The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1873-05-18
. Ih9 Church Of England.

II we felt q keen interest In the fortunes
OF the Church of England, or any desire to
proiong It's existence, we should earnestly
entreat it's well-meaning friends not to un-
derease ITS defence. Leave it alone, !" we
should say to them, "and it may contrive
to last for good many years, but for hea-
VEINS sake do not point out what you con-
slider its special beauties and attractions,
and invite people to contemplate them"
This advice we are tempted to offer, In a
friendly spirit, 10 the gentleman who lately
committed mistake of this kind in the
Daily Telegraph. In an article of three
columns that journ al published, "with the
approval'of his Grace the Archbishop Of
Canterbury" an elaborate statement Icon.
tfibnted by clergy man holding high office
in the Diocese of Canterbury" 1t is di-
vided into two sections. financial and dog
NAUTICAL. Under the first head We are in
formed that the annual income of the
Church of England exceeds ten millions
sterling, upon which u good deal might be
said, but we prefer +" c"Dtne our attention
to the second. "Wiat is the faith of this
Church !" asks the Canterbury clergyman
and we are moro Interested III the reply to
this pertinent question t!ian in She amount
of its revenues. Ike High Churchmeu, he
tell US, hold that the "form of the visible
Church" is divine aud unchangeable, and
the Low Churchmen that cit is an accident
which varies according to circumstances aud
expediency." This is IL mcagre account of
fundamental differences which constitute
two totally opposite religions, but even
this tempered report of the matter suggests
tn the Canterbury clers, men that "if these
Two views are absolutely irreconcilable and
internec.ne," as they certainly appear to
be-, IL is very much to be regretted, in
Which opinion most people will agree with
MN. But they are, i'll fact, he continues,
only 1.-TWO poles of the eternal truth, ;" what
ever that may be, and no doubt equally
agreeable to Almighty God, who is perfect
~ Indifferent whether men believe oEe re-
ligion, or two, or twenty. For, as the
clergyman goes on to remark, with
the common approval of the Daily Tele-
graph and ellis Grace this Archbishop
OF Canterbury" "the great truths OF
Christian theology are beyond the domain
Of logic or definition If this be so, the
Pau Nall Ga-ettc is quite right in despis-
lag them, and it is lawful to differ about
lem to any extent whatever, as the Ma
tional Church judiciously holds to the
great satisfaction of the various sects which
make up that ella tic communion, and use
the privilege which it grants them of be-
lieving whatever they choose. High and
Low Churchmen are quite of one mind on
this point, and benevolently disposed, in
spite of their vociferous com bats and reci-
procal anathemas, to tolerate each other as
brothers in the same Christian ministry,
because the message which they have to |
deliver defes logic and battles definition.
And this is The way the Church of England |
is "defended"! It's singular merit it ap-
pears, is this, that it does not pretend to |
be guide to those who revere dogmatic
truth, but only q convenient home for those
who are Indifferent to it. Such an institu-
ton would not last long, we imagine, if it
did not possess a revenue of ten millions
sterling. But if tho revelation of God to
His creatures is "beyond the domain of
logic or definition" we are quite willing to
admit that the Church best fitted to guard
such revelation is the Church of England.
On that suppositon, the message and it's
witness would be worthy of each other
London Tablet.