New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-04-22
DIR. AKED IN THE PULPIT
BREACHES FIRST SERMON.
English Minister on a Ministry of
Reconciliation"

The Fifth Avenue Baptist Church crowded
10 the doors and hundreds clamored vainly for ad-
mission Yesterday morning. when the Rev. Dr. {.
+. Ake6 began his pastorate OF that church. John
.. Rockefeller was IN the congregation, owing.
81 said. a sudden indsposition. His son,
John D.. ir and his Bible class were there. The
pews were occupied by the regular pew holders,
the rest Of the church being thrown open 70 Wis
ftors. Extra provided and many stood
during the service II said that persons on
the outside mad offered as much S for admis-
sion.
BY way Of introduction his sermon, the topic
OF which was "A Ministry of Reconciliation" DR..
Aked said that he took up his work with a
shrinking Of spirit and realization Of incoTf1-
petence and personal unworthiness' that was his
own. but at the same time he felt that the great
est work Of his ministry was TO be accomplished
here in New York. and for that reason he bowed
20 the win Of the Spirit expressed in the cali from
the congregation.
Persons in the congregation affected TO IN
u5ual significance IN the following sentence ex-
pressed in the course Of the sermon:
''Can you reconcile your business with God?
Was yesterdays deal in harmony with His mind?
VIII your books stand heavenly audit? In your
once dare you put up the prayer-that is 10 say,
should you dare if you had any realizing belief in
the efficacy Of prayer-'Abide with me; come not
70 soJourn but abide with me" VIII you reconcile
your business methods with God? ministry
which does not force these questions home is
sswdust and char
Further DR.. Aked said he could not belong TO
q narrow church and that his ministry not TO
be one Of proselytism. He also touched on the
immigration question. He said:
! conceive that the ministry Of reconciliation
must embrace the reconciliation Of Christians with
another. The Lords prayer stands. THAT they
all may be one" but Il stands as a mockery. That
prayer does not demand for its fulfilment uni
formity Of worship identity Of creed, nor a single
organization But II does demand one spirit ana
that the spirit OF brotherhood. The prayer viii not
be realized until one in faith, II not in
doctrine; one in hope, If not IN methods Of work.
ing and always and everywhere one IN love OF Go;
What are the possibilities in this country Of ap-
Proclamation toward the Sayiour's ideal have Yet
many. good religion Is one. cannot join mar
VOW church; cannot cram my brain with dogma
good men and women everywhere. II is now as
wide as aI human life and as broad and deep as
an human need and one day il will be as all
bracing the Fathers love. And its progress to-
day and in the coming days stands upon grow
ing appreciation Of forms Of goodness different
from ones own. We have no need TO minimize the
differences which separate church from church
and denomination from denomination. That has !
been common with every one Of the great religious
historians.
Touching on religious unity, Dr. Aked said that
the things in which churches already stand agreed
more in number and greater in Importance than
those which divide them. AS the differences
which are distinctive and peculiar. they exist for
good and not for evil Continuing he said:
They forbid US TO proselytize. We DO not want
70 turn Methodists into Baptists, nor Congrega-
tionalsts into Presbyterians. Every Of the
great historic denominations has had intrusted
II either its own special truth OF else its own
special way of holding and presenting truth. which
working until the truth is absorbed by the whole
church Of God. Uniformity. therefore. is not TO
be sought. II would oe antagonistlc 10 the Amer
lean spirit, which loves nothing better than the
free play Of individual forces Federation; in this
land OF vast decorations, ought 10 be possible And
deeper than federation the spirit Of BROTHERHOOD,
for services rendered 10 the commonwealth, mutual
love in bonds OF peace.
Emphasizing that his mission was 10 save. he
said that when man was saved he must save
others, and added:
The city must be saved. The state must be saved
the world Of politics christ's world. cleanse po-
ntical life Of is selseekng, its practical atheism
ana corruption and change our human society into
Kingdom OF God.
Here he touched. pn,the immigration question in
its relation 10 the ministry, saying:
The most thoughtless onlooker from the old
M9Iia knows That IN the rush 70 your shores Of
are confronted by a problem such as no nation has
KNOW what races Df the Old World pouring
themselves into your land You know what colonies
by feeling, tradition, religion language are esfab,
Ished within your city and in all the great cities
American stock is 10 be vitiated by the inter-
permeation Of an inferior II is something
SIN nearer II is national question a question ~
potcal equilibrium, OF the stability Of the social
order ana the sovereignty Of law. For you know
from what strata OF society in the European coup-
tries the mass Of these immigrants is now being
drawn And as the more restless and enterprisng
among them spread the country Won know
how. delivered from the despotisms Of the old
Nlsg di ieiog 70 abuse the liberty OF this.
on the other hand. fan ready prey TO shameless
spirits who would make their traffic out of their
cOuntry's loss. And II YOU feel that as yo, must
then the degree in which your patriotism is zeal
VIII the call OF Christianity wake every generous
impulse of your heart For while the DossibiIitIes
% legislative action must never be lost sipbf ~
the deepest truth Of all is this, that the best
way the quickest way, the most economical and
most permanent way OF making these people good
Christians