Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-17
REMARKABLE CHURCH
UNION SUGGESTION
From the Literary Digest.

From the Literary Digest
Canon Hensley Henson of Westminster
Abbey, whose radical views in regard 10
many cherished theological doctrines nave
stirred up wide discussion in the religious
press contributes new suggestion 10 the
problem of church reunion in England IN
stead of disesta blishment as the hrst step
toward union, Canon Henson advocates
snch an extension of the principle of es-
Establishment as would result IN s.a'e
cbnrch including all denominations. The
men of the English laity, he asserts, rioi-
cu,e IN their hearts the doctrine of apos-
tolic succession. He also thinks that .iie
act of uniformity should be repealed as "a
barrier to the free actions of Anghcans III
their treatment of their fellow-Christians'
Ha does not believe in dlsestablishment,
which nonconformists sometimes exact into
an article of faith What is wanted is
fuller and worthier establishment. Discs
tab1;sbment would not bring English
churchmen nearer to nonconformises. ne
savs writing in the Christian World Ion-
dom. To quote:
.syothing is more certain than that the
mass of the English laity hold in contempt
the doctrine of apostolic succession, which
hal heen disproved by the most respected or
tbe English bishops and is known to be
disallowed by the ablest of the clergy, al
WAYS excepting the members of the Sacer-
dotalist faction. which on other grounds is
sufficiently distrusted by English folk Few
steps more important could be taken IN
the direction of home reunion than thae
which will have been taken when paria-
ment cleanses the statute book OF the lase
relic of the Caroline penal code, by repeat
ing the act of uniformity in so far as it is
a barrier to the free action of Angncahs
in their treatment of fellow-C Christians.
He continues by saying that as the Je-
suits for political purposes exalted Ihe
temporal power of the pope, SO the IN
glsh @lonconformist holds that the other
bodies could be benefited by the loss to
the Church of England OF her prestige and
statutory position. He declares:
What apostolic succession Is on the An
rliean side. that dsestabshment is on
the nonconformist. 1t Is curious TO observe
how the less spiritually minded noncon-
formists strive to exalt disestabiisnmens
into an article.of faith | am remindea ,.. o.
nothing so much as the policy OF the Jesui,s
with respect to the question OF the pope
temporal power. In both cases there IS
political issue raised by the ardor or rae
tion to the first religions lmporsaincs. 's. a.
the way and establishment will be no bar
rier to reunion. Leave that fiction para
mount in the minds of the EngAsh clergy,
and disestabIishment will only give freer
plav to the intolerance 1t inevitably gen
crates. The deeper forces Of our time are
not moving in the direction of that severe
indiyidualism which would reduce the ac-
ton and responsibility of the state to the
lowest measures, rather we move toward
larger view of state action and state re-
sponsibility
Why should the state. he asks, refuse to
extend the principle of establishment and
make a fuller and worthier state church by
including all denominations? He says:
.sThe logical goal of modern tendencies Is
not toward disestabiishment but toward a
fuller and worthier establishment. Why
should not the nation draw Into its service
all the organized Christianity OF the eoun-
try instead of limiting itself to a single de-
nomina tiong rejoice to observe q begin
ming made In this direction BIZ recent legls-