16 



ANGLICAN CHURCHES. 



clergy, the house expressed the opinion that "a 

 considerable portion of the fund should be pro- 

 vided by the laity, or by non-beneficiaries ; that 

 every clergyman, in order to become eligible 

 for a pension, should be expected to contribute 

 an adequate amount to the pension fund ; that 

 the pension should be free from seizure by 

 creditors ; and that the age at which, as a gen- 

 eral rule, the pensions should commence, should 

 be sixty-five." The house approved the pur- 

 pose of the Tithe Rent-charge Recovery Bill as 

 a measure for facilitating the collection and 

 recovery of the charge in question. 



The Convocation of York met for the dis- 

 patch of business April 17. The archbishop, 

 in his opening address, remarking upon differ- 

 ences that had occurred between the two houses 

 at previous sessions, said that the present po- 

 sition of the Convocation had occasioned much 

 anxious thought with him, and that he feared 

 that the two houses would not be able to co- 

 operate in the future. The prolocutor of the 

 lower house (the Dean of York) regarded 

 these remarks as a reflection upon his official 

 course, and offered his resignation, which was 

 accepted. The Rev. Chancellor Espin, D. D., 

 was chosen prolocutor. Resolutions were 

 adopted in the upper house urging the need 

 of the Church for legislation on the ecclesias- 

 tical courts, and, without committing itself to 

 the approval of particular recommendations, 

 indicating the report of the Royal Commis- 

 sion, dated July 13, 1883, as the suitable basis 

 of such legislation. 



The Lambeth Conference. The third Lambeth 

 Conference of Bishops of the Anglican Com- 

 munion often designated the " Pan-Anglican 

 Conference " was opened June 30. While the 

 idea of holding a conference of this kind had 

 been frequently mentioned before, the propo- 

 sition for the first assemblage took serious 

 form in the Canadian Provincial Synod of 

 1865, which unanimously resolved to urge 

 upon the Archbishop and Convocation of Can- 

 terbury that some means should be adopted 

 " by which the members of our Anglican Com- 

 munion in all quarters of the world should 

 have a share in the deliberations for her wel- 

 fare, and be permitted to have a representa- 

 tion in one general council of her members 

 gathered from every land." This appeal, it 

 is said, was prompted by the condition of af- 

 fairs then existing in South Africa, in view of 

 the pronunciation of a sentence of deposition 

 against Bishop Colenso. In compliance with 

 the request, which was seconded by the Con- 

 vocation of Canterbury, the archbishop issued 

 in February, 1867, an invitation to all the bish- 

 ops in communion with the Church of Eng- 

 land, 144 in number, to meet for purposes of 

 Christian sympathy and mutual counsel on 

 matters affecting the welfare of the Church 

 at home and abroad ; explaining, at the same 

 time, that the meeting would not be compe- 

 tent to make declarations or lay down defini- 

 tions on points of doctrine, but would tend 



to promote unity of faith and to bind the 

 bodies represented " in straiter bonds of peace 

 and brotherly charity." Seventy-six bishops 

 responded to this invitation, while the bishops 

 and Archbishop of the Province of York de- 

 clined to join in the movement. The confer- 

 ence met on the 24th of September, 1867. Its 

 time was largely occupied with discussions of 

 the affairs of the South African churches, while 

 several questions were submitted to commit- 

 tees to be reported upon by them to a meeting 

 of the bishops then remaining in England, in 

 the following December. The second confer- 

 ence was called, again at the suggestion of the 

 Canadian Synod, in July, 1877, and, the bish- 

 ops of the province of York having concluded 

 to take part in it, was attended by 100 bish- 

 ops. It met on the 29th of June, and ad- 

 journed on the 27th of July, 1878. The sub- 

 jects discussed regarded "The best mode of 

 maintaining union among the various branches 

 of the Anglican Communion " ; " Voluntary 

 boards of arbitration for churches to which 

 such an arrangement may be applicable " ; 

 " The relations to each other of missionary 

 bishops and of missionaries in various branches 

 of the Anglican Communion acting in the 

 same country" ; " The position of Anglican 

 chaplains and chaplaincies on the Continent of 

 Europe and elsewhere" ; " Modern forms of 

 infidelity and the best means of dealing with 

 them " ; and " The condition, progress, and 

 needs of the various churches of the Anglican 

 Communion." The reports on these subjects, 

 as adopted by the Conference, were incorpo- 

 rated as a whole in a combined "letter," and 

 put forth to the world in the name of the 

 hundred bishops assembled ; which letter was 

 also published in Latin and Greek translations. 

 The following invitation to the Conference 

 of 1888 was sent out to 209 bishops: 



LAMBETH PALACE, Nov. 9, 1887. 

 EIGHT EEVEREND AND DEAB BROTHER : 



I am now able to send you definite information with 

 regard to the Conference of Bishops of the Anglican 

 Communion to be held at Lambeth, if God permit, in 

 the summer of next year. 



In accordance with the precept of 1878, it has been 

 arranged that the Conference shall assemble on Thurs- 

 day, July 3, 1888. After four days' session there will 

 be an adjournment, in order that the various commit- 

 tees appointed by the Conference may have opportu- 

 nity for deliberation. The Conference will reassemble 

 on Monday, July 23, or Tuesday, July 24, and will 

 conclude its session on Friday, July 27. 



Information as to the services to be held in connec- 

 tion with the Conference, and other particulars, will 

 be made public as the time draws near. 



1 have received valuable suggestions from my epis- 

 copal brethren in all parts of the world as to the ob- 

 jects upon which it is thought desirable that we should 

 deliberate. These suggestions have been carefully 

 weighed by myself and by the bishops who have been 

 good enough to co-operate with me in making the pre- 

 liminary arrangements, and the following are the sub- 

 jects definitely selected for discussion : 



1. The Church's Practical Work in Relation to, 

 (a) Intemperance ; (b) Purity ; (c) Care of emigrants ; 

 and, (d ) Socialism. 



2. Definite Teaching of the Faith to Various Classes, 

 and the Means thereto. 



