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THE CROSS : TO ARMS ! "The grave has opened , and Christ is coming !" — " Great Britain is restored to the once-rejected religion of God 1 " Thus proclaims John Henry Newman from the pulpit of the Roman Catholic cathedral at Birmingham . " Catholic England has been restored to its orbit in the ecclesiastical firmament , " " to its course of regularly adjusted action round the centre of unity , the source of jurisdiction , of light , and of vigour ! " such is the consecrated proclamation of the Cardinal Archbishop Wiseman in the pastoral letter to his province , that " province" being Great Britain . The mild and modest spirit professed , we do not suppose
insincerely , by Bishop Ullathorne of Birmingham , has no imitation in his more exalted colleague , and his more recent colleague . The Roman Catholic hierarchy begins its administration in a haughty and vigorous spirit , not unlike that of a Dunstan or an a Becket . The trumpet ecclesiastical bursts with hoarse clangour from the incense-clouded aisles of the Pontificate in England ; the hierarchy has taken possession of the land in the name of the Pope ; it summons the people to arise and put down " the devil "—Protestantism . Popery raises its mitred head aloft , and grasps at the entire nation . We are to see it in all its power of lordly doctrine and submissive faith , of pompous pageant , of exalted humility .
Nor is the opposite army supine . The Bishop of London summons his church fellows to the rescue , and invokes an agitation for new Jaws against the Papists . " The London Union on Church Matters , "—clarum et venerabile nomen , — or the committee thereof , declares its belief that the Church of England has truly succeeded from the apostles , and ' * feels compelled to state that it considers the same , " viz ., the Bull , and Cardinal Wiseman ' s address as " unquestionably an invasion of the Church of England ; " which proclamation is duly signed , "By order of the Committee , William T . Young , Secretary . " More vigorous yet , an advertiser of the Times , "E . C , " issues this tremt-ndous war-cry : —
"Tun RinMt on tub I'oi ' E !—the relig ion taught by Jesus Christ 01 tli « mummeries and idolatries ( miscalled religion ) of Home ? This is the real question Now , Churchmen and DispurUora , how choose ye ? No shirking , no quibbling—declare yourtielvos , openly and honestly , for one or the other . We have I ) ad too much Jesuitical hesitation and disguise , but we must li ; iv
the pure and simple theology of Christ with the grovelling and degrading worship of priests , images , and relics . This comparison and enlightenment is , indeed , feared by the Arch-fiend . Centralize your forces in every city , town , and village throughout the kingdom . Unmask the tralllc in human souls—lay bare and strip Popery of its wafer gods , pardons , indulgences , holy-water , miracliiH , gewgaws , and deceptions , ami the Bible-hating wholesale exterminators of all religions but their own stand execrated and condemned . You have been too supine—delay not !—tlio time is come for action . Forward , for the religion taught by Cluiat , and that only , and the victory is yours . "
The tumult waxes furious and looks alarming ; and yet , on second thoughts , one perceives something in it unsubstantial and hollow . What are the Protestants to do ? What blow are they to strike ? With what weapon ? Their weapon must be some verbose and loophole-including act of Parliament ; their blow must be verbal , striking at words . They cannot forbid men to think certain doctrines , to put faith in the Pope , or to meet for the sympathetic expression of that faith : the days
arc gone b y for any such prohibition . They can scarcely forbid men to build edifices in which to meet , although in their secret souls such men may have such intentions . What they can do , perhaps , is to forbid the wearing of particular robes at particular places—for that prohibition has been not unknown—the calling themselves by certain names , perhaps the usinjr frankincense and other perfumes in the enforcement of doctrines . But the most infatuated Protestant can scarcely believe
that any substantial weakening of doctrine will be effected by withholding the use of a particular fragrant drug , or that Dr . Wiseman is suddenly endowed with compulsory power by calling himself " Cardinal" Wiseman : whether he were to call himself Mr . Wiseman or Emperor Wiseman , Grand Lama Wiseman or plain Nicholas Wiseman , it would not make the slightest difference , in increase or decrease , to the actual power which lies in his hand . He can muster no retainers like an a Becket ; he certainly would have no entrance into Buckingham Palace , to destroy the beauty of Queen Victoria in the presence of Prince Albert , however
sinful hemight consider the strong conjugal affection between those persons ; he cannot even setthebeadle to arrest a drunkard , or perform the smallest act of practical authority over a reluctant subject . Were the veriest blackguard in the streets to bully a priest , spit upon the Host , or even go such lengths as to " take a sight" at the Archbishop , his Eminence would have to appeal , like any Mr . Smith or Mr . Jones , for the protection of some neighbouring magistrates in petit sessions . The Pontifical potentate is simply impotent ; his proclamation of power is a sound .
