Tcim 
 
 THE TIES THAT BIND 
 
 Responses to the 
 
 ^‘Fraternal Address of Southern Baptists” 
 
 BY 
 
 J. F. LOVE, Corresponding Secretary 
 
 FOREIGN MISSION BOARD 
 SOUTHERN Baptist convention 
 RICHMOND, VA. 
 
(k » 
 
 
 Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 in 2018 with funding from 
 Columbia University Libraries 
 
 https://archive.org/details/tiesthatbindrespOOIove 
 
Pfltn 
 
 The Ties That Bind 
 
 T here is in human society nothing quite so re¬ 
 markable for its power to hold together in a 
 compact brotherhood a heterogeneous aggre¬ 
 gation of individuals as is a common religious faith. 
 Religious ideas are the most potent things that operate 
 in the moral and social world. When once great re¬ 
 ligious principles have been discovered and have been 
 given simple and clear definition, they serve to bind 
 men and women of great variety of circumstance and 
 talent, diversity of training and remoteness of resi¬ 
 dence into a close and congenial fellowship. It is 
 surprising that this unifying power of a common re¬ 
 ligious faith expressed in definite terms is not more 
 generally recognized among thoughtful men. Re¬ 
 ligious belief is the great divider and the great uniter 
 of the human race. Nothing so effectually separates 
 men and builds up barriers to communication between 
 them as do contrary religious faiths, and nothing so 
 bridges the chasm between men of different nationali¬ 
 ties and varied individual characteristics as do distinc¬ 
 tive common articles of religious belief. Even ties of 
 family, blood and nation yield to religious ideas and 
 the spiritual affinities which they create. 
 
 Perhaps the truth of this is not more convincingly^ 
 illustrated than in the fact and history of the Baptist 
 brotherhood throughout the world. This brotherhood 
 not only comprehends men and women of all classes, 
 colors, nationalities, countries, conditions, but the prin¬ 
 ciple of democracy, that is to say, individual responsi- 
 
 2 
 
bility and personal right and freedom, is emphasized 
 among Baptists as among no other people. Neverthe¬ 
 less, the few simple, distinctive articles of Baptist 
 faith have such unifying force that they bind together 
 all these individuals into a unity which is scarcely 
 equalled in any other social or even religious group. 
 The Baptist unity is not enforced or preserved by 
 legislation or superintendence, but by the sheer force 
 of a few distinctive religious principles stated in suc¬ 
 cinct definition with appeal to the New Testament 
 which makes their sacredness transparent. There was 
 a deep underlying philosophy in the mind of the Apos¬ 
 tle Paul in reducing the Christian message to simple, 
 dogmatic terms as “one Lord, one faith, one baptism,” 
 and in summing up the gospel as being “how Christ 
 died for our sins,” “was buried and rose again.” It 
 was by the coherency of a simple common faith that 
 the scattered and persecuted believers of those early 
 times were welded together and made into an impene¬ 
 trable, irresistible and invincible Christianity. When¬ 
 ever religious faith is given such definition as to enable 
 common men to grasp it and becomes a conviction 
 which goes deep enough to grip and hold the human 
 spirit, that faith reacts upon men and women as a 
 cementing element to constitute a brotherhood out of 
 men and women of diverse minds, interests and 
 classes. 
 
 Keligious sentiment is, of course, to be reckoned 
 with, but religious sentiment, considered as a social 
 harmonizer and coherent element in society, always 
 gathers about religious ideas. Christian truth in par¬ 
 ticular has such pungency and potency that it touches 
 and stimulates the fountains of emotion and sentiment, 
 and thus becomes a fusing force in society. It is im- 
 
 4 
 
possible to think of permanent fellowship between men 
 who differ radically on great principles of morality or 
 religion. The gospel is something which must be told, 
 understood, accepted, and then experienced. A true 
 and abiding brotherhood is, therefore, impossible with¬ 
 out bonds of truth to hold men together. It is a shal¬ 
 low philosophy which, in the interest of brotherhood, 
 discards or deprecates articles of religious faith with¬ 
 out regard to their soundness or the conviction of those 
 who hold them. A little knowledge of history would 
 help the philosopher just here. 
 
