Every time I have ventured into print on church-related matters, mainly in writing letters to the press, ecclesiastical or secular, almost by return of post comes a letter containing quotations from one J.C. Ryle, who I understand was the first Anglican bishop of Liverpool and, appropriately enough from that address, despite his firm commitment to evangelisation, a vocal evangelical scourge of Ritualists and Anglo-Catholics wherever they were found. What he would have made of the alliance between Conservative Evangelicals and Catholics in recent years one can only imagine!
I did have the thought that should it become possible to take up the generous offer of the Holy Father in Anglicanorum Coetibus, I may be spared the good bishop’s views about how exactly I have gone wrong! Hope springs eternal!
Interestingly, Bishops Ryle’s more fanatical followers seem not to monitor the internet.
O.K.
Something tells me I should not have written that!
You are correct, some of us do follow the net. Ryle was hardly alone.
ReplyDeleteHave you read William Simcox Bricknell's Judgment of the Bishops Upon Tractarian Theology? Ryle's rather tame.
Why would you use the term "fanatical" in connection with Ryle? Perhaps some are; I'm not "fanatical." Have the Reformation Confessions and history coursing through the veins which is somewhat above Ryle's paygrade.
As to the use of the term, does that say something about "you," a "fanatical" inclination to Romewardizing? Rather "prejudicial?"
No offense however on my end. Not much concerned about TRACTO's other than to note it.
Cheers. And laughing, if not snickeing.
Thank you for that! No, I don't think you qualify at all as being "fanatical."
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure I do either - unless (see my original post) I'm moved to print a stack of copies of Tract 90 in order to send to anyone who writes to the press.
Ah, the glories of the ecclesia anglicana!