Liverpool in September on a charge of holding antiritualistic meetings calculated to cause a breach of the peace. Refusing to find sureties and give bonds to keep the peace, he was sentenced to imprisonment for three months. The incident caused much excitement among the antiritualists. Mr. Kensit, senior, sent petitions for his son's release to the Home Secretary and other members of the Government. He asserted that the most serious offense proved against his son was that he had read a sentence from the PrayerBook characterizing masses as blasphemous fables and dangerous deceits." In a memorial to the Home Secretary the Council of the Church Association characterized the imprisonment as a grave scandal and a menace to liberty of speech. In answer to a memorial signed by 100,000 persons, the Home Secretary said that the case was one in which he could not interfere. The Baptist Union, by resolution, asked for an investigation into the case, in which it affirmed there was reason to believe that there had been a grave miscarriage of justice. Mr. Kensit went to Liverpool to visit his son in prison, and a demonstration was made in Birkenhead against the Wycliffite preachers, in which he was hit upon the head with a chisel. Pneumonia supervened, from which he died, Oct. 8. His son was afterward released by order of the Home Secretary, when he declared that he would take his father's place at the head of the movement he had organized. Steps have been taken to erect a memorial to Mr. Kensit as a defender of Protestant truth."

Convocation of Canterbury. - The Convocation of Canterbury met in its first group of sessions for the year on Jan. 28. In the upper house the appointment was advised of a joint committee to consider the best methods of approaching the Jews resident in the kingdom, and whether any special spiritual provision should be made for Jewish Christians during the first years of their conversion. A resolution of the lower house protesting against a proposal to legalize marriage with a deceased wife's sister was adopted, with a request that the archbishop and bishops use all means at their disposal to prevent any measure with that object from becoming law. The subject of preparing a special prayer in regard to the supply of candidates for holy orders was referred to the joint committee on special prayers and services. In the lower house the subject of the procedure of the confirmation of bishops was discussed. The following resolutions on the subject of ecclesiastical dilapidations were adopted: "1. That in the interest of the Church of England, and with a view to relieving the distress arising from the diminished income of the clergy at the present time, a general insurance fund to deal with dilapidations ought to be established. 2. That each incumbent who is liable should be required to contribute an annual payment to this fund upon some suitable basis. 3. That it is desirable that this annual payment should include a small sum to be lodged in the name of the incumbent as a guarantee fund against damage accruing through neglect or waste, to be returned with interest, if not required, to the incumbent at the termination of his incumbency." The resolutions further advised that the central management of the proposed insurance fund be placed in the hands of the ecclesiastical commissioners; and that diocesan, archdiaconal, or parochial repair funds be established to assist the clergy, in case of necessity, in raising the contributions levied upon them. The opinion of the house was expressed

that in any rearrangement of the position of voluntary schools, it was desirable that public aid given to them should be applicable to their general maintenance, without any allocution of funds to the support of secular as distinguished from religious instruction. The archbishop and bishops were requested to take steps for the provision of a prayer for the supply of candidates for ordination.

In the House of Laymen the discussion on the subject of the lay franchise was continued from a previous group of sessions, and a resolution relative to the initial lay franchise was adopted, "that an equal number of parochial representatives of every ecclesiastical parish or district attached to an old or new parish church in the diocese (including the district remaining ecclesiastically attached to the old parish church of an ancient parish church which had been ecclesiastically subdivided) shall be elected by such of the persons of full age, resident in the ecclesiastical parish or district, as declare themselves in writing to be members of the Church of England and of no other religious body, and are not legally and actually excluded from communion, and are of the male sex." Other resolutions relate to the details of the scheme, the election of representatives to the diocesan council, In view of differences of opinion between this house and the House of Laymen of the Convocation of York with reference to the initial lay franchise, a joint session of the two houses was asked for. The "Convocations of the Clergy” bill, in the form in which it had been read a third time in the House of Lords, was approved, with the expression of a desire for its speedy enactment into a law.

etc.

