surprised to discover to what an extent, in the case of the bulk of Irish Churchmen at least, this attitude has been modified in the course of the past year Until recently the Church of Ireland identified herself absolutely with the Irish Unionist Party. Her General Synod in successive years passed almost unanimously or so. resolutions protesting against Home Rule. In the North her leaders associated themselves closely with the Ulster movement; the Bishop of Down publicly blessed the standards of the Volunteers, and the Primate expressed his full approval of the movement. But more recently a very marked change has become apparent in the attitude of a majority of Irish Churchmen. It would not be correct to say that they have been converted from Unionism to Home Rule; but they have come to feel, and to feel strongly, that the Church which calls herself the Church of Ireland should not be the Church of a party, but should use her weight and influence in the direction of reconciliation, appeasement and settlement. Various factors have contributed to this result. In the first place, it is now tacitly admitted on all hands that the formation and arming of the Ulster Volunteers was the first link in the chain of events which produced the Sinn Fein Rebellion of last year and the present chaotic and anxious political situation in Ireland, and there has gradually gathered force an inarticulate, but deep-seated revulsion of feeling among Churchmen against the association of a Christian Church with the reintroduction into Irish politics of the physical force idea which is now seen to have carried with it such calamitous consequences. In the next place the influence of the Gaelic revival, an increasingly potent force in Ireland in recent years, has affected the Church, in which there has been a parallel movement led by the Irish Guilds of the Church, which sought to emphasize the character of the Church in historical continuity with the ancient Celtic Church, and to assert the national mission of the Church which claims the national title. The world-wide impetus which it has given to the spirit of nationalism has greatly accelerated this process, and members of the Church are more and more realizing the truth of the Bishop of Killaloe's judgment that her prime defect is that since the Reformation she has seemed far more the Church of England in Ireland than the Church of Ireland herself. Finally the development of the political situation. has impressed upon the Church a sense of her national mission. Her unifying influence was largely responsible for contributing to the defeat of Mr. Lloyd George's proposal last year for the political partition of the country: the Bench against partition was the first event inof Bishops' unanimous declaration dicative of the change in the Church's attitude towards political affairs. The growth of the Sinn Fein movement is regarded not altogether without hopefulness by far-seeing Churchmen with an eye to the future. The great majority of Irish Churchmen, of course, are intensely loyal to the Imperial connection, and can have no sympathy with the demand for an independent Irish Republic. But many of them recognize in this movement, apart from its political aims, evidence of a new spirit of intellectual freedom in Ireland, and they are not without hope that greater opportunities than ever before may be forthcoming of evangelizing the country. It is already seen, however, that there can be no hope of such work among the Roman Catholic community so long as the Church compromises the spiritual appeal by association with a political party unsympathetic towards the national aspirations of the majority. The above, it will be understood, is my personal interpretation of the changing attitude ing attitude of Irish Churchmen. Whether that interpretation is correct or not the fact of the change is indisput able. Bishops and other spokesmen of the Church in recent months have, with one accord, relegated the religious aspect of the Irish question to the background of discussion, and borne witness that in the matter of religious tolerance the Southern Provinces of Ireland, where Roman Catholics are in a great majority, can stand favorable comparison with any country in the world where there are varieties of religious belief. The most striking proof of the new spirit in the Church, however, is the eagerness and unanimity with which she has thrown all her influence into the task of making the work of the Irish Convention, now sitting, a success. The Church has two representatives in the Convention Dr. Crozier, the Primate, a Unionist in politics but a man of great breadth of view, and Dr. Bernard, Archbishop of Dublin, who has consistently kept himself entirely free from political associations and is universally recognized as a conspicuous example of the historic combination of a great Churchman and a great statesman. Tokens of the Church of Ireland's good-will to the Convention have multiplied as the time of its session approached. Her members-alone among the various communions in Ireland. have incorporated in their services special prayers, sanctioned by the bishops, for divine guidance in its work. On the Sunday before the meeting of the Convention, Dr. Lawlor, the Precentor, preached in the National Cathedral of St. Patrick a sermon inspired by the highest patriotism and charity. He took as his text the words: "The Apostles and Elders came together for to consider of this matter," and compared the Council at Jerusalem which decided the terms on which Gentiles were to be admitted to the Church with the Irish Constitutional Convention. In both cases, he pointed out, two irreconcilable theories of policy were put forward; but in the Council of Jerusalem the opposing parties found common ground, and a conclusion was reached with absolute unanimity which, if it did not achieve a final settlement, at least turned the face of the Church in the right direction. Similarly, he said, the members of the Irish Convention represent different religious communions and different political parties. "They will learn - perhaps we shall all