The North Eastern Ensign at KellyGang 29/10/1872
TRUE, the Church of England exists in name as a Church, and is supported by the fact of her alliance in the old country with the State. But beyond the great strength that this union gives her, can she be said to be in the real acceptation of the term a Church?
The notion that the term a certain church conveys is a religious organisation of so many persons holding certain dogma, observing certain forms of religious worship, and being controlled by a certain discipline. Can it be said that now for over 30 years-the Church of England has presented to the world the spectacle of a divided body? Time was when the uniformity of doctrine, and practice of the church were existing facts. But suddenly one Dr·Perry arose, and falling back upon what was perhaps the written though disused law of the church, he and his followers commenced advocating the resumption of practices long since by the tacit consent of all Church of England people followed to drop into abeyance.
These observances, partaking as ,they did of Ritualism; were defended on the, ground that, there was the written authority in existence. The shadow was preferred before the substance. At this juncture where were the Bishops of the Church of England? Where were, the men who were adorned in purple and fine linen, and who drew enormous incomes from the church? Did they at once say the innovations attempted are opposed to the real Evangelical spirit which is or should be the essence of the existence of the Church? No, they tampered with the evil. In fact, Dr Blomfield, the then Bishop of London, to some extent sided with those who had thrown, as it were, a bombshell into the bosom of the Church. Its was reserved for him to find out that it was a great error to preach in the college gown which had hitherto been the practice to do, and he discovered that the proper garment to be worn was the sacerdotal surplice. Now, it matters very little whether a clergyman wears any surplice or, gown when he preaches, but this change of the dress had just this significance that whereas a sermon is but a lecture delivered by an individual expressing his own opinions, the alteration of the dress sought, as it were, by a side wind to clothe the sermon with an authority not properly belonging to it.
But this innovation was by no means the only one. Far more important ones were made. The doctrine, or rather what was supposed to be the doctrine, of the Church of England was rudely assailed. Ritualism became rampant, and maintained by the High Church party still exists in the church. We are told that some few years ago clergymen appeared before the Archbishop, of Canterbury arrayed in vestments totally unknown as belonging to the church. He made them take them off before he would address them, but it is a pity that he did not take steps to rid the church of its false priests. It was over and over again alleged as a reason why the Puseyites, Ritualists, and other innovators ejusdem generis were not dealt with was that they had' the rubric of-the church to a great extent on their side.
This perhaps to a certain extent is true, because some of the appeals made against Ritualistic practice in doctrine to our ecclesiastical tribunals resulted in the accused parties coming off triumphant. This happened frequently, because those who were brought up had the written law of the church to fall upon. What should have been the course of-proceeding adopted by those to whom is supposed to be confided the-interests of the church. Had the bishops proved true to their trust; had they shown themselves desirous of maintaining that Evangelical doctrine which has from time to time been so ably put forth by the faithful stewards of Gods' mysteries, who labour within the Church, they would have advocated such an alteration of the 39 articles, and such an alteration of the rubrio as would have brought the doctrine and practices of the Church of-England into conformity as far as written law was concerned with what before Dr Perry’s time was the doctrine really preached and the practices actually carried out.
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