€¦ · 1 90 t h e christian democracy. chapter xiii. pelagianism. ugust i ne was born in or near...

190 T H E CHRISTIAN DEMOCRACY .

CHAPTER X I I I .

Pelagianism .

UGUST I N E was born i n or near Carthageabou t the year A . D . 3 5 5 . I n the long andv iolent contest wi th Pelagius he was the maste r

spi ri t . H is greatest work grew out of that struggle ,which left i ts impress on all subsequent ages.Patr ic ius, the father of August ine , was a pagan , andMonica

,h is mother

,a Christian . At home he was

thus exposed to two antagoni st i c i nfluences . Partlyeducated in the rel igion and l i terature of Rome

,he

was better able to grapple wi th the errors they incu lcated . Before hi s death Pat ric iu s

,won by the

tears and love and prayers of Mon ica,renounced

h is gods,confessed Chri st

,and expi red a wi tness to

his new faith . Now the mother became whollydevoted to her son . A l l the energies of a noblematernal sou l were needed to gu ide the Africanboy . On him was the stamp of gen ius . His subtleinte llect and nat ive e loquence were splendid gifts ,but attended and impe l led by those passions

,those

affect ion s,those aspi rat ions which signal ize heroi c

and commanding natu res . Cicero affi rmed thatonly the poet ic fi re fel l from heaven . A Demosthenes was an earthly manufacture . But NorthAfrica furn ished an except ion to the theory ofCicero . August i ne was born an orator. Early i n h i sl i fe we find him a teacher of elocution i n Mi lan

,

PELAGIANISM . 19 1

where was the episcopal throne of the e loquentAmbrose . The ferv id Carthag in ian you th hadcome under the spel l of the wi l d and fanc i fu l and del ud ing errors of Man icha ism . He was bound , also ,i n the chains of h i s own gross passions .Anxiou s for her son ,

Moni ca for h i s rescue crossedthe sea from Carthage to I taly. Augustine wasbrought to repentance for the s ins of a l i centi ousli fe by a sentence flashed into h i s consc ience fromCice ro . He had a fearfu l st ruggle w i th h imself.Heresy had molded h is op in ions . Lust stained h isl i fe . A midnight cl oud enveloped h is noble i ntell ect . Like Paul before and Luther after

,he at

tained peace through storms that shook him to h iscenter. Within Augustin e were the volcani c erup

t ions of a sp i ri tual earthquake . H is confess ions re

semble Etna heav i ng with i n ternal fi res . Law and

Gospel contended for domin ion . Monica was i nM i lan watching l ike an angel . I n a garden a textof Pau l brought peace to August ine . He saw theway of salvat ion by fai th in Christ . He found re

mission and peace . He specifies the t ime , the place ,the ci rcumstances of h i s conversion . Always hecould poi nt back to a fixed l ight- spot as the beginn ing of h i s new li fe

,which was to i l l uminate the

futu re of the Church . Ecclesiast ical t rad it ionaffirms that the i l lustrious Bishop of Milan composed the immortal Te Deum to be sung at thebaptism of August ine

,h is bri ll iant convert . I f th is

be true h i s cathedral wi tnessed a spectacle subl imei n i tsel f and of profound consequence to human i ty.

Soon after the conversion of her son Moni ca leftMi lan for Carthage . She never saw her home across

! aflu fihealogimt

P R I N CE T ON , N . J .

BV 7 4 1 . L 3 6 1 8 9 6

Le av i t t , J ohn McDowe l

Th e Ch r i s t i an d emo c r a c y

CHRISTIAN DEMOCRACY

A H ISTORY

ITS SUPPRESS ION AND REVIVAL

BX/

jOHN MCDOWELL LEAVITT, D.D. , LL.D.

FO RM E R LV ED I T OR OF T H E A M ER I CA N QUA RT ER LY C H URCH R EV I EW, A ND

P R E s I D E NT OF LEH I G H UN I VERS I T Y

NEW Y ORK : E ATON MAINSC I NC INNAT I : CUR TS JENN I NGS

1896

Copy right byE ATON MAINS ,

1896.

EA T ON MA I NS P RESS,

1 5 0 F i fth A v en ue,N ew Y ork.

CONT E NT S.

ChapterI . Sov ereigntyI I . Preparat ionsI I I . ObstaclesI V . Persecu t ionsV. Cons tan t ineV I . Lib ertyV I I . Heres iesVI I I . Clement inesI X . CreedsX . FathersX I . L itu rgiesX I I . Counc il sXII I . Pelagian ismX I V . Sacerdotal ismXV . Sa int-V V

orship

XV I . Moral s

XVI I . Wi tnessesXVI I I . T he ReformationX I X . Tren tXX . J esu i t ismXX-I . Popes .

XXII . Angl ican ismXXI I I . Pro t estan t ism .

XXIV . M il lenn ial Democracy.

CH RISTIAN DEMOCRACY.

C HA PT E R I .

Sovereignty .

N al l governments arises a fundamental quest ion . Where does sovereignty reside ? I s i t i nthe king ? I s i t i n the nobi l i ty ? I s i t i n the

peOpIe ? As these quest ions are an swered , government i s a monarchy , an ol igarchy , or a democracy.

All the old Oriental empi res were autocracies .The king was supreme . He is proved a despot bythe cuneiform tablets of Nineveh and Babylon andthe h ieroglyphi c i nscript ions of Egypt . Those anc ien t marvelous c ivi l izat i ons knew no law but amonarch

’

s wi l l . Roman emperors attai ned thesame summit of supreme power. J u li u s , indeed ,

de~

c I ined the crown,and Augustu s the imperial name ,

bu t succeed ing Cmsars , the Neros, the D om it ians ,

the Cal igulas,were both autocrats and d ivin i t i es .

During the M iddle Ages,ove r Eu rope , kings were

sovere ign by Heaven ’s authori ty. The people existed for the monarch . L aw was h is wil l . On theCont inent growth of free c it i es was the fi rst praet ical check to arb it rary royal pretension . By char

8 TH E CH RI ST IAN DEMOCRACV.

ters and const i tu t ions ci t i zen s l im i ted oppressivekingly prerogat ive . The modern era of freedombegan i ts grandest battle i n Holland . Animatedby the spi ri t of l iberty , th i s l i tt le commercial republ ic not only bu rst i ts fetters , but shattered the vastSpan ish empi re . Always in England , from the eraof the Conqueror

,was a struggle by the people

agai nst the exactions of pope and king. Afte r centuries of st ri fe Henry VI I I seemed to have coneent rated i n h imself both the supreme pol i t ical and

pont ifical power. He was at once civi l and ecc lesi

ast ical tyrant . Y et beneath the su rface the popularelements perpetually worked and advanced . However imperious E l izabeth in claim and manner

,she

never dared long to oppose her Engl ish democracy.

Her successor, James , i n h is autocrat i c aspirationswas an ant ic blunderer and a stupid fai lu re . Tosupport i nheri ted tyranny h i s son

,Charles , took the

sword,and perished by the sword . I n the re ign of

the last James was the final batt le. He fled,and

threw i nto the Thames h i s royal i ns ignia . D emoc

racy rose fresh and free and i nv i ncible from thosebapt ismal waters . England was born anew. HerParl iament

,i n Lords and Commons

,represent ing

the people,repud iated the house o f Stuart and en

throned the house of Orange. This act of 1688 wasindeed revolut ion . I t ended the struggle of cent u ries. I t establ i shed that the crown was no moret ransmissible by div i ne right as an inheri tan ce . I tassumed i n the Engl i sh people the power to makeand unmake kings

,and i n a democracy for al l t ime

vested the sovere ignty of the Anglican empi re .But i n ou r own America was the crowning work

SOVERE I GNTY. 9

of the long Brit i sh struggle . England cannot emanc ipate herself from her past . Theoret i cal ly ademocracy, She i s social ly and ecclesiast ical ly anari stocracy. The Un i ted States emerged from theRevolu t ion i n al l respects free . Every Eu ropeanfetter was shattered . Our Const it u t ion i s not onlyan instrument of government ; i t was i n tended byits framers to be a un iversal pol i t i cal creed confessi ng before the world that

,rightful ly

,sovere ignty i s

from the people,by the people

,and for the people .

When we tu rn from State to Church we find threetheories o f supreme power

,corresponding to mon

archy , aristocracy , and democracy . Where i s ec

c lesiast ical sovereign ty ? I s i t an au tocracy in thepope ? I s i t an ol igarchy i n bi shops ? I s i t a democracy of al l bel i evers , i n clud ing clergy and la i ty ,and whom we wi l l cal l the people ? Before answeri ng these quest ions the three theori es of ecclesiast ical sovere ignty shou ld be more fu l ly stated .

I . T H E PA PAL CLAIM .- Early as A . D . 496 Ge

lasi us asserted for h imsel f al l pol i t ical and pont ifical

power. H is successors proclaimed the i r right torule the world . Centuri es before H i ldebrand andI nnocen t I I I and Boniface VI I I th i s was the un iform view of Roman pont iffs as impl ied or expressedi n the Vatican Decree of Pio Nono. The papalsystem is an autocracy . I t vest s al l sovere ignty i ni t s ponti ff. He i s sou rce of power and grace . These ,th rough h im 'alone ,

flow to bishops,and from bish

ops to priests,and from priests to peopl e .

I I . T H E EPISCOPAL CLAIM .—Tu th i s i s the very

gen i us of Angl i can ism . Transferred to America ,we can st udy i t i n the standards of the Episcopal

8 TH E CH RI STIAN DEMOCRACY .

ters and const i tu t ions ci t i zens l im i ted oppressivekingly prerogat ive . The modern era of freedombegan i ts grandest battle I n Holland . Animatedby the spi ri t of l iberty , th i s l i tt le commercial republ ic not only burst i ts fetters

,but shattered the vast

Span ish empi re . Always in England , from the eraof the Conqueror

,was a struggle by the people

agai nst the exacti ons of pope and king. After centuries of stri fe Henry VI I I seemed to have coneent rated i n h imself both the supreme pol i t i cal and

pont ifical power. He was at once civi l and ecc lesi

ast ical tyrant . Y et beneath the su rface the popularelements perpetually worked and advanced . However imperious E l izabeth in claim and manner

,she

never dared long to oppose her Engl ish democracy.

Her successor, James , i n h is autocrat ic asp irat ionswas an ant ic blunderer and a stupid fai lu re . Tosupport i nheri ted tyranny h i s son

,Charles

,took the

sword,and perished by the sword . I n the re ign of

the last James was the final batt le. He fled , andthrew into the Thames h i s royal i nsignia . D emoc

racy rose fresh and free and invincible from thosebapt ismal waters . England was born anew. HerParl iament

,i n Lords and Commons , representing

the people,repud iated the house of Stuart and en

throned the house of Orange. This act of 1688 wasindeed revolut ion . I t ended the struggle of cen

tu ries. I t establ i shed that the crown was no moret ransmissible by d iv i ne right as an inheri tance . I tassumed i n the Engl i sh people the power to makeand unmake kings

,and in a democracy for al l t ime

vested the sovere ignty of the Anglican empi re.But i n ou r own America was the crowning work

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10 TH E CHRISTIAN DEMOCRACY .

Church . Accord ing to these no man can be a lawfu lm in iste r but by a bishop

’

s hands. And but by abishop ’s hands no man has lawfu l access to thecommunion . Hence , by a bishop

’s hands i s the solelawfu l way to salvation. Angl ican episcopacy is anecclesiast ical aristocracy.

I I I . T H E DEMOCRATIC CLAIM .—Accord ing to

i ts v i ew the communion of bel ievers , lay and cleri ctogether

,const itu te the Christ ian Commonwealth .

As opposed to the au tocracy of papacy and theol igarchy of ep iscopacy

,the sovereignty of the

Church i s i n the whole body of the d isciples whocompose the Church . All power, therefore , flows

,

not from m in isters to people,but from people to

m in isters .Barbarians are amused by noi se and dazzled by

splendor. A S nati ons advance in civ i l i zat ion theyare less attracted by ceremon ial d isplay. I n theh ighest forms of soc ial and pol i t ical l i fe the t i tle tooffice i s not bi rth , but worth . Such a supreme atta inment i n government impl ies sovere ignty in thepeople . This i s the ideal of ou r humani ty. Thelaw of progress seems advancing our race to a un iversal democracy. I s th is , then , the consummationi n the State ? Po l it ical government w i l l be a brotherhood of power founded on meri t . But , i f theState be a democracy , can the Church remain anautocracy or an ol igarchy ? Such civi l and eccles i

ast ical antagon ism would produce perpetual d iscord . Universal democracy in the State can onlybe harmon ized with un iversal democracy in theChu rch . A l l that can be u rged for the one can beu rged for the other. We therefore m ight infer

SOVE REIGNTY . I I

that the ideal of human ity , both i n Church andState

,i s the u n iversal sovereignty of the people .

Let i t be understood,however

,that we are not to

inqu i re as to the mere form of government . Wewould pass beneath the surface to the heart of thequest ion . Where is the power that creates the form ?Democracy may choose an heredi tary autocracy.

Democracy may prefer a t i t led ol igarchy. D emoc

racy may support an elect ive monarchy. But i fdemocracy makes i t can unmake ; i f i t enthrones i tcan dethrone ; i f i t es tabl i shes i t can d isestabli sh .

The wi l l of the people i s the sovere ignty of democ

racy.

We cannot settle by mere human reason ing au n iversal form of government for the Chu rch . Norfor a pri nciple wi l l any authori ty be dec i sive exceptthe word of Scriptu re . Now,

i n the J ewish Commonwealth J ehovah was King . Ou r i nqu i ry doesnot pertai n to the d iv i n e Monarch . What were H ishuman instruments ? We begin

‘

w ith Moses . Give ni n the l ight and by a voice from the bu rn ing bush

,

hi s rod was symbol of a supreme authori ty. He re

ceiv ed h is commun icat ions from the cloud of thed iv i ne Presence at the tabernacle . Face to facewi th J ehovah

,by Hi s command spake and ru led the

great lawgiver of I srael . Moses was the autocrat ofHeaven . Not in name

,bu t in fact , he was king.

And Joshua was invested with the power of Moses .Unt i l I srael passed into Canaan

,Jehovah , the ia

v i sible Sovere ign,expressed H is wi l l from a visibl e

glory th rough men who were vi rt ual monarchs . Butth i s was cont inued only during the m i raculou s and

abnormal period of the Commonweal th . I t was


necessary for the del iverance from Egypt and thepassage through the sea and the j ou rney in a wi ld erness , where a nat ion was educated by the lessons,and fed by the bread , and guided by the pi l lar, ofI Teav en .

After the t ransference to Canaan a revolut ion wasmade in the sovere ignty of I srael . From Joshuato Sau l the ru lers were j udges . These s/zof t z

'

m werei t i nerat i ng presidents . For merit they were electedby the people . Heroism or wisdom guided i nthe ir choice . For five centu ries I srael was a democracy . Sovereignty was i n the people . Ata t ime i n earth ’s h i story when al l other nat ionswere ru led by despots ; beneath the shadows of empires establ i shed and extended by O ri ental tyrantconquerors ; sole witness for the rightfu l domi nancyof the popular wi ll ; ant ic ipat ing and prophesyingthe d ivine ideal of human government—the JewishCommonwealth

,u nder the sh ie ld of Jehovah , stood

for ages,i n the whole t urbulent and i n imica l world ,

a sol i tary democracy.

But the plan of God was marred by the folly ofman . Our modern archmology enables us to pict u re viv id ly the temptat ions of I srael to seek al l iancewith the powerfu l su rroundi ng Genti le n ations.

How hard against appearances , threatened withperi l

,menaced by ann ih i lat ion

,to t rust the i nvi sible

J ehovah ! Enem ies were seen , and God was un

seen . Between m ighty warring empires l i ttle Palest ine was highway and battl efield . The Jew fearedthat h e would be pulveri zed under the heels ofimperial arm ies. Hence

,wanting fai th , he was

terrified into seek i ng protect ion from Egyptian ,

SOVERE IGNTY. 1 3

Assyrian,and Chaldean conquerors. They were to

him the symbols of power. They mean t for him se

curi ty . They represented for h im un i ty . Im itat ing the conqueri ng Gent i les , for himself the Jewwanted a king.

Moses foresaw and foretold the change . He pred i cted that

,i n possess ion of the land

,I srael would

desi re a monarch . We have the very words to beuttered : I wi l l set a king over me . I n the language of the prophet we perce ive the sovereignty ofthe people . The king of the nat ion was to be thechoice of the nat ion . After five centu ries the revo

lu t ion came . Samue l was last of the skofl z'

m . I n

h im j udgesh ip expired . He clung to the popu larpast . He resi sted change i n the rulersh ip . Heeven rebel led against the perm ission of J ehovah andpredicted evi l as i ts resu lt . What vivid colors im

pat ience gave his picture of monarchic Oppressions !

This shal l be the manner of king that shal l reignover you : He wi l l take you r “sons

,and appoint

them un to himself, for his chari ots and horsemen . He wil l take your daughte rs t o be confect ionaries , cooks , and bakers . He wil l take you rfields , and your vineyards , and ol iveyards . Y e Shal lcry out i n that day because of the king which yeshal l have chosen you .

”

Saul , the fi rst monarch of I srael,although i nd i

cated by Samuel , was yet received and approved bythe popu lar acclamat ion . When he fel l by su icideDavid succeeded to the throne decreed him by Jehovah and for which he had been ,

long anoin ted .

But the son of Jesse held his scepter from the democracy .

“ And the men of J udah came .”They

I 4 T H E CHRISTIAN DEMOCRACY .

th is second t ime poured the o i l on his head thatmade “ David king over their house . Afterwardhe was enthroned over the un ited J ewi sh Commonwealth . Who const i tu ted him monarch ? Was hea conqueror , hold ing by h is sword ? Did he haveh is scepte r from his own volit i on ? No . All theelders of I srael came to the king to Hebron

,and

King David made a league wi th them before theLord . The crown of Israel was conferred by compact with Israel . 1 I t was placed on the head of themonarch by the agreement of hi s people . I n thisarrangement between ruler and subject i s the essence of democracy. Dav id made a “ l eague . Aleague ? Where i n Nineveh or i n Babylon or i nEgypt do we hear of a league between king andsubj ect ? A Sennacherib

,a Rameses , a Nebuchad

nez z ar recogn ized i n man no right bu t the subm iss ion of slaves . As opposed to these hoary tyrann ies the monarchy of Israel was a sovereignty ofthe people .We might argue that

,i f the J ewish Common

wealth was a democracy,much more is the Ch ri s

t ian Chu rch . But a question so fundamental can besett led only by sure proof from Scriptu re ; and inseeki ng its determ inat ion we wi ll tu rn to the Gospel s and the Acts . These evangel ical h istori es havea control l i ng authority. They contai n those record sof the Messiah which fulfi l l the prophecies of theO ld Testament and furn ish fact and argument andi ll ustrat ion for the Epistles of the New Testament .Hence

,i n eminence they transcend all the books of

the Bible . On them converges l ight from i ts past ,and from them diffuses l ight over the future . I n

SOVEREIGNTY. I 5

these evangel ica l h istori es , so supreme in importance and authority , we may su rely expect gu id

ance i n searchi ng for those principles which are i nthe foundat ion of the const i tu t ion of the un iversalChurch .

Priest,Prophet

,King ! The offices ind i cated by

these words are l inked with the whole h istory ofthe J ewish Commonwealth . They reappear i n theChri st ian Church . We will , therefore , consider i tsorgan izat ion under three aspectsI . PRIESTHOOD .

— I n the fixed and hered itarycharacter of the Aaron i cal sacerdotal ism we toooften overlook a great fact . What d id J ehovah say

t o the ch i ldren of I srael ? To the enti re nat ionH is words were , Y e shal l be u nto me a kingdomof pri ests . I n the ten t of the congregat ion of thepeople stood thei r altar , where sin was forgiven .

There the gu i l ty J ew slew the sacrificial animalthrough whose blood he rece ived remission , and inmany instances he partook the flesh . I n Israelthus al l were pri ests . Aaron and h is sons werepriests among priests . Of a ki ngdom of prieststhey were the official representat ives , appoi nted and

delegated by Jehovah .

The grand work of the Aaron ical pri esthood wasatonement . I ts end was forgiveness of s in— rem ission through the blood of sacrifice . I n th is we havet he geniu s and obj ect of the Mosaic d ispensat ion .

But not ice . Priests never pronounced absolut ion .

I n the fou rth and fifth and sixth of Lev i t i cus wefind sacrific ial prov is ion for many offenses . Theanimal i s brought to the door of the tabernacle . I t

is slai n by the offerer h imself. A priest spri nkles

16 THE CHRISTIAN DEMOCRACY.

i ts blood on the al tar, which stands i n the ten t ofthe people . Fire consumes the flesh . Then i t i ssaid

,His sin , which he hath sinned , shall be for

given h im .

! By whom ? Not by the priest,but by

Jehovah . The priest says not a word . Not onceunder the law was personal rem iss ion declared bythe l ips of a priest . And under the Gospel i t waspronounced bu t by the Messiah . His apostles hadnot th is power. Jesus alone gave absolu t ion . I twas proof of H is sovereignty as J ehovah . Rem ission of S in presumes infal l ibi l i ty. Hence

,Godhead

claims i t as i ts prerogat ive . Human infi rmi ty maymistake . I t may remi t where Heaven retains

,and

retai n where Heaven rem its . Eternal l i fe cannotbe left to mortal cont ingencies. I f my salvat ion depends ou the word of man I am a slave to the wi l lof man . I know that man may refuse absolut ionfrom whim or sell absol ut ion for money. Hence , Iwil l t rust alone i n the promise of the Scriptu re .And here Godhead assu res me personal remission

,

through fai th , for my personal t ransgression .

But d id not Chri st say to Peter,“ Whatsoever

thou shalt bind on earth shal l be bound i n heaven ,and whatsoever thou shalt l oose on earth shal l beloosed i n heaven ? ” We must i nterpret th is gift toPeter by the example of Peter. Never once d idPeter declare personal forgiveness . To the J ews atPentecost and to the Gent i les with Cornel i us he assumed only to proclaim

,through Christ

,the un i

versal terms of salvat ion . Nor after i n h is preaching d id he more . And no apostl e transcended hisexample . Always i n the evangel ical hi stori es themin isters of the Gospel i n general terms proclaimed

1 8 THE CHRISTIAN DEMOCRACY .

t ranslated “ disc iples , is proof. Somet imes thecontext l im i ts i t to apostles. Not restricted

,i t has

wide and varied appl ications . We will i nd icate afew. I n J ohn v i

,I —3 , the d isc iples are the baptized ;

i n John v i i i , 3 1 , steadfast bel ievers ; i n Acts i , 1 5 , al lChrist’s fol lowers , men and women ; i n Acts xi , 2 6,Christ ians . Now

,i n the eighteenth of Matthew the

d isciples come to Jesus . He discou rses to them ofuniversal dut ies . Noth ing i s said by H im of clericalvocat ion or work or priv i lege . The d isciples H e addressed were H is company of fol lowers. Y et to

these al l , as before to Peter, the Master sa id ,“What

soever ye shal l bind on earth shal l be bound inheaven , and whatsoever ye shal l loose on earth shal lbe loosed in heaven .

” After breath ing on H is

Woman,d isczf les , He exclaimed , Receive ye the

Holy Ghost : whosesoever sins ye remit they shal lbe remitted

,and whosesoever sin s ye retai n they

shall be retained . But from apostol i c example wehave seen that thi s power to bind and loose

,to re

tain and rem it,was exerc i sed only i n declaring

,

through our Saviou r,the terms of salvat ion . Each

disciple was authorized to proclaim the Gospel ofe ternal l i fe . All who rece ived Christ i n the heartand glorified Chri st i n the l i fe could recommendChrist by the l ip . Here we have the du ty and thepriv i lege of the Chri stian Democracy.

And to th i s vi ew on the cross J esus gave awful s ign ificance. While He ren t rocks , while He promisedparadise

,whi le He Opened graves , while He shook

His earth and darkened His sun , He also partedH is temple ’s v ei l to show that the way i nto thehol i est , no longer the priv i lege of one h igh priest ,

SOVERE IGNTY. 9

was to be the heri tage of the un iversal brotherhoodof beli evers .I I . PROPHECY .

—The Hebrew sign ifying propheti s from a root wh ich means to wel l for th . Sponta

neity characterizes the bibli cal conception . Prophecygushes l ike a founta in Or flows l ike a stream . Nori s the Hebrew idea expressed i n either the Greekor the Lati n o r the Engl ish . Spontaneity i n theprophet was opposed to rigid i ty in the pri est . A n

tagon isms corrected each other. The original con

cept ion of freedom i n the Hebrew harmonized withthe l iberty of Christ ian i ty

,i n wh ich the office of

the prophet was rather to preach than to pred ict .I n the last of Matthew the grand funct ion of teaching seems committed only to the apostles . TheMaster plain ly addressed to the eleven H is finalcommand . I f th i s were the whole Scripture on thesubject the exclu sive claim of apostol i c successionwould have a foundat ion .

Now,tu rn from the last of Matthew to the last

of Luke . J esus had risen . He joi ns two d isciplesnear Emmaus . He enters the house . He breaksbread and vanishes . With hearts i n a flame of lovethe two d isc iples retu rn to Jerusalem . Whom dothey meet ? “ The eleven gathered together

,and

them that were w i th them . J esus appears i n them idst . But not here as on the mountai n . I nGal i lee He was seen by the eleven only ; but nowi n Jerusalem by the eleven and others . On theeleven and others He sends the promise of theFather. The eleven and others He appoints H iswitnesses . And He commands the eleven and othersto tarry i n J erusalem for the endowment of power.


I n th i s supreme gi ft of the Holy Ghost the promiseand command of Christ wi th apostles i nc luded d isc iples. I n obedience to H is word who assembled atPen tecost ? Apostles on ly ? No . The “ d isciples . ”

We have thei r number. One hundred and twentymen and women . On al l descended the tongues offlame . On al l fel l the Holy Ghost . On all restedthe power to preach . And Peter affi rms that i nth i s is fulfi l led the word of Joel : “ I wi l l pou r outmy spiri t on all flesh . Y our sons and you r daughters shal l prophesy ; on my servants and my handmaidens wi l l I pou r ou t my spi ri t . ”

A s al l wereauthori zed to proclaim through Chri st the forgiveness of s ins , so all are now endowed with power tomake the message effectual . The sovereignty ofteach ing

,as wel l as the sovere ignty of priesthood

,

is thus proved to be i n the whole body of bel ieverswho compose the u niversal Church .

I I I . K INGSHIP .— By th is we mean the authority

to govern . We inqu i re where i n the Church i s thesovereignty of legislat ion . Who made the law i nthe t imes of the apostles ? Peter, as fi rst pope ?The eleven

,represent ing bishops ? O r the body of

bel ievers,whom we style the people ? Let u s tu rn

to the fi rst recorded act of ecclesiast ical legi slation .

I t was to elec t an apostle . Nothing could be moreimportant than to choose one of the compan ionsof ou r Lord to be H is official wi tness , whose testimony i n t ime was to be i n the foundat ion of theChurch

,and whose name in etern ity would be cele

b rated i n the songs of heaven . Such a funct ionwas t ranscendent i n d ign i ty and consequence . Asfi rst pope , does Peter appoi nt to the office vacant

SOVERE IGNTY . 2 I

by the su icide of J udas ? O r shal l the eleven asb ishops elect a twelfth ? Or shal l al l the bel ieversact together i n a choice which impl ies the loft iestexerci se of sovereignty ? Here we w i l l ce rtainlyhave proof whether i n legislat i on the Church i s anautocracy , an ol igarchy , or a democracy. We read ,“ Peter stood up in the m idst of the d isc ip les .

”

These were addressed by that primate . These numbered one hundred and twenty. Y et these ap

pointed J oseph and Matthew and assigned by lotto the lat ter the grand Office . The fi rst supremeact of ecclesiast i cal kingsh ip was by the sovereignpeople .We have considered the elect ion of a man. Nowlet u s trace the establ i shment of a principle .Pau l and Barnabas had told at Antioch how God

had opened the door of fai th to the Gent i les. Allwere exu lt ing together i n the new l iberty of theGospel . On the m inds of these d isciples burst th ebright vi sion of a world converted to Christ. Butthi s joyful freedom and glowing hope exci ted sus

p ic ion and antagon ism . Messengers appear wi th aMosai c fetter. They i nsist that Gent i le bel i eversshal l be ci rcumcised . The Gospel they wou ld loadwith the burden of the law. Flesh must prevai lover spi ri t

,and letter ab ridge l iberty. I n al l lands ,

am id al l cond it ions , down through al l centu ries,‘

ClI rist ians, l ike J ews, must be c i rcumcised . Bap

t ism by water as a sign and seal of the Holy Ghosti s not enough . Here , then , i s forced on the youngChu rch a quest ion of supreme and eternal importance . Had Peter been pope h is decree would have

sett led i t . Why not refer i t to James , fi rst Bishop

2 2 TH E CHRI ST I AN DEMOCRACY.

of Jerusalem , or let the apostles together decide ?Not so determined the Holy Ghost . The brethren at Antioch originate the process . From thatc ity , on thei r embassy, depart Barnabas and otherswith Paul . At J erusalem they are to seek direct i on from apostles and elders , by whom they arereceived

,and also by the Church . Peter states the

quest ion to the Counci l , and James declares h i s judgment . But by whose authori ty goes forth the decree ? I n the name of apostles and elders and thewhole Chu rch ” at J erusalem . I t i s conveyed byPau l , Barnabas , Barsabas , and S i las , with “ chiefmen among the brethren . And i t i s sen t to thebrethren which are of the Gent i les at Antioch .

Here is a complete scriptural record of a legislat iv e procedure of fundamental

,un iversal

,and ever

last ing consequence . Y et the I nqu i ry originatedwith the whol e Church at Antioch

, was answeredby the whole Church at J erusalem

,and the decree

addressed to the whole Chu rch at Ant ioch . Fromfi rst to last apostles share authori ty with elders andbrethren . A l l act together i n d iscu ssion

,decree

,

and declarat ion however,with a wise

,del icate , and

reveren tial p recedence of apostles,due the offic ial

witnesses of our Lord,on whose test imony He

founded H i s Church . Pau l was messenger ; Peterwas proposer ; James was president . Y et i n theenti re t ransact ion was guarded and expressed thesovereignty of the Christ ian people as an exampleof democracy for the un iversal Church . I t i s thusthat ou r rel igion secu res l iberty against authori ty,and authori ty against l iberty. Equal ly i t restrai nsanarchist and tyrant . Under i t s i nfluence authori ty

SOVERE IGNTY. 2 3

can never be oppression,and l iberty can never be

l icense . Christ alone harmon izes for human ity conserv at ism and progress .But , i t is u rged , i f sovereignty is i n al l bel i evers

each may teach , each may preach , each may administer. Such pri esthood

,prophecy

,and kingsh ip

would prove chaos . Ignorance and fanati c i sm wouldrush into confusion and destru ct ion . But againstsuch democrat i c anarchy i s a complete secu ri ty.

Above the un iversal Chu rch i s the sovereign Scriptu re . The Ol d Testament and the New have always set apart certai n men for special funct ion s .Many offices are exclu sive . Min isters are electedwhose sol e vocat ion i t i s to preach the Gospel andadmin i ster the sacraments . According to the Scriptu re , these are to be both appointed and supported .

The people cannot i n terfere with dut ies they havedelegated . When ou r cit izens elect l egislators andjudges and governors they vest thei r own powers i nthese thei r chosen represen tat ives

,and cannot re

sume them at pleasu re . An offi ce excl us ive inScriptu re must be exclusive i n Chu rch . I n al ldoubtfu l quest ions of organ izat i on and worsh ip l iberty i s reserved . Human ity , made free by faith , i syet bound by law. But i n Scrip tu re we have foundthe supreme authori ty i n col lect ive bel i evers . Powerflows

,not from min isters to people

,bu t from people

to m in isters. Sovere ignty is i n the people . TheChurch un iversal is a Christ ian Democracy.

24 TH E CHR I STI AN DEMOCRACY .

C HA PT E R I I .

Preparations .

HE Christ ian Democracy began i ts l ife amidformidable enemies and obstacles. I ts Messiahhad been a carpente r. His ch ief agents were

fishermen . His d isc iples were a mixed mult i tude .H is witnesses after H is resu rrect ion were a few humble men and women . These assembled

,not i n

palace or temple , but i n a pla i n upper room . Pompof worship was nei ther des i red nor possible . Couldart help the i r fai th , promote thei r prayers , and cal ldown the promised Spi ri t ? All the magnificence ofthei r temple

,with i ts smoking altars

,i ts c louds of

incense,i ts chant ing priests

,i t s imposing ceremon ial

,

was vai n gl i tter i n the eyes of men who soughtpower from heaven to convert a world . Baptizedby the Spiri t

,these child ren of fai th , made free in

Christ , went forth over the earth to establ ish theun iversal domin ion of thei r

‘cruc ified and ascended

Lord . Let us i nqu i re whether the past of human itygave encou ragement to the aspi ring expectat ion ofthe lowly d isc iples . And th is leads u s to conside rI . T H E J EW ISH PREPARATION FOR T H E CHRIS

TIAN DEMOCRACY.

The old d i spensat ion was to be terminated , yetperpetuated . I t was to d ie and l ive . I n the accidental and transitory i t would perish , while su rv ivi ng in the un iversal and the everlasting. Each type

,

26 TH E CHR IST I AN DEMOCRACY.

I srael was always tempted and often seduced by theidolatries of the Gent i les. War, fam ine , pest i lence ,capt ivi ty, all the j udgments of Heaven , seemed powerless to preserve from the worship of demons andthe adoration of images . I t requ i red the vigi lanceof J ehovah H imsel f to retai n i n H is elect people loyalty to H is commands . The old d ispensat ion wasabsorbed i n one supreme pu rpose of conserving i nman the idea of God . Hence i t had sl ight provi sionfor spreading tru th among su rround ing idolaters .Y et at the appointed t ime came a change . Thesecondary and the incidental were made the primaryand the effectual . J udaism , const i t u ted to be exelu sive

,was now d iffus ive . Withou t any organ ic

revolut ion , i t yet became the universal leaven ofhuman ity. Among al l nat ions i t p repared the wayfor Christ ian i ty.

The germs of th i s J udaist i c adaptation existedeven before c i rcumcisi on . Abraham

,father of the

chosen,was connected with the two most cu ltu red

nat ions of the earth . He was born i n Chaldea andsojou rned i n Egypt . Joseph and Jacob led the wayto the land of the Pharaohs , where Israel dwelledn early fou r cen tu ries and where Moses was educatedi n the palace of Rameses. Kings of Nineveh , Babylon

,and Egypt were cont i nual ly marching thei r

arm ies through Palestine Shalmaneser deportedten t ribes i nto Assyria . Sargon and Sennacheriband Assu r-ban i-pal were i n frequent contact w i ththe J ews . Never unt i l recently, by the Tel-elAmarna tablets

,was i t known how constantly and

in t imately the e l ect peopl e , by conquest and com

merce , were connected with the ancien t Oriental

PREPARAT I ONS. 27

empires. Nebuchadnezzar took thei r city,burned

thei r temple , and carried the flower of the J ews h iscaptives to Babylon . I n this most magn ificent capital of the world Dan iel and h is friends ennobled

and elevated thei r countrymen . Cyrus gave command to restore J erusalem . But commerce

,more

than capt ivi ty, widely Scattered the J ews . Theyswarmed i n Alexand ria . They were numerou s,ri ch , and influent ial i n Rome. They were successfult raders and bankers among the powerfu l Gent i lenat ions. All through the countri es of the earthwere prosperou s J ews , as now i n these ou r modernt imes. Thus a people most exclus ive i n the ir pol it ical and ecclesiast i cal const i tu t ion were forced outfrom the i r narrow land and , desp i te thei r i ncl inat i ons and usages

,changed from confined provincial s

i nto c i t i zens of the world .

For these d ispersed J ews the temple , while i ts tood

,was a center. On i ts rol l Was the name of

each I srael i t e , however d i stant from J erusalem .

Annually,too

,the loyal son of Abraham sent h i s

t ax to the capital of h is nat ion . Once in hi s l i fe hewas expected to vis i t h i s temple and ki nd le byh is eye fi l ial love i n h is heart . Thus thi s sacreded ifice rose am id i ts mountai ns before al l the nat ions a vi sibl e symbol of J ewish un ity. Whollyd ifferent from the temple was the synagogue . I tbecame cosmopol itan i n i ts i nfluence and an emblemof a d ispersed I srael . I n anc ien t as i n modernt imes

,the Jew often forgot h i s language and spoke

the tongue of the people among whom he l ived .

But in to whatever count ry he m ight wander he

elected h is rabbi and bu i lt h is synagogue to be a

2 8 TH E CHRIST IAN DEMOCRACY .

seat of worsh ip and instruct ion , and always he soughtto make proselytes to hi s fai th ; so changed was heby migrat i on from hi s ancient i solat ion and ind ifference ! With ferv id zeal he would convert and ci rcumc ise th e Gent i l es .Now

,among the nat ions there were two classes

who embraced J udaismI . P rosely tes of 7ast ice. These were Gent i les

who not on ly renounced their gods,but accepted

the whole Mosaic law. Submitt i ng to c i rcum c i

si on,separated from the i r countrymen

,often perse

cu ted as apostates,they became ident ified in fai th

and feel i ng with the hered itary J ews . Usually theysurpassed thei r masters

,were narrow and furious

bigots,and violent and venemous enem ies to every

other form of rel igion . But again we have,

2 . P rosely tes of the Gate. Amid all nat ions thesefurn ished the most avai labl e poin t of contact withChri st ian i ty. They had abandoned idolatry . I fthey st i l l frequented the temples they yet renouncedthei r priests and mythologies . Receiv i ng the fundamental tru ths of Judaism ,

they remained unc ircum

c ised. They had tu rned from the gods of the Gent i les

,and yet were not ident ified wi th the Hebrews

by thei r characteri st i c ri te . While m ingl ing withidolaters

,they bel ieved i n J ehovah . Between J ew

and Genti le over the world they formed a un iversalbond . Thei r name sign ified thei r posit ion . At thegate of the ancient c ity men wai ted for the news .Thei r place i nd icated expectancy. So these proselytes of the gate ,

” not yet walled away from theGent i les

,bel ieved in the God of the Hebrews and

were an imated by the hope of thei r Messiah . Thus

PREPARATIONS. 29

i n every nation men were made ready by J udaismi tself to rece ive the Gospel .Let u s transport ou rselves to J erusalem . Herenow cente r the preparat ions of the centu ries. A l l

promise and symbol and prophecy, l ike sun-raysfocused by a lens

,converge themselves i nto the

Pentecostal feast following the death and ascensionof J esus . The world has been made ready forChrist

,and now Chri st i s ready for the world . A

fest ival of J ews i s the grand occasion of the convers ion of Gent i les . I n the redeeming scheme Jewsand Gent i les are inseparable . From every nationI srael i tes fi l l the streets of Jerusalem . Tents ofoverflowing strangers wh i ten the enci rcl i ng mountai ns . The temple gl i t ters i n i ts splendor with al l

the gladness and glory of Pentecost. Contrastedwith the noi se of the mu lt i tude and the magn ifi

cence of the feast,one hundred and twenty Gal i lean

men and women,u nnoticed and insign ifi cant bel iev

ers i n the crucified and ri sen J esus,are praying for

the Holy Ghost promised by thei r ascended Lord .

After long wai t i ng they hear a roar l ike a tempest .The room of assembly shakes with some strangeviolence . Tongues of flame are visible on theheads of these Gali l eans . All are fi l l ed with theHoly Ghost . All experience a new power of fai thand l ight of love . All speak the languages of variousand d istan t nati ons . Here is the begi nn ing of thatcosmopol i tan democracy which d ist ingu ishes Chri st ian ity from J udaism and symbol izes the convers ion of the world . We have no sect isms at Pentecost .

Foreign Jews have lost thei r ancest ra l Hebrew.

30 TH E CHRISTIAN DEMOCRACY.

I n the c ity of the i r God , in the home of thei rfathers, i n the seat of thei r temple

,l ike thei r own

Genti le converts , they are st rangers . Unacquai ntedwith the speech of the metropol is

,not understand

ing the songs and prayers of the temple se rvice,al l

feel together i n thei r beloved cap ital the lonel i nessof the exi le. Now , these Jewi sh and Genti lestrangers from afar hear the bapti zed Gal i lean menand women

,on whose heads were tongues of fire ,

speak the language i n which they were born . Theyare arrested and amazed . How our native speechthri l l s us i n a fo re ign land ! Bu t here these Gal ileans are wi tnesses for the Messiah . They test i fyof H is death

,H is resu rrection

,H is ascension . They

speak with the power of the Holy Ghost . E lectedand endowed for thi s supreme hour i n the h istoryof the world , Peter preaches Christ . Three thousand J ews and proselytes , men and women , c it izensand strangers

,are p ierced i n thei r consc iences. They

repent,they bel ieve

,they are bapt ized , they join

the Gal i leans in the i r test imony. Here are the mes

sengers of salvat ion who are to scatter over theworld and establ ish the kingdom of Christ amongall nat ions. What free and fearl ess and exult ingwitnesses—heroes of fai th by the bapti sm of Heaven ,apostles of l ove by the fire of the Holy Ghost !

Surely i n such a divin e flame sect isms shou ld perishforever. And when the Pentecostal preachers returnto thei r own country they procla im Christ i n thespeech of thei r own country . The fai th and l ightand love whi ch they obtained at Jerusalem theyd iffuse over the world . Under the new covenantthe Church universal is the chi ld of Pentecost.

PREPARATIONS . 3 1

I I . T H E GENTILE PREPARATION FOR T H E CHRISTIAN DEMOCRACY.

I . L ingu z'

st ia—The Hebrew of ou r Bibles exh ibitstwo extremes . We find i n i t a prim i t ive and ab

rupt simpl i c i ty, and also a structu re that seems theelaboration of ou r advanced civi l i zat ion . But always i t has a sonorous majesty. Scriptu re chantedi n the modern synagogue often e levates to the subl ime . What , then , i ts effect poured forth from thel ips of temple-pri ests, assisted by i nstruments , surrounded by imposing arch i tectu re , impressive w ith

a thousand thri l l i ng, histori c memories ? This grandHebrew harmonized with the gen iu s of the O ldTestament . I t was su i table for record ing the creat ion of a un iverse

,the l ives of venerable patriarchs

,

the declarat ion of the l aw amid the te rrors of S i nai,

the m i racles of the sea and of the wi lderness,the

denunciat ions of prophets,and those man i festat ions

of J ehovah awfu l in thei r sev ere ‘

just ice. Betweenthe Mosai c d ispensat ion and the Hebrew language

was a sign ifican t congru i ty . But the o ld tongue

was not adapted t o the new covenant . For i t thed ivi ne wisdom du ring ages was prepari ng a su i tablelanguage .

The gen ius of the Greek i s opposite to the gen iu sof the Hebrew . They differ as the flow of the riverfrom the rush of the cataract . Grace and pl iancyare subst i t uted for subl im ity and majesty. Wherethe swi ft torrent keeps withi n its deep and narrowchannel of rocks

,the wide stream spreads into the

land i ts d iffusive and ferti l i z ing waters . Also , thelanguage of J udea corresponded to i ts exclusivenat ional i sm

,while that ofAtt ica had a cosmopol i tan

3 2 T H E CHRISTIAN DEMOCRACY.

adaptat ion . Greek became the un iversal speech of

the Roman empire . I t u n i ted vari ous and d istantnations i n one vast l i ngu ist i c commonwealth . Downto our own age i t maintains i tself on i ts nat ive so i l .I t meets now the needs and pecu l iari t i es of ou rmodern civi l i zat ion

,d iffering as much from the an

cien t as a locomot ive from the Parthenon . I t fu rn i shes terms for arts and Sc ien ces as unknown toPericles as the fountai ns of the Ni le . I t i s n ot adead

,bu t a l iv i ng , tongue, speaking dai ly i n al l

parts of ou r progressive world . I n grace , i n fluency,

i n versat i l i ty i t was designed and preserved to express for man the un iversal salvat i on . As the H e

brew for the old covenant , so the Greek for the new.

The one was adapted to the law,and the other to

the Gospel . The one resembles S i nai , and theother Calvary. The one conserved truth i n a nat ion

,and the other d iffuses t ruth over a world . I f

we compare the Hebrew to the subl ime displaysabou t the apocalypt ic throne , we may say that theGreek is l ike the emerald bow of grace by which i tsmaj esty i s enci rcled .

Attica was the home of th i s language of the futu re , and Athens its bri l l iant center. I n th is in imi tab le ci ty we find the versati le and d iffus ive energyof democracy. At Athens , as afterward i n Holland ,l i teratu re and art were founded on manufacture andcommerce . And the free , fearless, republ i can en

terprise expanded i tself by conquest and coloni zat ion . The empi re of Tyre over the Medi terranean ,before i t passed to Carthage , had been seized byAthens . Her ships planted her colon ies in Asia , i nEgypt , i n I taly,

i n the Adriat ic islands. Greek thus


Her domin ion was predest ined . Three wars endedthe struggle . I tal i an valor t ri umphed ; Carthagewas destroyed ; Rome ru led the Mediterranean .

O ther vi ctories fol lowed . Syria , Egypt , Greece ,Macedon ia

,Gaul

,Spain

,Germany, Bri tai n were in

corporated with the Roman empire . Earth was apol i t ical un it . Latin sway, Lat in law, Lat in lan

guage,by a new and unexampled t ie , bound to

gether al l c ivi l i zed nat ions. From her golden milepost in her Forum as a center of earth’

s domin ion ,Rome ran out roads along which she sent her l

’

e

gions to conquer and her consuls to govern . The

sea, more than the land , un ified her empi re . All

the great nat ions of antiqu i ty aspi red to dom inionalong the Med i terranean . This was the conqueror’shighway. This was as necessary for war as for commerce . Wi thout this , imperial Rome could neverhave subdued or governed the world . Having herroads for her arm ies and the sea for her navies , shegrasped with a resist less arm her un iversal scepte r.Nor were these faci l i t i es for transportat ion less adv antageous to Christ ianity than to herself. H ighways by land and sea were as conven ient for m ini ste rs as for sold iers. Al so

,the widespread Lat i n

language assisted equal ly i n conversion and government . I n every region of the empi re Roman cit iz enship was a sh ield under which Pau l preachedChri st , where he chose , i n Roman speech . Thepolit i cal

,un iversal Roman domin ion was thus a

prophet ic symbol of the promised un iversal dom inion of the Christ ian Democracy.

3 . R el igions —Babylon , Nineveh , Egypt ! Whydid they perish ? They were prodigals, wasted by

PREPARATIONS. 3 5

spi ri tual hunger. The sou l of man must be fed .

I dols cannot sat i sfy immortal needs . Empire afterempi re had tried the i r gods . But the human cravi ng was not appeased . Every experiment hadfai led . W i th the decay of S tates idolatries lost thei rvigor. Fai th i n thei r nat ional de it ies an imated theanc ien t Assyrian and Egyptian conquerors . Tothe i r gods they ascribed thei r vi ctories and erectedthe i r monuments . When the i r arm ies were overthrown and thei r provinces d issevered they abandoued thei r conquered gods. But when they lostfai th i n the i r gods thei r hearts failed

,the i r arms

grew weak , and the i r tri umphs ceased . Ever athei sm succeeded superst i t ion

,and

,with i ts vain re

l igion,perished empi re . Humani ty for ages had

revolved i n the same ci rcl e along which the Orientalnations were whi rl ed to the i r i nevi table ru i n .

Now Greece and Rome were rushing to the catast rophe which had overtaken Babylon and Ninevehand Egypt . Stri fes of war and commercial i ntercou rse i ncreased i n tel l igence . Phi losophy grewkeen to detect impostu res , but , no more than superst i t ion , cou ld atta i n sat i sfying truth . Nat ions sawat last how fal se thei r gods , how deceptive thei rpriests, how fal lacious thei r systems. Sophi sts declaimed , and sati ri sts rid i cu led , but , while they perceiv ed the d i sease , they fu rn ished no remedy. Tormented with doubt , Rome mult ipl ied de i t ies andfi l led her Pantheon wi th images of fore ign gods ; increased superst i t ion , bu t intensified unbel ief. Plebeian and patri c ian lost faith together. The emperor,himself a divin i ty , laughed at the duped mul ti tude .However soari ng and fascinat ing, Platoni sm despised


the masses and gave no rel ief to ph i losophers . Stoic ism , with its rugged vi rtues, and Epicu rean ism ,

with i ts all uring pleasu res , came to the same disappoint ing end . J udaism had become a husk ;Gent i l i sm proved itself a skeleton . I n nei ther wasthe immortal l i fe . Humanity exhausted i ts re

sources i n th i s final experiment of Greece andRome .Repeated fai l u res u rge to despa i r. Men sought

to s i lence the i r miseries by thei r l usts . The worldbecame a carn ival of sin . Monstrous now the l iveso f Roman emperors . The vices and crimes of these

dei t ies i nfect the race . H orrified by imperial example

,the Senate yet im itates the corruptions of

i ts Caesars, and the populace i s made loathsome i ni ts wickedness. War i s remorseless ; slavery i scrue l ; even amusements are stained with blood .

Publ i c sports fu rn i sh no d iversi on withou t wholesale

s l aughte r. Gui lt is gigantic , and Rome a pandemon ium . Y et i n her very despai r was hope . Mul

t itudes , weary of the old , were ready for the new.

I n to th i s u n iversal ferment of corrupt ion was i nt roduced the l eaven of Chri st ian i ty. Shal l Scrip tureaccompl ish what anc ien t ph i losoph ies and mythologies have fai led to achieve ? I s J esus the eternaland incarnate Life and Truth

,or only a superior

Bel or Budh or Jup iter,to be d iscarded l ike h is pre

decessors when proved a fai lure ? W i l l h is rel igionmeet the everlast ing need of human i ty ? With theadvent of Chri st ou r world began th i s last experiment . Mult i tudes passed from the despai r ofpaganism to a tri umphant fai th , which glorified l i few i th hope and love and conquered death amid the

PREPARATIONS . 37

execrations of enemies and the flames of martyrdom .

Test imon ies of numerous heathen au thors enableus to understand the moral and rel igi ous cond it i onof mankind at the era of Pentecost. Literatu rehas never pain ted her pictu re s with such a glare ofcolor.The mult i t ude of women , Strabo says

,and

the ent i re mass of the common people cannot beled to piety by the doctrine of phi losophy. Forth i s pu rpose superst i t i on also i s necessary

,which

must cal l i n the a id of myths and tales of wonder.Such th ings the founders of states employed as bugbears to awe ch i ld ren .

”

Seneca wrote : The whol e vulgar crowd of godswhich for ages past a Protean superst i t ion has beenaccumu lat i ng we shal l worship i n th i s sense

,namely

,

that we ever remember that the worsh ip we paythem i s due rather to good manners than to thei rown worth . Al l su ch ri tes the sage wi l l Observe because they are commanded by the laws

,not because

they are pleasing to the gods .”

Such was the skepti c i sm of cold and calcu lat ingphi losophers and statesmen . But th e mult i tudecou ld not regard thei r de i t i es wi th thi s cyn ical ind ifference . Ignoran t men and women were tormented with i rrepressible doubts and pit iable fears .These Plutarch describes with a master penEvery l i t tle evi l i s magn ified to the superst i t iou s

man by the Scaring specters of anxiety. He sitsou t of doors wrapped in sackclo th and fi lthy rags .

Temples and altars are places of refuge for the per

secuted but where al l others find del iverance from


thei r fears the superst i t i ous man fears and tremb lesmost. His reason always sl umbers ; his fears al

ways awake . Nowhere can he find escape from hi simaginary terrors. These men fear the gods

,and

fly to them for succor. They flatter them,and in

su l t them . They pray to them , and complain ofthem . The i nfidel has no bel ief i n the gods ; thesuperst i t iou s man would fa in d isbel ieve

,bu t bel ieves

against h is will,for he fears to do otherwise .

The Clement i nes describe graphically the confl icts of cu ltu red minds. A noble Roman dep ictsh is struggles i n the apostol i c age : “ I was from myyouth exerci sed with doubts

,which entered my

sou l,I hardly know how. I was pale and emaciated .

I resorted to the schools of the phi losophers hopingto find some foundat ion on which I could repose

,

but I saw noth ing bu t bu i ld ing up and tearing downof theories. I was d izzier than ever, and from thebottom of my heart sighed for del iverance . Whatshal l I do ? I shal l proceed to Egypt and shallcult ivate the acquai n tance of the hierophants andprophets who preside at the shrines . Then I shal lwin over a magic ian by money and entreat h im bywhat they cal l necromancy to bring a soul from theinfernal regions

,as i f I were desi rous to consu lt i t

about some busi ness . But th is Shal l be my consu lta~

t ion—whether the sou l be immortal .

OBSTACLES . 39

CHAPTER I I I .

ObstacleS.

DEMOCRACY i n i ts human aspects,Chri s

t ian i ty i s, i n i ts d ivine relat i ons , a kingdom .

Our Saviour—Creator and Redeemer— is i t somnipotent Autocrat . How S imple the formulasou r i ncarnate God left us ! Y et are they impressedwith the majesty of the King of the un iverse .Subl ime in i ts brevity H is al l- comprehensive prayerto H is Father ! Compare H is few pointed and sug

gest iv e words i n bapt i sm and e ucharist w i th the elaborate and enslavi ng l i tu rgies of popes , bishops , anddoctors ! H ow valuable i n contrast the forms be

queathed by the d ivine wisdom of the Redeemer !I n its pure begi nn ing Christ ian ity was withou t temples and chu rches . Pomp was as foreign as the

classi c eloquence of orators,or the sp lendor of po

tentates, or the pageantry of eccl esiast ics . Plebeianhomes were the centers of worsh ip and i nfluence.I n Chri st al l d isc iples were brothers

,yet members

of a royal priesthood and c i t izens of heaven . Theouter Chri st ian Democracy was to establi sh an in nerspi ri tual k i ngdom by the power of the Holy Ghost ,prom ised to restore i n man the peace and j oy ofrighteousness. True to i tsel f

,al l external obsta

cles would be cast ou t of i ts path , l ike mounta i nsinto the sea. But

,resembl ing Israel

,soon Chri s

t ian ity clouded the bri l l iance of the d ivi n e ideal . I ts


free spi ri t ual democracy became legal ized by J udaism and corrupted by pagani sm . Saints were subst i t uted for gods

,and demons chosen for patrons

and mediators . Democracy was revolut ion ized intooligarchy and autocracy. Christian ity, no longer in

tent on the salvat ion of the people , all ied i tself toki ngs and emperors. Centuries of bondage followed . The history of the Church grows dark wi thapocalyptic gloom . Corrupt ion after corrupt ion !

S lavery after slavery ! Woes after woes ! Tempests

,l ightn i ngs

,and earthquakes ! Vials of wrath

and trumpets of j udgment ! But i n the end victory—the drama Of t ime concl ud ing with a sunbu rst ofm il l enn ial glory.

Having considered the preparat ions for the Chri st ian Democracy, we wi l l now review the d ifficu lti esby which i t was confronted .

I . UNIVERSAL OBSTACLES .

How hard to bel i eve that an inscrutable personalPower created th i s un iverse ! Matter from Spiri t I tseems in cred ible . Phi losophic natu res Shrink fromthe conclusion . Here is the root of i ntel lectua lskept ic i sm . The mult i tude bel ieve more easi ly i n avi sible image than i n an inv i sibl e God . Hence thei rsuperst i t i ons ! Preach ing is to propagate Chri st iani ty. But what d ifficu l t i es embarrass the pulp i t !Man l ives i n the presen t . H is senses bind h im tophysi cal natu re . His needs are in matte r. His l i fei n the body seems almost contrived to shu t ou t thel ight from hi s sou l . God

,hades

,hell

,heaven

these men cannot see. They are impalpable . Buthow real , how pressing, how absorbing, ou r present

42 THE CHRISTIAN DEMOCRACY .

customs wi th Jewish Observances . Conservat ismprotested against these innovat ions

,and Pharisa ism

was the resu lt. I ts name i s derived from a Hebrewword which means to separate. The gen iu s andh istory of the sect are i ndicated in its t i t le . Exclusiv eness was its characteri st ic . Trad i t ion becamei ts l i fe and power. By addi t ions to the Mosaiclaw the Pharisees perverted the oracles of God tothei r own avarice and ambi t ion . Having bu i lt a wal laround the fountai n of eternal l i fe

,they locked i ts

gate and kept i ts key. Withou t pay none entered .

Every path to the kingdom of God ended i n a moneychest . Ostentat ious i n dress , in alms , i n fast s, i np rayers

,i n i nnumerable pal t ry Observances , the

Pharisees gained the applause of the mult i tude,

whi le neglecting mercy and j u st ice and all that ennoble s manhood . Blind by greed for pra ise andgold , they m isled the nat ion and brought uponi t the blood of the Messiah . More than sinners ,more than publ i cans

,more than Sadducees Jesus

denounced Phari sees hypocri tes,

” painted sep

u lchers,

” “ serpents,

” a generat ion of vipers,

” ch i ldren of hel l ! What words of condemnat ion

,burn

ing and blast ing from the l ips of i nfin i te Love !Hence enmity

,sati sfied only with death ! The ha

t red was carried by the Phari see in to al l lands.Antagon i sm blazed wide as the world . Proselyteswere foes fiercer than the i r J ewish masters . O ftenamong the Gent i les Phari saism kindled the fi resof Christ ian martyrs . Nor is i ts hate pecu l iar toou r age . The p ictu re i n Scriptu re i s for al l earthand al l t ime . Phari sees were types of men repre

senti ng a development i n ou r universal human

OBSTACLES . 43

natu re, and hence reproduced i n eve ry period ofh istory. Their l ips are for God and the i r l ives forthemselves ; they hate the t ruth they profess tolove they gain great fame by small formal it ies , andfor t ime sel l etern i ty.

Saa’

a’

neees.—Zadok was thei r founder, and

after the capt ivity . They were skept ics . I n nei therangels nor immortal i ty had they fai th . Sadduceeswere rel igion ists wi thou t rel i gion . Even the Pentateu ch

,which they professed to be l i eve , they ex

plained away. Having lost fa i th i n existence beyond the grave , they made the most of the on lyl i fe they expected to enjoy. They acqu i red wealth ;they atta i ned office ; they i ndulged i n luxu ry andl ived in splendor. To them

,i n the dazzle of th i s

world,God became dim and etern i ty obscure . But

thei r earthly vision grew more keen . They repre

sented the aristocracy of the Jews,made lordly and

exact ing by thei r consc iousness of wealth and honor.By bribes and flatteries the Sadducees secu red fromthei r Roman tyrants the loft iest d ign i t i es of priesthood

,with the control of the revenues of the

temple . Thus the skept ics of the nat ion becamethe rel igious ru lers of the nat ion . A cold and calcu lat ing aristocrat i c i nd ifferen ce arrayed i tsel f i n agarb of piety, made an affectat i on of pu rity, and re

ceived a venerat ion i t d id not deserve . Nor was i tsbpposi t ion restri cted to J eru salem . I n every partof the earth i t confron ted the kingdom of Chri st .Devoted to t ime and reckless of e tern i ty

,Saddu

ceeism typifies that un iversal skept ic i sm in thedom inant classes of al l nat ions and ages which is

the eternal foe to salvat ion.

44 TH E CHRIST IAN DEMOCRACY .

P r iests .—Ou

'

i ts lofty terrace hundreds of

feet above the val leys beneath towered the statelyand magn ificen t temple . I t was no longer the rudestructure over which the retu rned capt ives weptwhen contrast ing i t wi th the glory of the bu i ld ingOf Solomon . Herod

,a hated Edomite

,had lav i shed

on the temple h is royal wealth . The al i en kingbeau t ified i t w i th the choicest art of hi s age . Josephus represents i t as a p i le of si lv er gl i t teri ng i nthe dazzle of the morn ing sun . I ts C loi sters weretri umphs of arch i tectu ral ski l l

,and i ts gates and

pi llars were adm ired by Greeks and Romans accustomed to the Parthenon and the Capi tol . And thegorgeou s worsh ip of the temple corresponded to thegrace and beauty of i ts art . However the Jewmight d isregard h is moral l aw

,he d id not fai l t o

appreciate th e splendor of h is ceremon ial d isplay.

