Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1888-03-16
Church Unity.

Church Unity.
Our readers who keep any track of such
matters, are aware that movement look
| ing towards an organic union OF various
! Christian churches has been inaugurated
In theE piscopal church. There is a Church
Unity Society" composed of members of
that church, whose object is to bring
about such union, and the House of
Bishops, at the last general convention of
| the Episcopal church in this country,
adopted a formal proposal OF basis for
| such union. While this plan doubtless
seemed to many outside of the Protestant
| Episcopal denomination to amount to a
proposition that the various denominations
| should become one by all becoming Epis-
| copalians, yet it is true that the formula
| ton of the proposition indicated a sincere
desire for church unity and that it was
| coupled with an expression of willingness
| to give up, for the sake of unity, any in
| sistence upon the binding obligation of any
| rule or custom not deemed essential to the
integrity of the Episcopal church.
A late number of the Churchmdn con-
| tanned a noticeable letter on the subject,
from prominent Presbyterian divine
| the Rev. DIR. Dewitt, professor
in the Lane Theological seminary.
In this letter DR. Dewitt recognizes the
| Theological catholcity" which brings
the Episcopal church nearer to many of
the other Protestant churches than they
are TO each other. "You exclude" he
says, mo one from your ministry because
he is as Calvinistc as a Presbyterian or as
Armenian rs Wesleyan Methodist.
Theologically you are nearer to both than
they are each other DR.. Dewitt be-
lieves that other churches may derive
much benefit from employment of some
of the forms of service long used by the
| Episcopal church. One great obstacle to
union, he thinks, exists in the rule which
prohibits any Episcopal minister from in
vtng minister OF any other denomina
| ton to preach in his pulpit or even read
| from his chancel. DR.. Dewitt admits
| that the Episcopal church cannot consist
emily Invite any one not priest by Epis
copal ordination TO pronounce "absolu-
| ton" or administer the communion. But
| he thinks the rule could stop there with
out violation of any organic principle of
| the Episcopal church and that such an ell
| largement OF the rule would be in harmony
| with the plan of church unity endorsed
| by the general convention, which recog-
nlzes the Christianity and dc tdCtO minis
| Try of clergymen of dissenting churches
| If the rule were thus enlarged he does
not think there would be much eXchang-
ing of pulpits between Episcopalans and
| Presbyterans or Methodists, but the
abrogat,on of the existing rigid eXclu-
sion of all but Episcopal ministers
| from Episcopal pulpits would, he thinks,
be great step toward union. IL should
then" he says, "be in closer ministerial
union with the Episcopal church than with
the Baptist churches and other denom-
nations which will allow me to preach in
their pulpits, but will not permit me to
commune with them" And in general
the dropping of this barrier, he believes,
would cOnduce greatly to a new atmos.
phere of sympathy and friendship be-
tween the Episcopalian and other demon
nations
We suspect that there is not much pros
pect that the Episcopal church will mod
ify its rules, though DR.. Mcconnell, pres
ident of the Church Unity society, says
that that society recognizes DR.. DeWitt's
letter as "a reasonable statement and a,
marking point of substantial progrc-.
toward church unity The ChurchHtpu
however, in an editorial headed "Uu.ty
Through the EpiscOpate,' insists with
somewhat omiuous earuestuts- ON the doc
triue ofapostolc succession, as vital an,
fundamental in the Episcopal church The
ChurcImdH does not say, in terms, tha
that doctrine necessarily excludes ever,
, Presbyterian minister or Methodist bis
q hop from every Episcopal chancel, though
ne should come there to read portion O
I the church service but It's position ap
n pears to be that all ministers christian
y of other names who will adopt the doc
9 trine of the apostolic succession, and tn
q idea that the Episcopal church possesse
g that succession, and who will accep
y Episcopal ordination, will be recognize
Il and welcomed and they will be allowed
Il as to other matters, to use their "privat
:. judgment and conscience" This is nc
q the heartlest possible welcome to DR.. ID
% Wits suggestion, He-and some other
- may claim the right to exercise prigat
If judgment and conscience in regard to tn
- doctrine of apostolic succession MS we
70 as other doctrines and il there can be II
u unity except through the episcopate, unit
is likely to be indefinitely postponed,