A STEP FORWARD.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20097, 28 November 1930, Page 18

A STEP FORWARD.

CHRISTIAN reunion

BROTHERLINESS AND PARTNERSHIP. irr.oji oca owe conEBSi-osDzc-j;?.) LONDON, Octot>er 23. At the concluding session of the Church Congress at Newport last week, the question of Christian reunion was considered. The Bishop of Chichester (Dr. G. .K. A. Bel)), who was secretary to tho recent Lambeth Conference, was the principal speaker. With regard to individual churches or groups of churches, the Church of Kngland had, in the past 10 years, been drawn to a far better understanding of the Free Churches and friendship for then) than at any other period. Brotherlir.ess, courtesy, nnd partnership were present and growing to a degree incredible 20 years ago. So far as tha first stage in the union movement was concerned, they had all, on both sides, come a very long way. They had not yet reached tha third otage of practical proposals. But in the second stage of the journey—a seeking of agreement on vital principles regarding tho Church and the Gospel—they had travelled a good way. With regard to the Roman Catholic Church, the Malines Conversations were a very definite and welcome attempt at a rapprochement des occurs. They were a great achievement, and prepared the way for action, though it might be many years hence. In no part of Christendom had' there been a more remarkable change of attitude than in the Orthodox Church. It was certainly true to Bay the spirit that was brotherly and desired union prevailed, and that there was a considerable measure of agreement on what might be called postulates. The latter stage was immeasurably further advanced than could have been dreamt of 15 years ago. There was also such an agreement- on vital principles of faith and order, including the theory and practice of episcopacy, that negotiations had been definitely launched for the consideration of union. Attitude to South India. The prospect which the Lambeth Conference had opened out by its attitudo to South India was the most romarkabla thing that the Conference had done. They were introduced to a new situation in the field of Church unity —a situation in which, instead of one Church being absorbed in another, great Churches were in communion with one another and wishful for opportunities of expressing that communion in common counsel, common fellowship, sacrament, and action. So they came back to the world-wide view, when Lambeth might well be, or become, the starting point for a conference not of Anglican Bishops alone —though the Conference must be retained—but of the Bishops of all the episcopal churches which recognised each other. That was a great move forward, and would bring back into the 3eld of practical life a visible international Christian fellowship, based not only on the existence of the right spirit between the Churches, bnt an agreement on vital principles, especially agreement in faith and in that episcopacy which was "from early times and for many centuries accepted, and by the greater part of Christendom Is still accepted, as the moans whereby the authority of the whole body is given."