In the eleventh meeting the consideration of the report on federation, an amendment to Article VII. was offered, admitting any bodies that may apply for membership before January 1, 1907. This brought up the question of admitting the Unitarians and the Universalists, who are already members of a federation. Upon motion it was by vote postponed till the remaining part of the report had been considered. In Article XI. it was proposed to insert an amendment declaring that there should never be any doctrinal basis of union, but that the basis shall be that of the largest Christian fellowship. This brought up again the Unitarian question. It was said that it appeared that it was proposed to organize on a trinitarian basis. Dr. Buckley, Methodist, declared flatly that it was intended to exclude the Unitarians, because they consider the Trinitarians to be idolaters. The chairman of the Business Committee, Bishop Hendrix, Methodist Episcopal Church South, stated for the committee that it was intended to organize on a strictly trinitarian basis.
Dr. Barnes, Baptist, a member of the committee, confirmed the statement of the previous speaker, and said that tho organized upon the trinitarian basis, they would be only glad to welcome Unitarians and Universalists to the federation; because if they should show a willingness to come in upon this preamble and basis, this would be good evidence of advance. He said that he would be glad to see his Roman Catholic friends coming in also. The amendment was lost by an overwhelming "No." The amendment that was postponed was also lost. The whole plan was then adopted as amended, with one dissenting vote—a Free Baptist—and confirmed by the not-very-impressive singing of the Doxology, and the offering of prayer. It was then voted to have the plan printed (see next page), and distributed in the conference on Tuesday morning, the 21st.
Hon. Seth Low, LL.D.
"A United Church and Evangelization."
After the adoption of the plan of federation, the conference took up the consideration of the general subject, "A United Church and Evangelization."
It was opened by Dr. North, Methodist Episcopal, of New York City, on "The Evangelization of American Cities:" Of our new civilization the city is the center. The city is the test and the opportunity of minds. The social problems are condensed in the cities. The ultimate test as to whether truth and righteousness are the basis of society and organized government, lies in the city. The crowd, the seething, restless crowd, of the city will decide the future. We are now in the nation's metropolis of over four million. Four hundred thousand were added to our population last year. In a very few years the population of this city of New York will exceed that of greater London, and will be the greatest city in the world. In the city, childhood has slight chance. It is a hard heart that can beat unquickened at the religious destitution of the childhood of our cities. "Thou art descending, O city of God!"
Dr. Miller, Lutheran, New York City, on the "'Inner Mission' of the German Churches:" What is the "Inner Mission"? It is to be contrasted with foreign missions and from home missions, in that its peculiar work is to recall and regain those who are already members of the church; the gathering into the church of all the children of the church.
"Interdenominational Evangelistic Work" was then discussed.
Dr. J. Wilbur Chapman, Presbyterian: If the church would but maintain the position that belongs to her to maintain, and that is intended by her divine Master to maintain, there would be no place for revivals. There is no proper place for intermittent Christian experience. But since this improper thing does occur so often, then revivals are a necessity, and must be employed. In all revival work it is notable that the question of denomination is never first with the penitent or converted sinner. With him it is always Christ the Saviour first of all; and after that the question of his denominational connection is settled, and on altogether incidental considerations. Is not this a sure index to the basis of unity of relationship and work?
Dr. Newell Dwight Hillis, of Plymouth Church, Brooklyn: The heart of the conference ought to decide that there is nothing worth doing but the spreading of the evangel of Jesus Christ the divine Son of God.
TWELFTH MEETING.
"A United Church and National Life."
The general subject for consideration was, "A United Church and the National Life." It was opened by Judge Grosscup, Lutheran, of the United States Circuit Court, Chicago, Ill., on "The Popular Conscience:" The emblem of the national life is the flag. At the moment when the morning sun casts its rays on the national colors on the Atlantic shores, the setting sun is also holding its lingering rays upon the national colors in the waters in the broad Pacific. It is difficult to define the national life. There is the industrial national life—that of the mines, the shops, the railroads. There is the institutional national life—educational, medical, eleemosynary. And there is the national life of the home. What word, what phrase, can be found or coined that will adequately express this vast, complex, national life. And beyond all this there is that great inquiry, What is the hidden, moving power of this national life in its entirety? More than any other institution of civilization, the church is the agency that injects equilibrium into the national life. Reaching back to the primal sources of that life, the church more than any other institution known to mankind, balances and steadies them. The church balances and steadies the national life by helping to develop in the souls of men the love of justice, by putting to the front the light of conscience, by dropping into the souls of men that mysterious thing called conviction.
