Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-03-06
SAYS SECTAR|AN|SM EVIL
FELT BY christianity
Pastor Declares Christian
World Richer Today Be-
cause of Division Protest.
pr. frnh. In Sermon. Tells How
'hnrrh WINS begun without Conn
pI"ni>c pom sacred Scripture.
winch Formed Bnsis Of Union.

rev. Frank pratt spoke last night
AT IN" Unitarian Church upnn
hSs w" Admire in the Christian
'hn'c ca This was tn" third in "A
scr.s OF lecture sermons upon
ihinEs w" Admire in Other
'hmrch"s lfc said. i'm part:
The organization OF the DIscinIos
Of Christ. or. as IL Is often called
me Christian Church. sprang into
hc'ng AZ a protest against a divldod
Christ"ndom. II is an antisectarian
scot. Its members would discard all
f"t'arian names and he just Chris
tiars
!, was in 1905 that Thomas camp-
h"i. hong truly disturbed hy tho
bitterness that existed between tho
v"'i"hs branches of tho Christian
CnGro". issued an address, dcplorinr
'fe divisions Of Chrtstcndom and
suggesting as e remedy tho return
!" oriSi hristiaui,y-urcinc the
Dong AVA with AL cr.ods and CON
LESSONS which lnt";ter"d with this
return and adopting 40 a sole hasis
"i nhi"n the B!hl" itself An asso-
ciHton was formed. tn. purpose Of
which was the carryin.: out OF this
great object
SON Join. Father in Work.
~ about this time the brilliant
N"nn- s"n Of Thomas Campbell
Al"Tander barely 81. followed his
father :" this country and ioin.d
with enthusiasm tho new religions
movement his father had started lie
soon became the great leader Of this
aE'iscCtarian church
cce cannot read OF the work and
ii'e o! tn" devoted father and son
With put icing deeply moved by the
spi"n-ih spirit and high ideals of
th"S" two men They saw tho vision
a,f & krIG "a, 81
Ter 1nC weakening sectarIanism and
threw themselves into tho great task
Of trying to bring about a united
church
When ;hey began their work they
did not intend At all to form a new
9"itEi"us !"dy. They wished 10 in
spire tn" churches already cs,ab-
lished :" ADOPT their Ideals Both
father and son disiiked intensely the
;d"" II E. rminE a now sect. 1t was
ScCtaria niSm they were trying to
end. but as circumstances Developed
they discovered that they could not
carry on their work without starting
church which stood for their great
principle Of unity. Their FIRST church
was founded at Bush Run, Pennsyl-
Nania. in 1911.
The founders believed that crceds
were ono OF the chief causes for the
many divisions Of Christianity The
Bible, they declared. should be the
only creed and basis OF union. Their
church was founded boldly and with
out compromise upon the sacred
scriptures. Thomas Campbell having
tho courage to give UP his custom OF
infant baptism and practice INNER
sion, when his son pointed out to
him that immersion was the evident
custom in Bible times.
Must Admire Church stand.
One must also admire tho stand
which the church took regarding tho
supremacy OF Christ over the accept
.nce OF formal beliefs I, was the
belief in Christ which was cmpha-
sized. The supreme allegiance must
he to Christ and not To a set OF doc
trincs II is not so much question,
the church declares. as 10 what one
believes az it is question in whom
moro than merely thing Of tho
mind; il makes il a personal loyalty
and devotion to Christ.
The spirit Of kindlincss, and even
tenderness, which one discovers in
the hearts and lives Of the founders
of this church. leads us to say in APP
probation, surely these men had the
real spirit of the Christ in their
hearts"
Christianity is slowly beginning TO
rcaliz. the evils OF parrow and bit
ter sectarian!sm. 1t is beginning 10
understand that il means not only
weaker Christianity. In, also a
misunderstood Christianity. The
spirit of the Christian Church voices
one OF the deepest needs OF the time.
and the Christian world today Is
richer because of its protest against
divided Christcndom.