N.Z. CONGREGATIONAL UNION.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1053, 16 February 1911, Page 7

N.Z. CONGREGATIONAL UNION.

.-V:'v'';,-;;v-'I./'.-»':'7 'v';' 1 ' : ,' • ' '■■{ ON AUTONOMY. church and the;woru6;" ,; ; ;; 'ttr jus."- ,'■ '-.'.'" : : ThV annual meetings of tho Congrega? • ; tioihl Union of New , Zealand were com- ; ri'encod in the- Moray Place Congregation- ', olfCKiirch,) Dunedin, last week. ■; V, (': An .interesting occurred on -.; tnfip'oint' autonomy the .'.'Qtagfr Daily Times"). It hie ■■ ' is ', ttio 'past' •" ten \ ono ,of tho. principles '. otr Congregationalism ; that each _ church . :'6hjbuid:,bo -.absolutely independent, and /should in all' things- control its own desi tiny.''j i The> this system in - thi -case ,of'starting a church or of n ' cKiirch "• endeavouring, 'while in a weak become, securely established, uro ■'otyious,'and have been suggested as a . .canst)-_ operating,towards restricting tho '. advanco of Congregationalism in Now Zca-

. KOf'lato years an . idea of - more com- ,-" munity. of oll'ort has been entering, and .'.' in; One or ; two- places" thero have been ..' .-cases -where.'a stronger church has eu- • j deavoiircd to assist a ■weaker cause. An - extension of: this, idca'ona definite and organised'plan has been advocated, and .on'; Thursday last the subject camo up ' definitely* on an application being roailo byi'tho Alieotown Uhurch to bo affiliated ' Wjth tho Terraco Church, Wellington. ■■.'■■'■ ?The; Rev. Mr. Closs,' now of- Trinity ' Church,. Christchurch,, but't recently of Ipswich, Queensland, spoke most interestingly, of, tho eystem of community a' . effort ,\which> existed in that district. -■■ There!; was ,'there .one' central church, . whiqh. had'some-U branches, to which .-'five assistant ministers, under the supervision of the pastor of the central church, ..• advantages of this ' method weto fully, pointed out.as a cause J- .obiildtbo' established in . a growing dis- .-'■■ trict under tho control of tho central ■ 'church,, where,'if left!to personal and '•_ ■' itidivjdual'effort/thV church could hardly JW; expected, to live,* The; tpeaker spoke :•• of thissystem.and added his ■■■'< -eUppprc of ; tho view recently given' ex•l - . prossion.,to in England,.that in ono city - there: should'.be'but one church, with ' which'-, a'll-ibranph organisations should '.■W 'connected, j This,' ho believed, would >, be; thti salvation. , of Congregationalism in ■■>;, Ntw I; ifioaland..••.-', ', ■■■ •-. ' : '; ; The. discussion 'which followed was of 4'/; interest, the gonoral trend .of - opinion be- ....-' ing' that, >: despite obvious; ana certain •V., dlißcuUies,'! tho principle ;of ■ amalgams, 'i. tion.,\va9.destined to-001110. in-somo form, .■ y Oriolsbeaker Spoke." of . the' "wretched principle of individualism," and predict- -■•"■ ed 'that>''one, city ono; church", would ":-■. be.' tho best' means .of ealvation. ■ •.'■■', v i;Thi»;debate was* continued, the follow- • ' infc,day, nraotion being proposed involv- '"'■■ ing tho ■ absorption. of weaker churches - bytltho, stronger,'so'as to establish the ■', prmdple/'of ono city ono church..' '. ~'■ vTh«, Rov.R.-.MTvoughton argued thai '■;-.; tho timo had .not: como' for them/to com; '.-' V mifethemselvcs'to tho proposed scheme. • ;•] Thfe>R«v.; I. Sarginson asked: whether '".'th*',motion'wns"in harmony with their ■■■: objected -to'tho'phrase ono chu'Ch'S being flung broad- ~ ..cast'into , tho conference. It was a crud< '.' ph'raie that put him'-; in • the' position oi .opposition.- .:>..■ r- ,; : ■;■'•.'"■ ■ . . ■'■:• ' iThe chairman said.that ho 'understooc , . thfct the proposal in no way. reflected or .': existifag 6hurch6s;it*ct up an ideal thai : was -jverr '-high -and "desirable. -\ Tho con iferenpo had, of course, no executive powci ; intho matter, but it could approve .of th( ■ action, taken by. thq. churches af they, dc • eirW^tbtactin'thc-airettiQu'rContcmplat , ■ «d:by, tho motion;' , ;.!:",•'' .:■•",'•"■••■■"■ ■" - ; Aft6r"further' discussion.- the /chairmai ■ . 6ugßCstcd-that the subject be-nut on thi .■■■•-: egenda paper 'for tho, next meeting,' am ['■: that .a; paper, lie-.- read (explanatory of thi '■:'■■'■.. (subject. Thoro was a danger in adoptirii ; thejmbtion,''Whioh would commit them t< f V ■ a-ireat.dcal '■ :"■■;;TealiJSiJ»fc;'-v'v'•■'hne''., : ,m.<i ! I'-id Jissisni ■ .'; ,vThe, mobon was withdrawn amSjnaao t !:;;'■ temit for consideration, at the next meet

