THE LAMBETH CONFERENCE.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 9835, 18 September 1897, Page 8

THE LAMBETH CONFERENCE.

THE ARCHBISHOPS ENCYCLICAL LETTER. The Encyclical Letter issued by the Archbishop of Canterbury at the close of the Lambeth Conference, after addressing "the faithful" upon temperance, purity, and the eancity of marriage, makes the following remarks upon industrial problems :— " The industrial problems of the present day present themselves under the double aspect of justice between man and man and sympathy with human needs. It is widely thought in some classes that the present working of our industries is unjust to the employed and unduly favourable to the employer. It is obviously not possible for us to enter upon the consideration of such a question in detail; but we think it our duty to press the great principle of the brotherhood of man, and to urge the importance of bringing that principle to bear on all the relations between those who are connected by the tie of a common employment. Obedience to this law of brotherhood would ultimately, in all probability, prevent many of the mischiefs which attend our present system. . . . No permanent good can be done to those who find the daily struggle for subsistence very severe unless they themselves will join in the work. But the perpetual temptation of their lives is to throw off their burdens and expect to obtain aid without any exertion on their own part. Many, perhaps the great majority, rise above t-hia temptation, and live brave lives of dependence on their own persevering labour. But many sink in the effort and give up all truti manly hope. It is character that they need ; they need to be roused to a belief in their power by the help of God to live on higher principles. It is when men of thisclass are fighting their own battle against their owu wcakne-s that they caa best be aided by thoughtful sympathy and friendly help. Buo besides these there are not a few who are caught, as it were, in some overpowering current of trouble which they cannot deal with. Such are those who cannot find employment, though often longing to find it. The difficulty of helping these is well known, and requires most careful study. And, lastly, there are many who are physically unable to maintain themselves. To instil Christian principle into the great body of churchmen ; to press on them tiie duty of not only being ready to give and glad to communicate, but of giving their time, their trouble, their careful thought to the discovery of the best mode of helping individual cases of need is the task which our Master gives us." The Bishops pronounce strongly in favour of the maintenance of peace among the nations of mankind by the adoption of the principle of international arbitration. They passed a resolution of thankfulness at the revival of brotherhoods and sisterhoods, and of the office of deaconess ; and they devote a number of resolutions to the subject of foreign missions and the relations of the Church of England to other faiths than ours, and to native churches. They declare that it is their duty to maintain and promote friendly relations with the old Catholic community in Germany and with the Christian Catholic Church in Switzerland, and express a hope for a more formal relation with the Old Catholics in Austria. In respect to the Eastern Churches, the resolution read 3as follows :—

"That the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, and the Bishop of .London, be requested to act as a Committee, with power to add to their number, to confer personally or by correspondence with the Orthodox Eastern Patriarchs, the * Holy Governing Synod' of the Church of Russia, and the chief authorities of the various Eastern Churches, with a view to consider the possibility of securing a clearer understanding, and of establishing closer relations between the Churches of the East and the Anglican Communion ; and that under the direction of the said Committee arrangements be made for the translation of books and documents, setting iorth the relative positions of the various Churches, and also of such catechisms and forms of service as may be helpful to mutual understanding." Upon the subject of Bibical criticiem the letter observes :—

" The critical study of the Bible by competent scholars is essential to the maintenance in the Church of a healthy faith. . .

A faith which is always or ofteu attended by a secret fear that we dare not inquire lest inquiry should lead us to results inconsistent with what we believe is already infected with a disease which may soon destroy it. But all inquiry is attended with a danger on the other side unless it be protected by the guard of reverence, confidence and patience. It is quite true that there have oeen instances where inquiry has led to doubt, and ultimately to infidelity. But the best safeguard against such a peril lies in that deep reference which never fails to accompany i*eal faith." Among other resolutions of special interest are the following :— " That this Conference recognises the exclusive right of each Bishop to put forth or sanction additional services for use within his jurisdiction, subject to such limitations as may be imposed by the provincial or other lawful authority. That the Conference also recognises in each Bishop within his jurisdiction the exclusive right of adapting the services in the Book of Common Prayer to local circumstances, and also of directing or sanctioning the use of additional prayers, to such limitations as may be imposed by provincial or other lawful authority, provided also that any such adaptation shall not affect the doctrinal teaching or value of the service or passage thus adopted.

" That the Archbishop of Canterbury be requested to take such steps as may be necessary for the re-translation of the Quieiinque Vult.

"Several causes have combined to create a desire for information*on the history of the Anglican Church, especially in the early and mediaeval times ; but, while recognising with thanktulness the interest now shown in the history of the Church, we think it necessary to call attention to the inadequate and misleading character of the teaching on this point incidentally contained in some of the 'Historical Readers, , which are put into the hands of the young. We recommend that the Bishops in all dioceses should inquire ihto the nature of the books used, and should take steps to effect improvements ; and that manuals written in a noncontroversial spirit should be prepared to enable teachers to give correctly the oral explanation of*the Elementary Readers."