, 1875-10-10

when IN the EWEcopal Church he uttered this
noble sentiment We believe the Episcopal
Church can do something. We believe also thai
The Methodist Church can do much more in this
direction. But II their were no yearnugs TO,
unity among the humble and praying neu OF al
churches We ought to gixe heed to the Inst lov.
Lord and Master with His Disciples before His
crucfuon-a prayer tivn times repeated:
And DOW I an no uore In the world, bat these are
IL tht world. and come to Thee. Holy Father keep
en- Me- that they 1a.y be one ss We are Neither pray
for these alone but for them aleo which shall believe
Is thou Father art IN liz and IN Thee that they also
may be aoe ia Us that the word 1aay behere thas Thou
hast scnt Ne. And the glory which Thou gavsst
ne, have e;Fen then, that they may be one as We
one: IN them, and them in Me, that they may be
made perfect in one, and that the world may know
that Thou hast Gent Me- end hAst loved them Thou
: h1st loved He.
How can we forget the words:
Now beseech you, brethren, by the name ct our
Lord jesus Christ thrt 20 III speak the thing,
se be perfectly joined together in the same mind hnd
in the same Judgment For hath been declared m
you Now this, Eay, that every one eah am of
Paul and. am Of AIolos. and q Cephas, nd M Of
yon7 Or we're 20 hsphzed in tho name Of Paul.
Let Us remember such words as these: For
by one spirit We are all baptized into one body
- From whom the whole body, ntly Joined to-
RetAer and c0mpacteu py tA1t WHICH every JOINT
suppheth." ETC. ''there is one body, some
spirit, even Us ye arc called in one hope OF your
calling; oae Lord. one faith, one BAPTISM
ona God aud Father Of all"
We cannot be wrong, cannot in any sense Of
the word be building castles III the mir, when We
believe that the object for Which We ara contend
ing is that which vas cousec1ated by the words
Ct our dying Redeemer, enjoined by His most
sacred injunction. endeAred BY His most solemn
prayer. aud sanctioned BY His most emphatic
promise. While iaboriug for the consolidation
OF cur own bodies VIC mar remember that there
is greater, loftieE, and nobler end before us
that, however ardent and couaiatent our loyalty
to our Own churches. that neither yours nor ours
Lie ZEE: Of the body OF Christ.
Indeed, is not the return OF visible unity ncces-
sazy t. stem the great tide OF unbelief Nnst
not something be dono when, for example, in
Protestant Berlin, with population Of 000
only 10, 900 attend church Is not q dogmatic
and historic Christianity neceasary to meet the
advance Of unoelief, which requires for its sup
united church !? Is it not better in any event to
strive for the reward promised to the peace
makers than be aatis1ed with the ignoble reward
OF those who have never Tried ? This Cause is
for its own sake Do ne not lack faith in the
Divine Founder OF the Church when We for
moment doubt that His great purpose rs to the
unity of the Church will, eyen II delayed, be con-
6ulunateQ
You nv dear Bishop, state the strongest rea-
sons Why it would be discreditahIe to our two |
churches il q union cannot be effected when yon !
refer to their common roots, their agreement in |
doctrines, sacraments, ordinations, with the !
Bane ritual for most solemn occasions, both !
looking back to their common origin with equal |
reve1ence, aud both proud Of their common OK |
ford You well ask, *'Why can they not unite ?" |
Your negative answer ia that the Methodists will |
not coocede tho ingalidity OF their o1dinatioue,
which would be required Of them by the |
Episcopalans. and will never abandon the !
1tineracy. When the grace Of God shall !
s*eetly and fully pesyade Christian hearte, aud |
the Holy Spirit shall SO dictate, we shnll be !
ready to surrender many IN idol, both Episco- |
palians and Methodists. Yes my good Bishop, !
pride Of orders, It thereby you we're assured that
1be Christian world would be one, aud convinced |
thereby that greater tIiumphs would accrue to |
our Redoemer's Kingdom. No people on earth |
it duty, and you would be first among them. |
Union, to be worth anything, must be ef- =!
fected without the sacrifice Of honesty, or
the surrender of any principle. Neither
cherished sentiment or practice, nor permit any
one to suffer thereby in any right or privilege.
Our clergy generally would prefer to be sent |
by their Bishops to their fields of 1abor, Is in
conformity to Catholic practice and as the wiser
system. They do not regard our yesteY ar
as Scfiptural or catholic, and would
gladly be released therefrom. They are also
certainly sufficiently itlneran. to suit the most
earnest Methodist. see no obstacle here.
At Couvccation OF York, England, the fol-
lowing resolution Was unanimously adopted, |
and with cheers, too:
That whereas the union OF all faithful Christians is
earnestly TO be desired, and Is many Of the
from the Church Of England are seusiby li,ninished
this House would cordially welcome zny practical a.-
tesapt TO effect brotherly reconciliation between the
md he hurcll nf FnN1au1 I l
Not oulv thus spoke one-half Of the English |
Church, but in the British plan there was tho
recognition Of tho itinerant and local eyntem, of
The cisse and loye-feast system. and the contin-
Lhe sacraments. The itineracy being something
Ne desire, there remains the objection that the
hethodists would never acknowledge The tinva1-
aity OF their oraers- What Christians and gentle-
Church who would desire such acknowledgement.
Did the entire Convocasion Of York. embracing
noiety OF the British Church, demand any humlli- !
'tion as requisite to union? No. But am
'ahsfied that the clergy Of the Episcopal Church
re SO desiroue OF union th1t they are ready to |
give up pr1de-aDythiug but principlo-to ac-
,omplish it, The editor Of the Church journal
leciates: q Any churchman who kIows the nature
II the Church and her business here,
ill answer: Anything for Chrstian unity. short
# the sacrifice OF Christian truth" He also
dds: IA man who will divide Gods Church | !;
OF few yards OF linen, in the shape OF q sur
lice, or fow yards of black silk III the shape
f gown, is about - far gone q specimen OF ;
he unsdulserated sectarian as We know. A man ..
tho will oven break up the unity OF the Chris :
ian fold. and rend tho robe of Christ for the :
axe at reading His PRAYERS, is only little more
espectabie schismatlc than he who will do it for
he sake Of saying them memor1ter without q 9
ook." AL these things ara Indifferent to liv- )
ag church. binding when established, but may :.
= modified rs she aees fit. .
Now the Episcopal Church aud nine-tenths OF !,
u the Christian world may be very foolish and !.
hildiah about this matter Of the succession, but
hat then !? II they regard !. ~ a matter of :
rinciple Wll she ons-tentE t,3rile it viii they
or thus refuse to aid in securing uuited Chris
endozn ? I ttow not.
No. let ns all II Protestant America do a. the | =
I'D Catholics and Ouentals and Angicans have
one. Let rs meet in some American Bonn. ! ,
lming TO secure ground for commou and united = =
ction, by first uniting thought and sentiment,
arsng little for the fetters of formal decision e
nd seeking rather charitable unAui1nity and u
llezan: forbearance. This spiritual influence is u
o1th more than laws A LoyLn OF UNITY :
QUESTION FOB E1suoP HAVEN. Q