The downgrade that has marked Protestantism in this country received a great impetus from a movement that began a little over a century ago. We refer to what is called The Oxford Movement, or alternatively The Tractarian Movement, taking its name from the tracts that were published from time to time to propagate the views of those, who inaugurated it. It was, as we shall see, a subtle effort to undo the work of the Reformation, and fasten the chains of Rome upon the people afresh.
Its advocates at first to a large extent used secret and underhand methods to propagate their views. Protestantism a hundred years ago was still strong in the land, and it would not have done then to have openly given currency to Romish views, so gradually by stealth and deceit it was sought to familiarize and educate the public with these innovations.
The Rev. John Henry Newman, who flagrantly practiced deceit and equivocation in the propagation of his views, kept July 14th, 1833 as the birthday of the movement. Scores of clergy went over to Rome as the result of this propaganda, notably the Rev. J. H. Newman and Archdeacon Manning, both being rewarded for their treachery by being made Cardinals. Many in full sympathy with the movement stayed in outward fellowship with the Reformed Church of England, the better to propagate their views inside by stealth.
The most damning exposure of these secret underhand methods, whereby the Church of England was to be drawn back to Rome, is found in Walter Walsh's monumental book, The Secret History of the Oxford Movement. The copy we have before us is the 6th Edition, 42nd thousand.
It describes the underground propaganda of Newman, Faber, Keble, Pusey, Manning, Ward, Mozley, Froude and others. It was not long before the doctrine of Transubstantiation was introduced; that is, in the celebration of the Lord's Supper, it is blasphemously affirmed, that when the officiating priest pronounces certain words the bread and wine cease to be bread and wine, though in sight, taste and touch they appear to be such, and become the ... very flesh and blood of the Lord. This is called in Romish and Anglo-Catholic circles the Celebration of the Mass.
The writer well remembers an exposition of these views on board a large liner in the Indian Ocean. Three clergymen of the Church of England, one dressed like a monk with a knotted cord round his waist, boldly taught transubstantiation. One of the clergymen said with a good deal of asperity of tone, "Why do not the Protestants believe the very words of our Lord, 'This is MY body... this is MY blood'?"
We might have asked him, if he really believed that the Lord was a Door, because He said, " I am the Door "; or that he was a Vine with leaves and clusters of grapes, because He said, "I am the true Vine "; or when He said, "I am Alpha and Omega" did he believe that our Lord was the first and, last letters of the Greek alphabet? Did that clergyman not know that a good deal in the Bible is couched in vivid, rich, symbolic language? Did he not know that our Lord AFTER He had blessed the bread and wine, when He instituted the Lord's Supper on the night of His betrayal, said-and these are the Savior's own words- "I will not drink henceforth of THIS fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom " (Matt. 26:2929But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom. (Matthew 26:29)). For the fact that the bread and wine remained bread, and wine AFTER He had blessed them, we have the authority of His OWN words.
The clergy of the Reformed Church of England are required to subscribe to the well-known Thirty-nine Articles, as found in the Prayer Book to-day. Therein we read:- " Transubstantiation (or the change of the substance of bread and wine) in the supper of the Lord, cannot be proved by Holy Writ: but it is repugnant to the plain words of Scripture, overthroweth the nature of a Sacrament, and hath given occasion to many superstitions." In spite of subscribing to this plain declaration, there are hundreds, nay thousands, of clergy, who are false to their vows, and who practice this particularly evil and blasphemous deceit of the Church of Rome. Is it any wonder that apostasy is coming in like a flood, when men can swear to uphold the doctrines of the Reformed Church of England, and yet secretly or openly are working for Rome? Can the blessing of God rest on trucebreakers, carrying on their work by dishonorable means? Alas! the leaven of all this has worked to such an extent that what was done by stealth a century ago is done without blushing in full daylight and gloried in to-day.
The late Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. William Temple, assisted by two Bishops, shortly before his death, celebrated Solemn High Mass in a Church in Cardiff. Such an audacious act would have been impossible a century ago. That it could happen to-day without a great outburst of popular indignation shows how far we have traveled on the road to apostasy. The Archbishop's celebration was commented upon in leading newspapers throughout the land, accompanied by pictures of the Archbishop and Bishops in miters and gorgeous robes, copied from Rome, and very far removed from the simplicity of the Scriptures.
Shortly after this Celebration of Solemn High Mass Archbishop Temple died, a comparatively young man. One wondered if the Lord from Heaven, taking note of the religious head of the English Church committing this flagrant act of idolatry in the sight of the nation, breaking his solemn vows, did not remove him from the scene of his evil example. We do not know, but we wondered.
Along with Transubstantiation goes Confession, Purgatory, Penance, and everything Roman, save the primacy of the Pope, and even that is being prepared for little by little.
To show how things are developing the wrong way, we append a list that tells its own tale. It is taken from The Tourist's Church Guide of the English Church Union for 1901-2.
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1882
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1901
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Ritualistic Churches
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2,581
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8,669
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|
Daily Holy Eucharist
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123
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674
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|
Eucharistic Vestments
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336
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2,158
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Incense
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9
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393
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Altar Lights
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581
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4,765
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Mixed Chalice
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4,730
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Eastward Position
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1,662
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7,397
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Doubtless these figures, shameful as they are, are much larger to-day. The latest flagrant example of Archbishop. Temple of the Reformed Church of England celebrating Solemn High Mass, is a sinister sight indeed.
All this evil doctrine and practice is leavening the nation, reviving the tyranny of the priest over the so-called laity; enslaving the minds of men, substituting Romish tradition and superstition for the emancipating power of an open Bible; in short-the undoing of the glorious Reformation, and with the design of reviving all the horrors of the Romish religion, and fastening the fetters of superstition upon the nation.