\{ . democract: iTho'ltevy T. 1 SarginSo'n (Linwoeil) read <■'*■'■ -o TtrV thoughtful paper off : "Th'e' Fiinc-' • , tioii'.-of'thpChuTchV' of v \\-hich the fol- ! - lowing'is an abstract:—'"- ; "■■:■■ • - »To oonflno Jesus Christ within ecclesias- ;'•!.-'■ tlcaljboundaries is desperate, in-the.-ex- ;■ ; tr6me. : • I find;it impossible to recognise ' .any^;real-cleavage between Church and ','•' ...tforld,; However, high tho mountains rear '■-■■•'• thelr<sunlit .peaks, v they aro-broad-based ' ■■' jniinotherreartH.'and are one with >. the ; ■■. pliinsi and tho' valleys',.; It is not even : >• true ! ,that tho Church a .monopoly of. ' . .the;' Christian ideal,-though we may,well i believe that the-Church is'more conscious .'■' of/that; ideal and addresses itself' more i' 6eri(silsly to ■it than- nou-ohurch,. ever ■• • Tecurring to 'it in hymn and prayer and '■•' ' exhortation;, and .study;-.', of -~ its •.. divine ■ : classic::. Tho Church is' the visible evi•deuce.'of.and, response to that : • after the ctenial which is a normal characteristic of man. As distinctively Christian,' Iho'Churcji: is an attempt at the embodiment, in an organised eociety or - 1 organised societies, of tho spirit of Jesus . Christ for tho purpose of representing Him/and carrying out His will., In dis- - • charging this comprehensive function th« a. ■appeal of tho Church should bo as uni- ':' versal »8 possible. Its insistence should r be-laid net upon tho things which divide iheh so much as uoon thoso thinss which :, unito them. v lf anythinu'.is certain about ■' Jesds, this is certain: that'He liabitunlly . oddrciswl IlimfcH to that whichjay.be- - hind all tho ..theories and programmes, ■'■ tho sects and parties which produced such a', babel around him-rviz.,.to tho human ' heart.'!. Principles l so often suggest, pro- '■. grkmines, Mid,-under pressure, so easily • lake tho- form of programmes, that occa- '.' eionalli" it way seein• barely possible tc draw'the line. But it is something to recognito' thafflTiin'o , should be drawn. Ii: the Homeland a Rrcat many churches ar< definitely'and explicitly-identified witl political and eocial parties and movement: ; with "tho -result presumably that some o: ■' " tno members who disapproved havo retired .' -" '-while others havo a crueParid gratuitoui elrain put upon tlieirloyalty. Buttheprac i , tfcoJs not justified oven'when a ministei isittroiHj enough ,to get together a congrc • 'gafioii that agrees, with his'politics am '~ • his social-theories. "• It is a time of ex • trabrdtnary temntation and peril for th< Chufch. "On.Ono liand it is scorned fo; its aloofness; on tho other it is denouncei for allowing its nulm'ts to bo invaded b; i politics and uarty cries. It is condemnei for'allowing*what is supposed to be it i ptoper work to bo "dono by outsid : and at the-same time it is de • L eptstd as a thing ; obsolcto ■in this d« .', ■ mbctatic age. .. No doubt great i ■ : ' .'•■ dembcracy, with' 'its majorities, arid i\ ■ ■■■■ high hopes; buf it should bo" taught tha Jesus Christ is'no poor suppliant for it . ' patronage. Hβ claims iU. obedience as tli supreme atbito'r between man and mat If.the Church would bo faithful to it Lbrd it xdust'at least'try-to'save V'-.dc rn'iicracy from'itself by insistence upo: those;- great .spiritual laws and principle ','•■'-'. wuich abide fgr ever, and.operate wnal i ".'•'- ever.movement may.bo in the ascendant . Democracy needs to bo reminded tha : ;'-.'• majority, votes are no criterion of right '- ' ibusness and truth, that no question ca ■ bo regarded as settled until it is settle ■■ -'-. Tight, and that no question affecting th ' '•' rolations of. men can bo settled righ '.-■ ■':', lifltil it , is settled by Jesus Christ—i.e ■ settled by love, from, within, and witl '(■'.. -out compulsion. ■ : ; . M ■':■', tyi: •':."■' A New Tyranny. '. -.'; :'■'■■ "'.■ 'The*fact is, a now tyranny is upon.u '= '' ' and the Church is as ofrnid > of it as : the average member of Parliament, an ' deals with it in much the same way. i to the criticisms, there is, of ' cours no lack. Sorviccs are not . lnterostir enough, sormons nro too too dul too theological, too unpractical.- Tl . ministry is too professional,./too aloi from tlio pople, and withal too dogmati • ' I,- yield to r.o n.au iu ray appreciatie of tho enormous amount of good achievi by tho modern deraocr.)''c luovement wll it* splendid organisation.; ,ftot on hhve groat material advantages been wo ' lilt vast numbers of workers,' who wou otherwise have been little more than no ■ * helpless' beasts of burden, havo bei ;*"■* raised to the po<itton'cf thinking me ■ by awociation with their fellows th .:' haVc learued discipline, they have learn to s'.udy public questions, and they ha become conscious partners in a grc cause. But'let democracy bo. a -litl ■ ■ niore sympathetic nnd just towards t Chiirchj and remember:that' if aIL t ■ -,•■' social nnd'ccnop'io programmes ire

