The Dominion. Saturday, October 21, 1916. A GROWING DESIRE FOR UNITY

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2908, 21 October 1916, Page 8

The Dominion. Saturday, October 21, 1916. A GROWING DESIRE FOR UNITY

The war 'is giving the churches a good deal, to think about. I't is making them rcaliso that _ unless and until they can put their own house in order they cannot expect the world to pay much heed to their message. How can a disunited church hopd to unify mankind 1 This is a question that churchmen the world over aro now asking themselves. It was announced last week that the problem of church union would .come up for discussion at the Presbyterian General Assembly, which is to meet in Wellington next month. In last Monday's issue ot The Dominion a cablegram appeared stating that tho General Convention of the Protestant Episcopal Church of the United States had reported upon "a colossal scheme" for a world conference to. consider the same subject. Tho war, is forcing the churches to seek more eagerly, than ever, beforo for a satisfactory way of unifying the spiritual resources of Christendom. Every year tho_ evils of the present "unhappy divisions" are becoming more manifest. Tho waste of power caused by the overlapping of the efforts of the various .denominations has become- a.subject of. widespread protest.. An. enormous amount.- of valuable time and thought and energy is being frittered away in fruitless competition and undignified rivalry. In some places three, four,'or even more, separate religious organisations are ministering to tho spiritual needs of a mero handful of people, while the needs of other districts are almost entirely neglected. . The .wastefulness of tho existing state of affairs must bo obvious to all, and the demand for co-ordination and unification is becoming too insistent to be ignored! During the latter half.of the nineteenth century: ,the desire for the reunion of .Christendom began, to take .practical shape. Various schemes have been put forward and discussed, and in some, cases tangible results.have been.achieved. In 1888. the_ Bishops-of the Anglican communion 'drew, up what is known as _ the;' Lambeth..' Quadrilateral!" .which lays 'down 'four, fundamental articles: as a. basis for negotiation with other religious bodies. Though this scheme has not yet, resulted.in. actually breaking down-any parti-, tipn walls, it has done much good work. It has .given the Christian world something definite to think about.; The different, churches have been' compelled to examine their position and . to reconsider 'the points of doctrine and.order which keep them apart from other religious bodies: Friendly discussion has shown that the things in which' negotiating churches agree are far more numerous and more important than those in which they differ, and the advantages of unity are impressing themselves with ever-in-creasing force- upon the minds of all concerned.

■ This movement in the direction' of church union is worldwide. It is stated ...that -nearly all the churches have nromised to" send representatives to the great conference to which reference has been made at the Convention of the Protestant Episcopal Church of the United States. It would, of course, .be- unreasonable . to expect that the conference will result in the formulation of a clear-cut and binding scheme for tho immediate reunion of, Christendom. It ought, however, to help to clear the way by the removal of irrclevancies and concentrating attention on really vital points. It would be a great gain to get an authoritative statement of the problem which'has to bo solved. To ascertain the limits of agreement and to have a definite understanding as to tho nature and extent of tho matters . in dispute would mean a real step forward. Goodwill and sound knowledge can sometimes achieve the impossible— or what would be impossible- without them. Negotiations between Anglicans and Presbyterians in Australia succeeded in reducing the essential points of difference- between.tho two churches to surprisingly small dimensions. The great, obstacle was tho fourth article of the Lambeth Quadrilateral: "The Historic Episcopate, locally adapted in the methods of its administration to. the varying needs of the nations and peoples called of God into the unity, of His Church."-This barrier is certainly a very difficult [one to surmount, but it is encour-

aging to know that many theologians of the highest standing refuse to admit that it is insurmountable. In Canada the church union movement has made great strides. The Presbyterian, Methodist, and Congregational Churches of- that country are now well within, sigat of organic unity. In Scotland the two great Presbyterian Church.es have made considerable progress in tho same direction. In England the Nonconformist Churches, are endeavouring to come to an agreement which would result in the establishment of a, Free Church Federation which may pave the way for union later on with the Church of England. Efforts to bring about closer relations between the Anglican and Roman Catholic Churches have so far failed, but the Anglican and Russian Churches appear to be feeling their way towards Bome form of intercommunion: In tNew Zealand tho organic union of the Presbyterian Church has been accomplished, and the Methodists recently succeeded in uniting their forces. Tho Presbyterian Church is now to be asked to consider'the advisableness of opening negotiations with other New Zealand churches with the object of further consolidating the spiritual forces of the nation. The declaration of the Assembly's views on this question will be awaited with much interest. The war has made manifest the impotence of tho Church in tho sphere of international relationships. Its influence has been enfeebled by its disunion. It is unable to speak with ono voice—clear and authoritative. If the Christian. Church is to play a part worthy of its high aims and aspirations in the work of political, social, and moral reconstruction which will have to be undertaken when the war is over it must find someway of uniting its scattered energies and organising its forces. In no other way can it make its moral witness effectivo in shaping the future of the world. .