AT 3 P.M. the largest auditorium in the Academy of Music was comfortably filled when this first meeting of the series of Mass Meetings on Church Federation opened.

Brooklyn Academy of Music, Sundays, Jan. 23, 30; Feb. 6; 3 P.M. Doctrinal Points Surrendered by Presbyterians, Congregationalists and Methodists, Considered at the First Meeting.

Our suggestion is that now, in the lapping time of this Gospel Age with the oncoming Millennial Age, as the arc electric light casts the candle of the past into the shadow, so the clearer light now shining from the pages of God's Word casts into the shadow all the doctrines of the "dark ages," relieving us of the horrible nightmare which once beclouded our hearts and lives and made us fearful of our Creator as an all-powerful but merciless sovereign. In this blessed light now shining from God's Book have we not a basis for Christian union? Let us see! If we can find in God's Word that the doctrine of Election and the doctrine of Free Grace are both true, both Biblical, but that one belongs to the Church in this Gospel Age and the other to mankind in general in the coming Millennial Age, will not this solve our problem and give us doctrinal union instead of a mere federation based upon the ignoring of doctrine? We can all assent to this, therefore let us examine the facts.

THIS meeting was to have been a question meeting, but Brother Russell first gave a little talk to the friends on the work in general. He said:

LORD, speak to me, that I may speak
In living echoes of Thy tone;
As Thou hast sought, so let me seek
Thine erring children, lost and lone.

O, lead me, Lord, that I may lead
The wandering and the wavering feet;
O, feed me, Lord, that I may feed
Thy hungering ones with manna sweet.

O, strengthen me, that while I stand
Firm on the Rock, and strong in Thee,
I may stretch out a helping hand
To wrestlers in the troubled sea.

O, teach me, Lord, that I may teach
The precious things Thou dost impart;
And wing my words, that they may reach
The hidden depths of many a heart.

O, give Thine own sweet rest to me,
That I may speak with soothing power
A word in season, as from Thee,
To weary ones in needful hour.

O, fill me with Thy fulness, Lord,
Until my very heart o'erflow
In kindling thought and glowing word,
Thy love to tell, Thy praise to show.

JUST before the meeting opened, a quartet of ladies--Mrs. Frank Detwiller, Mrs. E. W. Brenneisen, Miss Virginia Noble and Miss Blanche Raymond, sang the hymn:

Two More Meetings--Sunday, June 30; Feb. 6, 3 P.M.

Baptists will find little to dispute with their co-religionists of the Federation along general doctrinal lines; their chief difficulty will be in the matter of what constitutes Christian baptism--the necessity of water immersion to admission to Church membership. For years this doctrine has been even more tenaciously held than is generally realized. Our Baptist brethren hold to justification by faith as a first or preliminary step which the sinner must take. But they equally hold that this is not the final step--that the step of sacrifice, the step of regeneration must follow in order to obtain salvation. And a baptism in water they recognize as an indispensable outward indication of this regeneration. Hence it is standard Baptist doctrine, both North and South, in all Baptist Churches with rare exceptions, that no unimmersed person should be esteemed a member of Christ's Church.

Undoubtedly Alexander Campbell was a good man with a great head. And undoubtedly many of a similar class following his lead are today known as Disciples or Christians. Undoubtedly these are following closely to apostolic customs in the matter of Church organization which in many respects is beautiful in its simplicity. Doctrinally they claim most faithfully to stand by the Word of God alone. And one of their familiar declarations is, "When the Word of God speaketh we speak; when the Word of God is silent we are silent." But this beautiful simplicity of theory our Disciple friends have found difficult to work out in practice. Hence we find them as strongly intrenched behind unwritten creeds as are others behind elaborated creeds. These are inculcated through the writings of their standard authorities--including the editors of their leading journals. "Disciples" hold most tenaciously as the Bible teaching that baptism in water is indispensable to the remission of sins. This doctrine is supported by several Bible texts which declare, "Arise and be baptized and wash away thy sins." "Baptism unto repentance and remission of sins," etc.

As a week ago we suggested to Presbyterians, Congregationalists and Methodists a union of heart and head as better than federation, so now we suggest to the denominations whose doctrines we are considering today. What we shall suggest respecting baptism will apply to all Christians.

