Grand Protestant Union

In 1843, William Symington contributed an address to the Commemoration of the Bicentenary of the Westminster Assembly of Divines, which was later republished under the title "Historical Sketch of the Westminster Assembly of Divines." In his conclusion, as he contemplates the legacy of the Westminster Assembly, Symington spoke of lessons to be learned and the dream shared by those godly men who strove for "covenanted uniformity in religion" of a "grand Protestant union" grounded in the Biblical principle that the Lord is King, and his kingdoms in this earth are to serve him with one mind and one heart, and that this will be brought about one day "not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts" (Zech. 4.6).

William Symington, Historical Sketch of the Westminster Assembly of Divines (2002 PAP ed.), pp. 41-44:

Permit me, ere I conclude, to give expression to another fondly cherished hope. It must not be overlooked that the divines at Westminster contemplated, besides a religious uniformity in the three kingdoms, a grand Protestant Union throughout all the nations of Christendom. Their hearts were large, and the measures they conceived were catholic, generous, free. No sectarian prejudices, no weak partialities of kindred or of country were permitted to freeze or to confine the current of holy feeling that flowed in their bosoms. Their sympathies were universal as man; and their conceptions partook of the same lofty and munificent character. Their eyes penetrated beyond the limits of their own "sea-girt isle," and ranged freely over the nations of them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Their hearts, receiving inspiration at the cross, throbbed full with not merely "glory to God in the highest," but "peace and goodwill toward men." They, consequently, opened correspondence with foreign churches, and, in the largeness and the warmth of their affections, formed schemes of co-operation and intercourse which, in Providence, they were not permitted to see realised. They wrote letters to the Churches of Zealand and Holland; and on one occasion Baillie speaks of a deputation appearing at the Assembly and delivering in a letter from the classis of Walcheren.*

The Westminster Standards, accordingly, breathe no contracted spirit - wear no local aspect. They are, on the contrary, catholic and generous in their bearing, and adapted equally to the church in Britain, on the continent of Europe, in the republican states of America, in India, the Islands of the Southern Pacific, and New Zealand. Well did the divines at Westminster know that the Christian Commonwealth acknowledges no national distinctions, and spurns all geographical restrictions; and they had before their minds, when framing their formularies, no such anomalous contradiction as a Roman-Catholic, or an Anglo-Catholic church, but simply, a catholic church.

It is pleasing to think that the magnificent idea of a Protestant Union appears to have originated with one of the commissioners from Scotland, - Alexander Henderson, - of whose greatness of soul it was every way worthy. In prosecution of the favourite conception, he had proceeded so far as to obtain a passport to Holland, which, however, like many other good projects at that period, was rendered useless by the intervention of political intrigue. It is to the same glorious enterprise that Baillie adverts when he thus beautifully and piously expresses himself:- "We are thinking of a new work over sea, if this church were settled. The times of Antichrist's fall are approaching. The very outward Providence of God seems to be disposing France, Spain, Italy, and Germany, for the receiving of the gospel. When the curtains of the Lord's Tabernacle are thus far, and much farther enlarged, by the means which yet appear not, how shall our mouth be filled with laughter, our tongue with praise, and our hearts with rejoicing."**

Such were the bright conceptions and noble aspirations of men whom it has been too much the fashion to stigmatise as narrow-minded bigots, - aspirations and conceptions which we do not the less regard with admiration that they were clearly in advance of the age in which they were formed. The far-reaching perspicacity and large philanthropy of the men fairly anticipated what ages should elapse before being realised. Are we to entertain the gloomy idea that these bright and glowing thoughts are all to be lost? Admitting they were premature, may they not yet be accomplished? Who can tell but that the period of their realisation is at hand? Who can tell but that the seed sown two hundred years ago, still instinct with life, is destined now to reach maturity, and to yield an ample and glorious harvest? Minds of kindred mould and energy have at length arisen; times remarkably coincident have arrived; some of the causes which hindered the hopes of these illustrious patriots from being fulfilled have had time to develop and to exhaust themselves; and we see not a few ready to join in the prayer of faith, "Turn thou us unto thee, O Lord, and we shall be turned; renew our days as of old." Therefore it is that we feel disposed to regard it as something more than a baseless vision of imagination which leads us to hope that the period is not distant when the mighty principles of the Westminster standards shall be more extensively recognised than they have ever yet been, and shall put forth an energy of influence on society hitherto unknown.

Let us mark, then, the indications, let us follow the leadings of Providence; let us prove ourselves, like the sons of Issachar of old, men of understanding to know the times and what Israel ought to do. Rising above the little jealousies of sectarian rivalry, laying aside all personal asperities, let us show a readiness to meet, on the arena of frank and friendly consultation, brethren of other denominations, and to discuss with them our points of difference in a spirit of Christian candour and charity. Surely the friends of the Redeemer are not to be for ever separated. The reign of disunion is not to be perpetual. "There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in all. There is one body and one Spirit." And, believing as we do that these statements of Holy Writ are to receive a visible as well as an invisible fulfilment, we must hold professing Christians bound to use all proper means for bringing this about.

