THE ESSENTIAL UNITY OF THE KINGDOM.
"Elect from every nation,
Yet One o'er all the earth;
Her charter of salvation,
One Lord, One Faith, One Birth."
If it is true that our Lord came to found a real Kingdom, and if the
Church described in the Book of the Acts of the Apostles is this
Kingdom, it is clear that the quality of Unity or Oneness is essential
to it. It must belong to the nature of the Church that it should be
One; because we cannot conceive in our minds, in any practical sense,
the idea of two Kingdoms of Heaven.
This truth was illustrated by our Lord under the form of a figure. "I
am the Vine; ye are the branches" (S. John xv. 5). The idea of a tree
implies oneness, and the branches have no separate existence apart
from the stem. Even so the subjects of "The Kingdom of Heaven" can
exist only through union with Christ Himself; and wherever Christians
are enrolled, in whatsoever country they may be, all must belong to
the same Kingdom, because all are branches of the One Vine.
Consequently, if the Church be "The Kingdom of Heaven," then, as it
spread through the world and different countries received the Gospel,
we shall expect to find that the various branches of the Church
founded by S. Paul and the other Apostles were not independent one of
another, in the sense of being so many separate and distinct bodies,
but were all united together, as forming the One Church or Kingdom of
Christ.
The question now arises, Was this the case?
God in His Providence has not left us in any doubt upon this point. We
can trace this oneness very clearly in the history of the Church
during its extension under the Apostles, as recorded in the Acts of
the Apostles. The following incident serves as an example. After S.
Paul's return to Antioch at the close of his first missionary journey,
a dispute arose about the necessity of teaching the Gentile converts
to observe the law of Moses. And it was determined by the Church at
Antioch that "Paul and Barnabas and certain other of them should go
up to Jerusalem, unto the Apostles and Elders, about this question."
The first recorded Church Council was then held to consider the
matter; and after full discussion, it was determined to send the
decision in a letter after this manner: "The Apostles and Elders and
Brethren send greeting unto the Brethren which are of the Gentiles in
Antioch and Syria and Cilicia." Then after stating the case, the
decision was thus given: "It seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us,
to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things; that ye
abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things
strangled, and from fornication; from which if ye keep yourselves, ye
shall do well. Fare ye well" (Acts xv. 1-29). From which it is clear
that all the believers in the several Churches of Jerusalem and
Antioch and Cilicia were brethren together, and fellow-subjects of one
Kingdom, bound to the observance of common laws framed by common
consent for the general good government of the whole body. And it is
equally clear that the ties which held together these various
communities of Christians were the Apostles themselves, who had
founded them. The various Churches were one, because their founders
were fellow-workers, who acted in concert, taking counsel together.
But what bond of union held the founders themselves together?
The answer to this question shows the ground on which the essential
Oneness of the Church is based. And it is clearly this. The Apostles
and Bishops who founded the various Churches were all commissioned
officers of one King--the King of "The Kingdom of Heaven"--and they
were commissioned, not to found Churches bearing their own, names,
independent one of another, but to extend the King's dominion. And
their authority and power to act were wholly dependent upon their
acting in the King's Name, and with His concurrence. For when the
commission was given to the Apostles to "go into all the world and
make disciples of all nations," these words were added by the King,
"And lo! I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world" (S.
Matt. xxviii. 20). From which we see also that the continuance of the
Unity was secured, in the same way, through the Apostles' successors,
after they themselves should be called to rest. And whilst the
Apostles and Bishops were thus appointed as the agents to extend "The
Kingdom of Heaven," the King Himself was the actual bond of union,
securing the essential unity of the Church, wherever subjects were
brought in. One King over all held all together.
As time passed and various branches of the One Church were formed,
there were also other ties which were felt to bind Christians one with
another as one body. The Church was a spiritual Kingdom; and by one
and the same Holy Spirit all had been moved to accept the King, and
all had been new-born as the children of God. And as all had received
the same Holy Spirit, so all looked forward to the same hope of
eternal life; all having been called to enter the same state of
salvation, in which the prize was within their reach. All had been
taught the same articles of Faith. All had been baptized, with the
same form, into the Name of the Blessed Trinity. And so S. Paul summed
up their bonds of union in these words, "One Body and one Spirit, even
as ye are called in one Hope of your calling; one Lord; one Faith; one
Baptism; one God" (Ephes. iv. 4-6).
