OCR Text |
Show Religion Without Authority j i Anglican Writers Assail the Worship of Pcforiners After England Leaped Out of Peter's Ship. I I (Written for the Intermoimtain Catholic.) In our last communication referetr-e was made to the "resolution to make a new religion, or uniformity in aposta-cy." aposta-cy." passed by the English parliament at the commencement of tjtteen Elizabeth's Eliza-beth's reign. Archbishop Heath, th primate, in opposing the "resolve" in the house of lords, said: "And we must forsake and flee from the unity of the Christian church; and by leaping tint of Peter's ship, hazard ourselves to be overwhelmed and drowned in the waters wa-ters of schisms, sects and divisions." The prophesy was soon verified. Mr. Pocock, a distinguished Anglican writer, writ-er, in a series. of letters published in the "Ouardian," tells the effect of tho change, and the difference between the spurious and the genuine. To commence the new regime, ministers minis-ters were needed, and as a church in its influence and respectability may be measured by the quality of its ministers, minis-ters, it is interesting to know what Mr. Pocock's estimate is of those whom he termed as "playing at being priests." After "leaping out of Peter's ship," the writer says: "Mechanics had to be employed to read the service in empty churches, with cobblers, weavers, tinkers tink-ers and fiddlers." Whilst still c laim- j ing apostolic succession. Presbyterian and Lutheran ministers were invited to perform divine service. The writer's estimate is corroborated by that of Burleigh, who. writing of the new ministers min-isters of religion, termed them "rud and unlearned ministers." The bishop of Hereford. Scory, wrote to Cecil: "My cathedral is a very nursery of blasphemy, blasphe-my, impurity, pride, superstition and ignorance." Cecil was Queen . Elizabeth's Eliza-beth's chief minister for forty years, and as such won for himself great fame. The writer does not tell what effect, ef-fect, if any, the bishop's letter had on him. Bishop Best of Carlisle called his clergy, according to the same author, "wicked imps of hell." This candid admission from Anglican divines proves that reformation in morals mor-als and the abolishing of Catholic su-perstitutions. su-perstitutions. were shams. By the same author we are told that "the church wardens of Knotting, in Bedfordshire, were charged before the commissioners of the archdeacon with having allowed for the last three years cock fighting to go on in the chancel of the church, the minister of the church, with his sons, being present and enjoying the sport." This is an improvement on the oft-repeated charges made against the Mexican clergy. With decadence of the clergy went all respect for "divine service," ser-vice," which was termed "May (lame." or the "Christmas Game," and spoken slightingly of in every ale house and. if possible, still more slightingly in the churches. Mr. Pocock quotes Bishop Pilkint;t"n of Durham, writinsr of ti "walking, ta'kiuc. i hidings, fightings tint went on inside the churches, and I that, especially in the' time of divuev j service." I I Archbishop Heath's prophesy mi.t 'surely verified, and that not at the beginning be-ginning of operations of the parliament-made church, but down to tlc time of Archbishop Land. who. though chancellor of the l.'niversitv- of Oxford, archbishop of Canterbury and foremost supporter of Charles I, was impeached by the commons (long parliament) in lt5i), and beheaded on Tower hill, March b. IKt".. At this period the stat" I papers toll of the irreverence shown at" divine s-rvicc. "The congregation sat. I the men wearing their hats or not. is it suited their convenience; the com-j com-j munion table, standing in the body of ! the church, being made the receptacle for such hats and clothes as were not worn, and frequently used as ;i seat tv any one who was not accommodated with a pf w." Mr.. Pococ k. in his quotations quo-tations published in "The Guardian." goes to the fountain) head and leaves no doubt as to the deterioration of religion re-ligion after the reformation. The decline de-cline continued down to the last century. cen-tury. Dr. Oregory. dean of St. Paul's cathedral in X'M. writing of the aspect of religion in lSi!". says: "The sick and t. dying were uncared for. the poor were unvisited. the children were untaught, the most solemn services of the church I were so negligently performed as to h productive of evil rather than good." Then the dean adds: "In some of the I churches the squire's seat was. fitter up as a parlor, with a table and chairs and a fireplace, and with curtains to hide the occupants from the view of the ( rest of the congregation. Nor were the services i more attractive. There was no chanting: hymns were unknown. The week day services in cathedrals . j were compulsorily maintained, but the: I. choir and clergy attended so irregular- j ly and behaved so irreverently as ef- fectually keep worshipers away. There s were few churches in which Holy Com- I munion was celebrated more frequent! j than once a month." 5 This picture by the dean of St. Paul's cathedral shows what laxity prevailed less than a century ago. The error of the English reformers was in the sub- , lime idea they had of their own per- f fection. In human as well as religions ! matters they ac ted as if they were dl- vinely commissioned to create soiietr I and religion. In trying to reform abuses which belonged to the human element of the Catholic church, they , cut loose from the fountain head, ig- 1 nored or denied the divine element . f which parliament usurped, and the re- ; suit as it invariably happens, was that ; I they accomplished the contrary of what f they desired. (To be continued.) i |