superstitious, and in part demoralized. They leave the cultivation of their fields, the labours of their workshops, the care of their households, the education of their children, to take part in a heathen festival at Treves-a disgraceful spectacle which the Romish church exhibits before their eyes. Yes, it is a heathen spectacle, for many thousands of the credulous multitude to render to a piece of dress, the work of human hands, that regard and adoration which are due to God alone. And what pernicious consequences must flow from these pilgrimages ! Thousands of the pilgrims deprive themselves of the necessaries of life to raise the money for their journey, and the offering which they make to the holy tunic—that is, to the clergy. They purchase it by sacrifices of their comfort, or by begging, only to starve on their return; to suffer want, or to fall sick in consequences of the fatigues of the journey. If these external results are not sufficiently melancholy, the moral consequences are far more so. Will not many of them, reduced to want by the expenses of their journey, endeavour to relieve themselves by unlawful means? Many wives and virgins sacrifice their purity of heart, their reputation and their chastity, destroying thus the peace, the happiness, and the comfort of their families. In fine, this most unchristian exhibition but creates an inlet for superstition, hypocrisy, and fanaticism, with all the vice that follow in their train. Such is the blessing spread abroad by the exhibition of the holy tunic, and it is a matter but of small moment whether it be genuine or false. And the man who publicly displays this piece of dress, the work of human hands, for reverent regard; who leads astray the religious feelings of the credulous, ignorant, or suffering people; giving thereby an impulse to vice and superstition; who wrings their substance from the poor and starving multitude; who entails on Germany the ridicule of other lands; and who draws more close together the heavy clouds which float already dark and dismally over our heads-this man is a bishop, a German bishop, Arnoldi, bishop of Treves! Arnoldi, bishop of Treves, I therefore turn to you, and demand, by authority of my office and calling as a priest and teacher of the German people, in the name of Christendom, in the name of the German nation, and in the name of its instructors, that you put an end to the unchristian spectacle of the exhibition of the holy tunic, and withdraw this garment, that the offence which it has given may not still be increased. For do you not know-as bishop you ought to know-that the founder of the Christian religion left to his disciples and his followers, not his coat, but his Spirit? This coat, bishop Arnoldi, belongs to his executioners. Do you not know-as bishop you ought to know-that Jesus taught "God is a Spirit, and they who worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth ?" and he may be worshipped every where, not only in the temple at Jerusalem, on the mount Gerizim, or at Treves, in presence of the holy tunic. Do you not know-as bishop you ought to know that the Gospel expressly forbids the adoration of every image and of every relic-that Christians in the Apostolic age and in the first three centuries, suffered neither images nor relics in their churches (and they might have had plenty of them)-that the worship of images and relics is a heathen custom, and that the fathers in the first three centuries, abused the heathens on account of it? Lastly, do you not know-as bishop you ought to know this also—that the vigorous and healthy mind of the German people, was first degraded to the worship of relics by the crusades, in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries-when the exalted conception of the Godhead which Christianity inculcates, had been obscured by all the lying marvels brought from eastern lands? Hark ye! Bishop Arnoldi, of Treves, you know all this, and better perhaps than I can tell it to you. You also know the effects which superstition and the idolatrous adoration of relics have worked among us, viz.: the religious and political bondages of Germany, and yet you can display your relics to the admiration of the multitude. And were it ever possible you should be ignorant of all I have told you, and the salvation of souls your sole object in the exhibition of this holy tunic, you would notwithstanding have two sins upon your conscience. In the first place, it is unpardonable, if the garment in question actually possess saving power, that you have withheld its benefits from suffering men until the present time and secondly it is unpardonable that you accept the offerings of these countless multitudes. Is it not unpardonable that you, as bishop, accept of money from our poor and starving people, especially when you have seen, not many weeks ago, that hundreds have been driven by necessity to mutiny, despair, and death. Do not allow yourself to be deceived by the influx of thousands upon thousands, but believe me, that while hundreds of thousands of the German people hasten with holy fervour to Treves, millions like myself are filled with horror and the deepest indignation by the disgraceful spectacle. And this indignation prevails not in individual ranks and parties, but among all classes, even among the Catholic priesthood. Judgment will overtake you therefore sooner than you think. Arnoldi! the historian is seizing his pen to submit your name to the contempt of your cotemporaries and posterity, and stigmatizes you as the Tetzel of the nineteenth century! And you, fellow citizens of Germany, whether near or at a distance from Treves, unite your efforts to prevent the continuance of such an insult to the German name. You have various means of working, take courage and employ them; endeavour each and all, with resolute determination, to encounter and restrain the tyrannous despotism of the Romish church. For it is not in Treves alone that the modern traffic in indulgencies is carried on; you are aware that in the east and west, the north and south, rosary, mass, indulgence, burial monies, and the like, are still