CHRISTIAN UNITY

Grey River Argus, 31 July 1935, Page 5

CHRISTIAN UNITY

BISHOP’S APPEAL At Nelson Anglican Synod (Per Press Association). NELSON, Judy 30. In his Presidential address to the Nelson Anglican Synod, the Bishop of Nelson, Kt. Rev. W. G. Hilliard, stressed the desirability of s. complete re union of the scattered and divided ••tions of the Christian Church. “It has often been pointed out that ian Church is greatly hamcred by her own unhappy divisions, in appealing to the nations and the world to remember their •ntial brotherhood,” said the ’m-p. “We may say to warring i’n-•‘.inns ‘Ye are brethern!’ as loud y i I as earnestly as we like, but our ] ]•;■:<! would carry more weight if we obviously remembered ourselves that w. and our brethern or other .•cdesiastical alegiances are also 1 . them in Che Lord. While the realnation of the visible and *the complete re-union of the scattered and divided number- <>i the Body into our universai organisation may be, as yet, ey nd our reach, there is nothing t’o t v :t us i.-.-m moving towards one : iicr in brotherly interest and re- -- in developing an ever-deepening ■ i i ice of Christian fellowship, and icing opportunity for co-;-oration i a common cause. We must nke pa • • be friendly, even when u. .1 i — is not returned. We u-: <• ‘ ful, • bile adhering to •nr principle- not to magnify our dif icrences, ano we must not allow our prejudices to blind us to the value of the work and witness of our Christian brethern, who belong to some othe'* "ommunion than our own. We are no»r called upon to sacrifice precious prin-t-pie. of c urso. That wo dare not do: and ult mate I beJleve, wi 1 come not so much by way of the elimination of all that is peculiar to each particular group, as by way of the synthesis of all that is good and valuable in each. We are not called upon to sacrifice principles, but we are a cal ed upon to love perrons. and t’o beware of prejud : ces. Speaking genrally. I think that we are happy in ■nr official relations with the members oi other Churches in this city and throughout the diocese. Let us hold fast’ to this v»Ty happy state of affairs! Let us take every opportunitv that offers to deepen and enrich still further our friendly fellowship in Christ! Let us pray, also, that throughout the world this spirit may prevail and increase. An shall the nations and the classes be helped to overcome their differences, too. and learn to live in friendly harmony as brothers in the family of the Lord.”