Page images
PDF
EPUB

We may be permitted to doubt what at Thessalonica, were recognised, and Zosimus relates on this subject. He their bodies thrown into the sea. It states that Constantine, under the tor- would certainly have been desirable that tures of remorse from the perpetration of the Christians should less eagerly have so many crimes, enquired of the pontiffs followed the cry of vengeance; but it of the empire, whether it were possible was the will of God, who punishes acfor him to obtain any expiation, and that cording to justice, that, as soon as the they informed him that they knew of Christians were able to act without renone. It is perfectly true, that none was straint, their hands should be dyed in the found for Nero, and that he did not ven-blood of their persecutors. ture to assist at the sacred mysteries in Constantine summoned to meet at Greece. However, the Taurobolia were Nice, opposite Constantinople, the first still observed, and it is difficult to believeœcumenical council, of which Ozius was that an emperor, supremely powerful, president. Here was decided the grand could not obtain a priest who would wil-question which agitated the church, lingly indulge him in expiatory sacrifices. relating to the divinity of Jesus Christ. Perhaps, indeed, it is less easy to believe that Constantine, occupied as he was with war, politic enterprises, and ambition, and surrounded by flatterers, had time for remorse at all. Zosimus adds, that an Egyptian priest, who had access to his gate, promised him the expiation of all his crimes in the Christian religion. It has been suspected, that this priest was Ozius, Bishop of Cordova.

It is well known how the church, having contended for three hundred years against the rights of the Roman empire, at length contended against itself, and was always militant and triumphant.

In the course of time, almost the whole of the Greek church, and the whole African church, became slaves under the Arabs, and afterwards under the Turks, who erected the Mahometan religion on However this might be, God reserved the ruins of the Christian. The Roman Constantine for the purpose of enlighten- { church subsisted, but always reeking with ing his mind, and to make him the pro-blood, through more than six centuries tector of the church. This prince built of discord between the western empire the city of Constantinople, which became and the priesthood. Even these quarrels the centre of the empire and of the Chris-rendered her very powerful. The bitian religion. The church then assumed a form of splendor. And we may hope that, being purified by his baptism, and penitent at his death, he may have found mercy, although he died an Arian. It would be not a little severe, were all the partisans of both the bishops of the name of Eusebius to incur damnation.

In the year 314, before Constantine resided in his new city, those who had persecuted the Christians were punished by them for their cruelties. The Christians threw Maxentius's wife into the Orontes; they cut the throats of all his relations, and they massacred, in Egypt and Palestine, those magistrates who had most strenuously declared against Christianity. The widow and daughter of Dioclesian, having concealed themselves

shops and abbots in Germany all became princes; and the popes gradually acquired absolute dominion in Rome, and throughout a considerable territory. Thus has God proved his church, by humiliations, by afflictions, by crimes, and {by splendor.

This Latin church, in the sixteenth century, lost half of Germany, Denmark, Sweden, England, Scotland, Ireland, and the greater part of Switzerland and Holland. She gained more territory in America by the conquests of the Spaniards than she lost in Europe; but, with more territory, she has much fewer subjects.

Divine Providence seemed to call upon Japan, Siam, India, and China, to place themselves under obedience to the pope, in order to recompense him for Asia

CHURCH.

Minor, Syria, Greece, Egypt, Africa, tribes, all the southern climes, whica Russia, and the other lost states which constitute a fifth portion of the globe, rewe mentioned. St. Francis Xavier, who main the prey of the demon, in order to carried the holy gospel to the East Indies fulfil those sacred words, "many are and Japan, when the Portuguese went called, but few are chosen." Matt. xx. thither upon mercantile adventure, per- { 16.) formed a very great number of miracles, all attested by the R. R. P. P. Jesuits. Some state that he resuscitated nine dead persons. But R. P. Ribadeneira, in his "Flower of the Saints," limits himself to asserting, that he resuscitated only four. That is sufficient. Providence was desirous that, in less than a hundred years, there should have been thousands of catholics in the islands of Japan. But the devil sowed his tares among the good grain. The Jesuits, according to what is generally believed, entered into a conspiracy, followed by a civil war, in which all the Christians were exterminated in 1638. The nation then closed its ports against all foreigners except the Dutch, who were considered as merchants and not as Christians, and were first compelled to trample on the eross, in order to gain leave to sell their wares in the prison in which they are shut up, when they land at Nangazaki.