Rev. Walter Laidlaw, Ph.D.
Justice Brewer, Presbyterian, of the United States Supreme Court, spoke on "Law and Justice:" Denominations exist, will exist, and ought to exist. They only illustrate the great law of unity in diversity. As the federation of the individual states makes the nation stronger, so the federation of the denominations will make the universal church the stronger. I look and hope for a federation broader than that in the call of the conference or than in the action taken by the conference. Why should not every man who has named the name of Christ be included in this federation? The man who would exclude Edward Everett Hale and Cardinal Gibbons has not attained to the proper perspective. [This was directly to fly in the face of the whole conference, for Edward Everett Hale is a Unitarian, and the conference, in the forenoon of this same day, with only one dissenting vote, and with the singing of the Doxology, had definitely and by name positively excluded all Unitarians. And this especially excluded Edward Everett Hale, since he had been regularly appointed a delegate to this conference by the Unitarian body.—A. T. J.]. If I had5been a citizen of this city in the late election I would have worked with any man who had on his ticket the name of William Travert Jerome. With all respect to this assembly of distinguished clergymen, whom I do sincerely respect and love, yet, being only a layman and a lawyer, I have more respect for religion than I have for theology. A federation without creedual expression or denominational control will create a mighty Christian power. It will make possible the throwing of the whole compact power of the united church solidly on the side of right and justice. Such a power wielded in righteousness would redeem New York, reform Philadelphia, and make Chicago clean. That power exerted upon the nation would lift it at once to a higher plane. I am sure that the influence of the federated churches upon the nation would not only make it that there should be no more war, nor preparation for war. The commission of Sir Walter Raleigh, the compact in the Mayflower, and colonial acts prove that this is a Christian nation.
Rev. Henry M. Sanders, D.D.
Dr. Henry Wade Rogers, dean of the Law School of Yale University, spoke of "Government of the People." Government of the people, when the people are degenerate, leads to anarchy, and anarchy to dispotism. Democracy is still on trial. The American government needs fear no foe from without. But there is danger from within. Morality is the end of government. A government by the people in America has established religious liberty and civil equality. This government has attended to its own business, and has left other people to attend to theirs, until, under the impulse of what was deemed duty, it went aside to interfere in behalf of Cuba. The country has achieved great things. It must be confessed that there are also dismal failures. The administration of the criminal law in all the states, with the possible exception of two or three, is distinctly a humiliation. Respect for law has decidedly declined in the United States. It is inevitable that lawlessness breeds the dictator. It is in our cities that the failure of government of the people is most marked. We are told that Europe is thinking that the United States is crowding Turkey and Russia in the race of competition. Unfortunately education and morality are not one and inseparable. Religion and morality are essential to good government. From the days of Socrates to this hour, the evidence is that government must rest on morality. And it is the mission of the church to train men in morality. Shall not patriotism lead the churches to federate for the common good of our country? Let us federate the churches as the stay of the state. Let us federate the churches to facilitate the coming of the kingdom of God. ALONZO T. JONES.
Rev. Anson Phelps Atterbury, D.D.
BASELESS REASONS.
It matters not to some minds how strong may be the positive testimony against a long-cherished belief, a few seemingly plausible inferences in its favor are stronger. They are honest in these convictions; for when a long-standing dogma is supported only by inference and not by positive testimony, multitudes still cling to the old belief, foundationless tho it is. They always believed it true, and the belief becomes the evidence. What makes it seem stronger is ignorance of what may be said on the other side; and many persons are so prejudiced they will not hear. Lorenzo Dow, we believe it was, truly said: "Prejudice is like a cork in a bottle; it lets nothing either in or out."
