Faced with the rise of Tractarianism in England and its gradual penetration into the life and thought of Episcopalianism in America, McIlvaine devoted himself to the examination of the writings of the movement's leading proponents and especially to the views of John Henry Newman and Edward Bouverie Pusey. The Anglo-Catholic doctrines that disturbed John Charles Ryle and Hugh McNeile in the United Kingdom equally raised alarm in the mind of McIlvaine and he composed possibly the most effective and exhaustive confutation of the Tractarian system by an Anglican of Reformational principles, entitled Oxford Divinity Compared with that of the Episcopal and Anglican Church, now available as Righteousness by Faith or The Nature and Means of Our Justification Before God (Crown Rights Book Company). Point by point, quote by quote from defenders and opponents of this restoration of Roman sentiment and practice, McIlvaine indisputably proves its incompatibility with Scripture and the standards of a Reformed Church. Around the same time J.H. Merle D'Aubigne was making the same observation to his theological students in France, more concisely, in a discourse titled "Geneva and Oxford" reflecting the truth of the statement made by Dr. Pusey, "Two systems of doctrine are now, and probably for the last time in conflict -- the Catholic and the Genevan". The conflict, however, continues.

McIlvaine deals so convincingly and patiently with the Catholic (Anglo and Roman) distortions of regeneration, justification, and the purpose and effectiveness of the sacraments. Baptismal regeneration and baptismal justification are shown to be serious errors. The rejection of imputed righteousness in favor of inherent righteousness and the neglect, even the deliberate concealment, of the centrality of the atonement (horrifying exhortations in this regard from Messrs Newman and Pusey and sundry colleagues), are exposed in righteous indignation as perversions of the gospel and obstructions to the understanding of grace and the embracing of Christ. There is no room or time here for even a summary of McIlvaine's trenchant defense of divine and saving truth. But enough is said to prove Pusey's point that that the two systems, Reformational and unreformed Catholic, cannot be reconciled, must always be in conflict, are incapable of combination.

Yet this is precisely what the Anglican Church in North America is cheerfully and dangerously attempting to do. One side or the other must prevail eventually. We need to notice the already existing trends in ACNA's publications and practice, and its commendation of an unworkable diversity.

We must emphasize that it is the Oxford system we refute, and not the individual folk of this persuasion whom we criticize, many of whom undoubtedly know God through the wideness of his mercy and the complexities of human nature that is often in a muddle between head and heart. The system is a contradiction of the gospel of the grace of God. Constitutionally and historically it is un-Anglican according to our formularies, standards, symbols -- everything.

We must be warned. ACNA has many unresolved issues and exceedingly questionable positions on vital matters. In the face of delays in dealing with differences within it, and the uncertainties ahead, members of an Evangelical persuasion must weigh Scripture and consciences. Can we compromise on the details of the divine way of salvation? Unity is to be unity in truth not of indecision and obscurity and a diversity that is impermissible to the Pusey's and McIlvaines alike. Such dithering is bad for the soul, bad for the fulfillment of our Lord's commission, and disadvantageous for those who need clarity and unambiguity as to the way in which our sweet Redeemer is to be safely grasped.

McIlvaine, the born again Episcopalian, was a man of God, a man of the Bible, a man of the Reformation, a keeper and guardian of the Gospel. The quality of his ministry can be traced through his writings, now easily available, - a life of service beautifully described in a most worthy biography. The faithful pastor and talented diplomat revealed his attitude towards the Tractarian system, which one suspects has not altered in its essence: "The system that carries all this within it -- the system that does not necessarily and instinctively revolt at all this, deserves to be utterly reprobated. No milder language becomes it. We have no right to speak more softly of what must be so abominable in the sight of Him whose last charge was, 'Go preach the Gospel to every creature.'"

In matters of belief we are to judge by principles while exercising charity, as much as is possible, to others who may disagree. Examples abound of Catholic folk who so evidently walk with the Lord in deep and attractive communion with him (some of us have prayed and worked with them). And it is acknowledged that those of us who count ourselves Reformed in conviction also count ourselves unworthy of the truths we uphold and proclaim.

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