The Catholic, Apostolic, and Roman religion has become proscribed in China in our own time, but with circumstances of less cruelty. The R. R. P. P. Jesuits had not, indeed, resucitated the dead at the court of Pekin; they were contented with teaching astronomy, casting cannon, and being mandarins. Their unfortunate disputes with the Dominicans and others gave such offence to the great emperor Yonchin, that that prince, who was jus- { tice and goodness personified, was blind enough to refuse permission any longer to teach our holy religion, in respect to which our missionaries so little agreed. He expelled them, but with a kindness truly paternal, supplying them with means of subsistence, and conveyance to the confines of his empire.

All Asia, all Africa, the half of Europe, all that belongs to the English and Dutch in America, all the unconquered American

were

Of the Signification of the Word "Church. Picture of the primitive Church. Its Degeneracy. Exami nation into those Societies which have attempted to re-establish the primitive Church, and particularly into that of the Primitives called Quakers. the assembly of the people. When the This term among the Greeks, signified Hebrew books Greek, "synagogue" was rendered by translated into ployed to express the "Jewish society,' "church ;" and the same term was emthe "political congregation," the "Jewish assembly," the "Jewish people." Thus it is said in the book of Numbers, into the wilderness;" and in Deutero"Why hast thou conducted the church nomy, the Ammonite, shall not enter the church; "The eunuch, the Moabite, and the Idumeans and the Egyptians shall neration." not enter the church, even to the third ge

[ocr errors]

thy brother have sinned against thee Jesus Christ says, in St. Matthew," If [have offended thee] rebuke him, between yourselves. Take with you one or two witnesses, that, from the mouth of two or three witnesses, everything may be made clear; and, if he hear not them, complain to the assembly of the people, to the church; and, if he hear not the church, let him be to thee as a heathen so shall it come to pass, whatsoever ye or a publican. Verily, I say unto you, shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." allusion to the keys of doors which close and unclose the latch.

An

of whom has offended the other, and perThe case is here, that of two men, one sists. He could not be made to appear in the assembly, in the Christian church;

as yet there was none: the person against tious that you bind him justly; for juswhom his companion complained could {tice breaks unjust bonds. But when you not be judged by a bishop and priests have corrected, and afterwards agreed who were not in existence; besides with your brother, you have loosed him which, it is to be observed, that neither on earth. Jewish priests nor Christian priests ever became judges in quarrels between private persons. It was a matter of police. Bishops did not become judges till about { the time of Valentinian III.

From St. Augustin's interpretation, it seems that the person offended shut up the offender in prison; and that it is to be understood that, if the offender is put in bonds on earth, he is also in heavenly The commentators have therefore con- { bonds; but that if the offended person is cluded, that the sacred writer of this gos-inexorable, he becomes bound himself. pel makes our Lord speak in this passage In St. Augustine's explanation, there is by anticipation, that it is an allegory, a nothing whatever relating to the church. prediction of what would take place when The whole matter relates to pardoning the Christian church should be formed or not pardoning an injury. St. Augusand established. tin is not speaking here of the sacerdotal power of remitting sins in the name of God. That is a right recognised in other places; a right derived from the sacrament of confession. St. Augustin, profound as he is in types and allegories, does not consider this famous passage as alluding to the absolution given or refused by the ministers of the Roman Catholic church, in the sacrament of penance.

Of the "Church," in Christian Societies.

