CONGREGATIONAL UNION.

Otago Witness, Issue 3557, 16 May 1922, Page 16

CONGREGATIONAL UNION.

SYDNEY, May 11. The Triennial Assembly cf the Congregational Union of Australia and New Zealand has opened. The New Zealand delegates have not arrived. The Rev. Davies, in his presidential address, dealt with the realities of Christian life. He declared that the world made no serious effort to follow Christ, because the Church did not teach His way or life. The world would always and everywhere believe in the reality of self-sacrifice and brotherly love. It was utterly useless to speak of these things and to follow the pagan principles of self-assertion, selfishness in private business, and social se]f-seekin<r as a common practice, and to shout a loud denial of Christ. The Rev. Davis, at the Congregational Assembly address, was outspoken in his condemnation of worldliness. He declared that in the Kingdom of God man had no more right to spend most of his life collecting wealth than the savage had in collecting scalps. If to-day the mask were removed, Mammon in the world would be found to he obvious and ugly. YVe had tried to love God while we exploited or hated men, and as a result we did not love God, and God had small, if any, place in our human affairs. We did not challenge the world to live in Christ’s way. We denied His rule in our daily life. We talked of brotherhood and practised self-interest. We talked of love and practised competition. Christ in the flesh was our one and only test of His reality. The acceptance of the four Gospels as the Christian wav would demonstrate real Christianity. We all knew it would produce a new church and a new social order. It would save us from trying to serve both God and Ylammon. May 13. The Congregational Conference adopted the amended basis of a doctrine drawn up by the Presbyterian Joint Committee on Church Union. The report stated that the voting resulted in 9936 recording in favour and 1524 against throughout the Commonwealth, representing 60 per cent, of the membership and from 80 to 85 per cent, of the effective membership. A resolution was passed authorising the executive to take the necessary steps in conjunction with other churches for consummation of the union ; and recommending the State unions to foster the spirit of union by promoting co-operation with the Presbyterian Churches as a precursor to a more comprehensive movement.