Worcester morning daily spy. (Worcester, Mass.) 1888-1898, 1898-02-09
CHURCH UNITY.
Episcopal Club Hears the Cues,
ton Discussed.
Rev. Henry s. Nash, .. o., of Cambridge,
Rev. Or. Conrad and Rev. Or. Gunnison
the Speakers officers Elected.

| Club at it's annual meeting at the Bay
State House. Tuesday evening. Forty
two members and guests sat down to the
daintny-decorated tables at O'Clock.
and discussed the following excellent
dinner which Landlord Douglass pro-
vided;
Consomme AIacedoin. Mullagatawnyt
Celery.
Outlets Salmon. Anchovy Sauce.
Roast Ribs OF Beef. Potatoes HohandaiSa.
Roast Capon, Giblet Sauce.
Roast Spring Lamb, Mint Sauce
Oysters q la Poulette
Chicken with MayounafSA
Banana Fritters, au Vanilla
| Mashed Potatoes Baked Sweet Potatoes,
Atlantic Pudding, Cream nSS Sauce.
Vanilla Ice Cream.
Assorted Cakes. Nut Cake.
Sponge Cake Cake Lady Fingers. Loaf Cake
Bon Bons English Walnuts. Castanaa
Malaga Grapes Oranges Apples.
Crackers. D@"AH'9' Cheese.
Tea. Coffee.
After cigars had been lighted, President
Charles G. Washburn called the gather
ing to order and presided with rare
grace and wit during the evening"
| Rev. DR.. Conrad Of the Old South Con-
| gregational Church was the first speak,
er. Il apprehend,' he said, that the
largest need Of the day is a keener
| sympathy. Christian unity, and not
uniformity. Christian unity is always
| feasible, while uniformity is not always
| desirable. What is suitable for one is
| not suitable for another. Church unity
! in general way Is a. religion of true
spiritual fellowship. A spirit not of
polity, not a doctrine.
Who can compose this unity7 II
| must be limited to those who agree on
certain great fundamental doctrines
There are some fundamental truths so
vast that all the churches may unite ON
| them. We must accept certain things
which are essential to Christian life
Anything like church unity must rec
ognize certain of these great fUnda-
| mental facts. 1t IS easy to see how
much Is lost when there is antagonis1n
| instead of cooperation. Instead of go
ing to relieve the world, this force is
lost.
There are hindrances. First of all
there is ecclesiastical conceit. Su-
| periority, no matter where, stands as a
bar to true Christian unity, CApplause)
| We can at least regard with the largest
| liberty and spiritual tolerance the meth
cd and doctrines of others. When a
church claims to stand at the head it is
q barrier and q hindrance. There is the
spirit Of intolerance and bigotry, which
| Is personal. If there are members in
| the church who stand aside it serves az
a bar, which prevents cohesion. Church
unity can never be accomplished until
| the forces of God unite. The more en-
heightened the world grows, the more it
is drawn toward this true spirit Any
thing in the nature of envy or jealousy
| is a hindrance. 1t is lanentable
thing when churches look with envy
| one upon the other. We need to pray
| for a keener interest in other faiths.
Religion is coming more and more as
mastery manliness. (Applause)
''The tendency should be to magnify
our agreements 1t is astonishing how
insignificant our diSagreements seem in
comparison with the agreements The
agreements are legion and the disagree
ments few. Let us magnify the one and
ninify the other l don't believe that
church unity can be brought about by
ecclesiastical legislation. 1t is some
thing deeper. 1t is a thing that comes
from a closer acquaintance with one an
other. When we understand Christian
unity, we will see that we are all look
ing to the same God, with the same end
in view-the making of the world
brighter and better
Rev DR.. Gunnison of the First Uni
versalst Church was the next speaker
l find that the universe is so organized
he said that it is not possible for us
all to live the same way. There is a
great law that binds the systems to-
gether, but Mars and Jupiter both
have a different light and course. 1t is
not possible to change the petals Of the
daisy to those of the rose. 1t has been
the same with the history of the ma
lions. Each has had its special work
to perform, which, uniting, has served
for the good Of the world. 1t is so with
the individual Many men have many
minds. In the holy word we see this
illustrated God has set to each ono
separate tasks. In the same way he
has set men in different denominations,
because they are of different minds.
1t Is impossible to put them all in the
same building. I believe men fight best
under their own flag and with their own
arms. do not believe it is possible to
work along the same lines. believe
sures a thorough cultivation of the soul.
l think the thing most to be lamented Is
not the hostility and partisanship SO
much as indefiniteism in denominations.
There is a great waste in the denomina-
tons this way. There are 143 denoni-
nations. We find that the Baptists
have IL, the Methodists II, the Presby-
terians u, and others more or less. Each
one has its separate and costly ma
chimes. Through this competition
comes alienation.
know of towns hardly large enough
for a strong church, where there are a
multiplicity Of denominations, all sup
ported more or less by missionary aid.
We ought to have genius enough to
federate the denominations. II we
could, we should do away with great
wastes, and the things that are imperfl-
ling success and hindering out efforts.
We should also all work with a common
purpose, a common spirit and a common
love, recognizing the same great princi-
pies.
We should stop fishing in other peo-
pies ponds. When a stray sheep comes
to your flock, send him back I believe
that the unity should not come by sur
render, compromise or fusion, but by
federation. We should give others the
respect We demand for ourselves, re
that God speaks to many
men in many ways.
Rev. DIR. Henry s. Nash of the Epis-
copal Theological School of Cambridge,
closed the speaking. He said that the
spirit had gone SO far
that it quarrelled with itself. He OUT
lined the causes for the great number
Of beliefs, saying that it sprang from
a people who were willing to suffer for
their convictions In former times, the
conditions favored the sectarianisnn, hut
now these conditions were changed. and
q change must be needed IL the country
was to prosper. An essential need OF
ne said. was seclusion,
which is not possible now. No man
could rub elbows with the great world
and retain all his individual peculiarA-
ties. True individual characters are
only found in secluded New England