The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1870-07-17

ing out to the full those practices and doc
trines which it processes to observe but
fashionable Anglicanism has been doing
exactly the contrary. It has been taking
lately q step towards Romanism, which, if
the English language means anything, is at
direct variance with the Thirty-nine Arti-
cles and the precepts of the ssBOok of Com
mon Prayer Many Of the Church of
England ministers in this country. have
established not only the practice of con-
ally built themselves confessionals in their
churches. They write and talk of 4" the
mas, }" and preach about it being &c sacri-
fee for the living and tho dead, exactly
- Roman Catholic priests would do, and
in direct variance With tho articles of their
ton to obey. On laat Good Friday, in at
least two of the Church Of England churches
where q " high ritual" az it is called, is
observed, the clergymen wore, in imitation
Of what IL done at Rome on that day,
coarse serge gowns, and carried out Ro-
man Catholic devotion known as the "Sta-
tions Of the Cross" :
The most curious part Of the story is
that, although they thusimitate the Roman
Catholic clergy in dress, devOtions, preach
ing, and even doctrine, they will not admit
that. they do SO, but talk Of themselves as
the ancient Catholic Church of England,
quite forgetting how that Church was first
Catholic doctrines, and how utterly impos-
sible tits to profess, consistently, Catholic
opinions in q Protestant church. They are,
and thousands of the Established Church
are following them-in point of fact, play
ing at Popery without the Pope-and are
fast educating the English people to be-
come Roman Catholics. In the meantime
Rome 10 not slow. to profit by their acts.
Day by day and week by week are con-
verts from Anglicanism received into the
Catholic Church here in. London. The
Jesuits' Church on Farm street, the Orato-
Charles at Bayswater, TO say nothing of
other churches, are perpetually receiving
the abjurations of Anglicans, who, having
been led by their own pastors to q certain
point, see how utterly absurd and Illogical
1t 10 mot to go through hat they have
suaded Of the truth of Catholic doctrines,
and that they cannot rest on what is really
Protestant Church.
Though the following may seem like q
REPETITION of the foregoing, it contains
facts and illusions worthy of considera-
ton:
Where To THE whole phase of religion
in England is now well worth studying.
With the last few years q saying has arisen
into vogue which, in few words, gives a
pretty plain idea of what many men think
upon this subject. "Turn infidel, turn
Catholic, or go mad" is an expression
which needs but little Interpretation. 1t
means that men begin to think they must
ment, and take to what is called natural
religion" or else that they must give up
entirely all private judgment and rely
upon the teaching of another, otherwise
the controversies of the day will drive
them demented. Fashion has certainly
taken the side of semi Catholicism, or
rather, 1 should say, of that sham Catho-
licism which is called Anglican rituaiism.
But real Catholicism certainly holds it's
own and something more even in the
regions of fashion. There are no churches
in London better attended, and, curious
enough, none at which the proportion of
men to women is SO great as the Roman
Catholic churches at Farm street, Spanish
place, the Oratcry, Bayswater, Chelsea,
Great Ormonj street and others. And,
strange to say, some of the leading Catholic
priests in the metropolis, including the
Archbishop himself, are converts from An
glicanism to the Roman Church. There
formed us last week, upwards Of 900 Ca
thoiic priests or one-eighth of the whole
number, who were once ministers of the
Church of England, as by law established;
and among the leading men Of the Roman
Catholic laity it is the same. There are no
AoWSr -tu1u Gon peerS-namely, L0r0 Beau
mont, the Earl of Buchan, the Marquis of
Butte, the Earl Of Denbigh, the Earl of
Dunraven, the Earl of Gainsborough, the
Earl Of Granard, Lord Howden, the Earl of
Oxford, and Lord Louth-who are all con-
verts to the Catholic Church, and have
become SO within the last twenty years.
Among the baronets of England there are
no less than eighteen who have Joined the
same Church from Anglicanisnl during the
last quarter of o century. All this, to say
nothing of the host of men without titles
who have travelled the same road, indicates
the bent of the public mind in England at
the present day. And, curious enough, the
leading spirits among the comic journals
of London have each of them a gentleman
who is a'convert from Anglicanism to the
Roman Catholic Church. These are Arthur
Sketchley, of Fun, F. 1. Burnand, of Punch,
and Arthur a Beckett, of the Tomaha,Uk.
To these may be added the leading speaker
and reader of the day, Mr.. Bellew, and
Palgrave Simpson, one of the best, if not
the best, dramatists of the present day.
Surely all this indicates that a change is
coming over the spirit of our dream ere
very long in religious matters in England.
Parents often see their faults=refected in