Sentence:  There was an essay . . . devoted to a consideration of the many questions which must be reopened and reconsidered on their merits if the teaching of the Church of England were to cease to carry <WSD>moral authority</WSD>. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  The quality or characteristic of being respected for having good character or knowledge, especially as a source of guidance or an exemplar of proper conduct.