The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-11-20

teaches that persons baptized in the
Triune Name, by every mode of bap-
tism, by whonsoever administered, are
members of the Church of Christ" But
she teaches that "dissenters cannot ad-
minister" baptism or the Lords Sup
PERI; "the sacrament" so his seeming
ly liberal statement teaches nothing
save baptismal regeneration, and that
baptism cannot be administered by a
dissenter.
OF the many chapters related in my
former article under his title. THE
True History of the Church of Eng
land" he questions only one. For this
dissention he IS to be commended. for
in them he would have found the way
even more perilous than in this one
about Henry VIII.
Burning witches.
He states that a church with which
l am more familiar" burnt witches
in Rhode Island century after Henry
VIII established the Church of Eng
land. 1t is a fact that "a century
later" state church in Massachusetts,,
fired by preaching not of my faith,
was very busy burning witches and
expelling dissenters, one of which was
Rodger Williams. Being expelled he
"honorably purchased a piece of land,
founded Rhode Island, and laid out the
thorized by the church, however) says
of him: "A dissenter, a disciple of
truth in the Durest form: an uncom-
promising advocate of freedom; he
brought to the Narragansett the great
doctrine of perfect religious liberty. If
the area of Rhode Island had CORE
sponded with the grandeur of the prin-
ciples on which she was founded who
could have foretold her destiny To
him belongs the impershable honor of
being first in America or in Europe to
proclaim the full gospel of religious
liberation" Certain it is that neither
Rodger Williams nor those imbibing
his spirit and doctrines ever burnt
witches or killed people anywhere be-
cause of their religious belief
II they ever did, l have been unable
to find any record of it, either in my
library, the Georgia Historical Society
and several private libraries of the city
to which I have been given access.
No Record ObtainabIe.
Neither can there any record be
found that witches were ever burned
IN Rhode Island. If the church with
which l am more familiar" ever
burnt witches. or if any witches were
ever burnt in Rhode Island, let the
record be produced. The following
paragraph from the Salem witchcraft
records would indicate a different
spirit for Mr.. Williams and Rhode Is
land. Burroughs was disliked by some
OF the clergy, for he was tinctured
with Roger Williams Heresies of Re
nglous Freedom; and he was particu-
larly obnoxious to Mather for he had
spoken slightingly of witchcraft, and
mad even said there was no such thing
as a witch" Minister Burroughs was
hanged on ''Gallows Hill" for having
been to an extent disciple of Roger
W1lllams as to religious freedom and
not believing in witches. It would
seem that the church that burnt the
witches in massachusetts, was the same
that met and passed many resolutions,
two of which read as follows:
Resolved, That the earth belongs to
Resolved second, That we are the
saints of God
There is more grounds for burning
witches than there was for Henry VIII
to divorce two wives and behead two
more. Exodus 22:1S. as translated for
us by the Church of England, reads.
Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live"
Yet, Tor those who burnt witches l
have no defense.
The burning of witches in America
would seem to be only a transportation
of the spirit of the Church of England,
who performed like deeds in the mother
country.
Liking or Dis1iL1ing an Established
Church.
AS to whether he likes an establish
ed church or as to whether / do not
would seem, at a glance, to be mat
ter of taste. But this government has
settled the matter as a great princi-
pie. Great truths and principles are
not to be reckoned as settled on the
grounds of taste or by a passing re-
mark" Here I am reminded that once
l heard colored woman declaring her
belief in the Pauline doctrine. When l
asked her to define it she said, paul
say let everybody follow his on tase."
Convenient doctrine.
While 1.-THE Parliament of England
represents the majority of the English
nation" the Church of England, see
ing that majority on the wane as
broader culture and a more liberal
education advanced, resorted to the
iniquitous educational bill' to com
pei the children of dissenters to turn
away from the faith of their parents
and accept her teachings in order to
perpetuate her majority. This act and
its enforcement will go down in his
tory as, one of the darkest deeds of
this century. Here 1.-The church" seems
to have forgotten her fair name" and
'chaste lineage"
So say I. Let us have facts as they
occurred and as they have been re-
corded by fair, impartial, and I'M
pTejudiced writers and not mere
statements of official documents"
which "the church has put forth"
My information and quotations have
been taken from standard works of
well accredited authors in books cur
rent in the best libraries of the coun-
try. In no instance have I relied on a
book put forth by any church.
If the awfulness of facts could in
anyway justify their perversion, 1
forth" some official documents to
that end.
To stamp the best authorities as
standing SANDER" with a passing re-
mark is not to display a charity
that is healthy plant" My author
tiles are open to inspection to all call
ers daily.
Nothing could have been further from
my thoughts than to have thus become
involved in a discussion with Mr..
Strong. We do not regard the incident
with equal import. With him it seems
to be vital. With me it does not
amount to a feathers weight or a
penny's value whether Henry VIII es-
tablished the Church of England or
not, only so far as 1t relates to the
truth of history.
1 lay no store by what is called
apostolic succession. He does. A sue
cession through such men as Henry
VIII would not seem to be either sa-
cred or desirable.