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IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH
AN ESSAY
ON THE
RITUAL OF THE NEW TESTAMENT
"The glorious habit by which sense is made Subservient still to moral purposes
Auxiliar to divine."
-WORDSWORTH
LONDON
LONGMANS, GREEN, READER, AND DYER
1869
130. f. bb.
BALLANTYNE AND COMPANY, PRINTERS, EDINBURGH.
ANALYSIS OF OF CONTENTS.
INTRODUCTION.
Scope of the Essay-For whom intended-Remarks on the tone of cer-
tain Writers on Ritual-The Method adopted in this Essay is an
Appeal to the New Testament exclusively-Why-How to Search
the Scriptures Illustration of Unscrupulous Controversy from a work
by Dr Cumming, Pp. 1-25
PART I.
THE CHARACTER OF CATHOLIC RITUAL IN HAR-
MONY WITH THE NEW TESTAMENT.
CHAPTER I.-FIRST PRINCIPLES.
1. The Great Truths of Scripture do not always lie on the Surface-
2. Ritual Unchristian, unless it leads to, or flows from, "Worship in
Spirit and in Truth"-Our Lord's Words Examined-Statement of
the Catholic View-3. There is no Code of Ritual in the New Testa-
ment-Protestant Argument from this-Catholic Answer, Pp. 29-45
CHAPTER II.-SPLENDOUR.
Splendour not essential to Ritual, yet eminently Christian-This is
Proved from a Review of the Supernatural Phenomena which accom-
panied the Birth, Baptism, Transfiguration, Death, Resurrection, and
Ascension of Jesus Christ, and the Descent of the Holy Ghost-This
was God's own Ritual, and the Model on which Catholic Ritual has
been formed, Pp. 46-62
CHAPTER III.-APOSTOLIC WORSHIP.
Apostolic Worship not Splendid-Protestant Argument from this-Catho-
lic Explanation in the Poverty and Persecution of the Early Church
-Proofs that absence of Splendour was not the result of Principle-
Protestants misinterpret the Accounts of our Lord's “Simplicity" in
the New Testament, as the Jews misinterpreted the Prophecies of the
Messiah's "Magnificence" in the Old Testament-Some Contrasts
of Holy Scripture which Explain each other,
CHAPTER IV.-SUPPOSED DANGER OF ABUSE.
Pp. 63-70
Not so great as of the Splendour of Nature-Illustrations from Travellers
and Poets-Cardinal Wiseman's Description of the Quarant' Ore, and
Coleridge's Description of Mount Blanc-Protestants misjudge the
Effect of Ritual on Catholics: 1. Because they do not understand the
Influence on Catholics of the Belief in the Real Presence; 2. Because
to Protestants Ritual is strange and perplexing, not to Catholics;
3. Because Modern Controversies have given Ritual an unnatural
Prominence Is Protestant Simplicity always Spiritual ?—Testimonies
of Menzel, Hamilton, and Wilson, Pp. 71-90
CHAPTER V.-SYMBOLISM.
Strange Mistakes of some Protestants regarding the Effect of Ritual in the
Conversion of the Heathen, and on Catholic Populations-Splendour
is a Rare Feature in Catholic Worship-Symbolism is an Ordinary
Characteristic—Objections Stated to a Multiplied, Minute, and Sym-
bolic Ceremonial-Appeal to the New Testament—Pharisaism' and
Ritualism not Identical-False Ritualism and True Ritualism-List
of Minute Ceremonies used by Jesus Christ and His Apostles-Con-
clusions, Pp. 91-106
CHAPTER VI.-SYMBOLISM (continued).
Symbolism not proper to the Jews, but common to every Form of Reli-
gion-Examples-The Rites of the New Testament nearly all Sym-
bolical-Illustrations-Symbolical Language of Scripture a valid
Argument for Symbolical Rites-Refutation of Dr Vaughan-Argu-
ment drawn from the Imagery of the Apocalypse-Answers to Objec-
tions, Pp. 107-126
CHAPTER VII.-MULTITUDE AND OBSCURITY.
Two Objections of the Anglican Reformers-Catholic Ceremonial not a
Burden-Some Words of St Peter Explained-Catholic Worship not
Theatrical-In what Sense, to what Extent, and for what Purpose,
Ritual is Obscure-It is like the Holy Scriptures, Pp. 127-137
PART II.
THE ORIGIN OF CATHOLIC RITUAL JUSTIFIED
BY THE NEW TESTAMENT.
CHAPTER VIII.-TRADITION AND RITUAL.
Scope of the Second Part is to show the Testimony of the New Testament
to Traditional Ritual-1. What is Tradition ?-" Unwritten " Tradi-
tion does not Exclude Literature-Yet Tradition is a Living Witness,
Accessible to the most Simple-It is the only Source of Unity-
2. Statement of the Question regarding Tradition-Tradition not
merely Supplementary to Scripture-Tradition is the voice of God's
Works, especially of Ritual-Illustrations-In the Catholic View
Ritual and Divine Tradition do not Admit of Interruption-3. What
would be the Proper Way of Settling the Controversy-Tradition
ought to be heard in its own Defence, yet here the Appeal will be to
Scripture only, Pp. 141-161
CHAPTER IX.-RITUAL A DIVINE WITNESS.
What were the Traditions of the Pharisees-Real and Apocryphal Tradi-
tions Distinguished by the same means as Real and Apocryphal
Scriptures-Protestant Traditions-The Bible was not intended by
God to Supplant Tradition-Proof from History of God's Providence
-Arguments in Favour of Tradition from Prophecy, from our Lord's
Conduct, from the Conduct and Language of the Apostles, Pp.162-185
CHAPTER X.-TRADITION THE TEST OF SCRIPTURE.
Misconception of Dr Whately-He confounds Protestant and Catholic
Tradition-They are utterly Distinct in their Nature-Protestant
Society has only the material Custody of Scripture, and its Traditions
are professedly Derived from Scripture; whereas the Primitive Church
had its Traditions independently of Scripture, and these Traditions
were the Test by which the Scripture Canon was formed-Theory of
a Recent Author, regarding the "Verifying Faculty," Refuted-The
Verifying Faculty must be Educated-That of the Primitive Church
was formed by Tradition-If Tradition is Lost the Verifying Faculty
is Maimed-Even if Protestants could Test the Present Canon they
cannot Test the Books that were Lost-It is certain that Apostolic
Writings have Perished-Protestants can have no Assurance of the
Completeness of the Canon-Illustration of these Principles in the
Matter of Ritual,
Pp. 186-206