The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1897-04-17
ARE INITIATING THE ROMAN COUNCILS S
OF THEIR CHURCH TO
BE LOOKED AFTER.
PLAN FOR THEIR FUTURE GUIDANCE
THEY ARE sANGUINE OF ACCOM-
PL1SHING MUCH.

The official program for the Lambeth
Conference, which is to begin on the
30th of June next, has just been issued
says the. Liverpool Catholic Times.
AS our readers are aware, this gathering
lis intended to be an imitation of an
.Ecumenical Council Of the Catholic
Church OF course it is not pretended
that the Church of England can sum-
mon council as imposing or represen-
tative as one called together by the Sow
ereign Pontiff. But some of the An
gelican religious papers are sounding
it's praises in advance with all the fer
vor at their command. Bishops, we are
told, will come from many lands, will
solemnly deliberate together and will
provide for the interests of the Angeli-
can church present and to come. We
know not in what spirit the conveners
of the conference and the Anglican
bishops generally will regard the forth
coming gathering, but we fear that the
feeling of a considerable portion OF
them in looking forward to it will be a
sense of approaching martyrdom. For
this much is certain-that it the core
and kernel of religious subjects is touch
ed we shall have object lessons in those
"felinesz amenities" which the late Mr..
Du Maurierswas so fond of picturing in
the pages Of Punch. AS an illustration
of their. lordships' difficulties we may
refer to their attitude towards the Papal
Bull on Anglican orders. Soon after
that document appeared it was an
nounceds. that the Anglican bishops
were about to draw up joint reply.
The statement was. explicit enough but
even in the face of it we ventured to
prophesy that the prelates would do
nothing of the kind. We were .convinc-
ed that t:swould be impossible to get
men: such as Bishop Ryle, who believes
in no sacerdotal powers, and the Bishop
of Lincoln, whose belief in them is
strong, If not well-def1ned, to agree up.
on any formula, even in answer to the
Pope. Our prophesy has been realized,
for the proposal that there should be a
joint reply by all the members of the
Anglican hierarchy was quietly drop
ped, and the document which has just
appeared is signed merely by the two
archb1shops. If the Episcopal differ
ences are so serious on one or two es-
sential points of dogma how great
must they be In the whole cycle Of
Christian doctrines, and what scope do
they not afford for lively discussions
and recriminations at such an assem-
blage as the Lambeth conference?
T. Let us glance upon the subjects upon
which their lordships are to deliberate.
First comes 1.-THE organization of the
Anglican Communion" The very basis
and constitution OF this church are to
be settled. 1t is proposed to establish
central consultative body and tribunal
of reference; the relations OF the pri-
mates and metropolitans in the colonies
"and elsewhere to the see Of Canter-
bu4y are to be defined, and rules are
to be adopted as to the position and
functions of the Lambeth conference.
Now, what more remarkable condemna-
tion of the so-called apostolicity of the
Church of England could be Afforded
than these proposals? II the Church of
England was intended by Christ to be
that one true church founded for the
purpose of carrying the truths of saliva
tion to nations and peoples, how was it
that up to, the year 1897 it has not been
organized? II it had been preaching
the truth, it must have done SO in a
clear and authoritative voice, but till
this day nobody knows what are the re-
lations of primates and metropolftans
to the see Of Canterbury; nay, nobody
knows what are the positions and func-
tions'' of the conference which is to
take upon Itself the responsibility of de-
Gliding upon these grave questions with
regard to the character of the church.
In reply to our remarks it will be said
that the church of which the Roman
pontfff is the head was not organized all
at once, that its machinery and methods
for meeting missionary claims were
gradually developed and perfected,
quite true. But its authority in matters
of fundamental doctrine was never in
doubt; the tenets which are s'of faith"