CHURCH UNION.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 301, 14 September 1908, Page 2

CHURCH UNION.

Siir,—Referring to tho first paragraph of "I'liylnx's" letter in yesterday's Dominion, 1 would romark that the mombers of the tivo Clntrelies, who nro endeavouring to see wliiil.lior a basis ot union satisfactory to both cannot bo dovised, have decided to await tiio return of Archbishop Clarke beforo venturing to interpret tho somewhat Delphic utterance of tho Lambeth Conference. "Phylax" keeps on asserting that Presbytorianism was "invented" by Calvin. Well, hero are five marks of tho primitivo Apostolic Church that your correspondent would do well to ponder:—(l) Tho oilice-bearers wero chosen by the people. (2) Tho office of bishop and elder was identical. (3) There was. a plurality of eldors in each church. (4) Ordination was tho act of a presbytery, that is, of a plurality of oldoro, (fi) There was, n privilege of appeal to the assembly, of eldors j

and tho power of government was exercised by them in their associate capacity. AH thcso are to be found in the New Testament; they, are all to be found.in Prcsbyterianisni; /ihe Reformers did not set up a new Church. "It was their great aim not to destroy the Church as a united and visible body,_ but to strengthen and perfect its organisation by purifying it from corruptions, and restoring its apostolic and primitive form." But wo must keep "Phylax" to tho point. Ho'began this correspondence by asserting two things:—(l) That ordination by presbyters had never been recognised by the Anglican Church ; (2) that it never would ; adding, "we must hold to . the historic ministry. ' As regards 1, I selected three instances, in which recognition had been accorded. "Phylax" admitted two of these, and he now concedes tho third by . making a virtue of necessity. Having dislodged. "Phylax" from lijs first position, we can now; close down on his second. Judging from-his last letter, ho. seems inclined to shift his ground, and to regard the "historic ministry" as. pertaining to the well-being, rather than to-the being, of tho Church. If this be indeed the case, his real reason ■ for opposing the recognition of Presbyterian Orders is removed. Only lie should abstain in future, from designating as a "body "the great historic Church of Scotland by law established, to the General Assembly of which the King sends his representative with pomp and circumstance — a Church which, in its form of government, is far moro national than is tho Church of England. . But if, on the other band, "Phylax" still adheres to the sacramentarian, Laudian theory of the-Church, let him address himself to the task I set him in my last letter. If he does, we shall require from him ; proof absolute and irrefutable. There must be no balancing of "pros, and cons." Sadler's "seems," "impossible to suppose/' "in all human probability," will not do. Tho evidence must be irresistible, and overwhelming. For the theory held by the Anglo-Catholic section of the Church of England not only bars the way to the, union or .the federation of the Protestant Churches, but also consigns myriads of faithful Christians —many of .whom have sealed their testimony • with their blood—it consigns them, I say, to the uncovenanted mercies of God! —I am,'etc/, PRESBYTERIAN. ' September 5. ,