The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-06-02
RELIGIOUS THOUGHT III ENGLAND.
Capels Attack on the
RitualiSts.
Severe Condemnation of Their Movements-No
Authority for What They Did-Obsdience
in the Catholic Church as Com
pared with the Dsobedience
Of the Ritualists.
LONDON. May II. 1872.

The English public has, during the last week. de-
voted a great part of its attention to religious
question: The discussion has been set in motion by
Catholic dgnitary. although the phase Of religious
thought under discussion calls itself Protestant
Up to some years ago there WERE broadly speaking,
but two great parties In the Church of England
the High Church party, which chung somewhat
tenaciousy to the past, and had liking for ritual,
and the Evangelical or Low Church party. which had
little respect for authority, and leaned towards CAL
vnism the subject Of ritual. These two par
ties have of late years been subdvided into two
others. From the High Church party have sprung
the dtuasts who carry respect for authority, and
ritual to lengths dreamed OF by High Church.
men. And from the Low Church party have sprung
Broad Churchmen. whose disrespect for authority
and the past have developed into freedom OF In
depreciation on Scriptural subjects, and on doc
trines which orthodox Evangelical shrink from as
= dangerous latitudnaranism.
THE POSITION OF THE RITuALIsTs
q s very peculiar one. To the plain mind they can
seem but hopeless contradiction. Setting out
N with theories that must lead to Catholicty they
yet stanchly affirm their Professionalism. Like the
Catholic they regard the authorities of the Church.
as in way diviney appointed, and, therefore,
with the right Of demanding almost implicit obedi-
n ence. Yet in almost every diocese in England they
are at open issue with the bishops OF their Church
N
posed to bear some resemblance to Catholics They
believed in seven sacraments In place OF two.
Confession and transubstantaton offered no din
Guilty to them, and their ceremonias were Inn
pressve and elaborate. These things might havo
led to the speculation that Ritualism would be
garded with some kind of favor by Catholics. This
speculation has been very rudcly dispellcd this
week, and he by whom it has been dspelled is no
81 less person than
MoNsIGNoR CAPEI.
The name Of Monsignor Capel is not unknown in
the United States. He Is the Monsirnor Catesby-
\ the brilliant, jealous, successful Catholic propa-
gandist of Mr.. Disraelrs "Lothair." This man 1t is
above oil others who has made scathing attack
on the rtnallsts. Heshas shown how illogical Is
: mean stratagems they employ to evade the plain
meaning of the Protestant prayer book and OF acts
) Monsignor Capel's discourse viii CHI has attracted
attention. The non-Catholic English public has been
tary attacks the priestcraft the sacerdotal Tyranny
exercised BY the ritualists. The discourse, has on
= has shown that Il Catholic dgnitary OF high rank
has the warmest contempt for subterfuge ana FOR
meaningless and tmid hesitation between oppos-
y ing creeds append an abstract OF
MONsIGNoR cAPEI's ADDRESS
N Movement Toward Catholcism'' in England, he
II selected the especial subject Of his discourse
the question of the Wth which Ritual
3 and order the performances OF certain religious
rites lie reminded MS hearers tnat on the preVl-
Gus sunday he said, II he were asked what was the
4 special characteristic of the present movement
~ towards Catholicism in England, he should answer
that In its outward appearance 10 was essentially
revolt against the Cnurc that while the Church OF
Antiquity made obedience one of its ruling prin-
Is archbishops, bishops, onvocation-everyt thing
" God forbid that lie should have any motive
r. in speaking he did, save that Of love
n OF truth There were men engaged In this move
y ment for whom he had the greatest affection and
admiration-men who honestly believed they
M members Of the Catholic Church; but he also knew
men who were dishonest in this movement, who
the movement for their own ends and purposes.
Where was the authority OF these menY The apos-
ties spoke, not merely as earnest men with convic-
tions, but with an authority which not theirs
il with an ambassadoria authority. Every corporate
cipie of authority. Take an army surely the sources
Of authority must be in the commander in-chief.
i different departments were mapped out with a due
regard to mutual dependence. This gave to the
s Wished 'a, Wo ss
on n sandy basis. Was 1t not the same with mighty
j empire like this, which boasted that the sun set
not on the domnions 1t pOssessedS In the Catholic
Church nothing was more marvellous than the
spirit Of obedience and the limitation or authorityu
a different grades. No priest could start liturges Of
a his own take the initiative in anything without
the permission of his bishop. The teaching OF the
= the bishop by him who ruled over the Church Of
God. In this way they were power the world
back to oxford the authority 1t had given him, and
that was the first impetus given to the movements
II called "CatnOlC" BuL now cilaHpeul HOW MARVEL
- lous the contrast between the conduct Of Newman
and of the who now directed, not the movement.
q bishops, who defed all authority and claimed for
themselves authority that no bishop or priest Of
the Catholic Church dare claim For them the voice
OF the bishop was not the voice OF authority. Not
wthstandng the Articles OF the Church of England,
this new body OF men loudly declared on their own
~ authority that there are seven sacramento,
q and not two Notwithstanding the assertions OF
= their Prayer Book they permitted the alteration
4 OF the body OF the Lord. Notwithstanding the dis
tinct voices of their BISHOPS the istinct
- Expressions OF their own Prayer Book they were
give cooring to their own position. Their Prayer
: Book said that those who were in trouble OF con-
them counsel and comfort; but the practical COM
mentary Of the Ritualsts upon that was to insist
r. upon all persons going regularly to their confes..
& the statues and images at devotions, and all that
: Catholics did in their devotion to the Blessed Virgin.
y to do this If tho Rituasts were asked for
y their authority, one of their answers was
Church Ia Of antiquity. That Was utterly fa iit.
Il because the rites they had introduced into London,
to the ancient Church. These were not practices
- Of antiquity but practices introduced since the
Councilo f Trent Earnest as these men were, great
q as were the sacrifices they made, they had not ~
& shred of authority for what they did. II they had
any authority 1t might be summed up in a sentence:
they initiated Rome TO the fullest possible extent.
Was 1t possible there could be living power in
that body2 They knew as we'll as the bishops knew.
that to promote these things in the name OF
Catholics, ana at the same time under the garb OF
protestants. was not the way TO uphold the truth,
to make men honest, or to make them advance to-
the Catholic Church. Their authority in opposition
to all bishops was an authority derived exclusively
from themselves. What consequences had resulted
rom that2 There were facts associated with that
authority which were simply shame and dis
grace to any man or any body OF men. When men
were In doubt and were taking onward steps to-
ward the Catholic Church, these Ritualsts who hah
deaed their bishops, were in the habit OF saying
they would take upon themselves the responsibility
OF these peoples souls Neither pope, bishop nor
priest had right to hold position OF that kind
but the Ritualists having usurped authority and
deed their bishops, laid down such things as these.
m such serritude did this authority hold people
thdt-dnd English audience ,cO,ttd scarcely De-
lieue it-these people dictated ,chom their docka
should see schon1 ttey shoutd hno,c and arietber
thev should rtst their Friends or not. Where was
the Catholic priest who dare do such thinaa
without bringing down upon him the
severest censurc OF his Church ? Catholic
nrIn nothing do with Ahn.s