The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-04-21

or the year before, to most people who
We're there. The old and the young
crowded into the church and sat on the
steps and lined the walls. Sometimes
four people We're on their feet at once,
telling of their hope of salvation. A
wave of emotion swept over the great
congregation, as one after another of
the veterans arose to tell of their ex-
perience. Rev. Thomas Harroun pre-
sided. DR.. Moore offered prayer.
At the conclusion of the love feast
Bishop Merrill announced the first
hymn, and read the Scripture lessons.
The choir sang an anthem. The COL
lection was announced by Rev. A. w.
Cooper as being for the immediate
needs of the superannuates. DR.. Hard
offered prayer, and the bishop began
the address of the morning. He spoke
from Eph., 4:4: "There is one body and
one spirit even as We are called in one
hope of your calling. One Lord, one
faith, one baptism, one God and Father
of ALL
1t was a doctrinal sermon in a way,
a sort of running commentary on be-
liefs and rites of Christianity. The
strongest emphasis was laid on sthe
rites, forms, sacraments and authority.
The oneness is in the belief in the Lord
Jesus Christ. The other matters are in
cidentals, not essentials. If we belong
to Christ, we belong to the church. Our
relation to the church is determined by
our relation to Christ. Ecclesiastical
forms, institutions and ceremonials are
subordinate to the idea of Christ, who
iC, 1,a I, s. il,
spirit, which animates and inhabits and
gives life and energy to the church.
This is the test of vital union, whether
we have the Spirit.
But One Authority.
We are all called with the hope of one
calling. Whatever name or language,
we all expect to get to heaven. There
Is but one dominion, one rule, one au-
thorlty, that OF the Lord Jesus Christ.
The best question to ask Is not what
shall believer" but "Whom shall be-
lieve?" What Is the difference If the
Holy Spirit dwells in the heart of a
Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian or
Catholic, if there is one faith in our
Lord Jesus Christ?
There is one baptism The idea OF
baptism has disturbed many people, for
it has been Of divers kinds since before
Christ or the apostles immersion, pour
ing, sprinkling-under water face up
ward, under water face downward
three immersions, and other forms have
been employed. The apostle says there
Is one baptism. I think that neither
the Lord nor the apostles found any
shadow OF trouble about the forms,
whether it was headforemost or head
backward. If the method had been es-
sential, some explicit description would
have been given. There is nothing more
absurd than to call baptism christen-
ing and using it as giving n name to
child. There is no authority for the
word christening in this sense. 1t may
do for a steamboat, but that is used as
an imitation or abuse of Christ's ordi-
nance. You want your child baptized,
not christened. There are only two
sacraments for which there Is author
ity. They are baptism and the Lords
Supper-one in commemoration of
Christ's sacrifice, the other the sancti-
fication, publication OF the Holy Spirit.
The ablutions of the old dispensation
all pointed to the blood shedding of the
Lamb of God. Baptism is the one ordi-
nance that covers the entire life. There
is but one baptism. The sacrament of
the Lords Supper is commemorative.
"As oft as ye do it, do it in remem-
brance of me-"
The Ordination.
The afternoon session was devoted to
ordination of deacons and elders by the
bishop and presiding elders.
Those ordained deacons We're: A. r.
Burke, CT. S. Connell. w. ii. Crawford,
William IL. Horton, l.. N. Kline. C. l..
Lewis, NJ. II. Roe, A. II. Whitaker, S.
l.. Whitman. The elders ordained We're
Walter S. Adams, Ernst Colwell, n. A.
Darling, David Evans. Delos II. Grid
Ter, Frank Games, Floyd Leach and
Ward Watrous.
DIR. Sprague presided over the even
ing Twentieth Century services. o. L.