LAMBETH CONFERENCE

Hokitika Guardian, 15 August 1930, Page 3

LAMBETH CONFERENCE

SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS

United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.] LONDON, Augustlo. The Lambeth Encyclical letter ha; been issued. In the letter three hundred Archbishops and Bishops review the Lambeth Conference resolutions, which mini her sevently. The letter is a stirring call to the Church people individually and collectively, to hear more faithful witness in word and deed to the faith, hopes, purposes and resources which are theirs as members of the Church of England. The letter emphasises remarkable progress lately made towards a reunion of churches through important conversations during the Lambeth conference with delegates from the Orthodox Churches, the Old Catholic Church, the Church of Sweden, the Church of Scotland, anil other bodies. The most notable is the proposed union of the churches of South India. Resolutions generally approving the last named project were unanimously adopted. The report stated that the suspended discussion with leaders of the Evangelical Free Churches will he shortly resumed. In the meanwhile, the faithful are enjoined to preserve in the quest for the visible unity of the Church.

A memorandum, comprising the conference resolutions, points out that the Lambeth ‘ conference decisions are nn inly in the nature of recommendaGoiis, and are, therefore, not binding io any of the; Churches within the Anglican eommunibn until they are popfirmed by the respective church authorities. • ’• j)

The conference; attaches weight for serious Christian people to Die necessity for banishing from their minds ideas concerning, i the character, of God •moll as inconsistent with the character of Christ. • .

It is also remarked: “We affirm the upreine and unshaken authority of tlie 'ible as presenting the truth concerning God, in its progressive relation throughout the Old and New Testaments.”

The conference presumes that public attention will probably he fixed on three other groups of resolutions in relation to, first, church union in South India, second, the attitude of the Anglican Church towards war; third, the re-marriage of divorced persons.-

-• Hie war resolution of the conference reads as follows: —“When the nations have hound themselves in a treaty or pact for “ the pacific ’ settlement of international disputes, this Conference hqlds that the Christam Church of every nation should refuse to countenance/' stay, war iri regfu;d to which its governirieni has notjcieclared its willingness to submit to arbitration or conciliation;:/*? M ij Tn regard toL the case of divorce the Conference has disapproved of the re-marriage by the Church of any person while such person’s former partner is living.

The conference has affirmed the duty of parenthood as being the glory of married life. It says: “Where there is clearly felt a moral obligation to limit or avoid parenthood, the method must be decided on Christaip principles.”

The Conference has strongly condemned the use of any methods of contraception from motives of selfishness, luxury, or mere convenience. The memorandum concludes with a reference to unity, saying: “The Anglican union is becoming a world wide community of free, self-governing churches. Among those there stand already the Churches of the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the West Indies, and India. In such a. partnership, none can, or wishes, to dominate the others.”