Mexico weekly ledger., 1900-03-22
UNION OF ~HRlsTEKDO
The Bible Is Silent On the Matter Of
Of d.. Shsl6cnk Idea

CornsspozaEoe q h Ls3gsr.
MEXICO, No. March H-In 3 copied
editorial from the Topeka Capital
published in thd IatelliseHoer Tburs-
day, commented on TO some extent
and signed by 81" Mr.. Sheldon is
quoted as saying "the time has come
for the union OF Christendom."
Iwould like to be informed as to how
Mr.. Sheldon or anybody else knows
this. The Bible is certainly silent on
this question, and especially n to the
time. In fact, the Bible, as / under
stand it, doesn't teach Christian at
all in the sense thst very many thso-
logians and people G TO under
stand 1t and want it; and when it
comes to the abandonment Of any
particular doetrinsl tenet lie con.
cerned, for the sake and purpose of
efecting union, Mr.. Sheldon, ss q
OongregationRlist, would perhaps be
as 10th as any other man In giving
the same up.
The editorial says again; 1.-THE
sectarian denominstisnal lines that
once bounded the narrow limits Of
the churches are no longer visible as
barrier to fellowship y "The union
OF services has come TO take the
place OF disunion OF dogma" Now,
may ] ask where is this visibls? Sec
tartan lines, as far az / can discern,
ne az tightly and clearly drawn as In
the past and | see no special indica-
lions OF any loosening. The churches
are contending now as ever for strictly
UNCONVENTIONAL lines and pecullarI-
ties as heretofore, and are working
indetatlgably In that direction.
The next quotations "Fenow.
disciples OF one common Master, let
Ne realize our power II We come
together to cave the world through
Christ. What is to hinder Us from
uniting as brothers and sisters to de-
stroy the sin Of the liquor bnsiness7
What can hinder us from uniting
preserve the Lords Sabbath for rest
and worship and m~inistration7 What
force . resist our united efforts to
build Up and defend the sacred life of
the homeseenter Of all pure and useful
power for the statePD II appears
from the past history II Christianity
that denominationslism has been q
necessity. Il doesn't appear that
there has been any Divine dIszpproval
OF denominxtiOnslism Of the exis-
tence Of denominations; ard IL God
has approved this and his cause has
been wonderfully advanced thereby,
without any Intervention, and ss such
wonderful strides have been made,
both in heathen and our own lands In
the past fifty or seTenty-hye years, Il
seems to me the editorial is wei tax
en-.
Does anybody know that any more
prosperity would attend the efforts Of
Christian workers, or that the world
would be any more speedily brought
to Christ by the obliteration Of denom-
nations and the indiscriminate COM
ing together Of all Christians in the
wofld7 Idonit think anybody knows.
But we do know what has been done
under the present way Of working
and, judging the future By the past,
we may safely count on q magnificent
snowIDg during the nexI hfty years.
Gods people = a now and have
been ali the time-one 10 spirit, pur-
pose, aim-and with the continued
presence and power Of the spirit and
the increasing disposition on the part
Of the Lords people TO work, pray
and give, the world viii be brought
to Christ, Notwithstanding the exis-
tence Of denoninsiionalism.
]. n. BARBER.