The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1908-06-20
THE EARLY BRITISH CHURCH AND AU.
CUISINE.

Before replying to the charge of Anglicanus
that the bishops of the British church refused to
submit to or even acknowledge the papal jurisdc-
ton Of St. Augustine, let us clean up the ecclesi-
astical status of the pre-Augustine Church in Eng
land. The historical myth of the ecclesiastical in
dependence of the British Church has been so eff
fecually disposed of by the more recent school of
Anglican Church historians of repute that those
who persist in keeping up the old cry about the in
dependence of the British Church make them
selves simply ridiculous in the eyes of those who
are n possession of the facts.
Here few extracts from nom Catholic writ
ers tia. ought to dispose for all time of the in
dependent myth and the myth-makers:
"A we-informed man cannot resist the weight
of historical evidence which establishes that in the
whole period of the four first ages of the church
the principal points of the papistical doctrines
already admitted in theory and in practice"
(Introd. Decline and Fall Rom Z. Gibbon).
and whereas he pope Gregory bore the
pontfieial power over all the world and was placed
over the churches already reduced to the faith of
truth, he made nation (the BRITISH till then
given up to idols, the Church of Christ (His
Eccles. Lib. II, c. l.-Bede, A. D. 1859.
"The Church of England is the daughter of the
Church of Rome historical fact which cannot be
altered to please any man.. Bishop Collins, Angi-
can, in Ency Britt.
There has been among some historians of our
church foolish exhibition of rooted prejudice in
dislike shown by them to acknowledge the indebted
of the British Church to Rome" Celtic
Church of Scotland" p. o. Bishop Dowden).
Of this British church. Dr. Goodwin, Anglican
bishop of Carlisle, in his Church of England Past
and Present" says:
There is no evidence of any substantial differ
ence between it British church, and the church
which Augustine established" We might adduce
a sheaf of Anglican extracts to prove that until
Henry VIII there never was any other faith in
England than that of Rome But of what use?
man convinced against his will,
Is Of the same opinion still
It is surprising that Anglcanus should adopt
the now exploded arguments in favor of an indepen-
dent church, when Bede, who records Bed 112)
the incident Of the misunderstanding between Au-
CUISINE and these early British bishops records also
the reconciliation of the saint with the bishops and
clergy, and the invitation to them to join. with him
in the conversion of the Brtons and the Saxons.
Now would ST. Augustine have asked them to Join
i
they professed and taught doctrines which he con-
demned! The early historian, Bede (who wrote in
735 A. d.. relates with great minuteness the full
between Augustine and the bishops.
They all hinge points of discipline Nowhere
does the remotest hint occur of any difference be-
tween them on any point of doctrine. If. when the
British bishops came to meet Augustine at Worces-
ershire. he had treated them little more diplomat
cally and had advanced from his seat to greet
them they would at once have submitted to has
authority. When we remember the implacable ami
mostly Of the Britons to the Saxon invaders who
ragaged their land. and for a hundred and fifty
years made ruthless upon their homes. their
faith and themselves can we conceive of their being
willing under any circumstances. to accept this
newly arrived missionary as superior to their own
llme-honored prelates, unless they had some pro-