- 6,4v . .•......':,-..-s,_,J,sS.. - ...- - ....-i - L,,':: -- ,.111,,1/cO-4.1.1.
John W •
New Series, Vol. NT"
s
~ . .
Strictly in Advance .$2.50, Otherwise $3..
Postage 20eti, to . be'paid where delivered.,
A FRESH START.,
The ministry and people of Christ are.re,
s miling the regular course of work whieh, in near
ly every part of the eltror icountry, , ,soffers,nome
interruption during th.e.summer.„ If they have
s pent their vacations wisely; they and the., cense
are clear gainers by.them, Those
,who have,acted
as if the Christian profession were a matter ; of •
convenience, to be, laid aside as a hinderiineo .
times of reoreation f and ,to be, resumed wAen,.tile.
watering season is over ; tgtd they, "Ito„Fith,h i et c.
ter views, compromise their conniptions by
course of worldliness and , gaiety, wilrbe of little
serviae at any rate. They are not to be reckoned
amo ng the ,available f?rocs of the ChurchAn-_the'
camplign about to open, unless they i repent, But
those to whom, with of their confessed faults ;
and imperfectiops, the cause of Christ is .doarer
than an,; thin; else,- 7 tlrse, we look to §qe equipp9d,
and moving for vigorous, hopeful, pra,yerful,effort:
in their different spheres of labor. To etioh we.
say
1. Waste no time, but •commence ,working ot,
once for positive, spiritual results among your
people, your Sunday school plassaeur friends,.
To cal, ulate upon a . season of spiritual prosperity .
in the indefinite future, ,and to , exense onesself
for listlessness ,and., inefficiency to-day, iznnpar.-,
donable and unchristia#,_ All 'ease in ion should
be banished ; our attitude should be one of/ake : ..
fill response to the,treszing demands of the, hour
upon every follower •of Christ. You haye bad,
your rest; this is the working time. You have,
Lad your relief asa sentinel. l Now grasp, your
weapons and mark every movement of the foe,
2. Be not dazzled or embarrassed by the Mul
titude of side issues that„press for recognition,
and seek to usurp your funtons as a minister of
Christ, or as a worker for His cause. In 130
many ways are the aifairs i of the world inwoven
with religious interests;, so, many questions are,
raised on topics allied to those of the Christian
pulpit; there is so much. excitement , about. moral
reform ; science has fallen into such bad bands
Lod parades itself with such growing hostility to
the Bible, that the patient culture of heart reli
gion, and the amhpritativn proclamation of the
central truths of the Gospel are in danger o f ne
glect. There is something for
. Christians .to do,
in reference to every.one,of these matters. The
world is given to the Obrirch to transform. 'But
her power to do it lies in the gift of the Holy
Spirit, and the fulcrum of her . lever is the grand
central truths of Christianity.. Preach
. Christ.
Live in the Spirit. Reform and convince men
by reaching their , hearts and consciences. The
crucified and risen Redeemer will conquer the'
world by revealing to conscious sinners His par
•
doping love.
Not that the crying sins of-the time, or the
special forms of opposition to the goipel, or the
specious schemes of reformers and the peculiar
characteristics of the age are , iii be unnoticed by
Christian workers. special challenges of
evil must be met by specific responses. Bonk
men's sins are open beforehand, going to judg
ment; and there are popular sins that veil their
deformities and sweep multitudes of thoughtless
souls into their vortex. There are offences, cor
ruptions, perils to good morals and molar order,
which only a twice-dead Christianity could be
hold without indignation, and which only such
organs of opinion, pulpits or presses, as are
baught and, sold, could fail to denounce. Such
an insane and criminal fredzy of covetousness,
such a god!ess rage of speculation as his run riot
is the stock-board of New York City, should set
the ministry and people of God, everywhere, to
considering that whole
, tendency of business in
the great centres to mere giuutAing, and to utter
rottenness down to its loWest foundations:Ve do
not believe such practices could be maintained
in the face of a resolute and general onset of the
pulpit upon them.
