political
parties are made up of men who love their coun-
try; there is no doubt about that, certainly.
The constitution OF the United States is some
thing we ought all to be loyal to. That consti-
tuition is summed up in a few brief statements,
that there is a God who is an Almighty rather
and that the Saviour is the earthly reflection OF
God and Gods will This, with a few historical
details me les up the creed and the church s
constitution In its Interpretation every man
should be perfectly free. On all other questions
a man should be unshackled These necessary
things" shonld not extend beyond this simple
profession of faith. This is enough. This is a
working basis This is chart and compass. No
extras ought to be demanded. But behold there
come the peddlers of theories and views; there
come the men with speculations which must be
accepted as final truth; there come the men with
their own ideas (which they have perfect right
to hold and try to force them on their fellows
as absolute and eternal. And preferring the
triumph of an individual theory to the compre-
hensve, liberal, Christian brotherhood which
finds place Tor all views ana CneOrleS, Uney CUT
themselves loose, and 10, sect is born.
I am not having solely in mind Christions of
other names. am not thanking God that we
of this church are not as ether men are. For
here in this church are men who would tie her
down to the petty dimensions of sect; here in
this church are men who ibeling the good and
true name Catholic. would bind the church by
their little ideas of what she should be and keep
her from being as broad as human need and hui
man sorrow.
If we are ever to have any church unity-if we
are ever to cease wearing motley uniforms-if we
are ever to have whole church instead of four
score warning sects, it must be on the basis of a
broad, simple foundation, and absolute freedom
everywhere else. The simple creed of the Apost-
les is accepted by every body of Christians of any
significance. Why cannot we agree upon it
without theories or views about it? We will
agree that the Holy Scriptures contain record
of Gods dealings with the world and the account
OF divine manifestation in humanity. Why
cannot we agree upon this, without any theories
of inspiration? We all believe that the Saviour
appointed baptism and the holy communion as
essentials to His church. Why not ac"ept them
without making our speculationS about them
necessary truth? We all believe that church
has an orderly growth and development like
any other institutions We believe that it began
with the Saviour and stretches down through the
ages. We do not believe that it begins with