New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-10-30
RELIGIOUS DIVISIONS.

It is often laid down as an automatic truth
that denominationalsm is one of the greatest
drawbacks TO Christianity, and some years ago
almost every religious body was deeply stirred
by ground swell in favor of uniting together
every Christian denomination. 1t was speedily
discovered, however. that this idea was wholly
illusory, because in order to bring it about each
denomination would have to surrender the
special tenets that justified its existence as a
denomination. and not one of them was willing
to do that, though each of them was ready to
accept the capitulation of all the others Then
came the suggestion that if a corporate union
was impossSIe at least the churches might
cultivate the spirit of comfy and cooperate in
certain lines Of work where cooperation would
not antagonize the tenets of any denomination.
Modest as this last suggestion is it has been
looked upon with more or less suspicion, and it
will be a long time before it becomes an actual
working principle in the churches.
In the mean while, as was inevitable many
earnest Christian thinkers are coming to cues
ton whether, after all, denominationaIism is
such bad thing. They believe that if Chris
tianity were reduced to its least common de-
nominator by the elimination of all tenets pecul-
lar to each church the result would be BODY
united indeed in fact and in name, but weak
impotent and unaggressve. It's creed would be
spring any enthusiasm or commanding any
allegiance Deprived of the picturesque forms.
ceremonies and traditions in which the original
teachings of Jesus have in the various denomi-
nations enshrined themselves it wOuId have M
magnetic or persuasive power over the multi
tude. 1t would be largely a remote abstraction
sort OF religious system of metaphysics or NH
losophy, appealing only TO the esoteric few
DenominatiOnalism makes the Church a human
thing, because it injects into the warp and vvoof
Of its life the beliefs opinions and colorinqs NJ
the average man when he sets out to interpret
for himself the message of Jesus That undar
such conditions denominatiOnalism tends IN
propagate much that is mistaken or false moods
not to be said. To that extent it undouhtedlv
does harm TO the cause of truth and bIurs the
picture or the real Christianity. But on the
other hand, without the surplusage Of denomi
national error the essential teachings Of Chris
tianity could not be preserved through the vicis-
STUDIES of the ages. For thus only if has
body and, what is quite as important a body
not so large but that its members can easily
take part in its corporate life and feel In its
success the same sort of local pride that a Off
zen may feel IN the prosperity of his town or
county. Moreover. even denOminational rivalry
unlovely as it sometimes is. and wasteful as n
always is, does at least stimulate the zeal of
each Christian for his own Church; and in xvorI,
ing for his sect, from motives however mixod
he cannot help promoting the cause Of the
larger good which each denomination strives
wholly To enshrine in its creed
According to this view, then. il results that
not only must there be denominations bnt
that they are, under present conditions die
tinctly helpful. And the only thing to consider
is how their admitted evils may be mitigated
AS to cooperation, not much can be said vat.
but its advocates believe that it is SLOWLY hrt
surely forcing its way to practical recognition
AS to religious comfy, the evidences of its ranid
growth in all the churches are too numerous 70
mention. The harsher tenets of the denom,na-
tions are minimized, il not ignored. and in every
part OF the Christian world hands are clasped in
amity over the most yawning denomlnational
chasms Two interesting cases in point were