Over the world the temple was the love and v en

erat ion of the nat ion . But i n i t the priests had apecul iar i nte rest . Part of each year i t was the i rhome . They slept i n it s C lo i sters

,they m in istered

at i ts al tars,they led i n i ts songs

,and l ived on i ts

revenues . From birth to death they were ident ified with i ts wealth and i ts magnificence . I t broughtthem occupat ion

,support

,and glory. Hence they

formed an army of i nterested defenders . Y et thi sdespi sed Nazarene

,th is uneducated prov incial , thi s

revolu t ionary innovator was against thei r temple !His priesthood would end thei r own , stop thei rpomps

,desolate their al tars

,scatter thei r revenues

and thei r worsh ipers . No marvel that the h ierarchyresi sted the Gospel ! I t fought for a ll that bindsman to th is presen t l i fe . From Jerusalem to the

OBSTACLES . 4 5

extremit ies of earth the Jewish priesthood batt ledChri st ian i ty.

1 1 . GENT I L E OBSTA CLES T O T H E C H R I ST I A N D E MOC

R A CY .

( L ) A r istocrac ies .— ’Tis hard i n ou r modern age to

p ictu re the ancient social cond i t i ons . Classes inJ udea were separated by a caste system almost asremorseless as that of I nd ia . I n Greece and Romemanual labor was the task of slaves . Mechan i c toi lwas st igma . Earth ’s despised m i ll ions were beasts

,

created to bear the l i fe burdens of the ri ch and powerfu l . War knew no mercy. Captured ci t i es werep i l laged and burned

,whi le the i r i nhabi tants were

flayed and ki l led,or

,worse than tortu re and death

,

manacled for the conqueror. Human i ty cou ld l i tt lesoften homes where the father was a despot

,with

legal power to d ivorce h is wife,slay h is ch i ldren

,

and murder h i s servants . All the social and pol i t~i ca l laws and customs of the anc ient l i fe created i nman a hardness which was a ch ief obstacle to theGospel .Neither democracy nor phi losophy had mit igated

human severi ty . Aristocrat i c pride was as sternand relentless i n free and cu ltu red Greece as i n imperia l Babylon Socrates l ived i n the streets ofAthens and m i ngled with i ts peopl e . He was aplebeian by birth and inst in ct ; and yet he in troducedno popular sympath ies in to the system of which hewas the ideal . The Platoni c phi losophy loved truthand beauty. I t i ncu lcated immortal i ty and extolledV i rtu e . I t soared to subl ime heights of specu lat ion .

Plato h imsel f was refined and mi ld and j ust andimagi nat ive. Y et he had no sympathy for the


vu lgar He bel ieved that the rude mult i tude ,chained by fate to matter, cou ld never attai n anylofty conceptions. To the masses of mankind , i nh i s V iew

,the ideas of eternal tru th were naturally

and inevi tably unin tel l igible . Hence human progress was impossible . For man no golden futu re i ll um inated by hope and V i ctory ! The gen i us of thePlaton i c phi losophy was that of a ristocrat ic Gnost icism. Stoi c i sm was even more severe and repellent . I t taught its d isc iples wi th a haughty andfrigid i nd ifference to endure l i fe ’s i l ls

,and when these

became i nsupportable to take a d ign ified refuge i nsu ic ide . To the imperiou s Roman i t gave i ncreasedarrogance . He loathed the vulgar. Horace , son ofa freedman, fel t and expressed the patri c ian d isgust .A system of d isdain and despa i r

,Stoic ism hardened

against Christian i ty . Between Jesus and Zeno wereno points of contact . Nor was Epicurean ism moreaccessible to the salvation of the Gospel . I ts creedwas pleasu re . I n the world ’s capi tal i t encouragedgross sensual i ty and refined vol uptuousness. Law,

duty, eternal l i fe—what cared the Epicurean butterfl i es, gl ittering in short sunsh ine from flower toflower, for su ch solemn i t ies ? A phi l osophy of indulgence, making th is world i ts al l , has no care forthe j udgmen t cal l of repentance and feels no needof remission through the blood of the cross .Nor was i t on ly phi losoph ies that e rected barriers

between man and h is Saviour. Society and government were essent ial ly ari stocrat i c . Rulers re

sented equal i ty i n s infu lness and salvat ion . Theywanted no heaven wi th slaves and plebe ians. Theywould acknowledge no accountabi l i ty to a common

OBSTACLES . 47

tribunal of j udgment . Human brotherhood i n gu i l tand i n redemption were al ike detestable . Pride hadi ts symbol i n the Roman Senate . Imperial haught iness, surpassing patric ian assumption and earthly

cond i t ions , claimed equali ty with the O lympiand iv in i t i es . The whole anc ien t world was an aristocracy i n imical to the Christ ian Democracy.

P r iesthooa’s .

—We are often more impressivelytaught by a fact than by a d i ssertat ion . Ou r modern archaeology now furn ishes visible proof of thewealth , power, and magn ificence of the pagan hi erarchy. The Opposi t i on i t was able to offer Christ ian ity , better than by any general statement , wi l lbe understood by the d iscoveri es of an Engl ish architect who has exposed the whol e l i fe abou t thetemple of D iana at Ephesus

,and thus enables us to

i l lustrate the vast resou rces of the heathen priesthood

,fighting for i ts existence against the m in isters

of salvat ion .

Our explorer spent s ix years i n determ in ing thesi te of the bu ri ed structu re . H is long toi l was re

warded by some i nscript ions i n the great theaterwhich gave a clew to the place of the temple . Thesealso proved that i t had been amply endowed bythe wi l l of a ri ch Ephesian . He bequeathed therents of lands

,prov ided for the support of an army

of dependents , gave d i rect i ons for pompous process ions and gorgeous ceremon ials

,and presented the

goddess images of si lver and of gold . The templeof Diana was not only a seat of worship

,but the

bank of. Asia . Kings deposited thei r treasu reswi thin i ts sacred i nclosu res

,guarded more securely

by superst i t ion than by sold iery. Approach to the


temple was through a splendid cemetery fi l led withcostly monuments, on which were discovered mosttouching and affect ionate inscript ions to the departed . Reverence for the priest was i ncreased byvenerat ion for the dead , and the magn ificence of thes tructure gave glory to the h ierarchy. I t was bui l tof whi te marble and supported by one hundredgracefu l pi l lars . The bri ll iant front caught the freshsplendors of each rising sun. Around the templestood double rows of columns. An image of i tsgoddess near the center was adored as a gift fromheaven . I ts friezes were i n the noblest style ofart , and i t s al tar had felt the touch of a Phid ias anda Praxiteles.The templ e of Diana at Ephesus , the temple ofMinerva at Athens

,the temple of Zeus a t Delph i

,

the temple of Jove on the Roman Capi tol i ne— whatcenters of influence for heathen pri esthood Overthe un iversal h ierarchy they shed the luster of the i rcharms. But in all lands were edifices devoted tothe i r gods , less famous than the temples we havenamed

,yet deposi tories of ri ches and dazzl i ng wi th

splendors and i ll imi table i n the affect ion and reverence exci ted for paganism .

Beside these imposing stru ctu res stood the mes

sengers of Christian i ty. Withou t the aids of architecture

,withou t the culture of music, withou t the

pageantry of ceremonial , without any impress ivev i s ible symbol

,without the Charms of human elo

quence, plain i n appearance , S imple i n speech , d i recti n purpose

,they speak of law and sin and repent

ance ; they cal l to fai th i n a crucified Christ ; theyd iscourse of l i fe ’s van it ies , the awards of j udgment ,

SO TH E CHRISTIAN DEMOCRACY.

fu l Christ ians tempt martyrdom . Only fanat i cscourted flames

,from which they shrank when they

saw the blaze . But battle came . Roman imperialpower impersonated the whole antagon ism of earth

and hell to the Redeemer. Impurpled Cmsars onthe throne of the earth

,and with al l i ts energies and

engineri es of destruct ion at thei r command , werevisible representat ives of that Satan who , before theun iverse , led i t s dark spi ri tual forces for the overthrow of the Christ ian Democracy.

PERSECUTIONS . 5 1

CHAPTER IV.

Persecutions .

Y simple truth how shal l Christ ian i ty win themult i tude ? To make man bel ieve i n the unseen and subm i t h imself to an i nvisible Cre

ator and Redeemer i s a superhuman work. Andth i s against al l h i s recoi l from repen tance

, condemna

t ion , and penalty ! For ou r salvati on the power ofthe Holy Ghost i s i nd ispensable . But there is ahuman agency wh ich makes pe rsonal and visible theinscrutable Sp iri t . Test imony is the l iv i ng energyof the Gospel palpabl e to eye and ear. Each d isc iple i s a wi tness . Woe to h im if he betray h ist rust ! Bribes from earth and hel l bese t h is path .

How Satan tempts u s to tu rn stones i nto b read , toseek applause on lofty p innacles

,and from high

mounta ins to cove t earth ly kingdoms ! Y et whatvictoriou s power when a true faith and a right l i feare expressed by honest l ips ! Withou t such confession pew and pulp i t are al ike the scorn of menand demons . Each d isciple i s under v ow to test i fyfor Christ . H iss breath ,

h is bra in , his heart , his moments as they fly mark h im as a witness for One towhom

'

he belongs . But what secu ri ty for h i s sin

cerity ? He may be deceived or he may diss im ulate .How shal l he know himself and assu re others ?Death i s a test wh ich al l admit . And to th i s Christ ian i ty was brought by the persecu tions . F lames


tried i ts wi tnesses . I may suspect the sleek and pros

perou s professor. When I see him steadfast i n thefi re I no longer doubt h is i ntegri ty . As a system ofbeli ef i n the i nvi sible the Gospel would never havebeen successfu l by learn ing, eloquence , or argument .Even the divi ne agency was to be confi rmed by thehuman test imony.

By love of enemies the prim i t ive d isciples wi tn essed most powerfu lly. To hate a foe was a heathen v i rtu e . The anc ients taught Ki l l to secu reyou r safety or grat i fy your revenge . Accord ing tothe pagan code of duty and honor

,a man was to

reward hi s friend and inj ure his enemy . As en

forced by Christ,to Greeks and Romans the law of

love seemed unreasonable and impract icable . Butthey saw i t i l lustrated i n the l ives of H is di sciples .Words are breath ; deeds are proof. The old worldwas weary of the cold and tu rgid d iscou rses of phi losoph ies which , when sound in theory , were forgotteni n pract i ce . Now they saw love demonstrated i nthe certainty of fact . Abstract command was shownpossible by the actions of wi tnesses . Deeds impressed words . Test imony conv i nced skept ics . I nthe gloom of d ungeons

,weighed down by chains

,

exhausted by hunger,scou rged by rods

,torn by pin

cers,mangled by beasts

,and scorched by molten

metals,weari ed

,lacerated

,bleed ing

,burn ing Chri s

t ians prayed for the i r enemies . The last breath ofl ife was intercession for those i nfl ict i ng death . Fromcross and fi re arose to heaven forgiv i ng words oflove . Such spectacles were overwhelming. Oftenthe dying test imony was fol lowed by instantaneousconvers ions . Heathen execut ioners became bel iev

PERSECUTIoNS. g3

hrs by thei r remorseless office . The headsman wasseen to throw down h is ax

,confess himself a Chri s

t ian , and suffer the death he was abou t to i nfl ict .No eloquence of Greek or Roman has su rpassed

the power of Tertu ll ian where he pict ures i n wordsthe spi ri t of the wi tnesses for h is Master. Addressi ng the emperor

,he cri es :

Thither we l i ft up ou r eyes ; without ceasing ,for ou r enemies we offer prayer— not the few gra i nsof i ncense a farth ing buys

,not the blood of some

worthless ox whose death i s a rel ief. With ourhands stretched ou t and up to God

,rend us with

you r i ron claws,hang us up on crosses

,wrap us i n

flames , take ou r heads from us wi th the sword , le tloose the w i ld beasts upon us , wring from us thesou l beseech ing God on the emperor’s behalf !The joy of the martyr was another effectual tes

t imony for Christi an ity . Courage p agan ism cou ldshow. Stoics cou rted death . To slaves the gravewas a welcome refuge from oppression . Romansold iers imperi led l i fe wi th fearless heroism . Onthe arena glad iators fought

,reckless whether they

fel l by the fang of the l ion or sl ew him w i th thesword . How many brave men had dared death forfreedom and shed immortal luste r over the pages ofGreek and Roman history ! Disregard for l i fe was

,

i ndeed,a characteri st i c of the age of persecu ti ng

Caesars . But , weary of the i lls of existence or i ndespai r u nder h is sufferi ngs , the heathen subm ittedto hi s fate as inev i table

,and often wi th hate i n h is

heart and curses on hi s l ip . Disciples of Jesus wereradiant amid flames . They were victorious overracks and crosses . Hope of immortal l i fe beamed

54 TH E CHRI ST IAN DEMOCRACY .

from thei r eyes and faces . A last breath was a songof tri umph . The halo with which art crowned eachmartyr head was a symbol of a true conqueror. Morebri l l iant than a crown of lau rel this wreath of beams.

Joy i n death , attested by innumerable wi tnesses ,won mul t i tudes to Christ .Persecu t ion also adverti sed the rel igion of the

cross. I t made i t known to al l classe s of socie ty ,and converted i ts patien t and ret i ri ng submissioninto publ i c spectacles of conqueri ng fai th and love .The recen t explorat ions o f L anc ian i i n Rome showthat not only slaves and mechan ics , bu t also manymembers of senatorial and imperial fam i l ies

,were

bapt ized d isc iples of the Sav iou r and fai thfu l u ntodeath . I t was persecut ion that brought Christ ian itybeyond the sphere of plebeians to the not ice ofpatric ians and emperors. Accusat ions were tried beforeconsuls

,with appeal to the imperial t ribunal . Gov

ernmen t was forced to know the Obscure sect i t punished . And

,while Christ ian i ty had to be recog

n i z ed at the j udgmen t seat by rule rs and priests,

thei r vict ims attracted the mult i tude by spectaclesof flames . The means employed to destroy thefaith was the most effectual agency of i ts extension .

I ts leaven of l i fe was thus d iffu sed from humblehomes into temples and palaces . Prisons of marty rswere centers of influence w ider than pulp its . Flamespreached e loquently and conv i nc ingly. The triumphant words of Christ ian victors made more conversions

,even i n the superior classes, than sonorous

orators.For th i rty years after the death of Christ J udaism

and Christ ian i ty were confounded by pagan ism .

PERSECUTI ONS . 5 5

Under the tolerat ion Rome granted the former thelatter grew unnoticed . The law itself was a Shieldto the new fai th unt i l i t became established i n theworld and could stand i n defiance of enemies .The fi rst great persecu tion began under Nero .

On the n ight of J u ly 1 8, A . D . 64, a fi re origi natedi n the stal ls of the Ci rcus Maximus. I t consumedseats and stagi ngs

,and then spread with terr ifying

rapid i ty. To check i t fi remen and sold ie rs workedi n vain . Houses were torn down to arrest theflames . For s ix days and nights the fi re raged ,sp read i n to the gardens of Maecenas

,and after being

subdued burst out again and cont i nu ed three moredays i ts work of destru ct ion . Of fourteen regionsof Rome bu t fou r escaped u nharmed . Nero wasaccused as the i ncend iary. We have no h istori cproof of h is gu i lt . But

,su spected of the crime and

endangered by the popu lace,the reckless emperor

accused the Chri st ians . Possibly inst igated by theJ ews

,he began a work of murder to d ivert atten

t ion . A carn ival of blood ensu ed . Horribl e andunexampled torments were employed . Martyrs werecrucified , torn by dogs , ki l led i n the tragic specta

cle s. I n Nero’

s gardens,where now stand St . Pe

ter’

s and the Vati can,the populace assembled to

behold a bri ll ian t bu t ghastly di sp lay which seemsl ike a red midn ig ht glare , ominous of the cen tu ri esof fiery torments before Christ ian i ty

,u nder the old

Rome and under the new. Huge torches blazedthrough the darkness . Like some i nfernal demon ,Nero tu rned pain i nto sport

,and of death i tsel f made

laughter. He smeared martyrs with pi tch and set

them on fi re that the i r agon ies,visible i n the blaze ,

TH E CH RI STIAN DEMoeRAe'

Y.

might amuse the giddy and crue l Roman multitude .This fi rst persecut ion was a mere outburst ofpopular hate , stimulated by brutal imperial caprice.For fifty years there was no law by which Christ ianswere ki lled . Thei r l ives depended on the whimof ru lers and the passions of the populace . An explosion m ight occur at any moment . The fi rst legal enactment was caused by one of the most j ustof the consu lar governors and made by one of themost excellen t of the emperors . I n the v i ew of i tsframers i t was necessary, merciful , and equ itable .We must remember that by Roman law Christ iani ty was not only impiety

,but treason

,and

,there

fore,an offense both against rel igion and empi re .

Abou t the year A . D . 1 1 2 Pliny the Y ounger wasproconsu l i n B ithyn ia . I n th is region the altarswere abandoned and the temples deserted . Paganism seemed l ike one of i ts own decaying and desolate seats of worsh ip . I ts priests feared that the i rgods would be dethroned and thei r occupation gone .Accusat ions multipl ied and crowds of Chri st ianswere forced before Pl iny. The j ust and forbearingRoman magistrate was perplexed . He shrank fromdecreeing to ax and flame , and d ispatched a lette raski ng i nstru ct ion from the emperor. Trajan re

flected and repl ied . His answer was the fi rst imperial edict which regu lated by law the trial and punishmen t of Christ ians. I t provided ( I) that theywere not to be sought ; (2) that when accused andconvicted they were to be pun ished (3) that i f theysacrificed they were to be pardoned ; and (4) thatno anonymous accusations were to be rece ived .

58 TH E CH RI ST I AN DEMOCRACY .

Decius let loose the n ext tempest . He was thefi rst to decree a general persecu ti on . Like Trajan ,he proposed to restore the old Roman glory. A n

c ient i nst i tu t ions were to be revived , the Senate wasto regai n i ts patri c ian honors , the censorship tobe renewed

,and Rome fort ifi ed and adorned so as

to attract wi th i ts former Splendors. With thesepol i t i cal aspirat ions came the necessity of restori ng the old pagan ism . O lympian gods wi l l resumethe i r thrones, their temples , and the i r domin ion . ButChrist ian i ty stands i n the way of such a rev ival .Deciu s wi l l obl i terate i t i n blood . I n A . D . 2 50 h isimperial ed ict ordai ned that al l Christ ians

,without

exception , shou ld be requ i red to perform the ri tes ofthe rel i gion of the Roman State . The pun ishmentof refusa l was tortu re . Local magi strates wered i rected to fix a t ime with in which Christians wereto appear and sacrifice . Many fled

,and thei r prop

erty was confiscated . Those remain ing were terrified by threats . But soon the earthquake heavedbeneath the Church . Pagan rage burst forth i nd ifferent regions of the empi re . The Bishop ofRome

,Fabianus

,suffered martyrdom . Cornel i us

was successor i n office and i n death . Next Luciusaccepted the episcopate

,bu t soon exchanged h is

m iter for a martyr’s crown . Rome ’s three fai thfu lbishops sleep together i n the Catacombs. Mul titudes i n the imperial capital perished by tortu re .Thei r numbers were nearly equaled in Alexandria .

Here Qu inta was dragged through the street s byher feet unt i l she expi red . Cruc ified side by side , ahusband and wife for three days exhorted eachother as they suffered . At Caesarea perished Bi shop

PERSECUTmNs. 59

A lexande r of J erusalem, and i n Antioch B ishop

Baby las. The i l l ust ri ous Cyprian was beheaded atCarthage . For ten years th is Dec ian persecut ioncont inued , and ended when the emperor fel l i n awar with the Goths.I n A . D . 302

—303 began the last fire- test of Chri s

t ian i ty under imperial Rome . Dioclet ian had d iv ided the empi re between fou r ru lers. Of these twowere A ugust I and two were Caesars . But over al lDioclet i an retained the sovere ign authori ty. LikeTrajan and Deciu s

,he

,too

,would restore the old

Roman glory— not,howeve r

,by martyrdom of

Chri st ians . Diocl et ian was a wise and pacific em

peror and , although of plebeian bi rth , had shownh imself worthy of the imperial pu rple . I t was Galerius

,hi s associate

,who

,on a vi si t t o the capi tal

,

u rged h im to kindle fatal fi res . Dioclet ian hesitated

,bu t consen ted to take counsel of the gods .

Hav i ng yielded thus far,he was pushed onward

unt i l he brought over h imself and .h i s empire acloud dark as death . The oracle o f the Mi les ianApol lo gave the response the pri ests desi red and

,

perhaps,dictated . Pagan ism tri umphed for the

hour , to pe ri sh by i ts own violence . Taught by ex

perience, i t sought to burn the Scriptu res , destroythe chu rches , ext i rpate the m in isters, and thus ati ts founta ins exhaust Chri st ian i ty. Angered byfalse reports

,although averse to blood , Dioclet ian

began i n h i s own court and capi tal by ordering totortu re . All who would not sacrifice were strangled .

1 . An imperial decree d i rected the sacred booksto be burned and the sacred ed ifices dest royed ;2 . The clergy were commanded to be imprisoned ;

60 TH E CHRI STIAN DEMoCRACY.

3 and 4 . The decrees were then extended to al lChrist ians , who must sacrifice or d ie .Now the Dioclet ian persecut ion surpassed al l thatpreceded i n extent and cruelty. Murders werewholesale . A Phrygian town was surrounded andburned . A whole Church was i n one instance ext irpated . S laughte r attai ned the rate of a hundred aday. Galerius ordered death by slow fi re . A smallflame was kindled under the feet of a V i ct im . Wa

ter was dashed on him to prevent h i s too speedydeath . He was calcined unti l his flesh fel l from hisbones. Hanging by thei r feet

,the ears and noses

of the martyrs were cut off, thei r eyes and tonguestorn out , and when the i r bodies were consumedthei r ashes were cast into the sea to prevent venerat ion for thei r rel ics. About the sixth year th is infernal vi olence expended i tself. By endurance martyrs conquered pri ests and emperors . The Christ iananvi l wore out the pagan hammer. Imperial Romewas defeated . Dioclet ian , so long prosperous , d iedi n awful gloom . Diseased by debauchery and tortured by fear

, Galerius was a Spectacle of suffering.

Vermin swarmed over hi s loathsome flesh , whi le heraged l ike a demon . At last the expiri ng tyran th imself ended the persecut ion . On his deathbedGalerius confessed h is fai lu re

,stopped the cruelt ies

,

decreed un iversal tolerat ion,and suppl icated the

prayers of Christ ians.But h istory must not ice that dark, spectral colorscrossed the bri ll iant glories of martyrdom . Eveni n prisons and flames spi ri tua l pride was i ntensifiedi nto i ntoleran t fanat i c ism . And this connected i t

sel f with the stri fes for the ep iscopate ment ioned

PERSECUTIONS . 61

fi rs t by Clemens Romanus and of which we havegl impse s through the m ists of patri st i c ages. Whi lethe fi res of the Decian persecu tion were raging atCarthage , bishops and presbyters were i n a fiercecon test which ended i n the un iversal subversion of

the Christ ian Democracy.

About two hundred years afte r Christ was bornCyprian

,called Thasc ius. He was a rhetorician ,

wealthy and h ighly educated . Baptized A. D . 247,

i n the next year he was advanced to the ep iscopate .The new bishop gave al l h is property to the poor.But nei ther his chari ty, h is piety , nor h i s bri l l ian tgen ius prevented envy at h is sudden exal tati on .

Rel igion had decl i ned at Carthage . Luxury underm ined fa i th and morals . Dross had mingled withthe gold . I n the Church were world ly men whosought gain and glory, even from martyrdom . Presum ing on the i r superior p iety, from thei r p risoncells fanat ica l p rofessors issued cert ificates recom

mending, almost commanding , unworthy persons tobe restored to the communi on . Some of theselapsed disc iples had den ied the fai th by sacrifice tothe emperor, and some had bought immun i ty bysurrenderi ng thei r B ibles to thei r persecutors . Awi ld

,i nfect ious

,and pern ici ou s enthusiasm was ex

ci ted in the Church of Carthage . Popular clamoralmost forced the bishop to respect the ind iscrim inate commendat ion s of dece ived and ambitiousfanat i cs. Cyprian hesi tated . He wisely maintai nedthat the lapsed should not be restored unt i l thestorm had passed and each case could be examinedand decided by the ecclesiast ical authori ty. Heyielded so far as to give the dying the sacrament .


But th i s concession,i nconsisten t wi th h is posit ion

,

i nstead of allayi ng, added fu ry to the tempest .On a h i l l near Carthage l ived Novatus

,the pres

byter. He was a man of fiery sp iri t who spurnedthe episcopal yoke . I n h im culm inated the antagon ism of the ecclesiast ical stri fes of two centu ries .Nov

’

atus watched hi s b i shop struggling in the stormand was not above taking advantage of hi s difficu lt ies . I n the heat of the persecu tion the rebel p reshyter orda ined the deacon Fel ic issimus. This wasopen and defiant revol t against the episcopal order.Carthage burst i nto stri fes among Christ ians furiousas the martyr flames kindled by a pagan emperor.Now the lapsed who were rejected by the bishopwere received by the presbyter. Nov atus was aleade r of rebel l ion , and h is Church a fiery center.To meet the assau lts of h i s presbyterial enemiesCyprian d id not defend himself by u rging the inheren t wisdom of his pol icy toward the lapsed . I nth i s he would have been strong and h is vindi cat ioncomplete . But the bishop prevailed over the man .

Cyprian stood,not on his argument , but hi s order.

H is ep iscopal authori ty was invi olable because es

tab l ished by God . Office , rather than reason , madeh im right . To support h i s prerogative he enforcedh i s commands by his visions . A div i ne vo ice toldh im that the immaculate priesthood would beavenged . He now asserted as a un iversal law that ,as the bishop i s i n the Church , so the Church i s i nthe b ishop . He said that whoever separated h imself from the b ishop separated h imself from theChu rch . I n the bishop , therefore , was the un ity of

the Church ; Amid the Decian flames , a l i tt le more

PERSECUTIONS. 63

than two centu ries after the power and l iberty ofthe Pentecostal bapt i sm

, was developed by Cyprianthat vi ew of ep iscopal prerogat ive which subverted

the Christ ian Democracy and , after the Apostol i ca lConst i tu t i ons , became the un iversal ecclesiast i callaw.

A schism arose at Rome i n pri nciple S im i lar tothat at Carthage , al though i n origi n wide ly d iverse .I t was the I tal ian death- throe of the sovere igntyof bel i evers as establ ished by the evangel i cal h istories . Nov at ianus was a learned

,piou s

,and influ

ent ial presbyter. He attained peace after whatwas bel i eved to be a fierce struggle wi th i ndwell i ngdemons from wh ich he had been exorcised . Fa

b ianus,Bishop of Rome

,ordained h im presbyter.

Now in the capi tal of the world started forth in toa blaze of fu ry the quest ion which had inflamedCarthage . Shal l the lapsed be admitted to the commun ion ? Nov atianus took the rigid view ,

whi leCornel i us

,bishop by the martyrdom of Fabianus

,

took the m ild vi ew. I n I taly, as i n Afri ca , bishopagainst presbyter and presbyter agai nst b ishop onthe quest ion of epi scopal au thori ty ; whi le i n regardto the pol icy toward the lapsed the posi t ions ofbishop and presbyter are comple tely reversed ! I ndefiance of Fabianus was Nov at ianus ordainedbishop . But the rebel l i on was not successfu l . Asat Carthage

,so at Rome and i n al l regions of the

world,by the law and custom of both the Ori ental

and Occidental commun ions,epi scopacy triumphed

ove r the l ibert i es of the Christ ian Democracy.

Out of the Dioclet i an persecu ti on at the close ofthe third cen tu ry sprang the Donatist schism. I t ,


too,originated i n quest ions concern ing the lapsed .

As in the Decian persecu ti on , arose a mi ld and a

rigid party. A woman led the severe sect ists.

Luci lla,wealthy and powerfu l, possessed precious

martyr rel ics, which She saluted affectionately andadoringly wi th publ i c and private kisses . Her femin ine zeal was i nfect ious i n i ts fanat ic i sm . The richlady had an enemy. I t was Caeci l ian

,ordained

Bishop of Carthage by Fel ix . At the house ofLucil la was he ld a meet ing of her fri ends . I n fact ,the ri ch lady was i n consp i racy against episcopalorder

,perhaps without i ntending rebel l ion . She

cal led to her aid Numid ian bishops . These consecrated her favori te reader , Marjorinus , charging thatas Felix was an apostate tradi tor h is ord inat ion ofCaeci l ian was void . I n th i s contest between Luci l laand her bishop we have the seeds of the Donati stsch ism .

The emperor Constantine i nterfered in th is Car

thagin ian battle and d i rected an inqu i ry. He ap

pointed Milt iades,Bishop of Rome , to pres ide over

an ep iscopa l commission . I n the year A . D . 3 1 3

the case was t ried . F ive Galli c bi shops , under Mi lt iades, const i tu ted the ecclesiast ical court . Tenbishops accused and ten defended . I n attendancewere fi fteen I tal ian bi shops . Against the accusedDonatus was leader. Fel ix was tried on the chargeof hav ing

‘

betrayed the fai th by del ivering the sacred

books to h is persecu tors . He was acqu i tted . Hence

h is ord inat i on of Caec i l ian was val id . The case wasthen appealed to the Counci l of Arles . Here

,too ,

Caeci l ian was vind icated . Marjorinus, his rival , soonafter d ied ; bu t the schism he represented had rooted


episcopal funct ions . A Donatist and Cathol i c bishopwere to occupy the i r sees together , bu t whichever survived Should be i n the Cathol ic episcopate .Thus Augusti ne hoped to make al l North AfricaCathol i c. However, the sect ists refused hi s generous concession . As shown by the l et ters of Gregorythe Great

,Donati sm surv ived down to the sixth cen

tu ry,a fanati cal and muti lated , but protesting , wit

ness for the evangel ical Christ ian Democracy .

CONSTANTINE . 67

CHAPTE R V.

Constantine .

HE death of Galerius removed from the earthan imperia l monster. He was a demon madfor blood

,and baffled only by physi cal and

mental tormen ts in h i s fiend ish love of destruction .

Now loathsome i n his grave , the empi re was rel i evedof an intole rable load . This persecut ing tyrant wassu cceeded by his nephew

,Caius Galerius Valeri us

Max im inu s. In the year 3 1 1 he had made himselfmaster of the Asiat i c p rov i nces , and ruled also overEgypt . He was a man of low origin , nor were h i smean birth and rude disposit ions concealed by hi simperial purple . Maxim inus was ignorant

,V i olen t ,

a devotee of gods,and a tool of pri ests .

Under the ed ict i ssu ed amid the death-agon ies ofGalerius , Chri st i ans came from mines and pri son sand exi le i n d istan t lands to experi ence briefly thejoy of l iberty. The churches were fu l l

,and the

temples deserted . Fresh vigor i nsp i red the newfai th

,made unconquerable by sufferi ng . But th i s

victorious j oy of the Chri st i ans exci ted fanat i calrage in the i r heathen enemies. Priests , conj urers ,and magistrates i n u n i ted opposi t ion begged theemperor that no foes of his ancestral gods shou lddwel l or worsh ip with in the walls of c it i es . AtAntioch thei r pet i t ion was enforced by a voice from

the statue of J up i ter. The king of O lympus spoke


against Christ . Maxim inus was not d ispleased withth is i ntonat ion of the wi l l of J ove . He caused atTyre a wri t ing to be made which expressed the

whole sp iri t of the anc ien t paganism . I n th is theemperor d i rects the venerat ion of the people to themonarch of the gods whose chosen earthly seat wasthe Roman cap ital. He says : “ That highest andgreates t J upi ter , who presides over you r famous ci ty,who saved the d ivin it i es of your fathers

,your wives

,

ch i ldren , hearths , and homes from every pesti len ti nfect ion , he i t was who inspi red you r souls wi th th i shealthful pu rpose

,reveal ing to you how noble and

salu tary i t is to approach the worsh ip of the immor

tal gods with becom ing reveren ce .” All the calami t ies of h is empire Maxim inus referred to the reckless and pern ici ous errors of Christ ians. “ I f theypersi st , he said ,

“ i n the i r accu rsed folly let thembe ban ished .

” Another effort now to restore thesplendor of pagan ism ! Shal l the torch be againk i ndled ? Shal l chain and prison and exi le and confiscat ion be once more employed against the fai th ?Shal l the horrors i nfl icted by Galerius be repeatedunder his nephew ? Blood began to flow and flamesto bu rn . Om inous the portents of terrible persecu t ion ! But by events i n another region of theemp i re the t ragi c spectacles of martyrdom werearrested .

Constant i ne the Great was ri chly endowed with themost bri l l ian t gifts of manhood . I n person he waslarge and commandi ng , majesti c i n countenance ,w ith a v ersat i le and comprehensive i ntel lect d i rectedby an imperial wi l l created for dom inion . The t imeswere ready for th is masterfu l gen i us . He was to be

CONSTANTINE .

the agent ofa revolut ion which was to shape the fu tureof human ity to the C l ose of its development . Constant inewas the son ofConstant i us Chlorus, one of theA ugust i ofD ioclet ian ,who resided in Bri tain . Helena,the mother of the greatest of emperors

,was reputed

to be the daughter of an innkeeper. Her i l lu strious son thus i nherited the robustness of plebeianswi th a patrician d ign ity and refinement . H is vastgifts had been educated at the cou rt of Diocletian ,

where he seems to have been held as a species ofhostage for the good conduct o f h is father

, Chlorus.

I n the N icomed ian capi tal h e must have wi tnessedscenes i n th e most terrible of al l the persecut i ons

,

and been impressed wi th thei r c rue l i nj u st ice . Feari ng for h i s l i fe

,he resolved to escape from h is splen

d id capt ivi ty . I n an unguarded moment Dioclet iangave his consen t that the imperial youth should depart . Expecting a recall , Constan t i ne prepared relaysof swift horses

,and was soon flying with h is face to

ward the West . Nor was he too qu ick to leaveor too fast i n fl ight . Soon Dioclet ian d ispatchedmessengers to bring back the fugi t ive . I t was toolate . Constant i ne was far i n advance . He couldnot be overtaken . I n that su ccessfu l fl ight was thefutu re of Christendom . The stumble of a horse,the delay of a groom

,the t reache ry of a rider would

have changed the cou rse of the h i story of human ity,I n A . D . 306 Constan t ine was proclaimed the suc

cessor of hi s father. Against Maxim ian the youngemperor tu rned fi rst h is arms. H is eagles t riumphed . Max im ian was defeated and d riven tosu i c ide . The exu lt ing victor presented a magn if

icent offering expressive of h i s grat i t ude to Apollo

7O THE CH R I STIAN DE MOCRAcY .

i n h is temple at A ugustodunum . By this bri ll iantgi ft Constanti ne ascribed h is success to a Romangod . Was the imperial you th at th i s beginn ing ofhis mi l i tary career a pagan ? Or d id he wish to secure by hypocri sy heathen support ? O r was he yetvaci l lat i ng between the old and the new ? He had

,

most probably,been trai ned by h is parents i n the

fai th of the Chri st ians .I n h i s path to the domin ion of the world Con

stant ine next encounte red a more formidable rival .His implacable foe was Maxent iu s. This Caesar wasdespicable

,i nfamous

,and detested . Consumed by

lust and vanity,he deflowered the wives and daugh

ters of i l lu strious senators unt i l he became abhorredas a tyrant monster. But he possessed Rome .Hated and feeble i n himsel f

,he was yet powerfu l i n

the renown and wealth and army of the splendidcapital of the empire . He represented the ancien tpagan ism . He hoped i n the nat ional gods whomhe honored . He was

,therefore

,accepted as the

defender of the old Roman idolat ry and commonwealth . Around h im were priests

,populace

,and

patri c ians . St rong i n th i s support,he chal lenged

war. Over I taly Maxent ius commanded the statuesof Constant ine to be hurled from the i r pedestals tothe ea rth . This was an inexpiable insu lt to imperial maj esty.

Constant ine resolved t o strike the fi rst blow .

With forty thousand men he marched into I taly .

Maxen t ius had one hundred and twenty thousandsold i e rs

,and h i s other advantages were overwhelm

ing. On hi s s ide were al l the omens o f v ictory.

Constant ine was awed by his peri l . His sold ie rs

CONSTANTINE . 7 1

were mostly pagans in arms agai nst thei r gods . Canthey be trusted to fight against thei r priests andaltars ? Are they not led agai nst Rome

,the i r v en

erated imperial cap ita l ? Will they encounte r theperi l of vastly superior numbers ? And thei r genera l i s a youth withou t lau rels o r experience , whohas j ust drawn h i s sword fi rst i n battle . I n th i sdesperate s i tuat ion where shal l Constant ine seekhelp ? We wil l see. The new hero marches bold lyfrom the Alps into I taly toward Rome . On theFlamin ian way at the M i lv ian Bridge he i s afew mile s from the capi tal . A cris i s has comewhen he must have d ivi ne aid or perish . He cannot suppl i cate the d e i t i es of h i s enemies . He wil lt u rn

,then

,to the God of the Christ ians . Desi re for

vi ctory,rather than faith

,i nspi red h is prayer. I n

th i s tortu ri ng suspense,j u st after the hou r of noon

,

Constanti ne relates that h e saw over the sun a gl i ttering cross

,and above i t o n the heavens the words

,

Toé ro v ina By th i s conquer ! The emperorpondered over the celest ial S ign . Night came , andhe dreamed . Now

,he solemnly affi rms that Christ

revealed H imself and commanded him to make abanner resplendent l ike that i n the Sky . I n obedience to the vi s ion a gl i tte ri ng ensign was prepared .

This was the laharmn . I t l i fted on its flaming foldsthe cross i n S ight of the army. On the helmet ofthe emperor shone a cross . On the sh ield of eachsold ie r was a cross . Wherever bat tle raged floatedand flashed a cross. The cross became the symbolfor Constant ine of faith and vi ctory.

But beyond the Tiber was Maxent iu s. He wasthe defender of heathen gods , priests , altars , tem

72 THE CHR I STI AN DEMOCRACY.

ples , t rad i t i ons , and h is empi re’s cap i tal . Face to

face stand pagan ism and Chri st ian i ty. The battlei s for the dom in ion of the world . Terrible theshock ! The army of Maxent iu s i s shattered anddefeated

,and he i s hurled in to the Tiber from a

bridge near where now stands the modern PonteMol l e . On the h i l l of the Capi tol Constan t ine plantsthe cross. Here in h is own temple Chri st d isplacesJ upiter. The victori ous emperor on the Esqu i l inebu i l t the Lateran Cathedral and erected the vastmonumental baths whose ru ins yet give honor toh i s conquering name . I t was on the twenty- seventhof October

,A . D . 3 1 2 , that the confl i ct of the M il

vian Bridge occurred,and ever after th is tri umph of

h is arm s the cross was Constant i ne’

s batt le symbol .He erected i n the Roman Forum hi s statu e . Graspedby h is righ t hand was h is standard of victory

,wi th

the inscript i on,By th is salu tary S ign

,the tru e sym

bol of valor , I freed your c i ty from the yoke of thetyran t .

” The conqueror converts the emblem of ou rsalvat ion into an inspi rat ion for war. Y ears after

,

i n h i s cap ital on the Bosporus,he gave h is standard

a more spi ri tual s ignificance . At the entrance ofh i s imperial palace was an immense p ictu re of theemperor. His labarnnz was i n the hand of Constant ine. Beneath h i s feet , pierced by arrows,writhed the dragon Heathen i sm .

Galeriu s had d ied on h is bed in agon ies of d i sease . Maxim ian after defeat perished by su icide .Maxen t ius was drowned at the Pon te Molle i n Tiber.Maxim inus while arming for new confl i cts d ied atTarsus . Of the six rivals c laim ing empi re afterDioclet ian ’s death fou r had been removed from the


empi re must henceforth be e ither pagan or Christ ian . Lic i n i u s

,perhaps

,precip itated the catas

trophe. He forbade assemblies of bishops ; he h indered Chri st ian educat ion ; he sen t worshipers tothe fields ; he appointed pagan officers ; he per

m i tted persecut ion , as in the case of the Forty Mar

tyrs at Sebaste . But Constan tine , on hi s side , wasequally ready for the i rrepressible confl i ct .Priests and augurs exci ted Lic in iu s to defend

the i r gods and destroy thei r enem ies. Before pro

ceed ing to war he conducted the officers of hi scourt and army to a sacred grove . Candles bu rnbefore the d iv i ne images. The place i s awfu l wi thall the imposing ri tes of pagan ceremon ial . Abovethe altar rises the smoke of sacrifice . I n the nameof h is deit i e s Lic i n i us makes th is solemn appealHere stand the images of the gods whose worshipwe have re ceived from ou r fathers . But ou r enemy

,

who has impiously abandoned the sanctuaries of hi scountry

,worsh ips a foreign God

,who has come from

I know not where,and d i shonors h is army with the

d i sgraceful S ign of hi s God . I f the foreign thin gwhich we now deride come off victori ous we

,t oo

,

shal l be obl iged to acknowledge and worship i t andwe must d ismiss the gods to whom we vain ly kindl ethese l ights . But i f our gods conquer, as we doubtnot they wi ll

,we wil l tu rn ourselves after this v ic

tory to the war against ou r enemies . ”

The S ign ificance of the struggle was as fullyreal ized by Constan t ine . His l ife , his faith , h is empi re were i nvolved . To a guard of fifty sold iers hecommitted the Zaharnm. I t moved the symbol ofvictory. The army saw i n i t a S ign of the presence

CONSTANTI NE . 75

of Divin i ty . Imaginat ion surrounded i t w ith a haloof awe , and i t i nspi red men i n stri fes of deadly batt le . One bearer, terrifi ed , giving the labarmn to acomrade , fled . The coward fell t ransfixed by arrows, whi le the new ensign with h is flaming standardwas unharmed am id

‘

peri l and slaughte r. Oftenst ru ck

,the staff was un inj u red . Thus the cross of

ou r salvation , beaut i fu l emblem of e ternal peace ,urged grim warriors to carnage for v i ctory !On the thi rd of J uly

,A . D . 3 2 3 , Lici n i us was de

feated at Adrianople . The si ege of Byzant i umfollowed . Crispus

,eldest son of Constanti ne , com

manded the fleet and,entering the Hellespont , con

quered Amandus,the pagan admiral . At Chry

sopol is was the final battle . Here , too , Lici n i u s wasvanqu ished . He fled to Nicomed ia . At the i n tercession of hi s wi fe Constant ia

,hi s l i fe was spared ;

but i n A . D . 3 24 he was ordered to death . Allenemies were subdued . Constan t ine was master ofthe world .

Imperial pol i cy soon v i olated the edict of Mi lan .

Human ity was not ready for rel igious to lerat ion .

Constan t ine h imself led i n a departu re from the wiseprov i s ions of his own decree . His son s followed h isexample . I t was ordered : The heathen superst i

t ion must cease ; the temples everywhere must beclosed ; he who offers sacrifice shal l be stru ck downwith the avenging sword ; h is property shal l fal l t othe State t reasu ry We see in these statu tes thatgain i s the end o f al l persecutors

,whether pagans or

i nqu isi tors .Before h i s battle wi th Maxent ius , Constant ine af

fi rms he Saw over the sun , and then i n vi sion , a

76 TH E CHRISTI AN DEMOCRAcY .

cross wh ich became his sign and insp i rat ion of v ictory. Was i t i l lu sion

,or impostu re ? At the close

of his l i fe , with sl ight mot ive for decept ion , the emperor related to h is friend Eusebiu s as facts thespectacleswh ich appeared to h is eye and i n h is dream .

We need not explain them into mi racle . They belong to a not i nfrequent species of psychological phenomena. Powerfu l mental impress ions control thesenses , not only of i nd iv iduals , but of mult i tudes .Proof shows that the eye sees what is i ntenselyconceived . I n abnormal cond it i ons sou l dom inatesvi sion . A cross blazed v iv id ly before the m ind ofthe agitated emperor. His mental image he transferred to the sun . Exci ted by the glowing pic ture

,

he magneti zed h is army into h i s fa i th . We can ad

duce psychological facts as wonderfu l as those involved in the vision of Constant i ne .Was the great emperor a Chri st ian ? After h isvictory over Maxent ius h is imperial i nfluence wasfor the new faith . He associated with clergymen

,

stud ied doct rinal quest ions,convened the Nicene

Counci l , and seemed devoted to the Church . Butnot u nt i l th irty years o f profession was he bapt ized .

Eusebi u s paints a bri l l ian t picture of the ceremony.

Constantine suffers from a disease pronounced incu rable . Imperial purple cannot h ide the ghastlytraces of hi s fatal malady. On his brow fal ls theshadow of ete rn i ty. Van i ty earth ’s empire com

pared wi th the immortal i ty of heaven ! Awed bythe everlast i ng fu ture

,Constant ine stands at the font

in the gl ittering robes of bapt i sm whose whi te symbol i z es hol iness . He i s immersed i n the consecratedwater i n the name of the Trin ity. He is signed with

CONSTANTINE. 77

the cross. H e feel s on h is brow the ano int ing chrism ,

and he professed to experience in h imself the ineffabl e joy of forgiveness , the puri ty of regenerat ion

,the hope of immortal l ife . I f we are to bel ieve

h is test imony,he glowed with the love and light of

a Christ ian’

s fa i th . And the magnificence of hisimperi al funeral

,which followed soon , gave solemn

i nterest to a bapt ism preparative for death . Eusebiuswrote the accoun t of h is emperor. The eloquenceof the bishop enc i rcles Constant inew i th the halo ofthe sage

,the hero, and the Sain t .

We have V i ewed the bright colors of the pictu re ;mingled amid these are shades dark with death .

Toward his l i fe’

s close Constant in e was fi l led withgloom . Black specters of suspi ci on pursued them i serable man . Blood was on h i s l ife . He hadforced Maxim ian to su i cide. He had put to deathh i s own son , Crispus . He had sla i n h i s nephew.

He had ki l l ed his brother-in - law Lic i n i us,once h i s

imperial associate . After sacrifici ng his son on thetestimony of his second wife , Fausta , he gave Faustaal so to the execu tioner. We do not know al l thefacts. The members of his fami ly slai n by the em

peror may have consp i red agai nst h i s l i fe or throne .But we shou ld restrai n eulogy. A cloud i s overConstant i ne . He is before that i nfal l ible J udgewho weighs sl ave and king in the same balance ofeverlast ing j ust i ce .A s a ru ler no man i n h istory i s more i l lustriou sthan the son of Chlorus. Renouncing pagan ism

,

he wise ly recogn ized i t as a fact to be tolerated i nh i s government . H is conci l i at ion was the onlypol icy possible . I t brought magnificent success.


Under the leadersh ip of Constan t i ne Chri st ian i tybecame the tri umphant rel igion of h is empire . Fromflames and dungeons and impoverishment i t aroseto mold the admin ist ration of h im who won andwore the d iadem of the world . By conven ing theCounci l of Nice Constantine stamped h imself on thatcreed which was to become the un ive rsal symbol ofthe fai th of Christendom . He bu i l t

,too , the ci ty of

beauty and glory in whose dazzle of splendor evenRome was for a t ime obscu red

,which retains his

v i ctorious name,which i s a cen ter of the Greek

Church and the Mohammedan domin ion , and aboutwhose possess ion as a cap ital of empi re revolve someof the most stupendous quest i ons connected wi ththe fu ture of human i ty.

We must explai n in detai l the i nfluence of Constant ine on the organ ism of the Chu rch . He com

pleted i n i ts poli ty the ecclesiast ical revolu t i on whichbegan i n the fi rst centu ry

,was successful i n the t ime

of Cyprian,and became law by the provision for

ordinat i on i n the Apostol ical Const i t ut ions . Byhim al l p rev i ou s tendencies from democracy to ol igarchy and au tocracy were extended and perpetuated . He secu larized the Church. Hereafter i texhibits the pomp and pretension of the empi re .This we see i n the lordly assumpt ions of ep iscopalt i t les

, so d ifferen t from the scriptu ral and apostol i cals impl i c i ty. E usebius and Chrysostom cal l bishopsprinces and governors. Samm i sacera

’otes

, pont ifioes max i in i , pr inc ipes sacerdotnm highest priests ,“ greatest pont i ffs

,

” “ chief of pri ests — becomeusual designat ions . Bishops were also styled papa ,

patres patrnin, and episcopi episoopornni—r fathers,

”

CONSTANTINE. 79

fathers of fathers, and “ bishops of bishops .Thei r i ncreased prerogat ives corresponded to the i rpompous episcopal t i t les

I . I n regard to presbyters , bishops had absol uteand independent authori ty. 2 . Bishops t ri ed presbyte rs

,while presby ters never tried bishops. 3 . Bish

ops only had power to grant presbyters l i cense topreach

,and

,st rict ly

,perm ission was necessary i n

each part icu lar i nstance where the funct ion was exerc ised . 4 . Bapt isms cou ld be regularly performedonly in the chu rch of the bishop

,where ample

provision was made for the sacrament . 5 . Confirmat ions admitt ing t o the eucharis t were bybishops . 6. The worsh ip of each chu rch i n h i sj uri sd ict ion was under the sole control of the b i shop

,who could compose l i tu rgies and change the

form , bu t not the doctri ne , of creeds . 7. Bishopshad the absol ute right to receive and d isbu rse al lecclesiast i cal revenues

,so that deaCons and presby

ters and subord i nate fu nct ionaries and al l charit i eswere paid from the ep iscopal t reasu ry. 8. Bishopshad thei r power confi rmed by C ivi l laws

,were ap

pointed j udges to try causes,and thus dispensed

j ust ice under imperial au thori ty as officers of theempire .I n an ascendi ng scale , s imi lar to that in the S tate ,

eccles iast ical ru l ers arranged thei r t i t les , jurisd ict ions

,and prerogat ives . The Church was made an

ally and an agent of the empire . Metropol i tanswere establ ished in the ch ief ci t i es , from which theytook name and rank . Each over h i s d istri ct hadi ndependent au thori ty

,ordained his own bishops ,

convoked synods over wh ich he presided , suppl ied


vacant sees,and had superintendence of the gen

eral i nterests of his provi nce .Highest i n th is splend id h ierarchical system were

patriarchs . They , too , im itated the cu stom of theempire and , as archpri ests , styled the ir d istrictsd ioceses . Of these there were th i rteen

,with the ir

capitals at Rome,Constan t inople

,Alexandria , A n

t ioch,Ephesus

,Caesarea , Thessalon ica , S i rm ium ,

Milan , Carthage , Lyons, Toledo , and Y ork. Two

of these overshadowed al l others and were h ighestabove the ecclesiast i cal world . After contest i ngthe struggl i ng Cla ims of Alexandria

,Ephesus

,and

Antioch,by the decree of Chalcedon Rome and

Constanti nople were declared supreme and equal .One was exal ted as the ancient

,and the other as

the actual,capital of the empire

,and between them

began a confl i ct for super io ri ty.

Patriarchs i n the i r d ioceses ( I ) ordained metropoli tans ; (2) called synods and presi ded ; (3) censuredmetropol i tans ; (4) absolved great crim inals ; (5) receiv ed appeals from synods and metropol i tans , withpower to reverse the i r i nferior decrees ; and (6) asofficers of the empi re publ i shed the imperial laws .Hence the civi l t i t le exarch was somet imes appl ied to metropol i tans . The sixth Novel of J ust i n ian shows how ecclesiasti cs were requ ired to perform pol i t ical funct ions in the i nt imate al l i ance ofChu rch and State . I t prov ides , The patriarchs ofevery d iocese shal l publ ish these our laws and not i fythem to the metropol i tans.Amid these revolut ionary changes from scriptu raldemocracy to ep iscopal ol igarchy the Bishop ofRome watched the world and ever pressed h is claim


pontifical and the royal , the sacerdotal orde r be ingthat wh ich has charge of the sacraments of l i fe andfrom which thou must seek the causal of thy salvation . Hence i n d ivine th ings i t becomes kings tobow the head to priests , espec ial ly to the head ofpri ests whom Christ

’

s own voice has set over theun iversal Chu rch .

” Also in A. D . 501 Symmachus,from h is pont ifical throne at Rome , asserts his un iversal sovere ignty : “ The pope i s j udge as God ’svicar, and can h imself be j udged by no one !

”

Nor must we deny that the imperial authori tyoften accentu ated the pap al C la im . The emperorsGrat ian and Valent in ian

,A. D . 378, gave ecclesias

ti cs l iberty of appeal to Rome . I f the charge wasagai nst a metropol i tan the pope had origi nal j u ri sd ict i on . I n A . D . 380 the great Theodosi us wroteAll nat ions governed by us shou ld steadfastly ad

here to the rel igion taught by St . Peter to theRomans. He and Theodosius I I rebuked resistance to the Roman bishop . Withou t h is approbat ionother bishops were to do noth ing. The un iversalC le rgy must Obey him as supreme eccl esiast icalru ler. J ust in ian

’s Code i n A . D . 5 29 confi rmed Grat ian ’s decree . Phocas

,the Greek emperor

,A . D .

606 or 607, acknowledged the see of Rome to beabove the see of Constan t inople. He gave the popethe Pantheon

,over wh ich the Greeks before had

j uri sd ict ion . F i nal ly,i n A . D . 800 Charlemagne

confi rmed the un iversal papal supremacy. The

pall i um became the gift of popes to metropol itans .I t was the official s ign of Rome

’s eccles iast i cal sovereignty over al l nat ions.Y et i t must be observed that these grants from

CONSTANTINE . 83

emperors to popes impl ied the superiori ty of theimperial power. This , above all , was the sovereignj urisd ic t ion over Church and S tate . Emperors convened and controlled the great Ecumenical Counc i ls . At N i ce , A . D . 3 2 5 , i t s Counci l was summonedby Constanti ne ; at Constant inople , A . D . 38 1 , i t sfi rst Counci l by Theodosi u s the Great at Ephesus

,

A . D . 43 1 , i t s Counci l by Theodosi us I I ; at Chalcedon

,A . D . 4 5 1 , i t s Counci l by Marcian . The

second Coun ci l of Constan t inople,A . D . 5 5 3 , was

convened by J ust i n ian,and the thi rd

,A . D . 680,

by

Constant i ne Progonatus.

Nor was the ecclesiast ical supremacy of emperorsmere theory. I n thei r ord inary government theyexerc ised j u risd iction over patriarchs , popes , metro

pol i tans , bishops , and other cleri cal funct ionaries .At wi ll they appoin ted

,degraded , exi led , and even

executed . Witness the deposi t ion and ban ishmen tof Athanasi us , Nestori us, and Chrysostom ! Howsavage was the imperia l tyranny toward i l l ustriouse cclesiast i cs ! Let one fact stand for many instances !

E ighty clergymen complai ned of i l l u sage to theemperor Valens . He placed them i n a vessel wh ichthe crew fi red and abandoned . All peri shed together i n the flames .By the J ust i n ian Code b ishops were legal i zed inthei r ol igarch i c p ower. As a coord i nate govern ingauthori ty the college of presbyters van i shed

,and

with them every trace of the original Christ ian De

mocracy . Laics had no more i nfluence i n the Churchthan Sheep , created to be shorn . History recall sthe deeds of few persons below the episcopal ranks .Usual ly about a m i te r shone the halo of the sain t.


B i shops not only u su rped t i tl e to hol iness , but toecclesiasti cal j urisd ic t ion , alone attend ing Counci ls ,execu ting decrees , controll i ng revenues, d irect ingworship , and by thei r mandates impressing the episcopal wi l l on every act of rel igion. Y et the eccle

siast ics themselves were se rvi le agents of imperialpower. J ust in ian was sovereign . He claimed theworld for h is empi re . Like h is ed ict for the State ,his creed for the Church was un iversal l aw. H is

imperial anathema had pont ifical authori ty . Legislat i ng for Rome and Constan t i nople , he ru led Eastand West as his domi n ion . Magistra tes and eccles iast ics were al ike servants of hi s caprice . UnderJ ust in ian Church and State const i t u ted a uni tedempire .Charlemagne was as autocrat i c as Constant ine orJ ust in ian . He was crowned , i ndeed , i n A . D . 800

by Leo I I I,the Roman pontiff. Y et , rece iving his

d iadem from the pope,he exerc ised imperial sovet

eignty over al l ecclesiast i cal persons , quest ions, andinterests . I n retu rn for his magnificen t dotat ionto Leo he assumed the power of legislat in g as

despot ical ly for the clergy as the lai ty. H is i nst itutes command the Church . H is i nvasions were toconquer heathen ism by the sword . H is s ign of subj ugat i on was baptism . Unbel ief with him ,

as wi thMohammed

,was extermination . Eccles iast i cs , l ike

sold iers , were employed as instruments of worldlydomin ion . By the victories of h is armies Charlemagne became legislator for Chu rch as wel l as empire . He placed himself above the pope and condemmed the image worsh ip which the pope ap

proved . The emperor,a more than pope , presided

CONSTANTI NE . 85

at a Counci l of Frankfort wh ich rejected a decree of

a Counc i l of N icaea . He claimed sway over thewhole extent of the old Roman imperial dom in ion

,

i nclud i ng the Ori ental and the Occidental Church .

Charlemagne was the autocrat of Christendom .

During the mediaeval ages the pope and the em

peror were i n perpetual war. Eccl esiast ical sov ereignty was d isputed , not only i n cab inets , but onbattlefields . For a t ime pont iffs t ri umphed . Atthe close of the tenth centu ry France

,England

,and

Germany held the i r crowns from Innocen t I I I,who

was the eccl esiast i cal au tocrat of the great Europeannations. But , whether popes or emperors were inthe ascendant , the re was not visible a fragment ofthe original democrati c const i tu t i on of the Church .

Always bishops maintai ned thei r power. I n manycountri es the S tate was ru led

,not by an armored ,

but a tonsured , ari stocracy. Cabinets were composed of ecclesiast i cs . Diets supplanted legislat u res. Bishops governed as princes and fought aswarri ors. Under cleri cal ru le E u rope was a vi rtualh ierarchy. Above prelates , above kings , above em

perors , on the throne of the world sat the RomanPont iff.

Whi le I nnocent I I I real ized ful ly the dream ofthe sovere ignty of the world

,i t was reserved for

Boniface VI I I most openly and defiantly to arrogateto h imself both the pont ifical and the imperial dom in ion . Rome at h i s j ubi lee i s crowded with p i lgrims . Al l the power and weal th and magn ificenceof Europe are abou t Bon iface . I n h is robe and

c rown , blaz i ng i n gold and purple and gl i t teri ngw i th jewels

,he ascends the throne of Constant i ne.


The domin ion of the world i s symbol ized by hissword , scepter, and d iadem . Boniface shouts

,

“ Iam Caesar ! I am emperor ! By the Vatican D e

cree of Pio Nono Boniface is i nfal l ible. I t wasreserved for ou r own centu ry to consummate thepapal au tocrat i c system and pronounce in theRoman Church the extinct ion of the Chri st ianDemocracy.

LIBERTY.

CHAPTER V I .

Liberty .

E have traced th rough centu ri es the sup

pression of the Chri st ian Democracy. Buta decay i n the outer organ ism presumes

corrupt ion i n the inner l i fe . I t i s th e soul whichan imates and govern s the human body . Destroythe sp iri tual force and you stop the external movement . Henceforth we are to consider those l ivi ngtruths which can alone preserve the freedom of theecclesiast i cal organ ism .

I n man l iberty i s the unconquerable sp iri t . Y ou

cannot chai n th is wi th the fetters wh ich bind h isflesh . I t gain s vigor i n dungeons and soars aboveflames. Only the force i n hero ic sou l s ever made

i nvincible the brave men who have fought and wonthe battles of civi l l ibe rty. But the power of theChurch i s not a human inspi rat ion . I t i s the breathof the Holy Ghost . He characterizes our d ispensat ion . He was promised by the glorified Master.He dwells wi th men to give freedom and vi cto ry.

Where the Sp i ri t of the Lord is, there is l iberty .

”

Creeds , con fessions , l i tu rgies , organ izat ions are notenough . These belong to the ecclesiast ical body ;the l i fe is the Holy Ghost . From H im comes thefreedom of the Chu rch . But H is presence i s alwaysassociated wi th certain t ruths. We cannot separatethe Spi ri t of God from the doct ri ne of God. Lib


erty of sou l spri ngs from knowledge of Scriptu re .Thus we are impel led to consider those truths whichare i n the very l i fe of the Christ ian Democracy.

Where can we find them i n thei r perfect ion ?Surely i n the form inspi red by the Holy Ghost !Beginn ing with Scriptu re as the d ivi ne ideal

,we find

i ts doctrines in the Chu rch— not a development toward perfect ion , but fi rst a corrupt ion toward ext inct ion

,and then a del iverance at the Reformation

from the decays of death in to a l iberty which,we

trust,wil l brighten in to un iversal m il lenn ial glory.

