[TO THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."]
intentionally barred myself from the necessity of reply- ing to an editorial note which I expected to see appended to My letter in your last issue. Still, I hope you will allow me to trespass again on your space for a final word of explanation. In thinking more of the rule which governed my selection of hymns, and less of the law itself, I made, perhaps, somewhat too strict an application of "communicating in sacris" with non-Catholics. But I never used the word "sin," nor thought of it in such relation. In any case, however, there seems no appreciable difference of principle between reprinting the hymns (let me say) of Cardinal Newman, who has been a Catholic for forty years, and those of Mr. R. S. Hawker, who may have been a Catholic for only forty days, or even hours,—the hymns of both having been done (as you say) when each was "still a Protestant." Every law is liable to be exaggerated, and hence to be made ridiculous; and it is possible to use the fallacy of illustration or comparison in the place of argument. But, avoid- ing the technical term and substituting a vaguer word, I would modify the expression employed, and say that a breach of the custom for the observance of which you criticise me, appears
to be both inexpedient and unseemly, when it is remembered that the hymns are used in public divine worship by the Catholic
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