UNITED NONCONFORMITY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 799, 23 April 1910, Page 9

UNITED NONCONFORMITY.

REV. J. H. SHAKESPEARE'S ■■. ■... -.- SCHEME. : : A United Free Church of England, as distinct from the Established Church, was the suggestion sprung ■ upon the.National Council of Evangelical Free Churches—the annual parliament of Nonconformity—at its recent meeting at-Hull. The suggestion came from the Rev. J. H. Shakespeare, M.A., secretary of Baptist Union, during.- the afternoon session. "I advocate," he saidy "a United Free Church of England as distinct. from the .Established Church, not in opposition to it, but as representing the... non-sacerdotal, idea, a' United : Free Church with its different sections autonomous and yet working together with a common policy and in full co-operation. ("Heart hear.") I want to see on every notice board' 1 'The United Free Church of: England' as the-outward sign of.a great spiritual fact, oven, though we may underneath ■ read 'Methodist section , or 'Congregational section, , as the case may be.'". i As a beginning, he proposed'that .a united board'be nominated by the- respective unions, conferences, and! synods, which should institute a commission, of inquiry into the facts and , consider what can be done. The speaker told of a country town with about 900 Nonconformists' wnich -has: a Baptist, a'Congregational, a Wesleyan,-and a primitive Methodist ohagel, :a Salvation Army Barracks, a mission hall, and two or three little lots of brethren.

Mr. "Shakespeare's scheme was, on the proposition of the Rev.' James Tra- : vis, ordered to be placed in the. hands of the new executive of the council to consider, and report to the •nest conference. ■ , v. .■ ■