y times
said in print, that your services and devotions to St. Mary in matter
of fact do most deeply pain me. I am only stating it as a fact.

"Again, I have nowhere said that I can accept the decrees of Trent
throughout, nor implied it. The doctrine of Transubstantiation is a
great difficulty with me, as being, as I think, not primitive. Nor
have I said that our Articles in all respects admit of a Roman
interpretation; the very word 'Transubstantiation' is disowned in
them.

"Thus, you see, it is not merely on grounds of expedience that we do
not join you. There are positive difficulties in the way of it. And,
even if there were not, we shall have no divine warrant for doing so,
while we think that the Church of England is a branch of the true
Church, and that intercommunion with the rest of Christendom
is necessary, not for the life of a particular Church, but for
its health only. I have never disguised that there are actual
circumstances in the Church of Rome, which pain me much; of the
removal of these I see no chance, while we join you one by one; but
if our Church were prepared for a union, she might make her terms;
she might gain the Cup; she might protest against the extreme honours
paid to St. Mary; she might make some explanation of the doctrine of
Transubstantiation. I am not prepared to say that a reform in other
branches of the Roman Church would be necessary for our uniting with
them, however desirable in itself, so that we were allowed to make a
reform in our own country. We do not look towards Rome as believing
that its communion is infallible, but that union is a duty."

The following letter was occasioned by the present of a book, from
the friend to whom it is written; more will be said on the subject of
it presently:--

"Nov. 22, 1842. I only wish that your Church were more known among us
by such writings. You will not interest us in her, till we see her,
not in politics, but in her true functions of exhorting, teaching,
and guiding. I wish there were a chance of making the leading men
among you understand, what I believe is no novel thought to yourself.
It is not by learned discussions, or acute arguments, or reports of
miracles, that the heart of England can be gained. It is by men
'approving themselves,' like the Apostle, 'ministers of Christ.'

"As to your question, whether the Volume you have sent is not
calculated to remove my apprehensions that another gospel is
substituted for the true