Or if there be in this pageant , unwonted in our day , any sort of influence or power , where does it lie ? What hold has the Cardinal Archbishop or any Bishop of the number upon any British subject ?—none ; except some moral influence , which has been earned by zeal , by studiously conciliating the feelings of the People , by carrying among them , personally , the spirit of religion . If the Roman Catholic priesthood has any sort of power or
influence in this country , it is obtained in no other way except by taking pains , taking trouble , undergoing fatigue and hard work in the appointed duty . If the Protestant priesthood , whether of the Established Church or of any Dissenting community , would desire to override this newlyemancipated Popish power , it can only do so , with any hope of success , by the same means , —
y going among Jreopie , s g sympatny with them , carrying religion home to their feelings in works and in language . The Protestants profess to march under the same standard by a more direct path , and they should , therefore , have in this country not only the numbers but the start , and victory over the more ancient and waning faith in the free field of English discussion should be to the Protestants . The sudden sally of the Romanist forces , therefore , implies a zeal , a
pervading impulse , a religious activity ; iaitns oi every kind within the land are to be reasserted with new energy ; we are to have a day of zeal , and of rivalry for the acquisition of souls . At one time this might have been dangerous to the progress of opinion ; but while Englishmen remain as true to freedom , both in thought and action , as they have become within the last few years , we believe that no impulse can have a permanent effect , except to invigorate and establish the truth . In all these faiths , erroneous as each may be in its exceptional doctrines , there is one essential spirit of vitality—a
spirit which has languished in our day , me - basement of motives , the degeneracy of civic virtue , and the stagnation ol political action . The conflict will stir up that stagnation , and under freedom we have no fear that conflict will lead to anything but the full recognition of the unity of truth . Therefore let each doctrine do its best—the best of each will contribute to the perfecting of the whole . Stagnation is death : power is life .
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announced as * the first aggregate meeting of the present season of the members and friends of the National Reform Association . ' The meeting was crowded to excess , and the listeners , at all events appear to have been in earnest . The speakers were * some of them , loud , some of them fluent , and some of them eloquent . When we looked over their xames we found that they were exactly the same dramatis persona who enacted the same parts on the same stage last year . Sir Joshua Walmsley was the Jupiter Tonans of the occasion , and went through his part , as he always does , admirably , making some slashing and telling hits , as he went along , and exposing all the hideousness of the present system , of misgoverament . Mr . Serle , something much better than a mere member of Parliament , made an excellent
speech , replete with humour , eloquence , wit , and sarcasm . Mr . Fox was magnificent , but when was he otherwise ? Mr . Hume was rather dry and prosy . Lord Dudley Stuart was comme il faut . Colonel Thompson was facetious , but not quite as facetious as usual . The razor of his wit wants sharpening as well as polishing . Mr . Feargus O'Connor was mischievous and noisy . Mr . H . Vincent was magnificent ; and we should have liked Mr . G . Thompson better if he had said more . But , cui bono . to what
will all this lead ? Last year we had meetings of a similar kind . They were crowded to excess . The people flocked to them both con amore and conspirito . But there were no results . We recollect some years ago that an election was won by one party buying the votes of the committee of the other ; and really the Parliamentary leaders of the National Reform party treated their followers almost in as remarkable a fashion when the struggle began in the House of Commons . Their valour was no greater
than that of Falstaff when Douglas was down upon him in the battle of Shrewsbury . They fought as often as what is vulgarly called a ' cross' could be got up , exhibited with foils , tilted with blunted lances , were heroes in sham battles , but never would come to the scratch in good earnest . They loved blazing away with gunpowder , but had a steady and thorough hatred of firing with ball cartridge . Go back to the history of the last session . It speaks for itself . The Paladins of Reform were by turns lions and lambs : they were fierce as Bobadil when sure to be defeated : and turned tail , like Acres , whenever
they had a chance to win . A friend of ours , astonished and disgusted at their extraordinary performances , wrote up to one of them in no measured terms , asking , we believe , in the plainest English , ? What the deuce are you fellows at , making fools of both yourselves and the country ? ' We saw the answer , and it was a grievous exposure of the little motives of little men . One would not vote because some particular motion was not to be worded in his own fashion . Another was jealous of such and such
a person being leader . Another was checked by his wife , who had set her heart upon an invitation to some party to which only a Minister ' s lady possessed the open sesame . ' Another had his eye upon a certain piece of patronage , and did not like to give offence . Many were afraid of being too much in earnest , lest they should damage the Ministrj 1-. And so tlic cause of Reform was smothered by its own nurses , just as his nephews were disposed of by their pious uncle in the Tower .
