KEEPING OUT OF PUBLIC NOTICE.

207

C. B. S., the honour of being actually the first of all the papers to expose its Intercession Paper is claimed by the Rock, which, in its issue for May 23rd, 1873, tells its readers the very interesting story of how it came into possession of the secret document.

"Even Ritualists," said the Rock, " are not exempted from human frailties. One of the number seems to have let his copy [of the C. B. S. Intercession Paper] drop in the public street, where the word 'Confidential' placed at the top did not prevent its being picked up, and eagerly scanned by the first youngster who passed that way. In this case it luckily happened that the lad to whose lot the treasure fell, not knowing what to make of it, took it to his father, a worthy shoemaker in the district of St. Alphege, Southwark, who.. was as much puzzled as his boy had been, and left the Paper lying on the parlour table. Presently, in walks a Sister of Mercy (they swarm in those parts), whose quick eye instantly recognized the strayed Paper, which, with the remark (true enough we don't doubt) that it belonged to her master,' she immediately clutched. Mr. Crispin, however, not relishing this summary mode of doing business, insisted on having the Paper back; but, as the Sister positively refused to part with it, a tussle ensued, which ended in her discomfiture and the recovery of the prey. Our friend, who had now become quite alive to its importance, took an early opportunity of showing it to the Scripture Reader of his district, and he, we may readily imagine, saw at once what an important evidence of the stealthy manner in which the Ritualistic moles and bats are working had thus providentially been. thrown in his way, for although the C. B. S. had been many years at work, it had hitherto contrived to keep its proceedings pretty secret."

Probably it was the action taken by the Rock which led the Superior General of the C. B. S., at its next anniversary, to say to the members :-"We must endeavour to make our position accord with our constitution, in keeping, as far as possible, out of public notice." How forcibly this statement reminds us of the words of our Saviour:-" For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved" (margin, "discovered,"

The Rock, May 23rd, 1873, p. 335.

Report of the Twelfth Anniversary of the C. B. S., p. 3.

John iii. 20). The Rock's exposure led to a considerable amount of local controversy in the provinces, where the Priests-Associate were very angry at having their names made known to their own congregations, as connected with such a Romanizing society. One of them wrote a long letter to the Banbury Guardian on the subject, in the course of which he asked two questions, to which, at the same time, he gave his own very candid answers. "But it may be said," wrote the Rev. James Hodgson, who described himself as "Superior of the Bloxham Ward C. B. S.," "why are they [Intercession Papers] marked 'confidential'? Does not this imply SECRECY? UNDOUBTEDLY. But anyone can see in a moment why it is. We are members of a Church that has two great sections in it, and we live among a people a large portion of whom 'care for none of these things.'" 10

Later on in this same year the Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament held its local anniversary in New York. Reports of its proceedings were kept from all the Church papers of that city, whether High Church or Evangelical. But what was undoubtedly an official report was sent to the Ritualistic Church Times, of England, where in due course it appeared. When the news of what had occurred came to the ears of the loyal members of the Protestant Episcopal Church of America, they were naturally very indignant. The Church Journal of New York, which was by no means unfriendly. towards moderate High Churchmen, commenting on what had occurred, remarked:

'By way of London comes to us an account, carefully withheld from the American Church papers, of a meeting in June last in this city, of what appears to be a secret association of American clergymen. If there is wrong done to anyone in the account given, we shall be ready and glad to give room for the righting of the wrong. But if a secret and confidential Confraternity exists among us, whose purposes and meetings are carefully concealed from publicity in the American Church,

10 Mr. Hodgson's letter is reprinted in the Ritualistic Church Review July 5th, 1873, p. 400.

THE SECRET ROLL OF PRIESTS-ASSOCIATE.

209

it is time we all knew it. The thing, like murder, 'will out,' and the mass of the clergy; bound by their ordination vows, and doing their work openly and honestly in the light, feel it unfair that there should be an inner motive circle where the profane are not admitted; a Brotherhood of secret purposes and secret ties." 11

The secrecy of the Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament is also seen in another direction. It never prints, even for private circulation, a list of its lay Associates. But it does print yearly a Roll of Priests-Associate. Every possible care is taken to keep this Roll strictly secret. Scarcely any one outside of its ranks can procure a copy for love or money. Yet even this secretly circulated Roll does not contain the names of all the Priests-Associate. The Confraternity possesses in its ranks a body of priests who are so afraid. that their connection with it shall be known, that they refuse permission to the authorities to print their names. even in this secret and confidential Roll. So, every year, as the new Roll comes out, there are found printed therein the two following official notices: 12

