IN REGARD TO RITUALISTIC OBSERVANCES.-THERE IS A GROWING DESIRE TO INTRODUCE NOVELTIES, SUCH AS INCENSE, A MULTITUDE OF LIGHTS IN THE CHANCEL, AND SO ON. NOW THESE AND SUCH THINGS ARE HONESTLY AND TRULY ALIEN TO THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND. DO NOT HESITATE TO TREAT THEM AS SUCH. THERE IS A GROWING FEELING, WHICH I CAN ONLY DESCRIBE AS AN * ASHAMEDNESS' OF THE ANGLICAN CHURCH, AS IF OUR GRAND OLD ANGLICAN COMMUNION CONTRASTED UNFAVOURABLY WITH THE CHURCH OF ROME! THE HABITUAL LANGUAGE HELD BY MANY MEN SOUNDS AS IF THEY WERE ASHAMED OF OUR CHURCH AND ITS POSITION; IT IS A SORT OF APOLOGY FOR THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND AS COMPARED TO THE CHURCH OF ROME. WHY, I WOULD AS SOON THINK OF APOLOGIZING FOR THE VIRTUE OF MY MOTHER TO A HARLOT! I HAVE NO SYMPATHY IN THE WORLD WITH SUCH A FEELING. I ABHOR THIS FIDGETTY DESIRE TO MAKE EVERYTHING UN-ANGLICAN. THIS IS NOT A GRAND DEVELOPMENT, AS SOME SEEM TO THINK. IT IS A DECREPITUDE. IT IS NOT SOMETHING VERY SUBLIME AND IMPRESSIVE, BUT SOMETHING VERY FEEBLE AND CONTEMPTIBLE. From the last Address of the late Bishop Wilberforce to his Clergy, a few days before his sudden death. (See page 456.) Vindicated: A SERIES OF ORIGINAL TREATISES, AND SELECTED PORTIONS OF PUBLISHED WORKS, CONTRIBUTED BY. EMINENT PRELATES AND CLERGY OF THE Anglican Church: FORMING A CHAIN OF TESTIMONY TO THE SCRIPTURAL AUTHORITY OF HER DOCTRINE AND RITUAL; |