The Press. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 1907. THE UNION OF THE CHURCHES.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 12964, 18 November 1907, Page 6

The Press. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 1907. THE UNION OF THE CHURCHES.

It is undoubtedly a pity that tho movement towards the union of the Evangelical Churches in New Zealand should have ceased. According to tho Rev. Dr. Gibb, who presented a long and interesting report On tho subject at iho meeting of tho Presbyterian General Assembly l«wt week, the movement is "decadent, if not moribund." The committee, pursuant to Instructions from tho Assembly last year, brought before the Methodist, Primitive Methodiat, Congregational, and Baptist Churches proposals for cooperation in relation to Church extension, overlapping, and matters affecting the social welfare of the community. All received tho suggestion* sympathetically except th© Methodist Church, which refused to co-operate in regard to Church extension and th© pj#vention of overlapping. As the Assembly had forbidden tie committee to take any further action unless the cooperation of th© Methodists was secured, tho committee pursued the matter no further. To have done so would, in any case, have been hut waete of time. Whatever motives may have influenced the Methodist Church to take np such an uncompromising Attitude, the result has been to chock effectually the movement for union, and in view of tho admitted benefits,that would accrue from the Churches closing up their ranks, that is a matter for sincere regret. It would be deplorable if th© set-back were permanent—if what Dr. Gibb termed the wart© and strife of denominitionaTism were to remain a constant feature of the religious life of the Dominion. But it is probably safe to regard this arrest of the union movement am merely -tempo-retry, da*, •a was said, to the reaction which so many movements pass through. The New Zealand movement has suffered this experience ai rather an early stage, it is true—much earlier than is the ease with the movement in Australia.' There the joint committee of the Evangelical Churches has reached practical unanimity in regard to dootrine, and, as we learn from Dr. Gibb's report, is now engaged in trying to arrive at a common ground in the matter of polity. Ia Victoria striking progress has been made in the negotiations for bringing Presbyterians and Anglicans together. At a conference that was held last year unanimity was reached on several important matters, and though tbe result of this yea-Hs conference is not yet known, it ia stated that th© proceedings were marked by harmony and "great hopefulness." Whatever agreement may be arrived et, tho proposals will have to be submitted by tho Anglicans to til© Lambeth Conference next year before it can be known whether union is possible, but it is -something gained <to have got as far as that. It is in Canada, however, that tho greatest advane© has been made. There the joint oommittee of the Presbyterian, Methodist, and Congregational Churches have framed a basis of doctrine which has been agreed to by tho chief courts of each of the Churches, and -Overtures have been made to the Anglicans and Baptists which have been sympathetically received. There are still, we gather, wide differences regarding the questions of polity and administration, the latter being complicated by the fact that each of the three Churches possesses numerous colleges and funds of its own. It may be a kmg time in Canada, and longef still in Australia, before complete union of even the evangelical Churches is attained, to say nothing of union between these and the Anglican Church. But there scorns little room for doubt that in time the first, at least, is cortiin to be brought about, and Now Zealand, wo may be sure, will not be lone in making a fresh start in the came direction. But it ia of no use to attempt to force union; it must come from inside tho Churches and not through the pressure of their leaders, and the Presbyterian Assembly wero wis© in deciding to wait for the necessary revival of public interest in its favour, and to watch in tho meantime the progress of the movement in Australia and Canada.