A Step Toward Rome by L. A. S.

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Oct 21, 1902

A Step Toward Rome

By L. A. S.

The church-and-state system of England, represented by the established church, has brought that country at the present time into a position of great trouble and serious danger. For many years the two great religious divisions in England—the established church and the nonconformists—have lived outwardly at peace with each other, and seemingly the connection of the Church of England with the government was not a thing from which any real danger to the interests of the country need be expected; but it is plain now that this appearance of security was an appearance merely, and not a reality. A favorable opportunity only was lacking for a revival of the religious conflict which has characterized the state-church system in the past, and has darkened many a page of English history. Such an opportunity has at length come, and the evil principle of church-and-state union is bearing its fruit of bitterness and strife. A religious war is in prospect, which, if we may judge from the utterances upon each side of the controversy, will be fought out to the bitter end, with its accompaniments of imprisonment, confiscation of goods, and possible martyrdom.

The Church of England wants more power, and this is what the new educational bill is designed to give her. Through it she will to a large extent have control of the public schools, and through these schools she will strengthen her hold upon the nation. The nonconformists, in resisting the measure, set forth the unfairness of teaching the religious tenets of one party of the people, in schools which all the people are obliged to maintain. They proclaim as their motto, “If we pay, we manage.”

The nonconformists declare that if this bill is passed by Parliament, they will refuse to pay taxes; and they declare further that they will suffer confiscation of goods and imprisonment rather than submit. And these declarations come not from those dominated more by impulse than by reason, but from the conservative element in the nonconformist ranks. The British Weekly, which represents this element, speaks thus: “We may have to submit to the sale of our goods. Many of us are poor; many even very poor, and it will not be pleasant to have some sold out. Nevertheless the unpleasantness can be borne as long as it is necessary. Some of us, and we hope many, will have to go to jail, and we will make no appeal for compassion.”

The government, on the other hand, is determined that the bill shall be passed. Secretary Chamberlain is quoted as saying, “If we are defeated on this bill, the government will resign. Mark that, and remember the consequences.” This he said at an important meeting in Birmingham. The “consequences” will be, Mr. Chamberlain says, that the present administration will give place to one “whose policy will be one of separatists as regards Ireland, pro-Boers as regards South Africa, and Little Englanders throughout the world.” This is an alternative which the English people would be exceedingly loath to accept.

The full significance of the contemplated bill, and the real nature of the situation, cannot be understood without taking into account the connecting link between the Church of England and the Church of Rome, represented by the ritualistic element in the former, by which it is dominated to-day. The strengthening of the Church of England’s hold upon the nation, means that the nation is to be moved Romeward. The outspoken assertion of this by the nonconformists constitutes a prominent feature of the campaign against the bill. An immense impetus was given to the ritualistic movement in the church by the “Oxford movement” instituted half a century ago by Manning and Newman, who afterward went over to the papacy. From that date the Church of England and the Church of Rome have been coming closer together. “Some of the most devoted and zealous clergymen in the Church of England,” says one who writes of the existing situation, “have embraced doctrines differing little from those of Rome. Their churches resemble Catholic churches in almost every particular. They teach the doctrines of confession and mass, and many have gone over to Rome. Eminent Catholics have declared that if ever England becomes Catholic again, it will be through the agency of the ritualistic party in the English church.”

And it is to this Romish party that the English government now proposes to commit the primary schools in that country. In the place of school boards, representing all classes and beliefs of the people, there are to be committees nominated and controlled by the established church, and in their charge the primary, or public, schools are to be placed. Such is the fruit of the state-church system in England to-day. It affords a warning lesson to Protestants throughout the world against any sanction of the principle of church-and-state union. Such a union is always papal in character, and sooner or later is found to be working directly for the interests of the papal church. L. A. S.