Beneath al l i n human natu re i s i ts sense of gu ilt .Each man at the root of h is bei ng feels someth ingwrong. To thi s un iversal consciousness Christ ian i tymakes i ts prime appeal . But my condemnat ion ofmyself i s graduated by my moral standard . I measu re myself by myself, by my neighbor, by my socialcode , by the l igh t of natu re . With certai n doubtsI acqu i t myself. Y et , unless I petrify my conscience,I am not sat isfied . Again I measu re myself ; bu tnow by the law of God , by the Christ of God , bythe Spiri t of God . I find i n myself gu i l t and bondage. I t requ i red the search- l igh t of eternal t ru thto Show me as I am . Here the Gospel meets mewi th the promi se

,through fai th

,to rem it my s in

and bring me from bondage in to l iberty. Forgiven ,I receive the Holy Ghost . With that gift I amequ ipped for etern i ty. Remission of si n i s th e primegrace which assu res al l élse needfu l for my salvation ,and i s essent ial to that sp i ri tual freedom withoutwhich the Christ ian Democracy cannot exist.Let us tu rn agai n to the fou rth , fifth , and sixth ofLevit icus ! We find there that the S i n of ignorance

TH E CH RI STIAN DEMOCRACY .

of his blood remains . Not then i n pain is the powerof sacrifice. Moses and Pau l and Christ say thatremission is through blood . Life for l i fe is law andGospel— under the old covenant symbol i c l i fe

,but

u nder the new, l i fe made infini te by Godhead !Turn to the fi rst verses of John ’s Gospel ! Christ

is Word , Creator, God ; Chri st i s made flesh ; then ,Christ is Lamb bearing sin .

Now look to Colo ssians ! I t,too

,speaks of Christ .

Through His blood remission ! Who i s He ? ByH im “ al l things were created , i n the heavens andon the earth

,visible and inv is ible

,whether they be

thrones,or dom inions

,or principal i t i es

,or powers

,

”

and “ by H im al l th ings consist .”

We exam ine Hebrews . Atonement is the themeof the Epist le . I t opens with Godhead and creatorsh ip . Christ made the worlds . Christ i s worsh ipedby ange ls. Christ i s cal led God . Chri st foundedearth and spread out heaven . And Chris t , too , i smy Brother

,

” my “ flesh,

” my “ bone ,” i n whose

blood I have remission .

I n the fi rst great song of the Apocalypse Christi s Creator. But i n the un iversal anthem Christ i sRedeemer. Heaven and earth hymn together remission through the blood of Chri st , as Lamb i n them idst of the throne of H is creat i o n . This i s theeverlast ing note

,softest and loudest and subl imest

i n the song of ou r salvat ion .

I n Scriptu re one un iform sequence— Godhead ,creatorsh ip

,i ncarnat ion

,atonement . For t ime and

etern i ty these are bound together. What God hasj oined let not man pu t asu nder ! Read the earthlyl ife of Jesus ! About the feeb leness of H is humani ty

LIBERTY . 91

are the m iracles of H is d ivin i ty. His cross i s noexcept ion . His pain is the pai n of a man . His

cry i s the cry of a man . H is death-blood is thedeath-blood of a man . But J esu s i s not l ess God .

On His cross He Shakes the earth He called outof Chaos . He rends

'

the rocks He laid i n Hisworld ’s foundat ions . He parts the vei l of thetemple He fi l led with H is glory as Jehovah . Hedarkens the sun He hung i n the heavens . Heopens graves and prom ises parad ise , that we mayknow H im as God of l ife and death and etern ity .

Remiss ion through fai th i n the blood of th i sChrist begins my liberty . But my bondage to myevi l sel f must be broken . This i s the work of theHoly Ghost . How stupendous Hi s revolut ion with inme ! My V i s ible

,earthly existence dates from my

birth . Ou t of i t flows my eternal futu re . What at ran slat ion from my darkness to

_the l ight of an

i l l im i table un iverse ! How affectn my fi rst fai ntcry announc ing that another immortal un it hasbeen added to the sum of human existence ! Allc reat ion serves the i nfant . Bill i ons of stars watchover h im . The sun floods h im wi th the l ight ofl i fe . A globe

’s atmosphere brings ai r to h is l ungs,

sounds to h i s ears,from land and sea breezes for hi s

comfort . Earth and ocean nourish h is flesh . Aun iverse wa its on the babe . His existence i nvolves ,not only the pai ns and joys of t ime

,but the possib i l

i t i es of etern i ty .

To il lu strate the stupendous change of b i rth ou rSaviour employs the subl ime image of the atmosphere . I t infolds a world . I n i t s vast C i rcumfer

ence how mighty its i nvi sibl e movements ! Home


of the l ightn ing, seat of C loud and tempest , thi sfree

,qu ick , powerfu l , i rresist ible, un iversal ai r i s

the symbol of the Holy Ghost brood ing over h umani ty i n that regenerat ing energy of God whichcompletes the l iberty of man .

Christ call s H imselfSon of the Father. The HolyGhost is sen t by the Father. I n bapt i sm and bened ict ion the names of Father

,Son

,and Holy Ghost

are used together. Also the Father i s styled God ,the Son i s styled God

,the Holy Ghost i s styled

God . To each are ascribed the acts of God and theworsh ip of God . Each

,then

,i s God . Y et God i s

one. This leads to the doctri ne of the Trin i ty,

which reconci les a l l d ifli cu lt ies. I n nature God i sone

,and i n Persons three . A mystery ? Not more

than myself. I am matter and sp iri t. United i nme are the vi sible and the i nvi s ible

,tangible and in

tangible,aud ible and i naud ible

,ponderable and im

ponderable,mortal and immortal . How ? I can

not tel l . Y et I know that my spi ri t i nhabi ts mybody, see i ng through my eye , heari ng th rough myear, tasti ng through my tongue , touch ing throughmy finger

,smell ing through my nostri l

,th ink ing

through my brain,thri l l ing along every nerve ,

moving every muscle,trembl ing with emotion

,soar

ing i n imaginat ion,t reasu ring i n memory

,i nvest i

gati ng with reason,decid ing through the conscience,

choosing with the wi ll,and

,whi le dwell i ng i n flesh ,

asp iring to God .

Cause and effect i n poi n t of t ime coinc ide . I f onebe eternal the other i s e ternal . See the fountai n !for i t to exist is to flow. See the sun ! for h im toexist i s to sh ine . See the un iverse ! for i t to exist

94 THE CHR ISTIAN DEMOCRACY.

the fal l ible exalted to the level of the I nfall ible andthe Infall ible degraded to the level of the fal l ible .I nspi red and u n inspi red are equal . I have tu rnedfrom God to man . I f mortal aid be i nd ispensable

,

then mortal error i s i nev i tabl e . While taught bythe Holy Ghost the l iberty of the Christian D emoc

racy rested,not on the sands of human op in ions

,

but on the everlast ing rock of Holy Scrip ture .A s a sky fu l l of stars , the Bible sh ines wi th prom

i ses. I find them suited to every cond i ti on of myl i fe . Between them and me i s i nterposed no barrier. I am invited to bel ieve . I am threatened if Id i strust. I am asked and warned i n J ehovah ’

swords . All i s set forth as personal between myGod and mysel f. He

,the I nfini te , condescends to

me the fin ite . His oath attests H is covenant .Sol ic i ted by the Almighty

,I hear

,I bel ieve

,my sin

is rem itted , my nature i s regenerated , I rece ive theHoly Ghost . The promises of my Bible are condit ioned but on my fai th , without regard to t ime orplace or person or envi ronment. Free they are asl igh t and ai r. Nor do they resemble the flash ofthe cloud and the roar of the thunder . The w i ldand dazzl i ng d isplays of the elect ric flu id i n theheavens are not so striking as the spectacle presented by science when she stores the mysti c e lement , carries wi th he r the magazine for use , and atw i l l propels a mach ine or i ll um inates a ci ty . AndS i le nt as the l ight

,yet powerful as the l ightn i ng

,the

promises of the Bibl e brighten and energi ze sou l sam id l ife’s pract ical du ties . On the land and on thesea

,amid loss , gain , pain , and joy , i n the face of

peri l and death,where no eye Sees and no ear hears

,

LIBERTY. 95

I feel the power of l iberty by fai th and am l i fted tothe communion of Father

,Son

,and Holy Ghost .

Then I wi l l t u rn from man to God , and from H imwi ll be separated nei ther by t ime , nor space , norplace

,nor priest

,nor pope , nor patriarch , nor ri te ,

nor creed,nor canon

,nor custom , nor ord inance , nor

sacrament,nor demon

,nor angel , nor by anything

i n th i s u niverse of the Omnipoten t .This V i ew of fai th seems i ncu lcated i n O ld Testament and New. But Pau l most fu lly unfolds thoset ruths of his d ivine Master which have in themeternal l ife . A s a start ing poin t of hi story we wi l ltherefore t ry to exh ibi t the doctrin e of the great

apost le of the Gen ti les. Remission , he teaches , follows faith i n the blood of Christ . W i th th i s comeregenerat ion , adopt ion , and assu rance by the HolyGhost . Witnessed forgiveness and sp iri t ual b i rth ,identi cal i n t ime , differ i n natu re . Just ificat ion isrem ission by God

,and regenerat ion renewal i n man .

J ust ificat ion releases from gu i lt , whi le regenerat i onrestores to hol iness . J ust ificat ion is through theblood of Christ , and regenerat ion by the Spi ri t ofChrist . Taught thu s by Paul

,al l my relat ions to

the Church are determ ined . Always and everywhere bel ieving, I experience the fu l l power of theGospel . I no longer depend on t ime or place orman . I am free . Mini stri es of the Church I re

ceiv e as helps to my fai th,but n ot as fetters to

my l iberty. My last appeal is to Holy Scriptu re ,with the best human aids I can command , underthe gu idance of the Holy Ghost . The doctrineof Pau l i s the sole barrier against sacerdotal ismand eccl esiast i ci sm . Departi ng from his immortal


t ru ths,the Christ ian Democracy endured the slav

ery of ages .Authori ty i s from Chris t ou r H ead . He is fi rsti n al l . He is Author of the Word . He is Founderof the Church . I f we know what Christ speaks weknow what H is Word speaks and what H is Churchspeaks . After H is ascension Chri st speaks i n twoways . For a few years He spoke by the l ips of H isapostles ; afterward H e spoke by the pens of H isapostles . But l ips and pens test ified the sametru ths . Lips and pens were under the same gu idance . Lips were never agai nst pens

,and pens never

against l ips . O ral or recorded , i t was the sameGospel . Truth written was to preserve truth oral .Spoken only

,the word was left to al l the infirm i t ies

of human memory and to al l the corrupti ons ofhuman pride

,folly

,greed

,ambit ion , and knavery

that is,was at the mercy of trad it i on . Therefore

the pen was made to supplement the l ip . The permanent letters of the volume were deemed moret rustworthy than the passing u tterances of theorator. I nk lasts longer than breath . As al l cou ldnot be recorded

,we are to presume that the Holy

Ghost knew what was best to be recorded and howi t should be best recorded

,and are to be content

wi th what He omitted and wi th what He retai ned ,and to let no man and no communion in terfere wi thou r personal l iberty to bel i eve and obey and be

saved .

Of Chri st or Church what essentials do fathersknow except from the Scriptures ? What do l itu rgists know

,what do ecclesiast ics know, what do

popes and patri archs know,what do counci ls know ?


and at last involved the Church Cathol ic i n mediaevalm idn ight . Chri st had forewarned H is doctors . Hetold them that only the l i tt le ch ild cou ld enter H iskingdom . Humi l i ty i s the cond it i on He imposed .

That wanting,the door i s shu t. Not place , but

grace,admits to our King . The rich ru le r was re

fused,and the humbled Peter rece ived . Publi cans

and fi shermen came wi th in , whi le priests and scribesstayed withou t . By a law of the realm ,

the poorand obscu re more usual ly find entrance than pri ncesand kings. A crown may hide the l ight everlast ing.

5 0 may the cowl of a fast ing , flagellant monk. Witha proud heart the keys of the pope give no admiss ion . History shows that t iara and scarlet havebeen the badges oftener of error than of truth . Thelawn of the bishop has not saved him from idolat ri es and persecu t ions . Doctors and d ivines , blindthemselves by pride of office

,have become gu ides

to the everlasting darkness. Puffed by pont ificalpride

,history points to popes who have made them

selves too large for the door of the kingdom . Protestant pulp i ts , l ike Roman altars, may become waymarks to e rro r and perd i t i on . What stri fes andbi tterness among the sects that sprang out of theReformat ion One law is un ive rsal—unti l we for.sake al l for Chri st a m ist i s over the Bible . Thepope may drop from his Cathol ic chai r a wanderi ngstar forever. Face to face wi th his J udge , he mayfind when too late that he should have cu t off thehand that held the keys and the foot that receivedthe kisses . Rank and sect make no d ifference wi thour Master. Betrayed by greed and bigotry in torevenge and persecut ion , the Protestant i s no nearer

LIBERTY . 99

the kingdom than the Cathol i c he brands as pap istand idolater.I n the apostasy of the Christ ia n Democracy h is

tory wi l l repeat to u s the language of Chri st,

Search the Scriptu res ! ” Omit no help ! Scholarsh ip has i ts place . Our Master employed the geni u sof a learned Pau l , as wel l as the energy of an un

t utored Pe ter. The fai th of Luther m ight havei ll uminated h is cell

,but never would have shone

over a world wi thout the knowledge that enabledh im to t ranslate and expound the Scriptu re . Fromthe Hebrew and Greek origi nal s Zwingle and Calv i nd rew immortal t ruth . The brightest l ight of theEngl i sh Reformat ion came from the un iversi t ies .Our Bible connects i tself wi th al l learn ing , and i nal l ages scholars have been i ts best defenders andnoblest martyrs .History wi ll give u s another warn ing . What men

seek i n the Scriptu re they find . I n tent ion controlssearch . Let u s tu rn to the B ible ! I f gifted mindsseek i n i t reputat ion they w i l l find reputat ion ; i flearn ing

,learn i ng ; i f profi t , profi t ; i f i ntel lectual

st imulan t , also the keenest and loft iest i ntel lectualst imu lant . I t has been invoked to j ust i fy war andconsecrate Slaughter. As the landscape takes colorfrom the l ight

,the Bible may take hue from ou r

selves . We may proj ect ourse lves i n to Scriptu reand bring ou rselves ou t of Scripture . We wi l l behold thus i n history bl ind mortal s delud ing themselves by drawing from the well of everlast i ng truthson ly the p it iable pi tchers they let down . Theteacher m ust follow where the Master l eads

,i f i t be

to pai n and death . Then only wi l l he know. Let


h is cry be, Show me eternal l ife !” Seeking salva

t ion,he wi ll find salvati on .

Behold the flower i n the morn ing su n ! A floodof beams is around i t . To v i tal i ze bri l l iance andturn l ight into verdure one speci es turns i ts face tothe orb of l i fe . A stubborn stem would deprivei t of i ts weal th of glory . And so a resist i ng wi l lkeeps the sou l from the l ight of the d ivi ne word .

Although free from v i ce,al though upright i n dut ies

,

although fai thfu l i n ecclesiast ical Observances,al

though l iberal and magnan imous,although orthodox

in creed and eloquen t i n exposit ion,sti ll

,st i ff in the

prid e of a mere human wisdom,a man may Shut

from himself those beams of truth wh ich alonenouri sh the l ife everlast ing. We see the principlei n nature . I n plant and animal food perpetuatesidentity. The same l ight

,the same ai r

,the same

dews and rains and soi ls here make an oak,and there

make a thist le . Laurel and pine grow ou t of theclefts of the same rock into the same atmosphereand the same sunsh ine . The food nou rish ing a manmight have been converted into a wasp

,a gori l la

,or

an anaconda . Such i s the mysteri ous assim i lat ingpower i n an imals and vegetables

,so that in ou r

world each l iv i ng th ing transforms i nto i ts ownidenti ty.

A S with trees and bi rds and beasts,so wi th sou ls .

The human spiri t often appears to change eve ntruth into i ts own texture . I may receive i t for loveor for hate

,for good or for ev i l , for eternal weal or

eternal woe . Whether to me the Bible i s l i fe or deathdepends on the mot ive of my search . I ntent i on i sthe Spi ri tual assim i lati ng force . The same tru th

102 TH E CH R I STIAN DEMOCRACY .

l ight and the horns of power. The Lamb receivesthe homage of the elders

,wi th thei r harps and vial s

represent ing earth , and of the l i fe- creatu res qu ickwith mot ion and in te ll igence who

,also redeemed

,

symbol i ze the spiri ts i n parad ise . The Lamb is theLight and Temple of the New Jerusalem

,and on

i ts throne the beat itude of H is u n iverse . The Lambi s the center of Scriptu re and history and heaven .

After Calvary He rose to the k ingsh ip of creat i on .

I have the remission of my s in s through His bloodwhose is the ineffable and everlast ing glory of Godhead .

Here,then

,i s the test we propose to apply to al l

i nqu i ri es touch ing the organ ic and the doctrinal h is

tory of the Chri st ian Democracy. I t i s the test ofthe l iberty of the man . I t i s the test of the l ibertyof a commun ion . I t i s the test of the l iberty of theun iversal Chu rch . As a l ens to a poin t of l ightconverges the rays of the i l l im i table sun , so thebeams of Christ ian i ty seek thei r focu s i n the doct rine of personal rem ission through fai th i n theblood of the d iv i ne Son

,attested by the Holy Ghost ,

and reconci l ing to the Almighty Father.

H ERES I ES . 103

CHAPTER V I I .

Heresies .

HE gen iu s of J udai sm was antagon ist i c to thel iberty of the Chri st ian Democracy. Downthrough the ages opposit ion was to conti nue .

I t was form against freedom ,l etter against sp i ri t

,

and ceremon ial i n stead of hol i ness . The object ofthe Epist l e to the Hebrews was to win J udaismfrom a bigoted nat ional ism to the subl ime s ign ificance

of Christ ian i ty. Our Sav i o ur was shown to havefulfi lled i n H imself al l Mosai c types i n a way su r

passing human or angel i c comprehension . Earthi s the altar of the sacrifice which takes virtu e fromGodhead . Now the temple i s the un iverse. Thed ivin e Pri est

,havi ng offered H imself once and for

ever, has exchanged a cross for H is throne , to beman’s I ntercessor and c reat ion ’s Ki ng. H is newcovenant

,wri t ten , not on stones , but hearts , i s sealed

by a new gift of the Holy Ghost brood ing over aredeemed human i ty

,to secure remission of si n and

the l ife everlast ing.

Thei r t imely and grand epistl e d id not prevent theHebrews fromheresy. I ts warni ngs

,i nstruct ions

,

and expostulat ions,sav i ng many

,exasperated more .

Two C lasses of J udaizers arose i n the Church . OneOf these i ns i sted that al l Chri st ians should be C i rcumc ised and observe the ceremon ial law. The otherexcepted Gent ile bel ievers from the yoke imposed


on J ewish converts. Pel la became the center of

these i nsid i ous errors so i n im ical to the fai th andfreedom of the Christ ian Democracy. I t was i nthi s the d isc iples of ou r Lord found refuge whenthey escaped from Jerusalem j ust before the S i egeof Titus .E rror produces error. Whatever the original be

l i ef of these J udaizers,they passed down into deeper

darkness unt i l obscured from thei r Vi ew was the Godhead of thei r Messiah . He became to them a mereman . They seemed to hold that He would fulfi l lonly the ord inary Jewish expectation of a Christ , toestabl i sh the throne of Dav i d once more i n Jerusalem and extend H is scepter over al l nat ions. E i therfrom poverty of doctri ne or property they werecal led Ebion i tes— a name derived probably fromthe Hebrew Ii’ggt, s ign ifying poor . Denying theGodhead of the Messiah

,His i ncarnat ion exci ted

in them,not the j oy that st i rred announcing angels ,

bu t the d ispl easu re of unbel i evers . Hence E b ioni tes rej ected the narrat ions of the glorious man ifestat ions i n earth and sky about the bi rth of J esus . Hewas

,i n thei r V iew

,but a holy man who

,on account

of h is superior vi rtue,tested by trial and ending i n

victory , was appointed to be the Messiah . According to them

,through E l ias

,at the bapt ism by John ,

came on Jesus H is Chri st-power. By fables theymagn ified the importance of the scene at Jordan .

Not satisfied wi th the descent of the Holy Ghost i nan emblem of visible beauty as a dove and with thesubl ime voice of the majesti c Father , Ebion ites invented thei r own miracles . Depreciat ing the bi rth ,they exaggerated the bapt ism

,at which , they af

106 TH E CHRI ST IAN DEMOCRACY.

Shadows avoided by revelat ion Gnostic i sm presump.

tuou sly entered , to indulge i ts wild speculat ions andbu i ld i ts elaborate systems . I t was a n ightmare ofphi losophy

,whose gigant ic phantoms vani shed

,not

before the spel l of patri st i c arguments,but i n the

l ight of the progress of our race .Gnost i c i sms have fami ly resemblances . Hav inga common origin they exhibi t simi lar tra i ts. Letme point out where i n they agree !

SIMILITUDES .

1 . Each Gnost i c i sm held a natu ral,i nev i table

,and

eternal an tagon ism between God and matter.2 . Each Gnost i c i sm sought to bridge the chasm

between God and matter.

3 . Each Gnosti c i sm rejected the O ld Testamentmanifestat ions i n j udgments as u nwise

,unj ust

,and

un lov i ng , and hence as u nworthy of God .

4 . Each Gnosti c i sm denied the incarnat i on because i t bel ieved that God would be defiled and degraded by int imate and permanent contact wi thmatte r.

5 . Each Gnost ic i sm,by inev i table sequence , ended

i n Docet ism,which made Christ

,not a man

,but a

phantom .

6. Each Gnost i c ism was want ing in j ust apprec iat ion of moral law

,gu i lt

,and agency.

7. Each Gnosti ci sm was,therefore

,deficient i n

its concepti on of human accountabi l i ty , and couldhave no hold on the great cent ral t ru th s of redempt ion through sati sfact ion by the blood of the Messiah .

8. Each Gnost icism,while basing i tsel f on Chri s

H ERES I ES. 107

t ian ity , yet , denying the Godhead of Christ , couldnever atta i n permanent place i n Christ i an i ty.

9 . Each Gnost i ci sm was essent ially aristocrat ic,

assert ing that among men pneumatica l natu res wereeternally above psychi cal natures .

10. Each Gnosticism placed 7 1163019, hnowlea’

ge,

above m’

on g, fa i th, and was a system propos ing , notmoral excellence

,but in te l lectual em inence .

Y et w i th general s im i l i tudes there were also striki ng d isagreements . These grew from the regionswhere the systems origi nated . Some Gnostic i smshad a Greek source . Traceable to the Platon icphi losophy

,they borrowed it s {film—gross matter i n

eternal an tagon ism to pure spi ri t . Grecian systemsare less wi ld i n the i r specu lat i ons and fanci fu l i nthe i r p i ctu res than those of O ri ental origin . Whent inged with Ind ian Buddhism and Persian Z oroastrian ism

, Gnostic i sms exhibi t the _human mind d is

port ing i tself i n monstrosi t i es of delu sion whi chsuggest that only a madhouse or a pandemoni umcou ld have fu rn ished men capable of conceiv ingand coloring such absu rd i t i es

,and

,by way of emi

nence, styl ing them knowledge . The very names of

these grotesque systems exci te pi ty and laughter.We have transmitted to u s by the Greek and Lat infathers Heracleon i tes

, P tolemae ites , Ophites, Cai ni tes, Carpocrat i ans , E p iphan i tes , P rod ic ians , Ant itaetae

,Nicola i tans

,S imon ians

, Satu rn in ians, Tatianists , Encrat i tes .To make ou r subject plai n I have selected on lythe great typi cal Gnost i c i sms for exposi t ion , andthese I wil l proceed to explain

,each under the head

of its most em inen t representat ive.

1o8 TH E CHR I ST IAN DE MocRACY .

CE R I NTH US.

He was a contemporary of the apostle J ohn,who

fled , i t i s said , from a bath when he heard that theGnosti c was i n the bu i ld ing. The subl ime asse rt ionof the Godhead and creatorsh ip of the Word madeflesh

”which opens the fourth Gospel m ight well

have been intended to rebuke the vague and monstrous invent ions of a pretent i ou s phi l osophy.

Between God and the world Cerinthus placedan immeasu rable abyss . Contact wi th materialnatu re was i nfini tely below the majesty of the Supreme . Hence Cerinthus taught that the Mosa iclaw was a min ist ry of angels. Of these

,above al l

others, stood one as the representat ive of God .

This em inen t angel was the vis ible King of theJ ews . They deemed H im God

,as Ch i ld ren mi stake

i n a stream the image of the sun for the sun himself. Beyond Him the gross mu l ti tude cou ld notrise . To the grovel ing psychical natu res He seemedthe God- logos

,whi le the pneumat ical elect as

cended above H im to the t rue vision of the A lmighty.

I n each Gnost ici sm its V i ew of Jesus correspondedto i ts V i ew of Jehovah . Cerinthu s den ied the d iv i n econcept ion of Christ . Like the Ebion i tes , he deprec iated the bi rth at Bethlehem and exalted thebaptism at Jordan . The Holy Ghost was the trueMessiah . The Holy Ghost at the bapti sm revealedfi rst to Jesu s a knowledge of the true God . TheHoly Ghost bestowed 0 11 Christ H is m i racu lou spowers . Rather

,Jesus the man was the Vi s ible te r

restrial Christ,while the Holy Ghost was the true

celest ial Chri st . Godhead incarnate Cerinthus cou ld


bapt ism came to Christ a new l ight . Now HeH imself atta ins fi rst a knowledge of the true God .

At H is passion H is aeon leaves Jesus . With Basil ides sufferi ng could have no part i n redemption .

He den ied Pau l ’s doctri ne of j ust ificat ion . As release from gu i lt

,rem ission of S i n was impossible i n

h is system . Hence , also , the l ibe rty of fai th wasunattai nable and spi ri tual bondage inevitable .

VALENTINE.

His was the most elaborate of the Gnostic i sms .Valent ine l ived i n the same peri od as Basi l ides .

Born i n Egypt,he was yet probably of Jewish de

scen t. He was educated in Alexandria and spentmany years i n Rome .At the summ it of existence Valentine placed h is

Bythos By this negat ive,mean ing ahyss ,

he i nconsistent ly expressed l i fe ’s i nfin i te ful lness .Ou t of Bythos flow aeons

,male and female , which

const itu te the pleroma,and are manifestat ions of

the ineffable,i ncomprehensible , i nfin ite , impersonal ,

primal essence . Horos i s styled redeemer and sa

v iour. His work is to preserve harmony by keep ingthe aeons i n thei r spheres. Distu rbances i n the pleroma cause the d iscords of the un iverse . Whenthese occu r the d ivi ne l i fe s i nks down into matter.The world ’s sou l i s an immaterial b i rth .

Valenti ne recognized three orders of existence

( I) pneumatical natu res , superior to matter ; (2)psychical natu res

,composed of matte r and Spi ri t ;

(3) atheist i c natu res, godless , destruct ive , swayed byappetite and passion

,eternal

,i rreclaimable slaves to

matter.

HERESIES. I I I

Bythos, Valent i ne taught , can never u n i te wi ththat antagon ist i c to i ts essence . Between Bythosand 61 7) contact i s impossible . Hence wild andgross matter, must commun icate wi th Bythos by aDemiurge , whi le Satan i s the impersonat ion of theungodlike kingdom , the essence of discord , and theenemy of harmony, resembled by al l h is subjects .Psychical natu res sink i n death or ri se to immor

tal i ty,accord ing to the determ inat ions of the wi l l.

Those yield ing,eventual ly , with Satan , retu rn to

noth ingness . When th i s happens the harmony ofthe pleroma commun icate s i tself to al l grades ofexistence .Valent ine ’

s Soter is Former and Redeemer of theworld . He inspi res the mundane soul

,and the

mundane sou l i nsp i res the Demiu rge . Soter andSophia

,as art i sts

,pictu re the d iv i ne glory. But in

thi s strange work the seed of a div i n e l i fe i s sp i l ledover i nto man . This new creatu re needs subj ect ion .

To effect the subj ugat ion of man the Dem iu rge in

terposes with h is angels and p rom ises a Messiahto release his people from He sends theChrist

,h is own image , from heaven , wi th a body

composed of the most ethereal elements . Descendedfrom the ce lestial , Jesu s had not the flesh of a t rueman . He could eat , dri nk , sl eep , and accommodateH imself to human cond it i ons

,bu t i n a way wholly

His own . Agai n we meet a Gnosti c phantom . Atthe bapt ism , descend ing as a dove , the inv i s ibleSoter u ni ted H imself to the Messiah . The psych ical Messiah is crucified , and then a pneumati calMessiah ascends to the Soter. I n the lofti est s ign ificance of H is true natu re th is Messiah is known

1 1 2 TH E CHRISTIAN DEMOCRACY.

only to the elect . These are the sal t of the earthand the l igh t of the world , and by these the earthlywi l l be final ly t ransfigured i n to the heaven ly, thecorruptible be conquered

,and a kingdom be created

imperishable and everlast i ng.

MARCION .

He was born near the beginn ing of the secondcentu ry at S i n ope

,i n Pont us . I n this place his

father was not un l ike ly bishop . Marcion seems tohave come to a true faith . He had fel t the glow oflove to Christ . Possibly he was converted by studyof the Scriptu re

,and this may explai n h i s host i l i ty

to trad it ion . Hence,too

,may have arisen his sym

pathy with Pau l . Burn ing wi th zeal for Christ , hesold his property and gave i t to the Church . Hethen began a severe ascet i c l i fe. But in the O ldTestament Marc ion saw no God of love such asbeamed i n the New. I n the one was i nexorable severi ty

,and in the other ineffable benevolence. Marcion

was perplexed . At last he arrayed the O ld againstthe New. He taught that the glory of Chri st burston the world wi thout any previous in t roduction orpreparat ion . The sun of t ruth had no dawn . Marcion went to Rome . Here he was rej ected by theChurch . Removed from all ecclesiast i c restra ints

,

h is system developed i nto an elaborate Gnost icism .

”TM, blind , ev i l matter, resi sts God . Satan impersonates th i s opposi t ion . Man i s created i n h i s ownimage by the Demiurge . The human body i s matter

,and hence ev i l the human sou l

,from the essence

of i ts Maker , has sp i ri tual affin it ies and apt itudes .But the Demi urge cannot endue man wi th an i n.

1 14 TH E CHRISTIAN DEMOCRACY.

Mani had become d ist ingu ished . Opposed by theMagi , he lost i nfluence wi th the monarch , and wasdriven by peri l to I nd ia . When he retu rned Hormuz was on the Persian throne

,and h i s symbol ic

p ictu res ga ined him influence with th is king. Butagai n Man i fell under the royal frown

,and i n A . D .

2 77 he was flayed al ive . I t i s re lated that h is ski nwas stuffed and hung before the gate of Damascus .We have seen that Man i was born i n Pers ia andl ived i n I nd ia . This explain s why he m ingled Christ ian i ty with Parseeism and Buddhism . He bel ievedi n the Ormuzd and Ahriman of Zoroaster. Lightand darkness

,represent ing good and ev i l

,are i n

everlast ing confl ict . Hence , i n the un iverse irreconc i lab le war. Ove r the kingdom of l ight ru les theFather

,i n whose - e ssence are wisdom and glory.

To H is i ncomprehensible majesty He un ited aeons,

H is exalted and bl issfu l companions , whose splend iddomin ion can never be shaken . But to thei r l ightk inn m i n mad batt le approach the powers ofdark

ness . A glimmer from i ts brightness penetratesthei r gloom and st i rs them to war for supremacy.

To guard the bounds of H is empire the Fathe rmakes emanate from H imself a l i fe-mother, whobecomes the world- sou l . F i re

,ai r, l ight , earth ,

water, the five elements are summoned to battle

wi th Ahriman . Man i s imperi led and asks a id of

the monarch of the kingdom of l ight .Mani supposed a pu re sou l throned i n the sun ,

and a corrupt sou l d iffused through natu re . Correspond ing to these were an exu ltant and a cruc ifiedson of man . And here the Persian borrowed fromBuddh . Each seed

,pushing from earth

’

s bosom

HERES IES . 1 1 5

i nto plant with leaf, and blossom ,and fru it , was a

tri umph of the pri nciple of l ight,and was , i ndeed ,

a sou l imprisoned in matte r by the prince of darkness

,bu t struggl ing up into the bright freedom of

ai r and sun .

The sun-sp i ri t endangers the n ight-powers ,which would l iberate and evaporate the world - sou l .

Man i s made a m icrocosm . He is a copy of thetwo opposi ng realms of l ight and darkness— a mirro rreflect i ng earth and heaven . From Adam as a

founta i n al l sou ls are derived . But these mattercontam inates and inflames with lusts . Man wil lsgood and does evi l . I n his struggle toward freedomhi s tu rp itude i s made v i s ibl e by the law. Flesh andsp i ri t battle each other. He who conquers l ustr ises

,and he who yields s i nks . The night-powers

,

fearing the tri umph of the l ight- natu re i n man,

would draw him down to themselves . To counteract these schemes and procu re human freedom theSun- sp i ri t al l ies H imself to human nature . But Hecannot ente r a material body

,as l ight uni tes not

wi th darkness . Hence,He clothes H imself i n

phantom form,V i s ibl e only to the sensuous . Not

u nt i l H is transfigurat ion was Christ seen i n H i sl ight-glory. He is described by Man i as a Messiahaccommodated to the material concept i ons of theJ ews . Cruc ified on ly i n appearance , His death wassymbol i c of souls

,wh ich , su nk i n matter, are ra i sed

by the Sun-sp iri t . During the scenes about thecross Man i makes Chri st say to John that the wholet ransact ion i s for the populace . The person of theMessiah

,van ish ing

,i s replaced by a cross of l ight

,

and from i ts bri l l iance a vo ice says, “ This is for

I 16 THE CHRISTIAN DEMOCRACY .

you r sakes cal led sometimes the Word,sometimes

Christ,sometimes the Door , somet imes the Way,

somet imes the Bread,somet imes the Sun

,somet imes

the Resu rrect ion,somet imes Jesus , sometimes the

Father,somet imes the Spi ri t

,somet imes the Life

,

sometimes the Truth,somet imes Faith

,somet imes

Grace .” All sou ls final ly enslaved to lust , Man i excluded from immortal i ty. Changed into matte r

,

they must watch over matter. E ternally theywi ll cleave to what they loved . But souls triumphant ove r l ust dwel l i n the everlast ing kingdomof l ight .Manichaeans were divided into aud i tors and elect .

To the former truth was partial ly u nfolded , whilethe lat ter were ful ly i n i t iated . Those having theloft ier vocat ion owned no property

,abstained from

marriage,indulged i n neither wine nor flesh . Man i ’s

system was inev i table bondage . I t consideredmatter i ntri nsi cal ly ev i l . I t viewed the body asdefilement . I t thus i nsi sted on a slavery from whichi t provided no emancipation and from its doctri nes

,

therefore,a gloom spread over l i fe

,and the j oy and

l iberty of fai th could not an imate and preserve aChrist ian Democracy.

The great Augustine was ensnared by the subtleand soaring errors of Manichaeism and was only del ivered by grace of a true convers ion . I f i t deludedan i n tel lect so acu te and exact ing, how powerfulmust have been its sway over i nferior m inds ! I tspoison long l ingered i n the Church . As late as thec lose of the twelfth century i t bu rst out in France .At the beginn ing of the re ign of Innocent I I I i trevived with vigor i n Languedoc . That pope made

I 1 8 THE CHRISTIAN DEMOCRACY.

ou r world by a physical Chri st l owers our d ispensat ion and degrades the office of the Holy Ghost .But , as ecclesiastic i sm and sacerdotal ism con

sumed the l i fe of Chri st ian l iberty,and incl i ned to

cold dogma and ch i l l i ng ceremonial,and allied them

se lves to the power of kings,earnest men sighed for

the pu ri ty and freedom of apostol ic t imes . Theyassociated

,however

,spi ri tual gifts with physical

man ifestat ions . Many yearned , not only for thePentecostal conversions

,but also with these for the

V i sible tongue of flame and the aud ible roar as of atempest . Out of this fai lu re to d iscrimi nate betweenthe real and the acc idental

,the permanent and the

temporary , grew the heresy we are now to consider.I t was an honest

,but fanat i cal

,assert ion of the apos

tol i c prophet ical l iberty against the freezing worldlyformal i sm of ecclesiast ical and sacerdotal bondage .Montanus was born i n Phrygia abou t the m iddle

of the second centu ry. We know l i ttle of h i s earlyl i fe . How he came to Chri st i s not recorded i n h i sh istory . But he was l iable to ecstasies and beganto prophesy. Persecu t ions were foret old

,Christ ians

exhorted to austeri t i es,and the martyr’s crown

placed before them as an object of asp irati on .

Chri st ’s near m i l lenn ial reign was also announcedby Montanus . He was a Chi l iast . Rising i n h isv i ews of h is m issi on

,he claimed a vocat ion to re

form the Church . He appealed to Chri st’

s prom ise .He annou nced himself the Paraclete . He was au

thori z ed as such to expound the fai th , to defenddoct rin es

,to sett le d i spu tes . But the d iv i ne wi l l

was declared by him through h is two prophetesses ,Prisci l la and Maxim i lla. These women had Vis ions.

HERESIES . 1 19

By ecstat i c reve lat ions was the Church to keep ad

v anc ing unt i l the coming of her Lord . A S a resu ltof such fanat i ci sm the Montan i sts were swept bytempests of emotion . Female vis ions were to havethe au thori ty of apostol ic test imonies . Wild dreamsbecame oracles of fai th . Scriptu re , i n terpreted byMontanus as Paraclete

,was to be the foundat ion of

the completed structu re of Christ ian i ty.

Y et th i s system ,professing superio r l iberty

,

t ended back to severer bondage and was incompat ible wi th the existence of the Christ ian Democracy.

Fasts,before volu ntary

,were made obl igatory by

this new return to freedom . Duri ng three weeksMontanus

,l ike a pope

,prescribed d iet by law. He

exalted cel ibacy. He made martyrdom an objectof fanat i cal desi re . He const i tu ted h imself anecclesiast ical legi slator above Moses

,and even Chri st .

Finally , the Montan ists wi thdrew from the Church ,bu t cont i nued to exert a subtle and extraord inaryi nfluence over many pious and superior m inds .We cannot concl ude ou r not ice of th is i nterest ingheresy wi thou t ment ion ing the sad lapse of thevenerabl e Tertu ll i an . This Latin father was noti nferior i n gen iu s to August ine h imself. He was ,i ndeed , a narrow and gloomy ascet i c , degrad ing marr iage and glori fying virgin i ty. Habitually violen tand cau st i c , he exhibi ted l i ttle of the joy and gentl eness of Christ: Y et how keen h is wi t , how piercingh is acumen

,how burn i ng hi s sat i re H is sentences

sparkle,and h i s eloquence often soars i n to the sub

l ime . H ow i n conceivable that th is acute and loftyintel lect cou ld have abandoned i tsel f to the v i sionsof a Pri sc i l la and a Maximi lla and passed under

I 20 T H E CHRISTIAN DEMOCRACY .

the spel l of a Montanus ! Such a descen t makesless strange the vagaries of any human personal i ty.

Let us adduce a single in stance to show thecredul i ty of Tertu ll ian ! He wishes to prove thesou l corporeal . Does he resort to argument ? No .

He abandons h is reason at the suggest ion of

dreamers . The sacred services of the Church haveconcl uded . One of the two Montan i st women isdetained . She fal ls before the people i nto a trance.

While i n th i s estat ic cond it ion she sees a sou l i nbodi ly state ; more— with her hand of flesh She

grasps the hand of a spiri t . She describes even thecolor of th is v is ibl e sou l . While soft and transparent

,i t was ethereal i n hue

,and i t had also

shape . I ts form resembled that'

of a human be ing .

The prophetess supplied V i sion , and the fatherphi losophy. Tertu ll ian i nforms us how the effectwas produced . God

’s breath passed from man’sface in to the interior structure ; then , hav i ng spreaditself through al l the spaces of the body, i t impressed i tsel f on each i nternal featu re . By thisdensifying process the sou l ’s corporei ty was fixedand i ts figure molded .

Did Tertu ll ian derive also from Prisci l la andMaxim i l la hi s views of bapt ism ? They are wildenough to have originated i n the vis ions of Montan ist ic prophetesses. And we wi ll find hereafterthat orthodox fathers had j ust as l i ttle scient ific ortheological support for opin ions which were fetters

of freedom . Tertu ll ian teaches that an angel byhis presence tempers the waters of bapt ism . He ,descend ing i nto the sanct i fying fount , makes thepaths straight for the Holy Ghost.

1 2 2 T H E CHRISTIAN DEMOCRACY.

book. But what are thei r relat i ons to each other ?Which was fi rst ? Are both expansions of a previous

,

peri shed work ? On these points Op in ions are d iverse and end less . Nor are cri t ics more agreed asto the author. Some th ink that the Clement ines aregenu ine product ions of the writer whose name theybear. This we know

,that i n h is commentary on

Genesis Origen,i n A . D . 2 3 1 , quotes from the

Recognit ions .” Mention is made in them of an

event occu rring i n the reign of Caracalla . Therefore a date early as A . D . 2 1 1 may be fixed forthei r appearance . The recent d iscovery of a Greekmanuscript may settle these d i sputes of centuries .I n these fict ions the author call s h imself Clement .He represents h imself as a ri ch Roman i n the reignof Tiberi us tormented with doubts about his immortal i ty. Phi losophy fai ls to sat isfy h im . Reportsreach him of an Ori enta l Messiah . He sai ls fromPontus for Palest ine , bu t storms d rive hi s sh ip intoAlexandria

,i n Egypt . Here he encounters Barna

bas,who soon leaves for the Holy Land . Clement

fol lows h im,finds h im

,and i s in troduced by him at

Cae sarea Straton is to the apostle Peter. Now wecome to the heart of the book . Clement jo ins Peter,and the two proceed together to Tyre

,to Tripol i s

,

to Antioch,to Laod icea . Everywhere they encoun

ter S imon Magus,the servant of Satan and imper

sonation of error. He is a Samaritan of Gi tta .

Peter’s d ispu tes wi th Magus and conversat ions wi thd isc iples make the substance of “ Homil ie s ” andRecognit i on s . I n our modern phrase

,Clement

i s reporter to the Chief of the apostles and i s sup

CLEMENTINES . 1 2 3

posed to record h is master ’s most i nt imate Opin ions .We have thu s al l the elements which shal l p ictu rethe anc ient l ife of the Church . Rome , Egypt , Palest ine pass in vivi d V i ew before our eyes . The opinions , the fee l i ngs , the customs of the Occidental andthe O ri enta l Church become our possession . Aftervari ou s wanderings and d isputes between Peter andMagus the end i s dramati c . Impostu re is revealed .

Rebuked by Faustus , Magus, gnashi ng h is teeth i nrage

,departs . But the Samari tan revenges h imself.

To conceal h is fl ight Magus changes Faustu s in tohi s own form , and in th is he i s u sed by Peter, whopromises h im restorat ion to h i s t ru e shape . Suchis the substance of a volume which del ighted Chri st ians du ring an heroi c age of martyrs !Withou t ventu ring cri t i cal theories I may be per

m i tted a few“

observat i ons on the Clement ines. I thas been remarked that opposi te Ebion i t i c andGnost i c tendencies appear i n these wri t i ngs . AChrist ian i zed Jew seems to wri te i n the letter of

Peter to James . Rome addresses J e rusalem . Whatdoes the fi rst pope i n the capi tal of the world stylethe fi rst b ishop in the metropoli s of J udea ? Petercalls James “ l ord b ishop of the holy Chu rch .

Pope Peter e levates Bishop James above h imself,and thus loft ie r than Rome exal ts J erusalem . Andwhat occu rs i n the letter of Clement ? He styl esJames “ l ord ”

and “ bishop of bishops , who rulesJ e rusalem

,the holy Church of the Hebrews , and

the Churches everywhere . ” I n the V i ew of th iswri ter sovere ignty i s not a t Rome . Jerusalem i squeen mother of the Chri st ian world . And th is appears ia epi st les of both Pope Peter and Pope C lem


ent,each a Pope of Rome, which claimed afterward

supremacy over the un iversal Church !More marvelous yet the host i l i ty of Clement toPaul

,the apostle of fai th and l iberty. We find i n

these wri t i ngs the law against the Gospel . Pete rimpersonates the Jew i n oppos i t ion to Paul , whoimpersonates the Christ ian . And the enmity i svenomous . The great expounder of ju st ificat ion byfaith i s scorned and vi l ified

,apparently for that .doc

tri ne of l iberty which is the key to all hi s ep istles .The S imon Magus of the Clement ines seems to bePau l h imself. By such a representat ion the wri terwould make infamous the grand apostle of the Gent i les. Especial ly i s contempt pou red on the gloryattending the convers ion of Pau l , h is v i sion of Christi n the templ e

,and hi s exaltat ion t o behold paradise

and the heaven of heavens . H ow could such wordsof scorn

,hurled at a writer whose ep ist l es were eu

rol led in the canon of Scriptu re,obtain currency i n

the Church du ring cen tu ri es when Christ ians werepurest i n l ife and bravest i n martyrdom We havei n ou r own age no such contrariet ies . But we musthear the Clement ines i n thei r contempt of Paul .

“ He who trusts i n appari t i on or v i s ion i s i nsecu re . He who has appeared may say what he wi ll ,gleaming forth l ike a wicked one . But i t i s man ifest that the impiou s see t rue visions . The declarat ion of anything by means of apparit ions and dreamsfrom withou t i s a proof

,not that i t comes from

revelat ion,but from wrath . I f, then , ou r Jesu s ap

peared to you i n a vi sion and made himself knownto you and spoke to you i t i s as one who i s en ragedwith h i s adversary.

”

1 26 THE CHRISTIAN DEMOCRACY.

of Clement . The J udai zer van ishes and the Gnost i c appears . A theory is advanced that the tru eprophet must be always selfi con tained and d ign ified . Enthusiasm i s incompat ible wi th truth . Theorgan of the Spiri t wi l l ever exhibi t the calm majestyof Christ . His d ivi ne manner and method are cruc ial tests of heaven ’s communicat ions . Hence

,be

cause of thei r vehement eloquence,Clement repu

diates the old H ebrew prophets . He depreciatesMoses more than he d iscred i ts Paul . He cloudsand clamors against the Pentateuch . He ascribese rror to the great lawgiver of I srael

,and rid icu les i n

h is wri ti ngs al l that the J ew esteemed most impressive and subl ime . No modern advocate of bibl icale rrancies approaches Clement i n the flame of h isburn ing contempt and the keenness of h i s subtleinsi nuat ions .For the Scriptu res

,he says

,have had j oined

to them many falsehoods on th i s account . Bewareof th inking otherwise of God than that He is theonly God and Lord and Father of the righteous. I fHe hardens hearts

,who makes w i se ? I f He makes

blind and deaf,who gives s igh t and heari ng ? I f H e

commits pi lferi ng,who adm in i sters j ust i ce ? I f He

dwell s i n a tabernacle,who i s wi thout bounds ? I f

He is fond of fat and sacrifices,who i s holy ? I f He

dwells i n shadow and darkness and storm and smoke ,who i s the l ight that brightens the un iverse ? I f Heis pleased with candles and candlest i cks , who , then ,placed the luminari es i n heaven ? I f He comes wi tht rumpets and shoutings and darts and arrows , whoi s the looked - for t ranqu il l i ty of al l ? I f He loveswar

,who w i shes peace ? ” And it i s Pete r, ch ief

CLEMENTINES. 1 2 7

of apostles,who exclaims

,

“ Be ye good moneychangers

,i nasmuch as i n the Sc riptu res are some

true sayings and some spu rious !After a c ircu lat ion of two cen tu ries the Churchhad t ime to determine i ts opi n ion of the Clement ines,contain ing i n d ial ogue the u tterance we have quoted .

They may have appeared,we have seen , early as

A . D . 2 1 1 ; and i n A . D . 4 10 R ufinus gave h i s t ranslat ion to the world . He was a presbyte r of Aqu ile ia . He seems confident that hi s work wou ld beaccepted . He , i ndeed , feels that he deserves thegrat i tude of hi s coun try and wi l l be crowned withh is reward . Nor was he probably m istaken i n hisglowing antic ipat ion . Changed from thei r Greekinto a Latin dress , the Clement ines were welcomedand approved by the Western Church . The letterof R ufinu s to Bishop Gaudent ius breathes the spi ri tof a tri umphant assu rance

“ We contribu te to the use ahd profi t o f ourpeople no Smal l spoi l

,as I th ink

,taken from the

l ibraries of the Greeks . For foreign things u sual lyseem more pleasan t

,and somet imes

“

also moreprofi table . J udea sends u s tears of balsam ; Crete ,hai r of d ictamnus ; Arabia , her flowers

'

of sp ices ;Ind ia reaps her crop of spikenard . Receive , therefore

,my friend

,Clement return ing to you—rece ive

h im in a Roman dress ! And I know not with howgratefu l countenances my count rymen welcome me

,

bringing to them th is rich spo i l of Greece and u n

locking h idden treasu res of wisdom with the key ofour languagef

’

Here i s a phenomenon to explai n ! R ufinu s i n hi sletter reflected h is age . After two centu ries of

1 2 8 THE CHRISTIAN DEMOCRACY .

ci rcu lat ion i n Greek he i ntroduced the Clement ines

to a Lat in popu lari ty. Y et they rid i cu le Moses,st igmatize the Bapt ist

,repud iate Pau l

,deny the in

sp i rat ion of H ebrew prophets,and rej ect as spu

riou s what the O ld Testament records as fact .Like a wild Gnosti c i sm

,they seem to know noth

ing of law or s in or gu i l t o r redempt ion through theblood and Spi ri t of Christ . To the evangel icalfa i th of Pau l they oppose the most contemptuoushost i l i ty. Y et they rose i nto favor I n t imes whenbel i evers were tested by sword and chain and flame .The Clement ines attained thei r widest ci rculat ionand greatest popu lari ty duri ng the Aurel ian

,Decian

,

and Dioclet ian persecut ions down to the period ofAugustine h imsel f

,embracing centu ries where the

Church was most holy i n l ife and v igorous i ngrowth

,whi le marchi ng forward to the ecclesiast i ca l

domin ion of the Roman empire .The highest form of Chri st ian i ty i s that i n whicheach doctrin e and each experi en ce i s attested andexpressed i n words of Holy Scriptu re i nspi red bythe Holy Ghost . The language of God best interprets the heart of man . A fai th d rawn whol lyfrom the Bible as unfolded by the Spiri t i s abovecreeds

,above l i t urgies

,above systems . This i s the

ideal of Christ ian i ty. To this glory, we hope ,humani ty i s tend ing. What a j oy of un iversalt ri umph ! But such subl ime attainments i n fai thand l ife presume what apt itudes and what opportun i t ies ! Well for man that the t ruths essential toh i s salvat ion are few ! All may be summed i n abrief symbol . But while simple , how transcendent !I ncarnation

,Trin ity

,atonement

,remission by

I 30 THE CHRISTIAN DEMOCRACY.

hardness intended to withstand the force of thestorm and the wrench of the i ntruder. Pluck abranch from the stem ! Separated , no ski l l of mancan produce a grape . Let the ph i losopher theorizeabout i t ! Let the chemist galvan i ze i t ! Let thelectu rer talk over i t. Does i t l eaf ? Does i t bud ?Does i t blossom ? Does i t cluster ? No , i t d ies . Butbefore i t expi res take i t back and joi n i t to i ts vine !I t l ives

,i t grows

,i t bears . Over a vineyard you see

lu scious grapes load ing the bend i ng branches , blushi ng to the sun ,

burst ing wi th the i r l iqu id sweetness ,and invit ing to partake bf thei r exqu isi te nectar.And thus j oin ed to Chri st fru i t i s i nev i table . Apartfrom H im

,useless al l forms

,doctrines

,ri tes

,sacra

ments,dut ies , ceremon ies , Obse rvances . With a

perfect i ntellectual orthodoxy or amid the most imposing magn ificence of ri tual the man may starve .With bands of gold fasten you r branch to you r vine !Let d iamonds flash abou t i t ! Hang there thewealth of India. Fruit less ! So ne i ther orthodoxynor ceremony creates l i fe . On ly u n ion brings fru i t .Amid a gross mass of doct ri nal and ri tual i st ic errorthere may be true faith i n the Redeemer

,as wi th

the branch , i f a s i ngle unnot iced fiber,slender as a

thread , but touch the j u ices as they ascend anddescend in the i r myste rious annual courses , an iastantaneous l i fe may be communicated and developi nto al l the beau ty of broad leaves and the glory ofripe clusters.

CREEDS . 1 3 1

C H A PT E R I X .

Creeds .

H E authorsh ip of the Epistle to the Hebrewshas long been a subj ect of d i spute . Was i tswri ter Pau l ? I t bears many marks of the

great apostle . We notice h i s logical power,hi s

vehemence,h is compounded words

,h is H ebrais

t ic om issions,his ant i theses ; here h i s argument i n

a sen tence,and there i n a paren thesis ; bu t every.

where h i s gen i u s and h i s affect ion . The brai n and

heart of Pau l ‘

seem i n th is Epistle . Al l the pecu l iari t ies of the style may be explain ed by the sub

l im i ty of the theme . I n Romans faith i s subjectiv ely t reated . I t i s a simple act ion of the sou lh idden in ourselves

,i nv i s ible

,l ike the root of a t ree .

Hence Romans i s supplemented by Hebrews,where

we have fai th,not as a subject ive cond i ti on

,bu t i n

i ts object ive real izat ion . Before i t is placed ourgreat H igh Priest i n H is Godhead and manhood

,

who,having made reconci l iat ion through H is blood

,

passed into the heaven s to be adored as Creator andRedeemer forev er.However masterly Pau l in argument

,he descends

from his in tel l ectual eminence to move the heartand fruct ify the l i fe . H is wri t ings have none of thedryness of systems and confessions . They sparklewi th the vivaci ty of the ep istle . They glow wi thsympathy. They melt u s wi th thei r tears . They

1 3 2 T H E CHRISTIAN DEMOCRACY .

touch all the springs of ou r Chri st ian act iv i t ies . IfPau l exalts in to the heavens , he never leaves u s i nthe clouds. However subl ime h is celest ial visi on

,

he remembers us i n ou r earthly relat i ons and homelyduties . All he argues , explains , urges , has onerad iat ing center. His own wi tness of rem itted s in

i s the spring of the new l ife of Paul . From th isfol lows the gift of the Holy Ghost . Forgiven throughthe blood of Christ

,the apostl e burns wi th the

flame of gratefu l,unspeakable affect ion for the per

son of Christ . And th is love of the Redeemer i sthe most powerfu l emot ion I n the un iverse . Thisst i rs the true democrat ic sympathy fo r human ity .

This must an imate al l Christian aspirat ions andagenci es before a world can be converted . Thiswi l l wake in heaven songs outvoi c ing cherubim .

I n thei r i nfluence over the emot ions and activ i t i eswe perceive how inferior the ecclesiast i cal creeds tothe Paul i ne Epist les . They seem defic ient i n theelement of the personal fa ith that moves stronglythe heart and the l i fe . After the Reformation theywere d ropped from u se by those Protestant sec tsmost powerfu lly animated by the rev ived doctrineand freedom of the Christ ian Democracy. Andnow

,when the Spiri t i s poured ou t upon men i n

l iberty and power they prefer to confess Christ i nlanguage suggested by the i r own personal i ty. I t i saffi rmed

,therefore

,that creeds resemble the moun

tains,gl i ttering in snow and sunl ight , whose cold

p innacles fu rn ish streams to ferti l i ze the warm andfru itfu l val leys. But we must remember how generous the l iberty al lowed by Christ ian i ty to al l ou rhuman i ndividual i t ies . The great creeds have in

1 34 THE CHRIST I AN DEMOCRACY.

dead ; and i n the ascension in to heaven i n the fleshof the beloved J esus

,ou r Lord ; and His future

man ifestat ion from heaven i n the glory of the Father ,to gather al l th ings into one and to raise up anew

al l flesh of the whole human race,i n order that to

Christ J esus,ou r Lord and God and Saviou r and

King,accord ing to the wi ll of the i nv i s ible Father

,

every knee Shou ld bow,of th ings i n heaven and

things in earth and th ings under the earth,and that

every tongue should confess to H im,and that He

should execute j udgment toward all .”

T H E CREED OF MELITO .

He was Bishop of Sard is and contemporary withI renaeus . No symbol exci tes such a glow of personal affect ion to Christ

,nor does any so amply and

beaut i fu lly express the glory of H is O ld Testamentman ifestat i ons

“ We have made col lect ions from the law andthe prophets relat ive to those th ings wh ich havebeen declared respect ing ou r Lord J esus Christ

,that

we may prove to you r love that He i s perfect Reason— the Word of God

,who was begotten before

the l ight ; who was the Fashioner of man who wasall i n all ; who among the patriarchs was Patriarchwho in the law was the Law ; among the priests ,chief Priest ; among k ings , Governor ; among prophets

,the Prophet ; among angels , the Archangel ;

i n the voice , the Word ; among spi ri ts , Spiri t ; i nthe Father

,the Son ; i n God , God ; the King for

ever and ever.’ For th is was H e who was Pi lot toNoah ; who conducted Abraham ; who was boundwith I saac ; who was exiled with Jacob ; who was

CREEDS . 1 3 5

sold with Joseph ; who was Captain w i th Moses ;who was the Di rector of the i nheri tance wi th Joshuathe 5 0 11 of Nun ; who i n David and the prophetsforetold H is own sufferi ngs ; who was i n carnate inthe Virgin ; who was born at Bethlehem who waswrapped in swaddl ing clothes i n a manger ; who wasseen of shepherds ; who was glorified of angels ; whowas pointed ou t by John ; who assembled the apost les ; who preached the kingdom ; who healed themaimed ; who gave sight to the bl i nd ; who rai sedthe dead ; who appeared i n the temple ; who wasbel i eved on by the people ; who was betrayed byJ udas ; who was laid hold on by the priests ; whowas condemned by Pi late ; who was p ierced in theflesh ; who was hanged on the t ree ; who was burfed i n th e earth ; who rose from the dead ; whoappeared unto the apostles ; who ascended intoheaven ; who si tteth on the right hand of the Father ; who i s the rest of those who are departedGod who is of God ; the Son who is of the Father ;Jesus Christ

,the Son forever and ever. Amen !

APOSTLES’ CREED .

Both the age and authorsh ip of th i s most widelyused symbol are u ncertain . Ambrose and R ufinu s

i nform u s that from 2 50 A . D . the creed we hereinsert was u sed i n RomeI bel i eve I n God , Father Almighty ; and in Je

sus Chri st,H is only begotten Son

,ou r Lord , who

was born of the Holy Ghost and the Virgin Mary,c ruc ified and buried under Pont iu s Pilate , who roseon the th i rd day from the dead , and ascended intoheaven

,and si tteth on the right hand of the Father,


from whence He shal l come to judge thequ ick and thedead ; and i n the Holy Ghost ; the holy Church ; theforgiveness of s ins and the resu rrect ion of the flesh .

”

Trad i t ion affi rmed that before scattering fromJerusalem each of the apostles contribu ted a sen

tence to th i s creed . Bu t after the fi rst Ni cene Counc i l i t was d i splaced by the Nicene symbol

,which

passed ou t of use i n Rome owing to the antagon ismsof the Eastern and Western Churches . Ou r Apostles’ Creed then took i ts p resent shape

,largely

mod ified by a Gall i c use , and was adopted i n theimperial c i ty. The old trad i t ion of apostol i c origi nclung to th i s new Roman symbol .

CREED OF GREGORY THAUMATURGUS .

He was a contemporary of Origen,and born i n

Neo Cmsarea ,i n Pontus . By a pagan father he was

t rained i n idol atry. But hi s mother gave him aChrist ian education . Gregory stud ied i n Alexand ria . Here he was adv i sed by Origen

,his teacher

and friend,to pray for the i l lum ination of the Holy

Ghost . On his retu rn to h is home he abandonedhimself to ret i rement and devot ion . He became amost successfu l preache r and was made bishop in h isnat ive C i ty. But h is creed has made h im more i llu strion s than hi s episcopate or h i s eloquence . GregoryNyssen attached to i t a superst it i on that proves howearly and strong was the tendency to sai n t worsh ip .

