New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-08-08
THE LAMBETH CONFERENCE.

Our London correspondent gives an inter
esting resume OF the fourth Lambeth Con
ference of Bishops, which has just adjourned
Although the Conference Is n purely voluntary
body with no legislative or judicial functions
whatever, and with no power to enforce its con-
clusons many churchmen In this country and
England got the impression that 1t was going
to arroga;e to itself the powers Of General
Synod and declare the Archbishop OF Canter-
bury the Patriarch of the Anglican, the Scotch.
the Irish and the American churches. The idea
that Protestant Papacy could thus be estab-
lished was. of course. preposterOus, and. as our
correspondent shows, there Is no evidence that
anybody in the Conference thought of such Il
thing. On the contrary, some OF the resolutions
adopted will make strongly against centrallZa-
ton The oath of colonial bishops. for instance.
is TO be so modified as to give more recognition
TO the local liberties and rights Of the churches
and TO make the Archbishop of Canterbury less
potent in their government So far as the
American Episcopal Church was concerned. the
idea that the Archbishop Of Canterbury was
going to enthrall it was nothing better than
silly mares nest
The action Of the Conference in authorizing
the Archbishop Of Canterbury to appoint con-
sultative body, whose duty it shall be to give
advice when any church asks for 1t, will not
probably have much effect. 1t is hardly likely.
for example that the American Episcopal
Church would submit any really fundamental
controversy 10 such an extra-jUdicial, extra-na-
tiona body Moreover. if 1t did, it IS still less
likely that the suggestions Of the consultative
body would be accepted as final decision Of
the question. And In this matter the Anglican
churches In the various British colonies stand
with the American Church. They have become
strongly mbued with the spirit Of nationality,
and they neglect no opportunity 10 assert their
complete ecclesiastical independence Of the home
Church. SO far as they are concerned the
Primary of the See Of Canterbury is no more
than a name. One suggestion made by the
Conference is full Of good sense and will prob
ably be carried out. 1t Is that I'm foreign mis-
siOnary lands there shall be only one bishop,
either Anglican or American, in territory. At
present it often happens that an English and
an American bishop are set 10 work in the
same field, which Is puZzling to the heather
when they learn that the two bishops repre-
sent sister churches which have the same creed
and are in full communion with each other.
1t will please Americans to learn that the Ameri-
can bishops were not only welcomed with great
warmth and cordiality, but that they were
influential in the debates Of the Conference. 1t
is, in fact an open secret that they had no
small part in giving final shape TO many of the
resolutions that were adopted.
From one point Of view it may be said that
the Conference was hardly worth while, for
it did not do much, and what it did has no
binding force on the churches represented by
it. But the real value Of the gathering les
rail m mt do of fhoSa
conferences have now been held, and every one
of them has made the possibility of a supreme
patrarchate for the Anglican Communion seem
more remote. Now, such Il patrarchate is not
only the dream OF the Anglo Catholic school of
thought in the Church, but it is an essential
feature OF the Church's system according to
their conceptions Of ecclesiastical pOlity. There
is. first the diocese with its bishop, then the
province, consisting Of several contiguous
dioceses with its archbishop; then the Primate
OF National Church. consisting of number
of provinces. and. last of ALL a Patriarch, who
shall be the supreme head over all the national
churches. Such is their conception of Church
unity, and were the Greek. Roman and Angli-
can churches ever to unite, that is the system
that they would advocate as divinely ordered
But the experience Of the Lambeth Conference
shows how utterly impossible 1t would be to
carry ont that idea 50 far as the Anglican
Church is concerned. 1t may. and probably
will. maintain communion between its various
national branches. but there will never be an
Anglican Patriarchate. That conception Of
Church polity may contne to receive the aca-
demc recognition Of the theOlogians but as
working principle it is dead beyond the hope
Of resurrection.