Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-26

~ HR1STIAN unity was discussed by
Rev. J. Armitage Robinson. the
dean of Westminster. before the
bishops of the Episcopal Church attend
ing the Lambeth conference this month.
and his sermon has attracted widespread
attention. exciting comment in many
places, from many pulpits and in both
secular and religious newspapers.
The churchman's subject was "A Vision
of Unity" and he took his text from
Acts. XVI: II was not disObedient to the
heavenly vision" He considers it top
&c which has been discussed more than
ever before in the past few years. At
the beginning he outlined the character
of St. Paul and his stand for absolute
unity in the Christian society. He con-
Guided with the following significant
statements:
1.-THE reunion of Christendom has some
times been taken to signify primarily our
re-entry into communion with the
churches which still remain subject to
Rome and with the orthodox churches of
the east. These we may not for mo-
ment forget, even though our first duty.
as l believe, lies nearer home and among
our own kith and kin. We must always
be on our guard, lest by word or act We
give needless offense. and thereby post
pone yet further the day Of our recon-
Citation with these ancient branches of
Christ's Church. But by almost univer-
sal agreement the time Of that reconcilia-
ton Is not now.
II asked a distinguished French eccle-
siastic what he thought I might wisely
say on this point in presence of the as
III nI hfr1 10 fhA
munion. He replied: DO you know the
beautiful prayer of our Litany, "Orenfus
pro fratribus nostris absentibus' (''Let US
pray for our brethren who are absent
from us')? That we can do: that some
of us do every day, remembering that. as
it has been finely said. the nearest way
to any heart is round by heaven
But our first responsibility unquestion-
ably lies, as 1 have said. in the direction
of our own kith and kin. among those
the same English Bible. The congress
which has recently met has rightly en-
phasized this side of our responsibility.
and wise and large thoughts have found
utterance with regard to it. 1t has shown
an unexampled recognition Of the work
of the divine spirit in the communions
which are separated from US. an unex-
ampled desire to learn what they have to
teach us, an unexampled readiness to in
quire how reunion might be accomplished
OH cOnOltlOHS honorable TO DOtl 6l0eE.
ut is plain that we cannot abandon what
We have hitherto declared to be the four
essential characteristics Of our own po-
sition-the holy Scriptures. the two great
creeds, the two great sacraments and
the historic episcopate But we can and
ought to recognize that where the first
three are found and where there is also
an ordered ministry guarded by the sol
emn imposition of hands. there our diff
ferences are not SO much matters of
faith as matters of discipline and ought
with humility and patience be capable OF
adjustment A fuller recognition on the
one side Of a charismatic ministry, which
God has plainly owned and blessed;
fuller recognition on the other side OF
the permanent value of an episcopacy
which has long since ceased to be "a
prelacy'; a readiness on both sides to ar
rive at some temporary agreement which
might ultimately issue in a common min
istry. regular in the historic sense. though
admitting the possibility of separate or
CARNATIONS and exempt jurisdictions
given such recognitions and such readi-
ness and what a prospect of reconcilia-
ton at no distant future opens out be-
fore us.
But, after all. schemes of reconcilia-