At the meeting of Convocation May 1 both houses discussed the education bill and passed resolutions giving a general approval to it. Approval was given in the lower house in detail to the arrangements made at the confirmation of the Bishop-elect of Worcester, which, it was represented, were on the lines suggested in the second report of the Committees of Church and State on the Confirmation of Bishops. The resolutions appended to the report of the joint Committee on the Position of the Laity were discussed, without action being taken. These resolutions declare that it is desirable that a national council should be formed fully representing the clergy and laity of the Church of England; that the definition of the powers to be entrusted to the council in reference to legislation, of the qualifications of electors, and of the method of electing and summoning its members should be determined by a joint meeting of the members of the two convocations with the provincial houses of laymen, with a view to its receiving statutory authority; that this council should consist of 3 houses, the first that of bishops, the second that of representatives of the clergy, whether official or elected, and the third of elected communicant laymen; that the acceptance of the three houses, sitting together or separately, should be necessary in order to constitute an act of the body; and that nothing in the resolutions was intended to interfere with the position of the convocations as provincial synods of the clergy. The report stated that the committee had come to the conclusion that the study of the apostolic and primitive constitution of the Church as it is set forth in Holy Scripture and in the history and writings of the first three centuries showed clearly the coordinate action of clergy and laity as integral parts of the whole body of Christ, and it was added: It appears to us that the creation of

sentative assembly which shall be coordinated under episcopal authority. This would be a wise reversion not only to old Anglican tradition, but to those primitive Church principles which our national Church always desires to follow."

The committee therefore present as their first resolution "that it is desirable that a national council should be formed, fully representing the clergy and laity of the Church of England."

The Case of Bishop Gore. The Rev. Charles A. Gore, D. D., Canon of Westminster, was elected by the dean and chapter of the diocese, on the nomination of the Crown, Bishop of Worcester. Prior to the confirmation of the election, as directed under the new procedure adopted for such cases, 10 protests were filed from societies and individuals, alleging that Dr. Gore's views on inspiration and the sacraments were such as to disqualify him for the office of bishop in the Church of England. The objections stated were based, in part, on the fact of Dr. Gore's having participated in the preparation of the book Lux Mundi, and having used language therein calculated to shake the faith of believers; on his having taught the doctrine of a material presence in the sacrament; and on his having taken part in the founding of the Monastic Celibate Society. On the occasion of the procedure for confirmation of the election at the Church House, Jan. 22, on the calling of opponents by direction of the vicar-general, Mr. John Kensit offering to enter a protest, the vicar-general said that he could take claims to appear only in the order of their presentation. He then read a list of the objectors who had given written notice. They were the Church Association, the Liverpool Laymen's League, the Imperial Protestant League, the Protestant Alliance, the Protestant Reformation Society, Mr. John Kensit, the Protestant Truth Society, and four individuals. Other persons who expressed a desire to speak were told that they had failed to give previous notice. The bishop-elect, through his attorney, expressed readiness to answer to any charge which was legitimately made and relevant, subject to the decision of the vicar-general, but he wished to make it plain that he, for his part, was not urging that the court had no jurisdiction. The vicar-general explained that all the written objections had raised questions of doctrine, which under no circumstances could be entertained at confirmation; therefore none of the objectors would be heard, but he wished to add that any objector who could have established a right to appear, in accordance with the terms of the citation, would have been heard. Mr. Kensit and others attempted to protest against this decision, but the vicar-general refused to hear them. The proceedings then continued. vicar-general read the decree of confirmation and the bishop-elect subscribed to the declaration and took the oath of office. On Jan. 24, the objectors applied to the King's Bench Division of the High Court of Justice for a mandamus against the Primate and the vicar-general, directing them to hear the objections. The Lord Chief Justice and Mr. Justice Darling, while declining to express an opinion as to the result in the case, decided to grant a rule nisi for a mandamus. The matter appeared to them one that should be discussed; and a further hearing was appointed. The consecration of the bishop-elect had been appointed to take place at Westminster Abbey on the following Saturday (Jan. 25), and the Archbishop of Canterbury had decided to proceed with it, under the Statute of Præmunire

