even broke out into demonstrations of a tumultuous character. After the evils arising from this rubrical movement had spread over about two years, the archbishop of Canterbury, by a letter, addressed to the clergy and laity of his province, dated January 11, 1845, recommended, that the alterations should continue where they had met with general acquiescence, and should not be attempted in any fresh places. As the general acquiescence in them had been rare, and most clergymen who had adopted them had grown weary of contention with their congregations, this letter was fatal to their continuance in the majority of instances.7

8

§ 26. While Romish principles were obtaining unexpected countenance among the younger clergymen of England, serious dangers were gathering round them in some parts of continental Europe. Their influence in Bavaria and western Germany had been very much shaken within the last twenty years. Reflecting Romanists there were grown anxious for public worship in the vernacular tongue, the admission of all communicants to the sacramental cup, the abolition of compulsory confession, and the abrogation of clerical celibacy. These questions of discipline were not canvassed without an effect upon doctrine. Minds awakened by them also began to think unfavourably of the blessed Virgin's prominence in Romish devotions. Hence have arisen the terms, Jesus-worshippers and Mary-worshippers! 3 By these things Germany was prepared for another anti-papal movement of a character much more decided. For this an opening was made by William Arnoldi, bishop of Treves, who issued an announcement, in July, 1844, that on the 18th of the following August, and during the six succeeding weeks, our Saviour's "coat without seam" would be exhibited in his cathedral, for the benefit and gratification of all devout pilgrims. To the astonishment even of numbers who believe such objects to be genuine relics, and value them, above a million of persons made a religious, or rather superstitious, journey to Treves during the period of this exhibition. Many Romanists, however, were ashamed, even more than astonished. While thus 'feeling for their creed, they saw its claims to confidence vigo

7 Full information upon the earlier stages of the Oxford movement may be seen in A Narrative of Events connected with the Publication of the Tracts for the

Times, a pamphlet by the Rev. William
Palmer.

8 Quarterly Review. No. 147, p. 165.

rously assailed by John Ronge, a Romish priest in Silesia, then just thirty-one years of age. His father, a small Silesian farmer of strong understanding, and void of all superstition, had supplied him, though far from easily, with means of education for the priesthood. As this training advanced more closely to its destination, young Ronge became dissatisfied with many parts of the Romish system, and after he was provided with a cure in 1841, his discontent kept constantly upon the increase. It first found a vent in a newspaper article, occasioned by some subjects of dissension in the chapter of Breslau, which Ronge published anonymously in 1843. Being sufficiently known as the author of this, although he would not formally admit it, advantage was taken of some objections to his appearance as unclerical, and to his mode of officiating as irreverent, joined with his refusal to disclaim the anonymous article, to suspend him. The bulk of his parishioners, however, highly respected him; hence his influence was any thing rather than diminished, by a suspension which most impartial observers thought illegal and unjust. While thus in a better condition than ever to command attention, the holy coat of Treves found conversation for all Germany and the neighbouring regions. Ronge now published another newspaper article, but signed with his name, to expose the Treves relic, Arnoldi's conduct in inviting pilgrimages to it, and the divinity which can thus mislead ignorance and credulity. This new offence filled up the measure of Ronge's provocations, and in the December following he was formally degraded and excommunicated. He had, however,

already set Rome publicly and wholly at defiance: nor in this did he stand alone. His letter on the Treves pilgrimages appeared on the 16th of October. Three days afterwards appeared The public Confession of Faith of the Christian Apostolic Catholic Community of Schneidemühl. This place is a small town in the circle of Posen, in Prussian Poland; and its pastor, John Czerzki, who, like Ronge, was a Romish ecclesiastic, drew up the Confession. The two leaders quickly found numerous followers, among whom were a few of the papal clergy, but the great majority were of the trading class. The whole body called itself The German Catholic Church, and it held a synod, or council, at Leipsic, in March, 1845. To this repaired delegates from fifteen communities, and it sat four days. The great principle established by this new community, is the repudiation

of all doctrines uncontained in Scripture, but it might seem that mass in the vernacular tongue is contemplated, apart from a communion; and although the Romish doctrine of purgatory is denied, some posthumous purification of the soul is admitted." The friends of the new system, indeed, are evidently desirous of keeping in mind their original connection with Rome, and of dissenting from her in no particular which they do not consider absolutely necessary. Their secession is, however, too recent for an accurate estimate of its ultimate position. But it has, undoubtedly, inflicted a wound upon the papal church which cannot easily be healed. Its popularity has, however, sensibly declined. The German governments, Protestant, no less than Romish, are hostile to it, and refuse their patronage to its adherents. It is, therefore, found impossible to join the new religious party without compromising material interests, and few men in these days appear to have the zeal that such a sacrifice requires. No leader, besides, of first-rate talent and intrepidity has appeared. Hence mere external power has had facilities for acting upon the new movement, which another Luther would speedily have cleared away.10