learn that the love of Ireland is a greater thing than any of our party watchwords. The very meeting of such a body of men for such a purpose should fill us with hope for the future. But will there be any more definite result? None of us can tell." But, as the Council of Jersualem reconciled the apparently irreconcilable, he went on, why may it not be so now, if only there is patience, tact, respect for the opinions of others; if only the first desire in every heart is the good of Ire land, the bringing together of the divid ed sons of the common mother? So he came to his last word: "What are we to do? We shall have no part in the discussions. But it would be untrue to say that we shall have no share in shaping the destinies of our country. They depend upon the mass of the people as much as upon those who will meet one another in the Convention. Let us then try to put away from us every passion, every selfish consideration, all hatred and prejudice, and whatsoever else may hinder us from Godly union and concord. Let us cultivate friendly relations with those who differ from us most sharply in political opinion and religious belief. Above all, let us make the Convention a subject of our daily prayers. We pray for its success, somewhat formally perhaps, Sunday by Sunday in Church. But this is not enough. Its issues for good or ill concern every private citizen. If we realize its momentous importance we cannot but fall on our knees and seek the blessing of God upon it. Surely there was never a time when it was more incumbent upon us all to make prayers, intercessions and giving of thanks for all men; for Kings and all that are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all Godliness and honesty. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour." On the day of the first meeting of the Convention a special service for delegates was held in the Church of St. Andrew, Dublin. This old church, built upon the spot where Henry II conferred with the Irish chiefs, was in former days very closely connected with the Irish House of Commons, which on one occasion gave a grant of £1,500 towards its repairs, on the understanding that "suitable accommodation would be made for the reception of the members of the House of Commons and their Speakers when they should attend Divine Service there." In those days, of course, be fore Roman Catholic emancipation, the Irish House of Commons was exclusively Protestant. On all great occasions the members assembled for worship in the old Church of St. Andrew. The Convention service, reviving the old tradition, was the first service of the kind in this historic place of worship since the Act of Union. All these things are testimonies of the spirit in which Irish Churchmen attend upon the work of the Convention in which the Primate and the Archbishop of Dublin are their trusted representatives. They hope and pray that its issue may be a new Ireland in which their historic Church will have ampler opportunities of realizing her national mission. CANADIAN CHURCH LIFE The dominant issue during the summer has been conscription, and the storm-centre has been Quebec. Englishspeaking Canadians, east and west, are united almost to a man in favor of conscription as the only way to prosecuting the war to its proper conclusion. But the French in Quebec are opposing this with intensity and even violence. It must be admitted that the trouble is religious rather than racial, for if it were only a matter of the French people, there would be little or no difficulty, because some of the finest and bravest men today at the front are FrenchCanadians. But the Roman Catholic Church, in the persons of its leading men, are behind this opposition and judging by the language used, it seems as though the Roman Catholics of Quebec are ready to enjoy all the remarkable privileges involved in the British rule and at the same time determined to refuse all the duties and responsibilities attaching to their citizenship. It has actually been urged that Quebec should wait until the Germans land, before showing any opposition! This is an easy thing to propose, because those who suggest it know the Germans will not and cannot land in Quebec. If they did, however, they would make short work of any resistance. But the very idea shows the ingrained selfishness, to say nothing of the utter disloyalty of those who take this line. One French newspaper actually goes so far as to advocate a Canadian Republic. As one instance of the true inwardness of Romanism in Canada, the well known paper, the Catholic Register, recently said that "Protestant ascendancy and national unity cannot co-exist in Canada." This would seem to mean that the only way of national unity is Roman ascendancy. It is obvious that either British or Papal ideals must rule. The former means liberty; the latter tyranny. One striking feature of the present situation has recently been mentioned; the difference between the conduct of French-Canadians in Quebec and the French-Canadians in the New England States. The latter have accepted selec tive conscription, while the former resist it with riot. The explanation of this vital difference is not far to seek. Canadians are rejoicing heartily in the splendid reply of President Wilson to the Pope's proposals for peace. The President goes to the very heart of the matter in pointing out that no trust can be placed in the German rulers and that peace will only be possible when the German people freely and independently make it for themselves. It is almost impossible to doubt that the proposals of the Vatican were known beforehand to the Central Powers, but in any case they were manifestly impossible. "In vain is the net spread in the sight of any bird." The Bishop of Toronto at the Synod in June referred to the splendid effort made by your Church under Bishop Lawrence for a clerical pension fund and urged the necessity of a million dollar superannuation fund for our Canadian Church. It is suggested that the various diocesan funds remain as they are and a new fund be created independently of them. The matter is to be brought before the