REUNION, CHURCH. The movements for the Reunion of the Churches, especially among English-speaking Christians, are due mainly to two causes. In the first place, the reasons for division, which seemed once to be based on spiritual principles about which no compromise was possible, have grown fainter than they were. Few meil cling to them so tenaciously as they did, e.g., in the 17th century. Secondly, there is a widespread feeling of the ineffectiveness of the churches in face of the tasks and problems of civilisation since the outbreak of the World War in 1914. To a large extent this is attributed to the divi sions and consequent lack of unity of witness and aim among the churches themselves.
These movements for reunion are concerned with the divisions outside the Roman Catholic Church, which takes no part in them. On principle it cannot do so, as it has its own terms, sur render and not adjustment, from which there can be no departure.
An apparent exception to this statement occurred in what are known as the Conversations at Malines (1921-25). At the invi tation of Cardinal Mercier a small body of English theologians met a similar body of Roman Catholic scholars for the pur pose of exploring their grounds of difference. Begun quite un officially, at a later stage these conversations were held with the cognisance of the Archbishop of Canterbury. They were carried on in an atmosphere of friendship and respect ; but the recent papal encyclical (1928) laid down the only terms of reunion with Rome : unconditional surrender.
The Church of England and the Orthodox Eastern Church.—Negotiations between the Church of England and the Eastern Orthodox Church for mutual recognition and fellowship have a fairly long history, but the pace has been quickened largely owing to events which followed the World War. In Jan. 192o, an Encyclical Letter was issued from the Patriarchate of Constantinople "unto all the Churches of Christ wheresoever they be." It was an earnest plea for closer contact and better mutual understanding; and as a means to this end it suggested that there should be a uniform calendar for Christian feasts, intercourse between theological schools, exchange of students, impartial and more historical examination of doctrinal differ ences, etc. Following this, a "proposed concordat" was drawn up by the American Episcopal Church. After setting forth points of agreement in faith and order, it concludes : "In accordance with the preceding agreements, we do solemnly declare our acceptance of the sacramental acts each of the other, and that they are true and valid. And, holding fast the truth once delivered to the Saints, we pronounce that intercommunion is desirable and authorised for all our members wherever and whenever it is deemed convenient and practicable by the proper local and ecclesiastical authorities." To this the locum tenens of the Oecumenical Patriarchate sent a sympathetic reply. The next step was the presence of a
delegation of the Patriarchate at the Lambeth Conference in July 192o. Their subsequent report to the Holy Synod was marked by a good deal of reserve. The latitude of the Church of England proved to be a source of difficulty. The delegation also pointed out that the Lambeth Appeal puts forward "meas ures in relation to the non-episcopal Churches which also, in spite of goodwill, manifestly conflict with venerated principles and systems." Subsequently the Eastern Churches committee ap pointed by the Archbishop of Canterbury issued a statement of terms of intercommunion. In Feb. 1923, the Archbishop an nounced that the Holy Synod at Constantinople, after careful consideration, had decided in favour of the validity of Anglican ordinations. He pointed out, however, that this decision must be endorsed by all Patriarchates or by a General Council before it could become an oecumenical act.
The Church of England and the Free Churches.—The Lambeth Appeal, though addressed to all Christian people, has has had its most important effect in the field of English ecclesias tical life. It has forced the great nonconformist bodies to recon sider their relations to the Church of England and the grounds of their separation, and to do so in an atmosphere of friendliness and goodwill. The terms on which the appeal believes that union is possible are as follows : "We believe that the visible unity of the church will be found to involve the whole-hearted acceptance of— The Holy Scriptures, as the record of God's revelation of Himself to man, and as being the rule and ultimate standard of faith; and the Creed, commonly called Nicene, as the sufficient statement of the Christian faith, and either it or the Apostle's Creed as the baptismal confession of belief ; The divinely instituted sacraments of Baptism and the Holy Communion, as expressing for all the corporate life of the whole fellowship in and with Christ; A ministry acknowledged by every part of the Church as possessing not only the inward call of the Spirit, but also the commission of Christ and the authority of the whole body." It is claimed that the Episcopate is the one means of providing such a ministry. "But we greatly desire," it is added, "that the office of a Bishop should be everywhere exercised in a representa tive and constitutional manner, and more truly express all that ought to be involved for the life of the Christian family in the title of Father-in-God." These proposals have been the subject of prolonged discussion between representatives of the Church of England on the one hand and a joint committee of the Federal Council of the Evangelical Free Churches (q.v.) and the National Free Church Council (q.v.) on the other, but so far no agree ment has been found possible on two matters of essential impor tance, the use of the Creed and the necessity of episcopal ordination.