 For several years prior to 1919 the advocates of 
 larger Christian fellow^ship, federation and co-opera¬ 
 tion crowded Southern Baptists to the point of keen 
 embarrassment with their programs, platforms and 
 preachments, and did so with amazing ignorance or 
 disregard of the simple faith of these people and the 
 sacredness with wdiich Baptists regard the historic 
 faith which makes up their creed. They miscalculated 
 the strength of the bonds of brotherhood which a 
 common faith, stated in explicit terms, creates. Strong 
 popular speakers and writers, with religious organs de¬ 
 voted to their service and the aid of certain publishing 
 houses which desired the patronage of all religious 
 bodies, carried forward an agitation, framed up an 
 organization, and, gaining courage and boldness by 
 early successes, sought to drive the wedge of senti¬ 
 ment into denominational ranlrs with little concern for 
 either denominational conscience and sensitiveness or 
 the philosophy of the situation. For awhile there was 
 tumult in the denominational camp. It became a 
 question in some minds as to whether the denomina¬ 
 tional lines would hold or Southtern Baptists would 
 capitulate to the Union Movement, and, in such event. 
 
the only really serious and strong barrier to its policies 
 be removed. A few sessions of the Southern Baptist 
 Convention, beginning with 1912, were much dis¬ 
 turbed, and the interim between them range with de¬ 
 fensive and olfensive artillery of words. Although all 
 the participants may not have recognized it, the real 
 issue was whether sentiment divorced from definitive 
 truth could effectually stampede those who held a com¬ 
 mon historic faith. Finally the hour of decision came 
 and the denomination had to square itself to meet it. 
 There was a thrilling consolidation of thought and 
 sentiment in the denomination. Southern Baptists met 
 the issue. The threatened inundation of sentiment 
 rolled back and the denominational solidarity and fel¬ 
 lowship, enforced by structural truth, were unmoved. 
 Indeed, it was found that Southern Baptists were more 
 unified than ever. There was no break in their ranks 
 or the spirit of their fellowship. 
 
 The immovableness of Southern Baptists before 
 the Union Movement is a fine illustration of the power 
 of a clearly defined religious faith to unify a large and 
 widely scattered number of Christian men and women. 
 For one hundred years or more preachers of the 
 South, disregardful of new theologies, materialistic and 
 rationalistic theories,, preached the New Testament, 
 proclaimed it as the rule of faith and law of Chris¬ 
 tian life. Unmoved by the loud claims and lordly airs 
 of the intellectuals and the fervent vociferations of the 
 faddists, humble men went scouting for sinners 
 throughout the South, making their appeals to tht 
 Word of God and admonishing all men to follow where 
 that Word led. In this way a homogeneous Baptist 
 life was built up in the South and conscience was 
 created for faith which could be supported by the 
 
New Testament. A consequence was boldness in the 
 faith which rendered men unembarrassed in owning 
 their religious principles on any occasion. Three mil¬ 
 lion volunteer church members had come to look 
 upon the Baptist faith as so sacred as to be the last 
 thing yielded up. It was on this conscience for the 
 truth and the denominational solidarity which is had 
 created that the Union Movement broke. Southern 
 Baptist dissent from the platform of the federationists 
 was positive and clear, yet courteous, and it secured 
 for them an unequalled advantage in projecting a 
 great work. 
 
 When the Convention met in Atlanta in 1919, it 
 had become evident that the denomination, having been 
 thus forced into a negative position, it ought, for the 
 sake of being understood, for the sake of its future, 
 and in the face of an extraordinary world situation, to 
 announce a positive program; and, having declared 
 non-alliance with those who were conunitted to policies 
 which we could not in conscience adopt, seek to test 
 and strengthen the bonds which exist between South¬ 
 ern Baptists and all other Baptist groups throughout 
 the world. Dissenting from a union that ignored the 
 bonds of truth, which alone could hold men together, 
 it was incumbent upon Southern Baptists to state 
 the terms on which they would welcome union. Feel¬ 
 ing these things strongly, the writer prepared for the 
 Foreign Mission Board, to be presented in its report 
 to the Atlanta Convention, an inquiry whether the 
 Convention would authorize the Board to make a sur¬ 
 vey of Europe and the Near East, and enter into larger 
 and more intimate fellowship with their Baptist breth¬ 
 ren of Europe, and undertake a more comprehensive 
 missionary program. Looking forward to the Con- 
 
