The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-11-06
"TRUE HISTORY OF THE
CHURCH OF ENGLAND
is TYRANNY AND BLOOD"
Pastor of First Baptist Church Writes On His.
tory of the Church
REV. DIR. j. d. JORDAN.

, than men. many noble souls suffered
| imprisonment and many other outrages
at the hands of the National Church."
| Among this number was John Bunyan,
| who spent twelve years in prison in
| Bedford, because he could not con-
| sclentiously accept the creed and meth
ods OF the Church of England. To
write the True History of this church
would be to expose her in plundering
| private homes and imprisoning the
| saints of God
| One of the darkest chapters in the
| history of the Church of England is
being written now. After the sunrise
OF the twentieth century A. D., Q9O2
and 1909, this church has forced upon
| her government an educational bill that
| would force Baptists, CONGREGATIONAL
| lists, Lutherans, Methodists, Presbyte-
rlans and all other parents and guar
dams to send their children to the
schools of the established church. sup
| ported by public taxation, to be taught
TO deny the faith of their fathers and
mothers. Here is a sample of what
| the church would force upon the chill
| dren of dissention.
Protestant Dissenters.
: Question: Are Protestant dissenters
f. in schims?' Answer: Protestant dis
! senters are in schism, and their minis
(; ters, not being in the apostolical sue
cesslon have no authority to teach,
and cannot administer sacrament"
Question: BY what means are sins
| forgiven? Answer: Briefly by the
| sacraments of holy baptism and PEN
ance." Think of Baptists, Congrega-
| tlonaliStS, Lutherans, Methodists,
| Presbyterians and others paying taxes
to have their children taught such
| things! Think of being an apologist
for church that unchurches all other
churches, that would by law teach
children to renOunce the faith of their
parents and declare their own parents
heretics!
Think of being an apologist for
church that would close the mouth of
every Baptist, Congregational, Luth-
eran, Methodist and Presbyterian min
lister in all the world from proclaim
ing the unsearchable riches of our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Alas!
the wheels of progress are moving
backward in their flight. This act
has its counterpart in the treatment
of Peter and John as recorded in the
Acts of the Apostles, chapters and 4.
A passive resistance to this bill is
being made by many of the learned.
wise and sanity ministers of Christ
and laymen in England to-day. Rath-
er than pay taxes for sectarian
schools and suffer their children
taught the dogmas of the Establish
ed Church they suffer their property
taken and some have been condemned
to prison.
Liberty of Conscience.
The Sunday-school scholars of the
established church are 2,919, Alb. Those
of the free churches are 3,3S9,S4S. This
law would by force not only deny the
liberty of conscience to a majority of
| .ofU ytao IN foin hnf
in educational matters also. For mar
rowness of mind and heart forced by
the arm of tyrannical law commend
me to such an institution. Such law
enacted and enforced in the name of a
church, claiming to be Christian, will
do more harm than an army of inf
dels.
All this and the history is not COM
plete. Let the curtain drop. / love
peace. not war. love light, but pre-
fer darkness If the light has got to
make such dismal and deplorable reve-
lations. Such historyl 1t seems pity
that it ever was, and since it was and
is, pity it had to be written.
The Church of England and the Epis-
copal church in America, In my mind
are not thought of together, and never
would be We're 1t not that now and
then a member of the latter appears
as an apologist of the former love
all good people and feel bound by a
special tie to all individual Christians.
but / do not love any established
church. I believe in the absolute sep
aration of church and state.
'Charity n Healthy PIant.~
when those optimistic days shall
come when charity shall be a healthy
plant" there will be no established
church." denying to the servant of God
the right to worship according to the
dictates OF his conscience under his
own vine and fig tree unmolested.
And when people shall go to each
others churches, and they shall believe
there is truth everywhere in the world''
there will be no one church, unchurch-
ing all other churches and denying the
holy office Of other ministers. "Ail
such remarks as these will cease TO be-
when American ministers cease TO be
apologist for established churches and
cease 10 brand historical statements
as "fippant remarks"
Until that happy day arrives Il viii
always be necessary for men 20 Law
aside" false modesty and speak truths
sad 10 be uttered, but more sad be-
cause, they cannot be refuted. when
those optimistic days shall come. -
statements that are historically and
absolutely accurate" will not be met
by personalities and historical and
absolute inaccuracies" May the Lord
charity shall b. q healthy plant" Cor
daily. John IS. Jordan.
--s-s-s-
-reas--Afiss gkinnay says she Just
hates 20 10 20 the opera" Jess