Page:The Church of England, its catholicity and continuity.djvu/60

 He was born in the very heart of Romanism, and was brought up, a great part of his life, in its Monasteries. It was with reluctance that he accepted the office of Archbishop of Canterbury. But as soon as he came into power there was a series of disputes and quarrels between him and William Rufus, the king. This king had greatly sinned against the Church, by using its money for his own private purposes. He kept the See of Canterbury vacant for several years, in order to appropriate its funds to his use. It is no wonder then that when Anselm came he appealed to the powerful Pope to restore the rights of the Church. Rufus tried his utmost to hinder this, as well as to prevent Anselm from going to Rome to receive the pall. Their differences were intensified by the fact that there were two Popes now claiming the supreme control. The one whom Rufus recognized was not the man whom Anselm favoured. Rufus desired that Anselm should receive the pall from him. Anselm replied that this was never done before. He fled from home, and the king would not reinstate him in his See. The Pope sent to say that if Rufus refused to reinstate the Archbishop he should be excommunicated. The only notice Rufus took of this threat was to reply that he would tear out the Pope's messengers' eyes if they should come to England. So they did not come. These events show you how Rome continued to desire a hold over the English Church. It was because such strife existed at home, and men were put into our Sees who had sympathies with, and sometimes a belief in the superiority of Rome, that in their difficulties men sought the Romanists' aid.

We now pass on to another reign. When Henry I. came to the throne he declared that he would preserve "God's Holy