The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1894-02-08
The Valley Virginian.
CLIFTON FORGE. VA.
EICHELBERGER & WALTON, Editors and PrOD'rS
THURSDAY. FEBRUARY 8, 1894
WHAT GREAT MEN SAY

WHAT GREAT MEN SAY
On the Question Of the Union Of
all the Churches.
With half dozen of the leading pas
tors of Washington representing the
Episcopal, Presbyterian, Congrega
tional, Baptist and Lutheran faiths,
have joined in extending an invitation
to Prof. Charles w. Shields, who fills
the chair of the harmony of science and
revealed religion in Princeton, to read
his paper on the subject of Church Unity
on the basis of the Chicag Lambeth
/ proposals. 1t was agreed among us that
each one should suggest a speaker who
should make a brief addEess in discus
sion of the paper. The meeting was
called a"Conference on Church Unity"
and invitation by card was extended to
all the clergy, Catholic and Protestant,
and to leading laymen of the city. DIR.
Shields has read this paper before SINH
lar conferences in New York, Philadel-
phia, Baltimore and other cities. 1t is
very eloquent and learned and hope
| full advocacy of the union of all Chris
| tians upon the basis of the four articles:
Sacramento, and the Historic Episcopal
Bishops of England aud America The
| Doctor of course, is Presbyterian. He
| thought. the principal lesson to be learned
| from the Parliment of religions was not
the supremacy of Christianity, but the
necessity for church unity. He drew
distinction between Christian unity
which he claimed already existed, and
church unity, and also between church
unity and church uniformity. Church
unity would not require the surrender
OF any great principle for which denom
nations commended. but would muster
together the conservative forces of
| Christianity, would present unity in
variety and variety in unity, and would
be not antidenominationa], but super
denominational. He discussed the va
rious objections, but claimed that none
of thom were insurnountable, and that,
as such unity existed in the beginning.
it was possible now, and as in our Amer
| lean household, we had many States,
States, and yet lone from many that
an ecclesiastical E pzaribus waum was
also practical and feasible. The scope
of church unity, he declared, must take
in Romanist and Protestant. All exists
ing churches in one glorious, apostolic
church. We must not forget that we
have the Scriptures through the medium
of the Mother Church. All these schools
exist by the grace of God. 1T is hard
to believe said DR.. Shields, with elo
quent emphasis, that the devil has
governed the Christian Church for
twenty centuries. No, my friends, the
ancient Greek Church and the ancient
Latin Church have existed through time
by the grace of God, and they mnst be
included in any scheme of church unity"
AS the basis of this Plus desideriatm
the speaker urged the four articles of
the Chicago-Lambeth declaration. He
seemed to have little trouble with the
Sacraments. and would have had much
less had he paused at the first and gone
no farther, but when he came to the
Historic Episcopate he struck the sang
that caused his bark to reel and plunge
and finally go down into the abyss. The
Historic Episcopate would remain, he
said, if the Protestant Episcopal church
should cease to exist. 1t could be ex-
tended to all denominations without the
sacrifice of one iota of their faith. There
could be no reunion of their churches
into compact Christian whole without
it, for church unity must be reached
upon an institution, and not upon a
mass of doctrines. This institution was
held by three-fourths, possibly four
fifths, of Christendom, and it is impos-
sible to think of unity that does not
rest upon this idea All religious bodies
are tending toward it without knows
ing it, and while the way to unity may
be long and rough he saw hopeful signgs
that under the mild rule of the Episco-
potato this unity would be attained
L
what all denominations needed was to
become better acquainted with each
other.
DR.. Shields Utopian scheme was con-
scientiously presented, but it was plain
that all the brethren present were not
prepared to accept it. The Baptist
brother thought he had failed to show
authority from the Word of God for
his basis of unit. He has not rescued
it from the charge of ecclesasticism or
that of impracticability. He was sure
there were millions of Christians who
would receive no basis of unity that was
extra-Scriptual, and it must be shown
that the Historic Episcopate was found
ed on the Scriptures of the New Tesla
ment. The Episcopal brother who dis
cussed it would have replied to the Bap-
fist brother, but the times were irenic
and he hesitated. He thought the
lambeth deliverance broad enough to
embrace all Christians, that the Historic
Episcopate proposed was not to be con-
founded with that of England, where
buo UlSuOpS Ildu tIlelT pdldCeS cuu tcA-
poral powers, but that of 1.-The pure
period,n and the Lambeth manifesto
presented to divided Christendom the
unity which Christ desired.
The Methodist brother considered his
position about half way between the
extreme left and right wings. He be-
lieved it possible for all the churches to
become united in one catholic and holy
church. He didn't say just how, but |
am satisfied that the mild form of the
| Episcopate as existing in them E. Church
1 would beevery way satisfactory to him.
The Disciple brothers Jabez Hall,
seemed to be possessed of notion that
his people had something to propose in
this matter that they started with this
purpose years ago, before the Chicago>
Lambeth business was ever heard of.
He didn't say that, but he made elo-
quent allusion to their origin and pur-