Evening star., 1909-01-10
League Of Churches.
Representatives of Three Denominations Neqo-
tiating in the City of Brotherly Love for
Closer Church Unity 80 Details of Progress.

nominational unions that to a GisintereSt-
ed person seem practicable and reason-
able. But the tide of the times is running
so strongly against the divisive spirit OF
American Professionalism that many con-
spicuous mergers. IL is believed. are In
evitable in the near future. and the oh
jectors will be sllenced by the very neceS-
sity for self-preservation.
Sentiment of Unity.
At the recent council OF the Federation
of Churches in Philadelphia, when the
sentiment Of unity ran at high tide with
out any check, II was repeatedly said that
the next step toward organic church
union will be the merging OF all the de-
nominations of the same general group.
This would unite the seventeen METHODIST
denominations into one, the dozen Presby-
terian bodies, the fourteen Baptists etc.
The Baptists and Free Baptists are al
ready considering union. and the Disciples
of Christ are discussing the practicability
OF going into the same merger. This
would include tremendous constitu.
ency. especially II the Southern Baptists
went along; and of late there have been
several marked evidences of a rap
prochement" between the Northern and
Southern Baptists. All these denomina-
uons are congregational in their polity.
and 1t has often been suggested that they
all get together with the Congregation
alists.
Probably no body of Christians has dis
cussed Christian unity more generally
than the Congregationalists. Yet they
have never been able actually to form any
union. The proposal 10 merge them with
the Methodist Protestants and United
Brethren attracted much attention for
several years, and was prominently dis
cussed by all three bodies, but now it has
been practically given up. There was too
much discussion and too little action:
union was talked to death by men hold
ing union objections. The Methodist
Protestants are now looking toward the
Methodist Episcopal Church.
There are more than $50 denominations
In the United States named in the COM
monty accepted list, with probably an
equal number of uncatalogued smaller
bodies. The number of these Will be very
perceptibly diminished If they can be
grouped by main divisions: and it Is to
this end that leaders IN church life are
bending their efforts.
Presbyterians Progressing.
Actually, the Presbyterians seem to bs
making most progress in the matter OF
union. After great debates in eccle-
siastical assemblies and frequent ap-
peals to the civil law. the Northern Pres
byterians and the Cumberland Presby-
terians have become officially one, al
though there is a considerable contingent
OF the latter which has refused to go into
the union. Now, this present tri-union
Will mark another step toward the unfit
cation of Presbyterianism. The union be-
tween the Northern and Sout hern Pres
byterian churches is not likely to occur
for several years. although most members
of both bodies consider It inevitable
Leaders in both churches are looking to-
ward this corsummaton and preparing
for 1t. but they have no disposition TO
rush" matters.
Likelier OF early perfection is the ANAL
gamation of the United Presbyterians and
the Northern Presbyterians The former
are psalm singers. but they are no longer
so strict upon this point as formerly, and
most of their congregations use fnstrli-
mental music. The old antipathy toward
what the Scotch call a "kist o. whusles"
has generally died out. The psalms, too,
have been rendered into such popular
versions that there is slight difference
between them and the better class of
other church hymns and songs. These
two bodies of Presbyterians have more in
common than any other two divisions Of
the Presbyterian family, except the
Southern and Northern churches Look
Ing over these indictions, 1t Is fair to pre-
sumo that a comprehensive American
Presbyterianism will be brought into ex.
istence at no distant date.