Religious Unity and Christian Truth
By Editor
ON a recent Sunday morning all the churches in Ukiah, Cal., were closed, with one exception, and to that house of worship all the Christian people of the place resorted to listen to a sermon by a Jewish rabbi upon "Liberal Religion." Commenting upon this occurrence, which we believe is without precedent, an Oakland paper says: "Such a service is a pleasing indication of the growing harmony among religious sects, and of the feeling of courteous fellowship whence may come at some time more unity of doctrine than at present exists." This note would not be worthy of comment, were it not for the fact that it is the echo of a sentiment which is becoming very common among various schools of religionists. We do not pretend to say that it is wrong to hear a rabbi; but we do believe that this note does not express a healthy Christian sentiment. There can be no "more unity of doctrine than at present exists," between Jews and Christians, unless the Jews acknowledge Christ, or the Christians deny him. That the former will ever, as a people, acknowledge the lowly Nazarene, we have no warrant for believing; though, alas! too many of the latter do in reality deny their Saviour. The spirit which leads professedly Christian people to abandon principle, and to surrender sacred truths for the sake of "unity of doctrine," is not the spirit of the Master, but of the enemy of all righteousness. The Saviour himself refused all compromises, and plainly said, "He that is not with me is against me." Christian courtesy does not require any follower of Christ to place himself in the attitude of even seeming to admit, either by word or act, that any Christless religion is as good as the religion of Christ. And it does seem that the Christian minister who surrenders his pulpit, even for a single day, to an avowed enemy of Christ, and of the religion which bears his name, can scarcely have proper conceptions of the importance and sacredness of the gospel of the Son of God.