[To the Editor of THE SPECTATOR.] SIR,—There is a passage
in Lord Hugh Cecil's article on the Oxford Movement which is open to serious misunderstanding, such as has already been produced by-previous Anglo-Catholic utterances. His Lordship writes of the "sacramental principle," which he explains to be "that- material -and physical . things may be instruments of divine grace," a principle which "has gained-.adherents, &c." The -inference is that he is making the same claim for Anglo-Catholicism that was made some few years ago by Bishop Chandler who, when preaching at the Patrons! Festival of St. Agatha's, Birmingham, enunciated this principle as a distinctive feature of the teaching of his party. Such a claim seems entirely to ignore the definition -of a sacrament which may be found in the Church Catechism, and which every Evangelical priest teaches his confirmation candidates. If- there are any "old-fashioned Low Churchmen" who neglect to do so, or who hold different views on the subject, then they are black sheep unworthy of the name of Evangelicals.
The difference between Anglo-Catholics and Evangelicals is in respect, not of their belief in this principle, but of their method of teaching it, the latter doing so in such simple terms as those in which it is expressed in the Catechism and without any accretions of doctrine and _ritual which, Savour of paganism, and which encourage superstitious PeColite to regard the Sacrament'as. a fetish.—! am, Sir, "&e.,
EVANGELICAL.
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