New Britain herald., 1918-01-02
Appeal Is Sent Out by Churches
 of Divers Denominations
CHURCHES FACE REALITIES
Statement Says That Churches stand As An Unorganized, Scattered List of Support Behind Its Well Organ ized Line of Volunteers.

New Haven, Conn.,, Jan. 2-The fol- lowing New Year appeal to the churches of the United States irre- unit in the appointment of chaplains of the army and navy was issued here today:
 To Our Fellow Believers in all the Churches: Greetings
 The present crisis confronts the church with the possibility of coming forth from the war either with a diminished or g. vaster power. Today the churches must face realities. A divided Church cannot stand.
 Today everywhere the people are combining their industries to make the allied nations one mighty power in the war. Even on the lower plane of economies the churches are not unit ing to save waste as in many places they might do. How many tons of coal and units of electricity might be saved if thin congregations in large edif1ces should consent this winter to worship together.
 l Far more than this: Today the Young Mems Christian Association represents christianity before the world. The many churches stand as an unorganized, scattered line of support behind its we'll organized line of vol 1 unteers. As they go forward the separate church. units are not in posi- tion to let the world know that be- hind them stands the reserve power of the whole church of God. Today some of our ministers at the front for getting the denominational names of the churches that sent them on bat 1 tie fields and in hospitals are working 1 side by side as servants and priests of l God. At home they are held apart l .eas. Today the government of the United State is apportioning chap lains among the different denomina- tions. The Red Cross only for our ] charity, our denominational names and churchly vestments for our re- l ligion.
 These things ought not so to be. l The crisis of christianity requires the l subordination of all things divisive. Without prejudice to existing personal relations or official facilities, the whole | sacrifical offering of all things held to be of value in one great adventure i of faith for God. Today we should take counsel not of our fears but of our hopes as did our fathers before us. ! Today our fears may be our disloyalty. Bishops clergymen, laymen, shall we 1oiter in the way disputing about many things when in the suffering of the world our Lord is crucitied afresh | for the sin of modern civilization The hour commands unity. By some decisive act our faith in it should be made fact That might be done if, for l example, as a war measure we should put in cantonments, in regiments and on battleships, chaplains and minis 1 ters, from whatever church they may 1 come, commissioned not by their own communion only, but by joint ordina- l ton or consecration sent forth with whatsoever authority and grace the l whole church of God may confer bearing no mark upon them but the sign of the Cross. At some single 1 point of vital contact that or some thing better than that the church might act one.
 l.. Something must be made visible fact of unity today, if the church. ] the only church which the Lord Him. self had faith enough in God to pray for-is to become tomorrow the pow CT of God to save the world. This cannot bt too long postponed. These times require quick decision. Can we suffer the churches today to forget that before the week of His Passion our Lord gave the barren fig tree but one year more in which to bear fruit or be cut down. This parable may be l for the church now.
 Therefore we, representing differ ent communions, lay before you this appeal for action asking for response
 and for such suggestions as may seeu
 to you timely.
 The appeal was signed by the fol-
 lowing:
 Rev. pr. Newman Smyth (Congre-
 sationaD New Haven; Rt. Rev
 Charles D. Williams (Episcopalian)
 Michigan; Rev. Dr. w P. Merrill
 (Presbyterian) New York; Rev. L. J.
 Birney (Methodist) Boston divinity
 school; Rev. pr. M. l.. Burton, Uni
 versity of Minnesota; Rev. Dr. Rose, i President of Whitman college, Walla
 Walla Washington: Rev. pr. c. A. | Eaton (Baptist) New York; George
 Wharton Pepper, Philadelphia; Rev.
 J. B. Reminsnyder Lutheran) New
 York; Rev. E. w. Burnham Di-
 sciples) Cincinnati; Rev. Bishop Nor
 ris w. Leith (Moravian) New York;
 John J. McFaren (MethodisD Toron- to; Rev. Dr. Horace Day, Bridgeport,
 former moderators Of the Congrega- tional council; Representatives of 1 leading theological seminaries, and
 about eighty other Clergymcn from