THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

Patea Mail, 23 January 1882, Page 3

THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

At a meeting of the Presbyterian Synod at Dunedin, union with the Northern Presbyterian Church, that is the Church throughout all the other portions of New Zealand, except Otago and Southland, was recommended. The following proposed basis of union has been forwarded to the Rev J. Treadwell, Wanganui, the convener of the Northern Union Committee ; 1. Basis of union: The Churches shall declare their agreement in doctrine, government, worship, and discipline, by the acceptance of the same standards, and of the same formulas for the ordination and induction of office bearers. 2. Arrangements for the working and constitution of the United Church, (a) The designation of the church shall be the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand. (b) The Supreme Court of the Church shall be called the General Assembly of the Church of New Zealand, and shall be constituted by representation ■of Presbyteries, The legislation shall be regulated by the Barrier Act. 3. Provincial Synods shall be discontinued as intermediate Courts of Appeal. 4. Dunedin shall be the seat of the Supreme Court of the Theological Hall, and of the offices of the Church. 5. The principle of the sustentation fund shall be accepted as regulating arrangements for the maintenance of the Ministry, 6. The schemes for Church extension, missions, and widows’ and orphans’ fund, and for aged and infirm ministers, shall be amalgamated. 7. The several trust funds available for Church purposes in the respective Churches shall continue to be applied for the said purposes, and within the limits already appointed, and the powers of the Synod shall be strictly limited to the administration of the respective trust funds to these proposals.