But it is not only matters outside of the Church
which may Aimee.. us from' our proper work.
Qlestions of inward organization and rik-organi
z ktion may have ark Unspiritual effect. Our minds
tray be fixed toe intently upon the great outward
act of Reunion, to '6l6st with due zeal koithe .
best interests of both Churches. It is a great
act, and worthy the devout regards of the most
pious; but the best adornmentof the Reunion, next
spring, would be a brilliant record of revivals and
cessions from the world, and a-gathering of rep
re,entatives of churches glowing with fresh con=
serration to the cause of Christ. That, indeed,
•
would make the united Church a crown of glory,
in the band of .the Lord, And •a diadem in the
hand of our God.
3. Begin in hope. Cherish large expectations.
Your own strength and fitness may be nothing.
Your field may be bard and unpromising. 'tut
Your strength is in God and the truth. Faith in
that is the real power that sways the world, and
builds up the Church from the Worst victims of
ljdn7o
sin and Satan..:' Do' not• admit the. pogsibility Of
failure! = Plan for 'success.' We:hiire:rarely been
more cheereidf than lately,in , dropping Into the
Wedriegdayievening: service 'ofvone•fof -our -city'
pasiiirs, 'to' find him;erei the lingering , heats of
surOmei were gone; addrsisihg himself :Arid suaiLi
moning: his 'congregation' to the pisyer , of -
fors, lkrge 'measure of success in the WO& of)thel
Church. The whole spiritr Of - s - the- aerciselwas.
one of'..ohristiih .eifectanerandi coufi,dehee.
us .eirly laidtan'd tittered' upon, had.al most ,
caught- the:.pieveiliedit *ow: of. ionling.success,
P.erhapi• many anoihe Aervint d iGhrist , isr , thus
.klia dli • oink zeirlourafFectionsp d
ing:hivown'veiiple'ln'warlarr-the current of ihis !
exaltedhcipes i ltogreatjand gloriona achievements,
for Christ. - Soon miyiveLheirsignal arisweringtei
.signal from thb visions diviSioos of tlie,Lorll agreat
army,-joyfully firdilaiming, new'. an:ci.decisive..-adr
vantages against f the' enemy,: strengholdsq of r aim
captured -and :rdismantleBi. and:=ai pezmanentonA
victorious advanoe.of the wholtilinea.untaplishett 1.1
THE, PRINCIPLE IN, TUE , .CHI NET CASE.
Si-me - kW our eotenworaries. ate either Yery flint
cereJyfalarmed decisiotfref judge Junlies
son. in:-this hmouts>,dase; or Ahgyx,are• trying ..to
maknpublie'opinion'on , the stibjeet-by persistent
teration and deolainationi: isapdecliincitionv
fovwe see 'veryi iNttle: said -by) tlieuthmi the subject
that desehes theltiamwog redsoning.
Obsfeve.ri Ytiti initance,itas had leading articles sn~d
items ; Week -after week; -fultof the mast .e.urious
misa . ppvehensiSni inda - aniseepresehtatioas of, the ,
views Of those:whiPiake- the opposite; kiide,Attd.of
the . eireamttiotes' in which- the-idgeision place's ,
mirithictshes: =Withcrutpretedding Co discuss all
the side issues'rais6d, a oMay-briefly say. inr!ret:
Bard to the views-expressed - by Judge Jamieekt
That'decision does not 012pon the-aiiisunip
tion that civil courts may interfere at pleasure id.
niattersy or with rkei - goollAreaion.: Iv is
only maintained that wlientalehnich hasreceiv.ed
members on the' ternasi 3 Of la‘*vitten) copstitntion,
that constitution acquires!the , bindiak, ,, force.of
ciVil.oontoract. Alembere of the , Okurchcan only
be
legallvdeprived'of the priyileges,ofrtheirpo..
