CHAP. I. to Rome. not only took care of the new Church formed among the English, but endeavoured also to exercise his pastoral solicitude over the ancient inhabitants of Britain, as also the Scots, who inhabit the island of Ireland, which is next to Britain."-Lib. II. chap. 4, ut supra. Opposition No. 15.-"We (Laurentius) have been informed, however, by Bishop of the Irish Dagan coming into this aforesaid island, and Abbot Columbanus in France, that the Scots in no way differ from the Britons in their behaviour; for Bishop Dagan coming to us, not only refused to eat with us, but even to take his repast in the same house where we were entertained."- Bede, Lib. II. chap. 4, ut supra. The Irish Britain. No. 16." The same Oswald, as soon as he ascended the throne (being Clergy in desirous that all the nation over which he had begun to rule should be imbued with the grace of the Christian faith, whereof he had already found happy experience in vanquishing the barbarians) sent to the elders of the Scots, among whom himself and his fellew-soldiers when in banishment had received the sacrament of baptism, desiring they would send him a bishop, by whose instruction and ministry the English nation, which he governed, might be taught the advantages of faith in the Lord, and receive its sacraments. Nor were they slow in granting his request, but sent him Bishop Aidan, a man of singular meekness, piety, and moderation; zealous in the cause of God, though not altogether according to knowledge, for he was wont to keep Easter Sunday according to the custom of his country, which we have before so often mentioned, from the fourteenth to the twentieth moon." Contrariety of Customs. Low ebb of the new Church. The Irish depart. The new triumphs. * * "From that time many from the region of the Scots came daily into Britain, and with great devotion preached the Word of faith to those provinces of the English over which King Oswald reigned, and those among them that had received priests' orders administered to the believers the grace of baptism."-Bede, Book III. chap. 3, ut supra. No. 17.-" Queen Eanfled and her followers also observed the same as she had seen it practised in Kent, having with her a priest from Kent, who followed the Catholic mode, whose name was Romanus. Thus it is said to have happened in those times, that Easter was twice kept in one year; and that when the King, having ended the time of fasting, kept his Easter, then the Queen and her followers were still fasting and celebrating Palm Sunday."-Bede, Lib. III. c. 25, ut supra. No. 18.-" For at that time there was no other Bishop in all Britain canonically ordained, besides that Uini.”—Lib. III. c. 28, ut supra. No. 19.-" Wilfrid also having been made Bishop, came into Britain, and in like manner by his doctrine brought into the English Church very many rules of Catholic observance. Whence it followed that the Catholic institution daily gained strength, and all the Scots that dwelt among the Angles, either submitted to these persons, or returned to their own country."-Lib. III. c. 28, ut supra. No. 20.-" At this time, the most noble King of the Angles, namely, Oswy, of the province of the Northumbrians, and Ecgberct of Kent, having consulted together as to what should be done about the state of the DENCE. English Church (for Oswy, though educated by the Scots, perfectly under- BRITISH stood that the Roman was the Catholic and Apostolic Church), with the INDEPENelection and consent of the Holy Church of the English nation, made choice of a good man and a priest fit to be made a Bishop, called Uighard, one of Bishop Deusdedit's clergy, and sent him to Rome to be ordained Bishop, to the end that he having received the rank of an Archbishop, might ordain Catholic Prelates for the churches of the English nation throughout Britain."-Bede, Lib. III. c. 29, ut supra. No. 21.-"As also that being his fellow-labourer in doctrine, he (Hadrian) might take special care that Theodore should not, according to the custom of the Greeks, introduce anything contrary to the true faith into the Church over which he presided."-Bede, Lib. IV. c. 1, ut supra. No. 22.—“ This was the first Archbishop, whom all the English Church obeyed."-Bede, Lib. IV. c. 2, ut supra. maintain No. 23.—(A.D. 731.) "The Britons, though they, for the most part, The Brithrough domestic hatred, are adverse to the nation of the Angles, and tish long wrongfully and from wicked custom, oppose the appointed Easter of the indepenwhole Catholic Church, yet, from both the Divine and human power firmly dence. withstanding them, they can in no way prevail as they desire; for though in part they are their own masters, yet partly they are also brought under subjection to the English."-Bede, Book V. c. 23, ut supra. REFORMA TION IN GOVERN MENT. Encroachments of the Pope. СПАР. II. THE NECESSITY FOR THE REFORMATION. The THE Christian Church in Britain having gradually fallen under the yoke of Rome, was reduced to a state of servile subjection in the middle ages. Good men uplifted their voices against abounding iniquity, and sealed their testimony with their blood, without immediate and visible results, but not in vain. time of deliverance at length came, and the yoke of superstition, which had been gradually introduced, was by degrees removed. Before we pass on to the history of the Reformation, it is desirable, in the first instance, to prove its necessity, which we do, briefly, under three heads, (1.) Church Government, (2.) Morals, and (3) Doctrine. I. The Pope, having assumed the right of governing the Universal Church, at length established his power in England, as in other countries in western Christendom. As we have already seen, the ancient British Church yielded no subjection to any foreign Prelate. The Bishop of Rome at first acquired Patriarchal authority over the suburbicarian provinces in Italy and Sicily, but, as Palmer says, "his jurisdiction did not extend to any part of the eastern Church, nor to Africa, Gaul, Spain, Britain, or Ireland, in the west, as Du Pin and others have admitted and proved."