Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord, to all Bishops and Pastors, to maintain and set forth Thy truth in its fulness, and to every member of this Association, to be sound in faith, holy in life, and conformed to Thy holy will in all things; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Any Special Prayers may here be added.

We beseech Thee, O Lord, pour the spirit of Thy love into our hearts, and unite all whom Thou feedest with the One Bread from heaven, in one faith, hope, and charity, and in outward communion when it shall seem good in Thine eyes; through the merits of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Our Father, etc.

And his last address to the Confraternity before he retired dealt with the Holy Sacrament. He said

"We may look with thankfulness to Almighty God for our extensive growth from the day on which a small band gathered in the parlour of All Saints, Margaret Street, of whom the greater part have passed to their rest. During the interval we have seen great progress, for which we have continually prayed. We have seen the faith we hold extending itself, till we fear its fashionableness may eat out its true depth. We have seen the symbolic ritual spreading_daily and at last sealed with authority. . . . We have seen Reservation for the Sick steadily growing, and in some cases with due authority, and this in both kinds, as it surely ought to be. And in speaking of Reservation, may I add for myself that I can see no authority of a Catholic kind for services founded on such Reservation. We may certainly say that Benediction is only the use of a very few late centuries.

"While we thank fully recognize this continual progress in the main features of Eucharistic truth and practice, we may surely count it our special blessing in our portion of the Western Church that we have the Catholic Liturgy in our own tongue, 'understanded of the people,' and our Communion in both kinds, thus keeping our Eucharist as our Blessed Lord ordained. We are surely right in thankfully preserving these our special privileges, fruits of long and painful conflict."

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66

ROMAN SELF-ASSERTION"

It will be seen by these last words that Canon Carter, in his great devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, was to the end against the spirit which disparages everything English and exalts everything foreign; and he made his stand on behalf of "our Church's true position," and would only accept developments when they were consistent with apostolic and primitive belief and practice. The Roman denial of our Orders was to him "Roman self-assertion," and only should call forth "a calm re-affirmation" of our position.

The following brief retrospect is in Canon Carter's own words, and will call up many memories:

My sympathies drew me to All Saints, Margaret Street, and to Upton Richards, as a centre, and this the more when I undertook the Lenten courses there. He and I were alike embarked in the Church movement, and this with a common mind to promote moderate action in the great Ritual struggle. There we often met to consult, and more than once communicated with the bishops, seeking to bring about, if possible, some locus standi. T. W. Perry was also of one mind with us; and Chambers of Soho. Then it was that we resolved, with a view of establishing a settled doctrine, and a basis of teaching as to main principles, according to what we believed to be Church of England truth, to form the Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament.'

"There met for this purpose, besides Upton Richards and myself, Chambers, Perry, Cosby White, Charles Lowder, Lyall, Mackonochie, and Robert Brett. We met in the common room of the Clergy House. The Manual shows what our principles were. To prove our desire to preserve a moderate line, it seems sufficient to say that we would not make an absolute rule of Fasting Communion."

CHAPTER X.

CHARACTER.

It is very difficult to portray the character of a person whom one may have known for a great number of years most intimately, to present him in a book as he really was, to those who have never known, perhaps never seen him. Some regard the subject of this Memoir as an ecclesiastical firebrand; others, as a great student; others, again, as an unapproachable ascetic. He was really none of these. He was, it is true, mixed up with many controversies, in some taking the lead; but he hated prominence and disputes, and loved unity and peace. The keenness which he manifested when what he believed to be the true doctrines and practices of the Church of England were assailed, and forbidden by Courts which, in his opinion, were not invested with any spiritual authority, arose from his vivid realization of Divine things. Position, place, honour, gain, ease, are objects which would not have a feather's weight with him, when in the opposite scale some doctrine or ceremonial of the Catholic Church was assailed. The following letter, which is characteristic and bears no date, but appears to refer to the disturbance caused by the Bath Judgment, was written to Butler of Wantage, with whom Carter of Clewer, half a century ago, worked heartily, especially in those early days, in defence of the Faith.

