Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1883-03-29
The Historical Discussion.


Now a few words more on a point or two
in history out of which this discussion orig
mated, and the matter shall end so far as l
am concerned. My remarks shall not be
controversial, but quiet little search after
truth. a few days ago, bright little lady
said to me: "Well, --, admit you are
right about the rock upon which the Church
is founded, but you must admit that Henry
VIII. was the supreme head Of the Church
in England" To this / answered, "This is
true in one sense and untrue in another"
She said, "No, but it is unquestionably true;
the Parliament asserted it, Convocation as
serted it, and history, especially Macaulay,
asserts it. 1t is true without any ifs or ands
II you dispute it, do so in the paper"
l promised her l would, if had time,
explain why this was not true in whole,
even though it was so asserted by the brilliant
Macaulay, and the popular error was encour-
aged by Hume and other prejudiced and care
less writers. She added, "If am mistaken,I
would really like to know it; but great many
people believe as L do. We can't have all the
books in the world to study" If people will
be reasonable, it's worth while to talk to
them; otherwise, not. l do not pretend to
approve or defend all that was said or done
during the work of reforming the Church in
England or elsewhere. Much less have any
sympathy with that Church in its conlpli-
cations with the State. But as historians, we
cannot do justice to any people, in their strug-
giles for reform, without knowing all the
hindrances and forces operating upon them.
The Church had been ineXtricably mixed up
with affairs of State in England, it had
been in nearly all the other nations of Eu-
rope from the introduction of Christianity,
and from this mistake most of its woes have
sprung. In Henry's time, then, before as
we'll as after his rupture with the Pope, the
revenues and property of the Church, its af-
fairs temporal, were so connected and mixed
up with the affairs of State as to be very con-
fusing to us. In regard to many things, it
could be broadly and generally said that
Church and State were one. Parliament
legislated for the Church in many things re-
lating to its temporal affairs. Convocation
legislated about many things which we would
now incline to think were affairs of State.
And yet the Church exercised certain spir
itual authority which the State did not pre-
tend to have power to exercise. Bear in
mind that this was the condition under
Roman or Papal authority, and that it con-
tinued down through Henry's reign-as well
as through Edwards and Elizabeth's reigns,
and in a gradually changed and modified
form to this day, to the scandal, think, of
Christianity. But then much the same con-
dition of things existed in Scotland, where
the Presbyterian Church is the National or
fo1I Itch rhorn
the Lutheran and Evangelican Churches are
established by lawn Austria, Spain, France,
and other countries, where the Roman Cath
olic Church was established by law. 1t was
so, in a very modified form, in this country,
when the Episcopal Church was the State
church in Virgins, land the Puritan Church, or
Congregational Church, was the State church
in New England, before the Revolution.
Between 1880 to 1540-indeed, for a much
longer time-a reign of excitement existed in
England on the subject Of excluding the jur-
isdiction of the Pope. In order, as Parlia-
ment then thought necessary, 10 effectually
exclude the Pope's authority, they not only
undertook to nullify his authority in En-
gland, but to make Henry the supreme
head, and to punish severely all who should
thereafter acknowledge or obey the Pope, or
deny Henry the only Sovereign Lord and
Supreme Head within the Realm" "Up to
this time the clergy had virtually been the
supreme power in the State" (Froude, vol.
=, p. 292.) They were charged with "acting
auditors, baiiffs; stewards, and that the
fragrant eXactions of probates of testaments
and the taking of mortuaries were open rob-
berry and theft.". (HaU, p. 766, and FrOade.)
"Thenceforward the rising power of the peo-
pie, through their agents, the King and Par
lament, were to assume supreme CONTROL"
(Hall, and Burnett.) Convocation met, COM
posed of nearly all the Bishops and Abbots,
and many priests or clergy-nearly 500 in
number-and declared that "the Bishop Of
Rome (the Pope) had, by the law of God, no
more jurisdiction in England than any other
foreign Bishop" Burnett, p. 20S.) Under
the persuasive coercive power of the King and
Parliament, Convocation-the Church au-
thority-declared, "We recognize the Kings
majesty to be our only sovereign Lord, the
singular protector of the Church and clergy
of England, and SO far as is allowed by the
law of Christ,al our supreme head" Bur
nett, 80; Hall, 40; Froude, vol. 1, p. 304; and
Annals of Convocation, VOL l, p. 227.) Par
lament declared that the "Pope had ac-
croached to himself the Signories and Bene-
fees within the realm of England, = and
was unlawfully exercising the first powers
and rights of Christian King within the
Kingdom" (Froude, Hall, Burnett, and Ms.
Archives Parliament.) So it will be seen
that it was not mere spiritual 'headship"
which the Pope then claimed, but-as they
asserted-a temporal headship also.
Now, bearing in mind the alleged claims
of the Pope on the one side, and the fears,
preiudices aud hatred of the King, Parlia-
ment and the people on the other, let us see
if we can arrive at any Just and true under
standing of the nature and kind of "head
ship" which the King was declared to pos
sess. The "best evidence" of what men be-
lieve, according to all legal as well as moral
maXims, is what they themselves say. The
best evidence of the opinions of Washington
and Of Jefferson, is what they themselves