The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-11-13
"THE ISSUE NOT TO BE AVOIDED:
DID HENRY VII ESTABLISH
THE ENGLISH CHURCH,"

church, and that he does not like a
state-church; that the English Parlia-
ment passed laws of disqualification
against non-comformists; that under
these laws men were prosecuted and
John Bunyan cast into prison; that
ii has recently passed a bill of edu-
cation, which he considers unfair; that
there are more children of dissenters
than children of the establishment, are
considerations which so far as I am
able to see have nothing to do with
the historical question before us. If
brought before a court of law upon
this historical fact-the origin of a
certain institution-he were to begin
to make statements that it was a very
bad institution, the answer of the
court would be very brief: "Aliundel
go out of court; your statements have
nothing to do with the question be-
fore US" Lawyers have such charm
ing ways of dealing with lack of per-
tinency! To these ''side issues" / per-
init myself only word in passing. The
Parliament of England represents the
majority Of the English nation; when
that majority grows tired of a state
church, bills of education, and such
like, the remedy is in their own hands,
and they will undoubtedly use 1t. All
disqualifying acts were annulled by
! the same body that imposed them. /
defend no act of intolerance or persa-
cution committed by any church any
more than / ask the gentleman to de-
fend the burning Of witches in Rhode
Island, a century later when all per-
secutions had ceased in England, done
by a church with which he is more
familiar.
Facts Needed, Not Statements.
1t has been the standing Islander of
history that the Church of England
owed it's origin to Henry VIII. 1t has
been iterated and reiterated in every
age, and just as often refuted, with
out bitterness, by the simple presenta-
tion of the facts but 1t springs up per-
ennially and the facts have again to be
presented. 1t is true, as the critic
says, that some of the best" authori-
ties have repeated this statement, but
these statements have all suffered
from "a chronic absence of facts" for
It is a question of fact, OF historic
fact. 1t is not even an inference; IL is
a certainty, every one of the facts, as
certain and sure that oxygen and hy-
drogen form water, as that England at
the reformation did not create a new
church, prayer book, liturgy govern
ment, creed or anything else. She SIM
ply continued the same ones which had
always belonged to her from the very
earliest times.
lay the argument before those in
terested In the shape of three PROPOSE
lions. and shall be as concise as the
clearness Of the case will admit.
Firsti origin of the British Church.
The first fact material to my general
proposition, is that the British Church
existed for nearly six centuries, before
the foot OF the missionaries OF the
Church OF Rome touched England.
Clement, the fellow-laborer OF st.
Paul, writing about % A. D., says
of 81. Paul that he went 10 the ut
most bounds of the west"-an express
sion ordinarily used by the anclents
IN speaking OF the British Isles, and
England was the most westerly land
that appeared on the maps OF that day.
elements EDistle 20 the Corinthiana
Sec. % Euaebius, A. D., 325, says
that one OF the Apostles visited the
British Isles" Or. H. Cole The An
glicau Church. page 49, About a ccn-
fury later. The0d0rot mentions Britain
! % one " the PLACES Mhcra 6t. 1;aui