The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1910-01-17
Sermon BY
CHARLES T.
RUSSELL
Pastor Brooklyn
Tabernacle

Brooklyn. N. Y, January 1G.-Today
began n series of Christian Mass Meet
ings, which arc to continue during
four successive Sunday afternoons in
the largest Auditorium Of Brooklyn.
the Academy or Music. under the nus
pices OF Peoples Pulpit Association"
The, topic for the day was
"lVhdt Congredatfonulisis. +Presbvieri-
idns and Mcthodtsts must Surrender in
the interests Of Church Federation"
Pastor c.: T. Russell of Brooklyn
Tabernacle delivered the address. The
spacious and elegant Auditorium was
crowded SO TINT an overflow meeting
with another speaker. was deemed adj
risnble. On the platform behind tho
SPEAKER were Several hundred men, in
Guiding n number OF ministers. THE
audience rs a whole was d very in.
telligcnt II The Honorable J.. r.
rutherford. Attorney-ut-Law. intro
duced Pastor Russell. who said:-
take. for my text the Word of the
Lord through the Prophet, Say sc
not. a ~Confederncy, to ali them to
whom this people shall shy, A Con.
federacy: neither fear ye their fear,
nor be afrnid" isaiah Will, 12).
The desirableness of oneness In the
Church Of Christ is beyond dispute.
The improperly of sectnrlanism or iii.
vision is now genetnlly conceded, Ill
though twenty yrars ago many de-
Tended tlle divided condition Of tic
Church MS being helpful. They point.
ed to our Lords words, l attn the Vine
and We are the branches; every branch
In me. that bcareth not fruit my Fn-
Their, the Husbandmnn, taketh away.
And every branch that bcnretl fruit
be pruneth, TINT 1t mny bring forth
more fruit John xv, 1-5). They Claim.
cd that the denominations were the
branches. The evident teaching OF
the Master here Is that his people are
related to him in nm Individual sense
and not rs parties, sects' or denomina-
lions. and TINT they arc dealt with
from the individual standpoint rs
Church and not many.
st. Paul enuncIatcd the same great
truth q Corinthians xii, 1871, declaring
that the Lord Jesus Is the Head Of the
Church, which is his Body. and that
as the human body has many mcm-
bers under the full control OF the lie1d,
except when diseased. so the Church..
MS members In particular Of the Body
Of Christ, nre nil to be subject to the
Lord rs their Head. They are all to
be sc. connected, with their Head. and
thus with each other, that whcn one
suffers, all suffer with 1t. and When
one rejolces, all reJolce will, 1t. be-
cause they all hive fellowship lii the
one spirit OF the Head. Hence the
eye cannot say to the hand, nor the
land to the foot, l have no need. of
you, for every member Is necessary to
the prosperity OF the Body MS n whole.
And as the joint supports and strength
n the limb and is joined thereto
by sinews. etc. so individually Gods
people are united to each other iii
the bonds of grace and truth md love.
It must be conceded that Church
Federation or C%onfcderacy Is in. many
respects. quite 4. different thing from
the Church'$ oneness illustrated by our
Lords parable OF the vine. and the
APOSTLES Illustration Of the human
body. Nevertheless since n Federation
Is proposed rs the nearest possible mp
proach to the spiritual enjolned Union.
1t Is proper that we and NIL Christians
everywhere should enquire. carefully
the cost and the gain implied In the
Federation movement. AS the pro-
GRIM shows, this series Of meetings
will consider impartially the cost OF
Federation to the crceds of the most
prominent denominations. First In the
list today we consider the sacrifices
Of Congrcgntionallsm, Prcsbyterianism
and Metho1ism.
~ AS to church government very
slight concessions viii bc required OF
any Of the celebrating determinations.
Dcnominationnl liberties as respects
forms OF, worship and methods Of gov
crnmcnt and discipline nre to be permit
ted very loose rein. The Federation pro-
poses chiefly the regulation OF home.
and foreign mission work and a general
wntch-cnre over the Interests OF the
federated systems along the lines Of
political, influence. Tho, expectation is
that the political power OF the Fedora
tlon wiz hhve considerable to do with
moulding Of legislation favorable to the
Federation, and Inter on. u%nfarornblc
to, the smaller denominations not nsso-
cinted in the Federation.
(2l It, is along doctrlnnl lines TINT the
sacrificing in the interest Of Federation
will be chiefly demanded. -
Doctrinally CongreEntionaltsts and
Prcsbyterlnns are Ole; hence we. may
consider their sacrifices Of doctrine in
the interests Of Federation rs the
same. They both 1cccpt' the West
minister Confession of Fnltll with its
%Calvinistlc. foundation-tliat God; be-
fore tho foundation Of. the world, fore;
ordained whatsoever comes to pass;
that he prcdcstinatcl an elect, salntly.
few to heavenly glory, aud equally
f~orcordnIncd that the remainder or