DUNEDIN PRESBYTERY

Evening Star, Issue 17036, 6 May 1919, Page 6

DUNEDIN PRESBYTERY

The Dixnedin Presbytery held their monthly ' meeting to-day, the R«v. W. Trotter (Moderator) presiding. Commissions'were received.iu favor of Mossrs Wm, Crawley (Ravensbourne), R, Millor (Seacliff), and Wm. Allah (JJast Taieri). Grants for manse upkeep were sanctioned in respect to Maori Hill, Waikou- | oiti, East Taieri, Green Island, and Chal- ! mers. i , PROHIBITION CAMPAIGN. j The Rev. .R.. „S. Gray, representing the New Zealand Alliance, attended and addressed! 'the Prosibytery in connection with the campaign for National Prohibition. Mr Gray expressed the desire that his remarks should not be reported. At the conclusion of the address a vote of thanks was accorded Mr Gray, after which the Rev. J. Kilpatrick moved—- " That the Presbytery desire to congratulate the Dnnedin electorate on the splenj did vote given by them for National Prohibition on April 10, and again express their determination to do all in their power to secure a. vote that will for ever banish tho liquor traffic from our Dominion. Mr Kilpatrick. in moving the resolution, said that he had the strongest belief that when the educating process had been ; gone through and the vote taken iu ' November, liquor will go out for ever. It would be best for the Dominion and for the Kingdom of Christ that this should come to pass. The Rev. A. M. Finlayson seconded the motion, which was carried. UNION OP CHURCHES. The Rev. G. H. Balfour, as convener i of the committee appointed by the General Assembly to consider the matter, moved—"That the Presbytery heartily agree to support the movement for the union of the. Presbyterian, Methodist, and Congregational Churches, provided a satisfactory basis of union can be found, and urge .tho sessions, deacons' courts, a.nd congregations ■ to earnestly consider the matter, and, if possible, give it their hearty support." The mover said that there was a difference of opinion, some considering that there shouldhavebeen a basis of union formulated before the matter was referred to presbyteries, sessions, and congregations, but "the Assembly had decided otherwise. The motion was somewhat ; vague, because presbyteries, sessions, and congregations were only asked lo support this ou condition that a satisfactory basis of union could be found. Then, he ' understood, meetings would follow, and a basis of union formulated, and later considered. The proposal was harmless enough for anyone to accept, but it would be better not to accept it if they were not going on with the negotiations at all. Ho asked the Presbytery to pass tho resolution. The Rev. A. Cameron, in seconding til© motion, said that he heartily approved of the union of Churches. The whole position of the Churches had been considerably affected by the war. He trusted the resolution would be passed, and that they would proceed earnestly to carry out the work. Personally, he thought the wrong method had been adopted ; they should have seen first that a basis of union which could have been received had been suggested. What had been done in this way in Canada and Australia showed that such a basis could be secured. The Rev. A. M. Finlayson pointed out that the resolution dealt merely with the question as to whether union was desirable, and no progress could be made until some definite proposals for union had been made. The Assembly, he thought, had ignored the Presbytery in the methods adopted in the matter. The Rev. R. It. M. Sutherland said he was satisfied that the people of tho Church were not agreed on the matter of union. He had been credibly informed that the union which was going on in Canada would probably mean the destruction of both the Presbyterian and the Methodist Church there, and there would be greater disunion afterwards than before. This was just as likely to happen hero in New Zealand. It was a clerical rather than a people's movement. He was iu favor of union; he would favor union with Father Coffey's Church or with Bishop Nevill's if they would accept his terms. _ The Rev. R. K. Davies said that he had found in some quarters there was some misapprehension m regard to the, position. At a meeting of the Men's League a motion had been proposed that there should be no extension of the home mission movement in view of the possible union. He had pointed out that the matter of union was not one of months, but of a period of years. It would be unwise to go too fast, and he would favor anything which tended to educate the members of the Church on the principles of union. Mr W. Gow expressed the opinion that the people were not ready for the proposed union; thev might be sentimentally in favor of it, but he did not know but that it was merely a Christian sentiment that churches should be joined in the work of God. Until they knew upon what terms that union could take place tl.ey must be careful. He suggested lhat ministers should raise tho question in their sessions.

The Rev. A. Wliyte expressed himself in favor of union, and considered that nothing could stop it. It was coming, coming soon, and in a satisfactory way. The Rev. W. Trotter strongly supported the motion. It, was a perfectly fair question that was being put. If they were to consult their sentiments they might say with him: We have been bom and bred Presbyterians, and hope to die Presbyterians. That, however, was the sentiment that they wanted to get above as Christian men and to endeavor to see where their duty in the mutter lay. It was a practical 'question they had to decide—whether they were to unite with those churches with, whom they could sit down at the Lord's table ; they were, of course, not in a position to do this with either the Anglican or Roman Catholic Church. Rev. .1. Kilpatrick complained that the Assembly had, in appointing the committee from whom this resolution emanated, carefully eliminated anyone likely to be against union. This, said Mr Kilpatrick, was most unwise. Mr Sutherland, for instance, should have been the first one to be put on the committee. Pie (the speaker) was not opposed to union, provided always that the Church was not bound to go on with it on any basis which might be produced. If there was to be union, it must be a complete union. The motion was carried by 23 votes to 3. Mr Balfour then moved that the Presbytery be asked to nominate extra members on the Assembly Committee. This was agreed to, and the following names were added: —Revs. Fin lay son, Gray, Whyte, Davies, Barton, W. F. Evans, Calder, and Messrs Prentice, Arthur, and Duckworth. ST. MARGARET'S COLLEGE. The St. Margaret's, College report, submitted by Mr W. Gow, stated that the year had been a successful one, and the rooms had been fully occupied. During the period 1918-1919 sickness had been exceptionally prevalent. The students at pre-'' sent in residence were : Within the bounds of the Presbytery, 5; south of Dunedin, 21; north of Dunedin, 31: North Island, 20; Australia, 2; total, 79. was adopted.