The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1890-11-07

Martin Luther or John Calvin or any other
man. We do not believe that segment is the
whole church any more than we believe that
curve is a whole circle Why cannot we accept it
as ali organism beginning on calvary, ana not
when some man introduced new 1dea-no mat,
ter how good and how helpful that IDEA may PEI
These seem to be the necessary things, and is
there any reason why all who profess ana call
themselves Christians should not accept tnem
accept the facts and then adopt the theories
they choose? .
lam grateful that this church has not been silent
here, and that four years ago in chicago her
bishops set forth as the four essentials OF
Christian Unity, the Holy Scriptures, the Creed
the two Sacramento and the Historic Eplsco-
pate
Every Christian body accepts the Bible as
guide and hand book We must have that; but
there must be no iron theory of it's inspiration
to bind and shackle neil Enough that it hits
us away from selfshness andlow living Enough
that higher voice speaks through IL 20 our
souls. Let it not be a condition to Christian
brotherhood that saman shall say just how tnat
voice speaks. Every Christian body accepts the
simple facts Of the Greed. We must have that
Lett be taken as the most satisfactory state
ment of facts, and letno man be judged IN MS
Interpretation of those facts. Every Christian
body receives the two Sacraments as marks OF
the Christian brotherhood and fellowship. We
must have those. Bnt letno one commit the
mammoth impertinence of supposing that every
man must look at them precisely as he does.
And then the Universal Church must in some
way be linked to the historical beginnings of
Christianity. A church cannot be born and
grow over night. 1t must be fastened to the
cross. We shall have no safe guard against the
growth of sects unless we have some principle of
continuity. We must have that. But let no
man presume to declare theory OF that princi-
pie and of the Episcopate. Enough that ltglves
the chain which holds the church to its founder,
and enough that it is witness to the origin
of the church and a barrier against separation
Let man, seeing it as this, think OF it as he
will.
These are the bottom principles of Christian
Unity-the Scriptures, the Greed, the two Sacra-
nIents, some principle of continuity like that
embodied in the Epscopate. Ii we can agree
upon these the Holy Catholic Church will emerge
a great brotherhood from the warning, sef-de-
vouring, brother-hatlng sectarianism we see
about us. Within these broad limits there will
be all the freedom of thought and all the vari-
ETY. in method that could possibly be desired.
There will be as great differences in opinion as
we see in the great political parties, butt just as
the members of those p irtieS citizens of the
same republic, in spite of all their differences, SO
all Christians will be members of one church,
whatever their views. The church will agree on
the Saviour as its life and guide and will agree
to disagree in matters OF opinion.
And notice that this unity is not to be brought
about by one religious body swallowing another.
There is nothing said in the bishops four points
about things width have grown to be very dear
to us and which we may think peculiarly charact-
erstic of the Episcopal church; there is not a
word about the rites, customs fast and festivals
associated with the prayer book; not a word
about vestments or ritual. The bishops in Chi
cago expressly asserted that this church does
dot seek to absorb other communions. and it is
very doubtful whether the Church of the Unity
will be a church whose methods of worship and
work will be everywhere the same. This is not
possible am not sure that it is all desirable.
We do not want a Universal Church resulting
from the absorption of the smaller or younger
by the greater or older. l suppose that after
the whale had swallowed Jonah the result was a
certain kind of unity,-not a kind that we want
in Christianity however. The true Church of
the Unity will be a federation of Christians &C
cepting these four essentials, "these necessary
things and differing very widely elsewhere. The
peculiar theories of various sects will then be
held freely in the church men will not feel that
they have to go outside her to hold them, and
the test of Catholicity will be- not these smaller
views but the four broad fundamentals.
have tried to give the mind of the Episcopal
Church on this matter as reflected by her bish
ops four years ago. Itwas step in advanc
when they set forth their view. Men seem al
most hopelessly divided, it is true, and it will
take something more than statements and pro-
positions to bring unity out of our discords; but
the'sprit of the bishops letter has led to a
more kindly feeling than used to rule and there
is daily a stronger disposition among Christians
to come together upon some broad basis like
the one proposed. The issue is yet hidden from
u.s. but III our efforts iowa d a better under
standing of each other, toward truer charity,
toward a broader Christianity, we may be sure