CORRESPONDENCE.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LX, Issue 17076, 1 September 1917, Page 6

CORRESPONDENCE.

I CHURCH ACTIVITIES AND THE GIRLS' HOSLEL.

(To.the Editor.)

Sir, —Our vigilant fnond at Mart on Is exercised oAer the actn ties of the of England," and others think her unfit to manage a Guls' Hostel. Smce theie is so much misundersanding concerning the Anglican Communion, permit w« to say tlieie is legally, canomcally and scnptiuall\ no sucii body in tins Dominion as the "Church of England." Scnptuially the Church here shoald be called—ride the Book of Revelation—the Church in New ■Zealand, but legally and canonically she is ''the Church of the Ptqvince of New Zealand " The Bishop of Dunedin is the Pnmate, and the bishops take an . oath of obedience to him The Church here is in communion with the See or Canterbiuy, and gives to the "Primate of all England" a, "pnmacy of honour but not ot junbdiction." bimilarly the Church 6i England was prepared to concede the same to the Bishop of Home, but a "pumacj of loidskip" was 1 demanded—and iefu«cd The Anglican 1 Communion is thus a, body ot self'governing or autocophalous national Churches such as the Amciican, Canadian, Atucan, Austialian, Irish, Scottish, enl New Zealand Churches—in communion with the See of Canterbury. These Churches aie moie independent 1 of the Archbishop of Canterbury than 2s the Dominion of New Zealand of the "King in Counsel.*' But. just as i-o sane man would cut the cord that binds this Dominion to England, 50, too, no fcane Churchman A\ould destroy " the scriptural and historic connection be- , tween the Chuich m New Zealand and the Church of England The Anglican Communion stands foi National Churches, each Chuich to manage its own , alfaus under its own hieiaichy of Apostolic origin and desoont. Many of , these Chmches have their own Prayert books ; some day we shall have ours; m the meantime we ha\e elected to use the "Book of Common Prajer," and so strong is tho principle of National Churches in tho blood of an English Churchman that his Pinnate, the Archbishop of Canterbury, has had for years - a mission of English" pi lests working in relays m the Assynan Chinch to help * that ancient and national Church of -the East to iccovci its feet. The Ai'chbi^hop has laid down the condition ' that the doctunes and piactices of the I Chuich of England shall not be taught, but those only of the Assyrian Church ' are to be taught and pi cached by the inissionprs; and at no cost to the Assy- >• rians. Can English Nonconformity show a- similir act of unseM^hness ? Are Jlhey capable of such broadmindedness? And wo ild English Nonconioimity have _ acted as did the Bishop in Jerusalem many years ago when thousands of native Christians fnot Jews) came to ihun (Bishop BlvtlO to be admitted into , the Church of England. He replied to li < this effect: "I can't admit into the t Church of England; I can only admit '- into the Chuich of Christ. You are v already members of the Church, and So - you will please me, and the Church /which sent me, by being loyal to your fown Patnarch. by whose permission 1 am able to minister to men of my own '> tongue m your land." ] The Britisn Chmchman is influenced * t alone by great and broad hu mane prin- ',' fiples; and provided the fundamentals ,;pf the Church oi Chnst arc- safegnard'ed. he v^ ill do acts of Christian brotberthood far surpassing tho*e of any other H Christian. He also pours his money into Y.M. or Y.W.C.A '« or Dr BarnarI . do's Homes without any stipulation or L thought of,reciprocity to his own equally 1 j —and, in many cases—better similar 7 .organisations 'He has no attraction err 1 appreciation for prohibition, Protest--1 ant, and anti-gambling leagues. He reverences Sunday, the Church's chief holy day; but Sabbatarianism raises his ire just as much as does the Continental " P un(*ay. He is a big-souled and large--hearted Chrhtinn, whose vision is I worldwide; angling nairow or mean he j ignores or brushes aside He is so sure & 'of himself, while standing on the scrip-,'-*rtural rock of tho Chinon. that while i, fhis heai tis beating m unison with the / Catholicism of the Russian and Eastern f Churches, he reaches out ais right hand ' to the Church of Home and his left to , 'Protestantdom. He laid down many, \ many >eais ago his condition of union with either or both these extremes' in Christendom, and received no answer. Hois content to an ait the lustification oj; history. Tn the meantime he has decided to push along Ins own institutions, be less detached, and let Christians see how -vigorous and resolute he i can be. Within a veai he has 'decided to collect m this pi o\ inco and diocese £10,000 for 0111 soldiers raise over £100,000 for a Cathedra]; has launched , a iar-reaclnng Cimich day-schools hcheme, and is w ell on with. the scheme for a truly magnificent ihuicii for tliis 'town. AM these Hhcmc <m-<j meeting , .'with a truly wondeihil and brilliant j success. I behevo the Girls' Hostel ' I here will be equally successful, and 1 quite worthy of the Gnls' Friendly So--1 ciety and of our town ] am sure ail tho noble and laige-heaited people of this town and disti ict will furnish ail the money necessary to make it a true home for git Is away from home. I, a mere New Zealander born and bred commend the GF.S Hostel to all mothers.—l am, etc.,

C.L.W