POLLOCK (Bertram, 1863-1943, Bp. of Norwich 1910-1942)

Group of 9 Typed Letter Signed to the Revd. (Sir) James Marchant, 1867-1956, about rapprochement between the Anglican and Free Churches, stimulated by 'The Church at the Crossroads' (1918, by J.H. Shakespeare, 1849-1930, Secretary of the Baptist Union), he thanks him for the book and looks forward to preaching at Eastbourne (18th October 1918), Marchant expects to find a vehicle for the sermon (8th August 1919), meanwhile a correspondence has started in The Times, "Yes, I have written to one or two ... and ... will ... send a letter myself. I see today that Carlisle [Bp. Diggle] is handling Gore [Bp. of Oxford] ... The long article [by the Editor] on Sep 7 was wonderfully favourable ... Would it be worth while to send the sermon itself ? ... I wish the big laymen would write ... Clutton Brock or Edmund Holmes ... wd carry weight", asking if Marchant could approach either of them (12th September 1919), "I hope you do not think I was hard upon Winchester [E.S. Talbot] ... for though he was of us he was not really with us. Now we have" to widen the support "of the Church of England and also on the Free Church side ... the position hitherto must have been very delicate and ... is so still and I should much like to have a talk with you" (25th September 1919), thanking him "for interesting the 'Daily News' ... it was well worth while to publish the correspondence" if only that "the Archbishop's [Randall Davidson's] cordial sympathy might be read ... the general atmosphere of the Lambeth Conference [of 1920] may be rather hampering", Pollock thinks "going over" to the C. of E. by a prominent Free Churchman "is probably just at the moment not the wisest policy" either as an individual or with his flock, giving reasons, he thinks of writing to the Times to substitute 'fellowship' for 'inter-Communion' and 'interchange' "which have got unfortunate connotations ... we need ... the presence of some great Free Church minister in some great central Church of England. Devout men at large know nothing about all these conferences and our secret diplomacy" (7th November 1919), sending the letter for Marchant to comment and sound out the Times (24th November 1919), forwarding a letter for J.H. Shakespeare (24th November 1919), and asking Marchant's help in bringing together Shakespeare and "three or four Bishops and three or four Free Churchmen", he has pruned the letter for the Times "along the lines you suggest" (29th November 1919), "You make little of what you have done for me", he wonders if "my words on the subject of Reunion are scarcely appreciative enough of what has been achieved at Lambeth", fearing his estimate is accurate "if one removes all the overlying ... friendship and eagerness to meet one another ... Mr. Griffith Jones, my friend who was once a Congregational minister here, and one of the best theologians in Norwich ... is going to think the whole question over" (6th October 1925), together 18 sides 4to or 8vo., The Palace, Norwich and Castle Forbes, Aberdeenshire, 1918 -

Marchant, a Free Churchman, was active in many spheres, working in the East End, with Dr Barnardo's, on education via the silent cinema, on public health and morals, and industrial safety, to name a few. He was excellent at eliciting articles, books and symposia, which he edited with great judgment and efficiency, being associated wih Cassell's and other publishers for many years.

Item Date:  1925

Stock No:  20181      £275

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