WARNING CHURCH AGAINST STATE SUBJECTION

Chronicle (Levin), 12 June 1947, Page 5

WARNING CHURCH AGAINST STATE SUBJECTION

Received Wednesday, 7.50 p.m. LONDON, June 11. A warning to the Chur.ch against sudjeetiou by the Btate, even to the poim. oi disestarrlishment, is given by the Archbishop oi York, Dr. Garbett, in a new hook. He dec.lar.es that it is not certain- if Parliament wilj ever agree on legislation which will r.emove its veto .on th.e propQsed changes in the Prayer Booik, nor does tjiere seem mucn hope that it will- agree to a revisiou of the church .co.urts. ' ' The State increasingly -exercises control over every department of the .eommunity 's lif'e. It is unlikely the church will escape from this movement, " the Archbishop states. "State controi over tlie church is more likely to be intensified than eased. It would be p.Qssible through appointments. of Bishops and Deans and through tlie patr r,onage oi inany beneficeS, f or the State to control the .churqli for its dwh pnrf p, os.es, It would be no longer the laity expressing in the Commons their views, It would ,b.e a Parliament detached from and uniutei'ested in r.eligion, manipulating the church for political ends. A church sq .cQntfolled would be unable to develop freely its spiritual liie, organise its worship, express its faith and bear its witness against political justice and social wrong. The church should frankly face the dangers of its position. Parliament at the monjent has no desire to exercise control over the church or gratuitously interfere in its concerns but within a few years a neutral attitu.de may b.e ehanged into hostility and the church will then find it is useless to ask for reform or greater freeddm. It should not acquiesce any Longer in relationship with the state which might suddenly prove to b.e ineonsistent in praetice as well as in principle, with reliaious freedom."