New-York tribune., 1902-01-27
THE PLEA OF CANON HENSON.

Canon Hensley Henson of Westminster
Abbey, who appears to be a coming man In the
Church Of England, makes a noteworthy plea
for the recognition OF non-episcopal churches
by the Anglican Church. The doctrine OF apos-
tolic succession, he says, which is the real
barrier to such recognition, is a comparatively
modern theory and It crumbles at the touch of
scholarly investigation. The necessity Of epis-
copal ordination was not recognized until the
Restoration Settlement. In point of fact under
the subscription act of 1871, non-episcopally or
dained clergy We're permitted TO preach and
hold benefices in the English Church, while such
High Church men as Andrewes. Overdall, Bran
hall, Cosin and Thorndike refused to take
rigidly exclusive view of orders. Canon Hen
son demands that the same broad view of the
question be permitted to-day. At a recent meet
ing of the Church Missionary Society an AngIi-
can bishop described the admirable work of
Xavier, the Jesuit; Schultz. the Lutheran, and
Carey the Baptist The canon. who was pres
ent, approached the prelate and said: "Is it not
strange, my lord, that the schismatc should
loom so large In your discourse" "Ah" he
replied, ''in the mission field we have to take
a very broad view of things" "Do you not
| think, my lord" rejoined Canon Henson that
''it is about time we domestcated that broad
view here at homer
NOT is the argument from history all. Canon
Henson declares that it is reinforced by the re-
markabe growth of the non-epscopaI churches
These churches are not less effective than the
Anglican in the work of spiritual regeneration
by what right, therefore" asks the canon
"can we continue to exclude them from our
frank and affectlonate fellowship? BY what
right do we ignore them in our parishes re-
'ruse them all access to our pulpits, urge their
CLERGY to repudiate their orders and facilitate
their reordination? We treat them as the Ro-
IMAM Catholics treat us, but with even less
excuse" The epscopate, In the opinion of the
| canon, is not primitive institution but n de-
velopment from an earlier system, which be-
came dominant only In the course of two or
three centuries. The late DR.. Edwin Hatch in
his hampton lectures expressed the same view
even more strongly, and DR.. Wordsworth, the
| present Bishop Of Salisbury says in his book
THE Ministry of Grace" that up TO the third
century after Christ the government of the
Church IN Rome and Alexandria was presby-
terian. The general view of these authorities il
that While episcopacy may be necessary to the
we'll being of the Church. 1t Is not essential to
| Its being 1t grew into shape naturally out of
the circumstances OF the times, and therefore
may be modified or even discarded at any time
by the Church.
The reception accorded to Canon Henson's
article indicates the growth of liberalism in the
Anglican Church, and the corresponding decline
of the extreme Anglo-Catholic conception of the
Church. The Bishop Of Durham declares. "Tbis
sis what have long thought and have long
tried to say, only it Is now said much better"
Dean Fremantle, of Ripon, says he has held
these views for fifty years, and Dean Stubbs. of
Ely, is almost Gin entire sympathy with Canon
Henson in this matter Many High Church
men, of course, protest. Dean Kitchin. of Dur
ham, in somewhat cynical vein, saws that IL
| makes him feel just if, after touching dis
course on the brotherhood of man, one were
Ito invite the cook TO have tea with u.s." The
arrogant assumption of this smile proves the
dean TO be a better churchman than he is q
Christian. The fatal objection to Canon Hen
sons plea according to another High Church
| man, Dean Stephens, of Winchester is that If
would forever destroy the hope of a closer fel-
'lowship with our brethren OF the Eastern or
''the Roman Church, who are more numerous
than the members of all the 'non-epscopal
churches put together"
While there is no immediate likelihood that
the Church will heed the plea OF Canon Hen
son. the sentiment in its favor is growing not