Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-18

union. Which of your beliefs and prac-
tees are you willing to give up for the
sake of that union? One denomination
believes that immersion is absolutely
essential to salvation. This denomina-
ton is not likely to surrender INNER
/ sion. Are you willing to give up infant
baptism for the sake OF church union?
A. The primary obligation of the
churches is the maintenance Of a united
| front against the formidable and grow
! ing forces of secularism and irreligion.
To secure this unity every denomination
should be willing to concede freedom
concerning secondary matters. In an
swer to your question about infant bap-
| tism, surely 1t can be practiced by those
who desire it. and the same privilege
Both forms were followed in the primi-
tive church.
Cooperation and consolidation are
absolutely essential to commerce and
| politics, and the best results in world
| wide commerce and efficient govern
! ment cannot be otherwise achieved.
Likewise, If the church of the near fu-
ture is to prepare the way of the Lord,
she will have to be re-initiated into the
secret of harmonious effort. The early
believers were known throughout the
Roman Empire as the Church of Christ
or the Church of God. All other titles
have been fastened upon her during the
intervening ages. Consider this and do
not doubt that oneness is the ultimate
destiny Of those who love the Lord
Jesus In sincerity and truth.
@. Will you kindly explain John
xiv, II. stating to whom the verse ap-
plies or was applied, and what greater
works can be done by any disciples than
were done by Christ himself?
A. The passage to which you refer
reads as follows: HE that believeth
on me, verify, verify, I say unto you, the
works that I do shall ye do also, and
greater works than these shall We do,
because go onto the Father"
I do not interpret them as referring
to the physical miracles of our Lord,
but to the spiritual tasks and larger
opportunities which He transmitted to
His followers. His vision Of the origin
and progress Of the church and of the
advance of the civilization which she
mothered inspired this encouraging
prophecy.
The ministry of Jesus was confined
to one locality and one people. He
labored for the restoration Of ''the lost
sheep of the House of Israel" His
apostles had the Roman world before
them. They preached His gospel in its
intellectual and commercial centers.
He drew His converts from a limited
area and after these failed Him He
devoted His energies to the training
Of the twelve. They and their ad-
herentS were permitted to witness the
spread of His redemptive message
throughput the vast empire which then
governed the Mediterranean basin and
regions beyond.
Jesus heralded the advance of His
mission with such confidence that its
agents were endued with boundleSs
courage and fortitude. The seed ideas
He sowed In the soil of responsive
hearts contained that divine vitality
which astonished contemporary think
erS. Skeptieal historians have never
been able to explain its abundant
spiritual harvests. Nor can they be
explained unless what Jesus was in
Himself and the spiritual dynamic He
created In His church are adequately
appraised.
Q. What evidence is there that God
cares whether a man Is q Christian,
q Buddhist or q Mahometan? If He
prefers Christians, does He favor Cath
olics or Professionals, and If Protestants,
has He any choice between Baptists,
MethodistS, Unitarians or any other
sect? I personally do not find any
proof that God Is interested in any
particular sect or religious belief, and
should be glad to have your views
on this question.
A. st. Peter said: "Of truth I
perceive that God Is no respecter of
persons, but in every nation he that
feareth Him and worketh righteous
ness is accepted Of Him" Such words
make us thankful for the spiritual
democracy of the New Testament re-
ligion. The question of preferences
has always agitated churches and ma
tons. Were not the Israelites king
dom Of priests and kings, the Greeks
elect above the barbarianS, the free
men above the slaves?
fatherhood grew on Asiatic soil, con-
genial though that soil was to distinc-
tions rank with oppression. He was
then as now the Father of all men,
regardless of what they called them
selves, or of the social differentiations
due to their innumerable dogmas.
BY the fear of God" st. Peter
meant the reverence of God; by the
working Of Righteousness" the prac-
are more or less seekers after Him.
Upon none does He place the mark of
superiority as q right. They must win
1t by faithfulness In well doing.
I grant that this inclusive view Is
denied bv many devout men and wom-
en-. But it Is affirmed by increasing
numbers belonging to every religion,
and its ultimate victory depends upon
the two requisites named by the apos-
tleS-the inward attitude of the soul
toward its Creator and that attitudes
expression In worthy deeds. by their
fruits We shall know them" Is the basic
test of all the faiths you name. Bibli-
cal religions have no reason to fear 1t
when compared with non-biblical re-
ligions. The elect among nations and
churches must vindicate the choice by
their works. They are chosen for serv-
ice, not for privilege.
@. Are fate and God Synonymous
BY referring to fate, does it not neces-
sarily mean an act of God, or are we
masters of our own fate?
A. God and fate are not identical.
What is fate except unprecedented
causes liable to extinction with mans
advancing knowledge? Formerly a per-
son died Of a mysterious disease and his
friends said at was to be-" Now the
physician arrests the disease and 1t no
longer scourges us. Bad drainage,
ignorance of hygienic laws and of the
marvels of modern surgery and medical
science resulted in the prevalence of
infectious fevers, the bubonic plague
and a host of physical ailments which
were regarded as unacceptable. calamitieS
500 years ago. Today civilized COM
munities have conquered them.
SO why associate benevolent Diety
with superstitions which retreat before
the advances Of intelligence? To those
of all law, including the one which de-
creeS that what we sow we must reap