PRESBYTERIAN GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 43, 14 November 1907, Page 5

PRESBYTERIAN GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

FINAL DAY. TREATMENT OP IMPORTED MINISTERS. CHURCH UNION. Tho Presbyterian General Assembly concluded its 'session lato yosterday afternoon, after despatching' somo important business during tho day. A motion proposed in the morning by the Rev. James Paterson to expedite tho formal admission of imported ministers provoked a somewhat warm discussion on the relativo claims of back-blocks Dominion ministers and of strangers to tho " plums" of Church appointments. Tho motion was not carried. In presenting in tho afternoon the report of the committee on Church union, tho Rev. Dr. Gibb (convenor) expressed his firm conviction that the present arrest of this movement in New Zealand was only temporary. Tho Assembly ovidently thought so too, as, notwithstanding the merely informational character of the report, it refused, by a largo majority, to let the committeo be discharged, though an amendment to that effect was not opposed by tho committee's members. Sabbath' desecration and tho marriago of divorced persons wore other subjects dealt with by tho Assembly.

MORNINC SESSION

FIRE INSURANCE FUND. A resolution was adopted that tho question of the establishment of a Church Fire Insuranco'Fund is worthy of serious consideration, and that the committde on this matter gather further information, and report to 'next (Assembly.

CHURCH PROPERTY. e

Tho Church Property Trustees reported that in a Bill promoted by the office-bearers of St. Andrew's Church, Wellington, on behalf of the congregation, it was enacted in tho present session of Parliament, 1907, that the property of all St. Andrew's is vested in the trustees, in terms of the Presbyterian Church Property Act, 1885, thereby bringing tho property of that congregation in line with tho other congregations of tho Church, under tho corporate jurisdiction of the trustees. The various funds of tho Church are generally 'in a satisfactory condition. Tho following statement of bequests rnd donations shows vory substantial additions to various funds of tho Church:'— £5000 for the Residential Theological. Students' College, Dunedin, by tho late Mr. ■Samuel Wilson, of Papakaio, Otago; £5000 for the Aged and .Inlirni Ministers' Fund, Otago, by tho lato Mr. Samuel-Wilson (it is estimated that these two sums may probably bo oxceeded whon\ Mr. Wilson's estate is fully realised); £400 for Church Extension by the. lato Mr. Meredith -Wilson, of Wakanui, Ashburton, payable in about four years from July 1907; £300—£100 each to Residential Theological Students' College, Dune-din,-Missions New Hebrides, and tho Aged and Infirm Ministers' Fund by tho lato Mr. Daniel f-'mith, of Dunedin, ongineor, and elder Knox Church; £25 for the Presbyterian Church, Hororata/ by the lato Sir John' Hall; £25 for the -Residential Theological Students' Collego, Dunedin, by tho lato Mr. John M'Lca-n, Wellington, £500 for,- tho Residential Theological Students' College, Dunedin, by Mr. S. F. Billion, of The Elms, Kaikoura; £200 for the' Residential Theological Students' College, Dunedin, by Miss Kirkland, Towncnd, Green , Island, Otago; £50. for Residential Theological Students' College, Dunedin, by Mrs. Hugh M'Neil, Mornington; Dunedin; £50 for Residential' Theological Students' CollcgcyDiincdin, by a country merchant. Tlie ■ eport was adopted, ■ with expressions of thanks to , the chairman of tho trustees (tho Rev. J. M'Korrow) and donors. SUSTENTATION,FUND. ' On tho 'motion''of the Rev. R. ,R-. M. Sutherland, seconded by tho Rev. A. Cameron (Dunedin), the Sustentation Fund Comniittee was authorised to appoint' another agent, in tho ovent of tho present agent (tho Rev. R. Wood) giving up the work. RECEPTION OF HOME MISSIONARIES. The following overture from tho Presbytery of Wellington was presented by tho Rov. James Patersori:—"Whereas it was the law of tho northern section of the Church prior to the Union, and.the practice of the Church subsequent to the Union, that ministers accredited, and with a commission from any of tho Homo churches wcro at once received by any Presbytery, and wore thereupon eligible lor a call; wheroas this law has beon altered and ministers from the Home churches with or without a commission can bo ; received only by tho General Assembly, and this is, often attended with much inconvenience and oven hardship to those who are commissioned to this Church, who, arriving it may be soon after the meeting of Assembly, may have months to- wait boforo being received and mnde eligible for a call and settlement; and whereas wo have always a considerable numbor of vacancies and a scarcity of men to -fill them, tho .present regulation is adverse to tho.. interests of the Church: it is therefore humbly overtured to tho venerable thp General Assembly, indicted to meet at Wellington on November 5, 1907, to take those promises into consideration with a view of amending tho presont regulation and reverting to the former practice of accepting ministers well accredited and with a commission by a Presbytery, or, if it be thought hotter, by a specially appointed board."