He ascribes the creed of Thaumatu rgus to a revelat ion from the Vi rgin Mary and the evangel ist John .

We may well affi rm that on ly the l ight of the HolyGhost and the study of the Holy Scripture couldhave led to so ful l and sati sfying a declarat ion


the prophets ; who in the last days , as He had promised before by H is prophets

,sen t ou r Lord J esus

Christ,fi rst to cal l I srael

,and then the Gent i les

,

after the infidel i ty of H is people Israel ; the j ust andgood God , the Fathe r of ou r Lord J esus Chri st , bei ng the God of the apostles and the O ld and New

Testaments— Jesus Christ who came i nto the world,

was begotten of the Father before every creatu re,

who,ministering to H i s Fathe r in all thi ngs

,i n the

last t imes made H imsel f of n o reputat ion and became man . He who was God was made flesh

,and

when He was made man cont inued the same GodHe was before . He assumed a body in all th ingsl ike our own

,save that i t was born of a Virgi n by

the Holy Ghost . And becau se th is J esus Christwas born and suffered death common to al l

,i n t ru th

,

and not only i n appearance,He was tru ly dead

,for

He truly rose again from the dead , and after H isresu rrect ion conversed with H is d isciples and wastaken up i nto heaven . They also del ivered unto u sthat the Holy Ghost was j oi ned i n the same honorand dign ity as the Father and the Son .

”

CREED OF TERTULLIAN .

There i s one rule of faith only,that admits no

change or alterat ion— that which teaches u s to bel ieve in one God Almighty

,the Maker of the world

,

and i n Jesus Christ,h i s Son

,who was born of the

Virgin Mary,crucified under Pont i us Pi late

,the

th i rd day rose again from the dead,was received

into heaven,and si tteth now 0 11 the right hand of

God,who shal l come again to j udge both the qu ick

and the dead by the resu rrect ion of the flesh .

”

CREEDS . 1 39

CREED OF CYPRIAN .

We have th i s i nferent ial ly,and not i n any elabo

rate statement . The great Bishop of Carthage says,

“ Both the Cathol ics and the Novat ians agreed i nthe same form of interrogat ions to catechumens i nbapt i sm—whether they bel ieved i n God the Father

,

and Chri st H is Son,and in the Holy Ghost.

” Amongthe schismat ics

,he affi rms

,was no true Chu rch to

grant remission of si ns . Cyprian rest ri cted absolut ion to Catholi c pri ests i n the apostol ical success ion .

CREED OF LUCIAN THE MARTYR .

He suffered i n the fiery persecut ions of D ioclet ian

,a martyr to the fai th he confessed .

“ We bel i eve,he says

,

“ accord ing to th e t rad it ions of the Gospel s and apostles

,i n on e God

,the

Father Almighty,Creator and Maker and Governor

of all th ings and in one Lord J esus Chri st,H is only

begotten Son,who i s God

,by whom are al l things

,

who was begotten of the Father,God of God

,Whole

of Whole,One of One

,Perfect of Perfect

,King of

King,Lord of Lord

,the Word

,the Wisdom

,the

Way,th e Life , the true Light, the t rue Way, the

Resurrect i on,the Shepherd

,th e Gate

,the I ncom

m un icab le and Unchangeable,Image of the d ivi n e

essence,power , and glory, the fi rstborn of every

creatu re,who was always God the Word

,accord ing

to what i s said i n the Gospel , And the Word wasGod

,by whom al l th ings were made and in whom

al l th ings consi st,

’ who in the last days descendedfrom on h igh , and was born of a Vi rgin , accord ingto the Scriptu res

,and

,being the Lamb of God

,was

made Med iator be tween God and men,being fore

146 TH E CHRI STI AN DEMOCRACY.

ordai ned to be the Author of ou r fai th and l i fe— for

He said ,‘I am not come from heaven to do my

own wi ll,but the wi l l of H im who sen t me ’— and

rose agai n for u s on the th i rd day, and ascendedi nto heaven

,and si tteth on the right hand of the

Father ; and He shal l come agai n with glory toj udge the qu ick and the dead . And we bel ieve i nthe Holy Ghost

,which i s given to bel ievers for thei r

consolat i on and sanct ificat ion and consummation,

accord ing to what ou r Lord J esus Chri st appointsH is d i sciples

,saying

,Go

,teach all nat ions

, bapt i z

i ng them in the name of the Father,and of the Son

,

and of the Holy Ghost ;’ whence the propert ies of

the Fathe r are man ifest,denot ing H im to be truly

Father,and the propert i es of a Son

,denot ing H im

to be tru ly a Son,and the properties of the Holy

Ghost,denot ing H im to be tru ly a Holy Ghost

,these

names not being simply put and to no purpose,but

to express the part i cu lar subsi stence and hypostat i csubstance

,as the Greeks term i t , of each Person

named,so as to denote them to be three i n hypos

tasi s and one by consonance . ”

CREED OF THE APOSTOLICAL CONSTITUTIONS .

I bel i eve and am baptized i nto one,unbegotten

,

the only true God Almighty,the Father of Christ ,

the Creator and Maker of al l th ings,of whom are

al l th ings ; and i n one Lord J esus Christ , His onlybegotten Son , fi rstborn of every creatu re

,who be

fore a l l ages was begotten,not made

,by the good

will of the Father,by whom al l th ings were i n

heaven and earth,visible and invi sible

,who in the

last t ime came down from heaven , and , taking flesh

142 T H E CHRISTIAN DEMOCRACY.

CREED OF A NTIOCH .

I bel ieve in the only tru e God , the Father A lmighty of al l creat u res

,v i sible and invisible ; and i n

Jesus Christ our Lord,His only begotton Son , the

fi rstborn of every creature,born of H im before al l

ages and not made,very God of very God , consub

stant ial with the Father, by whom the world wasframed and al l th ings made , who for ou r sakes cameand was born of the Virgin Mary

,and was cruc ified

u nder Pon t ius Pi late,and was buried

,and the th i rd

day rose agai n,accord ing to the Scriptu res

,and

ascended i nto heaven,and shall come again to j udge

the world .

”

FATHERS . 143

C H A FT E R X .

Fathers .

N settl i ng the canon of Scriptu re the aid of theGreek and Lat i n fathers i s i nvaluable . To E useb ius , Soz omen

,Socrates , and T heodoret , ecc les i

ast ical h istory is immeasurably indebted . Often credu lous and pueri le , yet without thei r pages the earlycentu ri es of the Church wou ld present almost a blank.

From patrist i c quotat i ons the Bible , i n i ts essent ials ,could be rewri tten . Besides , among the fatherswhat p iety , what gen i us , what learn i ng , what elo

quence ! They number wri ters whose gifts are notd immed i n the bri l l iance of classi c l i te ratu re . Theoratory of Chrysostom and Basi l and the Gregoriesrecal ls the fi re of Demosthenes and the splendor ofCicero .

But are the fathers authori tat ive gu ides i n thei nterpretat ion of Scriptu re ? I t i s plausibly arguedtha t j ust as they are n earer to the t ime of Chri st sowill they be more fami l iar wi th the m ind of Chri st .The ray is brightest when closest to the sun. Asl ight i s d istorted and d iscolored by mists and cloudsi n the d istance of earth

, so,i t i s u rged , as we leave

the period of the fathers,tru th i s darkened and re

fracted i n the later ages of h istory . Hence to knowwhat the Scriptu res mean we must know what thefathers say . This v iew places fathers between everyman and his Bible . Such is the dostrine of Rome.


The Counci l of Tren t ordai ned that we were to follow the example of the orthodox fathers ” i n ourinterpretat ion of Scrip tu re . Many Angl icans exal tthei r authori ty to this Roman level . How importan tthen to j udge the fathers by the fathers ! Let themspeak for themselves ! I f the papal Church exaggerates fathers i t menaces l iberty. Nor Shou ldwe accept wi thout quest ion the l ighter Angl icanfetter. We wish , therefore , to exam ine whether weshould bind the Christ ian Democracy i n these gi ldedchains of the patrist i c l i te rature . This , we think ,can be briefly sett led by an appeal to the wri t ingsof these venerable Greek and Lat i n fathers.

CLEMENT.

We are not unwi l l ing to adm it that Peter was i nRome . Scriptu re , i ndeed , i s s i lent on the subj ect .But the vo ice of t rad i t ion i s st rong. Early as A . D .

1 07, i n h i s Epistle to the Romans , Ignat i us says ,“ I do not as Peter and Paul

,i ssue commandments

unto you . This may,i ndeed

,be an interpolat ion

i n that most corrupted wri te r. But by Peter andPau l I renaeus also says that the Roman Church wasfounded . Cyprian affi rms that Peter was the Chiefsource of sacerdotal un i ty

,and hence in his struggle

with Novatus appealed to Rome . Tertu ll ian saysthat Clement was ordained by Peter, wh ile Ensebius mentions Papias as au thori ty that Peter fromRome wrote his fi rst Ep istle. This , i f not conv inci ng proof

,i s powerfu l presumption . All l ists of

popes place Clement as Bishop of Rome afte r Peter.

So let h im be ! I n th i s V iew he is pope and father.He speaks by a pont ifical and a patri st i c au thori ty.


A lexandr inns presented to Charles I , of England , i n162 8 by Cyri l l us L u caris, Patri arch of Constant i

nople , and i s now preserved i n the Bri t i sh Museum .

Between A . D . 68 and A . D . 97 was i ts probable

date . After such comment we wi ll quote the wholeextract to which we have alluded , especially as i ttests the Roman theory regard i ng fathers as bibl ical

i nte rpretersLet u s consider that wonderfu l sign of the resu r

rect ion which takes place i n eastern lands,that is

,

i n Arabia. There i s a certai n b ird which is calleda phoen ix. When the t ime of i ts d issolu t ion d rawsnear that i t must d ie i t bu ilds a nest of frankincenseand myrrh and other spices

,i n to which when the

t ime is fu lfi l led i t enters and d ies . But as the fleshdecays a certa i n kind of worm i s p roduced wh ich

,

being nouri shed by the j u ices of the dead bi rd,

brings forth feathers . Then when i t acqu iresstrength i t takes up the nest i n which are the bonesof i ts parent

,and

,bearing these , i t passes from the

land of Arabia into Egypt , to the ci ty called Hel iopol i s, and in Open day, flying in sight of al l men , i tplaces them on the al tar of the sun ,

and,hav i ng

done the same , hastens back to i ts former abode .The pri est then inspects the registe r of the datesand finds that i t has retu rned exactly as the fivehundredth year was completed .

”

IGNATIUS .

During al l the cen tu ri es s ince h i s martyrdom theBi shop of Antioch has baffled h is cri t ics . Fifteenep ist les bear his name . Of these e ight are un iversally conside red spurious . As regards fo ur others

FATHERS . 147

opin ions vary. The i l lustrious L ightfoot,recen t

Bishop of Durham , devoted years to the elucidat ionof Ignati us . Even h is cri t i cal gen ius cannot certain ly separate the original gold of the ep ist les fromthe dross of shamefu l corruptions . These were exaggerated i n Mi lton

’

s eloquent d iatribes againstprelacy, yet they prove i n the early Church a painfu l

and u nscrupu lous mendaci ty. Fraud was used toexalt episcopal pre rogative . That the end j ust ifiesthe means was a pious plea long before Jesu i t i sm .

The resul t Shows that t ruth cannot be helped byfalsehood . The authori ty of Ignat i u s i s impai redby the means employed to i ncrease i t . Althoughh is epi stles to Polycarp

,the Ephesians

,and the

Romans are accepted by al l,yet even these are

darkened by the shadows of a corrupt ing age . I nthe re ign of Trajan

,A . D . 1 07, Ignat iu s was cast to

the wild beasts. On h is way from Antioch to meetdeath i n the Roman amphitheater h e wri tes wordswh ich burn with faith and love Suffer me ,

”he

exclaims,to im itate the pass ion of my God . An

arch ive to me i s Christ ; my i n corrupt ible bibl i otheca i s Chri st’s cross . He is the Door to theFathe r through which Abraham , I saac , Jacob , andthe prophets and the apostles and the Chu rch enter.

This one Revealer i s the Son of God , His eternalWord

,t i reless

,V i ewless

,for us v i s ible , for u s suffer

i ng, and yet impalpable and impassable .”

BARNABAS

Who was he ? Pau l ’s assoc iate ? But how canwe ascribe to the companion of the great apostle , aman ful l of the Holy Ghost , st rong i n fai th , and

148 THE C I I R I ST I AN DEMOCRACY .

vigorous i n exhortat ion , pit iable pueri l i t i e s ? Manyfacts consp i re to prove that the Barnabas of ourepi stle l ived abou t the middle of the second cen

tu ry. I n order of t ime he i s th i rd of the venerablefathers . I f we accept the Roman V iew he stands ona lofty pedestal of au thori ty. His i nterpretat ionsof Scriptu re should exe rt commanding influence .Now we have in h is ep ist le an exposi t ion of a statement i n Genesi s . I t i s recorded that Abraham ci r

cumc ised three hundred and e ighteen persons i n h ishousehold . Hear the comment of Barnabas ! Howkeen and profound hi s insight ! He divides threehundred and eighteen i nto three parts . These areten

,eight

,and three hundred . The ten are i nd i

cated by the Greek lette r L,and the e ight by 77,

which are the fi rst two lette rs i n the Greek name ofJesus

,while the Greek l etter tan

,expressing three

hundred,resembles the cross . Therefore by the

three hundred of the three hundred and eighteenthe cross was represented and predi cted . The tenand the eight

,i nd i cated by the L and the were

prophet i c of Jesus . I t fol lows that we have i n thec i rcumcision of three hundred and eighteen personsby Abraham ev idences of the Messiah and Hi satonement . A single n umber compri ses the plan ofsalvat ion ! And the father congratulates h imsel fon h is wonderfu l d iscovery ! He is vai n of hissp i ri t ual d isce rnment ! The oracle not only soundsforth th i s deep wisdom

,but i ts own praises ! Bar

nabas exclaims , No one has been admitted to amore excel len t piece of knowledge than th is .”

Y et

th i s man i s a father. He is th i rd in the successi on .

He deserves therefore the highest cred i t . H e i s to

I 50 TH E CH RI STIAN DEMOCRACY .

flame and crown . The t ime , he saw,had come for

test imony i n the fi re . Betrayed i n h i s refuge,he

gave h imself up to hi s persecu tors. On hi s kneesi n thei r presence he prayed long . Even the paganswere touched by the spectacle of h i s gray headbowed before the Majesty of the un iverse . He wastaken i nto a chari ot by the side of a Roman magnate , who u rged h im to apostat ize . At the t ribunalthe proconsu l said , Curse Chri st ! Polycarp an

swered,

“ I am a Chri st ian . Before the fi re wasl ighted he thanked Almighty God for the priv i legeof martyrdom

,and then his sou l passed from flame

to paradise . He left beh ind h im a single epi st le,

addressed to the Phi l ippians . Polycarp invokes“ mercy and peace from the Lord J esus Christ

,

whose death i s ou r hope,th e su rety of our just ifica

t ion , and which awakes l ove to H im and a desi re toglorify H im whi le we tread in the footsteps of H issufferings . To Him all th ings i n heaven and earthare subj ect ; Him eve ry sp i ri t serves ; He comes toj udge the l iv ing and the dead . The fai th del iveredunto u s i s the mother of u s al l ; her eldest daughteri s love

,he r second hope . I f we walk worthy of

H im we shal l reign with H im . Y e beli eve i n H im,

though ye see H im not,and

,bel ieving, ye rejoi ce

wi th joy unspeakable and fu l l of glory.

”

I RE NZEUS.

He was born i n Asia and made Bishop of Lyonsi n France

, where , i n A . D . 1 80 ,he d ied a martyr.

Few fathers exceed him in pu ri ty of p iety, vigor ofi ntel lect

,and extent of learn ing. I renaeus recalled the

form,the face

,the words of the nobl e Polycarp

,who

FATHERS . 1 5 1

had rece ived wisdom from apostol ic l ips. How thel ight of Smyrna was thus flashed i nto the darknessof France ! Orien t i l lum inated Occ ident . A R efntat ion of the Gnost ic System was the pri nc ipal workof I renatus. Others of hi s wri t ings we know onlyby their names . But al l that su rvives from h is penproves h i s excellent j udgment

,except his eccen tri c

theory as to the age of ou r Saviou r. I n th i s wehave another evidence of h i s human fra i l ty

,the lax

i ty of h is age in bibl i cal i nterpretat ion,and the peri l

of trust ing to the gu idance and au thori ty of anyfather. Few wri ters who wi ll n ot twist fact to support i nd ividual Opin ion and sectarian prej ud ice !I renaeus bel ieved that

,as the representat ive of ou r

humanity , ou r Lord shou ld be ident ified with ourhuman i ty i n each earth ly man ifestat ion of i nfancy,ch i ldhood , manhood , and age . As th is was necessary for ou r Redeemer

,Jesus was

,therefore

,an old

man when H e was crucified . Having adopted th i sv i ew,

I renaeus states as fact what was a whim ofspecu lat ion , and th i s wi thou t even pretense of proof.Nor except the Bi shop of Lyons does a sol i tary an

c ien t wri ter venture a sim i lar assert i on . I n al l the

fathers we find the same want of crit i cal j udgmentand h istori cal accu racy. Acquain tance with the i rpages d issolves al l i l l u sions as to the i r au thori ty.

Not only were they often credu lou s and pueri le , but ,as we shal l see from the works of the most i l l ustrious ,leaders o f the people i n to the grossest superst i t ion .

Y et we must not obscu re the beaut i fu l s ide of thep ictu re . With what admi rable grace and wisdomI renaeus expresses h imself when he says : God

cannot be known w i thou t God. W i thou t l ife we

1 5 2 TH E CHRIST I AN DEMOCRACY .

cannot l ive . Who would see the l ight must be i nthe sphere of the l ight . The Unapprehended

,the

Invi sible,hath made H imself v i s ible

, comprehen

sibl e,apprehensible . ” With Irenaeus “ Christ was

the fountai n of the Holy Ghost for al l who bel i eve .On our human i ty the Holy Ghost i s the rain fromheaven . I n and through al l th ings i s one God

,

Father,Son

,and Holy Ghost . He unites man to

God . I f God had not gran ted man ~ salvation weshould not have been pu t i n fi rm possession of i t ;and i f man had not been un i ted to God he cou ldnot have been a partaker of immortal i ty . I t behooved the Mediator of God and man

,by

‘

His af

fin i ty with both , to bring both i nto agreementwith each other.

JU STIN MARTYR .

This father was born i n Flavia Neapol is,the old

Samari tan S i chem . I t had become a Roman co l

ony where the Greek language and cu l tu re prevai led .

J ust in loved the phi losophy of Plato . But he wasnot sat i sfied with its fl ights i n to subl ime clouds. I

,

also,

” he says , once was an admirer of the doct ri nes of Plato

,and I heard the Christ ians abused .

But when I saw them meet death and al l that isterrible among men w i thou t d ismay, I knew i t impossible that they could l ive in sin and lust. Idespi sed the opin ion of the mult i tude

,and I glory

i n being a Christ ian .

The celebrated Apology of J ust i n was wri tten inthe reign of Marcus Aurel i us

,i n which also he su f

fered martyrdom . He argued that,as Christ had

power to de ify man,Christ was, therefore , H imsel l


be seen . He arose a un iversal Light upon theworld ; the Word incarnate ; forgiving our si ns , asHe i s God , He would transform us in to the beau tyof the Logos , and make our mortal i ty immortal i ty.

ORIGEN.

He was also a l ight i n the Alexandrian school . I noriginal gen i u s and breadth of learn ing he excelledal l the fathers. And his piety, although ascet i c ,was deep and fervent . He , i f any man , shou ld bean i nfall ible h uman teacher. All gifts seemed touni te i n Origen . Alas for mortal frai lty

,he d isap

points al l expectat ions ! Not a father was morem islead ing ! He began by a misi nterpretat ion ofthe Master’s words

,made himself a eunu ch

,and

clouded his whole l i fe. Muti lated i n person,he be

came errat ic i n m ind . His l ight is bri l l iant,but

false and waveri ng. Once i n Palest ine hi s wri t i ngswere publ i cly condemned

,and they have never lost

the flavor of heterodoxy. Origen seems to teachthe final salvat i on of al l men . However th is v i ewaccords with ou r benevolen t prepossessions , i t i shard to prove from Scriptu re. By his wild al l egorical i nterpre tat ions our famed Alexandrian despoi led h imself of influence . He soared into theclouds and was lost . He converted bibli cal factsinto whimsi cal myths . He di sturbed the veryfoundat ion s of Christ ian ity

,and

,unchecked

,would

have brought down the structu re he loved andsought to strengthen and adorn . Of a ll the fathersO rigen most i llu strates the peri l of following humanguides as authori t ies i n the study of the Bible . Wewil l give a single pregnant proof. Concubinage with

FATHERS. 1 5 5

Origen was a monstrou s i ndulgence . He cou ld notreconc i le i t wi th piety i n man or holi ness i n God .

The wives of Abraham,and David , and Solomon

t roubled the dreaming,asceti c father. H ow cou ld

such men be examples of fai th and subj ects of in

spi rat ion ? O rigen cou ld make no al lowance for iafirm i t ies under the law which were not tolerableunder the Gospel . He wi l l replace the facts ofScriptu re with theories of h i s own . No end

,he

says,of wisdom . The death of Sarah i s the perfec

t ion of v i rt u e . The marriage of Ketu rah ind icatesthat Abraham st i l l devoted himsel f to learn ing ,called by the d ivi n e word ‘wife .

’ So a man l ikethe patriarchs and Solomon may have many wivesas pat ience

,hospital i ty

,and benevolence.

”

TERTULLIAN.

This splend id wri ter, although married , was amonk in heart . A cynical and gloomy ascet i c , hehad l i tt le of the joy of Christi an i ty. He rose tothe subl imest heights of el oquence and descended tospecu lat ions pueri le and rid icu lous. Montan ismtempted h im into bel ief of its wi ld and absu rdecstas ies of reve lat ion . We have seen that he ac

cepted as t rue the v i s ions of Prisci lla and Maxr

milla and proved by them the soul to be material .He taught that an angel prepared for the HolyGhost i n the waters of bapt ism . Having lost theway h imself

,he led others from tru th . Y et how

bri l l iant h i s i ntellect,how keen h is sat i re , how vast

h is erudit ion,how magnificent h is gen i us of expres

s ion li

Tertu ll ian fell . His sh in ing gifts d id not

gu ide him in the way, and in the glare of his errors

1 56 TH E CH R IST IAN DEMOCRACY .

his works are the visible monuments of mortal fall ibi l ity . Left to themselves

,i nd ividuals and com

mun ions are lost stars i n blackness of darkness.We wi l l give a beaut ifu l and eloquent extract fromTertu l l ian . Amid i ts l uxuriance of i l lu strat ion lurkgerms of error. “ Consider thyself a copy of God

,

a rat i onal be ing an imated by a d iv i ne substance .Dost thou not see, then , when thou qu ietly throughthy reason communest with thyself, the same th ingtakes place i n thee ? Thy reason takes up a posit ionover against thee by means of words

,at every mo

ment of thought,every pulsat ion of intel l igence .

Whatever thou thi nkest or perce ivest becomes aword in thee

,and i n thy word is thy reason i tsel f.

I n thy sou l thou must speak , thou canst not avo idi t ; and when thou speakest the word in thee becomes another than thyself, as it were one whospeaks wi th thee , i n the which , notwithstanding,there dwells the same reason which enables thee tospeak when thou speakest . Thus there i s, as i twere

,another than thysel f

,a second— the word i n

thee,through which thou speakest when thinking ,

and through which thou th inkest when speaking.

After the same manner God , i n vi rtue of h is reason ,qu ietly th inki ng and ordering

,made the reason

Word,which in speaking He set i n mot ion . He

when He keeps si lence has reason i n H imself, andi n reason the Word . So far , therefore , i t is t ruethat before the creat ion of the un iverse God was notalone

,see ing in H imself H e had reason , and reason

the Word,which by an i nner act He const i tu ted an

inner second self.Incarnat ion tests fathers. God i n ou r flesh H e

,


fore h i s Montan ism , i n h i s t reati se against P raxeas,Tertu ll ian speaks of Father

,Son

,and Holy Ghost ,

yet one God .

” I n his creed,Gregory Thaumatu r

gus confesses the same fai th . Nor amid all h isaberrat ions d id Origen in thi s bel ief d iffer from h ispupi l . Y et i n al l the fathers , Greek and Lat i n , wereexpress ions contain ing seeds of error. J ust i n saysthat Chri st was the Only-begotten of the Fatheras Reason and Power — an at tribu te then

,and not

a personal i ty ! Even the Alexandrian Clement describes H im as God ’s mani fest Wisdom

,Goodness

,

and Power ” —hence only a d iv i ne property ! Tertu ll ian says that “ God made the Reason Word .

”

Chri st,then

,as the Arians held

,had a beginn ing i n

t ime . W i th O rigen the Father was 6 05 69, the God ,and the Son God , and God by the wi l l of theFather.”

Early m ists i nclosed the doctri ne of the Godheadof Chri st . Hidden in the consciousness of fathers ,i t became obscure i n the i r explanations . Theirdefin it ions betrayed uncertainty and produced con

fusion . Before the Arian controversy the NiceneCreed was beyond thei r wisdom . With them theSon was rather an impersonated attribute than theeverlast ing

,coequal

,and consubstantial God . Hence

the benefi t of d iscussion . Heresy i tsel f assi sted tot ruth . Great men rose to the occas ion . Cont rov ersy ,

l ike l ightni ng,purified the atmosphere. I f

somet imes the thunderbol t was fatal , yet the deathof one was the salvat ion of many . Roar and confusion were succeeded by the seren i ty of peace . Bythei r errors

,as well as thei r t ruths

,Greek and Lat i n

fathers were usefu l . I nfall ible i nterpreters of Scrip

FATHERS . 1 59

t ure ? Alas,with al l thei r p iety , genius , and learn ing ,

they were often chi ld ren creepi ng toward a l ightafterward revealed . A l l the centu ries to the Nicene Counci l were requ i red to clear patristi c m istsfrom the Bible—sole sun of everlast ing tru th .


CHAPTER XI .

Liturgies .

N forms of worship Christian ity leaves largel iberty. The same l ife of fai th and love expresses i tse lf accord ing to the infinite variet ies

produced by race , nation , and env i ronment . A re

l igion designed for a world must i n i ts adaptationsbe wide as a world . Where God reveals no lawman must impose no yoke. E special ly i n worshipshould humani ty be left free Y et to al l l ibertythere i s a l im i t , both i n Bible and reason . And i nexamin ing venerable l i tu rgies i t i s d iffi cult to see

how the free sp i ri t of Christ i an Democracy couldelect such i nnumerable petty and ch ill ing forms .What m inute d i rect ions, what pueri le Observances ,what pompous and elaborate ceremon ies ! Howdifferent from the simple worship of the New Testament Unless changed with in

,how could Christ ian

i ty be so revolu t ion i zed i n i ts external mani festat ion ? Surely we have passed from the early l ibertyof fai th and love i nto a sl avery of ceremon ial ostentat ion . Only a winter atmosphere creates the ch i l land gli ttering iceberg.

As the al tar at the door of the tabernacle , so re

mission of sin i s a t the beginn ing of each Christ ian l i fe . Nor i s consc iou s forgiveness through fai thi n the blood of the d ivi n e Christ possible wi thou tthe glow of gratefu l love . The doctrine and the


ended i n m ed iazv al darkness. Amid songs o f cho irsand the clash of instruments we seem to hear thesacerdotal hammer cl inking on the Chri st ian fetter .I t i s hard to bel ieve that l iberty of fai th and spontanei ty of prayer are consistent with fatigu inglength of devot ions

,constant gen uflect ions

,m i n ute

rubrics , mere msthet i cal impress iveness, the worsh ipof altar , the glory of pri est , and the exaltat i on ofsacrament into myste ry . But

,feari ng to restrict

legitimate Christ ian freedom,we wi l l give some ex

tracts from the Li turgy of S t . James, and enablethose who read to form thei r own j udgments andest imate the force of ou r comments

“ God,who d idst accept the gifts of Abel , the

sacrifice of Noah and of Abraham,the i ncense of

Aaron and Zacharias,accept th is i ncense for the

odor of a swee t smell , and the rem ission of si ns .Pope and patriarch have not gone fu rther. Wouldour modern ri tual ism dare follow the authori ty ofthis ancient example ? We see here where antiqu itywithout Scriptu re leads . I ncense for s ins , forgiveness bought by odors

,smoke mov i ng the Almighty,

rem ission for smell—what a pueri le V i ew of theMajesty of the un iverse ! And the symbol ic bloodof the O ld Testament and the d iv i ne blood ofthe N ew set aside as atonement ! And this i nthe earl i est of l i tu rgi es ! I n the same style wehave

“ Send forth upon us,O God , Thy good grace ,

and turn our thoughts to p iety,that with a pu re

conscience we may bring to Thee gifts, offerings forthe rem ission of ou r sins

,and for the propi ti at ion

of all Thy people. ”

LITURGIES . 1 63

So soon had the one completed and infinite sacrifice of Jesus , ou r i ncarnate God , become ve i led i nthe gi lded mists of human fancies ! The Greekand Roman transubstant iat i on appears as again we

read“ We entreat and beseech Thy goodness that i tmay not be for condemnation of Thy people thatth is mystery of salvat ion has been admin istered tous for remissi on of s ins .

”

Purgatorial fi re gleamed early i n the Chri st i anworsh ip . By our offerings we must rel i eve the departed . Such is the doctri ne we encounter whenwe pass from our Bibles to the fi rst l i tu rgy sanctifiedby an apostol i c name . S t . James h imself is repre

sented as prayingThat we may become worthy of offeri ng to Thee

gi fts and sacrifices for ou r transgressi ons and forthose of Thy people . And grant to u s , O Lord ,with all fear and good consc ience to offer to Theeth i s sp i ri t ual and blood less sacrifice for ou r trans

gressions and the errors of Thy people , and for therest of the souls that have fal len asl eep aforet ime .

ST . MARK .

H is was the Li tu rgy of the Chu rch of Alexandria ;and from it have descended the formularies of Basi l

,

Cyri l , and Gregory. And i t i s parent,too

,of the

Eth iopi c canon of al l the apostles . By some i t i sascribed to St . Mark h imself. Probably i t was perfected by Cyri l . We have only one manuscript

,

which i s attributed to the twel fth cen tu ry . Thefi rst ed i t i on appeared A . D . 1 5 83 , i n Pari s . I t repeats the pecul iari t ies to wh ich we have called


atten tion in the Li tu rgy of St . James , and thereforerequ i res no further commen t . We readPurify our l ives and cleanse our hearts from al l

pollu t i on and from al l w i ckedness,that wi th a pure

heart and consc ience we may offer to Thee the incense of a sweet- smell ing savor and for the remiss ion of our sins . The incense i s offered i n Thyname . Let i t ascend

,we implore Thee

,from the

hands of Thy poor and sinfu l servants to the beavenly altar for the propi ti at ion of Thy people . OLord our God

,give peace to the sou ls of ou r fa

thers and brethren . Especial ly remember thosewhose memory we thi s day celebrate , and our holyfather Mark.

”

OF THE BLESSED APOSTLES .

This l i tu rgy was composed by St . A ddaeus

and St . Mari s for the Ori ental Church . I t i s supposed to be one of the fi rst formulari es of theChrist i an sacrifice . A Lati n translat i on i s givenin R enaudot

’

s Col/ect io, and repri nted i n Dan iel’s

Coa’efc L i targ icns . Sain t i nte rcession appears i n

th is early form of worship . The Greek and Lat i n

Churches have no authori ty i n the Bible for sup

pl i cat ing the Vi rgin,but they find example i n

ancient l i t u rgies . I f these were standards Marymight be lawfu l ly adored . The Christ ian D emoc

racy of the New Testament knew no such peti t i onas that we quote and which i s ascribed to theblessed apostles :O mother of ou r Lord Jesus Christ

,beseech for

me the only begotten Son,who was born of thee

,

to forgive me my offenses and my sins,and to ac

TH E CH R I ST I AN DEMOCRACY .

evangelical trace ! The teaching of the apostles,

and dest i tu te of that tru th which an imated thei rhearts and l ives and sermons ! I nvaluable as afragment of hi story and an index of i ts age

,the

D ia’ache resembles a wate r color pictu re void of na

tu re’s glow. So soon the doct rin e of the remissionof s ins

,which gave l iberty to Paul and l i fe to hi s

labor , Seems to have faded from the consc iousness ofpri est and prelate and people ! What the greatapostle se ized with a giant’s grasp al ready held withan i nfant ’s hand

PASTOR OF HERMAS .

The most successfu l romance i s u sually a photograph of i ts t imes . By sparkl ing d ialogue and dramati c i nc ident i t expresses some bel ief or asp i rat ion wh ich had been long struggl ing toward l ight i nthe human consciousness . Men see the m irror ofthemselves and are i nterested in i ts image . Exhau st iv e argument i s for the few ,

and picturing ro

mance for the many. What makes Bunyan popular ?H e voices Protestant ism for the mult i tude . TheP i lgr im

’

s P rog ress person ifies the work of Luther.I t makes the Reformat ion viv id in al l egory . Andi t accompl i shes i ts end by text and i l l ust rat ion andimagery from the Bible— that book given by God

,

not for a class or a sect or a race or an age , bu t foral l t ime and the whole human fami ly. Bunyan pictu res the consciousness of evangel ical m il l i on s . Thepower- center of h is immortal book i s the bu rden ofChrist ian fall i ng from his back before the cross . HisPi lgrim represents human i ty del ivered by faith fromits i ntolerable load of gu i lt . And in this l iberty

LITURGIE S . 67

we see v iv ified the doctri ne taught by Pau l and re

covered by Luther. But there i s another lesson inthe l i fe of the Pi lgrim . He loses h is rol l . Howdark hi s Sou l and way ! With h is recovered treasu reh e resumes his j ou rney

,t ri umphing i n love and

hope and joy. Early Protestanti sm enjoined onher chi ldren the assu ring wi tness of the Holy Ghosti n the rem ission of sin , and with i ts proclamat ion offai th and libe rty rean imated the dead Christ ian Democracy .

What the P i lgr im’

s P rogress i s to ou r age thePastor of Hermas was to i ts age . We have i n i tChrist ian i ty pi ctu red for centu ries . I t was wri tteni n Greek . Although i ts author i s uncerta i n , i t wasmost probably composed i n the reign of Hadrianor that of Anton inus Pius. I renmus

, the learnedmartyr

,Bishop of Lyons

,toward the C lose of the

second centu ry recogn ized as Scripture the P astorof Hermas . His j udgment reflected the opin i onof the Church i n regard to the ed ificat ion derivedfrom th i s strange fict ion . I t contain s three books.The fi rst describes fou r v i s ions , the second twelvecommandments

,and the th i rd ten sim i li tudes . I n

i ts v iew of rem issi on we have the doctrine of J ohnthe Bapt i st

, preach ing , i n hai r cloak and leatherngi rd le

,the kingdom of heaven yet to come : For

after you have made known to them these wordswh ich my Lord has commanded me to reveal toyou

,then shall they be forgi ven al l the si ns wh ich

i n former t imes they commi tted , and forgivenesswil l be granted to al l th e saints who have s inned ,

even to the presen t day,i f they repent wi th al l thei r

heart and drive al l doubt from thei r m inds .”


Nothing of remission through fai th i n the bloodof Chri st

,noth ing of regenerat i on and adopti on and

assu rance by H is Spi ri t , noth ing of the joy andpower and l iberty i n bel iev i ng

,noth ing of those

evangel ical t ru ths which i nflamed Paul and burnedi n Luther

,which v ivi fy the P i lg r im

’

s P rogress andthe great Protestant confessions , and are the movi ng forces of modern effort i n converting our worldi nto the kingdom of ou r Lord J esus Chri st !


be the Infin ite . Did the Gnost i cs seek to bridgethe abyss with angel

,archon

,and demiurge ? Arius

i nterposed Logos . He is not God,yet by H im God

created al l . He i s not called by Ariu s God— notGod

,but al l save God .

To Christ th e presbyte r ascribed a mutable wi ll .Ou r Sav i ou r had d i rected H is vol i t ions for good

,

yet He could have exerc ised them for ev i l . By theright u se of H is powers He attained H is preeminence. Foreseeing H is holy l ife , as i ts reward H isFather predest i ned that He should make and ru l ethe un iverse . Nor d id Ariu s seem aware that he wasdepart ing from the doctrine of the Ori ental Church .

To Scripture and fathers he appealed . Y et heshocked the un iversal Christ ian creed and consciousness. Controversy was inev i table . The doctrineof Chri st ’s Godhead was forced before the t ribunalof the Church . Clamoring for defin it ion was thatt ruth which imparts al l efficacy to atonement

,and

,

therefore,i nvolves i n i tself, for t ime and etern i ty,

the l iberty of the Christ ian Democracy. With i t,

i n external slavery we may be free ; without i t , i nexternal freedom we are slaves .Arius tried to gain adherents i n hi s parish . His

new bishop,Alexander

,at fi rst took no part i n the

controversy. Finally he assembled a synod ofEgyptian and Libyan bi shops

,who

,A . D . 3 2 1 , de

posed Ari us and excluded h im from the Church .

Alexander sent c i rcular letters to em inent ecclesiast ics. He represented as unchri st ian the doctrine ofhi s presbyter. To defend himself Ariu s tu rned tod ist ingu ished Oriental bishops . Of these a maj ori tyfavored h is view . So deeply Origen ’s leaven per

COUNCILS . 1 7 1

vaded the East ! Here was formed a m iddle partyof comprom ises . I l lustrious men sought to sett lethe stri fe . They wished Alexander to restore Ari us .Especial ly Eusebius , Bishop of Caesarea , i n terposedh is vast influence to stop a controversy threaten ingChurch and empi re . No mortal power cou ld holdback a tempest whose l ightn ings were needed topu ri fy the ecclesiasti cal atmosphere . Constant ineand h is Counci l m ust cooperate i n the expressionof a doctrin e which i s the l ife of the l iberty of theChri st ian Democracy.

The imperial ruler of the world was moved by no

strong rel igious i nterest . He had conquered by thesword . A celest ial v i sion winged h is eagles toslaughte r and victory. The cross of the Lamb ofGod led h is arm ies to battle and became the symbolof h i s t ri umphant m i l i tary career. What a pervers ion to worldly ends of that rel igion whose Spiri t asa dove from heaven hovered over the head of theChrist ! When Constant i ne convened the Counci lof Nice he had n ot yet been bapt ized . After animperial re ign of years he could not with h is ownslaves knee l to partake the euchari st . His subse

quen t act ions Show how sl ight h i s fai th , and bloodspots stai n him with suspi cion .

We may,then , affi rm that i n convoking the N i

cene Counc i l the motive of Constant ine was pol i t i cal .I n hi s empire pagans outnumbered Chri st ians . Bu tthe former represen ted an exhausted and despai ringpast

,whi le the lat ter were an imated with the zeal

and hope and cou rage of youth . So nearly werethe part ies balanced that the scale cou ld easi ly betu rned . Div i si on s among Chri st ians m ight wreck


the empire . With such a catastrophe was Constant i ne menaced . While the Arian stri fe rent theChurch

,i t imperi led domin ion . To compose the

rising storm was an impulse of preservation and ofstatesmanship . I n A . D . 3 2 5 , at N ice in Bi thyn ia ,Constan tine assembled the fi rst Ecumenical Counc i l . I n the pol i t i cal sovere ignty of the emperor wasi ts very origi n . His imperial decree gave i t l i fe .I n obed ience to h i s

'

wi ll three hundred and eighteenbishops convened at the t ime and place specified inh i s summons . A lay element was in the Counci l ;but i t was there with the sword of the emperor toimpose h i s sovereignty of au thori ty . The Chri st ianDemocracy of the New Testamen t had bee n whollysuppressed . I n i ts place were ep iscopal ol igarchy

and imperial autoc racy. Rome was represented bytwo presbyters . Papal maj esty would not condescend to speak through delegates of a superior order.Most of the bishops were O ri en tals fromAsiat i c andEgypt ian sees . The venerable H osius of Cordovawas chosen to preside .I n the Counc i l were three part ies1 . The party of E useb ius. He sought compro

m ise. Many mysteri es , he u rged , we cannot explain . How was the sou l formed ? How uni ted tothe body ? H ow does i t move the body ? H ow

does i t leave the body ? How does i t exi st apartfrom the body ? We cannot tel l . Ignorant of ourselves

,we must not t ry to explain Godhead . Let

us,then

,said Euseb iu s

,express ou r creed by Scrip

tu re ! The word of God i s better than the languageof man . But Euseb iu s wou ld have settled noth ing.

Each party wou ld have placed i ts own interpreta


wood and the gate of the everlast ing glory unopenedfor ou r human i ty . Athanas ius d id not con tend fora cipher. He insi sted on a Greek l e t ter on ly as i trepresented an infin i te and eternal veri ty . My eyel idcan shut ou t the su n

,and a small arbi trary sign sym

bo l i z ing error may hide forever the face of Jehovah .

At the begi nn ing of the Counci l Ariu s appearedto be under the smile of Constant ine . All was i nhi s favor. But suddenly the scene Changed . Theempero r passed under the influence of the venerableBishop of Cordova , president of the assembly .

H osi us tu rned the scale . Under h i s spel l the weightof the imperial authori ty was brought over to the doct ri ne of Athanasi us and the decree of the Counci ld eterm ined . Eusebi us h imself yielded ei ther to theforce of argumen t or to the wil l of Constant i ne . Perhaps with some mental reservat ion

,the Bishop of

Cmsarea subscribed the orthodox creed . Seventeenp re lates decl i ned to vote wi th the majori ty. Episcopacy , however , soon began to bow before imperialautocracy . Fourtee n bishops succumbed . I t herewas first shown that prelates m ight prefer terrestrialbread to the cele st ial manna . Emperors d i scoveredhow to shape creeds . We see them offering miters

,

t lu ones,and palaces . These fai l i ng , thei r next ar

gumen ts were deposit ions,exi les

,and imprison

ments . When these did not convi n ce , then execu

t ioners ! Besides Ariu s,only Theonas , of Marmari ca ,

and Secundus,of Ptolemais

,persisted i n refus ing to

subscribe the Nicene Creed . All three were excommunicated

,deposed

,and ban ished . The cruc ia l

words,being of one substance with the Father

,

”

fixed the creed and crowned the controversy.

COUNCILS . 1 75

Nor were the d ifferences i n regard to the Songreater than those i n regard to the Spiri t . For threecentu ries op in ions had been d ivided and confl i ct ing.

Fathers were against fathers . Some he ld that theHoly Ghost was only a mode of the d ivi ne agency ;some that H e was a creature ; and others that H e

was God . One theologi an affi rmed that the Scriptu res were clear i n the i r defin iti onsof the Son

,whi le

obscu re i n the i r doctri ne of the Spi ri t . E unom i us

taught that the Spiri t was the fi rst creatu re from theFather through the Son . The bel ief of the Churchseems to have been best stated i n the creed ofGregory Thaumatu rgus . Athanasi u s certain ly hada fi rm grasp of the subl ime doctri ne of the Tri n i ty .

The O ri ental Church magn ified the Father as thesupreme effic ient Cause

,but held also that from

Him the Son was generated and the Sp iri t p roceeded . Y et there were always prevai l ing loose v i ewsverging toward heterodoxy. From the earl iest eccles iast ical wri ters arose these m ists over the wholedoc tr ine of the Holy Ghost . All these errors of thepast cu lm inated i n Sabel l ius. He was from P tol

emais i n Africa . With h im Son and Sp i r i t wereonly d ifferen t man ifestat ion s of the Father. Amonad

,the Father evolved H imself in to a t riad ,

and then the t riad i nvolved i tself back into themonad . As in the sun are globe

,l ight , rays , so

God i s the effulgence from which proceed the Logosto i ll uminate and the Spiri t to fruct ify . The primalessence had been an everlast ing sol i tary. I n t imeforth from H im came the Son , and afterward theSpiri t . Each , then , Son and Spiri t , had a beginn ing.

The Father begat the Logos. By the Logos al l


was created . Fi rst i n Christ the Logos had personal ity . But , as a ray taken back i nto the sun

,

tne Logos wi l l be drawn i nto the Father. So, too ,the Holy Ghost . 5 0 11 and Spi ri t a re

,then

,tempo

rary manifestat i ons of the Father . Each was an exped ient and an appearance ; each began ; each wouldend . Sabel l ius taught that nei ther Son nor Spi ri thad an everlast i ng, coequal , consubstan t ial place inGodhead

,which i n the law revealed i tself as Father

,

and in the Gospel,fi rs t as Son and afterward as

Spi ri t . Such a V i ew antagonized the deepest andmost sacred Chri st ian con sc iousness . Sabel l ian ismwas in i ts essence pantheism . I t s Sav i ou r was notan eternal Personal i ty . Jesu s i s ; once He was not ;hereafter He will cease to be . I n heaven H isthrone wi l l become vacant . Whi le gazing at H i sglory the redeemed wi l l see thei r King van ish intonoth ing. With H im , the sun ,

extinct,what a mid

night over the un iverse ! And if Chri st , the Head ,expire

,His members must perish , and creat ion be a

wreck . Pantheist ic Sabell i an ism evolved al l fromthe primal essence , and then back i nto the primalessence absorbed al l .A second Ecumen ical Counc i l was necessary tosett le the controve rsies of the d iv ided and d istractedChu rch . I t was assembled by Theodosius the Great

,

A . D . 38 1 , at Constant i nople . To the declarat ionin the Nicene Creed of the Godhead of the Fatheri t added a declarat ion of the Godhead of the HolyGhost . The creed of Constanti nople was a complement of the creed of Nice. The one involvedthe other. We might say that the one compelledthe other. Together they express the fai th . At


cans have j oi ned the strifes of Greeks and Lat i ns .Y et all hold together the absolute and supreme au

thori ty of Ecumenical Counci ls to fix and declareand impose creeds . Well may the Christ ian De

mocracy escape from th i s un iversal e ntanglementby assert i ng the l iberty of each beli ever to interpretand apply the Scriptu re according to h is personalgifts

,needs

,opportun i t ies

,and responsibi l i t i es !

A third d ispu te arose more furious than the eccles iast ical batt les we have been describing . I t relatedto the d iv i ne and human i n Christ . Had He twowi l l s

,one as man and one as God ? O r was H is wi l l

as man lost i n H is wi l l as God ? These quest ionsmade the Monothe l i te war i nevi table . And yetothers equally i nflammable arose . Was the humansou l absorbed i n the d iv i ne Personal ity ? Whatwere the i r relat i ons ? Monophysite stri fes wereadded to Monothel i te . War is i n human natu re .Neither i n Church nor State can i t be avoided . Wewi l l better understand our present subj ect by passi ng the th ird Ecumen ical Counci l

,summoned

,A . D .

43 1 , at Ephesus by Theodosi u s the Second , whichrej ected Nestorian ism

,and confin ing ourselves to

the fourth Ecumenical Counc i l,assembled

,A . D .

4 5 1 , by the emperor Marc ian at Chalcedon .

Apoll i nari s was a nat ive of Laodicea i n Syria . Ofthat c i ty he became bishop . A perfect humannatu re u n ited ind issolubly to the Logos was thedoctri ne of O rigen . This Apoll i nari s d isapproved .

He urged that i f man jo i ned to the Logos retai nedh is wi l l there was no personal un ion , and that i f hed id not retain his wi l l man was an organ of theLogos , j ust as the prophets and apostles and all

COUNCILS . 1 79

angel ic messengers . Out of a comple te u nion of ahuman and a d ivi ne nature

,he affi rmed , one Person

could never proceed . Hence Apoll i nari s fel l backon the d i st inct ion of 77 1181371 11 , I/wxfi, and i nto

wh ich the Greek ph i losophy d ivided man . Withh im I rvsfina i n cluded the intel lectual powers capable

of God ; Tbvxfithe pass ions , the affect ions , the desires ,the appet i tes averse to God ; and the 063W thei rflesh ly abode. Opposed to the an imal rpvxfi,

theLogos was eternal a v efina . Thi s

,His 71 1161311 0. had i n

i t an essen t ial i ncl i nat ion to human ity. I n the

birth of Chri st from Mary thi s Logos-pneuma com

pleted i t s own everlast ing i deal . His potency ofi ncarnat ion became i n J esus a vi s ible real i ty. TheLogos-pneuma possessed both H is 1];v and H isOri ya , which He controlled . Human ity and d ivin i tythus combined , because each from etern i ty i ncl i nedto the other. As to H i s nv efipa on ly was Chri st God ,whi le as to H is Ipvxfi and orbna He was man . Hewas

,therefore , nei ther tru ly man nor t ruly God . I t

began to be said that God was born , God suffered ,God d ied .

The doctri ne of Apoll i nari s was carried to i ts extreme by E u tyches. He was a fanat ical monk

,and

a furious devotee of Mary . E u tyches affi rmed thatafter the inca rnat ion Christ existed i n but on enatu re . He had no human soul . I n H im theLogos d id not possess n vefijua and tpvxfi,

but was

a vei ya and I/wxvi . The body of the Redeemer was amere temple of Godhead.

E u tyches became suspected of extreme and dangerons v i ews . S i nce the th i rd Ecumen ical Counc i lat Ephesus the ecclesiast i cal pendulum had osc i l


lated . The once popu lar monk was under a cloud .

Fanat ical E u tyches , A . D . 448, was summoned before a synod of Constant inopl e . He refu sed toobey. The Byzanti ne cap i tal was convu lsed

,bu t

after furious struggles the m onk was condemned .

At the Robber’s Synod , A . D . 44 9, Eusebius wascu rsed and threatened with fi re . Leo the Great

was now on the papal throne . He sent to theCounci l as h i s representatives J u l i u s

,Bishop of

Puteol i ; R enatu s , presbyte r , w i th H i lari us , deacon ,and the notary D u lc i t ius , who had acqu iesced i n thej udgment against E u tyches. But the Roman pont iffwas not sat i sfied . He u rged a n ew Counci l

,to be

held in I taly . Changes at Constant i nople favoredh i s V iew . Theodos i u s had d ied ,

and the empress Pulcheria

,hav i ng marri ed Marc ian , e levated h im to the

throne . Imperial letters were i ssued for a Counci lA . D . 4 5 1 at Nice i n Bithyn ia. But the monksproved so mad and m u rderous that this assemblywas t ransferred to Chalcedon . The mili tary powerof the empire was requ i red to protect ecclesiasti csfrom the fu ry of ecclesiast i cs . I t sometimes seemedthat Church and State were st i rred into tempests ofhate and revenge by mocking demons .A wise letter from Leo saved the Counci l fromNestorian i sm . I t d id more . The epi stle of th isgreat pope gu ided the assembly between the rockand whirlpool of Apoll i narian ism and Eutych ian i sm .

Conform ing i tsel f to the Opin ions so admirably ex

pressed in Leo’s letter,the fourth Ecumenical

Counci l i ssu ed from Chalcedon a decree which dec lared for all ages the orthodox fai th of Chri stendom

( .A

182 TH E CH R I ST IAN DEMOCRACY .

i t i f no t sustained by Scriptu re . I bring creed and

Counci l to the test of Scriptu re . Ult imately,then

,

my faith i s i n the Scriptu re . To preserve my Chri st ian l iberty I must exerc ise i t and take my creedfrom God .

But I go behind al l the quest ions asked . Onwhat au thority do I rece ive Scriptu re ? Do I bel ieve because ecclesiast ics affi rm ? Never ! I havefaith i n my Bible because i n i tse lf I have proof formy Bible . My belief i s not from prelates

,popes

,

or Counci ls . By hi storical research , as i n the caseof any other book

,I can

,i ndeed , establ i sh the au

thent ic i ty of my Bible , bu t not i ts cred ibi l i ty. I tsstyl e

,clear

,simple

,or subl ime as i ts theme demands ;

i nnumerable correspondences between the O ld Testament and the New ; the complet ion of the law i nthe Gospel ; the fulfi l lment by the Redeemer of theMessian i c types

,promises

,and prophecies ; His res

u rrect ion,proved by witnesses whose test imony my

reason exam ines and accepts ; the v i s ible good effectsof the book on men and nations and ages— theseand other ev idences produce in me,

by argument,

an overwhelming conv i ct ion . Beh ind thi s Bible i sthe character of Christ . He i s the transcendentWitness . To man ’s invent ion He is as impossibleas man ’s creat ion of a un iverse . The ideal of mora lperfect ion i s Christ . He is an example for men . Heis a model for angels . He is a Gospel for heaven .

He is the image of the essence of goodness fora un iverse and an etern ity. Impostu re flash forthH is immortal glory ! Impost u re counterfe i t H islove ! Impostu re conceive Hi s hol i ness ! I mpos

tu re place before a un iverse i ts subl imest moral ex

COUNCILS. 183

Cel lence ! Impostu re i nven t by l ies a human l ifewhich can be l ifted

,without a human spot

,i nto the

blaze of the everlast ing glory of Godhead I mpos

s ible ! Then my reason accepts Christ . Then Christrose from the dead

,for He pred icted H i s resu rrec

t ion . Then Chri st , as He cla imed , i s the Messiah .

Then Chri st , sin ce He affi rmed i t , i s God . ThenChri st cou ld not l i e when He approved the O ldTestament and prom ised gu idance to the wri tersof the New . O ld and New have the certificat ionof Christ

,my infal l ib le

,i ncarnate God . Hence my

reason bel i eves my Bible .Can Counci l s Show such proofs of authori ty as todemand my faith ? I f the arguments of ou r fi rstl e cture be true the Church i s

,by Scriptu re

,a Chri s

t ian Democracy . Legisl at ion was vested i n thewhole body of beli evers . Lai ty and Clergy madedecrees together. Apostles and brethren composedthe fi rst Counci l a t J erusalem

,which enacted the

canon regul at ing ci rcumcision . But the sovereign tyof the people was d isplaced by the sovereignty ofb ishops . Laics were expel led by eccles iast i cs . O l igarchy supplanted democracy . Above al l were theclaim of pont i ff and the power of emperor. Howcou ld an unscriptu ral Counci l impose scriptu ralfa i th ?Nor was the conduct of eccles iast i cs i n thei r ecu

men ical assembl ies such as to secure confidence andrespect . We judge men by thei r act ions . Character i s p roved

,not by creeds , bu t deeds . Beyond

his ofli ce we weigh the man . Scriptu re gives testsof human l ives . I t requ i res love , fidel i ty, pat i ence ,wisdom . which , alone and always , command confi


dence . And all morals are person ified i n Christ .J udged by the standard Of the Scriptu re

,the con

d uct of ecclesiast i cs in the Councils shocks Christ ian i ty i tself and forces i t to condemn i ts own prelat ical representat ives . What env i e s ,what j ealousies,what hatreds

,what facti ons

,what st ri fes , d isgrace

ful,not only to eccl esiast ics

,but to human ity !

Measured by Scriptu re,no assembl ies were ever

convened for great and noble ends less enti tled todemand fai th by au thority from future ages. Tosupport ou r affi rmat ion we appeal to history.

We must ever remember that the Ecumen ica lCounci l of Nice was an imperial creat ion . At its

beginn ing appearances favored heresy . Constant ine was under the i nfluence of Eusebi us and notaverse to Arius . But the emperor was won byH osius , and the Counc il passed under the control ofAthanasi us . Five months after i ts adjournmentAlexander of Alexandria d ied . I n the splendidcapi ta l of Egypt A thanasi us succeeded him asbishop . But after the death of Helena , his mother ,Constantia

,h is s iste r

,persuaded the emperor back

to Ari us,whom he ordered from Alexandria to

Constant i nople . Now the man styled blasphemous,

the man condemned as a heret ic,the man ranked

w i th the i nfidel Porphyry , the man branded bycourt and counci l

,State and Chu rch

,returns

t ri umphant under the sm ile of the sovere ign bywhom he had been prosecuted

,deposed , and ex

i led . Patroni zed by h is emperor, at the head of h i sparty

,flushed wi th v i ctory

,Arius held aloft the

banner of h i s fai th , which seemed abou t to tri umphover the Church . He rode forth through Constan

TH E CH R I ST I AN DEMOCRACY .

an old charge of sacri lege i s rev ived against h im,

and he i s deposed . H is deadly foe,the exposed

wretch A rsen iu s , i s received i nto communion . Afterward the persecuted Bishop of Alexandria was accused of prohibi t i ng corn from Constant inople . Theemperor condemned him and ban ished him to Gaul .A synod at Ant ioch designated

,i n h is place

,Greg

o ry to be the Bishop of Alexandria , and also c l im inated from the N icene Creed i ts declarat i on of theconsubstantial i ty of the Son . Now the Chu rch hastwo doctrinal standards . I t i s Arian and A thanasian . So sl ight was the power of an Ecumeni calCounci l to establ i sh u ni ty ! Stri fe burned morefuriously after Nice than before . Gregory wasbrought to the episcopal throne of the flying Athanasius under m i l i tary escort

,and kept there by the

imperial sword wav i ng over h im for h is defense .Constant in e the younger comes on the scene .

The Counci l of Sard ica i s convoked . Three hund red Western and seven ty Eastern bishops appear.But the m inori ty wi l l no t meet the majori ty unlessAthanasiu s be excluded . This refused

,al l the

Ori ental prelates w i thdraw,and then the synod re

bukes Arian ism . Athanasiu s i s restored . TheNicene Creed i s confi rmed . O rthodoxy tri umph s .

B u t ep i scopal stri fes make m ore dangerous com

pl i cat ions. The O ri en tal emperor w i l l not rece i v eAthanasiu s

,and the Occidental emperor threatens

war. A world convulsed over a creed ! The fai thunsett led as ever ! Controversy between ecc les i

ast ics to be stopped by the sword ! But Constant i us fears h i s brother Constans and Shrinks fromthe blood of bat tl e . He recalls Athanasiu s by

COUNC I LS. 187

lette r and restores h im to Alexandria . Bri ef h ist ri umph ! At the death of hi s imperial friend he i sagai n imperi led . Sold iers su rround his Church . Thed i n of war d rowns the voice of prayer. Virgins arecast i n to pri son

,bishops are led i n chains , homes O f

widows and orphans are pl I i ndered , murder holdscarn ival . Refusi ng to acknowledge the Arian Creed ,women are stripped , burned , beaten . Forty menare flogged to lacerat ion . Some d ie i n agony

,and

the i r corpses are den ied bu rial . Athanasi u s has fledfrom these scenes of fi re

,and pi llage

,and slaughter ,

and found refuge among Egypt ian monks . He diesi n exi l e

,a v i ct im of the men who had , wi th h im ,

subscribed the Nicene Creed .

I nstigated by the Eastern prelates,an imperia l

ed ict convened a synod at M i lan . I ts object wasthe unan imous condem nat ion of the doctrine ofAthanasi u s . But before i t passed a decree i t d i ssolved . Three bishops were exi led . T he emperord i rected the M ilan prelates to meet at Ariminum ,

i n I taly. A new creed in Greek and Lat i n was proposed . Dissentients protested

,and between the

Creed of Ar im inum and the Creed of Nice theChurch was d iv ided . Valens

,Ursac iu s , Germ inus

,

Gaiu s,and D C I I I Oph i lu s were deposed for refusing

to anathemati ze Athanasi us . He was exi led wh i lel iv ing and cu rsed when dead . The emperor Constant ius was exasperated

,and the world once more

in flame . Ej ectment and banishment were i nfl i ctedon bishops by imperial ed icts . Pope Liberiu s wasexpel led from Rome

,and on his pont ifical throne

was placed Fel ix,an Arian deacon . Macedon ius

obtai ned the bishopric ofConstan t inOple . Emperor

1 88 THE C H R I STIAN D E MOCRACY .

and patriarch t I iumphed together o v er the subversion of the Nicene symbol . Men and womenwere forced to bapt ism and tortu red to commun ion .

Resistance was pun ished w i th stripes,bonds

,and

impri sonments . Macedon ius i nvolv ed Constant inople i n a battle over the very remains of i ts imperial founder. Hosti le part ies fough t i n fury. Thechurchyard was covered w i th gore . A wel l overflowed with blood whose red currents ran throughthe streets . Even the Arian emperor became disgusted wi th the murderous v i olence and deposedand d isgraced the patriarch Macedon ius.

