Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-05-17

and my Spirit shall SO with you. hut
not only so. make disciples" He said
unto them. how? "Baptixing them into
the name OF the Father and OF the Bon
and OF the Holy Ghost" and 20 are we
not surprised that one OF them procIaims
to the people. Repent and be baptized,
every one OF you. In the name OF Jesus
Chrtet for the remission Of SINS and We
shall receive the gift OF the Holy Ghost"
''Do this I'm memory Of me" Is the COM
mandment OF the Christ In the last night
OF his mortal life. as sitting at the bor-
rowed table In the borrowed room, he
takes in his hands the passover loaf, and
the cup 81 praise. and gives to them
with Thanksgiving to eat and to drink.
And ct. Paul declares in explanation.
1.-THE bread which we break Is II not the
communion participation I'M Of the BODY
OF Christi" 1.-THE cup Of blessing which
we bless. ~ II not the communion par.
ticipation IND Of the blood OF Christ?
Hear, again. he speaks: Il pray that
they may all be one. as Thou. Father.
art In me and I In Thee. that they also
may he one in us that the world may
believe that Thou hast sent me. ana
His apostle. His greatest apostle, the
man Of largest most liberal spirit, whom
no wide seas could hinder that ne carry
his message 90 farthest nation. whose
thought and feeling no petty tradition OF
inherited ecclesiasticism could conI'he,
who withstood his elder brother. Simon
Peter. TO the face when he WOULD narrow
the liberty wherewith Christ had made
man free; he expounds this oneness "hich
shall compel beiief-"one body, one
spirit"
Take away the written. the printed, the
nC
cause the spirit who alone quickehe'h
can give life without the word. rake
away the element of water. which Christ
has sanctifed, separated unto the mys'
tlcal washing away Of sin, Tor the spirit
rs surely not dependent upon any mata
rial instrument In the bestowal OF his
gift. Take away the bread ana wine
let no eucharstic prayer be spoken ior
the spiritual communion Is surely as
possible without as with these materiai
adiuncts. Each demand has been made
by disciples OF Jesus as the centuries
have passed by. Or mutilate and chahge
by addition or by diminution the una
sanctioned ordinances In their mate
rial and their ministry, ana YET 'ne
Spirit is given. Surely so. for as haVe
said the grace Of God overno"e'n an
appointed channels. Just so. there Is 10
marvel that mighty works nave s"o""
themselves as the result OF the preach-
inc Of the pure word of God. and the
ministration of His holy sacrament py
men who confessedly have cut themselves
off from the one visible body. the MS
toric Church. whose organic life Is con-
timed and Is proven by the reguiar
orderly transmission Of authority iron"
generation to generation of its rulers ac,
cordinR TO the law Of Its life, deterni"ed
and declared by its Founder. There Is no
denial of the spiritual life. OF the spirltuai
mower. of the blessed and glorious WORKS
for Christ of these our brethren. God
forbid.
PLEAD FOR THE ONENESS.
But there Is the pleading with them that
tho oneness. which ST. Paul delineates
as that for which his Master and ours
did pray. may be restored: That thereDy
the world may be convinced that GOD aid
send Him. and that oneness-"one pody'
one spirit'-must be organic, not senti-
mental. the oneness of law and not OF
feeling, the oneless of common action ahd
not of mere mutual admiration ana good
will But, on the other hand, remember
II is not a unity Of opinion. but In the
faith. ST. Paul and ST. James being wit
nesses concrete and instant: nor does 1t
1NkOlNt anu
tional expression, as witness the varying
uses Of the several national divisions OF
the one historic Church. Unity Is not
nor yet is ii uniformity. II
must have a supreme allegiance 10 the
written words of the King, and OF HIS
duly accredited; these snail
be the test and tombstone OF all religious
opinion. assuring widest liberty to honest
thought in the broad fields of speculat ton
which these coniine. 1t must further have
plain, unmistakable, or the es-
sential verities of the revelation from on
high, about which there may be nor doubt,
nor question, nor paltering, nor refine
uent. that which hath been be-
Iieved always and everywhere, and by all.
as the very principle of the new life. 1t
must have due and unfai!ing observance
of the two simple ordinances OF the Kings
own commandment in every minutest de-
tail Of His direction. and Yet above
and beyond these details. a liberty TO
satisfy the varying spiritual needs of the
countless worshippers. And. finally, IL
must have oneness of government, an
organic life from the beginning. per-
petuated by the transfer OF authoritative
rule, the rule of constitutional authority.
and not of autocrat. fallible or infallible.
such as Holy Scripture describes as exist
INK III inc ytdI ~ ~ 10 anu 'ip-
bon asserts to have been universally estab-
lished throughout the Roman empire be-
fore the year 200. This is the historic Epis-
copate. the bond OF a continuous life the
voice of the centuries witness. the neces-
sary condition of the perfect life and the
witness. and yet locally adapted, again
and again. yes, continually in
the methods of its administration
to the varying needs of the
nations and peoples calls of God unto
the unity Of His Church. Here Is nor
place nor time for even the most meagre
outline Of the adaptations which the CEN
turies have witnessed. The long, flowing
eastern robe of softest silk, of gorgeous
colors, embroidered and braided. is not
more widely different from our melan-
choly. tight-fitting. dusty. black garments
than are the conception and the
administration of his office by John
Chrysostom from those of the American
Protestant bishop of to-day. The loose
ness and the freedom. the soft luxurious
ness of the silken folds, are fitting SYM
bos of the almost autocracy of the then
ruler of the Church. torn into ribands,
as 1t might be by contact with rough
usage, such as the self-willed Emperor
might deal out suddenly TO the prelate
Of his chief city. The close-fittng black
times very tight. and Is by no means a
comfortable garment for lolling ease, but IL
Is good for the storm and the rough
work of the missionary. even as the condi-
tons of his rule. fastened about him In
the shape OF canons. and committees are
protection to his liberty, though a
hindrance to self-determined action. Nay.
we must not go so far. for illustration
of the adaptation Of the Episcopate Is II
not as perfectly at home to-day in our free
republic as in the mother isle. where for
centuries II has been part and parcel of
the Constitution. decorated with baronial
dignity and title and maintained In spen-
did opulence by the accumulated gifts of
said; yes, perfectly adapted in its methods
Of administration to govern a free church
in free state. distinguished not by
lordly title, or mansion, or equipage: but,
may not say IL. as ! stand In this place
where ! was born, and remember the men
who have been TO me and to my country
men representatives OF the historic epIs-
copate-distinguished for self-denying de-
votion to the cause Of Christ by unceas-
ing labors to extend His Kingdom among
men. What has been done can again be
done: adaptations. manifold in almost
every direction, give warrant for the as
surance that other adaptations-it may
be on wholly new and different lines
may be made when necessity or opportu-
nifty shall demand them for the restora-
ton Of the lost unity. for the providing OF
the one appointed witness for the worlds