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Show burcb and Ibe Papacy Ritualist Claims Unable to Stand Historical Examination--- j Testimony of Dr. Dollinger and Henry VIII- J The claim of the Ritualist that identity iden-tity of their priesthood is the same in its origin with that of a Catholic priest, when subjected to a crucial test, will not stand a historical examination. We are told that the Pope's power was "the growth of the ambition of the Holy See," also that the English church, in the earlies centuries, being independent of Rome, was not in the Catholic church. That in asserting its independence it always retained its continuity from the earliest period, that is, preserved Apostolic succession in its priesthood. The last claim is amply refuted by the thirty-first article ar-ticle of the Anglican church, which declares de-clares that "the sacrifices of masses, in which it was commonly known that the priest did offer Christ for the quick and the dead, to have remission of pain and guilt, were blasphemous fables and 'langerous deceits." Add to this, by the same authority, that five of the seven sacraments have "grown of the corrupt following of the apostles," ajid the sham claim of continuity of apostolic apos-tolic succession by one branch of this same church becomes evident. To spt a otiietns for all time on mod- lo set a quietus for all time on modern mod-ern Ritualistic claims of continuity, we quote the Anglican homily on "Peril of Idolatry," which affirms that "for the space of eight hundred years and more" (that is from the seventh to the sixteenth century) "laity and clergy, learned and unlearned, all ages, sex and degrees of men, women and children of whole ' Christendom were drowned in abominable' idolatry." As this period embraces the middle ages, tho High Church party, sheltered under un-der one wing of the Anglican church, has no more continuity from that periol of church history than it has continuity from the czar of Russia. The specific charge that the Papal j power was "the growth' of the ambition of the Popes," itf best refuted by the testimony of those who opposed his authority. Dr. Dollinger's ecclesiastical history is a standard work. In it he asserts that it was "a thing unheard of in the earliest centuries that the head of the Church should be judged by his own subjects; he was not in communion commu-nion with the Bishop of Rome, -was not in the Catholic church'." Conclusion, Conclu-sion, H.) Papal authority goes back to the earlier centuries. (2.) Those not in communion with the head (the Bishop Bish-op of Rome) were not in the Catholic church. (3.) The teaching of all who separated from or acted independently of the Bishop of Rome was not orthodox. ortho-dox. The testimony of the German historian his-torian is strengthened by that of Henry Hen-ry VIII. who. protesting against Luther's revolt, in his work entitled "Arrestio Septem Sacramentorum," says: "If the Pope has obtained this wide and greatly extended power neither neith-er by the command of God nor the will of man. but has seized it by force. I fain tould know of Luther when he rushed into so great a territory? The origin of such' eminent power cannot can-not be obscure, especially if it began in the origin of man. But should he say it was not older than one or two centuries, let him point out the fact from histories: otherwise, if it be so ancient that the origin of so great a power is obliterated, let htm know that is allowed by the laws that whose rights ascends so far beyond the memory mem-ory of man that its origin cannot be traced, had a lawful beginning: and that it is forbidden by the consent of all nations to move tnose tnins vviiu.ii have been for a long time unmoved." Henry's clear mind and intellectual powers are here made manifest by his common sense reasoning. His profes- sion of faith and firm adherence to th Papal authority, when Luther's revolt was sanctioned by the German p-.inees. cannot be questioned. We aain quote from his "Defense of the Seven Sac-laments" Sac-laments" where he says, "When I.uth- ' er so impudently asserts, and thi against his former declaration, that the Pope has no kind of power over the Catholic church: no. riot so much ax human, but that he has by sher forcf usurped the sovereignty. I greatly wonder won-der how he should expect his reader to he either so credulous or so dull as to believe that a priest without any weapon or company to defend him (as doubtless he was before he became possessed pos-sessed of that which Luther says he has usurped! could even h;ve hoped to gain, without any right or title, such empire over so many bishops. his equals', in so many different and distant dis-tant nations: or that all people should believe that, all kingdoms, cities and provinces had been so reckless of then-own then-own affairs, rights and liberties as to give to a strange priest an amount of , power over them, such as he could not have dared to hope for." ', ; No Catholic theoloe-ian air.e tlcnru'i; I time could present a better, more l forcible, and common sense argil- ment in favor of the Papal authority. I Better equipped in theological studies I than any temporal ruler of his time. I and realizing better than any of his ' I contemporaries the effects of Luther's ! movements in Germany on Christen- I dom. he, with hia indomitable will. j had the courage to express his convic l tions, and become the ally of the Pope, S against German opposition. For his I manly display of courage, and fearless expression of same, he won the ad- t miration and love of Cardinal Wol- I sey. Sir Thomas More and a host of 1 f others, whilst the Holy Father added . t to his list of titles that of "Defender of the Faith." j Subsequently. Henry, for reasons well known, was drawn away from his . j faith and his God, and applied to Par- I liament to declare him virtually su- . 1 preme head-of the Church of England. . in a spiritual as well as in a temporal i sense. Only by a small majority, and under what is known as the reign of terror, did tba bill pass. Then it was , that the King's former admirer and js trusted friend. Sir Thomas More, to- $ gether with Fisher, for refusing to 1 1 change their creed were put to death. i MeCaulay. alluding to this incident, says: "When the supremacy was transferred to King Henry Vin. of pious memory- and all things which. by the canon law belonged to the Ro- ! man pontiff as head of the Church. were made over to him, he then became i King and Pope." His knowledge of the- ; J ology and the faith of English Cath- j olics was too exact and comprehensive j , f to make any material changes in the j ancient faith, and to show his Cath- I olic instinct he passed, by force, the? statute of the Six Articles, declaring (1.) Transubstantiatlon. (2.) Commu- i . nion under one head. (3.) Celibacy of 1 the clergy. (1.) Monastic vows. (5.) ; The sacrifice of the mass for the liv- ing and the dead, and (S.) Auricular ! confession to be included within the obligation of the English religion. - ; Conclusion. Henry knew that these six articles were so interwoven with the faith of the English people since the introduction of Christianity Into England that they could not be re- ; pudiated. (2.) His successor, a verita- 1 ble female pontiff (Queen Elizabeth). : as a summary of the new faith, and i thereby cut off all semblance of continuity con-tinuity with the Catholic church. (To be continued.) |