The Church Association was an English

evangelical Anglican Evangelical Anglicanism or evangelical Episcopalianism is a tradition or church party within Anglicanism that shares affinity with broader evangelicalism. Evangelical Anglicans share with other evangelicals the attributes of "conversionism, a ...

organisation founded in 1865. It was particularly active in opposition to

Anglo-Catholicism Anglo-Catholicism comprises beliefs and practices that emphasise the Catholic heritage and identity of the various Anglican churches. The term was coined in the early 19th century, although movements emphasising the Catholic nature of Anglican ...

ritualism Ritualism, in the history of Christianity, refers to an emphasis on the rituals and liturgical ceremonies of the church. Specifically, the Christian ritual of Holy Communion. In the Anglican church in the 19th century, the role of ritual became ...

, and the Oxford Movement. Founded in 1865 by Richard P. Blakeney, the association stated in its first annual report that the objectives of the association were, "To uphold the principles and order of the

United Church of England and Ireland The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...

, and to counteract the efforts now being made to assimilate her services to those of the Church of Rome." As well as publishing information (including its ''Church Association Tracts'') and holding public meetings, controversially, this also involved instigating legal action against Anglo-Catholics under the

Public Worship Regulation Act 1874 The Public Worship Regulation Act 1874 (37 & 38 Vict c 85) was an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom, introduced as a Private Member's Bill by Archbishop of Canterbury Archibald Campbell Tait, to limit what he perceived as the growing rit ...

; for instance, legal action was taken against

Sidney Faithorn Green Sidney Faithorn Green (1841–1916) was an English clergyman who, during the Ritualism, Ritualist controversies in the Church of England, was imprisoned for 20 months for liturgy, liturgical practice contrary to the Public Worship Regulation Act 1 ...

and

Richard William Enraght Richard William Enraght (23 February 1837 – 21 September 1898) was an Irish-born Church of England priest of the late nineteenth century. He was influenced by the Oxford Movement and was included amongst the priests commonly called "Secon ...

. According to the association this was intended to clarify the law, however the ritualists refusal to comply with the courts verdicts coupled with the bishops unwillingness to act eventually led to such legal action not being pursued.J. C. Whisenant, ''A Fragile Unity - Anti-Ritualism and the Division of Anglican Evangelicalism in the Nineteenth Century'' (Paternoster Press, 2003) p8 In 1950, the association merged with the National Church League to form the

Church Society Church Society is a conservative, evangelical Anglican organisation and registered charity formed in 1950 by the merger of the Anglican Church Association (founded 1865) and National Church League (founded 1906 by amalgamation of two earlier bodi ...

References

External links

Church Association Tracts
*
The Teaching of the Ritualists not the Teaching of the Church of England
', Church Association Tract 4,

John Charles Ryle John Charles Ryle (10 May 1816 – 10 June 1900) was an English evangelical Anglican bishop. He was the first Anglican bishop of Liverpool. Life He was the eldest son of John Ryle, private banker, of Park House, Macclesfield, M.P. for Maccles ...

Anglican organizations History of the Church of England Religious organizations established in 1865 {{Anglican-stub