Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-02-08
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THE CHURCH
FEDERATION VALUE.
MILITANT"S SURRENDER TO THE CHURCH
THE CHURCH.
products.

MILITANTS SURRENDER TO THE CHURCH
TRIUMPHANT
Say ye not federation, TO all them To
whom this people shall say, A Fedora ton; nelth-
er fear we their fear. nor be afraid. Isaiah
SIP
BROOKLYN. Feb. 5-The fourth and final
meeting for the consideration of doctrinRl sur
render necessary TO church federation was heid
TODAY Rrooklyn's largest auditorium the
Academy Of Music being crowded. Pastor G. t.
Russell. OF the Brooklyn Tabernacle, delivered
the address follows:
Having viewed the past three Sundays that
the leading denominations would need to sacrl-
flee in the interest of federation, we come to
day to the final discussion Of this series-the
Church Militant and Triumphant and her inter
est In the federation movement. let US endeat
or to take so broad view Of this subject that
there will be no room for disagreement on the
part of true Christians Of any denomination.
thank God that those who bear his name as
being his people no longer consider II to be Dis
pleasure that they should burn one another at
the stake or cut each others tongues out by the
roots. or even do these things in n figurative
way by slanderously cutting and roasting each
other with their tongues thank God that we
all are coming to appreciate more than ever be-
fore the meaning of st. Paul's words, IF any
man have not the Spirit of Christ, he Is none
of His" Rom. SO.
Unnecessary as IL may be to explain to this
large and intelligent audience the significance
of cur topic. The Church Militant and The
Church Triumphant. l must think beyond the
row will receive reports of this discourse from
that great channel OF the worlds progress. the
Church Militant signifies the Church In waT-
fare struggling with the powers of evil. While
the Church Triumphant signifies the Church
victorious gloriously Joined with her Lord. the
HeaN eniy Bridegroom. as his Bride and Queen
I'm the great millennial kingdom soon to bless
and unfit the world Of mankind. should
further add that while in this discussion we
have considered the various denominations OF
Chrlstendom and their creeds, we must today
ignore all human system and creeds. We must
take tie broad. general view ground OF t1e
Scriptures and recognize only one church.
Nor may we make the mistake of saying that
the one church is one sect. No sect. no de
nomination, however great and influential and
numerous and rich. either in sordid or historic
wealth. can be conceded the right to appropri-
ate the name which our Lord gave to all truly
His disciples. Surely none ot us is sectarian
enough to dispute this promise. We must Learn
to recognize the Church Of Christ from the
same viewpoint as does the Head OF the
Church. We must learn the force OF St Pc
ters words to Cornelius. ''Of truth per
ceive that God is no respecter OF persons; out
in every nation he that feareth Him and work
eth Righteousness Is accepted with Him.
(ACts 10:34,35l. The very fact that we are
discussing federation, or stiIi better the re
union Of Christians, attests that we disagree
with the extremes Of our forefathers In re-
spect to treating beretcs and enemies those
who differ from in triffing details. wAile
they agree with us in the broad generalities of
apostolic teaching.
Taking. therefore. the Scriptural view of the
church, we recognize it as the BODY Of
Christ and many members over which He is
the Head. IT is composed of cOnsecrated fol-
lowers of Christ irrespective of all denomina-
tionsl liues-thoSe who. turning from sin, ac-
ccpt Jesus their Redeemer. through whom
they have forgiveness of sins and reconciliation
to the Father-those who have become disciples
Of Christ taking up their cross to follow Him
and who have received the begetting of the
Holy Spirit. Who could dispute that these are
the Church of Christ? Who shall say that They
must belong to this communion or that. or lose
their relationship to the Head. Christ Jesus:
The apostles never referred to Baptist Chris
tinns Methodist Christians Catholic Christians.
Presbyterian Christians. etc, but merely 10
those whom have described and whom they
STYLED saints-''the Church of the living God.
whose names written In heaven theh..
1922: / Tim. 3:15). Let us keep strictly With
in the lines of Gods word and avoid the errors
of the past. Let today consider this Church
THE CHURCH MILITANT.
If we all agree that We have before our mlntS
the real Church. the Church of the New Testl-
ment let MS notice that there is n nominal
Church also and that We are not competent 70
fully determine which are the real and whlch
are the nominal Christians except by the tests
which our ord has givpn-''by their fruits We
shall know them" While the real Church Of
fully consecrated believers. faithful TO the Lord
and His word and the principles of righteous
ness, IL represented by very small nuInDff
there is a nominal Church related thereto as Is
shell to the kernel of n nut. The nominal
Church. includes those whose manner or AZ
tendance in worship implies relationship TO
Christ without having fully turned from sin
even in their hearts. and without having made
a full conservation to serve the Lord. This
nominal class may be sub-dlvlued INTO neHtF-
ers who are favorably disposed toward Christ
and righteousness: others who regard the
Church us merely a moral club designed for so
cia and moral benefit or Influence upon tne
world in coun teracting sinful Influences; still
others bitter at heart. sinful and selfish. hav-
ing no faith whatever in Jesus and no care
whatever for morality and who use the nams
Of Christ hypocritically merely as garment