Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

itself, and let the heretics blaspheme holy persons and holy things; but we, with the holy church of Christ, worship and serve the one and only true God, the holy and consubstantial Trinity. We adore, that is, we honor the saints, and the likenesses [kovas] of the saints. We adore, that is, we honor, the honorable cross, the wood of the honorable cross, the honorable and life-giving sepulchre of our Lord Jesus Christ, the holy Golgotha, the holy place of crucifixion, the holy grotto of the incarnation of our Lord, the foot-step of our Saviour on the Mount of Olives, the holy sepulchre of the mother of God in Gethsemane, and the other holy places of our Saviour, in such manner as our fathers, from the time of the holy apostles till now, have adored and honored them. And those who reject this honor, teaching contrary to the ecclesiastical tradition, perverting the holy Scriptures and torturing them according to their own fancy, we, with the seventh council, anathematize and excommunicate."

In a preceding extract from the creed of this council, we have noticed the manner in which that assembly concluded their session, with loud anathemas of all their opposers: the sense of this curse is, however, in the following document of the Patriarch of Constantinople, expanded into detail truly terrific-a most surprising contrast to the temper with which an apostle used the painful authority of excommunication. (See 1 Cor. v. 1-5. and 2 Cor. ii. 4-11.)

ing this our paternal and synodical exhortation and admonition, as natural and grateful children of your spiritual mother, the great and holy church of Christ, that the grace and infinite mercy of God and the prayer and blessing of our lowliness may be with you all.

[ocr errors]

In the month of August, 1727."

The document is further signed by fifteen bishops.

Many more passages, sufficient to fill several folio volumes, might, with ease, be collected, to prove how numerous are the churches-from Petersburgh to Gondar, from Madrid to Pekinwhich have for centuries, been filled with these idolatries. But the reader, satiated with this painful subject, will certainly desire no more, after having perused the following extract from a very popular Greek preacher, bishop Miniati. His sermons, preached about a century ago, are still esteemed for their eloquence and unction. Some parts of them, indeed, are most admirable; especially his touching discourse on the passion of Christ: but the following passage will sufficiently prove to what lengths men will go, when once bewitched with the sorcery of idolatrous passions:

"Is it not true, Christians! that we sin daily, hourly, every moment? Let the conscience of each one bear witness. Wo to us! by how many kinds of sin is our life polluted! It seems to be little better than one continuous, uninterrupted chain of heavy transgressions. How much im

The Patriarch, having enlarged on the duty and benefit of pilgrimages, concludes with the follow-purity in our thoughts, what foulness of speech ing denunciation:

But what Christians soever, whether priests, or laymen, or spiritual fathers devoted to the single and monastic life, being stirred up by irreverence and want of faith or covetousness and love of filthy lucre, or subverted by the devil who envies good and profitable works, shall, by vain, frivolous, and cold speeches, or by any other method of satanic deceit, hinder or turn aside Christians from going to the worship of the holy sepulchre, and giving to it alms and oblations, and shall thus become the cause of their sin and spiritual hurt, and shall occasion to the holy sepulchre the privation of the alms of Christian worshippers-such, if they cease not henceforth from this their satanic and destructive irreverence, unbelief, and error, let them be separated from the Lord God Almighty, and cursed, and without forgiveness; and, after death, not loosed: stones and iron shall be loosed, but they never. Let them inherit the leprosy of Gehazi and the halter of Judas! Let them be groaning and trembling upon the earth, like Cain! Let the earth open and swallow them up, like Dathan and Abiram! Let their portion be with the traitor Judas, and the impious Jews who crucified the Lord of life and glory! Let the wrath of God be upon their heads, their works, and their possessions! Let their labor and sweat be for utter vanity and destruction; and let them never see prosperity in all the toil of their lives! Let them receive the curses of the three hundred and eighteen holy and divine fathers in the council of Nice, and those of the other holy synods; and let them be under the judgment of eternal fire, and victims of never-ending torments! But do ye all do according as we write; dutifully obey

