The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-12-02

the past three Wcehs w wv NWt''N'''
church, South Market street, continues
his meetings with increased audiences
The largest audience OF the series as
sembled last night to hear him discuss
the question OF christian Union" Pro-
lessor w. NJ. Clemens with large
chorus conducted the music, Harry
Connolly presided Mt the organ and they
were assisted by Prof. ], II, Hopkins, of
Bellaire, the corpettlst.
Mr.. Harvuut took his text from John
II: 90, u, "Eeither pray / for these
alone, but for them also who believe on
me through their word; that they all
may be one"
Thrice In this earnest prayer OF our
: Saviour He prGys for the oneness OF
His DISCIPLES. He Is about to leave
them and knowing that division would
hinder the progress OF the gospel, this
becomes the burden OF His prayer,
THAT they may DE made perfect In
one, that the world may know that
Thou didst send ma,'
The scriptirnlngss of Christian union
can net be for one moment questioned
by the student OF Gods word. PAU
says 10 the Romans, BE OF the same
mind one toward another" and again
Now the God OF patience and consn-
lation grant you to be likeH1nded one
toward another according TO Chrlst
Jesus; that yo may with one mind and
one mouth glorify God, even the
Father OF our Lord Jesus Christ
In writing to the church at Ephesis
Paul gives seven reasons why Chris
tians should be one. He urges the
Ephesiana In the fourth chapter, to
keep the unity OF the Spirit In the
bounds OF peace" and then declares,
"There Is one body and one spirit, even
as ye are called in Onu hope OF your
calling, one Lord. one faith. one bap-
tlsm. one God and Father OF all who is
above all.
Would 1t not be us sensible and las
scrlpturnl TO say that the Bible teaches
three Lords rs 10 say II teaches or APP
proves OF three baptlsms? or to say
many Gods would be helpful as TO say
many bodies are helpful to .Christ's
cause? VI ark you, there Is one body
and one baptism MS wei as one spirit
and one Lord. That body Is the body
Of Christ. or the Christiln body Of
which He IS head The value Of the
oneness of Christ's disciples is marked
by the strong condemnation OF the d.
vision IN the carly churches.
The apostle calls the church nj Cor
inth cnrnIl because "one saith, am OF
Paul; and another, am of Apolloa."
and bids them give the glory TO God
and to His Christ.
Again he asks, Us Christ divided?
Was Paul Cruclled for you? or were ye
baptized In the name OF Paul. No;
Christ IS not divided. and so His body
hn church, OUGHT NOT h, la
Oneness H. desirable on the grounds
Of rcason, sound policy and good sense.
The strength of union is marked In one
OF our popular NOTES. United we
stand. divided we fall" There is a sto-
~ in some Of your school readers OF the
father who before he died called his
seven SOILS to him and presented them n
bundle OF seven sticks closely bound
together and asked them TO break
them; the stalwart sons took them
across their knees and spent their
strenRth In vain. and returned them to
the father with the confession that they
could not break them. The feeble old
man took his knife, cut the twlpe that
bound them and then taking each one
separately broke them with perfect
ease. The sons caught the fathers les
son OF the value of being bound closely
together. for thus they could not be
broken.
So 1t is with the church Of Christ. An
army crossing a bridge breaks step be-
such oneness OF action is dangerous to
the bridge a few years ago rain be-
gan 10 fall on the western slopes OF the
hlleghnnIes The drops fell slngly.
and, though the grass grew greener,
they seemed to be Of little power. The
drops gathered into little rivulets and
these into streams and into the great
dam on the mountain side until II was
oyer1own and broken. and with the
power OF united waters II rushed down
the valley OF the ConemnuEh. sweeping
houses. trees. railroad trains and tracks
cleansing hillside and valley OF whaleV-
er II contained.
So with Christians; one here and one
th6re may do gone little good, but
working alone can manifest but little
rover: but when In this country all
who believe In the Christ and seek TO
follow him unite they will break down
The dams that have held them back In
the years that are gone and a mighty
flood Of truth and ChriBtian enthusiasm
will sweep the hills and valleys OF this
glorious land md cleanse II from such
curses al the liquor traffic. the social
OWL and Tammany politics. and the
cause OF our God will flourish.
DO you UNk ElNt HhuN ~ VIZ ifAf''sf -
such n union? answer. 1t must be-
built where Christ built II. ION this
rock will build my church and the
gates Of hell shall not prevail agnlnHt
T." This rock Is the truth Of Jesus
Jesus Ia the sun OF righteousness. the
centre Of the universe around which
ali else must move. He has boon given
all power In heaven and IN earth ana
the Father has cried from the very
gates of heaven, Hear 80 Him.
The union must come In a faithful
RECOGNITION OF Hts authority. The faith
no gives must be- the one faith for which
Uis followers must contend earnestly
THE bnptiam which bears tho stamp nf
His authority must be accepted, and
none other. The word Of God must be
respected, and whore II speaks we must
sneak, and where II ~ silent we must
be silent. or ns Rev. Mr.. Upper puts
II, we must give "ubfolutc Devotion TO
Jesus ~ the very Son OF God, anu TO
the scriptures ng the very word Of God"
Tho myths of supciHtitlDnH. Of the
gniutn, the NirEin Mary aud thr pOpr9
must be put abide aud the voice or
Christ hc heard Mun-madc CrredA
and ordinance must pnrlEh and hc 81
lent and lot the word ~ God speak.
No condition u Fellowship whntHu.
ever murt 10 Imposed save those
which the bible impOsoH and them We
dare not give up Tho only confession
of faith In the early church was n cone
ferrlou NJ fnith With whole heart
(Which would include rcpCutnucc) In
Jchup nq the Christ. tho fOn ~ God.
and then belng,Lnpllzrd they were chill
Cd dlfoiplcl pr Christians 4 dcpnri
ing from tlo icnChlrg Of christ aud
apostolic practice made our divisions,
and no return IA Chrlnt'H teaching
and tho apostolic practice viii unto