RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1037, 28 January 1911, Page 9

RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY.

FAITH AND ORDER. PROPOSED WORLD CONFERENCE. Tho Chicago correspondent of U"> "Church Times" (Anglican) writing on November 28, states:— "I was unable at tho timo of my last writing to give n very coherent statement as to tho nature and significance of what may prove to bo tho -tost, important action of the General Convention—its appointment of a joint commision to bring about a conference for the consideration of questions touching faith and order, and that all Christian communions throughput tho world,which confess our Lord Jesus Christ as God and Saviour, bo asked to unitewith us in arranging for and conducting such a conference. " As this business will bo brought before the English clergy for their co-operation, it seems desirablo to explain with some care tho aim in view, and the reasons which should commend it to the favour of Churchmen everywhere, and their earnest co-operation. . ' "Tho kind of conference aimed at closely resembles the conference, on 'Priesthood and Sacrifice,' held m December, 1899,- at Oxford, -under tho chairmanship of Dr. Saiiday—tho differences beina that all vital direreiices touching faith and order are to be considered, and all bodies which confess Christ as God and Saviour are to bo invited to co-oporato both in preparing for and in conducting the conference. Tho terms of tho.report, tho adoption of which rave birth to tho Joint Commission, explicitly declares tho proposed conference is to bo lor tho purpose of study and discussion, without "power to legislate-or to adopt resolutions.' Its participants cannot, therefore, he compromised or committed to anv platform oi scheme. No plans of ecclesiastical co-operation, or of reunion, are to bo considered; but as the next step toward unity,' attention isto bo devoted entirely to a comparison of convictions, and to acquiring a true, understanding of tho length and breadth of tho differences which have to be understood and reckoned with if real unity is to bo attained. No doubt the progress' of tho preparations for - the conference will evoke many plans for unity, and will certainly involve many smaller and less formal conferences between the meniters of different 7 bodies. But it should bo clearly understood that the proposed World-Confer-enco is limited in plan -and scope to such conferenco as will compromise no one, and will involve no committal' of its participants to any specific scheme of unity. Tho-solo aim of the conference will be to bring to light the questions and differences which, havo to bo

faced —nothing more. "This Church does not sock to act as host to invited guests, but to organiso a large commission m engage' tho whole Christian world in a common responsibility for the conference. "The commission which this Church has appointed to take the initiative is ; a strong one. Tho members aro: The Right Rev. Bishons Vincent, of Southern Ohio; Gailor,"of Tennessee; Anderson, of Chicago; Wollcr, of Fond du Lac; Brent, of the Philippine Islands; Greer, of New York; and Kinsman, of Delaware; the Rev. Messrs. 'Wm. Mauning, D.D., of Trinity Church. Now York: Alexander Mann, D.D., of Boston ; Francis J. Hall, D.D., of the Western Theological Seminary, Chicago; B. J. Rogers, D.D., of Fond du'Lac; Wm. M. Clark, of Richmond, Virginia; Edw. L. Parsons, of Berkeley, California; and Professor P. M. Rhinelander, of Cambridge, Massachusetts; Messrs. Setli Low, J. P. Mogan, Geo. .Wharton Pepper. Samuel Mather; F.-'L. Stetson, K. P. Bailey, and R. H. Gardiner. 'The Bishop of Chicago is president, and the Rev. Dr. Mannins is chairman of t . Sub-Committee on Plan and Scope. Mr. Gardiner is* secretary, and Mr. Morgan, treasurer."