* The greater part of the Anglo Saxons were converted, says Palmer, by "Missionaries and Bishops from Ireland."+ In all probability, the evangelization of Britain would not have been accomplished, but for them. The Pope's Even if the conversion of England were due to the Bishop jurisdiction in Bri- of Rome, it would not follow that he had a right to rule the tain incon- national Church. The Council of Ephesus, A.D. 431, decreed the Council that " every province should preserve pure and inviolate the rights which it had from the beginning;" adding, "that the sistent with of Ephesus. * Origines Liturg. p. 260. Vol. II. Oxford, 1832. + Origines Liturg. p. 262, ut supra. pride of worldly dominion may not enter in under the pretence REFORMA- . of the sacred ministry.' Despite of this decree, the Pontiff, in the 7th century, began to exercise Patriarchal jurisdiction in this land, and found Augustine and his successors too subservient. It was not, however, until after the Norman conquest that the Papal supremacy was developed in Britain. The country long groaned under the yoke, and, in the Reformation, the Church of England went back to her primitive and proper independence. 99.66 TION IN MORALS. authorities rals. II. Romanists themselves have admitted the necessity of Romish reformation in morals and discipline. Many authorities may admitting be given; we refer to a few. Bridget, who lived in the 14th the neces century, and was canonized in the year 1391, denounces in the sit for a reformastrongest language the pollutions of the Church in its head and tion in momembers. She represents the Most High as addressing the Pope Testimony as "a slayer of souls," "a disperser and lacerator," as "worse of Bridget than Lucifer," "more unjust than Pilate," "more merciless than Judas," more abominable than the Jews," instead of being "a Pastor and Preserver of the sheep."* Having thus dealt with the Pope, Bridget represents Christ as addressing his body, the Church, complaining that "the instruments of his house are carried into Babylon." "What are the furniture and the different vessels of my Church, but the conduct and conversation of the clergy and monks ?" With much to the same effect, she represents Christ as saying:-" The law of my ten commandments is lost."+ of Dr. John Passing from the 14th to the 15th century, we find Dr. John Testimony Gerson addressing the Council of Pisa, A.D. 1409, and referring Gerson. to the body (the Church)" as bloodless, pitiable, neglected, rough, and spoiled of its fragrant garments," and attributing this state of things to "the foul pollutions of the clergy."‡ This speech was delivered in the presence of the Pope. the Coun stance to The Council of Pisa had endeavoured to heal the schism by Efforts of deposing Gregory and Benedict, who had assumed the Papal cils of Pisa office, and electing Alexander, but their efforts proved of no and Conavail, as the two former Popes refused to obey its decisions. reform. "Therefore," says Bzovius, "whereas this schism in the beginning had only two heads, and the Council was anxious to CHAP. II. cut them both off, all at once three were in existence at the same time." The Council of Constance endeavoured to grapple with the evil, A.D. 1414, and raised Martin V. to the chair. The Council passed the following decree, in which it recognizes the necessity of a reformation not only in morals but in faith: "To the honour, praise, and glory of the most holy Trinity. . . . . also that the same holy Council ought not and may not be dissolved until the thorough rooting out of the present schism, and until the Church be reformed in faith and morals, in the head and members (in fide et moribus, in capite et membris)."+ Testimony of Pope Pucci. In the 16th century, Pope Julius, in his bull setting forth the Julius and objects for which the 5th Council of Lateran was assembled, Anthony declares that he had nothing more at heart" than the reformation of the Roman Church." Bishop Simon Begninus, in the same Council, spoke in the strongest terms of the pollutions of the Church, alleging that "the priests and the ancients have despised God."§ The Most Rev. Anthony Pucci spoke in similar terms of prevailing corruptions, and even referred to Rome as Testimony Babylon.|| The Council of Trent itself, in the decree of the first Council of session for beginning the Council, speaks of "the reformation of the clergy and the Christian people" as one of its objects.¶ of the Trent. In the advice of the Legates of the Apostolic See to the Fathers of Trent, "the reformation of ecclesiastical discipline and morals," is stated as one of its objects, and they are exhorted to confess themselves as "guilty before the tribunal of God's mercy of all these evils by which the flock of Christ is Testimony oppressed."** The Bishop of Bitonto delivered a speech in the Council in which he refers to "the monsters of baseness," "the Bishop of Bitonto. heap of filth," and "the pestilence," with which the priests and people are corrupted.++ It is unnecessary to quote further; these testimonies prove the point beyond doubt, Bishops, Popes, and Councils being the witnesses. of the Reforma tion in doctrine needed. III. A reformation was needed not only in government, morals, and discipline, but in doctrine. The Invocation of Saints, Purgatory, Transubstantiation, the Sacrifice of the Mass, the Supremacy of the Roman Bishops, the Tribunal of Penance, and other gross errors had grown up, and were at *Annals, An. Dom. 1411. Colon. 1616. ‡ No. 4. § No. 5. || No. 6. † Manse's Con. An. Dom. 1415. ¶ No. 7. ** No. 8. †† No. 9. |