Edward VIth's time were much handsomer than those now in use (especially the Bishop's is very beautiful), yet I am content with that explanation of the rubric which dispenses with our observing it; we have too much to do to keep sound doctrine and the privileges of the Church to be able to afford to go into the question about dresses. Still, as Bp. Cosin and others maintain the opinion that this rubric is binding, I did not think it worth while to advise the young clergyman who wore the one in question against it, further than giving him the general advice not to let his attention be distracted by these things from others of more moment. A rigid adherence to the rubric cannot, in its own nature, lead to extravagance, and it seemed a very safe way for the exuberance of youth to vent itself in. I have said the more because he was a pupil of my own; he was a very active and energetic man, and likely to make a very good parish priest, but he has now left Oxford. While here he officiated occasionally at St. Thomas', there only, and Mr. Newman did not know him. Two other individuals wore the same scarf, without the crosses, thinking it safer. Mr. Newman and myself were not acquainted with them when they began the practice. It was in Magdalen College Chapel.

With regard to the remaining charge I need not say anything to your lordship. The innovation clearly is with those who allow the Bread and Wine to be placed upon the Altar by clerks or sextons; only I would say that the 'small additional table' has not been unnecessarily introduced. In St. Mary's and St. Aldate's the Elements have been placed in a recess already existing near the Altar; in St. Michael's the old custom has never been disused; in St. Paul's and Littlemore only, there being no other provision, since the Elements must be placed somewhere, a small neat table has been used as being the more decent

way.

I have taken up much of your lordship's time by this long explanation, but I was vexed that your lordship should be troubled by complaints against any friend or acquaintance of mine; it is, in fact, only a side-blow at sound principles, because it is easier to talk about 'dresses' and 'innovations' than to meet arguments.

I have written to Mr. Townsend, stating to him the case and requesting him to correct his misstatements, and, if he does not, purpose to send the letter to the British Magazine, and so I hope that your lordship will not be further troubled in consequence of these exaggerations. In the meantime, if this explanation can be used in any way to prevent any further annoyance, your lordship will of course make any use of it.

Mr. Newman as well as myself much regrets that these idle reports have caused these explanations to be made to your lordship. We would have contradicted them sooner had there seemed any sufficient reason, such as this. I join myself, because these papers always join Mr. Newman and myself, although we maintain no one doctrine or

Letter to Bishop Bagot.

17

practice which has not the sanction of the great divines of our Church.

Begging your lordship to excuse the length of this letter,

I have the honour to remain,

Your lordship's faithful and obedient servant,

E. B. PUSEY.

but a foretaste of But as yet nothing

These attacks and suspicions were what was to come on a larger scale. had occurred to warrant mistrust of the Movement by any large body of Churchmen, or discouragement on the part of its adherents.

CHAPTER XX.

PROGRESS-S. P. C. K. COMMITTEES-KEBLE'S SERMONS— VISIT TO GUERNSEY-FIFTH OF NOVEMBER SERMON -TRACT ON THE HOLY EUCHARIST-MISSIONARY EXHIBITIONS-COLLEGES OF CLERGY FOR LARGE TOWNS-DR. HOOK AND THE TRACTS-HARRISON, CHAPLAIN TO THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY.

1837-1838.

THE years that immediately followed the Hampden controversy were not characterized by any striking outward incident, nor by any specially urgent controversy. It was a time seemingly of steady and deepening progress. The slighter tracts had ceased, and had made way for more solid treatises, appealing not so much ad populum, but, as was said, ad scholas and ad clerum. It was a time now not only of writing but of preaching: it was a time to drive home to the heart and conscience principles which had been more or less intellectually accepted. Thus there was emerging, besides Newman's Parochial Sermons, the series of Plain Sermons by contributors to 'Tracts for the Times.' Pusey himself was not only preaching in various places, but pressing on Keble the duty that lay on him also to publish his sermons. He was, on the one hand, feeling after the idea of Colleges of Clergy for work in the large cities; on the other he was, either by conversation or correspondence, dealing with individuals who had been powerfully affected by their acceptance of Church principles. He was beginning to exercise a general direction in the difficult.

