Page:Distinguished Churchmen.djvu/164

132 “What are the conditions of membership?”

“No party shibboleths are required. The only condition of membership is that a person shall observe the rubric of the Prayer-Book, which requires members of the Church of England to communicate three times a year. Of course, he must also accept the three principles of the society which I have already mentioned.”

“Under this organisation and these rules, do your members work in harmony?”

“Oh, yes. No doubt in speeches and letters you come across divergent views—notably as regards Education and Church Reform. But it is like the discordant canons in the Decretum. The discordancy is apparent, not real; and when we have to act, we act with a wonderful amount of unanimity. By the way, it is a little amusing at the present time to remember that in its earlier days the E.C.U. was gravely divided as to whether loyal Churchmen could refuse to accept the decisions of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.”

“What about the lay members of the Union?”

“Well, I go about into all parts of England, speaking at meetings on behalf of the E.C.U., and one fact has been strongly impressed upon me, viz., that the laity as a body are far more advanced in their views than the clergy.”

“You have mentioned the principles which are necessarily accepted by members. Now, will you