Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-06-19


| John l7;20-23).
1T involves the restoration OF the
. new testament. and it alone. as the
| only authoritative rule of faith and
practice. 1t involves the rejection of
| all party names in religion, and the
use Of those scriptural names which
suitably describe all believers, and
which honor Christ, not men We
call ourselves Christians, disciples,
! churches of Christ We do not claim
| to be the only Christians, but we en-
deavor to be Christians only.
/ 1t calls for the restoration of the
| new testament creed, upon which
Jesus said He would build His church
| Thou art the Christ, the Son of the
living God Matt. 1910.
What change the last century has
/ witnessed, in the swinging of the
/ church back toward this sublime creed
Of the rock apostle Along with the
decay of loyalty to human creeds there
! has come the growth of the larger
| loyalty to Christ And why should we
not be loyal to Him?
While the nationalist believes in
! an infallible reason; the emotionalist
in an infallible feeling: we, members
of the church of Christ, plead with all
! for an infallible Christ. And, follow
ing Him We shall find the way to
i unity and peace.
Have We made progress? Behold
| it is a far cry from conditions which
| existed in the turbulent days of Alex
ander Campbell 100 years ago, 60 those
| which exist in these days of inter
UNCONVENTIONAL comfy and coopera-
ton
We have arrived at better days
/ The Christian world has come to see
that what we need is not agreement
in opinion, but fidelity to truth; not
doctrinal uniformity, but fellowship
in service; not more sectarian rivalry
/ but more observation-disclosures comfy
/ That the cry, Back to Christ is
not a signal for retreat, but com
mand to move forward to the common
| platform of service, where the apos-
tolic church once stood. There we
shall find Christ, and the lost unity of
the church will be restored.
| Already there is a merging of sects
of the same family name, or of sim
liar belief and practice Think of the
marvellous unifying of the Free
Churches of Scotland a few years ago:
and of the Presbyterian and the Cum
berland Presbyterian in our own
/ southland.
| Many congregations Of Baptists
and Disciples in Canada and the Unit
ed States have united into one. Be
hold the present effort to unite the
two great Methodist bodies into one
great brotherhood. In Japan the
Episcopal churches of Great Britain
and America are one. All Presby-
terrain and Reformed bodies in Japan
have been one for many years. The
Methodist churches of Japan united
but few years ago. In India there
has been a merging of many seCts into
! one great church Of Christ, to redeem
/ that land from her unspeakabl sins
On many mission fields, educational
and medical work is carried on united
| ly, Marking university of China is
maintained jointly by the Presbyter-
ian, Methodist Episcopal and Chris
/ tian churches
Jesus contemplated nothing less
than worldwide conoxst for God and
! righteousness. Victory can come only
through the mighty conflict of unit
ed church.
| On to victory. until the paganism
of the world gives way before the
/ triumphant banner of the cross On
to victory! over race prejudice and
national hatreds, until all the world
shall recognize the brotherhood OF
man in Christ Jesus, our Lord. On
to victory, over the traffic in drink
until we shall rejoice in a saloonless
nation and stainless flag. On to vic
tory, over the dens of infamy and vice
until there be none left to make honor
! homeless and virtue weep for shame
On to victory. until war shall be nc
more; and they shall beat their
swords into plowshares, and their
/ spears into pruning hooks; nation
shall not lift up sword against nation
neither shall they learn war any
more"