Show CHURCH UNITY Union of 01 churches churchea seems em to be n a leading topic In the Catholic world at present A conference in Rome Bume la is now being held beld probably for the purpose e of agreeing upon a feasible plan plaD of heal Ing the breach between the Eastern and Western churches and In a recent sermon ermon Cardinal Gibbon Gibbons of Balti Balti- Baltimore Baltimore more mort asserted a that there was wai a yearn yeara ing log desire for tor a reunion of the Protest ants anti and Catholics He said ald ald he be w Was wa wain in ID possession of numerous letters lettera from frola Protestant ant clergymen inquiring about aboa the probable basis of reconciliation and added that the conditions condition of or t re reunion anion union would be much easier than bao aeD gen orally imagined So 80 far Eastern churches have hav stub resisted re a all II attempt attempts to units unite with Western religions religion Greek patri- patri patriarchs patri patriarch arch archs refuted refused to listen to the overtures of and regarded both Lutheranism and Calvinism as ai mo dangerous heroic heresies The Anglican bishops were once curtly told that the only condition on which their prop proposition proposition tion could be considered was waa wa the adoption adoption adoption tion by the English cb church of all the th creeds and confessions of 01 the ibe be Greeks GreeD with with sincerity 81 and obedience ando and without any scruple or dispute The TD Th Old Catholic Reunion con in ID f the Bono Bonn in 1874 led to no result because the Eastern prelates prelate refused to 0 yield a single ingle point although the Old Catholics agreed to yield to to- them to-them them the doctrine of the procession of the Holy Ghost from the Father alone Judging from tram these repeated failure the efforts now DOW put forth do not seem to promise great results unless tb the sentiment should have bave changed con COD considerably The Greek Greeks hold bold on 00 to the supremacy of the Russian Burian czar with much aft much tenacity ai as the Romans cling to k a t fir p PA P-PA papal see and 1 If neither neither elt er will ill yield de Can a be no ao o Union anion Ako Aito th the Prat Pro It ii 18 not know r t tb t there is il i any strong undercurrent undercurrent ia in the direction of Rome No doubt Cardinal Gibbons has bas received the letter letters he speaks t of f But they only prove what Is ia no secret ret to observers observer of the signs of the times that individual students of theology are beginning to grow row tired of their theirl futile efforts effort to find some ome omeO O consistency in the Protestant systems of f theology and are looking about for something more satisfactory That some IOme of them should embrace Catho- Catho idam Is I natural enough while others other sway Iway way to various forms forma of rationalism still although the Protestant churches are hardly yet prepared to return In bodies to the mother church it Is ii per per- perfectly perfectly perfectly conceivable that this will some sometime time Ime happen The Catholics Catholic havea have a more perfect organization a logically more correct theolo theology y a service that speaks to the human ac sc ul through all the outward senses leD eS and various institutions institution well adapted to the needs of the people It ItIe Itis Itie is Ie therefore not impossible that her bar superiority over Protestantism Prote should at some time be more generally aced ird than it la is at present notwithstanding standing her ber faults and deviations deviation from Ute the original Church It Is la evident eident however tha that no true and lasting union of religious denom- denom denom can be effected on any basis basil now ew proposed ell Aa As long lone as aa churches build on by human buman f wisdom alone there wi will be schisms f and divisions and aad and contentions without number Could the he leaders of men realize the necessity of ot standing under Divine guidance as aa did the great interpreters of the word of 01 God of ot old olt J could the they all agree to discard from their systems what has baa ba not been given from heaven and then unite on the rock of revelation revelation revelation tion there would be a firm basis balls to build upon The Church would then i b hive e that power without which her minion ai lon on earth cannot can DOt be To labor Jabor for tor unity on the basis buls of the confession of ot faith of one denomination or another does doea not seem em worth the trouble it la Je like Uke build build- building tag build laca ing a house of sand where the waves continually wash the Union on a the basis of Divine revelation ia is the aim ef st Heaven and the mission million of th the true rue Church on OD earth |