THE ENGLISH BRANCH OF THE APOSTACY.

THE ENGLISH BRANCH OF THE APOSTACY.

But to return from these days to which we have descended through the Lutheran line of the dposiacy, let us rttraet our steps to the era

at which the consumption of the Law lets One began It will easily

be perceived, that it was the spirit of his mouth, by which the Lord

Jesus was consuming him, when it is remembered that these convulsions

in the Kingdom of the Clergy were mainly attributable to the

circulation of the Holy Scriptures in the languages of rhe cifferent

nations. 1 he Hible was rendered into the German, Dutch, Swedish,

Danish, French, and English, besides several others. Ί he people read

them with avidity. The light of truth dispelled the darkness of their

minds ta some extent. They saw the gross absurdity of the superstition

they had received from their ancestors, and they felt the grinding despotism

of the clerical yoke. But they did not withal discover the impossibility

of national being the true religiou of Jesus. Their crafty

oppressors bad the sagacity to discern the invincible character of the

new opinions, when opposed by the ancient superstition; and displayed

profound policy in preserving their dominion to a certain extent, by

falling in with the new measures. For the most part they sided with

royalty. When kings resisted th« reforming innovations of the times,

the clergy seconded their views; when they favored them, the clergy

did tho same. This class of men, as α body, have generally proved

recreant to principle, but staunch to the interests of time. Exceptions

have occurred, but these only establish the rule. The history of the

Apo tacy in England sufficiently illustrates this position. When

John Wickliffe a ose in that country, A. D. 136u\ and attacked the

monks, the Pontifical power, and other ecclesiastical vices and abuses,

lie became the object of their inveterate hate, and persecution, and

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would have assuredly expiated his "heresy" on their bloody altars,

But Wickliffe was patronized by John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster,

and other noblemen, and thus escaped the grasp of their hypocrital

and execrable tyranny. From this era may be dated the dawn of religious

liberty in England. Had Wickliffe been patronized by the king*

as Luther was by the princes of Germany, we should have hcaid

more of the Rector of Lutterworth, than of the Augustin, Friar of

Eiselben. But the period for the grand revolt had not yet arrived;

howbett, England, Bohemia, Hungary, and other parts of Europe,

were rilled with the doctrines of Wickliffe before Luther was born.

Thus was the train laid for that explosion, which afterwards occur·

red in England, when the pillars of Papal despotism were shaken to

their foundation, by an event which did not seem, at first, to promise

such important results. Henry VHf, a man of the most detestable

character, was the chief agent in this revolution. This Kinir—the

uxorious Henry—the murderer of hie wives, was styled by his "Holy

Father," the "Defender of the Faith?' because ho had maintained the

doctrines of the "Sevon Sacraments" in opposition to Luther. The

faith ho defended was the faith of Rom nism, which he afterward*

labored might and main, to destroy in some of its relation?; nevcrthe·

less, his royal successors, who founded tho present sprite faith, primi*

tive order and Scriptural liturgy" of the Episcopal Church, assumed

the same title, and wear it atiih Not long after he had been declared

champion of the Faith, Henry quarrelled with the Roman Pontiff,

Clement VI!.,-and set up for tkSupreme Head of the Church" in his

own dominions; and thus, the English nation was transferred from

the tyranny ot the "Inngc of tlit Hcast"— the POPE—to that of ONB

of his Ten Worm—their King. He suppressed the monasteries, and

applied their revenues- to State and other purposes; yet he still considered

himself as master of the religious sentiments of his subjects.

Hence religion wss continually changing during his reign, floeu*

perstitiously retained the greater part of tha Reman Mystery, with

its imperious and persecuting ppirit; and frequently presented the

terrors of death to those who differed from him. fie caused Bilney,

Bay man, the famous Tyndal, 14 Anabaptists, and many other?, to

expiate their ''heresies" at the burning stake; and even struck with

terror tho conforming priests. Thomas Cranmer· Archbishop of Canterbury,

was his favorite, and the great Apostle of his master, after

the downfall of Cardinal Wolsey. What can we think of a clergyman.

notwithstanding1 all the eulogies passed upon him by hie admirers

who could continue the favorite of such a savage monster as Henry

VIII.? He was useful in his day in facilitating the growth of the

Protestant Horn of the "Two HORNED BEAST," which with all its

"LamVMike pretensions speaks with the voice of a Dragon, (Rev. xiii.

11.) A hint to the wise is enough; we shall pursue this idea hereafter*

Henry, who had retarded rat her than promoted the establishment

of the neic opinions in England, died in 1547. He was succeeded by

Edward VI during whoso short reigrn, Protestantism advanced considerably.