 i 
 
vention, we addressed a letter to Dr. J. B. Gambrell, 
 President, suggesting that in his presidential address 
 he set the thought of the Convention to a larger Bap¬ 
 tist fellowship and a closer co-operation among Bap¬ 
 tists in lieu of the interdenominational program. It 
 was further suggested that the address be in such form 
 that it could sent out by the Foreign Mission Board 
 as a sort of fraternal greeting and statement of the 
 common Baptist faith throughout the world. Dr. 
 Gambrell welcomed the suggestion in a most cordial 
 letter, but as the time for his address approached, 
 cricumstances incident to the Interchurch Movement, 
 then aproaching its zenith of popularity and preten¬ 
 tiousness, engaged him, and the address which he 
 delivered, while having great value and serving a large 
 purpose, was not intended for nor adapted to the ends 
 contemplated in our correspondence. Consequently, 
 after consultation with Dr. E. Y. Mullins, Dr. Gam¬ 
 brell and a few other brethren, and receiving their 
 encouragement, the writer offered to the Convention 
 the following resolution, naming, as will be seen, the 
 personnel of the committee which it was intended to 
 create: 
 
 ^’"Resolved^ That a committee of five messengers to 
 the Convention be appointed to prepare greetings of 
 this Convention of Southern Baptists to the people of 
 ‘like precious faith with us’ scattered abroad in all 
 nations. 
 
 “That the committee be composed of E. Y. Mullins, 
 L. R. Scarborough, J. B. Gambrell, Z. T. Cody and 
 William Ellyson.” 
 
 In offering the resolution it was explained that the 
 address to be prepared would carry such a statement 
 
 8 
 
of the common faith of our Baptist people as would 
 show the bond of unity between them, and make it 
 possible for Christians who hold the Baptist faith un¬ 
 der other names to establish their identity with it. 
 The committee, wdth Dr. Mullins as its chairman, did 
 an excellent piece of work. Dr. I. J. Van Ness, Cor¬ 
 responding Secretary of the Sunday School Board of 
 the Southern Baptist Convention, was quick to see the 
 possibilities of such a piece of literature, and was most 
 generous in having the Sunday School Board finance 
 the publication of the address. The results from cir¬ 
 culating the address have more than fulfilled expec¬ 
 tations. The demand for it and the welcome which it 
 has received have been most gratifying. An English 
 edition of 86,000 has been printed, of which a copy 
 was sent to every English-speaking Baptist minister 
 whose address could be found, and it has been printed 
 in translation in many languages, and in several in¬ 
 stances in successive and large editions. For instance, 
 German and Polish Baptists have recently issued 
 second editions of 100,000 each. 
 
 The Fraternal Address which Southern Baptists 
 thus put forth as a greeting to “Those of like pre¬ 
 cious faith with us” and which carried an outline of 
 the “things most commonly believed among us,” has 
 evoked a most remarkable response. It has indeed 
 provoked such a volume of correspondence from many 
 lands as, for one thing, to enable us to establish in 
 the Foreign Mission Booms a bureau of communica¬ 
 tion with most Baptist groups the world over. Going 
 forth as it did at a time of universal distress, its fra¬ 
 ternal spirit has met the warmest response, but, for 
 those who are proud of and jealous of the faith of 
 
 9 
 
Baptists as we understand and preach it, the chief 
 ground of rejoicing will be in the evidence brought 
 forth by this address that Baptists are one people and 
 that there is a great host of them. With only here 
 an there a discordant note or variation in accent, 
 they “speak the same things.” Those Baptists who 
 cherish the ancient faith of their people constitute an 
 overwhelming majority, call them conservatives, fun¬ 
 damentalists, or what you will. The radical, the liberal, 
 the faddist, is a lonely exception in comparison with 
 the great host of those who are orthodox after the 
 standards to which Southern Baptists agree. This is 
 the testimony of the large and wide correspondence 
 which the address has provoked. 
 
 To show how widespread is the faith of Southern 
 Baptists, how homogeneous this democratic brother¬ 
 hood is, how strong the Baptist fellowship, and the 
 reality and significance of this fact of our unity in the 
 faith, we make some extracts from the correspondence. 
 Long and more formal responses must be omitted. 
 For instance, the official response which British Bap¬ 
 tists made to the address, and which has already been 
 given to Southern Baptists through the denominational 
 papers, is omitted because of the limitations which 
 space places upon us. Those extracts which we do 
 give will be sufficient to show how widely representa¬ 
 tive and cordial have been these responses to Southern 
 Baptist overture for a closer fellowship with their 
 brethren, and how universally acceptable is the simple 
 and explicit statement of faith which the committee 
 drafted. 
 
 The address has been printed in many languages 
 and circulated in many lands. We quote by countries: 
 
 10 
 
AMERICAN STATES. 
 
