FINAL SCENE OF LAMBETH CONFERENCE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 306, 19 September 1908, Page 12

FINAL SCENE OF LAMBETH CONFERENCE.

SERVICE AT ST. PAUL'S. At St. Paul's Cathedral oh August 6 tho Bishops, attending the Lambeth Conference met for the last time- in common worship. By 10 a.m. tho vast space under the dome and a large part of the nave were filled, and tho Bishops, with many members of the two lower Houses of Convocation, stood grouped near the west door, a striking picturo in black and scarlet. Tho procession to the east end was only slightly loss impressive than that at the close of tho Pan-Anglican Congress. There were 180 Bishops in all, among them two swarthy prelates from Western Equatorial Africa. Tho Archbishop of Canterbury, his train of scarlet samite lield by a'small pa"e, walked last. "Blessed city, heavenly Salem," was the processional hymn. Dr. Davidson himself was tho chief celebrant at the communion service, and tho congregational parts of the offico wero exquisitely sung to Stanford's sotting in B flat. In tho course of a short sermou tho venerable Bishop of Missouri, Presiding Bishop of the United States, said they could honestly claim that it was not in prido of heart or pomp of circumstance or lust of power that the Bishops had assembled. "In tho Lambeth Conference, as in the Pan-Anglican Congress," saidrlie, "the optimism that.spells boastfulness has had no place. We have inet to look our errors and our weaknesses in the face. We havo tried to find out ways to commend the Church to tho liking and sympathy and affection of all thoso, of whatover namo, who love the Lord Jesus Christ. Wo have not taken counsel of our hopes, if such hopes smacked of pride'or prerogative and pretension."After the celebration, at which the archbishops aild bishops wero tho only communicants, a short farewell service was held, and tho "Nunc Dimittis" was sung. By pronouncing the Benodiction, the Archbishop of Canterbury, as head of the Anglican Communion, spoko tho last word at a. historic series of gatherings.