"NOTICE-Priests who do not wish their names to appear in the printed list should give notice to the Secretary to that effect." 13

"N. B. There are in addition [to those whose names are printed [ certain Priests-Associate who do not wish their names to appear in print." 14

Another notice proves how much afraid the rulers of the C. B. S. are lest some Protestant should get hold of a copy of the Roll:

"The Secretary General would be most grateful if Priests-Associate would kindly inform him of their changes of addresses from time to time. So many of the Rolls are returned through the G. P. O., and very many copies fall into the hands of those who had better not have

them." 15

An amusing incident in the history of the C. B. S. took

11 The Rock, October 24th, 1873, p. 717.

12 I copy from the Roll of Priests-Associate for 1894, the last which I have

scen.

13 Ibid., p. 88, note.

14 Ibid., p. 23.

15 Ibid., p. 77.

place in 1877. In that year the Editor of the Rock published a pamphlet entitled the Ritualistic Conspiracy, containing a list of clergymen who had supported the Ritualistic cause by joining Ritualistic societies, or signing Petitions in support of Ritualism. One of the clergymen whose name appeared in this pamphlet was the Rev. H. P. Denison, a nephew of the well-known Archdeacon Denison. This gentleman sent fourpence to the Editor of the Rock for a copy. On this, the Editor wrote to Mr. Denison, asking him, as a member of the C. B. S., to send him a copy of the last Roll of Priests-Associate. To this Mr. Denison sent the following reply:

"SIR,-I am sorry to have forgotten to answer your letter sooner. Personally, I should be delighted to send you the C. B. S. Roll, for you to correct your list, but I could not do so without the consent of the Superior-General. If he gives his consent I shall be very happy to forward it. Yours truly, "HENRY PHIPPS DENISON.

"EAST BRENT, HIGHBRIDGE, November 8th." 16

I need hardly add that the Superior-General never gave his consent.

And now I come to the task of describing more fully what is the real work of the Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament. It is a Society composed of bishops, priests, laymen, and women. It was founded in the year 1862; and in 1867 was united to the "Society of the Blessed Sacrament." In the year 1894, no less than 1682 clergymen in the Church of England, and 13,444 laymen and women, were members of this Confraternity. 17 The Rev. Orby Shipley informs us that the C. B. S.—as it is usually termed -is the "daughter " 18 of the notorious Society of the Holy Cross, which was responsible for that very indecent Confessional Book, the Priest in Absolution.

We learn from the official Manual of the Confraternity of

16 The Rock, November 16th, 1877, p. 961.

Annual Report of C. B. S. for 1894, p. iv.

18 Shipley's Four Cardinal Virtues, p. 249. London, 1871.

OBJECTS OF THE CONFRATERNITY.

211

the Blessed Sacrament—a book which is on public sale—that its "Objects" are:

"1. The Honour due to the Person of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament of His Body and Blood.

"2. Mutual and special Intercession at the time of and in anion with the Eucharistic Sacrifice.

3. To promote the observance of the Catholic and primitive practice of receiving the Holy Communion fasting." 19

We here discover what the work of the Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament really is. It is nothing less than the propagation, in the Church of England, of the blasphemous Sacrifice of the Mass, under the name of "The Eucharistic Sacrifice!" As to "Fasting Communion," it is sufficient to say that the first and best Communion administered by our Saviour Himself, was received immediately after a meal. Even a Roman Catholic Sub-Dean of Maynooth College has admitted that

"The Blessed Eucharist was instituted by our Lord after supper, and for a short time was celebrated and administered only after supper. Martene shows that for the first three centuries, and even much later, it was still in many places celebrated after supper." Among the "Recommendations" printed in the Manual is the following:

"To make Offerings for the due and reverent celebration of the Holy Eucharist." 21

This looks very much like a revival of that sacrilegious custom of the Church of Rome, paying for Masses! St. Peter forewarns us-"There shall be false teachers among you"; and of these teachers he says-" And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you" (2 Peter ii. 1, 3). The way in which the priests of the Church of Rome, at the Reformation, made "merchandise ' of men's souls, by their Masses, was that which, as much as

19 Manual of C. B. S., p. 5. Ninth edition.

20 Notes on the Roman Ritual, p. 261, by the Rev. James Kane. Dublin, 1867. Manual, p. 6.