Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1916-02-21
SECTARIAN OPINIONS
AT GREAT SACRIFICE.
Christendom May be Cured OF Its
Torpid Liver.
Contributed

Mr. Editor:
Commenting editorially upon the
statistics of DR.. X. c. Carroll, associate
secretary of the Federal Council of
Churches of Christ in America, the
Evening Capital of February IL gives
ltterance TO a discomfort no less uni
versal because suppressed.
"Creeds grow so thick
Along the way
Their boughs hide Cod
We cannot pray"
There are too many churches" the
editor says. God gave us one church,
but now there are in this country fifty
Christian denominations sub-divided
into one hundred and fifty-seven bod
les This does not include 267 indie
pendent congregations, all claiming to
show the most direct route to heaven,
but all unwilling to yield unimportant
doctrinal joints and join in a feder
alton of effort which would be magnif-
cent in its results"
When a secular newspaper speaks
thus, IL is a hopeful indication that
Christendom may yet be cured of its
lDTDlu llNST DtlOlt lDO late. III uuSh-
out the world serious people are realiz-
ing, in fear and trembling the sin OF
Christendom in disobeying Christ's
command, BE We one, as My Father
and I are one" They are humble
enough TO acknowledge the present
state OF Christendom a SIM they are
earnest enough TO pray for way out,
but they are not great enough to rise
out Of their trenches their pride has
built and Join in one and all to get
the Christ Child back His ball" Alas
no! 1t requires too great sacrifice OF
sectarian opinions; it is too strenuous
an effort for souls whose spiritual
acumen is dulled and spiritual muscle
made weak and placid by sickly sec
tartan sentimentalism, false pride and
atuoLs optimism that is OF the dovils
connivingl The armor of God is too
heavy andd angerous for slothful, cow
ardly Christendom, steadily deteriot
ing under a soul disease more deadly
than the sleeping sickness of Africa!
The cause of Christ hangs i'm the bal
ance, yet we merely yawn,rub our eyes
sleepiiy turn over for another nap
IN )ur con Portable sectaliau beds, ITO
the listener, with ear to the ground
hears decpportentious mutter voic-
inc rebellion and WEAKNESS OF souls
heartsick with conflicting creeds and
intangible doctrines; we. the profess
ed soldiers of Christ, slumber on while
adverse spiritual forces are growing
beyond our control; stricken with a
fatal optimism we turn unheeding ears
to the rumble of a world ominously
bordering upon revulsion from Christ
ianity.
In this day of civilization united
Christendom would have made great
war impossible, she Gained evil pas
sions and settled the problems of ma
lens in less enlightened ages but like
divided house, she has fallen, and
now, overwhelmed with the blood OF
her helpless children, she must wit
ness sin in impotent sorrow the fearful
results OF her fall.
Despite our common needs. our CON-
mon woes and dangers, despite the aw
Gal Significance Of his war: despite
its glaring lesson, are we going TO per-
sist in sinful separation, alphabetically
following the line of least resistance
until the traditional respect that halos
the memory of that early,united Christ
endom loses its sentimental influence
in the world and Christianity is rele-
gated 70 the dust of dead romance
EVA DORSEY CARR.