Prejudice is one of the greatest foes to the truth of life alone in Christ Jesus; and upon tradition and influence is based the opposite doctrine of the inherent immortality of the soul. The arguments generally adduced in favor of the soul's immortality are, (1) the majority of the Christian church believe it; (2) it is an old dogma; (3) it is in harmony with man's aspirations and desires; (4) the opposite has been popularly considered materialistic and atheistic; and (5) it is supported by inferences drawn from certain scriptures. It is freely admitted by its ablest exponents that there is no positive Bible evidence in its favor. More than this, the Bible is very emphatic in setting before us the great fact that our only hope of continued life is in Jesus and the resurrection. But let us notice the above "arguments:"
1. "The majority of the Christian church believe that the soul is immortal and conscious in death." But this is not proof that it is so. If there are any people on earth who ought to look with suspicion on mere majorities, Christians are that people. The history of the people of God in all ages has shown the adherents to truth to be a "little flock," while those who have opposed it were a great multitude. Noah and his adherents were few at the time of the Deluge; many were those who did not believe him or his message, and they numbered among them mighty men, "men of renown." Yet Noah was right, and what he believed was truth. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were pilgrims and strangers, few in number among the surrounding idolaters. The entire people of Israel at their best were few in number compared with the corrupt world. Daniel stood alone in Babylon, Ezekiel in the valley of the Chebar, Elijah in Israel. Jesus and His disciples were few, and in His darkest hour our Lord stood alone. And since that time the true disciples of Christ have not been the great multitude, but the "little flock," and such Jesus assures us they will be when He comes. Luke 12:32-36. Were majorities of earth to rule, we would all become Catholics, and then pagans. After all, he who has the truth is in the majority, for God is on the side of truth, and if God be for us, who can be against us?
2. "The immortality and consciousness of the soul in death is an old doctrine." Yes, it is. But all error is very old. Salvation by works, or by man's righteousness, is nearly as old as the race. Cain believed it, and slew his brother to vindicate it. The foundation of the immortal-soul belief goes back farther than Cain. It can be traced to the Garden of Eden, to the utterance of one known and noted, "Ye shall not surely die. . . . Ye shall be as gods." Gen. 3:4, 5. Christians, however, can hardly accept the foundation or the immense but fabulous superstructure which is reared upon it. A doctrine is not better for being old; in fact, it is worse, for it more easily deceives, just as well-worn counterfeit bills pass as genuine. But the bill is not the less counterfeit tho it may have been accepted as genuine a thousand times, any more than it would be genuine if detected in the first attempt at passing. So a doctrine is no better tho it may have been believed by the good for ages; neither is the truth the worse for having been hidden.
3. "The immortality of the soul is in harmony with man's aspirations." And what of that? Can we say that mankind in general desire immortality, therefore all are immortal? As well might we say that mankind in general desire perfect health, therefore all have perfect health; mankind in general desire happiness, therefore all are happy. We know that in these cases the reasoning is false; is it not just as false in the other? God has planted in men's minds aspirations, longings for the ultimate good, and He has made it possible for man to reach that; but that possibility does not come through any inherent qualities, but through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
4. "The immortality of the soul has been considered a Christian doctrine, while conditional immortality has been considered materialistic and infidel." But this charge does not prove the doctrine to be so, or does not make it so. Many good things have been ruined by a term of contempt. For instance, the Sabbath has been contemptuously called, "the old Jewish Sabbath," while it is never thus termed in the Bible. Yet it has been called so so frequently that many believe it. It is called by Inspiration, "the Sabbath of Jehovah thy God." So men have brought reproach against the doctrine of life only in Christ. It has been called by every reproachful term possible, and those who believe it have been characterized as unchristian, materialists, soul-sleepers, infidels. But this is no test of truth. Elijah was called the troubler of Israel. Jesus was said to cast out devils by Beelzebub the prince of devils, was classed with wine-bibbers and sinners, and died at last as a malefactor. When nothing but terms of reproach can be brought against a doctrine by those who profess better things, we may, on general principles, count it worthy of investigation. Truth has something better to advance either for or against a doctrine than names of reproach or ridicule.
5. "Inferences from certain passages of Scripture are in favor of the immortality of the soul." This may be true, but our inquiry here must be, Are these inferences just?
On the other hand there is the direct, positive testimony that God "only hath immortality." Why not accept of that? Why not rest on the plain testimony of the Word?
