A NATIONAL CHURCH OF ENGLAND SIR,—I must not ask for
space to deal with the contradictions and. para- doxes of Mr. Theobald's letter " Not too much Importance " must be attached to my appeal, but Dr. Paton's endorsement of it is an " important contribution." I am content to decrease that one greater than I may increase. He lumps together " credal, sacramentarian, sacerdotal, episco- pal." Are there not credal churches which are not sacerdotal? Is it only episcopal churches which cherish the sacraments? Strangest of all, he says " the other is non-credal," and quietly puts its creed into brackets! But what he misses altogether is the degree to which the very things for which the Nonconformists have stood have oeen conceded. We came out as a protest against uniformity Who believes in it now? The Act is a dead letter even within the Church of England. We object to the control of the Church by the State. Who believes in it now? As Congrega- tionalists we insist upon the rights of the local church. Even there both the Church of England and the Presbyterians nave come much nearer to us. Some people, we are told, do not know when they are beaten. Stranger, people still do not seem to know when they have won.
We too have learnt much since 1662 But my main point is that the Church of England did a mischievous thing in 1662. I glory in the pan our fathers took. Time nas done much to justify their action. Has not the time come " to undo the mischief " ?—Yours faithfully,
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