THE RELIGIOUS WORLD.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 12849, 6 July 1907, Page 12

THE RELIGIOUS WORLD.

church union. The cabk-s recently announced that, an important sttp has bten taken by the Canadian Presbyterian Church in connection with n movement which hus for some tune been afoot in the Dominion, with the object of forming a united Protectant Chunh. The Presbyterian General Assembly, recently in ressirtii, has been discussing ft motion declaring tile advisability of a union being eiiVcUd between Presbyterians, Methodists, and Congtcgat:onalists, under the name of the •'United Protectant Church."' In December last, of tho above tlireo Cluii-clk-. met in joint committee, and in their report of that mooting inserted the following clause in tho form of a resolution:—"That this joint committee, having received the reports of the various sub-committee:; on doctrine, polity, the ministry, udminist ration, and law, and also the reports of the various denominational committee*, rejoices to find the substantial unity existing among tho negotiating churches, and tVels piveourngerl in continuing further negotiations for u:ii"n." The Presbyterian Ociu-ral Aswinbly lias now endorsed this resolution

Tlic Rev. George Tiiit, convener in Victoria of the committee on the federation of Churches, appointed hy tho (;<nrrr>l Assembly of tho Presbyterian Church of Australia, has expressed groat satisfaction with tho action of tho Canadian General Assembly in this mutter. Negotiations for organic union between tlie Presbyterian, Methodist, nnd Cnrirrreiu-.tioiiiil Churches in the Commonwealth have not gone so far as this news from Canada indicates thorn to havo arrived nt there. Mr Tait snys, however, that a basis of doctrine hit's been practically accepted, although not formally, and'that on matters of polity no difference of principle has arisen.

At the groat united miK'ifnnry conference in Shanghai, concerning which Colonel Ferwaud had received a brief tclegmr.i at the time of his Chrietchurch visit, tho discussion on the question of union and tho formation of an independent Chinese Church, resulted in the pas ing of the following resolution : — 'That this conference unanimously hol.Ls tho Scriptures of the 01:1 and New Testaments as the supreme standard of faith and practice-, and holds firmly tho primitive Apostolic faith; further, while acknowledging tho Apostle's Creed and the Nieene Creed as substantially expressing the fundamental doctrines of tho Christian faith, tho conJerewo does not adopt any creel as a bn.sis of Church unity, and leaves confessional questions to the judgment of tho Chinese Church for future consideration ; vet in view of our knowlodge of each others doctrinal eymiwN, history, work, nnd character, we gladU - recognise ourselves as already one body, teaching ono way of eternal lite, and calling men into on© holy fellowship - and ac ono in regard to the great body of doctrine of tho Christian faith; one in our teaching ac to tho love of God the Father, God tho .Son, and God the Holy Ghost; in our testimony as to sin and salvation, and our homage to th? Divine and Holy Rodeo in or of men ; one in out call to tho purity of-the Christian life, and in onr witness to tho splendours of the Christiun hop?. Wo frankly recognise that wo differ sw to methods of administration and Church government, that eoine among us differ from others as to the administration of baptism, an<l that the-ro am sonic differences as to the etatom«nt of the. doctrine of predestination or tho election of grace. But we unit 3 in holding tliat these exceptions do not invalidate the assertion of our reil unity in our common •witness to the G-ospjel of tho grnoo of God." Much gratification i.s expressed at tho tuccpseiul negotiaiion of a difficulty 3a which the conference, had it been le«? in earnest, might have split. There were a thousand delegates present, representing all the Protestant churches and missionary societies.

WHAT THE CHURCHES ARE DOING. NEWS AND NOTES FUR PULPIT AND PEW.