Christian unity and its recovery

Chapter I. The True Nature Of Unity Considered

The dnity of Creation the great purpose of God in Christ — The Church to be the first example of this Unity — This the signilicance of Our Lord's Prayer in John, eh. svii. — The Unity of the Father and the Son the type of Unity in the Church — What is this Unity? — What it implies in the Church — This the last and perfect attainment of the Church — The initial ground of this Unity— Its complete development — The Church originally constituted as one having lost Outward Unity has now to work back to it, that she may be prepared for the coming of her Lord, . . 10

Chapter II. Organic Unity The Means Of Securing The Unity Of The Spirit

No Unity of Spirit -where there are Sects — Unity of Spirit not to be attained without Means — Are there any Divine Ordinances for the Preservation of Unity found in the Constitution of the Ministry ? — What is meant by Organic Unity ? — The True Constitution of the Church impressed upon her by the Lord — The Divine Constitution of the Church the means of bringinginto Subjection, 1, the Will; 2, the Intellect ; 3, the Affections— Universality necessary to its Effect, .... 28

Chapter III. The Present State Of Christendom Considered With Reference To Unity

The great schism between the East and West — The schism caused by the Protestant Eeformation — This resulted not in dividing the Western Church into two great communities, but into a variety of National Churches, without any common headship — Subordinate divisions — ^Statement of the present condition of entire Christendom — The Church, in God's sight, embraces all the baptized — ITie question of lay baptism— The Church not now appearing as one whole, but existing in fragments — Principles upon which Unity may be recovered, 55

4 CONTENTS.

Chapter IV. The Recovery Of Organic Unity

Unity can only be restored by Supernatural Action— The Original Planting of the Church — The Eise of the Ecclesiastical System — Necessity felt for some Ordinance for Preserving Unity — Culminating at last in the Papacy — No Conventional Authority sufficient — The only possible Solution, the Supernatural Appointment of Men with Apostolic Powers — Does the New Testament warrant any such expectation — How it would be done, page . Tl

Chapter V. Theories Of Unity

The Episcopal theory of Unity, that the collective Episcopate is the Bond of Unity — But what is to unite the Bishops, who have been the chief agents of Schism ? — General acknowledgment of Episcopacy by Protestant sects would not unite them with Eome, nor with the East, 86

Chapter VI. The Roman Doctrine Of Unity

The Roman Church has always witnessed to Unity — Two distinct Ideas — Catholic Unity and the form of its Realization — Papal arguments — The Primacy of Peter — What it involved — His position compared with that of Paul — A Primacy in tho Apostolic College necessary that thoy might act as one — Arguments of R. J. Wilberforce examined — The Bishop of Rome did not inherit Peter's primacy — What is the amount of the distinction that the early Fathers ascribe to the See of Eome — The Primacy of Peter a different thing from the Supremacy of the Popes — Admitted by Roman Catholic writers— Ffulkes on the Divisions of East and West — The first acts of Supremacy exerted by Constantine and his successors, .... 91

Chapter VII. The Constituent Unities

Principles announced by St. Paul— One Body— One Spirit— One Hope — One Lord — One Faith— One Baptism— One God and Father of All— These the Principles by which Unity was to be preserved, and by which it is to be recovered — Theological aspect of these principles — Necessity of going back to first principles, . . 106

CHRISTIAN UNITY.

' INTRODUCTION.

The divided state of Christendom is a subject tliat never fails to excite the deepest interest in all wlio truly love the Lord Jesus Christ. There is an instinct in the Christian life which forbids Christian men to rest satisfied with division. Ever since the consummation of the great schism between the East and the West, in the eleventh century, efforts have from time to time been made to heal the breach, though without any substantial success. The nearest approach to it was made by the Council of Elorence, in 1439 ; which, however, was rendered futile by the refusal of the Greeks to assent to the reconciliation. In the next century occurred the Protestant Reformation, since when no serious efforts have been made by the Roman Church to restore the broken connection, and the principles of Protestantism preclude every wish or desire for a union with Roman Catholics.

6 INTKODUCTION.

Some members of the English Church have endeavored to fix principles of approximation on the part of that communion vrith the Homan Church, one consequence of which has been the secession of large numbers of her best and ablest men to Rome. But this very result has shown how utterly futile must be any attempt to reconcile these two ecclesiastical systems. Among Protestants there have been, and continue to be, discussions upon the union of various sects and churches, and a very strong feeling of the evil of division prevails.