Selden makes an important remark on this passage, that, among the Jews, publicans or collectors of the royal monies were not excommunicated. The populace might detest them, but as they were indispensable officers, appointed by the prince, the idea had never occurred to any one of separating them from the assembly. The Jews were at that time under the administration of the proconsul of Syria, whose jurisdiction extended to the confines of Galilee, and to the island of Cyprus, where he had deputies. It would have been highly imprudent in the Greek, the Roman, the Lutheran, any to show publicly their abomination of and the reformed or Calvinistic. It is the legal officers of the proconsul. In- thus in Germany: the Primitives or justice, even, would have been added to Quakers, the Anabaptists, the Socinians, imprudence; for the Roman knights the Memnonists, the Pietists, the Mora(equestrians), who farmed the public do-vians, the Jews, and others, do not form main and collected Cæsar's money, were authorised by the laws.

St. Augustin, in his eighty-first sermon, may perhaps suggest reflections for comprehending this passage. He is speaking of those who retain their hatred, who are slow to pardon.

"Cepisti habere fratrem tuum tanquam publicanum. Ligas illum in terra; sed at juste alliges vide: nam injusta vincala dirsumpit justitia. Cum autem correxeris et concordaveris cum fratre tuo solvisti eum in terra." You began to regard your brother as a publican; that is, to bind him on the earth. But be cau

In the greater part of Christian states we perceive no more than four churches

a church. The Jewish religion has preserved the designation of synagogue. The Christian sects which are tolerated have only private assemblies, conventicles." It is the same in London.

[ocr errors]

We do not find the Catholic church in Sweden, nor in Denmark, nor in the north of Germany, nor in Holland, nor in three quarters of Switzerland, nor in the three kingdoms of Great Britain.

Of the Primitive Church, and of those

who have endeavoured to re-establish it. The Jews, as well as all the different people of Syria, were divided into many

different congregations, as we have already seen. All aimed at a mystical perfection.

The spirit was communicated to them equally. They equally spoke different languages; they had equally the gift of prophesying, without distinction of rank age, or sex.

The apostles who instructed the neophytes, possessed over them, unquestion

A ray of purer light shone upon the disciples of St. John, who still subsist near Mosul. At last, the Son of God, announced by St. John, appeared on earth, whose disciples were always on a perfectably, that natural pre-eminence which the equality. Jesus had expressly enjoined preceptor has over the scholar; but o them, "There shall not be any of you jurisdiction, of temporal authority, of wha either first or last.... I came to serve, the world calls "honours," of distinction not to be served.... He who strives to be in dress, of emblems of superiority, as master over others shall be their servant."suredly neither they, nor those who suc One proof of equality is, that the Chris-ceeded them, had any. They possesse tians at first took no other designation than another, and a very different superiority that of "brethren." They assembled in that of persuasion. expectation of the spirit. They prophesied when they were inspired. St. Paul, in his first letter to the Corinthians, says to them, "If, in your assembly, any one of you have the gift of a psalm, a doctrine, a revelation, a language, an interpretation, let all be done for edification. If any speak languages, as two or three may do in succession, let there be an interpreter.” ¿ "Let two or three prophets speak, and the others judge; and if anything be revealed to another while one is speaking, After the time of the apostles, we fi let the latter be silent; for you may all no example of any Christian who possess prophesy one by one, that all may learn any other power over other Christians th and all exhort: the spirit of prophecy is that of instructing, exhorting, expell subject to the prophets; for the Lord is demons from the bodies of "Ener a God of peace.... Thus, then, my bre-mens," and performing miracles. Al thren, be all of you desirous of prophesy-spiritual; nothing savours of worl ing; and hinder not the speaking of pomp. It was only in the third cent languages." that the spirit of pride, vanity, and in est, began to be manifested among believers on every side.

I have translated literally, both out of reverence for the text, and to avoid any disputes about words.

St. Paul, in the same epistle, admits that women may prophesy; although, in the fourteenth chapter, he forbids their speaking in the assemblies. "Every woman," says he, "praying or prophesying without having a veil over her head, dishonoureth her head, for it is the same as if she were shaven.'

