Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1903-12-17
A CHRISTMAS SERMON.

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state and national. There are few
voters but would dissent to greater
or less degree from some OF the decla
rations therein set forth; few voters
but could amend it in certain particu
lars to their better satisfaction. But
in a general way they give it theil
support. And why2 Because they
consider 1t fundamentally right, while
they look upon the platforms of Other
parties as fundamentally wrong, though
the latter may include some minor
features that appeal to them in prefer
ence to their own. Their duty is
plain. Waving the lesser points,
they march up to the ballot box and
cast their straight party ticket without
open protest. They stand with those
whose position appeals to them as
mainly right in opposition to those
whom they regard mainly wrong, and
to whom, in their opinion, it would be
unwise to entrust the public control.
Now everybody will concede that
such political action is wise and pat
riotic. The voter does well to choose
from among party platforms the one
that most nearly approaches his ideal
and to give it his support. To do
otherwise, to reject all the great par
ties because none of them suited him
exactly, or, because some Of the minor
points do not harmonic with his own
notions to throw away the whole plat
form and seek to establish another
based on the secondary differences,
would be pronounced extreme folly.
The effect would be TO weaken the
party naturally claiming his support
and to throw away absolutely what
ever weight the voter might have in
settling great questions correctly. 1t
would be playing right into the hands
OF the dangerous opposition and
afTording it added opportunity to es-
tablish itself in power, when there
would be no chance whatever for the
operation of those main principles
over which there was no contention in
the mind Of the seceder.
We choose this as an illustration of
what we have to say concerning the
unwisdom, the unproftableness, the
decentralization, of the existing divis-
ions among Christian workers through
out the world. 1t isn't an exact
parallel, Wen admit, but it will serve
to emphasize the points under con-
sideration. For if it is folly to with
draw from political party and flock
by ones self, or with scanty number
of ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, because the
platform declares for woman suffrage
in Hawaii, although it suits as to the
tariff, the currency and other main
principles-if it is folly to do this.
what shall we say of the action of pro-
fessed Christians who let minor differ
ences in creed or ritual grow to such
dimensions as to obscure the actual
fundamentals and cause them to leave
the old paths and waste their strength
in warning against their old connec-
tons, instead of the common enemy |
For waste it is. We hear great
deal in defense of divided Christian
effort; how it works in various ways |
and reaches people that could not be
reached without il; how the healthful
competition increases zeal and leads
in the end to a more thorough working
OF the field and much else of a like
nature. There is little to it. A 1.-THE
OF the effort that is expended in work
and worry lest some other denomina-
ton shall grow at the expense of ones
own, a fraction of the saving that
would result from the concentration of
all Christian endeavor, would do more
in twelve-month toward retaining
the world than has been accomplished
in century past.
Do churehmen stop to think of the
spectacle they present to a world of
non-ChristiansP They profess to be
the army OF Christ moving on the enc
my, sin and unrighteousness. How
do they impress that enemy? Is their
array one to strike terror to their foe,
or even to win his admiration? In
the distance, long before the arms
they carry can be deserted, arises
babel of voices. Instead of one grand
warcry it is confused jargon OF dis
cordant notes.
1--WE are to lead r. shout the Catho-
lies, with the pope at their head.
Not much - shout back a host of
Protestants. eve don't follow your
banner
So they separate and form in anoth-
er part OF the field. Soon differences
arise between them as to the kind of