S.P.C.K. Committees.

19

questions that these principles sometimes raised. In fact the Movement was now becoming a matter not only of theoretical principles, but of practical and devotional life.

Not that there was any cessation of activity in matters of controversial interest. To touch on minor points: Pusey himself had a long correspondence with the Secretary of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge on the subject of publishing the Apocrypha in translations of the Bible issued by the Society. The uncritical and uncatholic exaggeration of the admitted distinction between the canonical books and those subordinately inspired works, which form so valuable a link between the Old and New Testaments, was tending to ban the Apocrypha altogether in the S. P. C. K.: it had succeeded in doing so in the British and Foreign Bible Society. Pusey went twice to London to bring forward resolutions on the subject at meetings of the Foreign Translation Committee. He was somewhat hopeful after the first meeting.

'The business,' he wrote, 'has been on the whole satisfactory, and the Dean of Chichester, who was rather on the other side, said that the discussion would do them a great deal of good. None of my resolutions were exactly carried; but two were, which will do much good.'

Another topic of controversy at the Translation Committee was a proposed Hebrew Prayer-book. The translation of the words 'declare and pronounce' in the daily Absolution did not satisfy Pusey, and he also objected to the proposed rendering of the Christmas collect.

'July 3, 1837.

'I am out of the Translation Committee, I believe. All my proposals failed, and the language held on both occasions was so schismatic, and the result. . . will be so directly such, that I could belong to it no longer. So I have written to one of the bishops to resign my appointment, which was a demi-official one.'

He had previously expressed anxiety with regard to the proposed translation of the Prayer-book into Greek and Arabic, and writes as follows:

E. B. P. TO REV. HENRY JOHN ROSE.

Christ Church, December 16, 1836. Will you be so kind as to ask your brother what the S. P. C. K. mean by publishing our Prayer-book in Greek and Arabic? I do not want to make a disturbance unnecessarily, but it seems to me a strange proceeding. If it be to create among them a respect for our Church, this is well, although perhaps scarcely the object we should choose, when we have so many colonies to look to; but if it be with any view of supplementing the Greek Liturgy, I think it requires a most serious protest. What have we to do with interfering with the Greek Church, or to disturb Liturgies of which large ingredients at least are as, or more, Apostolic than our own? We have passed through the fire, and although we may bless God that, although scorched, we have escaped vitally unharmed, what have we to do to set up ourselves as models for all Churches? Are we to be Anti-Romanist Popes, and prescribe rites and liturgies contrary to those which the Eastern Christians have received from their Fathers? Certainly, from what I have seen, I should be very sorry to see the Grecian services expelled by ours. First, because they are hereditary; (2) they are longer, and so a protest against the listlessness of those who would shorten ours; (3) they have antient rites which, on whatever ground, we have relinquished (as Exorcism before Baptism, the Invocation of the Holy Ghost at the Eucharist), or glossed over (as the Oblation).

Then, too, have we not enough to do without meddling with the Christians of the East? Let us, if it be a work of charity, reprint their Liturgies, that they may use the devotions of their own Church better. But before we attempt a crusade (I would not profane the word), rather, before we go out of our way to thrust our own Liturgy upon persons who ask not for it, let us at least look to those who ask for it. Let us assist (where there must be much need) our North American colonies, or the East Indies, or there are at least seven languages in West India into which we are called upon to translate it. To the heathen or the Jew our Liturgy may often prepare the way better than the Bible, because it bears evidence of a Christian Church, who think and feel as Christians, whereas the Bible often appears nothing but our condemnation.

An Arabic Prayer-book in Hebrew characters would be very useful for the Jews, of whom those in North Africa are of the better sort; or, again, it might be useful to the Mohammedans, but let us not 'stretch ourselves beyond our measure,' or 'boast ourselves in another man's line of things made ready to our hands.'

Altogether the Church Societies look very miserably; it is like those who boast of emptying the meeting-house by turning the Church into one. The extracts from correspondence of the S. P. G. one might have mistaken for a Church Missionary Report. This publication of private anecdotes must be very pernicious to those who have to furnish