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.
