The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1872-07-28

ism which is gradually -depriving IL Of
what "burs and brambles" OF TRADITIONAL
Christianity still remain sticking to II; In |
subject by describing the present character
and historical origin Of the Rituaiistic
party assigning, Of course, as the cause OF
its present beliefs and practices, the OK
ford movement which made the Anglican
the traces Of the fact. that the Church Of
England was originally compromise, the
theology on the stock Of Anglicanism.
The Fathers, however, soon began to make
it inconveniently plain to their Anglican
s9'ss THAT
a process Of doctrinal development, ana
Joyous to that which DR.. Newman contends [
for in his "Essays on the developments Of
Christian Doctrine" began to show itself
among those members Of the Church Of
their teaching. The party moved on; and
seeking the roots of its principles in the
writings Of the Fathers, found their full
expression only in "Roman" doctlinee.
Here we may observe in passing that Mgr.
Capel dealt two blows in one; he showed,
which would have been out of place, bnt
by appealing to a well-known, a public
fact, that, whatever difficult passages may
be picked out here and there by perverse
industry, the Fathers are essentially Catho-
lie, and that the life which animates the
Anglo- Catholic movement is derived from
the Catholic Church. To deal two blows
in one was, indeed, sufficiently observa-
BILE feature in the lectures. This position
he strengthened by reference to number
of Ritualistic publications, original, trans
lated, and adapted by noting that Ritual
ism is not finished system. but q move
ment; by giving statistical facts, showing
that the chief harvest of converts comes to
us through the labors Of the Anglo.Catho-
lie party and by pointing out that the
special devotions which have been intro-
duced into the Anglican communion by
that party are those which have become
prominent not in ancient but in post-re-
formation times. It would be impossible,
within the compass of an article, to give
any adequate idea of the richness of in
stance and illustration by which these gen:
civilizations were supported.
From this frat position, however, the
next two naturally follow. If the spirit
which animates the Anglo Catholic party
is neither the.spatural outcome OF Angii-
cauism nor tends to rest in Anglicanism,
then it is natural to suppose that no pro-
v's;on lie made in! the constitution OF the
Catholic doctrines and practices, and that
they would as soon as they had attained
sufficient degree of notoriety, be rebuked
and repudiated by the official organs Of
, that Church. In this connexion, therefore,
Mgr. Capel proceeded to consider the dis
obedience and Standardization to consti-
tuted authority, which has been SO much
remarked on as one of the characteristics
of the Ritualists the necessity of abstain
, ing from any outward alteration of Our
Lloyd present in the Eucharist; the aonor-
, NAL manner in which alone they can hear
> confessions; and the position which any
opinion which represents the Eucharist az
, sacrifice holds in the Anglican Com
, munion, If it represents it to be sacrihce
otherwise than by figure Of speech. And
:. lecturer made it his business to contrast
not individuals with individuals, bat
= Church with Church. Not bringing promi;
4 nently forward his own opini0ns, or the
y opinions of this or that Catholic theologian
;, he studded his discourses with very clear
and lucid explanations of what the Catholic
. Church teaches on whatever subject was al
= the time under discussion and, passing
! lightly over the proofs, brought into relic
. the nature of the Catholic. teaching, insist
Z ing chiefly on this point, that what is held
= naturally and practised safely in the Catho
lie Church can be held only in an attenua.
|. ted or a distorted form, and be presented
!, only at disadvantage by Rftualists-s
e manner of setting forth the subject calcu
= lated both to lead on members of tht
. Anglo Catholic party, whoswere present in
: large numbers, and to win over other Pro
= testants into higher esteem of Catholic
! doctrine which was at the moment beine
9 treated than it would probably have beer
:. possible to do with any other method o.
: Representation. In the same spirit he al
q together declined to deal with the Ritual
q lists as If they were mere free-lances, in
! position to PROFOUND whatever doctrines
q they might think fit. He reminded then
: that they were Office bearers Of q Church
4 and that so long as they SO remained they
. must abide by. the teaching of that Church
;, As to what the teaching of the eChurcl
. of England is, he in like manner declined
R;tSsIiste sse SosS heag.o ., 90,
were interested persons, and because they
did not represent the Church of England
but stood in an isolated and suspected po
sition. When he wanted to know wha
n was the spirit of the Church of England
a. he would address himself to the authorized
Of organs of the Church of England, to hel
le legal tribunals, to the solemn and publ,
1t utterances of her Bishops in their charges
a.