 Maine. 
 
 “Sometime ago I received a copy of the ‘Fraternal Ad¬ 
 dress of Southern Baptists,’ and at your invitation I would like 
 you to know that I am thoroughly in accord with the message, 
 It cannot be overestimated. I wonder if I can secure fifty 
 copies or so to distribute among brethren here who were not 
 fortunate enough to receive a complimentary copy. Some of 
 us here are trying to stand firmly for ‘the faith once delivered 
 to the saints.’ ’’ 
 
 Rhode Island. 
 
 “With an ever increasing interest and gratitude to God, 
 I read and re-read the ‘Fraternal Address of Southern Bap¬ 
 tists’ which I was fortunate enough to receive. It is like 
 finding an oasis in our ecclesiastical desert of distraction. To 
 all that the address stands for I, with deep devotion, subscribe 
 a grand Amen. I praise God for the motive that prompted 
 the effort and those who compiled it.’’ 
 
 Washington. 
 
 “In the Fraternal Address of the Southern Baptists I 
 believe that you brethren have given us a succinct and ad¬ 
 mirable statement of our holy faith, and I am writing to 
 inquire if you have any large number of these tracts for dis¬ 
 tribution among the churches and upon what terms they could 
 be secured.’’ 
 
 Pennsylvania. 
 
 “Sometime since I received a pamphlet setting forth the 
 doctrinal beliefs of Southern Baptist Convention, and inviting 
 correspondence with those who were of a like mind. I am 
 heartily in sympathy with the faith as set forth therein.” 
 
 Wisconsin. 
 
 “Sometime ago I received a copy of the Fraternal Ad¬ 
 dress of Southern Baptists and find myself in complete accord 
 with it.” 
 
 11 
 
New York. 
 
 “The Fraternal Address of Southern Baptists is before 
 me. I have read it through for the third time and I am glad 
 to say that I consider it a beautifully comprehensive, succinct 
 and accurate statement of the Baptist doctrinal position, as I 
 see it.” 
 
 New York. 
 
 “Sometime ago I received a copy of the ‘Fraternal Ad¬ 
 dress of Southern Baptists,’ and at your invitation I would like 
 you to know that I am thoroughly in accord with the message. 
 I am a Baptist by principle and not by birth. The paragraph 
 on Baptists and Christian Union express admirably my senti¬ 
 ments, and in the near future I shall borrow its outline for a 
 sermon topic. I wish the ‘Address’ might be placed in the 
 hand of every Baptist.” 
 
 Wisconsin. 
 
 “Have read ‘Fraternal Address of Southern Baptists’ you 
 sent me and gladly endorse every statement contained therein.” 
 
 Michigan. 
 
 “Sometime ago I received your Fraternal Address of 
 Southern Baptists. Allow me to inform you that I most 
 heartily assent to its contents.” 
 
 Massachusetts. 
 
 “Sometime ago you were kind enough to send me, free of 
 charge, 300 copies of the ‘Fraternal Address’ of Southern 
 Baptists. You may be interested to learn that we have used 
 these in our mid-week prayer services for eight weeks as a 
 text-book. It has been a very interesting and profitable study. 
 I recommend this plan to brother pastors.” 
 
 Colorado. 
 
 “As indicated in my previous letter, it seems to me the 
 matter is presented in such a cogent, brief and yet compre¬ 
 hensive way, and, withal, such a spirit of fairness, as to make 
 its appeal to anyone of open mind.” 
 
 California. 
 
 “I read with great interest the ‘Fraternal Address’ of 
 Southern Baptists. We are one people in the Lord. Could 
 
 12 
 
you spare some copies for distribution in this region? If you 
 can send me a few or many copies I Avill seek to use them to 
 the glory of our Lord.” 
 
 Nebraska. 
 
 “Having received a few copies of the ‘Fraternal Address 
 of Southern Baptists,’ and carefully read the same, I distrib¬ 
 uted a number of copies among our members, and last Sunday, 
 February 15, 1920, our church voted unanimously to express 
 themselves in agreement with the articles of faith set forth 
 therein, and to extend greetings of fellowship.” 
 
 Iowa. 
 
 “The ‘Fraternal Greeting’ of the Southern Baptist Con¬ 
 vention has come to my table. I consider it a valuable docu¬ 
 ment and am wondering if a number of copies could be se¬ 
 cured.” 
 
 Canada. 
 
