SOCIAL ENGAGEMENTS OF THE CONGRESS It is not possible to give an adequate account of the hospitality offered to members and delegates in the many hundreds of homes in London and the suburbs; nor in the provinces, where delegates were welcomed in several towns and cities, as Oxford, Cambridge, Salisbury, Canterbury, &c. The official reception to the whole Congress took the form of a garden party at Knebworth, where Lord and Lady Strathcona welcomed over 6,000 guests on Monday, June 15, after the service at Westminster Abbey. Lord Strathcona's hospitality can only be described as princely, as it included the providing of thirteen or fourteen special trains to convey the guests from London, and innumerable vehicles to drive them from Knebworth Station to Knebworth House. Lord and Lady Strathcona and their daughter, the Hon. Mrs. Howard, received the guests in the banqueting hall. The historic building with the picture gallery was thrown open to inspection. Bands of the Royal Artillery and the King's Colonials provided music in the gardens, where refreshments were served in several large tents. In the evening of the same day two banquets and two receptions were given in London, the most noticeable being the "banquet of welcome" at the Savoy Hotel to the Archbishops and Bishops who were attending the Congress given by the Pilgrims. Lord Curzon of Kedleston presided, and amongst those present were the United States Ambassador, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the Prime Minister, the Right Hon. H. H. Asquith, K.C., M.P. The toast of the evening was proposed by the Prime Minister in an eloquent and graceful speech, welcoming the Congress as one of the forces making for the peace of the world. He also pointed out that the function of the Church has been and is still to be an emancipating and a unifying power. The toast was responded to by Bishop Tuttle of Missouri, Presiding Bishop of the American Church, and by the Archbishop of Rupertsland, Dr. Matheson. At the Lyceum Club Lady Beachcroft presided over another dinner given to several Church dignitaries who attended the Congress. Later on in the evening two receptions were held, one by the Marquis and Marchioness of Salisbury, at 20 Arlington Street. Lord Salisbury had been Chairman of the Hospitality Committee. The reception was honoured by the attendance of H.R.H. the Duchess of Albany. About 500 of the delegates were welcomed. Another reception was held at the same time by Lord and Lady Brassey, at 24 Park Lane, at which another 500 delegates had the great privilege of inspecting, under Lord Brassey's personal guidance, the wonderful museum of curios which he has collected during his travels. The fact that these two receptions were held, one at a house which may almost be called the stronghold of the Conservative party, the other at the home of a wellknown Liberal peer, showed how united a welcome from all sides was offered to the delegates to the Congress. After June 15 the Congress settled down to its proper work, and social functions ceased till the afternoon of Wednesday, June 24, after the great Thanksgiving Service at St. Paul's, when another of the historic houses of London -Bridgewater House, St. James's, the town residence of the Earl and Countess of Ellesmere-threw open its doors to the delegates from foreign parts. Lord and Lady Ellesmere received their guests at the head of the great staircase. The magnificent picture gallery, with its treasures of a Raffaele, a Rembrandt, a Rubens, &c., was inspected with great interest. The last and by no means least of the receptions was the garden party at Marlborough House, graciously given by their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales, on Thursday, June 25. It is an open secret that this was not the date originally fixed for this function, but was altered by the special wish of His Majesty the King, who expressed his wish to attend. No more fitting close to the Congress could possibly be imagined than this royal entertainment, when the delegates had the unique privilege of meeting their Majesties the King and Queen. It is needless to state that every member of the Congress was grateful for this honour conferred upon the Congress, an honour unexpected and deeply appreciated. Many presentations were made to the Prince and Princess, who were indefatigable as hosts. Further presentations were made to their Majesties; and before the termination of the proceedings loud and prolonged cheers were given for the King and Queen, and for the Prince and Princess of Wales. THANKSGIVING SERVICE AT ST. PAUL'S CATHEDRAL WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24 (St. John the Baptist's Day.) (From the Morning Post, by permission--this account also having been written by a member of the Committee.) The Cathedral was filled in every part within a few minutes of the doors being thrown open. With that careful forethought and regard for reverence which have become so characteristic of St. Paul's, every detail had been so well arranged that the most perfect order prevailed throughout the whole service. And not only so, but even the great Pan-Anglican Service was not allowed to interfere with the regular services of the day. At the conclusion of the Choral Communion the Cathedral was cleared, and the doors were shortly afterwards reopened, so that no preference was given to the enterprising "early seat" seeker, although many had been waiting from a very early hour. Before the commencement of the service, a selection of music was played by the orchestra, which was accommodated in the north choir gallery, and was conducted by Sir George Martin. Punctually at twelve o'clock the opening words of the special Litany rose from the west end of the Cathedral, whither the choir and cathedral clergy, preceded by the crossbearer, had proceeded to meet the great array of Bishops who, robing in the crypt, had passed out by one of the garden doors and round the outside of the Cathedral to the great West doors. The effect of this long procession of bishops passing through the street in the heart of the City at the busiest hour of the day made a great impression on the large crowds who witnessed it. The Litany, which was sung alternately by four minor canons and the choir and congregation, contained petitions for the casting out from the Church of all error and worldliness, and for the granting to it of peace and unity; also for