TIME FOR NEGOTIATION

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 19, 24 January 1938, Page 9

TIME FOR NEGOTIATION

NOT YET OOME

PMN REFERRED TO

CHURCHES

EARLY DECISION UNLIKELY

OflScisJ Wlrslosp,) . (■ .RUGBY, January 22. A report, the result' of many years of discussion and work of a joint conference including the Archbishop of York and eleven bishops on the Anglir can side and leading Congregationalists, Baptists, and Methodists on the Free Church side, was made public yesterday and commended to the attention of the clergy and laity of churches by both the convocation of Canterbury and the Federal Council of the Evangelical Free Churches. The report looks to the reunion of the Church of England find the Free Churches in a great United English Church, with perhaps 7,000,000 mem: bers, in which various denominations might come together without loss of what is specially valuable in their distinctive traditions. It is emphasised on both the Anglican and the Free Church side that the proposals are most tentative in character and published for the consideration of Anglicans and Nonconformists. in the hppe of furthering the cause of unity, but with full recognition that the time for negotiations has not yet come. PROPOSED CHANGES. Fusion would include some fqrm of State recognition as an expression pf the nation's rejjgipus jillegiance, Baptjprn and Holy Communion would be accepted as an essential condition of church membership. The use of the Sign of the Cross in Baptism, the wearing of a surplice, and kneeling to receive Communion are practices upon the universal adoption pf which it is suggested ■. Anglicans might not insist, j 1 Participatipn in church government would be. confined to cpm^ municants over 18 years of age. The United Church would accept the Apostles1 Creed and the Nicene Creed, but acceptance of the creed? would not exclude reasonable liberty •of interpretatipn. ' ' _ •The 'organs pf government, m ag> dittcm ft> the Genial Assembly, would be a diocesan synod and a congregational council. The Sees of Qanterbury and York would retain their status. ■. ' ■ Priests would assume the title of presbyters and the congregation would have an effective vpice ip,their selection. Present denominational forms of worship, apart from an agreed form of Holy Cpmrounien, would be acceptable. It is suggested that at first there might be more than one bishop in each diocese, each of the ; uniting churches, being: represented in a College of Bishops* A common .pledge lays it down that ail members would be able to receive Communion, equ&ily in pU Churches,- complete, spiritual unity. being obtainable only on a besjs of freedom of opinion on debatable matters and respect for even larger differences of opinipn or practice. The new Church would pledge itself not knowingly to transgress upon the long-established traditions of any churches frpm which it is formed, HEALING S3PO-YE A% PREACH, Acceptance of the scheme will heal a breach which has lasted 300. years gjnee the original schism led to the formation of the nonconformist churches. , ,j The plan embodies all agreements reached since the historic Lambeth reunion appeal eighteen years ago. The Archbishpp ■, of Canterbury, chairman pf the joint cenferenee with Dr. A- E, Garvie, leader of the Free Church delegates, in a preface to the announcement states: "We invite wide consideration of the plan, because we believe iH is C»leu* lated to dispel prejudices knd point the way to fuller agreement, and so at hist tQ the union for wjjjcl} we pray/ The plan has been referred to the Churches. No early decision is likely, Pr, Game, commenting on the plan. says that the Council of the Free Churches recommended that it should be considered, but other Churches would do nothing until the Anglican Church acted through the Lambeth Cpnference, due in 3040,