 “I have been authorized to convey to you the following 
 resolution of the Leamington (Ont.) Baptist Church, and have 
 much pleasure in so doing: 
 
 “ ‘Resolved, That we, the members of the Baptist Church 
 at Leamington, Ont., desire to express to our brethren of the 
 Southern Baptist Convention, through their Secretary, Rev. 
 Dr. Love, our sincere thanks for their kindness in sending us 
 125 copies of the Fraternal Address of the Southern Baptist 
 Convention. Those of our members who have read the address 
 are convinced that it is the most concise and brotherly state¬ 
 ment of our position on record. We join together in prayer 
 that our Lord may continue to bestow upon your churches His 
 fullest blessing.’ ” 
 
 “The Fraternal Address is one of the most beautiful for 
 simplicity and conciseness and comprehensiveness for the space 
 it occupies. It is doing a great deal of good among our people 
 here, and is greatly appreciated and admired by my own people 
 here.” 
 
 “The Fraternal Address is most timely and well written. 
 It is greatly needed and will do much good. You Southern 
 Baptists in your loyalty to the Old Book and consequent loy¬ 
 alty to the Regular Baptist position are the hope of the Baptist 
 world. We rejoice in your great prosperity.” 
 
 13 
 
“That address is truly a masterpiece in stating the po¬ 
 sition of our beloved denomination.” 
 
 “I thank you for the further package of the ‘Fraternal 
 Address.’ A request was made immediately by one of our 
 seminary professors for a sufficient number of copies to give 
 one copy to each student in theological departments and with 
 which request I was, thanks to your kindness, able to comply. 
 He proposes to take the students over the statement in the 
 classroom. What we sadly need here is an indoctrination of 
 our people in the Baptist position as outlined in that ‘Fraternal 
 Address.’ Our people need to he brought to a realization that 
 Baptists are the people of destiny and that our contingent 
 here may have a part in the procession if they are loyal to 
 the Baptists’ standard. I admire the clear-cut utterances of 
 the Southern Baptists.” 
 
 “It is certainly an admirable setting forth in concise form 
 of the position of the Regular Baptists, and so clearly and 
 pointedly that it cannot be misunderstood and at the same 
 time beautiful in diction and fraternal in spirit. It is just the 
 statement that is needed in all our churches at this particular 
 time. I have just complied with the request of one of our 
 ministers for a supply to distribute in his membership, he in¬ 
 tending to emphasize the address from the pulpit, and only 
 j’^esterday I supplied a considerable number to a friend who 
 wished to send same to Baptists in the Maritime provinces, 
 and so they go and the good seed is being sown widely.” 
 
 “It is a splendid design to scatter broadcast in all tongues 
 this statement of Christian doctrines, and to my mind is likely 
 to be productive of more real vital good than some other more 
 ambitious schemes before the Christian public at present.” 
 
 England. 
 
 “It is sometime since I received the ‘Fraternal Address’ 
 from the Southern Baptists of the United States of America. 
 I intended to reply to it soon after its arrival, but unfortu¬ 
 nately it got mislaid and has only now turned up again. I 
 have read it carefully over again, and heartily endorse all its 
 sentiments.” 
 
 “It contains a very clear and complete statement of the 
 articles of faith which I have held as important for a long min- 
 
 14 
 
isterial life. I have not found any reason for doubting or 
 changing them. I rejoice to think that the 3,000,000 Baptists 
 of the Southern States are fighting the good fight of faith.” 
 
 "I thank you for copy of the ‘Fraternal Address’ just to 
 hand and heartily endorse its straightforward, practical tone. 
 If it be possible to mail me a few copies I should be glad 
 and will willingly forward cost. Kindly enroll us as amongst 
 those who subscribe to the articles of Faith as set out in the 
 address.” 
 
 “I write to thank you for the copy of ‘Fraternal Ad¬ 
 dress’ received recently, and to expi’ess my entire acceptance 
 of the position as there stated.” 
 
 ‘‘Very many thanks for sending me a copy of the ‘Fra¬ 
 ternal Address of the Southern Baptists.’ I rejoice at the 
 stand you are making in these perilous times for ‘God and 
 His gospel.’ I am happy to find myself in entire agreement 
 with the articles of faith enumerated in the address, and shall 
 be glad to know and hear more of your Convention.” 
 
