The morning journal-courier., 1908-11-25

OlOES put one III Spllll, III dllllt III tue Inspired humanity of Jesus Christ and the Fatherhood of God, Mr. Moz- oomdar's terms may not be such as We could all subscribe to, but the tend- cucE is manlest-the principle for which we are contcnding, is at the front,
 Turn, then, where we win today we are met with the presence and dominance of that principle which makes for unity in morals and relg- ion--the search for a common relig- ious donominator We are coming to see that the saints belong to us all that the great, fundamental religious experiences are neither Roman Cath ollie nor Protestant, nor of the various religious divisions of the latter. but the product of undenomlnational Christianity In all communions, gracious souls have arisen, as If to show heavens view of our divisions and to confound the evil one.
 This being SO, some things are go- ing to happen perhaps not in our day, but some day, and we of to-day ought as far as in us lies, to hasten their appearing One of them is-7a great deal of the ecclesiastical ma chinory of to-day is going to be scrappcd, Machinery we must have. Every spiritual force, to get on terms with us, must first, somehow, incar- nate itself, Just as our electric cur rent, if 1t Is to carry us anywhere, has to attach itself 10 something less eth creal-to a car which shall be solid enough to hold us and to overcome resistance, And, though the maChjn- cry IS altays secondary to the force that works through it. nevertheless the machinery is important; Christi anity will work best through the best machinery.
 But who will dare to say that our present ecclesiastical machinery is the best? Who does not think that it compares with Supplements "Old Rocket with Its woeful waste of steam? What business man does not suspect with too many patent facts for confirmation that institutional Christianity has not kept pace with the age and that her method and procedure Cat least here in the vest, form the one exception to the mod ern note of war against waste?
 What we want-what We must have, if we are to do what we are called of God to do, In the life of our natiou-what too, the new spirit that is in our midst will bring about, be- fore it has left us-is an institutional form of Christianity, that shall not be rendezvous of sects, but the power station of a district Here we can learn a lesson from Roman Catholic Christianity.
 Then, again, workable undenom- inatioualism will give us a systematic sharing of the ministerial office a common ministry of the whole church, in which each shall serve all. This would be, first of all, 2 time-saver, by lossening the output of sermons for each minister sermons would have time Co ripen not only that but each minister would be set free to do a lot of other work, which now must needs be left undoue mot only that but the whole church would be en- richod by Johns mysticism, Peters blunt olnquence, Paul's subtle insight and James practical outlook. X sys- tamatic system of ministerial eX. change, need not weaken any mans persistent and concentrated pastora influence; op the contrary. il would prevent people from playing the re. | liEious gypsy and enrich the whole church This could be devised i'm, mediatcly Some ministers and con, gregations could not fully participate others would not, fellowship. o' course, would depend upon free co. operation. Nevertheless. if is entire ! ly practicable to arrange now somt system of interchange. which would be an immense tIme-saycr and plac, the special gifts of each pastor, a , the service of the whole church. Again, a workable undennmiuation aNsm will issuein q common fund. Fra ! tcrnity. from the b ginning, has founl : financial expression, communism t not commanded, but it is undouhtedl, involved In a perfect communion lf 1 for example, all the Protestan churches of this city. Wtro to contrib ' ute to q common fund this fund {, be administered by officers represent 1 ing every communion in New Haven ! the Davenport Congregational church 1 could be worked most efficiently and
 strong Italian church of Christ bull 1 up n that part of our city. TO den /. our ability to do this, ts to give our selves lower place than the "chil
 drcn of this world, whom we ar
 bidden to initiate, or the serpent
 whose wisdom is SD desirable a com
 panon for the Christian virtue O
 harmlcssness.
 New occasions teach new duties
 time makes ancient good uncouth
 Let us not make the mistake Joh
 Robinson lamented in his farewell ad
 dress to the Pilgrims Luther
 ans would not advance beyond Luther
 nor Calvanlsm beyond Calvin, Tn
 present position of our Protcstantisn
 is pitlable beyond expression, an
 nothing is more desirable than th
 complete passing of the older mde
 pondcncy. to make room for Christia
 cooperation. And nothing ia nor
 certain. The spirit of isolation
 dead Federation is in the air.
 is only the system that remains An
 the little system has had ifs day;
 is high time it ceased to be, It woul
 he difficult, if not impossible, to fin
 any man-any man without mentf
 or moral tWist-perfectly satIsfe
 with our present system, or to attrll
 ute to Christ or tho apostles any re
 sponsibiity for institutional Chris
 tianity as we know it, We may h
 in the prophetic succession of right
 eousness, and the apostolic succcssio
 of grace, but can wo find any Ne,