New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-05-15
SERMONS WORTH KEEPING.
XVI.
DR. Il. NJ SANDERS on CHRISTIAN UNITY.
DISCOURSE BY THE PASTOR OF THE MADISON
x,.,, r.,rrSr CHURCH.

.r,orod ,h oommunion OF another determination the
congregation was lons in securing ms successor
and the work which DR.. Bridgmah had wrought SO
snccessfIllv was taken up by DR.. Henry NJ. San
ders with scarcely a break, and the new pastor Is
ute tho former-has a deep hold on the congrega-
ton.
tho author OF the spelling book bearing his name,
known 10 every American boy generation ago.
II. uas graduated from Yale College In 1872 and
tom the Union Theological Seminary in 1876, when
\. uss twenty seven years old. lie was ordained
paptist minister In the fall Of 1876, and began
his pastoral duties at Yonkcrs, serving six years
IN that place. From Yonkers he came to New
York preaching for several years In the Baptist
Church in West Forty seccndst. DR.. Sanders is
fine writer and a speaker Of great ability He COM
tines with these two gifts third not always pres
ent-he is intensely practical and therefore his SER
mons arc not only good, but they do good His ideas
OF Christian unity, from the abstract of the
sermon given herewith, will not please all who are
Iaboring for the organic unity Of the several de-
nominations. nearly all will agree that the Views
presented be carried Taking for his text
"The Unity OF the Spirit" (Eph. iv 81 the preacher
said:
There kinds OF unty-frozen unity and molten
unity There Is the unity OF block OF ice with sticks
stones and mud congeaed into compact and cohesive
mass. enabling 70 contemplate and treat IT In Its
Crystalline unity. The component parts may be hetcro
geneous, they may even be antaeonsc, but they are
1t is the unity of frost There is the unity Of
fire. in which kindred metals brought to lquidty inter-
blend with such corgenial intercourse as makes the
amalgam iDdivisihly
Ifeie two kinds Of unitythefe is the unity OF
prison and the unity In the former beautiful
uniformity rcigns All rise at the same hour. march to
their meals and TO their work in orderly STEP They
dress alike, with stripe a:d stitch corresponding. and the
lcsh OF hair head tallies with undertaking
accuracy with the length of his neighbours There is
nothing magniAccntly uniform States prson-one
ness is supreme. There is the unity OF home where
love and confidence reign, where all moves With conless
precision too precIrinS another
and with harmony Of purpose and plan
mutual ends Unity OF the prison is
secured by bolts ana bars by guards and guns, the
unity Of the home is secured simply by love-
Concerning Christian unity there are two kinds, one
external. organic. artificial ecclesiastical and ano,her SUBJ
jectye spiritual informal and independent We should
disagree, take which OF these two Is the
more worthul and real whether the latter must
precede and condition the former there is TO be any
true Church unity but possibly we shall part company
when it claimed the latter kind OF unity is all
that hope wish for that organic unity. Church
unity, is neither practicable desirable. Unity in
spirit obligatory, and uniformity. for that
is union at least ultimately
is impossible end undesirable. 1t is not Scrlpura
Paul distinctly needs be hercsic
rendered but 'secs' among you There are divisions
he says. I believe II. There must needs be. 1t Is
part Of Gods providence that there should be. Afford
Stanley and other scholars agree that the meaning is
is the Divine purpose that sects should exist The
cessity may be absolute. but relative growing out
Of our condition finite. Gods truth is colossal
and sided that man or set OF men can compre
bend or express in all its fulness. Each will take
and reflect only what he sees and each will see only
comes within his inheritance and early education
and environment MANY men, many minds" 1t is
impossible for think alike. Men always begin
differ when they begin think always separated
through the head and united through the heart secta
ansn II bad always, everywhere and that continually
but not bad In themselves considered. The
fovd In NJ hut n
the abolition sectaranisn. What Paus analogy
between the head and the body with its various men,
hers, II there be recognition Of what VIC now know
by the Of sectsl The body is not oil foot
hand. "N all were member, where were the body"
The Church he's all voriety Of gift faculty, grace, tenn
perament and experience Uniformity is mark OF the
lowest stage Of existence; variety Of the highest The
nober the Life. the complex. Differentiation Is the
very condition OF Hie Dead things uniform living
things muform. The Church is the superbest finite
instance Of differentiation in respect Of functions
methods, opinions and organization. Our Lord never
promised that there should be fold. but flock.
There IS difference between the belonging TO
the flock and the oneness secured by the fold. AS
historic fact the Chrisan Church
complete absence of different schools Of thoughta uni
formity Of belief and practice
The world has witnessed the spectacle and felt the
power OF a united Church-a period when far pos
sibe sects. protests, variation and
the result? They made desolation and called
il peace. Eccesiascm supplanted Christianity; the
Church. the Bible. the Pope the Christ. Europe was
covered by q single church. but the world did not
believe that God had sent Jesus Christ. Never was ill.,
fidelity and vice rampant when uniformity the
the visible Church. There better sample
and It extngushed individuality and
apotheoszed churchism.
II we may Judge by history uniformity in their
issue always been disintegating. Queen Elizabeth
and james tried their hands at this Utopian dream
saying did the latter II will have doctrine and
dscpline-one religion in substance and ceremony
in mis- reign 1000 ministers, including some OF the
est.
MATES. The whole stormy career OF the English Church
from 1880 1G02 proved the fuy OF trying to promote
church unity by outward uniformity OF creed and service
Surely the unity OF the Church cannot be brought ABOUT
by surrender personal convictions for he who begins
by being false himself will end by being false TO those
with whom he pIofcssed be The unity brought
about by moral compromises only fabby conformity
Like composite photograph OF college classes in which
all individuality obtersted the inspd pale and downy
scquiescence looks kind but also very weak You
can broaden institution until you fattcn IT,
There lie question that there is far more CHRISTIAN
UNITY the to-day before hundred
facts demonstrate it, The Evangelical Alliance Church
Congresses. Conventions uniform lessons the Week OF
Prayer union services tn Young Mems Christian Associa
ton the Young Peoples Society Of Christian Ende,vor the
InsNemnary Alliance, tito Worlds Conference on MISSIONS
womcn's Christian Temperance UniCn. Kings Daughters
The American Bihle Society and similar organizations
the fact that Christians together There
is at bottom hearty will among Christians of every
The old acrimonious battle, disputed points
are giving way under tn rover OF greater unity Oh
faith fellow ship There is rl2d nsls
tncc natter Of subordinate importance.
IL is easily recalled That the close Of Revolutionary
War. thirteen states. independent Of Great Britain and
inde, edent Of other found themselves conf deia
which had the form Of Government but which denied
the power that In these STATE commerce. declined as
rpcntd into rebellion IN New England ana
general confusion general anarchy. In this
extremity eleven State. deIcsts t. PHILADELPHIA who
after four months dcb ration put forth constitution
which Ola istOne pronounced 'most wonderful
work ever OF given time by the brain Of man"
under which the aiated aud The united people
urosperOus and powerful. In this union Of States each
commonwealth Is free internal develop
mont massachusetts with her Puritan and Louisiana
with ber French ancestry do each others
sunday marriage. Temperance laws or forms OF STATE
oo,,nv and town organizations. The peculiar institu
a Of one arc occurred and 2uaanted by the Authority