sitiont tiecordanee - with- its. terms: IT any
either in its 'Constitution oi&itsr: proeCiaing,s,- vio-
dates those teNns; the Stat,e Allay j,itetly-interferei
as itldoei when= the 3 Officeplof any othef:benefi
vial society break threugh.itai „chanter. and rbye
laWs:to-theprojudic'e'otanyinenkber. •
" A'ut whietTratertiori licive.ele,-,then, :from the
lawlessnels of our elective judiciary .77, E If the.
coMmunity ;which .21//e,tifkserver has been
preaching. godliness-for , ao many years, _will
Baittards, , l4l§CnntisLand -Lotts -to- the. Benelt,'
then the cliurched among'' which. IThe' Obseraer:
circulates,-must': suffer' theineeenrity consequent_
The' easels hard enougli, but; the,remedy does not
llama denying that the Setae '0 supieme.oter - all.
temporalities: ;This brandishing of the names of
bad judges in the.eyes of thelreligipis
is an illogical and faulty-; style ,cif argumetit ,
whiclfdoese , The- Observer' no.:credit. - - It works
both ways. ' , Philadelphians can ,look at the mat
ter calmly.. Some of ns would rather,be :brought.
on any charge before such judges as Allison or
Williams, thin - • before the churchmen who . gave
our Itattitead Court such a badiname in 1837-i or
John Neil Melleod and list;atsiociates• in , the ?R..
P. General Synod - of-1837, - when Geo. H. Stuart
was " oast out." Courts held in the name of the
State only, are ;Ofteli models winch courts heldin
the name of Christ thight.profitably copy after.''
11. That decision i& not 'upheld in= the belief
that the Church' ought to have no -discipline. -
The Broaden Establishment orEngland has no'
really eeclesiastical courts at all. ; .The; Church
cannot bring heretics to trial before ler tribunal_
The State almost invariably ;acquits them when
brought before her. Those who believe that the
State ouglit to require the Church to% proceed
secording - to her published Mi& selfadopted con
stitution, when civil. rights are involved, neither
approve of the: English systimi nordesire its in
trodtiction here. Yet The Observer gravely as-'
surds rhe..Protesecent Churchman that it has , no
right to complain of-the failure to-secure - Bishop
Colendo's.depesition, "ifs it approves - of ' Judge
Jamieson's. deCison • -
111. We • pronounce ;`decision upon the
-main question in Mr. - Cheney's case. Whether
he is, or is right in chingiti,g. the wording
of the bliptiardal service; dependi uilianu great
many other . points..of which we know very little.
have yet to'see the attempt at proof .that-,
the canons of the P. E. Church were not grossly
violatedin the organization and the proceedings
of the court which met ~to try him. That is the
-only question at issue.
IV. To come nearer hotiie, let us take a par
allel case fn ,a presbyterian body. Mr. George
H: Stuart has been' suspended from, office and
'i'' A',IIII,JAIM i rI3I A, ~; T HURSDAY, :SEPTEMBER,: :39, -.. 1.8 . 6 9,
membership by the General Synod of the IL:,PI
- Ilia friends claimed that, that action_
was in contravention , of the disciplindinand was.
ndt required- byi-thee dictriith of. ,the Chuicho,
:rtiey refused - ,to recognize its binding fbrce, and'
"-suspended ' relAione..to- Synod until its. ..re..t
peal: , theiefOre:' ideclared --theta: out ,
of: the Church, land. recog,nizedminoritied?whoa.
adhere& as , the: true • coogreptions:
nee :Observer and The! 4 F 4 resbyteriait And -The ,
!Presbyterian, Banner think that the only duty:
before the , SupreiiihttiiiTOrilis - Comincknwealth,
be to asgaiaiiV l Viiitiatd;;lA wh,Arilwor, the
• General Synod' decided; and: to register. the de-
creel? Will 'the •Conrt notAias:is the righe tot c!:T-- • I
sider; , ,whether ~ Stitart's atispenaioil vies ,
!regular; Whethernt Justified-the•supeniieri.of'relk•
:tines; mad Whetherithat .enSpension , kis: •a , With:- •
drasiratifremt: 'the. -Sy tiod!ti Aurisdictida Syiatidi
!has .decided- thise points tilre!idyl. , Are!
