The independent-reporter., 1910-03-03
IS ORGANIC UNITY OF
CHURCHES DESIRABLE ?
Subject of St Paul Lyceum Debate
Monday.

At the Brotherhood of st. Paul Ly-
ceum which met In the vestry OF the
Centenary Methodist Episcopal church
Monday evening, February %, the
above subject was the topic of an in
teresting debate. II. A. Dinsmore,
president, opened the meeting and the
routine business was transacted after
which the question of the debate was
presented: Resolved That organic
unity of evangelical churches is de-
sirable and feasible. MIR. Wills de-
bated for the affirmative and said: In
unity there is strength, there is also
utility that gives permanence and a
high degree of efficiency. Here is a
pile of iron plates, bars, beams,
disorganized mass. Men handle, ad-
just them; soon they grow into plan
proportion as a steel bridge, a high
way for commerce. Our subject is a
vital one Christianity should be built
compactly, organized into unity and
built on the Rock of Ages; and over
this compact structure the masses Of
mankind could cross into the King
dom of God This would give to the
world united harmonious church
combined to render efficient service to
all
The Apostolic church began when
it was united and coherent; its COM
pactness and vision resisted all oppo-
sition, until finally it won a splendid
sphere of service. Disorganization
came with schisms, creeds and &C.
clesiastical pretensions. Men lost
sight of the Spirit of the Christ and
emphasized the letter, the form and
the dead ceremony. This brought on
the dark ages. Men have ever t,
learn that in essentials there should
be unity in non-essentials charity or
love.
Christian love alone can and in time
will unite all Evangelical churches
and bring them back where the church
began. Let men forget creeds, party
badges and denominational shiboleths
and live in deeds. in the Spirit of
Christ in brotherly love. Here they
will be in Apostolic succession and
here church unity will be desirable
and essentially feasible.
Emmons Heald said What is a
church? What is its mission? Not
simply a building, a place of worship
or entertainment. Men can worship
God on a mountain, in a field, in a
store; men get instruction and enter
tainment from papers, magazines,
books, halls, etc. A church is pri-
marily a training school, a place
where an opportunity is given for
training in Christian service, a place
to learn to be and to do. If we had
one denomination one church, say in
our town. for illustration, the few
would monopolize what should be
used for the many. One pastor, one
s. S. Superintendent, one League
President, one set of teachers. one set
of officials We know that at school
the bright scholars are put ahead ;
they are not the ones that need help
most; it is the others,-so in church
life it is the masses, the average
backward church member that needs
to be advanced and helped. One
church would save salary and fuel
the pocket book, but 1t would dwarf
the soul Power corrupts itself.
Each church has Its place. its ideals
and its sphere of service. Today the
heart of Evangelical Christianity is
united; some Divine artifcer must
fatten our skulls into one shape be-
fore we can think alike to make or
ganic unity desirable. Most of us
prefer our heads as they are and as
Providence intended them. Diversity
of organization in the midst of spir-
itual unity is the order of nature.
Others participated in this interest
ng debate and ideas and oratory flow
ed fast and forcibly. The subject for
the next debate: Resolved, That the
Power of the Press" is greater than
the influence of the Pulpit"