left out. She never forgave herself the slightest fault; the least emotion of self-esteem, a hasty word or action was enough to make her fall on her knees to the Superior and ask her pardon. The whole of her life was contained in these two words, Charity and Sacrifice.' It was impossible not to be struck with her perfect modesty, her cordial loving manner, and her wonderful spirit of recollection. At first she was appointed to the superintendence of the classes, afterwards of the workroom. Her influence over the children was perfectly astonishing. She succeeded in subduing the most rebel natures, and compelling them, by the very force of her love, to follow and obey her. The chapel, the linen, and the dormitory were committed to her care. She worked incessantly, but without ever interrupting her mental prayer. In the evening she used to be sent to read prayers in the wards of the hospital, and to dress the wounds of the sick. There she was in her element, and the overflowing charity of her heart shone in her face as she approached their beds of suffering. Our Sister Superior admired her as much as we all did, but thought it necessary for her health to insist on her taking some rest in the morning. This was a real trial to her ardent soul which sighed for continual communion with GOD. Once or twice she could not resist the desire to kneel and pray behind the curtains of her bed; which the Superior discovering, reproved her severely and mortified her without remission for a long time, in order to put her humility and patience to the test. She bore it well,-for when the time came for her to receive the last sacred vows the same Superior asked for this grace for one in whom she could detect neither fault nor even imperfection. I used specially to admire in her that union of the character of Martha and of Mary-always at her post, always in her work, and yet always with her heart fixed on things above.""-Pp.177-181.

The rare virtues she displayed in religion were sure to bring upon her the discipline (so painful to one possessed of such unfeigned humility as hers) of being placed in a post of authority over others. This was an especial trial to her; and when at last came the hardest blow of all, in the long series of advancements,viz., the being appointed Mère Générale of the society, her grief could hardly be restrained as she exclaimed that such honour was a penance due to her sins.

The year before she had been appointed Superior of the Mission at Madrid; and the account of her journey there with her Sisters is worth the attention of religious in our own country.

"From Bayonne, the journey was long, wearisome, and even dangerous. The rigour of the season, the bad roads, the miserable diligences, all added to their fatigue. But the Mother never seemed to give it a thought. Their number was too large to be able to keep together in one compartment. She made the Sisters change places so as to have each of them with her in turn, always taking the worst and most exposed corner to herself. Every religious exercise was attended to on the journey as regularly as if they had been at home. Vocal and

mental prayer, hours of silence, and all the rest. There is a saying, 'that a journey rarely contributes to sanctification.' She reversed the proverb. The more she was free from the petty occupations of a household, the more she seemed to be united to GOD, and to make progress in the interior life. But this did not prevent her watching over the health and comfort of her Sisters in every possible way. Her only anxiety seemed to be for them.

"After four days and nights consecutively spent on the road, perished with cold and exhausted by fatigue, they arrived at the House of the New Foundation at Madrid, but to their dismay found it was entirely empty. There were neither tables, nor chairs, nor beds, nor a single article of furniture; so that they were obliged to seek hospitality elsewhere, and the Spanish Sisters of Charity took them in by twos and threes till all were housed. But the Mère Dévos worked so energetically during the course of the next few days, and was so ably assisted by the charitable ladies who had asked for the establishment of the Mission in their city, that towards the end of the week they were once more reassembled together under the roof of their new home. A great many necessaries were however still wanting, and some of the Sisters felt unhappy and discouraged at so inauspicious a beginning. The Mother on the contrary, though older than the rest (she was then fifty-four) and accustomed to the perfect order and convenience of the Hospital at Rochefort, never seemed to feel their manifold privations, except to make her Sisters look upon them as great privileges. we not happy?' she would exclaim. S. Vincent wished that we should not be better off than 'our masters' the poor, and now we have the consolation of feeling that they are better off than we.' "-P. 202.

'Are

Some of the sayings of the Mère Dévos which are preserved are very indicative of the true religious and loving spirit by which she was possessed. The love to GOD which burned in her spirit opened her heart to her Sisters, and caused a strict avoidance of anything savouring of censoriousness, or discussion of the faults of others. But with this overflowing charity to all, she yet desired that her Sisters' lives should be hid with CHRIST. She was stinting of praise, and feared lest the devotion of her children to herself should be "too human.'

Her character was well balanced. A strong habit of obedience was a counteracting force to the ardent faith and vivid imagination which might have made her unpractical. Tender love and bright geniality kept her severity from becoming hardness; while a firm and undoubting trust in Him on Whom her soul was stayed was the safeguard by which her lowly humility avoided degenerating into fear and weakness.

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188

THE BISHOP OF CAPETOWN'S STATEMENT.

A Statement relating to Facts which have been misunderstood, and to Questions which have been raised, in connexion with the Consecration, Trial, and Excommunication of the Right Rev. Dr. Colenso. By the Bishop of CAPETOWN. London: Bell and Daldy.

THE Bishop of Capetown has done well to publish this "Statement," which is at once a Review of the Colenso case in all its sad stages, and an exposition of the law as bearing on the relation existing between a Metropolitan and his suffragan Bishops, modified as it may be, by the Statute Laws of the realm.

The Bishop's vindication of his conduct towards Dr. Colenso, as being free from all prejudice or precipitancy, is quite triumphant; and we shall confine ourselves entirely to the question of the authority belonging to the office of Metropolitan. In the main it is an historical question. The Bishop thus states it :

"They who question the existence of a Metropolitan of South Africa, in consequence of defect in the mode of appointment, must question the existence of the office altogether in primitive times, for there is as full sanction for that office in Africa in this day, as ever there was in the Church of the three first centuries, or even at the Council of Nice. That it existed during those centuries cannot be questioned. It may, or may not, have originated with the Apostles. S. John may, or may not, have been Metropolitan of Asia, but there is no doubt that the Apostolical Canons speak (can. xxxiv.) of the office as in full vigour at the time of their enactment, and Bingham's sixteenth chapter of his Second Book will furnish sufficient authorities for those who have not the works of canonists like Van Espen, Durand, De Maillane, or Thomassin to refer to.

