The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-03-06

On the evening of Saturday, Fep-
ruary IA, a very interesting interview
with the learned Dean Kaye of the
Protestant Episcopal church of this
city appeared on page of the To-
peka State Journal. The theory pro-
pounded in this interview is known as
the continuity theory" The foiioW-
ing brief remarks deal with some OF
the statements made to prove 1t cor
rect.
The interview asserts: eat the first
dawn of English history, we find the
three orders of the ministry of the
church-bishops, priests and deacons
performing their allotted tasks. In
314 there was called the council of
Aries in France and we find the
Church of England accepted as an
entity, and with full powers of dele
CATION, and her bishops, priests and
deacons received with the Difference
they deserved as from a national
church. Their names stand in history
and we find there the bishop of
London and the bishop of York and
that was some 1900 years before
Henry VIII was born"
Before commenting on the forego-
ing it may be well to remark that the
expression Church of England" is
susceptible of two meanings. 1t may
mean the Church of England by law
established. that is, the Anglican
church; or it may mean the Church
in England. The Church of England
by law established cannot be the
church referred to in the passage just
quoted: for, the laws establishing the
Church of England were passed in the
reigns of Henry VIII and EliZab beth,
while the church mentioned in this
passage existed 1900 years previously.
If bishops, priests and deacons were
to be found in the Anglican church
and in no other the conclusion from
otf nf n h
ops at the council of Aries that that
church dates back to the first CEN
turtles of our era would be perfectly
lawful. AS a matter of fact, however,
bishops, priests and deacons exist in
the Catholic church. 1t must be
shown that the bishops in question
were Anglicans and not Catholics to
prove that there was an Anglican
church at that time. This the inter-
view does not do. Hence the conclu-
sion is not binding.
Three bishops from England (the
| interview mentions two), Elrorius of
York, Restitutus of London and
Adelphius of Lincoln attended the
council held at Aries in 314 to ratify
the findings of council previously
held at Rome regarding a certain
episcopal election in Africa At this
council of Aries four legates of Pope
Sylvester presided: Claudius and Vitus.
priests. and Eugenius and Cyrianus.
deacons. 1t was a Catholic council
presided over by the pope thru his
legates Only Catholics admitting the
right of the pope to preside took part
in the, proceedings. And since the
three English bishops did take part
We are forced to conclude that they
were Catholics and not Anelicans. No
Anglican bishops, then, were admit
ted to the council of Aries 1900 years
before the reign of Henry VIII.
The interview proceeds: 'In 597
when Augustine, the first Roman
monk, put his foot on English soil, he
found the church fully organized and
he and the authorities of the Church
of England conferred together in order
to bring about amicable relations in
the work of Outstanding the outer
parts of England"
st. Augustine was not the first Ro-
man missionary sent to England
Fugatius and Damian. sent thither By
Pope Eleutherius at the request Of
Lucius, British king, converted great
numbers to the faith before the close
of the second century. st. Augustine
went to England in the sixth century
and found the Catholic church fully
organized by missionaries sent thithel
by the pope. 1t is no surprise that hi
conferred with the authorities of tht
church in England of which he, him
self was a member.
No PapaI Authority.
The interview leaves the impression