The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-05-16
YALE DIVINITY SCHOOL
(continued from Third Page.l


 pressed In an ungenerous and hard
 way, the declaration says nothing.
 How far the Historic Episcopate car
 ries that doctrine and what forms of
 statement have historic warrant, are of
 course much disputed questions which
 need not here be considered. The His
 toric Episcopate as a fact is asserted
 and so the principle upon which the
 creeds were formulated as statements
 of historical facts about our Lord, is
 followed. I suppose that the Lambeth
 declaration honestly implies the belief
 that the office of the bishop is of Apos-
 tolic and primitive institution one of
 the ancient things of the Catholic
 church which must not be given up, the
 mark of a regularly organized church,
 coming to us with the warrant of the
 authority of the Apostles, upon a level
 as regards authority with the canon of
 Holy Scripture, the Lords day or con-
 firmation. Of course not all members
 of the Anglican communion would ac-
 cept this statement. Many look upon
 the order of church government as a
 matter of very subordinate importance,
 even as the members of the great Pro-
 testant denominations. I am simply
 trying to state what think is common ly received among us as historical truth,
 without passing to the doctrine of the
 sacred ministry. I think that the ap
 peal to history for the existence and
 continuance of the office will hold. I am we'll aware of the qualification as-
 socfated with the church of Alexandria
 and some monastic establishments, and
 of exceptions and irregularities which
 are recorded in church history. But 1t
 may fairly be said that the ministry of
 the church has come down in a regular and orderly way with the Episcopate as
 its highest office, with the presumption that it ought to be preserved.
 I do not see how the Anglican com munion could be expected to leave the Episcopate out of account, or to make utterance which indicates light regard
 of it. As bond of union between the church of to-day and the ancient church
 it Is worth consideration of all Chris tians The part which the Episcopate has had, and may yet have, in the pres ervation of the faith may well be thought of. The agreement of the heads of dioceses in widely separated countries has been a conservative, steadyfng influence, in respect to faith and religion in times of tumult and con- fusion. Its recognition of leadership in church work in a limited territory, with certain powers in direction and discipline and advice and oversight would seem to commend the office as reasonable, In missionary jurisdictions by the appointment of superintendents and secretaries and in many states through bureaus and officials, the great denominations in the United States ap- 4,, 4IS l., like the Episcopate locally adapted. The principle seems everywhere recog- nized, in business, in political and civil administration, in school and universi- ty, in church work and every move- ment of reform,--of giving carefully chosen men large powers and hold 1 ing them to large responsibility. And | that Is the principle of the Episcopate | adapted and confirmed in every de- | partment of life at the end of the nine 1 teenth century. It is a practical, work | ing system of church government, of 1 universal adaptation. It is marred by | the choice of wrong men, and by the | limitations and restrictions made by | Episcopal human nature, which is not | unlike other kinds. But as working | system a strong case may be made out | for the Episcopate locally adapted, I | am not unmindful of the other claims i and arguments which may be made for | the offfce I am concerned only in sug | gesting a line of thought which may | commend itself to those who hear me.
 So the Historic Episcopate stands in l my thought not alone as an old ecclesi- astical institution venerable for age, | but as having also largest possibilities | of usefulness at the present time, as commended by the experience and prac- tice of men in all kinds of work. The | need of it is expressed in many ways by the bodies which have not preserved it. Probably if the American type had existed in the English church three hundred years ago, the Puritans had remained in the church which many of them loved. If to-day the English bishops stood in their places, the church disestablished, the way to reunion in England would be much plainer. We may think of the Lambeth declaration as requiring the acceptance of the Epis- copate as an historical order and office without a theory about it. So the sug- gestion is entirely respectful, involving no more sacrifice of self-respect than the restoration of the old creeds or of the Christian year.
 do not see how 1t could have been omitted. For you will remember that there is much more hope of union in the : of an institution under which { there is large liberty of opinion l than in doctrinal uniformity As long I as men think and speculate on divine truth, doctrinal agreement even within ' one church is impossible. To force doc l trinal uniformity is to make sects. It l is more hopeful to bring about organic l institutional union with the assurance s of large liberty in doctrinal teaching, in worship and in work. It is a I thought of Dr. Shields, and I think, a T true thought. t And then while there Is apparently a no hope of union with the Church of T Rome save on the ground of submis- fl sion, which cannot be considered, it n would be bad policy to throw away S what the largest body of Christians has | preserved out of her ancient history V We ought to keep the old ground upon Il which all Christians stood together be- g fore schism did its evil work. It would is