Los Angeles herald., 1907-06-24

it's principles, ideals and legal decisions,
1t is Christian. But it's Christianity
consists not in dependence but an
independence of church and state. 1t
consists of rendering to Caesar the
things that are Caesars, and to God
the things that are Gods"
Says Claim Is Too Strong
"In supposing that he has the true
American notion of the relation of
church and state in his mind, If not on
paper, the preacher claims too much
when he declares that the present ex-
cellent arrangement is due to MS
church. Here are his words:
How shall we account for this?
Whence did it spring? Ideas, sentiment,
principles are conserved, perpetuated
and made operative by institution. BY
what institution, then, by what system
of thought and action, were civics and
religion so closely blended in this land
of ours that they have been inseparaole
from the beginning of our history to
this day Of our national greatness and
power?
"By English Christianity. By the re-
ligion of Jesus Christ as represented
and administered by the church of the
English-speaking people of the Worlu.
lnlS American lduu was pOooOooOd o.AN'
won by the Anglo-Saxon race, and by
the church of the Anglo-Saxon race.
She established Christianity here: She
laid the foundation of our republican
form of government
"His claims are big. Remember that
in the sixteen chartered colonies the
Church of England was officially estaD-
lished in only seven and practically IN
but three, Virginia, New Jersey and
Carolina. And in Virginia, on what ne
bases his claims, the first positive et-
feet of this establishment was precisely
to initiate against the growth OF the
most fundamental of liberties, Whicn Is
liberty of conscience. While the min
listers of the eastern colonies were all
active on the side of the Wings says
McMaster, the rectors of Virginia ana
the Carolinas were ranging themselves
on the Tory side.'
History of Intolerance
"The history of the Episcopal church
in Virginia is a history of religious IN
tolerance. The later negative or reac-
tionary effect of this intolerance was,
1t is true, to make tolerance dearer ana
more cherished. Civic freedom did, in
deed. find it's first beginning here. But
not SO religious freedom. Catholics and
Puritans were most cruelty proscrln nen. ,
The miserable system of espionage py
informers was introduced. Freedom Oh
the press was denied. In 1911 the gov
er1lor Of Virginia, Sir William Berkeley
wrote: We have forty-eight parishes
and our ministers are well paid, ana
by my consent should be better II tney
would pray oftener and preacn less.
But I thank God there are no Tree
schools or printing, and hope shall not
rz- n
has brought disobedience and heresy
and sects into the world, and printing
has developed against the best govern
ments. God kept us from both
"In 1899 some show of tolerance was
made other Protestants in Virginia.
"The introduction of religious liberty
is not due, therefore, to Episcopal Vlr-
ginia. Instead, it is due to Catholic
MARYLAND. Therefore the Protestant
clergyman and historian, Bancroft VINO
will not be suspected of Catholic plas'
might be cited, but his testimony IS
too familiar to need quotation.
LET as hear the statement OF the
claim to the name American churcn:
"'Do YOU wonder then, that we mod
estly claim for this church, the church
known in law as the Protestant Ep1s-
copal church in the United States or
America-the name American church" !
Is not our claim reasonable and well
grounded one? We claim it not be-
cause she is numerically the largest
body of Christians in our land-she is
not; nor even because she is true
branch of the apostolic church of
Christ. But because she has the su-
preme right of mission here by reason
of priority of existence in this land.
awe claim it because this church was
the first church to celebrate the Chris
tian worship and Sacraments on these
shores; we claim it because she was the
first church of the first permanent set
tiers within the territory of the thirteen
original states; we claim it because she
was supremely instrumental in shaping
the form and constitution of our gov
ernment and in laying the foundation
of the political and religious liberty
which we now enjoy, and we claim 1t
because, while eminently catholic, world
wide in her ministries, sympathy and
aim, she is yet distinctively American in
her character, traditions and spirit.
1.-The Episcopalians number today less
than 1 per cent of the population OF
these United States. In view of that
fact alone the claim is indeed modest
to the name American church par ex-
cellence. On the basis Of the census of
lJUU lu6y are W NOii I'LL
ferent denominations; by four of them
in the proportion of two to one; by
another nearly four to one, and by an
other over twelve to one.
Claims of Priority
"But the reverend gentleman does not
rest his claims on that f1imsy founda-
tion, nor yet on the equally f1imsy foun-
dation of an apostolic origin; but he
does rest his claims on the supreme
right of mission here by reason of
priority of existence in this land. Does
he forget the fact that Columbus was
in this land with chaplains and mis-
sionaries before the Episcopal church
was born of Henry Wits marriage to
Anne Boleyn? Does he forget the settle
ment Of st. Augustine, which goes back
nearly half a century before James
town? And the reverend gentleman
adds the claim arising from the fact
that it was the first church within the