Cibrar jp of t:he trheolojical ^tmmaxy PRINCETON . NEW JERSEY PRESENTED BY The Estate of Jaiaes Everett Frame BX 8 .S32 1893 schaff, Philip, 1819-1893. The reunion of Christendom DOCUMENT XXXIII. THE REUNION OF CHRISTENDOM PREPARED FOR THE PARLIAMENT OP RELIGIONS AND THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE EVANGELICAL ALLIANCE HELD IN CHICAGO, SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER, 1893 BY PHILIP SCHAFF, D. D., LL. D. EVANGELICAL ALLIANCE OFFICE: 611 UNITKD CIIARITIKS H11IM)ING 4th avenue, CORNER 32t) STREET, NEW YORK CITY 1893 DOCUMENT XXXIII. THE REUNION OF CHRISTENDOM PREPARED FOR THE PARLIAMENT OF RELIGIONS AND THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE EVANGELICAL ALLIANCE HELD IN CHICAGO, SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER, 1893 BY PHILIP SCHAFF, D. D., LL. D. EVANGELICAL ALLLVNCE OFFICE: 611 UNITKD CUARITIEH IJUILDINO 4th avenue, corner 22d STUKET, NEW YORK CITY 1893 Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2015 https://archive.org/details/reunionofchristeOOscha CONTEOTS. PAGE The DiflSeulty of tlie Problem 1 The Existing Uuity 2 The Divisions of Christendom 4 Division not an Unmixed Evil 8 Variety Essential to Unity 10 Inelusiveness, not Exclusiveness 12 Dilferent Kinds of Chi-istian Union 14 Voluntary Associations of Individual Chi-istians 15 Confederate Union of Chui-ches 17 The Four Anglican Articles of Reunion 19 Organic Union 24 Union with the Catliolic Church 25 The Greek and Roman Churclies 26 The Old Catholic Union Conferences 26 Papal Infallibility 28 Restatement of Confessional Differences in tlie Interest of Truth and Peace 29 Peter and 30 Orthodoxy and Progress 31. Exegotical Progi-ess 31 Historical Progress 32 (,'hang<;s of Opinions 35 The Church and Science 36 Means of Promoting Christian Union 38 Conclusion 40 THE EEUNION OF CHEISTENDOM. " Neither for these only do I pray, but for them also that believe on me through their word ; that they may all be one ; even as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be in us : that the world may be- lieve that thou didst send me." — John 17 : 20, 21. THE DIFFICULTY OF THE PROBLEM. " With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." This answer of our Saviour to the question of his disciples "Wlio can be saved?" may weU be applied to the question, "How shall the many sections of the Chi'istian world be united ? " When St. Paul entered the eternal city as an obscure pris- oner, chained to a rude heathen soldier, no philosopher or historian coidd have foreseen the conversion of the Roman empire to the religion of Jesus of Nazareth; and yet in less than three hundred years the crowned successor of Nero appeared, as a worshiper of Christ, among the bishops of the ('ouncU of Nicnea, and the symbol of shame and defeat had become the synil)()l of glory and victory. When Augustin, an humble monk, baptized the painted Anglo-Saxon savages of Kent, he did not dream that he was hmng the foundation of Christian England with its missions encircling the globe. Columbus died in the belief that he had discovered, not a continent, l)ut merely a western passage to the East Indies ; 1 2 THE REUNION OP CHRISTENDOM. and Pope Alexander VI., in tlie exercise of his authority as the arbiter of Christendom, divided the New World between Catholic Spain and Portugal ; but Providence intended to give the control of North America to the Anglo-Saxon race and to make it a home of religious freedom and progress. '■'■Dens luihet suas Iwras et moras." A thousand years are with God as one day, and he may accomphsli in one day the work of a thousand years. Sooner or later, in his own good time, and in a manner far better than we can devise or hope, he will, by the power of his Spu-it, unite all his children into one flock under one Shepherd. THE EXISTING pjITY. The reunion of Christendom presupposes an original union / which has been marred and obstructed, but never entirely destroyed. The theocracy of the Jewish dispensation con- tinued during the division of the kingdom and during the Babylonian exUe. Even in the darkest time, when Ehjah thought that Israel was wholly given to idolatry, there were seven thousand — known only to God — who had never bowed their knees to Baal. The Church of Christ lias been one from . the beginning, and he has pledged to her his unbroken presence I "aU the days to the end of the world." The one invisible Church is the soul which animates the divided visible Churches. All true believers are members of the mystical body of Christ., "The saints in lieaven and on earth But one communion make : All join in Christ, their living Head, And of his graee partake." Let us briefly mention the prominent points of unity which underlies all divisions. Christians differ in dogmas and theology, but agree in the fundamental articles of faith which are necessary to salvar THE EXISTING UNITY. 3 tion : they believe in the same Father in heaven, the same • Lord and Sa\dom", and the same Holy Spii'it, and can join in every clanse of the Apostles' Creed, of the Gloria in Excelsis, and the Te Deum. They are divided in church goveminent and discipline, but aU acknowledge and obey Christ as the Head of the Church and chief Shepherd of our souls. ^ They differ widely in modes of worship, rites and cere- monies, but they worship the same God manifested in Chi-ist, they sun'ound the same throne of grace, they offer from day to day the same petitions which the Lord has taught them, and can sing the same classical hymns, whether wi'itten by Cathohc or Protestant, Greek or Roman, Lutheran or Re- fonned, Calvinist or Methodist, Episcopalian or Presbyterian, Ptedo-Baptist or Baptist. Some of the best hymn-writers — as Toplady and Charles Wesley — were antagoiiistic in theology ; yet then* hj-mns, "Rock of Ages," and "Jesus, Lover of my soul," are sung with equal fervor by Calvinists and Methodists. Newman's " Lead, kindly Light," will remain a favorite hymn among Protestants, although the author left the Church of England and became a cardinal of the Church of Rome. " In the Cross of Chi-ist I glory," and " Neai-er, my God, to Thee," were written by devout Unitarians, yet have an honored place in every trinitarian hymnal. There is a unity of Christian scliolarship of all creeds, which aims at the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. This unity has been strikingly illustrated in the Anglo-Amer- ican Revision of the Authorized Version of the Scriptures, in which about one hundred British and American scholars — Episcopalians, Indcix-ndcnts, Pr('sl)yterians, Metliodists, Bap- tists, Friends, and Unitarians, have lianiioniously eoopei-atod for fourteen years (from 1870 to 1884). It wjis my privilege to attend almost every meeting of the American RevLsers in the 4 , THE REUNION OF CHRISTENDOM. Bible House at New York, and several meetings of the Britisli Revisers in the Jerusalem Chamber of "Westminster Abbey ; and I can testify that, notwithstanding the positive convictions of the scholars of the different communions, no sectarian issue was ever raised ; all being bent upon the sole pm-pose of giving the most faithful idiomatic rendering of the original Hebrew \ and Greek. The English Version, in its new as well as its old ; form, will continue to be the strongest bond of union among the different sections of English-speaking Christendom — a fact of incalculable importance for private devotion and public worship. Formerly, exegetieal and historical studies were too mudi controlled by, and made subservient to, apologetic and polemic ends ; but now they are more and more carried on without prejudice, and with the sole object of ascertaining the meaning of the text and the facts of history upon which creeds must be built. Finally, we must not overlook the ethical unity of Christen- dom, which is much stronger than its dogmatic unity and has never been seriously shaken. The Grreek, the Latin, and the Pi'otestant Churches, alike, accept the Ten Commandments as explained by Christ, or the law of supreme love to God and love to our neighbor, as the sum and substance of the Law, and they look up to the teaching and example of our Saviour as the purest and most perfect model for universal imitation. THE DIVISIONS OF CHRISTENDOM. The unity and harmony of the Christian Church were threat- ened and disturbed from the beginning, partly by legitimate controversy, which is iusepnrable fi-om progress, partly by ecclesiastical domination and intolerance, partly by the spirit of i)ride, selfishness and narrowness which tends to civate THE DmSIONS OF CHRISTENDOM. 5 heresy and schism. Hence the frequent exhortations of the Apostles to avoid strife and contention, and to " keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." The Church had hardly existed twenty years when it was[ brought to the brink of disruption by the question of circum-^ cision as a condition of ehureh-inenibership and salvation, and would have been split into a Jewish Church and a Gentile Church, had not the wisdom and charity of the Apostles pre- vented such a calamity at the Council of Jerusalem. Not long afterward the same irritating question produced at Antioch a temporary alienation even between Paul and Peter. The party spirit which characterized the philosophical schools of Greece, manifested itself in the congregation at Corinth, and created four divisions, calling themselves respectively after Paul, Apollos, Cephas, and Christ (in a sectarian sense). Against this evil the Apostle raised his indignant protest : " Is Christ di\ided 1 was Paul crucified for you '? or were ye baptized into the name of Paid?" (1 Cor. 1: 13.) If it is wrong to give a Church the name of an inspired Apostle, can it be right to call it after an uninspired teacher, though he be as great as Luther or "Wesley ? 1. Many schisms arose in the early ages before and after the Council of Nicaea. Almost every great controversy resulted in the excommunication of the defeated party, wlio organized a separate se(!t, if they were not externiinated by the civil power. The Nestorians, Armenians, Jac()l)ites, and Copts, who \ seceded from the Orthodox Greek Church, continue to this day i«s relies of dead controversies. The schism of the Donatists, who were once as numerous and as well organized in North Africa as the Catholics, was cxtingnislied not so much by the urgu7n('nts of St. Augiistin, the last great African, as by the barbarian invasion whi(!h overwhelmed both parties in a com- iiHiii ruin. 6 THE REUNION OF CHRISTENDOM. 2. In the iiintli century, the gi-eat CathoUc Church itself was split in two on the doctrinal question of the procession of the Holy Spirit, and the ecclesiastical question of the primacy of the bishop of Rome. The Greek schism lasts to this day and seems as far from being healed as ever. It is even intensified by the two modern dogmas of the Roman Chui-ch — the im- maculate conception of the Virgin Mary, and the infallibility of the pope. It is strange that the Greek and Latin Churches, which agree most in doctrine, worship, and government, should be most antagonistic and irreconcilable in spirit and feeling, so as to defy every attempt at reunion. The Pope of Rome and the Czar at St. Petersburg are the greatest rivals in Chris- tendom. The Sultan still holds the key to the Holy Sepulchre, and Tm'kish soldiers keep watch to prevent Greek and Latin monks from fighting on the sacred spot in passion week ! In \'iew of this greatest, and yet least justifiable, of all schisms, neither the Greek nor the Latin Church should cast a stone upon the divisions of Protestantism. They all share in I the sin and guilt of schism, and should also share in a common repentance. 3. In the sixteenth centmy, the Latin or Western Church was rent into two hostile camps, the Roman and the Protest- ant, in consequence of the evangeHcal reformation and the papal reaction. j Prf)t('stantism, again, appeared first in three main divisions : I Luthei-an, Reformed (Calvinistic), and Anglican. The formei- two divided the field with the Roman Catholic Church on the Continent, and acquired an equal legal status in Germany after the ten-ible ordeal of the Thirty Years' War, by the Treaty of Westphalia (1048), in si)ite of the protest of the pope. In France, the Protestants were given legal toleration by the Edict of Nantes in 1598, which, however, was revoked in 1685. In Holland, flie Reformed Cliurch tiiuiiii)hed in the great THE DmSIONS OP CHRISTENDOM. 7 straggle for political and religious liberty against Spain. In England and Scotland, the whole nation became Protestant. Southern Eiu'ope and the gi-eater part of Ii-eland remained Roman Catholic. 