The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1915-09-23

| HA WnEy One Is your Mas
lRAslQR. RUSSaD ter, even Christ;
and all ye are
brethren" He said in part
Some time ago, In the Cathedral at
Baltimore, Cardinal Gibbons delivered
remarkable discourse advocating a
united Christendom His strong plea
contains many good thoughts, some of
which ! will now read:
ut was manifestly the desire of
Christ that all His disciples should be
united In the profession of one faith.
In His admirable prayer before His
passion He says: i pray for them also
who through their word shall believe
in Me, that they all be one, as Thou,
Father, art In Me, and ] in Thee, that
they also may be one In Is; that the
world may believe that Thou hast sent
Ne; because the unity of the Church
is the most luminous evidence of the
Divine mission of Christ '--.,-. :.
Unity of government is not less es-
sential to the Church Of Christ than
unity of doctrine Our Divine Savior
never speaks Of His churches, but His
Church. He does not say, Upon, this
rock will build My churches from
which words we must conclude that 1T
never was His intention to establish or
to sanction various conflicting denOm-
nations, but one corporate body, with
all the members united under one Wis
ible head; for as the Church Is a visible
body, 1t must have a visible head.
Unity Of Faith and Government.
"Our Savior calls His Church sheep
fold And there shall be one fold and
one Shepherd What more beautiful
or fitting illustration of unity can we
have than that which is suggested by
sheepfold? All the sheep Of flock
cling together. If momentarily sep
arated, they are impatient till reunited.
They follow In the same path. They
feed on the same pastures. They obey
the same shepherd, and fly from the
voice of strangers. SO did our Lord
intend that all the sheep of His fold
should be nourished by the same sacra-
ments and the same bread of life; that
they should follow the same rule of
faith as their guide to Heaven; that
they should listen to the voice Of one
Chief Pastor, and that they should
g,,tl Co TOO oh
"His Church is compared to human
body. As In one body we have many
but all the members have
not the same office; so we, being many, |
are one body in Christ, and every one
members one of the other In one body |
Tiers are many members, all insep- |
lrably connected with the head. The
head commands; and the foot instantly |
moves, the hand is raised and the lips |
open. Even so our Lord ordained that |
His Church. composed of many mem
Ders, should be all united in one SUI
Dreme visible head, whom they are
bound to obey.
1.-THE Church is compared to vine,
Ill OF whose branches, though spread
ng far and wide, are necessarily con-
lected with the main stem, and from
is sap they are nourished. In like
manner our Savior will have all the
'aplings of His vineyard connected
With the main stem, all draw their
from the parent stock.
N fact, our common sense alone, apart
rom the revelation, is sufficient to
us that God could not be the
Author Of various opposing systems Of
eigion God is essentially One. He
$ Truth itself God is not the God Of
but of peace
81 see perfect harmony in the laws
which govern the physical world we
nhabit | see marvellous unity In
'ur planetary system. Each planet
moves in It's own sphere. and all are
controlled by the central sun. Why
hould there not also be harmony and
oncord I'm that spiritual world, the
'hurch OF God, the grandest concep-
ion of His omnipotence, and the most
ounteous manifestation Of His good.
ess and love for mankindf
Hence, IL Is clear that Jesus Christ
Intended that His Church should have
ne common doctrine, which all Chris
Ians are bound 10 believe, and one
inform government. TO which all
hould be Loyalty attached Where,
hen, shall we find this essential unity
faith and government? | answer,
onfldentIy. Nowhere save In the Cath
lie Church
pastor Russell Agrees With Cardinal.
am pleased TO say that can agree
lost heartily with Cardinal Gibbons
Ia almost every particu.
II. PROFESSIONALLY sectarianism IL
holly out Of accord with the teach
igs OF the Scriptures st Paul de
Isres that 1t Is proof Of carnality, OF