Nor were the stri fes st i rred by Nestori us less painfu l . He was celebrated for h i s austeri ty and hiseloquence . I n A . D . 4 2 8, whi le presbyter at A n

t ioch ,he was made Bishop of Constanti nople . A

storm burst over h i s head . He attacked i n h i s ca

thedral pulpi t the growing devot ion to Mary andden ied that she should be called mother of God . AMoes ian bishop increased the tempest by pronou nc

i ng al l accu rsed who appl ied to the Virgin th i s popular t i t le . With power and prudence Nestori u s defended his posit ion . But at a Christmas fest iva lProclus

,an aspi rant to the episcopal throne

,glorified

Mary. He was applauded by the clappings of h i saud ience . The m onks of the capital ki ndled intothe i r ascet ic fury and branded Nestori u s as a heret i c .Cyri l , Patriarch of J erusalem ,

joined the battl e .Ecclesiasti cal war involved the world . As the resu l tof the un iversal clamor and commot ion TheodosiusI I summoned the metropol i tan bishops of h i s imperial domin ion to meet about Pentecost at Ephesu s .Nestori us came to the Counci l

,but so great was h i s


CH APTER XI II.

Pelagianism .

UGUST I NE was born i n or near Carthageabou t the year A . D . 3 5 5 . I I I the long andviolent contest wi th Pelagius he was the maste r

spi ri t . His greatest work grew out of that struggle ,which left i ts impress on all subsequent ages.Patric ius , the father of August ine , was a pagan , andMonica

,h is mother

,a Christ ian . At home he was

thus exposed to two antagoni st i c i nfluences. Part lyeducated in the rel igion and l i teratu re of Rome

,he

was better able to grapple wi th the errors they incu lcated . Before hi s death Patric ius

,won by the

tears and love and prayers of Mon ica,renounced

h is gods,confessed Chri st

,and expi red a witness to

h is new faith . Now the mother became whollydevoted to her son . All the energies of a noblematernal sou l were needed to gu ide the Africanboy. On him was the stamp of gen ius . His subtlein te llect and nat ive e loquence were splendid gi fts ,but attended and impe l led by those passions

,those

affection s,those aspi rat ions which signal i ze heroi c

and commanding natu res . Cicero affi rmed thatonly the poet i c fi re fel l from heaven . A Demosthenes was an earthly manufacture . But NorthAfrica fu rni shed an except ion to the theory ofCicero . August i ne was born an orator. Early in h i sl i fe we find him a teacher of elocution i n Mi lan

,

PELAGIANISM . 19 1

where was the episcopal throne of the eloquen tAmbrose . The ferv id Carthag in ian youth hadcome under the spel l of the wi l d and fanc i fu l and del ud ing errors of Manichae i sm . He was bound , also ,i n the chai ns of h is own gross passions .Anxious for her son

,Monica for h is rescue crossed

the sea from Carthage to I taly . Augustine wasbrought to repentance for the s i ns of a l i centi ousli fe by a sentence flashed into h i s consc ience fromCice ro . He had a fearfu l struggle w i th h imself.Heresy had molded h i s op in ions . Lust stained hi sl i fe . A midn ight cl oud enveloped hi s noble i ntell ect . Like Pau l before and Luther after

,he at

tained peace through storms that shook h im to h i scenter. Withi n August in e were the volcani c erup

t ions of a sp i ri tual earthquake . H is confess ions re

semble E tna heav i ng wi th i nternal fi res . Law and

Gospel contended for domin ion .

”

Monica was inM i lan watching l ike an angel . I n a garden a textof Pau l brought peace to August ine . He saw theway of salvat ion by fai th i n Christ . He found re

mission and peace . He specifies the t ime , the place ,the c i rcumstances of h i s convers ion . Always hecould point back to a fixed l ight- spot as the beginn ing of h i s new li fe

,which was to i ll um inate the

futu re of the Church . Ecclesiast ical t rad it ionaffi rms that the i l lustrious Bishop of Mi lan com

posed the immortal Te Deum to be sung at thebaptism of August ine

,h is bri ll iant convert . I f this

be true h i s cathedral wi tnessed a spectacle subl imei n i tsel f and of profound consequence to human i ty.

Soon after the conversion of her son Monica leftM i lan for Carthage . She never saw her home across

192 T H E CHRISTIAN DEMOCRACY.

the sea. The work of her heart and l ife wasfin ished . A fiery fever se ized her at Ostia . Augustine was wi th h is mother. J ust before leaving herson for paradise Mon ica said : “ One th i ng only

,

you r conversion , was an object for which I wishedto l ive . Place th i s body anywhere . Nothing is farfrom God . I do not fear that H e shou ld not knowwhere to find me at the resu rrect ion .

”

After the death of h is mothe r Augusti ne retu rnedto Carthage and ret i red to hi s estate

,bu t was forced

from his cheri shed obscuri ty and made a presbyte r.Even tual ly he was consecrated Bishop of H ippo

,

near the African capi tal,and entered the most sh in

i ng career as a Christ ian wri ter which has madei llu strious a s plend id l i ne of Lat in fathers . BetweenPau l and Luther no man has exerted a more powerfu l doctrinal and sp i ri tual i nfluence over the un iversal Church .

Opposite i n al l th ings to Augusti ne was Pelagius .He was a Bri t ish monk who d rew hi s theology fromthe East . I n h i s temperamen t and mental const itut i on he was m ild and medi tat ive . Of the storm andfi re i n August ine he could know noth ing. Pelagi u swas learned

,but nei ther specu lat ive nor profound .

Like h i s natu re,his theology was superfic ial . H is

op in ions were reflect ions of h imself. To the depthsof th ings he could never penetrate . Although amonk

,Pelagiu s was not an extreme ascet i c . Not

vehement enough for fierce struggle , h is sp iri t ex

perienced no such batt les as Augustine fought inh is garden and Luther i n h i s cel l . With Pelagiu sChri st iani ty was a moral i ty rather than a faith .

From h im were hidden the great deeps of the


i n to confl i ct law and Gospel , brought i n to an

tagonism works and fai th , and wou ld have en

tangled in to bondage the free spi rit of Chri stian

Democracy.

Pelagi us,we have seen , taught that man was not

natu rally evi l . I n the choice of h is wi l l was a possib i l ity of evi l . Of himself he cou ld escape the evi l .Man needs no sovereign transformi ng pri nciple ofl i fe . Human natu re i s born wi th al l the power

essent ial to i ts loft iest spi ri tual dest inat ion . I tssupreme moral e levat ion is from itself. Whileon ly i ts native endowments are necessary , yetto i ts natu ral capaci ti e s d iv i ne grace is addedthat man more easi ly may reach a higher moralattainment.I nst ead of freedom , Augusti ne saw slavery i n the

wi ll . I t I S bondage to self, t o lust , to appet i te , topassion . Grace does not find i t free , bu t makes i tfree . S i n i s Slavery ; hol i ness i s l iberty. Born i nsin

,man is i n slavery , and not i n l iberty. I n h i s

passage by conversion from the slavery of s in to thel ibe rty of fai th nothing avai l s h im but the om

n ipotence of God , by whose sovere ignty each bel iever experiences a new creat i on i nto the lost d ivi neimage . Angels are free , and men are bound .

Moral slavery i s the moral consequence and theinevi table pun i shment of moral evi l . The deeperwe s ink i n to s in the heavier ou r chain . E ternalt ransgression wil l be eternal bondage . Only fai thi n the blood of Christ makes free through the powerof the Holy Ghost . Such i s the substance of theAugust in ian theology.

Coelestius was a convert and friend of Pelagius .

PELAGIANISM . 1 95

The disciple was more extreme than the master.While the fi rst was i n the gl ow of youth the lastwas i n the chi l l of age . Both appeared

,A. D . 4 1 1 ,

at Carthage . Opposit i on to the i r vi ews at oncebegan . Pau li nus of Mi lan accused them before asynod . The ch ief charge against them was thatthey held the sin of Adam to have inj ured h imselfonly, and not h is posteri ty . Pelagius was excom

mun icated and went to Palesti ne . There he exc itedthe intense opposi t ion of J erome

,who was resid ing

in h i s cel l at Bethlehem . War began between themonks . But the Oriental Church had sl ight sympathy wi th the August i n ian vi ews . Pelagiu s wasuncondemned , and the controversy referred toRome . I nnocent I was i n the papal chai r. I twas affi rmed that Pelagi us taught “ that man ifhe pleases can be perfectly free from sin . Thepassionate ant ipathy of Jerome extended fromPalestine to Rome and exci ted sympathy forPelagius . He was restored to the communi on of theChurch

,and could now plead for h is orthodoxy the

verd icts of two Counci l s . Bu t agai nst h im powerfu l let ters came from North Africa bu rn ing with theenergy and argumen t of August in e . Pelagi u s defended h imself, bu t wi thou t success. The pope

acqu iesced i n his condemnat i on .

When the Greek Zosimus succeeded to the papal chai r the aspect of the controversy was againchanged . He was persuaded of the orthodoxy ofPelagius. I ndeed , the pope appears to have beendeeply impressed inh is favor when he wrote to theAfrican bishops : “Would that some of you hadbeen present when the letter of Pelagius was


read ! How rej o i ced and surpri sed were al l piou smen who heard i t ! Was there a s ingle passagewhere grace or the d ivi ne assistance was not men

t ioned But the infall ible pont i ff had not graspedthe fundamental truth i nvolved in the controversy.

I ts depths hi s Greek intel lect , perhaps , could notpenetrate . The African bishops understood thei rman and were undazzled before the splendors ofpapal supremacy . Assembli ng a Counci l at Car

thage , they protested against the dec ision at Rome .Zosimus wavered . He promised to suspend hisfinal decree . The Afri can s would not wa i t for thele isu rely determinati ons of a vaci llat i ng pope . Theypressed the quest ion

,assumed the responsibi l i ty

,

and decided for themselves at a second assembly,

convened A . D . 4 1 8 i n Carthage . Here they pronounced accursed those affi rming that “ the grace ofGod by which we are j ust ified through Chri st refersmerely to the forgiveness of past si ns

,and not to

assistance to secure u s against fall ing in to sin i n thefu ture .” This African reprobat ion included al l whosay that th is grace helps to keep u s from si nn ingonly so far as i t opens ou r m inds to a knowledge ofthe d iv i ne commands

,but that i t does not bestow

on us a d isposi t i on to love and a facu lty to praet i ce such commands . ” Another canon condemnedthe V i ew that grace makes the fulfi l lmen t of th e lawmore easy

,whi le yet

,without grace , fulfi llment i s

attai nable .The Afri can bishops proceeded beyond papal de

c ision and ecclesiastical decree . Passing above thepontiff

,they appealed to the sovereign civ i l power.

Imperial ed icts were i ssued against Pelagius and


some of h is views i nto extreme statements whichyet entangle Chri stendom . But , however we maymodify h is remorseless concl usions

,we must admit

that the d ivine Sovereignty is the source and centerof bibl i cal theology. From God came al l . I nto H ismandatory or perm issive wi ll , then , al l m ust be resolved . All i n H i s un iverse i s the expression ofH imsel f. Nor cou ld i t be otherwi se w i thou t reduei ng creat ion to chaos . Sovereignty in God i s aneverlast ing necessi ty— bu t not the supremacy of an

i nfinite capri ce, not the ord inat ion of omnipotenttyranny

,not the predest inat ion of a Satan i cal un

righteousness . The sovereignty of God expressesthe whole natu re of God . I t

,therefore , mani fests

i tsel f i n an essent ial love , j ust ice , and wisdom , which

always,however i nvis ible to us

,const i t ute the eter

nal harmony of H is u n iverse .The precise relat ions of human vol i t ion to d ivi neSovere ignty are cove red by a cloud of mystery.

Certai n facts and laws I i nduct ively know. Eachact of my wil l i s preceded by motive and desi re .

My reason decides what i s best ; what i s best I desi re ; and what I desi re I wi l l . Nor do I wi l l againstdesi re . I

,i ndeed

,loathe the med ici ne I take . I do

not desi re i t . Y et I take i t . Why ? My desi re forhealth i s st ronger than my desi re against the med ic ine . The more powerful desi re prevai ls and passesinto vol i t ion

,and vol it ion i nto act ion . I swallow

the nauseou s dose . So far we can analyz e the operat ions of the wi l l and ascertain i ts laws . But can

we explain these subtle relat ions of reason , desi re ,and vol i t ion ? They are h idden from our keenest

scrut iny , and beyond the questions suggested are

PELAGIANISM . 1 99

those yet more obscu re . How can God give me thepower to wi l l and sustain my will i n i ts act ion

,and

not be responsible for my will ? He upholds mewhile I sin . I n murder i tsel f the slayer uses thepower of God i n the commission of crime . Howcan human ind ividual i ty be separated from thed ivi ne Omnipotence ? The persona li ty of manseems not d ivi sible from the personali ty of hisCreator. I am i n an abyss too deep for my humanplummet . Are these phenomena inexpl icabl e ? I nfin itely more subtle

”

and del icate my relat ions to theAlmighty i n the work of my regenerat ion . I f Hebe sovere ign

,how can I be free ? O r if I be born

i n moral s lavery, how can He bring me into morall iberty ? I s not such a t ransi t ion Impossible ? I nmy ord inary act ions I am ‘ free . As I wi l l I walk, Italk

,I work

,I rest

,I do a myriad th ings. I n all I

have conscious l iberty. Now confront me withduty ! Place before me the moral law ! Measureme by the immaculate Christ ! All i s changed ! Icannot do what I see to be right . I am a slave tomyself. I cannot keep the law of my being. Howvivid ly Pau l and August ine describe th i s moral bondage ! Y et we are del ivered from i t by fai th i nChrist and the sovereignty of H is Spi ri t . But bywhat processes ? Every be ing perfectly good i s perfectly free ; every be ing perfectly bad is perfectlybound ; while between these extremes moral l ibertyi s not a un iform elemen t , bu t has i nfin ite d ifferencesaccord ing to moral condi ti on . Amid such moralrelat ions

,with movements i n vol i t i ons infin itesimal

and innumerable,and more subtle than the play of

colors between l ight and darkness, how impossible

200 TH E CHR I STI AN DEMOCRACY.

to penetrate the mysteries of regenerat ion ! Y et in

creeds and confessions and systems man expresseshimself i n definit ions unyie ld ing as i ron

,and chains

with them the l iberty of Christ ian Democracy,whi le God in H is word compares H is i nvisible operat ions i n free ing human sou ls to H is motion s i n thefaci l e and ever-changing atmosphere .


and Latin commun i ons . Y et never once d id theAaron ical priest pronounce the absolut ion of theofferer. Under the old d ispensat ion there was nopersonal absolu t ion . No man had power to remi tS i n . Forgiveness was reserved for J ehovah , theSovereign of the un iverse.How under the Gospel ? Only Christ

,i ncarnate

God and Creator,absolved from sin. Did Peter

receive the keys of the kingdom with power to bindand loose ? Y et he never once pronounced personalremission . W i t nesses wi th h im of the transfigurat ion

and the agony,James and John never pronounced

personal remission . Nor d id Paul or any otherapostle ever pronounce personal remission . I n theNew Testament

,from Matthew to Apocalypse

,no

m i n i ster ever pronounced personal remissi on . To

Jew and Gent i le , t ogether represent ing human ity ,al l preachers of the Gospel declared salvat ion to theworld on the sole condi ti on of faith i n ou r LordJesu s Christ , to be sealed and confessed in bapt ism .

The whole claim and pract i ce of absolut ion by theGreek and Lat i n Churches i s wi thout Scriptu re

,and

a sacerdotal u su rpat ion i ncompat ible wi th the spiri tual freedom of the Christ ian Democracy , and , indeed , with i ts existence .I t is remarkable that

,whi le the word “ pri est

i s so widely used over Chri stendom,ou r Sav i ou r

never appl ied i t to H is ministers . Peter i s not cal leda priest ; J ohn i s not cal led a priest ; Pau l i s notcalled a priest ; not one of the apostles i s called apri est ; no b i shop , no presbyter, no deacon , noteacher

,no evangel ist. Each bel iever i s styled a

pri est . I n the New Testament “ priest i s the

SACE RDoTALI SM. 203

designat ion , not of a m in i ster, but of a Chri st ian .

Every disciple is of a “ royal priesthood Al l i nthe celest ial c i ty w i th immortal l ips sing, Thou forus wast slain , and hast redeemed us to God by Thyblood , ou t of every k i ndred , and tongue , and peo !ple , and nat ion , and hast made us unto our Godkings and pri ests.”

The Ori en tal and Occ idental comm '

un ions, ruledby patriarch and pope and representi ng the vastmajori ty of Christendom

,have

,then

,for thei r sace r

dotal c laims no support i n Scriptu re . But they v enerate and magn ify fathers . The Counc i l of Trentexalts fathers i nto au thoritat ive i nterpreters of thed ivi ne oracles . Let u s tu rn

,then

,to fathers ! And

those nearest Christ are most influent ial ! Y et i t is i nprec i sely these

,the earl iest and the most respected ,

that the proofs of sacerdotal i sm are want ing. Clem a

ens Romanus , fi rst father and,i f we bel i eve Rome

‘

,

second pope,u ses presbyter and refuses priest .”

Ignat iu s,next father

,bishop-martyr and supreme

authori ty for epi scopal p rerogat ive , uses“

presbyter and refuses pri est . The best wri ters

,i n the

V i ew of sacerdotal i sm i tsel f,use “ presbyter ” and

refuse priest .” I t i s clear from the apostol i c fathersthat the sacerdotal u su rpat ion over the Chri st ianDemocracy was unknown to the prim it ive Church .

Now,i n al l offic ial t i t l es the name is sign ificant.

Emperor,

” king,

” prince,

”duke ,

” president ,secretary

,

” “ judge , “ chancel lor,” “ senator,

representat ive ” mark posi t ion and funct ion . The

Chu rch,more than the State

,shou ld be prec ise.

Name expresse s th ing ; name stamps the mind ; n‘ame

molds the function . I n no book i s name so exact

204 TH E CH RI ST IAN DEMOCRACY .

i n derivat ion and accu racy as i n the Bible . Whatt remendous power i n the word priest ! How i thas i nfluenced nat ions

,races

,generat ions ! And

how it has extended i ts sway,not only over earth

and t ime , but etern ity ! That the word “ priestexert s such power i s evinced by the tenaci ty wi thwh ich the Greek and the Lat in Churches have clungto i t from the centuries when departu re began fromScriptu re and fathers . How importan t

,then

,to

consider the r ise of that sacerdotal i sm which,before

the Reformat ion , was u n iversal over Christendom !High-sound ing t i tles i n baptism evi nce downward

tendencies from primi t ive simpl ic i ty and l iberty intothe gl i t teri ng bondage of icy ceremon ial . Thesacrament was styled o rpbv nal tyyev eoiag, a wash

ing of regenerat ion,i n the sense of a sacrament es

sent ial to the new b irth ; oqbpaylg' , seal ; xapann‘yp

Kvpiov , the Lord’

s marh ; gbwn ojuég, i l lumina t ion

gv a ICTfiptov , thephy lactery ,or preservat ion ; a¢0ap0lag

fs’

vdv jua , the v est i ture of incorrupt ion,the salvat ion .

Cyri l employs l ofty poet ical imagery to exaggeratethe spi ri tual efficiency of the sacrament . He stylesi t

,

“ the ransom of capt ives,

” “ the remission of offenses,

” “ the death of sin ,

” “ the regenerat ion ofthe soul

,

” “ the garment of l ight,

” “ the holy sea li nd issoluble

,

” the Chariot of heaven ,” “ the luxury

of parad i se,

” “ the procu ring of the kingdom ,

” thegift of adoption The j ud ic ious Clemens Alexandrinus uses terms equally exalted when he says ,Bapt ism

,cal led grace

,i ll uminat ion

,washing

grace,because th rough i t i s remi tted the punish

ment due to ou r S i n s ; i l l uminat ion , because thatholy, saving l ight i s beheld by which we behold

206 THE CHRI STIAN DEMOCRACY.

bol iz ed by the free , universal ai r, was local ized i n i tsoperat ions. Al ready the i nner sp i r i tual l iberty wasthreatened , and the way prepared for the cold and

w i thering sway of an ecclesiast ical h ierarchy.

External Observances soon corresponded to thedoctrinal exaltat ion of the sacrament . Pomps andceremon ies mu l t ipl i ed. Eye and ear were delightedw i th co lor and sound , and worsh ip passed from sou lto sense. Process ions were formed , wi th songs andpalms of victory, and the bones and shri nes ofmartyrs became conspicuous obj ects of adoration .

Each cand idate was robed i n whi te as an emblemof immortal i ty. He was then crowned and led tothe altar for the beat ific V I SIOn of eternal l i fe . Afterward , in pious and pompous phrase , he was styledelect , holy , fa i thfu l . Easter and Whitsu nday werethe chosen t imes for bapt ism ,

and both were madefest ivals, gay and splendid, with al l the chant andgl i tter of elaborate ceremon ial .We can only by thei r enumerat ion conce ive the

m i n ute and mult ipl ied forms which gathered aroundthe sacramen t of regenerat ion and imposed the ir ihtolerable load on sp iri tual l iberty :

I . The anoin t i ng oi l of the Chri sm must be consecrated by a bishop . 2 . I n the bapti stery of thechurch the wa ter was to be appl ied and regenerat ion effected . 3 . Only bel ievers and cand idatescould be admi tted to the spectacle , which was a

mystery too sacred for profane eyes. 4 . Regularly,bapt i sm must be in the bishop

’

s chu rch , or elsewhere by the bishop’s permission ; salvation was

thus farther rest ri cted to the episcopal cathedral .

5 . Turn ing to the west , the cand idate spat three

SACERDOTALISM . 207

t imes toward Satan ’s seat , and then he faced theeast as the abode of Chri st , th e Light . 6. Thebapt ized were naked , and hence for men and womenthere were separate bapti steries . 7. The water wasblessed , and hence believed to be endued by theSpi ri t with sanctifying power. 8. There were threeimmersions , each at a name of the Trin ity , and sometimes at each a confession . 9 . After the bapt ismcame Chrism . I ts subject was anoin ted by o i l

,which

could be consecrated only by the bishop ; he wasS igned on the forehead wi th the cross by the bishopthe Holy Ghost was conferred on h im by the handsof the b ishop ; so that from fi rst to last the bishopinspired a sacrament deemed essent ial to salvat i on .

10. After the baptism the eucharist was i nvariablyadmin i stered . 1 1 . Except as t o thei r sponsors , infau ts were bapt i zed l ike adults , and l ike adults re

ceiv ed the eucharist . 1 2 . Clin i c , or lay, bapt i smwas al lowed I n cases of extrem ity ; and bapt ism byheret ics

,i f i n the name of the Tri n i ty, was rece ived

as lawfu l i n some parts of Chri stendom . 1 3 . Bap

t ism bestowed forgiveness , and Chri sm the Sp i ri t .14 . Withou t baptism ,

al l , i nclud ing infan ts, weredamned eternally .

The eucharist,also, was described in terms of

splend id exaggerat ion . Al l the richest eloqu ence

of Greek and Lat i n fathers expended itself i n magn ify ing the virtues of Holy Commun ion , and i tsobservances were even more numerou s and elabo.

rate than those relat ing to bapt ism . To the two

sacraments was referred eternal l i fe . The grace

of salvat i on begu n i n bapt ism was perpetuated in

eucharist . A l l these exalted views of their predea


cessors were expressed by Augustine and Chrysostom in thei r glowing and subl ime oratory. Theytaught the doctri ne of the Greek and Lat i n Church es.By thei r authority the Angl i can Ritual i st can defend

h is claims and pract ices only by extracts from the irworks can we understand how completely ecclesi ast ic ism and sace rdotal i sm tri umphed over the Chri st ianDemocracy

,as we have seen i t const i tuted in the

New Testament .AUGUSTINE .

1 . B apt ism . I n h i s work against Pelagi us theBishop of Hippo says : “ And who amongst us den ies that i n bapti sm all s i ns are remitted and thatall bel ievers come up spotless and pure from thelaver of regenerat ion ? To th i s b lessed consumma

t i on advances are even now made by us through thegrace of the holy laver. There i s a whole and perfeet cl eansing in the sel fsame bapti smal laver. Allthese products of concup iscence

,and the old gu i l t

of concupiscence i tself,are put away by the wash ing

of bapti sm ,i n which is accompl ished the forgiveness

of all ou r s in s. The salvation of man is effected bybapt ism .

”

2 . E uchar ist . How strongly August in e expressedhimself on the subject of the Holy Communion canon ly be u nderstood from h is own words : So

,

then , He both gave us H is body and blood , a healthfu l refreshment , and bri efly solved so great a quest ion as to H is own ent i reness . Let them who eateat on , and them that drink drink l i fe . Thou shal thave l i fe , and the l i fe ent i re . The body and bloodof Chri st shal l be each man ’s l ife. They drank of

that spi ri tual Rock that followed them,and that

2 10 T H E CHRISTIAN DEMOCRACY .

comes up aga in from the d iv i ne fountain pu rer thanthe sun ’s rays . A spark fal l ing i nto the wide sea

would be straightway quenched , being overwhelmedby the mult i t ude of waters ; so also al l humanwickedness

,when i t falls i nto the pool of the d ivi ne

fountai n,i s more swiftly and easi ly overwhelmed

and made i nv i s ible than that spark . As,therefore

,

one takes and recasts a golden statue that has beentarn i shed by time , smoke , dust , rust , restores i t tou s thoroughly cleansed and gli sten ing, so ,

too,thi s

natu re of ou rs,rusted with the rust of S i n and hav i ng

gathered much smoke from our fau lts and hav i nglost i ts beau ty

,which He had from the beginn i ng

bestowed on i t from H imsel f,God has taken and

cast anew,and

,throwing i t i n to the water as

’

i n to amold

,and

,i nstead of fi re

,send ing forth the grace of

H is Spiri t,then brings us forth with much brigh t

ness,renewed and made fresh to rival the beams

of the sun ,having crushed the old man and hav

ing fashioned a new man more bri ll ian t than the

former.2 . E uchar ist . Also i n h i s work on the priesthoodChrysostom says “ For the priestly office is , in

deed,d ischarged on earth ; but i t ranks among the

heavenly ord inances ; nei ther man nor angel norarchangel nor any other created power, but theParaclete H imsel f

,i nst i tuted the vocat ion . For

when thou seest the Lord sacrificed on the altar ,and the priest stand ing and praying over the v ic

t im,and al l the worshipers employed with that

preciou s blood,canst thou think then that thou art

st i l l among men and stand ing upon the earth ? artthou not st raightway

,on the contrary, translated

SACERDOTALISM . 2 1 1

into heaven , and , cast ing ou t every carnal thoughtfrom the sou l , dost thou not with d isembodied sp i ri tand pure reason contemplate the th i ngs which arei n heaven ? 0 what a marvel ! what love of God toman ! He who si tteth on high with the Father i sat that hou r i n the hands of a l l and gives H imselfto those who are wi l l ing to embrace and graspH im . They who inhabi t the earth and make thei rabode there are i n trusted with the admin istrat ionof the th ings of heaven , and have received an au

thority which has not been given to angels or archangel s : ‘Whatsoever ye bi nd on earth shal l bebound i n heaven .

’

They who ru le the earth have,

i ndeed , authori ty t o bind , bu t only the body ;whereas th i s b ind ing lays hold upon the soul

,and

penetrate s the heavens,and what priests do here

below God rat ifies above , and the Master confi rmsthe sentence of the servants .

”

I t i s impossible to express i n language loft ie rconcept i ons of sacraments than we find i n the eloquent words of August i ne and Chrysostom . Bapt ism is the travai l of the Church in the pangs ofregenerat ion . Baptism is the new bi rth of the sou li nto the ki ngdom of Christ . Baptism remi ts s in

and imparts hol i ness . And what pope or patriarch,

what Roman doctor or Greek orator,ever described

in such glowing language and sensuous imagery thepower of the eucharist ? The body of the Lord i son the altar. He l ies there a vi ct im i n sacrifice .Dai ly is He offered and grasped and eaten . I n bothsacraments the t ranscenden t m iracle i s by the handsof a priest . The grace of e ternal l i fe i s confined i nt ime, is restri cted i n space , is bound to matter, is

2 1 2 T H E CHRISTIAN DEMOCRACY .

visible and tangible i n the Lord ’s body , whichi s local i zed

,mast icated , and assim i lated . Ou t

of August i ne and Chrysostom,the two most i l lu s

trious of the fathers , the Roman Cathol i c can

construct his whole system of priesthood andsacrament . Receivi ng these eloquent wri ters asthe au thori zed i nterpreters of Scriptu re

,we are .

compelled to the creeds of the Synod of Bethlehemand the Counci l of Trent . We need trace sacerdotal ism no farther i n i ts historical development .Less than five centuries brought i nto fu l l bloomthe doctrines of priesthood and sacrament now

held by the Greek and Lat i n communions . Andi n the i r sacerdotal ism is the death Of Christ ianDemocracy !Let u s tu rn to Scriptu re ! I t i s the glory of the .

priest,Greek and Roman

,by perpetual m iracle to

make v i s ible and tangible and ed ible the body of theLord offered often i n sacrifice . But i n Hebrews weare told that repeti t i on was not the excel lence

,bu t

the imperfect ion , of Mosaic offeri ngs . They weremult ipl ied because they could not rel ieve . Dai lysacrifices brought to consc i ence no sat i sfying peace .Hence the necessityofa better covenant sealed by theblood ofour i ncarnate God , offered once for all ,

” andaccompan ied by the Holy Ghost , who would causemen to walk i n the l iberty of adopt ion

,and make

love the law of l i fe , and dwell i n the sons and daughters of the Almighty Father. But , unti l this dayof l ight and power and freedom , i n proport ion to thei nefficiency was the frequency of sacrifice . For centu ries Scripture was bu ried by priests over Christendom . I n the Church of the Gospelw as reestabl ished


tal n eeds . While I med i tate i n my walk or on mybed I need to wai t for no priest before I can bel ieve .On land or sea

,i n joy or sorrow

,faith brings me

V i ctory before I can approach sacramen t. I n thegasp of death

,withou t a sacerdota l hand the d iv i n e

prom ise opens to me the gate of the everlast ingglory i n wh ich resides J esus

,my Brother, King, and

God . Under the Gospel,between me and eternal

l i fe there i s no barrier but my unbel ief. Faith re

moves my mountains, reveals my sun , floods mewi th the everlast ing l ight

,t ranslates me into the

everlast ing l iberty , and gives me al l I can have i nsacrament . Like the J ews at Pentecost under thepreach ing of Peter

,I may receive bapt ism ,

and in i trece ive the Holy Ghost ; or , l ike the Gent i les wi thCornel i us

,under the preach ing also of P ete r

,I may

rece ive bapt ism because I have received the HolyGhost . Free as ai r and sun light , th e Holy Ghosti s not t ied to bapt ism . Y et bapt ism is by command .

Baptism translates my ind iv idual ism i nto fellowsh ip .

Baptism incorporates me into the Chu rch,and I ex

change the feebleness and sol i tude of i solat ion forthe glow and strength of

' brotherhood . Bapt i sm i sa visible S ign of my invis ibl e faith , and my con iession before the un iverse that I am forgiven and re

newed,and wil l walk unti l death

,by the power of

the Holy Spi ri t,i n obed ience to my B ible and my

Redeemer.And beaut iful ly the water of bapt ism symbol i zesa soul cleansed from the gu i l t and del ivered from thepower of sin ! Nor are bread and wine less exqu isi teemblems of my salvat ion . Taking the cup of thenew covenant

,as I touch i t with my l ips I confess

SACERDOTALISM . 2 1 5

that I have received through fai th the remissi on ofmy sins : and the wi tnessing Church , by i ts m in ister ,testifies i ts bel ief i n th i s sublime fact . And in thebread I find my Lord ’s S ign

,assu ri ng me before

earth and heaven that I may feed on my d iv i n eRedeemer

,the i ncarnate God who died and rose for

me , i n memory of H im ,unt i l I behold H is face in

H i s everlast i ng kingdom .

2 16 TH E CHRISTIAN DE MOCRACY.

CHA PT E R XV.

Saint-Worship .

N the Mesopotamian plai n the old Assyrian C i tyWarka has been exposed by modern research tothe sun . Possibly i t was the burial p lace of the

central region of the empi re . Around it i s a c i rcleof tombs S ixty feet deep

,corpse p i led above corpse

,

the sol i tary dead of ci t i es and of generat i ons . Amore ghastly spectacle of mortal i ty has never beenu nearthed . The coffins are cyl inders of baked clay.

I n many are the remains of food deposited by friendsfor the rel i ef of the departed . Here , then , we haveproof that the ancient Assyrians bel i eved that thespi ri ts of the dead subsisted abou t the l iv i ng, re

tained the i r i nd iv idual i ty, and were even l iable whi lebod iless to thei r old an imal hunger.The Egypt ians embalmed the i r corpses. Eachmummy i n the home was perpetual ev idence offai th i n the existence of the sou l wh ich had left i tsmortal clay but st i l l hovered near. And thi s nat ional bel ief molded the customs of the ent i re people

,and especially expressed i tse l f i n the i r a rt , thei r

l i terat ure,and i n elaborate servi ce s for the dead .

Grecian demigods were de ified human heroes.Zeus and Heracl es and Athene represented mythi cmale and female warriors elevated by battle exploi tsi nto d iv i n i t ies. O lympus was a celest ial empirepeopled with gods who had been earthly ideals.

T H E CHRISTIAN DEMOCRACY.

Against the idolatry born i n man and prevai l ingover the world the Bible i s a perpetual protest . I nthe O ld Testament i t caused the in term inable controv ersies between J ehovah and I srael . False godsd isplaced the t rue God . A div ided service wasrecogni zed as impossible . I nner bondage to demons and images resu lted i n slavery to lu st andpri est and ceremon ial . Under the Gospel , as underthe law

,arose the same tendencies i n human nature ,

which are i nerad icable except by the d iv i ne grace .The flaming wrath of the Apocalypse blazes aga instidolaters . A nd Arab and Turk have pou red the i rv ials of desolat i ng vengeance over those regions ofthe Chu rch most devoted to saint worsh ip and imageadorat ion . Christ ian martyrs were subst i tuted forpagan gods , and bones and shr ines became objectsof passionate reverence . Sacerdotal ism and ec

cles iast ic ism erected no barri ers against th i s darkdel uge of superst i t ion . I nnumerable i ntercessorsobscu red Christ

,ou r sole d ivin e Med iator. The

chains of th is bondage are countless as the Sain tson the calendars of the Greek and Lat i n Churches .

Where th i s slavery endu res the Chri st ian D emoc

racy i s imposs ible ; and vain al l at tempts towardecclesiast i cal un i ty unti l idolatry i s destroyed .

Let u s,then

,t race i ts beginn ings i n the Chu rch ,

and see how i t obscu red salvat ion by faith,shut

ou t the Holy Ghost,le ft men to grope i n thei r

own bl indness,brought ev i l on nat ions

,and

became the poisonous flower whose deadly perfume intoxicated and desolated the world for centu ries

As we shal l Show,the most i l l ustri ous Greek and

SAINT-WORSHIP. 2 19

Lat in fathers led forward to superst i t ion . Y et ofteni n thei r wri t ings they rebuked the idolat ri es en

cou raged i n thei r pulpi ts . J ust i n Martyr says i nh i s Apology ,

“ Chr ist ians should worship n one butGod alone .

”Theophi lu s of Ant ioch wri tes

,God ’s

laws forbid , not only the worsh ip of idols , bu t of al lo ther c reatu res— su n

,moon

,and stars

,heaven and

earth and sea— and command the worsh ip of thet rue God alon e , who i s the Creator of a l l th i ngs .Speaking of prayers for the emperor

,Tertu l l ian

says,

“ They asked these th ings of the l iv i ng andt rue God

,becau se He alone was able to give them .

Of angels Origen affi rms : “ They are m in isteringspi ri ts that bring the gifts of God to u s ; bu t there isno command i n Scriptu re to worsh ip or adore them .

When th e body i s moved the Shadow follows i tsmotion ; so , i n l ike manner , when we have God ,who is ove r all

,favorable to u s i t foll ows that we

shal l have al l h i s fri ends,both angels and sou ls and

sp iri ts,favorable to u s .

” We infer from Eusebiusthat the u se of images and pictu res came from im itat ion of the pagans . Describing a statu e of ou rSav io u r at Caesarea Phil ippi

,he adds , We ourselves

saw i t when we were staying i n the c i ty. Nor i s i tst range that those of the Gent i les who were benefited by our Sav i ou r should have done such th ings .We have learned that the l ikenesses of Pau l a ndPeter and of Chri st H imsel f are p reserved i n pain ti ngs

,the ancien ts being accustomed , as i s l ikely ac

cord ing to a habi t of the Genti les , to pay th i s kindof honor i nd iscr im inate ly to those regarded by themas del iverers . Whatever the pract ice of August ine

,his precept was

,Let not our rel igion consist

2 20 T H E CH R I STIAN DEMOCRACY.

i n the worsh ip of dead men . They are to be honored for imi tation , not worshiped for rel igion .

And against h i s own example Chrysostom affi rms,

No creatu re is to be worshiped of man,ne ither

things above , nor th ings below , whether man ,or de

mons,or angels , or archangels , or any other super

nal powers,but only God , the Lord of al l .

” TheCounci l of Laod icea declared : “ Christ ians oughtn ot to forsake the Church of God and go aside andhold convent icles to i nvocate or cal l upon the namesof angels , which th ings are forbidden . I f anyone

,

therefore , be found to exerci se h imself i n th i sp rivate idolatry l e t h im be accused , becau se hehath forsaken the Lord J esu s Christ , the Son ofGod , and gone over to idolatry .

Y et,despi t e these warn ings of fathers and the

commands of Scriptu re and the decrees of Counci ls,

the worsh ip of demons and images became u niversalover Christendom . I ts begi nn ings we trace i n

E P I PH AN I US.

This writer gives u s proof of the existence of thesupe rst i t ion he opposed . I t began i n the worsh ipof the Vi rgin . She seems to have been fi rst adoredby Arabian Chri st ian s . Following the old idolatri es

,

they offered her cakes under the name of the queenof heaven . E piphan ius denounced thei r oblat i onsto Mary as a heresy

,impiou s and abom inable .

He declared thei r worsh ip a fulfi l lment of Paul’

sprophecy and a mark of apostasy. So soon beganthat adoration of a woman which has ensnared racesand generat ions and widely d isplaced the mediatorShip of J esus Chri st !

2 2 2 T H E CHRISTIAN DEMOCRACY.

says They who are well pray for the continuanceof health

,and they who have been long sick pray

for recovery ; the barren pray for ch i ldren , andthey who make long journeys desi re them to bethei r companions and guides by the way, not go ingto them as gods

,but applying to them as div i n e

men,and beseeching them to become i ntercessors

for them with God . The martyrs have evidentlyblotted ou t from the m inds of me n the memory of

those who were called gods. I nstead of the feastsof J upiter and Bacchus

,we now celebrate those of

Peter,Pau l , Thomas , and the other martyrs .

”

APOSTOLICAL CONSTITUTIONS .

These ecclesiast i cal fabricat ions became un iversal ly accepted ; and we see i n them how soonprayers for the dead were i n troduced into the oldl i tu rgies and speed i ly changed in to prayers to t hedead .

“We offer u nto Thee for al l Thy sai nts thathave l ived well-pleasi ng in Thy S ight from the foundat ion of the world for patriarchs , prophets , holy men

,

apostles, martyrs , confessors , bishops , presbyters ,

deacons,subdeacons

,readers

,s ingers , V irgins ,w idows ,

laymen,and all whose names Thou knowest .

”

TERTULLIAN .

This powerfu l , bu t eccen tric , wri ter shows howthe custom of suppl i cat ions and offeri ngs for thedeparted prevai led over the Church . He says

,

Every woman prayed for the sou l of her deceasedhusband ; the husband prayed for the soul of h i swife and offered oblat ions for her.

”A rnob ius sa id

that Christ ians prayed for the l ivi ng and the dead .

SAINT-WORSHIP. 2 2 3

CYRIL OF J ERU SALEM .

We offer Thee thi s sacrifice i n memory of al lthose who are fal len asleep before us

,first patriarchs

,

prophets , apostles , and martyrs , that God by thei r

prayers and suppl i cat ions may rece ive ou r suppl icat ions .

”And in the same way the anci en t l i tu rgies

u nder the names of Basi l,Chrysostom ,

and GregoryNaz ian z en had prayers for the sai n ts

,i nclud i ng the

Vi rgin Mary.

AMBROSE.

The Bi shop of Mi lan had been a man of theworld . While yet an unbaptized laic a popularwhim elevated h im to the ep iscopacy. He soonshowed himself a ru ler

,a wri ter

,and an orator. On

the l is t of Lat i n fathers i s but one name more bri ll ian t than Ambrose of Mi lan . He was vigorous i ngen i us , d ign ified i n character, successfu l in adm in istrat ion. The learned Ussher found two manuscriptsascribing the “ Te Deum to N icetus , Bishop ofTreves , A. D . 5 3 5 but Ambrose is usually esteemedthe author of that majest i c hymn to the Trin i ty .

Whatever the t ruth of the t rad i t ion,i n proportion

to his sp le ndid gi fts I s the Bishop of Milan responsible for u rgi ng the Church down the prec ipice ofsuperst i t i on i nto a midn ight of idolatry . His cathedral was to be ded icated i n his ep iscopal ci ty. ButMi lan could boast no martyrs . Blood and bonesand shri nes were needed to att ract the populace ,and rival more favored chu rches. Demand createdsupply . The n ight before the consecrat ion arrives .A few hou rs unti l the servi ce

,and no martyrs !

B efore the dawn Ambrose has an opportune Visi on .


Two saints appear i n h is dreams. They tel l h imwhere to find thei r buried bod ie s . Ambrose goesto the place the martyrs have revealed . He causesthe earth to be opened . Lo ! What appear ? Twogigant ic head less skeletons , i n blood fresh afte r fiftyyears ! The cathedral w i l l have a crowd thi s morni ng

,and Milan be i l l ustrious and en ri ched by i ts

martyrs I nnumerable m i racles follow. A rush tothe new shri nes ! S t . Gerv asius and St . P rotas iusfrom that morn ing have been famous

,and

'

are foundeven on the Angli can calendar. August i ne informsus that a bl i nd butcher was restored to sight by therel ics of these sai n ts and taken to res ide wi thi n thesacred precincts of h i s cathedral

,less exposed than

i n hi s Shop to the cynical Arians and skepticalpagans . Did he furn i sh the b lood for the graves ?Was he conven iently ret i red and pensioned for h isfraud ? And was the Bi shop of Milan the contriverof such an imposture ? The facts , taken together,l eave an i ndel ible impress ion again st Ambrose .I n that age pagan d i shonesty had followed pagansuperst i t ion i nto the Church

,and for p ious ends

ecclesiasti cs corrupted manuscripts , fabricated test imonies

,and prepared for the grosser imposi t i ons of

medimv al monks.I n a letter to h i s sister Ambrose magnifies the

glory of hi s d iscovery by quoti ng from his Milanaddress on the grand occasionThe martyrs have risen . Y ou yourselves have

seen many freed from demons and rel ieved of the infirm it ies under which they labored by applying thei rhands to the pall of the sa ints , many healed by themere shadow of saints’ bodies. Coverlets of the


the Church from the Bible and brought over i t them idnight shadow of superst i t i on . The City of Godi s h is most bri l l i ant work. How wonderfu l ly i tcontrasts the passi ng splendor of imperi al dom inionwith the everlast ing glory of the Chri st ian Com

monwealth ! Y et i t i s i n th is matu re and magn ifi

cent treat i se that we have the most painfu l evidenceof a debasing credul i ty . A mother, Augustine says,brought to St. Stephen ’

s shri ne her dead ch i ld . I t

came to l i fe . I t was bapt ized . I t expired and wentto the bosom of the martyr. Pages in the immortalwork humil iate us with narrations of cures bybones of sai n ts and shr ines not exceeded in pueri lecredul i ty by mediaeval legend or ou r modern AlbanButler. One narrat ion we wi l l give wh ich i l lu stratesa chapter i n the Ci ty of Goa

'. August i ne i nforms us

that an old tai lor in Hippo had lost his cloak . I nhi s d istress he d id not ask God to supply h is need .

He suppl i cated dead saints,j ust as h is pagan auces

tors peti t ioned deified heroes . Our tai lor wi th loudvoice cries to the Twenty Martyrs. H is prayers areanswered . Soon after, Augustine i nforms us, a fi shwas tossed by the waves gasp ing on the Shore . I twas sent by the Twenty Martyrs to the tai lor. He wasale rt to seize h is pri ze

,sold i t

,and with the money he

received bought wool from which h is w i fe spun hima C l oak. What a prod igy with wh ich to adorn thesubl ime pages of the Ci ty of God I

BASIL.

At Sebaste i n winter forty Christians had beenexposed on the ice. I n the d i stance the pagans hadkindled a brigh t fi re and spread a tempti ng feast .


Here,freez ing and starvat ion ; there , warmth and

luxu ry ! But to approach the blaze and partake ofthe dain t ies was to tu rn from Chri st and acknowledgeheathen gods . One shivering wretch was overcome .Maddened w i th cold and hunger , he left h is fellows ;he crawled over the i ce ; he reached the cheerfu lfi re and loaded table . But j ust as he was about toeat he expired . Notwi thstand ing the defect i on ofone the fai thfu l company were styled i n legend theForty Martyrs . They became famous intercessors between God a nd H is Church , and thus gave

increasi ng darkness to the cloud with which Christ ian idolatry was obscuri ng Jesus Chri st , our soleMed iator. And Basi l , educated from his youth i nthe learn ing of his t imes ; Basil , ten years studenti n classic Athens Basi l

,sh in i ng i n piety and l earn

i ng and eloquence Basi l,wisest o f Greek fathers

Basi l , by his eu logy, led the people to sai nt-worshipHear h is glowing words— how inflam ing to thepopulace ! Addressing the Forty Martyrs , Basi lexclaimsO holy choi r ! O sacred band ! O u nconquer

able phalanx ! O common guard ians Of the human fami ly ! kind part ic ipants of ou r cares ! mostpoten t advocates ! stars of the world ! flowersof the Churches ! army of the t ri umphan t ! choi rof those prais ing God —here are these fortyem itt i ng one voice of suppli cat ion ! Whoever ispressed by some extremi ty

,to these le t h im fly !

Whoever agai n rejoices,to these let h im run ! This

one, that he may be l iberated from evi l s ; and thatone , that he may endure i n adversit ies . A woman

is heard for her ch i ldren , for her husband abroad,


that he may retu rn ; or s ick,that he may be re

stored . W i th these , to the martyrs we pour ourprayers .

GREGORY NA Z I ANZ E N .

Brother- star of Basi l ! With him a bri ll iant ofthe fi rst magni tude i n the Ori ental galaxy—alas

,

d immed , too , with mists from the rising Christ ian

idolatries ! I n his sermon 0 11 Athanasi us i t i s thusNaz ianz en addresses the departed Bishop of Alexandria : “ O dear and sacred head ! O that thou

,

ben ignant and plac id , wouldst look from above andgovern thi s people ! Me hold in l i fe and feed withthe flock !Before h i s convers ion Ambrose of Milan had pas

sionately loved a lady. She repelled h i s advancesby praying the Vi rgi n to deform her beauty andthus save her from her importunate admirer. Thispet i t ion to Mary Naz ianz en applauds i n his orat ionon Cyprian

,to whom he thus appeal s : “ And thou

from thy seat look down on us propi tiously , aiding us i n the government of the flock ! I am persuaded that ou r father’s i ntercessi ons avai l us morethan his teach ing d id when presen t i n the body.

Now that he has got near to God , has shaken offthe fetters of the body

,and

,free from the mind of

earth , approaches , naked , the naked and most per

feet mind .

”

GREGORY NYSSEN.

I n h im we have a th i rd star i n the splend id Eastern heavens. His l ight , too , sh ines on the downward path into the long n ight of un iversal idolat ry.

I n hi s orat ion on Ephraim Cyrus ”Nyssen i l lus

t rates the potency of prayer by the successfu l inv o


a torren t of overwhelm ing i nvective . SometimesChrysostom resembles an even ing cloud gorgeousi n the sun

,and aga i n the thundering heavens flash

ing with l ightning. How sad that th i s peerlessgen ius shou ld have given impetus to the spreadi ngidolatry !

Bent on su icide,two young women plunged i nto

a river. To save these , her daughters , by baptism ,

the mother dashed after, knowing that her owndeath was i nevi table . She su cceeded in cast ing onthe si nking su ic ides the water supposed to be eternall i fe , and al l three perished together i n the waves.I n the gasps of death

,not by inner conversion

,but

an outer spri nkl ing , these desperate girls were bel iev ed to be married to Christ . Chari ty i n si lencem ight throw over them a modest mantle . But no !This bapt ism of su ic ides i s glorified in the Church .

The mother and her daughter are translated toparad ise

,worshiped as martyrs en rolled on the

O riental calendar,and made famous over earth for

al l generat ions . Thei r shri nes became popu lar resorts

,whence flowed to the people i nnumerable

benefits. Did Chrysostom rebuke the superst it ion ?He helped i t with al l the vigor of h is episcopal influence and efflorescent oratory. I t i s largely toh i s e loquence that the sai n ts Bern ice and P rosdocewere rescued from obl ivi on i n thei r bapti smal waters

,

and the i r names made pure and immortal for theadorat ion of ages . Y ou wi l l not doubt th i s i nferencewhen you read his glowing eulogium .

Y ou are i nflamed,Chrysostom exclaims , with

a passionate affect ion toward these sa ints. Let u s ,then

,with the Very fi re of love fal l down before


the i r rel ics ! Let u s embrace thei r sh ri nes ! Let u sbeseech them Let u s i nvoke them that they woulddeign to become ou r patrons ! They bear the martyr marks of Chri st and

,whi le showing these martyr

marks, are able to persuade the King to anyth ing.

S ince , then , the i r power i s su ch , and such the i r favorwith God

,when we have wi th a cont in ual assidu i ty

and a perpetual frequent i ng of the i r soc iety madeou rselves

,as i t we re

,the i r fam i l iar friends

,we shal l

obtai n for ou rselves the loving kingdom of God .

For the mediatorsh ip of h i s d ivi ne Saviou r ou rorator of the mouth of gold subst i tu tes the in tercessions of a pai r of bapt ized su icides ! Such theresu lt when Grecian e loquence d isplaces HolyScriptu re ! God ’

s word must be the pu lp i t’

s argument .I n praise of the holy megalomartyr D rosis, Chrys

ostom bursts forth “ Myriads of the dead strewthe surface of the earth

,and upon these demons

hold thei r seat but when any bones of martyrs aredug up how do these take the i r fl ight as from fi reor some in tolerable torments ! 0 wonderfu l PyreWhat a treasu re does i t con ta i n— that dust , thoseashes more preciou s than any gold , more fragran tthan any perfumes , more est imable than any j ewel s !For that wh ich no treasu re or gold i s able to effectdo the rel ics of the martyrs effectBefore a splendid assemblage in h i s cathedral our

orator excla ims The bod ies of sai n ts,better

than any mun i tions of adamant,better than im

perishable ramparts,wal l abou t ou r c i ty

,nor do

they merely repel the assau lts of visible enemies,

but also the mach inat ions of i nvis ible demons, and

2 3 2 TH E CH RI STI AN DEMOCRACY .

subvert and d issipate al l the frauds of the devi l . I f

at any t ime the Lord of al l , by the abound ing ofi n iqu i ty

,be incensed against u s we may be able, by

thrust i ng these bod ies before u s , immed iately torender H im propi t iou s to ou r c i ty.

Imagi ne Chrysostom in h is cathedral pulpi t Hei s announced to preach on the day of one of themartyrs whose eulogies we have selected . Con

stant inople i s st i rred with the expectat ion of h iseloquence . After a riot of wi ld and bloody amusement the C i rcu s empti es i ts cruel c rowd into thechu rch . I n gl i ttering robes and a blaze of gemsand colors

,am id clouds of incense and melod ies of

musi c,priests and bishops enter the ed ifice and be

neath crosses and banners march down the ai sle tothei r seats and thrones . When the ecclesiast icalspectacle has ceased to dazzle

,the emperor appears

in the yet more magnificen t d isplay of h i s imperialmajesty. Around are the sh rines and pictu res andstatues of martyrs. Heaven and earth un ite i n thi sOriental pomp . Human geniu s has exhausted i tself to del ight eye and ear and imaginat ion . Now

Chrysostom arises in hi s pulp it . A S he stands andsurveys the imposing scene the orator commandsthe assembly into si lence . He then bursts forth toextol the dead and invoke thei r intercession . Emperor, court, ecclesiast i cs , peopl e fi l l the cathedralwith thei r wild applause . The influence of the sceneand se rmon passed beyond the bri l l ian t hou r. I tstamped al l su cceed ing ages . I t molded the worshipof both Greek and Lat in Churches. I t is vi sibl e st i l lon the Angl ican calendar, and is seduct ive to menwho are under a solemn v ow to Protestant Art icles.


i n to th is idolatry. But the populace was perm itteda wide freedom of canon izat i on

,and commemora

t ion s of sai n ts became the i r grand occasions of ceremon ial pomp and splendor. Then the pope in terfered to restric t th i s l iberty, t o demand money forthe privi lege of worsh ip ing the dead

,and to create

a new method of replen i sh ing h i s pont ifical coffers .

ALEXANDER I I I .

This pope fi rst made canon izat ion exclusive i n theholy see. But i t was Urban VII I who decreed thepresent mode of procedure. The process origi nateswi th the bishop . He inqu i res i nto the vi rt ues andmiracles of the proposed , and sends h i s sealed sen

tence to the Congregat i on of Ri tes at Rome. Therean examinati on is fi rst referred to the whole conclave

,and then to a part icu lar card inal . O rtho

doxy,piety

,and at least two miracles are the essen

t ial cond it ions of sai ntsh ip . I f these are es tabl ishedthe pope concludes the process . The pope beat ifiesand canonizes . The pope gives assu rance to the

requ i site mi racles. The pope authorizes the worldto worship . After h is bri ef fol lows a magn ificentceremony. Noth ing must be want ing in d isplaywhen infall ible pontiffs i nvi te human ity to adore i tsdead . A solemn procession moves onward imagesof the declared sain t are upl i fted on banners ; whenthe chu rch i s reached the pont i ff si ts on h is throneand receives homage ; sol ic i tor and advocate fal l ath i s feet and ask the canon i zat ion . A second and ath i rd pet i t ion are presented . Li tan ies are chantedthe Ven i Creator i s sung, and also the TeD eum. High

massconcludes and solemn izes the impress ive service.


But the processes of beat ificat ion and canonizat ionwi l l be best i l l ustrated by a few i nd ividual instances .

ALPHONSO L IGUORI .

I n A . D . 1696 he was born—at Naples . Pi us VI I

i n A. D . 1 8 16 i ssued the decree fo r h i s beat ificat ion,

and in 1 836 Gregory XVI proceeded to h is canon iz at ion. Alphonso , i n h is Glor ies of Mary , quotesSt. Bernard i n of S i ena

,canon ized by Nicholas V

,

A . D . 1450,at the cost of five thousand ducats in to

the Roman treasu ry,and who does not fear to say

that “all , even God H imself, are subject to the em

pi re of Mary,

” and that God hears Mary’s prayersas i f they were commands. But Alphonso alsoapproves Anselm where he exclaims

,

“ The Lord,O

Mary, has so exalted thee that H is favor has rendered thee omnipotent .” He adds : “ I n order toi ncrease ou r confidence i n Mary

,St. Anselm assu res

u s that ou r prayers wi l l often be more speed i lyheard i n i nvoki ng her name than i n cal l ing on the

name of J esus ; and the reason he assigns i s thatJ esu s being no less ou r J udge than ou r Saviour Hemust avenge the wrongs done H im by ou r s ins ,whi le the holy Vi rgin

,being solely ou r advocate

,i s

obl iged to enterta i n sent iments of pi ty toward us . ”

And Alphonso i l l ustrates h i s doctrin e by a vision .

Two ladders Teach from earth t o heaven . At thetop of one ladder i s Mary

,and at the top of th e

other J esus. All who cl imb the ladder of Maryente r

,and al l who cl imb the ladder of Jesu s fai l .

Bernard in,Alphonso

,and Anselm were al l canon

i z ed by popes,who are responsible , therefore , for

the orthodoxy of these three saints. The doctri ne


of the sa in ts i s the doctrine of the popes who havestamped on i t thei r infall ibi l i ty. And what popesteach the Church must rece ive . I t i s , then , the faithand pract i ce of the Roman communion that i t i s better to pray to Mary than to pray to J esus. With such

pont ifical authori ty i t i s not wonderful that thepapal Chu rch glows with passionate devotion to theVirgin . The human mother has widely displacedthe d ivine Son .

BONAVENTURA.

He was canon ized by S ixtu s IV,A . D . 1 482 .

Afterward he was enshrined under the altar of St .Magdalen ’s Church . Miracles were wrought by hisbones. An ed it ion of h i s Psalte r appeared at Romein A . D . 1 844 , when the ci ty was wholly under papa lrule . This could only have occu rred with the sanct i on of the holy father. Bonav en tu ra

’

s Psalter has,we

infer,therefore

,the i n fall ible au thori ty of the pont iff

who canon ized i ts wri ter and of the pont iff who perm itted i t s publ icat ion . Behi nd these two pontiffsi s the un iversal esteem of the Roman Church for i t sseraph ic doctor. We bel ieve that the Psal ter of Bonaventu ra expresses the fai th of the papal commun ion .

But i n th i s work whateve r is spoken of God i s appl ied to the V i rgi n ; Mary is subst i tu ted for J eho

v ah ; a creatu re i s add ressed as the Creator—blas

phemy almost inconceivable , which places a womanon the throne of the Sovereign of the un iverse. I nBonav entu ra

’

s Psal ter we read : Mary is my l igh tMary i s my Shepherd ! Mary i s my rock ! Mary ismy sun

,my shield

,my salvat ion Praise ye Mary !

Thank ye Mary ! Worship ye Mary ! Also i nthe Te D eum ou r seraphic doctor subst i tutes Mary


I nvoke Mary ! Let her not depart from thy mouth !Let her not depart from thy heart !

”

COUNCIL OF TRENT.

I n i ts decrees we have , formulated , the doctri neof the Roman Catholi c Church , which binds popes ,card inals

,bishops

,priests

,and al l of the two

hundred mill ions of the world’

s populat ion claimedto be unde r the sway or i nfluence of the holyfather. Triden t ine declarat i on i s i rrepealable anduniversal law. At i ts twenty- fifth session theCounci l enjoined ecc lesiast ics to i nstruct the fai thful concern ing the i nvocat ion an d in tercession duethe saints

,the honor d ue to rel ics , and the carefu l

use of images, teach ing them that the sain ts , whore ign together with Chri st , Offe r thei r prayers to Godfor men ; that i t i s a good and usefu l th ing sup

pl iantly to invoke them and to flee to the i r prayers,

help,and assistance , because of the benefi ts be

stowed by God through H is Son J esus Chri st ou rLord

,who is our only Redeemer and Saviou r ; and

that those men are of impious sen timents who denythat the sa in ts who enj oy eternal happiness are tobe i nvoked .

” And th i s worsh ip of the dead is en

joi ned on mankind under anathema !

T H E GREEK CHURCH .

I n its M ena'

a , which resembles the Roman Bre

v iary , we read :“ Virgin

,blessed of God as a be

nev olent advocate , thou that art proclaimed by thefai thfu l , mother of God , presen ting our prayers tothe Creator , procu re propi t iation for thy servants ,as the al l-sufficien t prop it iat ion and salvat ion of our

SAINT-WORSHIP. 2 39

sou ls ! At thy i ntercession,O spotless Virgin , to

the Word that was born of thee , loose me fromthe bands of my s i ns and save me , lady , by thyprayersAt the an nual solemnit i es - of O rthodox Sunday

,

agai nst al l who refuse the u se of images we haveth unders of eternal damnat ion loud and terrible

,as

those which for more than three centu ries havebeen reve rberat ing from the Alpine rocks abou tTren t . Like the Lati n , the Greek Church bidsw orsh ip he r pictu red gods or be cursed foreverTo them that wil l not in troduce by means of i consthe grace man i fested by that prophet , to them thatwi l l not endu re to see i n i cons these works done forthe salvati on of the whole world

,and honor them

not , nor adore them , anathema anathema/l anath

ema l ln

ALBAN BUTLER.

