They  took  wide  views  of  the  range  and  scope  of  that  empire
whose  affairs  are  guided  by  Christ.     It  appeared  to  them  to
be  a  vast  spiritual  region,  within  which  separate  congregations
and  national  religious  bodies  were  like  so  many  townships  and
provinces :  over  the  whole  region  one  blood-red  banner  flew,
and   throughout   its   various   communities   the   statute-book
of   the   same   incomparable   Kuler  was   sole   authority.     The
Eeformed   Church   in   Scotland  had  its    own    characteristics,
which  distinguished  it  from  the  Churches  in  France  and  the
Netherlands  and  Germany ;  but,  for  all  that,  it  must  not  be
conceived  as  pursuing  its  course  in  isolation,  and,  still  less,  did
it  stand  in  opposition  to  its  neighbours ;  it  and  they  had  one
Lord,  one  faith,  one  baptism.     This  conception,  as  Dr.  James
Walker  writes  in  his  masterly  lectures  on  Scottish  Theology,
enabled   these  i^reachers   to   "meet   the  Church   idealism    of
Eome,  in  many  ways  so  grand  and  attractive,  with  a  nobler
Church  idealism.     They   could   throw  back   the  charge   that
Protestantism  dismembers  and  breaks  up  the  Kingdom  of  God
upon  earth,  with  the  reply  that  Protestant  unity  is  as  much  a
reality  as  Eoman  unity,  only  that  the  centre  of  it  is  in  heaven,
not  on  the  banks  of  the  Tiber."     None  prayed  more  earnestly
than  the  Covenanter  for  the  golden  hour  when,  as  there  is
one  riockmaster,  so  there  shall  be  but  one  flock.     For  proof
of  it,  we  may  hearken  to  young  George  Gillespie,  who  died
at  thirty-five,  twelve   years   before  Charles   came  back,  but
who  has  left  behind  him  an  unforgotten  name.     His  brothers
would   have  said   Amen    to    his   short,   decisive,   wholesome
affirmations.     "There  is  but  one    Christ,"  he  declares.     "Is
there  so  much  as  a   seam  in   all   His   garment?     Is   it  not
woven  throughout,  from  the  top  to   the   bottom  ?     Will  you


200  MEN  OK  THE  COVENANT

have  one-half  of  Israel  to  follow  Tibni,  and  another  half
to  follow  Omri  ?  We  shall  be  one  in  heaven ;  let  us  pack  up
differences  in  this  place  of  our  pilgrimage  the  best  way  we  can.
