The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1839-10-22 00:00:00

THE OXFORD TRACTS.---BISHOP WILSON'S
CHARGE TO THE CLERGY OF CALCUTYA.

(From the Christian Observer)

A CHARGE DELIVERED TO THE CLERGY OF THE DIOCESE
OF CALCUTTA, JULY 6TH, 1838, BY THE RIGHT REV.
DANIEL WILSON, D.D., BISHOP OF CALCUTTA AND
METROPOLITAN.
(Continued from our last)

Our present remarks being confined chiefly to the subject
of tradition, we will not dilate, and more especially as we did
so at great length in former papers, upon the evils connected
with a mere "sacramental religion," as opposed to what is
sneered at as spiritual religion ; especially " the doctrine that
God conveys grace only" "through faith, prayer, active spi-
ritual contemplations, or what is called (I!) communion with
God," instead of " through the church and her [her ! n sa-
craments," There is more of " stealthiness" (which Alex-
ander Knox considered a virtue, and imputed to the revisors
of our Liturgy) than of candour in the introduction of the
quiet word " only" in this passage. The advocates for the
doctrines of our reformers, do not affirm that grace is con-
veyed " only" through faith, prayer, spiritual contemplations,
and communion with God, in the sense that the sacraments
are not " means of grace ;" what they say is that they are not
means of grace by mere opus operatum without faith, prayer,
spiritual contemplation or communion with God. They affirm
with the church that the devout communicant at the Lord's
Supper feeds in his heart by faith with thanksgiving; and
not by any new, or, to use Mr. Keble's words, life-giving,
mysterious, miraculous virtue imparted by consecration to
the elements of bread and wine ;—a most unwarrantable and
superstitious fancy. And for thus saying, they are taunted
as not allowing that "the church and her sacraments" con-
vey to the soul what is in itself supernatural and unseen ;"
they are accused of sublimating religion into spirituality, and
the effects of the sacraments into the operations of faith.
But what they do say is that there cannot be religion with-
out spirituality ; and that even the holiest rites, the divinely-
ordained sacraments themselves, will be rendered, as in the
church of Rome, a dangerous soporific, a superstitious charm,
instead of truly a means of grace, if men are led practically
to believe; notwithstanding the wire-drawn distinctions of
subtle dialectitians, that there is some "virtue" in the opus
operatum of spiritual symbols. The Oxford Tract divines
have acquired great influence over many persons of tender
conscience by their zeal in urging frequent communion. Now
there is no question that frequent communion is the believer's
privilege and duty ; but it may be undertaken in an unscrip-
tural manner, and for unscriptural objects. A memorable
illustration of this occurs in the controversy between the
Jesuits and the Jansenists. Every Protestant (the Oxford
Tract divines disclaim that name) considers that the Jan-
senists were a far more religious body of persons than the
Jesuits ; that they were men of greater faith, and love, and
simplicity, and devotion, more sound in doctrine, and more
holy in life ; and yet in this question of frequent communion
the Jesuits might seem, to those who did not consider the
real spirit of the proceeding, to be on the right side. Mos-
heim describes the matter thus :