4. In England, a new era of division dates from the Tolera- tion Act of 1G88, which secured to the orthodox dissenters — Presb}i;erians, Independents, Baptists, and Quakers — a limited toleration, whUe the Episcopal Chui-ch remained the estal)Ushed or national religion in England, and the Reformed or Presby- terian C'hm'ch remained the national rehgion in Scotland. The principle of toleration gradually developed into that of religious fi-eedom, and was extended to the Methodists, Unita- rians, and Roman Cathohcs. Under the reign of freedom, there is no limitation to the midtiphcation of denominations and sects, and there oiight to be none. We cannot have the use of freedom, which is the greatest gift of God, without the risk of its abuse by sinful and en-ing men. We find, therefore, the largest number of denominations in England and America where religious freedom is most fidly enjoj'ed ; wliile on the Continent of Europe, especially in Roman Catholic countries, fi-eedom of public worshij) is denied or abridged, although of late it is making irresistible progress. 5. In the United States, all the creeds and sects of Europe me(>t on a basis f)f lilierty and equality before the law, and are multiplied by native ingenuity and entei'j)rise. We are informed by Dr. CarroU, the official editor of the religious statistics of the census of 1890, that there are no less than 143 religious denominations in the United States, besides a numl)er of independent congregations. This l)are statement, it is true, wonkl give a false impression, and must be con-ected by the additional .statement, on the same authority, tli.il 11*) of these den«miinfttions fall into 18 8 THE REUNION OF CHRISTENT)OM. gi'oups or families, leaving only 24 whicli are sepai*ate and distinct. This would make 42 different denominations. Some of these are not Christian, or are very insignificant, and might as well be omitted. But even this reduced number is much too large, and a reproach to the Christian name. For these di\'isious promote jealousies, antagonisms, and interferences at home and on mis- sionaiy fields abroad, at the expense of our common Christian- ity. The e^'il is beginning to be felt more and more. The cure must begin where the disease has reached its crisis, and where the Chxu'ch is most fi-ee to act. For the reunion of Christendom, like religion itself, cannot be forced, but must be free and voluntaiy. Christian union and Christian freedom are one and insep- arable. Note. — The United States census statistics of 1890 count 17 branches of Methodists, 13 branches of Baptists, 12 Lutheran, and 12 Presbj'terian organizations, which are separate and independent, yet essentially agi'ee. There are 12 kinds of Meunonites, 4 kinds of Dnnkards, 2 kinds of Chris- tians, 4 kinds of Plj-mouth Brethren. 6 kinds of Adventists, etc. It is re- markable that England, which still has a national Chui-ch. shoidd even have a larger number of sects than the United States, namely, 254, accord- ing to Whitaker's Almanack for 1892, p. 249. But the report of the regis- trar-general in 1877 numbered only 122. DI^^SION NOT AN LTN^^nXED E%TL. Before we disctiss reunion, we shotild acknowledge the hand of Pro\ideuce in the present divisions of Christeudom. There is a great difference between denomiuationaUsm and sectarianism : the first is consistent with Church unity as well as military corjis are with the unity of an army, or the many monastic orders with the unity of the papacy ; the second is notliing but extended selfishness and bigotry. Denomination- , alism is a blessing ; sectarianism is a curse. We must remember that denominations are most numerous DIVISION NOT AN UNMIXED E\^L. 9 in the most advanced and active nations of the world. A stag- nant Chm'ch is a sterile mother. Dead orthodoxy is as bad as heresy, or even worse. Sects are a sign of life and interest in religion. The most important periods of the Chm-eh — the Nicene age, and the age of the Reformation — were full of con- troversy. There are divisions in the Chiu-eh which cannot be justified, and there are sects which have fulfilled their mission and ought to cease. But the historic denominations are perma- nent forces and represent various aspects of the Chi-istian re- ligion which supplement each other. As the Ufe of our Saviom* could not be fully exhibited by j one Gospel, nor his doctrine fully set forth by one Apostle,' much less could any one Christian body comprehend and man- ifest the whole fullness of Christ and the entire extent of hia mission to mankind. Every one of the great divisions of the Chui-ch has had, and stUl has, its peculiar mission as to territory, race and national- i ity, and modes of operation. The Greek Church is especially adapted to the East, to the Greek and Slavonic peoples ; the Roman, to the Latin races of Southern Europe and America ; the Protestant, to the Teu- tonic races of the North and West. Among the Protestant Churches, again, some have a special gift for the cultivation of Christian science and literature; others for the practical development of the Christian life; some are most successfiU among the higher, others among the middl(!, and still others among the lower classes. None of them could be spared without gi'eat detriment to tlie cause of religion and morality, and without leaving its territory and constituency spiritually destitute. Even an inipei-fe(!t Churdi is better than no Church. No schi.sm occurs without guilt on one or on ))otli sides. "It must needs be that offenses come, but woe to that nmn l)y 10 THE REOaON" OF CHRLSTEXDOM. whom the offense cometh." Yet God orerroles the sins and follies of man for his own glory. The separation of Paul and Barnabas, in consequence of their "sharp contention*' concerning Mark, resolted in the enlargement of missionary labor. If Luther had not burned the pope's bull, or had recanted at Worms, we would not have a Lutheran Church, but be still under the spiritual tyranny of the papacy. If Luther had accepted ZwingU's hand of fellow- ship at Marburg, the Protestant cause would have been stronger at the time, but the full development of the charac- teristic features of the two principal Churches of the Reforma- tion would have been prevented, or obstructed. II John Wes- ley had not ordained Coke, we would not have a Methodist Episcopal Church, which is the strongest denomination in the United States. If Chalmers and his friends had not seceded from the General AsvSembly of the Kirk, of Scotland in 1843, forsaking every comfort for the sake of the sole headship of Christ, we would miss one of the grandest chapters in modem Church history. All divisions of Christendom wiLL in the providence of God, be made subservient to a greater harmony. Where the sin of schism has abounded, the grace of future reunion will much more abound. VAKIETr ESSENTIAL TO UXITT. Taking this view of the divisions of the Church, we must reject the idea of a negative reunion, which would destn:>y all denominational distinctions and thus undo the work of the past. HLN-tory is not like "the baseless fabric of a vision'' that leaves " not a rack behind." It is the unfolding of God's plan of infinite wisdom and mercy to mankind. He is the chief actor, and rules and overrules the thoughts and deeds of his VARIETY ESSENTIAL TO UNITY. 11 servants. We are told that our heavenly Father has num- bered the very haii-s of oiu- head, and that not a sparrow fall- eth to the gi'ound A^nthout his "vvill. The labors of confessors and martjTS, of missionaries and preachers, of fathers, school- men and refonners, and of the countless host of holy men and women of all ranks and conditions who lived for the good of the world, cannot be lost. They constitute a treasure of in- estimable value, for all future time. The Apostle encom*ages his brethren to be " stedf ast, unnioveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord," because their " labor is not iu vain in the Lord" (1 Cor. 15:58). Whatever is built upon the foujidation of Jesus Christ shall stand. Yariety in unity and unity in variety is the law of God in • natm-e, in histoiy, and in his kingdom. Lenity without variety is dead uniformity. There is beauty in variety. There is no harmony without many sounds, and a garden incloses all kinds of flowers. God has made no two nations, no two men or women, not even two trees or two flowers, alike. ' He has en- dowed every nation, every Church, yea, every individual Cliris- tian, with pecidiar gifts and graces. His power, his wisdom, and his goodness are reflected in ten thousand forms. "There are diversities of gifts," says St. Paul, "but the same Spirit. And there are diversities of ministrations, and the same Lord. And there are diversities of workings, but the same God, who worketli all things in all. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit to profit withal " (1 Cor. 12: 4-7). We must, therefore, expect the greatest variety in the Chiu'ch of the future. There are good Christians who believe in the ' ultimate triumph of their own creed, or form of government and worship, l)ut they are all mistaken and indulge in a vain dream. The world will never be(u)me wholly Greek, nor wlioUy Roman, nor wholly Protestant, but it will become wholly Chris- 12 THE REUNION OP CHRISTENDOM. tian, and will include every type and eYery aspect, every virtue and every grace of Christianity — an endless variety in har- monious unity, Christ being all in all. mCLUSIVENESS, NOT EXCLUSIVENESS. Every denomination which holds to Christ the Head vnti. retain its distinctive peculiarity, and lay it on the altar of reunion, but it will cheerfully recognize the excellencies and merits of the other branches of Grod's kingdom. No sect has the monopoly of tnith. The part is not the whole ; the body consists of many members, and all are necessary to each other. ■ Episcopalians will prefer their form of government as the best, but must concede the validity of the non-episcopal min- istry. Baptists, while holding fast to the primitive mode of immer- , sion, must allow pouring or affusion to be legitimate baptism. Protestants will cease to regard the pope as the Antichrist predicted by St. Paul and St. J ohn, and will acknowledge him as the legitimate head of the Roman Chui'ch ; while the pope ought to recognize the respective rights and privileges of the Greek patriarchs, and evangelical bishops and pastoi-s. Tliose who prefer to worship God in the forms of a stated liturgy, ought not to deny others the equal right of free prayer, as the Spirit moves them. Even the silent worship of the Quakers has Scriptiu-e authority ; for there was " a sUeuce . in heaven for the space of half an hour " (Rev. 8:1). Doctrinal differences will be the most difficult to adjust. Wlien two dogmas flatly contradict each other, the one deny- ing what the other asserts, one or the other, or both, must be wrong. Truth excludes error and admits of no compromise. Hut truth is many-sided and all-sided, and is reflected in different colors. Tlie creeds of Christendom, as alreatly re- mCLUSrV^ENESS, NOT EXCLUSIVENESS. 13 marked, agi'ee in the essential articles of faith, and their differ- ences refer either to minor points, or represent only various aspects of truth, and supplement one another. Calvinists and Arniinians are both right, the former in • mamtaining the sovereignty of God, the latter in maintaining the freedom and moral resj)onsibility of man ; but they are both wrong, when they deny one or the other of these two truths, which are equally important, although we may not be able to reconcile them satisfactoi-dy. The conflicting theories ♦ on the Lord's Supper which have caused the bitterest contro- versies among mcdippval Schoolmen and Protestant Refonners turn, after aU, only on the mode of C-lu-ist's presence ; while aU admit the essential fact that he is spiritually and really present, and partaken of })y believers, as the bread of life from heaven. Even the two chief differences between Romanists and Protest- ants concei'ning Scripture and tradition, as rules of faitli, ajid concerning faith and good works, as conditions of justifi(!a- tion, admit of an adjustment hy a better understanding of the nature and relationship of Scripture and tradition, of faith and works. The difference is no greater than that between St. Paul and St. James in their teaching on justification ; and yet the Epistles of both stand side by side in the same canon of Holy Scripture. We nmst remember that the dogmas of the Church are earthly vessels for heavenly treasures, or imperfect human definitions of divine truths, and may be improved by better statements with ihv, advance of knowledge, i Our theological systems are ])ut dim rays of the sun of tnith which illumi- nates tlu! universe!. Truth fii'st, doctrine next, dogma last. "Oui' little systems luive I heir diiy ; 'I'licy liav.!' tlicir day and eeasc to ho; Tlicy are bill bi'okeii lights ol' tliee, And llioii, () hold, art more lliaii tiiey." 14 THE RELfNION OF CHRISTENDOIM. Every denomination should prepare a short popiilar and ii-enic creed of the essential articles which it holds in common with all others; and leave the larger confessions of faith to theologians, whose business it is to investigate the mysteries and solve the problems of faith. DIFFERENT KINDS OP CHRISTIAN UNION. The Reformation of the sixteenth century ended in division ; the Reformation of the twentieth century will end in reunion. The age of sectarianism is passing away, the age of catholicity is coming on. The progress has begun in earnest. Though many experiments may fail, the cause of union is steadily gaining. There are three kinds of union : individual, federal, and or- ganic. 