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to see the things which we see and have not seen them, least our own prophets of recent times, a Maurice and a Kings ley, a Ruskin or a.Westcott, and many another who yearned wistfully but in vain for the day which should see the parliament of man, the federation of the world.' The same is true of indus- try..The new situation is not yet clear. Yet no stone is being left unturned to achieve it. Industrial councils, con- ciliation boards, bodies like the National Alliance of Employers and Employed, these are simply signs and specimens of a work which is going on night and day. to achieve a framework adequate to the community outlook to which we were compelled in war, and to which we must now conform our system in time of peace. Industrially, indeed, as internation- ally, no mere tinkering at the old System will suffice. The workers must have a real share in the management, and the employers must have a real guarantee 'of whole-hearted co-operation. As was truly said the other day, the men who invest their lives should have as definite a partnership in the under- taking as the men who invest their money. None the less, our concern is not with programmes, but with prin- ciples. To insist on this and to act # upon it will take us all our time. Our business is to Christianise the new outlook, to anchor this community sentiment, at present to a large extent still vague and insecure, to the firm ground of Christian principle, to evan- gelise in the fullest sense this genera- tion of men whose fine qualities may pr-ove to be their own undoing without the saving and inspiring operations of that Society which was called by its founder the salt of the earth. Need for Unity. But the very mention of so great a task recalls us at once to our limitations, and most of all to the weakness which "arises from our unhappy divisions. .? Even within the Church itself there is all too much of the old outlook with its ilelf-regarding narrowness and its obsti- nate refusal to understand, or even to admit, other points of view. While this is so the Kingdom of God will not come with power. The unification of the Christian Church would probably do more to convert the world than all our competing missions put together. It is this consciousness of culpable weakness that is driving men of all denominations to look for and to pray for that unity which is according to the mind of Christ. Energies which are required for world conquest cannot be wasted upon internal disputes. We may well be thankful for the progress already made. The tide had turned five years ago, and has been flowing ever since. As it is, the leaders are a great dis- tance ahead of the main body, and until the gap between them is further reduced this spadework is vital, particularly in view of the fact that there will be two great occasions'in the near future when we may hope for some definite steps to be taken. I refer to approaching meet- ings of the Lambeth Conference and the World Conference on Faith and Order. Much will depend in both these gather- ings upon the public opinion that then pervades the Churches. And if that opinion is to be ready for the oppor- tunity, there must be no delay. in speaking thus I have been think- ing rrrtfinly of Ollr brethren of the Free Churches. But our hopes for unity,can- not be limited. We look to the East and we look to the West when we think of the Catholic Church of the future. It is true that the Western prospect is not exhilarating. So long as Rome in- sists their union can only come through submission, so long will the road to unity in that direction be ba-rred. In J the East it is very different. During the years of war the Orthodox Church and our own Church have been drawn closer together than ever before. A IGreek patriarch has been welcomed in our churches. Serbian students of the- ology have found a temporary home among us. With the Church in Russia our relationship has-long been one of growing interest and cordiality. But of late the sky in that ill-fated country has been dark indeed. Our Supreme Concern. But our supreme concern at this gathering is our own Mother Church. Most institutions during the war have passed through the fire of a keeli and searching criticism, arid the Church was no exception to the rule. One might almost adapt the adage and say: When in difficulties for conversation, abuse the Church.' Some of the criticism may have been merely malicious. Much of it is undoubtedly due to the very high standard which, men demand from a body which claims to represent the cause of Christ. It is sadly true, for instance, that in common with the rest of Christendom the Church -had so far failed to mould public opinion according to the mind of Christ as to make the war impossible. It is true that during the war itself there was not sufficient effort in the Church to think out the deeper meaning of the situation and to disperse the fog of spiritual bewilder- V. ment in which multitudes were groping. Where does God come in ? they said. They looked to the pulpit for the answer, and all too,oflen looked in vain. Preachers and teachers were too prone to content themselves with a good per- formance on the patriotic drum, and to suppose that with that their task was ended. It is none the less true that in the case of hundreds of thousands the splendid patriotism which they showed was rooted at bottom in their Church- manship. They may not have been very well informed about the Society to which they belonged, but they had learned their duty towards God and their duty towards their neighbour to some pur- pose, and when the call came their reso- lution was not sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought; it was straight, 0 strong, unflinching and unconquerable. Time for fievaluation. It would be easy to make out a strong case for the efficiency of the Church in the nation's time of trial. It is the new day which, we now have to face. I believe that I interpret the mind of the Church aright when I say that the time has come when her whole machinery, property, position, methods of work, must be revalued in the