The

and the act of Henry VIII, prescribing penalties for failure to proceed with "speed and celerity in the consecration of a bishop. The bishopelect, however, on legal advice, declined to present himself for consecration pending the decision of the judges. In the argument on the application for a mandamus in the Court of King's Bench, Feb. 3, the Attorney-General undertook to show that the confirmation was a mere form, and was intended to be so; and that it might be dispensed with altogether, and had been. In fact, the elections by the cathedral chapters had been pronounced in an Irish statute of Elizabeth 'colors, shadows, and pretenses of election, serving to no purpose, and seeming also derogatory and prejudicial to the King's prerogative royal." The statute had been repealed, but the fact had not; and the Attorney-General insisted that beyond the points of the validity of the election and the identity of the person elected, no objection of any kind could be entertained. It was urged on the side of the opponents of confirmation that even if it were shown that the vicargeneral's court did not deal with contentious business, it would still be his duty, when the case became contentious, to refer it to the archbishop. If the court refused to grant the mandamus in this case there would be no discretion in anybody to refuse to confirm and consecrate the royal nominee if he could answer the questions in the ordination service. He might even become a member in some other church, and still the archbishop would have no choice. The decision of the court was read by Lord-Chief-Justice Alverstone, Feb. 10, denying the application. The view was sustained that the public citation of objectors to the confirmation of a bishop is not a real proceeding. It was shown, in substance, that never since the statute of Henry VIII had there been any "practise" of hearing objections to the appointment of bishops on the ground of doctrine, and that for two hundred years before that date no such normal practise existed as the objectors contended for. The court, however, expressly guarded itself against deciding that no objection could be raised which the archbishop or vicar-general could decline to entertain. Thus, it could not be held that an objection involving a question of identity, as that the wrong man was put forward as the bishop elected, or one that involved a question of the genuineness of the documents produced should be considered. Thus it might be a good ground of objection that the bishop-elect had done something since his election that he should not have done. appeal was possible from the decision of the court to the Court of Appeal, and ultimately to the House of Lords, but the Council of the Church Association, after consideration, decided not to make it. The consecration of Dr. Gore as Bishop of Worcester took place Feb. 22, and his enthronement Feb. 24.

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The Second Fulham Conferences.-An account was given in the Annual Cyclopædia for 1900, page 25, of a meeting designated familiarly as a Round Table Conference," which was called by the Bishop of London, Dr. Creighton, at the suggestion of the London Diocesan Conference, of representative men of both of the great parties into which the Church is divided, which met at Fulham Palace in October, 1900, and discussed the subject of The Doctrine of the Holy Communion and its Expression in Ritual. The suggestion of holding a second conference of the same kind was made by the London Diocesan Conference in 1901 to Bishop Ingram of London, and the conference was called to meet at Ful

ham, Dec. 30 and 31, 1901, and Jan. 1, 1902. The subject presented to the consideration of the second conference was that of Confession and Absolution; and in his letter of invitation the bishop suggested that there be four sessions, at which the discussion might proceed on the following lines: 1. The meaning of our Lord's words (in St. John xx, 22, 23; St. Matthew xviii, 13), and their use in the ordinal as affecting the conception of the priesthood. 2. The practise of the Church (a) in primitive times; (b) in the middle ages. 3. The meaning of the Anglican for mularies and the limits of doctrine and practise which they allow. 4. Practical considerations(a) the treatment of penitents; (b) the special training of the minister. The members of the conterence were selected by the bishop, according to his own declaration, "with the greatest care, in order that all schools of thought in the Church should be adequately represented." They included Lord Halifax, as the representative of extreme High Churchmanship; Mr. R. M. Benson; Principal V. S. S. Coles, of the Pusey House at Oxford; Professor Moberly, of Christ Church, representing the Oxford High-Church school"; Canon Body, Dr. Mason, and Professor Swete, holding an independent position; Dr. Childe; Principal T. W. Drury, of Ridley Hall; Dr. Gee, Principal of Bishop's College, Ripon; Chancellor P. V. Smith and the Rev. Dr. Wace; Canon Lyttleton; and Dr. Strong, Dean of Christ Church. The Rev. Dr. Wace, who was also chairman of the first Fulham Conference, was chosen chairman of the present one, and he prepared the report, which was published under the authority of the bishop. The general results of the conference are comprehensively stated in the summary of conclusions verbally communicated by the chairman to the bishop at the close of the last session as they are given by the bishop in the introduction to the volume embodying the report as follows:

