Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-08-03

I condition Of membership and to lay
! emphasis instead on a covenant to
| live in obedience to Jesus Christ and
to labor in his service in fellowship
| with the church. Several prominent
churches, like the Plymouth OF
Chicago and the Old South of Boston.
have recently taken this step. This
has been the custom of some churches
in receiving members for many years,
as, for example, the First of Ann Ar
| Dor, Mich. Some honored ministers
and laymen, says the Congregation
| allst, deprecate this movement, as is
shown by letters received by US. But
we do not regard it as likely to en-
danger soundeness of faith or right
eousness of life in the churches. 1t is
only returning to the custom of the
fathers. Any one who, with sincere
repentance for sin, aims to live the
life of the Son of God, is worthy the
fellowship of every other who Is try
ing to live That life The fact that
neither can define that life in terms
fully satisfactory to the other is no
sufficient reason for either to refuse
fellowship to the other. By doing
this both would be in danger of los
ing sight of their common aim and los
ing their own souls. Let us each state
our views as clearly and as kindly as
we can. Let us be as positive in our
beliefs as our conscience prompts
But let us allow the same liberty to
our brethren. Only those disciples
are impossible to live with who are
sure that they know perfectly and obey
without flaw the mind and will of God
Ian Maclaren has been descanting in
his own church in Liverpool on the
power Of the secular spirit and the
weakness of the Christian church in
the United States. Men, he says, are
devoted to money and money-getting
in way and to a degree which he
could not have imagined possible
This charge" comments the New
York Christian Advocate, ''has con-
siderable foundation. He added that
the churches in the United States are
conducted to a considerable extent as
large business concerns, money-mak-
ing permeating everything For this
also, there is much foundation. Still,
it might be we'll for him to consider
whether the motive of his tour, the
amount Of compensation which
the shrewd lecture agent who
brought him over was able
to offer him, and his willing
ness to make another tour here for the
same purpose, does not in some de-
gree illustrate the same spirit. It is
a right spirit up to certain point.
We would not intimate that he has
transcribed it, but such short visits
as he made, and visits occupied as
these were, do not enable man to
speak too positively concerning gen
eral tendencies. He is further credited
with expressing surprise that in some
districts he found congregations con-
sisting almost entirely of women. This
also is just charge, and a most sug-
gestive fact"
We are surprised and delighted, says
the Outlook, by a statement which
recently appeared in the Guardian Of
London, the largest and ablest Angli-
can paper in the world It advocates
that at the approaching church con-
gress in England some representative
nOn-conformist should be invited to
take part in the proceedings and set
forth the non-conformist situation.
That would be great step in advance.
Little might seem to result from the
presence at the congress of a non-con-
formist speaker, but the moral in
fuence would be invaluable We can
easily imagine the JOY with which a
man like DR.. J. Guinness Rogers
would expound and interpret the prin-
ciples of the dissenters before the
bishops and clergy Of an Anglican con-
gress. 1t would be an occasion worth
crossing the ocean to witness.
The movement for summer Christian
work in this city, says the New York
Independent, has taken shape in the
securing Of a vacant plot of land 200
feet square, at the corner of Fifty
sixth street and Broadway, where
tent capable of seating 1900 persons is
to be erected. 1t is to have side walls
which can be opened out, enabling
5000 or 1000 persons to see and hear.
An organization has been effected in
Guiding representatives of several
church d: Calvary Baptist, Amity
Baptist, the church Of the Strangers,
and others. Mr.. Moody has been
invited to inaugurate the work by
preaching the first sermon next Sun
day. Other prominent ministers are to
share in it, including Drs. J. w. Chap
man. r. S. Macarthur, Wilton Merle
Smith, David Gregg. A. J. F. Behrends.
George G. Lorimer, Charles E. Jeffer-
son, w. H. P. Faunce and others from
this country while Rev. F. B. Meyer
and Rev. Campbell Morgan Of Eng
land are to take part. Prominent
laymen are also to share in the work,
including Robert E. Speer. Maj. D. W.
Whittle, John R. Mott and Gen. o. o.
Howard. The general purpose is to
give as good services as those at
Mortified, and, if possible, even bet
ter.
A free church cathedraP is the
name which an English paper gives to
the new church to be erected at Brigh-
ton in England for the ministry Of
Rev. R. J. Campbell, the young man
who has so suddenly come to the front
as one of the great preachers of our
time. He was originally a churchman,
and is graduate of Christ Church
college, Oxford, where he had a dis
tinguished career as a scholar. He is
not much more than 80 years of age,
but has moved the city of Brighton as