CHURCH' UNION.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 431, 13 February 1909, Page 9

CHURCH' UNION.

' The union of the Presbyterian, Methodist,'; and Congregational; Churches .in-' Canada has, been : . brought measurably" nearer by : the/ ah-/ nual session, just : held,:in Toronto; of the. joint'committee appointed five years ago ■to consider tho -question. :■ A Canadian, correspondent of the "Times"-says :—"A; , basis of union': Has been agreed upon- by/ the delegates,'and it will be published shortly..;."lt will be discussed at the next meetings; of the Methodist Conference, /the Presbyterian General. Assembly,, and the : Congregational TJnipn,:and, .in its final form, , it will be.submitted to ;the constituent units of the three denominations.: ;Two or three;years hence, therefore, if all goes;'.wenj : :a;umted;CKurcli.':; .will spring into existence,;'comprising", the. vast majority ■' of.. the; Protestant ■■ Christian' population of the Dominion, for the members' of the/ Church of -; England and :Baptists,. though-large'and'important bodies,-stand'far' below the Methodists arid Presbyterians. According'.to thelast census, in' a population of 5,371,315 (which: included: 2,229,600 Roman Catholics) there were " J 916,886 -Methodists, -■ 842,442: Presbyterians, arid 28) 293 Congrega-. tionalists, making/a total 0f.1,787,621 for the three, while the members of the Church of England numbered 6801620, the Baptists 310,477, - the' Brethren, 12,316, -the -Disciples, 14,900, the' Friends, 4100, the '92,524;: arid' -the Salvationists 10,308." :'-' /: :. ■. ;