CHURCH AND STATE

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 738, 10 February 1910, Page 5

CHURCH AND STATE

V;^ : BANISTER'V-;JH 0MPSON. '■(' ./' • ■WAS ; IT/AN; 'EBASTIAN; JUDGMENTP' ; ; \// i AECHBISHQP'S"OPINION.'; '■-. ■■ :ByTeleorapii^Pres^AßiV lati ? l 'tP°'? ri ! rhl . ;■;.'.:•: .;■ '■'. ■'■■■'■-,':'■ London, February 8... ..-The .Archbishop; ,o£- Canterbury and Primate - of- All England, Dr. /Davidson, in/a"'letter replying :to an inquiry, by Dr;'lnge ,'(Lady •Margaret.' Professor of ■Divinity :at ■■Cambridge), ■ controverts .the Erastianvinterprqtations .set .upon ; tie judgment '■.. inl'/thif'"case; i against /Canon Thompson, of Norwich/Cathedral; brought : -by>;-.ilr'iV : Alan':Neville;; Banister, and his : wife, :; for'allegecl;breach;of,the. ecclesias;ticalMaw';in,refusing.'to/administer; the Holy, Commnnion/tb.them;;'ori the ground, that Jfr..Banis'ter/Haa^marriea v his. deceased 'wife's; sister;:: ;':::-;■'/):•■:•■ ':.-■ '■;: The /Archbishop ; addsr- Dib--din': said■ no '/word, implying; ■: that . tno ; Church ; had;lost;.the.essential. right.to de-■; ■tefmjno/ the conditions'/of ./admission ,'tb .Hbly;fCommunioni-, v lt.- 1 . rests 'with.''/the Bishop's : Cburt ; to excommunicate', or not. The;'onlyquestion /before Sir Lewis' Dibdin/Tras'as'; to',the:' validity " of; tho/iricum-. bent's 'repulsion' on his'-.own '.'.rcsp'onsi-:bility^;>--:v;;vv./v./; '/ '•V'.;-.-A'./a

/■V- ? "PLAINLY iNTOLERABLE;" / ; :''Erastianism, ..it may,-be.: mentioned, is ■the doctrine'of State supremacy in 'eccle/siasticarmatters. Itis.practically equiva.lent ;,tqv treating .the ..Church as .a ue:partment;of;State, 'and is; 'of course, es;peoially 'repugnant to,the. views of the ■Hiph Chiarch iparty.:';7 As a matter :■: of fapt, 'all;parties.in.the Church would repudiate; anything 'like:-an.-extreme inter;pretation';of,/t!io''dqbtrine7;:"/> ■: '/;'--' ; »Jt'■ ishyery 'significant /to,'flnd > that ...the Bishop:' of. Birmini;ham;/;Dr. : Gote,-.whose opinions l are. , .sure Vto ■exercise , ' quite as /mucli v influence -both '..amonß'. clergy i and : la'ity. : as those'iofr.tHb;Archbishop oj-'Can-.'.terbury/stakes', a '.very^different.;view.':of ■'the 1 matterr, to ./that expressed .;,by-..Dr.' ;Dayids'on.:'ln,.a'. ; letter.'' to ; 'OTie T Times,-'. after /the \Cburt ..of /Appeal had: given ) its, ;decision;/Dr.'f Gcjre/. states:; ; ,■::/■ ■.' : ,-.; '. ;'; : ,. ■;.'.: ■.

