THE CHURCH AND POLITICS [To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.]
SIR,—In your issue of January 3rd appeared a letter fro►'m " I.L.P." upon the work of the Church of England. I write " work " being uncertain whether he was thinking of teaching, or preaching or other action. Anyhow he wants the Church► to do more in regard to " great moral issues " urged by Socialists. Here again I am not sure that he distinguishes moral from social issues, and I will not try to draw a line between social and political issues. " I.L.P." may be a devout Churchman who busies himself in some of the innumer- able social activities directed by the Church and chafes to lead still further within the Church. If so, I wrong him when I feel in his letter a tone of cool critical superiority based on no earnestly acquired knowledge from within. Experience has taught us to associate this tone with those who may be members of the Church by baptism but have made the least effort to get food for themselves from their Mother Church and have never lifted a finger to improve her work by adding their own to that of their fellow-members. In criticizing the Church they are really condemning themselves as slothful members who do not fulfil the American maxim, " Look forward, not backward, and lend a hand." The letter was dealt with by " A Miner " in your columns, and has again been recalled to my mind by a report in the Times of January 17th, of the Jowett lecture given by the Dean of St. Paul's. Everyone does not agree with the Dean (nor did anyone believe the gloomy words of Cassandra), but all admit that he has given an active life and one of the acutest brains in Europe to the service of the Church and Education. He said among other things, " Christ's Gospel was plainly that of redemption, not of social reform," and in developing his argument stated that " the Church had never gone into politics without coming out badly smirched." We have all heard less intellectual critics than the Dean blame the clergy if they hear one of them touch upon politics when he is trying to teach his flock from the pulpit. But it is between " I.L.P." and the Dean that I should like you to give judgment.—I am, Sir, &c.,
LAICUS.
[We entirely agree with the Dean of St. Paul's. Christ propounded no topical precepts. He told men in effect to be guided by their consciences which He promised -should be rightly inspired. He never took sides between Jews and Romans. A political programme (whether Socialistic or Individualistic) which is definitely asserted to be " Christian '' obviously rules out as unchristian those who do not agree with it. Those who label unwillingness to produce a Christian political programme as a doctrine of despair are themselves depairing of Christ's own method. An outwardly successful association of the Church with politics would bring in sooner or later all the evils of Temporal Power. The spirit of-Chris- tian political crusaders, however pure it might be at first, would become attached to caucuses and lobbies. The instinct of the ordinary churchgoer who hates to hear the parson talking politics " is in our opinion a very right one.—En. Spectator.]
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