The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-05-17
THE CHURCH ROwIN ENGLAND

Any question which excites much public
interest in England or in the United King
dom becomes, in short time a matter of
discussion in the United States. Just now
it is common talk in England that the
Church of England is, in common and
worldly speaking, lin a hole" and the pa
pers in the United States are busy with the
inquiry whether the establishment will or
will not come out of the hole.
The difficulty arises from the. Ritualist
movement. A considerable and apparently
increasing party in the church is quite
taken up with what another party calls
"popish practices''-not merely bell, book
and candle and that sort of thing; but in a
more serious way, for there is talk of con-
LESSONS and of masses, which are to the
old fashioned Protestant Episeopalians OF
the British empire abomination This makes
two parties and a square fight in the
church.
This would not be so grave If there. were
not third party in the controversy. This
is composed of the Dissenters, who do not
belong to the establishment or to any party
in it, but who nevertheless help pay for
it. This party is at present in a state OF
mend,' and disposed to make, trouble. Tho
High Church party, with truly British OBJ
stinacy, keeps on with it's incense. and its
vestments, its bowings and genufexions. 1t
speaks of itself as the Holy Catholic
church. The Low church party calls for &C.
elesastical judgment on these violators of
the laws of the Church of England, still
claiming to be within it's legal fold, while
the Dissenters, who, by the way. possess
much of the money and goods of the British
empire. cry aloud, Are we to be taxed to
support an imitation Catholic church? Are
we loyal Englishmen. We believe in the
House of Hanover and the Protestant sue
TT, xrytt fhr
body of Englshmen in driving out James
II because he wished to set up the Roman
Catholic faith in England, and now we
have ii here again, and we are expected as
loyal subjects TO support it. 1t is a sWindle
and an outrage. Let the lawful authori-
ties of the establishment suppress these
rectors and persons who call them priests
and fathers and who set up confessions
and profess to say masses or there will be
such a row as only free born Englshmen
know how to make"
There Is but one way out of this difficulty
for good and all, and that is the disestab-
lishment of the English church, and Amer
leans are interested in the outcome, even IL
they have no bets up. The odds are against
the Ritualist party holding on to the
Church of England and its appurtenances
and emoluments. It may be counted sure
that they will not be permitted to make the
Church of England what they desire ana
must let go of the establishment or the eS-
tablishment must let go of the Ritualists.
Otherwise both are gone. The easiest and
safest way is for the state to let go of the
church.
When any change is suggested In any
ancient British arrangement 1T is said at
first that it is impossible. Englishmen, 1t
is asserted. will never withdraw the state
from the Church of England. But the es-
Enlistment, while nominaly the. Church
of England, is not the church of English
men-at least not of millions of them-and
is less than ever a matter of interest to
them when it is rugged up as an imitation
Roman Catholic affair. That the Church
NAV be- dsestablished without the earth
coming to an end has been shown in Ire
land. Scotland gets along with Presby-
terrain establishment, being careful not to
take too much of it.. All this is seen and
known of men.
With the dsestablishment of the Church
of England in England there would be a
bump and a shock, but 1t would not signify
that the cars were off the track. The church
would retain it's antiquity and its gem
Utility, and so present an attraction to
large numbers of English people of the
"hupper classes" or ring to belong
there. The Dissenters would enjoy religion
no less when relieved of all responsibility
for what they regard as a pink effort to
emulate the Scarlet Woman of Babylon.
The church would be taken out of politics,
which is usually a benefit to anything.