CHURCH DOCTRINE.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17429, 13 April 1922, Page 2

CHURCH DOCTRINE.

A SUGGESTED COMMISSION. (FBOM OtJB OWN CORRESPONDENT.) LONDON, February 28. Nine bishops (headed by the Bishop <Jf Oxford) and eighteen other representative members of the Church of England, sent a petition to the Archbishop of Canterbury asking him to appoint a Commission to try to find a basis of doctrinal agreement on matters which, are the subject of controversy between different sections of the Church of England. The signatories point out that the controversies on doctrine tend to weaken the Church and to render ineffective endeavours towards Christian unity, and state that while the basis finally found might cause a few secessions, the present state of controversy renders possible a graver disruption. They believe that an enquiry animated by nothing but the desire to arrive at the truth would ultimately reveal that the matters on which agreement was impossible were those -on which differences of opinion are obviously legitimate, and even within certain limits, desirable. In® choice of men to serve on the Commission* should be determined mainly uy four considerations:— (1) They must be thoroughly representative of all those parties in the Church, however extreme in whatever direction,' which are- willing to seek a basis of agreement. (2) Ihey must be men of wide sympathies and tolerant temper, who will be ablo and anxious to understand eacn other's position. (3; They must be men of constructive minds. Men may have all the qualities mentioned above and yet laek the imaginative power to create a synthesis. (4) In order that continuity of work Rnd thought may be secured, a large proportion of them should be comparatively young men, Bay under fortyIn reply, the Archbishop of Canterbury expresses his full sympathy with the spirit which had induced the memorialists to write to him. He says, however, that he cannot accept the plan advocated as it stands, doubting the possibility of assembling a commission which would have the necessary authority. While admitting the gravity of the present position, he asks, in the interest of the unity of the Church, for a further elucidation of the proposal. In it he sees serious dangers, but he believes it could be so developed as to prove of great assistance and utility. He believes "that endeavours may usefully be made to obtain by conference 'a basis of doctrinal agreement on matters which are the subject of controversv between different sections of the Church of England.' " "I honestly confess that I do not know to what body of picked men, a large proportion of them under 45 years of ago, I could properly assign it, or what character or authority would belong to such 'expression of the Church's official teaching' when ultimately produced. I should like to have a clearer indication of < the sort of questions—theological, ecclesiastical j or practical —to which you think such a Commission might find useful answer, andjn what sort of shape you suggest that such answer should be formulated. I should also like to have some indication as to the number of men, roughly speaking, whom you have in mind for tho constitution of such a Commission, and as to its relation, if any, to the existing synod ical and constitutional body of the Church of .England. It may possibly be my own fault, but I feel that I should be very much better able to answer or deal with the request if you could thus elucidate your letter. I share, deliberately and confi-. dently; your pelief. that conference, even ; 'those 'who seem'; most: widely sundered, may,produce surprising , results in revealing a larger unity and a closer sympathy in! sacred things than either the controversialists or their critics had dreamed of. What were known as the Fulham Confer/ erices of 1900 and. 1901, inaugurated by Bishop Greightoh, as well as many similar and subsequent gatherings, give ground for this firm hope. Therefore T do most warmly encourage you to' persevere in your \ endeavour, perhaps restating the proposal, if you see your way thereto, in rather different terms."