simply overwhelming part of
Christendom, as represented by the Orthodox Church of Russia and the
other Churches of the East.

Will there be many English Churchmen who will not be most deeply moved
when they read that the first _Te Deum_, after all these centuries, has
been sung in St. Sophia, in Constantinople? It will be a most inspiring
thing too to hear that the whitewash, always peeling off, which covers
up the mosaic picture of our _Lord_, has been cleared away, and He is
shown looking down in blessing while the Holy Communion is once more
celebrated in the great Church of Justinian.

We are all praying that _God_ will bring good out of evil, and overcome
evil with good, as this war draws on to its close, and many of us from
time to time think of the "good" it will be for humanity if a more
united Christian Church can be one of its first results. "Who will not
pray?" said Mr. W. J. Birkbeck, the one English layman who knows Russia,
its people, and its Church as few Englishmen or even Russians know them,
when addressing a great gathering in London last year, "that this
terrible conflict in which we are engaged will bring the Eastern and
English Churches closer to one another? We are mindful of the
considerable advances which have already been made in that direction,
and of the ever-increasing friendship which has arisen between the
English and Russian Churches of late years, and more especially during
the twenty years' reign of the Emperor Nicholas II. It is known that
even in the earliest years of his reign His Majesty more than once
expressed his wish that the two Churches should get to know one another
more closely, and that this was the best way to draw the two nations
together. It is known too that Queen Victoria, when she was told of
this, said, 'Yes, it is not only the best way, it is the only sure way.'
The visits of Anglican bishops at various times have all tended to
promote good feeling and mutual understanding, as did also the visit to
England of the late Archbishop Antonius of Finland, afterwards
Metropolitan of St. Petersburg, on the occasion of Queen Victoria's
Diamond Jubilee. The question of the reunion of our two Churches is one
that cannot be forced or rushed; it will never be brought about by
compromises, or by diplomatic shams. It will only come about when the
two Churches, after coming fully to know one another, find that both of
them hold the whole of that Faith which each of them, and not o