The Catholic World, Vol. 25, April 1877 to September 1877Various
Religion
The Catholic World, Vol. 25, April 1877 to September 1877
Various
Catholic Church -- Periodicals
But Dean Stanley represents one only of the four principal sections into
which the Church of England has divided itself; and however complacently
the “Broad” and even “Moderate High” Churchmen may regard the marshy
nature of the ground in which the foundations of their faith, if faith
it can be called, are laid, and congratulate themselves on the fact that
it is neither land nor water, but something of both, there are earnest
men who have no fancy for being amphibious, and who spare no pains and
toil to drain away the stagnant waters from their morass, in the sincere
conviction that beneath the miasma-breeding mosses there lies, for those
who dig deep enough to find it, the imperishable rock.
Of this number seems to be the Rev. Arthur Tooth, vicar of St. James’,
Hatcham, who is now in prison because he chooses to act upon the
principle of “no compromise.” We honor a man who is willing to suffer
for conscience’ sake, and to uphold the right of the church to decide in
ecclesiastical causes, but at the same time we cannot but feel that Mr.
Tooth is more conscientious than logical, and that by his present
opposition he is breaking the solemn promise and oath which, as a
clergyman of the state church, he took, at his ordination, to a
state-church bishop.
Mr. Tooth, on account of certain ritualistic practices—_i.e._, the use
of “Catholic” vestments, conducting the communion service so as to make
it resemble as much as possible Holy Mass, having “a crucifix in the
chancel, little winged figures on the communion-table, lighted candles
on a ledge where he had been ordered not to place them, etc., etc.—was,
by order of Lord Penzance and with the approval of his own bishop, Dr.
Claughton of Rochester, interdicted from officiating again in the
diocese. The writ of inhibition was served him on a Sunday morning
before the commencement of the service; he not only took no notice of
the writ, but also on the following (Christmas) day publicly resisted
his substitute. Canon Gee had been appointed by the bishop to read the
service in the place of Mr. Tooth, but, on his arriving at the church,
the latter gentleman, backed by about forty of his male parishioners,
met him at the door and refused to allow him to enter, upon which Canon
Gee, after protesting against this insubordinate proceeding on the part
of his refractory brother, was forced to retire. Having thus disposed of
the episcopal delegate, the vicar proceeded to display an unusual pomp
in the ceremonial. Six splendid banners were carried in procession, on
one of which was embroidered the monogram of Our Blessed Lady,
surrounded by the words, _Sancta Dei Genitrix_.” The church was crowded
to suffocation, partly with worshippers, and also very largely by people
who had come from curiosity, as was evident by their behavior no less
than by their murmured expressions of ridicule or indignation; a crowd,
not only of “roughs,” but numbering many well-dressed people, had
assembled outside.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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