" We perceive that Mr . Hume was received most enthusiastically at the London meeting ; and certainly the people owe him much for his long devotion to their cause . But , somehow or other , he has continued to make very little use of the great opportunities which he has had for serving the country . It is as well to speak out when we are speaking , and we believe that we have the exact measure of * The Nestor of Reform . He is , unhappily , crotchetty in the extreme in his temper , and can by no means be brought to understand the value of cooperation . He would rather bo Samson among the Philistines than
Wellington winning his Waterloo at the head of a well-disciplined army . Ho never organizes his Parliamentary forces ; indeed , if we are not greatly misinformed , he never consults with any one as to any certain course or policy being followed , so that he is just as likely , with the war elephants of the ancients , to fall back * find trample upon his own friends , as to break through the ranks of tno enemy . Wo question , in truth , whether Mr . 3 Iumo does not prefer the laurel of martyrdom to the laurel of victory . At all events , we believe , from the peculiar temper of the man , that he was much happier as the solitary financial Itcformer of old times against a host of
THE FINANCIAL AND PARLIAMENTARY REFORM CAMPAIGN . The following remarks on the opening of the reform campaign have been forwarded to us by one who subscribes himself * ' An Old Reformer . " This writer has a good claim to the title he has taken . Few men have worked more heartily in the
cause of reform than he has done , and no one is better acquainted with the state of feeling among the earnest Reformers in the North of England . We do not agree with him in all that he says , but we have much pleasure in publishing it , as snowing " the estrangement produced among that class of politicians by the lukewarm and uncertain course pursued by their Parliamentary leaders : —
' The parliamentary agitators for reform have recommenced their work . Wo look on with doubt , We arc old , and , therefore , it may be , suspicious , We have freqiiently been disappointed , and , therefore , have no great faith in mouth patriots . *• These gentlemen have opened their campaign of preparation for their Grand Exhibition of 1851 by what they somewhat pompously and magniloqucntly
Tories than he is when surrounded by allies to support and help him . He loved to be buffeted , and is pining away under the sunshine of success . The Ministers seem to bo thoroughly acquainted with his weak side , and to humour and encourage it . Old Joey JJagstock , ' indeed , was not more considerately treated by his many friends than is old Joey Hume ' by tho Whigs . When the friend of the giant coalheaver asked him why ho allowed his little wife of four feet one to beat him with her shoe , tho a miable fellow answered , ' Why , it docs not hurt me , and it pleases she ; ' and even so the Downing-street officials wink at all Joseph ' s small kicks with small minorities against them , under tho full conviction that , if
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SATURDAY , NOVEMBER 2 , 1850 .
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There is nothing so revolutionary , "because there is nothing so unnatural and convulsive , as the strain to keep things fixed when all the world is by the very law of its creation in its eternal progress . —Dit . Arnold .
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756 * ® t ) e VLeatjet . [ Saturday ,
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Leader (1850-1860), Nov. 2, 1850, page 756, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1857/page/12/
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