Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-10-25

great company of the elect: he knows
something of the love of God in the
Person of Jesus Christ. Saintship is
the monopoly of no communion. The
unnamed saints of some obscure group
of Christians may know as much of
God as those whose names adorn our
calendars. Such truth must drive
from our hearts arrogance and eXclu-
siveneSs. 1t must make us hoSpitable
to all truth, charitable, of comprehen-
Sive thought, with vision of the Catho-
lie Church big enough to include the
full range of Christian life and expert
ence. Where Christ dwells there must
we be content to be found
But as We move toward unity In this
spirit of Christian love we must move
in practical ways. And we must move.
We cannot wait for a day when through
some miraculous divine Intervention
unity will drop upon us like a new Jeru-
salem from the heavens. We must seek
for unity where the response is likely.
Other Doors Open.
I'm some directions the doors are for
the present closed But others are
open. We must try these doors. We
must be ready to go forward, to do
something. We must dare to be mis-
understood. We have heard it said that
in America the Episcopal Church has
led in the movement toward unity until
now other Christians are ready to go
forward but that facing such a prac-
teal possibility the Episcopal Church
holds back. That must not be.
But that brings us to our last point
in reference to Church unity No work
of the leaders can bring unity without
the cooperation of the people. Al
though unity cannot come without the
careful scholarship of theologians and
the wise craftsmanship of responsible
ott1clals; neither can it come without
The warm and vital interest, the loyal
prayers, the sacrificial purpose of the
rank and file of Christian people. Our
LORD Jesus Christ summons us to unity
we must obey the summons.
The summons to unity Is no less
clear when we look out upon our task
in the world. The mission of the
Church. as we have already said. is the
discovery to men of their relation of
SonShlp to God, and therefore of the
unity which must be achieved If that
sonship is to be made a living thing.
The forces which divide men, selfish
ness, greed, lust, must be overcome by
The Kingdom of God is come when
human society has achieved its unity
in Christ.
This mission is no mere voluntarily
chosen policy. 1t is the very life of the
Church. The body of Christ has no
other mission than to make all men
part of Christ. Whether the Church
works in New YORK or in Hankow:
whether 1t breaches social Justice or
teaches little children its aim is tho
same. Whether it concerns itself with
the great problem of peace among the
nations or the lesser problem of peace
in New England mill strike, or in the
intricate personal problem of peace In
same. The love of God in Christ must
bring unity. Divisive forces must be
overcome
The most momentous task which
faces the world of today is the warfare
against war. Again and again the
voices of prophets and statesmen have
been raised to tell us that If war is not
destroyed, Christian civilization must
be. That we believe is exaggeration.
Christ is too strongly intrenched in
human society to be conquered by war
no matter how worldwide. Gods pur-
poses are too stable to be made mock
of in the end by mans ignorance and
wickedness. But war Is destructive of
what Christ stands for. War Is de-
grading. brutal. bestial, like the devil
the father of lies and hatred. 1t as
saults all that dignifies and beauties
human life. It violates the sanctities
of the soul 1t hurls defiance at the
Christian faith that men are the family
of God 1t challenges the Church of
Christ to action,
Must Guide Conscience.
Nov it is not the business of the
Christian church to control govern
ments. 1t cannot lay down in detail
these plans and projects which 1t Is
the business of governments to formu-
late and carry out But 1t is the
business of the church to speak in no
uncertain way concerning the Christian
view of life and the relations of men
and nations to one another. 1t Is its
business to guide the Christian con-
science in its approach to all such mat
ters 1t cannot therefore look on in
differently at war or what makes for
war. It must put moral force behind
the efforts for peace and a laW-gov-
erned world Christ summons us to
world unity as He does to church unity.
Such efforts we would have you see is
but part of the great mission of the
church
I'm contrast with the vast reaches of
the task of ending war or of restoring
the unity of Christ's church our own
church's mission as expressed in what
we call its program seems small 1t is
as measured in numbers. be they of
persons or of dollars. 1t is not If meas
urcd in eternal values. 1t Is the same
task Of bringing unity in Gods great
| family.
THE money which we contribute for
carrying out the churchs program in
Nation, diocese and parish is our part
in that task. The missionary whom
We thus send out is preaching every
where as he breaches the Gospel, the
| message of the unity of men in God