Special interest is manifested in the subject at the present time, and it is supposed that the state of the popular religious mind is favorable to the consideration of any suggestions offered for its solution.

The interest that is felt on this subject generally, has essayed something like organization to secure the end.

1. There is, I believe, a wide-spread agreement, especially among members of the English Church, together with Episcopalians in this land, in concert with members of the Roman Catholic Church in Europe, for prayer to God to restore unity to divided Christendom. Such an agreement is always a hopeful sign of good. We know that unity is a result acceptable to God, and may be well assured that such a united prayer, going up from so many hearts, is the inspiration of the Spirit of God, who teaches the Church what to pray for. The answer may not come in the form in which many expect it, but if God's children ask for bread He will not give them a stone, and He will grant their requests in such

INTKODUCnON. 7

way that they shall know that He has heard their prayers.

2. An effort is being made on the part of the Episcopalian bodies in England and America, to bring abont intercommunion between these churches and the Greek and Rnsso-Greek churches. When we consider the conflicting opinions on all the questions involved that prevail in these Protestant churches, to say nothing of the other party, we cannot suppose that any thing can be effected that will materially change the relations of these bodies to one another. The English Church, even if there were no other obstacles, can do nothing without the consent of the Government, and there is no probability that the Government will give assent to any move-

' ment that is at all likely to bring the Establishment into any intimate relations with other State churches ; and the Episcopal Church in the United States cannot speak with any unanimity on the doctrinal and ecclesiastical questions involved. The most that can be accomplished, therefore, is the interchange of good feeling and the increase of mutual intelligence. But still, if intercommunion could be effected in the way sought for, it would come very far short of the unity which is the perfect condition of the Church.

3. The various Protestant denominations in this land, who for the most part deny any exact divine organization of the Church, are engaged in an association for Christian union, the plan of which seems to confine itself to the cooperation of the different Christian bodies,

8 INTEODUCTION.

in such good works as they can perform together without surrendering their denominational principles. This has often been tried before, but has never jet resulted in any thing practical or efficient ; and in the absence of any assertion of organic principles which are to command the faith and submission of the Christian mind, it is difficult to see how any union can be effected which shall have any binding force.

In so far as these movements are indications of a conviction of the wickedness and unprofitableness of the sectarian condition of Christendom, they are worthy of respect. We may well hope that the interest which is felt in this subject is the work of the Holy Ghost, drawing the minds of men toward a true Christian unity, just as a similar tendency to organization and unity is manifested in the region of the natural.

The subject, however, needs to be discussed in the light of great principles ; and the attempt has been made in the following pages, to do this from a point of view different from that commonly taken.

I. It is assumed that the unity of the Spirit is the end to be attained by the Church, and that its attainment is perfection.

II. I have then endeavored to show that the outward unity of the Church is the means of attaining the inward unity of the spirit.

III. As a preliminary to the solution of the problem of a recovered unity, I have taken a review of the present condition of Christendom with reference to unity.

INTKODIJCTION. 9

rV. I have stated the method in which unity is to be recovered.

To this is added an examination of different theories of unity, and the whole is closed with some practical suggestions as to the conditions of any progress in the direction of a recovered unity.

If this effort shall have no other result than to lead some minds to a more Catholic tone of thought on this subject, it will not be in vain ; and I shall hope that it may serve as a preparation for meeting future conditions of the Church, when the necessity of unity to the very existence of an organized Christianity will be manifest

to all.

1*

CHAPTEE I.

THE TRUE NATURE OF UNITY CONSIDERED.

The Unity of Creation the great purpose of God in Christ — The Church to be the first example of this Unity — This the signiflcance of Our Lord's Prayer in John, ch. xrii. — The Unity of the Father and the Son the type of Unity in the Church — What is this Unity? — "What it implies in the Church — This the last and perfect attainment of the Church — The Initial ground of this Unity — Its complete development — The Church originally constituted as one having lost Outward Unity has now to work back to it, that she may be prepared for the coming of her Lord.