1. Individual union is a voluntaiy association of Christians of different Churches and nationalities for a common puiiiose. 2. Federal or confederate union is a voluntary association of different Churches in their official capacity, each retaining its freedom and independence in the management of its internal affairs, but all recognizing one another as sisters with equal rights, and cooperating in general entei-prises, such as the spread of the gospel at home and abroad, the defense of the faith against infldelitj', the elevation of the i)oor and neglected classes of society, works of philanthropy and charity, and moral reform. Such an ecclesiastical confederation would resemble the political conf(;dcrati()ns of Switzerland, the United States, and the modern German Emi)ire. The beauty and strength of these confederate governments lie in the union of the general sovereignty with the iiiti-insic independence of the several cantons, or states, or kingdoms and duchies. VOLUNTARY ASSOCIATIONS OF INDIVIDUAL CHKISTL\NS. 15 3. Oi'gauic or corporate union of all the Chm-ches under one government. The Roman Catholic Church claims to be the one and the only Chiu-ch of Christ, governed by his vicar in the Vatican ; and undoubtedly she presents the most imposing- organization the world has ever seen. The Roman Clun-eh goes back in unbroken line to the days of the Apostles ; she extends over five continents, and is controlled by an aged, unmaiTied priest, whose encyclicals command the attention of every I'eader in Christendom. Proud of her past, she con- fidently hopes to absorb at no distant time the Greek schism and all the Protestant sects. But this is an impossibility. The history of the Greek Church and of the Protestant Churches cannot be undone, as little as that of the Roman Chiu'ch. The last thi'ee or four hundred years have done as much, or more, for Christianity and civilization than the Catholic middle ages. Christ needs no vicar: he is the ever-living Head of his Church, present everywhere and at all times. He promised us one flock under one shepherd, but not one fohJ. The famous passage, John 10: 16, has been niisti-anslated by the Latin Vulgate, and tlie error has passed into King James's Version. Christ's fiock is one, but there are many folds, and there will be " many man- sions in lieavcn." We must look, therefore, to a much broader union than that of the papacy, a union whi(,'h will include th(; Greek, the Roman Catholic, and the Protestant Churches under the sole headship of Christ. VOLITNTAUY ASSOCIATIONS OK INDIVIDU.U. ( 'IIKISTIANS. Protestaiil Clii'istiaiis of (lit'lVrciit dfiioiiiiiial ions liave asso- ciated for coiiiiiioii objects in \oIuiitary societies, such as liilile Societies, Trad Societies, Suiida v-school riiions, Youiiii' iMcn's 16 THE REUNION OF CHRISTENDOM. and Young Women's Christian Associations, Evangelical Alli- ances, and Clu'istian Endeavor Societies. These societies are aU of comparatively recent growth, and are doing gi-eat service to the cause of Christian union. We mention the two largest and most influential. 1. The Evmujelical Alliance was founded in London in 1846 by representative men of Europe and America, for the promo- tion of Christian union and the- defense of Christian liberty. It has manifested, on a large scale, the great fact that Chi-istiaus of different creeds, nationalities, and tongues are one in Christ. The Alliance has national branches in different comitries, but liolds from time to time general conferences for tlie promotion of its objects. These conferences have proved a signal bless- ing to the coimtries in which they were held. The first Gen- eral Conference met in London, 1851, the second in Paris, 1855, the third in Berlin, 1857, the fmirth in Geneva, 1861, tlie fifth in Amsterdam, 1867, the sixth in New York, 1873 (the largest and most enthusiastic of all), the seventh in Basel, 1879, the eighth in Copenhagen, 1884, the ninth in Florence, 1891.* It is probable that in 1896 all branches of the Alliance will meet in London to celebrate the first semi-centennial of the society, and make a new start on an enlarged scale as a Pan- Christian Alliance. The AUiance has also done great service in the defense and promotion of religions liberty. It has fir.st pi-oclainunl the i)rin- ciple that Christian union and religious liberty are inseparably connected. 2. The Christian Endeavor Societies are scarcely more than a * I attended, as honorary secret ary. (lie (ieiienil Coiiferenc-ps at Now York, Basel, and Copenliafren, and furnislied jiaiiers (ni Cliristianity in tin- United States (18.')7 and 1879), on llie Old ("atholie MovcnnMit (1873), on the Discord and Concord of Christendom (1S,S4), and on the lieiniissaiu-e and the Kcfonnat ion (for the conferiMice in Florence, 1H!)1), and edited, with Dr. I'liiiie, the ]'roceetlinf^s of the Conference of 187:j. CONFEDERATE UNION. 17 dozen years old, and have spread -ndth wonderful rapidity from New England over Protestant Clu'istendoni. They carry the spirit of union and cooperation into local Churches, and unite young men and women for gi-eater efBciency in prayer and active Christian work. These societies have likewise assumed an interdenomina- tional and international character. The last general meetings, held in New York, July, 1892, and in Montreal, July, 1893, have sui-prised the world by the extraordinary enthusiasm and \'itality of our rising Christian youth, and are among the most hopeful signs of the times. Even the Roman CathoUc Mayor of Montreal heartily welcomed the Convention as "an ally in the battle of belief against unbelief." The sense of the superiority of the common creed of Chris- tendom over sectarian creeds is strengthened by the best pi-eaehing of the day, and by religious periodicals which are undenominational yet thoroughly evangelical, and surpass in circulation and influence many sectarian organs. CONFEDERATE UNION. We now pass beyond tlu; union of indi\aduals to the union of Churches. The first step in this direction is the confedera- tion of the several branches of those denominations which pi-ofcss the same cnH'd (as the Augsl)urg Confession, or the Heidelberg Catechism, or tlic Westminster Confession), but differ as to interpretation, or in the rigidity of subscription, or in a number of minor differences of government and discipline, or in methods of church work. Family feuds are often the most bitter and painful ; hence it isj more difficult to heal the divisitms of different branches of the Luthei-an, Prcsl)ytei-ian, 'Methodist, Baptist, and otlicr ("hurcli families than to unite distin<'t and separate denominations. 18 THE REUNION OF CHRISTENDOM. Nevertheless several such attempts have been actually made, with more or less success. 1. The Alliance of the Reformed Churches, usually called the "Pan-Presbyterian Alliance," was organized iu the English Presbyterian College at London, July, 1875, by rejiresentative di\'ines and lapneu of Eui-ope and America, most of whom had taken a leading part in tlie Evangelical AUiance. It embraces the Chm-ches wliicli liold to the consensiis of the Reformed confessions of faith and the Presbyterian system of govern- ment. Its object is to bring them into closer communi(m and co()peration in mission fields, and for the sup])()rt of the weaker branches, as the Waldensians and the Keformed Bohemians. The Alliance does not claim any legislative authority. Tlie doctrinal consensus has not been defined, but it is generally ujiderstood to embrace only the fundamental articles of the evangelical faith, which the German Keformed and the semi- Arminian Cumberland Presbyterians hold in common with the high Calvinists. The AUiance holds from time to time General Councils in dif- ferent capitals. The first of these Councils met at Edinbui-gli in 1877, the second at Philadelphia in 1880, the third at Belfast in 1884, the fourth at London in 1888, the fifth at Toronto, Canada, in 1892.* The sixth will Tiieet at Glasgow in 189G. It is to be hoped that Geneva, the connnon mother of the Re- formed Churches, will not be overlooked in selecting a place for future meetings. It may also be expe(^ted that the Chm'ches represented in this Alliance will ultimately agree upon a ])rief jmjjular aud ircuic consensus creed, which is sug- gested iu the constitution aud was discussed at Edinburgli, 1877, and in subsequent Councils. * I took part, as a delegate, in tlic forinatioii of the Alliance in 187"), attended all the f'oiincils e.\e<>i)t the last, and prejjaved addresses on the (Jonsensus of tlie Heformed Confessions (1877), and on the Toleration Aet of 1688 (for the London Council in 1888). THE FOUR ANGLICAN ARTICLES OF REUNION. 19 2. The Pan-Methodist Conference. Tlie various branches of the aggi'essive and progressive Methodist family have followed the example of the Presbyterians and held an enthusiastic international Conference at London, 1881, and a second one at Washing-ton, the capital of the United States, in 1892, where delegates from the Pan-Presbyterian Council of Toronto were kindly received as Christian brethren notwithstanding the doc- trinal differences. 3. The Congregationalists of England and America held an International Congress at London in 1891, and discussed aU tlie religious (juestious of the day with great ability. 4. Tlie Awjlkan Council consists of all the bishops of the Protestant Episcopal Churches of Great Britain, the British Colonies, and the United States. It has so far held three meet- ings at Lambeth Palace, Loudon, under the presidency of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the fii-st in 18G7, the second in 1878, tlie third in 1888. The thii-d council was by far the most important. It was attended l)y one hundred and forty-five bishops of Great Britain and America, and ado])ted, with slight modifications, a l)rogi'am for the reunion of ChrLstendoui which had l)een pre- viously proposed by the House of Bisho})s in the General Con- vention of the Protestant Episcopal Church of the United States at Chicago in 1886. THE POITR ANGLICAN ARTICLES OP RETOION. This Anglican progi-am consists of four articles as "a basis on whi(!h ap])roach may be by God's blessing made toward liome reunion." The articles aj-e as follows: "I. Tho Holy Scriptures of tlic 01<1 aiul New Testaments, as 'eontaiu- ijifj all tliiiifjs iiecessary to salvation,' anil as being tho rule and ultimato sliiiidiinl of faitli. 20 THE REUNION OF CHRISTENDOM. "II. The Apostles' Creed, as the Baptismal Symbol; and the Nieene Creed, as the sufficient statement of the Christian faith. "III. The two Sacraments ordained by Christ himself — Baptism and the Supper of the Lord — ministered with the unfailing use of Christ's words of institution, and of the elements ordained by him. "IV. The Historic Episcopate, locally adapted in tlie methods of its administration to the varying needs of the Tiations and peoples called of (Jod into the unity of his Church. "This Conference earnestly requests the constituted authorities of the varioiis branches of our communion, acting, as far as may be, in concert with one another, to make it known that they hold themselves in readiness to enter into l)rotlu'rly conference (such as that which lias already been proposed by the Cliurcli in the United States of America) with the repre- sentatives of other Christian communions in the English-speaking races in order to consider what steps can be taken, either toward corporate reunion, or toward such relations as may i>repare the way for fuller oi'ganic unity hereafter. " * This overture looks toward a eonfoderation of all Englisli- speakiiig Evangelical C'hurches, and possibly even to an or- ganic union. As it conies from tlie largest, most conservative, and most churclily of all the Protestant eoinniniiions, it is en- titled to the highest respect and to serious consideration. It commends itself by a remarkalile degree of liberality. It says nothing of the Thirty-niiie Ai'ticles, nor of the Book of (^)m- mon Prayer, and leaves iho confederate Cliurches free to keep their own confessions of faith and modes of worship. What a difference between this lil)erality and the narrow policy of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, which by legislative acts of confonnity would force one creed, one discipline, aiul one liturgy upon England, Scotland, and TrclMud ! Instead of the Thirty-nine Articles, the Lambeth Articles, and the Irish Arti- cles, which end)ody a whole system of divinity, we have but four. The first and the third articles arc already agreed upon *SeG Tlic f.iiwlxlli Coiijrrriircs of ISdT, 1S7S, and 1SS8; edited by Ivniidall T. Davidson, London, 188!), jjp. 280, 281. THE FOUR ANGUCAN ARTICLES OF RELTN'ION. 21 by all Protestants. The same may be said of the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed, except that the latter would exclude Uuitarian Christians, and that the Western addition of ^^Filioque " would never be accepted by the Oriental Cluireli. The only serious diiiicidty is the " historic episcopate." This is the stumbling-block to all non-episcopalians, and will never be conceded by them as a condition of Cliurch xmity, if it is understood to mean the necessity of three orders of the minis- try and of episcopal ordination in unbroken historic succes- sion. Christ says nothing about bishops any more than about • patriarchs and popes, and does not prescrilie any particular form of church government. All scholars, including the most learned of the ancient Fathers — as St. Jerome or St. Cliiysos- tom — and of the modei-n Episcopalians — as Bishop Lightfoot — admit the original identity of bishops and j)resbyters, as is evident from the New Testament and the post-apostolic wiit- ings before the Ignatian Epistles.