Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-01-17
CAVES NEW CHURCH
LARGE CONGREGATION ADDRESSED
BY HIM IN MAHLeR'S HALL.
aud Talks About broadening
tae Basis"

The ST. Louis RsDofblic Of the 18th saws;
The West-End Christian church, the new
orcaniza;ion composed Of members who
recently withdrew from the Central Chris
,ian church tof olow DR.. Cave. inaugurated
services Yesterday morning at Mahler's
Hall. on Olive street.
The large hall was supplied with chairs
- accommodate several hundred people
and by the hour of the commencement Of
services they were all occupied.
A voluntary choir led the singing. and
after the usual song ard praycr-scrvice
Dr. Cave announced his text and thc sub
.e,i of his sermon, Broadening the
Bas
Re introduced his remarks bv saving
chat "a Wow of recent troubles and exist
INC circumstances. be felt called upon TO
plainly and freely state his position ou the
question Of church fellowship. lie wished
understood, however that in what he
was about 10 say he did not intend 70
speak for bis congregation. He did not,
hc said claim the authority TO decide
rpon basis Of fellowship for any church.
but Thought that the occasion demanded n
statement of his own views, which he had
held for years. but which he had never
sought 70 force upon others.
ALEXANDER CAMPBELL.
AGcr quoting and commenting upon the
pravcr of Jesus for the union of Oh His fol-
iowors. aud calling attention 70 the fact
that Christ and the apostles speak of the
Church rs one body. he said: TO restore
tho Church 20 its original oneness and
r.aliZe the PRAYER Of the Master for the
uu. on Of his people was the prime object
of the religious movement which was led
bv Thomas and Alexander Campbell IN the
early pant of the present century. and
which has grown into the Christian Church,
with It's claim Of 100000 members.
But. continued the speaker, in order
that this great object NAV be accomplished.
IN order that the Masters prayer may he
answered and the Church restored To its
pr mitivo oneness. that church must be
come 20 exclusive that it can includc
all Christians This ~ self-evidcnt. The
religious body that does not stand on n
haeis broad enough % hold every child OF
God from the weakest babe 10 the strong
est man in Christ, cannot be tie QUO
Church which Jesus came TO establish.
DIFFERENCES or OPINION.
But where shall We fnd the basis on
which oil Christians can stand tOgetherf
10 is certain that 10 human interpretati N
1i the doctrines aud requirements OF Scrip
ture can meet the demands of the case. AZ
long ~ men exercise the divlnely-clyen
night 10 think for themselves there Will be
Scripture teaching and requirement, and
hence as long as my view or your view or
the view of any boiy Of mon concerning
these questions is made the constitution Of
Tho Church the basis must be too narrow
The history Of the Church abundantly
proves this. for, since the formation OF the
first human creed, never have all Chris
tians been able 10 stand together III one
body.
rTVO1fTNATlONAL NAHROwNEss.
II is common thing for the adherents
OF one religious party 10 denounce the
narrowncss of others Perhaps some of us
might do well 20 consider Our own mar
rownoss little. Every religious body
which exalts its Interpretation oi scripture
teaching on any question INTO test ol lei-
lowship is too marrow to be the one Church
Of the Lord Jesus. The Calyinlstic body,
making ia Calynnstic creed test,
excludes tho Armenian while admit
ting that he is a Christian. The Al
mcniau body testing by It's Armenian
creed excludes the Calyinist, even
whllo concedng that he, in spite
Of his Calvinism. rs accepted by Christ.
The Baptist body, making immersion a
test of fellowship excludes all the plOus un-
immersed while il Acknowledges that they
are Christians All such bodies are self
condemned Their bed is shorter than that
man can stretch himself on 1t, and their
himself in it," yits own admission no one
ofthem If broad enough 10 include all Chris
tians. aud henceno one them meets the de-
mands Of the one Church Of Christ. If the
Great and good man who said IL belong tOnO
party. because the gates of no Qartv are "a
wide as the gates of Heaven" shOdld come
lackfr0m the unseen worldto-da, ne could
not. consistently with that declaration, be-
long 10 the Church which he founded. In
The light Of my own recent experience l
think NAV say that were he TO come to
~. Louis with such a sentiment in bis
heart aud such an utterance on his lips 1t
would have TO he said OF him, as long ago
~ was said of the Master whom ne faith
fullv served: "IIe came unto His own and
lis own received HIM not"
FOUNDATION OF TnE CHURCH.
But pardon this dIgrcsson. Again ask,
Whnt i the basis ON which all Christians
can stand Paul declared it when he wrote
80 the Corinthians: Other foundation
can no man lav than that Is laid. which
is Jesus Christ" This, then, IS the foun-
daiion Of the Church. But there are d.
verse conceptions of Christ. and II 4
proper TO ask A: Whose conception shall
We accept as the basis Shall it he
nnes Some good Christian people
nrote4t Shall il be theirs Other
GOOD Christian people with equal right
protest Shall II be that of any man or
any hodv Of men Still thousands OF good
and true Christians protest We see, then.
that no oLe mans no one Church'S con-
cepf ON of Jesus can give common basis
for nll Christians. That basis must he
fouud IN Jesus Christ ass interpreted by
each individual for himself, according 10
tlc light that is given unto him. That basis
De- Jesus Christ as He is interpreted 10y each
individual in the light Of his inimitable
teaching and stainless life. which are en-
dorscl hv by all human souls and command
the admiration and reverence Of all human
hearts.
lie who places himself on this founda-
tlu hv heartily accepting Jesus as he un-
der~'ands Him-he who brings hlmselt ac-
coldug 10 his measure of knowledge and
ability INTO obedience 10 the will Of Christ
ana .ntO oneness of character and life with
Christ Is Christian and entitled TO all
Christian PRIVILEGES, among which - men,
horship in the Church. 30 believe and SO
speak. To this basis Invite men.
WILL rIrAsED.
The effort OF the Doctor was highly
praised hy those present, and many crowd
cd around him at the conclusion OF the
services 10 express their good wishes.
Those Of the congregation who expressed
themselves feel greatly encouraged 10y the
opening services, and hope soon TO be IN
building Of their own.
pn. CAvg's SUCCESSOR.
A. the Central Christian church Rev.
Alexander Young a talented young minis
ter from Kansas City, recently from Cali
fornia, occupied the pulpit. While the
church was not crowded II was comforta-
blg full. Rev. J. n. Garrison was present
and assisted IA the exercises. Tue sermon
of Dir. Young elected unqualified praise,
and 80 we'll pleased are the members of the
congregation II il more than probable a
call will be rendered him.
THE COLONIAL BALL.