Mr, Pnterson moved: ""That.in future any minister .coming from Homo Churches, fully' accredited, and with a special commission to this Church, be received by ajiy Presbytery to whom his credentials and commission are presented*" He thought that they should welcome those men who came out hero—especially as , they had more vacancies than they could fill with New Zealand ministers —and not keep them waiting for months before they could bo admitted. The Rev. A. Whyte (Havolook North) seconded the motion. ■ The Rev. P. B. Fraser (Lovcll's Flat) moved as an amendment: "That the Assembly adheres to the present practice." This matter had been before tho Assembly for two or three yearSj and tho present law was the final judgment of tho Church. Ho denied that any hardships woro involved in the case of new-comers. He would not give muclr for. a cartload of Presbyterial certificates,' as he had seen them given to men whom they were afterwards very glad to get rid of. . The Rev. J. (Myrass . Bush) seconded the amendment. Ho would not like to see some of the men ho had met at Home rcceivo an immediate footing in tho Now Zealand Church. ( Tho Rev. ; D. Maolcnnan (Duncdin) supported tho amendment. The Rev. A. Cameron (Duncdin) opposed the giving of tho plums of Church appointments tg ministers from Home. Their own hardworking backbkek ministers should have preforonco of promotion to tho good livings. It was impossible to get men from the Homo Church to come out here, except for health and family reasons. The Revs. Dr. Gibb, J. Kennedy Elliott, J. Ross CWangamii), and P. C. Durward (Leeston), also spoke. Tho Rev. R. L. Walker said ho had not come to the Dominion for health or family reasons, nor to " pick up plums," but because he was imbued with tho-Imperialistic spirit. He was quite'prepared to work in .the hackblocks. In the Northern part of the Church they were getting tired of having Otago thrust down their throats. Their present policy meant that no good men would come from the Home Country, and that they would • only get tho tag-rag and bob-tail. The good men of the Church would not came to any country where such a lavr prevailed ; nor would ho personally have come. They should revert to the old law of the Northern' Church, which always worked satisfactorily. The Rev. R. M. R.yburn (Wangainii) pointed out that an addition required that the question should be sent down to Presbyteries. The Row J. Paterson said that no man was more anxious than himself to encourage

Now Zealand trained ministers, but if tbeso men came out from Homo to fill some of their vacancies, why should they not bo made welcome? Ho had always impressed upon the Homo authorities not to send out weak men or "duffers." He had como out himself forty years ago, bocnuso he had felt that it would be a noblo thing lo liavo a share, however, small, in building up tho Church in this young country. (Applause.) Forty-three votes were given for Mr. Paterson's motion, and C 3 for tho amendment. The latter was then put as a substantivo motion and adopted.

AFTERNOON SESCION.

