The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1910-02-08
PEOPLES
Sermon by
CHARLES +.
RUSSELL.
Fas,or Erooklyn
I tabernacle.

OF uOt lIlllal SuTTeUuGIS IcCeSSuIy W
Church Federation was held today,
Brooklyn's largest auditorium, the
Academy of Music, being crowded.
Pastor c. r. RUSSELL OF the Brooklyn
Tabernacle. delivered the address as
follows:-
Having viewed during the past three
Sundays what the leading denOmina
tions would need to sacrifice In the in
tcrest Of Federation. we come today to
the Enai discussion OF this serles-The
Church Militant and Triumphant and
her interest in the Federation move
ment. Let rs endeavOr to take so
broad view of this subject that there
will be No room for disagreement on the
part of true Christians of any denomi
nation
Unnecessary as II may be to explain
70 this large aud Intelligent audience
the significance OF our topic. The
Church Militant and The Church Tri.
umphant. must think beyond the
thousands present Of the millions who
tomorrow viii receive reports of this
the worlds progress. the secular Tress.
Hence | explain that the term Church
Militant signifies the Church In war
fare. struggling with the powers Of
evil. willie the Church Triumphant sig.
niGes the Church victorious. glorious,
Joined with her Lord. the Heavenly
Bridegroom, as his Bride and Queen
in the great Milennial Kingdom soon
to bless aud uplift .he world OF man.
kind | should further add that while
In this dis, ussion we have considered
the various denominations Of Christen.
dom aud their creedS, we must today
Ignore all human systems and Creeds.
We must take the broad. general
ground of the Scriptures and recog-
nizc only one Church.
Nor may we make the mistake of
saying that the one Church is one Sect.
No sect, no denomination, however
great ana Influential and numerous
and rich, either In sordil or historic
wealth, can he conceded the right to
appropriate the name which our Lord
gave to all truly his disciples. Surely
none Of us Is sectarlau enough TO dis
pute this premise. 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 81. Peters words TO Cornelius.
"Of truth perceive that GCd Is no
respccter Of persons: but In every ma.
ton he that feareth him and worketh
righteousness IL accepted with him"
(Acts Y. -, 35l.
Taking, therefore. the Scrlptural
view Of the Church. we recognize 1t
ms the Body of Christ" of many mem
bers, over which he Is the Head. 1t
~ composed OF consccrated followers
Of Christ irrespective of all denOmina-
tional llncs-thOse who. turning from
sin, accept Jesus as their Rcdecmcr.
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 ana who have received the begct'
ting Of the holy Spirit. who could
dispute that these are the Church OF
Christ? Who shall say that they must
belong 10 this Communion or that. or
lose their relationship to the Head,
Christ Jesus? The apostles never re-
forrcd TO Baptist Christians. Methodist
Christians, Catholic Christians. Pres
byterlan Christians, ETC. but merely TO
these whom we have described and
whom they styled snlnts-"tle Church
OF the living God, whose names are
written iE heaven" Qlcbrcws Nll. ~;
Timothy III. l5l. Let US keep strictly
within the lines Of Gods Word and
avoid the errors OF the past. Let us
today consider this Church Rs the
Church Militant and prospectlvcly the
Church 1'rlunphnnt
Tho Church Militant.
" we all agree that We have before
our minds the real Church, the Church
OF the Sew Testament, let az notice
that there ~ nominal Church also
and that we are not competent 10 fully
determine which Grc the real and
which are the nominal Christiaus OK.
copt by the test which our Lord has
givcn--"by their fruits ye shall know
them" While the real Church Of fully
corse.rlted believers faithful to thc
Lord ara his Word Nnd The principles
of Righteousness, Is represented 10y a
very small number thcra IL n nominal
Church rcll cl thereto us n shell {,
the kernel N a nut The nominal
Church includes those whose manner
or VINO cat cnlauce on worship Inplict
relationship to Christ without mying
gone The lougth OF fun futh-actept
ance of him In sacrifice, perhaps with
out having fully turned from rim oyeu
In their hearts, and without having
made n fun conservation TO serve The
Lord This romhGl class may be sub
divided into believers who are fgvOr
ably disposed toward Christ and right
eousness; others who regard thC
Church az merely a moral club de-
signed for social ard moral benefit oI
influence upon the world, by coulter