But the unity of a Kingdom depends, not merely upon having one Head
and certain general laws and ordinances; but also upon the ready
obedience of the subjects. "Every Kingdom divided against itself is
brought to desolation" (S. Matt. xii. 25). An earthly kingdom is strong
only when the people are united together in loyally obeying the king,
and the laws, and officers of the kingdom. It is weak when suspicion
and factious opposition prevail; or when the subordinate princes
exercise their authority without respect to the general good. And, if
it does not fall altogether, it is an unhappy kingdom indeed, when
these opposing interests break out into open rupture and civil war.
The case is exactly the same with "The Kingdom of Heaven." It is
strong only as a united Kingdom. And the last prayer of our Lord
before His Passion shows how well the King knew beforehand wherein the
weakness of His Kingdom would consist, which would hinder it from
comprehending the whole world according to His loving design. The
essential unity of the Kingdom was secured, as we have seen above. But
still the strength of His Kingdom, as a united Kingdom, would depend
upon the loyal obedience of His subjects. And He knew that His
subjects would be as much exposed to the evil influence of false
teachers, as the subjects of an earthly king are to the seductions of
the misguided and seditious. And He prayed "That they all may be one;
as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be One
in Us: that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me" (S. John
xvii. 21).
An unhappy tendency to division was soon manifested in the Church. And
S. Paul wrote to "the Church of God which is at Corinth," to rebuke
them for imagining that the founders of the Church were founding
communities in their own names, forgetting that they were the mere
ministers of the King. "While one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I
am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? Who then is Paul, and who is
Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to
every man" (1 Cor. i. 12; iii. 1-5).
The tendency to form divisions in the Church which so early appeared,
increased rather than diminished as years went on; though it was
checked, under the Providence of God, by the frequent persecutions
which broke out against the Christians. The inevitable result
followed. "The Kingdom of Heaven" was weak, and unable to maintain
the conflict against the heathenism of the world around it, as it
ought to have done. Christendom was divided against itself. The
National Churches, which had been founded as Branches of one and the
same Church, were engaged in contests between themselves. Then one
Church usurped an authority over other Churches, provoking in course
of time further disunion. And in our own days, after eighteen
centuries have passed since the Church was founded, it is calculated
that not one-third of the inhabitants of the earth profess the faith
of Christ. So greatly have the unhappy divisions which prevail amongst
Christians weakened the Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
But as Englishmen we are chiefly interested in the Church of our own
country. Consequently, we must now come to the consideration of a
question which, probably, has already troubled the minds of many
readers of these pages--If the Church is one, what is the position of
those who have separated from their own National Branch of this one
Church, or Kingdom of Christ?
It is a question of much difficulty, because those who have been
outwardly separated from their brethren have been brought into a
position altogether different from any which is described in the New
Testament. For the subjects of the Lord Jesus Christ are described
therein as subjects of one Kingdom, bound together by the closest ties
of loyalty to the King, and of brotherhood with one another. At the
same time, the names by which Christians in this country are divided
into Church-people and Dissenters, only add to the confusion. For to
suppose, as these names suggest, that Dissenters do not belong in any
sense to the Church of Christ, is an idea which is repugnant to the
minds of all who know anything of their work. But though the
difficulty of the question is so great, it is hoped that the previous
chapters will have prepared the reader to see his way to the answer,
which Holy Scripture enables us to form.
But first let us clear the way by calling to mind the origin of the
present lamentable state of things. The difficulty has been created by
the inevitable imperfection of all things with which man's freewill is
concerned. For God clearly intended that His Church should be one;
and that it should work upon the world with the irresistible force of
an united Kingdom. And inasmuch as we find, in our own days, that this
intention has been frustrated, there can be no doubt but that it is
our duty to do what we can to bring back the conditions of our life
here into conformity with it. For Christian people cannot be content
with a state of things which they find to be plainly contrary to God's
intention. Consequently, in considering this question, it seems that
the right course to take is to give prominence to the bonds of union
which still exist between the different bodies of Christians in this
country; and instead of magnifying the causes and extent of disunion,
to endeavour to draw men closer together.
