bishop of Canterbury, and shortly afterwards the Synod declared its adhesion to the principles of the Five Great Councils, which are still recognised as the authority in the Church of England.

In the seventh century the National Council of Ecclesiastics and Nobles received with derision the imperious interference of the Pope in Church matters: Who is the Pope? and what are his decrees to us? What have they to do with us, or we with them?' And they burned the Papal letter, and imprisoned the Bishop who had dared to appeal to the Pope against the decision of the British Archbishop.

In the eighth century the King of England indignantly refused to allow the interference of the Pope, or to recognise letters coming from the so-called 'Apostolic See.'

In the tenth century Dunstan, afterwards Archbishop of Canterbury, refused to execute the mandate of the Pope who had ordered him to absolve the King.

In the eleventh century Stigand remained for nineteen years Archbishop of Canterbury after the Pope had declared his consecration illegal, and William I, when asked to do homage to the Pope, replied:

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I have not chosen, nor do I choose, to do homage. never made a promise to that effect, nor do I find that it was ever performed by my predecessors.

In the twelfth century, when the Pope attempted to interfere with ecclesiastical matters, the King declared that the opinion of the Pope, or the decisions of the Roman Court, were alike indifferent to him, and that he would not lose the custom of his predecessors. Subsequently, when the Pope sent a legate to reprimand him for holding Councils without his consent, and for prohibiting appeals to Rome, the Bishop of Lincoln was deputed to visit Rome and point out that the Church of England had always been independent of Papal jurisdiction; and when the Pope sent to England a permanent legate, claiming authority over the English bishops, great indignation was aroused and the legate was expelled.

In the thirteenth century, when King John, under a

threat of invasion, weakly submitted to the Pope, the general indignation was so strong that the King was forced to sign the great 'Magna Charta,' the first provision of which is:

That the Church of England shall be free, and hold her rights entire, and her liberties inviolate.

The first signature on the Charter is that of Stephen Langton, Archbishop of Canterbury.

In the fourteenth century the 'Statute of Provisors' (1355) and the Statute of Præmunire' (1393) were enacted to check the encroachments of Rome. These encroachments were steady, gradual, and not recognised by the State, except by adverse legislation to them. The corruptions which were swept away by the Reformation were all of medieval growth under the influence of Papal legates ; transubstantiation was unknown in the English Church in the tenth century, and even in Rome, though it had been a subject of hot controversy, it was only made an Article of Faith in the thirteenth century. Celibacy of the clergy was made obligatory in the eleventh century. Image worship was condemned by Pope Gregory the Great. Obligatory auricular confession was only made an Article of Faith in the thirteenth century; purgatory, the seven sacraments, and withholding the cup from the laity in the fifteenth century.

The action of the Reformation is clearly expressed as follows in Canon 30 of the Church of England:

So far was it from the purpose of the Church of England to forsake and reject the Churches of Italy, France, Spain, Germany, or any such like Churches, in all things which they held and practised, that, as the Apology of the Church of England confesseth, it doth with reverence retain those ceremonies, which do neither endamage the Church of God, nor offend the minds of sober men; and only departed from them in those particular points wherein they were fallen both from themselves in their ancient integrity, and from the Apostolical Churches which were their first founders.

The doctrines of the Church are now precisely the same as those of the Church in its earliest stages, defined by the

Five Great Councils, and adopted by the Synod in the year 1680.

The Prayer Book of the Church of England is almost entirely based on the Liturgy of Sarum, which was compiled in the eleventh century, and was in very general use in the churches until the Reformation.

Far from being a hasty act the Reformation of the abuses that had crept into the Church was the careful and deliberate work of the Church in Convocation.

The action of the Church, in sweeping away the corruptions of medieval growth under Papal influence, has no more changed its identity, than the action of washing dirt from his face would change the identity of any man.

In the thirteenth century Grostête, Bishop of Lincoln, preaching before the Pope and Cardinals, denounced them as the authors of all the troubles of the Church of England and called their legates 'ravening wolves.'

In the fourteenth century Wycliffe and his followers petitioned for the reform of the Roman corruptions that had crept into the Church.

In the fifteenth century the general desire for the reform of religious abuses led to the Council of Constance.

In the sixteenth century the 'Oxford School,' led by Erasmus and Moore, exposed Romish errors and abuses; and Dean Colet, preaching in St. Paul's before the Prelates in Convocation, denounced these abuses so boldly that he was accused of heresy, but was upheld by Archbishop Wareham.

In 1517, ten years before King Henry's quarrel with the Pope on the question of divorce, public opinion had set in so strongly against these ecclesiastical corruptions, that Wolsey entered on a scheme of reform. Two years afterwards Luther roused all Europe with his denunciations of Roman corruptions. Doubtless the quarrel between the King and the Pope removed many difficulties from the path of reform, but the Convocations of Canterbury and York were convened to carry out the work of reform, seventeen years before the question of the King's divorce was mooted.

The necessary reforms extended over several years. The Houses of Convocation first passed any measure, and then sent it to Parliament for confirmation or 'Establishment by Law.'

In 1529 a new Parliament was called which still only ratified the Acts of Convocation, and it was not until 1537 that the Papal encroachments were finally extinguished, although both Houses of Convocation had, in 1534, declared that:

The Bishop of Rome has no greater jurisdiction conferred on him by God over this country than any other foreign Bishop.

Much confusion has been caused by the misuse of the term 'Established by law' by the enemies of the Church, who argue as if the Church was created by law. Whereas it simply means confirmed (establish and confirm being synonymous words). The term was first used in the Articles of Religion and in the Canons contained in the Prayer Book; and it refers to the doctrines, Articles of Religion, rites, and ceremonies, &c., established in the

Church of England.'

In the declaration of the Royal Assent to this establishment, the preamble states that the declaration is for the avoiding of diversities of opinion, and for the establishing of consent touching true religion,' and the actual words used are:

That the Articles of the Church of England, (which have been allowed and authorised heretofore, and which our clergy generally have subscribed unto,) do contain the true doctrine of the Church of England, agreeable to God's Word; which we do therefore ratify and confirm.

There is no Act of Parliament confirming or ratifying the Church. The Act of 1662 simply confirms the Prayer Book and doctrines, rites, and ceremonies, contained in it. It is entitled:

An Act for the uniformity of public Prayer, and administering the Sacraments, and other rites and ceremonies;

and for establishing the form of making, ordaining, and consecrating bishops, priests and deacons in the Church of England.

There is not a word in the Act which creates, or even establishes the Church, and not a single reference to her property or endowments. It simply confirms, with very slight alteration, the Acts of Uniformity of Edward VI (1548) and Elizabeth (1558). In fact established by law' means neither more nor less than the confirmation by Parliament of the Prayer Book, which practically forms the legal trust-deed of the Church of England. In this respect the Church is no more established by law' than the Nonconformist sects, which have been established by the Toleration Act (William and Mary), by the Nonconformist Chapel Act of 1844, and by many other Acts.

The Primitive Wesleyan Methodist Society, created in 1818, was established by Act of Parliament in 1871 (34 & 35 Victoria), which specifies that 'nothing in this Act shall authorise any alteration in the doctrines set forth in Part II of the General Principles of the Methodist Constitution.' One feature of this Constitution is that it is based on the principles of the Church of England.

Far from creating the Church by the State it would be more accurate to say that the Church created the State; for it existed long before the State. The Lords Spiritual and Temporal created Parliament which by permission of the Church held its first sitting in the Chapter House of Westminster Abbey; and fifty years elapsed before the Commons were called to assist the Lords in their deliberations.

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