The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-04-04
REPLY TO 0 NJ
C1THoLIC VIEW OF THE ARChi-
BISHOPS LETTER.
Its Kindly Tone ana Assertions or Fnhh q
step Toward Reconciiintion-A Federation OF
Churches. However, Rome Can Never Weld

Its kindly Tono ana Assertions OF Faith n
step Toward ReconciIintion-A Federation or
Churches, However. Rome Can Never Weld
ROME, March 14.-The First to tho Ro-
mans" of tho Anrlicans Is the best title L
can find for an impartial and objective article
on the encyclical of the Anglican Archbishops
in reply 10 the pontincal document dpostotcs
CurU and the Identical letters OF the court OF
Rome and Of Leo XlII. Since the thirty-nine
articles of religion. the Church OF England
has published no such masterpiece. whether
we consider tho Importance OF the subject
matter or we examine the spirit that animatos
and runs through It like q sacred fire. What
ever point OF Wow one takes. whether a man be
Catholic. Protestant. free thinker or skoptic,
he mus. admit that this monument does honor
to tho faith and strategic skill OF the noble ana
tllnstrious men who sign II. In the language ana
in The severe and majestic arrangement there Is
something like q distant but precious Imitation
OF the bulls and declarations OF the Roman
chancery. II is not the exquisite and fauitless
Latinity Of Leo Kill, nor his lofty and limrid
manner in developing a demonstration neither
has It the breadth and seniority Of the docu-
ments of the Roman curla; It is the clear. con-
densed, logical Latin, accented by distinctions
and shadings that Ia characteristic OF the usual
teachi lg of the scholastic thcologinns. In this
act there is n touch Of Difference and delicacy
which IS fattering for tho Pope and for tho
Holy See. 1ll-natured persons will add. per-
haps. that the authors wished to show their
| learning and prove to he Church OF Rome,which
boasts that 1t is Its privilege to preserve the
traditions Of Language and OF rite. that AnGli-
canism is we'll &C 1uainted with the admohi'
tions of Fathers and of Councils.
Leo XIII. and the court of Rome expected
this doctrinal reply; I will even say that they
wished for II with the fervor which the Holy
See carriesinto all theological controversies anu
assertions OF dogma. Rome. sure OF her priNl-
leges, OF her unchauGeableness aud OF the con-
tinuity of her tradition. yearns for these great
discussions In which she eHcele and Is able '"
display her genius for dialecttcs and her won
dcrful instinct for government. On the NOR
row OF the publication of the Bull -ipostottcg
Cure. which condemned with n severity that l
! should call deliberate. IL these two words did
not clash when Joined together. the Holy
Father was impressed with the harsh feelings.
almost anger, which the incorruptible Vigl-
lance of the Papacy had aroused in the believ-
ing and learned portion Of the Anglican COM
munity. The first articles In the Gudrd'd".
the infained speeches Mt meetings. the conf
Dental letters of Lord Halifax. the imnetuous
outhurst OF Mr.. Gladstone. the decree or tho
Archbishop OF York-all these indication or
the first moment showed that Anglican souls
hnu been nurL III tuc hOoN aNitN ''NbNSN
and most intangible OF their beliefs their faith
IN the supernatural virtue OF their Church.
Now. II Anglican orders are not uncontcsted
and valid, the ramen powers. the sources
of grace are wanting to this Christian COM
munion. which is like a precious and divine
vase from which the perfume has fed. IL
would be no longer n supernatural Church In
the evangelical and doGmatic meaning of the
word; 1t would be an admirable religious.
moral. md philosophical scot. but lacking the
Inner God" of Pascal, the Holy Ghost.
The Church Of England maintains with vigor
and great loftine.s OF view the validity OF An
zlIcan ordinations. This. properly speaking. IS
the aim ana substance OF this document. But
the reasoning and the display of learning Will
not convince the Papacy nor Catholic thco!o-
gians. Rome was a ware of the Anglican point
Of view: the Laceys. the Pullcrs. the Hal'faXes.
without counting the Portals and the Du-
! chesnes. had put In evidence all these documents
and proofs before tho Roman commission.
whence proceeded the condemnation OF An
ulican orders. II the signers OF the Encyc!ical
take up anew this delicate and difficult demon
s~tration. It is doubtless less with the idea Of
| influencing Rome than that OF asserting the
Anglican faith and pleading their case before
Intelligent, non-CatholtC Chris ms. Rome
Will reply 70 this assertion by the explanation
OF her point OF view and from the clash PEI
haps light will gleam out for those who wish
and are able to see. What puts the Ancli-
cans in a position OF infer!ority is the fart
that in the matter CT the sacraments. and.
above all. for the priesthood and the conmu-
MON. there is required n certitude so great
that neither scientific nor historical arguments
can give It.
In spite, however. OF the blunders made At
tho beginning of tho negotiations, for the
Creat debate should never have been
opened with a point OF doctrine in which
Rome has the inco nparable advantage Of being
in an impregnable fortress, a ground for dis
cussion has ut last been found or which the
two churches can henceforth contend. It
will certainly be no commonplace spectacle
to look on about apparently without It's
like In history. Tho annals OF the carly
councils and the discussions between the
Church Of tho West and tho Christians Of
tho Fast have no such breadth and no such
universal character. Even the Council OF Flor
ence itself, prominent though II IS in history
aud doctrine. moved with difficulty IN n sphere
less broad and less lofty. Over il was shed tho
genius OF Cardinals Bessarion and Isidore. but
the matters discussed had not the fulncss OF
the present issue. The serene and moderate
reply contained. In tho Anglican document
marks progress. will not say that 1t con-
titutes a hone. though not many years ago such
a paper would have been thought n dream.
Another significant and valuable symptom
IA the almost 'tCa,holicizlnG' tone. rs the
Germans would say. which hreathcs piously
In several assertions OF doctrine. II Is undo
niable that We find in It n marked. loyal. Sill
ccrc effort toward n christian ideal: toward n
traditional Church In which grace resides rs
In its own domain; r Chnrch that owns Christ.
that continues His work. G~cnCtrir, TO use tie
beautiful Latin word. of faith, OF virtue. of
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