thebenitg,regtadokite Stuartokeloixßlol
give-Tip rtheir valuable of •worship; just;&e.
icause the-ecclesiastical. , rautlorities =halve decided ,
Ftlias andr•so then r it,,:P'ennsYlitania court
may investigate. the:ecclesiastical .issues;:pending ,
is ithisf ease, -tint the Chicago judge'
'dal& jit - rtsdietion Ate 'Cheney And.; if
that Coliniiiirritiocee&by - Itivestigadklir•aftet.thel
ibj Win'; doneOimiy. hot •filikiother pre- ,
oeeld 'by injunetion , befetre it?:. ' • **0 1 ! • •••'' - •
It seems -- to that ;itT is ourfßAmservativer
friends who are venturing-on dingsrb'nh ground
in this .matter. !Mei lire revioldng the. , "old
Hildehrsindist •Tietuaniib. dogma, - that whateier
the Ohnrclit:Ouchei or. claims beeothes =therefore ,
shcred, and ekeinpiltftom civil jurisdietion. - if
their' views- irtteit tb. ,. become universal, they
would hand over 'tire; Tights of 'their- lienple - to .11
see ef vivhd , tiine past flutie been; and
who in the future 'possible , may again be-fay
more 4.oLbe dreaded than even the Bainards ;and
thee hinGunns...-
AEIANDEIL
• t - t.
The‘ civilized and doientific worldlas jußlCeen •
punting fotth its Most' elahorate iantiffilikinefitreir
logies upon the life and work ofone - extraordinary
, The most gifted*in speech and the Most
retivrtied' in science have vied with each oth'erin .
exalting his tiari"e and'perpetiiatink his memory,'
is the prince ephilesophers: in the nineteenth
century. And beyond-all questiOn he was a rhost
.eitraoldriattry man: I:lffsleptAiit four hoth of the
i fifenty:fOnr, and he lived 'ninety years.. NeVer
never idle; never - weary,' he' traveled- ind.
read 'and-Wrote and studied enough to weir out
half i'dozen ordinary 'nen. He'rnastered many
lang,itages. was familiar with every depart. ,
:nient- screribe," He eiplOted vait libraries: He =
I knetelle scientific itien-nf all titiOn. . His e'or
,reoondenie eiteadeff to ' every quArter of the
•
I globe. - Be is "said to hate received a hundred
thoniand letters in 'a year. held posta'of high
responsibility ander government Ninces"and
delighted to do hibirev r eidtice. TitleS and;
•diploinasodegreei and loadgeS of honor were' seat-,
tared like i-ibeni? Ministers of`
State, generals in the — dirty, officers of Iti;a;gly
courte,'ProfesSors in' colleges, travelers, acideiht
students,' citizens, all counted it a Privilege'
to I;ave Seen his - fade; an honor to' have kneivir
"`And`yet this unweaned and' wonderfnl Mind
ranged through all the 'departments of nature,
science and philosophy, and fourolno God. His
,greatest living'eulOgisti 'and' 'his Meet - admirih . g .
:friend, hie equalqn philosciihy end superfor
`faith; cen feqeitli at' «the modern of
atheists claim'him fot their 'lle fouhd
no plaCe in Scientific diScuision to - eensider fhe
intervention of a Creator. He cOnsidered It - a
mistake to ascribe the common occurrences and
phenomena of nature to the agency of 'a 'Supreme
powei: He wiyald not give his countenance to
any creed based,upea' the Bible. He made - it
diitifict aim in lifUto free our
' modern' Civiliza
tion from every feeling of obligation to a ccept the
•gnidatice.of the 'sacred getiptures. To him ihe
grand' eystem' of Christian doctrinn was in ,
aliOinination,': 'a
" mere' carnival hufiberie4:"
116 `spoke of the inspired record " of the GOsPels
as a historical romance, a - col!ectien 'of myths:
He ndieuled the idea of propagating Chrintianity
among all dation& To him,•„the - : most nonillion
and faniiliar . 'wordi Of Christian' teaching we're
mists and deceits, which flow into nothingness
before the man of natural science.