upon our tongue, how many iniquities in our conduct, does the son of God see!-sees, yet forbears, because He is long suffering. But when we, with vile ingratitude, unrepenting, uncorrected, and resolved upon evil courses, provoke to the uttermost the divine anger, and kindle His righteous vengeance, He then endures no longer, but armed with the sword, and the bow of His tremendous and intolerable wrath, like a terrible warrior, He attacks us, and threatens our utter ruin, death, and eternal punishment.-From this fury and anger of the Son of God, whither shall we, miserable sinners, flee? We have no other hope than in repenting, and falling at the feet of our merciful God; and, to this end, availing ourselves of the mediation of the priests, here in the church below, and of the saints exalted to Paradise. And consider, moreover, how all the monks, and priests, and bishops, and patriarchs, unite in offering up supplications and prayers: chiefly. how all the saints of Paradise, the whole choir of prophets and apostles, all the multitude of martyrs, and hermits, and virgins, all the ranks of the blessed angels, falling before the throne of the divine majesty, implore pity and pardon for us! More than all these united intercessions of the church below and that above, avails one single word of the mother of God! Ah! when that fearful Judge turns and sees the imploring countenance of his mother, that most holy, most sweet mother, immediately he becomes gentle, and meek, and pacified-immediately he parts with the sword and bow of divine wrath-immediately he vouchsafes us reconciliation and love-immediately he bestows on us the desired pardon! ....

"He, who does not honor and revere his own

mother, is not worthy to be called a man! He, who does not honor and revere the mother of God, is not worthy to be called a Christian! Who can boast himself a faithful servant of Jesus, if he be not a faithful servant of Mary? or how shall he reverence the Son, who does not reverence the mother? Ah! into whatever other irreverence it may be my misfortune to fall, may I never lose my reverence for the Virgin Mary! In whatever disaster, bodily or spiritual, I may be found, to her will I flee, sure of obtaining cure for my sicknesses, consolation in my sorrows, and pardon for my sins! Even in the depths of hell, I hope for salvation from the queen of heaven! I fear not to be lost when taking refuge in her arms! Then only, when I lose my reverence for the Virgin, am I a lost soul." Miniati's Greek Sermons, edit. of Venice, A. D. 1805, p. 397, et seq.

A feeling of duty to three classes of persons has led the author to regard the notice of this subject as peculiarly opportune and necessary.

as the fictions of men. Neither is spirituality the natural bias of the heart: and hence our proneness, in every age, to materialize religion; to uphold the form of godliness, while denying or manifesting indifference to, the power thereof.

It is by many supposed that idolatry is the religion of the weak and ignorant alone: but this is false. It is a principle as clearly established by history as any other, that idolatry has power to infatuate the wisest. Where it does not overpower their judgment, yet it befools, it captivates the passions, stifles conscience, and completely takes possession of the heart. What is then left for God?

It is not, therefore, for Englishmen, those especially whose children may visit these countries, to contemplate without anxiety the connection forming between England and the Mediterranean. Our children may live to see the day, if we do not, when idolatry and pure religion shall come to the height of their conflict, antecedent to the triumph of the gospel, in these vast regions. Where the British name will appear in that-as yet unwritten-page of universal history, is a question mainly depending on the character of the present generation.

1. The first class is HIS COUNTRYMEN. Great Britain has entered the Mediterranean -not merely as in former times, with her fleets and armies for a season; but with her permanent civil power, governing and protecting Malta and the Ionian Islands. This circumstance brings 2. But there is a duty owing-and a very imEnglishmen into nearer contact with those cor-portant duty it is to the PEOPLE WHO ARE LYING ruptions of Christianity, which three centuries UNDER THE DELUSION OF THESE PSEUDO-CHRISTIAN ago, prevailed in England; but which, in various IDOLATERS. churches of the Mediterranean and of the Levant, remain to this day precisely as described in the homily of our church against idolatry.

The first impression made on most of his countrymen by the sight of these papal and oriental pageants, the author can testify, has been that of unqualified astonishment and disapprobation. They had not conceived it possible for professing Christians to carry their imitation of paganism so far. By use however this feeling wears off: expressions of compassion succeed to those of abhorrence; till, at length, even persons otherwise respectable and decorous have been induced to assist and participate in rites and ceremonies, most detrimental to the purity of the gospel. Thus it is that

We first endure-then pity-then embrace!

[ocr errors]

To pray for them, to reason with them, to abstain from participating in their sins, and to set them the higher example of pure worship and a consistent life-this, on our part, is that line of duty, to which the Romish, the Greek, and the other oriental churches, were they sensible of their corruption, would prefer a most touching claim.

