The Perilous Plight of the Church of England
by Roger Salter, Virtueonline:
When the British philosopher Cyril Joad returned to Christian faith and membership of the Church of England he paid fulsome tribute to the unassuming clergy of the hundreds of ordinary parishes throughout the land. The faith and fortitude of these lowly men of God was a major factor in sustaining Christian belief and character in the life of the nation. Sincere but unspectacular ministry held the church together and maintained the good health of the institution. The troops of the church were of more value than the titled, pretentious, liberal senior clerics.
These men, acknowledged by the former atheist, had no prominence in church affairs and received few plaudits for their sacrifice and loyalty. They had little access to the media and limited participation in the making of church policy. The overall impression of the Church of England was created by noted communicators of striking ability, or notorious skeptics who loved to bathe in the gratifying glare of publicity.
There must be many pastors of similar ilk to those highly regarded by Joad who remain active in the Church of England today. When criticism is made of the Church of England it is leveled principally, forcibly, and deservedly, at those in positions of leadership, and also those followers who heartily approve of them. There is great cause in our time to weep at the poor quality of spiritual leadership in the Established Church.
Canterbury and York are of no encouragement whatsoever and we are saddled with a bevy of bishops that seems utterly useless to the promotion of the true Gospel and who are a distinct danger to the souls who are cruelly hoodwinked by them. They happen to be the daftest set of clerics ever to exist en masse throughout our checkered history. They neither impart nor share in a sure way of salvation through our beloved Redeemer and his mission of human reclamation to God and criminally omit any valid preparation of the soul for eternity. “They are a people whose hearts go astray, and they have not known my ways” (Psalm 95:10). Some very plausible names come within this category.
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