Author’s Preface

Throughout the agitation which still prevails among the opposing parties in the Church of England, notably little has been said about the organisation which Christ originally meant His Church to have.

The battle appears to have raged more fiercely concerning what may be called the externals of religion than about its essence.

In fact, the nature of the contest seems to warrant the supposition that none of the parties, with the exception of a comparatively small section, have any firm belief that there was a definite preconceived design of the Church in the mind of Christ when He established her. The absence of such belief accounts for much, if not all, of the “lawlessness” which now exists.

This being so, it might be worth while to get behind the storm, or rather above it; and help, in however small a way, in trying to bring about a calm.

Quite a number of men, who have been watching intently the religious horizon, are of opinion that it would simplify matters much, if those concerned travelled beyond the causes, whether immediate or remote, of this ecclesiastical turmoil, and made an effort to reach what Christ from the beginning designed the internal structure of His Church to be. Nothing else, they think, would contribute so effectually to allay the irritation and bring about permanent peace.

They seem convinced that, if it were proved to demonstration what was the essential form in which Christ decreed to give His Church to the world, all who deserve the name of “sincere Christians” would bow to it unhesitatingly with meek and full submission; and acknowledge that the realisation of it and of it alone was the institution to which men were bound in conscience to adhere.

But it will be said that this is incapable of demonstration—that we have no ladder by which to climb up to the Divine mind and see the image of the Church as therein delineated; and that therefore it is impossible to determine now what the everlasting original exactly was.

Catholics are bound to believe that they have the means of discovering it sufficiently to satisfy all reasonable inquirers—that Christ’s own words afford the required “data”.

It can be proved from His words that—whatever else that eternal design embraced or excluded—it necessarily contained one essential element without which no institution could be a reliable exponent of His revelation; and that one element being conceded, the rest follows as an indisputable conclusion. p. xiiThis point once established, the whole essence of the original design stands out in clear light, and there can be no reasonable doubt as to what it is, and where it is fulfilled.

There are other constituents of that Divine ideal which can be established from Christ’s words; but even if there were not, this one of itself would be abundantly sufficient.

The successive chapters of Part I. of this book lead to the contemplation of the element alluded to.

Method of Treatment.—(1) I have not aimed at style. My object throughout has been to clothe the arguments in the words which might reach most directly and easily the intelligence of the multitude.

As the subject is one of transcendent importance, and concerns the highest interests of the masses as well as the classes, I have deemed it a duty to try to choose the form of proof, which would require least mental strain on the part of those who may have little taste for, or find it difficult to follow, consecutive reasoning.

True, my feeble effort in this direction leaves much to be desired. But the intention has been sincere. And that intention originated in the conviction—a conviction which I share with far better judges and much more keen observers—that, while a hint or a suggestion is enough for the well educated, widely informed, or for acute thinkers, much more is needed in the case of those who are less privileged, and who cannot be expected to see, by a kind of intuitive perception, the connection between premises and the conclusions which are drawn from them.

With regard to this latter class, it may occasionally be necessary to present certain truths in more aspects than one, before they are understood or at least thoroughly grasped.

(2) In some of the chapters, in addition to direct proof, illustrations and reflections have been introduced, with the view of rendering the doctrines treated therein less unacceptable to those who are separated from us; and with the further view of commending these doctrines to their calm and serious consideration.

(3) In parts of the volume, as in its predecessor, are found developments from paragraphs contained in occasional sermons which I preached some years ago.

(4) As to Part II., it is very unlikely that so much space would have been devoted to the Church of England separately, had it not been for her persistent aggressive attitude towards the Church of Rome. Only for this a Catholic writer might be content to let unprejudiced observers view her in the light of the Divine ideal, which is traced in the following pages, and then draw their conclusions. But when distinguished members of even her hierarchy think it a duty to designate—by the disparaging title of “The Italian Mission”—the only Church which can be called universal, it is surely not out of place that Catholics should strive to make the non-Catholic public see things as they are.

This matter, however, shall be treated without feelings of bitterness or words of disrespect. I have never been a believer in the argument of irony or sarcasm; still less have I believed in the wanton or arbitrary abuse of other people’s religious convictions. And I now reiterate emphatically the statement contained in the Preface to my former book—i.e., that I disclaim all intention of consciously writing anything which would tend unnecessarily to give offence to those who belong to other denominations.

In fact it is to show that the Established Church has not been credited, in this book, with anything beyond what is in substance attributed to her by able and loyal members of her fold, that quotations of considerable length from writings of these weighty authorities have been adduced. And it is for the same reason that these extended citations are given in the text, and not transferred to an appendix where they might easily escape a reader’s notice.

The whole scope of this portion of the volume is simply to have her weighed with fairness in the balance of reason and revelation; and to see if anything or how much is “found wanting”.

But while I tell the truth, and nothing but the truth in regard to that Church, I do not ignore, but fully and readily recognise the fact, that certain parties within her profess a larger proportion of Catholic doctrine than is found among the members of any of the other churches which sprang from the Reformation.

Before closing this Preface, I desire to record my sense of respectful and intense thankfulness to the Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster, not only for the interest he has taken in this volume, but also for that which he was pleased to take in its predecessor. … To His Eminence’s kind and timely advice it was due that Indifferentism was published as a book and not (as I had originally contemplated) as a pamphlet.

I have also to express my most grateful acknowledgments to several distinguished prelates and priests for the invaluable help they extended to me in the way of suggestion and counsel.

Finally, I submit unreservedly all that the book contains to the unerring judgment of the one only true Catholic Church.

7 CUMBERLAND ROAD, ACTON, LONDON, W.
Feast of the Epiphany,
6th January, 1901.