Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1916-10-16
UNITY
NEED Of WORLD
IS SHOWN BY WAR
Peter AinSIie in Speech at
DeS MoineS Convention
Calls Division of the Church
Abnormal and immoral,
,ry Se~n,na Iou~~.l SPECIAL LsAsso ~,"si

Des Mones, Iowa, oct 15.-Serious
aspects Of world affairs demand in
creased efforts toward Christian unity
according to Peter Ainslie, of Balti-
more who addressed the Churches Of
Christ convention here tonight. He
said in part:
/ I'VE have been so long accustomed
| to division in the church that 1t is
frequently looked upon as normal
condition, whereas it is both abnormal
and immoral. A divided church can
never serve the purpose for which it
was established, for its divisions make
it carnal and incompetent Jesus said
that house divided against itself can
not stand, so that the issue today is
not whether Christianity will conquer
the world, but whether it will be able
TO stand against the great opposing
forces.
Never More Serious Period.
The church never faced a more
serious period in its history than now
had letter from DR.. John r. Mott
a few days ago in which he said if |
there was ever a time for the church |
to get upon her knees and stay there
in prayer, it is now, for there is no |
other method of meeting the issue ex-
cept by a renewed conservation.
There is not a nation on the globe !
a majority of whose citizens are Chris
tians; the worst war in the history of |
the world is raging on the continent
where Christianity has been the long
est, and a dozen other conditions of
similar character face us. Long be-
fore this war neither Roman Catho-
lies nor PrOtestants were increasing
N Europe, and the growth of Chris
ianity in America has been nothing
% be compared to its possibilities. The
of force on one side and
Torldliness on the other in the midst
IF a divided household are undermine
ng the very foundation Of our faith,
20 that if our religion is based only
lpon certain SCriptural interpretations
n crodal prOnouncements, it will
never satisfy the hunger Of the worlds
multitude. When asked why this con-
litiop, there is but one answer and
hat IS, 1t Is the product of a divided
hurch
Church Pooling Away Time.
The fact Of the matter is the
hurch has been fooling away her
ime on credal announcements and
Iress parades keeping up her denomi-
lational fences, and with scores of
men willing to die for UNCONVENTIONAL
onyictions, no one of which has any
hinn 10 wit hn 40 q
ingle soul, while a great world has
zen lying at the feet of the church
)st and uncured of its sins. More
han to any other source the cause of
he great war lies at the door Of the
instance of lost opportun-
y. | was in Europe at the outbreak
( this war and | was simply over
Inclined that neither the Roman
atholic nor the Protestant churches
'hatsoever, but the great war moved
S though the churches did not exist.
he European tragedy has revealed
lie impotency in the house of God as
as never been revealed to us before.
There is no time for boasting, there
no time for arrogance. AS disciples
Christ, we ourselves are called to
ractice long suffering and patience
nd brotherliness with the whole
hristian world that will win men to
lie principles that underlie all union,
II theological union is of little
'ail, an ecclesiastical union will pro-
ace division, a union by compromise
only temporary. 1t must be a union
tilt upon the spirit of Jesus Christ,
no revealed the dignity of repent
ice, the-Power of love, the charm Of
ndness and the winsomeness of long
ffering. These are the fundamental
ings in religion"
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IN AinnI- LIann.