The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1898-07-15
CHURCH UNITY.
A Sermon Preached at the Congregation.
al Church by T. Merrill Edmands.

| interesting serLnOH pTedCueu ny heV.
II. M. Edmands at the Congregational
church Sunday, July 10th:
One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
one God and Father of all. Eph. As.
There is no more hopeful sign of the
times than the fact that Christians
are discussing Christian unity. Some
are anxiously looking for some COM
mon ground upon which all Christians
can unite; others are eagerly seeking
for.the signs of the coming Of the 9TH
er churches to their point of view,
and hailing every modification of doc.
trine or form of worship in their d.
rection as sure proof Of the final tri-
umph of their denomination.
wish this morning to present some
thoughts upon this subject from the
standpoint of a Congregationalist
First, let us see what we mean by
church unity. To many this means
the union of all Christians in one vast
organization, having a common creed
and form of worship. This is not the
unity that Paul was speaking of in the
chapter from which the text is taken.
When he wrote this epistle there were
societies of Observation-Disclosures
Rome, in Corinth, in Thessalonica, in
Phillip, and in many other cities and
towns. These stood apart from each
other; every separate church managed
it's own affairs. Their unity was not
that Ct any central ecclesiastical au-
thority, but that of the possession of
a common spirit. They were one
| body because Christ was the head.
All acknowledged one Lord, one faith,
one baptism. The word faith does
not mean a creed, but common trust
| in Christ. One baptism does not
mean one uniform method of baptism
either by immersion or sprinkling,
but baptism into Christ as in Gal. ST.
81: "For as many of you as were bap-
tised into Christ did put on Christ"
Baptism was symbol of the believers
entrance into union with Christ. In
to this spiritual unity modernProtest-
ant Christianity has already come
in much larger degree than is COM
monty appreciated. If one goes into
a non-liturgigal church in one Of our
larger cities at the usual morning SER
vice it is difficult to tell the denomi-
nation of the preacher. There are
differences in pulpit and pew due to
culture, social position, temperament,
point of view, theological bias, but
| these are not matters Of denomina-
tion, The conservative and progress
i've in all denominations are nearer to-
gether than the different wings of the
same denomination. There is no
greater contrast between pastors. and
congregations than are found in our
| own denomination in Chicago or
Brooklyn. Drs. Gunsaulus and Good
win stand ia many respects at oppo-
site theological poles. In Brooklyn,
we have the churches ministered to
by Drs. Abbott, Storrs, Belerends,
Merideth and McClead; the first two
of Congregational training, while
Belerends was a Baptist, Merideth a
Methodist and McClead a Presbyter-
| ian; all working harmOniously as Con-
gregationalists, and yet differing
much in their theology. There is also
a growing charity towards those who
differ. Theological discussion never
had less of odium theologium, or theo-
logical bitterness. Men rarely call
each other names or impugD each 9TH
er's motives. Ali these things are in
dications of growing unity. While
the union of Christians in Y. M. G. A.
in young peoples temperance and re-
form societies all show great progress
towards real Christian unity. So long
as there are various types of religious
life, so long as individuality is a fac
tor in progress it is better that there
be different types of churches. The
most that is desirable at present is
such cooperation as will prevent the
over multiplication of churches in
small towns, and over tapping in mis-
sion fields. There are many towns in
Minnesota where there are too many
churches. There is not sufficient finan-
cial support. Imperfectly educated,
pastors minister to small congrega-
tions. The churches do not do their
work as they ought because OF limited
members and means, while home
mission boards are running in debt to
keep it's benefciaries from actual
want. This is the reason that there
is pressing need of some form of con-
federation or CO operation between
churches. The cause has been largely
| ecclesiastical oppression. Men have
left the mother church to enjoy larger
freedom of worship. This is illustra
ted in the many fold divisions OF the
Methodist church. Slavery divided
the Baptist, Methodist and Presbyter-
Ian churches into two bodies. The