The great purpose of God In Clirist we are told bj S. Paul is, " to gather together in one head (icecjiaXaicdoaaOai), all things in Christ, which are in heaven, and which are on earth, even in him." ' Unity, organization, bringing all things under headship to Christ, is the work of God which extends to all creation. All beings are to have their places assigned them, and to recognize those place^ in subjection to the Man to whom God has given all authority and power in heaven and in Earth. The rule of Christ is to be seen and manifested in every sphere of existence, so that through Him, as the manifestation of the Invisible, God may be all in all. If this result is to be attained in all the ranks of Creation it must first of all appear in the Church, which is the company of the

' Ephes. i. 10.

THE TEUE NATTJEE OF UNITY CONSrD:EKED. '"^] .IX -<£'/>> '^ '%_ first-born, and will, in the age to corae, occupy the place of precedency over all other classes of intelligences. S. Paul writes : " Unto me, who am less than the least of all Saints, is this grace given, that I should preach amon'g the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ, to the intent that now, unto the principalities and powers in the heavenlies, may be made known by the Church, the manifold wisdom of God, according to His eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus, our Lord." ^

The Church then — the body called out from the world in Christ — is to be the example of the fulfilment of God's purposes in Creation. It is by the Church that the divine wisdom is to be manifested, and the purpose to gather all things together in one head under Christ, is to be declared. It would follow of necessity that first of all, this unity which is the end of God's works, should be made to appear in the Church. The Church that is to witness to the creation of the heading up of all things in Christ — of the perfect organization and order of every created intelligence under the rule of the Man exalted to His Father's right hand, must, in order to such a witness, be itself constituted in unity under Him who is its head. And we can thus see the more readily what is the significance of the prayer of our Lord in the 17th chapter of John : " ISTeither pray I for these alone, but for them

' Ephes. iii. 8-10.

12 THE TRUE NATURE OF UNITY CONSIDEKED.

also that shall believe in me through their word ; that they all may be one ; as Thou Father art in me and I in Thee, that they also may be one in us ; that the world may believe that Tliou hast sent me. And the glory which Thou gavest me I have given them ; that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and Thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one ; and that the world may know that Thou hast sent me, and hast loved them as Thou hast loved me." ' The Church is the organ whereby the Divine glory is to be made known, as the means of gathering into one head all things in Christ. The Divine glory is seen in the unity of the Father and the Son, and that unity can only then be manifest to the Creation, when those whom God hath chosen out of the world and given to His Son, are so united as to present an image or reflection of that unity. Hence it is, that by S. Paul the perfect result of God's actings in the Church is expressed by the attainment of unity : " Until we all come into (eig) the unity of the Faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ." "" It is this attainment which our Lord contemplates in His intercessory prayer — the prayer which we may not doubt He continually offers for His people before His Father's throne. This prayer must have its answer, for whatever the Well-Beloved asks of the Father will surely be granted. The delay in its complete fulfilment furnishes no cause for doubting its

' John xvii. 20-23. ^ Ephes. iv. 13.

THE TRUE NATURE OF UNITY CONSIDERED. 13

ultimate accomplislimeiit. We are held to the assurance that the time will come when there shall be on earth a company of those who believe in Christ, who shall be so united one to another, as to realize this unity here described — the unity which subsists between the Father and the Son.

This now is the unity of the Spirit, which S. Paul exhorts the Ephesian Christians to preserve — " endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." ^ It had its exemplification at the beginning of the Grospel dispensation. It existed and was a thing to be zealously kept. There were causes even then in operation, as we learn from the Epistles to the Corinthians, the Philippians, the Galatians, the Hebrews, and indeed from almost all the Epistles, which threatened to disturb it ; these causes have for centuries operated to such an extent in Christendom, that the problem now is, not how to preserve unity, but how to recover it.

The unity thus referred to is something deeper and more mysterious than any mere ecclesiastical unity, however necessary that may be for its attainment. It is something more real and vital than any consent or agreement of sects one with another. It is a unity which has no parallel in human or finite relations : " That they may be one ; as Thou Father art in me and I in Thee, that they also may be one in us (I in them and Thou in me), that they may be made perfect in one." It is a unity that results from believers partaking of the

^ Ephes. iv. 3.

14 THE TEUE NATUEE OF UNITY CONSIDEEED.

glory whicli the Father gave to the Son, and which He had given to them. The more we attempt to comprehend this mystery, the more does it appear to pass all understanding. What can we say of that nnity, whicli is thus set forth as the type of the spiritual unity in the Church ? What is the unity of the Father and the Son ? On such a topic we must speak and write very reverently, lest we should be intruding into what is not revealed. But as this is set before us as the type of the unity of the Church, we may venture to look into it with such light as Holy Scripture casts upon it.

