U
Unction.—(See ANOINTING THE SICK.)
Undivided Church.—In the great work of the Reformation in the Sixteenth Century, the Church of England did not seek to introduce innovations, to erect a new church in the place of the old, or to change the old religion for a new religion. What it aimed to do was to retain its ancient heritage, but at the same time to free the old Church from certain grave abuses, to purify the old religion from many harmful superstitions which had sprung up during the Middle Ages. Thus "the continuity of the English Church was the first principle of the English Reformation." In all the work of Reformation, covering a long period of time, the appeal was constantly made to the primitive standards of the Undivided Church; to Holy Scripture as interpreted by the teaching and customs of the Primitive Church, {263} the writings of the Fathers and the decisions of the General Councils. The reasonableness of this appeal will appear when we consider that it is this early age of Christianity, the age nearest to the time of the Apostles, which best preserved the personal instructions of the Twelve, which was most likely to be in accord with the Will of our Lord and which maintained the Church's unity unimpaired. It was during this time, because the Church was one and undivided, that the Canon of Scripture was established, that it was possible to hold the Ecumenical Councils which defined "the Faith once delivered to the Saints," and gave us the Creeds as the "Rule of Faith." For this reason the English Church in her Reformation appealed to the practice, teaching and decisions of the Undivided Church. It was thus she was enabled to preserve her historic continuity. The original Unity of the Church was finally broken by the great schism between the East and the West which took place A.D. 1054, (See TRADITIONS; also FATHERS, THE.)
Unity, Church.—The most apparent, most manifest teaching of Holy Scripture is the unity or oneness of the Church of Christ. It was for this our Lord prayed, "That they all may be one; as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me" (St. John 17:25). We have in these words declared the purpose of such unity, viz.: "that the world may believe." So, also, St. Paul wrote, "Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one Body and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one {264} Faith, one Baptism, one God and Father of all" (Ephesians 4:3-6). Again, in the New Testament the Church is called the Body of Christ, the kingdom of heaven, the Bride, and its people are declared to be branches of the one Vine Jesus Christ Himself. "The great thought running through all the New Testament descriptions of the Church is that of the Church's unity in itself through its union with Christ the Head." There is not the slightest warrant in the Bible for the present state of our divided Christianity, which is simply the result of sin and man's waywardness. This truth is becoming more and more realized among many earnest and thoughtful men in all religious bodies and they are longing and praying for the Reunion of Christendom. This desire has also developed a study of Church History which heretofore has been a much neglected department of Christian knowledge. This more general study of the history of the Church has already been productive of the greatest good. It has given men broader views and a clearer conception of that kingdom of grace, of which Christ is the Head and which is to be the one, living witness whereby the world may be brought to believe that the Divine Father hath sent His Son to be the world's Saviour. For this blessed consummation many earnest and devout men in all places and in almost every communion are using daily the following beautiful
PRAYER FOR UNITY.
"O Lord Jesus Christ, who saidst unto Thine Apostles, Peace I leave with you, My Peace I give unto you: Regard not our sins, but the faith of Thy {265} Church; and grant her that Peace and Unity, which is agreeable to Thy Will, Who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen."
(See UNDIVIDED CHURCH.)
Unleavened Bread.—From time immemorial the bread used in the Holy Communion has generally been unleavened, or wafer bread as it is sometimes called, from its shape, being made round like a wafer. Unleavened bread is used from a sense of reverence, using something specially made for so holy a purpose, and also because unleavened bread is not so likely to crumble as ordinary bread. It is also believed that this was undoubtedly the kind of bread our Lord used when He instituted the Blessed Sacrament.
Use.—This is an ecclesiastical term to designate the Liturgy or Prayer-book peculiar to any Diocese or national Church and differing from other Liturgies in minor details. For example, in the early ages of the English Church there were different "uses," or customs, such as the Salisbury or "Sarum Use "; meaning the Prayer-book set forth by Osmond in A.D. 1085, and used in the Diocese of Salisbury. So also, there was the "Use of Bangor," the "Use of York," the "Hereford Use," etc., but all these differing "uses" were finally superseded by the one national use, the present Prayer-book of the Church of England. The American Prayer-book is declared in the title page to be "The Book of Common Prayer and Administrations of the Sacraments and other Rites and Ceremonies of THE CHURCH (Catholic) According to THE USE of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America." {266}