* And as to an unbroken episcopal succession, it is of little avaU without the moi-e important succession of the s])irit and life of Christ, our ever-present Lord and Saviour, who is as near to his people in the nin(!teenth century as he was in the first. Even where two or three are gathered together in liis name, he is in the midst of them. Chi CJirisfus, ihi Ecdesia. , The Church of England recognized in various ways, directly ' T\w Preface to tlio Ordinal of tlio Ein'sfopal Clmrcli is not sustained by tlie facts of history wlieii it affirms that, "it is evident unto all men ililigently reading tin; Holy Scriptures and Ancient Authors, that , /Vow the Apostlfs' time there have been these orders of ministers in Christ's Church : Bisliops, Priests, and Deacons." The Preface is ascribed to Cranmer (l.)49), but it was altered in 1002. The earliest testimony to the three orders is that of Ifrnatius of Antioch (after a.d. 107) ; but he rejiresents the bishop, surrounded by a colle/feri((n Cliurch furnishes ;in example of organic union. Tlic Old School UNION WITH THE CATHOLIC CHURCH. 25 and the Neio School, which were divided in 1837 on doctrinal questions, were reunited by a free and simnltaneoiis impulse in the year 18G9 on the basis of orthodoxy and Uberty, and have prospered all the more since theii* reunion, although the differ- ences between consei-vative and progi*essive tendencies stiQ re- main, and have, within the last few years, come into collision on the (piestions of a Re\'ision of the Westminster Standards, and the historical criticism of the Bible. 3. The fom* di\dsious of Presbyterians in Canada have for- gotten their old famUy quan'els, and have been united in one organization since 1875. 4. The Methodists in Canada, who, tiU 1874, were divided into five independent bodies, have recently united in one organi- zation. UNION WITH THE CATHOLIC CHURCH. If all the Protestant Churches were united by federal or or- ganic union, the greater, the most difficult, and the most im- portant part of the work woidd still remain to be accomplished ; for Christian luiion must include the Greek and the Roman Churches. They ai"e the oldest, the largest, and claim to )^e the most orthodox; the former numbering al^out 84,{)0(),000 members, the latter 215,000,000, while all the Protestant de- nominations together number only 1 ;!0,000,()00. If any one Church is to be the center of unificati(m, that' honor nnist l)e conceded to the Creek or the Roman communion. Tiic Protestant denominations are all descended, directly or indirectly, from the Latin Church of tlic Middle Ages; wliile tlie Greek and Liitin Churches trace thcii- origin back to the apostolic age, tlie (Jreek to tlie congi-egation of .b-riisalem, the Latin to the congregation of Rtjme. 26 THE REUNION OF CHRISTENDOM. THE GREEK XSD ROJIAN CHURCHES. Fil'st of all, the two great di\-isious of Catholicism should come to an agreement among themselves on the disputed ques- tions about the eternal Procession of the Holy Spirit, and the authority of the Bishop of Rome. On both points, the Greek Chiu'ch is supported by the testi- mony of anti<{uity, and could not jdeld without stultifying her whole history. The original Nicene Creed does not teach a double Procession, which is a later addition, made in Spain and Gaul, and first disapproved by Pope Leo III., but accepted by his successors ; and the Oecumenical Councils, all of which were held in the East and called by the Greek emperors, con- cede to the Bishop of Old Rome only a primacy of honor among five patriarchs of equal rights and independent jurisdiction. The first difficulty could easily be solved by omitting the Filioque from the Nicene Creed, or by substituting '\se)it hy the Father and the Son," for "jn'oceeds from the Father and the Son." For the Greek Church never denied the double Mission of the Spirit which began with the day of Pentecost, while the Procession is an eternal intertiinitarian process, like the eter- nal generation of the Son fi*om the Father. The second difficulty is far greater. Will Rome ever make concessions to the truth of history? We hope that she will. THE OLD CATHOUC UTsIOX C0NFERENC3S. Under the auspices of the Old Catholic Clmrch, and under tlie lead of Dr. Dollinger of Munich, who, before he was excommu- nicated on account of his protest against the Vatican dogma of papal infallibility, was esteemed in the IJonian Cliui-ch as her most learned historian and divine, two conferences were held THE OLD CATHOLIC UXIOX COXFEREN'CES. 27 at Bonn, in 1874 and 1875, with a view to prepare for a eon- federation and iutereomniiuiion of the Old Cathohc, the Ortho- dox Greek and Russian, and the Angheau Chiu-ches, on the basis of the oecumenical consensus of the ancient Chiu-eh before the di%'ision, and of the Episcopal succession. These conferences were attended by some of the ablest and most learned dignitaries of these thi-ee commimions, and agi'eed upon a doctrinal basis of fouiteeu articles, and the settlement of the Filioque couti-oversy by a compromise which substitutes the Procession of the Holy Spirit from the Father through the Sou for the Latin docti*ine of the Procession of the Holy Spirit fi-om the Father and the Son* These important conclusions of the Bonn Conferences have not been officially ratified by any of the Eaistern or Anglican Churches, but may be revived and acted upon at some future time. There is a paily among the Anglo-Catholics which is more anxious for union with the Old Catholic and the Gneco-Russian * See the German and Latin text of the Bonn Consensus, with a his- torical introduction, in Schaff"s Creeds of ChrMcmlom, voL ii.. pp. .54.5-554. Di-. Dollinger regarded the Vatican dogma of infallibility and the order of the Jesuits as the chief obstacles to the reunion of Churches, but hoped that the agreement at Bonn might be a means for orientation and a basis for future transactions at a more favorable politicaf conjunction. See his lectures on the Wkdervcreiiiujuuy der christlk-hen Kirclieii (Nordlingen, 1888). These lectures were delivered at Munich, 1872, translated into Eng- lish by Oxenham from manuscript and newspaper reports (London, 1872), and from English into French by Mi-s. Hyacinthe-Loyson (La reunion des eyhxes, Paris, 1880), and finally published by the author himself (1888). I wa.s present, as an in\nted guest, at the Second Conference in Bonn, and listened with admiration to Diillinger's speeches, which were brimfid of information and delivered in excellent English with youthful \igor. although he was then seventy-six years old. He seemed to know more aljout the subject than all the other delegates. Repeated efforts were made, even by Pope Leo XIII., to win him back, but he died excommuni- cated in 1890. in his ninety-second year. See Hrir/r iind F.rkUiruniii n ron ./. ran lUiUnujer iiher die f'iilir/iiii.-rh< ii Dii riti. 1><0!1-1887 (edited by I*rof. Reusch), Miinchen, 1890. 28. THE REUNION OF CHRISTENDOM. Chtireh tlian with any Protestant denomination nearer home, filthongh the Greek and Russian delegates at Bonn expressed doubts as to the validity of AngUcau orders. Tlie conferences with the Old Cathohes were resumed in Switzerland in 1892. PAPAL INFALLIBILITY. The difficulty of union with the Roman Church is appai'ently increased by the modern dogma of papal absolutism and papal infaUibility, declared by the Vatican Council in 1870. This dogma is the logical completion of the papal monarchy, the apex of the pjTamid of the hierarchy. But it can refer only to the Roman Chiu'ch. The official decisions of the pope, as the legitimate head of the Roman Chui'ch, are final and bind- ing upon all Roman Catholics, but they have no force whatever for any othei' Christians. The antichristian feature of the papacj' to which the Reforih- ei's objected, begins where the pope claims jm-isdiction over fill Christendom. It is no less than a pope, and one of the ver}- best of tliom, Gregory I., who protested in official (and there- fore! iiifaUibl(!) lettei's against the assumption by the Greek patriarchs of the title of " oecumenical" or "laniversal bishop,"' which, he says, belongs to Christ alone. He branded such an assumption as " antichristian," and preferred to call himself " the servant of the servants of God." What if the pope, in the spirit of the first Gregory iuid under the inspiration of a higher authority, should iufallil)ly de- clare his own falliliility in all matters lying outside of his own communion, and in\ite Gi'eeks and Protestants to a fraternal pan-Christian council in Jerusalem, where the mother-church of . Cliristendom lield the first council of reconciliation and peace? But whctlici- in Jcrusalciii oi- K'oiuc, or (as Cardinal Wiseman tlnnight) in Berlin, or (as some Americans think) on the banks RESTATESIENT OP CONFESSIOXAL DIFFERENCES. 29 of the Mississippi, the war between Rome and Constantinople, and between Eome, Wittenberg, Geneva and Oxford, •nnll be fonght out to a peaceful end when all the Chiu-ches shall be thoroughly christianized and all the creeds of Christendom uni- fied in the creed of Christ. RESTATE3IENT OF CONFESSIONAL DIFFERENCES IN THE INTEREST OF TRUTH AND PEACE. The reunion of the entu'e Cathohc Church, Greek and Roman, with the Protestant Churches, tvtII require such a restatement of all the controverted points by both parties as shall remove misrepresentations, neutralize the anathemas pronounced upon imaginary heresies, and show the way to harmony in a broader, higher, and deeper consciousness of God's truth and God's love. In the heat of controversy, and in the struggle for supremacy, the contending parties mutually misrepresented each othei-'s views, put them in the most unfavorable light, and perverted partial truths into unmixed eiTors. Like hostile armies en- gaged in battle, they aimed at the destruction of the enemy. Protestants in theii- confessions of faith and polemical works denounced the pope as " the Antichrist," the papists as " idola- ters," the Roman mass as an "aecm-sed idolatry," and the Roman Church as " the synagogue of Satan " and " the Babyhmian har- icot," — all in ])ert"ect honesty, on the gi'ouud of certain misun- derstood passages of St. Paul and St. John, and especially of tli(! mysterious Book of the Revelation, whose references to the persecutions of pagan Rome were directly or indirectly applied to j)apal Home. Rome answered l)v ])]()()dy i)ersc('uti()ns ; the Council of Trent (dosed witli a double anathema on all Protest- ant heretics, and the po])e aimually re})eats the curse in tlic holy week, when all Christians should hunil)ly and pcnilcnily 30 THE REUNION OP CHRISTENDOM. meet around the cross on which the Saviour died for the sins of the wliole world. When these hostile armies, after a long struggle for supremacy without success, shall come together for the settlement of terms of peace, they will be animated by a spii'it of conciliation and single devotion to the honor of the gi'eat Head of the Church, who is the divine concord of all human discords. PETER AND PAUL. There is truth and comfort in the idea that the apostolic age anticipated the war and peace of subsequent ages. The Apostles Avho thus far have most influenced the course of Church history are Peter and Paul. The Apostle whose spirit will preside over the final consummation is John, the bosom friend of Jesixs, the Apostle of love. Peter, the Apostle of authority, represents Jewish and Roman Christianity; while Paul, the Apostle of freedom, who was called last, and called irregularly, yet none the less divinely, is a t^-pe of GentUe and Protestant Christianity. Peter was called " Rock," but also " Satan," by his Master. He fii-st con- fessed Christ ; he even hastily drew the sword in his defense ; and then denied him three times. But Christ i)rayed for him that his faith "fail not," and prophesied that he would "turn again and strengthen his brethren" (Luke 22: 32). All i)opes have confessed Christ, and many have drawn the sword, or caused temporal princes to draw it, against heretics ; some have denied Christ by their -ndeked lives : will not some future pope "turn again and strengthen his brethren " ? The same Peter boldly defended the lil)erty of the Gentile converts at the Council of Jerusalem and ])rotested agiiinst the intolerable yoke of l)()ndage ; yet afterward, in consistent incon- sistency, he practically disowned that liberty at Antiocli, and EXEGETICAL PROGRESS. 