The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-03-02
SUNDAY. MARCH ., 1890.


DWELLING ~ Shtt bh's''
Christian unity was an idea clearly ae-
centuatod hy the gathering last week 10 90
honor 10 the life and services Of that faith
fnl preacher Of the Gospel Of peace, the Rev.
DR.. Moses u. llogc.
speakers representative Of many church
bodies paid their glowing tributes before
an audience which forgot for the time that
there were such things as apostolic success
sion. a proposed revision Of the Westminster
Standards. infant baptism or adult INNER
sion. predestination and election, or close
communion
To the thoughtful mind came naturally
the thought, why cannot the churches ENJOY
AT all times the living together as brethren
cxcmplifed heroy Why cannot a Lutheran
congregation. for instance, listen 70 the elo-
ouence of a Hoge or a Hall at its regular
service: why cannot Wilson or Kerr MI
"A Protestant Episcopal pulpit, or "a Ran
dolph minister 10 Presbyterian bodys To
what dodenominati0nal distinctions amount
anyhows "Why should they not be dimin-
ished as rapidly as possible so as 10 hasten
the time when there shall be one fold and
one shephordW-
While the other speakers touched upon
this subject, the greatest STRESS perhaps
was laid upon it byBshop Randolph and the
Rev. DR.. lIoge. The formers words should
be printed in golden letters and sent with
every overture made by one church 10
another for closer union.
Abiding 10 the afternoon services at the
second Presbyterian Church, he said "Per-
haps they have helped TO put your city in
the advance ranks Of that great movement
throughout Christendom for Christian
unity. The tide is moving and rising along
the lines Of all the churches in Christendom.
The day Is coming when jealousies between
churches and riyalries between preachers
and the sharp tongues Of sectaran
exclusiyeness will be numbered
among the things Of the past.
II will come-it is comins-not
by the oblteration Of what you call denom-
national differences. not by all churches
conserving TO merge themselves into one
organism and subscribe to one confession
of faith, not when Christendom with its
million OF churches will repeat the same
prayers and worship through the same lita-
MES; that would be unity Of sameness. The
unity Of sands upon the seashore, all alike
tnem-a- tiea6 th,rc Lying fQEm, hetWeeg
coming will be like the unity Of nature
one spirit under diversity of form, one
Lord, one faith, one baptism, one
God and Father of all How far
ahead Of his time Paul was. lie finds the
Corinthians divided in parties. The watch
word Of one party is, | am Of Paul; the
watchword of another, ! am Of ApOllos
another, l am of Cephus. lie asks, was
Paul crucihed for YOU lie tells them that
the ministry is your servant for Jesus sake
All ministers with their varied gifts belong
not to themselves, but 10 you. All things
are YOURS. The faith and science Of Ccphus,
the cloquence Of Apolos. the logic Of Paul
all are yours. The ministers of all the
churches of this city belong to each and
every one Of You Christian people. Dr.
lloge, YOUR own minister and preacher, be-
longs % me as well as YOU. and the varied
gifts of every other minister Of this city
belong TO us all, they are all your servants
for Jesus sake
To these must be added those of DR.. Hoge.
that ''nO church. however organized and
equipped, if isolated from its sister church
e., and much less, if antagonistic 20 them,
can accomplish any widespread and per-
is anything more characteristic than an
other Of the times we live in, Il is the fact /
that while there never was more denomina- |
tional zeal and activity than now, associa- /
ted with il there is a determination 10 bring /
10 the front the real unity which binds all /
the branches Of the Christian family toge-
Their in one harmonious and happy brother /
hood. There is an uprising and advancing /
tidal wave Of Gospel charity, which, trust,
will continue % rise and swell until il /
sweeps away all the bigotry, the intole-
rance. and the exclusiyeness which have so 4
long deformed and degraded Chrstendom."
l. not the unity Of the seashore sands, pic
tured by Bishop Randolph, the great imped-
iment 10 the advance Of the tidal wave of
charity, mentioned boy Or. Hoge?
Does not the question Of the disciples,
''Who shall be greatest in the kingdom Of
hea,enr still animate the divisions which
have widened ever since impetuous, sensi-
tive Peter and Paul and James had their
diflerencesy
Real unity cannot exist without charity;
charity is the child Of humility-the think
ing Of ones self not more highly than one
ought 10 think. Except We become as lit
lie children We cannot enter the kingdom Of
Heaven
The more rapidly the churches tear away
the barriers which divide them in their pro-
gress in the same direction, the wider will
become their pathway and the sooner will
they reach the broad plane.
"- where spirits blend:
Where friend holds fellowship with friend
Though sundered far, by faith they meet
Around one common mercy seat"