The Irish standard., 1906-10-06

large and complicated question to
treat of here. they suggest that tho
rubric, under which the ritualists have
introduced Mass $vestments and other
Catholic paraphernalia, should be
amended first by convocation and then
by parliament.
A Very Significant Moral.
! Nov. all this has one clear moral,
and 1t is very significant one. While
the High Church party has for years
been insisting that the National Church
h. q branch of the Catholic Church,
and as such has no power or intention
Of legislating against universal doc.
trine or practice. public opinion. as
represented by the Royal Commission
ers, is once more reiterating Henry
Wills and Elizabeth's contention that
the National Church is an English and
not Catholic institution; that it has
q power of reconstituting itself; of set
ting aside external interference, and Of
developing iself according to the tenn
permanent and preferences OF its mem.
bers, subject only to its own interprcta-
ton Of Primitive Christianity AS
Catholics we have no quarrel with this
retasoning; indeed, it is exactly what
we have always said. but it is no doubt
that it is an immense blow to those
who have hoped to restore the Church
of England to at least semblance Of
Catholic unity. The assault is the
more serious as this time the commits
sioners, understanding that the ritual
lists will not in conscience obey parlia-
ment pure and simple. propose to con-
stitute the Protestant Bishops as a
consultative court Of final appeal in all
matters doctrinal and ceremonial; and
1t seems practically impossible that the
threatened clergy will be any longer
able to evade the logic of their own
principles. For fifty years they have
declared that spiritual cases must be
tried by spiritual courts; and at last it
seems that their desire is to be granted,
with what result those can say who
know how entirely the ecclesiastical
authorities are Identified with the
Moderate party.
Something Will Happen.
at remains to be seen what will hap
pen. for that something will happen is
certain. The Archbishop Of Canterbury
III a strong open. letter has declared his
intention of taking action, and it is
probable that during the autumn the
first process will begin of asserting once
more as clearly as possible that the
National Church is free and independ-
ent of all Catholic tradition and
authority regarded as compulsory.
Probably the best chance for the ritual
lists is to declare for disestablishment,
in the hopes that when once the estab-
lishment Is reduced to the position Of
an: Independent sect their own influ-
ence, which is growing every year, ow-
ing to the disinterested sincerity and
devotion, may prevail over the Moder-
ate policy, and that they may be able
to continue their work of approximate
ing the Anglican communion towards
the lines of the Holy See.
ut will be extremely Interesting to
watch the drama as it proceeds, and It
IS already engrossing to the student Of
history to see how the foundations OF
the Church Of England, laid down three
hundred years ago by the Tudors, and
gradually silted over by the High
Church REVEALS in Caroline and Vic
torian days, are reappearing once moro
upon the surface, as the foundations Of
ancient buildings force their lines in a
hot summer through the superincum.
bent soil. In spite of the eager and
gallant attempts of the ritualistic theo-
Aogians to assert her unity with Chris
tendonl, the instinct Of public opinion
iis a. positive as ever that she is no
more than department Of the state:
that she Is ruled by the monarch in
stead Of by Christ in His vicar; that
her practices and even her creeds are
at the mercy of her laity in the last
resort. and that instead Of being the
organ Of an authoritative revelation,
she IL no more than the mirror OF the
shifting opinions Of her members.
''For this Catholics may be thankful
yet they cannot help sympathizing with
the sorrow Of those who thought that
sand was rock and that figs could grow
on thistles.
Finally, thsre is no doubt that the
next few years will see a great influx
OF disappointed ritualists into the ono
divine city Of peace"
4 -. DULUTH NEWS.