"

It is clear, from all these passages and from many others, that the first Christians were all equal, not merely as brethren in Jesus Christ, but as having equal gifts.

The brethren put their money into o common stock. Seven persons werechose by themselves out of their own body, t take charge of the tables, and to provid for the common wants. They chose, Jerusalem itself, those whom we ca Stephen, Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, T mon, Parmenas, and Nicholas. It is r markable that, among seven perso chosen by a Jewish community, six we Greeks.

The agape were now become spler festivals, and attracted reproach for luxury and profusion which atten them. Tertullian acknowledges it. "Y says he, "we make splendid and plen entertainments, but was not the same at the mysteries of Athens and of Eg Whatever learning we display, it is ful and pious, as the poor benefit by Quantiscumque sumptibus constet, lu est pietatis, si quidem inopes refrigeri juvamus.

About this very period, certain soci

of Christians, who pronounced themselves more perfect than the rest, the Montanists, for example, who boasted of so many prophecies and so austere a morality; who regarded second nuptials as absolute adulteries, and flight from persecution as apostacy; who had exhibited in public holy convulsions and extasies, and pretended to speak with God face to face; were convicted, it was said, of mixing the blood of an infant, a year old, with the bread of the eucharist. They brought upon the true Christians this dreadful reproach, which exposed them to perse

cutions.

Their method of proceeding, according to St. Augustin, was this:-they pricked the whole body of the infant with pins, and kneading up flour with the blood, made bread of it. If any one died by eating it, they honoured him as a martyr.

Manners were so corrupted, that the holy fathers were incessantly complaining of it. Hear what St. Cyprian says, in his book concerning tombs :-"Every priest," says he, "seeks for wealth and honour with insatiable avidity. Bishops are without religion; women without modesty; knavery is general; profane swearing and perjury abound; animosities divide Christians asunder; bishops abandon their pupils to attend the exchange, and obtain opulence by merchandise; in short, we please ourselves alone, and excite the disgust of all the rest of the world."

Before the occurrence of these scandals, the priest Novatian had been the cause of a very dreadful one to the people of Rome. He was the first anti-pope. The bishopric of Rome, although secret, and liable to persecution, was an object of ambition and avarice, on account of the liberal contributions of the Christians, and the authority attached to that high

situation.

We will not here describe again what is contained in so many authentic documents, and what we every day hear from the mouths of persons correctly informed; -the prodigious number of schisms and

wars; the six hundred years of fierce hostility between the empire and the priesthood; the wealth of nations, flowing through a thousand channels, sometimes into Rome, sometimes into Avignon, when the popes, for two and seventy years together, fixed their residence in that place; the blood rushing in streams throughout Europe, either for the interest of a tiara utterly unknown to Jesus Christ, or on account of unintelligible questions which he never mentioned. Our religion is not less sacred or less divine for having been so defiled by guilt and steeped in

carnage.

When the frenzy of domination, that dreadful passion of the human heart, had reached its greatest excess; when the monk Hildebrand, elected Bishop of Rome against the laws, wrested that capital from the emperors, and forbad all the bishops of the west from bearing the name of pope, in order to appropriate it to himself alone; when the bishops of Germany, following his example, made themselves sovereigns, which all those of France and England also attempted ;-from those dreadful times down even to our own, certain Christian societies have arisen, which, under a hundred different names, have endeavoured to re-establish the primitive equality in Christendom.

But what had been practicable in a small society, concealed from the world, was no longer so in extensive kingdoms. The church militant and triumphant could no longer be the church humble and unknown. The bishops, and the large, rich, and powerful monastic communities, uniting under the standards of the new pontificate of Rome, fought at that time pro aris et focis, for their hearths and altars. Crusades, armies, sieges, battles, rapine, tortures, assassinations by the hand of the executioner, assassinations by the hands of priests of both the contending parties, poisonings, devastations by fire and sword-all were employed to support and to pull down the new ecclesiastical administration; and the cradle of the primitive church was so

« PreviousContinue »