PRESBYTERIANISM.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20112, 24 November 1928, Page 1 (Supplement)

PRESBYTERIANISM.

AND THE ASSEMBLY.

BY KOTAItE.

Tho Presbyterian Assembly now meeting iu Auckland is moro than tho Church Parliament of a small branch of modern Christendom. It means more than that even in its purely New Zealand significance. For at least 0110 m every five of our New Zealand population professes his adhcrenco to this old historic Church, and it has taken au honourable part in the development of New Zealand.

Whilo in aggressivo missionary work ill New Zealand it was later iu tlio • field than tho Anglican, Methodist and Roman Catholic Churches, it helped to lay the foundations of colonisation in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, and it definitely established tho first settlements in Otago as a Presbyterian colony. It has since tho pioneer days maintained its placo among tho other branches of tho Christian Church, and it has contributed its share to tlio ideals and achievements of the Dominion. , . But its work in Now Zealand has been only tho transference to a new country of standards that have been in tho forefront of battle in many a held in many different lands since tho days of the Reformation. Tho three great branches of Reformation Christendom tended to become localised. Probably national psychology had something to do wit.li it. Thero was something of local pride, too. Germany added its mysticism and became tho stronghold of the Lutheran Church. England with its instinct for finding a via media between apparently irreconcilablo paths took much of its theology from Geneva and maintained the aristocratic form of government of the older Church. liutheranism was strictly conJincd to tho land of its origin and the racially cognato countries of Scandinavia. Anglicanism touched no laud outside of England. It was the expression of the English spiritual consciousness; it came from tho heart of England and there it remained. r lho third branch of the Reformation Church began under Calvin in Geneva, spread from Switzerland north and south and cast and west. Prosbvterian.ism became the Reformed Church of tlio rest of Europe. Democracy. Whether it was tho essential democracy which was tho foundation of Presbyterian Church government, or tho clear-cut Calvinism of its doctrine, that appealed to all sorts and conditions of men, it is not easy to decide. In Franco, Presbyterianism was the Huguenot Church; in Holland tho Dutch Reformed Church; in Italy the Waklensians. It was strongly established in Bohemia, in Poland and in. Hungary. Except in Poland theso Reformation Churches still stand. The Magyar Reformed Church of Hungary is tho largest Presbyterian Church in Europe. Scotland early lit its torch at Geneva and has remained faithful to its old allegiance to this day. It is to tho Scottish Church that New Zealand owes its Presbyterian element —in largo measuie at least. Tho powerful Calvinistic Methodist Church of Wales is tho latest of the national forms of Presbyteriamsm. Only tho Roman Catholic Church has been, wider in its appeal to the nations of Europe. . . . , . . Presbyterianism from the beginning was the inspiration. of the European struggle for political and social liberty. It put iron into the blood of tho Dutch in their long and heroic battle for national independeneo against tho might of Spain. It was almost extinguished in blood and fire in Bohemia. It nerved Scotland for its fight against the foolish attempts of the Stuarts to establish Anglicanism throughout the British lands. Macaiday assigns this passion, for liberty to a fundamenal principle of the Calvinistic theology. The Calvinist's faith in tho sovereignty of God made him humble himself into the dust in the Divine presence. But for that very reason it lifted him to his feet in the full pride of his manhood in tho presence of men. God, so ho believed, had planned in every detail tho pattern of the tapestry human life* would weave. In the great sweep of His eternal plan He had thought of each man whom Ho had chosen, and had appointed for him his special placo and task. A man who was convinced that God had honoured him with a call to co-operation in realising His plan for the world found a self-reverence, a self-esteem, if you will, that would tolerate no interference from king or parliament or prelate. The very abjectness of his self-abasement before liis God postulated a proud selfassertion before his fellow-men. Liberty.

Within tho borders of his own Church he naturally insisted on a part in the control of ecclesiastical affairs. Peasant and peer met on absolute equality. Theie was no ultimate distinction between priest and people, between cleric lay, betweeu sacred and secular. Tho ministers wero the servants of tho congregation that had appointed them. Tho humblest church member was as much a priest as tho highest official in tho Church. That also was the logical outcomo of his pride in his manhood. Inevitably 'this doclrino proved too strong for weak humanity. With nil his passion for liberty and his hatred of control, tho Calvinist was not able to see that his faith must logically apply tn the operation of other human minds. If-he demanded freedom to act and think for himself, then, he must allow all other men the same privilege. It was long before Presbvterianism realised that freedom of conscience was a necessary corollary to tho faith on which it built. Liberty of conscience is a thing tho world has been slow to understand, and has always been a particular difficulty to men of intense or fanatical faith. Calvin himself fiad failed here. Ono Servetus had been condemned by the Church of Rome for his heretical opinions. Ho thought ho might find sanctuary in Geneva, then under tho control of Calvin. Calvin had him sent to the stake on his own account. From tho beginning it was felt that this abominable intolerance was wholly contrary to tho spirit of Prcsbyterianism. Twenty-five years ago a great company of Continental Presbyterians assembled in Geneva, and on tho spot where Servetus suffered, unveiled a monument of expiation, acknowledging their leader's fault so many centuries beforo and proclaiming to all tho world their sorrow and shame that tho annals of Presbyteriauism wero sullied by so grievous an example of ecclesiastical bigotry. This is something uniquo in the history of Christendom.

To-day if Presbvlerianism is true to its own faith tliero is lli.it at I lie heart of it which must make for tolerance. Nothing can remain static an J maintain its health. The right to my opin.ion means tlie right of other people to theirs. Truth is a growing thing—or at least our knowledge of it must lie. As horizons widen the Church's vision must broaden with I hem. Among the men of all faiths who have tried to welcome all tho truth of tho modern world and who have refused to remain anchored immovably to ancient dogmatisms tliero have been many of tho Church now meeting in Auckland. An Ariclesiaslical assembly is a small thins if it means only a shouting to heaven of antiquated battle cries; if it means a fronting in all charity and eouracro of tho light breaking in 011 ancient truth from a hundred points in the modern sky; if it means the linking of tho essentials of tho olden faith to tho impulses and tho knowledge and the vision of the new world: if it means tho unconditional insistence on spiritual values and not merelv ecclesiastical values in an ago much Minded bv materialism but at its heart much moro longing for religious leadershin than it is prepared to admit, then such an assembly will yield to no other council of the nation in. its bearing on tlio genuino welfare of tho Dominion.