The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-02-20
UNCHRISTIAN SECTARIANISM'
1T Is NOT THE LESSON THE
MASTER TAUGHT.
How Denominationa1 Prejudices
Are Made to Haunt the
Church Of God.

Rev. Robert ]. Johnston, pastor Of
the Westminster Presbyterian Church.
is attracting many to the services of
the church A movement is now on
foot to commence repairs to the church
edifice at the corner Of Sixth and L
streets.
Mr.. Johnston is an attractive and IN
teresting speaker His subject at the
morning service yesterday was. I'm
christlike Sectarianism," and was
taken from Mark TX, 40: For he that
Is not against us is on our part. Inc
incident was that of Christ's disciples
who having found one not an avowed
disciple or one of the chosen twelve
casting out devils in the Savior's name
forbade him and then told Jesus what
they had done. The text was part OF
the rebuke that Jesus had given them.
1t must have been humiliating to the
disciples of Christ, he said, to lind a
lonely man, who did not follow them,
or belong to any party, working MIR
acles in the name of their Master. Not
only did this stranger perform miracles,
but he performed those miracles which
they themselves had been unable to per-
form a. few hours before. This was
the sting of the discovery. The self i'm
portance of the disciples received a
rude shock. They could not bear to
think of apostolic power being invested
in one who was not an apostle, and who
was little more than a religious tramp
So they sternly commanded him to de-
sist-not because he worked miracles,
but because he did not follow them
Tol +a1l 10
suppose he expected to receive COM
mendation from the Master, because of
this zeal in annihilating the upstart
miracle worker. But the Lord rebuked
him. and gave him a lesson in Christian
charity which he never forgot, and
which blossomed into brotherly love in
all he has written. Jesus rebuke must
havel crushed every atom of pride with
in him.
The voice of John seems like the de-
nominational church of to-day. The
same miserable spectre of intolerance
which Jesus cast out of His disciples.
which Constantine banished from the
Roman Empire and which was propiti-
ated with human blood in the dark ages
of the persecution, has come back from
the shades to haunt the church Of
Christ. We need the power of Jesus
Christ once again to cast out the devil
of sectarian bitterness and luminosity.
The evangelist shuts and bars the gates
of heaven against the Unitarian, and
the Unitarian laughs to scorn the evan
gelist and thinks him the greatest fool
in all the world. The Anglican de-
nounces the stupid simplicity of the
Nonconformist and his disloyalty to the
fhirty-nine articles, while the Noncon-
formist wages war against the despot-
ism and semi-popery of the Anglican.
The Calvanist pours contempt upon the
weakened, milk and-water theology
of the shouting Methodist, and the
Methodist has a holy horror of the ter
rible fataHsm of the Calvinist. The
Baptist is against the Presbyterian and
the Presbyterian against the Baptist.
The Congregationalis is against the
United Brethren and the United Breth-
rem against the Congregationalist. The
Campbellite Christian stands, like Ath-
HEasius, against the world.
And SO the war of creeds goes merrily
on, and the Lords work is hindered
and souls are perishing for the bread
of life
I grant you. said the speaker, that
religious persecution in our day is al
most an impossibilty. So far as the
outward eye can see there is no sign
of such persecution. Yet l believe that
beneath the veneer of brotherly love
that shows upon the surface of religious
life there is a bitter spirit of denomin-
ational dislike unworthy of true dis
ciples of Christ. This spirit is not con-
fined to one denomina ton, but in larger
or smaller measure pervades all. Our
own Presbyterian garments are not
spotless in this regard.
Now, I believe with all my soul In
denominations, just as I believe in diff
ferent regiments in the army. 1 believe
that we can do better and more effect
ual fighting in detachments than If we
nlovedi upon the enemy in a mass-that
is, provided, we do not turn our weap-
ems against each other. Every man
worthy of the name of Christian must
be loyal-heart loyal-to the church
with which he unites. But loyalty to
a particular church does not mean
hatred of any other, any more than 10y
atty to the United States means hatred
to any other nation.
I do believe in denominations, but I
detest sectarianism as I detest crime.
Sectarianism is the dry rot of Chris
tianity, the dangerously weak element
in the fabric of the church which may
cause the collapse at any time of a
portion of this mighty temple. The
spirit of the Master was one of broth
erly love. of interest in others, of splen-
did self-sacrifice-a spirit which ex-
is not against US is on our part