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

ditions of a world which moves forward
with terrifying rapidity.
I'VE see witnessed the great truth
that Christianity is not narrow, one
sided. carefully codif1ed section of life,
but divine creative force sweeping
into human history, Selling upon hu-
man souls with immeaSurable power,
resistleSs in its grip upon every aspect
Of life, making partiSans as we'll as
statesmen, prophets as we'll AS priests
A church which did not have new
movements continually stirring its
depths; in which there were no old
hearts in despair and no young hearts
af1ame with indignation or kindled by
visions of the city of God, would, we
venture to believe, be a dead church.
THE divisions among us are not to
be mourned over. They are to be con-
quered. They are not causes for de
spair They are challenges to the width
Of our vision, the depth of our love. the
soberness of our wisdom, and the stead
fastness of our loyalty. If Catholic and
Protestant cannot find a way to live to-
gether and to worship together tn, one
Lord whom both adore. then is our
faith vain. We are yet in our sins"
Two practical considerations are i'm
portant. One concerns especially the
clergy. There is little or no excuse for
individualiStic extremes such as often
disturb the peace of the church and it's
normal life. Let us have prophets. lei
us have life and initiative, but let us
remember that there is a form of
teaching and of worship in the PRAYER
Book. The ordination VOWS of the
clergy pledge them to loyalty to the
doctrine, discipline and worship of this
church. These great words are nowhere
accurately defined. but for a loyal
priest DESTROYS of doing his work hon
estly, not obscure in meaning. Loyalty
does not consist ia meticulous obedience
to the letter of rubrics and canons.
Such obedience may be rendered, ac-
companied by real disloyalty to the
spirit of the church.
Loyalty Is Defined.
Loyalty means the honest attempt to
understand, to enter into and to ex-
press in ones ministry that spirit.
1t means the use of Prayer Book Ian
guage, and the careful distinction be-
tween what is church law or doctrine
and what is merely the individuals
wish or opinion. 1t does not forbid
reaching out to the best in Christian
experience wherever found. It does for
bid the submerging of established usage
in alien rites. 1t does not forbid free
dom of criticism. 1t does forbid SUBJ
versive conduct Honest loyalty among
the clergy breeds confidence and a
sense of security among the Iaity. It
is one great contribution to he task of
unity.
But the responsibility for unity rests
upon laity as we'll as upon clergy: and
for all there is, to use st. Paul'S phrase,
still more excellent way the old way
Of love. We have no right to distrust
one another. No group of men is try
ing by insidious propaganda to wreck
the church. There is and ought to be
the frank effort upon the part of clergy
and laity to further truth as they see II.
But we are all Christian brothers We
have the same Heavenly Father and
the same Master Christ. Instead of
setting ourselves in opposite camps and
labelling ourselves with partisan names
we need to worship and work, to study
and confer together
Our differences can be overcome not
by the victory of one side over another,
not by driving out the Catholics or de-
feating the Professionals, but by the
readjustment of the relation of truths
and the discovery of new perspectives
We must seek the conscious and intel
ligent reconciliation of apparently IL
reconcilable views. Hitherto we have
made an insecure reconciliation through
our instructive desire to hold together,
but in many parts of the church were
in earnest fellowship our Christian talks
have been undertaken as common tasks.
the goal we are seeking has come ap-
probably nearer. Let us move on and
with the guidance of the Spirit of
Truth making unity secure by clear
ness of thinking warmed by the power
Of love, and complete trust in one an
other.
Reunion Movement Gains.
Next to our responsibility as Chris
tians for the strengthening and deep
ening Of the unity of our own church
lies our responsibility for advancing the
unity of the Church of Christ through
out the world. Of all the great move
ments which have stirred mems imag-
ination and captured their allegiance
during the last generation none has
gained more rapidly than that of re-
union. Thirty years ago men spoke
of it as a mere dream. 1t, has become
a matter of practical and immediate
concern. The Edinburgh Conference
in 1910. the Lambeth Appeal of 1920
the Stockholm Conference of 1925. the
Lausanne Conference of 1927, the Jeru-
salem meeting of the International
Missionary Council in 1923, all witness
the fact that Christians are beginning
to understand that divided church IL
by the very nature of Christianity an
indefensible-yes. an impossible thing.
To the extent that division exists Christ
IS absent. If we tolerate division (agan
81 tvuo or in Gin
This is not the place to discuss in
detail the various problems which must
be met and overcome in the difficult
search for unity. But three principles
should be borne constantly in mind by
every loYal churchman The first is