"The famous sixth Canon of the Council of Nice speaks of the office as having been in long existence, it does not create it-Let the ancient customs be maintained.' It gave its sanction to what it found, and what previous Councils had approved, and stamped it with a new authority. It rests with those who question the position of the Metropolitan of South Africa, to show that he holds his office under a lower sanction than the Metropolitans of the Church of the first three centuries; or that any other authority than that of Bishops was needed to give them their status and jurisdiction. The consent of the State, still less its appointment, could not have been needed, or given, before the Council of Nice, for the State was, up to that time, heathen, and persecuted the Church.

"The office, then, clearly exists. What are its functions? Have they been exceeded in this case? How are we to judge in such a matter? The canons of the Church are the proper authorities to appeal to on such a subject. 'But what canons?' says Dr. Colenso (Letter to Mem

197

ROYAL COMMISSIONS AND THEIR RESULTS.

To meet the ritualistic difficulties of the day various expedients have been suggested. It is admitted by all parties that, except in a few doubtful matters of detail, the ritualists have the law on their side. Although the original insertion of the rubric respecting church ornaments may have been made in accordance with Queen Elizabeth's wishes to protect the usages retained in the Chapel Royal, it is certain that it was deliberately maintained in the subsequent revisions. Dr. Sandys, in a letter to Dr. Parker, says, "Our gloss upon this text (the ornaments rubric) is that we shall not be forced to use them, but that others in the meantime shall not convey them away, but that they may remain for the queen," (Strype's Annals, iv. p. 83.) This quite explains all subsequent royal injunctions and visitation articles, which sought to enforce not the maximum but the minimum of ritual observances recognised by the Church.

The necessity of the times caused many irregularities to be overlooked, and whilst instances are found of the Edwardian ornaments being retained, it was impossible to enforce them. Even the endeavour to enforce so simple a rubric as that chancels should remain as they had been in times past raised a storm of opposition against Archbishop Laud, and after the Restoration it was the policy of a wise moderation not to press matters too far; for which reason divines were content that the law protected a Catholic ritual, which they were not without hope might one day be universally restored, whilst they tolerated some Puritan innovations in expectation that they would be put away when ignorance was enlightened and prejudice removed.

And what the Caroline divines hoped is now, as far as we can see, in a fair way to be realized. The revival of Catholic doctrine has borne its natural fruit in the revival of Catholic ritual. The one without the other would have been but an empty sham. A Catholic ritual where Calvinistic doctrines were inculcated would be an unreality which we should be very sorry to see, but Catholic doctrine cannot be taught and received without being followed by Catholic ritual as its natural correlative. This is just the history of the ritual controversy of the present day. The opposition is really to doctrine and not to ceremonies which, however full of devotional expression to minds embued with Catholic truth, are meaningless and empty forms to Puritans; nor is the charge made that Priests endeavour to force unaccustomed rites on unwilling congregations, for ritualism is pre-eminently a lay movement, and in rare instances has any unusual ritualistic observance been restored except at the desire of the congregation. If the rulers of VOL. XXIX.-MAY, 1867.

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the Church endeavoured to force on unwilling clergymen and their congregations the Edwardian ornaments and Eucharistic vestments, the same complaints might be made as were urged against Archbishop Laud; but, as it happens, the bishops have almost without exception discountenanced the movement. Nor would we complain of their having done so. The movement has been more steady and real, discountenanced and opposed, than if it had been urged on by any external authority. We need not blame the bishops, who have preserved us from the danger of unreality, nor need we grieve at their lukewarmness, which has often been more apparent than real, if they will only abstain from repressing ritual, which has been a result to which clergy and congregation have together arrived from consideration of the fitness of things, and of what was due to GOD's service.

Ritualists do not desire that the ceremonies which they have revived should be anywhere enforced where conviction of their propriety has not preceded their adoption. All they claim is liberty to use what the law of the Church protects, and they are willing to concede to others equal liberty to continue long-standing abuses until they are convinced of the propriety of a change. Under these charitable feelings the cause of ritualism daily grows, but the intolerant spirit of Puritanism cannot brook, the sight. The churches of the ritualists are crowded, whilst the congregations of the anti-ritualist clergy grow thinner. The Puritans are not content to trust to the righteousness of their cause for success, but demand the aid of the law in putting down ritualism. Unfortunately for them, they find the law on the side of the ritualists, and therefore they ask that the law shall be changed. Appeals have been made to the bishops, but they are powerless to act against the law, although in too many instances they have expressed a wish that they could. We think it would have been more conducive to peace if they had answered with Gamaliel, "Refrain from these men and let them alone, for if this counsel or this work be of men it will come to nought; but if it be of GOD, ye cannot overthrow it, lest haply ye be found even to fight against GOD." This would not have prevented them from holding aloof from the movement, if they felt that their position required that they should do so, until they had tested its genuineness and discovered whether or not it had a tendency to increase a spirit of devotion, and to ripen the fruits of a holy life.

It is not, however, for us to dictate to the bishops the conduct which they ought to have pursued, and it must be a satisfaction to every loyal churchman that one so earnest and true-hearted as Dr. Pusey should, considering their position, express himself satisfied on the whole with what they have done. Yet the resolution of the Upper House of Convocation has done nothing to allay the irritation of the anti-ritualists, and the bishops, by consenting to