Welsh Journals

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WELSH CHURCH CONVENTION THE Convention of the Church in Wales has come and gone. It is not too much to say that it was universally regarded by all who attended it as completely successful. For four days a gather- ing, which included some of the best men in Wales, devoted itself to laying the foundation of the Church of the future, and earnestly considering and settling the problems that arose in the process. All were inspired by the one desire to make the ground work of the Welsh Church sound and the pillars secure. There was no spirit of discouragement or pessimism. There were no reflections on opponents, no com- plaints, no prophecies of evil. The note struck throughout was one of buoyant hopefulness and unqualified optimism. The object of the Convention was to discuss and approve the schemes for the Representative and Governing Bodies of the Church of the future. The schemes were principally the work of Mr. Justice Sankey, and, although subjected to some criticism, received little amendment. Sir Robert Peel, when Prime Minister, used to- boast that his Acts of Par- liament were very rarely altered. He thought out and prepared his measures so carefully that he was almost always able to satisfy Parliament that any change that was proposed would be a change for the worse. Mr. Justice Sankey might not unjustly make a similar claim. The schemes had been so carefully considered and drafted, and possible objections so fully foreseen and obviated, that there was little need of alteration. The patience with which Mr. Justice Sankey explained the working and details of the schemes was beyond all praise. As the pre- sent writer saw him rise time after time to answer criticisms, he thought of the story about Pitt, when his friends discussed in his presence the quality most necessary in a Prime Minister. One said this, and another said that, but Pitt said Patience." Sir John Sankey possesses in full measure the admirable quality of patience. An excellent feature of the Convention was the unanimity and good fellowship between North and South Wales. Under the scheme as placed before the Convention, the dioceses of Llandaff and St. Davids were to have 108 and 90 representatives on the Governing Body respectively, while St. Asaph and Bangor were to have 72 and 54. Those who had come from the two Northern dioceses seemed to feel it a grievance that their representation should be so much less than that of the two Southern ones, and THE suggested that the dioceses should have equal voting strength. The representatives of Llandaff and St. Davids, although standing for a much larger number of churchmen, accepted the contention of their brethren from St. Asaph and Bangor, and, amidst general applause, all four dioceses were placed on an equal footing. One of the most interesting incidents of the Con- vention was the proposal made by the Rector of Hawarden, and seconded by Miss Helen Gladstone, the daughter of an illustrious churchman, that women should be admitted to the Governing Body. This raised the question whether the Canons permitted women to become members of Church Councils. The Convention could, of course, do nothing that would separate the Church in Wales from the Uni- versal Church. Archdeacon Green, who was ap- pealed to on all matters of ecclesiastical law and practice, stated that there was no instance in which women had been admitted to Church Councils. The nearest approach to this step was in the case of the Cistercian Abbesses who met and legislated for the Cistercian Convents. It was finally agreed that, if it could be done Fcanonically, women should be admitted in certain proportions to the Representa- tive and Governing Bodies. Another interesting matter that was discussed was the name of the Church. The disestablishing statute speaks of The Church in Wales." A very emphatic demand was voiced by several speakers that the Church should be called" The Church of Wales." An amusing interlude took place when one speaker pointed out that Owain Glyndwr had, in writing to Charles the Sixth of France, called the Church Ecclesia Walliae." The Bishop of St. Asaph stated that Owain's description showed that he was not a good Latin scholar, or he would have called the Welsh Church by the name then authorita- tively used, Ecclesia Celtica." In view of the fact that the question of the name was not one that need be settled till the Governing Body decided whether the Church in Wales should remain part of the province of Canterbury, or be constituted a separate province, the matter was adjourned to be then considered. The present writer hopes that one result of the Convention will be to put an end to the demand for the repeal of disestablishment. For some con- siderable time before the Act was passed he had come to the conclusion that the perpetual struggle