light of their potency or otherwise to interpret the mind of God to this generation, and to advance His King-, dom. This feeling emerged into the open in the National Mission. Its com- mittees, whether central or local, were in reality councils for the improvement of the Church's effectiveness. Nor have further signs been wanting. Whatever you may think of the programme of the Life and Liberty Movement, it is at least an exhibition of this deep concern of the younger generation. The enter- prise must of necessity command the respect and the sympathy of large num- bers of people, both within the Church and without, for it has no axe to grind, and the sole object of its conspiracy is to get rid of the encumbrances, whatever they may be, that prevent the untram- melled activity of the Body of Christ. The only question which now we dare to ask is how far the Establish- ment conduces or fails to conduce to our efficiency as agents of the .Kingdom of God ? What matters to us is not posi- tion nor prestige, but powerspiritual power. We value establishment and endowment only so long as they are en- tirely compatible with our being estab- lished in the truth of the Gospel and en- dowed with power from on high. This test of our efficiency is the only one which in these days we can recognise. And such a revmluation must be applied all through our system. In matters of organisation the, Church should be ahead of the public conscience, not lag- ging behind it. Importance of Our Schools. "I have spoken of one item in our heritage. I would direct your attention to another, namely, our schools. By the wisdom and foresight of our forefathers, and by the sacrinces which have. since been made, we have a large share in the educational machinery of the country. A great consensus of opinion has been forming, particularly since the war, that a primary need of our country is not less but more Christian education in our schools. We must make it clear that while we immensely value our own schools, our 1, supreme objective is a Christian education in every school, and that whatever advantages we enjoy are to be used with that in view; that there is no sacrifice which we would not make to ensure that the knowledge of God in Christ should be brought within the reach of every child by teachers who themselves understand how vital it is for character and citizenship. "I. confidently anticipate the day when by conference with members of other Christian bodies in each locality there shall be an agreed plan for this Christian teaching. But the crucial element in the situation is the teachers themselves-the men and women who do the work and to whom has been com- mitted the responsibility of moulding the coming generation. There can be no doubt that they are just as anxious as. we are that the character building in the schools should be well and firmly based. But we want the* best wisdom that they can give us in the sacred wOrk which we all have so deeply at heart. But reform must go deeper than this if we are to interpret God to this genera- tion. 'The need of the Church and the need of the nation is a living the- ology. We suspected this before the war; now we know it for certain. The plain fact is that, to judge by her pul- pits and her teaching, the Church's own thought of God has been all too often quite inadequate when measured either by the New Testament revelation or by the needs of modern men. The Church has need to correct her thought of God by Christ, and to extend that process to the thought of the people at large. This is the paramount enterprise. The perception of the Kingdom of God as at once the hope and the destination of history can only come to the man or the Church that has gripped afresh in thought and in experience the character of God as it shines in Christ. The plain Question is. Are we prepared to take tbe trouble ? The clergy have no time to study, and, the laity have no time to pray. And the converse statement is equally true. So long as that is looked upon as settling the matter in any large degree, the wonder of God will remain a sealed book. Yet this is what the nation needs. Attempts Outside the Church. So clamant is the need that attempts are being made outside the Church to supply it. If we do not take pains to explain God, other people will. This is the reason why such cults as Christian Science, Theosophy, and Spiritualism enjoy an increasing popu- larity. They attempt to state in terms which are modern and living and prac- tice the fact of God and man's relation to Him. Everywhere in these days there are men and women who desire to approach God. Naturally enough, they will accept guidance from those who offer it most speedily and most simply. In the Church we have been too prone to harp on obsolete phrases and quote authorities when we ought to have been opening the door and show- ing the way to the living God. Is the Church to attend to everything except the one thing needful? And if she do so, is it because her members have them- selves lost grip on God? Only two things can secure it: de- votion and obedience. Of the first I would speak for a moment. The Arch- bishops' Committee of Inquiry. on the worship of God only focussed the criti- cisms and aspirations that have been, accumulating in the Church in regard to our devotional life, particularly as exhibited in public worship. It may almost be said that the glory of cor- porate worship has been rediscovered among us in recent years. Its dignity and beauty, from the high Celebration to the fellowship of silence, are new- found joys to thousands. But this, how- ever important, is not its main object. The worshippers make their offering, but the service, should be an unveiling of the Most High. There is a sense in which Englishmen expect to find God in church, and in too many cases they do not find Him there. Mot a Glimmering of God., It is difficult to make my meaning clear, but it is a fact that the worship in thousands of our churches can hardly be said to contain or to reflect even a glimmering of God: The atmosphere is wanting. The dry- bones are there, whether of ceremonial or the lack of it, but there is