We conclude, therefore: Baptists and Disciples need no longer contend with other denominations even over Baptism. Both may candidly admit that they have laid too great stress upon water immersion. Disciples may wisely admit that consecrated believers not immersed have forgiveness of sins and are not to be eternally tormented. Baptists may admit that water immersion is not the door into the Church and that unimmersed fellow-Christians are not separated thereby from membership in Christ's Body and doomed to eternal torment. Those teachings belong to the past and could not hinder Federation.

AFTER the singing of a number of hymns, prayer was offered by Brother F. H. Robison.

The Doctrinal Points Separating Episcopalians, Lutherans and Catholics Considered at This Session.

The Topic for February 6, 3 P.M., the Last Meeting of This Series, Will Be "The Surrender of the Church Militant to the Church Triumphant."

Episcopalians and Catholics each claim to represent the original apostolic Church. They each claim (through their bishops in the laying on of hands) apostolic authority. Their common claim is that all other denominations of Christians whatsoever are false churches without Divine authority. Accordingly no minister of another denomination would be permitted to preach either in a Catholic or an Episcopalian pulpit. From the standpoint of these denominations all others are heretics; but, they say, not willingly so, but ignorantly so.

For Catholics to join the Federation would signify the surrender of a great deal, and yet, in the light of the Twentieth Century, surely much could be surrendered without any sacrifice of manhood--merely with the sacrifice of a little pride. For the Church of Rome to federate with the Protestant churches would mean that they ceased to protest and that she relinquished her peculiar claims.

In view of the foregoing--in view of the fact that the Divine titles of all kings and emperors are now abrogated, papacy need feel no special disgrace to her cause in similarly abrogating the claim that the popes reign as representatives of Christ or have authority so to do. Indeed such a claim is more safely denied than held, for in the light of our day papacy's best friends cannot look into the past and point with pride to any achievements as properly representing the reign of the Prince of Peace--Immanuel. In the light of the present all of God's people, Catholics and Protestants of every shade, should rejoice to join in the Lord's Prayer-- "Thy Kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is done in heaven." Surely this is what all saints of all denominations should desire and pray for and labor for.

We are free to admit that the Catholic doctrines of transubstantiation, masses and purgatory would be difficult for our Catholic friends to abandon for the sake of Federation or for any other reason. Nevertheless we believe that in the light of our day there is more to be learned upon these important doctrines. Without agreeing with these doctrines-- without claiming Catholic affiliation, let me here say that the Catholic doctrine of purgatory, which lies at the foundation of these three, is in many respects more rational than our Protestant doctrine of eternal torture. It would surely be more Godlike to provide some way of escape for the millions of humanity than to leave thousands of millions uselessly in untellable anguish to all eternity. However, the Lord willing, it is my intention to discuss this subject in a general mass meeting to Christian people of all denominations on Sunday, March 6. So many of you as desire to attend will be welcomed on that occasion. We will then seek for the Scriptural explanation of these doctrines--purgatory and hell.

"The Church Militant's Surrender to the Church Triumphant."

A full house greeted Pastor Russell yesterday at Brooklyn Academy of Music as he delivered his final discourse of a series of four on the subject of "Church Federation." The large audience sat as if spell-bound, as they listened to the eloquent words which fell from his lips, all of which appealed to their reason, for he backed every proposition with Scripture. The question as to whether Catholics would bow to the Protestants or the Protestants to the Catholics was treated and the answer was conclusive.

The Scriptures explain that there is a two-fold reason why Jesus and all of his followers are required to suffer for righteousness' sake.