 ‘‘I am in hearty agreement with the sentiments expressed 
 in the address. Personally I cannot see that any other po¬ 
 sition can be held by us; to give up this position is to surrender 
 our claim to being biblical; and I always thought that Bap¬ 
 tists felt secure simply as they adhered to the Bible. I trust 
 many others, like myself, will feel strengthened to ‘Carry on’ 
 in the good old way.” 
 
 ‘‘I thank you for the Fraternal Address of the Southern 
 Baptists with which I am in agreement. I read it to my people 
 and it was much appreciated.” 
 
 ‘‘Very many thanks for the Fraternal Address received 
 this morning, with which I am in hearty agreement. We are 
 living in times when those who hold the Faith and are held by 
 Him of whom it speaks should stand together.” 
 
 ‘‘I am in most hearty agreement with your articles of 
 faith received a day or so ago, in the form of the Fraternal 
 Address of Southern Baptists.” 
 
 Scotland. 
 
 ‘‘It is one of the finest and best phrased declarations of 
 Baptist principle I have ever seen and covers the whole ground. 
 
 15 
 
I would like to see this Fraternal Address in the hands of every 
 Baptist in these realms; indeed, in the hand of all who don’t 
 understand us as well. It is such an excellent apologia for our 
 position.” 
 
 “I have read it carefully and with complete agreement 
 and satisfaction. It is full and clear and Scriptural, and such 
 as all Baptists ought heartily to endorse. In fact, I have never 
 read a document of the kind with such pleasure and consent 
 of mind and heart as this address of the Southern Baptists 
 has evoked.” 
 
 Ireland. 
 
 ‘‘In the present evil days we need more the dissemination 
 of the simple truths of the Holy Scriptures as set forth in 
 your Fraternal Address, and I pray that the Lord may richly 
 hless the distribution of the pamphlet. I should like to have 
 further fellowship with all those who are in agreement with 
 the articles of faith outlined in the address.” 
 
 Wales. 
 
 “The Fraternal Address of Southern Baptists has given 
 me the greatest pleasure. We Welch Baptists are of the same 
 (strict Baptists, as we are called) thought about Paragraph 
 6, ‘The Ordinances.’ A death, burial and resurrection can only 
 be symbolically expessed by immersion, and by believers in 
 our Lord Jesus Christ that are admitted to the Supper.” 
 
 “The ‘Fraternal Address of the Baptist Southern Con¬ 
 vention’ came to my hand this week. It is just what I have 
 been hoping to see published by some loyal and faithful brother. 
 So much is spoken and written of the Union of the Church 
 these days that I think it is important that we should take 
 heed as Baptists. Thank God for it. We in Wales as strict 
 Baptists (strict communion) are watching with interest this 
 wave of unrest amongst the churches for union. It is very 
 disturbing for the weak and young. Your Fraternal Address 
 is the best article I have read on New Testament principles 
 and teaching, and is the most noteworthy Declaration of Faith 
 ever Issued by Baptists and should be read by all members of 
 our churches.” 
 
 16 
 
Sweden. 
 
 “The Fraternal Address of Southern Baptists has reached 
 us, and the Baptists in Sweden have all reason to welcome it, 
 as they hold the same tenets of faith.” 
 
 “Sundsvalls Distrikt Association of Baptist Churches held 
 its annual meeting at the city of Sundsvall May 8 and 9, 1921. 
 At the meeting, to which Rev. J. Bystrom, D. D., of Stock¬ 
 holm, was called to preach and lecture, there was distributed 
 by him about 200 copies of your ‘Fraternal Address,’ which is 
 translated to Swedish. Every delegate got thus a copy of the 
 book, ‘Vad vi tro och lara,’ as it is called in Swedish. The 
 meeting received it gratefully and resolved to send the South¬ 
 ern Baptist Convention hearty thanks for the valuable pamph¬ 
 let. We are sure that the Fraternal Address will do much 
 good wherever it may be sent. May God bless you in all your 
 work for Christ and His kingdom.” 
 
 Norway. 
 
 “An edition of ten thousand copies was printed and is 
 being distributed through the agency of our pastors, evangel¬ 
 ists and church workers. One of our preachers has reported 
 that the very first copy he gave away was read by a man and 
 his wife, with the immediate result of their both joining a 
 Baptist Church.” 
 
 Hungary. 
 
 “We have your Fraternal Address studied. It caused for 
 us joy, that we believed and believe the same as you and 
 teach the truth of the Lord in same way.” 
 
 Spain. 
 
