The Jersey City News

A NATIONAL CHURCH
Autonomy of American Episcopalians Upheld by the Bishops at Lambeth
PROSPECTS OF CHRISTIAN UNION
Bishop Whipple's Views of the Great Conference-Missionary Meeting at St. Saviour's.

[By Cable to The Associated Press.]

LONDON, Aug. 11, 1897.-The Right Rev. Henry B. Whipple, Bishop of Minnesota, who has been one of the most prominent among the bishops in attendance upon the Lambeth Conference, at the request of the Associated Press has written the following views of the conference:-

"The conference manifested a decided unanimity of feeling on all questions connected with work for missions and the social problems which at this time have so much interest for all thoughtful men. One of the most remarkable speeches of the conference was made by the Bishop of Washington, Satterlee, on the social problems connected with the employer and employed, the keynote of which was that men do not need charity, they need what the Gospel of Christ gives them, brotherhood as the children of one father. The Bishop of Albany occupied a foremost position in the conference as one who always expressed himself with terse simplicity. Bishop Potter always has a hearing in England, as well as at home, for his wise and loving thoughtfulness.

"I think the American Bishops won the respect and love of their English brethren. There was a strong unanimity of feeling with all the American Bishops that while in fraternal love and brotherly sympathy our hearts are one with the Church in England and the Colonies in defense of the faith and in the work of our Saviour yet they stand, and always will stand, on the rights of the National Church with its peculiar responsibilities to God and His children. The American Bishops have always maintained from the very first Lambeth conference that the American Church must always stand upon its rights and maintain its autonomy as a National Church and their English and Colonial brethren all recognize that this is their position." They know that the American Church does not desire to have any voice in the internal affairs or the management of the missions of the Church of England nor does it desire to assume any of the responsibilities thereof; neither do they expect them to take any share of the government of the burdens of the American Church.

"There were signs throughout the conference and in all the meetings held outside its deliberations, that a power above men's wills was drawing Christians together. This loving spirit was the most marked feature of all the gatherings. There was very much to cheer us in the story of the Church's triumphs in mission fields such as Uganda, where fifteen years ago there were five Christians and today there are four hundred churches, 70,000 worshippers and 60,000 who can read the gospels. There was no complaint of failure nor pessimistic view but from all hearts were clear ringing words that never was the Christian work more hopeful and never was there such victories won for Christ.

We have seldom been privileged to witness such gatherings as the missionary meetings held in connection with this conference. At Salisbury Cathedral seven thousand people celebrated the anniversary of the baptism of Ethelbert thirteen hundred years ago. Ten thousand were present at a missionary meeting at St. Saviour's Church and the Cathedrals of Southwell and Lichfield never held greater congregations than were drawn to the meetings there.

"It has been a pleasure to the Americans to meet some of the foremost men among the Non-Conformists who have shown the deepest interest in our deliberations. We were informed at a missionary gathering at the Church of St. Saviour, that it is proposed to place in this beautiful church, one of the oldest in London and excelled in grandeur only by Westminster Abbey, a memorial to the Non-Conformist, John Bunyan. In St. Saviour's John Rogers and other priests of the Church of England were condemned by their own kinsmen in Christ to die as martyrs. And that such a memorial should be placed in this church is a marvellous sign of the times.

We sadly missed Archbishop Benson, one of the greatest men who has filled the See of Canterbury, but the present Primate won all hearts by his marked courtesy, his ripe wisdom and his missionary spirit.

The American Bishops take to their homes delightful memories of the open-hearted hospitality which they received on every hand. They were entertained by the Queen, the Lord Mayor, the Drapers and Grocers and other organizations. But what impressed the American Bishops most was the new life which is stirring the Church of England to great ventures for God at home and abroad.