"The main purpose is to trace the gradual corruptions of the Church of
Rome, and to exalt the English Reformed Church at the expense both of
the Roman Catholic and Presbyterian establishments. It was written with
a view to the interests of the _High Church_ party."--_Life_, p. 84.
Most men will concur with Jeffrey, who observes:
"It is plain, indeed, that Swift's _High Church_ principles were all
along but a part of his selfishness and ambition; and meant nothing
else, than a desire to raise the consequence of the order to which he
happened to belong. If he had been a layman, we have no doubt he would
have treated the pretensions of the priesthood as he treated the
persons of all priests who were opposed to him, with the most bitter
and irreverent disdain."--_Ed. Rev._, Sept. 1846.
The following lines are from a squib of eight stanzas which occurs in the
works of Jonathan Smedley, and are said to have been fixed on the door of
St. Patrick's Cathedral on the day of Swift's instalment (see Scott, p.
174.):
"For _High Churchmen_ and policy,
He swears he prays most hearty;
But would pray back again to be
A Dean of any party."
This reminds us of the Vicar of Bray, of famous memory, who, if I recollect
aright, commenced his career thus:
"In good King Charles's golden days,
When loyalty no harm meant,
A zealous _High Churchman_ I was,
And so I got preferment."
How widely different are the men we see classed under the title _High
Churchmen!_ Evelyn and Walton[4], the gentle, the Christian; the arrogant
Swift, and the restless Atterbury.
It is difficult to prevent my note running beyond the limits of "N. & Q.,"
with the ample {120} materials I have to select from; but I cannot wind up
without a _definition_; so here are two:
"Mr. Thelwall says that he told a pious old lady, who asked him the
difference between _High Church_ and _Low Church_, 'The High Church
place the Church alcove Christ, the Low Church place Christ above the
Church.' About a hundred years ago, that very same question was asked
of the famous South:--'Why,' said he, 'the High Church are those who
think highly of the Church, and lowly of themselves; the Low Church are
those who think highly of themselves, and lowly of the Church."--Rev.
H. Newland's _Lecture on Tractarianism_, Lond. 1852, p. 68.
The most celebrated High Churchmen who lived in the last century, are Dr.
South, Dr. Samuel Johnson, Rev. Wm. Jones of Nayland, Bp. Horne, Bp.
Wilson, and Bp. Horsley. See a long passage on "High Churchmen" in a charge
of the latter to the clergy of St. David's in the year 1799, pp. 34. 37.
See also a charge of Bp. Atterbury (then Archdeacon of Totnes) to his
clergy in 1703.