SOCIAL SERVICE ASSOCIATION. On tho motion of the Rev. Andrew Cameron (Duncdin), seconded by tho Itev. J. Cliisliolin (Roslyn), it was resolved that the Presbyterian Social Service and Orphanage Association, of Duncdin, bo officially recognised by tho Association. GRANTS. Tho Rev. James Paterson moved tho report on grants, under which Wellington parishes will faro as follows: — Brooklyn, £30; Pahiatua, £25; Ekctahuna, £30; Pongaroa, £30; Upper Hutt, ! £2o; Wellington Suburban, £30. -It was decided to empower the Taranaki and Wanganui charges to raise Patea and Taihapo to the status of sanctioned charges. EVANGELICAL UNION AND ~ CO-OPERATION. \ The rtport, of tho Committee on Evangelical Union diid Co-operation was submitted by tho Rev. Dr. Gibb as follows:— • "At its last meeting tho General Assembly instructed tho Committee to continue negotiations with tho Methodist, Primitive Methodists, Congregational and Baptist Churches with a view to tho formation of a scheme of co-oporation in relation to Church extension, overlapping, and matters affecting the social well-being of tho community. In duo course tho committee brought the Assembly's proposals before the annual meetings of these Churches. The proposals were sympathetically received, save in the case of tho Methodist Conference, which, while agreeing to co-operate in social questions, refused to cooporato for purposos of Church extension and tho prevention of overlapping. Evon had there been no resolution of Assembly to forbid it, there would have been no use in proSocuting negotiations after tho Methodists, bad declined to take part in them; but Just Assembly tied the Committee's hands by,forbidding any advance unless the. Methodists agreed to fall into lino. They refused to do so, and your committee has therefore refrained from further action.

"It was, of course, open to the committee to attempt to form a council of the Churches for the purpose of ventilating social questions, but tho Churches are already at one with rogard to most of these questions, and it did not seem to tho Committee that it would bo justified in going to tho trouble of arranging for a central organisation to deal wjth matters that can be. o(factively, dealt with by the groups of Churches in each locality. The Churches might conceivably send representatives to a central council, meeting to determine questions of Church extension and overlapping. They would not send delegates \to discuss questions on which they are practically now of one mind. It may', therefore, be taken for granted that tho first movement for tho union of tho Evangelical Churches of the Dominion has come to an end. As to how long it will be before-the second movement begins tho committee' is not called oil to speculate; but that there will bo a second movement is among the certainties of the not distant futuro. "While the committee has little to report of an encouraging nature in the progress of co-operation and Church union in New Zealand, it is pleased 'to not that tho cause grows apace in other lands. In the report presented to last Assembly no fower than seven different union movements wero referred to. In one instance—among tho smaller Methodist bodies in England—tho negotiations have beon carried to a successful issue,' .and the Methodist Now Connection, the Bibld Christians, and tho United Free Methodists, aro now one Church. The two movements in' which 'oho Assembly is necessarily most deeply interested,' namely, tho Australian and Canadian, are full of promise, especially the Canadian. The following particulars will be of general interest: —

