RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 574, 31 July 1909, Page 9

RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY.

ENCUSH CLERGY IN CERMANY. ' A. HEARTY RECEPTION. Anglican ajid Roman Catholic bishops and clergymen, with ministers of all the Nonconformist Churches, to the total liumbor of 120, recently paid a'combined visit to Germany, returning'tlio visit paid by German ministers to England.. On all sides, they received 1 tho 'heartiest reception from Church, political, and civic authorities.

Although tlio visitors wore primarily charged with' a mission 'of peace and gobd will, tho mission may possibly bear fruit in another direction;-' "The,delegation has" already solved in everyday practice the problem of tho reunion of the Churches (wrote a correspondent from Berlin). It. ,is impossible for 120 . men of all creeds to'bo thrown together in 'daily , and hourly contact with-' out finding a common ground of fraternity. For'tlio time being variety of creed has been merged in 'the deeper bond of . Christian brotherhood. .Roman Catholics and Protestants havo become close friends, and tho heavens liavo not fallen. Mr. T. li. Sloan, M.P., the militant Orangeman, lias beamed paternally on ■ Monsignor Barnes, and Monsignor- Moyes seems to havo shed the eacerdoI talism of Rome, and to have widened Jris ombraces so'as to include Silas Hocking, Silvester Home, and their..fellow Free Churchmen. ' ■ , ■

. "Speaking on this phase of the embassy,' professor Ince, the . Siarrjarot' Professor of,. Divinity, said, 'This is all to the good, and must go on ,to. be better. Christian reunion, .will not como iii" our time, but this breaking down of the barriers is tho first necessary step toward thijt great consummation. To know each other better will removo misunderstanding, and only human , brotherhood as. a realised fact will break' .the' hard crust. of' credal forms. The cleavages of the Churches have not descended,to tho roots of things." _ A.filial honour was paid.to.the'represonta-. tiv?s of tho British Churches when they were received by the Kaiser .at tho; New Palace, Potsdam: f His Majesty-, was accompanied by; the-Empress and the Crown Princess. ' The guests were introduced by tho British Am-' bassador, Sir -Ei Goscheri: -. 'Addressings tho company, the Kaiser said: "Gentlemen and Brothers; —It-gives me great pleasuro to re-, ceivo to-day • tho. representatives of tho Christian Churches of-Britain, and I , sincerely hope that all of you'Varo'onjoying your visit to,Germany.'-You.have cometo return the visit , paid last year by tho'German ministers to England. I have had an opportunity of- speaking with somo of the . ministers of the; German churches, and; I am happy to.be, ablo'to tell you that, they were most satisfied ,vHth . their visit,', and 'oould not say 'enough in praise' of the. hospitality, and, true; Christian brotherly,love' with.which 7 they wero .received'when in your country. I am suro you will , find out people not less hospitable,- and I hope be pleased .with ■ jrour 'visit- amongst" us.-■ I' trust that this visit, like that of ■ last- year, -will- lead to'permanent good feeling between tho..two " kindled nations." The .reception, was most cordial, and'the Kaiser,'conversed withmembors of the company for forty minutes.