The unity of the Father and the Son consists in the participation by each of the Divine Persons of the same substance, and their possession of one and the same Spirit (who is also a Person), while yet their personality is unimpaired, and while there is a different sphere of actings of the two Divine persons ; still there is that relation between them that the acts of each become the acts of the other. The Father is the source of all Being. The Son is begotten of the Father, and it is by Him that the will of the Fatlier is carried out. The Spirit proceedeth from the Father, and is the giver of life to all creation ; but the Spirit which proceedeth from the Father is also in the Son, and proceedeth from the Son, and herein is the bond of unity. In every man there is one individual spirit which is in him and not in another. No man can impart his own life to another, or cause his spirit to reside in another. Hence, though all men are partakers of the same nature, and in this respect are one, yet is not

THE TEUE NATUKE OF "UNITY CONSIDEEED. 15

the luiity complete. In tlie Father and the Son, however, there is one Spirit who is also a Person and who can reside in both, so that here is a unity not conceivable among creatm'es. The Son is in the Father, and the Father is in the Son.

As this therefore is the nnity of the Divine persons, so does the unity of the members of the Body of Christ consist in this, that as they are by the Holy Ghost partakers of the one nature of Christ, and thus He is " in them," so they are by virtue of their union to Him one with the Father also — " I in them and Thou in me" — and therefore in the highest sense one with another. There is among the members of Christ a mystical union, to Him and to one another, which lies quite out of the region of natural modes of conception, and is known only by Faith. This is clearly implied in such passages of Scripture as the following : "Abide in me and I in you. As the branch cannnot bear fruit of itself except it abide in the vine, no more can ye except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches. He that abideth in me and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit ; for without me ye can do nothing. K a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch and is withered, and men gather them and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me and I in you, ye shall ask what ye will and it shall be done unto you." ' " Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death ? Therefore we are

' John XV. 4-8.

16 THE TRUE NATURE OF UNITY CONSmERED.

buried with Him by Baptism into death, that like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life," &G. * " And now little children abide in Him, that when He shall appear ye may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming." ^ What is implied in these words is an actual relation to Christ, which is not mere verbal, or external, but real and vital, as proceeding from the participation of His life ; and as all who truly believe in Christ and conform to His commandments are said to be in Him — to be members of Christ — members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones, so must they also be one with each other.

The unity of the Father and the Son involves also the most perfect oneness of mind and purpose. There are no varying purposes, no divergent actions of the Divine persons. "The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He seeth the Father do ; for what things soever the Father doeth those also doetli the Son likewise." "I came not to do mine own will, but the will of the Father which sent me." And to complete the parallel, there must be among the members of Christ the same identity of will, of purpose, and of aflfection— all in subordination to the Head.

Such a perfect unity as is shadowed forth in the prayer of our Lord is the last and perfect attainment of the Church. It is a result to be arrived at, not one which is perfect from the beginning. This is apparent

THE TEUE NATUKE OF UNITY CONSIDEKED. 17

jfrom the words of St. Paul already referred to : " Till we all come into the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ." Here attainment is contemplated, growth, which shall result in perfect nnity. This is involved in the words, too, of the intercessory prayer. The Lord asked his Father, not only that His disciples might partake of that grace which should unite them into one body, bnt that the unity of the body might be preserved and developed, until there should be found in the body of the faithful, a oneness which should be parallel with that of the Father and the Son. The prayer looks to an end. iJ^othing is implied in its terms as to the time when that end shall be reached. It contemplates a working in a body, which can only be complete as that body attains its maturity. When that end is attained, then the Bride will be perfect and prepared for the marriage, and the Bridegroom will come and take her to Himself. The time, therefore, that is covered by this prayer is the entire period of the Christian dispensation, during which the Church is being perfected. It is a result not yet attained, but which must be in a process of attainment.

The unity of the Spirit, therefore, may be considered under the two heads of its initial ground and its complete development.