; "At tho third annual conference- of the Joint Committeo of the Presbyterian, Methodist, and Congregational Churches of Canada, held in December, 1906, at Toronto, reports wore presented from the supreme courts of each of these Churches. Tho General Assembly of tho Presbyterian Church expressed gratitude at tho largo measure.of unity manifested, especially in"the matter'of doctrine. The Assembly requested tho committee to approach tho Anglican and Baptist Churches, furnish their authorities with copies of the proceedings so far, and cordially invite them' to take part in tho negotiations for union. Tho Methodist Conferonco rejoiced at the progress made,.and that no incuporablo difficulties' had been discovered to prevent an incorporation union. The Coil-' foronce approved of tlio suggestion of the Presbyterian Assembly that overtures should bo made to the Anglican and Baptist Churches. The Congregational Council,"while rejojeing that so Catholic a statement of doc-' trine, should have been agreed upon, believed that the summary of tho Christian doctrine of tho United Church should lay a greater emphasis on Christian experience and conduct.' It appears, however, that the Council intends to stand in with the movement on tho basis of doctrine now"formulated. The Joint Committee complied with tho Presbyterian and Methodist request, and has put itself »n communication with tho Anglicans and Baptists, by both of whom the overture? have been very-cordially received. Elaborate statements on polity and administration were idso considered by the Joint Committee, but it. is evident that the Canadian Churches havo not by any means come so near finalitj on these questions as on that of doctrine. The proposals are regarded as ,'pr6liminary and tentative in character. Tho subject of administration is in this case ono of extreme difficulty—so 'many colleges and funds are concerned. But a porusal of the voluminous literature which has been published shows not only how earnestly our Canadian brethren are. devoting themselves to the solution of their problem, but also how broad and comprehensive is the grasp which tho promoters of this union have of the difficult and tangled questions which aro involved. Private advices received from representative men in the Presbyterian and Methodist Churches convoy the assurance that soon tho wholo of the resolutions in relation to union will be sent down to the lower courts of the respective Churches. The same advices affirm the confident conviction that no change will be effected in at least the doctrinal basis. "in Australia tho union negotiations arc at about the same stage of development as in Canada, though it is probable that there.is nothing like so much enthusiasm for tho movement as in the latter country. There seems, indeed, to be less enthusiasm than there was a year, or two ago. In Australia, as in New Zealand, tho. time of reaction has arrived—students of Church history will not be, surprised at this. All great ecclesiastical movements, and, indeed, movomonts of all kinds, pass through this stage. They aro liko tho rising tide, which appears to the observer sometimes to recedo, but tho backward flow is presently followed by an advance that makes it clear that tho movement is really upwards. But.it must not bo supposed that the reaction in Australia is as marked as it is in our. own country. Tho various committees arc still mooting regularly and doing their best to frame a basis in polity—confessedly the most difficult part of their task. Practical unanimity has been reached in doctrine. The. creed formulated by the joint committee was presented to the last meeting of the General Assembly, sitting in. Adelaide, and the motion to send it down to State Assemblies nnd'.Presbyteries for information and suggestion was unanimously carried. It is expected that tho next General Assembly, meeting two years hence, will send it down to Presbyteries under the Barrier Act. "A very interesting development has been taking place in Victoria pari passu with tho wider negotiations, namely, an effort to bring Presbyterians and Anglicans closer together! Tho circumstances out of which this movement arose need not bo detailed. Tho first Conference was held in Melbourne during 100 G. it was attended by a number of the most representative ministers and laymen of both Churches. Among others, on the Anglican side, the Archbishop of Melbourne and three bishops took part; and on the Prcsbytoriau side several of the best-known men

in tho Church were in evidence. The Conference adopted several resolutions, and appointed a committee to further elaborate' tho schomo and report to a second meeting of tho Conference to be hold a year later. Your committee has not yet ascertained whit was tho result of this conference, which took place about tho third week of October.; but they understand thnt : tho report presented by the committee was of an exceedingly interesting nature, and that the proceedings have been marked by perfect harmony and great hopefulness. .From tho proceedings of the IUOG Conferenco which have been made public it appears that the representatives of both Churches were able to seo eye ; > eye with regard to such questions as ordination, its method and significance, and several other delicate and controverted questions—a fact as surprising as gratifying. On the Anglican side tho proposals aro to he submitted to tho Lambeth Conferenco next year in England, adn till their it'will not he definitely known whether union' between tho Anglican and Presbyterian Cluirch'os of Australia is even possible. But surely tho . negotiations that have been taking place aro a very remarkable- sign of the times. Teii or fifteen yoars ago the most progressive Anglican or Presbyterian would have'scouted the , -notion that negotiations of this sort would bo possible till several centuries had rolled away. The feeling is growing that we must close up the ranks—that in face of the' problems which all tho Churches must solve or perish tho waste and. strife of denominationalism must cease and determine. The growing power and influonce of- tho Church whose policy is dictated from Homo is itsolf a sufficient reason for a drawing together of tho other Churches. : ■■ . ■■■■■ "The negotiations with the Anglicans in Australia have'so far been conducted by the Presbyterian Church .'alone. This was, however, understood to bo merely preliminary to the inclusion of the Methodists and Corigregationalists in tho movement, and the Adelaide General ' Assembly resolved that all future negotiations with the Church of England should be carried on in common with tho Churches with whom the Presbyterian Church has beon in correspondence for the-last three or four years. Developments of great interest may be expected. ' > ; - '

