226 CHURCH UNITY 



We begin at the wrong end when we ask, 

 How may we make Christendom one? 

 When all who bear Christ's name have re- 

 ceived the divine life they will be one. We 

 must stop asking how we may have a united 

 church, and humble ourselves for a baptism 

 of power: then the united Church will 

 take care of itself. 



I II. Until there is unity of spirit, unity of 

 /form will be worse than useless. If men 

 are not agreed, no good can come from 

 ' welding them together. Compel the Puri- 

 tan to worship like an Anglican, and the 

 Anglican to worship like a Quaker, and 

 what will result? Make the Church a i. 

 gigantic organization with numberless bish- ] 

 ops, one being supreme, whatever the name, 

 and there may be one body, but there will 

 be no life, no divine fire. When there is 

 unity of spirit, unity of form may be desir- 

 able, and not until then. 



III. When there is unity of spirit, essen- 

 tial unity of organization will follow of \ 

 necessity. Spirit organizes its own body. 

 Our Republic is the body which the free 

 spirit of the American people has organized 

 for itself. You may build a box around 

 death, and the box will last until it, too, 



