PAN-ANGLICAN CONGRESS

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 264, 31 July 1908, Page 4

PAN-ANGLICAN CONGRESS

NEWS BY MAIL. THE ABBEY SERVICE.' The formal opening of tho Congress was miirked by a solemn service of- intercession in tho Abbey Church of Westminster at 11 o'clock on June IS. Long before the hour announced for. the opening of the doors largo crowds of worshippers gathered in the neighbourhood of tho Abbey, and lialf nil hour before tho scrvico began tho nave, the choir, and tho organ loft, were crowded to their fullest capacity. Chairs were placed in the aisles, and, when those had been filled, hundreds of pooplo elccted to stand rather than join the overflow scrvico whicli had been arranged to take placo in St. Margaret's Church, 1 and at which Bishop Montgomery, , himself a mover in tho Pan-Anglican ' Communion, officiated. During the'period .' of waiting, Sir Frederick Bridgo played tho, largo movement: in the '-symphony- of Dvorak's • "Tho Now World,", and on its conclusion the ■ Archbishop of Canterbury and tho Dean of Westminster entered the 'chancel'-and'took their seats near the altar raik Dr. Davidson wore his scarlet robes,. which gave the one touch of colour to a sombre, but deeply impressive, scene. With the' exception of ; some women, the huge building was filled with clergy and delegated laymen from all parts of the world.. There were Bishops from every quarter of England, Archbishops from . Australia, Bishops from Africa, Canada, and • tho United States, ant] clergymen from India, ■: China, tho West Indies, and. New Zealand. Near the altar the Primate and the Dean'satr* in solitary state. No lights were' used, oven on tho altar, and the .whole servico waa marked by a severe'' evangelical simplicity. It was a scrvico of intercession for a blessing on the work of tho Congress. . Impressive it certainly was, both in itself and ia, ; its circumstances. The form of intercession was most solemn, though of the simplest. Tho first part of tho Litany—as far as tho. Lord's Prayer—having been chanted, therefollowed a special collect on behalf, of the., Congress. Wesley's- anthem, "0, Lord, iriy God," was next sung, and ( then the''Dean'; of Westminster recited: in 'tho pulpit tho. old form; of Bidding Prayer, prescribed in the; canons, though disused until, lately,-.save at ■ the universities. Tho Dean propounded, a. series of petitions relating to the-delibera ri . tions of tho Congress, silence in each ease being preserved for a short interval-forypoti-./ tions to bo privately offered by tho 'congre-' gation. The hymn, , ''0 Holy v Ghost,-Thy , pooplo bless,"', having uextVbeen., sung," the'. Archbishop of Canterbury recited the; coneluding prayers beforo' tlio .altar,; • and dis- ,'. missed the vast congregation. 1 with his .blessing. Among: the many impressive ceremonies ' of which, the .venerable abbey church'., has, , been tho scene, this hud a character.all itsi own, and. it will continue to live iaV tho": memories of thoso who wero privileged to-, take .part in it long'aftor'-they. ard qnco, irio'rt • scattered apart to their distant- horned ,