The Church in glory and in power will contain no hypocrites and no merely nominal Christians--only the true, the saintly, "the sanctified in Christ Jesus." Nevertheless, it will be composed of two classes, as illustrated by the Priests and the Levites in the type. (1) Jesus glorified, the anti-typical High Priest, and his faithful footstep followers, the anti-typical under-priesthood--otherwise, his "Bride." Together these are styled a Royal Priesthood or a Kingdom of Priests. St. Paul tells us that Melchizedek, who was a priest upon his throne, merely typified the Church Triumphant --Head and Body--the Christ, "A priest forever after the order of Melchizedek"--a priest upon his throne. During the Millennial Age that glorious Priest, Head and Members, will bless and uplift, rule and judge the world of mankind, with a view to recovering as many as possible, as many as will obey him, from the ruin of sin and death. During the thousand years of the Melchizedek reign all the families of the earth will be blessed with opportunities of return to human perfection and to earthly paradise. The unwilling and disobedient will be destroyed in the second death. At the close of the Millennium Christ's Mediatorial Kingdom will terminate.

I ask you, my hearers, and indirectly I ask the millions of my larger congregation whom I address weekly through the public prints--What advantage will accrue to the Church Militant through the oncoming Federation? I reply that great advantage will come to the saintly few, not in the manner expected, but along the lines of the divine promise that "All things shall work together for good to them that love God--to the called according to his purpose." The Church Federation, which the Scriptures distinctly show us will be effected, will include the various classes already indicated:--(1) Hypocrites; (2) Moralists; (3) Followers afar off; (4) Saints.

Having previously seen that the Federation would require no serious sacrificing by the leading Christian bodies except Catholics, we today have viewed the one true Church composed of faithful Christians of all denominations--her past and present, her future, according to the Bible. In the light of these studies we inquires, Is Federation desirable?

THIS was the first of three great SPECIAL MAY MEETINGS which were held in the ROYAL ALBERT HALL, one of the largest, if not the largest auditorium in the world, and Pastor Russell spoke there on three very important topics, on three successive Sunday evenings. Much work had been done by the London friends and those who came in to help, from nearby places, in preparation for these meetings. Expectation was running high when Sunday, May 8th, came. Brother Russell and the party that had been with him making the trip through Egypt and Palestine, arrived in London the morning of May 8th. A large company of friends were at the depot to greet them. Realizing that it would tax Brother Russell's strength to the utmost to fill the great Royal Albert Hall that evening, it was decided that no other meetings should be held on this day. Therefore, the friends rested and completed arrangements for the meeting. The service was to begin at 7:30 P.M. We arrived at the hall about 7 o'clock, and you can imagine the impression that was made upon us as we came near the hall, to see two lines of people, one from either direction, lined up toward the doors of the great building, waiting for an opportunity to get in. We found that over 5,000 people had already gained admission. Being associated in the work, we gained admission at once, and it was with great pleasure, as we looked around the immense auditorium, to see a sea of faces before us, and watch the different ones gather and note the general impression. It was a sight never to be forgotten. At the time the service began, Brother Sawyer, the chairman, Pastor Russell and others came on the platform. Then the organist started up one of the hymns, and the great audience rose to their feet and began to sing. They sang as only an audience who have more or less familiarity with religious songs can sing. There were then present fully 7,500 people. After the opening hymn, the Chairman, Colonel Sawyer, introduced Brother Russell with the following remarks:

BROTHER RUSSELL: I am pleased to be with you today, dear friends. I have noted with pleasure the words of our brother, assuring us of your love: and I give you my love in return. It is quite true that where there is one body there is one spirit, for we are all baptized into one body by the one spirit, and whoever has not the one spirit is not in the body, which is the church. We do indeed recognize all nominal churches, and in speaking of them as such we are not to be understood as saying anything unkind, but rather as trying to differentiate between those who have a special relationship to the Lord and those who have a less direct and less close relationship. We love all who are the Lord's. So I feel an enlargement of mind and heart toward all Christian people, as I see by the Lord's grace to be able to appreciate the fact, though there are many who have never yet understood the lengths and breadths and heights and depths of God's plan, and of his love as we have been able to see it. Many of them maybe are true brothers and sisters in the Lord, which have not yet had this enlightenment. We may be sure that all who are led of the Lord may see from this same standpoint. So surely as we are taught of the Lord we shall be instructed in his ways and know his doctrine. If some know more and some less respecting doctrines, let us hope that we will all drink more and more of the spirit of the Lord and know of the doctrine of the Lord; for, as the Apostle says, if we have all knowledge and have not love it shall profit us nothing. We would come short of the glory of God, short of the wonderful things which God has for us.