Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1910-01-19
'-s-s -s.-
PEOPLES
Sermon by
CHARLES T.
RUSSELL.
Pastor Brooklyn
7 abernacle.

Brooklyn, n. Y, January 16.-Today
began a series of Christian Mass Meet
ings, which are to continue during
four successive Sunday afternoons in
the largest Auditorium of Brooklyn,
the Academy of Music, under the aus
pices of Peoples Pulpit Association.
The topic for the day was:-
What COngregatiORatiSts. PreS6yteri-
iGRS and MethOdiStS must surrender in
the interests OF Church Federation"
Pastor {. Il. Russell of Brooklyn
Tabernacle delivered the address. The
spacious and elegant Auditorium was
crowded SO that an overflow meeting
with another speaker was deemed adj
visable. On the platform behind the
speaker were several hundred men. in
Guiding a number of ministers. The
audience as d whole was a very i'll
telligent one. The Honorable j. f.
Rutherford. Attorney -at-Law. intro
duced Pastor Russell, who said
take for my text the Word of the
Lord through the Prophet, Say We
not. A Confederacy, TO all them to
whom this people shall say. A Con-
federacy; neither fear We their fear,
nor be afraid" isaiah viii. ~.
The desira bleness of oneness in the
Church of Christ is beyond dispute
The improperly of sectarianism 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
ed to our Lords words. | am the Vine
and We are the branches; every branch
in me that beareth not fruit my Fa-
Their. the Husbandman. taketh away.
And every branch that beareth fruit
he pruneth. that it 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. Sects or denOmina-
| tons, 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
| hot .,II T.
be so connected with their Head. anG
thus with each other. that when one
suffers, all suffer with it. and whel
one rejoices. all rejoice with it, be
cause they all have fellowship in the
one spirit of the Head. Hence the
| eye cannot say to the hand. nor the
| hand to the foot. have no need o.
you. for every member is necessary t.
the prosperity of the Body as a whole
And as the joint supports and strength
ems the limb and is Joined thereto
! by sinewS. etc. SO individually God:
| people are united to each other il
| the bonds of grace and truth and love
| 1t must be conceded that ChurcI
| Federation or COnfederacy is III man,
respects quite different thing iron
the Church's oneness illustrated by GU
Lords parable of the vine. and tn
| Apostles illustration of the human
body. Nevertheless since a Federation
! is proposed lis the nearest possible az
| proach to the spiritual enjoined Unior
it is proper that we and all Christian
everywhere should enquire CAREFUL
the cost and the gain implied in til
Federation movement. AS the prC
gram shows, this series of meeting
will consider impartially the cost Q
Federation to the creeds of the mos
prominent denominations. First in til
list today we consider the sacrifice
of Congregationalism. Presbyterianisr
and Methodism.
% AS to church government yer
slight concessions will be required G
any Of the decorating denomination!
UNCONVENTIONAL liberties as respect
forms of worship and methods of GOV
eminent and discipline are to be PERM
ted very loose rein. The Federation pr,
poses chiefly the regulation of HON
and foreign mission work and a gener;
watch-care over the interests of tn
federated systems along the lines {
political influence. The expectation
that the political power of the FEEDER;
ton will have considerable to do wit
moulding of legislation favorable to til
Federation. and later on. unfayorab
TO the smaller denominations not asS'
ciated in the Federation.
~ 1t is along doctrinal lines that til
sacrificing in the interest of Federatio
will be chiefly demanded.
Doctrinally Congregationalists an
Presbyterians are one; hence we ma
T consider their sacrifices Of doctrine
the interests of Federation as th
same. They both accept the Yves
minister Confession of Faith with il
Calvinistic foundation-that God, b'
fore the foundation of the world. for,
ordained whatsoever comes to pas.
that he predestinated an elect. saint