Insensible as they are of the guilt of their idolatries and desperately enamored of them, is their title to our compassion and our exertions thereby diminished? Rather, it is augmented ten-fold. But on whom does this reasonable duty devolve? Does it belong to the governments, or to the churches, the residents, the visiters, or the missionaries, who may come in contact with these superstitions? The question rather is, which of all these is exempt! Surely none of them. The grand consideration, never to be lost sight of, is the real sinfulness of these anti-christian super"But are Englishmen in danger of becoming stitions! To rebuke them as most pernicious abidolaters?"-We reply: they are near the temp-surdities, to prove their inexpediency, or to riditation; and, if they are not restrained by a reli- cule their folly, will have little weight. They are gious principle, no power on earth can rescue sins; and, as such, offensive to him, who has dethem. Strong sense, good education, and na-clared himself a jealous God. For the proof of tional character, are no securities whatever to the this, the reader need only be referred to the sevirtue of those who shall venture upon forbidden cond commandment; or to the parting counsel of ground. the last of the apostles-Keep yourselves from There is, in truth, a leaning in man's nature to idols. And if it should be rejoined, how is it posidolatry there is a passion for all its follies-its sible that so large a portion of the professing Chrisfestiveness, its music, odors, and splendors, fas-tian church should have fallen into so gross a concinating each sense-a fond pleasure, too, in the tradiction of Scripture?-the reply is obvious, that thought of having many deities, or at least hea- the mass of Christendom has been for ages devenly patrons, guardian angels, and tutelar saints, whom, as it was our own fancy which elected them to that office, our imagination represents as being compliant to our humor, and tenderly indulgent to our frailties. The great doctrines of revelation the gracious offices of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit-are not so congenial to our nature

barred the use of the Scriptures.

3. The remaining class, on whose behalf these remarks are made, comprises a great multitude of persons, for whom not Britain only, but many other nations, have latterly demonstrated a truly Christian regard. I mean the unenlightened JEWS and MOHAMMEDANS.

For the purpose of making the gospel known to the Jews, there already exist various societies: with regard to the Mohammedans, general missionaries have been considered-although, perhaps, not with a sufficiently pointed designationas intended for them. The approach to both these will be, in great measure, by the Mediterranean but here it is that we find Christianity mainly corrupted. "And truth it is"-as the venerable founders of our church have powerfully and almost prophetically remarked (Homily against peril of idolatry, part 3,) in a spirit of enlarged charity and judgment, worthy of the best missionary age"-truth it is, that the Jews and Turks, who abhor images and idols, as directly forbidden by God's holy word, will never come to the truth of our religion, whilst the stumbling blocks of images remain among us, and lie in their way." By no other means, in fact, can a Protestant expect to obtain a hearing with a Jew or Mohammedan, than by the distinct avowal, that these idolatrous corruptions are not only no part of Christianity, but utterly contrary to it.

The controversy relative to the worship of images and saints is one peculiarly tending to agitate the most violent passions of mankind: it has therefore been the desire of the author, while not concealing truth, yet to speak with that temper which reason and charity demand. It is his earnest prayer to God, that, as this is a point which will probably never be suffered to rest, till the purity of Christ's kingdom shall have been established in the earth, so all the friends of that kingdom may have grace given them to confront and expose the delusions of the powers of darkness with courage, and, at the same time, with meekness of wisdom.

THE JEWS.

A missionary to the Jews has substantially the same work to do, as a missionary to any other body of men; namely, to preach to them the great doctrine, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself. The sole difference between the case of the Jews and that of any other body of men, (a heathen nation for example,) is that we find the Jews in a different stage of opinion. The main point to be aimed at, in preaching to the one and to the other, is precisely the same: it is to bring them to receive Christ as the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

The very state of opinion among the Jews, creates however a peculiar additional necessity for placing this doctrine and this object in the very clearest light. The actual civil condition of this people, their habits of thinking, their expectations and their prospects have, all of them, a tendency to draw away their minds from the essential doctrine of Christ crucified. It is scarcely possible to meet them in argument on their own ground, without obscuring the glory of the gospel. This shall be illustrated in two important Scriptural subjects; with regard to both of which it will be seen how widely the thoughts of the Jewish people have ever revolted, and still revolt, from that

which to believe is necessary to their entering the gate of the Christian dispensation.

1. THE MESSIAH PROPHESIED OF IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, WAS TO BE A DIVINE, YET SUFFERING PERSON. This is the well-established opinion of Christians: on the contrary, the Jews, in their apprehensions of the Messiah, neither rise so high as to believe him divine, nor descend so low as to expect that he should suffer. They look for a king, earthly, yet glorious, perfectly holy yet human; who is to reign triumphantly over the whole earth. It is not merely that they do not apprehend in what manner glory and suffering may be compatible; but they have not learnt, from their own Scriptures, that the character of the Messiah foretold by the prophets, is the character of a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief, despised, rejected, and put to death. Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?-is an argument, which they would meet with a direct negative: they see not that his humiliation was to lead to his exaltation: the veil is upon their hearts while they read Moses, and David, and Isaiah, and Daniel, and the other prophets who distinctly foretell the lowly state of the Messiah. Hence, when we preach Christ crucified, he is to the Jews a stumbling block. But may ministers of the gospel endeavor to remove that stumbling block, by exhibiting exclusively, or even primarily, an animating view of Christ reigning gloriously upon earth, as he will do, when a voice from heaven shall declare, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ? The attempt would be as fallacious, as it would be unscriptural. The offence of the cross must not, because it is offensive, be therefore disguised. The Gentile is to be humbled: the Jew is to be humbled: both must learn to glory in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. The true doctrine of the cross is, therefore, to be made the most prominent of all: till that is received, nothing is savingly received; nor can it be admitted, till every high imagination be cast down.