Is it not more to be desired that the Churches of the Reformation, holding by the Westminster standards, should, like rational and moral creatures, come to unite on the basis of truth, by the blessing of God, on the scriptural use of mutual consultation, explanation, advice, and prayer; than that, like insensate masses, they should wait to be melted by the fire, and welded together by the hammer, of Divine judgments? That these meetings commemorate the men and the doings of former days may result in a closer union of Christians, must be the fervent desire of every enlightened friend of the Redeemer. No one who wishes well to the glory of Christ or the good of Zion, can derive satisfaction from the thinking that the dissensions and divisions of modern times are to be much longer perpetuated. Let us, then, crucify and repress the spirit of party strife; let us feed the flame of that sacred affection which many waters cannot quench, neither can the floods drown; let us stand prepared to take to our hearts, in fraternal embrace, all who love the Lord Jesus in sincerity; let us converse closely and oft with those predictions which foretell a coming period of unity and peace; and let us drink daily and deeply into the spirit of the intercession, "That they all may be one, as thou, Father, art in me and I in thee, that they also may be one in us."

May the Lord the Spirit give the ministers and members of the divided Churches of the Reformation one heart and one way, that they may fear him for ever, for the good of them and their children after them! Then - and not till then - should be fulfilled the great, the bright, the glorious conceptions of the Solemn League and of the Westminster Assembly; it being the explicit design of the latter "to bring the church at home into nearer agreement with other Reformed Churches abroad," and of the former, "to bring the churches of God in the three kingdoms to the nearest conjunction and uniformity, and to encourage other Christian Churches to join in the same or like association and covenant, to the enlargement of the kingdom of Jesus Christ; and the peace and tranquillity of Christ's kingdoms and commonwealths." When "the people" - the saints of the Most High - are "gathered together," then - but not till then -- shall "the kingdoms serve the Lord."

* Baillie, vol. 2, pp. 115, 117, 142
** Baillie, vol. 2, p. 192.

Christianus Sum, Nihil Christiani A Me Alienum Puto

William Lisle Bowles, Life of Thomas Ken (1830), Vol. 1, p. 172:

"Homo sum, nihil humani a me alienum puto," says the humane voice of Antiquity. "CHRISTIANUS sum," replies the humble CHRISTIAN!

Andrew Campbell Armstrong, The Hartford Seminary Record (1902), Vol. 12, p. 194:

Homo sum; humani nihil a me alienum puto; thus singing, the pagan poet found nothing human of alient interest, seeing that he himself was a man. Christianus sum; Christiani nihil a me alienum puto; so the Christian thinker made religion the basis of his sympathy from the vantage-ground of faith. May we not unite the sentiments and venture a watchword for the Christian in our later age? Christianus sum; humani nihil a me alienum puto, Christianity in sympathy with essential and universal humanity! For who shall challenge the agreement of this motto with the mind of Christ?

Philip Schaff more than once explored how the Christian might adapt that famous saying of Terence, "Homo sum, nihil humani a me alienum puto" (I am a man, I consider nothing that is human alien to me.") (Heauton Timorumenos) and employ a paraphrase which was en vogue among ecumenicals of his day. In fact, he used as the motto of his series, History of the Christian Church, "Christianus sum, nihil Christiani a me alienum puto" ("I am a Christian, I consider nothing that is Christian alien to me") and explained why below. I leave it to the reader to consider wherein consists the noble wisdom of his sentiments and wherein he may have missed the mark.

Philip Schaff, History of the Christian Church, Vol. 1., General Introduction. §6 [on the duty of a Christian historian]:

3. Both scientific research and artistic representation must be guided by a sound moral and religious, that is, a truly Christian spirit. The secular historian should be filled with universal human sympathy, the church historian with universal Christian sympathy. The motto of the former is: "Homo sum, nihil humani a me alienum puto;" the motto of the latter: "Christianus sum, nihil Christiani a me alienum puto."

The historian must first lay aside all prejudice and party zeal, and proceed in the pure love of truth. Not that he must become a tabula rasa. No man is able, or should attempt, to cast off the educational influences which have made him what he is. But the historian of the church of Christ must in every thing be as true as possible to the objective fact, "sine ira et studio;" do justice to every person and event; and stand in the centre of Christianity, whence he may see all points in the circumference, all individual persons and events, all confessions, denominations, and sects, in their true relations to each other and to the glorious whole....there is a common Christianity in the Church, as well as a common humanity in the world, which no Christian can disregard with impunity.