"Your committee merely asks'.the Assembly to rccoive this report with an expression of gratification that the harriers between religious communions that once appeared to ba us linn as laws of nature ai'c- being weakened; and that there'. is'/'good hopq that at least those Churches to which the , uanie of evangelical is generally given will ere long be organically one. The committee does not ask, during tho coming year; any other powers than a commission ,to watch the developments that are, taking place in the " direction "of Church union, and to report on these to, next Assembly." ■ ■' ••■■ '

Dr. Gibb stated that , the movement for union was decadent at present in New Zealand, if not moribund, owing 'to tho refusal' of tho Methodist" Conference to .co-operhto for purposes of Church extension and' tho prevention of overlapping. Though union had been deferred, however, the movement was assuredly going to come to tho front again in New Zealand, and he would not wonder if, in a few years' time, it would bo a burning (luestion in tho Assembly. All' tho tendencies wore in the direction of union, and ho had been impressed, as doubtless had other members of the Assembly, with the' remarks that had been made from time to time on tho necessity of co-operation between the Churches'in order to carry on successfully various features of their work. Hebelieved that it was being increasingly .recognised that the Churches must stand together in the future, and that the waste'now going on from the multitude of agents and machinery should' cease, and they should band 'together for the achievement of their common , objects. 'He was perfectly certain in his own mind, that tho present'arrest/of the union movement in' this country was'only' temporary. . He would•■ not- urge -that it should bo speedily taken, up again, but 1 they should stand' by ', and wait to sco how tho movement fared in Australia and Canada. He believed that a. second movement for union was coming 'in' , New'. Zealand', and-that' when it came it would be carried to a triumphant conclusion.He' ; moved'that the report bo adopted. . . Tho Rev. 11. J. Porter (Oamaru) seconded tho motion. Tho Row A. M. Finlayson (Waitati).' moved as an amendment' that tho com-' mitteo bo thanked for its labours and dis-. charged. Ho thought' that the progress of the movement in other, countries would bo followed, without keeping tho committee to-, gother for tho purpose. ■'..■, Tho amendment was negatived, and tboi motion for the- adoption of- tho report was carried by a largo majority. .

APPRECIATION. ' Tho Rev. DriErwiu proposed a motion ex-, pressing hearty 1 appreciation'of the work of' the llov. James Paterson, who has retired from the-conyenership. of the. Church Ex-: tension Committee, (Northern Section) after twenty-five years' office, and also apprecia-, tirin of tho..work of -the-llov. J. . Kennedy, Elliott, his fellow-convener. A large mini-, her of agents'had been brought out to the' Church by this committee and settled in Church extension charges, which had since; developed, and during many years Sir. Pater-, son had been'the leading spirit-of the committee and its work: There had been'nothing,, perhaps, of the, ''splash forward" character about tho committee's efforts, but settlement during a largo number of years, had been at a much slower rate than during the last few yc : ars. The committee had done solid work, which had made for the strengthening of the Church. Numbers of ministers in tho Church to-day had been brought out by the energy of Mr, Paterson, or been- led by him to join the ministry. Ho had himself come to New Zealand largely through the influence of Mr. Paterson. Ho thought that the Assembly should recogniso fully the work that Mr/ Paterson had done.

