id on the basis of Scripture,
we could do on the basis of the Church; Trinitarian and Unitarian
were further apart than Roman and Anglican. Thus we had a real wish
to co-operate with Rome in all lawful things, if she would let us,
and the rules of our own Church let us; and we thought there was no
better way towards the restoration of doctrinal purity and unity. And
we thought that Rome was not committed by her formal decrees to all
that she actually taught; and again, if her disputants had been
unfair to us, or her rulers tyrannical, that on our side too there
had been rancour and slander in our controversy with her, and
violence in our political measures. As to ourselves being instruments
in improving the belief or practice of Rome directly, I used to say,
"Look at home; let us first, or at least let us the while, supply our
own short-comings, before we attempt to be physicians to any one
else." This is very much the spirit of Tract 71, to which I referred
just now. I am well aware that there is a paragraph contrary to it in
the prospectus to the Library of the Fathers; but I never concurred
in it. Indeed, I have no intention whatever of implying that Dr.
Pusey concurred in the ecclesiastical theory, which I have been
drawing out; nor that I took it up myself except by degrees in the
course of ten years. It was necessarily the growth of time. In fact,
hardly any two persons, who took part in the Movement, agreed in
their view of the limit to which our general principles might
religiously be carried.
And now I have said enough on what I consider to have been the
general objects of the various works which I wrote, edited, or
prompted in the years which I am reviewing; I wanted to bring out in
a substantive form, a living Church of England in a position proper
to herself, and founded on distinct principles; as far as paper could
do it, and as earnestly preaching it and influencing others towards
it, could tend to make it a fact;--a living Church, made of flesh and
blood, with voice, complexion, and motion and action, and a will of
its own. I believe I had no private motive, and no personal aim. Nor
did I ask for more than "a fair stage and no favour," nor expect the
work would be done in my days; but I thought that enough would be
secured to continue it in the future under, perhaps, more hopeful
circumstances and prospects than the present.
I will mention in illustration some of the principal works, doctrinal
and hi
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