§ 27. In Scotland has occurred a great secession from the Presbyterian church-establishment. Its members from the first have been averse from extraneous patronage, or the presentation, by the representatives of those who founded churches, of ministers to serve them. This aversion being entertained by a party that had aided importantly in settling William and Mary upon the throne, led to an act passed in 1690, for vesting the patronage of churches in the elders and landowners of parishes. In the tenth of Queen Anne's reign, this arrangement was by a new act set aside, and patronage reverted to its ancient channels. But many people never could be reconciled to this. Hence a feeling was constantly at work, which at length induced the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland to pass the Veto Act. As the law had stood since Anne's reign, the several presbyteries were bound to inquire into the competence of any person presented for a cure by the lawful patron, and if they

This information upon the German Catholic Church has been drawn from The Luther of the Nineteenth Century, which is a translation of Ronge's own pamphlet, from Laing's Notes on the Rise, Progress, and Prospects of the Schism from the

Church of Rome, called the German Catholic Church, and from an article in the Evening Mail of Sept. 22, 1845.

0 Cotterell's Religious Movements of Germany, p. 67.

found him competent, he was regularly to be placed in possession of the benefice. The Veto Act, however, did not allow presbyteries to sit in judgment upon the competence of presentees, if a majority of the male heads of families, being communicants in any parish where the pastoral charge was vacant, should formally object to the party nominated. These objectors were not even to be called upon for any tangible reasons, but merely to declare themselves, if interrogated, free from all malicious motives, and solely actuated by anxiety for the spiritual advantage of the parish. The General Assembly passed this act as a provisional measure, in 1834. measure, in 1834. A majority of the presbyteries, however, lost no time in sanctioning it, and hence, in 1835, it was made by the General Assembly regularly binding. A minority of the Assembly had strongly protested against it, both in 1834 and 1835, and before the latter year closed, it set the Presbyterian body in a flame. It caused the rejection of a presentee whom the indicated majority in the parish of Auchterarder disapproved, and who appealed, in consequence, to the court of session. By this body his rejection was pronounced illegal, on the 8th of March, 1838. The case now was taken into the House of Lords, and there again, on the 3rd of May, 1839, the rejection complained of was declared illegal. The General Assembly would, however, not retract; but in the same year 1839, came to a resolution, that neither the civil court, nor the legislature, could do any more than deprive a minister of the endowments affixed to his church; questions upon the pastorship of a parish being such as none but a religious body was competent to decide. The cure, therefore, of Auchterarder was treated by the General Assembly as absolutely vacant, and that body nominated another minister to take charge of it, leaving the civil rights and fixed endowments which had provided for its incumbents wholly out of sight. Many people now thought the General Assembly to have indiscreetly exceeded its powers, and accordingly, seven ministers in the presbytery of Strathbogie determined upon a cautious obedience to the law. A presentee came regularly before them, but encumbered with objections from a majority of the communicants in the congregation for which he was presented. The Strathbogie ministers waited until this presentee had obtained a legal call upon them from the court of session, and then proceeded in the customary way for ascertaining his fitness for the cure. On this they

were suspended by the commission of the General Assembly. They now sought legal protection, and thus began a contest, between the General Assembly and the Court of Session, which was protracted over about two years. At length, on the 23rd of May, 1843, an Act of Separation and Deed of Demission, was very numerously signed, by which the subscribing ministers left the established church of Scotland, and resigned all claim to the profits and advantages of their respective benefices. Upon their secession arose immediately the Free Church of Scotland, which now numbers a great majority of the people of that country among its adherents, and which combines with the old presbyterian principles, that perfect self-government which can scarcely co-exist with fixed endowments. Whether it was judicious to treat a clerical freehold in every parish as less useful than a power in communicants to reject pastors whom they may dislike, will, probably, hereafter be commonly thought very questionable, even in Scotland. But undoubtedly the memories of those ministers who maintained this power, in the face of ejection from home and living, must always be respected every where.1

§ 28. In Ireland, much has been done with a view to conciliate and improve the Romanists. Facilities were provided in 1844, by means of the Charitable Bequests and Donations' Act, for enabling individuals to confer fixed endowments upon Romish chapels; and papal commissioners of their episcopal order, named under this act, are to be designated archbishop, or bishop, as the case may be; the mention of any see being of course omitted in deference to the legal claims of Protestants. Thus the existence of a Romish hierarchy is statutably recognised in Ireland. These concessions, however, did not satisfy the more violent Romanists, because no advantage was gained by the regulars, or monastic bodies. The parliamentary session of 1845 offered other boons to Irish Romanism. The college of Maynooth, founded by the Irish parliament in 1795, and supported ever since by annual grants of public money, had become, it was found, quite inadequate to educate the Romish priesthood of Ireland. Hence, an act was obtained to raise the

1 Considerable information upon the subject of this paragraph may be found in a little book entitled, Authoritative Exposition of the Free Church of Scotland,

Edinburgh, 1845. Most of the details are very well condensed under the article Veto, in Brande's Dictionary of Science, Literature, and Art.