15 JANUARY 1876, Page 2

The Bishop of Winchester has written a very strong letter

in. favour of comprehension as the true policy of the Church of England, as opposed to mere alliance with the Protestant sects ; and the letter, which is addressed to Mr. Horsey, of Southampton, who had condemned the Bishop for want of charity to Dissenters, has been published. Dr. Browne avers that the Church of Eng- land is the ancient national Church, Romanism and Dissent being alike schism ; that he had merely stated that truth, and ought not to be considered uncharitable for merely stating a fact ; that "the Church offers Dissenters every freedom to hold any opinions they like not fundamentally opposed to the Chris- tian faith ;" and that "true unity cannot be secured by merely thinking alike, but by willingness also to join in one body and act alike." Apart from the historic question, Dr. Browne, no doubt, states accurately the ideal position of the Church of England, as we have often stated it our- selves, but does he state its actual position? Must he not widen its doors very considerably before he can fairly say that the Church of England agrees with Dissenters on such funda- mental questions as the virtue of ordination, the sacerdotal ele- ment in the administration of the Lord's Supper, and the ecclesiastical position of the laity in the Church? It may have a capacity of agreeing, so far as to be able to admit men holding Dissenting opinions to its Orders as well as others, but it has not formulised its agreement yet,—seems, indeed, to shrink more and more from formulising it.