The ecumenical movement has not yet drawn the full consequences from those important sentences in the message of the Amsterdam Assembly:“As we have talked with each other here, we have begun to understand how our separation has prevented us from receiving correction from one another in Christ. And because we lacked this correction, the world has often heard from us not the Word of God, but the words of men.” As members of the ecumenical fellowship we enjoy the enormous privilege of having a common foundation and a common criterion of truth for our conversation. We can receive and offer correction in Christ. And that correction can purify our message and our task. At a time when there is much inter-continental misunderstanding and so little constructive, helpful sharing of conviction we have therefore a special obligation to speak with each other as openly, as frankly and as clearly as we can, so as to show that our being together