UNITY OF CHRISTENDOM.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 13888, 12 November 1910, Page 12

UNITY OF CHRISTENDOM.

Twenty-four American Episcopalians have undertaken a task so big that not bno of them expects to live to see it completed (sa/s the New York correspondent of the "Daily Telegraph"). Their undertaking, which has been formally incorporated, is to bring about a union of Christians all over the world — Protestant, Greek Catholics, Roman Catholics, everybody, everywhere. The "Christian Unity Foundation," as the society is called, would discard all names and sects, and make simply one big religious body. Twelve of the twenty-four are clergymen and twelve laymen. Of the first twelve half are bishops and the other half presbyters, nnd all schools —High, Broad, and Low —are represented amonc tho laymen, who include lawyers, men of science, business men, capitalists, and one each from the Army and Navy. The bishops are those of New York, Albany, Newark, Chicago, Southern Ohio, :»ii(l Bishop Courtney, formerly of Nova Scotia, now rector of St. James's Church, New York.

The first meeting which led to the launching of the project was held on February 20th. About twenty people were present, and a committee of organisation was appointed. Hishon Courtney presided, and after the incorporation will be elected president of the foundation. One Jayman has underwritten the initial expenses to the extent of £2000, and a campaign to establish an endowment will be begun forthwith. No series of public meetings will bo undertaken just yet; only research work will be done, and conferences of the leaders held. Information concerning religious bodies will be published, methods of no-operation suggested, and the evils of division pointed out. Conferences have already been held with the Greek Catholics, and an effort is being made for a conference of tho leading Presbyterians this autumn. Greater hopes are entertained of bringing the Episcopalians and Presbyterians together than any others. The tremendous difficulty of the task is indicated when 1 explain that in the United States alone we have nearly 200 Independent Protestant bodies, and eaeli each year sees additions. Organic Christian unity is recognised almost as an impossible, perhaps an undesirable, ideal. Not a few declare thn.t one organisation would b<? unwieldy and probably tyrannical, and that more divisions would result. Home critical New Yorkers are condemning the Christian Unity Federation as "still another sect," and expressing the hope that endowments may not be diverted from hospitals and universities, to which, in America, most of them go.