[To the Editor of the SpEcTATon.1
Sin,—When the friends of our " Oxford Student " twit him with `‘ Anglican • muddleheadedness," is it not because they themselves are relics of a static era.? The same accusation can be brought against all philosophy, and all science, and all Theories and practice of art. The Church of England allows freedom of thought just because it is only through freedom that the truth can prevail ; and her wise tOleration of differ- ences of opinion is the only way in which truth can be followed, and the only course which tan -help a world that is moving quickly to universal and- unfettered education. For truth is not something static and fixed in past, but is dynamic ; and the -apprehension of it -grows- and develops as mankind is being-gradually led "into all. the truth." -
People who demand uniformity of opinion in a church make an assumption that is philosophically unsound and historically_
unjustified. It is love, not opinion, that makes a living community of men'; fellowShip, not dogma, that makes a Church. Statements made when "men thought that the sun went round the earth cannot be the final expression of truth ; but a greater revolution in human thought has taken place since Copernicus and Galileo, the discovery of the historic idea. It is only, I venture to think, those that have not yet com- pletely passed into the new world of dynamic thought who can blame the Church of England for the candour and sincerity which she encourages in her members, because she tries to be like the Jerusalem which is above and is free, and the mother of us all.
- It is not only the reunion of existing Churches (such as wish to be united together) that we have to consider, but the ultimate unity of all good men whose faith is in God, and who desire to follow in the footsteps of Christ. Such unity will only become possible if- we are content to act according to the example of Christ, who did not ask for the acceptance of theological propositions but for single-hearted devotion.
But this does not mean that public worship should be left in a state of chaos ; for the people have their clear right in the Church of England to the Prayer Book services, carried out in the lawful English way. This the minister solemnly undertakes to do ; and the people are fully justified in claiming a remedy if he fails to keep his word—the more so because the Church services are the most reasonable and beautiful in the
Previous page
