The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-02-14

LL.D., Philadelphia, Pa; Sameul Mather, Cleveland, O.; Francis L. Stetson, New York, N. Y; Edward P. Bailey, Chica- go, III.
 The full text of the letter being sent out Is as follows:
 Reverend and Dear Sir: Up to the 25th of last July IS commissions had been appointed by as many different commun- ions to cooperate in bringing about a world conference for the consideration of questions touching faith and order. In a statement lately issued by the commits sion of the Protestant Episcopal church, of which you will have received a copy,
 it was remarked that formal association
 for joint action can be effected only after sufficient number of commissions shall
 have been appointed and sufficient op- portunity to appoint such commissions shall have been afforded to all com munions, both Catholic and Protestant. It is obvious that considerable time must elapse before responses can be expected from churches in Europe and in other foreign parts Of the world. The ques- tion arises whether those commissions l that have been appointed can make
 profitable use of the interval of waiting. I've are instructed on behalf of the commission of the Protestant Episcopal church to suggest that each commission can make good use of this time in foster ing within it's own communion a senti-
 ment in favor of unity. The conference. when it meets, will be called on to study and discuss those things in which we diff | fer from the standpoint of those things l in which we are at one. In order that such dicussion may be fruitful, it is inn | portant that the representatives of the several participating communions shall Sfeel conscious of a desire in the bodies who send them for the restoration of l Christian unity, and of an expectation in | those bodies that better understanding | of the points of difference shall make 1 easier their reconciliation.
 'rhe conference will have no power to commit participating communions upon l any point, but it is desirable that their | members should be prepared by the cul- 1 tivation of a sympathetic interest, to re- ceive the results of a conference in good will and with the disposition to proceed | toward reunion rather than to seek req sons for rejecting it..
 with view to stimulating such a 1 spirit, each commission might advan- | tageously take such steps now as it shall deem most suitable to it's own crcum- | stances It has appeared to the commits
 
 l that in general it would be advantageous to each communion that it's own commis- 1 sion should, among other things, recon- ! mend:
 "a. To the clergy to preach upon the subject of unity;
 "b. To both the clergy and the laity to study the distinctive tenets of faith
 and order which are understood to lie at
 the foundation of their position and to
 constitute the justification for their sepa- rateness:
 "c. That such studies be critical and
 thorough in order that the subject may become we'll understood, and that the
 vital points for which the particular com
 munion stands distinct from other bodies may be clearly distinguished from its general body of Christian doctrine: I'd. That denominational standards of doctrine, where such exist receive spe-
 cial attention, particularly in their rela- ton to current teaching;
 "e. That the distinguishing doctrines of other commnnions be examined not for
 the purpose of disparaging them, but for
 the purpose of understanding their value
 to those who hold them;
 If. Finally, and in order that these.
 or any. methods may be efficacious. that prayer be made habitually and systemati-
 cally by clergy and by laity for the unity of Gods people and for the guidance of
 the Holy Spirit in all efforts to bring about world conference.
 'It is believed that such studies and prayers will tend to diminish rather than to increase the divergence between Chris titan communions. In some cases it may appear that the divergence lies in the proportion in which the same doctrine is