C.E.M.S.

Waiapu Church Gazette, Volume V, Issue 7, 1 January 1915, Page 77

C.E.M.S.

THE ANGLICAN CHURCH.

(Continued from last Issue. ) The services were literally a duet between the parson and the clerk except when the curate m his bladk gown we nt up the " three decker " to preach. The altar was represented by a small ricketty deal table, with a scanty covering of faded and patched green baize, on which were placed the overcoat, hat, and riding- whip of the minister. The font was filled with coffin ropes, tinder boxes, brimstone matches, and candle ends. It was never used for Baptisms. It was at this time, about- the close of the eighteenth century and the early part of the nineteenth that the Church reached its lowest ebb. In 1829, Samuel Wilberforce, afterwards the famous Bishop, wrote, "I think that the Church will fall within fifty years entirely." The. " Oxford Movement " was the human instrument for making these dry bones live. It was begun by Newman, Keble, Harrel, Froude and a few other earnest men m T833. They bade the clergy mno uncertain voice to stir up the Grace of God that was within them, and betake themselves to their true mother. Later, the movement was joined by Pusey, who proved a tower of strength. The famous sermon preached by Keble m 1833, on "National Apostasy," was followed by the " Tracts for the Times." Signs of revival of Church life became everywhere visible. Churches! were cleaned, services were multiplied and made bright with music. The, Holy Eucharist

was celebrated more frequently, and . with greater reverence. New. parishes were formed, new Churches built and endowed. It was proved to us that this Church was no modern establishment, but that it !'wasf founded m Apostolic times; that it was here when S. Augustine came to extend it ; that our clergy, however unworthy, were royal ambassadors, entrusted with messages of pardon, and with the benediction of peace. This great forward movement of Sacramental Theology and life has opened a way for the English Church into the hearts of the poor, who need something warmer than Cathedral services and patristic sermons, something more nutritious than the dry husks of a negative Protestanism. It is m the masses of the people that the deepest fountains of true life /eside, and it is m the masses of the people that the Church of today has her strongest foothold. In its early stages particularly, the leaders of the movement were assailed with violent abuse, and opposition of every conceivable kind. The Bishops were, one and all, its strong opponents, but through good report and evil report this small band held on its way. Dean Hole mentions that a friend of his was one of a deputation to interview the Bishop of the Diocese respecting the services of a new Church which had been built. They proposed to sing the Psalms. " But, gentlemen," said the Bishop, "Are you aware that it is only m Cathedrals and Collegiate Churches where the Psalms can be sung ? " They pointed to the rubric which stated that the Psalms following may be said or sung. He admitted he had not noticed it. Then they said tney wished the Church to be free and open. The horrified Bishop said, "But, gentleman, have you considered the number of police that will be necessary to miaintain , order ? " We can afford to smile, and to ' smile broadly at this, for the result of the movement stands to-day before the eyes of the nation and . of Christendom. The ; Church's historic fabrics have been recovered from desecration and : decay, and made outwardly worthy of their high purpose. A seemly ' and intelligent type of worship has superseded the monotony and m- I

. tlecorum of !,pld days. Life, energetic life, is tile characteristic of the Churchto^day. Mucli that was lost to us at the v Reformation has been restored to us. : To quote Dr. Gore : " Even the 'secular newspapers seem to .be coming^ to recognise that real 1 acceptance of Church of England ' principles forces a man to realise his profound debt to that Tractarian revival, which, Starting from a small and organised body of workers, sufficiently compact to be called a party m a right 'sense, has leavened so largely the whole life of the Church. God has blessed with results beyond what its first leaders would have dared to ask, the revival of religious life amongst us during the last fifty years. Just m proportion as the Anglican Church has been content to act as if she were. Catholic, and to stir up the gifts within her m that pro-, portion we find she is so, and has the Hving, spirit m her body." The revival is even yet looked upon with suspicion and dislike by many Protestants. "We all know," says Fr. Kelly, " the absurd length to which the nervous anxiety to be ' un-Roman has carried people. Not so long ago, reverence and devoutness m our Churches were regarded with a suspicion as being ' too like them Romans.' We have got rid of a few of • these absurdities, but the spirit; prevails almost as much as ever. On the other hand, extempore prayer, properly adapted and carefully handled, would be really helpful, but that would be 'too like them Dissenters.' " "It is not reasonable," says Dr. Gore, " to dispute that there are defects m the teaching of the English formularies taken alone. The force of the Protestant re-action was allowed to rob the Anglican Eucharistic office of a great deal of quite primitive language. We can trace the influence of a similar re-action m the silence of the Church formularies about the primitive .practice of prayers for the blessed departed, and of the apostolic . practice of unction for" the sick." I believe that many good Churchmen do not realise that m every Celebration of Holy Communion, we offer up prayer for the Blessed Departed, m the words introduced by Bishop Cosin m 1661 ; — " Mpsl^

