The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1870-02-09
ISAAC TAYLOR AND THE ENGLISH
REFORMATION.


ton we have taken. In the Southern Church
man of January Goth, our citations are reviewed
through three columns, to which the following
paragraph is the introduction:
'Our old neighbor, The Central Presbyterian,
Is still engaged in snuthng out PoPery In the
PRAYER Book and when by a tremendous effort he
thinks he smells it, he lays hold OF something or
other, not particular what, and with microscope
of vast power, magni6eS il, throws Its shadow be-
fore the public, and then cries out, naughty Epis-
copalian, did not tell you it was there!
In brief note few weeks ago, we promised
reply in due season to this and other articles Of the
Southern CArchman in which our quotations are
referred to- At present the attention of the reader
is requested to one instance, which may be taken
as a specimen of not few others.
In the Central Presbyterian of November 18th,
we referred to Isaac Taylor, Of England, Eps-
copalian and celebrated author, saying in his
Ancient Christianity:
Fatal concessions were made and dangerous
compromises were submitted to by the Fathers OF
the English Church. under the deSpotism OF the
TudOrs and these very errors unavoidable per-
haps are now become the untoward inheritance
of the champions Of the Protestant Establish
ment.
To this we added that she elsewhere speaks of
the tenderness of our English Reformers towards
Popery, and of their obsequiOus discretion in
regard to the TudOrs."
To this the Southern ChUrehmaR replies:
'Isaac Taylor is the next author, who is quoted
about Church and State. which we are not con-
sidering and afterwards about some errors. But
what were the errors that Isaac Taylor found fault
WITH He is arguing against the merely political
adherentS Of the Establishment" When he ar
fbaV and their
nal errors, besides all the other arguments, he
writes l20 closely printed octave pages, headed
Professionalism Of the Established Church; and if
our nelghbOr had ever read them, he would never
have tried to show ROmish germs In the Prayer
Book. Never, says this writer, (Anct. chris
tianity, 2: ASP, has the Church beenmore DETAINED
than it is by those who say that its Professionalism
is ambiguous This is what the Central ReS6y
terrain says and for so saying, his chosen witness
calls him defaner.
A year ago, when We qu Isaac Taylor,
among writer's of the Church gland who had
made concessions on this sub neghbor took
occasion to deny that he Episcopaliau at
all, but was a Dissenter. 7e made no re.
ply at all, supposing We readers were
sufficiently acquainted wi,b IS. 1t is graft
flying to find our friend Ia improving in his
information since that time. and We may reasona-
Wy expect him not to use hard words upon US for
ar any real or supposed want of it.
uov what does re So1stherR CE,rchmaa
apply to "Chureh
OF the worst things
Churcu- is that when Henry
ispaced the Pope as its Supreme Head,
.ssumed,) he put himself instead One of
e last statutes he enacted was this
"Archbishops, Bishops, Archdeacons and other
ecclesiastical persons have no manner of jurlsdic
ton ecclesiastical, but by under, and from his
royal authority, and that his MAJESTY, Is the
only SUPREME HEAD Of the Church of England
and Ireland to whom, by holy Scripture, all au-
thority and power is wholly given, to hear and de-
termine all manner Of heresies, errors, vices and
sins whatever" &c,
Mary, Roman Catholic, repudiated this title
and gave it back to the Pope. Elizabeth resumed
it, and it has remained with the English sovreigns
ever since. To what purpose then does the
Charchman reply to our quotation from Isaac Tay-
lor that, "he is arguing against the merely pohti-
cal adherents of the Establishment" No as
sumption could be more thoroughly Popish than
to claim to be Supreme Head Of the Church.
"Church and State" indeed That is bad
enough but many Church has had connection
with the State, and yet as to matters essentially
spiritual has governed itself. The fatal vice of
the English Reformation was that it bound the
Church hand and foot in irons and laid it in igno-
miuous heplessness at the feet of Cesar where it
has remained in humiliation to this day, as Taylor
so Justly remarks. (See Spiritual Despotsn,,
page 270l
But the purpose for which we introduced Taylor
and other authorities not expressly and direct
l. 20 v-oro sea1s Of ryara of IN
the Church of England, but to show from the in
Auences under which it was conducted, there was
the very strongest presumption it would be So
This was explicitly stated. Therefore nothing
could have been more to the exact point than this
quotation. But no matter which way it is taken.
That shameful fact, that humiliating if not bias
phemous assumption Of "SUPREME HEADsHIP,"
is at once proof of such an influence controlling
the Reformation as must almost necessarily leave
leaven Of Popery in it, and it is to this day one
Of the most garing declarations of its existence.
But it viii be seen from the quotation from Iay
lOr brought forward by the Chlrehman that our
neighbOr intends to deny that the author of An
cient Christianity bears out our position. We
shall at another time examine this quotation more
closely Taking it for the present as it stands, it
only denies that the Professionalism of the Church
of England is ambiguous. We have not main
tanned that it was or is. Its main body has been
Protestant, certainly; but we have asserted that
seeds, or leaven of Popery was left in it. This
distinct, wellde6ned position we have stated over
and over again, so as if possible, to prevent mis-
apprehension. 1t was this precise statement that
the Southern CbUchnlaR denied and on it took
issue and challenged US to the proof We prom
ised to hold him and ourselt strictly to it. If then
our brother means any thing by the use he makes
Of Isaac Taylor he means that his book eontradicts
our assertion so point blank, indeed, that he says
our chosen witness calls US ga defan1er."
Let us not go too fast, but look at the question
calmly. As our neighbor has already advanced far
enough to find out that this author was actually an
EpiscopaHan, it is not impossible that little more
examination may afford him some light on this
point also We propose to submit for his inspec-
ion, as well as that Of other readers, few explicit
declarations from Isaac Taylor's writings. Take
the following:
1.-THE aoorShip the SacrameRtaL notions, and the
feelings of the African Church Of the times OF
Cyprian furnish as | think, the ideal model which
the founders Of the English Church held IN Their
vies0. With these notions and practises, which
affect the offices, were mingledthe very incongru.
Gus materials proper to the continental retorma
toni mean those energetic, eCaagelic principles,
which gave lite to the preaching of Luther and his