2. That Jesus of Nazareth is, in fact, the only Messiah; that being already come, he has wrought out man's redemption; and consequently, that THE JEWS HAVE BEEN SUFFERING NOW THESE EIGHTEEN HUNDRED YEARS A SPECIAL PUNISHMENT ON ACCOUNT OF THEIR REJECTION AND MURDER OF THIS Messenger of the everlasting coVENANT OF PEACE-these are topics which must come home, with the greatest poignancy, to the conscience of a Jew, in order to his real conversion. " They shall look upon him whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him as one mourneth for his only son; and shall be in bitterness for Him as one that is in bitterness for his first-born." No less than the tenderest imaginable sorrow and anguish will penetrate the soul of a Jew, in whom national feelings and Christian relentings shall have their proper force. Every one is led to expect that a brokenness of heart, a love to Christ, an adoring gratitude, a devotedness to his service, at the hazard, or even the certainty of losing all things for Him-emotions not differing in kind from those which pious Christians experience, but surpassing them wonderfully in degree-will, in the general accomplishment of prophecy, characterize the truly converted Jew.

From this, however, the spirit of that people at stood, in their season, by Christian politicians. present revolts. They are as far from the doc-But how much beneath the standard of right feeltrine of genuine repentance, as they are from that ing in a Christian public, would be such speculaof the atonement. tions on conquests, commercial contracts, or political expediency. How easily might multitudes of Christians be misled on topics of this nature!— That, for which the contributions, the efforts, and the prayers of the religious part of mankind should be especially desired, in reference to the Jews, is no other than their spiritual conversion; here, no limit need be placed to guard the public mind against excess or error, but such as is common generally to all religious subjects.

The feelings of many devout Christians are, in the present day, wound up to the highest pitch in favor of the Jews. Prophecy is explored-history is carefully collated-conjecture catches at every probability-and even the sagacity of the politicians of this world is challenged to discern the signs of the times, and to sympathize with the earnest expectation of the friends of this people. All sincere Christians must surely rejoice at witnessing this excitement. Without great excitement, nothing great was ever done, or even attempted. But, in proportion to the force of this impulse, is the necessity of its receiving a wise and Scriptural direction. We would not presume to criticise either prophecy or the interpretations of prophecy: but we would ask, what was it that distinguished the character of the apostles and of St. Paul, who were all of them converted Jews? was it not a feeling of one might almost say-inconceivable adoration at the view of this great mystery, GOD MANIFEST IN THE FLESH? Even when the case of the Jews is the particular subject of their consideration, (as in Rom. ix. x. and xi.) do they not turn every thing to this sole end of the law? Whenever the doctrine of the incarnate Redeemer comes before them, they seem to be filled with a divine fulness, which can find no utterance. Or, rather, the doctrine is not accidentally or occasionally brought to their minds: they know nothing else they determine to know nothing else-save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.

If, then, in the various discussions and treatises to which the subject of the conversion of the Jews gives rise, any thing else than this which the apostles held forth in their discourses and writings should usurp the attention of the public mind, it seems to be the duty of Christian ministers, not merely to disavow it, but to protest against it. No private interpretations should be suffered, for a moment, to come into competition with the broad and obvious meaning of that gospel, which testifies to Jew and Gentile repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. No vision of millennial glory must ever interfere to hide from the eye of faith that innumerable company, whose eternal and ever new song is, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain! Every thing, which is not in accordance with this strain, should be viewed with jealousy, as savoring not of the things of God, but of those of man.