He invited Martin Duccr, and Paul Fagius from the

continent. Under the influence and instructions of Cranmer, he

endeavored to purge his country from ι he vile fictions of popery, and

to establish what Episcopalians call, the pure doctrines of Christianity,

in their place. John Calvin also, despairing of the Protestant cause in

Germany, aud assuming the authority of an Apostle, tendered his ter •ices to Cranmer· in a letter; suggesting new regulations for the church.

Cranmer, however, declining, the Geneves© reformer, next addressed

btiheelf to the Protector Somerset, whom he prevailed on to obtain

for him considerable influence, in the revision of the Liturgy which

was soon after undertaken· Thus the seeds of A'lgustinism, revived in

Calvinism, for which» says Lord Chatham, "diabolism would be a

better name '—were introduced into the National Religion; and afterwards

distributed among the leading factions, which split ciffrom the

establishment. This young king died 1553, before he could accom*

plish fully his designs. His sister the bigotted and bloodthirsty Mary*

^legitimatized by her fatherV divorce from Catharine of Arragon,

acceded to the crown. She had now a fair opportunity to wreak her

vengeance on her mothers enemies, which she did not fail to improve.

8he burned 277 persons during her reign; and among these the Archbishop

himself· It is usual with Protestant writers to eulogize this

arch prelate as a martyr for the truth equal to any of the primitive

age· 1 look at the whole affair in a very d ι He rent light, (-ranraer,

it ie admitted, possessed some laudable peculiarities; but it must be

recollected that a man may be a martyr fur his opinions without,

therefore, being a martyr for the truth. Tho Apostles were martyrs

for the truth; but the Protestant martyrs were such only for their

opinion 9. During the war of S male aid tene of thousands fell, righting

ill the cause of Protestantism and human liberty. But shall we say

that they were martyrs for Jesus? Besides, Cranmer, the martyr of

English Episcopacy, is less in-tilled to the compassion bestowed upon

him than is generally supposed; for. when in power, he followed the

execrable cxampU of the Romanists, by committing to the flames,

against the will of King Edward, two supposed heretics, two unfortunate

foreigners, whom, one would have supposed, humanity would

have spared, and whose destruction nothing could justify. Should

we not rather say, in justice to the memory of these murdered exiles,

that retributive justice had overtaken the arch primate at last; than

to celebrate his praise as a paragon of Christian virtue? lie had the

horns of a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon.

Mary restored her realm to the jurisdiction of the Pope. Her despotic

reign, however* was happily a short one. Siiu died, leaving no

issue, 1558. Elizabeth succeeded. She br%ke anew the despotic

joke of Papa] authority and superstition. This ''illustrious and pious

princess" was a perfect viiago. Her familiar spirit was the demon of

persecution, transmitted to her by regal descent. If any one refused

to worship God according to her appointment* ho was cast into prison

» where many exellent men wete left to perish. She burned two

BrowniFts, and two Anabaptists: in short, her hands were stained with

the blood both of Papists and Puritans. Such are some of the acts

of this "Christian" lady, who consummated and established upon its

present basis, the "pure faith, primitive order% and Scriptural liturgy"

Of the

NATIONAL EPISCOPAL CHURCH OF ENGLAND.

Let my readers lake a review of tho period we have sketched;

namely, from Henry's quarrel with the Pope, down to the feign of

Elizabeth—and let them candidly and ingenuously confers if the

Episcopal Church arising out of, and constituted of such elements as

therein developed can have any pretensions to the character of a

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Church of Christ. It is founded in human gore, watered with it, and

sustained by it at the present time· Look at Ireland· The tear· of

widows and of orphans; tho criej of oppression ascend ing from the

woods and forests of America—the whizzing Ush and the cracking

thongs, with which the Baptist*» were scourged in these colonies—al·

cry aloud for judgment on this splendid daughter of Babylon. Yes,

her consumption has long since began, and her utter destruction is at

the door. The former is coeval with her establishment. For though

Elizabeth, her foster-mother, passed la**e to compel all men to belong

to this cqmmunion; the spirit of English liberty was too elastic to be

subdued. Although great numbers of the clergy still lived * ho sha ped

their religion to the times, there were ethers who could not conceive

what right the Queen had to set up her opiniona as a standard of the

faith, and practice of her subject;. Elizabeth, ever fond of parade,

preferred a pplendid to a simple form of worship, and, therefore,

retained the gew gaws of tho clerical dress, besides other obnoxious

papal observances. This caused great di>content amon^ great η urn··

hers of her subjects, which was fermented by many of the reformers,

who now returned fnm Germany, to wtiich they had fled for safety

and fur succor during the Marian persecution. Multitudes refused to

attend at the churches where the popish habits and ceremonies were

used; the clergy, who conformed, were treated with contempt; and

from the superior purity, and simplicity of the "will-worship" they

adhered to, they obtained the name of

PURITANS.