Question Corner
By Editor
From time to time under this head, we will answer pertinent questions, the answers to which we believe will be generally helpful to our readers. Some questions we can not answer here. They are of special interest only to the person who asks them. We will not answer what seem to be mere quibbles or cavils. We do not propose, for instance, to explain, more than once a year, where Cain got his wife. In all cases we must have the name of the questioner. We may wish to write them. To the questions we sign only the initials, or another term, if preferred by the questioner. But we have neither time nor space to bother with unsigned letters or questions. One more thought: "Foolish and unlearned questions avoid."
1760.—Pentecost and Sunday-Keeping.
What has the pouring out of the Holy Spirit to do with the change of the Sabbath? A. M.
Absolutely nothing. If the Lord had designed to honor the day of the week upon which Pentecost that year (Acts 2: 1) fell He would have expressly said so. The very fact that the Scriptures do not mention the day of the week shows clearly that it was not the day of the week that was honored but the antitype of the first-fruits. There are those who contend that Pentecost that year fell on the seventh day; others hold that it was the first day, and that may have been true; but even tho it be true, it has no bearing whatsoever on the Sabbath question. Jesus ascended forty days after His resurrection. He then passed over one first day in absolute silence, for Pentecost was ten days after His ascension. He waited until the next week after in order that the type might be fulfilled, and then poured out His Spirit, not to honor the day of the week, but to fulfil the prophecy of the type. The argument that Pentecost came on the first day of the week is one that has been handed down from the ages of apostasy. It is wholly unbiblical.
1761.—Dip, Immerse, Sprinkle, Pour.
Will you please give the Greek words for dip, immerse, sprinkle, pour? R. G.
1. "Dip" occurs six times in the New Testament, as follows: Luke 16: 24; John 13: 26; Rev. 19: 13; John 13: 26; Matt. 26: 23; Mark 14: 20. In the first three texts it comes from the Greek bapto, "to whelm, that is, to cover wholly with a fluid."—Strong. In the last three texts the word "dip" comes from embapto, to whelm on, similar in meaning to the other. If you will look up the references, you will see that the meaning is practically the same, as the Greek root word is the same.
2. "Immerse" is not found in our common English Bible. Bapto could be properly translated "immerse."
3. "Sprinkle" occurs in the New Testament seven times: Heb. 9: 13, 19, 21; 10: 22; 11: 28; 12: 24; 1 Peter 1: 2. In all these cases it comes from the Greek verb rhantizo, meaning "to sprinkle," or the noun rhantismos, meaning sprinkling, except one, namely, Heb. 11: 28, where it comes from proskhoosis, meaning to pour, a shedding forth.
4. "Pour" occurs thirteen times in the New Testament. In Matt. 26: 7 and Mark 14: 3 it comes from katacheo, "to pour down;" in Matt. 26: 12 and John 13: 5, "pour" comes from ballo, "to throw, strike, send, thrust, pour;" in Rev. 14: 10, "pour" comes from kerannumi meaning "to mingle, pour out (for drinking), fill;" in John 2: 15; Acts 10: 45; and in seven other cases in Revelation 16, "pour" comes from ekcheo, "to pour, to pour forth, to run greedily out, to spill." This is from the same root as Matt. 26: 7.
"Baptize" is itself a Greek word anglicized, or Englished. It should be rendered immerse, dip, plunge.
1762.—Eating Fish.
Why did Christ eat fish if it was not wholesome? If it was good for food then, is it good now? Is the health reform a command of God? If it is, where is it found in the Scriptures? U. I. E.
1. The only reason why we can conceive that Jesus ate fish is that it was one of the best foods that He had to eat just at that time. We presume that it was a comparatively wholesome food.
2. All animal and flesh food was probably more wholesome then than now, and much less diseased. That is, we believe, generally considered to be the fact.
3. Yes; read 1 Cor. 10: 31. That is a pretty good health reform precept, isn't it? It certainly will not glorify God to eat food that will injure our health or render us less susceptible to the finer spiritual influences.
PLAN OF FEDERATION TO BE RECOMMENDED FOR APPROVAL BY THE CONSTITUENT CHRISTIAN BODIES.
As Amended and Adopted.
Preamble.
