The Irish standard., 1907-04-06

SeiSSC VI " Slo"NH6 dliI NOSp0H1H3
conviction. for the first time the guess
tion of the validity of Anglican Orders
came to me. and while looking at the
lovable face of tho Anglican rector.
found myself face to face with the
awful thought that perhaps, after all.
Mr.. r. was not truly a. priest. The
meeting over. I hurried to my room,
and wrote to John Henry, Cardinal
Newman. I told him Of my new-found
dread and craved his guidance. He di.
rected me to q Catholic priest. obey
cd him. I was duly prepared to be re-
ceived. my eyes being set on the
priesthood. when on submitting the
whole matter to my father. drew
back in obedience to his wishes.
From that time hence to within q
tried with all my heart to be loyal to
Anglicanism. L went into the Angli-
can ministry with the determination
to be true. When doubts came I con-
soled myself with the reflection that
at all events I was preaching Catholic
doctrine, at least in part. Ritualist I
never was, since in my opinion Ritual
ism is not worth fighting for. It
also seemed to me that it was as often
prompted by Protestant motives as
Catholic. 1 deemed 1t my highest duty
as an Anglican to preach and teach
the Catholic faith as 1 understood it.
not Ritualism. 1t was easy to see that
there was no authoritative statement
for tho beginning of the Ritualistio
movement, and its existence to this
very day is in defiance to whatever
semblance to authority there is. When
attempts arc made to Justify it, ap-
peal is made to a Church that extends
beyond Angicanism, and it is, there-
fore, of course. defiant of the one aus
thority its officials recognize.
"a living Church must have 4
means of expressing itself, an author-
ity that may be exercised and appeal
ed at any time. Who has the right to
speak for the Anglican church? When
challenged, it's appeal is always mado
to the unattainable, the impossible,
something which Anglicanism Is ut-
ter unable to bring into being. A head
less church has no more authority
than any other chance combination Of
individuals. The dream of a future corr
porate reunion of Christianity can
never displace the personal conscious
ness of a present responsibility to Je-
sus Christ. 1t is not for us to know
or to say what the Spirit Of God is go
ing to do. much less to dictate and an
ticipate His sacred plans in sanctify-
ing the world and bringing mankind
into the union of the faith. That hon
est. though mistaken, men may be in
struments of God for the upbuilding
of His kingdom no man can question;
but that one who knows a larger truth
can be loyal to himself or to God by
remaining an official of religion he
knows to be false is wicked beyond
all question. To believe with Father
Francis Paul that God requires him to
stay with those he believes to be in
schism until he can bring them back
together to the fold of Christ is like
a man maintaining it to be his duty to
break the commandments because by
beginning to keep them he would lose
influence with the rest Of his family
when he desires to sanctify them all
together. He that is not with Me-
declares our blessed Lord, is against
Me, and he that gathereth not with
Me scattereth.' However wise we may
be in our own conceits, Gods way oF
working demands constant and un-
qualified allegiance ofe ach individual
conscience. The end, however good it
may be, cannot justify means which
demands the violation Of conscience
in the smallest degree. We must leave