The Oxford Movement; Twelve Years, 1833-1845Church, R. W. (Richard William)
Religion
The Oxford Movement; Twelve Years, 1833-1845
Church, R. W. (Richard William)
Oxford movement
Of all these ideas Mr. Ward's articles in the _British Critic_ were the
vigorous and unintermittent exposition. He spoke out, and without
hesitation. There was a perpetual contrast implied, when it was not
forcibly insisted on, between all that had usually been esteemed highest
in the moral temper of the English Church, always closely connected with
home life and much variety of character, and the loftier and bolder but
narrower standard of Roman piety. And Mr. Ward was seconded in the
_British Critic_ by other writers, all fervid in the same cause, some
able and eloquent. The most distinguished of his allies was Mr. Oakeley,
Fellow of Balliol and minister of Margaret Chapel in London. Mr. Oakeley
was, perhaps, the first to realise the capacities of the Anglican ritual
for impressive devotional use, and his services, in spite of the
disadvantages of the time, and also of his chapel, are still remembered
by some as having realised for them, in a way never since surpassed, the
secrets and the consolations of the worship of the Church. Mr. Oakeley,
without much learning, was master of a facile and elegant pen. He was a
man who followed a trusted leader with chivalrous boldness, and was not
afraid of strengthening his statements. Without Mr. Ward's force and
originality, his articles were more attractive reading. His article on
"Jewel" was more than anything else a landmark in the progress of Roman
ideas.[118]
From the time of Mr. Ward's connexion with the _British Critic_, its
anti-Anglican articles had given rise to complaints which did not become
less loud as time went on. He was a troublesome contributor to his
editor, Mr. T. Mozley, and he made the hair of many of his readers
stand on end with his denunciations of things English and eulogies of
things Roman.
My first troubles (writes Mr. Mozley) were with Oakeley and Ward. I
will not say that I hesitated much as to the truth of what they wrote,
for in that matter I was inclined to go very far, at least in the way
of toleration. Yet it appeared to me quite impossible either that any
great number of English Churchmen would ever go so far, or that the
persons possessing authority in the Church would fail to protest, not
to say more.... As to Ward I did but touch a filament or two in one of
his monstrous cobwebs, and off he ran instantly to Newman to complain
of my gratuitous impertinence. Many years after I was forcibly
reminded of him by a pretty group of a little Cupid flying to his
mother to show a wasp-sting he had just received. Newman was then in
this difficulty. He did not disagree with what Ward had written; but,
on the other hand, he had given neither me nor Ward to understand that
he was likely to step in between us. In fact, he wished to be entirely
clear of the editorship. This, however, was a thing that Ward could
not or would not understand.[119]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account