THE ARCHBISHOP'S INAUGURAL': ADDRESS. : ; ; The Albert Hnll was crowded when thor groat mass meeting was held at which tho ' Archbishop of Canterbury presided,' and deliverod the inaugural address .to the; delegates. This was, he said, a gathering which ' in its conception, and character was absol- / utoly without precedent and parallel in .the history of Christianity. when the 250 ( bishops met next month at Lambeth-: for their fifth decennial conference tho task. in' " tho life of tho world and of the Church assignod to them at this great • juncture would be rendered at once more-grave; more ■ ' cloar, and more possible : by' reason of tho - . groat congress which had gono before. • Their..' object was to make tho living mcssa'go , tell ■ inoro 'fruitfully by their earnest: and in'rstruoted thought, and by:their-eager anddis--ciplined effort upon tho daily- life: of : ■ tho" -' people' of' tho world. - They camo '• to ■ this ■ mustering, . hour as men and ; women who belioved 'm th'o grandeur of their heritage of' blessing irntl responsibility. Tho' epocii' of their Church'siespansioii over. tho: round - world was "also the" epoch : whenfor' the". first' time—by niodtSril facilities 'of- travel; and ' post and' printmg' press—such'a -gathering' : - had become ; possible. jlhe' whole; congresseffort corresponded, to the position wliich'tha\ Church held' in Christendom—strong and' largo :in its 'definite organisation,' but' marked ever with a peculiar- faculty of; including and.' developing differences of. gifts, - and oven ' ofWelcoming varieties': of-'opinion '' without -breach of the bond ' which 1 riiado thorn .one. ' (Applause.) Distinctions, racial and national, - could with them fiiid_ full, and independent expression and expansion wliiio yet tho oneness was unimpaired. 'Tho .sheer', bigness of tho gathering, the range. and .variety of' the ..'subjects;- the-, diversity of. diorno conditions lopresontcd, and tho- flow' of literature might easily excite or bewilder.', thorn.- Thoir clear specific purpose in ; tho' planning of the Congress : liad been tho diffusion of a sounder knowledge as well aa tho stirring of a keener resolve. Tlioy had ~ met with something greater even than' a , deepened senso-of brotherhood' and 1 bigness.'.! Their purpose was : inimitably great.' .Tim .. Church,- they, were told, was' not, ~as to solve social and industrial problems. . No;.' but it had been called upou to provide, the men' and the principles that would solve . ... them. They intended to think .' and know f more than they, had thought and known ' beforo about the faots of to-day and the possibilities of to-morrow.' The keynote of • tho .- Congress should bo " Think out your faith-, and its application." (Applause.) ; ■ '■

HOUSINC. Mrs Barney > opened ' tho discussion on "Housing ami Family Life." She laid down this excellent rule for houso planning: tliat ; ' every, house shall bo so built, that tho lives - of tho dwollors in it can be pleasant and joy-'': ous. " Let the Church declare that in-110; circumstances must a landlord make his profits at tho expenso of family life," was another- ■ pioco. of good advico well received. A prac--tical suggestion.by Mr. \V. Thompsoii was tho-;' compilation of a register of landlords; open • at all times to public inspection/ " so thatowners of slum property and insanitary dwell- :• ings may not bo ablo to hide in obscurity. 1 - " • ' THE TOiLER. 'At ono'of tho women's meetings Miss Ger-;-trade Tuckwoll, president of 'the Women's ■ Trades Union League; undeterred by tho mag-' ; nilicetit display of pretty frocks and -lints' 1 in" tho great auditorium and balconies, 1 ' pictured " tho soi'did lot of tko'toiler, and the grinding poverty of tho'pooiyih contrast' to the fabu- ' 1 , jous wealth—" spent fantastically' and fool-"' ishly of those who neither toil nor spin. She described tho poor worker falling exhausted on a lonely bed in a cubicle, a factory'Worker cut down too often by tlib arduous" conditions of-his toil, tho : homc worker, slaving' for a penny or twopence'an hour, baby fingers" working to:eke out tho family .pittance, l and the ghastly struggle for bread till " the work 1 drops from: tho tired fingers ajid death, folds'the weariedarms in peace." Thoso were keen' hoiiio thrust's, but Miss TuckwelUmd-got her • opportunity,. and used it wtlh " These are:' tho toilers," she said, " who make our wealth; Tliey aro tho victims of a system iir ivhich'you'and I aro participators., Wo arc'largely ' responsible for tho present condition of things in our economic system,'and we cannot shako ourselves free from our obligations. . If wo Christian women, only heard'with tho ears, of Christ wo would hear,' boncath the sounds'of tho city's joy, curses and wailings." ■ , . gansdLing. At' tho afternoon session the Bishop of Bunbury (Australia) said that the clergy must abolish raffles; laymen' must give up tho mild cxcitcmeni of threepenny points; gambling must bo made bad form in society; and tliey should endeavour to convert the Press against printing the odils on horse "races. Mr. G. H. V. Jenkins, of Australia, created somo consternation by asserting that lie saw 110 harm in a man having a £5 note 011 a liorse race, providing he was there and took a real interest in horses.' IA BUSY D'Y. Tho record for tho Congress on Juno 16 - was as follows:— '. ' '.' . _ Nunibor of meetings ..." ■ ,16 ■ Total attendance;, about ...• . ... 24,700 Papers and set speeches about ... • 55 ■. Speeches iii debate, about 70