The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-01-09

where members can pass from congre-
CATION to congregation. and a letter of
introduction from one church to another
be all the passport necessary. But such
is not the case to-day, for members
going from denomination to dcnOmina-
ton must frequently be examined by
those in authority, and perchance also
attend to some command that, in the
Judgment OF the body receiving such a
member, has not been scripturally
obeyed. 1t is well, therefore that we
discover the points of unity in the early
church, around which all Christians
rallied, and by which they were held to-
2ether. And we are not left to guess
concerning these, for they are plainly
set forth in Ephesians, 4:1-6. I therefore
the prisoner of the Lord beseech you
that We walk worthy of the vocation
wherewith We are called. with all low
illness and meekness. with long suffer-
ingSforbearing one another in love; en-
deavoring to keep the unity of the
spirit in the bond of peace. There is
one body, and one spirit, even as ye
are called in the one hope of your call
ing; one Lord, one faith. one baptism,
one God and Father of all, who is
above all, and through all, and in you
ALL
Thus Paul declares that these points
are characteristic of the church of God,
the unity of the spirit and are to be
striven for by the church. Now, if We
can learn the meaning of these seven
points and all will mutually agree to
accept them and treat everything else
as non-essential, we will thereby re-
turn to the New Testament ideal of
a united church. The fact Of it is
Christians are already one upon these
essential points. and are divided upon
a n he nf
Should I ask the Christian world,
What is meant by one body?" all would
answer the church tEph. l., %, 23); and
that no man is saved because he is
member of any denomination, but be-
cause he is a member of the body of
Christ. And the one spirit that actu-
ates and controls the Christian is the
holy spirit as all agree. And the one
hope is that of eternal life and happi-
ness. By universal consent the one Lord
is Jesus the Christ. And the one faith
is not faith in any number of articles
of religion but in Christ. Believe on
the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt
be saved The one God is He whom
Jesus has revealed as our Father. and
who has made us joint heirs with His
son. Upon six of these points the
Christian world is united and in only
one, baptism, do we find any disagree
ment. What about the one baptism?
Is there any possibility of unity here?
There certainly is, for there is baptism
that passes current among all evangel-
ical Christians, and when a penitent
believer goes down into the water (Acts
viii, $50 and is buried with Christ by
baptism Rom. vi, a. he is acknowl-
edged by all to have been scripturally
baptized and entitled to a place in the
church of Christ. No other act can be
accepted by all as Christian baptism,
and this will not be repudated by any,
hence it is both catholic and apostolic.
There is then one baptism that is recog-
nized by all and it is possible for the
entire Christian world to stand together
upon these seven great unities of the
word of God.
Resulting from a united church
would be the speedy CONVEX
sion of the world to Christ, hence all
who love Him and who desire to see
His kingdom come in every heart in all
the world should seek to remove every
stumbling block that stands in the way
of the answer to the prayer of Jesus
that all who believe in Him may be one,
that the world may believe and be
saved"