Low Incisiveness?

Crockford's Clerical Directory is the 94-year-old (but unofficial) Who's Who of the Church of England. By custom, each new edition carries an anonymous preface, commenting on the state of the world and the church. Last week the new Crockford's was out, and its preface had churchmen--particularly high churchmen--smarting under their clerical collars.

"The Church," lamented Crockford's anonymous preface writer, "is unable to attract people to listen to the gospel . . . [Its preaching] is like a safety match, effective only on specially prepared surfaces . . . The multiplication of bishops (fewer clergy and smaller congregations apparently needing more oversight, on the queer principle that smaller armies need more generals) . . . contributes precisely nothing to a remedy . . . Some bishops are still happily learned men, though their learning is seldom relevant to present pressing need . . . Far too many of them bring no intellectual gifts or accomplishments to adorn their episcopal office . . .

"There is one respect," Crockford's conceded, "in which none could suggest that bishops nowadays fail to adorn their office. We refer to robes and external decorations . . . Long-traditional practice and restraint have been largely displaced by sartorial idiosyncrasy. Of copes and mitres we speak no evil, but we think parading in a scarlet robe . . . is ridiculous, if not worse . . ."

Crockford's critic noted the tendency of Anglican bishops to add a cross in front of their signature--"another imitation of Rome. When added by hand, it generally takes the form of a plus sign . . . It is now common to hear bishops referred to in the style of 'plus Aubrey' or 'plus Brian,' which invites the comment that, in many cases, 'minus' would be more appropriate."

On reading Crockford's last week, Geoffrey Francis Fisher, Archbishop of Canterbury, said: "Most unfair and unseemly." Speculated a high churchman: "Whoever the author is, he belongs to the militant low church. [Moreover], no high dignitary, whatever his views . . . would express himself in so petulant a manner or make petty references to shades of purple . . . These definitely rule out anyone of importance."* Said the Church of England Newspaper (low church) : "Whoever the writer may be, he is a man distinguished by incisiveness of thought and accuracy in the use of language."

* For 25 years, Creekford's prefaces were written by the Very Rev. Richard Henry Maiden, Dean of Wells, broad churchman, but the fact became known only after his death last year.

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