Tho Rev.. J'. M. Simpson (Winton), wlio. had come to New Zealand at the .instance of the committee,'dwelt on the esteem and rcv'eronco and love for." tho grand old man" that-'wore fc)t,.by>lj who had wrought with' Mr. Paterson 83. convener of the committee.. The motion >was adopted with enthusiasm, and Mr. I'atoraon expressed thanks. \ divorce! . An overture was received from the Taranaki Presbytery; "That., whereas the civil law is different from that, of tho Church on' the question of the dissolution of the marriage bonds, and whereas the number of divorces have increased of.lato,, to the injury of tho moral tone of the community; and whereas ministers are being called upon to solemnise marriage of parties.either of whom has been divorced, it: take the premises into consideration and determine what should be the action of ministers of this Church thereanent." : Tho Rev. J. R. Shore (Hawera),..wlio introduced the overture, moved that fjhc question -bo referred to. the committee on the Stato of Religion to report to next Assembly. Ho referred to tha .perplexity in which ministers found themselves in. somo eases when .they wero asked, to.marry divorced persons.' Tho Roy. Dr. Gibb .seconded the motion.' Ho said that he. liad experienced tho same difh'culty. Ho had made'it his rule to refuse to marry any. person who had been divorced, but in several cases he had married, persons who had.,secured divorces, and wore innocent themselves. This course had seemed to him to he in harmony with tho laws of both Church and State, and with the letter of tho Gospel. At the same time, ho thought it was extremely desirable that they should have a clearer ".understanding, as to the law of tho Church on the,matter. ; The Rev. A'. Wli.v'tc (Hnvolcck North) , said that ho had 'experienced the same difficulty, and had followed the same practice as Dr. Gibb. Ho thought'that that practice was in accordance with the Gospel, and avoided tho laxity of the State law, and the arbitrariness of the Roman Catholic Church and High Church Anglicans. The motion was adopted. CONGO ATROCITIES^ Mr. D. M'Donald, a Congo missionary' under the'Regions'Beyond Mission Union, gave a harrowing description of the Cong<; atrocities. Hβ stated that within the last ten years a million persons were computed tc have lost their lives in providing King Leopold with the wealth they had accumulated.- The atrocities wero not tho fault of Belgium, which was unfortunate in having such u man as Leopold for its ruler. Mr. M'Donald was thanked for his address, and a motion adopted asking the British'

Government to interfere in regard to the atrocities." . , . . SABBATH DESECRATION. A letter was read from the St. Augustino's branch (Petono) of the Church of England Men's Society, protesting against the growing dosecration of the Sabbath, arid especially against the opening of public amusements at Miramar, as announced in the i'ross. ' ' . •

The Rev. D. Maclennan (Dunedin). out lined what had been enacted in Canada to ensure a proper observance' of Sunday. Hβ moved: "That the Assembly' earnestly take up the question of Sabbath desecration; and' endeavour to obtain legislation .on the subject, and that a Standing Committee be ap- • pointed to report from year to year." The ministers and elders of the city of Wellington might be a Standing Committee on this sub- < ject. - The motion was adopted. ELECTION OF MODERATORS. ■■ ,Th« Rev. P. B. Fraser (Lovell's Flat) ' ""'. , proposed a motion for submission to Pros- . byterios in favour of altering the present ; mode of electing the Moderator by a niajority. • of Presbyteries to election by a majority of., the-Assembly. '~'■ .... ... ..,-..,. Tho motion was seconded by: the Rev. t)t, • Gibb and carried. .--.•-. .CHURCH BAZAARS. ■ .' On the motion of Mr. J. Fisher (Invercargill); seconded by the Rev. A. Whyto . (Havelock North), it was agreed :—"Th<it tho Assembly reaffirm its consistent testimony against everything in the conduct, of ,'; bazaars and , sales of work that can-be .interpreted as-favouring the practices of gambling, arid enjoin sessions to exercise the most scrupulous care in the supervision of such movements, that the Church may avoid all appearance of evil." ...... . \ ' . :"■ conclusion. Other business was transacted,and;numerous votes of thanks were passed. It was decided - that the General First Church Assembly should meet next yoar in Dunedin, and the ' , Assembly i closed its session. v. .. .