SUMMARY OF THE TWELVE PARTS AND SUPPLEMENT, As published in 20 Numbers. Part I. On the Revival of Catholic Principles in the English Church :—“ An expression of true sympathy, with some words of friendly warning, from an American Bishop to the English Church. Concluding with Remarks on Dr. Pusey's Eirenicon,—con- demnatory of his overtures to Rome. By the Right Rev. A. Cleveland Coxe, Bishop of Part II. On the Principles of the English Reformation. By the late Dr. Wilberforce, Anglo-Catholic Doctrine of Holy Communion :-the Memorial Sacrifice inseparable from the Participation. A Review, with full extracts, of a Treatise by the Rev. Canon Trevor, D.D. Also the Synodal Letter of the Scottish Bishops, condemning the erroneous Sacramental doctrine taught by the late Dr. Forbes, Bishop Part V. The Sacrament of Holy Communion :-its essential Principles considered and Part VI. The Anglican Doctrine of the Holy Communion vindicated from Romanizing Part VII. The Materialistic Theory of the Holy Communion tested by the Word of God. With an Appendix, containing Notes on important questions relative to the subject, by Dr. Biber, Dr. Trevor, Archdeacon Freeman, and others. (In Two Part VIII. The True "Eucharistic Adoration" of the Catholic Church. By the late Part IX. On Non-Communicant Attendance. 'Holy Communion: not an Ordinance or Service for Non-Communicants:"-The Rule of the Primitive Church. Part X. The same continued,—treating of the Rule and Practice of the Reformed Church of England. By the Rev. W. E. Scudamore, and the late Rev. Dr. Biber. With Appendix, containing extracts from the late Bishop Wilberforce's parting Charge at Oxford, and from Bishop Moberly's Bampton Lectures. (In Two Numbers.) Part XI. On the revived Practices of Non-Communicant Attendance and Fasting Communion. With an answer to the pretensions and claims put forth in a Memorial to Convocation in favour of the former practice, by "the Council of the English Church Union." Mr. Scudamore's Remarks on the Memorial, and his " Exposure of their "Authorized Reply" to him. The Appendix contains two Addresses on the above subjects by the Bishop of Lincoln. Part XII. “Eucharistic sacrifice," and Spiritual Communion.—The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper regarded in its twofold aspect:-God-ward, our Eucharistic worship offered through the Mediation of Christ; and Man-ward, our spiritual life and communion in Christ, by the power of His Resurrection. Three concluding Treatises, by the Rev. J. Le Mesurier, and the late Rev. Dr. Biber. With Appendix, containing Notes by several Authors. Supplement to Parts X., XI., and XII. 1.-The question of Non-communicant attendance, of Fasting Communion, and of Auricular Confession; and the doctrine of Sacrifice, considered in a treatise by Dr. Goulburn: (chief portions, with general review). 2.—The One-All-sufficient Sacrifice of Christ :-a commentary on a treatise by the Rev. M. F. Sadler. (Supplementary to Part XII.) 3.-Conclusion. A letter from the late Dr. Sewell to the Editor on the Revolutionary spirit manifested in our Church. Appendix I. On Eucharistic Sacrifice, by Dr. Browne, Bishop of Winchester, and by the late Dr. Vogan-On "the Counter Reformation," by the Bishop of Gloucester.-The Pastoral Letter of the Archbishops and Bishops to the Clergy and Laity of the English Church. Appendix II. Correspondence with the Editor on Sacrificial Worship, and the High-Priestly office of Christ in Heaven, by Dr. Goulburn and the Rev. J. Le Mesurier.-"In Memoriam: A tribute of friendship and respect to deceased Contributors to this work, by the Editor.-Bishop Wilberforce's last Address of solemn warning to his Clergy,—(a "legacy of inestimable value" to the whole Anglican Church !) Preface by the Editor to the completed volume.—Contents. (In Two Numbers.) PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION. A CAREFUL study of the history of the Christian Church, from the first promulgation of the Gospel to the present day, and an attentive examination of the indications contained in the word of prophecy of what that history will be from this day to the day of "the glorious appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ," cannot fail to leave upon the mind the impression that it must be from first to last the record of a continuous warfare. What history and prophecy thus alike teach us to expect, the experience of every successive age of the Church abundantly confirms. The Church of the Prince of Peace, must, to the end of time, be a Church militant in a world of strife. To us to each generation of the Church involved in the strife, this may be an unwelcome truth. We would rather, if we had the option, enjoy the rich blessings and cherish the glorious hopes of the Gospel in a state of peace and quietness. But it is not so appointed in the purpose of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of His own Will; and the more we learn to familiarize ourselves with the thought that so it must be, the better shall we be fitted to do our part in that inevitable warfare of Truth against error in which we are called upon to approve ourselves as good soldiers of Jesus Christ." 