" Hence arose that famous dispute in the Church of Rome,
concerning a frequent approach to the Holy Communion,
which was carried on with such warmth in the last century,
between the Jesuits and the Jansenists, with Arnauld at the
head of the latter, and has been renewed in our times by the
Jesuit Pichon, who thereby incurred the indignation of the
greatest part of the French Bishops. The frequent celebra-
tion of the Lord's Supper is one of the main duties which
the Jesuits recommended with peculiar earnestness to those
who are under their spiritual direction, representing it as
the most certain and infallible method of appeasing the
Deity, and obtaining from him the entire remission of their
sins and transgressions. This manner of proceeding the
Jansenists censure with their usual severity ' • and it is also
condemned by many other learned and pious doctors of the
Rornish communion, who reject that intrinsic virtue and
efficient operation that is attributed to the Sacraments, and
wisely maintain that the receiving the Sacrament of the
Lord s Supper can be profitable to those only whose minds
are prepared, by faith, repentance, and the love of God, for
that solemn service."—Mosheim, 16th Cent., Sect. 3. Part
1. (36.)
Mosheim is not quite accurate in his statement. The
Jansenists did not deny the duty and privilege of frequent
communion ; but they protested against the doctrine of the
Jesuits respecting the inherent virtue of " bodily exercises,"
not excepting the holy Eucharist ; and urged men not.to
place an unscriptural reliance upon " the church and her
sacraments," telling them that the church and her sacra-
ments will profit nothing where there is no faith, or prayer,
or spiritual contemplation, or communion with God. The
Jansenists did not of course renounce all the errors of the
corrupt communion to which they belonged ; but, consider-
ing that they were Romanists, their teaching was far more
scriptural than could have been expected.
As we have fallen into a vein of episcopal quotations, we
will transcribe some remarks of Archbishop Leighton and
Bishop Hooper upon the point under consideration. The
Archbishop writes :
" I would recommend one thing to you : learn to look on
the ordinances of God suitably to their nature, spiritually,
and inquire after the spiritual effect and working of them
upon your consciences. We would willingly have all reli-
gion reduced to externals ; this is our natural choice, and
we would pay all in this coin, as cheaper and easier by far,
and would compound for the spiritual part, rather to add
and give more external performance and ceremony. Hence,
the natural complacency in Popery, which is all for this ser-
vice of the flesh-and-body services ; and to those prescribed
by God, will deal so liberally with him in that kind as to add
more, and frame new devices and rites, what you will in this
kind, sprinklings and washings, and anointings and incense.
But whither tends all this ? Is it not a gross mistaking of
God, to think him thus pleased ? Or, is it not a direct af-
front, knowing that He is not pleased with these, but desires
another thing, to thrust that upon Him which He cares not
for, and refuse Him what He calls for ?—that single, humble
heart-worship and walking with Him, that purity of spirit
and conscience which only He prizes ; no outward service
being acceptable, but for these, as they tend to this end and
do attain it. Give me, saith He, nothing, if you give me not
this."

" We have been a long time hearers of the Gospel, whereof
baptism is the seal, and most of us often at the Lord's table.
What bath all this done upon us ? Ask within : are your
hearts changed ? Is there a new creation there ? Where is
that spiritual-mindedness ? Are your hearts dead to the
world and sin, and alive to God, your couscieuces purged
from dead woral"
The following is the statement of Dr. Hooper, Bishop and
Martyr :
" Although Baptism be a sacrament to be received and
honourably used of all men, yet it sanctifieth no man. And
such as attribute the remission of sins unto the external
sign, do offend. John (Matt. iii.) preached penitence in the
desert, and remission of sins in Christ. Such as confessed
their faults he marked, and declared them to be of Christ's
church. So that external baptism was but an inauguration or
external consecration of those that first believed, and were
cleansed of their sin, as he declareth himself in the same place:
saith he, baptize with water; as though he said, My bap-
tism maketh no man the better; inwardly, it changeth no
man : but I call and preach to the outward ear; I exhort unto
repentance. And such as say they do repent, and would
change their old sinful life, I wash with water. He that in-
wardly cleanseth is stronger than I. His grace it is only
that purifieth the soul. I baptiz'e you unto repentance; that
is to say, into a new life.' " _ _

" SaCiaments must be used holily, and yet not have the
office of Christ added unto them. Solely it is his office to
sanctify and purge from sin. I take nothing from the Sacra-
ments, but honour them and extol them in all things, as they
be worthy ; howbeit, not too much. I call a Sacrament, a
ceremony instituted in the law of God to this end, that it
should be a testimony of God's promise unto all such as
believe ; and a sign of God's good will and favour towards
us. As Paul saith, that Abraham received a testimony, by
which God testified that he was received into grace, (Rom.
iv.) And as the promise of God, the remission of sin, is
received by faith, so must these sacraments that be signs,
tokens, and testimonies of the promise, be received in faith."
We now return to the Bishop of Calcutta, who, having
spoken of the existing and the anticipated evils of the Ox-
ford Tract doctrines, expresses his conviction, that " the
best preventive or remedy is the old doctrine of our Lord
and Saviour Christ Jesus fully and scripturally developed,
and accompanied with that affectionate pastoral care, and
that mild discipline and order, which our Protestant Episco-
pal Church has provided." He adds the following heads of
monition ; branching them out into suitable details :

