The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1916-01-07
CHURCH UNITY IS
TOPIC DISCUSSED
s.y. frank q. Deards.sy Discussed
question Of DsnerAnasIonal DI-
vssIen Last
evening
PSYCHOLOGY HAS PART
willing to Have Others March In
dor Our Banners, but Not Will
Ing e March Under
othsrA.

W60h VI PkOy ~ 60EV1CCS VIII DC
brought to close this evening with
the service In the Y. w. G. A. auditor
Jun. Last night the topic discussed
was Unity Among Churches" with
the Rev. Frank G. Beardsloy of the
First congregational church as the
speaker. DR.. Beardsley in part, said:
The divisive spirit and want Of
eoherence have been the great sources
Of weakness in protestantism At the
present time there are about hun
dred and fifty different religious de-
nominations in this country MANY OF
these are minor bodies and yet they
Illustrate the tendency Of professionalism
to separate into sects. There is
scarcely denomination of importance
in the country that has not had at
least one division during the past one
hundred years. Some Of these divis-
ions have been healed like that be-
tween the old and new school Presby-
terians. An attempt has also been
made to unite the Presbyterians and
the Cumberland Presbyterians but this
has only been partially successful.
How Is this great source of weak
ness to be remedied? Some one might
say let US ali get together In one de-
nomination. That apparently is very
simple solution OF the problem. but
when we raise the question, which de-
nomination shall we join then our diff
fculties begin. to appear. The Meth
odists see no reason why we cannot
all be Methodists. the Baptists think
we all ought to be Baptists, the Pres
tyterians are perfectly willing to have
all men Presbyterians. while the
Christians see no reason In the world
why we all ought not to unite with
them in their crusade against sec
tarianism. The chief difficulty lies in
the fact that we are willing to have
all others march under our banner,
while we ourselves are not willing to
march under some other banner.
Our Psychological Basis.
If the Methodists could say let us
Ill be Baptists or the Baptiats could
say let US all be Methodists, If the
Christians could say let us all be
Presbyterians or the Presbyterians
could say let us all be Disciples, then
our UNCONVENTIONAL differences and dis.
I tlnctions might vanish in day. The
question of unity among the churches
is not an easy one for there is a
Psychological basis to denominationnl-
ism which We often overlook. Differ
ent types Of mind demand different
types OF religious Organization and
Worship. The Observance OF an elab.
. crate ritual is worship to one, but to
another 1t may not be sworship at all.
TO some the mode of baptism Is a
question OF supreme Importance, while
TO others II Is matter OF the utmost
indifference. There are those who
have profound conviction that the
interests Of the Kingdom Of God can
hest be subserved by "A centralized
iorm OF church government. while
Others are equally certain that right.
eousness and truth can only be real
Yea through the freer forms Of church
HE and order
Since men are constituted as they
are we can not look for immediate
organic unity. The apostle Paul
speaks Of the unity of the spirit in
lne bond Of peace" Even though we
may not be able to unite in single
denomination. yet We can unite in
great cooperative enterprises for the
ouiidfng up OF the kingdom Of God
such as the Y. NJ. c. A., the Y. W. G.
A. union Sunday school work. missions
az nome and abroad. and In this great
united religious campaign which We
gre planning to put on in Keokuk. In
'ils great campaign We should lose
signt OF our UNCONVENTIONAL differences
ana forget for the time being that we
are Baptists. or Congregationalists, or
disciples, or Methodists, or Presbyter
.ans, and labor unitedly for the saliva.
lion of men round about us. BY unit
60 prayers and united efforts we can
WIN great victory and see vast
muititudes brought into the kingdom.
10 this end let Us consecrate our en-
ersles that God may bless US and use
US In the salvation OF multitudes.