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The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 3a

Visit of the English Mission

page 3

Visit of the English Mission.

The report presented by the Council last year made some reference to this matter, which had not then eventuated. We then ventured to express the opinion that the Mission would, in the main, be composed of members of the sacerdotal section of the Church. We said :—

"Some of the clergy in question are admittedly active members of societies, the Romish character and trend of which will be referred to in the columns of The Churchman during the coming few months. Members of the Reformed Church of England may well therefore look askance at such 'Missioners" and be pardoned for doubting whether the inclusion of a few evangelical clergy in the Mission can neutralise the harm eventuating from the advent here of other men of such a dangerous type."

This surmise proved to be in the main correct, a large proportion of the Missioners being of a most pronounced type of ritualists, though there were some men distinctly sound in the faith and practices of our reformed Church. Much has been said and written in England and in this country regarding the "wonderful success" of the mission. Indeed, the terms indulged in by some of the missioners themselves as to what they had accomplished and the light they had spread amongst us, par-takes so much of the character of fiction as to be amusing, but by no means edifying. During the progress of the Mission the League refrained almost altogether from indulging in any criticism of its proceedings, though there was much in some of them which gave pain and sorrow to many true and devout members of our Church. Canon Stuart and some of his companions preached a sound Gospel, and in doing so left an impression for lasting good in the minds and hearts of those who heard them, which, we would fain believe, overshadowed and rendered, in a measure, abortive the efforts of other members of the Mission to lead and encourage our people into thoughts and practices foreign to our Church and its teaching.