The Washington herald., 1908-06-11
By FREDERIC J. HASKIN.

For the first time in the history OF the
world representatives from all branches
OF the widely scattered Anglican Church
are TO meet to discuss the ways and
means OF further extending the Kingdom
OF Christ This meeting will begin In
London next Monday. and representatives
from more than $50 dioccses and districts
in communion with the Anglican Church
will be present, probably 5000 delegates
coming from al parts OF the world where
the Church Of England and the Episcopal
Church are known, and representing a
total membership Of 29,20oO0o. OF these
more than 200 are bishops. and the rest
are clergy and lay delegates. The initial
services will be held in Westminster
Abbey: the closing services will be in St
PauTs Cathedral and on the intervening
days there will be mass meetings In AL
bert Hall
Six sections VIII sit simultaneously. ard
will be open 20 clergy laymen and lay
women. The first section is 10 deal with
the church and human society. and the
others with the ministry, the missions TO
non-Christian countries the missions IN
ChristendOm. and the Anglican COM
munion. So great will be the attendance
that only 200 free seats will be available
IN Albert Hall. and when the St Paul
meeting is held only delegates VIII be ad-
mitted. and many Of these Will have 20
be content with standing room. With It's
manifold interests. its great business. and
its large attendance, the conference will
cost over $4,000.
This conference will mean more than
the expression OF modern missionary en-
thusiasm. 1t viii snow a concerted ef-
fort on the part of the entire Anglican
Church 10 handle more intelligently the
problems Of new churches In new lands
from n mission point OF view, from the
colonial point Of view. and from the
home point Of view. Said the Bishop Of
Carlisle not long ago: "Ope Of the
surest notes OF O living religion is that
rs it grows Older It also grows younger.
Always the same az It's foundations, It Is
ever changing It's superstructure. This
quality OF changelessness and change
makes the Christian religion to differ
from ali other world religlons-Christian-
ity is essentially an historic religion" II
Is 10 keep this foundation always strong
and 70 buiid the superstructure 90 suit
the ever widening needs Of a great and
growing people that the conference meets
next week
il is q notable fact that this meeting is
held on the anniversary OF that historic
day when King John at Runnymede
signed the Magma Charta I'm the presence
OK stern and compelling mobiles. who saw
that in the instrument went the provlso
that ''the Church OF England shall be
free II was after centuries OF mission
worlC that WycI.ne's Bible came. and
when later years brought the reformation
u was not as the work Of Horny VIII.
Edward VI or Elizabeth. but was the
outEroWtb or q concerted movement Of
ireedom-loving. reading and thinking peo-
PIE. ready 90 secure for the church the
freedom that the charter had guaranteed
Expansion OF the church followed eN-
p1usiou of political power. The period OF
church expansion dates from that day
little over 300 years ago, when. as the
Bishop OF London said I'm his jamestown
ADDRESS, "A grain of mustard seed was
blown ashore I'm Virginia and the An
glican Church found firm root in n new
and fertile soil From Virginia came tire
nations S leaders I'm the political emplre
that was later built on this small begin
ming. ana men OF the Anglican Church
took prominent and telling parts in the
political educational and social upbuild-
ing.
To-day the British empire embraces I59
dioceses. OF these only hfty-nine are In
the homeland the provinces having more.
Australia and New Zealand have twenty
seven. Asia twentv-four. Canada twenty
three the West Indies and South Amer
!ca eight. and Africa eighteen. In the
lfriflI
England-thore are nincty-one dioceses
with an approximate membership Of S6O.-
coo. more than a third Of these being I'm
New York and New England From the
American church there VIII be many
speakers. at both the congress and the
meeting Of bishops at Lambeth. which
follows. Notable among these will be
the bishops OF Southern Virginia Ten
nesscc. Albany. Massachusetts. New York
Chicago. Louisiana, Shanghai. Vermont.
Rhode Island Connecticut, AMI Southern
Ohio and the bishop coadjutor of Fond
du Lac.
The twentieth century marked tho
shifting OF the center Of gravity OF the
A1glo-SaXon race from the British Isles
70 America and TO the English colonies
With the race went the Anglican Church
Tor It's mission. according 20 the fair
minded Bishop Of Stepney. IS not ma
uonal but catholic. The center of gravity
OF the Episcopal Church became identical
with that OF tho race. Henry CLAY once
said that the stability Of the American
government depended on the perpetuation
of the Episcopal Church and the supreme
Court laying greater stress on the i'm
portance of the church. OF the work OF
tho Anglo-SaXon race in this country
Ambassador Bryce said. not long ago.
You have established perfect religious
equality. and remain more or less re-
ligious people. You have gone further
than any other nation In giving comfort
enlightenment. and opportunities for prog
ress to the individual man, in whatever
station or Of whatever stock"
In the great London conference bishop
clergy and layman will gather for tho
hrst time IN the history OF the church TO
consider all the difficulties that beset
their way, all their aspirations for the
furthering Of their work, all the expert
ences they have had, and so. by compari-
son, counsel. and discussion. find new
avenues OF endeavor and wider scope for
the work Of the Anglican Church. One
especial feature brought out in this con
ference is the fact that laymen are in
Vlted' urged. TO come and take part in
the discussions proving the growing
power and influence Of this part of the
church. For ovey fifty years bisbons Of
the Church OF England have met i'm the
famous Lambeth conferences inviting
bishops Of the American Church To CON
Ter with them. but never before In the
history OF the Anglican Church has there
N.M q