No man who has not examined h is work can

know the l ife of the Roman Cathol i c Church . I texi sts i n one ed i t ion as two ponderous pictu redvolumes , which might be m istaken each for aProtestant Bible . These contai n the l ives of twothousand saints , many of whom were canon ized bypopes and thus recommended to the worsh ip ofpriest and people . Alban Butler may almost beconsidered the Roman Bible , and ou r Ameri caned i tion is i ndorsed by all the I ri sh prelates and theArchb ishop of New Y ork. We have here thesource of the sain t legends which c i rculate i n nunneries

,i n convents

,i n monasteries

,i n famil ies , and

which mold the minds of ch i ld ren and the l ives ofm i ll ions . The pulp i t , too , u ses them to enforce and


i llu strate its i n struct ions . Thus,i nstead of Scrip

ture , Alban But ler has i nfused himself i nto the veryblood of the Roman Church in all lands for generat ions. Out of i nnumerable prodigies I wi l l selectone from his pages , that we may see on whatlegends m i ll ions of Chri st ians i n ou r world feedthemselves i n t ime as a preparat ion for etern ity.

Raymond is a typical Roman saint,who

,Butler

i nforms u s , spread his c loak on the sea, t ied one

corner to a staff for a sai l,made the sign of the

cross , stepped on h is floating garment,and in six

hours was wafted over the waves S ixty leagues fromMaj orca to Barcelona. We are i nformed that achapel and a tower bu i l t on the spot where thesai nt l anded have t ransm i tted to posteri ty thememory of the m i racle . This relat ion is taken byButler from the bul l which declares the canon izat ionof the sa int . I t was Clement VI I I who invest igatedthe l ife of Raymond

,was convinced of h is miracles ,

and recommended h im as a patron and intercessorfor all devout Cathol i cs .From Alban Butler

,from breviaries

,and other

sources we gather the pecu l iar offices and functionsof the dead men and women who are constantlyi nvoked by papists i n al l lands and ages and whogive deepest impress to the worsh ip of mil l ions .Suppl i cated every day

,every hou r, every moment

are St . Crisp in , the patron of shoemakers ; St . Clement , of tanners ; St . Nicholas , of sai lors ; St . Jerome ,of prin ters ; St . Joseph , of carpente rs ; S t . Anthony,of grocers ; S t . Blaise , of wool combers ; St . Cathari ne

,of spinners ; St . E loy, of blacksm iths ; St .

Franci s , of butchers ; St . Gutman , of tai lors ; St.


whole pont ificate of Pio Nono , and marked h im asthe man to complete a system of worship that hadbeen growing for centu ri es. On the doctri ne of theImmaculate Conception the Roman Church ' had

been d ivided . Long was i t a burn ing quest ion between Franciscans and Domin icans. Before PioNono no pope had dared to elevate i t i nto an art icleOf fai th . He resolved to end the stri fe , and crownwi th h is pont ifical i n fall ibi l i ty that adorat ion ofMary which E piphan iu s rebuked i n Arab ian Chri st ians when they gave her homage as the queen ofheaven . I n November, A . D . 1 854 ,

Pio Nono as

sembled h is bishops at Rome . They met dai ly t od iscuss a dogmati c bul l . Card inals held privatesessions under the d i rect ion of the pope . All thewisdom of the Lat in Church was gathered and consu l ted. On the I st of December the sacred col legecast the i r votes . There was no d issent . On the8th S t. Peter’

s was decorated with an unexampledsplendor. Two hundred bishops represented theRoman Cathol ic world . From every land the lai tycrowded to the spectacle . A procession startedfrom the S i st i ne Chape l and passed through theaisles of S t . Peter’

s to a place beh ind the high altar.Impress ive , i ndeed , the ecclesiast ic magnificence !

“

B i shops, archbi shops , card inals sat around the pont ifical throne on which Pio Nono stood . Beneaththe subl ime dome the ponti ff declared to the vastassembly as the infal l ible bel ief of the RomanChu rch that “ the doctri ne which says that theblessed Virgin Mary was preserved exempted fromthe stain of origina l s in from the fi rst i nstan t of herconcept ion , i n V i ew of the meri ts of J esus Christ ,

SAINT-WORSHIP. 243

the Saviour of mank i nd , is a doctrine revealed of

God , and which for th is reason al l Chri st ians are

bound to bel ieve fi rmly and wi th confidence.

”

After th i s declarat ion the cannon of S t . Angelo

thundered over the eternal c i ty. The bel ls of Romepealed w i th joy. On the word , not of Scrip tu re

,

but of pope , stands the doctrine of the Immacu lateConcept ion . And this is shown by pictures i n theVati can pai nted to commemorate the sou rce andscene of the declarat ion . Here Pio Nono is rep t esented as rece ivi ng in vision h is doctri ne from theVi rgin , and there as proclaiming Mary

’

s glory tothe world .

The same bold pontiff who made h is pi lgrimageto Loretto and decreed the Immacu late Concept io ngave also h is sancti on to Lou rdes . Both shri nes toMary were thus under h is i nfal l ible patronage.

Hence by h i s papal encou ragement , i n the blaze of

th i s ou r bri l l iant nineteenth centu ry , the worsh ip ofthe Madonna has been intensified in the RomanChurch .

On the banks of Lake Albano , love ly am id i ts

green as a star in the blue of heaven , stands , amidold i lex groves , Castle Gandolfo , once a pont ifi cal summer residence ; and near is a picturesquechurch . I n th is class ic spot , where Num i tor worsh iped J uno , I see a crowd adoring Mary. Acrossthe valley

,1 pass to Tivol i

,where theAnio thunders

over his pre cip ices i nto vineyards and ol ive yards,and beholds the Virgi n suppl icated as Vesta oncei n her beauti fu l c i rcular, columned temple . Nearthe v i lla ofVarus,who led to ru i n the army ofAugustus, Mary

’s p ictu re was found i n the Church of

244 . TH E CHRISTIAN DEMOCRACY.

Santa Maria d i Qu int igl iolo. I t was taken toTivol i .But i n the night i t walked back to i ts place , andthe event is celebrated annually , amid peals ofcannon and processions with banners , by glad , bel i evi ng , and adoring c rowds . I travel along thewild banks of the Anio to Subiaco

,near which was

the Sabine farm Of Horace . Loud cries fi l l the a i r.Men and women kneel before the form of Mary inan agony of devot ion . Boys wave the i r caps andscream ,

“ Graz ia ! Now a procession i sformed . Pictu res and images are carried by priestsand acolytes i n fu l l costume fol lowed by the pop

u lace of the town , bent and barefoot , and withcovered heads

,beseeching the Madonna for rai n .

I re tu rn to the pont ifical c ity . A crowd pressesi nto Ara Coel i . Men hold ch i ld ren above thei r heads .Boys cl imb statues and pi l lars . I t i s the even ing ofP resep io, and in a grotto the Vi rgin holds i n her lapan image of her i nfant Son

,cal led Bamhino, resplen

dent wi th rubies,emeralds , and diamonds , and which ,

carried forth by the bishop , is adored by the prost rate mu lt i t ude .Everywhere i n Rome I find Mary. Her worsh ip

i s mingled wi th the whole l i fe of the papal ci ty.

Ove r the stable door,above the garden gate

,i n

hovel,store

,and oster ia , i n the palaces, of pope ,

prince,and card inal

,I behold her p ictu re

.

H ow

fami l iar her shrine and l ight ! When peri l threatensMary i s i nvoked . I f l i fe i s saved to Mary hangsthe votive gi ft . To Mary the dying tu rns h is eye .Heathen statues are converted i n to images of Mary

,

and i n the Pantheon she has supplanted J uno,

D iana , and Minerva. Greek and Lat i n Churches

246 TH E CH RI ST I AN DEMOCRACY.

H ow al l u ring the look and language of the holyfather ! But courtesy is not reform . W i ll the pont iff puri fy h is Breviary ? W i l l he expurgate h isl i t u rgies ? W i l l he remove from h is calendar hisworsh iped dead ? W i l l he hush the anathemas

thundering down from Trent ? W i l l he revolut ionize the fai th and l ife of h is Church ? Let him loosethe intolerable Chains that bind the Chri st ian D e

mocracy and restore the Lat in commun ion to the

l iberty of the H oly Ghost !

MORALS . 247

CHAPTER XVI .

Morals .

ISTORY has one stern test of men and sys

tems. I n the words of her d ivine Master,

She asks, What are thei r fru i ts ? For timeand etern i ty by these they are j udged . We haveseen the Christ ian Democracy subverted . A s exhorted by Paul , the Chu rch has not stood fast i nthe l iberty of Christ . She has relaxed her grasp onthat fai th which bri ngs rem ission and the HolyGhost . She has lost her freedom in wi ld d i sputesand gl i t teri ng formal i t i es . She has been m isled byher teachers from the mediatorsh ip of her one d ivi neChrist to the i ntercessi ons of innumerable sain ts .She is i n bondage . Her loss of i nner l iberty prepares for the sacrifice of outer l iberty. Under Constant ine every trace of the origi nal sovere ignty ofbel ievers has vanished . I nstead of scriptu ral democracy , we have epi scopal ol igarchy. I n d ioceseand Counc i l bi shops ru l e and legi slate. Above al lare the theoret i cal c laim of the pope and the actualautocracy of the emperor as both pol i t i cal andecclesiast ical sovereign . East and West , governedby him

,give the Church un i ty. Sacerdotal ism has

attai ned i ts age of gold , and ecclesiast ic i sm real izedi t s dream of glo ry. With a glow of t ri umph Angl i

can Ritual ism points to the t imes of the great Greekand Lat in fathers and would restore thei r age as the

248 TH E CHRISTI AN DEMOCRACY .

world ’s m i llenn i um . We have seen the fierce d i scords between presbyter and bishop at Rome andCarthage burst ing over Cornel i u s and Cyprian fromthe cells and fi re s of martyrs. T he cruel stri fes ofEcumen ical Counci ls we need not recal l . E cclesi

ast ical fact ions menaced the empire wi th d i ssolut ion .

But,alas ! also with the war of creeds and decay of

fai th and increase of form came a descent i n morals .

Democracy suppressed,ol igarchy and autocracy

tri umphan t : for th e only t ime in the world’

s h istorythe un ity of the Church complete ; yet , as we shal lsee

,supersti t i on darken ing and moral s decl i n ing !I n no age cou ld our statements be bette r tested

than i n that of August ine . We have already expressed ou r glowing admirat ion of his geni us . Hewas a man of p iety withou t spot . I n the bri l l ianceof h is pen he had no equal . As Bishop of H ippohe was a peerl ess preacher and successfu l adm in ist rator. August i ne , too , pri est and monk, was anenthusiast i c advocate of apostol ical succession andcathol ic u ni ty. He bel i eved in regeneration bybapt ismal water

,i n the sacrifice of the altar

,i n

p rayers to and for the dead,ascribed heal ing vi rtues

t o bones , and reverenced shrines and rel ies. Indeed,

he was what a moderate Cathol ic is and an extremeAngl ican wou ld be. North Afri ca swarmed withChri st ians

,ru led by hundreds of bi shops. A S

a metropol i tan c i ty Carthage rivaled Rome , and i nlearn ing outshone the pont ifical capi tal . Here , i fanywhere , ecclesiast ic ism and sacerdotal ism may bej udged by thei r fru i ts.We have in the wri t ings of August ine h imself theincontestable proof of the moral condi t ion of h is

2 50 TH E CHRISTIAN DEMOCRACY .

suaded from such scandalous and unworthy praet i ces in these places if

,besides showing that they

are forbidden i n Scriptu re we take care i n regardto the offerings for the spi ri ts of those who sleepwhich

,i ndeed , we are bound to bel ieve are of some

use— that they be not sumptuous beyond what i sbecom ing respect for the memory o f the departed ,and that they be d i stributed withou t ostentat i onand cheerfu lly to al l who ask a share i n them al so ,that they be not sold , bu t that i f anyone desi res tooffer money as a rel igious act i t be given on thespot to the poor. This may suffice meanwhi le , in

regard to ri ot ing and drunkenness .Chrysostom agreed wi th August ine in his ecclesi

asti cal views . One was the l ight of the East , andthe other of the !West . Both were pri ests : bothwere monast i cs ; both were bishops ; both i nvokedsai nts and glorified rel i cs ; both magnified bapt ismand commun ion ; both were typi cal sacerdotal istsand sacramentarians ; both were bel i evers i n cathol i cu ni ty and apostol ical su ccessi on and representat ivesof that episcopal ol igarchy which had succeeded theorigi nal Chri st ian Democracy. The metropol i tanpulp i t i n the new imperial capital of the world wasmade i l l ustriou s by the eloquence of Chrysostom .

I n his own rebukes to court and populace we see

how faction and violence and bloodshed prevai ledi n Constan ti nople . Chri st ians rushed from circusand amphitheater to d istu rb the Church with thei runseemly applause

,thei r clamorous d issat i sfact ion

,

or thei r d isgracefu l stri fes . A v i ct im of imperiald i spleasu re , Chrysostom himself went forth from h i sepiscopal metropol i s to exile and to death . No

MORALS . 2 5 1

sadder p ictu re i n h istory of reck less demoral izat ionand remorseless cruelty !The supreme orator had paint ed monkery in themost v ivid colors of his eloquence . He exalted vi r

gin ity above matrimony. Monast i c l ife was anan t ic ipat ion of heaven . Not the home

,bu t the

convent , was the patri st i c ideal . The vi rgi n was aterrest ria l seraph crowned

,even on earth , wi th a

celest ial halo . I n describ ing her supernal state al lthe fathers

,Greek and Lat in

,after Constant ine

,

kindled in to the i r p ictu resque e loquence . To re

al i ze h is subl ime ideal Chrysostom would mul t iplyconven ts and monasteri es . Glowingly our enthu

siast ic orator bu rsts forthThe vi rgi n when she goes abroad shou ld present

hersel f as a bright specimen of al l phi losophy, as i fn ow an angel had descended from heaven , or just as i fone of the cherubim had descended upon the earth .

Accord ing to Scriptu re,eve ry disciple m ust be

wholly consecrated to God . Marriage is not degraded beneath vi rgin i ty

,bu t sanct ified , and the

family made the basi s of Church and State . Priestsunder the old d i spensation

,and apostles under the

new , had wives . Chri st ian i ty d i d not aim to makecel ibate angels , but fathers and mothers and chi ld ren who would fi l l homes w i th the l ight and fragrance of love . The d isc iples of J esus , whi le on

earth,are not seraphs and cherubs

,bu t holy men

and women,with warm human hearts, glowing wi th

h uman joys,and rel ievi ng human sorrows . Each

l i fe is a su rrender to Christ . Created by omnipotentlove and redeemed by infin i te bl ood , eve ry pulse

and breath and moment belongs to ou r Saviour.

2 5 2 TH E CH RISTIAN DEMOCRACY .

Laymen and clergymen d iffer i n sphere,not i n oh

l igat ion . Both are equal ly and forever the Master’

s.

I n elevating the convent above the home,the monk

above the husband,the nun above the wife

,with al l

hi s efflorescence of Ori ental imagery Chrysostomwas glori fying sacerdotal ism and gi ld ing anothe rchain for the Chri st ian Democracy. With what resul t ? We can see from hi s own discourses . A sidel ight i s somet imes better than a dazzle of beams. Iwi l l give a pictu re from Chrysostom

,at once sad ,

suggest ive , wh ims ical , and lud i crous when con

trasted with his former del ineat ions of terrest rialseraphs and angelsWhat a sight

,

” he says , to enter the cel l of asol i tary monk and see the apartments hung aroundwi th female headgear

,shoes , gi rd l es, ret i cu les , caps,

bonnets,sp indles

,combs , and the l ike too many

to ment ion ! What a jest to vi si t the abode of arich monk ! Y ou find the sol i tary su rrounded by acompany of lasses. Christ has not clad us in thespi ri tual armor that we shou ld take upon ou rselvesthe office of wait ing l ike men ial s on worth less gi rls

,

or spend the l ivelong day by the i r s id e whi le atwork

,imbu ing ou r m inds wi th effeminate trifles.

”

These words of Chrysostom reveal the beginn ingsof those moral evi l s with which monkery ens lavedthe Church and amazed the world . We wil l adduceonem ore proof of the degeneracy of an age oftendep icted as the golden re ign of sacerdotal i sm andecclesiast ic i sm .

Salv ianus was a presbyter of Marsei l les . H e was

a nat ive of Cologne,bu t resided at Treves

,where

he married and had a daughte r. Perhaps as a hus


secretly. Murder, which is rare i n slaves , restra inedby fear of pun ishment , is frequent among the ri ch ,who confide i n impunity. But perhaps I am wrongin speaking of murder as a sin , i nasmuch as whenthey slaughter thei r slaves they reckon i t as the exercise of a right , not a crime ; and a l ike privi legethey claim in regard to thei r impuri t ies.

”

Who sin at thi s rate ? Surely not many monks ?A y ! Under color of rel igion , sold to worldly views,these men , after a course of shameless profiigacy and

crime, inscribingthemselv eswi th t it le of sanct i ty ,hav e

changed thei r name ,but not thei r l i fe . Y ouwould suppose them not so much to have repented of thei r former crimes as to have repented of the ir repentance .”

I taly has been drenched i n blood ; bu t have thev ices of I taly been forsaken ? Rome herself hasbeen besieged and taken but have the Romanpeople ceased to be blasphemous and outrageous ?Barbarian hordes have i n undated the provi nces ofGau l ; but , as to thei r abandoned manners, are notthe people of Gau l as gu i l ty as ever ? The Vandalshave passed over i nto Spain , and the cond it ion ofSpain has , i ndeed , changed , not her pravi ty ofmorals. Sard in ia and S i c i ly

,ou r storehouses

,have

fal len ; Africa , too , the sou l of the State. Havethese countries reformed ? What has happened at

Carthage ? Even whi le the noi se of war was raginground the wal ls the Church maddened in the ci rcusand l uxuriated i n the theater. Some were slaughtered wi thout , and some pract ic ing lewdness wi thina part in bondage to the enemy, a part i n bondageto their vices ; without the wall s a clash of arms, andw i th in a confused d in of confl i cts and shows !

W ITNESSES . z 5 5

CH A PT E R XV I I .

Witnesses.

a w i nd drives the clouds from the face of the

sun , so at Pentecost the breath of the d ivineSpi ri t d i spel led the i r human mi sts from the

hearts and minds of bel i evers i n the crucified andri sen Christ . Fai th saw the splendor of the Kingof glory. Bri l l i ant the i l l um inat ion of that morn inghour of the Church ! I t seemed brighten ing at oncein to a un iversa l noon . Tongues of flame and heartsof love were agents and symbols of the tri umph ofthe kingdom . Alas ! i t was to prove a struggle ofages between l ight and darkness. Redeemed earthhad to be brought by bat tles and martyrdoms to i tsm i l lenni al victo ry. Mortal infirm it ies soon cloudedthe Sun of righteousness . When the l ight was purest it was darkened by a l i e . Even alms exc i tedd issensions . Persona l r ival ries st i rred venomousstri fes . j udaism and Gent i l i sm invaded the Chu rchtogether. Idolat ry substi tu ted sai nts for gods , bu il the r shrines

,and erected her altars . Fanat ic isms

bu rst forth even from the cel ls of martyrs . UnderConstant i ne the un iversal pol i t i cal t ri umph of Chri st ian ity i ncreased the spi ri tual slavery and the cc

c lesiast ical usu rpat ion . Monkery,aspi ring after

angel i c p iety,withdrew men and women from the

home to the conven t and deprived the world of that

sal t which must be d iffused through the mass it


would preserve . The Master wishes the lamp on

the stand,the c ity on the hi l l , the sun i n the heavens .

Disregard ing H is word and wi l l , earth plunged backfrom Pentecost to m idn igh t . Y et beh ind her cloudsChrist st i l l shone . However darkened and d iscoloredby mortal mists

,H is t ruth never ceased to i l lumi nate .

Beginn ing near the apostol i c t imes , we will recordi n thei r own words the testimony of H is witnessesdown through the cen turies to the Reformat ion .

CLEMENS ROMANUS .

He taught that doctri ne,revealed to Pau l and

revived by Luther , which i s the source and cente rof al l i nd ividual and al l organ i c l iberty. I n hi sEpistle to the Cori nth ian s he write s : “ We, too ,being cal led by H is wi l l i n Christ J esus

,are not

j ust ified by ourse lves,nor by our own wisdom or

understanding or godl iness or works which we havewrought i n holiness of heart , bu t by that fai ththrough wh ich from the beginn i ng Almighty Godhath j ust ified al l men .

CLEMENS ALEXANDRINUS .

He bears the same test imony as Clemens R omanus : Fai th i s the one un iversal salvation ofhuman ity. The law became ou r schoolmaster tobring u s to Christ , that we m ight be j ust ified byfai th .

”

ORIGEN .

Equal ly clear is the most learned and original ofth e fathers i n expressing that tru th which is theroot of ou r l ibe rty i n Chri st : “ The j ust ificat ion offa i th only i s suffi c ient , so that i f any person on ly

W ITNESSES . 2 5 7

bel i eve , he may be j ust ified , although no good workhas been fu lfi l led i n h im ,

as i n the case of the pen iten t th ief

,who was j ust ified by fai th withou t the

works of the law. J esus , who was going to parad i setook him as a companion , and carried him thi ther.And Origen also test ifies to a un iversal freedom inthe language of worship . He says : The Greciansuse the Greek language i n thei r prayers

,and the

Romans the Roman and so everyone in thei r ownd ialect prays to God and gives thanks as he is able

,

and the God of every language hears them pray i nal l d ialects .

”

V I GI LANT I US.

I t i s through the writ i ngs of J erome that we are

acquai nted with the test imony of th i s earl i estProtestant . How earnestly and eloquently he re

bukes the introduct ion of pagan services and superst i t ions i nto the worship of Chri st ian i ty ! Had hisvoice been heeded what ages of darkness and bondage m ight the Church have escaped ! V igi lant iuswas assai led by the monk of Bethlehem . But theattack of Jerome preserved and immortal ized h isname . Rome condemned him as heret i c , and thusplaced h im in the shin ing rank of martyrs and con

fessors. He saw that the exaltat ion of form intosubstance foreshadowed spi ri tual slavery and subject i on .

“What need is there ,” asked V igi lant ius,

for you with so much respect , not only to honor,but even to adore , and i n you r adorat ion ki ss , thedust folded up i n a l i nen cloth ? Under pretext ofrel igi on we see a custom introduced into the Churchwhich approximates the ri tes of th e Gent i les—the

l ight ing of a mu lt i t ude of tapers even when the sun17

2 5 8 TH E CHRISTIAN DEMOCRACY.

is sh in i ng. Men of th i s stamp give great honor tothe most blessed martyrs, th i nking with a few in

sign ificant wax tapers to glori fy those whom theLamb i n the midst of the throne enlightens wi th al lthe brightness of his glory . The souls of apostlesand martyrs have sett led themselves e i ther i n Abraham ’s bosom or i n a place of refreshment or underthe altar of God , and they cannot escape from thei rtombs and present themselves where they please.Do the sou ls of martyrs love thei r ashes and hoveraround them ? After we are dead the prayers ofnone for another can be heard .

AUGUSTINE .

I f thi s i l lustrious father encouraged monkery andsaint-worship

,i f he promoted sacerdotal ism and sac

ramentarian ism,i f he was an extreme ecclesiastic

,

he yet held and taught,however inconsistently

,the

great doctri ne so powerfu l ly unfolded and enforcedby Paul . I ndeed , the l i fe of the Bi shop of H ippowas satu rated by the Epistle to the Romans .Bound to pagan superst i t i ons, ascet i c pract ices, anda narrow ecclesiast ic i sm

,August ine i n h i s sp i ri t was

nobly free by fai th i n Christ and the power of theHoly Spiri t . He writes ! “ For

,though natu ral

gifts may be cal led grace , yet that grace by whichwe are predest i nated , called , j ust ified , glorified i squ i te another th i ng . I t i s of thi s the apost lespeaks when he says

,

‘I f by grace , it is no moreby works

,

’ and to h im that worketh not , bu t bel iev eth on H im that justifieth the ungodly, h is fai this counted for righteousness .The Bible i s the law of l iberty. Walk i ng in its


Scriptu re . The ignorance of Scriptu re is a prec ipice and a deep pit . Perdi tion i s i t to be un informed in the divi ne law. This ignorance is i t thatleads to heresies and a corrupt l ife . The humbleman may seek any truth boldly i n the Scriptu rewi thou t danger of error. As aromatics yield the i rperfume so much the more when they are bru i sed ,so do the Scriptu res give up the i r h idden treasu resof mean ing i n proport ion as they are constantlyhandled .

”

GREGORY THE GREAT.

I n the beginn ing of the seventh centu ry thi snoblest of popes wrote i n regard to the Scriptu resi n the same style as Jerome and Origen and Cyprianand Augustine and Chrysostom . He had no presc ience of the I ndex or of the fi res k i nd led by suc

ceed ing ponti ffs for plai n men and women whoSought tru th i n the Bible. Between Gregory theGreat and Card inal Caraffa , Pau l IV, who foundedthe papal I nqu isi t ion , i s a red sea of martyr flames .

IONA.

I re land ’s great Sain t Patrick was a Scotchman .

Transported as a slave at sixteen to the land hewas to make famous

,he relates

,The Lord opened

the bl i nd eyes of my unbel ie f so that I thought,

though at a late hou r,of my s i ns and turned wi th

my whole heart t o the Lord my God . And Helooked down on my low estate

,my ignorance , and

my youth . He cared for me before I knew Himand ere I cou ld d ist ingu i sh good from evi l . Heprotec ted and comforted me

,as a father h i s son .

”

We see i n these simple words a more shi n ingmiracle

WITNESSES. 26 1

than in al l the prod igies wh ich have i l l uminated thename of Patri ck . His great glory was h i s conversionby the power of the Holy Spiri t and its fru i ts i n a

consecrated l i fe . The love of Christ pervaded theman . By his preachi ng mul t i tudes i n I relandwere brought to the Master. Beneath al l th e s i l l iness of the marvels w i th which legend has obscuredh i s work

,we recogn ize i n Patri ck a t rue witness for

Jesus Christ. And it i s probable that h i s l ight wasreflected back from I reland to h i s nat ive Scotland .

Less than a century after Patri ck , Columba appearson the scene of the Chu rch . He was a descendantof kings. As a boy he was en rol led for Christ . TheScriptu re seems to have been the ru le of h i s l i fe .He preached the Gospel along the shores of westernScotland and on the sol i ta ry i slands near her coast .On the quest ion of Easte r he d iffered from Romeand antagoni zed popes. Bu t the great work ofColumba was to establ ish a school of Chri st ian i ty atIona . Hence went forth Aidan to procla im theGospel i n Engl and . And its monks seem to havebeen witnesses for presbyteria l orde r as againstepi scopal exclusiveness . Out over the West fromIona shone the l ight of a p ure test imony for thefai th and l iberty of Christ

CLAUDIU S OF TURIN.

I n h im we have a bishop who rem inds u s ofV igi lant ius. Boldly he decla ims against imageworship and shrine adorat ion .

“ I f those,wrote

Claud ius,who have forsaken idolatry worsh ip the

images of the saints they have not , then , forsakenidols , bu t changed thei r names . Whether thou


paintest thy wal ls wi th figures of St . Peter and St .Paul

,or of J upi ter and Satu rn

,nei ther the latter

are gods nor the former apost l es . I f men must beworsh iped i t were better to pay that worsh ip to thel iving than the dead . Whosoever seeks from anycreatu re in heaven or on earth the salvat ion whichhe shou ld seek from God is an idolater.

”

Nor i s Claudius a mere p rotestant against error.He test ifies i n golden words to the un iversal powerand presence of h i s Lord . Wi th h im God i s theperfect ion of t ruth

,who changes not with t ime

,i s

obscured by no n ight,nor d immed by passing

shadows. Every hou r He is near everyone on thewhole earth who tu rns lovingly toward H im . Confined to no place , He i s absent from none . I n themarket place He dwells ; i n th e heart H is vorce I S

u ttered ; whoever beholds Him is t ransformed byH im . The cycles of t ime van ish before me i n theEternal One . I n Him ,

the e ternal same,i s nei ther

past nor present ; the eternal alone is . Therefore,

would that yonder ete rnal Perfect i on would revealH imself to man

’

s m ind , crying,‘I am that I am .

’

T H E FOUR CAROLINE BOOKS .

We cannot defend the character and career ofCharlemagne . He was a wise statesman

,bu t a re

morseless conqueror and a royal adulterer. Theimperial warrior who imposed bapt ism by the sword

,

was also a friend of the learned and gifted and piousAlcu i n of Y ork , and rece ived hi s excellen t instruct i on . Perhaps under the influence of th i s ecclesiast i c the great emperor became a foe to image worship . At the Counci l of Frankfort he set aside a

264 THE CHRI STI AN DEMOCRACY.

t ranslated into the Romance language . The word ofGod became the fou ntai n of his l i fe

,from which

flowed l iving streams to others. Waldus formed asociety wi thi n the Church . But now a mountainrose i n hi s path . The Archbishop of Lyons forbade h im to preach and to expound the Scriptu re .I n th is prelat ical prohibit i on was the beginn ing ofthat war between Christ ian l iberty and eccl esiast i calau thority which had i ts subl ime outbursts at theReformat ion . The Romance Bibl e of Waldus wassent to Rome for exam inat ion . I t was a spark predest i ned to k ind le the world into flame . Pope Alexander I I I i n A . D . 1 1 70 subm itted the quest ion ofthe archbishop to the Lateran Council . Thus forthe fi rst t ime in the h istory of the Church was presented the formal i ssue on the use of the Scriptureby the lai ty i n the i r own tongue into wh ich everyquest ion between Rome and Reformat ion may beresolved . The t rue battl e wi th the pope i s over afree Bible . Hence i n th is appeal of archbishop topontiff we have the origin of a war which has

changed the face of the world . No formal decreewas passed by the Lateran Counci l ; but the popetook the responsibi l i ty

,and confi rmed the act ion of

the archbi shop . The holy father never announceda more pregnan t decision . I t shaped Rome

’s pol icyi n regard to the B ible .Little d id the pont iff foresee what blood and flame

were i n hi s decree ! Persecu t ion began against theWaldenses. They clung to the Scriptu re , assertedthei r l iberty

,and were driven from France . I taly

rece ived the fugi t ives . Among the pious and prim

i t iv e Vaudoi s i n the Alpine val leys of Pi edmont

WITNE SSE S. 265

they found a home and planted the banner of thecross

,which was a symbol of l iberty flash ing l ight

i n to the darkness of that med iaeval ecclesiast icalslavery . The Waldenses swarmed , t oo , along theRhone and over Germany. Schools were founded .

German ic versions of the Bible were dissem inated .

All the seeds of the Reformat ion were scattered by

the winds of persecut ion over Europe,and the soi l

p repared for a un iversal harvest . When InnocentI I I ascended the papal thron e he was enraged at thesuccess of these wi tnesses for a free Bible . Hethreatened interd i ct i f the civi l power d id not i nterfere . The people resisted the pope . At last the

pont ifical thunder bu rst over Provence , and the landwas made a waste by desolat i ng arm ies.

PAULICIANS .

Thei r founder,Constant in e

,came i n A . D . 654

from Mananal is, near Samosata. From an Armenianarchbishop he received the fou r Gospels and Pau l

’

sEpistles . On these he based h is scheme of doctri n e.This fact i nd icates that he was an Ori ental Protestant witness

,correspond ing to the Occidental I tal ian

Vaudoi s and the French Waldenses . East andWest were never withou t some test imony for l iberty.

And for Christ ian freedom Pau l i s the apostle . HisEpistles , stud ied as exposit ions of the Gospel s, prepare the way in al l ages for the spi ri tual emanc ipat i on of men and nat ion s . From him the Paul ic ianstook the i r name and faith . Thei r fi rs t leader, Constant ine

,was a martyr by imperial decree . S imon ,

h is successor, with h is fol lowers , was burned on avast funeral pyre . So perish , East and West , the


w i tnesses for l iberty ! The h istory of the Pau l i

c ians has been wri tten by thei r enemies. Deficienti n learning to defend faith , they lapsed in to Manich ze ism ,

and perhaps were corrupted by otherhe resies.

TAULER.

He was born A . D . 1 290 at St rasburg of a senatorial fam i ly , i n h i s you th became a Domin i can ,stud ied in Paris

,retu rned to h is nat ive ci ty

,and was

known as the “ i l lum ined teacher.”

This myst icmonk defied a pope . John XXI I I , most i nfamous

of pont iffs and deposed from his throne , la id an in

terd ict on St rasbu rg. Tauler cont inued to preachand labor. He was not moved by the papal anatnema ,

and was honored and sustained by th e people .Priests were reformed by thi s “ friend of God .

”

The qu iet mysti c monk was a noble wi tness forfreedom .

“ S i nce Chri st d ied for all, unterrified

by Roman thunder,Tauler asserted

,

“ the popecould not close heaven to any who d ied innocent

,

though excommun icated .

”

WYCLIF.

I n an Engl ish vil lage bearing h is name,A . D .

1 3 24 , was born th i s hero ic scholar. He stud ied atOxford

,where he was d ist ingu i shed in both ph i loso

phy and theology and received h i s academical degree . A defense of real i sm was h is fi rst work .

John Wycl i f was by const itu t ion a polem ic . Hehad the origi nal i ty

,the cou rage

,the gen i us of a re

former. Boldly he soared from the m ists of ph i losophy i n to the subl im it i es of theology. His m indwas specu lat ive and pract i cal . I n h i s pu lpi t h e was

268 TH E CHRIST I AN DEMOCRACY .

have pri ests and friars to s ing for thee , and thoughthou each day hear masses and found chantries andcolleges and go on pilgrimages all thy l i fe

,all th is

shal l not bring thy sou l to heaven ; whi le i f the commandments of God are revered , though neitherpenny nor half-penny be possessed , there shal l beeverlast i ng pardon and the bl i ss of heaven . Theyare blasphemers of God who confiden tly advise

th ings of a doubtfu l character which are i n HolyScriptu re nei ther expressed , commanded , nor forbidden . For Holy Scriptu re i s the faith of theChurch . Sanct i ty of l i fe promotes th i s i l l um inat ionso necessary for understand ing the word of God

,to

cont inue which in the Church i s the duty of theologians, not to i nvent th ings fore ign to Scriptu re .The meri t of Christ i s of i tself sufficient to redeemevery man from hel l . Faith i n our Lord JesusChrist i s suffici ent for salvat ion .

”

HUSS .

Transported by students to the Universi ty ofPrague

,i n Bohemia

,the works of Wycl i f became

the seeds of a ri ch harvest . I n the sou l of J ohnHuss they found a congenial soi l . He was borni n A . D . I 369 i n the Bohemian vi l lage Hussi netz .His parents were poor and accustomed to labor andprivat ion . At Prague he stud ied phi losophy andtheol ogy. Stan i slaus

,h is teacher

,was l iberal in h i s

v i ews . I n A . D . 1 396 Huss received h is master’

sdegree and began to lectu re . He was a man ofGod . The loose morals of monks and clergy shockedh im into a v iolen t antagonism . Attracted by h isabil ity and uprightness, a rich merchant founded at

W ITNESSES . 2 69

Prague a chapel for h is preaching. I t was cal ledBethlehem

,and he was appoin ted rector. Here

began h is career. Huss made h is pulp i t a place ofpower. Bethlehem Chapel was the cen ter of a movem ent which has neve r been expended . The l ightover i t was the morn ing dawn of the Reformat ion .

Wycl if prepared for Huss,and Huss for Luther.

Bethlehem ’s pu lp i t fi rst thundered agai nst the cor

rupt ions of the lai ty. Clergymen applauded . Butagainst these smi l i ng ecclesiast i cs H uss soon hurledh is lightn ings . Then began the war which endedi n his death . Wycl if possessed for Huss a powerfu latt ract i on . The Engl ish and Bohemian reformerswere al ike i n doctri ne and i n purpose . Their wri ti ngs exci ted an i ntense ecclesiast ical antagonismto that free sp iri t of the Gospe l which an imatedthe i r bu rn ing protests again st tyranny and corrupt ion . The archbi shop cast into theflames the worksof Wycl i f and ki ndled at Prague an inext i ngu i shablefi re . Although protected by King Wenceslaus

,al l

the rage of the hi erarchy burst over Huss. Blackc louds covered his Sky , vivid wi th portentous l ightn ings. I n al l h is contests he appealed to Scripture.Here was h is offense here h i s peri l . We can comprehend the opposi t ion of eccles iast ics when we hearHuss exclaim

My lord , Understand me well . I said , I am readywith al l my heart to fulfi l l the apostol ical mandatesbut I cal l the apostol i cal mandates the doctri nes ofthe apostles of Christ . And so far as the papalmandates agree with these I wi l l obey them mostwi l l ingly. But i f I see anyth ing in them at variancewith these I shal l not obey, even though the stake


were stari ng me i n the face . We have agai n inHuss these strong words : “ Ignorance of HolyScriptu re , being a gu i lty ignorance , renders thepri ests more condemnable , as i t is the mother of al lother s ins and v i ces among the people .”

The crime of H uss was th i s exal tat ion of theBible over the pope . With h im

,above the word

of man was the word of God . Earth i s lower thanheaven . A death struggle w i th the Roman h ierarchy was i nevi table . After many trials i n Prague

Huss consented to proceed to the Counci l of Constance , with the assu rance of the protect ion of theemperor. I t was a vain trust . Ecclesiasti cs soi ledthe imperial honor and defeated the imperial pledge .Huss began his j ourney u nder the dark shadows ofmany doubts . But , whi le h i s l i fe was insecure , h isfai th was u nwaveri ng . Reach ing Constance Nov ember 3 , A . D . 14 14 , he soon found that i n theCounci l the h ierarchy would prevai l over the emperor. Huss had no shield but Heaven . He wasconsigned to a frightful pri son and subj ected toevery indign i ty. Amid inexpressible sufferi ngs hetri umphed . Brought before the Council , he ap

pealed to h is Bible . He faced h ie rarchy and empire.What were the bri l l iance of papal Scarlet and thesplendor of imperial pu rple in the presence of thisplai n monk point ing subl imely to the word of God !

Outdazzl ing earthly magnificence h i s fai th saw theglory of Christ

,the King of the un iverse . This

vision gave strength to hi s sou l and power to h iseloquence . He denounced priests who neglectedScripture . He styled them messengers of darknessc lothed l ike angels of l ight . He told them that they


shrank. Fastened by a chai n to the stake , he sanga victor i n the flames . The fi res of Constance whichconsumed Huss and J erome flashed into the nextcentury to l ight the way for Luther.

DANTE .

Subl imely i n h is “ Purgatory the great I tal iansang : “ I t is t rue fai th that renders us c i t izens ofheaven . According to the Gospel faith is the pri n

c iple of l i fe . Faith i s the spark that , spread ingmore and more

,becomes a liv i ng flame and shi nes

i n us,l ike a star of heaven . Withou t fai th there is

no good work or upright l ife that may avai l u s .However great the sin

,the arms of the d ivi ne Mercy

are wider st i l l and embrace al l who tu rn to God .

The sou l i s not lost through the ana l/win d s of thepont iff. Eternal Love can sti l l reach i t so l ong ashope reta ins its verdant blossom . From God fromGod alone

,comes our righteousness by fai th .

JOHN OF GOCH .

Thi s wi tness for truth was born i n a town bearingh is name in the beginn i ng of the fifteenth centu ry.

He founded the Canonry of the Prioress of S t . A u

gust i ne,called Tabor, i n A. D . 14 5 1 , and held the

office of rector for twenty-fou r years , unt i l h i s death .

Always hi s appeal was to Scriptu re . Heresy hedefined to be an obst i nate adherence to an opi n ioncontrary to canon i cal t ruth .

” Cornel i us Grapheus,the expounder of Goch

,says

Has not God promised by the prophet Joel,I

wi l l pou r ou t my Spiri t on al l flesh ?’

Where arelaymen here excluded ? Much do I wish that

WITNESSES . 2 73

Chri st’s phi losophy , being common to all , were l ikewise translated by learned and good exposi tors i ntothe vulgate tongue

, so that every professo r of theChrist ian rel ig ion , at least everyone who knows howto read

,might pu rchase a copy for himself and by

preparati on of the Spiri t be i nt roduced to an ac

quain tance with evangel i cal tru th . I also wish that,

i n order to the suppression of human opi n ion,

learned priests were appoin ted over al l the Churcheswho

,upon the fest ivals

,when the Chri st ian people

were assembled,with the Bible in thei r hands shou ld

twice a day,i nstead of preach ing a se rmon , i n stru ct

them in the doctri ne of the evangel i sts and apost lesi n st ri c t accordance with the word . Come al l ye towhom Christian l iberty i s clear, contend for Christand be of good cou rage ! We wi l l with honestm inds draw from the wells of Holy Scriptu re , andnot from the marshy puddles of Thomas and Aris

totle .

”

J OHN OF WE SSA L I A .

He was born a t Oberwesel on the Rhin e A . D .

142 0,and became a doctor of d ivi n ity at E rfurth .

With him the Scriptu re was the sol e ru le of fai th .

John asks : By what audaci ty do the successors ofthe apost les enjo in

,not what Chri st has prescribed

in h is holy books , bu t what they themselves havedevi sed

,carried away as they are by th irst of gold

and desi re of ru l ing ? I despise the pope , theChurch

,and the Counci ls, and I give Christ the

gl o ry.”

John feared the wrong interpretat ions of doctors .

He preferred to have the Bible explai n i tse l f. Noauthori ty

,

” he says , of the wises t and most learned18


Chri st ians can here avai l . He whom God condemnswi l l be condemned , though pope and priest wereunan imously to count h im saved . Though therenever had been a pope

,al l who are really saved

wou ld have bee n saved as wel l . Chri st d id not appoint fasts . As l i ttle d id he ordain the celebrati onof stated fest ivals . He prescribed n ot set prayers,except the Pater Noster, and st i l l l ess d id he enjoi nthe priests to si ng or read the canon ical Psalms .

All over Chri stendom the mass has been made amost bu rdensome servi ce . Pi lgrims to Rome arefools

,for they m ight easi ly find and keep at home

what they seek i n a foreign land I extol Christ .Let H is word dwel l i n u s richly !

JOHN WESSEL.

This teacher was cal led the l ight of the world .

He was born abou t A. D . 1420 at Gron ingen , i n ahouse st i l l stand ing. Wessel was a doctor ofd ivi n i ty in the Universit i e s of Pari s

,Cologne

,Lou

vain , Heidelberg , and his nat ive c i ty. J ohn heldthat the j us t must l ive by fai th

,working chari ty.

He affi rms that Christ ians must obey the preceptsof docto rs and prelates only accord ing to the measu re laid down by Pau l . And he says : “ We areGod ’s servants

,not the pope ’s . The Holy Spiri t has

reserved to H imself the work of renewing , v iv i fying,preserving

,and i ncreas ing the un ity of the Church ,

and has not abandoned i t to the Roman pont iff.Her sex does not prevent a woman , i f she be fai thfu land prudent

,and i f she have charity Shed abroad

i n her heart,from being able to feel , j udge , approve ,

and decide by a j udgment that God wil l rat ify.

”


by Thy grace Thou just ifiest me,then Thy Righteous

ness belongs unto me . O God,save me by Thy

Righteousness,that i s to say ,

i n Thy Son !

ERASMUS .

He was a scholar, not a hero . I nfirm i n wi l l andrefined i n nerve , he shrank from batt les which demanded martyrs . But Erasmus had keen penetrat ion

,bri l l ian t wi t

,and extensive learni ng. The

sensi t ive scholar had l i t tle sympathy with thecourageous Luther

,who was a spi ri tual warri or and

the true standard bearer of the Reformat ion . Y et

before E rasmus withdrew from the peril s of confl i cthe penned some test imonies which i nvolved freedom and the fundamental t ru ths for wh ich Luthercontended . He said

“ I am fi rmly resolved to d ie i n the study of theHoly Scriptures . I n them are al l my j oy and peace .The sum of al l Chri st ian ph i losophy amounts toth i s— to place al l ou r hopes in God alone

,who by

H is grace , withou t any meri t of ou r own , gives u severything through Christ J esus ; to know that weare redeemed through the death of H is Son ; to bedead to worldly l usts

,and to walk i n conform ity to

H i s doct rine and example,not only inj uring no m an,

bu t doing good to al l ; to support our trials pat ientlyi n the hope of a futu re reward ; and , finally , not toclaim meri t for ou rselves on account of ou r vi rtue

,

but to give thanks to God for al l ou r strength andal l our works.

”

TH E REFORMATION. 277

C H A PT E R XV l l l .

The Reformation .

E RUSA L E M was the mother of Christendom ;

Within and near her wall s Christ taught,Chri st

d i ed,Chri st rose

,Chri st ascended . Here fel l

the fi re of the Holy Ghost on the d i sc ipl es,who

scattered ove r earth to ki ndle the inext ingu i shablel ight of an everlast i ng kingdom . Y et i n th i s met ropo l is of Chri st ian ity in less than two cent uriespagan darkness obscured wi th i ts cloud the Sun ofrighteousness . A shri ne of Venus

,i n deri s i on of

J esu s , was erected by a heathen - emperor on thelofty terrace where had stood for ages the temple ofJ ehovah . The very name of J erusalem van ishedfrom the face of the world . God

’s c i ty,where Dav id

reigned and the Mess iah d ied,was cal led ZE l ia, afte r

an imperial pagan . H ow smal l are earth ’s temporary local i t ies compared with eternal real i t ies !Constant ine the Great sought to restore the t i tle

and glory of J erusalem . He lavished h is imperialresou rces to real i ze h i s dream . Y et the c i ty of Godwas taken , fi rst by the Arab , then by the Turk, andfor centu r i es has been oppressed

,and is now insu lted

by the spectacle of a crescen t gl itteri ng over thespot where was planted the cross of ou r salvat ion .

Before the conquering Mohammedans,sold i ers of a

false prophet,Christ ian ity was swept away from

Palest ine , Syria , Mesopotamia , Arabia , and every

278 TH E CH R I STIAN DEMOCRACY.

other region of weste rn Asia . The l ight of thegreat school of Antioch was ext ingu i shed

,and the

homes , the cit i es , the prov i n ces of the most i l lu strious teachers and bishops desolated and enslaved byArabian and Ottoman arm ies .Nor was the overthrow of Chri st ian i ty less sad

i n Africa . Alexandria had been a seat of learning more famou s even than Ant ioch . Libya hadswarmed wi th d isciples . Carthage shone l ike a sunamid the darkness of North Afri ca . I n her regionone synod had been attended by s ix hundred bishops. Here l ived and taught and d ied Tertu l l ian ,Cyprian

,and August ine

,most splendid of Lati n

fathers . First , the Vandals carried fi re and swordth rough the land . Then , a locust-cloud , came theArabs

,and afterward the Turk

,breathing vengeance

and flam ing dest ruct i on . Constant inople,the bri l

l ian t capital of Ori ental Chri st ian ity,l ong withstood

her O ttoman enemies . But in A . D . 14 5 3 her wallsfel l before the thunder of Mohammedan cannon .

On her metropol i tan Church,converted i nto a

mosque,for more than fou r centu ries the world has

seen a t riumphant crescen t . The whole Easternempire and commun ion are enslaved to the infidel .I t i s almost impossible to resi st the conclusion thatArab and Ottoman have been the agents of H eav

en’

s vengeance to pun ish a Chri st ian ity enfeebledby luxury and corrupted by idolatry.

Scarcely less dark and d iscouraging is the h istoryof the Weste rn Chu rch . We have seen from thepages of August in e and Salv ianUs how frightfu l themorals of African and E uropean Christendom . Asthe scourges of God i n the i r own esteem ,

Goths and


the pont ifical mandate and , especially, asserted l iberty i n regard to the observance of Easter. August ine pred icted war. His prophecy was fu lfi l led . King

fE thel frith ki l led more than a thousand Christ iansi n the postu re of prayer. He razed Bangor to theground . England subm itted to the pont iff of Rome .Aidan and Colman were Scotch bishops

,with pres

byterian ordinat ion , who had been sent as m issionaries to England . They

,too

,resi sted Roman su

premacy . I n vain Even Iona,the last fortress of

the Christ ian Democracy,succumbed . I ts preach

ers and teachers received the tonsure as a mark ofsubmission to the pope .Charl emagne was the most successfu l Romanm issionary. H is argument was the sword . Hewarred to ext i ngu ish heathen ism on the battlefield .

He gave h is enemies choice between bapt ism andexterm inat ion . He made the sac rament of thepeaceful Christ a sign of fealty and subj ugat ion .

To understand the subsequent state of Eu rope wemust know that t ribes and nat ions had often beenconverted by conquering armies . I n level ing theway for Christ ian truth and l ibe rty the Reformati onhad to upheave mountains imbedded in the veryheart of the world .

But Rome also had papal heralds of a noble r class .Even the slaves of tyranny and superst i t ion may bei nward ly free and heroes of the faith . Columbanwas born in Leinster i n I reland . He , with St . Gal l ,about A . D . 606 carried the Gospel in to the heartof the mountai ns of Switzerland , and le ft behindthem permanent monuments of thei r love and labor.T he l ight am id the Alps was from torches ki ndled

TH E RE FORMATION. 2 81

at the altar of Rome . From England,too

,went

forth men of power. Bright on the roll of Christ ianwarri ors are the names of Wi l l ibrod , apostle ofFri esland

,Adalbert

,Bishop of Utrecht

,L eofwin

,

martyred by the Saxons . The Frisian Ludgerstud ied unde r Alcu in of Y ork . But more i l l u striou sthan al l i s Boni face . He was born A . D . 680 i nKirton

,Devonsh ire . Conceivi ng a passion for the l i fe

of a monk,he was educated at two conve nts . I n

A . D . 7 1 8 he v i s ited Rome and took from Gregory I Ih is authori ty to preach to the German ic nat ions .He labored i n Fri esland and Thuri ngia . A secondt ime he went to the pont ifical capital and boundh imself by oath foreve r to the papacy. The successof h i s labors was immense . Bon i face was the apostleof Germany

,as August in e had been the apostle of

Brita in .

A nschar i n A . D . 80 1 was born i n.

Corbie,France

,

and was educated in the monastery of h is nat iveplace . He had a v i s ion of immeasu rabl e l igh t .A nschar saw a c i rcl e of the celest ial hosts . Whilesun and moon were i nv i sible

,an i ll im i table bri ll iance

fi l led the un iverse . A v o ice from the glory cried ,Go and retu rn to me again crowned with martyrdom ! The monk obeyed . He was selected bythe emperor Lou is for a m ission to Denmark . Aftermaking numerous convert s i n that country he proceeded to Sweden . At Hamburg he founded anep iscopal metropol i s and was consecrated archbishop . A nschar bound nations to the papacy.

Bold preachers brough t even I celand unde r thej urisd ict ion of the Roman pont i ff. Thus to thepope heroic saints and martyrs gained the Teuton ic


and S lavon i c nati on s wh ich were to be the l ights ofthe Reformat ion . We cannot

,therefore

,marvel at

the pa in fel t by the Roman Church when she saw

torn from her Bri tain,Scotland

,Switzerland

,Swe

den , Norway , Denmark , Holland , England , whichshe had herself won to the Roman fai th . AndProtestants shou ld ever remember that

,however

imperfect the i r form of Christ ian i ty measu red by theScriptu re standard , yet u nder the rule of popes thegreatest regions and races of Eu rope professed conversion .

We have seen that both in the Eastern andWestern Churches had always arisen men and sectswho were wi tnesses for faith and its l ibe rty againstthe prevai l ing bondage and corrupt ion . But theyhad been suppressed . Alexander I I I fi rst declaredwar against the Bible of Peter Waldus, and Innocent I I I blasted the land of the heret i c with h i spapal armies . Domin ic , l ike an avenging sp i ri t ,hovered i n the cloud of war ; and when death hadsi lenced martyrs i n France h is order presided overthe Inqu isi t ion i n Spain and gave thousands t odungeon ,

rack ,and fi re . Wyclif escaped flames

,bu t

h i s bones and books were burned . Huss and J eromeperi shed in the blaze kind led by the Counci l ofConstance . The papal h ierarchy t ri umphed i n theassu rance of un iversal v i ctory. J ust before thedawn of the Reformat i on al l l iberty of faith andthought and speech seemed to have peri shed fromthe earth

,and over man was a sky of clouds with no

star or rainbow.

Giovann i de Medic i,second son of Lorenzo the

Magn ificent,was elected to the papacy as a splend id

284 TH E CH R I ST I AN DEMOCRACY .

d iamond ring that wedded him to the Cathol i cChurch . Before h im the st reets were strewn withflowers and spread with tapestries . Arrived at theLateran

,the pope on h is throne flamed in scarlet

and gold and,crowned with h is t iara

,fel t h imself

indeed the lord of the world . Around him in dazz l ing splendor sat al l earth

’s loft iest representat ivesof c iv i l and ecclesiast ical power

,shedd ing the i r

glory over the pont ifical majesty.

Nor was the cathedral unworthy the occasion .

The spaciou s nave,the subl ime arches

,the poli shed

marble pavement,the gi lded Corinth ian pi lasters ,

the venerable forms of prophets and apostles , theexqu isi te chapler ies exhibi ted whatever geni u scould accompl ish i n pain ting

,sculptu re , and arch i

tectu re,while above the magn ificence swel led the

m ingled musi c of voice and organ . I t seemed tome

,

” says the narrator of th e pageant , that i t wasthe Redeemer of mankind on the Palm Sundaygoing to J e rusalem

,there being subst i t u ted for

hosannas to the Son of Dav id,Life to the pope

,

the l ionA picture of th i s Lateran assembly shows thepon t iff throned above bishops and card inals

,and

,

conspi cuous , the words ,“ Thou shal t put an end

to the Counci l,and be called a reformer of the

Church . One orator styled the pope,ou r shep

herd,ou’r physic ian

,ou r god upon the earth . To

him al so was appl ied a grand Messian ic prophecy,

Thou shalt ru le from sea t o sea Nor was thesplendor of h is dom in ion described only i n inspiredwords . Paint i ng was again i nvoked to aid by formand color. We have Leo depicted wi th one foot

THE REFORMATION . 2 85

on the land and the other on the sea, and graspingthe keys of hades and heaven

,which symbol i zed his

dom in ion over the un iverse .Alas ! i n the near fu tu re was a wreck mockingth i s splendor of pon t ifical expectat ion . Such apagean t , indicat ing i ts un iversal tri umph , was neverto occu r agai n i n the h istory of the papacy. Leo

’

sreign was to be memorable

,not by a un ited and

tri umphant,bu t by a d ivided and hum il iated

,

Church . Bright propheci e s of victory were fol lowedby shadows of defeat . Causes were i n operat ionwhich wou ld rend the papacy and l iberate human ityfrom eccles iast ical tyranny . Those keys symbol i cof u n iversal ru le were abou t to fal l from the handsof baffled pont iffs . Let u s tu rn to the agent of acom ing revol u t ion that changed the face of Christendom !

Mart i n Luther was born at E i sleben , i n that veryThuringia i n which

,fou r centuri es before

,the apos

t le Bon iface had planted the papal Church . On thel oth of November

,A . D . 1483 , the chi ld who was

to become the reformer of the world saw the l ight .Between Leo and Luther what a contrast ! Thepope was a Medici

,of pri ncely blood

,born i n afflu

ence , nurtu red i n luxury , a ch i ld of gay , proud ,beauti ful Florence

,i n al l h i s i nst i ncts an I tal ian ,

e ffem inate i n h i s tastes,skeptical i n h i s rel igion

,an

epi cu rean noble,grace fu l i n person and manners , a

devotee of art and l i teratu re,fasc inated with thi s

world and reckless of the next . With Leo his

pont ificate was not a path to parad ise , bu t a wayflowering and bri ll ian t wi th the del ights and d ign i t i esof th is earthly l i fe . But Luther was son of a peas


ant,w i th all the rough honesty of the German ic

race . H is father was fi rst a slate cu tte r and then aminer. From infancy poverty was his compan ion .

The boyhood of Luther had l i ttle j oy. He pursued

h is stud ies pinched with hunger, sang for a crust ofbread

,and often knew not whether he wou ld be re

warded with food or repu lsed wi th cruelty. Bornamid rude scenes and men

,he never attai ned the

grace and courtesy which give charm to society.

While Leo resembled a poli shed pi l lar i n hi s I tal iancathedral

,Luther was l ike a rough column inhis

father’s mine . But in h im was a st rength which couldendu re . By natu re and educat ion he had an affec

t ionate heart , a sensi t ive consc ience , a sturdy manhood . And he was born a leader of men . On h isbroad

,open , powerfu l Teuton ic face i s the glow of

gen iu s . A great soul sh i nes through those peasantfeatu res. Margare t Lindemann , wife of John Luther ,was the worthy mothe r of the man born to create anew era for human ity. Not from mansion or palace

,

bu t a mi ne r’

s home , went forth the power to regenerate nations , change the cou rse of h i story and theface of the world . The forge of the father suggeststhe blows of the son on the i ron of the papacy.

Mart in was fi rst sen t to a Franciscan school atMagdeburg

,whence he was removed to E i senach .

I t was here , while s i nging i n the streets amid acrowd of poor scholars , that the splendid voice ofthe futu re orator won the ear and heart of Ursu laCotta . She became a mother to Marti n . At e ighteen Luther went to E rfurth ,

where he was deeplymoved by the preach ing of Weissmann . He re

ceiv ed i n A . D . 1 502 his bachelor’

s degree,and in


al l those who are my most bi tter enem ies andpersecutors .A life of such self- infl icted tortu res wou ld haveplaced Luther wi th Francis and BeCket and Loyola

,

h igh on the brightest rol l of Roman sain ts . Atthis hour he might have been beat ified and canoni z ed by popes

,had his name i n the i r calendar

,and

,

i nstead of being regarded as an excommun icatedmonster, he would have been adored as a patronand suppl i cated as an intercessor. But vain all h ismonkish aspe ri t i es ' By his increased mort ifica

t ions he plunged h imself in to deeper darkness . Hefound himself bound by an i nv i nc ible power in fetters he could not break . He was measuring h imself

,not by ru les of monks , but by the law of God .

He saw himse lf,not i n the l igh t of the precepts of

fathers,but i n the blaze of the holiness of J ehovah .

He weighed h is heart and li fe,not i n the Scales of

papal decretals,but i n the balances of the eternal

j ust i ce of the J udge of the un iverse . This lonelymonk by his anguish was driven beyond the helpof priest or pont i ff or angel . Absol ut i on by mancould not sat i sfy his immortal need . Luther musthave rem ission from the Sovereign of the un iverse .His struggle for l i fe brough t death

,and no del iver

ance by man . Salvati on i s d i rect from God . Remission of sin i s by fai th i n the blood of J esus , the incarnate Creator. Regenerat ion i s by the power ofthe Holy Ghost exerted on the ind ividual sou l .Assu rance of forgiveness comes not from the absol ut ion of man , bu t i s a test imony from the Spi ri tof God . And the rule of l ife is the word of Scriptu re .Looking beyond fathers , beyond priests , beyond

THE REFORMATION. 2 89

monks , beyond popes , beyond h imsel f, beyond mortal or angel

,Luther obtai ns rem ission and regenera

t ion by fai th i n the blood of Jesus , his God andSaviou r

.He has peace and j oy and l iberty. Nor

were the sol itary sufferi ngs of his cell for the youngmonk alone . His race was i nvolved i n h is b i rthpangs . I n h im human i ty was struggl ing for i ts re

generat ion . The reformat ion of the world tookshape in Luther. One typical sou l had to be taughtby agony the van ity of al l absolut ion and sanct ifi

cat i on not d irect from God . Del iverance came , notby priestly act or papal authori ty , bu t by personalfai th . I n th i s seed- truth was the whole Reformat ion . W i th the music of voice and organ peal ingthrough the chu rch , how often had Luther chantedin the creed

,I bel i eve i n the forgiveness of si ns !

Y et to h im the words were dead“

. They had nomeani ng to hi s m ind , no power over hi s l i fe . Now

they flash into h im immortal l ight . Luther bel ievesand has peace . A new glo ry flames through hiscell . The j oyfu l monk walks forth in the l iberty ofthe Gospel to free nat ions and generat ions . Scriptu ral Democracy is born agai n on the earth . Gloryto God and love to man inspi re i ts everlast ing song.

