rro THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR."J
SIR,—Conversing with Russians in Russia, one learns that when they speak of Catholics they mean. members of the Church of Rome, and that they describe themselves as
Orthodox. This in no way means that they consider them- selves outside the Catholic Church, or that they concede- a
monopoly of catholicity to Rome; it is the outcome, of the
sad separation between East and West, an expression of belief that when Rome added to the Creed of Nicaea -she
erred, but remained Catholic, while they in refusing that error not only remained Catholic, but also remained Orthodox; The same idea, though under a greatly changed form, was present
in the minds of members of the Church of England- in the early part of Elizabeth's reign. That most interesting hook, "Church Furniture," by E. Peacock, contains returns of changes made in town and 'country churches in Lincolnshire during the Reformation, but nowhere does " Catholic" or "Protestant" appear in them; while to judge by the language used in those of 565:56, not only is there no intention to concede a monopoly of catholicity to Rome, but there is rather a belief...that site by falling away from the truth, had imperilled her .inin catholicity. The Latin service-books are described as bOoks-of Papistry, of superstition; as belonging to the Pope's service, to the sinful Popish service, as peltering Popish, and noticeably as heretical. These entries show that the Reformation 'appeared to those who made these returns as a reaction from error .to earlier orthodoxy, not a separatioiffrom.the Catholic Church. When the Pope had excommunicated Elizabeth, and blessed the Armada, " Catholic " and "Protestant" naturally -became labels of two great parties in religion and politics, Rome against-Aitti. Rome. It is too often forgotten that the Church of England is like the two-sided shield about which the, knight -so blindly contended, " Catholic " on one side, "Protestant " on the other. The latter' side before the Reforma- tion was thickly veiled, yet the veil from time to time was rent both. in spiritual and temporal concerns. At the Reformation it was torn away. Ever since friends ana_oppe- nents a our Church have fixed their gaze on one..or other side, and contended that it alone exists; some, happily pow an ever-increasing number, have walked round, seen both. sides, and learned the truth. Papal -ban could not de-Catholicise the Church--of England any more than it could . the Holy Orthodox Church of the East; an Oecumenical Council could, but since the days of the great separation such a Connell has seemed impossible, and it is more than doubtful whether Rome would submit her claim to supremacy over the whole Catholic Church to that tribunal. Catholic and Protestant the Church .of England is; that she has let slip the former designation, and even permitted its almost exclusive use to Rome, bars not her right to it. The, tide of .modern thought demands that the two designations shall come into balance, and members of what was called in Elizabeth's days. the Mother-Church .of Rome will have to forego the exclusive use which political circumstances gave them of the ancient [We may fitly terminate this correspondence with so moderate and reasonable a letter.—En. Spectator.1
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