ANGLICAN AND CATHOLIC.
[TO THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR:1
Sin,—No one wishes to deny that there is a separation between the Church of England and Rome ; we suppose, few would assert that to cast off the yoke of a foreign Bishop is altogether identical with Schism. Our contention is, that the Church of England came through the Reformation with her identity unbroken. In other words, she faced successfully the problem of those days, spoken of some years ago by the present Archbishop, viz., how to reform herself and yet be herself. The essence of the Church did not lie only in obedience to the Bishop of Rome, whether in things temporal or spiritual. Of course the Church of Rome disputes this,
and asserts that the Reformation resulted in a brand-new Church. Bat the days are not now that it will be accepted as a maxim, "Roma locuta est, cam, finita est." We believe that history is on our side, and that "the next Genera) Council" (to which Cranmer made his appeal) will confirm, [We should never have thought of wondering at a state- ment so modified. But this is quite different from denying' that the English Church had ever been Roman Catholic, or alleging that William the Conqueror's refusal to do fealty for his kingdom had any bearing at all on his spiritual allegiance to the Pope. We cannot speculate on so imaginative a subject as the conclusions of a Council admitted as "general' by both Rome and England.—En. Spectator.]
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