Now it is clear from Holy Scripture, that the Church of Christ
consists of those who have been made subjects of "The Kingdom of
Heaven;" and we have already seen that our Lord explained that the
form of admission into His Kingdom would be by Holy Baptism.
Therefore, with respect to so-called Dissenters, we conclude, that all
have been brought into the Church or Kingdom of Christ in this land,
who have used the means which He ordained for that purpose, namely,
Holy Baptism. And the names assumed by those who separate themselves
from their brethren cannot destroy the effects of this great
Sacrament. It appears also that they have become in some degree
partakers with their brethren of those bonds of union mentioned by S.
Paul, "One Body; one Spirit; one Hope; one Lord; one Faith; one
Baptism; one God" (Ephes. iv. 4-6). Though, unhappily, their
appreciation of some of these bonds of union is slight; and they are
deprived (either by their deliberate will, or, more commonly, by the
accidents of their birth) of the many privileges which they might
enjoy, through communion with their brethren in the Ordinances of
religion and in the common service of our Lord Jesus Christ[18].
At the same time, it ought to be clearly understood, that we have no
certain warrant of Holy Scripture for more than this. For, as there is
no example in the Bible of any one professing faith in Christ, and yet
holding back from being baptized into the Name of the Trinity, it is
not possible to describe the position of the unbaptized with any
certainty of assurance. The offer of salvation through Jesus Christ is
thus briefly stated, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be
saved" (S. Mark xvi. 16); that is, he will be placed in a state of
present salvation by being admitted into "The Kingdom of Heaven." But
the case of any one believing and not being baptized is not
contemplated.
In the next place, still confining our thoughts to our own country, we
shall do well to consider that the greater number of those who have
separated themselves from us have done so with the hope of thereby
doing God service; or else under the idea that the separation is of
small importance, being more a matter of personal choice than of
principle. They have forgotten or have been ignorant of the prayer of
the Lord Jesus--"That they all may be one; that the world may believe
that Thou hast sent Me" (S. John xvii. 21)--forewarning us that the
result of divisions would be the spoiling of His work for the saving
of the world. And, at the same time, it is right that we should also
call to mind that in many instances in the past history of the Church
in this land, those who have professed to hold the position of loyal
subjects of "The Kingdom of Heaven" have seemed to be equally careless
of this inevitable loss through the separation of their brethren.
With these considerations in our minds, if we now go on to test our
opinions by the sure warrant of Holy Scripture, fearlessly taking our
stand upon its distinct teaching, we shall see how important it is
that both so-called Church-people and so-called Dissenters should be
induced to study carefully what is recorded therein about "The Kingdom
of Heaven," or Church of Christ. For, on the one hand, we shall find
that Holy Scripture clearly teaches that the Church is a spiritual
Kingdom, and that the only way to receive the benefits of membership
is by being led and sanctified by the Holy Ghost. And, on the other
hand, we shall see that Holy Scripture makes it equally clear that our
Lord described His Church as being a real Kingdom, though a spiritual
one; and that this Kingdom was established with distinct laws and
ordinances, by His directions, and under the guidance of the Holy
Ghost. And consequently, if, on the one hand, any are content with the
name of Church-people without seeking to advance in the spiritual
life, they are clearly acting as the Jews, who trusted to being able
to say, "We have Abraham to our father" (S. Matt. iii. 9). Similarly,
on the other hand, if men carelessly weaken "The Kingdom of Heaven" by
forming factions, or so-called denominations, under different leaders,
and known by the names of their founders, they are clearly bringing
themselves under the rebuke of S. Paul, "While one saith, I am of
Paul; and another, I am of Apollos, are ye not carnal[19]?" (1 Cor.
iii. 4); or if they propose to themselves to form a holier society,
by expelling the tares from the wheat in the Lord's field, they are
disregarding the teaching of His parable (S. Matt. xiii. 24-30), the
meaning of which cannot be doubtful. And, at the same time, all who
will take pains to study Holy Scripture will find that to be a member
of "The Kingdom of Heaven," or Church of Christ, is no mere matter of
choice, but of vital importance; because no other way has been
revealed whereby we may be saved, but by accepting the Gospel of the
Kingdom, and by being admitted into it, as those first converts were,
to whom S. Peter said, "Save yourselves from this untoward generation"
(Acts ii. 40, 41).