" Teach, then, Brethren, more determinately than ever,
the ruined and fallen state of man as the Holy Scriptures
reveal it."
" Teach the atonement and satisfaction made to the Divine
justice and government by the incarnation and obedience
unto death of the consubstantial and co-equal Son of God."
"Teach also the personality, divinity, and inward work of
God the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of life, in all Scrip-
tural fidelity, as infusing the righteousness of sanctification."
" Teach, again, the indispensable necessity of good works
in all their ramifications, as the fruit of faith and following
after justification;' so that by them a lively faith may be as
evidently known as a tree is discerned by the fruit.' "
"Teach, further, in connexion with all this, the constitu-
tion of the Christian Church, the dignity and importance of
the public worship of Almighty God, the grace and efficacy
of the Sacraments, the divine authority and perpetual obli-
gation of the Lord's Day, and the duty of reasonable sub-
jection to the order and discipline of the Church as ordained
by Christ its Divine Head. Finally, instruct men to ascribe
the whole of their salvation in its purchase, its offers, its ap-
plication, to the merciful will and 'choice of God in Christ
Jesus."
Of the Catena Patrum appended to the " Sermon on Pri-
mitive Tradition," Bishop Wilson complains, first, that the
list is defective ; secondly, that selected extracts, from se-
lected authors, of a selected age—a few detached scraps from
Bilson, White, Jackson, Bramhall, and so forth—do not
prove the full opinion of the parties themselves, much less
the opinions of the Church Catholic ; and, thirdly, that the
fittracts adduced do not go to the length of the principle which
they are advanced to maintain. We will quoit: hi. i,..e and
reasonable complaint under the first of these heads.
"The list seems to me to be essentially defective, as not
containing extracts from the books of Homilies and the wri-
tings of the Reformers themselves of the 16th century—l
mean defective for the purpose of proving the sentiments of
the Church of England as settled at the Reformation. To
say that the opinions of the Reformersis the point in dispute,
and that therefore it is safer' to make quotations only from
Divines of a later period, is surely a singularly feeble asser-
tion. The question is, What is the fair and honest import
of the authorised formularies of our Church to which eery
Clergyman subscribes, and solemnly engages to conform ?
Surely, then, the obvious course would be, to examine, in
the first place, the two Books of Homilies, which are recog-
nised in our Articles themselves as part of our authoritative
confession ; and, next, the copious writings of the great Di-
vines themselves who drew up those Homilies, as well as the
Articles and Liturgy.
" The suppression of all this large and directly pertinent
testimony, is a sufficient acknowledgment of its being sup-
posed not to be very friendly to the author's views.
" But a second and still weaker plea is urged for the omis-
sion—` It might plausibly be asked,' observes our author,
why the lists stopped with them, and (lid not ascend to the
generation before them ; as if they were to be considered the
founders of our Church, instead of being, as they are really,
one link in a chain.' As if the Reformers were not confess-
edly the founders of our Church as it is Protestant and Re-
formed—the founders of its Reformation from Popery—the
founders of its Restoration as far as possible to the model of
the primitive and Apostolical ages—which is the only sense
in which they are ever styled by that high and appropriate
title.

" With two pleas so deplorably feeble for omitting the most
important branch of the testimony, it is really hardly worth
while to proceed with further observations. The testimony
is lame, incomplete, detruncate in the most essential branch
of the proof. The leading witnesses are not summoned. No
doubt it was safer,' in a certain sense, to put them out of
court ; but whether it was manly and equitable, let the reader
judge."
When the Bishop of Calcutta delivered his Charge, he was
probably ignorant of one characteristic portion of the Oxford
Tract system, which its advocates warily kept out of sight till
they had prepared their readers for its reception ; in order
that as Dr. Pusey says of the ceremonials introduced at Ox-
ford, they might not be " startled" at it.—We refer to the
doctrine of an exoteric and esoteric Gospel ; of reserve in
communicating Christian knowledge ; a reserve extended
even to the withholding the doctrine of the atonement ! To
say that men are not to have the Gospel preached to them
till they are converted ; not to hear of the atonement till they
are mature Christians, is like forbidding any person going
int the water till be can swim. Strange is it that any man,
with the Bible open before him, can maintain that to endea-
vour generally to propagate the Gospel, or to promote Chris-
tian knowledge, is ' • attempting to act contrary to God's mode
of acting ;" though there is a large store of such trash to be

