"Addled Egg"

What the doctrines of the Church of England are is a question which has embattled Anglicans from the time of Queen Elizabeth to a decade ago, when revision of the Book of Common Prayer was fought out in the House of Commons. That the Established Church is weary of controversy, that it would like to think of itself as an institution in which believers of various sorts might find themselves at home seemed evident last week in a 242-page report on Doctrine in the Church of England, product of 15 years of work by a commission now headed by the Archbishop of York. A painstaking, thoroughly British job of Yesing-&-noing, the report, if adopted by the convocations of Canterbury and York, would put the Church on record as being either completely vague or both for-&-against on practically all controversial issues. Some of the issues and the commission's findings:

Miracles-Divided as to whether they actually occur, the commission agreed that God can perform them if he wishes, although some hold that he does not wish to.

Papal Claims-The Church is still bound to resist Roman Catholic claims of authority, but some Anglicans envision Christendom reunited under a papacy renouncing some of its present claims.

Angels 6 Demons may be treated symbolically, or: "It is legitimate to suspend judgment."

Virgin Birth. Historical evidence is "inconclusive," although the Archbishop of York believes in it, as he does in the Resurrection, which the commission calls "the central fact in human history."

The Future, "We shall have means of recognizing each other in future life."

The Bible. "Its authority must not be taken as prejudging conclusions of historical, critical or scientific investigation in any field."

First back-crack to the doctrinal report came from the Church Association, an Evangelical (low Church) Anglican group, whose secretary said: "The commission has incubated a report which is merely an addled ostrich egg. . . . According to the commission, you can think what you like and still be a Christian."

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