Evening star., 1933-05-14
VICAR DISCUSSES
OXFORD MOVEMENT.
DR.. Bishop Tells of Results
as EpiscopaIians Mark
Centenary Year.
BY JAMES WALDO FAWCETT.

the significance of the centenary Of the
beginning of the oxford Movement in
the Church of England, to be celebrated
at Washington Cathedral this week. A
program of sermons and lectures has
been arranged by Right Rev. James E.
Freeman. Bishop of Washington; Right
Rev. Philip M. Rhinelander, former
Bishop of Pennsylvania and now war
den of the College of Preachers, and a
group of cooperating clergy.
Rev. DR.. S. Parkes Cadman, pastor,
Central Congregational Church, Brook
lyn, will preach on The oxford Move
ment and Professionalism" at o'clock
this afternoon in the great choir OF the
Cathedral The speakers tomorrow will
be: Rev. Shirley c. Hughson, superior,
Order of the Holy Cross. who will dis
cuss The oxford Movement and Com
munity Life" at o'clock; and Very
Rev. Henry B. Washburn, dean, Episco-
pal .Theological School Cambridge;
Movement and the Recovery of Spirit
ual Values" at 7:45.
The oxford Movement. whose CEN
tenary We are Observing" DR.. Bishop
said. should not be confused with the
mission of the Oxford Groups or First
Century Christian Fellowship. There is
considerable difference between the two
Laid Stress on Church.
THE oxford leaders OF 1888 stressed
the Importance of the church as the
organic. living foundation of Christ,
functioning through its apostically-d
scended ministry and through the sac
raments established by Christ himself.
In the church they recognized that Wis
ible society, which has come down
through 900 years and exists among
men today as an organized body, an in
stltution for the preservation and pro-
motion of the Christian faith and an
instrument and channel of Christian
life. Such was the conception of the
church held by John Keble, Eoward
Bouverie Pusey, John Henry Newman
and their fellow workers in the Church
of England, when the oxford Movement
began. AS the Protestant leaders of the
sixteenth century had laid emphasis on
the Bible. they urged the importance of
the church.
These men believed that if the
church really is distinct institution
and concrete organized body, it must
have the inherent right and duty of
self-government. They saw that it
should not be a mere section or phase
of human society. still less mere de-
partment of the state. 1t may be diff
cult for Americans to understand the
situation of the church in England at
that time. The fact is that, as Keble
and Pusey viewed it. the church then
was in danger of sinking to the level
of branch of the crown government
1t was regulated by Parliament, it was
governed by forces outside itself. it was
in no true respect an independent body.
Keble challenged the attention of the
whole English-speaking Christian world
when, July IA, 1888, he preached IA
setting forth his resentment against a
bill which at the moment was before
Parliament to suppress 10 Of the Irish
bishoprics. In effect, he demanded to
know if the people of the church were
willing to tolerate such arbitrary con-
troll of the church's affairs as was i'm
plied in this and other proposals.
Had Larger Purpose.
But Keble and Pusey had larger
p,.-pose than that of a propaganda for
gcater freedom. Their real aim was
to revitalize the conception of the
church. In their judgment, religion in
England had become too individualistic.
They also felt that it had been inf1u-
erced by secularism and unbelief. The
times, they thought, called for mill
tant, an aggressive churchmanshlp.
The church, they said must reaftirm
the faith originally delivered to the
saints, must emphasize its own God
given authority and message, must re-
sist the inroads Of skepticism and IN
difference, must realize and make ef-
fective its calling as ChriSt's one, holy,
catholic and apostolic church.
They published a series of pamphlets
and books, under the general title OF
Tracts for the Times and that is why
they came to be known as Tractarians.
Their publications had wide reading, at
home and abroad.
TT is evident that this was a gen.
uine religious movement, a revival Oh
religion, not only Of personal, but OF
corporate religion. The leaders were
intensely spiritual men, and their pur-
pose was ardent, and their motives
holy. BY their personal example and
by their preaching and writing they
affected real reformation IN Christian
worship and in sacramental life"
DR.. Bishop was asked to summarize
the net results of the oxford campaign.
He said: "The movement exalted the
sacraments and thereby gave added
dignity, restored dignity, as well as
beauty to the worship of the church.
The influence spread to America. 1t Is
so apparent that We no longer notice
or remark it. In the architecture, the
ARRANGEMENTS and the decoration OF
parish churches everywhere it is mani
fest. The preservation of fine old
churches and the building of new
churches and of magnificent cathedrals
is due in some part to it. That is why
it is appropriate that the oxford cen
tenary should be celebrated at Wash
tngton Cathedral.
Vast Changes Resulted.
THE younger generation cannot un-
derstand the vast changes which have
taken place within the memory OF some
of us who are older 1t is not too
much to say that, because OF the OK
ford movement, the Anglican COM
munion has taken on new lease OF
life. And after whole century the
movement still goes on, still exerts an
influence, even outside the boundaries
of Anglicanism, throughout the entire
Christian fellowship. We are celebrat-
ing living force. not Just a hallowed
memory of devoted but exhausted e1-
fort"
DR.. Bishop explained that oxford
University has been the scene Of many
great religious movements. The Trac-
tartan leaders were oxford graduates,
as were Wycliffe and the Wesleys.
They gave the name of their work as
a high compliment to the school in
which they had secured their training.
The oxford men were quiet and
modest in disposition DR.. Bishop de-
clared, far removed from the temper
of the agitator or demagogue. They
were academies. They appealed to
cultivated audiences. The oxford move
ment never has been a popular move
ment in the sense of some other re-
vivals. But perhaps its moderation has
been one of it's greatest values"
The revival Of interest in religious
orders for men and for women, DR..
Bishop attributed to the Oxford work.
He also referred to music, poetry,
iconography, stained-glass and sacred
ha Oyford n