All thinks for the gift of snail: a tnitieto'the
world and for the light wich he Oared Upon
the varied departments OFscience and Italian
cultivation: Bat in all earnestness aria 2aaolness
May we ask, is this the litilest attainment of hu-
Min intellect in the nineteenth . centary Wei it,
an evidence of severe and accurate disCrimination'
in n that lofty mind, to find, in all the boundless
hingdom of pature, no place fur ti e intervention
of.a.Creator ?...'Has the time., not yet come for,
the prince of,philosophers,to_raise the question,
.1,449 4le.7orldl; 3l Pst.welcie.lieirOa myths
:and fables, and geological dr,esans, if we say that.
fiked,.plothes,the lilies with beauty, when they
bloom,:end our, Father in hea.yen feeds the biFds
of, the,„eir,whee they ery?. Woulcl.,not the "Cos ; .
132987 f -have been,rneye,cowlete.aud.,,philosoplli
leak, ig•litls.,,wondfrful,aulbor hed.foundi a- God
(in every ..„Ilepartmeut k .of; mature, and „ Made the
whole creationiyoca.l,with his.praise
MEM
THE METHODIST BOOK LCMIDERN.
'the "publie‘treke 'grie'ved 'to learn
list ;it - eh:that' this p rOdpb rOu'a ; and Itsefai
pttltlic'afionrlOase,Ahe -largest in the'ltoild be
idifgruelo religious , - d'eitem!nation; had been
'aiifferitt :froth the".boncealed• depredatlOns
ofistitaiinPloyecti; for" to' ten years past,
tint' rieentlibrotiglitto kilt.' As - far , ItS the taelk•
haVelieeti lhade, , ptiblic;litz'ahears "that3the leads
lOf' tlfe4l.Wilkitiment' of- - -biddibesind
,Wed lacge - ii'ctlifehtisitigi t sirpplies, riot , directly'or
Irearafietirefsi'otf faeogniliid fecon'
igtt r ikqtolvplaieilig4leatiris *ere'Sreferied;
ark! beart- c, rhipiatt avperfact ha:rvest• of
;fox their iheedl'ess - services.
plain t iat= no gate' v itaig,ltt bli'ittitha head of al
falitintg,' 2 6i ibiiidifiedhpartaientoilaa is - not;' or
.doetynOte.•sootr' - 'hecome, entirely competent toat.:
i te`rid'parSOnally to :pnfeli'ase - of articles-ne ed -
ed' in 'hialiranciii. And hisisalary;=doubtless, is
designed rtia obverhis services as purchaser, no
lessthhn imletiriteadeneof tke pro - dem thrCulth
which the aftervrards . goes. Alt
h t e'add of departmatithl havn been
i dt.schifgad, and' Ithe vast'hnsiness of the eillrleerA
is - 11Tiderg014 thoicinglf`e
.'iaininitfoit,' that 'the'
, .
'6 - tient Of the maljailininiitkition: may be reaehed.
It-isnalreadrestimated thaethe commissions paid
have amounted to ten or twen ithonianil - dollars
a year, for the period named and there are' fears
tharA l e'facts, whet 'finally sifted out, may prove
.6VefiVorie::" xr • •
eerelY do we ll'oPe the contrary
:ird e.e.t.. l- 7 ,# '
apPear. The reputation o f the whol e American
Ch s iirCh;is involved in the Mater - . COnfidenCe
in'the mdn'agenient of. all
i the 'greai - erganized"
charities '
departments of our de
nominations Will be' shaken. `'And;' Whether the
ch - iiiiet'''aite` exaggerated or extenuated it'AS
plain tLzt some more rigorous met hods of ac
ciinntAiliVietisi , be devised, in order to'prevent
'the recurieb'ee'of the mischief both,there 'and in
other hrinehes of the Church. Perhaps it
MethOist 'biethren adniittedlaypien into
,their Churcli - coui:ts;a4'hifi had tenefit
of their superior businesS 'experience and se.
gaeity; it'WoUld' never have occurred. And yet . ;
when''We 'call to mind numerous liank defalcii
• .
tions;'whiel'emild only have arisen - from' supe r
. .ele , .•
fieial inSPetien — ver-confidenee in the subor
,dinfdes, we` ini,y well doubt whether the .iesult
ha - V:e'be:eii" di'fferent after alt ; than' now;
.
