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notion of the cessation of controversy in our Church on this subject, as long as Tractarianism is struggling for the mastery, and infusing its poison into the minds of our people, in every shape and form, is mischievous and absurd. As well might we abstain from combating the errors of scepticism and false philosophy, or rebuking the vices of mankind, on the ground that we are disturbing the peace of society, and producing discord among men.

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It is not as if those errors had taken no hold on the public mind. On the contrary, they have spread like wildfire among all classes of the community; and every branch of literature is made subservient to their propagation. Even the fine arts have been pressed by the Tractarians into their service: architecture, sculpture, painting-all are made to contribute their aid towards eradicating Protestantism from among us. The Romanists stand by, delighted to see their cause battled for in the very heart of the English Church. "A new era," they say, "dawns upon us "The Protestant feeling of the country becomes weaker every day." "We take this opportunity of expressing the great edification we have derived from the perusal of Dr. Pusey's Sermon on the holy Eucharist, which is at once a monument of the author's piety and profound learning; and, though it does not give any countenance expressly to the doctrine of transubstantiation, as defined by the Council of Trent, yet it lays down principles, which, if once admitted, no one can deny that transubstantiation is their only legitimate and logical developement. We ought also to take the same occasion of expressing our gratitude to Mr. Newman, for a work to which we have already alluded in this article-his volume of University Sermons, lately published, which are, indeed, a most valuable and almost a Catholic production. We would especially recommend to the notice of our readers the last sermon in the volume-that 'on the theory of religious developements.' We cannot conceive an abler vindication of the whole Catholic system, than that contained in the discourse alluded to; nor one more replete with able arguments to overthrow every possible cavil of its opponents. . . Mr. Newman has, indeed, in this volume rendered a high service to the Catholic Church; and in saying this, we would include in the same catalogue, his admirable essay 'in defence of ecclesiastical miracles.' No man can read these volumes, and not see that the triumph of Catholicism in England is only a question of time. It is not that the respected writers alluded to may not have used some uncatholic expressions in the course of these treatises; but that, viewing them as a whole, and considering the general tone that pervades them, we have no doubt of the orthodox intentions (if we may use such an expression) of their authors; and regarding them as expressing, not so much the views of individual writers, as those of an immense school amongst the young divines of the Anglican Church (a school, too, which is daily attracting within its sphere all the best and purest minds of England), we say, regarding these publications in this point of view, we can feel no doubt that they

indicate the certain and not very distant triumph of Catholicism in this country." *

Nor can we omit to point out how differently the acute eye of the well-read Romish theologian regarded the early numbers of the Tracts for the Times, to the way in which some among ourselves contemplated them. The Tractarian movement commenced in the year 1833. “It was in that very year," says the writer we have just been quoting, "that the first tracts of this series (Tracts for the Times) were pointed out to our notice by an Anglican relation, and we no sooner read them than we declared our belief that a movement had commenced in the Anglican Church, which would not cease until it had restored her to the communion of Catholic Christendom."+

And before we lay down the volume, it may not be out of place to apprize the Protestant reader what are the hopes and expectations of the Romanists of the present day, in what light they regard "the chair of St. Peter," and what privileges they consider as by right belonging to it. "It is our humble but firm conviction," says their leading organ, before quoted, "that the papacy is destined not only to outlast all present governments, however strong and secure, but to fulfil a destiny far higher than we have yet seen or read of. We, too, believe in the progress of the species, and have no doubt that THE WHOLE HUMAN

RACE WILL HEREAFTER BOW DOWN IN WORSHIP BEFORE THE THRONE OF CHRIST'S VICAR UPON EARTH. Unless the governments of the day begin ere long to see more clearly the mysterious character of St. Peter's chair, they must even perish as others have done. The nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted.' Better far will it be for those rulers who have MINISTERED TO GOD'S APPOINTED AUTHORITY, even though they have humbled their heads and licked the dust from its feet, than for those who have fought against Jerusalem, whom the Lord shall smite in the day of his anger."

