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Salient. An Organ of Student Opinion at Victoria University College, Wellington N.Z. Vol. 20, No. 4. April 18, 1957

The Middle Way

The Middle Way

The night of Tuesday. March 19. saw the first meeting of the year for the V.U.C. Anglican Society, when Archdeacon Gordon McKenzie expounded to an audience of forty the classical Anglican doctrine of the Via Media, in a hard-hitting paper on the nature of the Church of England. The word "compromise" was conspicuous by its absence; in its place were such phrases as "the balance of truth," "a higher synthesis," and "the mean between the two extremes."

"The Anglican tradition," said Archdeacon McKenzie, "looks like railsitting, but the fact is that the Anglican conviction is that the whole truth is with neither, that some of the truth is in each, and that the way towards fuller truth is in a higher synthesis of both. The Anglican way does not lack courage. It incurs the wrath of both extremes and may well be destroyed in the fury of the conflict between them. But whatever happens, the others will eventually have to find the Anglican way. The other ways simply will not endure the test of centuries. The ship of humanity needs to find an even keel.... So easy is it to be an extremist: so hard to keep to the Via Media, to hold the balance of truth. Does that path sound tame and uninviting. It is very far from that. The Middle Way is a pioneer reed of thrilling, inspired adventure.

"This gives the awakened Anglican a strong sense of mission. The future of the world depends to a large extent on the faithful and forceful presentation of his way of life. While he can look to theologians equal to the best, he is more inclined to come at the understanding of the Anglican tradition by seeing it as an historical achievement."

The Archdeacon went on to describe from a historical viewpoint how the Anglican Church kept the mean between the extremes, taking as examples the apparent opposites of continuity and independence, tradition and reform, authority and freedom, and unity and diversity. "These are significant pairs of opposites." said the Archdeacon. "Look at them apart, Continuity, Tradition, Authority. Unity—here are the very points the Church of Rome would claim as her characteristic marks. Then Independence, Reform, Freedom, Diversity—the very points the non-[unclear: Episcopal] Churches would claim to stand for. Within herself the Church of England preserves all four pairs ... it has achieved the reunion which others are still talking about. The true foundation and the very essence of Anglicanism are to be found in the Book of Common Prayer even more than the Thirty-nine Articles. The emphasis is laid upon common religious practice, not on theological speculation."

Archdeacon McKenzie concluded his paper with a quotation from Dr. Happold's survey of the Church of England:

"In the presence of the eternal mysteries, the English Church has shown at its best, an admirable, humility and charity. While it has always been intent to maintain the fullness of the Christian Faith, it has refused to bind men's consciences by trying to define that faith too exactly and narrowly. Its attitude is typified in a statement on the doctrine of Christ's presence in the Blessed Sacrament by a saintly and learned seventeenth century bishop, Launcelot Andrewes: 'We believe no less than you that the presence is real. Concerning the method of the presence, about which men did not hesitate to burn and kill each other, we define nothing rashly, and I add, we do not anxiously enquire.'

"There are some who would wish the Church to speak more definitely and precisely, to be more rigid in its discipline and dogma. Yet, if all Christians had more of that spirit of charity and humility, which the Anglican Church has shown when truest to its genius, the history [unclear: ne] Christian Church might have been less tarnished by intolerance, hatred, and persecution.

"For a Church to have reconciled in a unique manner the principles of liberty and order to have constantly striven for that middle way, wherein discipline does not stiffle spiritual adventure nor freedom degenerate into anarchy, is something worthy of pride. And in that has lain the glory of the Church of England."

—P.S.