The Henson Journals

[51]

Tuesday, May 15th, 1923.

Headlam's "Suggested Terms of Intercommunion between the Church of England & the Eastern Orthodox Church" is a skilful document, but I am not quite easy about its opening section "Of the Christian Faith". It runs thus.

"We accept the Faith of Christ as it is taught us by the Holy Scriptures, and as it has been handed down to us in the Creed of the Catholic Church, and as it is expounded in the dogmatic decisions of the Oecumenical Councils as accepted in the Undivided Church."

In clause IV. 'the Creed of the Catholic Church' is identified with that which 'in the formularies of the Church of England is called the Nicene Creed'. Clause V. runs thus:

'We accept also as explaining the Creed the Exposition of Faith which was put forth by the Council of Chalcedon'.

Clause VI. includes the following:

'We recognise that it is unlawful for a Church to demand any further statement of faith as a necessary condition of intercommunion'.

Clause IX. quotes S. Augustine's division of 'the usages of the church' into 3 classes, and then proceeds:–

"We agree, therefore, to recognize those customs wh. have the authority of our Lord, of Scripture, & of ^the^ Universal Church: while, as to those wh. are different in different parts of the Cn world and for wh. there is not the authority of Scripture or of any general Council, we agree that each Church do retain its own customs".

[52]

Does the Church of England ever speak of the "undivided" Church? Is not the phrase used rather the "Primitive" Church? There is, indeed, the expression in the Preface, 'the whole Catholick Church of Christ', which may, perhaps, be equivalent to 'the undivided church'. But this Preface was added at the Restoration when there had been a considerable drift towards emphasising the ecclesiastical as against the primitive character of Anglican forms. In the earlier document 'Concerning the sentence of the Church', we have the following:–

'if a man wd search out by the ancient Fathers.'

'this godly & decent order of the ancient Fathers.

'notwithstanding that the ancient Fathers have divided the Psalms n.

'much agreeable to the mind & purpose of the old Fathers.'

And in the document 'Of Ceremonies', it is similarly written:

"they ought rather to have reverence unto them for their antiquity".

In the Prayer for all Conditions of Men, 'the Catholick Church' is identified with "all that profess & call themselves Christians".

In the Communion Service we have "the whole state of Christ's Church militant here on earth".

In the Communion Service. "In the Primitive church there was a godly discipline."

In the Preface to the Ordinal: "It is evident unto all men diligently reading the holy Scripture & ancient Authors, that from the Apostles' time there have been these Orders of Ministers in Christ's Church; Bishops, Priests, & Deacons."

[53]

In the Consecration of Bishops reference is made to "the Holy Scripture and the ancient canons". The Bishop pledges himself to "drive away all erroneous and strange doctrine contrary to God's Word", and to "correct & punish, according to such authority as you have by God's Word, and as to you shall be committed by the Ordinance of this Realm".

The King's 'Declaration' prefixed to the Articles speaks of 'the true doctrine of the Church of England agreeable to God's Word'.

Article VI. defines 'the canonical books' as those 'of whose authority was never any doubt in the Church'.

Article VIII. requires the 3 Creeds to be believed 'for they may be proved by most certain warrants of holy Scripture.'

Article XIX. contains no allusion to 'the undivided Church' when defining 'the visible Church of Christ'.

Article XX. affirms and limits the Authority of the Church. "It is not lawful for the Church to ordain anything that is contrary to God's Word written, neither may it so expound one place of Scripture, that it be repugnant to another."

Article XXI. declares the fallibility of General Councils.

Article XXIV. justifies the use of the vernacular as agreeable 'to the Word of God & the custom of the Primitive Church'.

Article XXVIII. 'The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper was not by Christ's ordinance reserved, carried about, lifted up, or worshipped'.

Article XXXII. "God's Law" justifies the marriage of Bps, Priests, & Deacons, at their own discretion.

[54]

Article XXXIV 'Of the Traditions of the Church' gives complete liberty to 'every particular or national church to ordain, change, & abolish, ceremonies or rites of the Church ordained only by man's authority, so that all things be done to edifying', but nothing must be ordained "against God's Word".

Article xxxvii. The Royal Prerogative is defined as 'that only prerogative, which we see to have been given always to all godly Princes in holy Scripture'.

The "undivided church" is never appealed to, or even mentioned in the Prayer Book .

I lunched in the Club with Ernest, & walked to Lambeth where I spent the afternoon. The Archbishop raised the question of the business to be dealt with in the National Assembly when it meets in July. I urged that we should discuss the Courts, and was opposed by the Bp. of Winchester. Strong supported me, & it was finally agreed to . We had a long discussion on the helpful subject of Birth Control, & resolved to issue no new pronouncement for the present.

Then I returned to Marsham Street, and dined with mine hostess & two friends. It was a pleasant party for all except myself were Irish, and had the social charm of their race. The present situation in Ireland provides ample material for conversation, though hardly for anything that can be called amusing or cheerful. Lady L. has just returned from Brittainy [sic]: she says that Dinan is crowded with refugees from S. Ireland.

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