The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-03-28
THE CRISIS IN TIE ANGLICAN en- n
The Ritualistic or sncerdotal Movement
Opposed to Its Essential Protcstantisn.

AA0
The RituRlistic or Shcerdotal Movement
Opposed to its Essential Protcstantism.
Frof. Goidtoin Smih in the SET. Culture Magazine.
Ritualism properly 80 called has it's source.
not In the desire OF a basis for the Church In
dependent OF the State. or In any special the
DRY or creed. ecclesiastical or theological. so
much as in an emotional craving for sensuous
worship. Church ordinances and prlestly min
istrations. 1t is traceable In some measure to
the decay Of intellectual belief. which leaves a
void In the religious nature to be filed by
aesthetic emotion. Social fashion also plays
its part. so far az the wealthy classes are con-
cerned: ritualism is tho thing furthest re-
moved from the vulgarlty OF dissent. The
present ascendancy Of the party is largely to
be ascribed to the progress Of rationalism.
which has deprived the more masculine minds
OF interest In the affairs OF the Church.. there-
by leaving her to the more emotional and
aesthetic.
Ritualism is distinctly ecclesiastical and sac
erdotal. not Biblical. 1t even appears to well
come. to a surprising extent. what is rather abb
surdly called the Higher Criticism. The prin-
ciples implicitly accepted in LUX Mundi'
would. II pushed to their consequences. cast
doubt on the whole theory OF inspiration and
leave the Church very little OF q Scriptural
basis.
The Ritualist clergy have introduced tho
mass with all its Daraphernalia. with the ele-
walton and alteration OF the Host and the res
ervation Of the elements. They have intro
duced the whole system Of which the mass
is the cornerstone. including the obligatory
confessional. They have sued to Rome for
recognition. but received In reply the usual in
timation. courteously and lovingly conveyed.
that II they will admit themselves to be here
fi0a and tIatr NrIarg f1 ha IN natinn thnu nnp
be received into the true Church through the
gate Of penance.
possible against the Ritualipts and In favor of
Sir William Harcourt, and the Professionals.
The state Church. II England. is unquestion;
ably Protestant. The sovereign Is Its head
and the crown is expressly limited to Protes-
tants by the act OF succession and the coro-
nation, oath. 1t is forfeited bv, marriage with
Q. Catholic; No one can read the Anglican
liturgy, and ordinal without seeing, plainly
stantiation and the. mass. Wien the question
as 70 the validity OF Anglican orders, was, sub.
mitted to the P9pe he at once pointed out
fer the miraculous powers. History. points
the same way. The man whom the Ritualists
that he had always lived In the Protestant
church Of ENGLAND" Disabilities were i'm:
guarding against them the Protestant State
Church. and. were strenuously upheld to the
last by the Anglican Bishops and clergy. Nor
is 1t possible to deny that the Protestant mem
hers OF the Church. including the bulk Of the
laity. have q very palpable grievance In the
to the destruction of Professionalism. the re-
real OF the Reformation, and the reannexation
the same time the Ritualist may with reason
protest against the submission of the reliR-
ious, conscience to laws made by a secular as;
sembly like PARLIAMENT. including men OF all
religions and Of none The obvious remedy
Is !, disest sran, IN nlt.., or !. this his The d If les
bound up with the general Institutions and
life OF the. nation. But the difficulties will
have to be faced II peace nd.decency are to be
OF The, Bishops. almost all are unwilling to
assert the law against ,ritualism. Most Of
them, probably are ritualists. themselves. 1t
is only natural that they should favor a move
ment which eHalts their own authority. while
undeniably great. affords, a ground for pro.
tecting them independently Of the theological
DIR. Temple. was formerly. as one Of the essay.
ISIS and reviewers, IN alliance with the "a
His position appears now to be changed. .Ho
tenders. as a compromise. ,consubst antiation
tant Luther. But there is not The slightest
warrant, for consuhstantiation in the Anglican
embraced by' the Anglican divines. and wnfIe
Luther's consubtantiation was a way out OF
transubstantiation. Archbishop Temples is a
In Tie cities the %ritualist clergy have de-,
seryediy made way nv mini-terial energy and
their aesthetic. ritual. has its charm. Among
che rural population they do not appear to gain
ground. Hodge is not aesthetic or histori-
church. and he dislikes. on social grounds. the
interference Of the parson with his affairs.
The rock on which ritualism was pretty sure
to split was the confessional. In the exercise
Of this most. perilous function the Roman
Catholic priest Is safeguarded by his celibacy.
He. Is. moreover. limited and guided by the
%strictest and, most authoritative regulations.
To the Ritualist confessional these securities
and repulsive to, British sentiment than the
Interference of the spiritual director in the
home.
The upshot is an explosion OF the old Prot
estant. or. at least anti-sacerdotal. feeling, for
we were hardly prepared. A crisis in the his
tory Of the Anglican establishment is appar-
emily at hand.