LAMBETH APPEAL

Evening Post, Volume CII, Issue 35, 10 August 1921, Page 9

LAMBETH APPEAL

ACTS PREFERRED TO

WORDS

A PRESBYTERIAN CHALLENGE

DX. GIBB OFFERS HIS PULPIT.

In his address at the opening of the recent session of the Anglican Synodi of the Wellington diocese, Bishop Sprott epoko at length of the famous appeal of the Lambeth Coreference^on the question of Church unity. At last night's meeting of the Wellington Presbytery, the matter was brought up on a notice of motion by the Rev. J. H. Mackenzie, reading) as follows :— 1 Whovnas by an address delivered to the' Synod of the Anglican Church, the attention of the community has been called to the appeal of the ' bishops of the Lambeth Conference to. all' Christian people, that all-would seek th© healing of present divisions and the visible expression of the unity of the Church; this Presbytery, in harmony with its historical associations, declares its devout desire, alike in the interests of the Church and the world) that the conditions of fellowship craved may soon be accomplished; records its warm appreciation of the fraternal,sentiments set forth in th» said appeal, and reciprocates thie same; but, in order to a frank facing of the difficultier involved, the Presbytery points ; out that the compromise or equivalent offered, in order that nonepiscopal ministers may surrender to episcopal ordination, is no equivalent whatever. The Presbyterian Church now recognises that 'the ordination of the Anglican Church is valid and complete, and on no account would . reordain,! hence the factor preventing the immediate visible expression of unity is the refusal of the Anglican Church, to acknowledge that Presbyterian orders are valid ami complete. When this last is granted, and return is made to the Anglican law and practice before the Act of Conformity of 1662, all hindrance to expression of unity will vanish; further, this Presbytery records its great pleasure at the movement inaugurated in Nelson, wherein an exchange of pulpits all round has demonstrated to all concerned the essential unity of the sundered Churches and the Lambeth Appeal has been translated' from words into deeds. Mr. Mackenzie supported his motion .with a carefully-prepared argument, quoting liberally from . the history of the Ohurche? in Englandl. , ■ ■•: • The Rev. Dr. Gibb said that Mr. Mackenzie had narrowly anticipated him in bringing the motion forward ; he had one on very similar lines, though rather less emphatically worded. In the coarse of remarks upon the motion, Dt. Gibb said that the appeal was ambiguous on the matter of reorditiatian, but he had heard' it stated, on Anglican authority, that the intention was not only that Presbyterians should accept episcopal ordination, but that Anglican clergy would also accept ordination by the Presbytery. H« , proceeded to say there would never be ivnion between the Presbyterian and Anglican Churches until the Anglicans showed a friendly spirit-, a spirit of mutuality. High words of unity must be followed by acts and plain deeds of unity. He now offered publicly to place ' the pulpit of St. John's Church at the disposal of Bishop Sprott, any day he liked to appear there, and he hims«lf would exchange with any of the Bishop's clergy. Arrangements conld !be mad* for the prayers to be taken by their own people if it was found necessary. "I think the time has come wheri, if there is any reality in the professed desire of the Anglican Church to secure incorporation or union between themselves andl others, that there should be some demonstration of their 'will to unity' along a line of _ practical action. I should greatly rejoice if something of this kind were done. We are ready, on a basis of perfect equality, to take them by the ■ hanfi, and wish them God speed' in all their enterprises, and ready to unite An forming one great Church of God when they are ready to take action. There should Be some acts of unity on the part of those vvho professed themselves to be so eager for theoretical unity. Those acts are open to them, and they will find us ready tq meat them, .without waiting for the -union which they hope may be accomplished." . \ Mr. T. 0. Brash (an elder) said that : he was in Geneva shortly after the Lambeth Conference, 1 and he understood Archbishop Gore, who was at Lambeth, was in no doubt that reordination was to be on one side only. TheJßev. J. M'Caw said there was no doubt that the appeal was ambiguously ' worded, and he believed Mr: Mackenzie's interpretation of its meaning was correct. The motion haying been read again, D.. Gibb withdrew hiss notice of motion^ and Mr. Mackenzie's motion was carried! without dissent.