New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-09-17
DOCTOR PUSEY.

of tbe death of the venerable Dr. Pusey, OF the
foundcrs of that section of the Church Of England
knovp no tbe High Church or Anglo Catholic party
Doctor pusey's was the not uncommon fato 10
give his nau a TO n movement which he did not start
and OF which he was not the most powerful pro-
meter to be held responsible for opinions when nc
did not share and for tendencies against which he
always struggled and when at last the difference
between his real and his supposed position became
plain. to be accused of changing his ground al
though he stood still and it was the observers
point of spht which shifted. Inc Tractaran
Movement was the result of various forces which
united. about 1888, IN protest against the llber-
alzing srlrt in theology then beginning to invade
the Church of England. The first to give distinct
ness and literary form 10 the principles OF the So
called Apglo-C catholic school were John Henry New
man, John Keble, Richard Iiurrell froude eider
b other of the historian, William Palmer Arteur
PerceyaI and Hugh Rose; and the beginning OF the
movement has always been assigned by Car
dnal Newman to a sermon of Keble's on " NatoDal
Apostasy," preached at Oxford, in July, 1888. Inc
associates differed from one another In many OF
their doctrina views, and their individual Deiiels
underwent "a process of unequal Development WHICH
mad. the divergence more and more striking. But
they agreed in holding to the theory OF apostolcal
succession, the necessity of the sacraments as
thority of the CT urch, and the claims OF anti
unity They would restore the primitive Christian
itv of which the Church of England was one OF the
rirhtful heirs. new reformation was needed
They looked to the Fathers OF the early century LOT
the evidence of primitive teaching, persuaded that
this would DO found comfortable to he real doc
trne4 OF the English Church; and ii the result was
to bring them almost to Rome IN the matter OF the
real presence, priesty absoluton, baptisnal regen'
GRAFTON. ETC. they were sincerely convinced that
the Roman dogma on all these and many other
points was recOncllabe with the Thlrty-NIne Artl-
cles This was the argument of Newman's famous
Tract No 80 which brought the agitation to its
crisis. For the Church of England they claimed
the character of a Via Media, middle way be-
tween Popery and Professionalism. Some OF them
perhaps we're attracted by forms and ceremonies:
but the Tractarian Movement, at any rate in It's
origin. was an intellectual not an emotional dis
turbauce reaction against the antl-dogmatlc
principle which seemed somehow to be maklug lts
way i'm the Church, along with Wing politics ana
liberal bishops.
Newman was the originator and editor OF the
Tracts for the Times" and the author OF twenty
four ont OF the ninety. 1t was not until year or
tv O after the beginning of this remarkable series
of publications that Doctor Pusey became assocl-
ated with the AngloCatholic reaction. lie at
once" says Newman. gave us a position and
namev He had "a standing in the University and
in the world which none OF the Others then en-
loved he had the qualities Of a leader; " he WAS
man of large designs; he had hopeful. sanguine
mind; he had no fear of others he was haunted BY
no intellectual perplexities.' The character of the
Tracts was enlarged under his influence; and Ok
ford became a rail wing point for all the disciples.
This is the account which Newman gives III his
"Apologa" and probably it agrees with the oDln-
ion current at the time among those who were not
concerned in the movement; but in reality II
Pussy gave the associates n position and name"
il was Newman. the quiet amable, retiring scholar,
to the charm OF whvse personal presence and tho
power OF whose active mind the concurrent voices
OF fifty years have borne such Impressive testimony,
it was Newman, we say, who gave direction to
the new theology and formed the men who were to
be its preachers $40 the last" said he, {" never
recognized the hold had over young men," The
argument of Tract No 30 was adopted from him by
Doctor Pussy but Pussy went further than New
man. and contendod that the Thirty Nine Articles
were not only capable OF explanation III sense con
formabe to Roman dogma, but were not properly
Ineligible In any other way-a position much
more difficult to sustain
the censure of this Tract by the Bishops led to
the closing Of the series and to Newmans practical
retirement from active work in the movement
though he was moi yet ready to submit to the Pope
Tho disintegratiOn OF the Tractarian school, how
ever. had already begun. Several OF the disciples
had gone over to Rome in advance OF their leader.
and great alarm had been created In England by
the RomaniZng tendencies which those who stood
outside the movement" were a great deal quicker
70 perceive than those who took part in 1t. How
absolute was the sincerity of these Anglo-Catholics
inither scheme of a Middle Way is evident enough
MT No had N SuS %
where ho was going until near the end of his
Journey and that Pussy whose teachings were in
some respects even more Roman than Newmans,
never nj any time showed a disposition TO embrace
the creed into which his example impeed so many
Others People are apt to say" wrote Newman,
many years aiterward that he was once nearer
TO the Catholic Church than he Is now; pray Gcd
that he may be one day lar nearer 10 the Catholic
Church than ne was then; for believe that in his
reaSon and INDICTMENT all the tune that i knew him,
he never was near to it at all" Even when Doctor
Pusey pu blished his famous ErencOn " in 1863,
suggesting method for uniting the Anglican and
Roman Catholic Churches by process OF explain
mo away differences and declaring that his party
was ready to acknowledge the supremacy of the
Bishop of Rome he showed 50 strong aversion
TO certain essential Catholic doctrines that nis book
was condemned by one party quite as heartily as
by the other lie was one of the few ITactarans
who continued to stand IN our day just where they
stood i'm 1884. The apparent isolation of his later
years was IN part the result of q change in the
popular currents of thought, and in part only the
inevitable misfortune of advanced age. He
very Old man. Most OF The companions Of mis- active
time were dead, and some of the survivors were
separated If not estrnnscd from him. But moreover
In fifty years there has been a great change in the
public feeling toward all theological controversies.
Dictates upon doctrine not in fashion. The
auti-dogmatc tendency against which the Tracta-
rians fought seems tor the time to have triumphed.
The majority, even Of church people, are indlsposed