ought not to teach, and have not the authority of
the [Anglican] Church to teach any of the doctrines spoken of in your
five former questions, in the dogmatical terms there stated."

Here, then, we have a perfectly fair and straightforward question,
deserving an equally clear and straightforward answer: and such as
would be given at once if addressed by any Catholic enquirer to _his_
Bishop. But how does the Anglican Archbishop proceed to calm and
comfort this helpless, agitated soul, groping painfully in the dark?
What is his Grace's reply? He cannot refer the matter to a Sovereign
Pontiff, for no Pontiff in the Anglican Church is possessed of any
sovereignty whatsoever. In fact the Archbishop himself has to "verily
testify and declare that His Majesty the King is the only supreme
Governor in _spiritual_ and _ecclesiastical_ things as well as
temporal," etc.[6] Nor dare he solve these troublesome doubts himself:
for he is no more infallible than his questioner. Then what does he
do? Practically nothing. He throws the whole burden back upon poor
Mr. Maskell, and leaves him to struggle with his doubts as best he
may. Thus; though the Church _of God_ was established to "teach all
nations," and _must_ still be teaching all nations if she exist at
all; the Church _of England_ seems unable to teach one nation, or even
one man.

But to continue. The Archbishop begins by putting Mr. Maskell a
question. "Are they (_i.e._, the doctrines about which he is seeking
information) contained in the Word of God? St. Paul says, 'Preach the
Word'.... Now whether the doctrines concerning which you inquire are
contained in the Word of God, and can be proved thereby, _you have the
same means_ of discovering for yourself as I have, and I have no
special authority to declare."

Did any one ever witness such an exhibition of ineptitude and
spiritual asthenia? We can conceive a man rejecting all revelation. It
is possible even to conceive a man denying the Divinity of Christ. But
we know nothing that would ever enable us even to conceive that
Infinite Wisdom and Infinite Power had established a Church which
cannot teach, or had sent an ambassador utterly unable to deliver His
message. There is no use for such Church as that. Total silence is
better than incoherent speech. What is the consequence? The
consequence is that in the Anglican community endless variations and
differences exist and flourish side by side, not alone in matters
where d