RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1240, 23 September 1911, Page 9

RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY.

CHURCH UNION IN AUSTRALIA. IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS. Archbishop Clarke, who presided over the conference of Anglican, Presbyterian, iUclliodisl, ;uid C.iiigregalional delegates which met at St. Paul's. Cathedral on September 11. (o consider the question of church union, gave for publication the following official report of the proceedings:—

ih(! conference was a meeting between ■ ! le Victorian portion of the Church of England Committee for Australia and the sub-committees of the Presbyterian, Methodist, and Congregational Churches, in the case of the Church of Engl-ind, ' the committee for the whole of Australia ; has not yet been fully constituted. Tlio portion of it for the province of Victoria, which consists of the archbishop, tlio four provincial bishops, Dean Stephen, Mr. n inter Cooke, and Mr. F. A. .Motile, agreed to enter upon a preliminary eonterenco m the namo of the province of \ lctorn. Iho proceedings'lasted nearly three hours. Thc-re was a general agreement 011 the subject of doctrine, vhich points , to the possibility of union being etlected so far as this is concerned. The subject of church government and poiiiv was discussed, and then deferred for 1 imiro consideration." Although thero are no definite and tangible results 111 the way of resolutions to show ior the conference, all the parties ta it aro agreed as to its historic s gniticnnco and practical value. As a proliminary meeting it seems to havo aecomp.ishod all that eouid hav? been reasonably expected of it. The very disposition to meet. 111 serious ar.d friendly conference lor such a purpose as general organic on the part of denominations so wiociy divergent, in their apparent intological sympathies and practices is felt to be 111 itself a significant sign of the times. Even negative results aro viuahia 111 such a connection, for the lir*fc e"o'itial to any possible cnslructivo policv whether 111 the direction of ultimate organic union or of some form of helpful federation, is a clear recognition of tho relative positions of tho parties to the proposed coinpaet, and a sympathetic appreciation of the nature and force of the factors that divide. In this respect at least, the delegates are agreed that, a definite advanco was mado at tho conlerfnc?. "The conference was chnracleriscd bv the utmost candour and Chrislian courtesy on tho part of all." said the leader of ono of Ihe principal churches. "Wo all showed our hands, and opened our minds without tho least reserve. Notiiiii' was kept back. Tho broad effect, I think was to crcats in (he minds of most of Sis a keener appreciation than we ever had before of tho difficulties presented bv the Anglican position. Ono leading dolcaf" deeply impressed with (his aspect of the case as to openly suggest the abandonment, for the. present, of all thought of the larger integration, and to urgo a concentration of cffi.rt upon the union of the three non-Anglican churches that approximate most nearly to cach other. Be that as it may, the broadminded and sympathetic manner in which every point was approached and discussed loft no room for doubt lo the (rend ot the churchcs towards unity of spirit." THE QUESTION OF ORDERS. An important development occurred on September 13 in relation to the general negotiations now- proceeding with respect to the proposed union of the churchcs. 'Plie Presbyterian committee en the federation of the churches, representing all tho Australian States, met at tho Asseuiblv Hall, Coilins St''?et, with tho Rev. Dr. Cloustou in tho chair. Negotiations with the Methodist and Congregational churches with a view to their union with tho Presbyterian Church were continued,' and steps taken to further them. Report was mado of an informal meeting attended by representatives of the .\u"lican churchcs with those of tho terians, Methodists, and CongivgaUoiia'lists, and after discussion tho following resolution was agreed to:— "That tho committee on tho-federation of tho churches recommend to the General Assembly that any further negotiations with the Anglican Church must rest uikhi an'acknowledgment of the validity ct the orders of the non-episcopal churches, since tho claim to possess'the only valid ciders among Protestant churches rests upon sacerdotal principles, which involve other doctrinal positions, espeially ih regard to the sacraments, with which'no compromise is possible."