The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1914-10-08

les have kept great bodies in existence
cannot be lightly regarded or speedily
transformed. Eventually We may dis
cover that the ideals of the different
leading churches are the same, but
concentration on one particular method
in expressing the common feelings
must be by growth and adoption.
For some time to come "denomina-
tions" will continue. but in rural dis
tricts, if they are to be effective. they
cannot continue independently. nor, in
deed. is it necessary. Speaking of this
as an age of specialists, Dean Mathews
in his usually suggestive manner says !:
81 do not myself see why denomina-
tionalism may not in itself be regarded
as a phase of the division of labor in
the church univeraal." In the large
center we can have the specialist and
he can help humanity in the sphere in
which he excels; but the country dis
trict has limitations. 1t must be salts
fed with the general practitioner. How
fortunate if, as is sometimes the case,
that general practitioner can combine
in one Office the strong points of sever
al specialists, and even be leader and
authority on questions not convention
ally related to his calling! For ex-
ample, DR.. Jean Francois 0berlin, ia
the valley of the Vosges, in addition to
performing his religious ministrations
became a road builder, teacher in ag-
riculture, the developer of school
system. This same man, with tactful
regard for the different customs of his
parishioners, at the communion table
provided a wafer for the Catholic, un-
leavened bread for the Lutheran, and
leavened bread for the Calvinist, while
in his general ministrations he reached
the heart-needs of all and finally estab-
lished a church, which, while probably
not continuing to observe different GUS
toms, was antagonistic to none. Thus
Lutheran, Calvinist and Catholic were
guided by its light and comforted by
its warmth. DR.. Oberlin had a hard
task and in his work he manifested
great courage and resoureefulness, but
had he been one of several pastors in
that string of mountain villages, no
matter how supported, his talents and
devotion would have been largely vast
ed, and, instead of coming to receive
as a crowning event of his long pastor
ate recognition from the governments
of Europe, he would either have given
up broken hearted or have moved to
other ground.
1t is a great mistake to feel that
those ideas and positions which have
given different denominations of Chris
tians long and honorable existence are
in themselves antagonistic. On the
other hand. we are finding them to be
complimentary. Sectarianism, a thing
very different from denominationalism,
has come to emphasize points which
the fathers in the faith never empha-
sized, and to regard as of holy import
some things which the earlier saints
considered as incidental. Baptist his
torians, for example, will support the
assertion that among the early fore
fathers, as among many strong adher-
ents to the church of today, the ordi-
nance of baptism, as by them admins
tered, is not major promise but an
incident subordinate to that one great
and now generally appreciated princi-
Pile, the right of every man to work out
through his own religious experience
his idea of God, and from his indepen-
dent study his methods of Christian
practice. To John Knox certain forms
of church government and customs in
service, strong and beautiful as they
may be, were not nearly SO fundament.
al as to some Presby yterians of later
day. Certainly John Wesley, when
setting forth the needs and possibilities
of the personal religious experience
and personal responsibility, had no
vision OF the elaborate system to which
such a multitude pay reverential re-
gard. These subordinate points have
their value, and are esteemed as of
great Importance by some, but they
are not the cardinal points which called
forth the devotion of our respective
forefathers. The cardinal points were
principles which have value for all, the
emphasis on which was called forth by
particular circumstances which started
the denominations.
While the rural church of the coming
days must he determined III its form
less by past tradition than by intelli-
gent coordination of those tried out
methods which are proving effective, it
must, at least in the beginning Of the
adjustment. have regard for such de-
nominational characteristics and inter-
ests as are represented in the commun-
ity. This can be done without division
either as to organization or as to senti-
ment. In taking members into feder-
ated church it was the writer's habit to
exhort the applicants to bring with
them the strength Of their respective
churches. On one evening we welcomed
into fellowship nine people represent
ing three denominations namely, three
Presby terians, three Congregationslists
and three Disciples; and. while we
touched on the heart love of each, our
greetings we're not found to conflict.
In coming into the federated church
fellowship the Presbyterians still felt
their loyalty to the faith of their
fathers. Why not? They had been en-
rolled as Presbyterians, the General
Assembly has made provision for such
move, and had not the minister re-
quested them to benefit all with the
good things for which their church
stood? The Congregationalists could
SIlll reJOlCe III tueiT iHucpcHuellCc anu
democracy. The Disciples we're not
conscious of any deviations from their
devotion to the letter of Scripture. In
days gone by the struggle for religious
liberty has resulted in that mutual for
bearance which made possible undis-
turbed separate existence. The act re-
ferred to simply indicated that mutual
forbearance had reached the point of
mutual appreciation. making possible
harmony in close contact. In that con-
gregation, though the place of assem-
bly, was miles from town, there was
no occasion to refer to declining rural
church attendance. The building was
filled from end to end and more than
half we're men. As an expression of
sincere feeling they frequently sang,
"Blest be the tie that binds" recog-
nizing as that tie not sectarian name
but a common community feeling.
In the community church mentioned,
and in other federations of like charac-
ter, it has been proved that different
denominations may receive recognition
and at the same time supplement each
other within the same assembly: that