66 It was under the influence of such thoughts as these that the serial work, now brought to completion in the present volume, originated. If we look back on past years and take a review of the spiritual growth and rapid extension of the English Church and her branches during the present generation,-in which many of us have taken a deeply interested and active part,- -we cannot but see that these glad tokens of revived life have brought with them manifold trials to our Church in maintaining the Primitive Truth committed to her trust, and that grievous errors have arisen, causing strife and divisions within the fold, to mar the great work that has been given her to do. It has become therefore the urgent duty of all true sons of the Church to join in stemming this returning tide of error, and in raising a barrier against The first religious movement tending to arouse the Church from her state of lethargy was the so-called " Evangelical revival.” It was chiefly distinguished by greater earnestness on the part of the clergy in preaching the primary truths of the Gospel, especially its promises of free Grace and Forgiveness, and by appealing individually to the heart, it became effectual in awakening a deeper sense of personal and spiritual religion. From this Revival may be traced the continued growth of that party, retaining the title of "Evangelical," who now form one of the great schools of thought in the Church of England, and whose zeal and devotion have long been manifested in their many efforts to win souls to Christ, especially in the missionary work of our Church. But regarded as a doctrinal movement, it was an indefinite rather than a complete enunciation of religious truth, and failed to embrace the full sacramental teaching of the prayer-book. The Evangelical Revival thus obtained but a partial influence in the Church, and was instrumental rather in leading to a more true appreciation of the priceless gifts of spiritual new-birth and sustenance assured to us through the inward grace of the sacraments. Political questions too arose involving the discussion of the relations of the National Church to the State, and to the Universal Church; and thus all things tended to prepare the way for a clearer recognition on the one hand, of the corporate life of the Church, and on the other, of her Sacramental teaching. With this growing want of a more definite recognition of Church principles, and with the increasing sense of our responsibilities as Churchmen, there arose an earnest desire to regain that high standard of Anglican theology and practical religion which we have inherited from our forefathers, the martyred Reformers, and the great Divines of the 17th century, and which has been preserved to us in the teaching of the prayer-book. Such a craving, as it gathered strength, found a natural home for its development in the University of Oxford, (which has ever proved loyal to the principles of the English Church, and had not, like Cambridge, felt the personal influence of the Evangelical leaders,) and this gave rise to the well-known "Oxford movement." The "Tracts for the Times were undertaken for the avowed purpose of reviving and maintaining these Catholic principles of our prayer-book, by learned men conversant with Patristic literature and the works of our standard Divines; and well would it have been for the integrity and peace of the Church if the original intention of the writers had been faithfully adhered to! But it was evident to calm and dispassionate observers, even from the first, that there was in this new movement an element that would carry it far beyond its original aim, and as the series advanced, the cordial welcome with which the tracts were received by the High Church party was changed to sad mistrust and disappointment. At length the bold attempt in Tract XC. to turn the very edge of the weapons which our Church, in her 39 Articles, had framed to combat Roman doctrine, by suggesting their interpretation in "a non-natural sense," to be followed soon after by the grievous defection of its gifted author-combined to arouse in the breast of many a loyal Churchman a feeling of profound sorrow, shame, and indignation; and the spontaneous expression of this general feeling brought the work to a summary termination ! Yet withal, after the sad trials and discouragements of those eventful years in the progressive life of our Church, the distinctive principles of the English Reformation-opposed alike to Romish corruption and Puritan negation-have continued to take root in the hearts of Churchmen; notwithstanding the treachery and desertion of false brethren, the factious spirit of party strife, and the contentions of open foes. And not the least of the many tokens of their inward growth, is the loving care that has been bestowed on the preservation and adornment of God's house of prayer, and the efforts to render it more worthy its sacred purpose. While the build ing up of the spiritual temple was the great object at heart with sincere Churchmen, the material temple has not been neglected or allowed to fall into decay. With exemplary perseverance, as "a labour of love," the restoration of our ancient churches and cathedrals, and the important work of church building, has made such amazing progress throughout England during the last forty years, as largely to contribute to the efficiency of the Church in ministering to the spiritual needs of our vast population, and in regaining the lost sheep to her fold. In thus rising to a sense of our high calling and responsibilities as English Churchmen, the desire so earnestly felt to return to the "Old Paths" of Primitive Truth, has led, with God's blessing, to the great revival in our generation of ANGLO-CATHOLIC PRINCIPLES:-those "principles of the doctrine of Christ" which our Church, by her appeal to the supreme authority of Holy Scripture, and the testimony of the Primitive Apostolic Church, reclaimed from the encrusted errors of the Middle ages at the Reformation. These principles have proved her unfailing guide in preserving the true Via media amidst