The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-07-02

ElfzaDethS time FroteStantf EVi- dently the pope thought so. He was so convinced that 1t was not only Protestant, but hopelessly Protestant, that in 1870 he established anew the Roman Catholic church in England. Roman Catholicism had been so conn pletely abolished that. the pope had to start 1t again as a mission
 With the possible exception of some of the Scandinavian countrieA in England alone ProtestsntiSm re- suited from a continuous church life going back to the remotest An- tiquity. As to the value of this con- tinuous life, members of tho Episco- pal church are not agreed. But to the Roman Catholics 1t is of ines timable importance. They olaIra that their church alone is characterized by such a continuous life. They can truly say that the Lutheran church is a new church. founded by Lutne-. They oan truly say that the Presby- terian church Is a new church, found ed by Calvin. They can truly say that the Methodist Is a new church, founded by Wesley. By analogy, they have sometimes said the Church of England Is a new church, founded by Henry VIII. But this is not true. Henry. by his quarrel with the pope,
 
 vorabie opportunity to develop in tho direction of Professionalism. But he did not found a new church as Luther did. History shows that it 10 the Church of England alone which has enjoyed . continuous church life in England from remote antiquity, and that 1t Is the Roman Catholic church which was founded in Eng land In 1870 as new church.
 Not Founded by Henry
 The Church of England was not founded by Henry. It has attained its Professionalism by . long course been founded by Henry. It would prove that it was 6 Protestant church founded like all the others by revolution. That 1t was founded by Henry Is Roman Catholic argu- ment. originated. 1t Is said, by ths Jesuits, to prove that the Church of England has not had & continuous life from remote antiquity. And, To, Protestants have seized upon the as- sertion and repeat 1t as if 1t proved the Church of England was nos Protestant! That Henry founded the Church of England is not true-the Protestantism of the Church of Eng land arose otherwise-but if Henry had founded the Church of England 1t would be proof positive that 1t Is Protestant!
 The real reason that the protest antism of the Episcopal church is so often doubted Is that many of the protestant churches most familiar to us arose out of protests not against Roman Catholicism, but against the Church of England. Many of these protests were legitimate enough. Like all the churches of the refor- nation, the Church of England was a state church. It was governed by the king and parliament. It was a dogmatic church. It required assent not only to the ApostleR' and Nicaean Creed but also to the Athanasian Creed and the thirty-nine articles Its clergy were drawn from. and it's sympathies were with the aristo- cracy. It was a church not of the masses, but of the classes. And, finally. it came to think of Christi anity as being chiefly mere morality and responsibility.
 Many of the protestant churches had their origin in protests against these things. Some proposed dif- ferent creeds and some none at all. The Baptists, illogically enough, combined the two tendencies, and in- sist on the one hand that they have no creed and on the other upon the dogma of total adult immersion. More or less consciously, these pro- testant churches expressed a class consciousness which was social as we'll as reiigious. Methodism. to its great credit. insisted that the Gospel must be preached to the poor and Hitter ate, and that 1t was not mere morali- tV nd rt n htlftw hs.t t- surcharged with feeling and devo- tion. These various protesting bodies wore sometimes persecuted by the state church. Usually their members were taxed to support the state church and It's schools. In con sequence there sprang up bitter. and sometime justified, prejudices. not so much against the Roman Catholic church as against the Church of Eng land And 1t is these prejudices which still speak when men question the protestanism of the Church of England's daughter, the Protestant Episcopal church.
 But suppose there Is living in New York city woman of sixty. She had married when she was IS, daughter was born shortly after wards, and when she was 3s and tuc yuduSHtcI 1Vs thu ldttcE hdTTicQ and removed to Australia. For 20 been separated. There Is an occas- iona1 formal letter-nothinS more. Now at the age of SO, in New York city, the mother commits murder. Would it occur to any sane man to accuse the daughter in Australia of being a murderess?
 Had Grave Faults
 The Church of England was char acterized by grave faults. There were protests against them. which led to the founding of new denomi- nations. In America. the Protestant Episcopal church has listened to these protests, and purged herself of the faults of the Church of England. The Protestant Episcopal church is not a state church. The very men who deny she has anything to do with religion also admit that she has nothing to do with politics. Sis has nothing like the intimate connec- ton with political affairs in Ala bama as have the Baptists. The Episcopal church is not a creedal church. The Apostles and the Ni- caean Creed are printed in the Pray CT Book for use chiefly In worship and in instruction. The freedom of scholars to investigate any and all truth is freely admitted. The com mittee on the revision of the Pray CT Book in their second report sug- gested alterations by which . man may be baptized and confirmed with out making any creedal affirmation whatsoever. As a recent writer in the churchman remarked, trial for heresy in the Episcopal church is as unthinkable as meeting dodo in one's back yard. It is true that in the south. the Episcopal church is still the church of the classes. This