found in some of the Fathers, who learned it in their heathen
.clays from the esoteric and exoteric codes of the Pagan
mythos.
This doctrine of reserve accounts for the uncertain manner
in which the Oxford Tract writers often set forth their
notions ; so that it is difficult to know where to find them,
or how to fix them. We have never yet discovered any per-
son who could understand Mr. Newman's treatise upon jus-
tification ; and as often as an objection has been urged against
any portion of it, some modifying word or phrase has been
found, which, without practically or effectively setting aside
the obvious drift and scope of the whole argument, has made
the attack like firing cannon balls at woolsacks. We have
heretofore given so many specimens of these Protean state-
ments, that it is scarcely necessary to add to the number. In
reading the pages of these writers, especially when they speak
of Popery or the Protestant Reformation, we have often called
to mind the strictures, of their friends the Quarterly Re-
viewers upon the style adopted by Gibbon, who well knew
how to practice that " stealthiness" and " reserve" which
Mr. Knox and the Oxford Tracts so much commend—though
in a diffbrent cause. In their review last year of Milman's
Gibbon, the reviewers say :
" The first readers of the Decline and Fall, after laying the
book down, would be scarcely able to say what its author's
plan of attack on the Christian religion had been, so insidi-
ously was it conducted. They would feel that an attempt
had been made to shake foundations, but by what precise
lever was not so apparent. On second thoughts, however,
they would perceive that it was principally by ambiguous
hints, &c Pursuing the same line of disparagement,
though marking it by many manceuvres too intricate to trace,
Gibbon now has his fling at the indiscreet ardour, &c
Gibbon now employs his perverse ingenuity in reducing the
catalogue of Martyrs Hefaintly alludes to them (springs
of persecution] in that way so common with him, and which
we have already noticed, whereby he seems to be makinc, pro-
vision to meet a charge of disingenuousness to which he sus-
pects himself open, and which may at some future time be
preferred against him."
" We are sure that, in what we have said in this paper, we
have not misrepresented Gibbon ; but we are not so sure that
an ingenious advocate on his side might not make it appear
so, and actually produce from his own pages paragraphs op-
posed to almost every charge we have brought against him ;
so curiously does he mingle his reservations with his hints,
shuffle the facts he deals with into artificial positions, to suit
a present purpoSe, and minister to a future one, and palter
with his readers in a double sense by words, conveying one
impression to the eye and another to the understanding 1
Oh that some power the gift would gi'e us,
To see ourselves as others see us !"

If the reader would see an illustration of these remarks in
a small compass, he may turn to a paper widely circulated,
and stitched up under the covers of some of the magazines,
entitled " Extracts from Tracts for the Times [and also from
Lyra Apostolica, Dr. Pusey, Mr. Newman, and Fronde,]
shewing that to oppose ultra-Protestantism is not to favour
Popery." The great majority of the friends of the Church
of England being justly displeased with the Tract's, an at-
tempt is made to conciliate, or rather to mystify, them, by
these extracts ; as if the compilers had forgotten, what Dr.
Pusey has on another occasion so strikingly stated, that it is
the general argument and spirit of a book, not a few qualify-
ing words in a corner, that determine its true character and
object. Many of the passages in the exculpatory extracts
seem, at first sight, very decisive; and yet upon careful in-
spection there is found some qualifying or mystifying word,
some parenthesis or inuendo, which reduces their predication
to nothing, or worse than nothing. We will copy a few cf
them. Their " stealthiness" consists in this, that while
loudly protesting against Popery and popish doctrine, they
covertly insinuate what is really such, as if it were of course,
and without denial, part and parcel of Anglican doctrine;
and thus while Rome is denounced in generals, in specials the
balance is given in her favour; like the man who said that
he was far, very far indeed, from preferring A.'s shop to B.'s;
but still it must be admitted that for cheapness, quality, good
usage, and other small matters, A. excelled B. The follow-
ing.passages, be it remembered, are given to the world to
shew that writers who expressed themselves thus could not
be popishly inclined. They are not passages which we should
have particularly selected to prove them so; for there are
others in abundance which approach much nearer to what
Protestants account popery ; but they are adduced by the
writers in proof to the contrary. Let us see then to what
they amount. We will number our quotations consecutively
for reference. The Italics also are ours. _

