Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1881-05-21

BY A LAyMAN.


AncHtB SLdlHiHB any advantage IOI all
ancient ministry, but simply answer
the question by stating the facts as
they are and acknowledge our remin-
iscence of the saying of the farmer,
:" The older the seed, the worse the
CROP" though without thinking it ne.
cessarily applicable to this case.
Did the Church Of England originate
in Henry WHIP
This must receive a negative reply.
And if the name of Queen Elizabeth
were substituted for that of King Hen
ry, the question would still have neg
alive answer. Yet it is remarkable that
while many people have allowed them
selves to believe that the Church of
England originated in that ruler, the
idea has not at all or scarcely been
suggested that the said church had its
origin in Queen Elizabeth. 1t is not
true in either case, and the historical
facts prove that nothing can be more
absurd than the hypothesis as to Hen
ry VIII. In the first place, it is not
difficult to show that he was a r.
Catholic in principle and practice,
with the single exception of throwing
off the papal supremacy. The hy-
pothesis then seems to be based upon
the simple fact that he did not during
the latter part of his life suffer the
Pope's authority in England, the year
1884 being the date of the act of su-
premacy And now, as we under
stand it, the reductio ad absurdum.
Unfortunately for that position the
conclusion is reached by ignoring the
fact that the act of Henry VIII was
temporary and the authority of the
pope was restored after his death I'M
der the reign of Queen Mary,wh also
was R. Catholic. And it was after
the death of that Queen that the final
separation of the Church of England
from Rome took place. Furthermore
the same hypothesis ignores the fact of
history that there was time long an
terror to the birth of Henry VIII when
in England there was no papal SUI
premacy.
The following historical facts, ETC.,
upon these points and also in reference
to the principles of Henry VIII, will
now be stated in order that the reader
may form his own conclusion. How
the question, WHEN DID CHURCH Or
IGISATE? is to be answered, would
seem to depend upon what is the
meaning of the word CHURCH or the
expression ORIGIN OF A CHURCH. If
the question were simply, When did
the Church of England originate as a
reformed chuch it would differ ma.
terialIy from that ordinarily stated and
would perhaps not indicate the true
meaning as usually intended. A more
natural inquiry might be-When was
the time antecedent to the sixteenth
century that the Church of England or
the Christian Church in England re-
quired no special reformation 1t is
unnecessary though proper to state that
the first efforts towards the reforma
ton Of the Church in England while
great darkness pervaded it took place
in the reign of Edward III. about AID.
1850, when John Wickliff appeared,
who was born about A. d, 1924
Regarded as man of great learning
and specially versed in theology, while
advising and urging all persons to read
the Scriptures, he made an English
translation of the Bible to which he
pre6xed preface rejecting on the
immoralities of the clergy, and con.
demned the corporal presence OF
Christ in the Eucharist and the worship
of saints and images. 1t is sufficient to
say that for the reformation we are
indebted-if to any ruler-to Edward
vi. and specially to Queen Elizabeth.
Queen Mary, daughter of Henry VIII.
andsister of Edward VI and Elizabeth,
came to the throne of England just
after Edward vi. and was preceded
by Queen Elizabeth All that was
gained by Edward for the reformation
was lost by the reign of Queen Mary.
If that bigoted Queen could have fore
seen what her sister would do for the
reformation of the Church, Queen Eli
zabeth would never have succeeded to
the throne. The Pope's authority was
fully restored during the reign of
Queen Mary, which continued from
1858 to 1858. 1t was after her death
in the reign of Queen Elizabeth that
the final separation of the Church of
England from Rome took place Not
only was papal power restored, but
coming to the throne soon after Henry
VIII. the reign of Edward being short
Queen Mary caused great misery and
the destruction of many lives on ac-
count of religious creed.
History shows that the Christian
Church in England had continued
from time prior to Augustine who
went there by papal authority in the
sixth century. He found an ecclesias
teal organization already existing in
three orders. They labored together
with Augustine and ms associates, and
long time elapsed before the pope's
authority was acknowledged.
Now if the Presbyterian Church
were to determine to have only. two
elders in any one Church or should do
away with some other officer, or the
Methodist E. Church should decide to