The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-07-25

Anglican Clergyman in the New York
Sun.
The London Times having announced
with authority" that the Archbishop of
Canterbury will leave England some time
In August on a visit to the United States,
description of the archbishops striking
personality and also consideration of
the special object of his visit may be
interesting.
DR.. Davidson is a Scotchman, the son of
physician. He now, in the British house
of lords ranks next to the royal princes
His name stands Immediately below
Prince Leopold, the Duke of Albany. lie
is member of the privy council and
Knight of the Grand Cross of the Royal
Victoria order. Consequently in the house
of lords he appears as the Right Honor
able and Most Reverend Randall Thomas
Davidson, G. C. V. O., d. ID. Lord Arch
gishop of Canterbury He was the spirit
ual adviser of the late Queen Victoria
when he was bishop of Winchester, and
clerk of the closet and was present at
the death of the late queen. On the
death of Archbishop Benson he was Offer
ed the Archbishopric of Canterbury, but
declined on the score of health. When
Archbishop Temple died he accepted the
post.
He did not take honors' at Oxford,
as he was a very delicate young man,
but he has always been regarded schol-
ar. He was private secretary to Arch
bishop TAFT. whose daughter he married.
He was also secretary to Archbishop
Benson. He was first consecrated bishop
| of Rochester and was translated to
! Winchester. In churchmanship he is con-
sidered an Evangelical" or Low Church
man. His sympathies are entirely in that
direction. He attended the funeral of the
| late Rev. Mr. Sturgeon and pronounced
! the benediction at the grave of the emil
net Baptist preacher. The archbishop
Is frequently heard in the house of
lords; but he is not, as has been said in
| some of our American papers, "a politi-
cian." He would Indignantly repudate
such a statement. He is a man of very
deep piety and earnest convictions, and
while he is undoubtedly Low Chruch-
man he has always maintained that the
existence of the Established Church de-
| ponds on her liberation of all parties.
| He was born in 1s4S, and Is therefore in
! the very prime of mental vigor. His
health is said to be completely restored
| DR.. Davidson is the twenty -seventh
Protestant archbishop from the time of
Cranmer. 1t will be remembered that
Bishop Seabury, the first bishop of the
Anglican communion In America re-
ceived conservation from bishops of the
disestablished church OF Scotland, but
Bishop White of Philadelphia and Bishop
Provost of New York were consecrated
by Archbishop Howley of Canterbury
rhn Stir nf A. ~
terbury Is 81 200 a year-a princely In
come, with which he has to keep up Lam
beth palace and all the dignity required
OF one who takes precedence of the lord
chancellor of England and stands next
to royal princes. The wife of the arch
bishop however, has no social rank ex-
cept that which is conceded to her by
courtesy. In letters the archbishop Is adj
dressed as The Right Honorable and
| Most Reverend Archbishop of Canter
bury" and in England. in conversation.
he is entitled to be- called either your
Grace or MY Lord Archbishop" He
signs his letters and documents with
the ancient formula of Randall Can
| tuar"
/ The avowed object of the archbishon,s
visit to the United States is to accept the
invitation of Bishop futile, the presiding
bishop of the Protestant Episcopal
church In this country. to attend the
general convention which will assemble
In Boston the first week in October. The
F.. st. Louis exposition by the way. is held
| in the diocese of Bishop futile Of Mis-
souri, and who will probably entertain
him at st. Louis previous to the con-
| vention In Boston.
The possibilities of the disestablishment
of the Chruch of England have also in
duced Archbishop Davidson to visit this
country, with view to making special
inquiries as to the past and present con-
ditions of the non-establshed EpiscopaI
church in America. In ZIG, when the
United States was separated from Great
Britain, the Anglican church merely
| ceased to be establishes she did not un-
dergo. as in the case of the Church of
Ireland, the process of disestablish-
ment and consequently the property and
| revenues of the churches remained In the
church and were not In any way alien
ated. In the event of the establishment
of the English church the Archbishop Of
Canterbury as primate OF all England
may plead with the British paliament for
| the same measure Of consideration as
that shown to the Church of England In
Amdrica by q republican form of gov
ernrhent. Before 1776 the American colo
nief were in the diocese of London and