CHURCH UNION.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 March 1922, Page 5

CHURCH UNION.

POLICY TO BE EPISCOPAL RETAINING CHARACTERS. By Telegraph.—Press Aagn.—Copyright. Sydney, March 36. The conference of church delegates continued the discussion whether episcopacy should be forced on all the churches in the event of a union, or whether a modus vivendi could be found between episcopacy and Presbyterianism. A motion was carried that, in view of all the circumstances, it is expedient that the policy of the reunited Catbjlic Church be episcopal, provided that the appointment of bishops be shared in by the ministry and the laity; that in all administrative actions the bishop be^ responsible to a representative assembly, «ynod, or conference; that acceptance of the eniscopacy does not necessarily imply that ministerial authority cannot otherwise be obtained or that episcopacy is the only channel of Divine grace. A motion was also carried welcoming the assurance implied in the Lambeth appeal that each group would be free to retain its own characterstic method of worship and service; eo long as they were not inconsistent with the fellowship of the whole. The conference passed a resolution that the conditions for mutual recogntion of the episcopal and. non-episco-pal orders and commissions be thoroughly explored by the respective churches. It recommends the appointment of a committee to ascertain the possibilities of arriving at a common mind and also agreed to an interim joint committee appointed to consider and recommend definite schemes eff eo-operation. The following were elected:—Anglican: Bishop of Willochra, Canon Hughes and Dean Talbot. Presbyterian: Professor Harper and Rev. George Tait. Methodist: Rev.- W. H. Beale. Dr. Carruthers. Congregational: Rev. E. Davies. F. N. Pratt and two secretaries, the Revs. P. A. Micklem and A. P. Campbell.

The Bishop of Bradford advocated the Nicene creed as the obvious standard of the re-united church. It satisfied every teat of Catholicity and would serve as a standard for the ordination of a ministry, as the outline for the instruction of all members of the church and as a confession for congregational worship. A motion was carried that, whilst the conditions of membership of t.ie reunited church would be satisfied by the Apostle® Creed, the Nicene creed would be appropriate as a common standard precedent to union.