The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1914-03-02
BEARD TALKED
ON THE CHURCHES
REV. r. A. BEARD, .. D., PREACH
ED POWERFUL SERMON ON DIFF
FERENcEs OF cREEDS YEsTER-
DAY MORNING AT FIRST CON-
EDUCATIONAL CHURCH.

~tSFN
Rev. r. A. Beard, .. D., preached q
powerful Sermon yesterday morning
at the First Congregational church on
| the difference Of the UNCONVENTIONAL
creeds. 1t is a sermon which has SET
many people to thinking.
His text was taken from John II.
81 to %; chat they all may be one
as thou, Father, art in me, and I in
thee, that they also may be one in us;
that they may be one eve as we are
one; that the world may know thou
has sen me and hast loved them as
thOu has loved me-" - -'
In part DR.. Beard said:
"These words indicate the desire
which Jesus had that all his disciples
should dwell together in the same
cordial fellowship with each other as
hat which existed between him and
the Father. He said, I and my
Father are one,' and He wanted his
disciples to be one with Himself, one
with the Father, and one with each
other.
"In the eighteenth chapter of Mat
I tAASVS kh0 fSAoS, NAiA . o1J 81
Where two or three are gathered to-
| gether in my name, there am I in the
midst Of them In this uterance He
makes very clear just what is the
underlying basis of all Christian fell
lowship. A most profound and far
reaching truth is wrapped up in these
simple words Of our Lord.
Let us consider this truth in it's
relation to aspects Of church life.
First, the truth embodied in the
words, Where two Or three are
am / in the midst Of them underlies
and justif1es ecclesiastical independ-
ency.
"We, as Congregationalists, stand
for the spiritual principle that
wherever men, whatever their form Of
creed, their method OF, worship, their
organization, come together, animated
by a Christian purpose. there Christ
is, and there is a. part Of Christ's
church. -
Second, this declaration, Where
two or three are gathered together in
my name, there am I in the midst of
them,' is the reason and warrant for
INSTRUMENTATION church fellow
ship. 1t definitely prescribes the basis.
and the only basis. for genuine and
worldwide Christian unity. Let me
illustrate this by an imaginary visit
to some of the churches of Fargo. We
start out or Sunday morning, at the
time appointed for Christian worship.
First we go into the Baptist church,
and the minister is preaching on the
doctrine Of baptism by Immersion;
and we say, What are you doing that
for? He says, Because, I believe
Christ taught that immersion is the
proper form of Christian baptism.
These people are gathered together in
Christ's name. Then we go over to
the Protestant Episcopal cathedral,
and there the dean and the people
are engaged in reading the beautiful
and inspiring service from the prayer
book; and we say, What are you do
ing that for? And the dean makes
answer, we believe that the carefully
worked out and we'll tried service of
the prayer-book is better than any
other for the promotion of Christ
like DEVOTION These people are
gathered together in the name of
Christ.
Then we go across the street and
enter the Methodist Episcopal church,
and the minister is preaching the doc
trine of free will; and we say, What
are you doing that for?' And he an
swers, BECAUSE 1 believe that is the
uCClEluS "IIlCu rNAI1SL LduSlLs anu i
believe that is the way to best develop
christian character. These people are
gathered together in the. name of
Christ. . .~. '. ..
"We then go over to the north side
and enter the Presbyterian church:
and the minister is preaching on di-
vine sovereignty. And we say, What
are o doing, that for? He answers.
Because / believe that doctrine is cal
l oII1atp1 RI make StrNnU and 1ISafr1l
christians These people are gathered
together in Christ's name.
We the go over to the Roman
Catholic church, and the priest is hold
ing up the sacramento symbol. and
all the people are bowling down before
it; and I say, What are you doing that
for?' The priest answers, This is the
body and blood and spirit of Christ,
and I am intoxicating a spirit Of rever-
ence and love and loyalty to Jesus
Christ by this symbol held before
them These, also, are gathered to-
gether in the name Of Christ.
Their creeds are not all the same.
Possibly none of them are quite COR
rect. But they are united in a COM
around a common Lord. Where two
or three are gathered together in my
name, there am I in the midst of them.
In the midst of this Baptist congrega-
ton, this Episcopal, this Methodist,
this Presbyterian, this Roman Catholic
congregation, and in the midst of all
the other congregations of christians.
Of whatever name, in the whole city of
Fargo. is Jesus Christ. Ma.
"To all of them I will give the right
hand Of fellowship, and bid them God
speed. ?. E
whether Of one name or another,
all who are engaged in Christ's work
belong to Christ's fellowship.
"The n thing that yet remains to
be done. before we can have christian
union, Of the kind that Is worth while,
Is for all branches Of Christ's church
to recognize their proper relation to
one another. Such gatherings as that
which was held at the commercial club
rooms last Tuesday night, to welcome
Bishop Tyler, is a recognition of chris
tan fellowship put into practice.
May God hasten the day when, in
theory al well as practice, there shall
be the scompletest fellowship among all
| christian churches Of whatever name
| When this day ome we shall have
| christian union, and our Lords prayer
will be answered, that they all MAJ
be one'." sS 2.1
Notice To Creditors.
In the matter of the estate Of George
! FELTON, Bolser, deceased.
Notice is hereby given by the under