One word, in conclusion, as to the mode of meeting the dangers by which we are beset. For our own part, it is our earnest desire to see the constituted authorities of the Church the leaders in the cause of truth. God's Church, while here on earth, is and must ever be a Church militant. They who are set over it, therefore, must be content to consider themselves as on the field of battle, and remember that the chief responsibility for the way in which the battle is conducted rests upon them. And all who are propagating vital errors, be they in the nominal Church or out of it, are, in so far as they are doing this, to be dealt with as enemies. It is the duty and solemn promise of our prelates "with all faithful diligence to banish and drive away all erroneous and strange doctrines contrary to God's word." And whatever difference

* Dublin Review for September, 1843, pp. 108-114.
† Ib. p. 110.

Ib. pp. 199, 200.

of opinion there may be as to the best way of fulfilling this promise, (for our part, we should prefer the most calm, temperate, and discreet that could be adopted,) there can be no difference as to the promise having some practical meaning.

To those, therefore, who would say, "Peace, peace-what we want is peace"-we reply, Such a cry, if proceeding from professed NonTractarians, convicts them either of a totally inadequate sense of the importance of the interests at stake in the controversy, or of downright treachery. On the contrary, what we want, is, that all throughout the land should be warned of the dangers to which they are exposed; and prepared, by orthodox instruction, and an exposure of the arts, and misrepresentations, and subtleties, and unsound arguments of Tractarian teachers, to resist them. For our own parts, knowing something of the under-currents that are in motion, and of the views of some who, under the present aspect of things, take good care to repudiate Tractarianism, we have no hesitation in saying that there is cause of alarm for our Church; and we deprecate the way in which some, from whom better things might have been expected, are playing the game of Tractarianism, by urgently calling out for peace, and pressing the opponents of Tractarianism to lay down their arms.

To exhortations that the controversy should be carried on, with all possible allowances for human infirmity, with charity, with temper, with judgement, with discretion, we respond our hearty Amen! But beyond this we cannot go.

And in the performance of this duty, we say again, it is our earnest desire to see our constituted authorities take the lead, because we are convinced that nothing would so effectually tend to calm the excitement and repress the alarm that have been produced by the Tractarian movement, and prevent, by rendering unnecessary, ill-advised and intemperate efforts to counteract it, as an open, firm, consistent, and unflinching, though calm and temperate, opposition to it by those authorities.

So far, however, as a contrary course is manifested, so far must the opponents of Tractarianism be prepared to take up the cross and follow the path of our Reformers, in contending for the same truths. The theology of our Reformers, even in some important points, is as little the theology of many among us who have not joined the Tractarians, as of the Tractarians themselves. What we want, then, is, men who know well the foundations upon which our Church rests-men really acquainted with its writers and history-men penetrated with a supreme love of Truth, and who, having but one great object in view, the promotion of the interests of the Truth, will go straight forward, and can bear to be neglected, or even frowned upon-men who, having given themselves up to God's service, are contented to take the consequences, and therefore can afford to be independent of man. These are the men who, in whatever position in the Church they may be found, will do the work. The blessing of God will be with them.

May God raise up many such among us for the defence of his Truth!

It would be far, indeed, from our wish to see the justly praised moderation of the Church of England infringed upon, or that the terms of communion with her, or of ministering in her communion, should be narrowed to one exclusive view of doctrine, on points on which the language of her authorised formularies admits a latitude.

We are bound, also, to say, that there exists much misapprehension in the public mind on many points. There is a vague and indefinite feeling of alarm, which leads ill-informed persons to set everything down as Popery or Tractarianism which is novel to them. We deprecate exceedingly such ill-advised conduct. It is doing great injury to the cause of truth; and in a time of public excitement it is very necessary to draw a distinction between the clamour of self-conceited and ignorant persons on matters they altogether misapprehend and misrepresent, and the warnings and advice of well-informed persons on real and important errors. Equally necessary is it that a respectful deference and ready obedience should be rendered to the voice of authority, whenever it speaks agreeably to the law with the administration of which it is entrusted. A well-constituted mind will at once see how intimately connected such obedience is with the cause of order.