On the bishop entering, the chairman reported to his lordship the general results of the conference. He stated that a practical agreement had been reached on some important points, but that grave divergence remained on others. With respect to the first subject proposed to the conference, the members were agreed that our Lord's words in St. John's gospel, Whosesoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them, and whosesoever sins ye retain they are retained,' are not to be regarded as addressed only to the apostles or the clergy, but as a commission to the whole Church, and as conveying a summary of the message with which it is charged. It is, therefore, for the Church as a whole to discharge the commission, which she does by the ministration of God's Word and sacraments, and by godly discipline. But the members of the conference are agreed that the discipline of private confession and absolution can not be shown to have existed for some centuries after the foundation of the Church. It grew, in fact, out of the grad ual disuse, perhaps about the fifth century, of the godly discipline' of public penance, referred to in our commination service as existing in the primitive Church. In view of the meaning which the conference agreed was to be assigned to the words of our Lord in St. John, the formula of ordination in our ordinal could not be regarded as in itself inculcating the duty of private confession and absolution. It was agreed that our other formularies permitted such confession and absolution in certain circumstances, but the conference were not agreed as to the extent to which they encouraged it. On the

practical question there was a deep divergence of opinion in the conference, some members holding that the practise of confession and absolution ought to be encouraged, as of great value for the spiritual and moral life of men and women, while others were deeply convinced that its general encouragement was most undesirable, that it should be treated as entirely exceptional, and that the highest form of Christian life and faith would dispense with it and discourage it." Incense and Reservation in the Diocese of London.-The Bishop of London explained his policy in regard to incense and the reservation of the sacrament in an address to his diocesan conference in May. On taking up his work he had addressed a letter to 40 churches the ritual of which had been open to question, and had received ready answers from all, showing how long incense had been used in them (from five to forty years), and affirming that in all of them the laity were in cordial agreement with the clergy. He next wrote to 39 churches the usages of which seemed counter to the Lambeth opinion. He recognized the claim to special consideration, saying that he had hoped to be able to define uniform limits within which, in exceptional cases, these usages might be permitted, but had found it impossible. He said also that he did not propose to take any active measures against the continuance of a modified use of incense and manner of reservation, such as had already been agreed upon in private conversation, but as bishop he would not be present at any service when incense was ceremonially used, nor would he visit any church in which the limits privately agreed upon were transgressed. He thought the true policy was not to disturb existing arrangements. There were now only 6 churches which he could not visit officially because the sacrament was reserved in the open church and there was ceremonial use of incense on Sunday. All the others had conformed to his wishes entirely. A working method had been attained on this difficult question, and he intended to pursue the same policy during the coming year.

The Church Congress.-The Church Congress met at Northampton, Oct. 7. The regular meeting was preceded by a meeting for young women, which was addressed by the Archdeacon of Manchester, the president of the Girls' Friendly Society, and others. The Bishop of Peterborough being still laid up under the effects of an accident, the Bishop of Leicester presided and delivered the opening address. In the discussion of the first subject, Home Reunion, Bishop Boyd Carpenter, of Ripon, considering the three suggested methods of surrender of all the other churches to one confederation, and reorganization as all impracticable, pleaded as the only remaining alternative for cooperation between the churches for their common end. Prof. Collins. affirmed that reunion could come only on the basis of the apostolical succession. Canon Hensley Henson, whose sermons on Communion and Cooperation with Nonconformists and addresses on the same subject, had attracted much attention and excited comment, maintained that in order to secure anything like practical reunion the non-episcopal churches must be frankly acknowledged. Earl Nelson defended episcopacy as a historic heirloom to be handed down to the children of the Church as a sacred trust. The Bishops of Perth (Australia) and Victoria (HongKong) and others showed how reunion had been practically secured in the colonies and on the mission field through interdenominational recog

nition. Other subjects treated in the papers read and the discussions were The Duty of Public Worship, its Ideal, and the Adequacy of the Prayer-Book Services; The Miracles and the Supernatural Character of the Gospels (as to which Prof. Swete spoke upon the Miraculous Conception, the Incarnation, and the Resurrection, and Prof. Sanday sought for a definition of a miracle); The Sermon on the Mount in its Application to Modern Life; The Maintenance of Religion in the Home under the Changed Condi tions of Modern Life; The Position and Responsibility of the Clergy and Laity in Relation to Modern Criticism and its Influence on Theology, both as Students and as Teachers; Religious Work among Sailors; The Direction of Individuals in Spiritual Matters (in which the subject of confession was brought up); The Observance of Sunday (at a women's meeting); Grievances arising out of the Exercise of Patronage, the Alteration of the Mode of Conducting Services by the Incumbent, and the Continuance in Office of an Inefficient Incumbent; The Church and Working Men; Prayer, its Obligations, its Conditions, and its Results; The Duty of the Church in regard to Education, in the discussion of which the Bishop of Hereford advocated the establishment of equitable and friendly relations with nonconformists, and insisted as fundamental principles in any scheme that fair dealing as between citizens of different denominations required an efficient school within reach of each child, managed by a committee of which the members were publicly appointed or by the religious denomination to which the parents belong; that the expenditure of public money be under public control; and that small schools be not needlessly multiplied, that being contrary to efficiency and economy; and laid down a scheme conforming to those principles. The Bishop of Coventry defended the attitude of the Church in opposing undenominational management of the schools, and was followed by other speakers to a like effect. Earl Spencer criticized the provisions of the Government's education bill, which did not give genuine public control over the expenditure of public money, and laid emphasis on the strong feeling which prevailed in the country upon the subject. The Causes and Remedies for the Diminution of the Supply of Candidates for Holy Orders from Oxford and Cambridge were the subject of papers by the rector of Exeter College, Canon Hicks of Manchester, the Rev. Canon Foakes-Jackson, and Canon W. Johnstone.