General Synod when it meets in two years' time. The Bishop of Niagara, Dr. Clark, has proposed that where a clergyman has two or more congregations, the serious question of transportation should be undertaken by the church people, instead of the clergyman having to run into debt for a horse and carriage. Some men have to drive more than 20 miles every Sunday and take three or four services. These efforts to provide religious opportunities for scattered families are welcomed most heartily by the people and they offer a way for wellto-do people to engage in real missionary work by providing the means of transportation for the clergy. Why should not something be done along this line? What a blessing a "Ford" would be to many a clergyman. A splendid article has just appeared on the subject of the divinity students of Canada and the war. Many of them have volunteered and some of the best have laid down their lives. This is how the article closes: "Few stones can be thrown at the conduct of Theological students in Protestant seminaries. Enlistments have been SO numerous that hundreds of the Church's outposts at home have to be withdrawn. Figures are hard to obtain, as I write for the whole Dominion, but over two hundred and fifty have enlisted from Toronto Theological Schools alone. Although the Church is temporarily weakened through their absence, it will obtain the benefit of their experiences in the period of reconstruction. The lives of self-sacrifice and heroism those have lived who may return to minister, will be a precious example to their flock and we believe even 'the blood of the martyrs will be the seed of the Church.'" A fund, the annual proceeds of which amounts at present to $5,000, has been placed in the custody of trustees by Lieut.-Col. R. W. Leonard of St. Catherine's for the purpose, among other objects, of providing scholarships to assist in the education of the sons of British soldiers, sailors, clergymen, or teachers at four colleges in Canada. Mr. Leonard is a well-known Evangelical Churchman and his latest gift will be as useful as it is welcome. You in the States are busy preparing to send chaplains and other Christian workers with your soldiers to the front. This extract from the London Times tells its own story of the sort of men needed. Comment is perhaps needless, though much might be said. "It happened of late that a balloonsection on one of our fronts had the sudden chance of a Sunday service, for a stray padre came upon them where they were, and men on special duties of that kind cannot often be given the opportunity for worship, even when there is a chaplain at hand. 'Shall we have a celebration?' he said; but it was represented to him gently that this would not help the greater number; they would be the better for a little simple worship, some hymns, some prayers, some plain words of exhortation straight from his heart to theirs. But afterwards some of them said among themselves, and as many more said the same thing in their home-letters, that the padre had not helped them much. He pointed out that it would be a great thing if they were to become candidates for Confirmation, and so be prepared for admission to the Holy Communion. They knew he was honest and conscientious, but they missed, somehow, the sound of the voice of the Good Shepherd." On July 1st we celebrated the Jubilee of Canadian Confederation and those who would like to know something of what Canada has done during these fifty years should read "Confederation and Its Leaders," by Mr. Hammond of Toronto. It tells the story of the men who were responsible for the Dominion of Canada in 1867, and shows the steps by which federation was accomplished. Bishop Roper of Ottowa, who was formerly in your General Theological Seminary in New York, addressed his Synod on the new sense of fellowship awakened by the war, and among other things emphasized the necessity of considering the special function of the episcopate in this connection. He holds that the primary responsibility of the episcopate is not administration but the guardiancy of unity and that no unity is possible apart from episcopacy. It is evident, however, that Bishop Roper had in mind an ideal episcopate rather than anything real and existent. There must first be agreement as to what a bishop is, because there are and have been in the Anglican Church such different conceptions. In England today there are (say) Bishop Gore of Oxford and Bishop Knox of Manchester; in America (say) Bishop Webb and Bishop Greer; in Canada, Bishop Roper and Bishop Stringer. Then, too, is episcopacy of the esse or the bene esse of the Church? These matters must be settled first. Some people are so concerned with the distance in the present episcopate from Bishop Roper's ideal that they are actually questioning whether bishops are necessary even for the well-being of the Church! The Primate of Canada, Archbishop Matheson, in his Charge to his Synod, spoke of the importance of preparing in advance for the problems that are sure to arise after the war, and especially to prepare for them by means of deepened experience and a richer spirituality. Dr. Matheson also referred in fitting terms to the preacher of the Synod sermon, Bishop McElwain: "On behalf of the Synod, I welcome very heartily the Bishop of Minnesota, who is to preach our Synod sermon tonight. Since he accepted my invitation to do this, he has been translated from the position of Suffragan to that of Diocesan Bishop of Minnesota, and he now occupies the seat so honourably filled by a Whipple, a Gilbert and an Edsall -a trio of noble men and all of them favourably known in our diocese as welcome visitors and helpers, and all of them also personal friends of both my predecessor and myself. I felt that it would be specially fitting that we should ask Bishop McElwain to come to us at this time. We used to call our friends across the border "our American cousins," but now we call them our brothers for they have recently entered with us as comrades in arms in the great struggle for the liberty and blessings of democracy which we both alike prize so dearly." |