SEALED AND SIGNED DECLARATION OF UNION

Evening Post, Volume LXXXV, Issue 32, 7 February 1913, Page 4

SEALED AND SIGNED DECLARATION OF UNION

METHODISTS-ONE CHURCIT. WHAT OP THE FUTURE? The celebration of Unity within the Methodist Church was the occasion of a 'great and notable gathering in the Town Hall last night. At 6 o'clock there was a tea-meeting, which must have established a record of its kind in Wellington. But it was at the later gathering that Methodists— one© Primitives and Wesleyans, now all Methodists— clergy and laity to the number of about 3000, assembled to witness the signing of the declaration of union. On the platform were His Eidellency the Governor (Earl of Liverpool), the Prime Minister (the Hon.- WV F. Massey), the Mayor of Wellington (Mr. D. M'Lareh), Rev. Canon Garland, the principal officials of the United Conference, including the Rev. S. Latvry (president), Hon. C. M. Luke (vice-president), Rev. C. H. Laws (secretary), and Rev. Dr. Youngman and Itev. » Dr. MosJey (delegates from Australasian Confereace), and the Rev. James Paterßon , (representing the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand). , EMPIRE UNITY His Excellency Was received with loud declamation. He said that it gave him great pleasure to be present at the meeting which was the consummation 1 of the negotiations which led to the union. "Wewho belong to the British" Empire bear in mind that we have carried into the Dominions our institutions and customs, be they religious or civil. Our forefathers never lost sight of anything which reminded them of the country from which they came. Some may" belong to one denomination and some to another. That matters little when we consider the religious question from the broad point of view, (Applause). Each church has its own views it is true, but •none the less is each church carrying out a mission of Christianity and doing its best in every possible way for those who have need of its ministration. Let us for one moment still further broaden these views : in these f ar-off dependencies there is being reared a population which is the younger generation of those men' who first commenced and carried out the work of development of the resources of this Empire." They sttoke the same language, they modelled their-'Govetn-meiits on the system of the Motherland, and it was because of this that the basis of the union between the children and the Motherland was being broadened. It must appeal to all in the hall, that while they were sealing up their union they should keep in view , the Other union to which he ajluded— a union for which the churches could'do much. It was the duty. nofr only of ministers, to inculcate these principles', but of all who proJessed the tenetst -of - Christianity to see thai the yottnger generation was reared in these principles. - "In this way will yon not only 'further the cause of unity in religious matters, but you will bind all cr-eeds together- in the spirit of brotherhood which aldne -tends to maintain the Empire, banded- together m common ties <tf.. peace - and happiness of the world." (Loud applause). ' . ' DECLARATION 4 SIGNED. The signing" of the declaration was -then proceeded with. The names', of signatories and witnesses have already been, published. Amid prolonged applause His Excellency delivered the completed, document- to Mr. Lawry. ■ ' «6PE^ *AND ''AfMS. % The Rev. S.. Lawry (president of ihe conference) extended to His Excellency a hearty welcome on behalf of the Methodists of New Zealand, with an assurance of loyalty to His Majesty the King. Among the people of New Zealand none would be found more loyal than 'the Methodists. He thanked His Excellency for his attendance. * He claimed it a distinguished privilege to address the gathering as the representative of United Methodism in New Zealand. Many of them knew a great deal of the past; what th«?y had to look to now was the future of their union. The MethodUt Church of New Zealand must and would be faithful to the evangelical teachings handed down to them by their fathers. Though marking a, new movement they were not breaking away from the past* nor did they desire to throw aside ; the things which had been precious\to tlieir fathers. It wag from evangelical work that the Methodist 'Church had arisen.' Though to bring about th;? r union they had had first to have a severance 1 of visible bonds, the invisible bonds would by this action become stronger than formerly. Thus, they were bound to maiiitain the. evangelical faith and teachings, and the trust reposed in them. Their independence meant increased responsibility. Not only Were they bound by the past, but he- trusted they would endeavour to meet the requirements of this new age. "If we are content to go on as. our fathers went on, we shall not go on as our fathers Went." New conditions had arisen, and their life depeDdeftl upon their ability to adjust their methods -to the conditions of the age. If Methodism could not do this it would perish, and it deserved to peiish. The greatest ecclesiastical opportunists of their time were St. Paul and John Wesley. They were content to be all things' to all men at all times, if by all means they could save some. Some of those who had been caught in the sweep arid swirl saw the need for new methods; which -others did I not-j-let each be charitable and all difficulties would be adjusted. They would continue to develop the missionary -spirit at, homeland abroad. Theu\policy must bea progressive, aud aggressive one. A united church /should be able, po, attempt tasks wh,i,eh tho, separate, churches could not. 4 Let theresbe no giving way to inglorious ease, but a : girding , to, greater effort. "I trtts^ that the unioy which has been so happily consummated to-day .will be found to bo A union o# heart, a union of endeavour, a "union of larger consecration to our Divine. -Master*" His Excellency .thanked the' president for his words di " welcome and ' expressions of loyalty.' ' Ho repeated the King's, message": "Tell the, people of New 2[eala'nd that I take the ' greatest interest in 1 ' their" Country and in. their doings. I*1 '* "I have always held/ »aid His Excellency, ' "and I think eVeryone in this hall holds, that the greatest thing ia" to ,be' able to do Something for hie King and , country. I fihall do my earnest best arid hardest to'do nfy best f6r' this Dominion 'cc .'long as' I am here.'"" • - " AUSTRALIAN DELEGATES. Dr. Youngman, president of the Australasian Conference, 'said that J New Zealand had distinguished itself some years ago by starting & movement; for a wider union than they saw to-night. That movement had received a temporary check, but they had hopes that it would yet come. His Excellency had spoken' of religion as 'one of the tifes that bound the Empire together. Some of them were old-fashioned enough to believe that religion was the cementing force of' the Empire, and would ,yet be the cementing force of the world for peace and prosperity. He instanced the j separation of the Japanese mission con,nectiona and the union o( the Japanese Mothodiit " Church as the way", of the i time. Jet ti&Vj vv,ers aB Methcdiats, i

It was for those in New Zealand to say what tlieir Methodism was to them, and to the rest of the world. (Applause.) Dr. Morloy conveyed congratulations to New Zealand Methodists on attaining their independence and this union. He spoko also as an otd New Zealander, recalling the early days of the colony. He rejoiced that now there Was peace between the pakeha and Maori. People to-day were living in luxury ; they did not realise what their fathers had to do. In early days large views were taken. The great pro-Consul, Sir George Grey, had a drean# of the time when New Zealand would be the head of a great confederation of all th© islands of the Pacific ; that Christianity would be given to the peoples of the islands from New Zealand. He regretted that that dream had not been realised. New Zealand had given a lesson to the Empire by its substantial evidence of loyalty. They were going to show, he trusted, that this _ Empire was worth j keeping, worth knitting together, and ' he did not hesitate to say worth fighting for. One of the matters that New Zealand should and Would attend to in the future was foreign missions. * The | speaker urged further the need for lay preaching, social work, and consecration of wealth. The Hon. C. M. Luke (vice-pw«ident) called attention to the happy union of Church and State which the gathering represented. He believed that this act of union was an indication of the feeling that the time was coming when union of all Christian Churches would be possible. The time was already ripe for co-operation. Sacred music waa contributed duringthe evening' by a special choir. The gathering closed with, the pronouncement of the benediction by Dr. Youngman.