The " Heresy " of Pacifism In the York Diocesan
Leaflet the Archbishop of York has been explaining, whilst slightly. modifying, . his statement that extreme pacifism is heretical. . He is speaking of those pacifists who think it unchristian to use in support of law whatever degree of force is requisite in restraint of lawless force. He does not accuse persons who hold the heretical opinion of being themselves heretics, and he modifies the judgement by calling the opinion " heretical in tendency." Whatever view be held of the Marcionite, or the Manichaean, or the Pelagian heresies, one or all of which are in his opinion involved in the argument of extreme heresy, one may .doubt whether there are many Christians today in the Protestant Church who would be prepared to modify a conviction about Christian conduct because the Church in the distant past had condemned it as heretical. It is the argument sustaining the orthodox view that matters. In effect what the Archbishop says is 'that the law of love is only completely applicable to nations whose citizens by the grace of God are capable of obeying the law of love ; as things are, spirit must direct material means to subdue recalcitrant material forces,
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