31 withdrew from fellowsliip with the Gentile brethren (Gal. 2 : 11 sqq.). Has not the pope again and again nnchnrched all Protestant Churches, and denied that liberty wherewth Christ has made us free ? Peter accepted the severe rebuke of the younger Apostle of the Gentiles, find both died martyrs in Rome, to live forever united in the gi-ateful memory of the Chiu'ch. If the pope should acknowledge the sins of the papacy and extend the hand of brotherhood to his fellow-Christians of other Churches, he would only follow the example of him whom he regards as his first predecessor in office. ORTHODOXY AND PROGRESS. The whole system of traditional orthodoxy, Greek, Latin, and Protestant, mu.st progi-ess, or it will be left behind the age and lose its hold on thinking men. The Church must keep pace with civilization, adjust herself to the modei'n conditions of re- ligious and political freedom, and accept the established resiUts ! of l>iblical and historical criticism, and natural science. God speaks in histoiy and science as well as in the Bible and the Church, and he cannot contradict himself. Truth is sover- eign, and must and will prevail over all ignorance, error, and l)rejudice. EXEGETICAL PROGRESS. Tlie history of the Bible is to a large extent a history of abuse as well as use, of imposition as well as exposition. No book has been more perverted. The mechanical inspiration theory of the seventeenth cent- ury, which confounded inspiration with dictation and reduced the ln))lical authors to mere clerks, has been sujjerseded by a spiritual .iiid dynamic theory, which alone can account for the 32 THE REUNION OF CHRISTENDOM. ob^doiis peculiarities of tliouglit and style, and whicli consists with the dignity of God and the freedom of man. Textual ciitieism has, after two or three centuries of patient comparison of manuscripts, versions, and patristic quotations as they gradually came to light, purified the traditional text of the Greek Testament, correcting many passages and omitting later interpolations. The criticism of the Hebrew Bible text and the Septuagint has begun the same fundamental process. Historical criticism is putting the literature of both Testa- ments in a new light, and makes it more real and intelligible by explaining its eu\'ironments and organic growth until the completion of the canon. The wild allegorical exegesis, which turns the Bible into a nose of wax and makes it to teach anything that is pious or orthodox, has been gradually superseded by an honest gram- matical and historical exegesis, which takes out the real mean- ing of the 'miter instead of putting in the fancies of the reader. Many proof texts of Protestants against popery, and of Romanists against Protestantism, and of both for orthodoxy \ or against heresy, can no longer be used for partisan purposes. HISTORICAL PROGRESS. Church history has undergone of late a great change, partly ^ in conse(pience of the discovery of lost documents and deeper [ research, partly on account of the stand})()int of the historian and the new spirit in which history is written. 1. Many documents on which theories and usages were built, have been abandoned as untenable even by Roman Catholic s(!holars. We mention the legend of the literal comi)osition of the Apostles' Creed by the Apostles, and of the origin of the creed which was attributed to Athanasius, though it did not appear till four centuries jiftcr his death ; the fiction of Con- stantinc's Donation ; the apocr\^hal letters of psendo-Tgiiiitiiis, HISTORICAL PROGRESS. 33 of pseudo-Clement, of pseudo-Isidorus, and other post-apos- tolic and mediaeval falsifications of history, which were uni- versally believed till the time of the Reformation, and even downi to the eighteenth centiuy. 2. Genuine history is being rewi'itten from the standpoint of impartial tnith and justice. If facts are found to contravene a cherished theorj', all the worse for the theory ; for facts are truths, and truth is of God, while theories are of men. Formerly Chm-eh history was made a mere appendix to sys- tematic theologj', or abused and perverted for polemic pur- poses. The older historians, both Roman Catholic and Protestant, searched ancient and mediaeval history for weapons to defeat their opponents and to establish then* own exclusive claims. Placius, the fu-st learned Protestant historian, saw nothing but antichristian dai-kness in the Middle Ages, mth the ex- ception of a few scattered " Testes Veritatis,'^ and described the Roman Church from tlie fifth to the sixteenth century as the great apostasy of prophecy. But modern Protestant historians, following the example of Neander, who is called " The Father of Cluirch History," regard tlie Middle Ages as the period of the conversion and the civilization of the barbarians, as a necessary link between ancient and modern Christianity, and as the cratUe of the Reformation. On the other hand, the opposite t^rpe of historiogi-aphy, rep- resented by Cai'diiial Baronius, traced the papacy to the be- ginning of the Christian ei"a, maintained its identity througli all ages, and denounced the Reformers as arch-heretics and the Reformation as the foul source of revolution, war, and infidel- ity, and of all the evils of modern society. But the imj)artial sdiolars of the Roman Catliolic Churcli now admit the necessity of the Refonnation, tlie'pure and unselfi.sli motives of the Re- former.s, and the beneficial effects of thcii- laboi-s iijxui their own Churcli. We may refer to the 7Tiii!ii kjililc judgments of Diil- 34 THE REUNION OF CHRISTENDOM. linger on Luther and of Kampschulte on Cahdu, based upon a thorough knowledge of then- wiitings* A great change of spu-it has also taken place among the liis- torians of the different Protestant denominations. The early Lutheran abhorrence of ZwingUanism and Cal\Tnism has dis- appeared fi'om the best Lutheran manuals of Chiu'ch history. The bitterness between Prelatists and Puritans, Cah-inists and Ai-minians, Baptists and Pffidobaptists, has given way to a eakn. and just appreciation. Tlie irapai'tial historian can find no ideal Church in any age. It was a high-priest in Aaron's Une that crucified the Sav-iour ; a Judas was among the Apostles; all sorts of sins among church-members are rebuked in the Epistles of the New Testa- ment; there were "many antichrists'' in the age of St. John, and there have been many since, even in the temple of God. Nearly aU Churches have acted as persecutors Avlien they had the chance, if not by fire and sword, at least by misrepresenta- tion, \'ituperation, and abuse. For these and all other sins, they should repent in dust and ashes. One only is pure and spotless — the gi-eat Head of the Church, who redeemed it with his precious blood. But the historian finds, on the otlier hand, in every age and in every' Church, the footprints of Christ, the abundant mani- festations of his Spiiit, and a slow but sure progress toward that ideal Church which 8t. Paul describes as the fidluess of him who tilleth all in all.'' The study of Church history, like travel in foreign lands, * See these judgments quoted in SehaflPs Church History, vol. vi., jip. 741 sq., and vol. \\\., pp. 283, 412. It is true, Diillingor and Kanipscliulte died excommunicated on account of their opposition to the Vatican dognua of papal infallibility, V)ut they were good Catholics in every other respect. Janssen's famous History of the Gcniifiii I'eopJe and Pastor's History of the I'opcK of the Renaimancc are written from the modern ultramontane stand- point, hut even they after all differ considerably in tone from tlie older Roman Catliolic liistorians. CHANGES OF OPIXIOXS. 35 destroys prejudice, enlarges the horizon, liberalizes the mind, and deepens charity. Palestine by its eloqiient rains seizes as a eommentar)- on the life of Chiist, and has not inaptly been called " the fifth Gospel." So also the history of the Church furnishes the key to unlock the meaning of the Chui'ch in all its ages and branches. The study of liistoiy — •• with malice toward none, but with charity for all " — will biing the denominations closer together in an humble recognition of their defects and a grateful praise for the good which the same Spiiit has wrought in them and through them. CHAXGES OF OPDaONS. Important changes have also taken place in ti'aditional opin- ions and practices once deemed pious and orthodox. The Chiu'ch in the Middle Ages fli-st condemned the philos- ophy of Aristotle, but at last tiu-ned it into a powerful ally in the defense of her doctrines, and so gave to the world the Siinnua of Thomas Aquinas and the Divimi Commedia of Dante, who regjirded the great Stagirite as a foreranner of Chi-ist, as a philosophical John the Baptist. Luther, likewise, m his "\n-ath against scholastic theolog}-, condemned '"the acciu-sed heathen Aristotle," but Melanchthon judged differently, and Pi-otestant scholai-ship has long since settled upon a just estunate. Gregoiy VII., Innocent III., and other popes of the Middle Ages claimed and exercised the power, as Nicars of Christ, to depose kings, to absolve sul)jeets from their oath of allegiance, and to lay whole nations under the interdict for the disobedi- ence of an individual. But no pope would presume to do such a tiling now, nor would any Catholic king or nation tolerate it for a moment. Tlie .strange mjlhical notion of the ancient Fathers, that the Christian redemption was the pn\nnent of a debt due to the 36 THE REUNION OF CHRISTENDOM. devil, who had a claim upon men since the fall of Adam, hut had forfeited it by the crucifixion, was abandoned after Anselm had pubhshed the more rational theory of a vicarious atone- ment in discharge of a debt due to God. The unchristian and hy orthodox divines (within my own recollection) as a dangerous error leading to infidelity, but is now adopted by every historian. It is indorsed by Christ himself in the twin parables of the mustard-seed and the leaven. " First the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear," this is the or- der of the unfolding of the Christian life, both in the individual and the Chui'ch. But there is another law of development no less important, which may be called the law of creative headships. Every important intell('(;tual and religious move- ment begins with a towering personality which cannot l)e ex- plained from antecedents, but marks a new epoch. Take as illustrations: Moses and the history of Israel, Socrates and the Greek philosophers, Caesar and the Roman emperors, Constan- tine the (ircat and the Byzantiiu! enijx'rors, Cliai'lemagne and tlie German euqx'rors, Washington and t\u\ Aiiicrican presi- dents, Napoleon and liis generals, Dante and the Italian ])oets, Shakespeare and tli<' English poets, Raphael and his school of painters, Luther and the Lutheran divines, (-alvin and the Re- formed divines, Spener and the Pietists, Zinz(!ndorf and the Moravians, Wesley and tin; Methodi.sts, and, above all, Jesus (!lirist, who is the gj-eat ' central miracle of history, the begin- ning, the middle, and the end of ( 'lii'ist ianity. 38 THE REUNION OF CHRISTENDOM. The Bible, we must all acknowledge, is not, and never claimed to be, a guide of chronology', astronomy, geology, or any other science, but solely a book of religion, a rule of faith and practice, a guide to holy li\'ing and dying. There is, therefoi'e, no room for a conflict between the Bible and science, faith and reason, authority and freedom, the Church and civihzation. They vnn in parallel lines, independent, and yet friendly and mutually helpful, tending to the same end — the salvation and perfection of man in the kingdom of God. MEANS OF PROMOTING CHRISTIAN UNION. Before the reunion of Christendom can be accomplished, we must expect providential events, new Pentecosts, new reforma- tions — as great as any that have gone before. The twentieth century has marvelous siu'prises in store for the Church and the world, which may sui^pass even those of the nineteenth. History now moves with telegi-aphic speed, and may accomplish the woi'k of years in a single day. The modern inventions of the steamboat, the telegraph, the power of electricity, the prog- ress of science and of international law (which regulates com- merce by land and by sea, and will in due time make an end of war), link all the civilized nations uito one vast brotherhood. Let us consider some of the moral means by which a similar affiliation and consolidation of the different Chiu'ches may be hastened. 