"DEAR BUTLER,

"I have given my name. It is with diffidence, and with the reverence I feel for our bishop, that I differ

U

from his view, though I hardly see how he could have said otherwise. But (1) I do not see that it is another article, it seems to me only an assertion of truth we have held. It pained me more than I can tell you to act as an individual in such a matter; but how else can we act?-not in Synod, diocesan or provincial, in such a matter. Our bishops cannot act except individually. (2) I cannot feel that our pulpits meet the case of a public wrong. We have a double charge, one a pastoral sphere, and one ecclesiastical. This comes under the latter. If we cannot speak regularly in this, what is left but to do it irregularly? Spain was driven to guerilla warfare against the French, and we seem in a like case. Individual protest has always been the refuge in extreme cases according to Catholic custom. We are in extremis, I feel, in this respect. (3) It does furnish the list of a few names, and the enemy may cut us down piecemeal. But this seems to me better than remaining perfectly silent about it and leaving them to say, 'You accept it, and you dare not speak out.' Our strength would be in united action; but this is now impossible, and the next ground of strength appears to me in bearing witness, and transmitting our witness now; it may tell for us one day, if not now. Prayer is, indeed, the great strength, and I trust that on this protest will be founded a brotherhood for revival of the truth about the Blessed Sacrament.

"But I do not see what strength there is in not speaking, for in the Courts of Law, etc., the enemy have it their own way, and in a few years the popular mind succumbs to the legal decisions.

"Of the time I know not: It may be premature; but at last we cannot do otherwise, and then we have already protested against the Court of Appeal, and cannot recognize it; and what we protest against now is no less a matter than a heretical sentence of the Metropolitan, and this, I suppose, is sufficient cause.

"If the cause were quashed on technical grounds, there still remains the archbishop's sentence, and this needs some set-off against it; and in the appeal, what are we to expect? I cannot hope that a Committee, formed by the present Government, and backed by the popular voice, will overrule a judgment of the archbishop. I should like to know what the bishop means by saying, 'It will stand greatly in our

1 This was done by the Founder of the C. B. S. many years after.

way. What is in his mind to do? or what can even he do? What has he done to remedy the Gorham matter? This is a far more difficult matter, and with less of sympathy.

"I do not write as if I were shaky. I have no temptation to be so, thank God! I am resolved to die at my post, or, if driven from it, die anyhow where Andrews, Ken, Wilson, etc., have left their bones.

"But I feel I cannot be where I am without clearing my own conscience, by asserting that what one of our brethren is deprived for, I hold; and I see no help but in this clearing of individual consciences.

"I do not write as seeking to persuade you who can judge much better, and have this strong witness of our bishop with you; but only to clear myself in your eyes, and to show that it has not been heedlessly done, that I have resolved on what I felt could not but be opposed to his view, and an individual acting, but could not do otherwise-salva conscientia. God bless you ever and all your work.

"Your ever affectionate friend,

"T. T. CARTER."

The fervour and courage which are breathed in this letter, and the restful faith in the Anglican Communion, were marks of Canon Carter's spirit throughout his life. He never doubted the triumph of the cause; he was too convinced that he had truth on his side and magna est veritas, et prævalebit. The calm courage, the dignity of bearing, and lovable smile, all combined with wonderful humility, were evidences of a great personality. Those who knew him almost throughout his clerical life, speak of his marvellous industry and selfsacrifice on behalf of what he conceived to be the best interests of the Church of England-her spiritual well-being; and thus he was drawn into controversy by the encroachments of Erastianism. We find in a published letter to the Archbishop of Canterbury, expressed with a force and clearness which had great effect, the grounds upon which he lamented the declension of spiritual power in the Established Church, and the interference of Parliament with Church Courts. We will make a quotation: "When we come to the latter period of the Georgian era, there is a constant interference. The