Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB
[ocr errors]

6

reformers of all the European nations, who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, and obtained promises'-and of the puritans, and nonconformists, and pilgrims,' who quenched the violence' of Star Chamber fire; escaped the edge of the 'ecclesiastical' sword; waxed valiant in fight with Church Courts,' and turned to flight the armies of the alien' Rabbis. Devoutly and constantly should we pray in the language of Elisha Let a double portion of their spirit be upon us!' Amen."

6

Among protestants, the first regular transcript of that papalabomination of desolation," was the episcopal convocation who met speedily after Elizabeth's accession to the royal authority in England. What they became, and what they did, are recorded in the Star Chamber, and the High Commission Courts! Their Babylonian doings will be blazoned through the earth as long as the memorial of the "Rock at Plymouth" shall remain in terrestrial records, and the twenty-fourth day of August shall annually revolve. The British government themselves, notwithstanding that "Church Courts" were their own creature, were finally obliged to imprison them in the tomb of oblivion, and to write upon that dormant bantling of the "Mother of Harlots"-Here lies the parent of national desolation; having the "book of sports" for its pillow to dream upon, and covered with the death-shrieks of two hundred thousand protestants, massacred in Ireland, and with the anguish and curse of seven years civil war in Britain. They still hold fast that restless insatiable adversary, and hinder her from "walking about seeking

whom she may devour!" We may sincerely addRequiescat!

Ffty years after Martin Luther and Zuinglius first resounded the third blast against "Babylon the great," John Knox commenced his system of church-ruling representatives. Had that sturdy reformer been endowed with the gift of the "second sight," so that he could have foreseen the results of his own complicated "platform," he would have drowned it "in the depth of the sea with a millstone hanged about its neck," in the same manner as he hurled the image of the popish idol saint into the water, sarcastically remarking" Let your lady swim, and take care of herself!" Could that immortal advocate of evangelical liberty have kenned the fantastic tricks which some "Church Courts" would subsequently play before high Heaven to make angels weep-and had he anticipated the antichristian oppression and unrighteousness which they would exemplify, he would have banished his compound Judaizing, Babylonian machinery to the inquisitors of Portugal and Spain.

It is superfluous to examine the proceedings of the General Assembly of Scotland, in reference to the Erskines and their associates; because that "Church Court" is part of the British statecraft.

The mischief, however, is very little diminished, when contemplated in the wrathful debates, the stormy recriminations, and the mutual anathemas of the burghers and the anti-burghers; whose "Ecclesiastical Judicatures" were created by themselves, as voluntary assemblies, both under the oppressive yoke. Nevertheless, they

rivalled in churchcraft, "strife, and debate, to make their voice to be heard on high," the most inquisitor-like of their despotic "taskmasters."

To abhorrence, is added contempt, when the haughty and iniquitous proceedings of the English Methodist Conference are surveyed, concerning Kilham, and their other dissentient brethren.

A Christian observer, who is present at the ecclesiastical meetings of various denominations of Christians, and who witnesses their "vain jangling," must necessarily marvel at their "fables which minister questions." Certainly those teachers of the canon law often "understand not what they say, nor whereof they affirm." 1 Timothy i. 5, 6. There is a constant appeal to Minutes, Precedents, Acts, Confessions, Digests, Discipline, and Constitutions; but all reference to "the Scripture of Truth," as the infallible standard by which their clamor would be silenced, seems studiously to be evaded. Babylonian law, civil law, statute law, canon law, common law, popish law, and even martial law, all are introduced. Heathen mythologists, the Shasters, the Koran, and the bulls of the Dragon's Beast, and no law at all, all are cited as authorities, and rules, and sanctions; but the precepts of Jehovah, and the mandates of Christ, are little more adverted to, than if those "oracles of God" had not been revealed, or the Rabbis had never seen or heard of them.

"IN NOMINE DOMINI!"

The crafty manœuvres of some modern ecclesiastical judicatures, alias Church Courts, remind us of the homely

and graphical proverbs which were common among our ancestors about the period of the Reformation. One, in particular, is frequently exhibited in the utmost exactitude. The pope's bulls generally commenced with the words"In nomine Domini"-whence the shrewd and secret rebels to the pontifical usurpations used to say—

66

In nomine Domini incipit omne malum."

All evil begins in the name of God!

That mournful and most wicked contradiction is thus exemplified. There is a reference, or an appeal to be decided; and the chief Rabbis have privately resolved how the matter shall be adjudged, so as to promote the craft, and to consolidate their own influence. But many of the members are new men, whose tempers and opinions are unknown. A series of artifices, therefore, is requisite to secure the wished result. The business must be postponed as long as possible, to evade all suspicion, until the views of such persons are satisfactorily ascertained. If the decision cannot be fully known, the debate is prolonged to weariness, that all the pompous D. Ds'. may announce their lordly opinions; and secure partisans among the "weaker brethren," by an oily tongue and flattering words, or by bullying menace intimidate and silence the refractory conscientious minority. When by those means it is ascer tained that a majority are ready resolutely to uphold the malign jurisdiction and sentence, or to crush a Godfearing Christian, who merely defends his right and resists injury, and it may expose the system, any longer to protract the discussion, then one of the craftsmen proposes, before the votes are taken upon the question, that the

D

"Church Court" shall unite in prayer for the divine direction. Thus, after the example of the inquisitorial "brotherhood" of Arragon, "In the name of God begins all the evil." It is worse and more shocking, than to hear a reader pray, that the Lord would assist him by his Spirit to preach to the edification of the hearers, and immediately after pull an old thread-bare, thumb-bedaubed manuscript of dry metaphysics out of his pocket, to read to that part of the auditory who have so much regard for their divine invisible Master, and devotion enough to keep awake, while their teacher is dozing. After one occasion of that kind, a doctor in divinity remarked to me-" Whenever I hear one of the most noisy wranglers move that an ecclesiastical judicature shall arrest the business before them, and go to prayer, I am always sure that there is some mischief contrived, and some work of Satan to be done; and I stop my ears."

After for the sake of form, the yeas and nays prayer, are called with all apparent gravity. The majority have couched down to Diotrephes, Demetrius, Tertullus, and Alexander. Then some other "doctor" expresses his desire, that they shall return thanks to God for the happy adjustment of the case, and the great unanimity which had finally marked their proceedings. That same watchman assured me, that as soon as he had given his vote, or had refused to vote, he arose and walked towards the door; where he remained, waiting to leave the house, as soon as he discovered that his associates were about to add their pretended thanksgiving to the formality of prayer. Yet," he added, with impressive solemnity, "I am

66

« AnteriorContinuar »