CHAPTER XVIII 1864 WHEN, as at present, in my old age, long over eighty years, verging on my ninetieth, I look back upon the tract of time I have traversed, I see a world that has passed away never to return, and it occurs to me that some account of it, its mode of life, its passions and prejudices, its religious and social changes, may interest some who were yellow-beaks when the twentieth century began. With respect to the political changes I say nothing. I leave them to be dealt with by others. I witnessed the Evangelical party passing into another phase. The Evangelical revival of Wesley and Whitefield was altering its character. Among the ignorant it had substituted emotionalism for conscientious conduct. It had practically dissociated morality from religion. Among the middle classes it had conduced to smugness, which proved an invincible barrier to spiritual progress. The lowly and meek character was to be found solely in the Church, and not widespread even there. In the nineteenth century came the Tractarian movement, which insisted on religion being not only individual but also social; on conduct against feeling. It brought into prominence the doctrine of the Church, of which the Evangelicals had no conception ; as also of the continuity of the Faith and the necessity of Apostolic mission, which were negligible for the sectarians. What line will be taken by Churchmen in the midst of the twentieth century it is hard to prognosticate ; but it seems to me that there will be two movements, one retrogressive to Tillotsonian Latitudinarianism, and the other progressive towards the enforcement of the duty of worship. Hitherto, English people have entertained little notion of any duty owing to God, the primary 325
