The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-22
No Anglican Pope Possible.

One thing, at least, seems to have been
settled by the Lambeth Conference, namely,
that there Is to be no Capitalization of
power in the hands of tho Archbishop Of
Canterbury. even with reference to the
churches belonging to the Anglican Com
munion in the United Kingdom and its
dependencies. much less as regards the
Episcopal churches in the United States.
The ill-advised attempt Of certain persons
to invest the See of Canterbury with the
dignity and functions of a Patriarchate was
so effectually dealt with hat its revival is
improbable. 1t was foreseen that a Patri-
arch might, in the course of time, grow into
a Pope, and the proposal which threatened
such an outcome was nipped in the bud
AS regards the number of prelatcs who
took part in it, the fourth Lambeth Con-
ference was undoubtedly an impressive as
sembly. There has been in this respect n
notable advance during the last thirty
years. At the first conference, in 1867,
only 70 Bishops were present at the Sec
ond, in 1878, there were exactly a hum
dred at the third, in 1883, there were
145 no fewer than 191 participated in the
fourth conference, just concluded, which
normally should have taken place a year
hence; it was held a twelvemonth before
Its time, not, as is generally supposed, that
1t might coincide with the celebration
of the Queens jubilee, but to make
1t commemorate the fourteen hun
dredth anniversary Of the introduce
ton of Christianity into Kent by Saint
AUGUSTINE. OF the 191 prelates, most,
of course, came from the United King
dom and the United States, but the minor
ity comprised representatives from almost
every land where English.speaking colo
nists have settled, and included three negro
Bishops. A conference which 80 truly de-
serves the name of Pan-Anglican could not
have been brought together except up m the
distinct understanding that there should
be no binding declaration of faith, but that
the meeting should be only for fraternal
counsel and encouragement. When, there
fore, the plan was mooted Of raising the
Archbishopric of Canterbury into a Patri-
archaic, the conference, in the most out
spoken way, showed itself determined that
nothing should be done which should tend,
even in the slightest degree, toward the
evolution of another Pope. The principle
was enunciated with the utmost pos
sible emphasis, hat the Archbishop
OF Canterbury has not and must not
have any power over the doctrines and
discipline of the Colonial and q for
horf of the foreign churches. Thes
communions, 1t was declared, must be
allowed to maintain their native au.
tonomy, even though it should lead
to developments distasteful to other
branches of the Anglican Church. A sus.
picion that an effort might be made to con.
troll or neutralize this autonomy was ex-
cited by the wording of a resolution which
provided for the constitution of the Board
of Reference" under the Archbishop. Be-
fore this resolution could be passed it had
to be clearly explained that the Board of
Reference was to act in disputes in or be.
tween the provinces only when asked to do
80 by the parties interested, and that then
Its decisions should be only recommends
tions and not binding mandements.
We add with reference to the Encyclical
Letter which was Issued with the report OF
the conference, that this, as the Bishops
were careful to make known, has no formal
power or authority; no Church in the An
glican Communion Is bound to act on 1t or
to recognize it in any way. Whatever In.
luence it may exercise must come from the
weight of the men who put 1t forth, and
from Its own intrinsic merits.
We observe that among tho recommends.
tions accepted by the conference regarding
Church organization, one recognized the
adoption of title of Archbishop by the
Metropolitan of Canada, and advised that
the title Of Archbishop should be adopted