THE MODERATOR and ANGLICANS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXVI, Issue 17570, 14 May 1919, Page 5

THE MODERATOR and ANGLICANS

(To the Editoi).

Sir, —AI! tru© Christians pray anct work for a united Christendom; and none more so than Anglicans, whose * ision is world wide. Anglicans, therefore read with regret that so high a parsonage as the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church m Ne\v Zealand should so misunderstand the Anglican attitude as to imagine that because the Presybterian Church of Scotland is, established {-he is therefore a twin sister of the Chureih of England, and therefore Anglicans should hold out. the hand of friendship. If the Moderator's theory is right, why did Engl:sh non-conformists leave the Church nt England ? and why, again, do Preslyterians in England compete with the established church? Moreover, why is the Moderator's church here Jibout to link up with Methodists and Congregationalists, who both repudiate State churches? And further, wlnt has the Church of Englnnd and Kirk o' Scotland to do with New Zealand, since neither church exists legally or ecclesiastically in this Dominion? The Anglican attitude. Sir, is bayed on the belief that there is only one Church of God, the church whieb Christ Catholicised, the ministry of which He infallibly f!hsured us would remain with the church until He returned to this earth. "W« believ« our ministry goes lineally hack to the Apostles; we believe the same of the 'Roman and Eastern Churches, but we do not believe the Kirk of Scotland is possessed of an ppostolically descended ministry. We are not uncharitable or unchristian for so thinking, since the Kirk itself neither claims or believes such a ministry neoesary. This being the Anglican viewpoint we make our deacons, priests, and bishops ministers of "the Church of God," not of the Anglican communion (vide ordinal in P. 8.). The non-conformist view being the opposite of this Presbyterians make their ministers, not of the Ohurch of God, but of the Presbyterian Church; Methodists, Baptists, Congregationalists and the others do likewise. If there :« any unchurching here it is certainly not chargeable to Anglicans. We are glad, atter examination, to concede the claim of the Koman and Eastern churches that their respective ministries is Apostolic; we also with regret accept the statement that nonconformists do not possess a ministry going back to the Apostles. Anglicans, on the other hand, hold that every baptized person is a member of the Church of God. Hence all Mich yvere recently invited to a prayer meeting in the parish church and in the Christchureh Cathedral the pulpit, chancel and sanctuary being forbidden to the participants. This was but an affirmation or position, but many of us think it was a mistake and inexpedient, seeing the lay priesthood was not consulted.—l am, etc.,

C.L.W.