The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-07-04

Congregationalists stand for nearly
the same doctrines but hold to diff
ferent politics.
Life and polity constitute not es-
sential but practical differences-in-
dicating diverse tastes and pointing
to the perpetuation of sect and de-
nominationalism. 1t is not uniform
ity that is desired but unity of spirit
and action. Denominationalism is
physical necessity, and comparing the
sects of Christendom to the different
corps of an army, it need not be any
reflection upon Christianity, if all.
When the word forward" is given,
move as one body.
Doctrine, said Mr.. Pringle, is the
real bar to organic church unity. The
situation between liberal and ortho-
dox Che did not like these terms, they
were misnomers) may be described
thus: The orthodox distrusts the lib
eral and says "You are not loyal to
the Great Captain" The liberal re-
spends: "We are loyal to him, but
time has wrought great changes in
our conceptions, which cannot be
ignored. And however it may be ex-
planned the fact of honest differences
of thought makes people stand apart
in religion just as in politics. There
can be no compromise here without
surrendering convictions. The ortho-
dox church has held to doctrines
which have long been regarded as
essential, which the liberal church has
taken and modified. We, said the
speaker, cannot consent to full con-
cession until we get definite and
satisfactory answers on four points:
l. In what sense is Jesus divine? 2.
How is the Bible inspired, if at all?
3. The use of prayer. 4. The need
and idea of salvation.
The orthodox believe in free thought
but they are not ready to hang up old
and tried armor, or turn from weap-
ons which had always served them
we'll unless they were sure of better.
Still there is more we hold in com.
mon than upon which we differ, and
this ought to bring us together in all
sincere efforts for the good of man.
Ii we went as far as we could. now, we
would doubtless find we could go still
farther. Church unity is really
matter for local churches to attempt
to practice. That is where the test
must be applied. If people instead
of asking. "What do they believer"
should ask, SIS this church doing
good in the name of Christi" church
unity would become reality. The
man whose brother differs from him
in his definition of God, Christ and
the Bible, but agrees with him as to
their power, is working against Christ
when he refuses to work with his
brother because of this difference.
FROM THE UNITARIAN STANDPOINT.
Rev. W. R. Lord, pastor of the
Unity church, st. Paul, followed Mr..
Pringle in spirited address on
"Church Unity from the Unitarian
Standpoint" In substance he spoke
as follows:
This subject was one very near his
heart and he was svery glad of the
opportunity to address this Conven-
ton upon it. He should discuss the
question from what was essentially
the Unitarian standpoint, and yet not
as a Unitarian.
In the first place, beginning with
the Worlds Parliament of Religions,
which was epoch making in it's i'm
portance, there were certain phenom-
ena bearing on this question which
should be noted. Down in eastern
Massachusetts, where the speaker
formerly lived, there had been formed
a union of ministers of different sects
for co operation in certain work The
very fact, said Mr.. Lord, that you can
have union of Romish priest on
the one hand and of Unitarian min
lister on the other is tremendous fact
in its significance.
Again: A former member of the
church of which he was pastor had
moved to Iowa where there was no
liberal church. Meeting this person
some time since he had asked him if
he attended the church in his new
home. "Yes," was the response 81 at
tend and am a member of the Presby:
terian." Surprised, he asked him how
that had come about, whereupon the
man said that the minister had in
vited him, and the church had voted
him, into their fellowship with full
understanding of his religious ideas.
That this Presbyterian church and
minister we're willing to do this, Mr..
Lord remarked, was a significant fact