Martin Luther, a Saxon monk, was the founder of the church which bears his name. He was born at Eisleben, in Saxony, in 1483, and died in 1546.
The Anglican or Episcopal Church owes its origin to Henry VIII. of England. The immediate cause of his renunciation of the Roman Church was the refusal of Pope Clement to grant him a divorce from his lawful wife, Catharine of Aragon, that he might be free to be joined in wedlock to Anne Boleyn. In order to legalize his divorce from his virtuous queen the licentious monarch divorced himself and his kingdom from the spiritual supremacy of the Pope.
"There is a close relationship," says D'Aubigné, "between these two divorces," meaning Henry's divorce from his wife and England's divorce from the Church. Yes, there is the relationship of cause and effect.
Bishop Short, an Anglican historian, candidly admits that "the existence of the Church of England as a distinct body, and her final separation from Rome, may _be dated_ from the period of the divorce."(97)
The Book of Homilies, in the language of fulsome praise, calls Henry "the true and faithful minister," and gives him the credit for having abolished in England the Papal supremacy and established the new order of things.(98)
John Wesley is the acknowledged founder of the Methodist Church. Methodism dates from the year 1729, and its cradle was the Oxford University in England. John and Charles Wesley were students at Oxford. They gathered around them a number of young men who devoted themselves to the frequent reading of the Holy Scriptures and to prayer. Their methodical and exact mode of life obtained for them the name of _Methodists_. The Methodist Church in this country is the offspring of a colony sent hither from England.
As it would be tedious to give even a succinct history of each sect, I shall content myself with presenting a tabular statement exhibiting the name and founder of each denomination, the place and date of its origin, and the names of the authors from whom I quote. My authorities in every instance are Protestants.
Name of Place Founder. Year. Authority Sect. of Quoted. Origin. Anabaptists Germany Nicolas 1521 Vincent Stork L. Milner, "Religious Denominations." Baptists Rhode Roger 1639 "The Book of Island Williams Religions" by John Hayward. Free-Will New Benj. 1780 Ibid. Baptists Hampshire Randall Free New York Benijah Close Rev. A. D. Communion Corp of Williams in Baptists 18th "History of all century Denominations." Seventh-Day United General 1833 W. B. Gillett, Baptists States Conference Ibid. Campbellites, Virginia Alex. 1813 "Book of or Campbell Religions." Christians Methodist England John 1739 Rev. Nathan Episcopal Wesley Bangs in "History of all Denominations." Reformed Vermont Branch of 1814 Ibid. Methodist the Meth. Episcopal Church Methodist New York Do. 1820 Rev. W. M. Society Stilwell, Ibid. Methodist Baltimore Do. 1830 James R. Protestant Williams, Ibid. True Wesleyan New York Delegates 1843 J. Timberman, Methodist from Ibid. Methodist denominations Presbyterian Scotland General 1560 John M. Krebs, (Old School) Assembly Ibid. Presbyterian Philadelphia General 1840 Joel Parker, D. (New School) Assembly D., Ibid. Episcopalian England Henry VIII 1534 Macaulay and other English Historians. Lutheran Germany Martin Luther 1524 S. S. Schmucker in "History of all Denominations." Unitarian Germany Celatius About Alvan Lamson, Congrega- 1540 Ibid. tionalists Congrega- England Robert Browne 1583 E. W. Andrews, tionalists Ibid. Quakers England George Fox 1647 English Historians. Do America William Penn 1681 American Historians. Catholic Jerusalem Jesus 33 New Testament. Church