Interesting Address to Shanghai Missionary Association on a Vital Subject At a meeting of the Shanghai Missionary Association im the Free Christian Church on Tuesday evening the Rev. C. G. Sparham, of the London Missionary Society, read a very interesting paper on the movement towards church union in Great Britain, The president of the Association, Dr. J C. Me Gracken, was in the chair, a large number of members being present.
Following a social gathering at which tea was served by the ladies of the Free Christian Church Ladies' Society and the ladies of the Inland Mission there was a short devotional season, this in turn being followed by Mr. Sparham's address.
Mr, Sparham pointed out that at the Reformation the Church of England modified its constitution bur did not break with the past, while the Presbyterian, Congregational and Baptist churches arose from careful study of the New Testament and an endeavour to organize the church in accordance with the principles of the first century. These three churches, said the speaker, were strongly democratic in their basis.
In the 18th century following the life and labours of John Wesley there arose the Methodist society. While Wesley never formally separated from the Church Kingland, the society which formed detached itself from the decades after SVesley's death, had Church of England and, in a few
divided into six distinct Church organizations. During recent years of this Methodist group of churches there had been a eirawing: together and complete Methodist union seemed likely to be effected in the not distant future. This Methodist church was now recognized as one of the strongest in England.
The drawing together of Presbyterian churches in Scotland was described and it wag thawn that action was now being taken by the union of tha United Free and the Fistablished Churches to give one) strong church for Scotland.
While the Anglican church had in earlier years shown little tendency towards union with other churches a definite step had been taken by the Lambeth Conference beth in 1888, and again in 1920, in which definite proposals for re union with the non-episcopal and other churches had been made. The spirit which inspired these pro. [tsals was admirable; and a certain rapprochement between the churches concerned had certainly taken place. In acceptance of the scriptures, the observance of the two sacraments, baptism and holy communion, and in doctrine as exemplified in the Apostles and Nicene creeds there was substantial agreement
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.