Exulting i n Chri st,the renewed monk never

dreamed that‘

his experience antagonized the

Church . Luther had hurled away the ecclesiasti calfetters of ages , and yet was unconsc ious of h is ownl iberty. Like an innocen t ch i ld

,he d id not look

beyond h is young joy. He compared h imself to a

bird S inging on a l imb and lett ing God take careof h im . With trust i n h is Redeemer came fai th i nhi s C

l

r

g

eator. The almighty Maker of the universe


was with Luther a perpetual presence . I n harmonywith nature

,he wished the world to share h is hap

p iness. He preached wi th power. Under h is wordconvents and ci t ies and kingdoms were born again .

Eu rope by hi s wri t i ngs woke to a new life . Un ivers i t i es were i l l uminated . A new literature of salvation sprang into existence . Sovereigns were con

verted and nat ions edified. S i nce the t ime of Pau lthe world had never known such a spi ri tual harvest .

At this period of his t ri umphant l i fe prayer andpraise were the breath of Luther. Jehovah was h issun and shie ld . T he word of God was h is bread ofl i fe . His cel l was bright wi th the l ight of h i s d ivineChrist . I n hi s sou l was that fai th i n the Lambwhich looses the seals h id i ng the secrets of the un iverse . But the l iberated and exulti ng monk can

best describe th is happiest and most fru i tfu l experience of h is l i feThere is noth ing else i n heaven or i n earth

where i n the sou l i s p ious and free except the holyGospel

,the word of God concern ing Chri st . I n the

word i t has enough— food , j oy , peace , l ight , skil l ,righteousness , freedom ,

everything good . As theword i s, so wi l l the sou l be through fai th . And asi ron glows with fi re , so the word shines through thesoul . The sou l is freed by fai th from s in . I t is notpossible for her s in s to condemn her. They arelaid upon Christ . The i nner man is one with God ,j oyfu l and happy on account of Chri st . His wholedesi re i s that he i n tu rn may serve God freely in freelove . A Chr i st ian does not l ive i n himself, but i nChrist and h is ne ighbor. Through fai th he passesabove h imself i n to God ; out of God he passes


gences and supremacy. On these subj ects the

greatest wri ters had declared themselves.Alexander of Hales , the i rrefragable doctor, A . D.

1 245 , i n h i s Treasure of tire C/znrc/z , said : f‘Christ ,the God-man

,by H is i nfinite ly meri torious suffer

i ngs and death,has acqu i red a superabundance of

meri t , which is conj oi ned to that of martyrs andsain ts ; of these the sum is a vast t reasu re . This i si ntended for the Church

,to be adm in istered by“ the

pope through his representat ives the bishops. Abull of Clement VI I declared this doctri ne of Halesan article of faith .

Thomas Aqu inas,A . D . 1 274 , said :

“With him,

also , the meri ts of Chri st and H is sai nts formed aninexhaust ible treasu re . I ts exhaustless plen itudewas i n the un iversal Church

,to be d istributed by

the pope to i ts members .”

Aqui nas also insi stedthat thi s power of the pope extended i nto purgatory. For,

”he writ es ,

“ there is no reason whythe Church shou ld be able to transfer

,for the com

mon good , of her meri ts , which i s the basis of indu l

gences , to the livi ng , and not also to the dead .

”

Albert the Great,A . D . 1 2 80,

taught that s ix con

dit ions must meet i n i nd ulgences : ( I ) repentance i nthe receiver ; (2) faith i n the keys ; (3) competentau thority to di stribu te (4) a piou s cause ( 5) superabundance of the treasu re of meri ts ; (6) a properappreciat ion of the del iverance wrought by the indu lgences.

And beh ind these Opin ions of the doctors was theau thori ty of pont iffs . Against Luther was thewhole papal Church . He stood alone before theh ierarchy. At the begi nn ing of the R eformat ion ,

TH E REFORMATI ON. 293

A. D . 1 5 20,Prierio expressed the true fai th of h is

communion He is a heret i c whosoever does notrest i n the doctri ne of the Roman Church and theRoman pont iff as the i n fal l ibl e ru le of fai th , fromwhich Holy Scriptu re i tsel f derives i ts force andauthori ty.

” So afterward Bellarmine : “ We shallendeavor to demonstrate that the Scriptu res wi thou t the t rad i t ions are nei ther suffi c ien t nor simplynecessa ry . A nd Baron ius affi rms that “ t rad i t ioni s the foundat ion ofScripture.

”E richirid ion i n forms

us that the excel lence of the nonwritten word farsurpasses Scriptu re . Trad it ion comprise s i n i tselfall t ru th ; we ought not to appeal from i t to anyother j udge while L indanus says , Scriptu re i s anose of wax , a dead lette r that ki l ls , a very huskwithou t a kernel

,a leaden ru le

,a school for heret i cs ,

a forest that serves as a refuge for robbers . ”

These doct ri nes had sl umbered i n bu lls and treat i ses. Suddenly they start from thei r sleep andawake the world . The confession of a parish ionerto hi s p ri est set i n mot ion forces which have revolut ion i z ed society and d iv ided the Chu rch . On thebreath of one l ip hung the Reformat ion . When theavalanche is ready a S l igh t force wakes i ts thunder.A man told Luther h i s s in and refused penance.When u rged ,

‘

he pleaded a papal i nd ulgence andcla imed exemption . Luther was confounded . H e

was exult ing in hi s new l iberty in Christ . He was abi rd s i nging i n the morn ing su nl ight . He was ayoung hero gi rded for battle , and yet see ing nosign s of a death st ruggle . A cloud comes over h i ssky . Before Luther i s a man who sets the popeabove J esus Christ . On h i s s ide i s ecc lesiast ical

294 TH E CHRI STIAN DE MOCRACY .

law. He is supported by the most i ll u strious doctors of the Chu rch . With him are priest s andbishops . Above al l i s the pope , defended by thesword of the empire .Lu ther d id not hesi tate . The priest refused to

recogn ize the claim of h is parish ioner. He wouldnot concede i n the pope a power to sel l a privi legeto sin. Leo had authorized th is i n famous traffic i nsouls t o support h is pont ifical l uxu ries and fin ish h i smagnificent chu rch . The pri ce of salvat ion bypapal authori ty was money. A scale was publ i shedfor Germany. We have the ecclesiast ical cost ofcrime : six ducats

,polygamy ; n i ne ducats , perj u ry ;

eigh t ducats,murder ! And th is monst rous traffi c

was advert i sed by methods which make pueri le al lou r modern schemes to attract the publ i c. Tetzelhad a gen i us for notoriety. When he approached atown he halted outsid e the walls . The chu rch bellswere rung. A procession was formed . I t passedthrough the gates and along the streets

,march ing to

the sou nd of music wi th gl i tte ring banners and up

l i fted crosses. The whole populat ion swarmed afterTetzel , arrayed i n al l the splendor of his priest lyrobes . Arrived at the church

,the spectators were

awed by the most imposing and impressive ce remon ies of rel igion . When the solemn servi ce wasover

,with the cross planted i n view of the assembly,

Tetzel mounted the pu lp i t and i n a voice of thunder began to advert i se h i s sp i ritual wares and in thename of the pope auct i on to the highest bidders theauthori ty to s in .

Luther was not daunted by Leo’

s l ightn ings . I n

one hundred and six proposi t ions he attacked the


sp i te the opposit i on of friends,he resolved to appear

,

and his j ou rney to Worms was a popu lar ovation .

Ci t ies opened thei r hearts and gates to express the i rapproval and sympathy. And at the Diet Frederick

,

E lector of Saxony , and other noble German princesgave him support. But his path was ful l of peri l .Potentates cou ld not save h im from flames . Eventhe imperial letterwas a doubtfu l protect ion . Luther

had no sh ield but God . The fi rst charge againsth im was that above pope and Counci l he exaltedScriptu re: On the word of God

,hi s rock , the monk

stood unmoved before hi erarchy and empi re . H ow

magnifi cent the scarlet and gold and purple of thatassembly— princes and ecclesiast ics i n thei r splendor ;on hi s throne the youthfu l Charles

,descendant of

kings and lord of half the world,dign ified with the

t rad it ions of the old Roman empire,and rival ing

Caesars i n imperial majesty ; over all , vi sible in h islegate , the power of the pope , whose t iara outdazzledthe d iadems of an Aurel i us or a Constant ine Andi n the presence of such a Counc i l Mart i n Luther wi thh is Bible ! The august assembly i s awed by thesoli tary monk. He speaks before the world , i ts impersonat ion of truth and l iberty. I n that man i s thegen i us of a new and last and best era of Christ ian i ty.

One e loquent sentence of Luther expresses theReformat ion :

“ I entreat,therefore

,your majesty and the mem

bers of thi s i l lu st rious assembly to produce e v idenceagainst me and

,however high or low be the rank of

the person who shal l be able from sacred Scriptu resto convi ct me of error

,I wi l l i nstantly retract and

be the first to throw th e book i nto the fire .”

TH E REFORMATION. 297

The Diet of Worms witnessed the subl imest act

of the l i fe of Luther. As a moral spectacle i t wasthe cu lm inat ion of the glory of h is career. Had heperi shed before the throne of Charles h i s workwou ld have ended wi thou t stai n or d iscord . Nomartyr would have worn a more bri l l ian t crown .

His translat ion of the Bible with i n the grim wal lsof old Wartburg Castle , hi s wise and heroi c leadersh ip when he subdued the fanat i ci sms of his un iversity and the tumults of the riotou s people

,hi s

cou rage i n refusing appeal to the sword and i n denounc ing war as Opposed to the faith and love ofthe Gospel

,show i n Lu ther the same t rust i n God

wh ich was hi s shield at Worms,and they give add i

t ional brightness to the halo on h is brow. But,

alas ! after the Diet,spots m ingled with the glory.

Human infirm i t ies threw their shadows overLuthe r. He appears to have lost the j oy andl iberty wh ich gave power to h is early rel igious test imony. I n the pulp i t he d id not seem to have thateloquence of the Spiri t which had converted c i t iesand kingdoms . What a contrast between h is ex

qu isite pictures of Christ ian love and h is boorishi nsults to Henry

,who

,however feeble i n argument

,

yet represented that majesty of government whichPau l respected even i n a Nero ! At the Castl e ofMarburg Luther played pope with Zwingle , d ividedthe Reformat ion

,and created antagon isms wh ich

centu ries have not bu ried . Petulan tly he hurledJames ou t of the canon

,and jocosely pronounced

Paul napping in Galat i ans , thus u nsettl ing the

authority of Scriptu re,di st u rbing the very founda

t ions on which h is whole l i fework was erected, and


origi nat ing d isputes wh ich are now d isqu iet i ngChristendom .

Y et , however painfu l and mortifying , these aresmal l defects i n Luther when compared with themagni tude of h is ach ievemen ts for human ity. Herevived that doctr ine of remissi on by fai th

,taught

by Christ and expounded by Paul , which can alonegive t rue l iberty to men and nat ions . He so powerfu lly enforced Scriptu re against trad i t ion and papacythat i ts supremacy wil l never be d islodged fromthe human m ind . He restored the l aity to thecounci l s of the Chu rch . He opened a new era ofre l igi ous and pol it i ca l l ibe rty

,which gave impulse

to l i t erat ure,to art , to sc ience , to government , and

which i s emancipat ing every department of soc i etyand every region of the world . J ust as the R efor

mation prevai l s i n any country the sovereignty ofthe people i s recogn ized by Church and State .The work of Mart in Lu ther wi l l be most fullyacknowledged when over earth has become un iversalth e primi t ive Chri st ian Democracy.

300 TH E CHRIST I AN DEMOCRACY .

is more art ifice . The cunn ing of I tal ian popes hasnever been equaled . Learn ing

,perspicu i ty

,and

profund ity characterized the book of Father Pau lnor

,fi fty years later, with al l i ts acute apologi es and

subtl e explanat ions,d id the J esu i t Pal lav i c i n i under

m ine the immortal work of the Venetian . A Spani sh doctor , Vargas, attended the imperial ambassadors to Trent . His letters expla in the methods bywhich the papal delegates sought to mold theCounci l to the wi l l of the i r pont ifical master. Guidedby these Roman authori t i es

,we perce ive such am

b i t ion ,such art ifice

,su ch ignorance

,such corrupt ion

working together i n Tren t that i t i s impossible tobeli eve that the Holy Ghost hovered o v er thefathers , i nv i s ibly di rected the i r opin ion s , and shapedthei r decrees i n accordance wi th the wi l l of God ;whi le we can scarcely doubt that they expressed thewi l l of the pope . Our knowledge of Trent impelsu s to reject as i n fall ible both pont i ff and Counc i l

,

and to accept Holy Scriptu re as the un iversal standard for the un iversal Chu rch .

Pau l I I I i n 1 545 convoked hi s ecclesiast ics toTren t . After h im were the bri ef pont ificates ofJ uli us I I I and the second Marcel lus . Then followedPaul IV

,with h is grim and ghastly career. I t re

mained for Pius IV in 1 563 , after nearly e ighteenyears of painfu l labor

,to bring to a successfu l ter

m inat ion thi s most importan t Counc i l of the RomanChurch .

Alessandro Farnese gave a boy a wreath to present to the next pope . The lad took i t to Giovann i Angelo Med ici . Nor was the you thfu l prophetm istaken . Giovann i became Pius IV . H is origin

TRENT. 301

was humble . Bernard i , hi s father , was a Mi lanesecontractor

,and h is brother a robber- sold ier. Gio

vann i Angelo stud ied law,went to Rome , became a

card inal,and was detested by Pau l IV , a Neapol i tan

ari stocrat . Y et the Milanese plebe ian succeededh i s haughty enemy. Unlike h is imperious predecessor

,the gloomy organi zer of the papal I nqu i si

t i on,Pi us IV was gen ial

,chee rfu l

,and accessible .

Y et he sentenced to death Pau l’

s atrociou s nephews .Pi us IV was the fi rst pon tiff who caught the

catholi c spi ri t of h is age . His predecessors hadsought to subj ugate the world to the papacy . Piussaw that the ambit i ous pol i cy of a H i ldebrand , anInnocen t I I I , and a Boniface VI I I was a splendidvi sion . The nat ions , he real ized , could no l ongerbe dazzled by pont ifical dreams . Eu rope had ou tgrown i ts ecclesiast i cal masters .

‘Rome had lostEngland , Holland , Switzerland , Sweden , Norway,Denmark

,and he r noblest kingdoms i n Germany.

This domin ion was i rrecoverable . Pius IV acceptedthe fact . He w i l l take the world as i t i s . He willrecove r what he can

,and not expect too much .

He wi l l have peace even at a large price . Protestant ism cannot be overthrown

,and Romanism must

legi slate accord i ng to the inev i table . Pius wi ll leavethe clouds and make sure the earth . Hence h isp racti cal success . He ach ieved what was unatta in

able by the old pont ifical visionaries .Charles V had forced both German Cathol i cs andProtestants to s ign his “ I nterim

,which professed

to be a scheme of reconci l iat i on . All part ie s wered i ssat isfied . Pau l I I I hated the compromise . Be

sides , Charles also wished Protestan t representa t ives


at the Counci l. This , too , exci ted the wrath of

Pau l . He adjourned the assembly to Bolognaagainst the imperial protest . After v i olent contestsbetween pope and emperor i t was finally broughtback to Trent . From 1 54 5 to 1 563 there had beena perpetual scene of art ifices , wrangl ings , and d iscontents . So great were the d iv i s ions amongRoman ecclesiast ics that some of the members inc l ined to Protestan t doctrine . I n Curia and i nCounci l re form h ad been suggested . Supported byFrench and German pre lates

,Cardinal Lorraine de

manded the cup for the la i ty and the sacraments i nthe language of the people . Opin ions were d iscordant

,obstacles insu rmountable

,elements i rreconc i l

able . Rome was ren t i n her own Counc i l . Carpi ,an old card inal

,oppressed by the prospect

,wished

to d ie that he m ight not wi tness the buria l of theChurch . Over the pont ificate of Pi us IV hung acloud . I f he cannot reconci le the Counci l h is l i fei s a fai l u re . H is patience

,his tact

,h i s cou rage

,hi s

energy d ispel led the darkness . Pius IV broughtback the sun , but to be forever i n a Protestanteclipse . By him the Counci l of Tren t was gu idedto i ts conclusions

,and to h im we owe that formu

lated scheme of doctri ne which is the i rrepealablelaw of the Roman Church .

As opposed to the statements of the ProtestantConfessions of Augsbu rg

,Heidelberg

,and the A n

gl ican Homi l ies and Art ic les , we have the Romandoctri ne of just ificat ion . I n Session VI , caput 7, i ti s affi rmed : “ The formal cause of j u st ificat ion i srighteousness or chari ty

,which God imparts appro

priately to each accord ing to the measure of h is d is


give i n ful l the Decree of Apri l 1 8, 1 546, whichsays

“ This sacred , holy ecumen i cal and general Cou n

c i l of Trent , lawful ly assembled in the Holy Spiri t ,the three legates of the apostol i cal see presid ingthere i n

,having constantly i n view the removal of

error and the preservat ion of the puri ty of the Gospel in the Chu rch

,which Gospel , prom ised before

by the prophets i n the sacred Scriptu res , was fi rstoral ly publi shed by our Lord J esus Christ , whoafterward commanded i t to be preached by H isapostles t o every creat ure as the source o f all sav i ngtruth and d isc ipl i ne and perce l vmg that thi s t ru thand d iscipl ine are contained both i n written booksand i n u nwritten t rad i t ions which have come downto us , e i ther received by the apostles from the l ip ofChrist H imsel f or transm itted by the hands of thesame apostles u nder the d ictat ion of the HolySpiri t ; fol lowing the example of the orthodoxfathers , doth receive and reverence with equal p ietyand venerat ion all the books

, as well of the Old asof the New Testamen t , the same God being Authorof both , and also the aforesaid trad i ti on pertai ningto fai th and manners

,whether rece ived from Christ

H imself or d ictated by the Holy Spiri t and preserved in the Cathol i c Church by cont inual succession . Whosoever shal l not rece ive as sacred andcanon ical al l these books

,and every part of them ,

as they are commonly read in the Cathol ic Churchand are contai ned in the Vulgate Lat in ed i ti on , orshal l knowingly and deliberately despise the aforesaid t rad i t ions , le t h im be accu rsed !A Catechism of Trent was pub l i shed in 1 866 by

TRENT. 305

Pius V , which ch iefly explai ns the sacraments. Buti t i s the Creed of Piu s IV

,A . D . 1 564 , i n which

we have an au thori tat ive papal exposit ion of thedoctrines of the Counci l . I t is of un iversal acceptance and obl igat ion . As the Nicene Creed i s Cathol ic

,so the Creed of Pi u s i s Roman . Each of i ts

decrees i s with anatnema . If I reject al l or any I

am a heret i c accu rsed . This Roman creed,under

anatnema , condemns every human being outside theRoman Church to everlast ing woe. Volumes havebeen wri tten i n i ts explanation . But i ts words areso clear and plai n that i t is i ts own best interpreter.And i t expresses i n papal language and by papal infall ibi l i ty the whole doct ri ne of the Counci l of Trent .I t i s well

,therefore

,to give the Creed of Pius IV

enti re :1 . Hav i ng rec i ted the Nicene symbol , i t pro

ceeds :“2 . I most fi rmly adm i t and embrace apostol ical

and ecclesiast i cal t rad i t ions and al l other const itut i ons and observances of the same Church .

3 . I al so adm i t the sacred Scr ipt u res accord ingto the sense the holy mother Church has held anddoes hold

,to whom i t belongs to judge the true

sense and i nterpretat ion of Holy Scriptures ; norwi l l I ever take

?

or i n terpret them otherwi se thanaccord ing to the u nan imous consen t of the fathers.

“4 . I confess that there are tru ly and properly

seven sac raments of the new law,i nst i tu ted by

Jesu s Christ and for the salvati on of mankind ,though al l are not necessary for eve ryone , namely,baptism , confi rmat ion , eucharist , penance , extremeunct i

z

o

o

n, orders, and matrimony, and they confer


grace ; and of these bapt ism ,confi rmat ion

,and

orders cannot be re i terated without sacri lege .

5 . I also receive and admi t the ceremon ies ofthe Catholi c Church rece ived and approved in thesolemn adm in istrat ion of the above sacraments.

“ 6. I rece ive and approve al l and every one ofthe th i ngs which have been defined and declaredby the holy Counci l of Trent concern ing originals in and j ust ificat ion .

7. I profess and bel i eve that i n the mass offeredto God i s a t rue

,proper

,and propi t iatory sacrifice

for the l iv i ng and the dead,and that i n the most

holy sacrifice of the euchari st there i s t ru ly,really

,

and substantial ly the body and blood,together wi th

the sou l and d iv i n i ty,of our Lord J esu s Chri st

,and

that there i s made a conversion of the whole sub

stance of the bread into the body and of the wholesubstance o f the wine i nto the blood

,which con

version the Cathol i c Chu rch calls t ransubstant iat i on .

“ 8. I confess that u nder one kind Christ i s re

ceiv ed whole and ent i re , and a true sacrament .“

9 . I constantly hold that there is a purgatory,

and that the sou ls there are helped by the suffragesof the fa i thfu l .

10. I bel ieve that the sai nts re ign ing togetherwi th Chri st are to be honored and invoked ; thatthey offer prayers to God for u s and that the i r re li cs are to be venerated .

1 1 . I most fi rmly asse rt that the images ofChrist and of the mother of God , and also of theother sai nts

,are to be had and retai ned , and that

due honor and venerat ion are to be given them .

1 2 . I also afli rm that the power of indulgences


How pleasing the smi le and warm the welcome ofthe holy father i n h is Vatican palace ! How hos

p itably he extends hi s right hand to Greeks , and his

left to Protestants ! And i n addresses and on platforms how the hearts of his American b ishops glowwi th the patriot i sm of American c i t i zens ! Nor arethey insincere . The man is better than the ecclesiastic. But

,whi le the heart i s Ameri can

,the creed

i s Roman . Triden tine vows mock,l ike ghosts from

the past . Rej ect ing Trent , Greeks and Protestan tsare al ike unde r i ts anat/zema . One hand of the holyfather grasps i n welcome , and the other hurls ananatnema . I rej ect trad it ion I am under hi s ana l/zema . I deny the mass ; I am under hi s anatnema .

I refuse sai nt-worship ; I am under h is anatnerna .

I d isbel ieve purgatory ; I am under hi s anathema .

I repud iate h i s supremacy and i nfall ibi l i ty ; I amunder h is anat/zema . Let the holy father reversethe decrees of Trent

,recal l the declarat ion of the

Vati can,and annu l h i s anat/zemas .

’ Then he maybegin an effort to unite Christendom .

jE SUI’

I‘i SM.

CHAPTER XX.

Jesu itism .

H I RTY years after the Diet of Spi res the areaof Protestant i sm was vastly w ider than now .

Let u s tu rn to ou r map of E u rope Norwayand Denmark

,part of Switzerland

,Holland

,Eng

land,Scotland

,and Germany are the coun tries

where the Reformation has perpetuated i tsel f.Aust ria i s almost wholly papal ; bu t i n 1 563 , wh ichmarked the close of the Counci l of Tren t

,not one

th i rt ieth of her popu lat ion had remained Catholi c .Hungary and Bohem ia

‘

were both large ly al ienatedfrom Rome Protestant i sm then pervaded evenSou th Germany. B avaria i ncl ined to the Reformat ion , and in Belgium i t numbered many adherents .How were these cou ntries won back from Protestant ism to the papacy ? By argument ? By spi ri tualconversi on ? By what agency was the ecclesiast i calmap of Europe shaped into i ts p resen t d iv i s ions ?We answer, By J esu i t i sm , with the aid of the I nqu is i t ion.

From the early centu ries the monkish orders const i t uted the armies of the Roman pontiff. Theywere t rained and devoted sold iers , always u nder h i scommand . Without them hi s victories wou ld havebeen imposs ible . From the secular, or pari sh ,clergy we must widely d ist ingu ish the regular

,or

monast ic , clergy. Eminent ly the latte r were the

3 10 TH E CHRISTIAN DEMOCRACY .

pope ’s servants . Over the world , with tongue andpen

,and sometimes sword , they fought h i s battles.

Only by centu ries of educat ion cou ld the anci entorders have prepared the Chu rch for that crowningand once- t ri umphant organizat ion we style J esu i tism . Before we proceed to its h istory i t wi l l benecessary to su rvey the rise and work of i ts predecessors and pioneers.

AUGU STINES.

About A . D . 390 the great Bishop of H ippo ret ired to a monastery . While he presided overmonks h i s si ste r superintended nuns. I t does notappear that August i ne was under any l i fe vow. Hewas a bishop ru l ing an associat ion of h i s cel ibateclergy. But ou t of th is organ izat ion most probablygrew the famous R oman order bearing h i s name

,

which centu ri es after placed on i ts rol l MartinLuther.

BENEDICTINES .Their founder was born A . D . 480 i n Nurs ia , I taly.

While yet a youth Bened ic t fled from the v i ces ofRome and took refuge near Subiaco . Here wash is fi rst m i racle. For three years he l ived in ani naccessible cavern . Romanus

,his friend

,le t down

h is food by a rope. The t inkle of a bell amid therocks i nd i cated that h i s meager morsel was descending. Beneath h is crag roared the Anio . But thesecl uded mountai n cave was d i scovered . At oncethe youthfu l hermi t became famous . He was madean abbot . So rigid was his d isc ipl i ne that themonks t ried to release themselves by poison . ButBened ict escaped murder by miracle. The cup

312 TH E CHRI STIAN DEMOCRACY.

t i t le to hi s name . With th is ghastly reputat ionDomin i c visi ted Rome. I n the papal capi tal hewas unrivaled as a preacher. Crowd ing from alllands

,pi lgrims came under the spel l of h i s fiery

eloquence,and the flame of h is zeal kindled Europe .

From Rome as a cen ter the order of Domini c spreadover the world . Everywhere among the nat ionswas heard the vo ice of h i s preachers . His convertswere found i n I taly

,Spain

,France

,Poland

,Ger

many. To nuns and friars he added a lay order.Domin ic d ied i n 1 2 2 1

,and was canon ized and adored .

H is monks were to be found even i n Palest i ne andAbyssin ia . I n the great u n iversit i e s of I taly, England

,and Germany some rose to be masters . Bright

est among the Domin ican lum inaries shone Albertthe Great and Thomas Aqu inas.

FRANCISCANS .

A merchant of Assis i was the father of the mosti l lu strious of monks . The year 1 1 82 wi tnessed thebi rth of Franci s in that secl uded mountain vi l lage .H is mother was devoted to her son . The parishclergy were h is teachers . But h is father took theboy early in to business . Franci s gave small promiseof the futu re ascet ic . He del ighted i n splend iddress and gay banquets . Mirthfu l songs bu rst fromhis l ips. Assisi rang with his revels. But after asevere i llness he arose di sgusted with h i s riotous l i fe .I n a second sickness vis ions haunted h is feveredbrain

,and he was kindled into ecstasies. Mysteri

ously he talked to a bride . She was poverty. Proceed ing to Rome , he flung his al l on St . Pete r

’s altar.H is mother admired

, and h is father opposed . I n

jES'

UITI sM. 3 13

his zeal , w ith a strange perversi ty of conscience , hecommitted a crime . Franci s sold without au thori tyhis father’s property and gave the proceeds to the

Church . Then he became a mend icant , and after.

ward a hermit . We see him wash ing the feet oflepers and dressing thei r loathsome sores. Reputat ion for m i racles followed these p ious exerc ises.

Disciples were attracted to R ivo Torto , whereFranc i s founded an order. For au thori ty the sa i ntwent to Rome . From a terrace o n the Lateran I nnocent saw a mendicant approach ing. At fi rst thepontiff repel led h i s suppl i ant , but finally gave thesoli c i ted approval . Poverty was the foundat ion ofthe order of the Franc i scan s. No monk was to re

ce iv e property. Money was forbidden , and resi stance to violence proh ibi ted . Three years after thebeginn i ng at Rivo Torto masters were sent to Spain ,France

,and Germany. I n 1 2 19 a second chapter

embraced th ree thousand monks. Friar m inorspreached among al l the great nat ions of Eu rope.A v i si on of Franc is became famous among monast i clegends and rece ives un ive rsal assen t i n the RomanChurch . I t places h i s name on the loft iest roll ofpapal saints. Franci s was praying. A seraph withs ix wings appeared . The cel est ial appari t ion vani shed

, bu t left on the hands , the feet , th e sid e of themonk the marks of the crucifixion . His woundsran blood , and h is stzgmata made h im i l l u strious.To him are ascribed innumerable m i racles . PopeAlexander VI declared that he saw the stzlgmataon the body of the saint . Bel ief in th is m iracle i salmost a Roman creed .

We have seen that Benedict i nes,Domin icans ,


Franc iscans , and numerous other orders were thepecul iar servants of the pope . But zeal waned

,dis

c ipl ine re laxed , property accumulated , and moralsbecame corrupt . Convents and monasteries , perverted from thei r religi ous ends

,were degraded into

seats of vice and crime . I n exposing and denoun

c ing thei r i nfam ies the Reformat ion had an irresist ible advantage . I ts arguments were unanswerablefacts. To heal the papal wounds was not possibleto the ancient orders . Thei r day and work wereover. A new era had come

,demanding a new o r

gan i z at ion . The Roman Church had prov ided fori t a society which restored i ts sway over a large partof Europe . Nor could any associat ion have beenbetter adapted to i ts object .

JESU ITISM .

Ignat ius Loyola was i ts founder. H is familyname was Don In igo Lopez de Recalde

,and he

was of a noble race . The castle Loyola i n Spai nwas the place of h i s bi rth . Love and arms were thepassi ons of hi s youth . His dream was kn ighthood .

Loyola began h is career,not with the cowl and

tonsure of the monk,but the helm and plume of

the warrior. I n 1 5 2 1 , at the defense of Pampeluna ,he rece ived disfiguri ng wounds which ended hiscareer as lover and sold ier.Disappointment and sufferi ng rev ived h is nat iverel igious enthus iasm . Ignat iu s no longer d reamedof victori es on the battlefield . Excl uded fromm il i tary rank

,the maimed kn ight began to emulate

the conquests of St . Francis and St . Domin ic . Hebecame i nflamed with asp i rat ions for sai ntly re

3 16 TH E CHRI STIAN DeMocRAcY.

The ignorance and crud ity of the founder of

Jesu it i sm became evident to himself. He went toParis . Here he formed i nt imac ies w i th Peter Faberand Franc i s Xavie r. Both were superior to h im inabi l i ty and learn ing

,but both came under the spell

of hi s dom inat ing personali ty and submitted to h isexact ing d iscipl i ne . Ignati u s also gained Lainezand Bobad i lla . With hi s friends he proceeded onday to a chu rch on Montmartre . Faber read themass . Then all vowed themselves to poverty andthe conversion of the Saracens . Hav i ng taken anoath , they rece ived the host and enj oyed a repastat the fountai n of St . Denis . That h i l l overlookinggay Paris was the bi rthp lace of J esu it i sm

,the most

subt l e and powerfu l agency ever dev i sed to st iflespi ri tual l iberty

,and prevent the retu rn of the

Church to i ts original Chri st ian Democracy.

From Paris Ignat i us and h is friends went toVenice

,and thence to Rome . I n the papal capital

he found his l i fework . Jesu i t i sm was organ ized tosuppress the risi ng freedom of human ity. I t wasthe declared foe of that l iberty of fai th which wasthe trumpet note of the Reformat ion . The members of the Soci ety of J esus were to devote themselves ( 1) to preach ing, (2) t o confession , (3) to educat ion . The power of the president was absolu te .His wi l l ru led the vol it ions of h is subord inates .These

,by long and stem d i scipl i ne

,submi tted to

him as the corpses of the dead are moved by thehands of the l iving. I n i ts very essence Jesu it ismwas the extinct ion of free though t

,free speech

,free

act ion . Rather,i t was the grave of human person

al i ty. Beh ind presiden t and members was the

JESU ITISM . 3 1 7

pope . His pont ifical will was the world’s true

master .To thei r ch ief the subord i nate s of al l lands madethei r reports . The eye of the president was overearth

,and his hands touched al l the springs of so

c ial,pol i t ical

,commercial , and ecclesiast ical influ

ence . I n the great Eu ropean c i t i es pu lp its passedunder h is power. He d irected i n al l countr iesacademies

,colleges , and un iversi t i es . Over the

conscience he obtained mastery , gained the secretsof courts , molded monarchs, and d i rected pol i c ies .J esu it ism won nat ions from the Reformat ion backto the pope . Phi l ip by the sword of Alva couldneve r have retained Belgi um

,nor could war alone

have reclaimed Austria,Hungary

,Bohemia

,and

Bavaria . But J esu i t ism came to the rescue of papacy . I t al l ied i tsel f to kings and nobles . I tsought the aid of b ishops to establ ish school s i nchief cit ies. I t brought over the you th to the pope

,

and when necessary i t fomented wars and employedthe Inqu isit ion . Jesu it ism thus counteracted theReformat ion and establ ished the Roman domin ioni n coun tries where i t had almost peri shed .

After two ce n tu ries of v igor and v i ctory the Soc iety of J esus began to decl i ne . From its own au

thors Paschal proved that the i r ru les vi t iated con

sc ience , l i censed vice , and authori zed crime . Hisblows from Paris rang over Eu rope . J esu i t ismstaggered long

,bu t fell shattered and d isgraced .

Commercial corrupt ions comple ted i ts overthrow.

On the 2 1 5 t of J uly , 1 773 , Clement XIV pronouncedthe suppress ion of that order wh ich had beenfounded for the overthrow of Protestant ism and


to ext ingu i sh re l igious l ibe rty. I t was organ ized toglori fy the pope , yet a pope dug i ts grave . Clement said :I nsp i red

,as we t rust

,by the d iv i ne Spiri t

,im

pel led by the d u ty of restoring concord to theChurch

,convi nced that the Soc ie ty of Jesu s can

never effect those purposes for which i t was founded,

and moved by other reasons of prudence and Statepol icy which we retai n wi th i n our breast , we do ext i rpate and abol i sh the Society of J esus , i ts offices ,houses

,and inst i tu t ions .

On Sunday,August 7, 1 8 14 ,

Piu s VI I read massi n the Church of the Jesu i ts and

,before the altar

of Ignati us Loyola,promulgated a bul l which em

powered the Jesu i ts to regulate the i r l ives accord ingto the rule of thei r founder, receive moneys , establ i sh houses and col leges

,and devote themselves to

the serv i ce of the Chu rch by preach ing,confession ,

and in stru ct ion . Pio Nono gave sympathy and en

cou ragement to the order,and Leo XI I I has not

yet pronounced i ts subversion . But J esu i t i sm ispract i cally dead . No pope can galvan i ze i ts corpseinto l i fe . Thus may peri sh al l the foes to thatChri st ian Democracy dest ined yet to peacefu l triumph over allJ esu i t i sm assisted the b i rth of the papal I nqu i sit ion . The Dom in ican i nst i tu t i on was monast ic andpart ial . But in Spai n i t had been a powerfu l agencyin the destru ct ion of l iberty. I t arrested a man onsuspicion and tortu red him on confessi on . I n thegloom of his dungeon i t starved i ts vict im i nto imbec i l ity or despai r. When crazed or exhausted adisgu i sed priest entered h i s cell . Soft tones

,s imu

3 20 THE CHRI STIAN DEMOCRACY .

blocks,and al l the grim necessi t i es of hi s ghastly

office . What he began as cardinal he del ighted toexecute as pope . Pau l IV gloried in hi s papal I n

qu i si t ion.

I t was soon d iscovered that the power of theReformat ion was i n the Bible . Hence was revivedthe war begun by Alexander I I I i n h is struggle wi th

Waldus . The I ndex became a necessi ty to the I n

qu i si t ion . This was a l i st of books specified by thecard inals and proh ibi ted by the pope . To read theScriptu re was the chief crime forbidden and punished . But the I ndex best explains i tself

“ I nasmuch as i t i s man i fested from experi encethat

,i f the Holy Bible

,t ranslated into the vulgar

tongue,be i nd iscrim inately all owed to be read by

everyone , the temeri ty of men wil l cause more ev i lthan good to arise from i t

,i t i s i n th is poin t referred

to the j udgment of the bishops and inquisi tors,who

may by the advi ce of the priest o r confessor perm itthe read ing of the Bible

,t ranslated into the vulgar

tongue by Cathol i c authors,to those persons whose

faith and piety they apprehend wil l be augmented,

and not injured,by it , and this perm ission shal l be

i n wri t i ng. But i f any shall have the presumptionto read or possess i t wi thout any such perm ission heshall not receive absolu t i on unt i l he shall have del ivered up such Bible to the ord inary . Booksellerswho , however, shal l se l l or otherwise d ispose of suchBibles i n the vulgar tongue to any person not havi ng such perm ission shal l forfe i t the val ue of thebooks

,to be appl ied by the bishop to some piou s

use , and be subjected by the bishop to such otherpenalt ies as the bishop shall j udge proper to the

JESU ITISM . 3 2 1

qual i ty of the offender. But regulars shal l ne i therread nor pu rchase such B ibles wi thou t a speciall i cense from their superi ors .”

Here , then , was the law of Rome ! To own andread the Bible the Reformers bel i eved to be everyman

’

s inal ienable right and inviolable duty. J us tgiven to the nations i n thei r languages

,i t had

awakened a new world of l ight and love and joy.

I t was now a gu ide and a fri end . I t not on lypointed the way to the l i fe eternal , bu t had becomea fami ly treasure sacred with record s of marriageand birth and bapt ism and death . The Bible thusgathered i nto i tself al l that was dearest i n t ime andmost preciou s i n etern i ty. Shal l th i s book be heldat the wi l l of an ecclesi ast i c ? Shal l pri est andbishop say who shal l sel l and buy and read i t ?Shal l a pope have power to bu rn , bu ry , behead menand women who

,withou t wri tten ep iscopal perm is

sion , have i n thei r homes a Bible ? These quest ionstouched both c ivi l and rel igious l ibe rty and involvedal l man ’s i n terests on earth and i n heaven . TheI ndex plan ted the Roman communion i n the way ofhuman freedom and progress . I t rose , l ike amountai n of fi re , before the revivi ng Democracy ofthe Church and

\of the Commonweal th .

To enforce the I ndex th e pope i nvoked thesword . The I nqu is i t i on wi l l try the cu lpri t , bu t theState must pu t h im to death . Pri ests wi l l condemn

, and monarchs execute . Pont iff and emperorcombine i n blood to exti ngu i sh l iberty. This isseen i n an ed ict of Charles V , i ssued i n 1 5 50,

re

v iv ed by h is son Phi l ip I I , san ct ioned by popes ,and fo

l

rced by priest and arm ies on the Nether2


lands . The imperial decree began a war of e ightyyears

,i n whi ch a mi ll i on perished . The pecu l iar

pont ifical favor is seen i n a gift to Alva of a j eweledhat and sword

,expressing approval of a work of

blood i n which the Span ish general was himself instrumental i n ki ll ing e ighteen thousand martyrs, i nadd i t ion to innumerable v i ct ims in sieges and battles .When Phi l ip

,who rev ived the d iabolical decree

,

was i ll the same pont iff prayed that God wouldtake years from h is own l ife and add them to theexistence of the s ick tyrant . At Y uste , on hisdeathbed

,almost wi th h is last breath

,Charles en

forced on h is son the execu ti on of the ed ict , whichfor more than half a centu ry i nvolved Holland

,and

then Eu rope , i n a blaze of war.No one shal l p rin t , wri te , copy , keep , conceal ,

buy,or give

,i n churches , streets , or other places ,

any book or wri t ing made by Martin Luther, J ohn( E co lampad ius, Ulri ch Zwingle , John Calvin , orother heret i c reprobated by the holy Church ; nori n h is house hold convent icles or i llegal gatherings

,

or be presen t at any such i n which the adheren ts ofthe above-mentioned heret ics teach

,bapt ize

,and

form consp i rac ies again st the Chu rch . Moreover ,we forbid al l lay persons to converse or d isputeconcern ing the Holy Scriptu re

,openly o r secretly ,

especi al ly on any doubtfu l or controverted matters ,or to read

,teach

,or expound the Scriptu res

,unless

they have duly stud ied theology and been approvedby some renowned un iversi ty

,or to preach

,secretly

or openly,or to enterta i n any of the opin ions of

the above-mentioned heret ics. The penal ty wasthat such pertu rbators of the general qu ie t be


can measure the nations. With i t i s l ight,and

withou t i t bl ight . Compare Pru ssia wi th I taly !

Compare Scotland with Ireland ! Compare Spai nwith England Compare Peru and Braz i l and Mex

i co wi th the Uni ted S tates ! Possess i ng the Bibl e,

Teuton ic races rise,while

,deprived of the Bible

,

Latin races sink. Protestant i sm with the Bible hastaken ou r world from the grasp of Rome . “ Thel ight and l iberty of the Christ ian Democracy wi ll berestored to humani ty by the freed sons of theReformat ion.

POPES. 3 2 5

CH APTER XX I .

Popes .

OMAN gen i us for war and rule created theRoman empi re . To conquer I taly requ iredcenturi es . The defeat of Carthage secured the

control of the Medite rranean . When this center ofthe civi l ized world was hers Rome sen t forth her v ictorious eagles to i ts ci rcumference . What her swordwon her pol icy preserved . Her success i n war andher wisdom in counci l made inevitable her u n iversal

domin ion : And as the I tal ian gift for conquest andgovernment created the empi re

,so

,too

,i t establ i shed

the papacy. One was formed by generals and statesmen , and the other by priests and pont iffs.A seat i n the Roman cap ital was the unrivaledadvantage of the Roman bishops . I t was , i ndeed ,an ind i spensable cond i t i on . An illustriou s metrop

ol is sheds glo ry over a monarch . For ages beforepopes Rome had been a center of conquest , dominion , language , phi losophy , art , l i teratu re , rel igion .

Earth venerated her impurpled queen . All nat ion ssaw i n her Pantheon images of thei r d iv i n i t ies . Onher Palat i ne stood the imperial residence of her monarch , adored as a god . Unrivaled in magn ificence ,her Forum was the famous seat of legi slat ion andeloquence . Above al l rose her Capi tol . Here thespoi ls of the world were brought i n bri l lian t tri umphs .E ven when war and fi re and t ime had desolated


Rome the memories and monuments of her imperialglory were inefi

’

aceab le. I n such a ci ty the throneof her pont iffs was transfigured i n the l ight of thish istori c splendor and exal ted by the majesty of theancient empire .Legends of Pete r al so made Rome venerable . On

the subject of h i s visi t to the capital of the worldScriptu re i s si len t . But t rad it ion speaks . All l istsof the Bishops of Rome begi n with Pete r. However else they d iffer

,in th i s they agree . And the i r

authors could have had no in terest i n augmentingauthority in popes bu t the reverse . Ignat iu s ment ions an epi st le wh ich Peter wrote from Rome.Tertu ll ian says that Clement was ordained bishopby Peter i n Rome . As Peter ’s Cyprian styles theChurch of Rome . Eusebiu s begins hi s l ist with Peteras Bishop of Rome . True or false , on th i s t rad it i onof fathers was bu i l t the papacy.

But the persistent claim of pont i ffs t o un iversalappel late j u ri sd ict ion was the means by which theyconfi rmed and extended the i r supremacy. As earlyas A . D . 109 a controversy arose abou t Easter. I twen t raging on unt i l A . D . 1 62

,when the venerable

Polycarp v i si ted Bishop An icetus,t o reconc i le i n

Rome ecclesiast ical d i fferences between East andWest . A century later the controversy broke ou tagai n . Pope Victor asserted h is un iversal sov ereignty by excommun i cat ing al l the Churches ofAsia Minor. So early was th i s stupendous claim ofpont iffs i n the ancien t capi tal of the emp ire !I n the schism of Fel ic issimu s the i l l ustrious Cyprian tu rned for help from Carthage to Rome . A n

imperial commissioner, Marcell inus , i n the t ime of

328 TH E CH R I STIAN DEMocRAcY.

osc i llated to orthodoxy and anathematized theArians . He i s exiled to i nhospitable Thrace . Toescape ban ishmen t and secu re restorat ion he be

comes a second time heret i c and now again condemnsAthanasi us. An ovat ion meets h im on his retu rn .

But he was opposed,and before he regained his

episcopal throne Rome ran blood . Her churcheswere defiled with murder. I n th i s red glare Liberi usvan i shes from history.

The Vulgate Bibl e , t ranslated by Jerome , makesfamous the pont ificate of D amasu s. But evenaround th i s pope h istory shows u s l u rid and lowering clouds. He reached h is throne through frightfu l massacres . S i ri c i u s signal ized his episcopate bythe fi rst t ransmitted papal decree . I t was i ssuedt o promote cleri cal cel ibacy, exci ted contests for athousand years , stained the world with blood , andgave i t monkery. Not one pope so far has possessedgift s which could secure sovereignty over the nat ions . Now we come to a ponti ff who laid the fi rstfi rm stones i n the foundations of the papacy.

INNOCENT I .

Albano was the seat of Num itor,grandfather

of Romulus. I t i s s it uated on the bank of the ex

qu isite lake that bears its name , near the l ine ofthe Appian way

,across the Campagna

,i n view of

the imperial c i ty . Here I nnocent was born . Onh is m ind burst the magn ificent concept ion of theuniversal dom in ion of the Lati n Church . As theempire si nks the papacy shal l ri se . I nnocent dec lared hi s j u ri sd i ct i on

,not only over I taly

,bu t over

Spai n , Gaul , and Africa . The land of Cyprian and

POPES . 329

August i ne was addressed by the Roman pope in thelanguage of the imperiou s master. I t was he whopronounced sentence i n the Pelagian d ispute andencouraged Chrysostom when driven from hi s th ronein Constant inople . Even the plunder of Rome byAlaric increased the influence of the papacy. During the fi rst s iege I nnocen t was in the ci ty. Anenormou s ransom was accepted by the barbarianconqueror. To meet hi s i nsat iable demand templeswere despo i led of thei r gold and statues of godsmelted into money.

'

Afterward the Arian v i ctortook the capital . But hi s wrath fel l on i ts pagans.He pillaged the i r palaces and transported them asslaves . When th i s storm of dest ru ct ion by Alari chad expended its violence the cl ear sky l ooked downon anothe r Rome . The heathen c ity had van i shed .

Out of i t s ru in s rose a Chri st ian m etropol i s , fromwhich pont iffs were to

'

extend thei r t i t l e to the sovereignty of the world .

LEO THE GREAT.

Like Innocent,th is pope glowed with a splend id

v i si on of the fut ure of the Lati n Church . He wouldexalt Chri st ian Rome i nto a glory brighter than theglare of pagan Rome . The world shou ld be a pont ifical empire . Leo was born i n the imperial c i ty.

When yet young he began to perform ecclesiast i calse rvice . As an acolyte he bore letters to Afri caconcern ing Pelagiu s. Even whi le deacon he re

ceiv ed pecul iar honors . Afte r the death of S ixtus , i nthe year 440,

Rome exalted Leo to the vacant ep iscopal throne . Enthusiasm was boundless , and heaccepted the pont ifical scarlet with the assu rance

330 TH E CH RISTI AN DEMOCRACY.

and d ign ity of an emperor born to the imperialpurple . I n him was the native majesty of an ancientRoman . He was fu l l of fai th i n the dest iny of h i sc ity as the seat of a un iversal Christ ian domin ion .

The spi ri t of h i s conquering and dominat ing au cestors st i rred in the heart of Leo . Y et his vision wasmellowed and magn ified by his rel igion .

Leo was a preacher of renown . He i s the fi rstpont iff whose sermons have been transmi tted . H i th

erto pulp i t eloquence had d ist ingu ished Carthage,

Antioch , Milan , and Constant i nople . Now it is toadorn Rome, bu t withou t the efflorescence of theO ri ent . Leo wil l n ot even rev ive the splendor ofthe Lat i n Cice ro . But what i s bet ter, the d iscoursesof Leo d isplay a severe Roman majesty su ited tothe everlast ing verit i es of Chri st ian i ty.

Hilari u s aspi red to a Gall i c pont ificate . He haddeposed Cel idon ius as the husband of a widow.

The degraded ecclesi asti c went to Rome . To meeth is complain ts H i lari u s followed on foot across theAlps . Both accuser and accused before Leo ac

knowledged the j u ri sd ict ion of Rome over Gaul .The pope condemned H ilari us

,and i n his decis ion

was supported by an imperial ed ict of Valentin ian .

And in a contest with Pri sci l l ian ism Spai n,too

,

’

tu rned to the pont ifical capi tal . Over I l lyri cum Leoextended hi s dom inion on the very ground of theun iversal supremacy inherent i n the successors ofPeter.But from the East

,rather than the West , th i s

pont iff rece ived the most i l l u strious accession to h isauthori ty. His t i tl e to renown i s deserved andbri l l iant. I t was the letter of Leo that shaped the

332 TH E CH RI ST I AN DEMOCRACY .

of the mass for sixty days was the m iserable J ustu srel eased from hi s intolerable purgatorial fi re .This prince of pontiffs i n A. D . 590 was electedto h is throne . I taly was a ru in . Western Europegroaned under barbaric conquerors . The Lombardsstood ready to pou r down from the Alps . Anarchyand despai r Oppressed the world . A great pont iffwas needed . Gregory was the man for the cris i s .Y et he sought to escape the responsibi l i ty and fledi n d isgu ise to a forest . Trad i t ion affi rms that hewas d iscovered by a pi llar of fi re which

,hovering

over h is head , was the gu ide of Heaven to the pont ifical throne .I t was Gregory who gave Christ ian ity the magn if

i cent chant which bears h is name and yet resoundsi n Roman and Angl ican cathedrals . He was a ni l lustrious preacher

,a wise admin i st rator

,an impar

t ial j udge,an eloquen t orator

,and a successfu l pon

t i ff. Throne and pulp i t gave power and d ign ity toh is sovere ignty. Amid the splendors of h i s ri tual

h is papal figure was an ideal of venerable pont ificalmajesty.

Gregory was also a great temporal ru l er. Hecould summon to arms when Rome was imperi ledby the barbarian . A Lombard king he won fromthe Arian heresy to the orthodox fa i th . But themost i l lustriou s ach ievement of h i s pont ificate wasthe conversion of Britai n through the agency ofAugust ine . His success was a stupendous fact inthe history of Eu rope

,which has affected the futu re

c iv i l i zat ion of the world .

This greatest of the Roman popes rebuked John,

Patriarch of Constant i nople,when he assumed the

POPES . 3 3 3

t i t l e of u n iversal b i shop,and pronounced h is arro

gan t assumption blasphemous .On March 1 2

,A . D . 604 ,

Gregory d ied . Alas,

how fickle popular favor and pon t ifical fame ! Famine followed the death of the pope

,and the Romans

avenged thei r m isery by bu rn ing h i s l ibrary. Theyresolved to d isi n ter h im and insu l t h i s corpse . Apious fraud saved h i s dust from outrage . Ascending a pulp i t , an archdeacon swore that the HolyGhost i n the shape of a dove was often vi sible overthe head of Gregory. I n the p ictu res of the Lat i nChurch th i s m i racle has been made immortal .

STEPHEN I I .

On March 2 6,A . D . 75 2 , he was e lected pope .

The Lombards again threatened Rome . I ts peri lwas the means of l inki ng papacy and empi re . I nh is despai r Stephen crossed the Alps to seek aid inFrance . As the pontiff approached the king fel lp rostrate . I n th is reverence of the Frankish monarch was the beginn ing of a pol i t ical and ecclesi

ast ical all iance which gave tri umph to the RomanChurch . Pepin sen t an army into I taly and forcedthe Lombard A stolph to buy an abj ect and ignoblepeace . But the royal barbarian soon forgot h is

covenant,marched on Rome , and demanded the

person of the pont iff and the possession of h is territory. By sea and land Stephen sen t messengers toPepin . His appeals were neglected . A forged le tter

, as from parad ise , saved the pope . S t . Pete rwrote the epistle i n h i s own name . History has preserved i t . Hear words from the hand that holdsthe keys


I,Peter the apostle

,protest , admon ish , and ad

j u re you,save the beloved c ity of Rome ! Obey,

and,by my suffrage

,our Lord J esus Christ wi l l give

you i n th is l i fe length of days,securi ty, and vic

tory ; in the l i fe to come will mult iply H is blessingsupon you among Hi s sai nts and angels .Peter prevai led . H is le tter from paradise prom

ising presen t fel ici ty and angel i c fellowship drewKing Pepin wi th hi s army from France

,over Alps,

to I taly . A stolph was forced to abandon hi s conquests and bestow the con tested terri tory on thepope . This magnificen t gift was the foundation ofthe temporal domin ion . I t conferred on the papacythe most fru i tfu l and beauti fu l regions of I taly .

Henceforth Rome,Lombardy

,and Ravenna were

represented i n the pont ifical t iara . S tephen showedPep in a deed of Constant ine the Great ceding tothe papacy thi s splend id domin ion . Like Peter

’sletter, thi s dotati on was a forgery . I t i s bet rayedby i ts bad Lat in

,which could not have been wri t

ten i n the period of Constanti ne . All scholars ,Cathol i c and Protestant

,repud iate the dotat ion as

a fraud . Y et on th is admi tted fabricat ion rests thet i t le to that domin ion symbol ized by the t riplecrown of pontiffs !

L E o I I I .

Charlemagne succeeded his father Pepi n ; andafter Hadrian’s death

,on the day following Christ

mas , 79 5 , Leo I I I was chosen pope . The gift toStephen was confi rmed by Charlemagne , and thenew pont iff sen t the monarch the keys of the c ityand of Peter’s sepulcher

,with Rome

’

s standard andthe t i tle of patric ian

,i n recogni t ion of h is imperial


queror, Charlemagne , were brought more powerfu lly under the influence of the Roman Church

,

whi le the emperor, splend id wi th a papal d iadem ,

was i nvested with an awe greater than attached toRoman Cmsars. The coronat ion i s made immortalby a fresco of Raphael .Y et the thankless Romans d id not appreciate th isstupendous ach ievement of the i r pope . A con

spiracy was formed fo r h is murder . Leo detectedthe plot

,se ized h is enemies

,and execu ted thei r

leaders . Fi re and sword now devastated Rome,

once more given to pi llage . I n the midst of a popu lar tempest the soul of Leo passed into etern i ty

,

whe re foe could not fol low. But h is Romans wentforth from thei r gates to plunder hi s neighboringestates , and the flames of i ncendiaries l ighted toh is tomb the pope who had married Church andEmpire .

N ICHOLAS I .I n the sixth centu ry the papal decretals

,begin

ning with S i ri c ius, were collected by Dionysi u sE x iguus. His work ci rcu lated over Eu rope i nSpani sh and Gall ic recensions . One of these wasby Isidore

,of Sevi l le . But under h is venerated

name was perpetrated a stupendous fraud . Aseri es of the decrees of pont iffs, beginn ing withClement

,a pope nearly th ree hundred years before

S i ri c i us,appeared i n the n inth centu ry. I n th is

work bishops not long after the Augustan agewrote i n barbarou s med iaeval Lat i n . Frankishcustoms were represented as prevalen t i n imperialRome . Popes be fore J erome quoted the Vulgateof J erome . Victor, a pontiff i n A . D . 192 , appears

POPES. 3 37

addressi ng Theophi lus,an Alexandrian archbishop

i n A . D . 385 . Decrees were i nvented , alte red , andinterpolated . Scripture is absurdly and stupid lyperverted . The forgery exal ted sacerdotal i sm andpapacy . I t dep icted episcopacy i n a supremacy ofauthori ty. On the apex of a hierarchy ascend ingrank above rank s i ts the Roman pont ifi

'

, h is chai rthe throne

,his crook the scepter, his miter the d ia

dem of Chri stendom !Nicholas I was made pope i n A . D . 85 8. During

hi s pont ificate the spuriou s I sidorian decretals appeared i n Rome. Before thi s t ime they were un

known . Y et they professed to have been alwaysfrom apostol ic t imes the supreme law of the Lat i nChurch . I t i s beyond bel ief that N icholas d id notknow these decretals to be forgeries . Y et he ac

cepted the fraud to exalt hi s prerogat ive . On thefabricat ions of I s idore i nvent ions were pi led by thegreat Anselm . I n the middle of the twelfth cen turywas publ ished Grat ian

’

s D eeretmn . Upon Isidoreand Anselm th is bu i l t the falsehoods which com

plete the papal system . As the terri torial domin ionof the Roman pont iffs was e rected on the forgeriesof Constantine

’

s dotat i on,so the ecclesiast ical do

min ion of Roman pontiffs i s erected on the Isidorian decretals. On fraud , from foundation to sum

mit , rests the imposing and marvelous structure .

H ILDEBRAND .

H e was elected in A. D . 1073 , and took GregoryVI I as h is pont ifical t i t le . His amb i t ion was apapal au tocracy over earth . To real ize th i s worldd ream he resolved to make cel ibacy universal . And

22


i n th is he showed h is I tal ian in sti ncts of ru lersh ip .

On ly an unmarried cle rgy can execu te the absolu te

pont ifical will . A system against natu re , to suc

ceed ,must fi rst violate natu re . Ten centuries had

not establ i shed ce l ibacy over Europe . I n somecountries marri ed priests l ived with thei r wives andch i ld ren . But i n other lands concubinage prevai led

,and i ts l i cense to the clergy made a large

part of the ep iscopal revenues. Hildebrand determ ined to enforce clerical cel ibacy over Eu rope . I n1074 he i ssued h is papal command declaring thatpriests who d id not l eave thei r wives shou ld ceasethei r sacred funct ions . Homes were blasted , heartswere lacerated , husbands were degraded ,

w iv es werebranded prosti t u tes

,and ch i ld ren bastards . I n

tolerable m isery m ult ipl i ed su icides. Whole regionsof Eu rope were darkened by the madness of despai r.But the heart of the pont iff-monk was as hard asthe wall of h is cell .Charlemagne had endowed the Church and pro

tected Leo ; bu t Leo crowned Charlemagne anddeclared him emperor. Did Leo hold of Charlemagne

,or d id Charlemagne hold of Leo ? These

quest i ons caused i nnumerable wars between thepapal Guelfs and the imperial Ghibell ines . Germanywas perpetually agitated

,I taly d esolated

,Europe

d istu rbed by the battles of the pont iffs against theemperors . With Henry IV Hildebrand made anissue upon the old burning quest ion . He excom

m un icated the monarch and re leased h is subj ectsfrom al legiance Like a thunderi ng J up i te r

,he

hurled over the world h i s ana lnemas. Henry fi rstresi sted and then yielded . Terrified with despai r,


ants to the imperial crown of Germany. O tho , Phil ip ,and Frederick were rivals for the lofty dign ity. Tothe fi rst I nnocent awarded the diadem . Ten years

of war i n Germany fol lowed h is decision . Havocand murder wasted and sta i ned the land . Phil ipwas assassinated

,and after years of fierce battles

the victorious Frederick was crowned emperor.Phi lip Augustus of France had renounced hisDanish wi fe and married h is beaut ifu l Agnes , forwhom he had a pass ion of love . I nnocent i nterposedh i s papal authori ty. He commanded the k i ng torepudiate Agnes and restore Ingeborg. Phil ip re

fused . France was placed under in terd ict . A card inal legate declared the ban . Churches wereclosed

,crosses vei led , rel ics en tombed , sacraments

ceased ; the dead were cast ou t like dogs , or buriedi n unconsecrated ground . Fest ivals

,ceremon ie s ,

process ions were prohibi ted over the kingdom ; Apall l ike death spread over France . The papal decree closed man’s i ntercourse wi th God

,and barred

earth from heaven . A natnemas terrified Ph i lip , andhe yielded to Innocent . France vi rtually held hercrown from Rome .Nor was England less subservient to an I tal ian

pont iff. I nnocent commanded Stephen Langton tobe chosen Archbishop of Canterbury. King Johnwas furious , and swore the prelate should not enterEngland . Royal blasphemies answered papalth unders . I nnocen t declared an i n terd ict . A cloudhung over England black w i th papal wrath andcharged wi th papal l ightn ings . Like Henry of Germany and Phi l ip of France

,John of Bri tai n sub

m itted. He acknow ledged himself a v assal of Rome.

POPES. 341

H e del ivered h is crown and , as a subject, rece ivedi t back from Innocent . He paid to an I tal ian pont iff an annual t ribute of a thousand marks to showthat sovereignty was no longer i n England . Papacy

ruled Eu rope . But brief i ts i deal of domin ion .

From the death of I nnocent I I I i ts pol i t i cal power

decl ined,unt i l now i t i s a cipher i n the world .

While i n the plen itude of h is supreme and un iversal pont ifical sovere ignty Innocent annul led MAGNACHARTA and excommun icated every Engl ishmanwho signed that paper , the immortal safeguard of

Democracy.

