CHRISTIAN REUNION

Evening Star, Issue 20613, 13 October 1930, Page 11

CHRISTIAN REUNION

SCHEME IN SOUTH INDIA BISHOP RICHARDS’S VIEWPOINT One of the principal matters dealt with in Bishop Richards’s opening address at the sitting of the Anglican Synod this afternoon was ‘ Christian Reunion ’ and the steps that are being taken in Southern India at present with this object in view. In discussing the matter the bishop says:— The most notable ecclesiastical event of the year outside the limits of the province of New Zealand has been the meeting of the Lambeth Conference, which from the magnitude that it has now attained is a witness to the growth and development of our communion. is true that it is a conference and not a legislative assembly; but the fact that it is attended by bishops from dioceses and provinces throughout the world invests it with an authority which cannot be disregarded. The subjects brought under discussion at its meetings in August may be summed up under the general head: “ The faith and witness of the church in this generation,” and while this included inevitably social and other questions urgently • needing solution at the present day, the movement towards Christian reunion—and in particular the South India proposals in relation thereto—was accorded special consideration. ?t may not bo out of place, therefore, if we give attention to these proposals, so that we may know what they are and what they involve. And first of all, as to reunion generally, we must all recognise its importance. At the opening service of the conference on Faith and Order held at Lausanne in August, 1927, the late Bishop Brent, of Western New i York, said: “The call to unity is primarily from God to man: It is for our good that the appeal is made, Througlmmity alone can the Kingdom of God be set up among men. Through unity alone can the world believe that the Father sent Jesus Christ to reveal Him to the whole human race. It stands as the unalterable condition on which He can fulfil His mission to mankind. This no one doubts who accepts Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.”

CHRISTENDOM PARALYSED BY DISUNION.

In spite, however, of the divine calf to unity, Christendom is paralysed at the present time by disunion. Those who profess the Name of Jesus Christ, instead of being united by the one spirit in one body—the church —are “ divided into hundreds of sections, functioning apart, lacking the means of common expression, manifesting to the world not the unity for , which Christ prayed, but a division which has made the Christian church a byword among the nations.” And “ the tragedy of the present situation is the fact that disunion sits so lightly on the conscience of the church. We read the prayer of our Lord, wo read the ideal pictures of St. Paul, and we return to our indifference to the fact that in almost every town and village in England ” (and, we add, in New Zealand as well) ,“ there are separated congregations, rival ministries, competing sacraments, and no urge to union. To the mission fields are sent missionaries from almost all the groups. In all large towns whore the work of evangelisation is carried on converts are baptised into rival churches, _ and the teaching of the love of God is accompanied oy the separation of believers, of families, of husband and wife, of parents and children. The material waste is appalling; but more dreadful is the quenching of the spirit of love, the impotence of the Christian message.” Those words were spoken by the Bishop of Madras.

Tliis is a terrible indictment, and with some reservation wo must admit that it is true. With some reservation: for wo note with thankfulness that people are not altogether indifferent. There is a great movement in tho hearts of Christian people towards unity: and while it is not likely that the wounds of centuries can be hen led completely in one generation, something definite has been already accomplished: there is a growing movement which gives promise of good things to come. We note as signs of tho times in this direction the union effected last year between the Established (Presbyterian) and the United Free Churches of Scotland; the union of the Methodist Churches of Now Zealand, and a similar union soon to be accomplished in England; and tho union between the Presbyterian, the Congregational, and the Methodist Churches in Canada. Again there was the “ Appeal to all Christian people ” of tho Lambeth Conference in 1920, and the Conference on Faith and Order at Lausanne in 1927; and it is not without significance that bishops of the Old Catholic Church, and representative bishops of the Holy Eastern Church, headed by tho Patriarch and Pope of Alexandria, Meletios 11., were present at the Lambeth Con-

ference this year, and attended the opening service in St. Paul’s Cathedral. MOVE IN SOUTH INDIA. It is from South India, however, that the first definite scheme has been piit forward for union of non-episcopalian churches with the Church of England. And, while South India is only a small part of the ecclesiastical world, the issues that are raised there in the proposed scheme of reunion are precisely the issues that will have to be faced everywhere before the union of Christendom can he accomplished.

The history of the South India movement is both interesting and instructive. It originated in the Indian mind when in the year 1919 a conference composed of thirty three persons, of whom thirty-one were Indians, promulgated certain resolutions which formed a basis for further negotiations. As a result of that conference the Anglican and the South Indian United Churches appointed representative commissions which have been meeting in conference ever since. They held sessions in 1920,. 1921, and 1923. In 1925 the Wesleyan Church sent a delegation to watch the proceedings, and that church was definitely represented in 1926. Further meetings were held at Bangalore in 1928 and at Madras in 1929. As a result of the Madras meeting a “Proposed Scheme of Union” was drawn up for presentation to the different religious bodies concerned.

