THE ONE FOLD AND ONE SHEPHERD.
The Outlook (formerly Christian Union), in commenting on the late papal encyclical, in which the pope pleads for the union of Christendom, says, after giving a summary of its contents:— "Only the most narrow minded and bigoted can fail to acknowledge the wisdom and courtesy which pervade the most of this latest utterance of the venerable head of Roman Catholic Christendom. With much of it, of course, Protestants can have no sympathy, but the spirit of the document is decidedly and conspicuously Christian. We do not believe that Christendom will ever be united on the basis of the Roman Catholic Church, but we also know that there will never be a united Christendom until in some way both Romans and Protestants have come to clear and friendly agreement. Very fitting is it, in these last years of the life of the venerable and honorable man, whose word carries so great weight with millions of people, that his appeal to the Christian world should be in behalf of a united and aggressive Christianity. May his prayer be answered, and the day swiftly come when there shall be neither Romanists nor Protestants, but only Christians." The Outlook is a paper of large influence, and is the representative of a large class of so-called liberal Christians. Its utterance is worthy of notice as showing the attitude of liberal Christianity toward the Papacy. The papal encyclical is, it is true, kindly expressed; it is designed to woo and win. But to our mind it expresses nothing which should meet with any Protestant "sympathy." The pope makes not the slightest concession to Protestantism. The Roman Catholic Church is, in his mind, the one and only fold of Christ. He tells Protestants that they have no certain rule or standard, and that their case is hopeless outside of the Roman Church. He treats them as sinners and heretics, and appeals to them (courteously, of course, why should he do otherwise?) to return to the mother church, just as the minister of Christ would courteously plead with the sinner. And this is "the wisdom" "which pervades" his letter, but it is worldly wisdom; and Protestants, many at least, cannot see it. The wisdom of Christianity is that fear and reverence of God which counts God's will wisest and keeps his commandments. It makes no Protestant creed, nor Roman creed, nor human creed, the642basis of any union, but the word of God as it is in Christ Jesus. It will count the utterance of the pope of Rome no more than that of any other man. The utterances of the word of God are alone paramount. The Outlook prays, "May his [the pope's] prayer be answered." And it will be. Protestants are becoming ashamed of the name Protestant, because they have disavowed its principles. Roman Catholics will not admit of the term "Romanists," as applied to Catholics. Under the name "Christian" they will all unite, while they crucify Christ afresh in his holy word. We do not plead for the name "Protestant;" it is of itself worthless without the principle. This is just as true of the word "Christian." But the true Christian will be a true Protestant ever and always against those errors upon which the Roman apostasy is built. He will hold high above all things else the paramount authority of God's word; he will protest against creed interpretation and the interference of the civil magistrate, or any other civil authority, in matters religious. From all this Protestants have as a whole departed, and in the same measure have they returned to Rome. From the principles which made Rome what she was during the Dark Ages, what she still is, Rome has not swerved a hair's breadth. In the union that is to be, for which the pope prays, and which prayer the Outlook prays may be answered, it will be easily seen that the one fold will be the Church of Rome, the one shepherd, the pope. But, amid the sacrifice of truth and principle for policy's sake, there are those, there ever will be those, who will witness for Christ and truth, who will bear witness against antichrist and error, who will bear aloft the gospel of Christ as the power of God unto salvation to the believer, who will keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, who will, with all others whose names are written in heaven, form the one fold—the church of the living God—under the one Shepherd—Christ Jesus, the Lord. Clouds may at times overshadow the little flock, but God stands "within the shadow, keeping watch above his own."