But, as Bishop Mant has observed in a late Charge, the doctrines which Mr. Newman has laboured to reconcile with the Thirty-nine Articles in No. 90, are "THE very errors which the Articles themselves were framed to counteract..... The points on which this latitude of interpretation is sought, and a reference is pleaded to the testimony of Catholic antiquity, are THE POINTS on which our national Church is at variance with the Romish Church." Can there, then, be a doubt as to the in which such errors must be met?

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To our minds, the effect of the interposition of authority in repressing these errors was remarkably shown in the case of Dr. Pusey's suspension. If something of the kind had not been done, and done promptly, in that case, it is difficult to say what measures might not have been adopted by popular indignation to stem the unrepressed tide of error. But the voice of authority was heard vindicating the interests of Truth; and, unlike what had happened on every similar occasion previously, all was comparatively silent. It was felt that the matter had been taken up and dealt faithfully with by the proper authorities, and, therefore, that the interference of other parties was unnecessary. If, however, the system resolved upon were to be one of non-resistance, of letting things take their course, lest interference should increase the evil,*

*Thus, in the late Charge of the Bishop of Oxford, the advice of Gamaliel was expressly alluded to as a good rule of action with respect to Tractarianism. "Refrain from these men, and let them alone," &c. With respect to this extraordinary Charge, which pronounced the opinions of the Tractators to be those of our soundest divines, and yet condemned Tract 90 for interpreting the Articles in the way in which alone they could be made to tolerate those opinions, the still more extraordinary fact has

of echoing the deceitful cry for peace, preferred by an enemy who will spare no pains to secure "a successful fight"* for their errors, of discountenancing direct opposition, and actually considering a "committal in opposition to Tractarian views" a disqualification; in a word, if liberal non-Tractarianism, that hesitates not to smile upon Tractarians equally with all others, and not calm and judicious, but firm and decided antiTractarianism, were to be the order of the day; then there would remain no alternative but to organise some antagonistic power, that should be able, with God's blessing, to resist the growing evil; to rouse the energies of our Protestant population, through the length and breadth of the land, in defence of our Protestant institutions and Protestant Faith.

We shall earnestly watch the course of events; and most emphatically would we say, that our eyes will be directed far more to actions than to words.

TRACTARIAN JOURNALISM.+

Ir is seldom, in these later days, that we fall upon a volume of genuine Anglican theology, such as that which now lies before us. Amidst the indifference to all religion which prevails on the one hand, and the latitudinarian doctrines which are broached on the other, it is consoling to find that there are still some uncompromising defenders of our pure and holy faith, who are ready to stand in the breach against the avowed attacks of the Romanist, and the less direct, though perhaps not less dangerous, hostility of those who are more than half disposed to throw down the bulwarks of Protestantism, and admit the enemy within our walls. Staunch in his advocacy of truth, without personal recently come to light, through the correspondence of Dr. Pusey with the Editor of "The Irish Ecclesiastical Journal," that, while the Bishop in his Charge publicly condemned this Tract, he in private told Mr. Newman, "that he did not wish it to be withdrawn!" Dr. Pusey had charged the Editor with want of charity, for supposing that Mr. Newman would allow the continued issue and republication of the Tract, if the Bishop had not sanctioned it. The Editor justly replies, that, with the Bishop's public condemnation of it before him, it would have argued a far greater want of charity, if he had supposed that the case was as it is; for, as he well says, "Could any one have been justified in anticipating such an explanation as this?” "Surely it does seem scarcely just to tax with want of charity those who did not suspect that such a solution of the mystery could have been given. Some may be disposed to think that the hazarding of such an hypothesis, any time for the last two years and a half, would have been in a very high degree unwarrantable and improper." * Mr Newman's Lett. pref. to vol. iv. of the "Tracts," p. xiv.

I. The Doctrine of Purgatory, and the Practice of praying for the Dead, as maintained by the Romish Church, examined by the Rev. William John Hall, M.A., Rector of the United Parishes of St. Benet and St. Peter. London: Wix. 1843.

II. The Christian Remembrancer for February, 1843. New Series, Vol. V., No. 26.

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