REUNION OF CHURCHES.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 526, 5 June 1909, Page 9

REUNION OF CHURCHES.

. AN OLD IMPEDIMENT. .. In the course of a sormon in Exetei .-.. Cathedral on "Tho Prayer Book ae a Help'toi Eeuniou," Canon Becchirig, of .'Wcßtmuißtci Abbojysaid: I would venture to orgo.'that before tho next Lambeth Conference. assembles tho archbishops should to asked to-ap-point a committee of scholars to roportjupoa tho true moaning of .tho term,they propoeo, "tho Historic Episcopate," especially in regard to what is known as thoidoctrino of ■ ) Apostolic Succession; for lam convinced, to put the matter in one word,,tnat'tho reception which this last of thp' four Lambeth . conditions of reunion lias moi> .wHh, and mast * continue to meet with, frfini'non-Episcopal. bodies depends upon whotlierHhero isclaimed for English Church Oriefe }i special regular- - ity or a special validity, Ifcis not a questiqd that can be decided offhan'd, according to'our predilections. It dojwnds, among, 'ofher things, upon tho doctrine of Charismala, and .' upon tho doctrine of'the Sacramerife, as to both of which the Scriptures arc $o r uttmiate authority: and also upon tho place organisation can be shp'vr.n;:to have occupied in fho , scale of things iri tho mind of our .Lord and Htsvlpostles. But until fhat ques- '■ tion is decided, by. an'investigation worthy of.tho standard of tcptt;To which wo all appeal, the preWem of "reunion with non-Epis-copal OJnircfoeß cannot pe Ecriouely discussed. WOj'tflust bo CQnJenfc--still on both sides to ;(jjaj£thit in : H,W <fy/h time thoiHoly Spirit avill guide-us all'jiite truth: and 'in , the meantime.' wo-must each hold fast to the 'truth of which "we are convinced,