1. Tlie cultivation of an irenic and evangelical-catholic spirit in the personal intercoiu'se with our fellow-Christians of other denominations. We must meet them on common rather than on dis])uted ground, and assume that they are as honest and earnest as we in the pursuit of truth. We must make allow- ance for differences in education and sun-oundings, which to a large extent account for differences of opinion. Courtesy iEEAXS OF PROMOTIN'G CHRISTIAN UMOX. 39 and kindness conciliate, while suspicion excites initation and attack. Controversy will never cease, but the golden i-ule of the most polemic among the Apostles — to " speak the tiiith in love " — cannot be too often repeated. Xor should we forget the seraphic description of love, which the same Apostle com- mends above aU other gifts and the tongues of men and angels —yea, even above faith and hope. 2. Cooperation in Chi-istian and philantkropic work draws men together and promotes then- mutual confidence and regai'd. Faith without works is dead. Sentiment and talk about union are idle without actual manifestation in works of charity and philanthi-opy. 3. Missiouarj' societies should at once come to a definite agreement, prohibiting all nnitual interference in their efforts to spread the gospel at home and abroad. Every missionaiy of the cross should -wish and pray for the prosperity of all other missionaries, and lend a helping hand in trouble. " What then ? only that in ever^- way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed ; and therein I rejoice, yea, and will rejoice." It is prepo.sterous, yea, wicked, to trouble the minds of the heathen or of Roman Cathohcs with our domestic quarrels, and to plant half a dozen rival Churches in small toAvns, where one or two would suffice, thus sa^-ing men and means. Un- ffnlunately, the sectarian spirit and mistaken zeal for peculiar \-iews and customs veiy materially interfere with the success of (HIT vast expenditures and efforts for the conversion of the world. 4. The study of Church histoiy has already been mentioned as an important means of coirecting sectarian prejudices and increasing nnitual appreciation. The study of symbolit^ or (•ojuparative theologv- is one of the most important branches of historj' in this respect, especially in our coniiti-y, where profess- 40 THE REUXIOX OF CHRLSTEN"DOiL ors of all the creeds of Christendom meet in daily contact, and should become thoroughly acquainted with one another. 5. One word suffices as regards the duty and privilege of prayer for Christian union, in the spirit of our Lord's sacer- dotal prayer, that his disciples may all be one in biTn^ as he is one with the Father. COXC"LU.SIOX. ' "We welcome to the reunion of Christendom all denomina- tions .which have followed the divine Master and have done his work. Let us forgive and forget their many sins and errors, and remember only their virtues and merits. The Greek Church is a glorious Church : for in her language have come down to us the oracles of God, the Septuagint. the GospeLs and Epistles ; hers are the early confessors and mar- tyrs, the Christian fathers, bishops, patriarchs, and emperors : hers the immortal writings of Origen, Eusebius. Athanasius. and Chrysostom -. hers the CEk*umenical Councils and the Nicene Creed, which can never die. The Latin Church is a glorious Church : for she carried the treasures of Christian and classical literature over the gulf of the migration of nations, and preserved order in the chaos of civil wars : she was the Ahna 'Slater of the barbarians of Europe : she turned painted savages into civilized ]>eings. and worship- ers of idols into worshipers of Christ ; she built up the colossal structures of the papal theocracy, the canon law, the monastic orders, the cathedrals, and the universities ; she produced the profound systems of scholastic and mystic theology- ; she stim- ulated and patronized the Renai.s.'sance. the printing-press, and the discovery of a new world ; she still stands, like an immov- able rock, bearing witness to the fundamental truths and facts of our holy rehgion, and to the cathoUcity. unity, unbroken continuity, and independence of the Church : and she is as CONCLUSION. 41 zealous as ever in missionary enterprise and self-denying works of Cliristian charity. We hail the Reformation which redeemed us from the yoke of spiritual despotism, and secured us religious liberty — ^the most precious of all liberties, and made the Bible in every langnage a book for all cJasses and conditions of men. The EvangeUcal Lutheran C'hiu'ch, the tu-st-born daughter of the Reformation, is a glorious Church : for she set the word of God above the traditions of men, and bore witness to the com- forting truth of justification by faith ; she stnick the keynote to thousands of sweet ln^lms in praise of the Redeemer ; she is boldly and reverently investigating the problems of faith and philosophy, and is constantly making valuable additions to theological lore. The Evangelical Refonned Church is a glorious Church : for she carried the Reformation from the Alps and lakes of Swit- zerland "to the end of the West" (to use the words of the Roman Clement about St. Paul) ; she furnished more martjTS of conscience in France and the Netherlands alone, than any other Church, even during the first three centuries ; she edu- cated heroic races, like the Huguenots, the Dutch, the Puritans, the Covenanters, the Pilgrim Fathers, who by the fear of God were raised above the fear of tyrants, iuid lived ami died for the advancement of civil and religious liberty ; she is rich in learning and good works of faith -. .she kee])s ])ace with all true progress; she grap])les ^rith the in-oblems and evil.s of modern society ; and slie sends the gospel to the ends of the earth. The Episcopal Church of England, the most churehly of the Reformed family, is a glorious Church : for she gave to the English-speaking world the best version of the Holy Scri))tnres and tlie Ix'st Prayer-Hook ; .she preserved the ordei- and dignity of the ministry and public worshi[) ; .she nursed the knowledge iiiid love of antiquity, and ciiriclifd the trcasiiiy of Christian 42 THE REOTIOX OF CHRISTENDOM. literature : and by tlie Anglo-Catholic revival under the moral, iuteUeetiial, and poetic leadership of three shining Ughts of Oxford — Piisey, Newman, and Keble — she infused new life into her institutions and customs, and prepared the way for a better understanding between Anglicanism and Romanism. The Presbyterian Chru'ch of Scotland, the most floimshing daiighter of Geneva — as John Knox, "who never feared the face of man," was the most faithful disciple of Cahdn — ^is a glorious Church : for she tm-ned a bairen country into a gar- den, and raised a poor and semi-barbarous people to a level with the richest and most inteUigent nations : she diffused the knowledge of the Bible and a love of the Kirk in the huts of the peasant as well as the palaces of the nobleman ; she has always stood up for chui'ch order and discipline, for the rights of the laity, and fii'st and last for the crown-rights of King Jesus, which are above all earthly crowns, even that of the proudest monarch in whose dominion the sun never sets. The Congregational Church is a glorious Church : for she has taught the principle, and proved the capacity, of congre- gational independence and self-government based upon a U\-ing faith in Christ, •without diminishing the effect of vohmtary cooperation in the Masters service ; and has laid the founda- tion of New England, with its literary and theological institu- tions and high social cultui-e. The Baptist Cluirch is a glorious Church : for she bore, and still beai-s, testimony to the primitive mode of baptism, to tlic purity of the congi'egation, to the separation of Church and State, and the liberty of conscience ; and has given to the world the rih/rit»\s Proffress of Bunyan, such preachers as Robert Hall and Charles H. Spurgeon, and such missionaries as Carey and Judsou. Tlie Methodist Church, the Church of John Wesley, Charles Wesley, and George Whitefield — three of the best and most CONCLUSION. 43 apostolic Englishmen, abounding in useful labors, the first as a ruler and organizer, the second as a hynmist, the thii-d as an evangelist — is a glorious Chiu-ch : for she produced the great- est religious revival since the day of Pentecost ; she preaches a free and full salvation to aU ; she is never afraid to fight the devil, and she is hopefully and cheerfully marching on, in both hemispheres, as an army of conquest. The Society of Friends, though one of the smallest tribes in Israel, is a glorious Society : for it has borne witness to the inner hght which " lighteth every man that cometh into the world " ; it has proved the superiority of the Spirit over aU forms ; it has done noble service in promoting tolerance and libeiiy, in prison reform, the emancipation of slaves, and other works of Christian philanthropy. The Brotherhood of the Moravians, founded by Count Zinzendorf — a tnie nobleman of nature and of gi-ace — is a glorious Brotherhood : for it is the pioneer of heathen missions, and of Christian union among Protestant Chiirches; it was like an oasis in the desert of German rationalism at home, while its missionaries went forth to the lowest savages in distant lands to bring them to Christ. I beheld with wonder and admiration a venerable Moravian couple devoting their lives to the care of hopeless lepei-s in tlu; vicinity of Jerusalem. Nor should we forget the services of many who are accounted heretics. Tlie Waldenses were witnesses of a pui-e and simple faith in^ tiiiics oF snpci-stition, and having outlived many bloody perse- cutions, now missionaries among the descendants of tlicir ])<'rs(!('ut()i's. The Anabaptists and Sotriniaiis, wlio were so cruelly ti'oated in the sixt(!enth century by Pi-otestants jind l^oiuMiiists alike, were the first to raise their voice t'oi- religious lil)er(y and the voluntary princii)le in religion. 44 THE REUNION OP CHRISTENDOM. Unitarianism is a serious departure from the trinitarian faith of orthodox Christendom, hut it did good ser\dce as a protest against tritheisni, and against a stiff, narrow, and an- charitable orthodoxy. It brought into prominence the human perfection of Clu'ist's character, and ilkistrated the effect of his example in the noble lives and devotional wiitings of such men as Chauuiug and Martineau. It has also given iis some of our purest and sweetest poets, as Emerson. Bryant, Longfel- low, and Lowell, whom aU good men must honor and love for their lofty moral tone. Universalism may be condemned as a doctrine ; but it has a right to protest against a gi-oss materiahstic theory of hell with aU its Dantesque hoiTors, and against the once widelj- spread popular belief that the overwhelming majority of the human race, including countless millions of innocent infants, will forever pei-ish. Nor should we forget that some of the greatest divines, from Origen and Gregory of Nyssa down to Bengel and Sehleiermaeher, believed in, or hoped for, the ulti- mate retiu-n of all rational creatures to the God of love, who created them in his own image and for his own gloiy. And, coming down to the latest organization of Christian work, which does not claim to be a Cliurcli, but which is a ^ ' help to aU Churches, — the Salvation Army : we hail it, in spite of its strange and abnormal metliods, as the most effective re- vival agency since the days of Wesley and Wliitefield ; for it descends to the lowest depths of degi-adation and misery, and brings the light and comfort of the gospel to the slums of our large cities. Let us thank God for the noble men and women who, under the insi)iration of the love of Cln-ist, and unmind- ful of hardslnp, ridiciile, and persecution, sacrifice their lives to the rescue of tlie hopeless outcasts of society. Truly, these good Saiiiai-itaiis ai-e an lunior to the name of Christ and a benediction to a lost world. CONCLUSION. 45 There is room for all these iuid many otiier Churches and societies iji the kingdom of God, whose height and depth and length and breadth, vaiiety and beauty, sm-pass human com- prehension. " O the depth of the riches both of the ■v\'isdom and the knowledge of God ! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past tracing out ! For who hath known the mind of the Lord ? or who hath been his counselor ? or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto liim again? For of him, and through him, and unto him, are all things. To him be the glory forever. Amen." APPENDIX. Tms appendix, according to the plan of Dr. Schaff, contains expressions of opinion from representative divines on the Re- union of Christendom. They came in response to letters which Dr. Sehaff sent out with his own hand. Two or three of the replies are not included here, as they confine themselves to words of personal appreciation of Dr. Schaff and his work, as is the case with a cordial letter from the Arclibishop of Canter- bury. In the letters which follow, all personal references to Dr. Schaff and his address have been eliminated, except where they afford positive indication of the writer's mind on tlio general subject. This is in accordance with Dr. ^chaff's in- structions. Dr. Schaff suffered from a severe attack of avghia pectoris October 9, 1893, after wlii<'li he did not again leave liis liome. On the 18th he was stricken with paralysis, and on the 2Utli l)assed to his reward. The paper on tlie Reunion of Christendom was presenti'd in part at the World's Parliament of Religions, September 2"), 1893. For])i(lden by physicians to deliver it himself, Dr. Schatt' sat on the platform while it was being read by the Rev. Dr. Simon J. MePherson. Tlie great aiulience i-eeeived it with the most marked signs of a])i)J-obiiti(>n. The ))a|)er was again read ill p.