increasing, and with them spiritual darkness. Forward, then! Catholics and Protestants, together to the work! Our happiness, our honour, and our freedom are at stake. Do not the names of your fathers who stormed the capitol, frown to see you suffer patiently the castle of St. Angelo to lord it over Germany? Dishonour not the laurels of a Huss, a Hustten, and a Luther. Give words to their ideas, and convert their will into deed. Finally, my colleagues, whose sole endeavours and desires are centured in the welfare of your congregations, for the honour, the freedom, and the happiness of your German countrymen, keep no longer silence. Prove yourselves the true disciples of him who gave up all for truth, and light, and liberty. JOHANNES RONGE. The wonderful consequences of this document must be reserved for another communication. G. GREENWELL. GENEOLOGICAL TABLES OF THE ANCIENT PATRIARCHS. THE Scriptures of divine truth, being the Book of God, and unfolding as they do, the plans of operations pursued by the Divine Being in the moral government of the world, in the three great periods known as the Patriarchal, Jewish, and Christian age, renders them well worthy the profound admiration, careful reading, and diligent study of every one who loves the Lord in sincerity and truth. To various classes of students they will furnish materials at once highly interesting and instructive; and the lovers of the sublime may revel in its pages to satiety. For what other book is there in the whole range of literature, that can boast a style so truly elegant, dignified, and sublime, as the Scriptures of divine truth ? If the accompanying tables are in any way calculated to instruct and interest the readers of the Messenger, and to induce them to take a greater delight in the perusal of the Sacred Oracles, they are at their service. ANTE-DILUVIAN. Showing their respective ages, and the length of time they lived cotemporary with each other. The flood happened in the 1656th year of the world. POST-DILUVIAN. Showing their respective ages, and the length of time they lived cotemporary with each other. GENEOLOGICAL TABLES OF THE ANCIENT PATRIARCHS. 227 Noah. Shem. | 403 Ar- 283 239 | 219 | 187 | 148 435 Salah 239 239 230 148 205 175 | 110 50 | 205 | 148 | 48 205 175 | 230 | 148 | 205 175 78 | Kohath died eight years before the birth of Moses. From the descent into Egypt to the Exode embraced a period of two hundred and fifteen years; being half the time from Abraham leaving Ur of the Chaldees. years; and that Methuselah, the great connecting link between Adam to Lamech, Noah's father, with whom he lived cotemporary fifty-six By these tables we see that Adam lived with all the patriarchs down 228 GENEOLOGICAL TABLES OF THE ANCIENT PATRIARCHS. and Noah, lived until the year of the flood, and was cotemporary with Adam two hundred and forty-three years, and with Noah six hundred years. It is quite reasonable to suppose, that Adam would communicate to him such knowledge as he possessed, respecting the creation-the garden of Eden-the temptation-the fall-the expulsion-the death of Abel, &c., &c., and that Methuselah would communicate it together with what he himself had experienced and observed, to Noah who would transmit it across the flood and communicate it to Shem and others of his descendants, adding to it his stock of knowledge, including the declaration of Jehovah respecting the wickedness of man, and his determination to destroy, him from off the earth; the command to build the ark, its form, size, &c.; the surprising and interesting manner in which it was tenanted*; their safe passage through the water; the giving forth from the ark; God's covenant, &c. These, together with the facts and incidents respecting the re-peopling of the earth; the building of Babel; the confusion of tongues; the dispersion, &c., would by Shem and Eber, be made known to their posterity, and probably communicated directly to Abraham, who was outlived by Shem thirty-five years. Nor is it improbable that Eber, who lived cotemporary with Noah two hundred and eighty-three years, and with Jacob seventy-nine years, would be able to furnish the particulars both of his own descendants, and of those of Ham and Japheth. Hence we learn with what ease and accuracy, all the great facts of history from the creation of man to the birth of Moses, embracing a period of two thousand three hundred and seventy years, could be transmitted to that great historian. I had intended extending the post-diluvian table down to Moses, but was prevented by some links in the chain being broken-Jacob's age at the birth of Levi, and Levi's age at the birth of Kohath, &c., not being stated. This difficulty has been partially removed so as to bring it down to Kohath, by ascertaining the age of Jacob at Joseph's birth. Thus: Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharoah at the commencement of the seven years of plenty to these succeeded two years of famine before Jacob and his family went to dwell in Egypt: he dwelt there seventeen years, which added together will show that Joseph's age at his fathers death, was fifty-six, deducted from Jacob's age one hundred and forty-seven, will show that Jacob was ninety-one at Joseph's birth. Now supposing Levi to have been five years older than Joseph, he would be sixty-one at Jacob's death, and born in the eigthty-sixth year of Jacob's life. Levi had three sons born to him before he went into Egypt, of whom Kohath was the second. Now, supposing he was ten years old at the time of the descent into Egypt, then it follows that he lived with Levi ninety-nine years, and with Jacob twenty-seven years, and died eighty-eight years before the Exode. Moses and Aaron's mother was Jochebed the daughter of Levi, who was born to him in Egypt. J. WILSON. The magnificent spectacle of the peopling of the ark by twos and by sevens being witnessed alike by Noah and his sons, who all in safety crossed the flood, would be communicated to their respective descendants. Hence the ground of that universal tradition found to exist amongst those nations who were never favoured with the light of divine revelation. |