1. •‘ You have some misgivings, it seems, lest the doctrine
I have been advocating should lead to Popery.' I will not,
by way. of answer, say, that the question is not whether it
will lead to Popery, but whether it is in the Bible ; because
it would bring the Bible and Popery into one sentence, and
seem to imply the possibility of a communion' between
light and darkness.' No ; it is the very enmity I feel against
the Papistical corruptions of the Gospel, which leads me to
press upon you a doctrine of Scripture, which weare sinfully
surrendering, and the Church of Rome has faithfully re-
tained. How comes it that a system so unscriptural as the
Popish makes converts? Because it has in it tin element of
truth and comfort amid its falsehoods." (Tract, No. 20.)
2. "The language of the Council (of Trent) on the Sacri-
fice is in itself capable of a good interpretation, were it not
that terms employed in it must be explained with reference
to that Church's acknowledged doctrines of Transubstantia-
tion and Purgatory. And the doctrine of the Sacrifice can-
not be the same, where Transubstantiation is held, and where
it is not." (Ibid.)
3. " I will not say with these, that bread and wine
Have vanished at the consecration prayer"
(Lyra Apostolica.
4. " They are at rest :.

We may not stir the heaven of their repose
By rude invoking voice, or prayer addrest
In waywardness to those,
Who in the mountain grots of Eden lie," &c. (Ibid.)
5. " 0 Lord and Christ, Thy Churches of the South

So shudder, when we see
The two-edged sword sharp-issuing from Thy mouth,
As to fall back from Thee,
And seek to charms of man, or saints above,
To aid them against Thee, Thou Fount of grace and love!"
(Ibid.)
6. " 0 Mother Church of Rome ! why has thy heart
Beat so untruly towards thy northern child ?" (Ibid.)
7. " In different ways man would forestal the szntence of
his judge ; the Romanist by the' sacrament of penance ; a
modern class of divines by the appropriation of the merits
and righteousness of our Blessed Redeemer : the Methodists
by sensible experience ; our own, with the ancient Church,
preserves a reverent silence, not cutting off hope, and yet not
nurturing an untimely confidence, or a presumptuous seen-
rity."—(Pusey on Baptism.)
8. " In practice then to ourselves, as well as to the Ro-
manists, we must bear in mind that the unhappy and fatal
canons of the Council of Trent were directed, in part, against
actual error, such as had mixed itself with the then, as well
as with former, attempts at reformation. (Ibid.)
(To be continued.)

BUN MOT OF CitomwELL.---.We find the following rare
playing with words in a description of Cork—" this beauti-
ful city"—recently published :—"ln 1650 Cromwell so-
journed in Cork a few days, and whilst there, converted the
church bells into cannon, observing, in reply to a remon-
strance, that since gunpowder was invented br a priest he
thought the best use for bells would be to convert them into
canons: The jest of the Protector not having been either
very humorous or very brilliant," adds the writer, " it is well
to preserve the only one, it is believed, perpetrated by him in
Cork."

Loci' LEVEN.—The origin of the name Loch Leven is
somewhat curious. It arise from the circumstance of the
number eleven frequently occurring in matters connected
with the lake. As already mentioned, it is eleven miles in
circumference ; the lands of eleven lairds at one time em-
braced its waters ; there are eleven rivers and streams run-
ning into it ; it contains eleven kinds of fish : and in the ad-
joining plantations are eleven kinds of wood. The name
was, therefore, originally Loch Eleven ; but in the course of
time the E was omitted as at present.— Walks and Wander-
ings in the World of Literature, by the Author of " The
Great Metropolis."

NICODEMUS'S CORNER.—In Lady Huntingdon's chapel
(the Vineyards) Bath, was a seat for Bishop's. The witty
and eccentric Lady Betty Cobbe was cousin-german to Lady
Huntingdon : her influence was extensive and frequently ex-
erted in bringing Bishops to the Chapel, whom she always
contrived to smuggle into the curtained seats immediately in-
side the door, where they heard without undergoing the
dreadful disgrace of being seen in such a place. This seat
Lady Betty facetiously termed "Nieodemus's Corner !"
Countess of Huntingdon's Life and Times, 2 Vols.
HABITS OF DON CARLOS.—Don Carlos (says the Ga-
zette du berri) rises at half-past seven, and all the family,
according to an old Spagish custom, assist in the mass said in
his apartment at eight o'clock. At nine the family breakfast
The King then occupies himself with his correspondence,
and receives whoever has the honour of being introduced.
At two the family dine, after which follows the siesta. At
five the King drives out, about half a league from the town,
where his Majesty alights, and takes that exercise which has
become necessary for his health 'after having so long led a
camp life. This promenade seldom lasts more than two,
hours. On their return the King amuses himself for a short
time at the Spanish game of tresillo. At half-past ten the
whole household join in prayers, and supper is served at
eleven.

