The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-09-04
REPORTS ON WORK FOR CHURCH UNITY Result of Formal Visits in
 Great Britain MUCH ENCOURAGED Secretary Robert H. Gardiner Sends Out Formal Report of Efforts for World Conference on Faith
 and Order

New York, September 3.-Robert H. Gardiner, secretary of the preliminary
 commission on the church unity move
 ment, has sent out the following repor. under date of August 90:
 A deputation from the Protestant Epis-
 2opal commission on world conference en the faith and order of the Church of
 Christ, which has recently visited Eng land Ireland and Scotland in the interest of the proposed conference, was received most hospitably and with great encour- agement. The deputation consisted of the
 Bishop of Chicago, the Bishop. of Southern
 Ohio, the Bishop of Vermont and the Hev. William T. Manning, D. D., of New York Their conferences and interviews
 were confined to representatives of the Anglican communion in the British Isles
 es the sole object of this preliminary
 visit was to enlist the cooperation ant participation of the Churches of England and Ireland, and the Episcopal church in Scotland In the proposed conference. The deputation conferred at Lambeth ralace with the Archbishops of Canter- bury and York and with the Bishop Of
  Bishop of Bath and Wells, the Bishop of Gloucester, Bishop Tucker, canon os
 Durham, the dean of Westminster, Bishop Ryle the dean of St. Pauls, Dr. Inge the dean of Wells. Dr. Armitage Rob inson the dean of Ely, Dr. Kirkpatrick. and the Rev Canon Nalsham How. The Bishop of oxford and other invited guests were unable to be present. but the Bishop of Oxford afterwards expressed his ap- proval. It was decided that the Arch bishops of Canterbury and York should appoint a large committee, composed of bishops, priests and laymen, to repre- sent the movement in England. The Archbishop of Canterbury and the Bishop of Chicago were asked to draw up a memorandum expressing the conclusions, at which the conference had arrived. It's
 main features are
 l. That the Archbishops of Canterbury
 and York appoint a committee in the Church of England to "organize, sup port and help in England" and Ito stim-
 ulate general interest and regular and widespread prayer in the matter of the conference.
 2 That invitations to the various re- ligious bodies in England to take part in bringing about and conducting the
 conference be extended to them by their | co-religionists in America.
 g. That the committee of the Church of England should markedly hold 1t self in readiness to confer with such bodies or committees as may be appointed | in the n-Episcopal churches; or, if so | he, with those who might represent the | Roman or Eastern churches"
 | f. The Archbishop of Canterbury ex- pressed the opinion which was concurred in by the representatives of the Church of England, that 1t would facilitate the | matter of cooperation of the Church of England if the American origin of the conference should be borne in mind, and | the possibility or probability that the conference, when held, should be on American soil. This, however, was not, in any way. suggested by any of the
 American deputation.
 The deputation had q conference in
 Edinburgh with the Primus of the Epis- copal church in Scotland, accompanied ty the Bishop of Glasgow, the Bishop or Moray and Ross and the Bishop of St. Andrews. The conference took place at the residence of the Bishop of Edinburgh, although the bishop was detained in Lon don and unable to be present. Unusual interest in the proposed conference was manifested by the Scottish bishops. At their meeting in October as a house of bishops the matter will be formally con- s,dered. 1t is confidently expected that
 a commission will be appointed to repre- sent the EplScopal Cnurcn Tn scotland. The American deputation also had the privilege of many interviews with the Archbishop of Capetown. These took place at Bishopthorpe, the residence of the Archbishop of York. The Archbishop of Capetown will bring the whole matter
 before the bishops of his province during the coming autumn.
 In Ireland the deputation conferred with the Archbishop of Armagh. the Bishop of Meath, pr. Keene, and the Bishop of Down, Dr. Darcy. Here. as everywhere, great interest in the undertaking was manifested. The Archbishop of Armagh will present the question of the co-opera- tion of the Church of Ireland at the No- vember meeting of the Bishops of the Irish church.
 The members of the American deputa- ton feel that their visit to the British Isles was productive of much good. It well illustrates the value of conference. A few days spent under the same roof and around the same table, asking and answering questions were worth more than months of correspondence.