-ift ill the congress held in ('liicfigi) iiii(ier llic jiusiiices (if the Evangelical Alliance, by K'cv. .luacliiiii IOIiiicikIoi-I', D.i). 47 48 APPENDIX. Dr. Schaif, after Ms return to New York from the Parliament of Religious, was urged by the officers of the Alliance to go again to Chicago and be present at the reading of the remain- der of his paper. Every comfort modern modes of travel afford was assiu'ed to him. After a struggle against a strong desii'e once more to show his interest in the purposes and work of the Alliance, by his presence on that important occasion, Dr. Scliaff reluctantly dechned, yielding to what others assured him were the ui-gent demands of his health. The very last labor which Dr. Schaff gave to the public was upon this appendix. He may abnost be said to have died for the cause of the Reunion of Chi-istendom. Dm'iug the ten days of his last illness he read a number of the letters found below, arranged them, and, with characteristic promptness, sent them to the officers of the AUianee for the printer. In theu* publication he felt an intense interest. "The prt^paration of the original addivss occupied his mind during his smnmer holidays at Lake Mohonk, exacting much time and sohcitous cai-e — more, perhaps, according to his own statement, than he had ever give;j to any work before. He was borne on to go to the ParHament of ReUgions by his interest in that convention, and by his desii-e to be present at the reading of his address, when he knew the journey and the excitement involved great risk to his life. During his last days he distinctly declared to his family that if he were certain that his work upon his addi-ess and his \'isit to the Parlianu'ut of Religions had brought on his sickness and should hasten his death, he still was glad that he had done what he did. The Reunion of Christendoin, therefore, was not only the last ser- vice Dr. Schaff did for the Church, it was the last interest t)f a public natm-e that engaged his nund and heart. The statement, since Dr. Schaff's death, of the veteran editor. Dj-. Bright, of " The Examiner," a cliief organ of the American APPENDIX. 49 Baptist churches, is perhaps not unmerited eulog^^ : " Philip Schaff did more than any other man of his time to promote Christian unity." Anglimn. I have also wTitten a paper for the Parliament of Religions, and what I have said, if compared with what you have said, would he the best criti- cism on yom- views. I have found nothing, or next to nothing, to dissent from in your very comprehensive statement ; but you will see, if you look into mine, that I look for union mainly in the redressing of the balance of Christian interest, in la3ang less stress on public worship and its adjuncts of formulated doctrine and ritual and clerical organization, and much more on the conduct of life in the family, the municipality, and the state. When we work together for the kingdom of God, each section can honor the others, as your conclusion recommends, and the beneficent changes which you trace historically on pages 31 to 38 will reach their consum- mation. W. H. Fremantle. ICanon of Canterbury.] Canterbury, Sept. 2!), 1893. Anyliean. I was at both the Reunion conferences at Bonn, by Dr. Dollinger's invitation, and it was at the second of them that I first saw you. The Reunion movement has spread and intensified greatly during the eighteen years which have elapsed since then. We need not fear that it will stop. I believe Reunion will come with a rush at last, like a consuming fire in well-prepared fuel. It is our part to see that the fuel m prepared. Like most great movements, it will probably 1)egin from below ; with the laity rather than the clergy ; with the Protestant diurches rather than with Easterns or Romans. We ought to aim at this. Non-Episcopalian bodies ought to unite and then endeavor to come to terms with Episcopa- lian Protestant churches. If Protestant churches were united, and Episco- . pacy adopted as the more excellent way for the future, we might then V !ipl)r(>Mch the Eastern churches, wliich are already beginning to admit '• light from the West; and jterhaps at last even Rome wouhl accept some- thing less than submission. But all this means centuries of prayer and work. 50 APPENDIX. I often repeat to myself, and sometimes to others, two sayings of Bol- linger's. The first is this : That we ought to make the very most that we can of the all-important points about which nearly all Christians are agi-eed, and the very least that we can of the comparatively imimportant points about which we differ. That seems to be almost a truism; but how many Christians behave on exactly the opposite principle ! The second is this. People sometimes ask, "But do you seriously believe that the Eeunion of Christendom is possible ? " To this DoUinger long ago replied, "Es muss ja moglich sein, denn es ist Pflicht.'' Never did the Kantian principle, "We ought, therefore we can," come home to me so forcibly as in that striking application of it. We ought to be reunited ; therefore it can be done. This is the right antidote for the pessimism which would tell us that a reunited Christendom is the dream of enthusiasts and that to spend time in working for it is sheer waste. Our blessed Lord was not wasting time when he prayed that they all may be one ; and we shall not be wasting time when we pray and work for this end. Alfred Plummer. \_Professor University College, Durham.'^ DuEHAM, Oct. 16, 1893. Baptist. The Reunion of Christendom is the overshadowing problem of modem ecclesiology. How shall this Reunion be effected? Not by decreeing uniformity of outward organization : this is the mistake of the Church of Rome. Not by abolishing denominations : this is to overlook the sublime truth of diversities in unity. Not by compromising principle : this is to be false to man and God. But by carrying out God's own principle of comprehension, soaring high enough to include diversities, even as God's own sky includes ocean and forest, valley and moimtain, sun and flower. As a matter of fact, each denomination, in rearing its own ecclesiastical structure, works selectively, and builds on the remembrance of certain Scriptures which it regards as favorable, and on the oblivion of certain other Scriptures which it regards as unfavorable ; equally skilled in the art of remembering and in the art of forgetting. . . . Each sect errs, not so much in what it believes, as in what it ignores. The coming ideal church will be built, not on a selection of Scriptures, but on the Bible in its wholeness. APPENDIX. 51 This idea of comprehension is the modern contribution to eeclesiology. The old method was to search for similarities ; the new method is to recognize diversities. The Church's true policy here is not rejection, but adjustment ; not insistence, but assistance ; not as John, who cried, " For- bid," but as Jesus, who replied, "Welcome." O ye Christian sectarians, ye who are dwelling in dark glens of denominationalism, ye who, like Elijah in his cave, imagine that ye alone are Jehovah's true prophets, ye who live in the hamlet of your sect and "think the rustic cackle of your burg the murmur of the world," come out into the sunlight of God's open country and see how vast is the dome of his own .sky. Comprehension is the irenic policy of Christendom. This is the grand meaning of the Parliament of Religions. George Dana Boardman. ^Pastor First Baptist Church, Fhiladelphia.'] Chicago, Sept. 24, 1893. Baptist. I am in thorough sympathy with the spirit and sentiments of your ad- dress. If the great evangelical denominations would act on the principle of comity, it would be an easy matter for them to send an immediate reinforcement of sixteen thousand men to the heathen world, so that there might be one minister to every fifty thousand pagans. One duty, and that of paramount importance, as clear to our minds as if it were written on the heavens in words of fire, is this : that the evangelical churches ought to emphasize strongly all points of doctrinal agreement and all methods of Christian work in which they can unite, presenting a united front to the enemies of God. ... In such a war as this we are fighting with the com- bined pbwers of "the world, the flesh, and the devil." Shall we not, all soldiers of Jesus Clirist, stand together in the closest relations possible, help each other heartily on the march and in the deadly assault, cheer each other amid the (ire and storm of battle, knowing that the Leader is one, the amiy one, the foe one, the final triumph one, the eteriuil glory one — tlio glory more valuubh' and instruc- tive than in its characterization of the Liitiii and Oriental churches. Tlie Greek Church and especially llie Arniinian Church are ra[)idly becoming 54 APPENDIX. what we would call Protestantized. Our missionaries in Turkey are now carefully reconsidering the question whether they should not cease to work outside of them, and work within them. The Roman Church feels the same influence of the age. It is a very different church here from what it is in South America. I admire Dr. Schaff's last chapter, in which he describes one by one the Greek Church, the Latin Church, and the gi'eat divisions of Protestantism, calling each "a glorious church," and looks forward to the large consummated union which shall embrace them all. "William Hayes "Ward. [Editor Neic York " Independent. "'\ New York, 1893. Evangelical Union {Prussian). My own opinion concerning the great question treated by you is not of importance, for I have meditated on the matter too little. So much I am sure of, that with their present organization the Protestant churches can negotiate with no one, for they are now passing through a crisis, and if they come out of it successfully they will assume new forms of life and doctrine. Then we may be able to negotiate. A. Harnack. IProfessor of Church History, University of Berlin.'\ Berlin, Oct. 5, 1893. Imtheran. In securing the interest and ultimate cooperation of the different forms of Christianity with one another, no more effectual mode can be employed than the comprehensive, thorough, and discriminative study of church history. All the divisions of Christianity are rooted in historical ante- cedents extending far back into the past. Schemes of Reunion which lose sight of those historical antecedents are necessarily only transient. Confessional differences aie not to be avoided, but to be candidly faced and dispassionately judged in the liglit of God's "Word and their historical development. Systems must be judged negatively as well as positively. "We must warn against errors, as well as thankfully recognize the elements APPENDIX. 55 of truth with which they are connected, if we hope for any permanent results from our efforts. H. E. Jacobs. [^Professor of Theology, Evangelical Lutheran Seminary, Philadelphia.'] Mount Airy, Oct. 16, 1893. I/utheran. I heartily assent to the thoughts about Reunion as far as they concern our Protestant denominations, and also the Greek Chui-eh, from which I hope, at least, for the best. On the other hand, so far as concerns the Roman Church I must declare that so far as she stands forth officially as a church must we decline com- munion with her. For she herself insists upon our absolute exclusion from the communion of Christ and his body, and makes such commimion dependent upon a condition which in truth is antichristian, namely, our subjection to her pope, and the subordination of Christ to him. It is true, you say on page 28, '■ What if the pope," etc. ; but that would mean nothing less than that the pope should no longer be head of the church in the sense hitherto accepted — the infallible, xmconditional head of all the baptized (compare the words of Pius IX., "Herzog," vol. vii., p. 708), who forfeit Christian communion in case of disobedience to him. Very true ; (/' the pope ceases to be the pope he is, and the Roman Church to be the church she is, we may seek communion with her. But as mat- ters are, we may seek communion only with her individual members, who are not altogether conscious of the principle of their church, which ex- cludes us from communion with tliem, and whose liearts are open to the operation of the pure Word of God. Aud we must fear witlial in regard to them that tlieir church will always endeavor to arouse this consciou.s- ness, or will make them suffer bitterly for the fraternal relations into which they enter with us. I must also recall the historical development. Tliis, in the case of all the Protestant denominations, has evidently led to this result, that above all their various peculiarities and the differences by which they are in the opinion of some liopelessly divided, the comnioii Christian and evangelical principle prevailed; whilp in the case of Roman Catholicism if has led to this result, that more and more unchristian elements and principles devel- oped themselves and forced themselves into view, so that whatever antag- 56 APPENDIX. onized these must be destroyed (as witness the Jansenists and the old Catholics). To that which was glorious in the past of this church her present character is so antagonistic, that until she, as a chui-ch, turns right around, I can find no union with her possible. If in America an- other opinion is held about her in Protestant circles, I can only explain it on the ground that Eome there in its public declarations is more cautious, and holds in the background her demands and her consequences. J. KOSTLIN. {Professor of Theology, University of Salle.