THE LATE LADY, FLORA HASTINGS.—This unhappy
Lady was grand-daughter of Lady Elizabeth Hastings,
eldest daughter of the Countess of lluntingdon. In early
life she was much admired at Court for her elegance of man-
ners, her vivacity, and great abilities. Lady Elizabeth was
appointed Lady of the Bedchamber to the Princesses Amelia
and Caroline, sisters to George the Third. Horace Walpole.
the celebrated Lord Orford, says " The Queen of the Metho-
dists got her daughter named for Lady of the Bedchamber to
the Princesses ; but it is all off again, and she will not let
her play at cards on Sundays." Whether this is the re-al
cause we do not pretend to know ; but she was shortly suc-
ceeded by a daughter of Earl Gower. Lady. Elizabeth
Hastings married, in 1752, John, first Earl of Moira, and
on the decease of her brother, Francis. tenth Earl of
Huntingdon, in 1789, carried the baronies by writ Botreaux,
Hungerford, Molines, and Hastings, to that family. Her
grandson, George-Augustus-Francis, the present Marquis of
Hastings, married Barbara Gray de Ruthyn, heir to the
,whole blood of the Earls of Pembroke and the elder branch
of the House of Hastings. The Marquis's infant son is heir
to three noble families—namely the Marquisate of Hastings,
the Scotch Earldom of London, and the Barony of Ruthyn.
Lady Elizabeth Hastings bore Queen Charlotte's train
at her Coronation—her grand-daughter, Lady Flora Hastings
bore Queen Victoria's train at the late Coronation.—Countess
of Hundingdon's Life and Times, Vol. 11.
A HARD CASE.—An American paper contains the follow-
ing brief but serious complaint :—‘ One of our subscribers
has stopped his paper because we refused to insert an
• obituary, two columns in length, of a child of his which died
at the age of two months. We should have had no objection
to have published a short obituary of the infant, but what
would our other readers have said to two mortal columns ?"
It was, doubtless, a most unreasonable thing to request the
insertion of so voluminous an obituary of a child, which only
reached the innocent age of a couple of months ; and the
fact of the father stopping his paper, because it was refused,
only shows with what qtieer customers our Yankee brethren
of the press have to deal. We are sorry, however, after all,
that our friend of the broad-sheet, on the other side of the
Atlantic, did not, as a matter of curiosity, publish this two-
column obituary : and we beg to give the father of the in-
fantile deceased due notice, should this meet his eye, that if
he only send the obituary to us, we shall take care that it
graces the columns of some of our metropolitan journals.
What we are curious to know is, where or how this exem-
plary parent possessed himself of materials respecting his in-
fant out of which he could spin two newspaper columns. We
had thought the first two months of infancy were not parti-
cularly prolific of epochs or vicissitudes, from which an
obituary might be manufactured. It is pretty clear, one'
would think, that at that tender age, the babe, though free
from the vices of after life, could not have been overstocked
with the positive virtues. What, then, in the name of won-
der, could this Yankee parent have had to say about his
" little cherub," that would have filled two columns ? It may
have been a " dear babe," as all babes are ; and it may,
moreover, have been devotedly attached to " nurse" and to
" pap ;" but then these are such common-place affairs in the
annals of babyship, that we cannot conceive on what ground
this affectionate father thought them worthy of particular
mention in the case of his child. We wish we had not seen
the above paragraph : it has inspired in us a consuming
curiosity to see the two columns of infantine biography. The
best memoir ever written, of any philosopher, statesman, or
warrior, would not, to our minds, prove half so attractive.—
Walks and Wanderings in the World of Literature, by the
Author of " The Great Metropolis."