PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH UNION

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 238, 2 July 1919, Page 5

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH UNION

STATE RELATIONS. An important moeting of the Joint Committeo on union betireen the Church of Scotland and the .United Free Church has beou held (says the "Christian World"), and the report issued is of considerable interest not only to the churches concerned, but also to the churches outsido the scope of the negotiations. In reference to the articles prepared by the Church of Scotland's Committee, for example, the report states that the. rights and liberties set forth by that church include the righ and power, subject to no civil 1 authority to legislate and to adjudicate finally in all matters cf doctrine, worship, government and discipline in the church. Similarly, it declares it the right and duty of the church, without the necessity of seeking Parliamentary sanction and without loss of identity or historic continuit.y, to enter into union with any other branch or branches of the church of Christ with which it may find itself in agreement.

The position of the church with regard to spiritual freedom is declared to bo stated clearly and unambiguously in the following terms:—

"Recognition by civil authority of the separate and independent government and jurisdiction of the church in matters spiritual, in whataver manner such recognition be expressed, does not in any way affect the character of the government and jurisdiction as derived from the Divine Head of the Church alone, or give to the civil authority any right of interference with the proceedings or judgments of the church within tho 6phere of its spiritual government and jurisdiction."

In order to safeguard the recognition and work of other churches in Scotland, it is proposed to insert in tho Act somo such provision as tho following, though its exact terms would have to be the t subject of careful.consideration:— "Nothing which is contained in this or any other statute dealing with the Church of Scotland shall be conitrue'd to the prejudice of the recognition of any other Church in Scotland as a Christian Church protected by (aw in the exercisc of its spiritual functions."

With regard to the national recognition of religion, the report sh~\vs that the principle is common to both churches. Hitherto, however, the Church of Scotland has been recognised by tho State as also possessing a special national character which has been judicially interpreted as rendering tho church a civil or quasicivil institution. But with tho recognition of tho church in tho purely spiritual and autonomous character asserted in the articles, this feature of existing constitution of tho Church of Scotland, it is declared, disappears by consent.

In brief, i) is submitted, on the terms now proposed the church would be both nntionnl and free. Tho continuity and identity of the Church of Scotland would be maintained, while at: the same lime llie church would bear Ihe character of a purely spiritual institution, in no s?nse constituted or controlled by tho State, nor enjoying any privilege lo the prejudice of other churches. The respective principles which the' negotiating churches were charged lo safeguard may thus bo ( harmonised, and, so far as Stale relations are concerned, the main causes ketping the churc'hes apnn have been found capablo of being removed.