I. From the Holy Scriptures we learn that it is by the ordinance of baptism that men are initiated into a participation in the unity of the Body. " By one Spirit

18 THE TRUE NATURE OF UNITY CONSEDEEED.

are we all baptLzed into one body, whether we be Jew or Gentile, whether we be bond or free ; " ' "As many of you as were baptized unto Jesus Christ were baptized into His death ; " and thus by baptism are " planted together," both in the likeness of His death and of His resurrection.'^ For this reason it is proper to say that all the baptized, speaking generally, have a participation in the unity of the Body ; they are, in some sense, members of the body of Christ. This is what we call the " initial ground " of unity. It is based upon the incarnation of the Word. The Son of God came into our nature and became completely one with humanity, a member of the race, of which He was constituted the new head. Taking our nature into union with His own, He cleansed and purified it. Passing through the grave and gate of death, He destroyed in it all remains of corruption and infirmity ; and rising from the dead and ascending to the Father, He presented our nature in His resurrection body to His Father, pure and undefiled. Through the operation of the Holy Ghost He imparts to those who believe in Him the virtue of His resmTection life, by partaking of which they dwell in Him and He in them. This participation is not a mere influence, it is not a mere moral efiiect produced in the region of the mind and aflections. It is an actual imparting of the vital energy of His own resurrection body, which thus becomes a new life. It is the introduction of a new vital element, which renders possible a true s])iritual obedience. The

THE TRUE NATURE OF UNITY CONSEDEKED. 19

introduction of this supernatural principle, then, is the element of unity. It is not natural life which is the basis of unity, but a supernatural life, which, by the operation of the Holy Ghost, comes from the person of the Incarnate Word, risen from the dead and entered into a spiritual body.

If the inquiry should arise, How is this possible — the transmission of the life of Jesus to men ? the answer is twofold :

First. The same which the Lord gave to the Capernaites when they said, " How can this man give us his flesh to eat ? " " What if ye shall see the Son of Man ascend up where He was before ? It is the Spirit that quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing." The change from the natural to the spiritual body, and its ascension to heaven, alters the case. This man, as you now see Him, cannot give you His flesh to eat — can do nothing answering to that form of words ; but in the spiritual body He may impart it to you as a spiritual substance. What is absiu'd in one state of facts is admissible in another. And so the conditions which are applicable to the natural life of a man, do not hold with reference to the spiritual nature of Him who is the Word made flesh. We cannot argue from the case of the natural to the supernatural. It is a matter of faith. All that can be said by way of argument upon the subject, is to show that there is no presumption against it.

Secondly. One human spirit cannot impart its own substance to another ; but this limitation does not apply

20 THE TKUE NATUEE OF UNITY CONSIDEKED.

to the Divine Spirit. The mystery of the Trinity extends itself to the body of Christ. As the one Spirit is in the Father and the Son, so does He, proceeding fi*om both the Father and the Son, also impart the life of the Son, incarnate and glorified, to the members of the Church. The Church is the temple of the Holy Ghost, and He dwells personally in every member of the Chm*ch in whom the conditions of a perfect unity with Christ are fulfilled. The faith which admits the Trinity, need find no difiiculty in the truth of the oneness of the baptized with Christ.

It is thus that in the initiatory sacrament, there is implanted in the spiritual constitution of the baptized the germ of that spiritual life, which, in its perfect maturity, develops into perfect unity.

We come, therefore, to consider the second head under which the unity of the spirit is to be considered.

II. The element or germ of unity being thus implanted by the impartation of a supernatural life, remains to be developed to its manifestation, in the collective body of those who believe in Christ through His Word, ministered in His Church. This result involves an entire unity of faith, of hope, of purpose, of afiection ; and where this exists, there will be the perfect unity of the Spirit — the Lord's prayer will have been answered.

First of all to be attained is " unity of faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God." Without this, all apparent unity is delusive. It has been the instinct of the divine life in the Church resisting separation, which has

THE TKUE NATURE OF UNITY CONSEDEEED. 21

in past ages maintained the conflict for the integrity and unity of Christian doctrine. Tliere has ever been a deep conviction of the necessity of an entire agreement in all that was properly dejide — all that related to the knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ. However much controversy may have heen embittered by personal interests and worldly motives, yet the teachers and confessors of past ages — those who, like Athanasius, have withstood a world in defence of the last iota of truth — have been impelled by the conviction, that the very existence of the Church deiDended on the maintenance, unimpared, of the faith once delivered to the saints. The heretics have in all ages been ready to assent to a variety of creeds — a difference in forms of expression for declaring the most fundamental and eternal truths — those in which Christianity as a system consists ; while the party that has contended for the unity of the body has always been strenuous for the assertion of fixed forms of faith.