Bishops are already flocking to London for the Pan-Anglican Synod,
which is to commence on Tuesday week, July 2nd. We do not know what will come of that meeting, but a proposal of a somewhat grandiose description has already been broached that the Bishops present should recognise the Archbishop of Canterbury as patriarch of the Anglican Communion ; that the Synod should then constitute itself a patriarchal Synod or Council, and constitute itself in three standing Committees,—one to deal with the canons enacted in Provincial Synods, another to deal with the Ecclesiastical judgments delivered in the various tribunals ; and a third to deal with the best means of Church extension. All the decisions of the Committees will be valid till the meeting of the next General Synod, when they will be con- firmed or repudiated. The Guardian, commenting on the plan, very wisely suggests that so vigorous an organisation could imme- diately begin to use the most powerful weapon in the hands of such organisations, excommunication ; and that directly this was used, the State would step in,—at least, as regards the Established Church in England,—and check such proceedings very firmly. The scheme is a grand one, but its real tendency is towards dogmatic exclusiveness, and therefore towards Disestablishment.
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