The New Departure; Or, Thoughts for Loyal Churchmen

"The New Departure; Or, Thoughts for Loyal Churchmen" by Edward Hoare is a theological treatise written in the late 19th century. The book discusses the contentious issues surrounding the Church of England, particularly focusing on the Tractarian and Ritualistic movements that emerged from Oxford, which Hoare views as a departure from traditional High Church principles. It aims to reaffirm the loyalty of Church members to the tenets of the Anglican faith and to critique the increasing inclination towards a Roman Catholic style of worship within the church. In this work, Hoare articulates a defense of the established Anglican practices and the Book of Common Prayer against the rising favor for the unreformed liturgies, particularly the Use of Sarum, as advocated by certain members of the English Church Union. He argues that the call to return to older forms of worship represents a significant departure from the Reformation principles and undermines the developments made in the Church of England. Throughout the book, he expresses deep concern for the implications of adopting alternative liturgies and emphasizes the necessity for Churchmen to maintain fidelity to their heritage while rejecting movements that seek to diminish the distinctiveness of the Anglican faith.