KAIAPOI.

Globe, Volume V, Issue 601, 23 May 1876, Page 3

KAIAPOI.

To the Editor of the Globe. Sn>, —I am not surprised at “Galloper’s” letter, or rather at the facts there told, things of that kind happen continually in the Anglican establishment —that is to say, quarrels about Ritualism aud preachers, organists playing at Wesleyan chapels,' titles on tombstones, burial of the dead, &c, &c. But the funny part of it all is that the colonial Anglicans are Dissenters, liable with Bishop Fisher and Sir Thomas More to have their heads chopped off' for high treason. They do not recognise the Queen as the supreme head of the church, and in this they dissent from the Anglican establishment of England ; they uso authority aud power outside of the Crown, aud even, as in Bishop Colenso’s and Bishop Jenuer’s cases, they are not amenable ecclesiastically to the Royal authority. They receive the name of Anglicans, aud have no right or title to it at all. They call themselves an established church, although not established ; they call themselves a part of that church which was established by Henry VIII., when he was excommunicated by Clement VII., aud yet they deny, and live outside of the very fundamental principle laid down by Henry VIII., their founder. Then, again, as a church they have “no discipline,” that is “no test of membership,” and this is the real cause of those obscene, drunken, thieving, felonious members, mentioned in your paper to-day. In the real Church of England, that is, the Methodist body, there is a weekly testof every member throughout the world, according to the standard taken out of the homilies of the Church of England, which again in these points was laid down by JesusJ.ind His apostles. It is true that the so-called Church of England refused to allow lay preachers, or even ordained Methodist preachers, the use of the buildings, and refused to give the two sacraments of the Supper and Baptism to the Methodists, and hence the Methodists, though strictly Church of England, have been obliged to do the work that the pseudo Church did not do ; but these deeds serve to confirm the Methodists as orthodox Churchmen -the only orthodox Churchmen in New Zealand Such disorders are impossible in any well-ordered church, acting by tests. A very curious point has occurred to me in reading the trial of Sir Thomas More, as extracted from our State Records—“ Baga do Secretis,” pouch 7, bundle 3. More says, “ The King can bo made by Parliament, ami be deprived by Parliament, ’ Now, Sir Thomas More, is, I suppose, the highest of all legal authorities on that point, aud be is confirmed by the fact that in the address from the Throne (Henry VIII.) to the new Parliament called together on Anne Boleyn’s conviction of adultery, the King says : “ You are called together to name a successor to the Throne.” The Parliament passed a Bill that “ Henry VIII. might devise the Crown by will,” and we all know he did so. But here's the point. Jf Parliament can make aud deprive the King, then Parliament is the head of the Church, aud not the King. Even Sir Thomas More on trial for his life failed to see that the oath of supremacy really lay to the Parliament as King maker in su! stance. He refused to acknowledge the Royal supremacy. He was executed. Subsequent Parliaments appointed are Charles 11., a lewd being, to be head of the Church, another William 111., guilty of adultery to be head of the Church. As if the Almightly would pour contempt upon any one who dared to take His place, for He alone is Head of the Church. Students of history will realise the queer consequences

of the principle used by More, and acted upon by the Parliament and Henry. Charles 1. was lawfully deposed and executed ; Cromwell was legally right. Before them the bastard Elizabeth was really a lawful Queen. Carlyle is right ; there is no history written yet in the whole world. We must look to some coming man to write a history for us. Meantime the so called Anglican Church of New Zealand is a heretic Church, guilty of high treason a real body of iS onconforming Dissenters, and the Methodists are the Church of England ? What next ? Yours, ifcc, S. G. 0.