C.E.M.S.

Waiapu Church Gazette, Volume V, Issue 5, 1 November 1914, Page 55

C.E.M.S.

THE ANGLICAN CHURCH.

(A Paper read at a meeting of the Havelock North Branch by one of 1 the members.) The term v the Anglican Church " conveniently discriminates the Episcopal Churches of English origin, from the Roman and Greek Communities, and from the Nonconformist bodies v and is popularly considered as arising from and out of the Reformation. This, however, is quite an erroneous idea. The important fact is borne out by the clearest testimony, that there existed m Britain a regularly constituted Church, with an extensive Episcopate, acknowledged by the Church at large, at the beginning of the fourth century, and most probably much earlier. Tertullian, at the end of the second century, ispeaks of parts of Britain inaccessible to Roman arms, yet subject to Christ. Origen, Athanasius, Eusebius and Jerome, all speak of .the establishment of the Christian faith m Britain. It is a historical fact that British Bishops were present at important councils of the Church early m the fourth century, . proving that the Church m Britain . was fully recognised, even at that : early period, as v a true and prbper- : ly constituted Church, m close ■ communion with the other Churches m Christendom.

It was an evil day f oir the Church^' when the Ronian^' withdrew their legions from Britain. iUhder the Saxon invasion, Christianity was almost annihilated^ the scattered remnants being driven to the west and north. But there was light shining m the darkness. S. Patrick laid the foundation of the Church m Ireland. Later, S. .Colrimba carried the Gospel to lona, and evangelised the Northern Picts. We find then; that long prior to the Mission of S. Augustine, a compact and independent Church, cut off by political circumstances from direct intercourse with the main body of Christendom, of undoubtedly apostolic descent, retaining all the essential marks of a true branch of the Catholic Church, propagating its succession according to the primitive tradition, and with a distinct and independent ritual and liturgy. It is important to note these facts because the landing of Augustine is too frequently looked upon as the era of the English Church. About the close of the sixth century, S. Augustine landed m Thanet, and wrought a work for the Church which lasts to this day. He firmly established Christianity m the Kingdom of Kent. But it is startling to discover how small a portion of the evangelisation of England was due to the Ronaan Missionaries. Leaving Wales out of the question, twenty-six out of the forty English counties owe their conversion to native sources. The revival of the Church m Northumbria was the work of Aidan, the monk of lona, who fixed his seat at Holy Island. - From the conversion of Northumbria followed that of Mercia, and the whole of the Midland countries were soon after evangelised. It was a Church full of life and vigour that confronted Augustine and the Roman Missionaries after their first success m preaching to Ethelbert and his people. Probably Augustine had very little knowledge of the extent and complete organisation of such a Church when he landed m Britain. Acting under instructions frpm Romte, he endeavoured to bring the native Church under his jurisdiction. The British Bishops refused, and the result was a complete severance of the two Churches. T*he strife had eventually risen to such a pitch that m A.D., 664, Oswi, King of Northumbria, suminoiied

the. Synod of yfliitby. the points actually raised. were ; trivial, but ; the real point at issue was : which of the two Communions— -that of S. Columba with ' its . monastic organisation, or that of Canterbury with its secular ministry-r-should prevail m England. The British Church , was represented by Colman (Aidan's successor), and the Roman Church by Wilfrid. The decision, of the King was emphatic. "You own," said he to Colman, "that Christ gave the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven to Peter ; has He given such power to Columba ? " "No," \vas the reply. "Then," rejoined the King, ' ■'. will I rather obey the porter of Heaven, lest when I reach its gates, he who has the keys turn his back on me, and there be none to open." This decision virtually settled the matter, and the mass of English Christians submitted to the Roman rule. During the next twenty years, the work of unification and organisation was carried on under the wise leadership of Theodore as Archbishop of Canterbury. To him we owe the extension of the Episcopate and the unity of the Church, the organisation of the parochial system, and the provision for a permanent endowment for Church purposes. In his great work of organisation of the Church,- he achieved also a great national work. He strengthened the idea of National Unity. His councils were the first of all National gatherings for general legislation. The holding of the English noble or landowner became the parish, and his chaplain the parish priest. He encouraged landowners to build parish .Churches and to form parishes out of their holdings. He proposed that councils of the whole Church should be held twice a year and thus Synods were instituted. A few years later, the northern, barbarians swept down upon our shores. Villages were burnt, and Churches and Monasteries destroyed. S. Edmond was shot to death by arrows near the spot where the Abbey of Bury S. Edmonds was raised m his honour. At length the tide of Danish invasion was stemmed by Alfred, who began the work of .restoring the Church. It was. left to IJunstan, seventy years later, to : complete the work. The Norman Conquest marks a distinct. epoch m the history of the Chuirch of England. Discipline was

restored, learning wai • revived. Churches arid Cathedrals were built .on a scale arid inassivenees hitherto unknown. William's policy was. to strengthen the Church to serve as a balance to the power of the feudal barpris. Ecclesiastical abuses \yere corrected arid discipline enforced. ,_ From the time o£ William Rufus, we find the King, the, Pope, and the National Church representing the liberties of the nation, engaged m a triarigular duel. For the first four hundred years after the death of William I, the Church of Rome had the best of the struggle, and the power of the Pope ; m Englari'd reached its cliriiax when the worthless King John, consented to do homage for his Kingdoiri. Before , the end of. the twelfth century, Church and State were m conflict m the persons of Henry II and Beckett, who, despite his/ faults, stood out before the world as the champion of religious liberty against the personal will of the sovereign. (To be Continued.)