New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-11-17
CHRISTIAN UNITY.
DIR. BRIDGMANS VIEWS ON THE oUEsrlcN'
HOW THE PROPOSED BASES OF UNION ARE RE-


GARDED.
The following thoughtful and suggestive pay. .nc
the proposed bases of Christian unity was reaa =,
Rev. DIR. Bridgman. OF this city. before 'pc Dor
Congress in New Haven last week: ~.,,stan
When one OF the Oldest and statelest OF most
Churches makes overture for unity, inc otSers 80 far
significant and impressive and wnen QUE of con-
respond to the APPEAL as 70 appoint mr has become
ference 1t is ev.dent that Christian UNITY Non have
0own weary of the alterations and strfcs OF tne q,
After the dfscords Of Babel. they wait ior 'ne "
Tire are many things which coopera ouss o
push this question to the front. First is , Of d.
nomnstionaI rivsres Charity Is strained to T mss
the demands OF hungry ecclesasuca anp, IVA women.
missionaries are not wholly s.enn reog them on each
jealous for its own progress neds are hoh they
no. sustsin We pour oat OF resources TO
fer the needy but East and West there are rsachers
where the most needy are the churches @ca anu are ponder
In, the question whether 1t is worth wnne ,u,tpy
money wnere it will generate strff fr ana sense
Of the obligation OF unity. view OF the sGcl% The
terests and the social conditions with wsS es
rousn the G union se Of who recognize the Co e.
t9ns al ii issues Of good anu and evil and in
the problems of generations are 70 see he
tween the several churches should come 70 be
as social necessity. stu another influence SRs,"It
Ing in t direction into ta ns' churches ppns
into kndlier attitude and sugqest'ns argSr ~ The
q the Gospel and Of the function ana eeo - spirit
that Is impatient of traditions which hinder the ,
changes o. bTOss sprs .. and Before which
unnecessary walls of partition must cr'mble ana ,a
be not yet very broadly q Inoss Who ac
foremost in all the great Christian churches.
LITURGY NO BASIS OF UNITY.
Put what is the unity in which all these vague
aspirations and longngs shall be perfectly reaAea
TO find it's ideal let us turn to the words oi uio
Divine Teacher-words solemn as words ever can Dc
and which came His lips He prayed on the men'
Of about f a s fer these
pray but for them also that believe on me thr r
their words that they all may ha Dc ae evss also
be one in u.s. This expressed His idea of the uny
Ills they all may S.s be nSed 03 %ha
is the unity OF which He had provision and WHICH
lie yrned to have realized in His people, BelorS
t tose forms s Of unity Of which men been dream
ing-some Of the conditions on which IL IS nopeu ,,cS
bread and true fellowship be had We near lnucn
at times OF the beauty, of the persuasive force There
would be in the spectacle II all churches should agree
in the same forms Of worship and the idea Is asclat
nc even 10 many outside of lturgca churches
IL is pleasant to think of the same Scriptures Des
Voices voice of chTistondom at the same time the same
order of service observed in abbey and Ghapei, MD
ocean, SoWins and rising as II itself Under the i'm
pulse of the spirit of worship. iut lines 81 p bae
ended her PRAYERS before ours are begun; and until
there be more than sun in the heavens suen cha
spectacle is impossible still were 1t possible wnag
would there be but a show of unity, unless an
hearts were conioned in common expcri no oo
conquered by any enchantment lurking in prayer,
books and souls flow together no more readily Wiz VIZ,
the ancient liturgy Is repeated than Stiffness III ae of their
silent worship.
- UNIFORMITY OF CREED NOT TEST.
still less is any real. any permanent, unity 70 DC
reached through any formal agreement III uoou"'
vver has creed or confession been formulated that was
n,oro than a compromise, did not soon furnish III
NV .io,o or e,pression "a stone OF stumbling and
soe ," ~ ofTenceb PrOtestants think and thiihlhe
S,aerentiates and divides They refuse 10 IecSsD
s;r tho,git and whilst the Roman Church mainains
me integrity OF her creed by diaectcal sNni ~ 40
t trous er Protestansm from the energy of that
Divine Spirit which was the secret OF her a ~
d sSe is not content to accept doctrines in bundles
she must have consciousness OF te I.' 'e nttv
This as G ps ANCIENT fomuaes q
faith Take the history OF confessions aha aIter agc
bs pereeptible advance has there been toward some
exact. comprehensive statement of doctrine In which,
ferpeters do not difer After the PanPresbyt terrain
Council one of those who had led its discussions spohe
to Of the impressive altitude o, UNA. nnssnn In
this day OF unsettled and shifting beliefs Ana VET al
ready The historian Is telling OF revision cgini..e d
ON both sides the Atlantic and N the possible reu
ing of ecclesiastical gowns if that creed be snlorced
in the which It's anguaee mphes; ~, et ar ua
be brought to some things alike In ule er ,n,
that represent what is material they may come mo
approximate unity But as they bring more norm 0, Of tbe
great moral truths, less aud less Is IL possiDe, as ey
ascend to bring them into perfect ass0 m sSeS com ,en
peis him to see things in different aspect or silas
Of color from which Others behold them Ills owl
vision changes with the fuller light Of the heaNes
The thoughts of men are wdencd with the process
of the suns and to expect unity any ;, pe abat ene
council another has formulated seems against I
very genius Of Professionalism and to assume u"' ''
1t is the same IN respect of the Bible Here surely
IS the basis Of unity document can snpP Syne
counsel as to ordinance and doctrine and life and
this, it is said, Is the end OF all co1trovesy ma Come
into perfect accord. But whose Bblel The Roman
lists or the Protestantsl Cavln's or Wesess, ~ n5
New-Haven9 What doctrine can be named about
which theologians altogether agree what one Coz
not provoke controversy between men equally GOO
fearing and wise, all making appeal TO the same BOOB
and each claiming its sanction for his own view Does
bond is the Bible Does history, does observation
warrant us in concluding that what we believe It's
uniyerss belIcf Of the futurei Alas even where
there is agreement 10 these things there Is soe
be more in accord with churches that differ nom ours
in the matter Of baptism than with the antl-nsSaoh
Brotberhood is assured neither by bowl nor baptstsr
men dispute and fall apart over texts and in seeking
for The basis of union cannot find II In common
acceptance of tie Holy Scriptures as the rule and
the standard OF faith" precious as they are to US all
and clear and emphatic their voice seems TO us
with respect to the essential principles OF our faitb
EPIsCoPACY AND THE INDEPENDENTS.
Now if these things do not furnish the bond q
unity which is anything more than formal ana rsh
sient what could be gained by accepting the proposal
of our Episcopal brethren, and entering into reia"
ton that would hardly be more than relation Oh con
INN thp surrender OF pr1nc
nile with which our name has been linked since Bapast
history was begun. The proposal is expressive OF te
srge Christian spirit Of the Episcopal Church. token
of her ycarnii : for unity and because the IDEA Oh
the historic epscopate' is so entrenched In tlie
minds OF her Communicates, because, Tor them IL Is
the Distinguishing note OF the Church It could not De
otherwise than that this should be nanled a. heToS
~ coud o, of unity But the idea OF indepcnnency
Inst as deeply established In multitudes that VIII be
strennons in lis maintenance because OF their convic-
ton that il is one Of the leading ideas Of the Bible
They believe that mdep ldency Is one OF the Oldest
aS most sacred things OF the world they feel that
they Are in an ilustrious line of oralned teachers
reachnc back to the worlds gray fathers whose