no breath; nothing moves, nothing appeals, nothing reveals God. St. Paul was setting a standard of Christian worship when he exhorted the Corinthians so to conduct their assem- blies that men unlearned and unbeliev- ing should be constrained to share their worship, declaring that God was among them indeed. Such an experience, in all too many cases, is not merely infre- quent; it is inconceivable. But if God is not revealed through our churches and our worship; where else can those who know Him not reasonably expect to find Him ? This means that the whole organisa- tion of our worship should be lifted clean out of the slough of controversy, and viewed solely as a means of reveal- ing God to men. The time has come when the Church of England with this sole object before her, must be free to choose from the riches of her devotional heritage without fear or favour.. She must not be bound by the shibboleths of the sixteenth century, or captivated by foreign novelties of more recent date. But devotion has its counterpart in common life. Service has two mean- ings. Obedience to God in the extension of His Kingdom will itself bring a reve- lation of His character. To do the will is to know the doctrine. And here we reach a point which is entirely ger- mane to the present situation. For in doing the will—that is, in preparing the way for the Kingdom—the Church will herself rediscover God, and provide at oAce a hope and a rallying place for all who long for a new world, but at present despair of achieving it. Hal- lowed by Thy Name; Thy will be done; Thy Kingdom come.' That is the Divine order. The challenge, therefore, that comes to the members of Christ here and elsewhere is simply this: Are they prepared to make this enterprise of the Kingdom, committed to them by the .Lord Himself, literally the first con- sideration in their Church life, the aim of all their energies, the test of all their methods ? At the conclusion of the President's Address the Archbishop of Dublin opened the discussion on The Chris- tian Faith in the Light of the War." We give his paper on The Omnipo- tence of God." Principal of Knutsford. The Rev. F. R. Barry, Principal of the Knutsford Ordination Test School, spoke on The Incarnation in the Modem World." He said; "What I have to say- to-day is written under a sense of special urgency. The Church is called upon to meet an un- precedented opportunity. Irko- these chaotic months, when history is rushing past with such rapidity that we can hardly see that it is moving, the crying need is spiritual leadership. The old world that we used to know is gone the plan of the new age is not yet revealed. J The future lies liKe clay in our own! hands. So far as we can see, the entire course of the century belore us depends on leadership to-day. If it is lead and inspired by the Spirit of Christ, the old bad. dreams will vanish away for ever. They might come back with a thousand- fold more terors. Thus it is certainly to the Church of Christ that the nation ought to look to lead the new age and redeem the world. Let us be honest and admit the blunt fact that "the nation looks in vain. We cannot disguise from ourselves the simple truth that organised Christianity in this country has at pre- sent scarcely any grip either on national or individual life. To 75 per cent. of the population it does not seem to make any real difference. There is the small circle of the faithful, and the vast mass without remains untouched. To-dwy, then,. I would ask this Con- gress to facs an ultimate and prior ques- tion, and make up our minds what we really mean by God, because the con- stantly recurring danger of institutional religion is to worship its religion instead of God, and take for granted that its God is known. But you cannot take the meaning of God for granted. The word means everything or nothing. A man may easily think he believes in God, whereas he really worships Mrs. Grundy, and bases his conduct on a frank materialism. r, It is Not Disturbing. H Our religion as we preach and prac- tice it seems to make so ifttle difference that it has lost its cutting edge. It would never frighten anybody. It does not really turn life upside down. Un- like the leaven, it is not disturbing. The war, that pitiless exposer of all conven- tional accepted standards, has not spared theological beliefs. Nothing, perhaps, has proved more unreliable in the searching test of active service than our non-committal Theism. The tradi- tional God has let us dovm very badly. The God Who willed the war as a punishment, and yet it is all the time a God of love; the God Who will save our lives if we go to church, and ordered Samuel to butcher Agag; Who delights in mild religious exercises, and is well p]eased when we are good young men. yet is content to ordain a modern battle -such a God we canno tworship now. We must have a God Who is a hero, and not less noble than our own ideals. A Our Lord is the final and supreme expression of the Will. that rules the universe. He is the reflection of His glory, the expression., of His own essen- tial nature (Heb. 3). He that hath see Him hath seen the Father. What we need is just to have the courage to believe our own astounding Faith.. The passion all dies out of Christianity the moment we forget the Incarnation. When we recover that, the fire comes back. At the Wrong End. God in Christ is the only God we know. Apart from our Lord we do not know God at all. lie is God's own answer to man's questioning. I think our teaching often gets confused because we try*to start at the wrong end. We start with certain preconceived ideas- part Greek, part Jewish, all of them pre.Christian-about, the attributes ol Deity, and try to interpret Christ in the light of them. We read the Gospel with non-Christian postulates. Thus we must start from the known, not the unknown. Without any preju- dice or prepossession, we must start again with the Man of Naazrsth. It is from Him that we must learn of God. There is no other standard or criterion. Our Lord is the only starting-point. In Him we see the heart of the Eternal. That is what matters; not what the Jews thought, or Greek