Page:The Church of England, its catholicity and continuity.djvu/193

 from which rays of light emanated to the surrounding neighbourhood. London was made acquainted with the Movement through the work of Oakley and Leeds, through W. F. Hook, who became the Vicar of Leeds in 1837. Mr. Hook found a shocking state of things in the parish when he went to it. "Of the seven Churchwardens," says Mr. Hore, "none, except the one appointed by the Vicar, were Churchmen; they resolutely refused to spend a farthing on such matters" as surplices, which they called rags, "until they were threatened with proceedings by the Archdeacon. When they assembled for Vestry Meetings, they piled their hats and coats on the altar, and even sat upon it, and soon afterwards, under the increased number of communicants, they grumbled exceedingly at the increase of wine required for the Holy Communion, and objected that the consecrated wine was, as the Rubric directed, drunk in Church after Celebration, instead of being reconsecrated; and they remained in the Vestry to guard, although there was strong reason for suspecting that they themselves drank, the wine." All these evils, however, Hook soon removed. This was the state of things, remember, only as far back as sixty years ago, and it was what could have been found in many Parish Churches. You can see then what a change the Oxford Movement wrought in England. Hook showed his love for the cause in another way. He was honoured with an invitation to preach before the Queen, in her Royal Chapel. He took for his subject, "Hear the Church." It was his object to show that the Church was not founded at the Reformation, as it was commonly believed, but that it existed in