We are now in a position to sum up what has been gathered from Holy
Scripture about the essential unity of "The Kingdom of Heaven."
The idea of a Kingdom implies the necessity of unity. And it was
provided that the essential unity of "The Kingdom of Heaven" should be
maintained through the Headship of the one King over all. The King
commissioned His Apostles to make all the nations of the world His
subjects, and assured them of the authority to do this by promising to
be with them and their successors to the end of the world. And
wherever the Church spread, however defective and imperfect it might
be, it was still part of one and the same Kingdom, owning the Lord
Jesus Christ as King. Besides this bond of union, one Holy Spirit was
working with more or less success upon all the subjects, wherever they
might be; one Hope was held out before all, of salvation; one Faith in
the ever-blessed Trinity was taught to all, and professed by all; one
Baptism enrolled all; one God was the object of the worship of all.
But the unity of a Kingdom depends not only upon the King and the laws
and ordinances of the Kingdom, but also upon the loyal obedience of the
subjects. And the subjects of "The Kingdom of Heaven" have, in past
times, so far forgotten this duty, that it has come to pass that for
centuries the great branches of the Church of Christ have had little,
if any, outward communion or fellowship with one another. And in our
own country the professed members of Christ are divided into many
bodies, not only independent of one another, but oftentimes opposing,
rather than helping forward, the extension and well-being of the
Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. And the result has been
that we have learned by sad experience the reason of the foreboding
tone of our Lord's last prayer, "That they all may be one; ... that the
world may believe that Thou hast sent Me" (S. John xvii. 21). The
multitudes of men, practically heathen, in the midst of this
professedly Christian land, and the still greater multitudes of men in
other lands whom the good news of the Kingdom has not reached, are
proofs of the weakness of the Church of Christ. Christians are not
"one;" and consequently "the world" does not "believe" in Him whom the
Father of His great love sent to be its Saviour.
During the first few centuries the Church spread rapidly, not only
throughout the more civilised parts of the Roman Empire, but also
amongst the rough Celts of Britain and the fierce Teutons of Germany.
We may well ask, why did it cease to spread, and why are so many lands
still lying in darkness? Since Christ came to be the Saviour of the
world, how is it that there are so many millions of Buddhists and
Hindoos in Asia, that to this day it is said that not one-third of the
inhabitants of the world are; Christians? The answer is, alas! clear.
The unity of the One Universal Church of Christ has not been
maintained in the full and perfect manner described in our Lord's
Prayer, "That they all may be one, as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I
in Thee, that they also may be one in Us" (S. John xvii. 21).
Christians have lost the sense of brotherhood, which should bind them
all together in Christ, of whatsoever nation or language they may be.
The Church has ceased to move with the irresistible power of one
mighty army, acting with one mind for the glory of God.
All thoughtful subjects of "The Kingdom of Heaven" must lament this
state of disunion and weakness. And men are striving in different, and
in some cases opposite ways, to bring about re-union. But when we
begin to ask, What is the remedy? we find that we are facing a mighty
problem. God's loving purpose for the salvation of the world has been
marred by man's wilfulness. His Kingdom, which might have been
irresistible and have won the whole world for Christ, has been split
up into many portions, which have been opposing and weakening one
another, instead of fighting His enemies. How can these portions,
after centuries of disunion, be reunited into one? How can the
mischief be undone?
It is beyond the power of man.
Yet at the same time we can see that there are certain things which
all can do to advance the object in view, and to promote re-union at
least in our own National Church at home, if not also between the
different branches of Christ's Holy Church[20] throughout the world.