Then he must be in thorough sympathy with his subject, and enthusiastically devoted thereto. As no one can interpret a poet without poetic feeling and taste, or a philosopher without speculative talent, so no one can rightly comprehend and exhibit the history of Christianity without a Christian spirit. An unbeliever could produce only a repulsive caricature, or at best a lifeless statue. The higher the historian stands on Christian ground, the larger is his horizon, and the more full and clear his view of single regions below, and of their mutual bearings. Even error can be fairly seen only from the position of truth. "Verum est index sui et falsi." Christianity is the absolute truth, which, like the sun, both reveals itself and enlightens all that is dark. Church history, like the Bible, is its own best interpreter.

Philip Schaff, Theological Propaedeutic: A General Introduction to the Study of Theology Exegetical, Historical, Systematic, and Practical Including Encyclopaedia, Methodology, and Bibliography - A Manual for Students, pp. 257-258:

The moral qualification of the historian may be comprehended in the Christian spirit, which is the spirit of truth and love. "Malice to none, charity for all." The secular historian must have a general sympathy with humanity, according to the motto:

"Homo sum: humani nihil a me alienum puto."

The Church historian must have a general sympathy with Christianity in all its forms and phases, and follow the motto:

"Christianus sum, nihil Christiani a me alienum puto."

No one can interpret poetry without poetic feeling and taste, or philosophy without speculative talent; so no one can rightly comprehend and exhibit the history of Christianity without the spirit that animates and controls it. An unbeliever could produce only a repulsive caricature, or at best a lifeless statue.

The higher the historian stands on Christian ground, the wider is his horizon, and the clearer and fuller his view of the regions below. Even error can be fairly seen only from the position of truth. "Verum est index sui et falsi."

Christianity is the absolute truth, which, like the sun, both reveals itself and enlightens all that is dark.

Philip Schaff, History of the Christian Church, Vol. 3., Chap. 8. §102 [on Christian art]:

Man is a being intellectual, or thinking and knowing, moral, or willing and acting, and aesthetic, or feeling and enjoying. To these three cardinal faculties corresponds the old trilogy of the true, the good, and the beautiful, and the three provinces of science, or knowledge of the truth, virtue, or practice of the good, and art, or the representation of the beautiful, the harmony of the ideal and the real. These three elements are of equally divine origin and destiny.

Religion is not so much a separate province besides these three, as the elevation and sanctification of all to the glory of God. It represents the idea of holiness, or of union with God, who is the original of all that is true, good, and beautiful. Christianity, as perfect religion, is also perfect humanity. It hates only sin; and this belongs not originally to human nature, but has invaded it from without. It is a leaven which pervades the whole lump. It aims at a harmonious unfolding of all the gifts and powers of the soul. It would redeem and regenerate the whole man, and bring him into blessed fellowship with God. It enlightens the understanding, sanctifies the will, gives peace to the heart, and consecrates even the body a temple of the Holy Ghost. The ancient word: "Homo sum, nihil humani a me alienum puto," is fully true only of the Christian. "All things are yours," says the Apostle. All things are of God, and for God. Of these truths we must never lose sight, notwithstanding the manifold abuses or imperfect and premature applications of them.

In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; and in all things, charity

Have you ever heard the saying "unity in necessary things; liberty in doubtful things; charity in all things" or its Latin equivalent "In necessariis unitas, in dubiis libertas, in omnibus caritas"? It has often been attributed to Augustine or to John Wesley or to Richard Baxter or to John Comenius. It is a common saying, employed directly or in abbreviated form for instance by the 19th-century Stone-Campbell (Restoration) Movement, by Methodists, and in Pope John XXIII's 1959 encyclical, Ad Petri cathedram, and it is the motto of organizations ranging from the Evangelical Presbyterian Church to the Moravian Church to the National Grange.

So where does this expression really come from? The source is an irenical 17th-century German Lutheran by the name of Peter Meiderlin (Latinized: Petrus Meuderlinus), who also went by the pseudonym Rupertus Meldenius. During the strife of the Thirty-Years War, he wrote a Latin tract called Paraenesis votiva pro pace ecclesiae ad theologos Augustanae confessionis auctore Ruperto Meldenio Theologo (1626) encouraging theologians in the midst of their controversies to not forget love, which included the closing words: "In a word, were we to observe unity in essentials, liberty in incidentals, and in all things charity, our affairs would be certainly in a most happy situation." This phrase has been repeated many times and attributed to many sources. But the origins of this quote have been documented by the following 19th-century scholars: Jan van der Hoeven, Gottfried Christian Friedrich Lücke, Philip Schaff (History of the Christian Church, Vol. 7, pp. 885). Knowing the source provides the historical context necessary to properly understand this common saying.