42 CIIURCU UNITY 



Church stands next to the Protestant Epis- 

 copal Church, as together with it holding 

 the key of the situation. In this country, 

 at least, they are the two chief English- 

 speaking communions, and have a common 

 mission in promoting American church 

 unity. If it be granted that the Episcopal 

 Church seems destined to be the Church of 

 the Reconciliation, mediating between the 

 extreme wings of Christendom by its com- 

 bined Catholic and Protestant formularies, 

 yet it still needs the balancing influences 

 represented by the Presbyterian Church, 

 on the one side, to prevent it from careen- 

 ing as a mere feeder to the Roman com- 

 munion, and on the other side to keep it 

 in vital connection with the whole reformed 

 communion. Its theoretical position will 

 otherwise become practically untenable. 

 If it be urged that it is the natural nucleus 

 of church unity in our Anglo-American 

 civilization, yet the two sister churches 

 have had a common history in the mother 

 country and still have correlate standards, 

 ecclesiastical affinities, and common inter- 

 ests, which fit them to march together as 

 the advanced column toward the United 

 Church of the United States, drawing after 