In what regards the restoration of the Jews to the land of their fathers, it is manifestly a subject in which Christians, whose wisdom consists in holy fear, will desire to follow Providence, and not lead. If, on the partition or allotment of nations, the possession of a particular region were to depend on the power to purchase it, the Jews have always been sufficiently rich to buy a larger tract of land than Palestine. If their settlement in that country is to grow out of a conviction, on the part of the most influential governments, that such a measure would be politically expedient, the expediency will doubtless be made to appear by many concurring indications, which will be well under

While the residence of the Jews as a nation seems to be no proper subject for the excitement of public religious feeling, there is, nevertheless, one point in their temporal condition, which claims the strongest regard from Christian benevolence. Humanity, but much more Christianity, requires, on their behalf, that, in whatsoever part of the world they may be scattered, they should be protected from insult, injury, and oppression. Systematic injustice is that which they have experienced in every age; and, at various periods, in every nation, without exception. The judgment of God inflicted upon them, through the medium of natural causes, has rendered them, in the social relations, what they are. Two features of character are most apparent in their history-the nadness of the oppressed, and the meanness of the oppressed; but, for these frightful characteristics, the oppressor is at least as responsible as they. It is, however, gratifying to observe, that, in the present age, distinguished by a rising detestation of every kind of slavery, the peculiar case of the Jews appears to be obtaining a proportionate share of public feeling. May these sentiments in their favor continue, and increase a thousand-fold till that time, when it shall please God to display the power of His Spirit, in gathering to gather the lost sheep of the house of Israel into the fold of our Redeemer; making them as miraculous a monument of His free mercy, as they now are of His deserved judgments.

In the mean time, let it be considered how much is gained, when one converted Jewish missionary gives his heart and life to the service of his Master, Christ. There are some circumstances in such a character, which, when fully developed, may be regarded as peculiarly conducive to his usefulness in foreign missions. The first is, that his conversion seems likely to be attended with an extraordinary degree of contrition, zeal, and affection: he, that hath had much forgiven, will love much. Another consideration is, that he has, from his very birth and by long habit, been accustomed to regard himself as without a local, national habitation of his own: he feels, consequently, that, although England, or France, or Germany, or any other country, may give him the title, and in many cases the reality, of protection; yet he cannot look to Judea and say, "There is my king; there is my government; and there is my home:" thus one of the strongest ties to earth exists not in his casein reference to all the social relations of this world, his national character, is already that of a stranger, and a wanderer, and an expectant. Such a person, under the powerful influence of divine grace, seems to be, in his outward training, better

furnished for apostolic labors, than the native of any civilized and established country. Should he manifest an early disposition to visit distant lands he is not so much entangled by the tender apprehensions of the domestic circle: all his kindred are familiar with foreign life; most of them have already suffered many vicissitudes; and their unquiet thoughts, if not their pilgrim feet, have roved far and wide on the surface of the globe. Should he, in countries where the government is oppressive, meet with obstacles, indignities, or injuries, his national history, and probably his specific education, has taught him how to suffer, to evade, to surmount, or even turn to his advantage, circum-tempt of many; who will despise him, because stances which would throw a domesticated Englishman into despair. He enters the wide field of the world, intending to visit people of many kindreds and tribes and tongues, with the certain prospect of encountering the most untoward circumstances; but then he enters with a TACT of mind, which to the Jew alone is national; his, in all its indescribable detail, is, in truth, the motto, Vincit qui patitur. Imagine the case, then, of a converted Jew devoted to the work of missions, and passing from land to land, and from continent to continent, on that embassage: suppose, further, the love of Christ to be deeply impressed on his heart, and his temper to remain unsettled and unattached to any spot; and we have an image before our minds of a character, perhaps more nearly apostolical, and better adapted for the founding of new churches, than could in any other situation be conceived. If there be another Paul,

or Peter, or Barnabas to arise; from what country might we expect such a character, if not from that people who possess on earth no country? Waiving, however, what may to some appear too much like a matter of speculation; and acknowledging, that, after all, the Great Head of the church acts herein as a Sovereign, bestowing his gifts very differently from our calculations; there is yet, in this view of Jewish character, something. which conveys a most instructive lesson to every Christian missionary. He, more especially, who would undertake the office of an evangelist to the Jews, must be fully prepared to suffer the conthey despise the objects of his mission. More than this: he may, in some countries, expect to share their oppressions; and, instead of having any hope of civil protection at hand, he must before God betake himself to prayer; and, like a poor man, use toward the oppressor, many entreaties and much Christian persuasion. Let a missionary to the Jews settle in Jerusalem; let him take, as a model for his manner of life, that touching description of the Redeemer-"In all their affliction, he was afflicted:" let him to the Jews become as a Jew-they will then love him, for his sympathy; understand him, for his resemblance to them: and for his self-devotedness, put faith in him and in his words. To missionaries of this stamp, in fact, and to such alone, can it ever be expected that God will grant the honor of extensive success; whether it be among Jews or Gentiles, that they are sent to labor.

THE END.

« AnteriorContinuar »