y will come in
which by means of prayer and action the aspiration of Christ's Vicar for
union will be realized."

Our non-Catholic reader may say that the position we take tends to
strengthen that exclusiveness, that narrowness, that aloofness with which
he has always charged the Church of Rome. But we would ask our
dissenting brethren, can it be otherwise? Truth is indivisible and
unchangeable. Were the unity of the Church Universal to exist only in
the Church of the future we would have to conclude that there was a time
when the Church of Christ did not exist on earth. This would be absurd
and would destroy Christianity in its very foundation. The true Church
of Christ has a right to claim the monopoly of Christianity. The Church
which, through a so-called spirit of broad-mindedness, accepts the
conflicting claims of the various dissident bodies, and is ready to merge
its entity with other denominations, immediately, _de facto_, invalidates
its claim to be "The Church of Christ." For, its position involves a
contradiction and is in itself a self-condemnation.

Yet, the Catholic Church cannot feel indifferent toward this general and
supreme effort of the various fragments of Christendom towards unity.
Confidently she waits for the hour when all will return to her as to the
only centre and source of permanent unity. Yet, we would say with the
Bishop of Northampton, "If we may not compromise the very object of this
remarkable movement towards unity by accepting the pressing invitations
of our separated brethren to make common cause with them, neither can we
rest content to be mere spectators of their perplexities like those who
watch from the shore the efforts of distressed seamen to make their
port." Let us hope that Divine Providence, always gentle and strong in
its dealings with human liberty, will hasten the day when there will be
but "One Fold and One Pastor." In the meantime the efforts made to
constitute unity of Christianity outside of its true centre will prove as
futile as _ploughing the sands of the desert_.

[1] The withdrawal of the Northern Presbyterian and Northern Baptists and
the failure of the financial drive have imperilled the existence of this
ambitious project. Is it not a case of repeating with the Psalmist:
"Unless the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build
it?"--Ps. 126.

[2] In the last Lambeth Conference--1920--the Church of England has again
reduced this minimu