et we spare our poor
feet notwithstanding. Surely there is such a religious _fact_ as the
existence of a great Catholic body, union with which is a Christian
privilege and duty. Now, we English are separate from it."

The other answers: "The present is an unsatisfactory, miserable state
of things, yet I can grant no more. The Church is founded on a
doctrine,--on the gospel of Truth; it is a means to an end. Perish
the Church (though, blessed be the promise! this cannot be), yet let
it perish _rather_ than the Truth should fail. Purity of faith is
more precious to the Christian than unity itself. If Rome has erred
grievously in doctrine, then it is a duty to separate even from
Rome."

His friend, who takes the Roman side of the argument, refers to the
image of the Vine and its branches, which is found, I think, in St.
Cyprian, as if a branch cut from the Catholic Vine must necessarily
die. Also he quotes a passage from St. Augustine in controversy with
the Donatists to the same effect; viz. that, as being separated from
the body of the Church, they were _ipso facto_ cut off from the
heritage of Christ. And he quotes St. Cyril's argument drawn from the
very title Catholic, which no body or communion of men has ever dared
or been able to appropriate, besides one. He adds, "Now, I am only
contending for the fact, that the communion of Rome constitutes the
main body of the Church Catholic, and that we are split off from it,
and in the condition of the Donatists."

The other replies, by denying the fact that the present Roman
communion is like St. Augustine's Catholic Church, inasmuch as there
are to be taken into account the large Anglican and Greek communions.
Presently he takes the offensive, naming distinctly the points, in
which Rome has departed from Primitive Christianity, viz. "the
practical idolatry, the virtual worship of the Virgin and Saints,
which are the offence of the Latin Church, and the degradation of
moral truth and duty, which follows from these." And again: "We
cannot join a Church, did we wish it ever so much, which does not
acknowledge our orders, refuses us the Cup, demands our acquiescence
in image-worship, and excommunicates us, if we do not receive it and
all the decisions of the Tridentine Council."

His opponent answers these objections by referring to the doctrine of
"developments of gospel truth." Besides, "The Anglican system
itself is not found complete in those early centuries; so that t