[TO THE EDITOR OP THE " SPECTATOR:1 SIR, — The Spectator is,
as a rule, so conspicuously fair that it seems to me beneath its high standard to say, as in your issue of May 20th, that whatever the President of the English Church Union may mean when he speaks of the Church, at any rate he does not mean what is meant by the first part of our XlXth Article. It is a little arbitrary to say what a man does not mean, and of serious import when a form of words of acknowledged authority is in question. That particular statement, standing amongst those drawn up "for avoiding of diversities of opinion" seems, to one who was called upon to 'accord his formal assent at a later stage of life than is usual amongst us—though not so late as Sir Henry Wotton- to steer its course in a masterly way through a passage of
every known danger to the ship of the Church of England. Is it only the sailors, and perhaps not all of them, who, though they may be more or less assured of the depth of the channel of navigation, are yet well aware of the rocks lying below the surface, that are indicated by such wise phrases as " the pure Word of God," " Sacraments duly administered," " accordirg to Christ's ordinance " ?—I am, Sir, &c., IN SEMITIS ANTIQUIS.
Previous page