The subject of Church reform was considered in papers on (a) the lay franchise, qualifications of electors and elected; (b) Houses of Laymen-their constitution and work; and (c) reformed Convocation and a national synod.

The Irish Synod. The financial reports made at the meeting of the synod of the Episcopal Church in Ireland showed that a considerable decrease had taken place in the revenue of the Church from voluntary sources. A diminished income was feared from mortgages and land, but the dioceses were now in much better position to meet such reductions. They had already entered into possession of the profits of commutations to the extent of £800,000, with £900,000 more to accrue in a not distant future.

In respect to the question of a Roman Catholic university, the Primate observed that Ireland was not large enough for two really great institutions of this kind; but why might there not be two, or perhaps three, constituent colleges in what might deserve to be called a university

of Ireland?

In the synod, the duty of the Church in relation to religious instruction in primary and intermediate schools, and to the general conduct of the state system of primary education, was discussed. The archbishop and bishops were requested to enter into communication with the Board of Trinity College with reference to the position of the Church of Ireland toward the divinity school.

A declaration by the archbishop and bishops was issued to the synod reminding members of the Church of the increasing misuse of the term Catholic to describe those only who acknowledge the supremacy of the Pope. The matter was declared to be "not a mere question of words or names. . . . If we now surrender our title of membership in the Catholic Church we give up an important point in that faith which was once for all delivered to the saints."

The General Synod of Canada.-The General Synod of the Church of England in Canada met in Montreal, Sept. 3. The Primate, Archbishop Machray, being ill, Archbishop Bond, of Montreal presided. Canon Matheson, of Winnipeg, was elected prolocutor of the lower house. The business regarded as of most importance was the passage of a canon organizing the mission work of the Church under a board for the whole Dominion. The Ecclesiastical Synod of the Province of Canada had decided at its session in September, 1901, to merge its Mission Board into that of the General Synod if it would take over the responsibilities of the provincial board. The organization of the General Board was effected, and the Rev. N. L. Tucker, of Vancouver, British Columbia, was appointed its general secretary. A canon was passed by the House of Bishops absolutely barring any divorced person from remarriage during the lifetime of a former partner, but was defeated by the adverse vote of the laity in the lower house, although the clergy of that house were overwhelmingly in favor of it. Triennial meetings of the synod were decided upon, with double the former diocesan representation, making the largest representation of any diocese eight of each order. A resolution was introduced asking for the appointment of a committee to consider the question of a change of the name of the church-the name Church of England in Canada being considered by the movers not sufficiently descriptive. After some discussion, the consideration of the question was postponed. Committees were appointed to prepare drafts of extra prayers and services required by the conditions of the Church in Canada, to be submitted to the next meeting of the synod for adoption as an appendix to the Prayer-Book. No alteration in the body of the Prayer-Book was contemplated. Authority was given permitting the optional use of the Revised Version of the Bible at the services of the Church. A minute was adopted, to be brought before all the synods and convocations of churches in the communion, with a view to the discussion of it in the Pan-Anglican Conference in 1907. contemplating the extension of the diaconate and the making of it a permanent order. In the bishop's pastoral as read to the conference all the members were called upon to increase their interest in missions, in the sanctity of the Lord's Day, in the study of the Bible, in family worship, and in Sunday-schools.

The Synod in Japan.-The seventh General Synod of the " Holy Catholic Church in Japan (the Nippon Sei Kokwai) was held in Kioto, April 10 to 15. A course of procedure introduced by the English and American bishops for the election of a Japanese bishop was almost