The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1910-01-18
'-s-s-s-s-.-s-e-s-.-s-.-s-s -.-s-s"s-sc-e-s-.-e-sO 90 o
PEOPLES
Sermon by
CHARLES T.
RUSSELL
Pastor Brooklyn
Tabernacle,

began series OF CurlStidu MISS Meet
ings, which are to continue during
four successive Sunday afternoons II
the largest Auditorium Of Brooklyn
the Academy Of Music. under the aus
pices of Peoples Pulpit Association
The topic for the day was:
what CGaglcOationotistS. PresLvteri
idaS and UcthOdiS'S must surrender IN
the interests Of CiurCh FCdcrdtiOn."
Pastor c. r. Russell of Brooklyn
Tabernacle delivered the address. The
spacious and elegant Auditorium was
crowded so that an overflow meeting
with another speaker was deemed ad
visable. On the platform behind the
speaker were several hundred men, In
cluding a number Of minieters. The
audience as whole was a very In.
telligent one. The Honorable J. f.
Rutherford, Attoruey-at-Law, intro
duced Pastor Russell. who said
] take for my text the Word of the
Lord through the Prophet, SAY ye
not. a Confederacy. TO all them to
whom this people shall say, A Con.
federacy; neither fear ye their fear,
nor he afraid" Usaiah will, ~.
The desirableness OF oneness In the
Church of Christ Is beyond dispute.
The improperly OF sectarlanism or di-
vision Is now generally conceded, al
though twenty years ago many de.
Tended the divided condition Of the
Church as being helpful. They point.
cd TO our Lords words, 1 am the Vine
and ye are the branches; every branch
in me that bearelh not fruit my Fa-
ther. the Husbandman. takcth away.
And every branch that bcareth fruit
he pruneth. that 1t may bring forth
more fruit John XIV, 1-5) They claim.
ed that the denominations were the
branches. The evident teaching Of
the Master here Is that his people are
related TO him In an Individual sense
and not as parties, sccts or denomina-
tions, and that they are dealt with
from the Individual standpoint as one
Church and not many.
st. Paul enunciated the same great
truth q Corinthians xii, 49,. declaring
that the Lord Jesus Is the Head of the
Church, which Is his Body, and that
as the human body has many mem
bers under the full control Of the head,
except when diseased. so the Church,
as members In particular OF the Body
of Christ, are all to be subject TO the
Lord rs their Head. They are all to
be SO connected Wilh their Head, and
thus with each other. that when one
suffers, all suffer with II, and when
one rejolces, all rejoice with It., be.
cause they all have fellowship in the
one spirit of the Head. Hence the
eye cannot say 60 the hand, nor the
hand to the foot, have no need of
you, for every member Is necessary to
the prosperity OF The Body as whole.
And as the joint supports and strength
ems the limb and Is joined thereto
by sinews. etc. 80 individually Gods
people are united TO each other In
the bonds OF grace and truth and love.
1t must be conceded that Church
Federation or Uonfederacy Is In many
respects quite different thing from
the Church's oucncss illustrated by our
Lords parable OF ahc rne. aud the
Apostles Illustration of the human
body. Nevertheless since Federation
Is proposed as the nearest possible ap
proach To the spiritual enJoined Union
II Is proper that aye and all Christians
everywhere shoUW enquire carefully
the cost ana the gain implied In the
Federation movement. As the pro
gram shows this series OF meetings
Will consider impartinlly the cost ol
Federation 10 the crccds OF the most
prominent denominations. First In The
list today we consider the sacrifices
Of CongregallODaiism, Presbyterlnnisn
and Methodism.
en- AS to church government very
slight CONCESSIONS win be required oi
any Of the fcdcrating denominations
Denominational liberties as respect:
forms of worship and methods OF gov
crnment and discipline nre TO be permit
ted very loose rein. The Federation pro
poses chletly the regulation OF home
and foreign mission work and genera
watch-care over the interests OF the
ANt'ANNNh ~ NAN'h" hlbilh 'hN llliNP w
political influence Tho expectation Is
That the political power Of the Fedora
ton win have considerable TO do witt
moulding OF legislation favorable 10 tn,
Federation, aud later on. unfavorablC
10 the smaller denominations not asso
ciatcd In the Federation,
(2i II Is along doctrin0l lines that tn,
sacrificing IN the interest OF Fedora liol
viii be chiefly demanded.
Doctrlnally Cougrcgationnlists uut
I'resbyterans are one; hence we ma!
consider their sacrifices of doctrine It
the interests OF Federation IA tn,
same. They both accept the West
Minister Confession OF Faith with III
Calvinistlc foundation that God, be
fore the foundation OF the world, fore
ordained whatsoever comes to pass
that he predestinated an elect, saint!
few 10 heavenly glory. and equal!
foreordalned that the remainder o
thousands OF millions OF non.clcc
should be maintained In eternal III
to all eternity, In order that they Nigh