Morning journal and courier., 1893-10-27
of southern Virginia, then addressed the

of southern Virginia, then addressed the
as follows:
The fact that in this convention are rep
resented nearly all the Protestant branches
of the Christian church Is a very affecting
circumstance to me. Surely, if there are
any that are not represented here 1t is not
because hearty welcome has not been ex-
tended. Our meeting represents the young
manhood of our country who are prepar-
ing to serve in the various churches of the
world Our purpose is to animate the
faith and hope in the Christian church.
Action is better than theory. There are
good men in all churches, am persuaded,
who believe this. But they are withheld
from putting their belief into practice by
many circumstances. If the church had
been a human organization 1t would
have had a single code of laws and
human idea of unity. 1t was
tried all through the fourth century
and existed in smaller way at present.
But the vision of one great organic visible
unity has passed away. Then came the
New Testament, 80 long concealed, and 1t
was found that religion did not consist in
lava, forms of worship and display. Peo-
pie had been searching for the truth In the
letter, but they found 1t in the spirit.
Rome as an empire and Rome as church
had the idea that she was immortal. But
that idea passed away as the mist before
the sun For centuries past the Christian
mind has been being educated in unity and
diversity-the unity of divine life under a
variety of FORM We all believe that If a
man rejects Christ and his teachings then
he ceases to bs Christian. Yet a creed for
all peoples and all classes will need diver
stiles of form. Whatever these diversities
may be thine is the same Lord.
Human nature, with all it's self delu-
sious, knows itself. The world knows
what Is worldly. 1t has had too much ex-
perienoe to be cheated. 1t knows what is
vanity, pride and falsehood. And when
they see it in the church they feel the old
skeptical feeling. But when they see the
spirit of self sacrifice superior to their
own experience they recognise 1t and re-
spect it.
"The stumbling block to the heather
mind on its way to God is not, primarily,
diversity of form. 1t is the spirit of bet
ter antagonism. The love and sweetness
of Christ's spirit, which bridges over
diversity of form, will at last win them to
Christ. Christianity in our world of for
eign missions will be always exhibiting its
fexibility of adaptation to all peoples.
Diversity of form in the Christian church
may be divine intention.
We will not illustrate the spirit of unity,
of course, by standing apart from the fam
lily we are placed in and going apart to
work in the field farthest from us. 1t will
be hard to meke the people think we love
Christ If we do not love each other. hope
the time is not far away when all men will
work side by side for the common good ir
the cause of Christ and of humsnity-work
together against the common enemies of
ignorance, selfshness and sin. hope the
realization of that universal church which
We can see gradually rising through the
ages in not far distant
We have at home our missionaries, too.
There Is not a minister at any of ou1
churches who has not sitting in the pews
before him Greeks and barbarians and al
kinds of people. There is the cultured
Greek with his light philosophy, yonder il
the 1ippant Gallstin whom Paul called
foolish. Then there are the poor. They
are divided from you by great gap. They
know none of the things you know. They
are bound down by the chains of theil
manual toll. How are you going to save
them? Each of them has precious sou
to save. Would you attempt the tssl
without Christ.
Oh, my dear young men, why Is i
that Rome is one of the most pathetic fail
ures ever witnessed. They have made thu
religion of Christ, the religion of song
They have dwelt on the dead Christ unit
the whole spirit and tone of their theology
is pervaded with the idea of the deac
Christ. The living, risen Christ Is lef
out.
81 understand that over the gateway O.
the mosque of St Sophia in Constantinopl,
is an inscription in Greek placed there b.
the Christian architects and left by the ig
norancs aud Indifference of the moslems
Christ Will Conquer And when tn
Greeks meet each other on Easter morI
they greet each other with the salutstio,
Christ is risen.' Oh, 1t is the true, living
animate Christ who can save us from on
sin that we should worship and revere.
"And now just one word to you, des
young men. Go on and do your worl
| side by side without antagonism or con
| tention. And thus you will arrive at tn
highest Christian living and do your fel
low men the most good. And when tn
end has come you will he ar the welcom
| words We'll done, good and faithful serv
| ant; enter thou into the joy of thy Lord
Following is to-day's program:
Morning Session.
900 a. m-Deyotional exercises.
$50 a. m. Paper: missions, the Bond OF Unit,
| in the Church, Christopher Moss, Line aste
Theological seminary.
1000 q. m.-Paper: ''The Problem of the Coun
try Church." Burton s. Gilman, Andover Thee
logical seminary.
1890 a. m.-Discussion OF paper, opened by Y
@. Harrington, Andover Theological seminary.
1900 a. m.-Reports from seminaries.
Afternoon Session.
$50 p. m-Song service.
300 p. m.-Paper: 1.-THE Evangelization o
JAPAN" J. II. Kobayashi, Virginia Theological
seminary.
$3.50 p. m.-Discussion of paper.
400 p. m-Address Rev. Robert A. Hume.
4:30 p. m.-Address: 1.-THE Student Voluntee
Movement L. D. Wishard.
Evening Session.
7:3o p. m.-Address: "The Mission of the spiri
in Missions Rev. 4. ]. Gordon, D. D.
Personal.