The herald., 1898-01-24
Mutual Interdependence
Among Christians
AN APPEAL TO AMBITION
HOW THE DOCTRINE OF RIGHT
EoUsNESs MoDIFIES BELIEF
"The Gentleman" Defined by Rev. B.
E. Howard-Sunday Sermons
From Various Churches

The Rev. B. W. r. Tayler, rector of st.
Johns Episcopal church, preached yes
terday morning on the subject of "Mu-
tual Interdependence Among Chris
tians," basing his sermon on Ephesians,
iv:25: "We are members one of anoth-
er." The analogy was drawn between
the functions, performed by the various
parts of the human body, and the work
and place Of the individual Christian in
the church of God.
The church has always strictly insist
ed on the mutual relationship of
her various members. Into this rela-
tionship we are born by baptism, and no
difference is made on account of color,
age, sex, or conditions of life. When
this is duly and properly recognized,
then and then only will the church be
able to do the work which God put her
into the world to do and which the
church only can do. Her mission is to
make members of one blood of all the
nations of the earth, to bring them into
fellowship with Christ, and therefore on
4 free, full and complete equality one
with another, be they Parthians, Medes,
Elamites, Chinese, negroes or Choctaw
Indians.
This is the dream OF universal brother
hood, which the church of Jesus Christ
alone can bring about. The failure to
recognize this has driven mankind to
lnaugurate schemes for accomplishing
universal brotherhood, schemes which
always have failed and always will fail.
Secret societies, socialistic and commun-
lstic organizations. religious schisms,
have all ben begun with the very laud-
able idea of doing what the church of
God should be doing, but which she is
failing to accomplish on account of the
wretched faithlessuess of her members
Ind their failure to grasp her divine
mission.
Suppose the church of God were to
fully and freely recognize the principle
of perfect mutual fellowship, what would
be the result? The first result would be
complete unity within one branch of the
church, and so-called high churchmen
Or broad churshmen, or low churchmen
would realize that they being members
pf Christ, We're therefore members one
pf another. The next result would be
the reunion of the separated branches
pf Christ'S church, when Roman Catho-
lies, Methodists, Baptists, Presbyteri
ans, Friends, churchmen, and all follow
Frs Of the Lord, would keep the unity of
the spirit in the bond of peace, for they
would all be members one of another.
The next result would be the quicken
Ing of the missionary spirit as an active
hrir ci MIR of tho Chrictia n life The
result would be that the church of God
would be a veritable ark of refuge, in
which persons wearied with the strife
Of tongues would find the peace and joy
they are looking for. The next result
would be the due recognition by the
world of the marvellous power Of the
church of God in allaying the fevered
disorders and threatened storms of the
day.
Socialism would melt like mist before
the rising sun, for the church would be
the true socialistic organization. Secret
societies of a benevolent and charitable
character would have lived out their
day and usefulness, when the church be-
came the true charitable benevolent and
fraternal society. There would be no
conflict between capital and labor, for
the Capitalist" and the 'laborer" would
not try to over-reach each other.
If, SO far, Christianity has not done in
the eighteen centuries of its existence all
that has been expected of it, the fault
lies with the individual Christian who
does not exemplify in his life the prin-
ciples of his profession. When each in
lividual Christian becomes really and
truly Christ-like the age of reforms will
be successfully ushered in.