} Halle, Oct. 1, 1893. Lutheran. Although I heartily agree with the irenic tendency of your pamphlet, "The Reunion of Christendom," and although I regard as altogether true its fundamental thought, which you develop with brilliant comprehensive- ness, namely, the thought that the march of time has already brought, with it an approach of the Christian chm-ches one to another, especially of the Protestant churches, and will bring it in an increasing degree, still I am not able to identify my views about the subject entirely with yours. The Church of Chi'ist has never been externally a unit, and, in my opinion, never will be, so long as the earth remains. On the other hand, the belief that all true Christians form a societas fidei is older than all external churehdora. It exists to-day in spite of all divisions, and can be held the more easily just because of the increase in the number of the denominations. An external unity in the creeds is, as I believe, of very little worth. Of what significance is the common acceptance of tlie Apos- tles' Creed between us and Rome ? Has not the Apostles' Creed ceased to be an official church creed in Switzei'land? And do we not stand nearer to many Protestant Christians who do not subscribe to the Apostles' Creed in all details than we do to its Roman champions? A unity in certain particulars is, it is true, most m'gently to be desired — as, for example, an understanding about the divisions of missionary territory — and this will be realized more and more just in tlie degi-ee in which theology and experience teach Protestant Christians that it is the soul's trust in Christ alone which makes the Christian. The Roman Churcli, as such, it is true, will not enter into any sucli union. Just as certainly as I believe that there are even under the pope genuine Chris- tians — Christians who belong to tlie Ciia Saucta EccUsia — am I convinced APPENDIX. 57 that Rome, yea, that the pope, is the most formidable obstacle in the way of an external union of all Christendom, even in the most modest degree. Yea, it is just in eonneetion with the thought developed by you that it is proved that, in spite of its untenableness, the opinion of our fathers contains an important truth that the pope was Antichrist. F. LooFS. {Professor of Church Historrj Halle, Oct. 24, 1893. in the University of Halle.] Methodist Episcopal. I am very much obliged to you for the pamphlet on "The Reunion of Christendom." For completeness of statement and breadth of vievi I regard it unsurpassed. It covers the whole ground. I would suggest no change but one, and that is a fuller treatment of the different parts ; but I know your limitations prevented this. John F. Hurst. Washington, Oct. 10, 1893. [Bishop.] Presbytpriun. Your paper on " The Reunion of Christendom " was one of the great events of the Parliament. How strong and constant are the forces, " sure as the sun, medicinal as light," which are sweetening and widening men's thoughts and feelings and drawing human hearts together ! We are all in the gulf-.stream of divine influences. The power that draws our civili- zation nearer to Christ is drawing Christian hearts closer to each other. How heart-breaking are the alienations of the past ! How heart-lifting are the strong Christian fraternities of the present ! Reunion will not be the work of ecclesiastical mechanics; it will be the work of the I)i\'ine Poet, God himself, who is breathing over his church and evoking har- monies that have always slumljered there. Since the Parliament of Religions has ])roved that for seventeen days ("hristians, Jews, Mohammedans, Uuddhists, ('onfucians, I'arsees, Hrali- nians, Jains, Taoists, and Sliintoists may fraternally meet in peaceful cojiference, (Jhristians should be more than ever ashamcMl of foolish and selfish and wicked H('i)arationH, the legacies of darker times. No jiefty getting together of little I'rotestant sects will satisfy the world-wide crav- ings for Christian unity. The inoMcni Unit is now to be solved is one 58 APPENDIX. that concerns all the great churches, and the Spirit of Him who prayed for the oneness of his disciples will continue working until He has subdued — ^by love, by enlightenment, by setting before regenerate minds the sin and weakness of schisms — all things unto himself. John Henky Barrows. [Pastor First Presbyterian Church, Chicago.'^ Chicago, III., September, 1893. Presbyterian. I have great confidence in the ultimate accomplishment of the ideal of Christendom as expressed in the prayer of our Lord and in the teachings of the apostles. The existing unity is vastly greater than any one could suppose, if he limited his attention to the superficial discord of Christen- dom. The concord of Christendom is not on the surface, but it is in the foundations and in the greater part of the structure of historical Christi- anity. . . . The Reunion of Christendom, in my opinion, means something more than voluntary associations or confederations. . . . I beg leave to take a more hopeful view of the quadrilateral of the Lambeth Conference. As you say, the only serious difficulty is the "his- toric episcopate." But if the " historic episcopate" means nothing more than the historic institution stripped of all theories as to the origin and meaning of that institution, so that every man may have his own theory of institution, so long as he is willing to hold to the institution — and this is what this phrase means according to the best Episcopal authorities — if, furthermore, Presbyterians and Congregationalists have abandoned the theories of the divine right of their forms of church government, and are willing to adopt that form of church government which has the best his- toric right and the best practical value, then it seems to me there ought to be no serious difficulty in the " historic episcopate," especially as it is distinctly proposed that it should be "locall;/ adapted in *he methods o/ i'te administration to the varyiiig needs of the nations and peoples called of God into the unity of his church." For a locally adapted episcopate would remove from it all these ex- crescences, which were so objectionable to our Puritan, Reformed, and Lutheran sires ; it would not only reduce it to the form of sjTiodical gov- ernment, which was advocated by Archbishop Ussher in the seventeenth century, and which was acceptable to the Presbyterians of that period, APPENDIX. 59 but it would still further reduce it so as to assume whatever is of essential importance in the other existing forms of church government, and so realize the idea of Richard Baxter, " Select out of aU three the best part, and leave the worst," and so obtain "the most desirable (and ancient) form of government." The "historic episcopate," reduced to its simplest dimensions as an institution, is the contribution of the Episcopal churches to the final form of Christianity. It cannot be further reduced without abandoning the Episcopal form of government altogether. Presbyterians and Congregationalists should vie with the Episcopalians in reducing Presbyterianism and Congregationalism to their last analysis and their essential elements in order to the Reimion of Christendom. . . . The Reunion of Christendom will come through a great variety of con- straining influences. So far as possible, the ecclesiastical organizations should remove their fences and barriers and invite to Reunion. If I am not mistaken, the greater portion of these fences and barriers consist of matters not regarded as of any essential importance in the organizations which have erected them. Many of them are antiquated manners and customs, which would have been removed long ago were it not for a hesi- tation to destroy venerated traditions. But no traditions, however venera- ble,, no customs, however ancient, no matters of ritual, canon, or doctrine, however important, should obstruct the Reunion of ChristeTidom and the attainment of the supreme ideal of Christ's church, unless it be essential to the existence or welfare of that church. This principle will ere long be adopted as a working principle, and its influence will be irresistible in leading on to church unity. . . . It is necessary that the essential things should be limited to the great verities in which all the gi-eat historic churches are in concord. Every denomination should follow the wise example of the Lambeth Conference and invite all others to union on the basis of this principle. In time some- thing of this sort will be done. The mother-churches will one after an- other remove the bans which excluded the daughters from the ancestral home, and invite them to return without any other conditions tlian the common cutholic faith and practice of the historic churches relieved of all impediments. The daughters will not be able to resist the invitation. The genealogical principle will work with irresistible jwwer, and modem ecclesiaHti(;al organizations will ultimately lie absorbed in the most ancient organizations after they have been reformed, purified, and sanctitied. And so the Church of Christ will renew her youth und her virgin vigor. 60 APPENDIX. and a reunited Christendom will speedily reconcile the world to Christ, and the bridegroom will rejoice in his sanctified, beautified, and glorified bride. C. A. Briggs. ^Professor of Biblical Literature, Union Theological Seminary. 'i New York, Oct. 18, 1893. Presbyteridn. I have for years felt most deeply on this subject. The revelation of the last census moved me to preach a series of sermons, afterward printed, vmder the title of " Denominationalism.'' The sole point in which I feel constrained to differ from you is that I am unable to accord with all you say in praise of denominations (pp. 8-12). The many sounds in harmony and the many flowers in a garden do not fight each other, but strive together for a common end of beauty and utility. On the other hand, the wastefulness in money and men of denomina- tionalism is only excelled by the harm that sharp and too often unchristian competition does to the cause of Christ in the eyes of the world. You have pointed out most clearly the historical patli toward Reunion, and no one can fail to see its beauty and practicability. It must attract every student of history. Meanwhile, what can pastors do to promote what it seems to me must be the greatest work of the new century, now so near? I. "We must realize ourselves the vast e\als of present divisions, and try to make our congregations realize them. ... 2. Be (Christians first and sectarians second. 3. Cherish and cultivate a charity that will not tliink less of others' sincerity and piety because they dift'er from us in opinion. 4. We must be willing to see the cause of Christ gi'ow, even, if need be, at the cost of loss to our own denomination, o. Mingle more freely with Christians of other names. Acquaintance will soon convince us that they are equally loyal disciples with ourselves of our common Lord. Tkunis S. Hammn. [Pastor Cliurcli of the Covenant, Haxhini/ton.] Washington, Sept. 20, 1893. PreJihiftcridti. I thank you lieartily for tlie paper on "The Reunion of Christendom," not merely for its catliolic spirit, which characterizes all your jiublic utter- APPENDIX. 61 anees, but also for its comprehensive survey of the whole ecclesiastical situation. Such a survey is much needed, in order to bring before us all the state of the great problem; and no one could be more competent for such a survey than the author of the " Church History " and of " The Creeds of Christendom." If the survey suggests a formidable array of diflBculties in the question, yet I cannot see that you have overstated them. Certainly nothing would be gained by ignoring or slighting them. They must be frankly met, and adjusted with Christian charity and wisdom. I am glad that you advocate a "Eeimion of Christendom," as if iniph'- ing that its existing churches or ecclesiastical elements should be recom- bined in one harmonious system. For this purpose I would attach gi-eat importance to the Chicago-Lambeth proposals, especially the "historic episcopate." For the first time in the history of the church that episco- pate is presented as a unifying bond among Christian bodies which it has hitherto repelled as sects and outcasts. As never before, it may now be accepted on the Presbyterian theory as well as on the prelatic theory of the Christian ministry. Neither theory should exclude the other. In the one Apostolic Church differences in doctrine and ritual were allowed without the unchristian results of schism and sectarianism. Taking Christendom as it now is and has been for centuries past, I do not see how its Reunion is to be effectert that any separated branch may choose to live apart by itself, or that any aggrega- tion of separated branches may do instead of