The herald., 1894-04-09

Into the sea of agnosticism. To the
thinking man who knows OF nothing but
either Roman abaolutism or Protestant
negation tue outlook seems dark and dis
mai for reunion OF tChristendom.
Now does there not lie between the
Church of Rome and the various Pro.
testant churches some meeting place,
come via media? Is there not in exist
ence church which, while it is in
touch with the spirit Of modern progress
yet 10 in touch also with the CAurch OF
Rome and the Greek church, inasmuch
as she is equally with them q true
branch OF the holy Catholic and apos-
tolic church? Is there not O church
which has preserved the apostolic min
iatry with it's divine com mmission, and at
the same time has refused to bow the
neck to the Roman yoke? There is no
rightly instructed man or woman here
to-day, but who will tell us that there is
such church and that church is our
own. By her retention of the historic
episcopate, liturgical worship and
other connections with primitive
Christianity, she disproves the Roman
Catholic claim to be the one and only
apostolic church of God, and by her
kind but firm refusal to recognize the
emphasizes her protest against their
departure from the constitutional prin-
ciples, which require ordination to be
performed only by those who are duly
commissioned and authorized to ordain
to the sacred ministry.
What then are the conditions which
our church holds out as a basis OF or
ganic unity? AS che refuses to be alb
sorbed by the Church OF Rome, and as
Rome will consent to no scheme which
does not absolutely annihiIate our or
ganic entity, we must be fret to weld
together the various bodies of the Pro.
testant Christians. With that end in
view the bishops of the church have
both at Chicago in 1873 and subse-
quently at Lam beth in 1887, held out
terms OF union which are wildly known
and discussed as the "Quadrilateral."
They have advanced four propositions
as basis Of unity:
l. The Holy Scriptures as the word
OF God, and as containing all the things
necessary to sally alton.
III. the two sacraments of the gospel,
baptism aud the Holy Eucharist, ad-
ministered with the elements and the
words with which they were originally
administered.
Ill. The Nicene creed as the 6uthclent
statement OF the Christian faith.
~. The historic episcopate, locally
adapted to suit the needs and conditions
OF the various peoples of God, called into
the unity of His church.
The first three are universally received
by all Christians. The historic episco-
pate is the crucial point. Professor
Shields, however, an eminent Presby-
terian divine of Princeton university,
says he sees no reason why that should
not be accepted, for its existence in our
church is historic fact. Observe that
80 anxious is the church for organic
unity that she has said nothing about
liturgical worship, modes of baptism,
vestments, ritual. and 30 forth, as nec-
essRry terms OF union. Beautiful and
glorious as her liturgicsl worship is,
these things could be left for each sep
arate diocese. or province, or national
church to legisate upon. And even if
our overtures be all rejected. yet Chris.
tian unity must come. We are all
agreed as to its necessity, and that is 30
much accomplished. May the day soon
dawn when all Christians, ae our blessed
Lord prayed. may be one. as thou,
Father, art in me and l in Thee, that
they also NAV be one in US, thar the
ma -