Whereas, in the providence of God, the time has come when it seems fitting, more fully to manifest the essential oneness of the Christian churches of America in Jesus Christ as their Divine Lord and Saviour, and to promote the spirit of fellowship, service, and co-operation among them, the delegates to the Inter-Church Conference on Federation assembled in New York City, do hereby recommend the following Plan of Federation to the Christian bodies represented in this Conference for their approval.
Plan of Federation.
1. For the prosecution of work that can be better done in union than in separation, a Council is hereby established whose name shall be the Federal Council of the Churches of Christ in America.
II. The following Christian bodies shall be entitled to representation in this Federal Council on their approval of the purpose and plan of the organization:
The Baptist Churches of the United States.
The Free Baptist General Conference.
The Christians (The Christian Connection).
The Congregational Churches.
The Disciples of Christ.
The Evangelical Association.
The Evangelical Synod of North America.
The Friends.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church, General Synod.
The Methodist Episcopal Church.
The Methodist Episcopal Church, South.
The Primitive Methodist Church.
The Colored Methodist Episcopal Church in America.
The Methodist Protestant Church.
The African Methodist Episcopal Church.
The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church.
The General Conference of the Mennonite Church of North America.
The Moravian Church.
The Presbyterian Church in the U. S. A.
The Cumberland Presbyterian Church.
The Welsh Calvinistic Methodist or Presbyterian Church.
The Reformed Presbyterian Church.
The United Presbyterian Church.
The Protestant Episcopal Church.
The Reformed Church in America.
The Reformed Church in the U. S. A.
The Reformed Episcopal Church.
The Seventh-day Baptist Churches.
The United Brethren in Christ.
The United Evangelical Church.
III. The object of this Federal Council shall be—
To express the fellowship and catholic unity of the Christian church.
To bring the Christian bodies of America into united service for Christ and the world.
To encourage devotional fellowship and mutual counsel concerning the spiritual life and religious activities of the churches.
To secure a larger combined influence for the churches of Christ in all matters affecting the moral and social condition of the people, so as to promote the application of the law of Christ in every relation of human life.
To assist in the organization of local branches of the Federal Council to promote its aims in their communities.
IV. This Federal Council shall have no authority over the constituent bodies adhering to it; but its province shall be limited to the expression of its counsel and the recommending of a course of action in matters of common interest to the churches, local councils, and individual Christians.
It has no authority to draw up a common creed, or form of government or of worship, or in any way to limit the full autonomy of the Christian bodies adhering to it.
V. Members of this Federal Council shall be appointed as follows:
Each of the Christian bodies adhering to this Federal Council shall be entitled to four members, and shall be further entitled to one member for every 50,000 of its communicants or major fraction thereof. The question of representation of local councils shall be referred to the several constituent bodies, and to the first meeting of the Federal Council.
VI. Any action to be taken by this Federal Council shall be by the general vote of its members. But in case one-third of the members present and voting request it, the vote shall be by the bodies represented, the members of each body voting separately, and action shall require the vote, not only of a majority of the members voting, but also of the bodies represented.
VII. Other Christian bodies may be admitted into membership of this Federal Council on their request if approved by a vote of two-thirds of the members voting at a session of this council, and of two-thirds of the bodies represented, the representatives of each body voting separately.
VIII. The Federal Council shall meet in December, 1908, and thereafter once in every four years.
IX. The officers of this Federal Council shall be a President, one Vice-President from each of its constituent bodies, a Corresponding Secretary, a Recording Secretary, a Treasurer, and an Executive Committee, who shall perform the duties usually assigned to such officers.
The Corresponding Secretary shall aid in organizing and assisting local councils, and shall represent the Federal Council in its work, under the direction of the Executive Committee.
The Executive Committee shall consist of seven ministers and seven laymen, together with the President, all ex-Presidents, the Corresponding Secretary, the Recording Secretary, and the Treasurer. The Executive Committee shall have authority to attend to all business of the Federal Council in the intervals of its meetings, and to fill any vacancies.
All officers shall be chosen at the quadrennial meetings of the Council, and shall hold their office until their successors take office.
The President, Vice-Presidents, the Corresponding Secretary, the Recording Secretary, and the Treasurer, shall be elected by the Federal Council on nomination by the Executive Committee.