'when ministers aliiiie'held the ultimate
""'" -
THE 'GUBERNATORIAL ELECTION:
Th fact that honest 'men -in the Republidad
Party had tOit all their interest 'the'
coming eity elebtion, Will 'not,. of' 'course, be al
lowed to lessen - their interest in - the re-eleetien of
the preSentrChieridagiitrate - of the Common-
Wealth-=Governer Geary. It will inneli rather'
increase and:intensify it: We in this cityiwe
him a debt of gratitude Which gin never 'he 'cal:
culated, for' he 'ttidlinchinettimness with which
he tepiiised the' crowd Of 'pardon-seekers . who,
last winter; besieged him with 'importunities to
save the worst criminals from the Penalties of the
law. It is Wonderful how suddenly the passions
of the violent cooled down when - jUitiee hid
taken: "its 'Oefirise. For menths not a .deed of
blood-stained vrizr city annals. And we cannot.
but suspect - that the recent outbreak-of Violence
in our city, has'someeofineetion intbe minds . of
ithe transgressorsconscieus or unconscious
with the-approaching-elections and the possible
-prevalence of a more lenient policy 'by the - time
their trials mine bd.' At all events, they 'and we.
:have tested Governorgeary4.the community can
safely trust the e.T.peution
„1f . .. 1 ,0e laws in his
hands. Ile is a strict temperance man-of long
:standing; became so 'when a - Demeerat he is a
. c6itsistent; humble 'Christian, who' keeps a...con-
Iscience although . he is poor; the.billa of Gettys
brirg are monuments "of his devetioir, skill, and
glorious succeis a.s'a soldier of hi‘ '9Ountry ; his' .
adthinistration 'has Witnessed a decline of millions:
in the State debt, and a retnoval of onerous State
taxes. TentsylVania will honer herself and add
lustre to her political annals by prolonging
teint of 'office. - And-our citizen Will bg - 'doin,gnei
a little te gitard themselves 'from the evil "Ociiise-`
'pm:ice's of bad local governinent b; telling to
Ge - nesee Evangelist, No. 1.219.
Home & Foreign Miss. $2.00.
Address:-1334 Chestnut Street.
retain Pan .officer of pharaeter and -integrity in the
chair of thei 011ief Magistrate at Harrisburg.
`iriTHER HYACINTHE.