 “I received the ‘Mensaje Fraternal de los Beautistas del 
 Sur de Estados Unidos’ and have read it with interest and 
 can subscribe to all it says.” 
 
 Italy. 
 
 ‘I find myself in whole-hearted agreement with the arti¬ 
 cles of faith and the whole contents and spirit of the ‘Fraternal 
 Address.’ ” 
 
 Franc e- 
 
 “Your ‘Fraternal Address’ has been highly appreciated. 
 
 17 
 
Several of our pastors and laymen who have received it have 
 come to me to say how much they have enjoyed its clear ring.” 
 
 “Your ‘Fraternal Address’ has been the means here to lead 
 a young Wesleyan school teacher to see believers’ baptism.” 
 
 Poland. 
 
 “Dr Strzelec has translated into Polish your article ‘Fra¬ 
 ternal Address’ and, according to his wish, we have printed 
 10,000 copies, which we have distributed as follows: 
 
 “1. To officials, functionaries, government officers, con¬ 
 stables, judges, lawyers, post and telegraph administrators. 
 
 “2. To professors, teachers, students, seminarists. Catholic 
 priests, clergymen, doctors. 
 
 “3. To merchants, manufacturers, directors, managers, em¬ 
 ployees. 
 
 “4. To noblemen, land proprietors, agriculturists, farmers. 
 
 “5. And finally to the people. 
 
 “We sincerely hope, God helping, that these pamphlets 
 will be a blessing to our country. Had we means at our dis¬ 
 posal, we would give your article a much greater circulation, 
 for there is here a large field for the advancement of gospel 
 truth.” 
 
 “We have printed another 100,000 copies of same in Pol¬ 
 ish and 20,000 in Russian language, which we distribute grad¬ 
 ually as far as we can reach. Later we will send you a re¬ 
 port concerning its use and usefulness.” 
 
 China. 
 
 “Pastor Kao and myself have been appointed by the 
 church here to express to you our very high appreciation of 
 the Fraternal Letter sent out by you sometime ago, and now 
 put into Chinese and widely distributed in our territory. We 
 believe its very careful and clear statement of distinctive 
 Baptist doctrines will greatly strengthen our membership, and 
 that its fraternal feature will be helpful to others as well.” 
 
 Burma. 
 
 “In common with many others, I have received a copy 
 of the Fraternal Address of Southern Baptists, and reply as 
 one in hearty sympathy with the articles therein expressed. If 
 I had more copies would be pleased to hand them to a few 
 members of the Baptist Church of this city.” 
 
 18 
 
“I have been giving them out as occasion offers, and have 
 placed them in the hands of the editors of some of our many 
 vernacular religious monthlies for translation and insertion in 
 sections. I have not seen any of it yet in print, but as soon 
 as I do will send you a copy.” 
 
 India. 
 
 “I have read it with the keenest interest and appreciation. 
 I have never read a statement at once so concise and com¬ 
 prehensive of the truth we hold to be fundamental, nor so 
 satisfactory an expression of the position that we as Baptists 
 must take with reference to our relation to other bodies of 
 Christians and to the proposals of union with which every 
 country seems so rife at present. I believe you are right in 
 saying that the principles you outline are ‘not incidental or 
 detachable opinions, but cardinal teachings of the New Testa¬ 
 ment and vital to genuine Christianity.’ ” 
 
 Russian and Ukrainian Baptists. 
 
 “On the annual Convention of the Russian and Ukrainian 
 Baptists of United States and Canada, Eastern Section, May 
 6-9, 1920, Waterbury Conn., was read the ‘Fraternal Address 
 of Southern Baptists.’ The reading rose a great enthusiasm 
 among the delegates, because they felt that the Southern Bap¬ 
 tists do believe the same biblical truths whatfore our brethren 
 and sisters have suffered persecution in Russia. With a great 
 joy all the delegates unanimously voted to accept this address 
 and thanked God that the great Southern Baptist Convention 
 not only stands on these fundamental doctrines, but proclaims 
 them throughout the whole world. An unanimous desire was 
 expressed to publish the Address in Russia, first in the Con¬ 
 vention paper, and then distribute it in thousands among the 
 churches. The Ukrainians begged to see it translated and 
 distributed among their own people. 
 
 “With Christian greetings on behalf of the Convention. 
 
 “JOHN DAVIDUK, 
 
 “President of the Convention; 
 
 “BORIS BOOKIN, Secretary.” 
 