which it expects so much wero' realised 'to-morrow, tho thins of supreme value in the world would still bo human personality, and thaf tho Church would still baneededr if only as a witness to tho reality and freedom of the spirit, especially at a time (when democracy had succeeded iu imposing its mechanism upon tho free activities of human life. In reIstion to citizenship, that function is to create u true iiubho spirit, a humane concern for tho* health and happiness and moral well-being of.the people. It is distinctly within the province of tho Church to expose and attack vested interests in evil, ami-to .-oppose with all its might those incentives to,vice by which a few grow rich' nt the expense of the degradation and- misery of. many. In relation to tho country at-large; tho Church has a great duty in calling tho attention of the people away from the infatuation ana tho perils of the raco for wealth to tho ideals of righteousness, and reminding them that ultimately the stability .'.of .a nation depends wnon. the moral strength and character of its people. In timo of war it is left to the Church to sound tie note, of the eternal, and show that war is the fruit.of '.ignorance nnd nrrogance, and solfishnes9 and greed, nnd that wo'aro still so farsfrpm tho goal of a true \ Christian civilisation that war is the supreme arbiter among the nations. • ~

' ' -To Think Universally. In things international tho Church conies to its own in tho universal, though it has never risen to tho height of that great argument. .It has beon too content to bo local,' national. lam nlmost afraid to speak on this aspect of-things lest it,bo toldan'.Gatlv nnd : left tho Philistines rejoice, and; tho daughters pf the uncircumcised triumph. Bul.'Tisk,ing that, let mo.say that to tho Christian Church there should bo no foreigner, no foreign country. Its constant--aim should bo to get tho.peoplo to think universally. For the business of the.Church is with man ns.mari. The modern equivalent of "there is neither Jew nor Greek" ■is thut in Christ: thero is neither Briton, Frenchman, German, Chinese, nor Japanese, etc . Proporly speaking, tho doctrine of tho brotherhood ,of man,, which is yelled by everybody;who is after cheap booty, is not in any serious sense n, Christian monopoly. ,-, In education the Church is everywhere being superseded by tho Stale. It'eliould, however, never be forgotten what the world owod to the Church during: the centuries when the Church-was the only educator, nlmost, indeed, the only civil-: '/Wo contend,:then, that tho .Christian' Church has not ouly a legitimate function in our day which entitles it ,to-.a kind of good-natured, toleration; wo contend* that its function is of: tho most, vital importance. It may bo.admitted that society "does not seem in n mood to, recognise this. with much , enthusiasm.: But ,that does not' disturb those who • know; what moods society. has , been'. in before. ..-I {'judge that the prodigal .was in a hilarious.i self-congratulatory mood when ho got clear of home, with its restraints, its moral imperatives, and Tits, holy tilings. 'So our modern society, seems to be in high glee ,at it goes jauntily off to tho Utopia, "where , thero ain't, no Ton Commandments.". But tho pnnsr and the poverty nnd tho bitter cry, will come. 'And- blessed arovthose'-men ahd Women who*will bo alivo in this world when tho bitter cry. for 'God rocs ;up from the great prodicnl ■ civilisation which has realised its sin, its folly, its misery,- 'and'its degradation, and with a mighty repentance sets its; face, to (joa, "I will' arise and go to my Father. - /:■ The lecture was commended, and dis-: cussed, and Mr. Snrginson gavo soino explanations in reply. , ~-..' ■