Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-03-22
first contributor to which was Bishop
Potter, OF New York.
TILE ENIYCILCAI.

first contributor to which was Bishop
Potter, OF New York.
THE ENCYCLICAL.
The encyclical begins:
TO our Most Reverend and Right
reverend Brethren in the Episcopatc
Greeting In the Name of Our Lord Je-
sus Christ:
II is one of the peculiar distinctions
or the Anglican Church that she has
allowed to her sons 4 wide liberty In
their exposition and defense of the
christian faith. She has no index or
censorship She believes that her chill
dren will themselves apply the unerrins
text of Holy Writ. as interpreted by
antiquity and primitive practice. Is all
utterances as to faith and doctrine.
Her confidence has not been misplaced.
IL Is owing to this liberty whcrewith
she hath made her priests free that she
mas never lacked sons to bear sturdy
and successful witness TO the faith. Or
10 defend her from the attacks OF those
who would raze| her bulwarks to the
ground"
Speaking OF the Rev. Dr.. Lowndes'
"vindication," which accompanies the
encyclical. the bishops of Delaware.
Long Island and Springfield. say that
II is true that "the bull OF our venerable
bl other the Bishop of Rome. has been
replied to in II most able and convinc-
ing manner by our most reverend
brothers.the Archbishops of Canterbury
and York" but they state that the
'Vindication" they now send has nov
been completed in its main parts before
the ar hbshops reply rea chcd America,
anu they feel that a longer and more
careful answer is permissible, coming.
as 1t does, from the American Church.
The cncYclical then concludes:
Confident that one OF the necessary
conditions of the reunion of the dis
perSed sheep of Christ is the spread
among our brethren OF Il true knowi-
edge of that branch of the one, Holy
Catholic and Apostolic Church. in
which. by Divine Providence Of Goa,
we have been set rs pastors. we sub
mis- this 'vindcation of her orders and
principles TO your careful consideia-
ton. trusting that. after its earnest
study, ii may so commend itself to YOU
that you will be able to bring it TO the
notice of your clergy and your institu-
tons of learning
SPREAD IN IT'S INFLUENCES.
ITO our brethren in the East we
would say especially that our present
contribution is sent out in II spirit of
love as n token OF our sincere affection
toward them. ana is accompanied by
the earnest hope that ii may enable
them Ia become better acquainted with
our position as TO divine order. and with
Jul ilNiluNf lbN va. bItAtiitii IA
other branches Of the Holy Catholic
Church. We also trust that through
our present communication avenues
may be opened for such Intercourse as
shall not only bring us closer together.
as we come 10 understand more fully
each others relation To Catholic faith
and practice but which shall have its
larger and granlcr Issue in the greater
glory OF God and the salvation of men.
for whom the shepherd and bishop of
our souls shed his precious blood
OBJECT OF TIL; CIRCULAR.
The nature Of the "vindicat!on'' re-
fcrred TO is already familiar. 1t re-
lates. of course, 10 the controversy over
the validity OF Anglican orders Three
times the Popc of Rome has taken W
the ma tter-the first near The early part
of the seventeenth century. The first
two times were held to be cursory. At
almost the beginning of the ritualistic
controversy in England the question Of
orders came UP and entered into public
discussion. The present Pope. Leo
Mil. thcreupon took UP the matter
and issued what the Roman Catholic
Church claims 10 he the final COM
munication on tho subject. Pope Leo
Mi. pronounced the Anglican orders
invalid, not so much through the fault
of the ordlnal as through The intent.
Briefly the English archbishons re
piled. Now. in a longer defence. tho
Protestant Episcopal Church in Amer
lea. acti-b on its own account. replic o.
10 the Papnl bull. and out of the reply
there conor To be issued rs has Deei.
said. the frs, encyclical ever snrt out
from America. ANA the first Of its char
acter TO be issued since the Heforma-
ton.
This encycl'cal and this "vindicntion'
go to the Universal EpiscupD that is.
10 all bishops in the world. This in
cludes those OF the Church of Holland.
the old Catholic III Central Europe. the
orthodox Churches in Russia. Constan-
tinople and the East. THAT part OF The
encycl'cai referring To the Churches oi
the East is held TO have significance
since il adds the weight OF the Ancri
can Episcopatc to advances lately made
by The Church OF England toward q
better understanding between those two
| communions claiming to be Catholic
but not Roman Ca tholic