the strifes and schisms of Christendom; and their stedfast maintenance still forms the basis of her strength in "contending for the Faith which was once delivered unto the saints." So must the Church of the Prince of Peace, as before observed, ever be a Church militant in a world of strife, and all her true members be ready "to fight manfully under Christ's banner, as faithful soldiers of the Cross. And our own beloved Church of England, obedient to her Master's call, has not failed, in this day of trial and rebuke, to gird her armour on for the defence of His Truth committed to her trust. While rejoicing in the many tokens of Divine blessing on her labours for the extension of Christ's kingdom throughout the world, whereby many lost sheep have been gathered into the Fold, she yet cherishes above all that one true mark of Christ's love for His Church-His chas tening hand, teaching her to bear trials and sufferings for His name's sake! In the earlier years of revived zeal in the Church, it was her sad trial to mourn the frequent loss of "children whom she had nourished and brought up," who were once the foremost in devotion to her cause, and in professed love for her communion. These grievous instances of defection first appeared among her commissioned teachers, the clergy, who, beguiled by the claims to sacerdotal power of Rome, or captivated by the pageantry of her elaborate ritual, renounced the Church of their baptism, and the faith they had professed-regardless of their ordination vowsto join the ranks of an implacable foe! And of those among the laity who followed their lead, how many an English home has been saddened and its peace and unity destroyed, when one of its members who "walked with their brethren in the house of God as friends" have been secretly beguiled from their allegiance to their Mother Church, and have taken the fatal step which, instead of bringing the delusive peace vainly sought for, has proved to many the enthrallment of their minds and the shipwreck of their faith! But far worse than open desertion to the enemy is treachery within the citadel! The real danger to the Church of England at the present time is the disloyalty to her principles, and the contempt of her authority which exists among a portion of her professed members. The time has passed for being deceived by plausible pretensions, or arrogant assumptions, "When round our walls the battle lowers, And mines are hid beneath our towers," and England's Church, which has occupied the brightest page in her history for ages past, is now in danger of being rent asunder by treachery and faction within her fold! authority with the Word of God, they "teach for doctrines the commandments of men.”1 Thus by the gradual, though sure process of working unauthorized changes with a doctrinal significance' in the Church's ritual, (however regarded by many with indifference, or as merely giving more life to our services), her whole system of faith and teaching is being undermined; and unless the insidious. evil is firmly resisted, and by God's mercy averted, it must eventually end in inevitable loss to us as a Church of those Catholic principles of the Primitive Faith, which it has been the high privilege and glory of Protestant England to maintain before Christendom during the last three centuries, and to propagate throughout her vast empire. It is under a deep conviction of the gravity of the crisis through which the Church of England is now passing, and with a full sense of responsibility in bringing charges against those who are still our brethren in the Church, that these words of serious warning are written. But there must be no wavering or compromise where the essential principles of our common Faith are at stake. And it could be no ordinary cause for anxiety and alarm which so recently called forth the united remonstrance of the Archbishops and Bishops of the English Church against "the dissemination of doctrines, and encouragement of practices, repugnant to the teaching of Holy Scripture and to the principles of the Church," in their pastoral letter addressed to the Clergy and Laity.2 Or the yet stronger warning a few years previously from our sister Church in Scotland, in the condemnation, by the Synod of Bishops, of the same dangerous errors maintained by one of their brethren; a record of which is included in this work.3 Only within the last twelve months public feeling has received a shock, by the exposure in the House of Lords of a secret manual of instruction for the confessional, called "The Priest in Absolution," borrowed from Romish sources, and adopted by "The Society of the Holy Cross;" which called forth such an expression of reprobation and alarm both A comparatively small, though well-organized party have gained a firm position in our Church, owing to the misplaced trust and generous forbearance of their brethren, who have too long been misled by their assumed identity with the "old historic High Church" school, from the traditional principles of which they have widely diverged. By the powerful agency of secret societies, "confraternities" and numerous guilds, this "ultra-Ritualist" party are reviving rites and practices which have a direct tendency to the most serious errors of the Church of Rome, and in the undue exaltation of Mediaval traditions and customs to an equal page 438. 1 See Mr. Oxenham's Sermon, Part XI., page 378. Also Note E., page 446. 2 See Supplement, Note D, page 444. 3 See Part IV., page 101. 4 The compiler of this ill-famed book was the late Mr. Chambers, Vicar of St. Mary's, Soho, who is referred to in Dr. Sewell's letter to the Editor. See |