The Executive Committee shall be elected by ballot after nomination by a Nominating Committee.
X. This plan of Federation may be altered or amended by a majority vote of the members, followed by a majority vote of the representatives of the several constituent bodies, each body voting separately.
XI. The expenses of the Federal Council shall be provided for by the several constituent bodies.
This Plan of Federation shall become operative when it shall have been approved by two-thirds of the above bodies to which it shall be presented.
It shall be the duty of each delegation to this Conference to present this Plan of Federation to its National Body, and ask its consideration and proper action.
In case this Plan of Federation is approved by two-thirds of the proposed constituent bodies, the Executive Committee of the National Federation of Churches and Christian Workers, which has called this Conference, is requested to call the Federal Council to meet at a fitting place in December, 1908.
The Glamor of Position.
By Editor
A late Catholic Mirror, referring to the recent visit of Prince Louis to these shores, ridicules the senseless wish to see him. It concludes:
“Prince Louis was all right, in fact, he was far more democratic than we, at times, and it is a pity that we allowed his title to cause us such evident palpitation of the heart. It only goes to show what a hold the glamor of royalty and the fascination for brass buttons and gold braid has upon us—rank-scourning people that we are. It will not become us in the future to criticize the English for not doing away with the king and electing a president.”
It is a childish trait to love gay uniforms, brass buttons, and pomp and show. Many a maiden would make a fool of herself over a man in military or street-car uniform, when she would not speak to him in ordinary civilian dress. It is to this weakness of humanity that Roman Catholicism with its ornate services appeals. The Mirror ought to rejoice to see this pitiable weakness increasing among the people. They are in thus doing making material for Roman Catholic converts.
THE SPIRIT OF STATE CHURCHISM.
THE persecution of the Jews in Russia is by a state church that calls itself Christian. As showing how Christ has to bear the blame of all that is done in His name, we give the following incident that occurred in a Jewish mission meeting in Brooklyn, N. Y. At a certain stage of the meetings, the people in the audience were given privilege to talk, or to ask questions.
Then a Jew, reading extracts from a letter, related how his father-in-law had escaped the murderers' hands in a marvelous way, but that his wife and two children whom he had left until he could provide a home for them in America, had been cruelly killed. The rioters just took one of the children and threw it into the air as high as they could, and when the mother ran screaming to catch her child, they held her back, making her see its death as it came down on the pavement with an awful crash. They repeated this torture with the other child, and then putting kerosene oil on the mother's clothing, they tied her to a pole and set fire to her. "Now how can you," said this man, "open your mouth and talk to us about Jesus through whom all this trouble has come?"
This is a striking illustration of state churchism, where it has full sway, no matter what the profession. It is only the education of common civilization, through religious liberty, that holds back any state religion from like excesses. The spirit is always the same. The past and present (in certain quarters) demonstrate this fact, and the future is to witness its universal tyranny again, as the prophecy testifies, which the outlook of the world is fast corroborating. It was not the religion of Jesus which incited to the above deeds, but its utter perversion. A Jew is safer nowhere than among true Christians. A Russian Jew may not know this; he has seen only the perversion of Christianity in Russia, perhaps. But every observing Jew in free lands knows to the contrary.
WHAT A JUDGE SAYS.
MORGAN J. O'BRIEN, Esq., is the new presiding Justice of the Appellate division of the Supreme Court of New York. A banquet was given in his honor a few weeks ago. In his speech on that occasion he said:
For the next few years we are to have in the great cities such storms as are bound to break over the country. There have been disclosures tending to civic, social, and commercial unrest.
This is the mildest statement of the case. Discerning men everywhere see the storm coming. Justice O'Brien appeals to the bench and the bar, as well as to public opinion, to sustain respect for law and order. The New York World declares that this is what other judges of experience, as Justice Brewer of the Federal Supreme Court, has seen, and declares: "Both the bench and the bar must act to prevent the overthrow of real democratic institutions. The arsenals of the law must be searched for effective weapons. The armory of justice must be ransacked for swift procedure. The tide of crime which is now receiving its encouragement from above will swell from the depths beneath unless its examples in high places are punished."
