The Portland daily press., 1896-04-20
ONE CHURCH.
An Eloquent Plea For Church Unity
by Rev. Dwight GallOupe,

Adral Yesterday, That Will BE Read With
Great Interest by All Denominations.
st. John x. 10: "And other sheep
have, which are not of this fold, them
also 1 must bring, and they shall hear
my voice; and there shall be one fold,
and one shepherd"
Thirty years ago the mightiest civil
war in history was devastating the
American continent. The monarchioal
governments of the old world pronounced
with one voice the doom of the United
States.
An English scholar wrote, and actual
ly published the first volume of ponder
GUS work entitled: "a History of FEEDER
al Government from the Foundation of
the Achaean League to the Disruption of
the United States.''
1t is needless to say the work was new
er finished. However at the time the out
look for the federal government was dark.
South of a certain boundary line not q
single state would acknowledge the au-
thority of her Congress at Washington.
This meant civil war And rarely In
history had any nation survived such frat
rioidal strife.
Yet in the face of all this hundreds of
thousands of intelligent men were saying
"We believe in the Union" We're they
insane? The old world said they were.
''Where is your Union2" it asked.
However these ''believers in blue" were
not as insane as their transatlantic cri-
tics imagined.
They felt that the foundation of the
Union yet stood. The constitution, that
majestic croed of a free people. still ex-
listed. The continuity of federal govern
ment survived. The outward and visible
forms and symbols of popular legislation
remained. And If only the dissenting
states could be brought back the Ameri-
can republic would rise again to its pris-
tine grandeur. So long as the essential
nucleus of the Union was not destroyed
these men had faith to say, even when
citizen rose against citizen, stats against
state, aye, amid the roar and shock of
battle itself, "We believe in the Union,
We will die rather than disbelievep
And thus believing against belief, hop
ing against hope, in the face of the in
credulous civilizations of the old world
through blood and great circulation was
their belief in the Union gloriously and
forever demonstrated. Sectional hate and
strife are now forgotten. And from the
Gulf.to the Great Lakes from Plymouth
Rock TO the Golden Gate, as one people,
We say the creed of national unity and
popular goyernment-and believe it.
Why was the Union preserved?
Was 1t because the northern soldier was
drawer than the southern soldier? MOI
The blue and the gray are alike emblems
of the fearless soldier. Rather was 1t
because, since the foundations of the
world were laid the spirit of union has
BEEN stronger in the human brent than
the spirit of disunion-the glory of recon-
Citation mightier than the power OF
aiieuation-and shall be, l doubt not,
until
1.-The moon is old .
And the sun is cold
And the books CT The Judgment Day un-
fold"
What have been saying is somewhat
Introductory to the greater theme sug-
y
ginning from the Gospel for the day. 1t
is the problem OF ultimate church unity
We say in our creed that we believe in
the church. catholic. The world looks
upon the disintegrating fragments of
catholieity which fill the land with voio-
es of strife and asks: "Where is your
church oathulio?" - -
Is not the religious situation somewhat
analogous to the civic conditions thirty
years ago? Is the churchman who says in
the face OF the warning armies of sectari-
anisin: II believe in the church catho-
lic," any more insane than the citizen
who said in '61: 81 believe in the
Union'?' Christian unity must come.
And dare affirm that it shall be our
glorious mission to be the church of
Reconciliation. the nucleus around which
Catholieity shall cluster and rebuild it.
| self AS this continent has been the thea
tire for demonstrating the grand principle
of federal union, SO it shall be the thea
tire for the operation of that grander prin-
| ciple of Christian unity.
Eighteen hundred years ago the chosen
| sheep grazed contentedly within the fold
Of Judaism. They never suspected that
| God had any sheep outside of their fold.
| But the vast soul of the Christ looked
| beyond the jewish fold and recognized
Gods sheep in the far-of pastures of Ju-
piter and Isis, of Confucius and Bud
una. ANA bhefe was heard IN the world
| the note of true catho Lofty whose echo
| fingers like music i'll the souls of men
''Other sheep have not Of this fold, them
also | must bring, ETC..
1t has ever been the mission of the his
toric church to search alter these "othe1
Sheep" whether they be sheep who have
never heard His voice, or sheep who have
strayed from His Zone fold" and built
other folds. What we call the Episcopal
| church is. | believe, the needed historic
nucleus from which comes the note OF
Catholiclty-the voice of reconciliation
the common rallying point around
whose apostolic symbols the "other
| Sheep may cluster and rebuild-not as
| Episcopalians, names are nothing, bat
simply as Catholics. The followers of the
| Vatican, casting aside what they have
added to the primitive faiuh-the Pro.
testant adding what he has cast aside.
And SO shall be fulfilled that last tender
prayer of our common saviour: "Fath-
er pray that they may all be one, that
so the world may believe that Thou hast
| sent me-"
| OF co arse the question Instantly arises
| Who now are true members of the catho
lie church? / dare not give any narrow.
er answer than the words ST. Paul wrote
to his Callahan converts: LAS many Of
you as have been baptized into Christ
| huva mt m, Gh1Iict ,; I3anficp, than 4,