The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1899-12-08
tian1ty. There was something about all
this that was apostolic in its simplicity
and Christ imitation

and Christ imitation.
II asked questions. One that seemed
to arouse more interest than any other
was in regard to the extent of the
Christian disciples sacrifice Of personal
property. Henry Maxwell tells me that
SO far no one has interpreted the spirit
of Jesus in such way as to abandon
his earthly possessions, give away all
his wealth or in any literal way initiate
the Christians of the order, for exam
pie, of st. Francis of Assist 1t was the
unanimous consent, however, that if
any disciple should feel that Jesus in
his own particular case would do that
there could be only one answer to the
question Maxwell frankly admitted
that he was still, to certain degree
uncertain as to Jesus probable action
when it came to the details of house
hold living, the possession of wealth,
the holding of certain luxuries. 1t is
however, evident that very many of
these disciples have repeatedly carried
their obedience to Jesus to the extreme
limit, regardless of financial loss. There
is no lack of courage or consistency at
this point 1t is also true that some of
the business men who took the pledge
| have lost great sums of money in this
| imitation Of Jesus, and very many
! have like Alexander Powers, lost valu-
able positions owing to the impossibility
of doing what they had been accus-
toned to do and at the same time doing
what they felt Jesus would do in the
same place. In connection with these
cases it is pleasant to record the fact
that many who have suffered in this
way have at once been helped financial
| ly by those who still have means In
this respect l think it is true that these
disciples have all things in common
Certainly such scenes as / witnessed at
| the First church at that after service
this morning | never saw in my church
OF any other l never dreamed that
such Christian fellowship could exist in
this age of the world. l am almost in
credulous as to the witness of my own
senses. l still seem to be asking myself
! if this is the close of the nineteenth cen.
tury in America
But now, dear friend, come to the
real cause of the letter. the real heart
of the whole question as the First
church of Raymond has forced it upon
me- Before the meeting closed today
steps were taken to secure the cooper
alton of all other Christian disciples in
this country think Henry Maxwell
took this step after long elaboration
He said as much to me one day when
called upon him and we were discuss
ing the effect of this movement upon
the church in general
Why, he said, suppose that the
church membership generally in this
country made this pledge and lived up
to it. What a revolution it would cause
in Christendom! But why not? Is it
any more than the disciple ought to dot
Has he followed Jesus unless he is will
ing to do this? Is the test of disciple
ship any less today than it was in Jesus
time?'
81 do not know all that preceded or
followed his thought Of what ought to
be done outside of Raymond, but the
idea crystallized today in plan to Sc
cure the fellowship Of all the Christians
In America. The churches through their
pastors will be asked to form disciple
| gatherings like the one in the First
| church. Volunteers will be called for in
the great body of church members in
the United States who will promise to
do as Jesus would do. Maxwell spoke
particularly Of the result of such gen
eral action on the saloon question. He
is terribly in earnest over this He told
me that there was no question in his
mind that the saloon would be beaten
in Raymond at the election now near
at hand. If SO, they could go on with
some courage to do the redemptive work
begun by the evangelist and now taken
up by the disciples in his own church
If the saloon triumphs again, there will
be a terrible and, as he thinks, unnec-
essary waste of Christian sacrifice. But,
however we differ on that point, he has
| convinced his church that the time has
come for fellowship with other Chris
tians Surely, if the First church could
work such changes in society and its
surroundings, the church in general, if
combining such fellowship not of creed,
but of conduct, ought to stir the entire
nation to a higher life and a new con-
ception of Christian following
''This is a grand idea Caxton, but
right here is where find myself hest
tating. | do not deny that the Christian
disciple ought to follow Christ's steps
as closely as these here in Raymond
have tried to do, but l cannot avoid
asking what the result viii be if ask
my church in Chicago to do it l am
writing this after feeling the solemn,
profound touch of the Spirit presence
and confess to You, old friend, that l
cannot call up in my church a dozen
prominent business OF professional men
who would make this trial at the risk
of all that they hold dear Can you do
any better in your church? What are
we to say-that the church would not
respond to the call, Come and suffer-
The actual results of the pledge as
obeyed here in Raymond are enough TO
make any pastor tremble and at the
same time long with yearning that they
L.