ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the development of Church-State relations in the ten years after 1918. Davidson was nervous about any changes that might weaken the principle of Establishment, although he supported the Enabling Bill of 1919, which reduced detailed Parliamentary control over the internal affairs of the Church of England. The subsequent discussions over the new Prayer Book revealed deep divisions within the Church. Many of those on the ‘Protestant’ wing of the Church opposed changes to Prayer Book rubrics which they believed were ‘Catholic’ in character. The rejection of the new Prayer Book by the House of Commons at the end of 1927 was evidence – as Davidson himself noted – of the suspicion amongst many members of the Church of England about the growth of Anglo-Catholicism. Davidson’s resignation as Archbishop was not a direct result of the controversy – but he recognised that at 80 years of age he was no longer able to carry out his duties effectively.
