New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-09-06
A RELIGIOUS IRENICON.
DR. HUNTINGTON ON CHRISTIAN UNITY.

unity the four "planks,' II we may use the woru
originally promulgated by the Lambeth Conference Of
anglican Bishops, and adopted In 1886 by the
Protestant Episcopal House Of Bishops These planks
are as follows:
The Holy Scriptures Of the Old and New Tesla
ments as containing all things necessary to saliva
on and as being the rule and ultimate standard Of
faith.
The Apostles Greed as the baptismal symbol and
the Nicene Greed as the sufficient statement Of the
Christian faith.
The two sacraments ordained by Christ himself
BAPTISM and the Supper Of the Lord-minstered with
nnfang use Of Chrsts words Of institution and Of the
clements ordained by Him.
The Historic Episcopate, locally adapted In the
methods Of its administration to the varying needs OF
the nations and peoples called Of God into the unity
OF His Church.
1t is unnecessary hero TO do more than refer
to tho discussion which this Episcopal utter
ance evoked. On the one side 1t was hailed as the
final solution of the problem Of Christian unity. and
the other 1t was denounced bit Of secarlan AFRO
gance carefully sugar-coated with sweet words. and
while seeming TO yield everything, really claiming
everything. 1t may be that It deserved neither the
praise nor the It received. Time alone can
reveal what will be its effect What is certain is that
thus far there has been serious consideration OF the
proposal either because it is regarded mpractcabe
or because at heart most Christians do not believe
in or care much for Christian unity.
Under these circumstances, DR.. Huntington is TO be
congratulated for his courage and ability in so pre-
senting this matter to it from some OF the
Opprobrlum that first attached itself to it, even If he
has not made altogether practical After dwelling
the importance and necessity Of Christian unity he
considers In detail the only three practical methods
Of attaining such unity. They are, the unconditional
surrender of all to one confederation upon equal terms
and consolidation under sefconsistent and we'll
understood system of poty with ample guarantees for
f4aH IL 41odg ~ r~nrS
of work; to use the catch words suggested by Dr.
Huntingdon Submission" Confederation and Con-
solidation"
The first method is that approved by the Church Of
Rome, whose claims, however, 1t Is needless TO say,
not recognized by the huthor. But he IS
quite much opposed to the high Anglican theory
that Professionalism must humbly submit tn the
Episcopal Church. "n Angcanism pure and simple"
he says with all the adventurous aids it enjoys In
the land Of its birth. with all the charm that ancient
architecture lend, and all the prestige old Ma
tonal traditions and long inherited titles avail to
foster has nevertheless failed to keep within one fold
even the half of the people of Great Britain, Is it
to be supposed that any new summons
issued at this late day, Go TO- become forth
with what we are is likely TO win submisson1" And
in another part OF the book he proceeds to show that
the declaration Of the bishops does not imply such
submission, though il has been interpreted by many
critics. In a word he dismisseS submission utterly
lmpractcable II not worse
The scheme of Christian Confederation cOntempates
such combination of the various religious bodies
as would exist the Of labor organizations, were
there General Assembly empowered TO legislate for
all labor organizations all matters Of common in
terest While this would not destroy denomination
alsm it would minimize of its fragrant evils.
The work Of missions for example, would be ntustcd
to tile General Assembly, which would so prosecute
it that only the fundamentals Of Christianity common
to all the denominations would be taught by mission
aries But the mere statement Of what confederation
would try to do is the strongest possible argument
against it. Its proper SYMBOL" says DR.. Hunting
ton ais the fagot which has unity indeed. but unity
Of very precariOus sort, fragile icompacted, easily
terminable. The parts Of confederacy are mechan-
caly, not chemically, combined; they hold together
less by affinity than by cohesion Coniedency has no
power to weather trlbulatiOn the mere touch Of
trouble makes shipwreck Of IT, In fact, there no
two words in the political vocabulary Of Americans
more conspicuousy ilomencd than 'confederacy' and
considerations They words Synonymous with
transformers and failure: No slightest promise Of
permanence TO be found in them" Moreover, as the
author shows a geographical confcderacy IS at least
conceivable; but confederacy of parties formed to
perpetuate certain abstract ideas Is utterly impossible
Imagine, for instance a confeieracy in France in
which tho Bonapartists would carry empire, the
Legitmists an absolute monarchy, the Orleanists a
limited monarchy the MOderaeS republic, and the
Reds commune, all at the time! And yet
such scheme would be no more Impossible than one
in which the Greek and Latin churches and the various
denominations of Protestants would unite in c0nfed-
eracy, while at the same time retaining their present
theories and forms of government
The theory of consolidation is much more rational,
though In our opinion quite impossible II involves
the selection of denomination from among all the
rest as the norm, while at the same time it provides
for the generous inclusion and careful conservatism Of
everything that the various denominations count most
precious among their herlOOms Take divine service,
for instance" says DR.. Huntington: Consolidation
would not involve the displacement of extemponeous
methods of worship among those who value them by an
nsstence upon either the Missal the Prayer Book,
but on the contrary, would guard the preferences
Of the non-liturgca families in the one house,
hold as jealousy it would protect those
whose traditions were of the other sort.
There would be nothing TO forbid the recognition In
truly Catholic American Church Of a Puritan rite,
an Anglican rite, Latin rite, and a German rite
such diversities Of method in the line Of worship
might perfectly we'll cOexst under general and
comprehensive scheme of pollty. Such titles as
Episcopalan' and Presbyterian and Congregational
ist' would have to go by the board because these
would indicate real schism in the body. But the
disappearance of these names would by
necessarily involve the loss of anything that is really
precious in the spiritual possessions Of the cOmmunons
al present burdened with them"
And then Dr. Huntington approaches the crux Of
the whole question Admitting that all Christians
sec the importance Of consolidation who Is to choose
Shall some existing denomination be taken as the
rallying centre Or shall composite Catholic
Church be formed by putting into organization all
the fundamental elements of the various denomina-
tons In word, what is to be done? In reply TO
this question, DR.. Huntington says There is moth
ing TO be done but for each Of the existing organza-
lions Of those within our borders, who profess and call
themselves Christians to apply itself to the study Of
the problem, and, having done so, 10 set forth IN the
fewest aud planest words possible the result Of its
thinking. Let US hear from each denomination what
in its deliberate judgment is the most generous
platform Of union it cOnscentiOusy offer to the rest
once in possession of these ultlmata our American
Chrsendom as a whole, will be in far better condition
to form a judgment than it Is today And having
thus cleared the way before him. he devotes the rest
of his book to an exposition and explanation Of the
proposals for union laid down by the Anglican Church.
already referred to. What he has TO say about the
Scriptures the Creeds and the Sacraments is well
worth reading and in the main will commend itself
to large numbers Of conservative Christians outside of