the pardon of the sins of Christians in heathen lands, and for the strengthening of all converts to the faith, that they might be given "perseverance to the end". The Bishops were grouped according to their Provinces, or according to the regions from whence they came, a separate group being formed for those dioceses which are under the direct jurisdiction of the Archbishop of Canterbury. Each group was preceded by a macebearer, the maces being lent for the occasion by some of the ancient London churches. The marshalling of the procession, as well as the admirably carried out arrangements of the stewards, was in the hands of the Rev. G. E. Farran. Among the "African" group were the two natives, Bishops Johnson and Oluwole. The United States of America provided a strong group; while a final group was made up of the Archbishops and Metropolitans. Preceded by another cross came the three Congress secretaries, Bishop Montgomery, Canon Stuart, and the Rev. A. B. Mynors; and following the beautiful banner of the diocese came the Bishop of London, preceded by his Suffragans, and conducted by the Archdeacon of London and Canon Scott-Holland. One venerable figure was missing, that of the aged Dean, who was unable to be present, being represented by Canon Newbolt. At the moment when the Bishop of London reached the steps of the choir the electric lights in the chancel were switched on, and the effect of the great choir filled with Bishops, most of them in their scarlet robes, was indescribably impressive. Last of all came the Archbishop of Canterbury, preceded by the Primatial cross and attended by his chaplains. The Lord Mayor and Sheriffs, in state, had previously been conducted to their official seats in the choir. When all had taken their places, the hymn, “Great Lord of Wisdom, Life, and Light" was sung to Sullivan's tune "Bishopsgarth", a tune which at once carried the mind back to another memorable service at St. Paul's. The hymn is one of those specially written for the Congress, and in the grandeur of its aspirations it will well repay study. It is printed in the Congress handbook. The Archbishop was then conducted to the pulpit, to, as the order of service expressed it," speak to the people." THE ARCHBISHOP'S ADDRESS We want no sermon to-day. One single thought throbs in every soul beneath this roof. Let us give thanks unto our Lord God. "It is meet and right so to do." In the solemn gatherings of a week, without parallel in our story, what, I ask you, have we valued most? What has been the purest metal, the pearl of greatest price, the unforgettable thing? Surely the moment which has mattered most-most to thousands of us—has been the recurrent hush when, time after time, we stood silent in the presence of our Lord God, and then broke into utterance in the confession of our Holy Faith. "I believe in God, the Father Almighty ... and in Jesus Christ, His only Son our Lord. I believe in the Holy Ghost." That impress has been set indelibly upon every gathering. "Whose is the image and superscription?" "Render unto God the things that are God's." Yes, render them now-ourselves, our souls and bodies. "Lord, I believe. Help thou mine unbelief." Take my life and let it be In the Epistle to the Hebrews the stately record of what faith had wrought in Israel's story leads up to-what? To the simple call that men and women endowed with no genius, gifted with no lofty prowess, but encompassed with those memories as with a cloud, should 66 run with patience the race set before them". With patience. What have we all learned in these eventful days wherein we have been guided to look reverently upon past history, present facts, widening opportunities? Surely the power which by the indwelling grace of God belongs to the life of the ordinary man or woman, who has realized the greatness of our trust and the Master's benediction upon its quiet discharge. When and how shall "the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our Lord and His Christ"? When common prosaic men and women in the Church of God shake off the paralysis of faint hearts and believe in the grandeur of their Christian calling, their royal priesthood. He has been teaching us not to look for the coming of a few colossal men to be the patterns and champions of life, but rather for each man and woman baptized in His name, sealed to His persistent service, in all the length and breadth of this great world, to be found simply, trustfully, doing their best. Only by these offerings of ourselves and our powers, diverse and yet one, can the Church of God, His family upon earth, rise to its splendid mission and answer to His plan. We have been trying with all our might in these crowded. days to understand a little more about our corporate life—how it grew and grows-the streams which feed it, the perils which beset it, the movement of the rod and staff of the Good Shepherd Who is our guide. The inrush of the flood of fresh light, fresh knowledge, and fresh thoughtfulness has been a new departure in the lives of many of us. And these thoughts have come to stay. This morning, in thankfulness and hope, we make an offering—the natural acknowledgement of what great things God hath done for us. "The silver is mine and the gold is mine, saith the Lord of hosts." who are here, and tens of thousands, remember, who are not here but far away, offer these things thankfully to the direct service of advancing His Kingdom among men. But more; we desire to offer not what we have only, but what we are. Some of us have offered―very many of us, I confidently believe, can offer our working lives unreservedly to go where the need is greatest and to "tell it out among the heathen that the Lord is King". "The silver is mine and the gold is mine, saith the Lord of hosts." But that is not all. latter glory of this House "the living Church of God—“shall be greater than the former, saith the Lord of hosts." The outcome of our great mustering and our many words must, God helping us, be this that the Society of Jesus Christ on earth, the Society to which you and I belong, shall strive more valiantly, more persistently, more hopefully than ever before to mend what is broken and crooked, what is ignorant and amiss, in the world around us, and to hasten on earth the coming of the Kingdom of our Lord. "Watch ye. Stand fast in the faith. Quit you like men. Be strong." So the kingdoms of this world shall become the king We "The |