Page:A Pastoral Letter to the Parishioners of Frome.djvu/26

18 was a dark time, that of the Judgment of the Privy Council in the matter of Baptismal Regeneration. It seemed to better men than myself as if the days of the Church of England were at that time numbered, and I spoke in fear and dread of what might be the case in the course of time, and what has been the case even now to a great extent. How many of the most gifted clergy have been in their consciences compelled to depart from the communion of the Church of England! The Bishop of Exeter solemnly declared that "very serious doubts have been raised in the minds of many whether the Church if she continued passive under this judgment, would not forfeit Her claim to be a portion of the Church of ." If you will candidly read the Bishop of Exeter's letter you will find that I on my part have said very little more than he said in expressing doubts and misgivings as to the ultimate issue to which the Church at that time was hastening. We all know how it was in every mouth that there was a great crisis hanging over the Church of England, that we were in great peril of heresy, that no one could tell what would happen next. My words were indeed strong, and simply because I felt strongly. If I had not loved the Church very dearly I should not have spoken at all. It was only because I loved the more, that I feared the more, and fearing the more, spoke the more. Forgive me this wrong.

Towards the end of the cited passage, you observe the words "Protestantism" and "Catholic." It has occurred to me that very possibly some persons may have a confused idea of what I there meant. By saying "Protestantism will sink into its proper place and die"—they might understand as though I meant that it ought to die. I must acknowledge that I did so mean. But the question is not whether Protestantism ought to die—but what is Protestantism. The Church of England does not come under that title in its proper sense, for ecclesiastically Protestantism means the Lutheran and Calvinistic sects of Germany, and their followers the Presbyterian, Independent, and Puritan