AN IDEAL FOR THE NATIONAL CHURCH.
(To TEC EDITOR. or THE " 13PCOTATOR."7
SM,—H ie not for a Wesleyan minister like myself to comment upon " An Old Churchwarden's " letter so far as it affects the Church of England. But, of set purpose, it holds wider refer- ences. First of all, may I express the warmest possible apprecia- tion of the high Christian spirit which breathes through your correspondent's appeal ? More of that disposition, and much grievous misunderstanding would disappear like mists before the sun. And, second, as having been permitted, some time ago, to write in the Spectator on religious unity in view of peace, let me welcome the suggestion that, for example, on Peace Sunday there should be "open " Communion throughout the Church of England. Next, and hopefully, can the dream come true ? The difficulties within his own Church which " An Old Churchwarden " antici- pates might or might not be adjusted. Has he in view the inevitable, and, I think you will agree, reasonable, question on the Nonconformist side : " Would this arrangement cast any shadow of invalidity upon the Orders of Nonconformist minis- ters ?" Put in another way, would the Representative Church Council, in its petition to the King, ask that, where it was incon- venient for Nonconformists to attend Communion at their own churches, the Church of England should be empowered to welcome them without prejudice to their Nonconformist beliefs and customs P That agreed, I can feel already a glow of gratitude; for it would open a way to the Lord's Table for devout Wesleyan
• in thousands of English villages where the presence of. a Wesleyan minister, who alone in his Church is authorized to administer " the most comfortable Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ," is impossible on any one given day. In Great Britain there are 8,515 Wesleyan chapels, and only 2,618 ministers. Problems thicken as one thinks. But are they insoluble to faith, hope, and love, the abiding things, so we Christians profess, in war and peace P—I am, Sir, &c., J. EDWARD HARLOW. 90 Chariton Road, Folkestone.
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