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ration of the death of their departed Lord, and their interchange of holy love and friendship, rendered more sweet by the dangers to which it exposed them, gave rise to two most infamous accusations; the former, that they sacrificed their young children, and drank their blood; the latter, that they had criminal intercourse with the female part of their assemblies. While Tertullian clearly demonstrates that both these crimes were too well known among Paguns, he boldly defies any one to prove either of them to have been perpetrated by the Christians. His mind revolts from the former, and his powerful eloquence is employed in execrating a suggestion so diabolical; while he appeals to the common principles of Christians, to show that neither could be hid. To kill an infant, even in the womb, was accounted murder, and subjected its author to excommunication from the church; and all uncleanness was forbidden by the laws by which they professed to be governed, while both crimes subjected him who committed them to eternal misery.

Perhaps it might be said, the Christians are disorderly members of society, and hold doctrines prejudicial to the State. No, says Tertullian, our law forbids that we should thus act. While it commands us to fear God, it inculcates submission to the ruling powers, and obedience to the emperor. To acknowledge Cæsar as a god, and give him the honours of the Deity, they could not possibly endureto conform to his government as a king, they never objected. Peaceable, they were made the objects of contention ;willing to act according to the strictest rules of integrity and rectitude, they were condemned by false accusations, and denied the common privileges of men.

Although reviled as the pests of society by their contemporaries, the Christians of this century must have the approbation of enlightened posterity. Amidst the gloom of paganism, they boldly exhibited the light of truth; amidst the base tyranny of unrestrained passions, they possessed the calm tranquillity of well-regulated affections; while their opposers kindled the torch of discord and war, in their

peaceful retirement they suffered the fire of love to burn upon the altar they had reared, spiritual and holy, and consecrated to the service of the living and true God. And if the acclamation of the Roman soldier, called forth by the wondrous death of Christ, "Truly this is the Son of God !” was the dictate of reason, arguing from the effect to the cause, we may now say, contemplating the fortitude of the early Christians in trouble and death, truly they are the disciples of the Son of God! We trust the spirit of peace, of love, and of a sound mind, which so conspicuously attended them, still hovers near the Church of Christ, to produce the same effects when similar circumstances may require them. That error and inconsistency of character were then unknown, we cannot nor need not say; but, as the works of God manifest his wisdom and power, even where some parts of them are defective from various causes, in the same manner, in all its imperfections, we must confess the Christianity of the second century to be "the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes."

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THE Luton pond, the Luton pond! some wish thee done away,
But thy defence 'gainst common sense, shall now indite the lay;
In vain thy foes shall aim their blows, thy bound'ries to invade:
No stream so sweet one e'er cau meet, in plain or lonely glade.

The Luton pond, the Luton pond! how rare thy virtues are!
The fragrant tea that's made from thee, with any can compare ;
Thy lucid wave his limbs can lave, who, dauntless, tries thy power,
With headlong plunge, or dripping sponge, in early morning hour.

The Luton pond, the Luton pond! there's music in the sound,
Which, far and wide, at even-tide, disturbs thy peace profound;
The foam and splash, as in they dash, who, cleansed from spot and stain,
Tho' dumb, can tell, that pump and well nuse vie with thee in vain.

The Luton pond, the Luton pond! how balmy is the breeze
Which ever plays, on summer days, across thy tiny seas;
Could every foe but surely know what dark diseases flee
Before thy sway, he'd curse the day he wished to injure thee.

Oh Luton pond, Oh Luton pond! let quacks thy doom conspire,
And men of law, and kings of straw, rush on with furious ire;
The town's true props, who keep the shops, can well thy cause sustain,-
Then hail to thee! each enemy must prove his spite is vain!

As some of our readers may not be acquainted with the politics of the locality alluded to by our correspondent in the above piece, it may be necessary to state, that a horsepond has for some time been the object of contention with the worthy people of Luton. The reformers, with the Marquess of Bute at their head, thinking that the march of intellect in the town cannot permit such a homely relic of our forefathers' wisdom to remain, wish to fill it up, to the great horror of all those who are conservative,-who love antiquity, and their own vested rights, too well to allow such sacrilege to be perpetrated with impunity. The texdrinking, and the bath, we believe, are events which occurred in the history of the pond, if certain respectable witnesses are to be credited.-EDS.

Musical Festivals at Dissenting Places of Worship.The attention of the public has recently been called to certain exhibitions, bearing the designation of "Musical Festivals," in different parts of the county. At Ampthill, we believe, the example was first set, in the Wesleyan Chapel, contrary to the known rule of the connexion, which

rule has been vindicated and strengthened by the public rebuke of the officiating minister. Whatever difference of sentiment may exist, with regard to the methodist body, as a whole, its power to stop irregular courses, such as that just alluded to, must be considered exceedingly salutary. A fungous excrescence has thus been stopped in its growth, which, if suffered to pass without notice, would have presented a very unsightly appearance.

With the Wesleyan penchant for these festivals, we have now nothing to do, since a discipline is in existence, which will prevent its future development. But the same inclination which has manifested itself among other classes of Dissenters must be treated in a different way. These bodies know nothing of foreign control. They often delight to do as they please, from a morbid love of what they call independency, and the only method of infusing a better spirit among them is to employ the influence of argument; to enforce christian principles: and to hold up their follies in a way which will, perhaps, induce themselves to blush at their inconsistencies.

We are well aware, that some of the peculiarities of bodies of men arise from prejudice, more than conviction, but at the same time, some weight ought to be attached to the opinions of those who were the conscientious founders of nonconformity. Let those who patronize these exhibitions, -who have lately listened to the most awful messages of the eternal God, not uttered by the lips of holy men, to produce the most humiliating and harrowing emotions, but confessedly used to excite mere physical enjoyment;-let them ask themselves what their fathers would have said, had they been present at such a scene! They might be wrong in their feelings, but it is worthy of some consideration, that they would have denounced such conduct, as profane.

But, as we are sensible of the defects of this argumentum ad verecundiam, this appeal to what the great and good of former times would have done, we shall proceed calmly to

point out why such festivals are wrong; wrong in themselves, and more especially so when held in places of worship.

They are wrong in themselves. Apart from all circumstances of time and place, it is indecorous, it is irreligious, to make such a use of the words of Jehovah. In another part of this number, we have expressed our respect for the genius of Handel, which might be supposed to involve the approval of the objects for which his genius was employed. We earnestly deprecate such a construction upon our words. Piety may make a delightful use of many of his pieces. We consider it an enjoyment more than earthly, to associate with the good in singing or hearing those sublime productions, as far as they ever could be intended to be sung. But to imitate with musical instruments, the sound of the last trump; to convey the idea as far as musical language can, of the awful consequences of its being blown, is neither consonant with correct taste, or religious feeling.

But are these exhibitions conducted by pious men, and for pious purposes? Even when some charitable Institution is to be benefitted by them, unless it is a rule that the end sanctifies the means, the question of piety must be left out. It is a lamentable fact, that those whose talents are of the first order in this department, lay no claim to be accounted serious. This is proved by the fact that without the assistance of theatrical men, these festivals never pass off with eclat. The painful conclusion is, that subjects in which man's destiny is wound up, are found on lips that would as readily utter the most gay and ridiculous sentiments, and therefore to incourage such profanation must be wrong.

As to the purposes contemplated by these festivals, they may be good or not; this has nothing to do with the argument. The immediate design is to give pleasure; to excite some of our most powerful physical emotions; the way in which this is accomplished, is by connecting music with the most solemn passages of holy writ; with the names of God, the Redeemer, with heaven and hell. Can any person possessed of sober reason, justify this?

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