humbly beseeching Thee to "grant, that by the merits and death of Thy Son Jesus Christ, and through faith m His Blood, we and all Thy whole Church may obtain* remission of our sins and all other benefits of His passion." " We, and all Thy whale Church," that is to say those who have crossed the river, and those who are still here on this side of it— • 11 One fatnilv we dwell m Him, One Church", above, beneath, Thomrh now divided by the stream The narrow stream of death." T n considering the function of the Hi'ii-oli and the relation of the r n"rrh as a Sorietv to the mdi H^"a"l, Bipliot) C^ore says : " Yon may T»ress the claims of the jtidivid"al to freedom to the extent of annihilating all real imitv : or von may T>res.s Church authority so as to annihilate the free development of th» individual. The former extreme may be called ' Individualism.' and the latter, ' Absolutism.' and we should be inclined to call Protestantism on the one side 'individualistic,' and Romanism, 1 absolutist.' On the other side, whilst the Via Media undertakes the difficult task of preserving the balance, the ideal state is a Via Media m which the due authority of the Church nourishes the spiritual judgment of the individual into mature life and freedom." The Anglican (Church claims to be this Via Media, rejecting on one hand, the absolutism of Roman Catholicism, and, on the other hand, discouraging the individualism of ultra-Protestanism. Absolutism has its advantages, for it brings the Church to be at unity with itself, a state m which the Anglican Church, with its many unfortunate divisions, cannot be said to be mat present. Christian truth is preserved and defended, not by the reasoning of an individual, but by the varied powers and perception present m a corporate society, and by its very atmosphere". Again quoting Fr. Kelly : " It is not worth while to do more than to allude to the extraordinary idea that it is somehow ' gentlemanly ' to be an Episcopalian, a nd that a moderate, generally very moderate, Church observance, is connected with one's title to social superior-

ity. These are, no doubt, grave faults m our system. The weaknesses we do need to face seriously are those belonging to our spiritual and religious efficiency. I^et us see what others say about vs — how we may appear to them at our worst. The Presbyterians have a very effective system of government. They have a marvellous system of ministerial training. A great leader amongst them once described the Church of England as the worst governed body m Christendom. It would be generally agreed that the Anglican Clergy are less taught, and make less serious study of their business than any other professional class m existence. The Nonconformist body is full of energy, zeal, readiness to oreanise activity of all kinds : to then* we seem incredibly wooden and lifeless : only our fund of quiet self-satisfaction prevents our knowing that the Nonconformists have far outstripped us m almost every field where new work was required. Some bodies have learning, some have fire, some have organisation ; the only distinctive gift of Anglicanism is its ' starch.' " No doubt there is some truth m this, pnd there is need for reform. Our Chw-ch is not perfect : but it holds m trust for the hallowing of our common life, a tradition of revealed truth, a tradition of worship, helping men to lift tip their Hearts to God, and besides this, a moral standard, a God-given type of character and. conduct — a golden rule of daily life. Her Sacramental system, m which symbol and real spiritual efficacy are combined m outward rites, illustrates that deet> view of eternal religion for which the -Anglican Church stands to-day. It is a. direct link with the unseen, a bridge between this world and the next, a living spiritual reality. It is the pinnacle of our faith and worshir). because it is the highest point of worship, where we become " closer to Him than breathing, nearer than hands and feet." A large section of the Anglican Church holds the doctrine of the Real Obfective Presence, of the Eucharistic Sacrifice, and of the Adoration of Christ m the Blessed Sacrament. It repudiates the opinion of a Corporal Presence of Christ's natural Flesh and Blood. It believes that, m the Holy

Eucharist, by virtue of the consecration, through, the power of the Holy Ghost, the Body and Blood of our Saviour Christ—" the inward part, Or thing signified "—are present really and truly, but spiritually and ineffably, under the outward visible part or sign, or form of Bread and Wine. It believes that Christ, our great High Priest, ever offers Himself before the Eternal Father, pleading by His Presence His Sacrifice of Himself once offered on the Cross ; so on earth, m the Holy Eucharist that same Body, once for all sacrificed for us, and that same Blood once for all shed for us, Sacrament' ally Present, are offered and pleaded before the Father by the Priest, as our Iyord ordained to be done m remembrance of Himself, when He instituted the Blessed Sacrament of His Body and Blood. It repudiates all " adoration " of the Sacramental Bread and Wine, which would be idolatry ; regarding them with the reverence due to them because of their Sacramental relation to the Body and Blood of our I^ord. We believe that Christ Himself, really and truly, but spiritually and ineffably, ; Present m the Sacrament, is therein to be adored.