GENERAL PRINCIPLES 35 



the same basis. The elements of the pro- 

 blem are very mixed, — some favorable, 

 some unfavorable. First among the 

 former is the actual consent of the two 

 sections of Christendom in the Lambeth 

 principles. They already have at least 

 one common rule of faith, much common 

 catholic doctrine, two common sacraments, 

 and a common historic ministry, whether 

 traced from the apostles through pope, 

 prelate, or presbyter. And from both sides 

 some approaches have even been made to- 

 ward reunion upon the basis of such a 

 consensus. On the Catholic side we have 

 had the official correspondence between 

 the Anglican and Greek churches, through 

 the Archbishop of Canterbury and the 

 Patriarch of Constantinople ; the Old 

 Catholic Reformation from within the 

 Roman Church protesting against the 

 papal infallibility, and along other lines 

 approximating Protestantism; the Bonn 

 conferences looking to a confederation of 

 Anglican, Russian, Greek, and Old Cath- 

 olic churches on the basis of a primitive 

 consensus existing before the division of 

 Christendom and largely identical with 

 the Lambeth principles ; and finally, the 