The Fraternal Address has given proof of several 
 Ihings which are worthy to be remembered— 
 
 1. It has given proof of the unity of the Baptist 
 people in faith and spirit. 
 
 2. It has furnished gratifying proof that the Bap¬ 
 tist witness is borne faithfully in many lands. We 
 have in hand the most gratifying evidence that the 
 great majority of Baptists the world over are as or¬ 
 thodox* as Southern Baptists. 
 
 3. It has increased our appreciation of Baptist 
 strength both in numbers and faith. Baptists are no 
 longer a feeble folk. With a wise co-ordination of 
 tlieir forces, loyalty to their principles and faithful 
 service to humanity, they will shortly multiply their 
 numbers many fold. The world was never so hospita¬ 
 ble to the principles which distinguish Baptists as it 
 is today. 
 
 4. It has revealed the readiness of all Baptist groups 
 for a closer fellowship and suggested that there are 
 great possibilities in the strengthening of the bonds of 
 fellowship and deepening the sense of comradeship 
 among all Baptists. There have been but two re- 
 s])onses to the address which indicated dissent from it 
 or resent of it. One of these was in the form of a let¬ 
 ter from a man who confessed that he had come out 
 cf the war shell-shocked, and the other was in the form 
 of a communication to one of our denominational 
 papers. To some of the smaller groups and many iso¬ 
 lated and sorely tried brethren this fraternal message 
 brought great joy and gave new hope. One of them 
 refers to it as “like a drink of refreshing mountain 
 water to find a large body of ministers in the IT. S. A. 
 
 20 
 
standing by the old truths.” The gratitude and joy 
 of our brethren in discovering that they are a part of 
 a great and solicitous brotherhood bound together in a 
 common faith is one of most gratifying incidents of 
 correspondence. 
 
 5. We name one other suggestion which this cor¬ 
 respondence has for our Baptist people, namely, the 
 unused and yet unlimited power for good of Christian 
 and denominational literature. The highest and holiest 
 use that was ever made of the printing press has been 
 to publish the gospel. Viewed as a providential in¬ 
 vention, I doubt not that this was what it was made 
 for. The Sunday School Board has made possible the 
 results which have been realized from this experiment 
 in the circulation of denominational literature. We 
 have, for many years, had the profoundest conviction 
 that the Sunday School Board of the Southern Baptist 
 Convention is set for a marvellous service. It is doubt¬ 
 ful if in all the great achievements of this Board or 
 in the history of Southern Baptist Foreign Missions, 
 the amount of money which the Sunday School Board 
 has put into this piece of missionary propaganda ever 
 accomplished so much. We believe that this Fraternal 
 Address has opened up communications created a fel¬ 
 lowship, given heart and incited activities which will, 
 in their unfolding through the years to come, prove 
 this to have been a great missionary investment. It 
 is interesting to recall that a religious tract, on 
 ‘‘Communion,” written by Dr. R. B. C. Howell, a 
 Southern Baptist, was used of God as a means to open 
 the eyes of the intrepid John G. Oncken to the truth 
 as Baptists hold it, and started him on his career of 
 evangelization and propaganda in Germany, which 
 carried him and his influence over many parts of the 
 
 21 
 
Continent of Europe, and made him, more than any 
 other man, the founder of the denomination on the 
 continent. In the Fraternal Address Southern Bap¬ 
 tists have established contact not only with the Bap¬ 
 tists of Europe, but of the world. It is the hope and 
 dream of the writer that this is but a beginning in 
 the use of the printed page by Southern Baptists to 
 reinforce their brethren of every land by assurance of 
 love and practical concern for their welfare, and in 
 the proclamation of the faith which accounts for our 
 strength in the South and is our chief means of ser¬ 
 vice to the world. The Foreign Mission Board has 
 meant this to be an experiment and a demonstration, 
 and to follow it up with the selection and use of devo¬ 
 tional, doctrinal and denominational pamphlets and 
 books as a most economical form of missionary propa¬ 
 ganda. The Board is preparing to reinforce its mis¬ 
 sionaries by the use of literature adopted to use on the 
 respective fields, and to make larger use of its publish¬ 
 ing houses on the fields. 
 
 As a closing word, the writer would record his pro¬ 
 found gratitude and joy in having the privilege of 
 acting as a sort of middleman between his brethren 
 cf the South and other lands. It has been a rich ex¬ 
 perience to handle the correspondence with Baptists 
 of many nationalities and from every part of the globe 
 and have evidence of the ties that hind. 
 
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