Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1868-03-03
Christian Union.

Protestantism is not u Babel of
contradictions. You might as well
deny the unity of our nation on &C.
count of the independent S tate gov
ernments and the rival political
parties, as to deny the unity of Pro.
testantism on account of the differ.
ent denominations and the conflicts
ing schools of theology. All true
Christians are one in Christ, their
common Head: they meet daily at
the same throne of grace. eat of the
same bread Of life, have the same
faith. love and hope, and travel to
the same Fathers home in heaven.
But this unity of Protestant
Christendom should find q visible OK.
preston. This is just the mission of
the Evangelical Alliance. 1t aims
not 1t an anal gamation OF denomina.
tons for which the time has not yet
come, if it ever will come before the
millennium, but it is free associa>
ton of indivual Christians from all
the evangelical denominations, for
mutual encouragement and the pros
motion of fraternal intercourse and
harmony. 1t endeavors to cherish,
draw out and bring into action the
spiritual unity which already exists
and make it more effective for the
common ends Of all the churches OF
Chaist. Communion of saints on the
basis of union with Christ, this is our
motto.
"The more individual Christians
draw together in the same spirit, the
more the various denominations will
forget their rivalries and strife, and
bid each other God speed in the pro-
secution of their Masters work
They may continue their separate
organizations, but they should pubs
licly recognize each other as branch
es of the same family, cultivate
brotherly intercourse, and present to
the world in all essential questions
and for all practical purposes, the
sublime spectacle ola united army,
fighting under the same Captain and
the same victorious banner.
That this is no dream of idle spe-
culation has been proved by the
events of the last week. A Presby>
terrain council representing five dis
tinct Presbyterian organizations, laid
in the City of Brotherly Love the
solid foundation for organic union,
and, what is still more remark bic,
openly joined hands and hearts with
Protestant Episcopal societies, which
providentially held their anniversa-
ries at the same time and in the same
place. Looking not backward to
past dissensions, but forward and up.
ward to coming glory, these two ven-
cradle bodies confessed with one
mouth the Apostles Creed-the most
ancient and catholic of all creeds-
and the faith Of the Reformation,
which is based upon it, and melted
together under the irresistible power
of the blessed Spirit of God. The
angels in heaven rejoice over such q
pentecostal spectacle. and exclaim
Behold, they pray; behold, they ire
one in Christ Jesus, their common
Lord and Saviour, the great Head Of
the Church, which is bis body, The
fulness of him that filleth all and all. y
Nov, let us perpetuate this spirit
and spread it over the whole country
until the last prayer of our blessed
Saviour be fulfilled: "That they all
may be one as thou, Father. art in
me, and | in thee, and that they also
may be one in us: that tho world
may believe that thou hast sent me. :
- DR.. Shaft.