Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-30
ECtrtStian Gn1fahor:
! Dour
BY
, HARVEY S. IRWIN.
TOPIC:
The Foreign Missions of
Nv Denomination. A Birds
eve View. Matt, 28:I6-2o.
2 VERY Christian should be deeply
intaraSted liz, the mission station g

and In the missionaries of his or
her own denomination. but not to the ex-
clusion of interest in the missions and
the missionaries of other denominations.
All should be loyal to their own church.
If I believed that another denomination
was better than the one Of my present
utilization, l should not be long in max
ing a transfer. Our church relations
should be in harmony with our doctrinal
views and the external forms and ordi-
nances in the modes of worship should
appeal to our sense of fitness. If We are
not in full sympathy with the doctrines
and forms of service in the church to
which we belong our ability for useful
ness is paralyzed. and so long as We
remain there no effective service can be
rendered in any other church's arena Of
endeavor
While I believe in a broader brother
hood, and in closer sympathy and CO.
operation, do not believe in the oblitera-
ton Of UNCONVENTIONAL lines. There are
many men who do grand and effective
work under the spell. charm or influence
Of the esprit de corps of their own
denomination who would accomplish lit
tie in any other surroundings. In work
ing at the problem of mans destiny it is
temperamental conditions and tendencies
of men sbe widely different. BY reason of
which great things are often accom- |
plshed through approaches from differ
ent, even opposite directions.
1t is true that there is but lone Lord |
one faith. one baptism, one God and
Father of all, who is above all, and
through ALL and in You ALL" But 1t does
not follow that this one true church may |
not have different designations-some
a
uals, who believe in the one Lord and |
Father of all I question very much If
at any time during the period Of the |
church militant the UNCONVENTIONAL dis |
tinctions will be obliterated. 1 see no |
reason for it or any special good arising |,
from il. but do see many reasons for a |
much closer unity and a much greater |
cooperation between the sects than now |
exists.
There should be loving fellowship.
unity Of labor and service, between all
followers of the one Great Teacher and
head of the church. The foreign mission
trating this great truth in such Chris
tian spirit as to awaken a like spirit in
the home churches. There is greater
unity in. fellowship and cooperative
among members OF different church or
ganizations than ever before, and for this
condition we are. trust, very largely in
debted to the example Of the foreign mis-
SlOnarleS, as SHOWN IN tnelr exercise OI
the spirit Of Christian unity in the mis-
sion fields of the world.
The conditions in heather lands make
unity Of action among all Christians
both desirable and necessary. THE
simplicity of the missionary AIM" to
quote the words of Robert E. Speer.
Invites unity and shows to us how
indispensable unity Is. The great aim
of the missionary enterprise is the nat
uraliza ton of Christianity in the ma
20 90 xha n y, rietfo
peoples. 1t is not the extension there
of any particular view of Christian
truth or any particular form of Chris
tian organization. 1 belong to the
Presbyterian Church. but have not
the slightest zeal in seeking to have
the Presbyterian Church extended over
the non-Christian world.
II believe in one church of Christ In
each land. 1t Is far more important
that the Presbyterians Of japan should
of Japan than that either of those bodies
should retain any connection whatever
with any ecclesiastical organization in
the United States. We may be very
slow in recognizing this here at home
we are so slow that many of us are
prepared altogether to deny it-but the
great body Of our representatives who
have gone out to the other side Of the
world recognize that it is So
The mission work in nOn-Christian lands
teaches us that there is sufficient basis
in an agreement to the doctrine of one
God and Father of us all. and In one
Christ. one Holy Spirit and in one Bible.
one faith and in one salvation. We may
differ as to symbols and forms Of service,
but We are ALL as Speer further says,
agreed as to the spiritual principles
which are expressed in these symbols
and embodied in these FORMS and 1 be-
lieve that agreement in these spiritual
principles is the fundamental and es-
sential thing. and that even in great
united church. when 1t comes. there will
be room made for some disagreement as
to our symbols and our institutional
forms We are agreed enough, / say. in
our common intellectual convictions. re-
garding the fundamental elements of our
Christian faith to make union out in the
non Christian world an entirely practi-
cable thing
That great united church, bearing but
one name. and free from any denomina,
forms or symbols. will come when
Christ sanctifies and cleanses it by the
washing Of water by the word. that He
might present it to himself a glorious
church not having spot, or Wrinkle. or any
such thing: but that it should be holy
and without blemish.' In the meantime
let us at home of every denomination
emulate our foreign missionaries in the
line Of Christian unity. Let it be with
us, as 1t is with them, not Hands off,"
but "Hands together" When all Chris |
tians combine for united action in the
work Of the worlds evangelizatioD we
may look for grand results In such |
combination there must be not only ex-
ternal forms Of cooperation, but a con-
secrated spiritual unity. The unity that
will be effective. to quote the language
of another. is 1.-The kind of unity for
which our Lord prayed" He did not pray
that they all may be one as John and
James are one or as brothers are one"
but that they all may be one as Thou
and / are one"
The kind Of unity for which He pray
ed was not unity Of fraternity. not
unity of relationship of men externally
bound to one another. The ideal that he
held out was not the ideal OF the unity
of human brotherhood, but the ideal OF
the unity of the Godhead itself; and
because / believe that was the kind OF