The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, and Echo. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1895.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 214, 7 September 1895, Page 4

The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, and Echo.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1895.

7or th 9 cause that lacks assistance, For the -wrong that necd3 resistance, For the future in the distance. • And the good that we can do.

If the Popo felt ab ell sanguine as to the success of his scheme for welding together the scattered forces of Christendom, the reception of life recent appeal for tho reunion of tho Roman and Anglican Churches must be somowhab discouraging. His Holiness has nob had even the satisfaction of exciting a profound sensation. Of course, the English religious newspapers, looking upon the papal utterance as something in their line, hastened to improve the occasion, and some of the most prominent members of the Anglican episcopal bench, finding themselves directly appealed to, felt in honour bound to give publicity to their views. Bub outside a comparatively limited circle the Pope's appeal for re union excited ouly a languid curiosity. To what cause are we to attribute this indifference? It may be partly due to bhß secular spirit of the age, which leads men to take less interest than formerly in ecclesiastical questions, bub more probably it is owing to a deep-seated conviction on the part of the English laity that any real union between the Roman and Anglican communionn is hardly within the bounds of possibility. Feeling assured on the general question and apprehensive of no danger, the average Englishman is quite content that ecclesiastics on both sides should exercise themselves with academical discussions on the subject of church re-union, and sees no more neceseity for troubling himself as to the result of their speculations than he does for interfering with those fe»r singular inJividuale among his countrymen who sfcill proi'we allegiance to the Stuart family, and give expression te their political sympathies by drinidng to the health of "Queen" Mary. If any real apprehension existed that the Papal supremacy would be restored in Great Britain, wo have no doubt there would be an explosion of public feeling far exceeding that which convulsed the nation when Pious'JLX. parcelled out England into bishoprics and re-established the Romish hierarchy.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, owing to the elevated position he occupies, was naturally expected to take the lead in replying to the Pope's invitation. His Grace haa taken more than one opportunity of declaring hi* sentiments, and haa done bo in terms sufficiently plain to satisfy the most exacting English puritan. We observe by our cable messages that in addition to the public statements ho had already made, the Primate has deemed it necessary to issue a pastoral letter, which may be regarded as an official pronouncement, and will no doubt be read with interest by both tha Roman and .Anglican parties. So far as we can judge from the meagre outline contained in the cablegram, the Archbishop takes a reasonable view of the situation, and I writes in a temperate and dignified' manner ' worthy of his high position. The sincerity of the Pope in the proposal he has made for ire-union is frankly recognised. We do not fchink on that point there need be the slightest ground for doubt. No one who has watched the career of Leo XIII. sineo he ascended the pontifical throne can doubt that he is intensely in earnest. His fearlessness in the discharge of duty has been shown id dealing with the Irish difficulty, in discountenancing the intrigues of the Bourbons in Franco, and in numberless other instascee where his intervention haa boon cailed for. VVhether dealing with the question of national education in America or with labour troubles in Europe, he has shown a sincere desire to act justly and impartially, apart! from mere political or personal considerations. To a Pontiff so profoundly impressed with the spiritual importance of this miseion as Leo XIII, thespectacloof adiviedd Christendom must be a most distressing one, and !»he attempts he haa made with a view of ultimately bringing both the Eastern and Anglican churches within his fold, shows bbac he is capable of the moet lofty and ambitious projects.

) 7v'e need not suppose that in his action J tho Popa is unduly influenced by a desire Jto aggrandise the See of Rome, or that ho considers that on alliance which would brine him into such intimate relation with tho English nation would be a stepping- ! stone to tho restoration of bhe temporal } power. Important as these considerations J are from the papal standpoint, wo may easily believe that the Pope is chiefly influenced by the consideration that the reunion of the Churche9 would greatly benefit bhe world at large, and would best secure the temporal as well as tho spiritual interests of all parties concerned.

So much for the Pope's opinion, which may be regarded as that or" an amiable and learned ecclesiastic, whose knowledge of England is chiefly derived from reading, and from the reports eupplied to him by clerical agents. The Archbishop of Canterbury, who is moro thoroughly acquainted with English prejudices and modes of thought, holds widely different views. In common with the other English bishopa, ho has not failed to see that the Pope, in hia

recenb appeal, has really committed himself to nothing, and tbab the so-called union would simply mean abeorpbion of the English Church by her ancient rival. . Vr. Benson sees many lions in the path. lne doctrinal difficulty, on which, it is nnderetood, there could be no papal compromise, would be an insuperable one. iSub even if this could be goo over, the objection to re-union would be narctiy ieesened. The Archbishop points out that the Roman ceremonial and modes ot worship are ropugiianb to the majority of Englishmen, and thab under present conditions the Anglican Church could only draw nearer to tho Roman by bidding farewell to the other reformed churches, and by relinquishing all the advantage* which were eecured by the Reformation in the lbth When such ia the spirit of the English Church, as expressed by her Primate, and when it is remembered thab nearly half the nation ia made up of Nonconformists who, whatever their differences, are united in hostility to everything approaching Roman doctrine and ritual, ib mueft be admilted thab the Pope's scheme for re-union appears little more than " tho baseless fabric of a vision." Ib is, of cou ree, impossible to tell what may be in the womb of the future. Such a re-union as that suggested by Leo XIII. is neither feasible nor desirable in the general intereso, bui the very facb thab the head of the Western Church has. made such kindly approaches to his neighbours may lead ultimately to come compromise or a 6 any rate to some understanding by which and Protestants, instead of thwarting each other, may work side by side for the common good. .■.■•■ : . :,■,:-■-. ■ •>