The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-06-10

lconspiracy aimed to disrupt Protes- tantism In England and bring about reunion of the English church with the Church of Rome, MT. Begbie's book is a strong one-a very able piece of fiction and 1t indicates great possi- billties for this author in the realm of fiction in a different field. The dis turbing element which is to disrupt | the English Church and cause it's lamalgamation with the Romish church | is the fictitious Society of Nicodemus, named for Nicodemus of old because of the secrecy of his religious vows. This is Roman Catholic society of course, which exists solely in the mind of the author for fiction purposes. Looming up as central and noble fig ure is the Bishop of Marlborough who in the rash enthusiasm of youth with early leaning toward the Romish church took the oath of the Nicodemus society. This youthful indiscretion en- bitters his later life. There Is a secret book in which are enrolled the names of the clergy who have taken a like oath. Another figure of note is a beautiful society woman, a widow whose name has become tarnished and who seeks renewed recognition in soci- ety for the sake of her daughter a girl of rare loveliness of person and purity of character. She obtains by stealth or rather theft, possession of the mysterious secret book of enroll ment to use it as 8 club over the un- happy bishop whose powerful church. fly influence she seeks thereby to pro- mote her restoration to the charmed society circles she covets in behalf of her daughters interests. There is an other noted figure, Father Severn, l lhead of the Nicodenus society, who Is represented as an interruptions and exceedingly cunning Jesuitical priest of great physical strength. He hounds | the unfortunate Anglican bishop who | had long ago recanted, to the bitter end A rich. plausible. corpulent, vici- ous, interruptions rascal, a promoter of corporations for his own selfish ends i to the ruin of nearly everybody that he ropes into them, has the beautiful widow in his power through heavy loans he has made her which she can- not meet Into the web of the story | is woven beautiful idyllic story of youthful lovers, the scenes of the lov- CTS meeting and troth-plighting being rural France and rural England. The course of true love does not run smooth. MT. Begbie's diction is ele- gant. and his story one of real power. What MT. Begbie says of the fictitious Society of Nicodemus is interesting to say the least. He says;
 No one would have suspected that the humble curates all over England, who modestly and with careful de- ference suggested to their old fashion ed Low Church incumbents some Slight advance in the character of the church services, and went about in the houses of the parish uttering cunning tolerance for the High Church party, and leaving books and tracts secretly lissued by the Sacred Society of Ni- codemus, in the name of Protestant
 ism, which sorrowed over the 'dissid- ence of dissent, and sighed for the day when Christ should put an end to the schlsms of Anti Chrlst-no one would have suspected, I say, that these lunassuming Low Church curates-so little more advanced. apparently, than their old vicars and rectors-were di- rected by the notorious Romanist, Father Severn
 The movement of the Sacred Soci- ety of Nicodemus was designed, then, to break down very gradually and In secret the traditions of Professionalism, and to prepare England for entertain ing the idea of visible and corporate reunion with Rome. As Father De- sanette said of the work of Pusey, so l the diplomatists in the English col llege at Rome said of the society; Put seyism is living testimony to the necessity of Catholicism in the midst of our enemies; 1t Is g. worm at the root which, skillfully nourished by our eexertions, will waste Protestantism till | 1t is destroyed
 For many years" MT. Begbie con- tinues In his own person, I've have known of societies in the English church, such as the Order of Corporate Reunion, which attests it's loyalty to the pope and prays for him in secret synod; the Confraternity of the Bless ed Sacrament, which has Requiem masses for souls In purgatory, teaches, one understands, the Eucharist Sacri- flee, and publishes confidential Inter- cession Paper; and the Society of St. Osmund, which published a book call cd The Ceremonial of the Altar in which the priest IS told to bow at the name of Mary, in which the pope is prayed for, and in which the priest, in administering extreme unction is com- manded Wash your fingers, and let the sick man drink the ablution.' In a word there are many seni-secret socl- cities whose only reason for existence is to overcome the work of the Reform ation; but all these societies are ritu- alistic, and for the most part do not pretend that they admire the English position or feel any repugnance for the appalling medieyallsm of the Rom an See.
 "The Sacred Society of Nicodemus, on the other hand"-here the author ;gets back to his f1ction-'came into ex- Iistence with the cold and resolute Ipulse of an age-long propaganda, to work in the most complete and abso- lute secrecy for slow, unnotlced, but Ieternal destruction of Professionalism; Tits members impossible of making a sensation and raising a panic among