The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-01-22


IL "a Mass Meetings iG.s which are re It to (,
Ia "a ri continue during four successive
Id - Al Sunday afternoons in the larg
te---I est Auditorium of Brooklyn, the
Academy Of Music, under the auspices of
Peoples Pulpit Association The topic
for the day was:-
What Congregationalists, Presbyterians
and Methodists Must Surrender in the In
tereSts of Church Federation.
Pastor c. 7. Russell of Brooklyn Taber-
nacle delivered the address. The spacious
and elegant Auditorium was crowded so
that an overflow meeting with another
speaker was deemed advisable. On the
platform behind the speaker were several
hundred men, including a number Of min
very intelligent one The Honorable J. F.
rutherford. attorney-at-law. introduced
Pastor Russell. who said
I take for my text the word of the Lord
through the Prophet, Say We not, A Con-
shall say. A Confefderacy; neither fear
ye their fear, nor be afraid isaiah viii,
The disturbances of oneness in the
improperly of sectarianism or division Is
now generally conceded, although twenty
dition Of the Church as being helpful.
Lhey pointed to our Lords words, l am
the Vine and We are the branches; every
branch in me that beareth not fruit my
Father. the. Husbandman, taketh away.
And every. branch that beareth fruit he
fruit John XIV, 1-55. They ss'S claimed that
the determinations 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, sects
or denominations, 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, 19, declaring that the
which is his ody, and that as the human
body has many members under the full
control of the head. except when diseased,
Of the BODY Of Christ. e are all to be subject
to the Lord as their Head. They are all
to tS be SO connected with their Head and and
suffers, all suffer with it, and when one
rejoices, all rejoice with it, because they
the Head. Hence the eye cannot say to
the hand, nor the hand to the foot, I
ao sef to Ct feF or te Boay
as a whole. And as the joint supports
and Strengthens the limb and is Joined
Gods people are united to each other in
the bonds of grace and truth and love-
It must be conceded that Church Fed
spects quite different thing from the
Church's oneness illustrated by our Lord 8
Illustration of the human body. Nevethe-
less since Federation is proposed as the
nearest possible approach to the
spiritual enjoined Union, it is proper that
we and all Christians everywhere should
enquire carefully the cost and the gain
the program shows, this series of meet
ings will consider impartally the cost of
prominent denominations. First in the
list today we consider the sacrifices of
Congregationalism, Presbyterianism and
Methodism.
ID AS to church government very slight
concessions will be required Of any of the
decorating denominations. Denomination
al liberties as respects forms of worship
and methods of government and discipline
are to be permitted very loose rein The
Federation proposes chiefly the regulation
of home and foreign mission work and a
general wateh-care over the interests of
the federated systems along the lines of
political influence. The expectation is
that the political power of the Federation
will have considerable to do with mould
ing of legislation favorable to the Fedora
ton, and later on, unfayorable to the
smaller denominations not associated in
the Federation.
! 90 It is along doctrinal lines that the