Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-08-12
BISHOPS APPEAL FOR UNION
IS OF ALL CHUR CHES IN WORLD
AnpEcanLeaders Include Orthodox Bodies
of East and Roman Communion OF
West In New Vision.

LONDON. August 1.-Reunion. of
churches is urged in an appeal to
call Christian people" framed by
bishops of the Anglican Church who
attended the recent conference at
Lambeth, which was made public to-
day in connection with statement
by the Archbiohop Of Canterbury COW
erinE the work Of the conference.
The scope of the appeal, according to
the archbishop's statement. is limited
only by the limits of the Christian
churches of the world"
The appeal is directed to the oftho-
dox churches of the east and to the
great Roman communion of the west.
no less than to the free churches
which have grown to maturity
among the Anglo-Saxon races. It's
scope is so. wide that there can be
no doubt large numbers Of the bishops
who issued it had in mind those OF
our kith and kin in the great Presby-
terrain. Methodist. Baptist and Con-
gregational communions with whom,
although they are separated from the
church. the Anglican communion has
so much in common. both in faith and
in practice"
Plan of Onion Revolutionary"
Describing the plan of union. the
statement says: The vision embodied
here IL new, even revolutionary. The
plans Of reunion whereby the Angli-
can Church might hope to absorb
. other communions are frankly aban-
structure. simple enough to begin
at once. but large enough to include
all"
The bishops summon all the Chris
tians to look. not for an extended
catSoo eSnpcS Of Put the eoT fusure truly to
which every church should bring it's
own contribution Of life and organi-
sation. No loose federation Of indie
pendent churches is contemplated,
bur. rather. a real organic unity based
on fundamentals, in which there
their own outlook and for methods
such as John Wesley originally con-
templated.
The appeal points out universal
elaine that IAN episcopate is the
one means for providing such min
istry."
Divisions among Christian peoples
are deplored in the opening statement
of the appeal. They are attributed
charity, the bishops confessing frank
IL "odr own share in the guilt"
What Unity VIII Involve.
In their announcement the bishops
voice their belief that visible unity
OF the church will be found. to in
volve acceptance of the Bible and of
the Nicean and Apostles creeds, the
sacraments of baptism and COM
munion, and "a ministry acknowl-
edged by every church as possessing
not only the inward call Of spirit, but
also the commission of Christ and the
auHhofity of the whole body"
An episcopate the statement con-
tinues, Is the best instrument for
maintaining the unity and continuity
Of the church. 1t concludes by say
ing: I'VE do not ask that any one
communion give its consent to be alb
sorbed in another. but we do ask that
all should unite in q new and great
endeavor to recover and to manifest
to the world the unity Of the body of
Christ, for which He prayed
The Archbishop of Canterbury ap-
proved of the message Of the bishops.
saying that the idea of it was to make
the ministry of each church accept
aba to all.
Other matters taken up 6y. the Lam
beth conference included the admis-
sion to the ministry of women, and
discussions on marriage laws, the
league of nations and relations be-
tween capital and labor. The, results