But to do so, two things are clearly necessary. One thing is to have a
clear grasp of the principle which runs through the whole teaching of
the Bible,--that Christ came to found a Kingdom. And the other is to
desire unity. If all desired unity, the desired result would certainly
be accomplished.
But one thing is certain. No plan of re-union can succeed which is
not based upon the clear teaching of Holy Scripture. "The Kingdom of
Heaven" is there clearly described. First by the King Himself in His
parables and discourses, before the Kingdom was yet founded; and then
in the history of the Acts of the Apostles, which tells how the
Kingdom or Church of Christ, which had been purchased with His own
Blood, was set up under the guidance of the Holy Ghost. And inasmuch
as no man, nor any body of men, can form a new "Kingdom of Heaven,"
the only position which a Christian can hold, in agreement with Holy
Scripture, is the position of a subject of that Kingdom which was so
founded.
And when we call to mind that "The Kingdom of Heaven" extended to our
own land, by the Providence of God, in early days, we see at once that
our aim, as loyal subjects of the Lord Jesus Christ, must be to win
back those who have separated from us, to act as fellow-soldiers with
us in the one great army of our King, serving under the same flag and
the same officers, and fighting with united energy for the glory of
God.
But as in an earthly kingdom various opinions may be held by different
persons and parties, and yet all may be loyal subjects of the same
King, and earnestly advancing the well-being of the kingdom, so in the
spiritual Kingdom of Messiah unity does not mean that all must think
alike[21]. But there is one necessary condition, namely this,--the
essential unity of the Kingdom must be kept in view. There can be but
one "Kingdom of Heaven." Consequently, to form separate and
independent bodies cannot fail to cause confusion and weakness. To act
in the Name of the King men must be united. If we, who call ourselves
by the Name of Christ, desire to spread His Kingdom with the
irresistible force which belongs to it, we must show to the world
that we are all one in interests--in the common hope of Heaven; all
one in faith--in the common belief in the love of God, as it is
expressed in the work of redemption, through the Father, the Son, and
the Holy Ghost; all one in Baptism into the great Name of the
ever-Blessed Trinity; and, above all other bonds of union, all one in
loyal devotion to the one Lord and King, our Saviour Jesus Christ.
FOOTNOTES:
[18] Let me beg every reader of these lines to pause here, and shoot
up an arrow of prayer that God may lead men to think of the
blessedness of being united, as sons of one Father, brethren of one
family, subjects of one Kingdom. And I would ask those readers who may
be, at present, living in outward separation from the Ancient Branch
of Christ's Church in this land, to consider with themselves what
cause there is in their own case to justify, before God, such a
separation from their Brethren in Christ.
[19] Consider also S. Paul's earnest words, "Unto the Church of God
which is at Corinth, with all that in every place call upon the name
of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours." "Now I beseech you,
brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the
same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be
perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, that there are
contentions among you" (1 Cor. i. 2, 10, 11).
[20] A caution is perhaps needed here to prevent the reader from
supposing that any re-union is advocated which would involve union
with error. On the one hand, we must "stand fast in the liberty
wherewith Christ hath made us free" (Gal. v. 1). We must firmly refuse
to accept any other foundation than that of the Creeds, settled by an
undivided Christendom. And on the other hand, we must set ourselves
with equal firmness against allowing any "Shibboleth" (Judges xii. 6),
made out of exaggerated views of particular doctrines, to cut off
those who should be brethren, not only in name but in life.
[21] Truths are many-sided. Men may agree in their belief in truths,
and yet hold different opinions concerning those truths. Just as men,
who live on different sides of a mountain, all look upon the same
mountain, and yet see different views of it; so men see different
sides of a truth. To know a truth perfectly men must see it from every
point of view. And the power of taking such comprehensive views of
truths is granted to few, if any, here on earth. Probably this perfect
knowledge is reserved for us in Heaven; when all, who have loved their
Lord in sincerity, will find that their controversies with one another
here on earth have been due to their imperfect knowledge and limited
views of the truths of God.