philosophers or Latin schoolmen, or even the writers of Vic- torian hymns. CI God moves about in the homes of the common people, helping others just because He hkes them, just because His love is overflowing. If God is like that, how can we be stand-offish? God lives a Man's life, simple, joyous, humble, gathering light-hearted friends about Him, playing with children, going out to dine, laying bare the very Heaven of heavens in the lilies growing in the hedgerows. If God is like that, how can I be unnatural?' It is an astonish- ing way of honouring God to make my- self the very opposite of what He has revealed of His own nature! I often' think that in Him we are able to hear echoes of God's tremendous laughter. He said it was all play-act- ing, make-believe, ever so far removed from the real thing. God is infinitely vaster, than their philosophies had ever dreamed of. The fire that our Lord came to cast on earth was the flaming splendour of God's Truth. "And it is in Him that we behold it. He that is nigh unto Me is nigh unto fire; and he that is far from Me is far from the Kingdom.' His Power taid LIOVO., H God did not cease t" live in the fourth century, or even at the death of Queen Victoria. Not all the truths dia- covered in all the ages taken together can exhaust His truth. The inexhaus- tible richness of the Godhead, His power and love and majesty and wisdom, baffles all our finite valuations. Yet the very will that made the world, J the essential Nature of the Eternal God/ w$ are made known to us in a human life. The more we understand the Man Christ Jesus, the nearer are we to the heart of God. The personal knowledge of our Lord, of God unveiling Himself in His Manhood, is the source of all effective progress in religion and in life." The Atonement." Then the Rev. J. K. Mozley read his paper on The Atonement." He said: "The war exploded much popular religious thinking which had rested largely on, the assumption that the world's history would slowly broaden*, down from precedent to precedent, and that the assurance of an orderly moral progress was seated in Christian faith, were shattered. The demand for theo- logical restatement grew loud. It was evident that dark clouds hung over the secret of God's relationship to the world; there was no open vision. What was the secret ? Did God not care ? Or was His power far less than His love? To say Amen to this last was for many the best way out. A limited God, toil- ing up the Hill Difficulty with His crea- tures, seemed a tolerable and credible conception. To some of us it seemed to surrender what made God mean God to us; to make God in our own image may, in the long run, prove as much lacking in utility as it is a depreciation of truth. The Supreme Ethical Question The war had not created the moral problem-though some spoke as though » this were the case-but it had deepened it. It had thrown ethical questions into high relief, above all, the supreme ethical question, whether morality is the nature of things, and existence moves forward towards a moral end. It had called upon the mighty moral ideas, r those solemn names which, though often forgotten, had yet maintained their hold upon humanity, to descend. from the ^heights and show themselves as realities or shadows. Was there a final meaning and worth in righteousness established through sacrifice and passing into judg- ment? There could be no final justifica- tion of the war if there was not at the same time the justification of God. The justification of God. It is good that we have been made to face so stupendous a necessity. If we could only see even-so awful a fact as the war against the background of what the death of Christ meant to God, of what was done when the Father gave the Son to be lifted up from the earth, we should know with a certainty that perhaps would make itself felt through all the inadequacy of words, that there can be no question of God not caring for man, no question of His power being less than what the world's evil needs. Our hearts and minds would catch that spark of religious conviction which burns up all doubt, as St. Paul cries: He Who spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not also with Him freely give us all things ? That is a gospe; equal to our times, for it is the Gospel of. a world re- deemed and secured in God, despite and through all the evil and sin which not yet are .visibly put beneath the feet of the world's Redeemer. And in the Cross of our Lord, in all its strain and the agony which broke His heart, there is for us the peace of God's eternity, the life of God, which was poured out there that we might live." I Christian Irdeals in World Politics. On Tuesday' evening, in the De Mont- fort Hall, the general subject, Chris- tian Ideals, in World Politics," was discussed. Lord Eustace Percy Tead a thoughtful paper on The League of Nations and Imperial Politics," and said: War, as we have known it in the past and as it threatens us in the future, is to-day a product of Christendom, of that state of civilised society whose origins and growth have been so closely linked with the Christian faith and the Christian Church. Christendom, .it is true, inherited war, but it has developed it, systematised it into a science, inten- » sifiecl its horrors and magnified its de- structive power. At every stage in this long process men have yearned more eagerly for' an assured peace; at every stage they have found themselves further from their goal. Our genius does not lie in generali- ties it expresses itself through adminis- tration, study of facts, adjustment of interests-in a word, through the pur- suit of that characteristically moderate ideal:, The greatest good of the. greatest number." In the preaching of prin- ciples, the devising of policies, we show ourselves at our weakest, and the essence of the League of Nations is that it gives us an opportunity to display not our weakest but our strongest qualities. Europe is the cockpit of irreconcilable principles and interests. It is the func- tion of the League, not to inject some new principle, thus creatinly a new. lina of cleavage, but to prove the truth of