•":■ lit' hp'pears;toj , nib that it..is ■ in- : 'tblerabfe-'.to; a.'Christian.conscience'^to ad-. rait itlie"tprinciple-ithat, an" Act of -Parlia-,'ihen't"'(Parliament,-being'\aV raised;■ body ■representing'-nbn-Qhristians' as '.well ; as Christians',; and non-Churchmen -' as ■■;. well as'-.Churchmen), .-'should - have: ■ the = p.O.wor :tb'determine:conditions of.Communion,in the,' Church of- England;'.:l. do.-notj.want :to;jdiscuss ''■■■■, the % complictited,' ; .sedes;, of 'eventsiwhich;"have'•;brought, about. , the present relations .of, the .State to that de:finite; form ■. of;'religion', and religious discipline embodied : ih.the; Church of: Eng- ■ landi.i: •; have ; '' .'■ completely •changed'since the';Bixt'eenth : century; and ■I-. do ,uot;-wish.«to/tliiscuss'..What: further ichang'es mayi'.be; ■.necessary.- ■ ; :'But I' think; itas.-important that -Churchmen ■ should; ;withbuf any .'delay,' "repudiate' as.' emphaHcally\ as: possible/the principle:-that;an Act;.of,.Parliament can..;alter, the._eondi : ' .under persons; can. bo 'ted;.^'Cpmrfluriibn!-in' land'; yn thbut reference '.'.'to.'./the, : corporate \ : ■rhjnd: of jthe Chilrch:' acting;. thro Ugh .: its , properly:; qualified:.'■ assemblies; ;>.;;'', .-..' '■>. i; i.-lVlt ; 'rnighti' : -b^MnrsV.be:.'argued'thftt < the. 'Act of alters the conditions , "of Cbirimunion:nbt;directlyi : .but -indirectly -nbyi-rehderingVa certain, class 'of:,;people; : ;TW':'as-JbreakeXs , -jbf-.--the. i 'JaTr;;.were t :i..'nor! ■'toribus '.■eyilj.liyers'.. no;: 'longer; that, but 'good^citizeiis 1 and-law-abiding .'menij.who. 'accordingly: can-nb. ;-longer.>. be- repelled -from'• Christian' Communion. ;ißut this argument,' .will- , , not ', hold;■■'■.' The Church -.does'' not admit all good; citizens to; Com;munion; but' only -jthose. who. arp also con-, forming.themselves to -the": Christian'law.' ■,The:.quesHon whether-a: particular.: mar-, 'riage: is .'iOr. ; is.inotf:in c accordance yith ':the' law ; of God \or\ the, principles of the: Us■tihet .'from y rit';' '.mayi-V'be .'■ "desirable or necessary; that ..the. modern ;State.should "lasr'a.VnjatterJ. And; itvappears;.:to. ine ? that'.; avbisKop'-:-is; ..bound : ,tb:.ropudiate;as 'sible:;:the:; ] positions ..JParliament. :"6f-j a'/State-.whichfadmits .men.-'of--'all; f β-i ; conditions;: olj Christian Communipn-rthat ysj-'caniexercisb'-the'v-'lbpsing'i.-'powers'-.bf ■:the.-:.Church..;; I : ara,- quite/isure,' that in ! taking-_ Orders ini/the.'Church;-of -England;' ;I;admitted.vho/ ; such;; principle;, nor'was it/dreamed: of :in::an.v-age..: which gave the J.Church Vpf , England 'its.'present; posi iion-r ;an-■ age';.which:;tirihappily .-.attempted:: to :bind;; all-..citizens;.'to Churchmanship.'.■ I :promiseii:.;'fo , .'minister ; ,the'Doctrine . and Sacraments',-and thoDisciplino of; Christ, 'as:/tho, l ;Lord'/'hath ■■and:'as this; Church and Realm-liath:received 'the. : same,'/-according' ; . to '.the '• Commandments ■;of;:.God;'',;. TherChurc^/ahd-the':-Realra" arey/.now;'yery: easily, /", distinguishable, .bodies; -and•iin-ihe: matter , of 'marriago ; the.;law>: of the realm ■ and the • law of, the ■ Churdh'hay.e,.undor.:cbanc:ed : eocial condi- '■ coincide.''/ ': •'■■;•; /: /:..; v

.heard-by Sir :Lewis.Dibdiii"in j/the'-Court of Arches, 1 and/::snbsequeritly ; byAthe. Court "of.-Ap-peal.'rEwent;;Bngli?h; VpaMrs 'announce ' that ' Canon who sis 'supported ■oy-s the.EnglishlCburoh ''TJriibn, Will:ap- ••;..';■■.■:.''.'.;•:'■■'•■ '