Morris tribune., 1906-01-13
CHURCH COLUMN.
By j. c. shetland.

oAiy mdy US lOuuO IN the l6uofd-
ton OF the churches An inter church
conference was held in New York last
November. A committee of forty
prepared . plan of federation, which
was adopted by representatives Of
the churches.
This conference issued statement
embodying resolutions and describing
the work desired to be achieved thru
federation of churches. It set forth
plan OF federation defining the part
each denomination expects to have in
such an arrangement Of work; with
the part to be entrusted to a federal
council and the part entrusted to the
executive committee It issued a let
ter to the churches explaining the
reasons for The decisions arrived at
by the. conference, and inviting ac-
ceptance. The conference dealt with
the family, with social order. with
education, with religious activities,
and with international affairs. 1t
urged the great Importance of religion
III the home, in the training of the
young, in our divorce laws, and took
the New Testament standard IN re-
gard to marriage. 1t urged temper
ance. There is no doubt that this
republic would be better if all intox-
lcants were by law in the hands OF
competent pharmacists. Our licence
system permitting men who know
nothing Of the power of drugs to
dispense them is a mistake. The
conference plead that wealth be used
not in reckless extravaganza but with
a sense of responsibility. 1t plead
for that relation between employers
and employed which comes from the
Golden Rnle. 1t plead for the aban-
donment of graft" in every form.
1t plead against gambling, against
social impurity, for the lessening Of
vice and the exclusion of foul literat-
ure The resolution on education
states tt at the need in every grade is
moral character. In religious activ
tiles the conference advised methods
of comfy between denominations,
combination in christian work, with
out impairing distinctive truth, but
pouring energy into such work as is
needed by all. In International
affairs the conference protests against
the recklessness in the distribution
Of destruction by means of rum, the
joining of hands with slavery, the
brutality in general of government
by This most catholic majesty, King
of Belgium; and SAYS nothing less
than immediate righting Of these
great wrongs can satisfy the consci
ehce Of Christendom The imposition
of opium upon the Celestial Empire"
at the point of the English bayoBets
will prove q costly experiment and a
great hinderance to the Ch.istianlza-
tion Of China. The plan Of federation
is that in the council each denomina-
ton shall have four representatives
and one additional for every fifty |
thousand communicates. Ii will not
.4aaI with forms and ceremonies hut |
with work
The congregational body have had
a noble part ia thus. bringing the
churches together as one. But al
most ali protestan; bodies represented |
in this vicinity have contributed OF
their christian charity toward this
good result. We are all learning to
sing the hymn of the evangelical
alliance.
'.By thousand ways we come
A thousanI ways we go
These III India have their home
And these mid Alpine snow
Islanders from far off seas
Dwellers on the distant main
Some from Greenland and from
Greece
From China and from Spain.
We are many, we are ore
For by His spirit led
All our paths together run
Tho DER the earth they spread
Straight to Christ they lead for light
Straight to Christ for sin forgiven
Straight behind Him thru the fight
Then with Him straight to Heaven
Merge we then our separate speech
To form one common tongue,
Cease ye discords while we reach