New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-06-14
MP GTiDSTONE'S LETTER.

MR. GLADSTONE'S LETTER.
Mr. GIodstonc's letter on the validity Of
Anglican orders does not deserve the severe
condemnation visited upon 1t by the Noncoh-
formlsts. Every one knows that Mr.. Gladstone
IS and has always been stiif liigh 'hur'h'
man. And aS he does 40 more than take the
High Church position on orders in this letter.
If * rather absurd for any one to go into hys-
tcrcs over It, The real reason for the gust oil
anger reused 10y H. however. is the fact that
Mr. Gladstone referred TO the Pope courteouSly
and kindly. Just as he would to any other
gentleman and. moreover. expressed hlhs'll
in favor Of breaking down. far n possible.
the cnmity between the Roman and Anglican
churches Now. no man who takes such an
attitude can hope To retain the goodwill OF the
rank and file Of the English people They be-
Ueye the Pope To be the Man of Sin. and the
Roman church. to be- the Scarlet Woman fore
told in the Apocalypse. The English church
demands Of IT,, members that they shall re-.
nouncc the devil and all his works. Cnforlu-
na,,ly. some Of them do not always live up to
this remuneration: but the great majority of
Englishucn. whether in the Anglican Church
or ont Of H. do rcnouncc the Pope ana all his
WORK s.. AMI there Is not day in the year when
they a,c not passonately eager To emphasize
their attitude as opponents OF Romansm. There
las. indeed. grown up a more tolerant spirit
toward Komansm as a religious faith. 50 long
as IL does not ohtrude Itself too much in the
public eye: but underneath this polite liberation
shoulders the old spirit Of hostility 10 the Papa
claims which Is ready to fare out AT the slight
csi provocailon II Mr. Gladstone were still in
politics. therefore. his letter would be political
xtlI
votes Ac would need Being IN private lie. he
5. not obliged 10 consider the cNpcdiency or in
cApcdicncy Of his uttcranccs.
Briefly. Mr. Gladstone declares that II the
Pope should admit the validity Of Anglican or
dcrs as result OF the examination Of the qucs-
,ion which hc has Instituted. ii would bc Il good
thing for both churches. 1t might not lead 10
intcrcommunion. but ii would tend 10 allay
somewhat the cnmity between the two churches
On the other hand Il decision adverse To Angl-
can orders. which. however Mr. Gladstone does
not anticipate would permanently widen the
chasm already existing between the two
churches. and lead to the formal cxcommunica-
ton If the Anglican by the ottoman Church.
Mr. Gladstone believes that the two churches
have come more closely together during the last
nffy years. hut he wants more than union of
sentiment, lie regards organic union rs the
Ideal for which all Christians should strive
And In bringing about organic union lit is the
Pope who. rs the first Bishop Of Christen-
dom. has the noblcst sphere of action 1T
Is not for me 10 say" Mr. Gladstone concludes.
what will bc the upshot of the proceedings
now in progress M Rome. But be their issue
what il may. there *, in my view. no room for
doubt rs To the attitude which has been taken
"by the actual head Of the Roman Catholic
Church in regard To them. 1t seems to me an
attitude in the largest sense pa,crnal; and,
"wlllc II will probably stand among the latest
"rccolcctions of my lifctimc%at will ever be
"chcrishcd with cordial sentiments of rover
"cncc, of gratitude, and of high appreciation.
Outside of the Pope and small knot of
High Anglicans there are few who regard this
question as Of the slightest Importance Every
loyal churchman must believe that the minis
tiers Of his Church are duly commissioned. while
Catholics generally are just as firmly convinced
that they are not. 1t would not advance the
interests of the Anglican Church for the Roman
Church TO reverse its view of this question,
which 1t has held uniformly ever since the
Reformation. 1t would certainly not lead to
any organic union of the two churches. On the
contrary, il would drive them further apart.
1t would rouse to fever heat The latent Protcs-
tantism Of the Anglican Church. Not only
would any sort Of union with Rome be- rcpudi-
atcd, but the so-callcd Anglo-C Catholics in the
Church would be driven out. bag and baggage
So that instead Of bringing about Church unity
on Catholic lines. the Popcs recognition OF
Anglican orders would. in all likelihood make
the English Church more narrowly Protestant
than IL has ever been before Even If that were
not 50. If the elimination Of this issue should
ultimately lead 10 inercommunion between the
Anglican and the Roman churches it Is n scri-
Gus question whether more evil than good
would not result For n union Of any sort with
the Church of Rome would build up an inn
passable wall of separation between the Angli-
can Communion and the rest of the Protestant
world. While II holds IN attitude to-day that
seems TO unchurch other Protestant bodies 1t
Is really bound 10 them by the closest ties Of
n common life and common ideals and though
the other churches resent what they deem the
supcrcilious attitude of the Anglican Church
toward them. they feel themselves kin to 1t In
sympathy and purpose. and rejoice to believe
that it is leader in unfolding the principles
of the Reformation. All this would be ended
by a union Of the Anglican and Roman
churches; and the Anglican Church would
henceforth cease to have any part or lot In the