CHURCH UNION.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 66, 17 March 1908, Page 7

CHURCH UNION.

pGLICANS AND PEESBYTEBIi____nS. -3OOD PROGRESS IN VICTORIA. (By Telegraph.—Own correspondent.) WELLINGTON, this day. In conversation with, a Dominion representative, the Rev. J. F. McCrae, of loorak, Melbourne, who has arrived to take up a month's ministerial work at one of the leading Presbyterian churches in this city, said the movement for church union has advanced further in Victoria than in any of the other of the Australian states or in New Zealand. He thought that one e__planation of this was that°the Anglican church in Victoria had lately had some rather awkward troubles "in regard to discipline, which had made it feel the strength of the democratic spirit and look forward to the time when the people would insist on havin" more control in the government of the church. The Anglican church had thus heen induced to flunk more favourably than it might otherwise have done of "union with the Presbyterians. Both churches showed a desire to face the problem in a thoroughly liberal spirit. Personally he did not think there was very much c-liance of union till the Anglican church in Australia became an independent church and claimed its freedom ■to revise its formularies, prayer book, etc., as the Anglican church in America had done. Before union could take place considerable concessions must be made on both sides. "We were quite willing to concede diocesan bishops." said Mr. McCrae, "provided they were subject to the Assembly, and also the optional use of the liturgy. The chief difficulties are obviously the historic episcopate aud; sacerdotalism. So far as theological beliefs were concerned there were praeticallv no difficulties.'' As regards union with other denominations, Mr. MeCrae stated that most trouble is presented in the case of the Congregationalists, who fear that they would be entirely absorbed. As they are in Victoria only a small body numerically, this fear is not unnatural. As regards the Methodists, Mr. McCrae thinks that they are perhaps disposed to be a little jealous of the negotiations between the Anglicans and Presbyterians. They fael that they have not been sufficiently recognised, and the visitor is not perfectly satisfied that they have not some reason to feel a little hurt in the matter. He suggested that probably the fact of the Presbyterian church being the State church in Scotland made the Anglicans more willing to negotiate with the Presbyterians than with the Methodists, ■whom they might regard as a dissenting : fcody.