Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-05-24

United Brethren Representative.
some cases may be questioned, and while
the powers exercised by vast corporations
may at times. be wrongly, if not cruelty
directed, yet the principle OF concentration
Is right. That many of the churches are
learning an important lesson from what
Is transpiring about them and are begin
ming to see the need of a thorough read
Justment in harmony with the spirit of the
times. and the teachings of the divine
word Is apparent to every observer of re-
HgiOuS conditions.
While there is a growing tendency
among the evangelical churches of other
lands to bury their differences, and find
common ground upon which to stand
there Is strong leaning toward union,
am glad to say. In our own country among
denominations similar in doctrine and gov
eminent.
But with some there are objections to
organic church union, and it might be well
to give attention briefly to these objections.
tiles simply to amuse ourselves and to
please the public Is past We must deal
fairly and faithfully with question of
such tremendous Significant The objec-
lions to which / refer may be grouped un-
der four heads
81 1t is held that each denomination il
a child Of Providence and should be left
to work out it's mission IN its own way.
But the premise is wrong. There Is no
ground for believing that some sects exist
according to the will Of God. They do not
stand for anything Vital, and never did.
Their dstinctiveness does not represent a
single great principle. There Is no apology
for their presence among the great moral
and religious forces of the age.
But granting that many of the churches
had providential origin, does that prove
that they should not unite under existing
conditions for better service? Is there
not just much of Providence In the
mighty currents of today. which tend to-
ward the merging of similar institutions, as
there was in their origin?
sWhence this desire on the part of God 8
people for closer fellowship? 1 am sure no
one will attribute 1t to Satan. His hand
has been shown in the strife and alterations
that have scandaliZed Christianity for CEN
turtles agone. There Is only one answer
| to the question. and that is that the spirit
of promise is moving upon the hearts OF
His people, making plain to them better
way and inspiring in them larger inter-
est in the worlds salvation. The only way
| to avoid hurtful competition, and TO econ
omize mind, money and time, Is TO unite
our churches into fewer bodies. Any policy
| is wrong that compels waste OF resources
Productive of Rivalries.
"How humiliating the thought that very
much of the money raised in this country
ostensibly to save the heather is spent In
keeping up ecclesiastical distinctions
and consequently the most shameful rival
ries. Why should a town of only a few
hundred people be DurQeneQ with nail
| dozen churches, when two, at most, would
answer every purpose? Yet we have
scores and hundreds of such over-churched
towns Christian work. socalled, degener-
ates into mere scramble Tor existence.
sIn concentration we will find solution
of many of the problems which confront
and annoy us; and this Capitalization is
impossible where a multiplicity or similar
organizations exist. 1t is sin to waste
Gods money In duplicating agencies, and
vet this is being done all the time.
"Lutherans are divided into sixteen diff
ferent bodies, Baptists into thirteen, Pres
byterians into twenty and Methodists into
seventeen Who is wise enough to show
| us how and to what extent the kingdom of
| God is being profited by all these divisions
| Does Presbyterianism have twenty and
| Methodistism seventeen different messages
| to the world? How ridiculous the thought
| of having sixteen varieties of Lutherans
and sixteen of Baptists In the Same town
| or mission field The fact is we are over
| organized. Our machinery Is too ponderous
| and complex. 1t requires SO much energy
and money to keep 1t going that we have
| but little to use beyond the machinery itself.
| Just think of the missionary and church
| extension organizations, of the publishing
| plants, colleges, biological seminaries and
| the great number and variety of other
benevolent institutions which are fairly
piled upon each otheri No wonder there is
| friction and great waste. Nor need we be
surprised that level-headed laymen are
| getting tired of seeing their money wasted
and are beginning to seek a remedy.
Away with the delusion that the God OF
! all wisdom and grace has planned for the
continued existence of these ecclesiastical
| divisions and subdivisions. with hundred
| more that might be named, whose presence
cannot be explained on any rational
! grounds or in harmony with the spirit of
| the gospel.
Mere federation will not accomplish
| what we want. We must go further. The
| call of God at this hour to husband our re-
| sources and to unity our forces, to the end
| that we may conquer and win. is loud and
clear.
Groundless Apprehension.
''2 In the case of the Congregational,
| Methodist Protestant and United Brethren
| churches 1t Is feared they will not be able
to harmonize in faith and polity. But th.,
| apprehension. think. Is groundless / adj
| NIT that few Of our United Brethren
preachers are ready to draw their theoIogi-
| cal robes about them rather closely at the
/ very mention of Congregationalfsm. be-
| cause. forsooth. they have heard somebody
/ say something about that church toleraiintg
| miiitarianism and being Calvinistic III
| spots: and yet those same brethren will
/ fairly tumble over each other to hear DIR.
| c. Campbell Morgan. one of the greatest
representatives Of that denomination
"The Pittsburg joint committee on church