CHURCH UNITY

Taranaki Daily News, 25 July 1930, Page 7

CHURCH UNITY

LAMBETH CONFERENCE. ARCHBISHOP JULIUS’S SERMON. Deploring the division of. Christ’s Church into chuches, Archbishop Julius, preaching on Sunday at Opawa, Christchurch, besoought all to pray for the guidance of the 300 Anglican Bishops who, at the Lambeth Conference, were now considering a proposal for unity. He took as his text the Epistle of St. Paul to the Ephesians, 1., 22-23 —“And had put all things under His feet and gave Him to be the head over all things to the Church, which is His body, the fulness of Him that fillethi all in all.” This was the first definite statement of the unity of the Church of God in the New Testament, said the Archbishop. It set for the one, holy Catholic Church in which all professed to believe. Yet to-day it was very difficult to believe in the unity of the Church — a Church seemingly so divided. The Church which Christ left behind Him was to be the body of which He, invisible, was the head. Sacramentally, through the human agency of the Church, he made Himself known and ministered -His grace. The Church was the seen instrument by which He operated on the worldi Yet it was not merely a visible thing; the great part of it was in the unseen. And because the visible part of the Church was just the human side of the sacrament, therefore it was imperfect, sunken in shame in days gone by, and even to-day failing to fulfil the works of God, its head. No church could rid itself of the fact that it was in the family of God’s Church; the Church was there before the Diciples, and it would still remain if all Christians died out. In its early days, there were -no rules for the organisation of the Church. It set itself to organise, however; for organisation was essential to make vigorous and effective the soul of the Lord. Man could not subsist by himself; the family was the lowest unit in society. The English people, self-centred as they were, found it difficult to realise the fellowship of mankind or of the Church. Yet a Christian cut off from the fellowship of the Church was as miserable a specimen as a man cut off from his fellow-humans. In the New Testament, there was written much about the churches, but very little about the Church. These churches were organised and had their little individual lives and lives.. By •nd' Uy shey '*«re idiiddWited, ’ ’seoi*

sciously or unconsciously, in fellowship in the great Church of Jesus Christ. For many centuries this unity was wonderfully maintained. But then at last came division; the west separated, from the east without any due cause, the Reformation arose, and division arose between the Christians of the north and the Christians of Latin origin. To-day there were many more churches, even in New Zealand. Yet people spoke their belief in the holy Catholic Church. Though that part of the Church which was on- earth was divided and broken, one side often cursing the other, yet the Church of God still remains,, united to preach His word. What would be the completion of the Church? What would make it better? St. Paul said that Christ was not complete because His body, the Church, was not complete. The Church had to attain God’s ideal for it, just as Jesus Christ had to attain it. Suffering, said St. Paul, would win the Church of God. In work and suffering, struggle and reform —there only the Church was winning its success. Until Christians took an interest in things that were far beyond them, they were only pitiful representations of the love of God. They should turn their attention far beyond New Zealand to the Lambeth Conference, which was now holding one of the most momentous meetings, in the history of the Anglican Church. There were gathered 300 Bishops of more than one colour, representing the United Kingdom, every country of the Empire, and America. The question had arisen in South India whether there was any way in which the Churches of the world could be unit ed; and this ’had been laid before the conference. If the conference accepted it, many would break from the Church, unable to agree with the decision; if it was opposed, one of the greatest opportunities for unity might be lost. It was a desperately important question; and all should pray for the guidance and help or the Bishops who were now considering it.