les,
broad as the charity of God; it includes all in heaven and on earth who
hold the Head. The only condition of membership in that Church is
simple faith in Christ. And the only method of severance from that
Church is through the severance of the soul's trust in Christ. He only
is a schismatic who ceases to be Christ's.

The Papal Legate told Savonarola that he cut him off from the Church
Militant and from the Church Triumphant. "From the Church Militant you
may," was the martyr's reply; "but from the Church Triumphant, never."
It was well spoken; but Savonarola might have gone further, and defied
the scarlet-coated functionary even to cut him off from the Church
Militant--nothing could do that but apostasy. A man may be
excommunicated from our church systems, or he may never have belonged
to one of them; but so long as he believes in Christ, he is a member of
the Holy Catholic Church. And schism is more likely to be charged
against those who violate the spirit of Christian charity in making
harsh and false statements against their fellow-members in the Body of
Christ. Let us not retaliate, lest we also commit that sin. We can
afford to wait. _Five minutes in heaven, or less, will settle it all_.

_The object for which Christ prayed_ is already being partially
accomplished. The world may not be as yet surrendering to the claims
of Jesus Christ, but it is becoming increasingly impressed with His
Divine mission: "that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me."
And in proportion as the Holy Spirit pervades and fills the hearts of
the children of God, the manifestation of the Life of God in them, and
through them, will have an ever-increasing effect, and will do what
church systems and even the preachings of her thousand pulpits cannot
effect in convincing and saving men.

Let us remember that Christ's own conception of the unity of His Church
is that which is the result of the indwelling of the one Spirit. Such
unity is already a fact in the eye of God, though undiscerned as yet in
all its fullness by men. Let us thank God that this marvellous request
has been already so largely realized, and let us dare to hold
fellowship as Christians with all those who are indwelt by the Spirit
of the Life, which is also in Christ Jesus.

XXIII

The Love that Bound Christ to the Cross

"Jesus, therefore, knowing all things that should come upon Him, went
forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye?"--JOHN xvii