The faith of our fathers - Carmel Apologetics

""APOSTOLICITY. 65toHenry VIII. of England. The immediate causeof his renunciation of the Roman Church was therefusal of Pope Clement VII. to grant him a divorcefrom his lawful wife, Catharine of Aragon, that hemight be free to be joined in wedlock to AnneBoleyn. In order to legalize his divorce from hisvirtuous queeu, the licentious monarch divorcedhimself and his kingdom from the spiritual supremacy of the Pope.There is a close relationship," says D Aubigne*,"between these two divorces," meaning Henry sdivorce from his wife and Englands divorce fromthe Church. Yes, there is the relationship of causeand effect.Bishop Short, an Anglican historian, candidly admits that the existence of the church of Englandas a distinct body, and her final separation fromRome, may be dated from the 1period of the divorce."The Book of Homilies, in the language of fulsomepraise, calls "Henry the true and faithful minister,"and gives him the credit for having abolished inEngland the Papal supremacy, and established the2new order of things.John Wesleyis the acknowledged founder of theMethodist church. Methodism dates from the year1729, and its cradle was the Oxford University IDEngland. John and Charles Wesley were students1History of the Church of England, by Thomas V. Short,Bishop of St. Asaph s, p. 44.afiook of Homilies.