19 OCTOBER 1867, Page 15

THE CREED OF THE NATIONAL CHURCH.

[TO THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR."]

SIR,—IS not what Dr. Wilberforce said to some working-men the other day strikingly true of almost all religious utterances? The Bishop had evidently felt well convinced that the inaccuracy of religious teaching was a great hinderance to its reception among working-men who, by their position and calling practically knew that all good work must be true, and that all untrue work was in reality dishonest. I have watched with very great interest the correspondence in your paper upon " The Creed of the National Church," being well convinced also that the disputes among t) religious people as to what is essential, are the greatest possible hiuderance to the coming of the " kingdom" for which we all pray. I think no one will dispute that what is truth in the sight of God is essential, but that man's view of truth is and must be, like himself, limited and partial, and therefore changing ; and that we can only gradually approach to God's truth ; and that the best way to do this is to compare and consider what is truth to every honest human soul, made in the " image of God "—indeed, that this is the only way. Does it not follow that the bishops of our National Church, in order to make it truly deserve that name, ought to strain every nerve in order to include instead of to ex- clude; and that then alone the invisible Church of Christ would dwell in the Church of England ? Then, when all honest men felt and know they ought to speak, and would be listened to, and not condemned without a hearing, religious truth would have " fair play," which is a Briton's birthright, and those who spoke and taught would be obliged to be accurate in order to commend them- selves to every man's conscience and reason. As I cannot till the Bishops will let me speak in the Church, will you allow me through your valuable paper to ask whether all reasonable men could not agree to worship God the Father, " for the Father seeketh such to worship Him ; " and could not all Christian men agree that Jesus is the Word of God, and their Elder Brother, whose mission on earth was to lead His younger brethren to His and their Father ? And would not such a simple " creed as this include everything that is essential, and everybody that believes in and desires to establish the kingdom of Heaven upon earth ? If any one of your readers clearly sees the inaccuracy of the above, will you not also allow him equal space to what I have claimed, in order by his truth to advance higher that of, yours very truly, A CONSTANT LEARNER.