CELESTIN V.

He was Peter Morone , a sol i tary i n Abruzzi . I nh is in fancy he said he saw the Virgi n descend froma pictu re to chant the Psalte r. When i n manhood

,

starved and fi lthy,he l ived i n a hole . Here he be

l iev ed he heard a bel l from heaven cal l ing h im toprayer. Angels showered roses on h i s head . OnCard inal Malebranco

’

s nom inat ion th i s half- crazedand repu lsive monk , by unan imou s acclaim , waselected pope . He was found , l ike a wi ld beast , i nh is herm it cave. Before h im the card inals fe l l onthei r knees . Peter was amazed . He would not bel ieve the announcement and tried to escape . Atlast the King of Naples persuaded h im to acceptthe pont ifical d ign ity. But under h i s papal robeshe would wear his monk’s hai rcloth . Kings held h i sbridle

,and card inals kissed h is foot . O rsin i gave

h is scarl et mantle and a m iter flaming with gold andjewels . Peter was crowned and ano inted pope .I nfall ibi l i ty d id not correct h i s Lat i n or prese rveh im from Scoundrels . Celest in V lavi shed h is treas

342 TH E CHRI STI AN DEMOCRACv.

u res and d ign it ies on knaves and became thei r dupe.

I n h is palace he p ined for h is cell . The monk,per

plexed i n to despai r at last , resigned hi s pontificateon the ground of h is ignorance . Infall ibi l i ty u rgedi ts fall ibi l i ty as a reason for its abd icat ion . His cardinals rece ived h is dem ission of h is pont ificate.

Celest i n rel i eved himself of robe and m iter andcrown

,resumed hi s monk’s habi t

,and retu rned

happy to hi s mountai n cave . But , dreading h ispopu larity

,h is successor impri soned h im in the

Cast le of Fumone,where a fever released him from

h is miseries .BONIFACE VI I I .

This pont iff i n h i s Unam Sanei am affi rmed thati f the temporal power errs i t i s j udged by thespi ri tual . We therefore in si st and define that i t i snecessary to salvat i on to bel i eve that every humanbeing i s subject to the Pont iff of Rome .

” This bullof Bon iface

,supported by the Vat ican Decree of Pio

Nono,makes i t the i rrepealable creed of the Lat in

Church that withou t submission to an I tal ian pon tiff

no man can bel ieve i n Jesu s Chri st and at tain heaven .By h i s papal thunders Bon iface t ried to terri fy

and subdue E urope . But vain the flash of h is l ightn ings. The world had outgrown the fu lminationsof I nnocent

,and mocked the anat/zemas of Boni face .

Betrayed,deserted

,i n su lted

,he was driven from his

palace . This lord of earth and d ispenser of heavensat weeping am id the ru ins he had made. Hebegged a morsel o f bread and a d rop of water.

Bon i face was conducted to prison with his face toward the tai l of h is horse

,and d ied a captive i n sol

i tary agony .

344 TH E CH RI STI AN IBEMOCRACY .

XI I appeared,each consign ing the other to ever

last ing flames. The Counci l of Pisa was convokedto terminate th is d isgrace. Both popes were con- 1

demned as infamous by a decree read by the Patriarch of Alexandria , which affi rms that thei r crimes

and excesses adduced before the Counci l were t rueand of publ ic fame , and that by the i r enormous iaiqu it ies they are unworthy of al l honors and d ignit i es ; and , though by the canons they are actual lyrejected by God

,nevertheless the Church , by thi s

defin ite sentence, deposes, rej ects , and cuts themoff, both and each , from any longer assuming thesovere ign pont ificate.

”

JOHN XXII I .

A conclave of sixteen card inals at Bologna electedBalthasar Cossa pope . He chose John XXI I I forhi s pont ifical name . The regulari ty of hi s elect ionwas incontestable , and he was crowned , enthroned ,accepted by the Church

,and acknowledged over

Europe . No pont ifical t i tl e was ever more legi t imate . He was soon proved to have been a pirate ,an adulterer , and a tyrant . John was a monster ofi n iqu i ty, black as Nero . Two of h is secretaries arewitnesses to h i s c rimes . On the 5 th of November,!14 14 , he opened the Counci l of Constance . Seldomhas the world seen a more magn ificent assembly thanthat i n the Alp ine town enci rcled by its mountain sand imaged in its lake. I n thei r gorgeous ecclesiast i cal state sat in that Counci l twenty-fiv e provosts ,fifty doctors , one hundred and thi rty-fou r abbots ,one hundred and fi fty bishops

,th irty-three arch

bishops , twenty- n ine card inals , and fou r patriarchs .

I’OPE S. 345

The sp lendor of the empire was represented i n theperson of the imperial S igi smund . Over h is imposi ng assembly John presided w i th al l the insign ia ofh i s pont ifical authori ty.

After H uss and Jerome had been burned , anattack was made on the pope who d irected the proceedings agai nst the martyrs. H eret i c and pont ifi

’

were t ried by the same tribunal . Self-condemned ,gu i lty

,and terrified , John fled . But i n h is absence

he was deposed , and the pont ifical chai r pronouncedvacant . A decree also declared that the sovere igntyof the Church was not i n the pope , but i n an E cu

menical Counci l . The charges on which John wascondemned were sch ism ,

heresy, maladm in i strat ion ,scandals , and notorious crimes.

ALEXANDER VI .

The noble l iberal i ty of Leo XI I I has opened tothe world the Vat ican l ibrary . Already h is generosity has borne fru i t . Dr. Ludwig Pastor haswritten from Vat ican records a l i fe of AlexanderBorgia . Thus by Catho l ic test imony on the papalfather

,h is monster son , and h is lasc iviou s daughter

are fixed stain s of crimes red as pont ifical scarlet .Borgia bribed .Card inal Sforza with fou r muleloads of si lve r for h is vote and influence i n the conclave . Having l ived i l l i c i tly with a Roman lady,Alexander had chi ld ren by her daughte r

,Rosa

V anoz z a. At the marriage of Lucret ia Borgia i nthe Vatican the pope

’

s m istress J u l ia was presen t .Licentious plays and songs d isgraced the nupt ialfest ivi t ies. I nfessura test ifies that Rome

’

s clergyand convert s were as i n famous as the pont iff. Caesar

346 TH E CH R I STI AN DEMOCRACY.

Borgia,A l exander

’

s son ,was a monster. He mur

dered his brother and threw his body i nto the Tiber.By his orders h i s S i ster

’s husband was stabbed onh is palace steps. The pope sen t out a guard to pro

tect hi s son ~ i n- law . Caesar laughed at h is father’

sprecaut ions

,burst i nto the wounded man

’

s chamber,drove ou t his wife

,and summoned the execut ioner

to strangle hi s vict im . He slew Perolto ,Alexander’s

friend , whi le covered by the pope’s mantl e. Blood

from the son ’s dagger flew i nto the father’s face .

Papal Rome surpasses imperial Rome i n crime .

SIXTU S V .

After the Counc i l of Trent the Church wanted anauthent i c ed it ion of the Lati n Bible . This S ixtu spromised to prov id e . His bul l declared h is ed it ion

,

corrected by himself, al one authent i c and theun iversal standard . All reject i ng i t were excom

municated . To change a word exposed to ana l/zema .

S ixtus opened hel l’s gates to each man who censu reda book publ i shed on h i s i nfal l ible authority . Buth is ed it ion was found ful l o f blunders. Of these twothousand were t raced to S ixtus . A second ed i t i onascribed the errors of the fi rst to composi tors andassistants . A papal l i e sh ielded the papal infal l ib i l ity . Card i nal Bel larmine was d i rected to Circu

late the falsehoods . He h imse lf tel ls the story andcongratu lates h imself on the execu t ion of his task.

URBAN VI I I .

This pope started the procedure agai nst Gal i leo .

The phi losopher’s fa i th i n Copern icus exci ted anecclesiast i cal tempest . Priestly rage was un iversal .

348 TH E CH RISTIAN DEMOCRACY .

GREGORY XI I I .Of th is pope Salv iat i was nuncio at the French

cou rt . He kept a jou rnal , which has been recentlypubl ished . From Salviat i we have au thenti c test imony in regard to the massacre of St . Bartholomew .

From his Cathol i c pages we learn that on the dayof the murders Charles I X wrote to Rome . Withi ntwo days Beauvi l le

,the ambassador

’

s nephew ,set

off for the papal c i ty. The news of the massacrewas al ready there . A secret messenger had beend i spatched by Mandelot

,Governor of Lyons , to in

form Gregory that the Huguenots had been slain .

His hol i ness ordered the bearer of the ghastly newsto be rewarded wi th a hundred crowns and Rome tobe i l l uminated . Salviat i wrote that he desi red tofl ing h imself at the pope

’s feet for joy . I t was afai r s ight to see the Cathol ics i n the streets wearingcrosses and cu tt ing down the heret i cs.” When thelette r was received at the Vat ican Palace the card inals attended the pont iff to a “ Te Deum in thenearest church . For three days and n ights Rome wasi llum inated . Gregory said that the news was worth toh im more than fifty victories of Lepanto , where thenaval power of the Turk was overth rown . Protestants were more hatefu l than Mohammedans. Withthi rty-three card inal s the pope attended a thanksgivi ng mass i n the Church of St . Lou is, and proclaimeda j ubi lee . He i ssued a bu ll which says : Forasmuchas God armed the King ofFrance to i nfl i ct vengeanceon theheret ics for the injury done to rel igion and to punish the leaders of the rebell ion

,Cathol ics should pray

that he may have grace to pu rsue h is auspiciou s enterprise and so complete what he has begun so well .

”

POPES . 349

To commemorate the massacre Gregory orderedmedals to be struck. He also summoned Vasarifrom Florence to prepare a p icture for the Hall ofKings. We have seen that

'

grim paint ing. Forthree centuri es i t has hung i n the Vat ican . Eachpope may pass i t on h is way to mass in h i s S i st i neChapel . What a scene of horrors ! What a proof ofpriest ly crue lty ! What a sati re on pont ifical infal l ib i l ity ! Demons , daggers , blood , death , massacre i twou ld seem could please only demons !

P 10 NoNo .

A roar of art i l lery from St . Angelo announcedthe day of the open ing of h i s Vat ican Counci l .Each chu rch in Rome peals i t s be ll . The streetsof the papal c i ty are thronged

,and the wide piazza

and noble colonnades l of its grand cathedral becomefi lled . Sekema l a have been prepared , committeesselected , and St . Peter

’s welcomes prelates fromevery region of the earth . Pio Nono th inks thathe has begun a new ecclesiast ical e ra wh ich wil lregenerate humani ty . On the dogma of papal infal l ibi l i ty he expects to bu i ld a structu re of ecclesiast ical beau ty and glory. Hence th is h is assemblage i n al l the splendor of the gold and sc arlet ofRome !

Bursts of mus ic come from the part it ioned transept of St . Peter’s where the Counci l i s abou t to si t ,and out through the door and above the vast crowd ,and rise i nto that subl ime dome which seems likethe vi sible crown of the papal system . Card inalPatriz i celebrates mass. Bishop Fessler places theGospels on a throne above the altar. Head of the


magn ificent pageant , the holy father appears inthe u tmost gorgeousness of hi s pon tifical splendor.But Opposi t ion develops. To carry h is decreePi o Nono requ i res al l h is resources of caress andpatronage and rebuke . Both his sm iles and hisfrowns become necessary. Winter l i ngers i ntospri ng

,and summer changes Rome into a furnace ,

and duri ng th i s weary period of stormy discussionstwo adverse pre lates made themselves famous bythe point of the i r argument and the power of the i reloquence . But

,despite these unanswerable pro

tests,Pio Nono’s decree passed h is Vatican Coun

c i l . On the 1 8th of J u ly, 1 870,from the pulpi t of

the august assembly,the Bishop of Fabriano an

nounced i ts decision :“ I f, then , any shall say that the Roman pont iff

has the office merely of i n spect ion or d i rect ion , andnot fu l l and supreme power of j u risd i ct ion , overthe whole Church

,le t h im be anatnema .

’

We teach and define that i t is a dogma d ivinely re

vealed that the Roman pontiff, when he speaks excat/zedra— that i s

,when in the office of pastor and

doctor of all Christ ians,by vi rtue of h i s supreme

apostol i c authori ty,he defines a dogma regard ing

faith and morals to be held by the un iversal Church—by the d ivine assistance promised the blessedPeter

,i s possessed of that i nfall ibi l i ty wi th which

the d iv ine Redeemer wil led H is Church to becrowned . I f anyone

,which God forbid

,pre

sume to contrad i ct th is definition , le t h im beanatnema !

This proclamat ion of Pio Nono,seemingly the

resu lt of h is own personal influence,was yet the

3 5 2 THE CHRISTIAN DEMOCRACY.

C H A PT E R XXI I.

A ngl icanism.

NGL I CAN I SM ,i n i ts Articles and Homil ies,

repud iates Rome . I ts standards flame withburn i ng i nvect i ves against papal idolatry and

usu rpation . They style the pontiff antichrist , andh is capi tal Babylon . I ndeed , Angli cani sm , as asecession

,can only j ust i fy i ts existence by i ts con

demnation of Roman ism . Nor i s i t by i t s princ iplesless comple tely separated from the Greek communion . Whi le its Art i c les , wi th unequaled clearnessand beauty, state the doctri nes of the Reformat ion ,yet by the exclu sive c la ims of i ts apostol ical succession i t has erected an impassable barrier betweeni tse lf and Protestant ism . We perceive , therefore ,that i t stands alone i n the world . By the necessi t iesof its l i fe Angl i can ism is forced to presen t i tself asthe sole legi t imate representat ive of Chri st ian i ty.

I t i s the stone wh ich wi l l ri se in to a mountain andfi l l the earth . Let us exam ine i ts t i tl e !The gen iu s of Angli can ism is conservat ism ; and

i ts key is compromise . Henry VI I I gave i t theimpress of his own pol icy. H e renounced papalsupremacy , and retained papal doctrine . Cathol icshe burned for al legiance to Rome , and Protestantsfor refusi ng the creed of Rome. The Engl i sh ki ngwas for the R eformat ion and against the Reformat ion. Cranmer both shaped and reflected the pol i cy

ANGLICANISM . 3 5 3

of Henry. Conservati sm in the monarch and rad

ical ism i n the archbishop gave an u ncertai n character to the whole Protestan t movement i n England .

Even i n hi s death Cranmer exh ibi ted the vaci llat ions of hi s character. He was no assu red martyr.

He had no joy ; he won no crown . A false handsigned a recantat ion

,and when made a true hand

burned i n the fi re . Cranmer amid flames was a contradict ion .

When Mary came to the throne Lat imer and Ridley

,of al l the bishops

,alone had the grace of mar

tyrdom . There was an episcopal stampede to Rome .King Phi l ip gave England conservative advice . I twas accepted . I f the nobi l i ty retu rned to the popethey were permitted to retai n the pl u nder of themonasteries . When E l izabeth grasped the scepterwe find the same faci l i ty of fai th and service . Y et

amid th i s servi l i ty and selfi shness there were noblemen who retu rned from Cont inental exile to vi nd icate i n immortal works the doctrines of the Reformat ion. They came from Switzerland glowingwith the fai th of Calvin

,and were e levated by the

queen to the h ighest offi ces i n her gift . Left tothemselves

,they wou ld have made the Angl ican

Church a pure Protestan t communion . But E l i zabeth resi sted with the power of her personal influ

ence and royal prerogative . A s a sovere ign of twogreat rel igious part ies she wished creed and ceremony wide enough to embrace Catholi cs and Protestants. Reform was arrested , and two antagon isticelements left i n the Art ic les and Ofli ces of the Engl ish Church . Comprom ise became hereafter i ts indel ibégcharacterist ic.


Down far i n to the next cen tury we have remarkable proof of the tendency we have described . England is associated with the cause of freedom andprogress i n every peri od of her h i story and in everyregion of the earth . What hero ic patriots havebeen nurtured i n her national Church ! Libertyowes her tri umphs over the world largely to

‘theBri t i sh empire . Y et at thi s moment Charles I i son the calendar of the English Church . A manwho used hi s prerogative l ike a tyrant

,who plunged

i nto war to support usu rpat ion,who gave no oath

he d id not break , and felt his royal honor bound bynei ther pledge nor covenant

,has h is name on the rol l

of Anglican saints . And u nt i l wi th i n a few yearsh is son Charles I I was with h im on the sacred l ist .For more than a cen tu ry th is royal adulterer, whopollu ted his court

,pollu ted the stage , poll u ted l i t

erature, hi s realm ,h is t imes

,history i tself, was on

the Engl ish calendar w i th apostles and martyrs andangel s and archangels.Three th ings give characte r to Angl ican ism—apos

tol ical success ion,clerical p riesthood , and baptismal

regenerat ion . Let us pause for a brief examination

I . APOSTOLICAL SUCCESSION.

Archb i shop Cranmer c laimed no exclusive righ tfor the ep iscopate . For years he perm itted thePresbyterian Knox to minister i n Engl ish parishes .J ewel , most bri l l ian t of Angl ican Reformers , was appoi nted by E l i zabeth to the see of Sal i sbury. Aqueen

’

s smi le , a superb palace , a noble cathedral ,with the state and revenues of a lord , did not makeh im forget the Conti nental Calvin ist i c d ivines who


byters were const i tu ted bi shops by the Holy Ghostthat they might superi ntend and feed the flock ;and that th is might be more effectually accompli shedby the i r un i ted counc i l and consent they were ac

customed to meet togethe r i n one company , and toelect one as president of the assembly whom Christi n the Revelat ion denominates the angel of the

Church , and to whom He wri tes those th ings H e

mean t h im to signify to others. And this i s the person whom the fathers I n the prim itive Church denominated bishop . The intri nsic power of ordain ing proceedeth

,not from j u risd ict ion

,bu t only from order ;

but a presbyte r hath the same power i n kind wi th abi shop therefore , a presbyter hath equal power togive orders .

”

And the great Bishop St i l l ingfleet asserts : “ I nthe fi rst prim i t ive Church the presbyters al l actedi n common for the welfare of the Church

,and e i ther

d id , or m ight , ordai n others to the same authori tywith themselves , because the intri nsical power oforder is equally i n them and i n those who were afterward appointed governors over presbyters .

”

Dr. Lightfoot,late Bishop of Durham

,i s the

brightest Angl ican l um inary of our century. Hegave h is whole strength to the subject of orders .Y ears were spent by him in the eluc idat ion ofIgnat iu s. H is i ndustry and abi l i ty have made hima master and an oracle . We have the concl usions ofhis l i fe labor i n h is Apostol ic Age.

“ The episco

pate,

” Lightfoot says , was formed,not ou t of

apostol ic order by local act ion,but out of the pres

byterial , by elect ion ; and the t i t l e , which was original ly common to all , came at length to be appro

ANGLI CANISM . 3 57

priated by the ch ief among them . I f th i s accountbe t ru e we m ight expect to find i n the mother Churchat J erusalem , which as the fi rst founded would ripenfi rst to maturi ty, the fi rst t races of th i s developedform of m inist ry. Nor is th i s expectat ion d isappointed . James , the Lord

’s brother,alone

,with in

the peri od compassed by the apostol i c wri t ings, can

claim to be regarded as a bishop . And th i s posi t ioni s the more remarkable i f, as seems to have been thecase , he was not of the twelve . As we tu rn to Romei t has often been assumed that , as the metropol i s ofthe world

,a monarch ic form of government would

be more developed than i n other parts of Chri stendom . But such a presumption van ishes before thesl ightest evidence of facts . And the most noteworthy evidence we possess does not countenancethe idea . The earl i est document men t ions only twoorders and is si len t about the epi scopal office.

Again,not many years after the date of Clement ,

St . Ignat i u s wri tes t o the Romans ; and althoughthe remain ing six of the Ignatian letters al l conta ini nj unct ions of obed ience to bishops, i n th i s epi st lealone there i s no ment ion of the epi scopal office .We see

,then

,that since the Reformat ion the

greatest Angl ican writers have taught that thebishop i s a presbyte r

,superior

,not i n order, but in

offi ce . Y et against th i s view i s the law of the

Engl ish Chu rch . The Angl ican commun ion exaltsi tsel f a s the sole normal and legi t imate representat ive of Christ ian i ty. I ts orders are repud iated byboth Greeks and Lat ins

,whi le i t repud iates al l

Protestan t orders . Hence the Angl ican Churchstands i so lated in Chri stendom . I t resemb les a


sol i tary i sland in m id ocean . Only wi th in i ts rockbound l imi ts do we find Chri st ian i ty.

Nor i s e ucharist less guarded than ord ination .

The only lawfu l approach to the table of the Lordi s epi scopal confi rmat ion . Through a bishop them in ister comes to his office

,and through a bishop

the member comes to the Commun ion . Betweenthe sou l and Chri st i s a bi shop . Y et the best A n

gl ican au thors oppose th i s h igh Angl ican posit i on .

Here,then , we have the i nev i table Angl ican incer

t i tude. Compromise and conservati sm ,with a re

su lt ing vaci l lat ion and antagonism , are i n the geni us of Angl ican ism .

I I . CLERICAL PRIESTHOOD .

The t it le of a n offi ce stamps i ts funct ionary. I tsimpress i s vi s ible on the whole man . Y et we haveseen that the name “ priest ” i n the New Testament i s never appl ied to m in iste rs

,and i s always

appl ied to Chri st ians . Against scriptu ral usage,

the Greek and Lat i n communions have pri ests.While not bibl i cal

,they are consisten t . Offeri ng i s

essent ial to a priest . And he has an offeri ng if thebread and wine are converted by him into the bodyand blood of Chri st— i ndeed

,a stupendous offering.

Accept the theory of the mass,and i ts sacrifice i s

subl ime . Angel s and mortals m ight wel l adore i nawe . But the Engl ish Art icles and Homi l ies styl et ransubstant iat ion a superst i t ion

,against the natu re

of a sacrament,withou t Holy Scriptu re . Such a

declarat ion destroys the very funct ion of a priest .

I t leaves h im only bread and wine to offer. What

a pit iable serv ice ! I nstead of being subl ime , i t i s

360 THE CH R tsTI AN DEMOCRACY .

i nconsi stency. Our clergyman begin s hi s service .I n the rubric he i s styled “ min ister h i s Protestant t it le . Now he i s about to read absolut ion .

An instant change ! He i s cal led “ priest —hisRoman t i tle . I n the Commun ion office he com

mences min ister, but before he places thebread and wine on the table he tu rn s priest .”

We have travel ed the whole d i stance from Genevato Rome

,and back from Rome to Geneva .

I I I . BAPTISMAL REGENERATION.

The new birth i s the beginn ing of eternal l i fe .Without i t we can never love and serve Christ ou rKing. On earth i t creates i n man that characterwh ich i s to sh ine and beauti fy forever i n the celest ial glory. What a stupendous fact i n a mortalh istory ! Ou r Saviour affi rms that unl ess born fromabove we cannot see the kingdom of God . Him webehold on ly by spi ri tual i l lum inat ion . He is re

vealed to us by the Holy Ghost . But He tells u sthat we enter H is kingdom by water. Ou r i nvisibleKing we know by H is Spi ri t

,and by baptism we

come wi th i n H is visible kingdom . So taugh t theMaster All th i s i s pred icated of adul ts .I n the Scriptu re we can find noth ing clearly re

vealed i n regard to the new bi rth of infan ts . Wecannot tel l whether the i r regenerat ion i s even apossibi l i ty. Can we rest su ch a doctrine on thetrad it ion of fathers ? Uncertain foundat ion ! Regenerat ion

,eternal l i fe

,character that fi ts for

heaven—t ru ths and resu lts t ranscendent and everlast ing ! Y et

,in the theory of Angl ican ism , i ts

whole sp i ri t ual l i fe grows from infant bapt i sm .

ANGLICANISM. 36 1

Wi thou t Scripture I can know noth ing on the sub.

ject , and Scriptu re says nothing on the subject .Unsustai ned by Scriptu re i s an office on which i sfounded spi ri tually the Angl ican Church . Priestand bishop pronounce the i nfan t regenerate ; yet

priest and bishop have no authori ty from the word

of God . Not on the sands of h uman trad it ion , bu tonly on the rock of the d ivine revelat ion , shou ldpriest and bishop rest a doctrine involv i ng in i tselfthe everlast ing l ife . Over bapt i sm , also , i s a cloudof the Angli can incert i tude .From fi rst to last conservat ism ; everywhere com

promise ; the resu l t u ncerta i nty. Y et Angl ican ismhas no t i tle to i ts present claim except as a Cathol ic Church . As against the corrupted Greek andLat in communions and the unauthori zed Protestan tcommunions , i t a lone wou ld represent Chri st ian ity,whose very gen iu s i s

,not compromise

,bu t aggres

sion . Only by daring and enterpri se can the worldbe conquered to i ts d ivine King. Angl ican i sm i n i tsdeepest naturewants the gift essent ial to un iversal ity.

And thi s conclu sion i s su stained by facts . Letus tu rn to Great Britai n . I s Angl i cani sm extendi ng her cathol i c i ty over the Greek and Lat i nChurches ? The reverse . Alas , the Roman magneti s st ronger than the Engl ish . Secessions are fromAngl ican ism to the pope

,and not from the pope to

Anglican ism . The posi t ive pole ou td raws the negat ive . W i tness Newman and Manning and

,with

them , a lay and cl erical mul t i tude ! But how withd issent ? After the Reformat ion i t was Opposed

,

not , i nd eed , by flames,bu t prisons . Puri tans, Bap

t ists, Quakers , I ndependents, although not bu rned ,

362 THE CHRISTIAN DE MOCRACY .

were scourged,branded , pi l loried , mutilated , con

fined in dungeons,and exi led to America . Wi th

Angl i can ism were the pri ests,the bishops

,the un i

v ersit ies, the aristocracy , the monarch , palaces andcathedrals and revenues , the mach inery of government

,the power of the Church , and , enforci ng all ,

the Court of H igh Commission . Out of banishments and Impri sonments and impoveri shmentsd i ssent has grown like a t ree made strong by tempests

,whose branches throw the ir shadows over the

world . Dissent in the I sl e of Man outnumbers theestabl ishment . Dissent i n Wales i s about to sub

vert the establ i shment. Dissen t i n the rest of England looks forward to triumph over the establ i shment . The free spi ri t of the Protestant Chri st ianDemocracy

,by the energy of i ts enterpri se

,i s more

potent than an ol igarch i c,episcopal conservat i sm

,

and d issent proves i tself more cathol ic than establ ishment .

But the crucial test i s America . Before the Revol ut ion ou r relat ions of populat ion were reversed .

The South outnumbered the North . Virgin ia wasqueen of colon ies , as she afterward became motherof States and Presidents. I n th is ri ch and extensive and powerfu l Commonwealth

,from the begin

n ing , Anglican ism had the privi lege of patronagefrom the Church and protect ion from the Stateand i n Maryland i ts advantages were early andgreat . Let u s admi t that the Engl ish communionand Protestan t denominat ions were balanced in op

portun ity . Y et i n a centu ry how su rpassing thegrowth of those sects

,impel led and an imated by

a vigorou s Chri st ian Democracy !

364 THE CHRISTIAN D E MoCRACY .

CHA PT E R XX I I I .

Protestanti sm .

N its i n fancy the Reformat ion was protected bythe pol i t i cal cond i t ions o f Eu rope . The armiesof the Turk

,march ing from Constan ti nople

under the banners of Solyman the Magn ificent ,thundered at the gates of Vienna . Directed by theSul tan

,desperate corsai rs from Tun is , Algiers, and

Tripol i swarmed ou t over the Med i terranean,cap

tured merchant sh ips, and slew or enslaved crewsand passengers . Southern Spain had with in i t al lthe suppressed fi res of a volcan i c Mohammedanrevolt . Between Charles V and Franc is I raged perpetual wars , i nvolv ing popes and exci t ing Europe .Like the holy father

,England osci l lated between

France and Spain . Amid these confl i ct ing interest s of warri ng nat ions both pontiff and emperorwere compelled to neglect the youthfu l Reformat i on . Thus ever, at the opportune moment , theris i ng tempest was d iverted from the tender t reeu nt i l i ts roots st ruck deep i n to the soi l and i tsbranches l i fted themselves h igh i nto the l ight . Butthe Reformat ion was confronted with a yet moredangerou s peri l . I t was tempted to defend itselfby pol i t i cal and m i l i tary combinations. Luther resi sted . Martyrdom threatened

,princes persuaded

,

warri ors armed ; bu t he answered in hi s Master’s

words, “ They who take the sword shal l perish by

PROTESTANTISM . 365

the sword . Amid these struggles wi th friends andenemies the fi rst Diet of Spi res, i n 1 5 26, obtai nedtolerati on

,because the pope and the emperor were

busy with the compl icat ions of Europe . But i n1 5 29 , at the second Diet of Spires , the concededpriv i leges were wi thd rawn ; and i n a paper com

plai ning of the inj u stice origi nated the name P ro t

estant .”

Charles V had now made h imself i rresi st ible byh is bri ll ian t ach ievements . France and Englandd readed and env ied the power of h i s emp ire . Hetook and plundered Rome and forced the pont i ff tosubmiss ion . The imperial warrior

,successfu l i n

battle and d iplomacy , seemed about to grasp thescepter of the world . Now he will ext i rpate heresyand i n the fi res of martyrs bu rn away the stainscontracted by the pope’s capture and Rome

’

s p i llage . War menaces the Reformat ion . Luther i sdead . W i th h im are buri ed h is counse ls . A mil itary league i s formed . Cathol i c and Protestantmeet i n furiou s battles . Blood st i rs revenge andperpetuates strife . Mauri ce be trays the emperor

,

who fl i es from Innsbruck to escape captu re . Fromhis height of glory Charles i s plunged i nto thedeepest humil iat ion . The sword saves the R efo r

mation , and the’

Peace of Passau establi shes i t on alegal basi s i n Germany— a bri ll ian t and unexpectedachievement but by a mere worldly pol i cy. WhenChristian princes d rew the sword they unloosedthe powers of death and hell . Germany was a sceneof fi re and blood and plunder. Mult i tudes perishedi n battle , fields were ravaged

,homes burned

,c it ies

destroyed . Amid this massacre and m isery the


peacefu l kingdom of Chri st cou ld not advance overthe world .

I n Spai n the Reformat ion was crushed out bythe I nqu isi t ion . Before the young giant could become strong he was murdered . All the powers ofpope and king d i rected a d iabol ical mach inery ofdeath . F lames l ighted every ci ty with the ghastlyglare of human holocausts. Phil ip I I kindled fi resi n which thousands were reduced to ashes . Priests

,

bishops , card inals , amid al l thei r magnificence ofoffice , sat above the vu lgar crowd , about the throneof the k i ng, with h im to behold and approve spectacles of torture . So effectual was the work of thesehuman demons that the Reformation never tookroot i n Spai n .

The Huguenots of France resorted to the sword .

Bloody batt les and m urderous executi ons startledEurope . Chri st ians were martyrs and warriors . I n

stead of converting,they slaughtered thei r enem ies .

After two centurie s of stri fe they fai led . The Reformat ion was strangled by the blood of the mas

sacre of S t . Bartholomew and bu ri ed by the revocation of the Edict of Nantes. When the witnessesof Christ had been destroyed France was preparedfor the fiends of the Revolut ion . Had the H ugue

nots,l ike the early Christ ians

,d ied as peacefu l wi t

nesses for the faith we shou ld now have a greatProtestant republ ic ennobl ing Eu rope and evangeli z ing the world .

Zwingle,i n Switzerland

,blew the blast of war.

The m ini ster of salvat ion went forth i n warrior’

sarms to ki l l. He fi l led h is A lpine valleys wi th h issold iers. I nstead of feed ing , he starved h is enemies.


test,and ever since has been decl i n ing into impo

tency ; whi le Holland during the st ri fe i ncreased i npower and weal th

,extended her d iscoveries toward

the north pole,pushed east and west her colonies

,

founded univers i t ies,fostered l i te rature , created art ,

made education un iversal , and carried her flag i ntri umph round the world . Her heroic ente rprise ,her i ndomi table cou rage

,her wise statesmanship ,

her wide and vari ed success ecl ipse h istory. Greece ,Rome

,Switzerland

,America can show no splendor

of achievement brigh t as that of the Dutch Republ i c . But rel igion suffered . Carnal , not spi ri tual ,was Holland ’s poli cy. Mil i tary glory she acqu ired ,t raffic she extended , wealth she accumulated , learning she promoted

,l iberty she establ i shed . But

world ly enterprise and success enfeebled piety.

Faith and hope and love were not i ncreased by her

vi ctories on land and sea. She bore her banner overthe earth but how li ttle she has accomplished forthe evangel i zat ion of nat ions !We turn to England Nowhere had the Spi ri t ofGod been more powerfu l than i n her Reformers .The youth of her universi t ies became her preachers

,

confessors,and martyrs . The flower of her learn ing

wen t up in papal flames . And two of her bishopswitnessed i n fi re . Test imonies unto death were givenfor Christ by clergy and people . H er Articles andher Homil ies are among the noblest monuments ofthe immortal t ruths of Protestantism . A nat ionseemed born again . A new era began for human i ty.

England was the world ’s predesti ned center of l ibertyand salvat ion . Y et what an apostasy under Mary !E l i zabe th in her struggle for l ife and throne was a

PROTESTANTISM . 369

sovere ign,rather than a Chri st ian . I n the ch i l l i ng

atmosphere of her cou rt the Chu rch was petrified .

Her reign began that strife of sects wh ich has sincetorn the Angl i can commun ion ; and under her successors Presbyterian ism and Episcopal ian ism fought forascendency, while both were subj ected by the swordof I ndependency . Victoriou s i n battle

,Puritan ism

tri umphed over th rone and altar. The sect thatprayed most ki l led most . Lamb and dove were nolonger the symbols of Protestant England

,but

,over

her slaughtering Chri st ians,from her banners glared

her l ion . King , ari stocracy , Church went down un

der the sword and foot of Cromwel l . But p ietypromoting carnage does not honor Chri st. He nevercommanded to enforce creed by cannon . Hence

the wars of Cromwell were fol lowed/

by the l icen

t iousness of Charles , the fol ly of James , and theRevol ut ion of Wil l iam . An i ll ustrious warrio r andan u nequaled statesman

,the Prince of Orange had

not been famous for piety. He was i n constan tstruggle

,too

,with Lou is XIV of France i n field and

cabinet,and he left beh ind him an unfin ished con

test to be ended by the bloody battles and the bri l

l iant victories of Marlborough .

Protestant i sm had gained,and Cathol i c ism had

lost.By the sword

,by diplomacy , by l iterary enter

prise,by scient ific ach ievement , by commercial suc

cess,rather than by love and fai th , the nat ions born

from the Reformat ion went forward to supremacyover the Roman pont iff. Victories were more prizedthan conversions

.Europe became a scene of dead

formal isms,narrow bigotries , embittered sect isms .

Protestant ism had lost the power of the Spiri t of24

370 T H E CHRISTIAN DEMOCRA CY .

God . Her Art i c les and Confess ions were as ortho

dox as Paul , but no longer animated with the zealand power of Pau l . England was deluged withskep tic i sm and immoral i ty . Her Church becamedead i n fai th , i n chari ty , i n enterpri se . Her clergymen too often used he r revenues for the ir pleasures .Her universi t i es

,founded for rel igion , were perverted

to world ly learn ing. Her cap ita l was notoriou s fordrunkenness

,v iolence

,and l i cent iousness. Her ru ral

populat i on was brutal i n taste and habit . I f Roman

ism had proved a fai l u re i n gu id i ng and teaching Europe

,now Protestant ism appeared powerless to con

vert men i nto the spi ri t ual ki ngdom of Jesus Chri st .At the hour of deepest darkness arose l ight . TheReformat ion had not been confined to one coun try.

I ts manifestat ions were simul taneou s i n many lands .I ts morn ing star was Le Fevre , i n the Un iversi ty ofPari s . He was herald of Lu ther, i ts sun . Zwingle

,

Farel , Calv i n spread salvat ion’s l ight am id the moun

tains of Switzerland . Witnesses for Chri st i llum inated Sweden , Norway , Denmark , Scotland , Bohem ia

,Holland , Hungary, as wel l as France and Ger

many , while England shed the glory of t ru th overthe nations . And now

,i n the th i rd centu ry of the

Reformat ion , at the same t ime i n the O ld Worldand i n the New , the beams of the Gospel burst forthfrom the cloud that covered human i ty. The American Edwards and the Angli can Whitefield wi th anamazing energy of convert ing eloquence proclaimedsalvation in two cont i nents . Other evangel i stspreached with the power of the Spi ri t of God . Bythese an impu lse was given to the kingdom of Chri stwhich , we trust , wi ll en large unt i l ou r world bows to


We have seen how the doctri ne of rem ission byfai th had , i n the ancie nt Church , been bu ried beneath the cold and gl i tteri ng mountai ns of sacerdotal ism and eccles iast ic ism . And now am id thewars of Eu rope i t was once more h idden from view.

The assu rance of the forgiveness of s ins had beenthe power of the Reformat ion . Beneath ou rhuman i ty i s a sense of gu i lt . Paul taught the wayof i ts removal . Pau l i n words of l ight showed thati t i s rem itted by fai th i n the blood of ou r d ivi neRedeemer. Pau l wi th thi s st upendous tru th hadconverted mu lt i tudes i n A si a and in Eu rope . Pau lhad carried with h im the l ight of th is salvat i on toRome , the capital of the empi re . And , when forcentu ries i t had been obscured

,i t was again

kind led by the Reformat ion . Y et i t becamedimmed in the very land of Luther

,and no longer

i llum inated even the German un iversi t ies . But i thad i ts wi tnesses i n an obscu re sect of Moravia .Here , amid fanat ic ism and ignorance , a simplepeople

,taught by the Bible

,testified that thei r sins

were forgiven through faith in the blood of Chri st .They cla imed assu rance from the Spi ri t of God .

They were fi l led wi th j oy,and were victors ove r l ife

and death . They proved thei r fai th i n the atonement of the Maste r by the i r obedience to thecommands of the Master. I n Morav i a was thatrel igion of joy which alone can convert the nat i ons .But the land i s remote and the people unlearned .

England is to have the empire of the earth , andAmerica i ts Pentecost .Governor Oglethorpe inv i ted Wesley to go as aclergyman to Georgia . The H igh Anglican ac

PROTESTANTISM . 373

cepted . On h is voyage he met the Morav ians .His ship

,i n m id ocean

,witnessed an associat ion

that was to restore to the world the power of theReformat i on . For a simple sect was predest i ned alearned interpreter. From Angli can ism

,an i ce

mountain,warmed by the beams of the sun

,sal

vation was to flow ou t i n fresh st reams over theworld . The Morav ian s

,Wesley says

,taught h im

from the Bible that way of fai th he expou nds i n h i sluc id and adm irabl e sermons . On h is voyage fromGeorgia to London

,however

,he describes h imself

as st i l l u nder the law .

I n th i s state he was thrown with Peter Bohler,

an educated Morav ian,who had stud ied at Jena

and had been ordained by Coun t Z in zendorf. Onthe morn ing of May 24 ,

1 738, Wesley tel ls u s thathe attended S t . Pau l ’s . Nor do we bel ieve he everlost h is love for the grand cathedral serv i ce of theChurch of England . His heart was always i n herl i tu rgy. But now he was i n gl oom . Wesley wascheered by the morn ing anthem

,bu t

,whi le glad

dened , he was not rel i eved . He was oppressed bya sense of gu i l t

,and gu i lt needs more than song.

Fasts , v igi ls , sain ts’ days

,sacraments

,observances

had proved vain . H igh Angl ican i sm brought nopeace . Like Paul and Luther , Wesley was neardespai r. He was slain by the law . He was aslave , w i th no power to rend h is fetters . He as yetsaw no way of del iverance . Salvat i on d id not cometo h im i n the cathedral . When n ight arrived hewen t to a meet ing at Aldersgate St reet , London .

Obscu re the place,and i nformal the servi ce ! The

Preface to the Epistle to the Romans by the great


German Reformer was read . As salvat ion hadshone over Germany

,i t was now kindled i n

E ngland . The l ight of fai th burst on the sou l ofWesley. What had occu rred two centu ries beforeat E rfurth was repeated at London . Reformat ionand rev ival had beginning i n the same truth . AsWesley hears

,he bel ieves i n the blood of Christ

for the remi ssion of h i s s ins . He experiences the

w i tness of h i s forgiveness . He knows that h is loadof gu i l t i s gone . Reconci led through the cross, hecall s God Father and rece ives the Holy Ghost .Here was new l i fe for himself and mi ll ions . Out ofthat moment sprang our regenerated Chri st ian i ty .

To thi s conversion of Wesley we trace a new birthof Protestant i sm to l iberty ,

d iffusiv eness , and v ictory.

His instantaneou s transformat ion we wi l l re late i nh i s own words

,which have nothing of fanat ic i sm or

exaggerat ion . Wesley was not a man of moodsand fancies . He had the self- restrain t of cu ltu reand common sense . This gives power to h i s test imony when he says

“ I fel t my heart strangely warmed . I fel t I d idt rust i n Chri st

,Chri st alone

,for salvat ion ; and an

assurance was given me that He had taken awaymy si ns

,even m ine

,and saved me from the law of

s in and death . I then test ified openly to allthere what I now fi rst fel t i n my heart .

”

J ohn Wesley soon began to preach with an en

ergy l ike that of Pau l . He had i n h imself the samespring of l iv i ng power. I n h i s long m in i stry ofmore than fifty years he converted multi tudes . Thedenominat ion organ ized by h im embraces m ill ions .I n America i t outnumbers each other Protestant


cu t off by sin and restored by grace . E ternal l i fe i sprocu red for all

,offered to al l , and may be rejected

by al l u nto eternal death . By nature man has nopower to tu rn himself to God

,bu t he has a gracious

abi l i ty i n the use of which i s h is sole responsibi l i ty.

The heathen are left to the mercy and j ust ice of theRedeemer at H is j udgment seat . There He wil l adj ust the equ i t i es of His un iverse . For i nfants deathi s the gate to parad i se . Escaping l i fe’

s pangs andperi ls

,they wi l l people heaven , thril l ed with the

everlast i ng joy,and twinkl ing l ike stars amid the

larger celest ial lum i naries . Such a v i ew of human i tyrel ieves i t from its ghastly gloom and su rrounds i twith the bri ll iance of love and hope . I t accou ntsfor much of the gen ial j oy that beamed out overl i fe from Wesley and hi s fai th ful followers i n everypart of the world .

I I . The Witness of the Holy Ghost to the R e

mission of S i n .—As a High Angl i can

,Wesley never

conce ived that he could have the assu rance of h isforgiveness . The meri t of works m ingled i n al l h isearly v i ews . Free salvat ion by fai th was hidden i na cloud . Hence Wesley l ived under a shadow ofdoubt , i n a twi l ight of comfort , ever learn ing, andnever coming to

,the knowledge of the t ruth . His

rel igion was a gloom , rel ieved by occasional sun

rays , i n wh ich he was creeping forward to an assu redsalvat ion . When the Morav ians opened to h im hisgreat priv i lege he was skept i cal . He exam ined h i sB ible . He went to Germany. He quest ioned thewitnesses . He acted

,not from fanat ical impulse

,

bu t with grave del ibe rat ion . After pau se , afte r inv est igat ion , after hes itat ion , he was convi nced . Be

PROTESTANT I SM . 377

fore h im stood the word of God i n opposi t ion tothe doubt of man : He that bel i eveth on the Sonof God hath the witness i n h imself ;

! “ The Spiri ti tself beareth wi tness wi th ou r spi ri t

,that we are

the child ren of God ; Because ye are sons , Godhath sent forth the Spiri t of H is Son into you rhearts

,crying

,Abba

,Father ;

” “ Y e have not re

ce iv ed the spi ri t of bondage again to fear ; but yehave received the Spiri t of adopt ion , whereby wecry ,Abba , Father.Wesley i s persuaded . He bel ieves hi s Bible . I n

h imself he receives the test imony of the HolyGhost that h is si ns are rem itted and that he i sborn from above . Now his regenerat ion i s not a

creed ,bu t a fact . His absolu t ion i s not from a priest

and hence unsat i sfying through human i nfi rmi tyand incert i tude . Bel ieving God

’s word,he receives

God’

s Spiri t,and i s thus strong i n God ’s test imony.

At last he knows his sin forgiven,his gu il t rem i t

ted,hi s sou l renewed . He call s God Father. His

natu re i s revol ut ion ized and h is work begun . Newlight is i n h is m ind , new joy in h i s affect i ons , newpower i n h i s words

,new victory i n h i s l i fe . Twi

l ight i s over, and he has the morn ing sun . His ministry centers i n the doctri n e of the assu rance offorgiven sin . Witnessed remi ssion by fai th i n theblood of Christ e nergizes al l h is sermons

,which

convert mult i tudes . On th is t ru th alone can thelever of the Gospel move the world .

Wesley had found the secret of pulpi t power.When Protestanti sm recovers i t m i l lenn ium wi l l benear. How can we have access to ou r Father unless assured of His forgiveness ? Doubt obscures

378 THE CHRI STIAN DEMOCRACY.

His promises and h ides H is face . Doubt loads conscience with a bu rden of fear. Doubt makes fi l ialconfidence impossible . We have receded from theReformat ion i n to the m ists of doubt . Men shouldhave no peace unti l they have found a witnessedforgiveness and been made consci ous partakers ofthe Holy Ghost . Certi tude of fai th makes spi ri tualmu scle . I t gives manly strength

,generous cour

age , lovi ng enterprise . This enabled Luther toface the emperor

,defy the pope

,dare flames

,and

convert ci t ies,States

,and kingdoms . This to the

soul of Calv i n imparted st rength , fi re to hi s words,

power to hi s l i fe . I n the great Protestan t rev ivalWesley only returned to the t ruths of the Protestan tReformat ion . And these brought

,not only success

to his m ini st ry,but b rightness to his l ife . He was

a gen ial and tri umphant Christ ian . No ascet i ci smt inged h is l i fe wi th gloom . A cell cou ld not hidehis l ight . Wesley, the scholar and gentleman , mingled with publ i cans and sinners that he m ight bringthem to Christ

,the sun . His conversion began

with social j oy. As soon as he at tained the assu rance of hi s forgiveness a troop of fri ends took h imto h is brother Charles

,who also had found Christ .

Together they sang a glad hymn . Amid the gaspsof death Wesley exulted .

“ I ’l l p raise , I’

l l p raise !”

he exclaimed .

“ The clouds d rop fatness ! Prayand prai se ! The best of al l i s , God is wi th us !

With the glow of v i ctory on h is venerable face thepatriarch passed from earth to parad i se .I I I . Wesley al so Developed the Power of Test i

mony with L i fe and Lip for Chri st . -Our Lord i sconfessed when we reci te the creed . I t i s a refined

380 TH E CH RI STIAN D EMOCRAcY .

ment . I t c reated a new fel lowsh ip of fai th andlove and l ife . I t waked an impulsive power whichwi l l cont in ue through the ages and i nsp i re Christ ian i ty unt i l i t hears the trumpet which proclaimsits J udge . Outside ofA ngl ican ism al l Protestanti sm ,

not by system , but on occasion , adopts the methodsof Wesley. Test imony by the l ip for the Masternow kind les the flame of salvat ion in every part ofou r world . Ignorance and fanatic ism somet imesconvert l iberty i nto egotist ical d isplay. Humaninfi rmity mingles with all human service . Y et

wherever the Spi ri t of God i s poured out on menHe moves to confession wi th the l ips

,and thi s now

seems a vast accepted agency i n the conversi on of

ou r world .

The grand work of Protestant i sm is,by all her

varied in strumental i t ies,to reestabl i sh that l iberty

of faith which can alone restore the prim i t iv e ,Chris

t ian Democracy . Free i n spi ri t , the Church wi l l befree i n organ izat ion . Whatever the form of government or worship

,the sovere ignty of the people wil l

be acknowledged . Constant i nople and Rome andCanterbu ry wi ll experience the old Cathol i c fel

lowsh ip . But i n such a work the energy is not amere creed . Art icles and Confessions

,l ike the

ancien t geological rocks,may fossi l i ze l i fe . Beh ind

the t ru th mu st be the Holy Ghost . He,a un iver

sal gift , wil l create un iversal un ity. The impulsiveforce of the world ’s conversion i s the m ight iest inthe un iverse . I t moves heaven as wel l as earth .

Science tel ls u s that she has photographed sixtym ill i on suns . About these revolve the i r satell i t es .And beyond are systems

,numerou s as sands and

PROTESTANTISM . 38 1

l eaves and ocean drops . Earth,i nhabi ted by man ,

proves that other spheres are glorious with the in

tell igence of angels and cherubim . Around one cent ral world ci rcles the magn ifi cence of such a peopledu n iverse . Christ made al l ; Christ planned ; Chri stimpels ; Chri st i rrad iates creat ion ; and Christ , myGod and Brother, d ied for me ! With the HolyGhost He insp i res our dead and dark and loathsomesouls and leads us back to H is Father and ou r Father. The love exci ted by such a salvation i s theconquering power of Christ ian i ty.


CHAPTER XXIV.

Millennial Democracy .

OR centu ries h istory,pol i t ical and rel igious ,

revolved abou t Constant inople . I ndeed , i t ss i tuat ion made i t the natu ral metropol i s of

the Roman empire . Constant ine created a newworld -center i n h i s capital . I ts harbor , the GoldenHorn

,i s pictu resque in beauty and admirable i n

conven ience . As the old Byzanti um , i t waS classi ci n i ts connec t ions with some of the most touch ingand graceful legends of the Greek mythology. Constant inop le commands the Black Sea and the Medi terranean ,

and thus the Atlant i c Ocean way to thewestern world . I t i s a coveted cap i tal for Asiat icand Eu ropean Russia , and could be used as a rai lway center for the Orient

,bringing convenie ntly

near Persia , I nd ia , China , and Japan . From it the

scepte r of empire cou ld touch Egypt and the SuezCanal , and , indeed , al l Africa . We may say thatConstant inople is the key to the Easte rn Conti nent .Freed from the incubus of the Turk and with theaids of modern progress

,i t i s not un l ikely to be the

most powerfu l and magn ificent capital i n the futu reof history.

To adorn his metropol i s Constant i ne erected theChu rch of S t . Sophia . I t was destroyed by fi re .On i t s ru i ns J ust in ian bu i l t a marvel of arch itectu re

,

i n which grace of form , beauty of color , and splen


and contests abou t the holy places of Jerusalem arepueri le ecclesiast ical d ispu tes . But the A rmaged

don battle of the near future wi l l be for Constant inople. From that center e i ther Russia or England wil l dominate Eu rope

,Asia

,and Africa .

The war between Japan and China has changedthe face of the Ori ent . I t is impossible now topredict the relat ions those empires wil l have toeach other and the nat ion s of the Eastern andWestern Conti nents . Commerce

,manufactures

,war

,

art,l i teratu re , government wil l be surely rev olu

t ion iz ed. Progress has touched the dead Orientalworld i nto another l ife . And old Africa is parce ledout by Eu rope and wi l l soon exchange barbari smfor modern c ivi l i zat ion . The mightiest physical

forces of the un iverse,d irected by the t ip of man

’

sfinger

,are producing changes i n the cond it ion of

humanity more dazzl ing than dreams of poets andvisions of prophets . And all i ntel lectual developments

,soc ial transformat ions , and pol it ical rev olu

t ions connect themse lves wi th Christ ian ity. I t maybe remarked that the various progressive movements of modern l ife in every part of the earth aretend ing to the sovereignty of the people and the establ ishment of a u n iversal Democracy.

Let u s now pass from the civi l to the eccles iast i cal !

By the su ltan ’s perm ission the Greek patriarchhas hi s cathedral i n Constan ti nople . He i s legalhead of the Oriental orthodox communion . Of theGreek Church the Russian is a branch , over whichthe czar i s supreme . I n th is great ecclesiast i cal d ivi sion of our world the Scriptu res are not , as by thepopes

,prohibi ted to the lai ty, nor i s cel ibacy ind is

MILLENNIAL DEMOCRACY. 385

pensable to the cl erical ofli ce. All the whi te , orparish

,clergy have wives . Only the black , or

h ighe r,clergy must by law be unmarri ed . The

Greek Church repud iates the “ fil ioque”i n our

Nicene Creed which the Lat i n Church adopts. Be

tween the two commun ions thus are wide d iffer

ences i n doctri ne and pract i ce . But there i s a yetdeeper separat ing chasm . The Greek Church re

jects the orders of the Lat in Chu rch , wi ll not admi tthe min istrat ions of her priests , and stai ns her wi th

the sin of sch ism . For more than a thousand yearsthese Eastern and Western communions have beend ivided . Attempts to u n i te them have not onlybeen fai lu res, but have colored some of the mostl ud icrou s and grotesque pictu res i n h istory. Andnow, i n ou r cen tury ,

the Vat ican Decree declari ngpapal i nfal l ibi l i ty hu rls against the Greek Church apapal cu rse . Rome anathematiz es Constanti nople

,

and Constant inople anathematizes Rome . Eachcommunion dooms the o ther to everlast i ng fi re .Little marvel that efforts toward compromise andintercourse have fai ledThe Angl ican Church is acknowledged by neitherthe Greek Church nor the Lat i n Church . By bothi ts orders are spurned . Y et i ts Homi l i es , au thent icated by its Articles

,denounce the pope as ant i

chri st , sa in t-worsh ip as idolat ry,t ran substant iat ion

as a fable , pont ifical supremacy as a usurpat ion .

Nor wi l l i t have communion with any of the sectswho deny the exclusive val id i ty of episcopal ord inat ion . Angl ican ism thus al i enates i tsel f from Protestant ism and the whole ecclesiast ical world . Allschemes and negot iat ions to effect external un i ty

25


have only developed the impossibi l i ty of the enterprise . Christendom resembles a group of i slands i nan ocean whose angry , separat i ng waves cannot bebridged .

I s ou r earth promised to Christ ? Shal l the fu l lness of the Gent i les come i n and even Israel besaved ? Exalted above earth

,to Jehovah

’

s houseshal l al l nat i ons flow ? A s the ocean its bed , shal lthe knowledge of the Lord cover the world ? A

thousand years shal l Satan wear h is chai n ? Havewe a true propheti c symbol i n the stone toweringinto a mountain and fi l l ing the world ? Are al l thes igns of hi stori cal development i n the Church delud ing

,and

,i nstead of complet ion , is the d ivine

structu re to be forever unfinished and unfurn ished,

and i ts Author mocked as one who began tobui ld , bu t fa i led i n H is work ? And are I nsp iri ngprophet ic vi s ions

,bri ll ian t wi th the glory of rainbow

promise , to pass away i n clouds and mock the hopesthey have excited ? Such a m iserable fai lu re seemsi nconsisten t wi th the lessons of hi story , the teachings of Scriptu re , and the character of God .

I f the leaves of the tree of Christendom are d i seased we shou ld examine i ts root . Does the fru i twither ? The bl ight is from with i n . Not in thebark, bu t in the sap, is the l i nge ring death . I s

Christ ian i ty an original,scriptu ral Democracy

,

which , fi rst losing i ts i nterior l iberty of fa ith , passedi nto the bondage of ol igarchy and autocracy ? Theni ts cu re must be from with in , and not from without.Pau l was its typi cal preacher and expounder. Whenhe converted Asian and Eu ropean Genti les whatdid he procla im ? Ever, i n sermon and epistle ,


Luther preached withou t adapt ing his ceremon ialto h is doctri ne . While proclaim ing justificat ion l ikea Protestant , he was celebrat ing mass l ike a Cathol i c . Hurl ing words of fi re against the pope , he wasworsh iping as the pope . He was conforming to theChurch at his altar

,and revol ut i on i z i ng the Church

from hi s pulpi t . I n the infin itude of the work ofsalvat ion quest ions of observance were i nvi s ible asi f lost in the dazzle of a sun.

Suddenly the i ncongru i ty bu rst on the Reformer.He began. a change . The people were prepared ,and the revol u t i on ach ieved itself. Withou t a blowthe idolatrie s , the corrupt ions , the usu rpations ofRome fel l by thei r own weight . Cast out of theheart , the pope had no more power over the l i feand the worsh ip . I t was so ove r Eu rope . Whenfanat i cs dashed down images and defaced chu rchesand defiled and pl undered monasteri es , when warriors grasped the weapons of mi l i tary strife , whencontend ing hosts fought i n battle

,when any mere

outward pol i t i cal or ecclesiast i cal changes were attempted , the Reformat ion was arrested . Conver~

s ions ceased . The Holy Ghost was withdrawn .

Clouds covered the sky . But always the powerof God attended the proclamation of a free salvat ion i n Christ . Liberty and hol iness followed faith .

A brotherhood of heart made a democracy of l i fe ,and gave new impulses to c ivi l and ecclesiast icalfreedom for al l t ime . And who d id the work ?Converted priests shook Rome and emancipatedthe world .

Wewant Luthers i n the Greek and Lati n ChurchesWhen monks l ike the German Reformer appear in

MILLENNIAL DEMOCRACY. 389

those commun ions , then he r spiri tua l fe tters w i l lfal l from Eu rope . And such men must be martyrs .They must dare the czar as Luther d efied the pope .There i s a t ime i n the h istory of al l nat ions whenthe Gospel must be wi tnessed i n flames. I n burning truth persecutors bu rn themselves. The hammer fl ies back from the anvi l i nto the face of thewielde r. Russi a wants blood , not of monarchs , bu tof martyrs. I nstead of the fiend ish glare of anarchist ic hate i n her S iberian dungeons , le t the l ightof Christ ian love be see n on the faces of men praying for the i r enem ies , and the czar wi l l be conqueredas were pont iffs and emperors . The Gospe l wi l lsucceed where socia l i sm fai l s . Only by i ts power ,working in the heart through the Holy Ghost , canidolatries be overthrown , superst i t i ons scattered , andusu rpat i ons dest royed . Brought by fai th i nto thel iberty of Christ

,human ity wi ll be prepared for a

un iversal Christ ian Democracy.

But we must remember that ecclesiast ical sov ereignty i n the people does not necessi tate u n i form ityi n organ ization and worship . A s i n the State , so i nthe Church , i t may choose e ither a monarchic or arepubl ican form . I t on ly i nsists that the power ofelect i on be i n i tsel f. I n apostol i c t imes governmen ti n one region Was by bishops , and i n another bypresbyters. And l itu rgies took color from locali t ies . The primit ive Cathol i c u n i ty developed intoa natu ral and generous variety. I ndeed , the greate rthe inne r l iberty the greater may be the outer d ifference . This condi t ion i s i n the very l ife of freedom , and thus becomes i ts law.

Le t the Greek Church cast ou t i ts idols , withdraw


i ts worsh ip from i ts saints , cease its altar adorat ion ,and take Christ as its only Med iator ! Reject ing i tsi cons

,must i t abolish i ts patriarch ? With t ransub

stant iat ion , must i t also repud iate h ierarchy ? Mustits splend id ceremon ial be abandoned when i tspriestly absolu tion ceases ?Let the pope purge h imself from superst i t ion

,re

cede from h is claim to supremacy and infall ibi l i ty,

and walk,not i n h i s own human l ight

,but only by

the i l l um inat ion of the oracles of his God ! I f h issovereign people elect , he may st il l s it on h is pont ifical throne and reta i n the magnificence of St .Peter’s.Who would withhold from the Archbishop ofCanterbury h is l iberty of worsh ip i n the pu re andbeaut iful serv i ce of London ’s venerable cathedral ?He has the same right to h i s choi r that the Quakerhas to h i s qu iet . One man prefers the d ignifiedGreek and Lat i n and Angl ican ceremonial solem.

n i ty , and another the Spontanei ty and sympathyof denominat ional worsh ip . Each has a right tohis choice . What we claim for ou rselves we mustconcede to others . The l iberty left i n Scripture i si n accordance wi th the pecu l iari t ies of race andnati on . What su i ts China does no t su i t England .

Always taste i n Africa wi l l d iffer from taste i n America . Eskimos and Frenchmen wil l never worshipal ike . Chri st ian ity i s ne i ther arct ic , nor antarct ic,nor t ropical . I t i s for poles and equator. A cathol i c rel igion must have an adaptat ion wide as ou rhuman i ty. Millenn ial un ity i n fai th and love may

exhibi t i tself i n i nnumerable forms,as the same l i fe

i n the un iverse an imates i nsect and a rchange l , and

€¦ · 1 90 t h e christian democracy. chapter xiii. pelagianism. ugust i ne was born in or near...

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