Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-06-27

called 'the reunion of christendom." He
Is reported to have said: "A visible,
formal, mechanical unity has no charm
for us whatever. It is not the unity Je-
sus prayed for; nor is 1t the unity that
increases spiritual efficiency, aug
ments righteousness, or advances the
kingdom OF Cod.
In this view DIR. Clifford is quite cor
rect. A great deal of unthinking SEN
timentality is being expended upon all
sorts of mechanical unions and re-un-
ions of christendom, while the chris
tian unity, for which our Lord prayed
and which already exists in the
churches to a very great degree, is over
looked and deprecated as a thing quite
inferior and undesirable Often the
words of the Masters great intercesso-
ry prayer are sadly perverted to the
support of sentimental schemes OF un-
ion to which it has not the most re-
mote reference.
On the night before He was crucified
he prayed for his followers in these
words: Neither pray 1 for these alone.
but for them also which shall believe
on me InTOuBn LnclI WOIu1 lIldt bAACJ al
may be one; as thou Father art in me.
and 1 in thee. that they also may be
one in us; that the world may believe
that thou hast sent me-" The slightest
attention to the terms of the prayer
will show that they can not possible re-
fer to schemes of mechanical union, but
can refer only to spiritual unity OF life.
The unity for which Jesus prayed APP
pears under three aspects: Cd 1t was
to be unity between successive genera
tons: Neither pray 1 for these alone,
but for them also which shall believe
on me through. their word" ~ Its
type and character was That unity
which subsists between the Father and
the Son: THAT they all may be one,
as thou Father art in me and I In
Thee, that they may be one in u.s.. i(3)
It's object and effect were to convince
the world of the divine mission or
Christ: THAT the world may beneve
that thou hast sent me" Not one OF
these features qf the unity for which
Christ prayed are characteristic of or
ganic unity How can there be organic
union between generations remote from
one another?l How will any man dare
to blaspheme the unity of the God-head
by offering the unity of ecclesiastical
bodies on the earth as its model and re-
production? How can any sort of
scneme of organic union prove the great
proposition that Jesus was sent as the
Saviour of mankind? The unity of the
Spirit in lie bonds of peace does PCS
sess these characteristics and nothing
else does.
Dr. Clifford is quite right when he
says that Jesus did not pray for formal
and mechanical unity. The primitive
church never aspired to any such unity
of organization; nor did 1t for moment
dream that the want of it in any wise
divided the body of Christ. Adapting
church organization to the varying condi-
lions of time, place, and circumstances
the early church, presented more than
one form of organization, yet never sup
posed that thereby shism was made The
schismatic, whose conduct is reprehended
in the New Testament is not the man
who enters a newly organized church. but
he who incites strife within the church
to which he belongs. A common form
of schism in apostolic times seems to
have been the effort of some to impose on
their brethren conditions of salvation and
fellowship which Jesus did not impose.
Such were the Judaizers who undertook
to impose on Gentle christians Jewish
ordinances, like the rite Of circumcision.
To. them Paul would not give place, no,
not for q moment.
In like manner today, there are men
who wish to impose on others the nom
essentials of their own ecclesiastical or
ganization as conditions of salvation and
tests of christian fellowship. They are
the real schismatics of our times. al
though they cry vociferously for the
Reunion of christendom". What they