A century ago, our fathers resolved, here in this land of liberty and union, that the world should have a new birth of religious freedom; that the religion of the Christ, for the Christ, and by the Christ should not perish from the face of the earth. To-day we have met on this historic spot to celebrate the Centennial of that movement and to note something of its progress and achievements.

      Then two men stood for the absolute supremacy of Jesus, the Christ; to-day there are seven thousand ministers who are content to speak all of the words of this life. Then there was not an institution of learning committed to the training of students in the essentials of Christianity; to-day there are thirty-three colleges with eight thousand students dominated by the spirit of truth and exemplifying its essential unity. Then we had no newspaper or publishing concern to assist in the work of restoration; to-day we have half a hundred publications, that, in all of the essentials, contend earnestly for the faith once for all delivered to the saints. Then there were neither men nor money for the missionary enterprise; to-day there is reasonable sustenance for the army of the Lord as it goes forth, by the school, the hospital, the orphanage, the model home and the pulpit, to preach the gospel to the whole creation.

      Nor can our progress and achievements be truly stated in terms of workers, however numerous, or organization, however effective, or money, however much. These are but the means to a greater end. We read its attainment in the place the Bible holds to-day, not only as the universal creed, ready-made, all-sufficient and all-inclusive, but [419] as the genius of democracy, as the bulwark and guarantee of our civil liberties, as the origin and foster-mother of the world's highest civilization and the ideal of its master races, as the chain that effectually binds the nations about the feet of God, as the inspiration and the support of letters, science and art, as the irresistible weapon in the pulling down the strongholds of intemperance, impurity and oppression.

      The religious world knows more of the Bible than ever before. It is correctly revised and subjected to the keenest literary criticism. Students in all of the churches are studying to show themselves approved unto God, rightly dividing the word of truth. Important as cause and effect, the open Book has led unerringly to the Lordship of Jesus.

      To-day the denominational crown of thorns is not pressed ruthlessly down upon His brow, nor is He crucified unto death upon the cross of human opinions. Indeed, He is being rescued from the ordeal of party neglect and mistreatment. Increasingly the church hails him as Lord of lords and as King of kings.

      Because Jesus reigns, church divisions are passing. The union spirit is abroad

H. L. HEROD.

and is growing with the years. Even now it is happily exemplified in the Evangelical Alliance, in the fraternal relations existing among the churches in various communities, in the Y. M. C. A., Y. W. C. A., W. C. T. U., and C. E. movements, in the efforts toward church federation, in the International Sunday-school Association, in the Federal Council of the Churches of Christ, and in the agreement of the missionary workers on foreign fields to be known as Christians only.

      We are not unmindful of our own shortcomings and our failure to see and meet our duty as enjoined by our privileges and as revealed by the doors so continually open unto us. We are appreciative of the fact that others than ourselves have contributed liberally to the supremacy of the word of God, to the Lordship of Jesus, to the unity of the saints and to the evangelization of the world. We are aware of the age spirit which sought to break the bonds of custom and tradition and to find, select and reassert in every phase of life the vital principles. With ample allowance of all the forces that have made for the right, we remember with pride to-day that not since the days of the apostles had any man besides Thomas Campbell proposed to make known among men as the condition of salvation nothing save Jesus Christ and him crucified.

      The purpose of Thomas Campbell to give Christ back to the world as its sole hope of redemption differed in nowise from the mission of Christ himself, who came to bind the world again in love and obedience to God. We remember that for a hundred years we have proclaimed the Bible and the Bible alone. We have preached it. With John Locke, we have believed that God is its author, therefore truth its matter and salvation its end. We have stood for the Bible stripped of error, whether in the text or otherwise. Alexander Campbell was a leader in Bible revision and criticism. We have held forth the doctrine of sound words, of pure speech in preference to the alien terminology of theologians. We have never confused the word of God by an erroneous division of its truth nor by the lack of division. For a century our message to the world has been Jesus the Christ. As steadily and as truly as certain stars in the heavens point to the North Star, through all of the shifts and shocks of ages, so we have pointed to the Star of Bethlehem. We have extolled the Christ above the prophets, above the sages of the past, above the organized church, above Luther or Wesley or Campbell. We have taught the world that the vital question concerning salvation is not "What must I believe to be saved?" but "Whom must I believe?" and thousands have accepted the divine person as the only door into peace, liberty and unlimited growth. As the faithful herald, pointing to the open gate in one of our great railway stations calls to the tired and confused traveler, "This way out! [420] This way out!" so we for a century have stood by the Christ, and said, "This way out! This way out!"

      We have not only pointed out the way, we have led the way out. We have shown that it is possible for a church to exist, grow and thrive while standing squarely upon our common and universally accepted Lord. Is the religions world divided over the question of masters? All admit that Christ is common ground and that he is enough. Is there controversy over the creed to be adopted? All admit that the Bible is common ground. Here, in the final analysis, all human opinions must come for acceptable support. Is there disagreement over the mode of baptism? There is a mode about which there is no difference of opinion. Does the choice of a name keep the children of God apart? There is a name that is conceded to be above every name. The name of Christ is common ground.

      It is true that the experience of a hundred years has taught us some stern and needed lessons. We know now that our very existence must be justified by our ability to demonstrate to the world that God's way is superior to man's. We are beginning to realize that we stand upon an ideal platform. We must do better than others or we are not as good. We must be in earnest. We must ring true. We must be liberal. We must be up and doing. We must be progressive. There is a heterodoxy of the affections and of the will as well as of the mind. It is quite as important that we be "sound" on the problems of society or missions as to be orthodox on baptism. The standard of judgment, "By their fruits ye shall know them," is for us even as for others. Already there are those who are asking, "Art thou he that should come, or look we for another?" No appeal to an authority outside of our own works can be invoked as a tenable answer. With our Lord we must be able to say, "The blind are made to see, the lame to walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised and the gospel is brought to the poor."

      Withal, we have discovered something of our native strength. Yesterday's obscure voice crying in the wilderness of Pennsylvania is a multitude to-day equally striking in its quality as in its size. As of old, "not many wise after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble," were called early into this fellowship. The rank and file of our army are the plain people, who by patient industry and perseverance in the simple life of the Bible have become the backbone of our nation. They are the world's workers, the men of faith, of enthusiasm, of definite purpose, of the genius to master. They lead in business, in social uplift, in education and moral reform.

      Our power as a people is augmented by our distribution in the heart of the richest and most highly favored land in the world, by increasing wealth, by the advancement of learning and ideal conditions of culture. Ours, too, is a great heritage of noble examples of consecration and self-sacrifice. Our mission is most engaging and verily worth the best we have to give, and gives in return the best of God's gifts. The spirit of the time is favorable to us. Our weapons have been proved. The need of us and our opportunity are serious.

      In His name we take the retrospect with mingled feelings of joy and regret. We stand in this the heyday of opportunity and duty, and hopefully face together the future. Here we see our progress, not in the light of a century's effort, but in the greater work yet to be done. Zealous for the glory of God and anxious for the redemption of the whole world, we rededicate ourselves to the completion of a task that may not be repudiated nor neglected. For truly, O holy, united, living church of God,

[CCR 419-421]