he church in England, instead of the pope at Rome. The principle now
begins to prevail, that "Truth possesses the power to defend itself." As
a result Wiclif, Tyndale, Sir Thomas More, Thomas Cromwell, Archbishop
Cranmer, Miles Coverdale and others, with the approval of the king
successively, encourage the translation, publication and circulation of
the Scriptures among the clergy and people. It was at this time and in
this way, that the principle of toleration in matters of religion had
its beginning, and the first check was put upon the cruel intolerance of
the church of Rome in England. The church of England, episcopal in form
then became the established, or state church; and it is so still, but
the king is no longer the head of it and the parliament no longer
consists of the clergy, as in the days of King James. It was in 1566
that the Puritans, followers of Calvin and other foreign reformers,
withdrew from the established church of England, because they did not
approve all the forms and ceremonies, then required in the public
worship of the established church.

The official act of religious toleration in England was passed during
the reign of William III, 1689-1702, (and Mary), who, as the prince of
Orange and founder of the Dutch republic in 1680, had previously
distinguished himself as the friend of liberty.

Roger Williams, founder of the Colony of Rhode Island 1636 to 1647,
established there the first government in America, upon the principle of
universal toleration. William Penn, founder and proprietor of
Pennsylvania, in 1684 incorporated the same principle in the government
of that colony; and, as the expression of his own views and sentiments,
respecting religion and civil government. These men exercised
government, by instilling into the minds of the people the principles of
religion, morality, forbearance and friendship. Americans do well to
cherish the memory of these men, who wrought so nobly a century before
the American Revolution.

NOBLE DEFENSE BY DANIEL WEBSTER

Our American public school system represents the accumulated wisdom of
many generations of Bible readers, and in promoting it we preserve for
future generations the foundations so wisely laid in the earlier years
of our history.

Daniel Webster, one of the advocates of the system and early defenders
of the Bible in it, stated its fundamental principle when he said, "In
all cases there is nothing, that we look for with more certainty,