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Christian Unity (the book) - The Maranatha Community

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Yet for him historic confessions of faith were important. In <strong>the</strong> Kingdom ofChrist he wrote:‘<strong>The</strong> Creed is <strong>the</strong> document which has served as protection to <strong>the</strong> meaningof <strong>the</strong> scriptures against <strong>the</strong> tendency which <strong>the</strong> Church doctors indifferent ages have exhibited to disturb and mangle <strong>the</strong>m.’ 114He saw <strong>the</strong> Creeds as acting like compasses to keep all three main streams of<strong>the</strong> faith, Roman, Orthodox and Protestant, on course. But Maurice’s passionfor unity was not for <strong>the</strong> Church alone, but for all humanity. 115 Salvation forMaurice was realising our inclusion in Christ, <strong>the</strong> Centre of all Humanity.Thomas Arnold (1795-1842) was headmaster of Rugby school. 116 He had <strong>the</strong>Broad Churchman’s dislike of parties in religion and put forward ideas formaking <strong>the</strong> Church of England a truly national Church by including allProtestant denominations within its communion.In his pamphlet Principles of Church Reform (1833) 117 he uttered a cry ofdespair over <strong>the</strong> future of <strong>the</strong> Church of England unless <strong>the</strong>re was a radicalchange to make her a really national institution. His proposals for making aChurch which would be acceptable to Churchmen and Dissenters by an Act ofParliament were idealistic and unworkable. Nonconformists felt patronised by<strong>the</strong> proposals and his ideas for an overhaul of <strong>the</strong> episcopate were too radicalfor most Churchmen. Arnold does not seem to have understood <strong>the</strong> spirit ofDissent.He was a Fellow of Oriel College, Oxford, from 1815 to 1819, and so was acontemporary of some of <strong>the</strong> Oxford Movement scholars. He opposed <strong>the</strong>Oxford Movement as being too restrictive; he wished for an open Church toinclude Protestant Dissenters in a national body. He was radical in wanting a114Maurice, Frederick Denison, <strong>The</strong> Kingdom of Christ, Second Edition, Vol 2, J G F and JRivington Ltd, 1842, p 24.115See Jackson, M J, and Rogan, J, Introductory Essay to Principle of Church Reform,SPCK, 1962.116From 1828 to 1841. He advocated a high standard of <strong>Christian</strong> conduct for his pupils.117 Principles of Church Reform (1833) came out in <strong>the</strong> very year that John Keble, aTractarian (Oxford Movement) leader, made a quite different protest about <strong>the</strong> state of <strong>the</strong>Church of England. Keble wanted a Church committed to Catholic principles which wouldexclude Dissenting ideas from <strong>the</strong> national body. Arnold was radical in his playing down ofritual in worship and in his willingness to embrace Dissenters in his concept of a nationalChurch.Page 141

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