Not th the information received
last weeli , of ititlidrawar of the bold
add eliarent Tather Ilyacifithe'froni the Romish
Chureh. "'Els ffinious 'sermons in the churches
of the ltideletne' fiti'd 'Nate Daine haVe almost
repeated in' out { t"ne-t etrinmphsof the French
ipilpit of the seventeenth century,;so:that he'has
heenn' delied-' the it'peer of BaSsuet add Bourda
lcie:"'' tut•dVen 'the great eloquence ser
mons was - net nearly Rd airefiderful as their tone
of hearty sympathy towards'-Evangelical truth,
.their freak-and admiring recognition of the ad
vafitake'sPeejoyed 'by Protestant countries; and •
their eiitiro independence' of the trammels of
priestlq ruled Sinimioned to Rome last summer,
in all - fprobability to answer for his leanings to
wardsthe -Bible"of Protestantism, the scenes he
witnessed there may have affected himas they
once did lifitheik and lave aided in bringing him
to the - - d6eisicr annimikeed - :ii telegraph, on the
21st: of this-111'60f.- lie - declares his conviction
thatthe - dnetrines and piactices of the Romish
Chaietiare:liotiti lemordanee' smith the principles
of Olirietianity'r helisaves his cotient; his elo
,cfuerit-toice'is no 'longer A:Lewd in the great
chetah& of :Parisy :and I he! retires" - to his own
home: 7 { , 1y4 it...;?: $:::
id• .1 01(0 • 4iew of the case,• such
withdrawals have a discouraging , aspect, The
existerice , -.and..the ',toleration of such brave and
purer and powerful ;witnesses against the corrup-,
,lions and, errors . of: lhe , Church within, its own
bosom; have given soma faint ground to hope in
the•pbssibility:of s reform:lla ,these „days, when
anatheinasican nalonger;terrify, as.temporal pen
altiei_dieinflicted,.and..when—even-ithe infl ction
of spiritual- , :penalties. Aroilses., a, popular . reac Lion
that dare.nothe oveflookedoit-does not seem al-,
together i,visionarpespactation that. the liberal
German, grdach, and' American pre-,
lates,'•with ;such leaders. ; ,as..,Dollinger
_and,
cinthe•mighteffeetoradicaLand hopeful • changes
iflthe constitution of the;Papal Church... The
dogma of infallibility, eicelusivism and papal su
preinacy, rnighthave.been , modified under their
influence, and thebodypwhich, with its hierarchy,
formalism and, secular hnibition, has. fallen.. utter-,
ly away...front the line •cif:Christian progress,
inight
_be .appro.4niated the simplicity and
spirituality gßeripture, and take its place once
wore among the true,promoters of the welfare of
the
.race. But the withdrawal.of snch a man as
Fat4r_llyacinthe, like. the defection of the
equally eroquent and more effective• Passaglia,
: brands such fond hopes as: vain.. It is a confes
sion .that. error - mad . bigotry, and carnal ambition
and: thick-headed, obstinacy, as•embodied in ultra
montanism, are
.yet in the upper hand in the
• Church. of. - Rome. What.,then ? Plainly, they
that.will,not bend must break. If Rome will
not reform she .must. .be" revolutionized. If she
hugs her preposterous: delusions, she is doomed.
If she continues to load the consciences of her
followers with, man-made do;i7mas 'and will-wor
ship ;_if she persibts in bUrdening herself with
the rags and trumpery of effete superstitions ; if
she insists on ustfrpirn , the rights of God in the
family, the State,.the Church and the conscience
of man, she, must fall like a mill-stone flung from
the hands of some messenger of God's anger; or
with her worn-out disguises stripped off, she must
be.reekoned among the heathen systems with .
which, her affinities, are already so manifest.
. .
•
Possibly the result may. be otherwise. The re
formatory leaven that remains may prove more
powerful than is now generally believed. Truth
is iilloWed freer play than in the days of Huss
and Savonarola, of Luther and Calvin, of Philip
• -
and of Alva, and of Catherine de Medicis. But
- one_ feature of this withdrawal is encouraging.
It is no infidel revolt, as there is always too much
ground to fear in such cases; but, as we have
every reason to believe, the hopeful, upward
movement of a soul enamored of the truth as it is
in Jesus, breaking loose froin the fetters of a
mAely hunian' anthoriiy, taking the Bible for
its' guide,' and seeking the advancement - of the
kingdoth of Christ on - earth: The particulars
of the' change are yet unknown, but we can
imagine whit a blesied — and . wonderful ef
feet upon' rance and - upon Europe, so banefully
overshadoived by 'Romanist:la and 'Rationalism,
would be the appearance of' this celebrated man,
as a preacher to the ma.sSes, of the pore gospel of:
Christ. It would seem to be just the thing
needed-'to roue themlroni their melancholy in
difference, W'orldlines.s, materialism and sensuality;
and to keep - them, in quitting the delusions and
mummeries of. itomanism, from.falling into the
fathomiess . gujf of unbelief and despair. Let our
prayers for:the guidance,of this interesting man
to snob a cOurse of life - he 'fervent and importu
nate.