Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1915-12-04
REV. DR.. MANNING
DEFENDS HIS COURSE.
Tririty Rector New York in Widely
Published Article, Tells of His
Hopes for Christian Unity.


Much interest was stirred IN relig-
ious circles by the Rev. DR.. Manning's
long-expected article, which was enti-
tled"The Protestant Episcopal Church
and Christian Unity"
It had been known for several
months that he had such an article
under consideration DR. Manning is
the chairman of the executive commit
tee Of the commission appointed by
the Protestant Episcopal Church TO
bring about world conference on
faith and order. lie was also one Of
the five members Of the Protestant
Episcopal Board Of Missions to re-
sign when that body finally decided 10
send delegates to the conference az
Panama. The opponents Of the policy
of the board maintained that Prot
estant gathering at Panama wiuld be
distasteful 10 the Roman Catholics and
would deprive the Episcopal Church OF
its advantages of working for unity
from the middle ground
The Rev. Dr. Manning was not re
elected by the recent Diocesan Con-
vention as deputy to the General
Convention of the Protestant Epis
copal Church.
"In her doctrine of the church and
the priesthood" the Rev DR. Man
ning's- article in The Quarterly read,
1.-THE Anglican community aigns her.
self with Catholic Christendom, and it
is this fact which makes il impossible
for the Episcopal Church. without sur
render of fundamental principles, TO
identify herself with the present move
ment for a Protestant federation in
America or to enter into united Prot
estant work in the mission fields or
elsewhere.
"The Episcoal Church should feel
and does feel, warm sympathy with
these movements. She should join in
thanksgiving for them as most hopeful
expressions of growing desire for re-
union as important steps in this direc-
ton. She ought in every way to man
fest her sympathy with these efforts
and to show that she wishes them
godspeed but she cannot officially par
ticipate in and commit herself to
them without being untrue to the OPP
portunity that God seems to have
given to her in relation to the Christ
ian world as a whole and without de
NAL of her own essential faith"
The Rev. DR.. Manning held that the
Episcopal Church. with its doctrine Of
apostolic succession, could not affll-
late with churches which had no
priestly order. OF the proposed world
conference for unity it was said that
fifty religious communions out of 100
including the Anglican in its various
branches, have identified themselves
with the undertaking.
assurances of the support of the
movement, he continued, "have been
received from high dignitaries of the
Eastern churches, and the matter is
under favorable discussion in the Holy
Orthodox Church of Russia. The pro-
posal has also received the warm
commentator of many eminent digni-
taries of the Roman Catholic Church,
and through the Papal Secretary, Car
dinal Gasparri, his Holiness. Pope Ben
edict XIV, has recently expressed his
personal interest in it, with the assur-
ance OF his prayers for the right guild
ance of the undertaking and its pros
porous issue.
AT the precise moment when the
present war broke out a deputation
was about to start from this country
to lay the matter formally before the
authorities of the churches of Europe
and the East. This mission has only
been deferred, and it is to be carried
into effect just as soon as conditions
will admit of it."
DR.. Manning, in conclusion, said that
it was thought at first that the break
ing out of the war was almost fatal
blow to the undertaking, but that he
now believed the great hope of word
peace lay in a united Christendom.