ENGLISH CHURCH

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21146, 23 April 1934, Page 10

ENGLISH CHURCH

RELATIONS WITH NON CONFORMISTS ADDRESS BY KEY. CANON I'KRRY

Taking for his text last night at St. Michael's Church "The Church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth,'' the Rev. Canon Charles Perry said that all Christian people should love one another, and that the various systems under which they tried to serve the incarnate Lord would not interrupt that love. But the systems were quite incompatible with one another. The church believed that Jesus Christ organised His religion in one society, governed at first by His apostles, and afterwards by the bishops and their successors. This organisation was continuous throughout the ages, and was identical with the church of to-day. From the sixteenth century, however, other religious societies had taken their rise. They had no bishops in the succession and no priests. They agreed to live and work apart from the bishops They did not believe in the historical ideas and principles which surrounded the priesthood. The Book of Common Prayer which belonged to the English part of the church was committed to the ancient organisation. However well disposed to Christians of other societies church people might be, however anxious to link with them in social matters, they could not, without disloyalty to I all that they had been taught, join ! them in religious enterprises. To jdo so sooner or later would lead as | a rule to some loss of good-will, and | therefore it was better not to make I a beginning in such a direction. | "Principles are more important jthan persons," he said. "For Anglicans the principles are in the prayer book for all to see, especially | in the preface to the Ordination services."

Therefore, the preacher said, the people of St. Michael's and of several other parishes would not be able to join with other denominations in the "Youth for Christ" campaign. It was thought that Anglicans would have an effort of their own, and he hoped that their honesty in facing the situation and their loyalty to their own principles would not be regarded as a lapse from that love which all should have for those who served their common Lord and Master.

Rivera, the impressionist artist, whose mural panels were refused in the United States after Rivera had been paid 35.000 dollars to do them. The panels Mr Cuningham saw were in the cathedral and depicted in most vigorous style the history of Mexico up to modern times. The return journey fro? i Mexico through Arizona completed 4400 miles of travel for Mr Cuningham. who then started for his home in Christchurch.