ANGLICANS AND METHODISTS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 184, 30 April 1919, Page 7

ANGLICANS AND METHODISTS

. ■ BISHOP OP LONDON'S PLAN FOR REUNION. ; .

The Bishop of London—introduced by the Rov. J, E. Rattenbury as "the chief Christian pastor of the Metropolis"— spoke at Kingsway Hall, London, recently on "The Necessity and Hone ..for Christian Union." He laid down five reasonsfor Christian union—(l) Because Christ willed it and will-3.it; (2) because' of the tremendous) foes opposed to Christianity; (3) because of the fearful waste entailed by the present system; (4) because nowhere is our disunion more disgraceful -and .more harmful than in the mission field; (5) because, one of the great obstacles to evangelisation at Home is the disunion of Christians. "If we had tho order of Rome, the peasant piety of the Russian Church, the restraint and order and enthusiasm of the Church of England, the' fiery missionary zeal of the Wesleyans, the intellectual strength of the Presbyterians, the devotion' of Baptists, Congregationalisms and Quakers'all poured into one molten glory called the •Catholic Ciiurch, such a body" would be invincible—such a,body could stop anything—could do anything." Turning to what he described n« a much more difficult question, the hope of Church union, the Bishop said the at-, mosphere was far moro hopeful to-day than it had ever been. They had learned more and more to co-operate with one another. He had come back from Salonika with new hope of reunion—and he was talking of thfe reunion of the whole of Christendom. Then there was the wonderful brotherh'ood .of the chaplains at the front, who had shown a great desire to draw together. That, they might say, was a long way. off reunion, nnd he agreed, but it was a preliminary, a prelude to it. "It is because I am going to be satisfied with nothing but reunion that even at the risk of . misunderstanding I have deprecated indiscriminate exchange of pulpits, because I believe that these p.teat schisms must be healed from inside and not plastered from outside."' . i

Tho Bishop went oij. to expound a scheme by which the Church of England and the Wesloyan Methodist Church —closely akin'in spirit,'in doctrine, in ideas—mk'ht unitp. They could not expect the Church of England to part with her belief in the historic orders or to water down her doctrine.' But he suggested that' after a specified date all ordinations in both churches should be so carried out as to satisfy, tho principles of both churches. Six or more presidents or superintendents should lie ordained bishops of the Connexional Society, for many Weslevan ministers would prefer to be ordained by their Weslevan Bishops rather thnn by Bishops of tho Church of England. ' "Just look." said the. Bishon, "at the way "we should supplement each other. I should sininly love to go round to the Wesleyai' churches and preach the Gospel myself and find a magnificent jov in putting myself side by side with those u-liose /°ril an' l fervency I have admired for years." The Bishon_ admitted that H>n question of confirmation was a more difficult one, and ono on which he wished to reserve judgment.

Rincft 1914 Canada has shipped In Great Britain annually from three lo five million dozens of eggs.