COMMISSION ON DOCTRINE

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22341, 3 March 1938, Page 17

COMMISSION ON DOCTRINE

ANGLICAN CHURCH BELIEFS

REPORT CLIMAX OF 15

YEARS' WORK

SURVEY OF IMPORTANT

PRONOUNCEMENTS

Ctsom ovb own coßßESPonDtirr.) LONDON, January 15. One of the most important documents in Anglican Church history was published yesterday when the report of the Commission on Christian Doctrine, appointed in 1922 by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, was released. The terms of reference of the commission as communicated to the original chairman, Dr. Burge, former Bishop of Oxford, were to "consider the nature and grounds of Christian doctrine with a view to demonstrating the extent of existing agreement within the Church of England and with a view to envestigating how far it is possible to remove or diminish existing differences." It was set up at a time when differences between various schools of thought in the Church—Anglo-Cath-olic, Modernist, Exangelical, and the like—had become so vehement and apparently irreconcilable that they seemed likely to provoke a division. In the circumstances it is considered remarkable that the commission, which 1 consisted, of churchmen of all degrees of thought, have been able to draw Up a unanimous statement. This Unanimity should not be over-emphasised, however, as at many important points the report states "there is a divergence of opinion about" or "we cannot agree 0n... " Newspaper comment agrees that one of the most important results of the. commission's work is that after discussions extending over 15 years a document could be produced showing a strong feeling of fellowship arid be&ritig out the words of the chairman, the Archbishop of York, that members ended as "a company of ffiends." Reception in England

This, it is pointed out, is the surest sign that the report will remove all fears of a split in the Church, because opposing groups have in recent years been moving, though perhaps rather more slowly, in the same direction of greater understanding. Beyond, this point estimates of the value of the report vary. The "Daily Telegraph" says that it is an impressive proof of unity and that because of its lack of ambiguity, it is of greater moment than anything of the sort within living memory. It even considers that the report may play a very large part in endeavours toward reunion with the Evangelical Free Churches. On the other hand, "The Times" does not think that the report will have much practical result beyond, perhaps, bringing about a changed attitude toward the belief of others. "An inquirer might expect to learn from it what interpretations of various doubtful points are now generally accepted by Anglican theologians," it states. "The document will show him, however, that they agreed chiefly to differ. Whether the Virgin Birth of our Lord is fact or myth, or whether or not His tomb was empty on Easter Day, whether the Gospel miracles should be taken as history or imagery, are among the questions which the commission, owing to the conflict of opinion among its members, found itself-un-able to answer." Tl. j report is concerned only with fundamental principles of doctrine and not with their expression itl outward forms of worship or administrative problems involved. It is not an authoritative statement of the Church of England; .It will now be presented to the Bishops for consideration. Bible Not Infallible The report consists of an introduction by Dr. Temple, Archbishop of York, who became chairman on the death of Dr. Burge in 1925, and three main sections dealing with God and redemption, the Church and sacraments, and eschatology respectively. Some of the more important pronouncements may be briefly summarised as follows: The tradition of inerrancy of the Bible commonly held in the Church Until the beginning of the nineteenth century cannot be maintained in the light of the knowledge now at our disposal. But its authority remains as the primary source of the Christian Church for its guidance and spiritual life. No objection to a theory of evolution can be drawn from the two Creation narratives in Genesis i and ii since it is generally agreed among educated Christians that they are mythological in origin and that their value is symbolic rather than historical.

Angels, Demons, and Miracles

Belief in the existence of spiritual beings other than human is in no way irrational. Nevertheless, it is legitimate for a Christian to suspend judgment on the point or to interpret references to angels and demons in a symbolic sense. It is agreed that God can work miracles if He pleases, but members are divided as to whether such events occur. Many feel it more congruous with the wisdom and majesty' of God that the laws of Nature should serve His purpose without any need for exceptions. All Christians are bound to allow very high authority to doctrines which the, Church has generally united in teaching. Assent to formularies and the use of liturgical language in public worship should be understood as signifying general acceptance without implying detailed assent to every phrase or proposition thus employed. The Drocess of human generation is not in itself sinful nor is sin conveyed to the offspring because of any sinfulness in the process. This is not a necessary part of the doctrine of original sin, but part of a profoundly unsatisfactory view of sex and sexual relations. The Virgin Birth The members of the commission agree on the Godhead of Jesus Christ, but while they agree also in. recognising that belief in otar land's

history of the Church intimately associated with its faith in the Incarnation of the Son of God, some of them hold that a full belief in the historical Incarnation "is more consistent with the supposition that our Lord's birth took place under the normal conditions of human generation." On this point the Archbishop of York states, "in view of my own responsibility in the Church, I think it right to affirm that I wholeheartedly accept as historical facts the Birth of our Lord from a Virgin Mother and the Resurrection of His physical body from death and the tomb." ■ Regarding the Resurrection, the report said, "it ought to be affirmed that Jesus was veritably alive and victorious; that He showed Himself, alive from the dead, to the Disciples; and that the fact of His rising, however explained, is to be understood to have been an event as real and concrete as the crucifixion itself." Rejection of Papacy The" Church of England was right in taking the stand which it took in the sixteenth century in denying the Papal supremacy, and is still bound to resist the claims of the contemporary Papacy. Sacramental confession is open to all but obligatory to none. It & heard under the seal of absoltrffe secrecy. An agreed statement ob absolution and confession is one of the notable features of the report. A sharp distinction is drawn toe* tween sacraments and magic. Ife ] magic the use of the formula is hell to enable the wizard to control powers other than human. Belief in th» efficacy of the sacraments is rooted in faith in the revealed will of God to bestow gifts of grace throogh certain appointed signs. The commission rejects tbelitexalb; istic belief in a future resuAfrcthljai of the actual physical framo vnil is laid in the tomb, but affirms thm in the life of the world to come the soul, or spirit will still have its appropriate organ of apression and activity, which is one with the body of the earthly life in the sens« that it bears the same relation to the same spiritual entity.