New-York tribune., 1908-07-25
ATLAMBETH CONFERENCE
Sermon of Dean Robinson Before
Bishops attracts Much attention.

The sermon of the Rev J. Arnntage Robinson.
the Dean of Westminster the Bishops Of the
Lambeth Conference at the opening OF the CONFER
ence. time ago. has been widely commented
on in the secular and religious press OF England
and has attracted much attention in this country
The Deans subiect was THE Vision of Unity
subject which has been discussed in all quarters
of the world during the last few years prooaoIy
more than at any previous time.
"I have chosen the subject of Christian unity.
says Dean Robinson in part Of his sermon ne-
cause it is to my thinking by far the most i'm
portant that presents itself at the moment Of his
tory at which we have now arrived
The beginning of the sermon is devoted TO the
character of ct. Paul and the stand for absolute
unity in the Christian society for which ne stood
The Dean of Westminster took his text from Acts
XVI: Il was disobedient to the heavenly
vision His sermon, which has been printed IN
full in THE Guardian and at least one other Brlt-
sh magazine contains toward its close the follow
ing paragraphs concerning unity at the present day:
The reunion OF Christendom has sometimes been
taken TO signify primarily our re-entry into COM
munion with the churches which still remain sup.
The East These we may not for moment forget.
even though first duty as believe lies nearer r
always be our guard. lest by word or act we we
give needless offence and thereby postpene sse gse
ancient branches Of Christ's Church. But by al
most universal agreement the time Of that recon
asked distinguishes French ecclssiastc what
presence of the assembled bishops of the An
gcan communion He replied rsus yeu pT6 KnG fratr
bus nostrfs absentibus fa1et pray for our
ca1 ST's dc; that O some Of US do every remember
ing that. as it has been finely said, the nearest
But our first responsibility unquestionably lies lies
as h have said ns IN the Who FeeaS the 4r same language
and read the same English Bible Ihe c9ngTesSS c6gfsS
this side of our responsibility and wise and large
thoughts have found utterancs with regard 70 ~,
work of the divine spirit in the oommunions which
fearn 1yhaf fhe1- have to teach us an unexampIed
readiness to inquire how reunion might De accom-
It is plain that we cannot abandon what we have
hitherto declared 70 be the four & eeSenat ntnrss Gnsr
the two great Creeds, the two great sacranlentss
to recognize that where the first three are found
and where there is also an ordered ministry
our differences are not so much matters OF faitn
matters Of discipline AND nd oTgaf wTh fIer
recognition the one side of charsnaattlc MINIS,
fISiar recognition on the other side of the perna-
value of episcopacy whlcn mas otIg g bnt5
] sides to arrive at some temporary agreement which
aT in the historic sense though admitting the pos
sIbitv Of separate organizations ana exempt Jul
ness and what prospect of reconciliation at no
distant future opens out before us; tio, ara nor
what we want want apostles of ree9nciiatio66 ton
-nIei IN ~ nnntnnt with no lower ideal than the one
Rodv of the Christ. And where nave We tLe ne Ilsnl @
n look fer them not in the episcopate the NeLy
raison detre of which is the preservation ton ana an % r
land to-day the ideal Of the epis6opate & szef
lowered till it mean no more than the Sfbo
Ihardng Of "a denomination, lest our o1ShopS
xSeust Themselves in multiplicity OF oeneHcenI NJ
ti1ities which might appropriately be LETT 70
fbeir rchdea cons and parish priests 1t IS meet meet
Iii 70 the good that the whole level or our
an 10 'Id G he raised as 1t been raised In many
doceses by example Of this fervenf azser task
oi+e on, 1ou"the task of restoring in each dlocese
the broken unity of the body OF GhFsf gsIdand me
I'm most pathetcsIly of allplead with y,o you 90
Use 10 the height of your calling as '"e "H9
of reconciliation.