The area to which these negotiations apply is, roughly speaking, South India and Ceylon, and the religious bodies concerned are the Church of England, containing therein about 400,000 members; the South India United Church, which was formed in 1908 by a union of Congregationalists and Presbyterians, containing about 240,000 members, and the Wesleyan Methodist Church, containing about 112,000 members. It is evident that a bold venture of faith is needed for effecting the union of a church upholding the heritage of Catholic faith and order with Protestant Churches making no such claim. Nevertheless such a venture of' faith has been attempted in South India, and the need of it is urgent. It is proposed that this United Church shall “ seek to be in full communion with the Churches of the Anglican Communion, and equally to be in such relation of communion ’and fellowship with other Churches as are now maintained with those churches by the South India United Church and the Wesleyan Church in South India.” There is the intention and expectation that eventually all the ministers of the United Church shall bo ordained by bishops, and during the, interim period “ all the other ministers (i.e., other than bishops) of the_ uniting churches in the area of the union shall be acknowledged as ministers of the Word and Sacraments in the United Church, each retaining the standing (whether as a minister authorised to celebrate the Holy Communion, _ or as a deacon or a probationer) which he had before union in his own church.” CAUSES OF ANXIETY. Such are the main provisions of the proposed scheme, and while it would be ungenerous and entirely unchristian to regard them in any other spirit than that in which they are put forth, the resulting potentialities are so vast that it would bo equally unchristian to subject the proposals to ’no criticism whatever. On the one hand if they are sound they may form a basis of reunion not only in South India but in New Zealand as well, and indeed throughout the whole of Christendom. On the other hand if they contravene catholic principles -of faith and order, then instead of promoting reunion they would form a basis of division, and in tho long run would aggravate the disease which they are intended to cure. Regarding them therefore from an ecumenical standpoint we cannot refrain from pointing out certain features which are a cause of anxiety:—

(1) Tho first of these is that although the historic episcopate is accepted as inherent in the basis of union, this is modified immediately by tho addition of the. words that this statement “is not intended to imply or to express a judgment on any theory concerning episcopacy.” It is this modification in the statement concerning episcopacy that to my mind is objectionable, and evidently this is the judgment of the general council of tho church of India, Burma, and Ceylon concerning it, for it has issued instructions to its delegates when they should resume their work upon the joint committee that the said modification should bo redrafted. If the- statement were made that in relation to the ministry the historic episcopate is accepted as a basis of union, surely this simple statement should ho sufficient. But if it be said !■< effort that tho uniting churches accept the historic episcopate, hut do not au,ach any spiritual significance to it, then such a statement, running counter as it does to the preface of our ordinal, and to the accepted belief of the Eastern and of the Roman churches, can scarcely be expected to lead ultimately to ecumenical reunion.

(2) Again, when it is said that “ all the other ministers (i.e., other than bishops) of tho uniting churches in the area of Union shall be acknowledged as ministers of the Word and Sacraments in the United Church (whether as a minister authorised to celebrate the Holy Communion or as a deacon or a probationer), which ho had before union in his own church,” Such a statement as it stands clearly

is not in accordance with the English. Ordinal, nor with catholic custom generally, by which. the authority to consecrate in the Eucharist is committed only to the priesthood conferred byregular episcopal ordination. But iii must be noted that the bare statement of the acknowledgment of all other ministers as ministers of the Word and Sacrament does not stand alone. _ If it did it would lead only to confusion and to further division. And so the authors of the proposed scheme of reunion have endeavoured to meet the situation—confessedly delicate and difficult—in the spirit of charity, _ by providing 1 that conscientious objections shall be respected. Commentihgi upon, this portion of the scheme, the General Council of the church of India, Burma, and Ceylon says: “ In view of the misunderstandings that have arisen, and the fears that have been expressed from various sides in regard to the provisions in the scheme for the initial ministry in the United Church, which secure to all existing ministers the continuance in that church of their ministry of the Word and Sacraments, the council thinks it wise to state that in heartily approving of these provisions it does, not intend that the church of India, Burma, and Ceylon should commit itself to the principle of the equally certain validity of all . ministries: ...” And later. it adds:

“ The Council welcomes the principle of safeguarding consciences and preserving the long-established traditions of the uniting churches by means of mutual trust and a solemn pledge rather than by definite regulations. It is ready rather to endorse the pledge proposed in the present form of the scheme in the belief that it safeguards the consciences of all members of the uniting churches from being forced by any future administrative acts to accept during the interim period ministers and modes of worship which are definitely contrary to their long-established traditions and beliefs, and in particular provides that the rule which the Anglican Church has inherited that an episcopally ordained ministry is required for the Sacrament of Holy Communion will be preserved for those congregations which have in the past been bound by that rule.” Tlio bare statement, therefore, concerning of the Word and Sacraments must not be read alone, but in conjunction with succeeding statements by which certainly it receives important modifications. Again, in addition to the portions that we have, already criticised, we cannot regard as satisfactory the proposals in relation to confirmation. Some provision surely should be made for the adoption as early as possible of the primitive and Scriptural practice of the laying on of hands with prayer for the Holy Spirit; and this not simply for the purpose of admitting to full communion, but as a means of grace. But, of course, with reference to this.' and to the scheme as a whole! the authors of it probably do not claim for it perfection, and wo must remember that the proposals are not yet in their final form; they are open to revision. We must remember also that patience is needed: for “ the accomplishment of union is a process extending over a number of years and not a single act.” And, although in the period during which the scheme is being developed individual irregularitties may occur,, these should not bo invested with undue importance; for, provided the essential principles be sound, it were wise surely to be tolerant rather than inflexibly rigid, and not to expect the completed building while rubbish is being cleared away and the foundations laid. * *

We have,pointed out certain features in the scheme incompatible with catholic order as we understand it, and there are others that might be mentioned. But these should be all capable of ad* jnstraent; and it is impossible to think that men who have approached the subject with such large-hearted charity, with the spirit of self-effacement, and with such devotion to our Lord, will be unable to modify the proposals in such a way as to preserve a full measure of liberty, and at the same time bring them into full agreement with, faith and order of tho Catholic Church. iWa trust that it may be so. In which case the movement in South India will.

assuredly be the prelude to a greater movement to come, in which the church will be seen in her unity and in the glory of her perfections, going forth in her Lord’s Name conquering and to conquer, “ casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalte th itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every, thought to the obedience of Christ.”-