The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-05-05
GROWTH OF CHURCH UNITY.

Rings ana Remnants of Old.time In.
tolerance out OF Place IN our day.
Chicago Tribune: Justice Brewer, OF
the United States supreme court. has
an article In the latest number OF the
Independent, IN which he scores de-
nominationol rivalry and predicts that
the twentieth century will be noted for
greater unity in church life. No one
with eyes to see will question the wrl-
ter's forecast OF closer and more cor
dial relations between all the denomi-
nations, but perhaps his condemnation
Of the past rivalry Is too sweeping to
be altogether just. The nineteenth
century has been one Of UNCONVENTIONAL
strife, and the twentieth will be one OF
greater unity. but does not ell strength
come through strife? Were not the
narrow-ninded hostllitles Of the oppos-
Ing church factions as necessary 4
phase OF evolution as were the perpet-
ual combats OF feudalism In bringing
about centralized governments? Justice
Brewer sees the evil OF UNCONVENTIONAL
strife. but he falls to see the good which
he praises has grown out of.the strife
by natural and necessary process.
The foolishness of the bitter intoler-
ance shown by one Protestant denomi-
nation toward another, and OF the per-
ennial quarrel between Catholics and
Protestants, Is appaern. enough to-day.
The hard anu fast lines that made It
almost an act OF heresy for q Presby-
terrain to go Into Methodist church 4
half century ago are now vanished for
ever. and the memory OF the old preju-
dices provokes q smile. The intolsr-
ance that formerly made It impossible
for 4 Protestant and Catholic to sit on
the same platform, not 10 mention ut
tending each others churches, is rapid
~ passing away. The parliament of re-.
liGioas in Chicago stands near the end
OF the era OF church feudalism.
Justice Brewer shows the absurlIty
OF the old rivalry In humorous unec-
dote. Two regiments, one from Indiana
and the other from Ohio, were camped
together during the civil war. The In
diana chaplain was an earnest man and
succeeded IN converting many of the
soldiers in his regiment. When it was
reported TO the Ohio colonel that forty
Indiana soldiers had been baptized he
promptly issued an order TO detail sixty
OF his men for baptism, saying that he
would be b!ankety- blanked II any Hoos-
Ter regiment should have more Chris
tians IN 1t than the Fourth Ohio
1t is well to denounce the rags vf,d
remnants Of the old intolerance, They
are out OF place In the free air OF the
new day. Nevertheless. one cannot
agree with Justice Brewer in seeing
only misfortune in the old rivalry that
multiplied the number OF charitable
Institutions, missionary societies, COL
leges and universities. and filed every
city. town and Village with many weak
and struggling churches instead of n
few strong and vigorous organizations"
Loyalty TO 4 weak enterprise is some
times more potent than mem bershp In
a ilourish!nq congregation. The pres
ent Is an era OF concentration. but the
merits OF a great steel mill need not i'm
ply 4 denunciat!on of the many small
and crude blacksmith shops from which
1t sprung. The village blacksmith was
n necessity in his day. and SO. perhaps,
was the narrow UNCONVENTIONAL preach
er.