The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-10-13
From Orthodox Member.

|
DIR. Donald Sage .Mackay. member
Of the executive committee Of the inter
church federation, said of the" exclu-
sion:
"such action could not properly be
church federation. This is not a legis-
lative body. It has not even a sub
| committee to pass on doctrinal qualif-
cations. It simply is body which has
invited Christian churches to send rep
resentatives to discuss methods of
spreading still further the gospel of
righteousness.
tians and desire to join in the work.
What can any such conference as this
do but2take theirzword for it and admit
them g. Lots of sus accept them as Chris
tians; I know that do most emphatic
"Many Of us feel deeply the debt we
owe to Charming and we are anxious
to have the Unitarians at the: confer
ence: The action taken was NONSENSE
cal, in my opinion.'
Elected by Unitarians.
The American Unitarian association,
| the national organization Of the demon
| ination, elected three delegates to at
| tend the conference, namely Rev. Ed
| ward Everett Hale, chaplain Of the
| United States senate; ex-Secretary of
the Navy John D.. Long, Of Massachu-
setts, and DR.. Samuel A. Eliot, who is
a son sof President Eliot Of Harvard.
| Members Of the executive commit
tee, which was presided over by Rev.
W. H.: Roberts, Of Philadelphia, de-
clared fhe original letter of Invitation
was not sent to the Unitarians, nor to
| the .Un1versalists nor Roman: Catholics
Neither Of the latter two denomina-
tlons. it was asserted, has taken any
action in the matter.
Story as Letters Tell It.
The correspondence given out in
cludes the original letter of invitation
and the text Of letters exchanged be-
tween DR.. Eliot of the proposed Uni
tartan delegation and DR.. E. B. San
ford, secretary of the National Fedora
ton of Churches, who is acting for the
interchurch conference. DR.. Eliot sale
, that, as the free Christian churches
were. included in the membership oil
the state declarations of Massachusetts
and Rhode Island, the Unitarians had
interchurch conference included that
denomination. During the summer, how
ever, he had learned the Unitarian:
might not be welcomed, and he wrote
to ask if the rumors had any justifca
ton.
DR.. Eliot declared it was impossible
for him to believe that the coming con
ference would exclude the representa-
tives Of the churches that stand pc
culiarly for the unsectarian principle
in American religious life. DR.. Eliot
Unitarian delegation, saying that ex
Secretary Long and DR.. Hale were
among the most beloved and trusted Of
Christian leaders.
..... Limited Invitations. =
Replying to this letter Secretary San
ford wrote: A.
"The committee Of correspondence
felt constrained to limit to some extent
the sending out of Invitations to de
nominational bodies asking chem TO ap
point delegates to the coming inter
church conference on federation. Thi
action was taken after very serious
consideration, and I am confident tina
the committee would decline to reope1
the discussion Of the matter. I neet
scarcely add that this decision was il
no way personal.
"Surely there are few persons in ou
American life whom we all delight t.
honor more than those you mention
Your regret cannot be more SINGER
than that Of the committee on CORE
spondence that the way did not seen
clear to invite your national associa
ence.' x ,af@
! . Why Unitarians Were Barred &.
, It was stated yesterday that tn
letter of DR.. Sanford had been formal,
approved by the executive committee
DR.. Roberts made the following state
. ment about the matter:
"The invitations to the conference
were issued to churches which it. wa
felt were in sufficient agreement on
with another to secure efficient result
rian churches were omitted from tn
4 limit. The work of issuing the invita-
tions and organizing the conference ha
I.been under way for two years. Their
is. no purpose to antagonize any churc
) but to bring together for the discus
!: sion of plans ~ of 70 cooperation sue
q churches as are now in close Christia:
!. fellowship and for the attainment 0
great moral and spiritual ends. TIL
conference represents l8,000,0O0 commit
nicants and at least 50,000,000 adhel
/, evangelical group of Christian churche!
: Unitarians do not belong to this groul
This is sufficient reason why they wer
not invited. We respect highly the ger
tlemen appointed by the. Unitarians q
J | delegates, but do not feel that thel
presence in the conference would b
J helpful to the interests involved. =
| In the Picking Times appeared th
following: "Chih Jung-heng. the II
: erary chancellor Of Human, has az
, dressed an eloquent memorial to th
Eel ro,,o "a c1y1 Tho ho Of o1,i,11