Bloomington herald. [volume] (Bloomington, I. T. [Iowa]) 1840-1849, 1843-09-08
PUAErMM.

from the frequen, application Of the above
terms. have been led TO make an inquiry into
their meaning. For sometime. the doctrine
and discussion was confined to the mother
country. but symptoms-strong ones, too.
having been lately discovered in our own
Churches a, the South, lively curiosity has
been excited 10 various quarters, and fresh
desire felt to be informed as TO the troubles OF
the Church, which seem to have developed
themselves under the nomenclature OF Pussy
ISM. An interest amounting almost to inteD-
sty. being now manifested on this subject,
we give below brief statement of the cir
cumstarces under which it originated III Eng
land, and the position it now occupies in that
country. In the United States its positive ex-
istence is 30 uncertain, that we deem 1t haz-
ardous at present to venture any remarks up
on il:
Ia the year 1888, the late Rev. Dr.. Rose,
Of Kings College, the Rev. Mr.. Percival,
DR.. Posey and two or three other clergymen,
met in the house Of the hrst.named. Rev.
Gentleman, when talking over the pragress Of
Dissent, and the unpopulari,y and even prac'
teal neglect into which High Church princi-
pies had fallen Of late years, they came to
resolution 10 form themselves into society,
though without any formal organization. to
use their utmost efforts to revive and bring IN
to practical recognition the class of principles
to which we have referred. The celebrated
Tracts for the Times" had their origin in
the meeting in question. These tracts appear
ed at irregular intervals, and were published
at prices. varying according to the quantity OF
matter, from twopence to sixpence. The
Tracts soon attracted general attention, from
the startling doctrines thay advanced; and as
the tendency Of all Of them was to exalt the
authority Of the Church, and increase the i'm.
por,ance Of the clergy, by investing them with
special sacredness Of character, the new
class Of opinions made rapid progress among
! them. Every successive Tract became bold
er and holder in its tone, and approached near
er and nearer the doctrines of the Church Of
Rome. The principle writer's were Dr.. Pusey,
the Rev, Mr.. Ward, the Rev. Mr. Williams,
the Rev. Mr.. Newman, and one or two others.
The series proceeded until i. reached No. 80,
which SO openly and sirenuously advocated
Popish principles, that the Bishop Of Oxford
| felt called upon to interpose his authority.
and put an end to the further publication Of
| the Tracts. The last of the series, No. 80,
created deep sensation, especially as it was
| soon discovered that it had contributed to
make several individuals 60 openly over TO
the Church of Rome. The doctrines now
Tractarians, SO closely resemble the doctrines
Of the Roman Catholic Church, that there can
| hardly be said, on most points, to be any es-
sentlal difference between them. Among the
| points to which the Puseyites attach special
importance, is the assumption that all the
| clergy of the Church Of England, in common
| y, If shn IL, 10
scended in direct line from the Apostles
This is what is called apostolical succession.
They also maintain, that all children, bap,i-
zed by 'he established clergy, are regenerated
when The water is sprinkled upon them; but
they refuse to recognize the baptism of the
ministers of other denominations, baptism al
all. They hold that there is no hope Of sal
va'lon for those who are without the pale of
the Church. They denounce the reformation,
and look forward with eager desire to union
between the Church of England and the
Church of Rome. They maintain that the
Church has an authority above that Of the
State; and that the Sovereign and the Senate
are bound TO submit to the dictum of the
Church They lay but little stress on those
doctrInal matters which the evangelical clergy
IN the Establishment regard as essential to
salvation They attach much greater import
ance to the writings of the Fathers than 10 the
narratives of the inspired evangeists and the
epstles of the apostles. They hold, indeed,
that the Scriptures ought not to be read at all
by the laity. unless accompanied by the expo
slllon OF their meaning to be found in the
| Book of Common Prayer. They virtually re-
ject the atonen.ent, and set aside as fanati-
cism what is regarded by other parties as the
religion Of the heart. They look upon relig-
ion as mainly consisting in the Observance of
forms and ceremonies. They maintain that
the bread and wine in the Sacriment are con-
verted, when consecrated by the clergy, into
| the actual flesh aud blood Of Christ, and that
the sacrament constitutes a kind Of con,inu.
alton OF the atonement OF Christ on the cross.
1t is for maintaining these two latter points,
in the cathedral Of Oxford recently, that DR..
Pusey has been arraigned for Popish heresy
by board Of divines, and sentenced by the
Vice Chancellor to two years prohibition
from preaching within the precincts of the IT,
| University.
Dr.. Pussy is Professor of Hebrew in OK
| ford University, and we find in the Oxford u
| University Herald, of late date, that the at
| tempt to faslen upon the DR.. the charge of
Popery and Heresy has totally failed of its
intended effect. The Herald says
1t is generally understood by those who in
qure into these matters that the passage in
DR.. Pusey's sermon which one Of the Divini-
ty Professors in Oxford fastened upon as Po-
pish and Heretical, turned out upon investiga-
ton to be passage taken from from one Of
those "ancient fathers" who are deferentially
referred to in the in,roduclions to the Book of
Common Prayer as authoritative guides. Thus
has ended, as We are informed, the officous
and uncharitab'e attempt to fas,en charge Of
Popery on Dr.. Pusey. 1t appears that the
passage supposed TO contain Popery, was
written long before any Of the corrupt Popish
doctrines against which the Church of Eng.