Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

the whole detail of preparation for baptism demanded by the Church of England, could not reasonably be expected of a Hindoo who secks admission to that sacred rite. Undoubtedly some circumstantial difference must be allowed in the preparatory steps which he may be required to take. At the same time, it cannot but appear to a mind so enlightened as that of the Quarterly Reviewer, that it is among the most essential principles of the Church of England, to exact of all candidates for baptism (heathens not excepted) a due acquaintance with the spirt of Christianity," as well as a mere unmeaning conviction" of its truth." Indeed, not to institute these strict conditions of administering the baptismal rite is, in fact, to tell a heathen, at the very time when he wishes to partake of it, "You need not be at any pains to repent of all your abominations; you have no occasion to consider the spirit of those promises and vows which you are about to make to that God whom we Christians acknowledge and adore: you have only to assure us that you believe the New Testament to be true; and we will then immediately baptize you, and receive you into the Christian church." And should this be represented as an exaggerated statement, I would reply, that the reviewer does not even hint at the necessity of exhorting the Hindoo at the time of his admission to the rite of Christian baptism, to cultivate that repentance, that faith, and that desire to obey God's commandments which are required by the Church of England, of "all persons to be baptised." The reviewer, it is true, intimates that the person so baptized should be "instructed and purified by degrees;" but he either does not intend that the instruction which he here speaks of should take place at the time of administering the rite of baptism, or else he has, by a singular oversight, done a pal

pable injustice to his own senti. ments. Happily, however, for the cause of true religion, the character of Martyn, in the case now under consideration, may be defended on yet stronger grounds. For not only has the reviewer failed to prove, by a reference to facts, that this devoted missionary was "too rigorous in the outset," and that "he made no allowance for the gradual reception of the truths" which he taught; and that he required the proselyte to be "at once as good a Christian as himself;" but he will even find such evidence in the Memoir, as must establish the opposite conclusion. For his biographer expressly states respecting an application made to him for baptism by one of the native women; "This request, as the candidate manifested no sigus of penitence or faith, and could by no means be made to comprehend what farther was necessary to be a Christian than to say the Lord's Prayer, he found himself compelled to refuse." Let the reader impartially determine, whether Mr. Martyn was " too rigorous" in rejecting such a candidate for baptism, even one who was absolutely destitute of the great elementary requisites; namely, penitence and faith; and whether, in insisting upon these, he really expected his proselytes to be at once as good Christians as himself."

[ocr errors]

But I must yet detain your readers, while I endeavour to correct what to me appears a very serious error in the sentiments of the reviewer, as they relate to the ministry of Martyn. He considers it a point gained to the cause of Christianity, that an Hindoo, by being admitted to the rite of Christian baptism, abandons those abominations which had before formed the essence of his religion. But may it not be asked in reply, " Is he less polluted than before in the sight of a Holy God, when he vows that repentance with his lips which he does not cherish in his

heart? Or, had the inspired writer tenet, in opposition to the "artino meaning when he declared, culus stantis vel cadentis ecclesiæ" "Better is it that thou shouldest not-salvation by grace only-so she vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay?" (Eccl. v. 5.) Or did the Apostle think it better that men should be nominal partakers of the rite of baptism, than continue in a state of heathenism, when he said, in answer to the question, "What doth hinder me to be baptised?" "If thou believest with all thy heart, thou mayest?" (Acts viii. 36, 37.) So that the Hindoo candidate for baptism, who is yet impenitent and unbelieving, still retains those very pollutions in principle (the worship of Juggernaut, &c.) which, on his profession of Christianity, he forsakes in practice. "His heart goes after his idols." The very vows, therefore, which he undertakes in Christian baptism, must prove an awful aggravation of his former sins; and on what rational ground a missionary can be expect ed to baptise him, I am utterly unable to conceive ;-not to mention the reproof which journalists of the present day, and, unless I much mistake, the Quarterly Reviewers among the number, have administered to our missionaries in the East for a too precipitate admission of the Hindoo to the sacred ordinance in question.

has in no way relaxed in her assertion of the powers of the priesthood; and this not merely as respects such points as absolution from sin, the transubstantiation of the sacred elements, &c. but in the faculty of working miracles, for which her present bishops and priests contend even down to the present period, and in our own enlightened nation.

[ocr errors]

To the Editor of the Christian Observer, I BEG to express my acknowledgments to your correspondent MAN CESTRIENSIS for the extracts given in your Number for December, from the Funeral Sermon of a Roman Catholic Divine at Man chester, and for his judicious remarks on the unaltered doctrine of the Church of Rome (so successfully opposed by Luther and his contemporaries), respecting justification by works. It may perhaps not be known to all your readers, that as the Romish Church continues to maintain and defend this

I have now lying before me a tract lately written and published by the Rev. E. Peach of Birmingham, in which he gives a circumstantial account of his casting out a devil at Kings-Norton in Worcestershire. In the title-page, this miracle is called " a successful Exorcism," and the Reverend author expressly terms himself "the Exorcist." He begins by observing, that possessions existed in the apostolic age, (about which indeed there can be no doubt); and he then asserts, that the words of our Lord, "In my name they shall cast out devils," " apply to those who sball believe in him in all succeeding ages;" which however may be just as truly asserted of raising the dead, and healing the sick, as of exorcism, or of any other miracle; and accordingly the Romish Church holds, that all those miracles have been performed by her the end of time. He then declares, clergy, and will continue to be so to that "the power of exorcising has, from the earliest ages, been conferred

on those who entered into the mini

stry;" speaks with some contempt of the new acquired lights which the glorious Reformation spread over the minds of men," and plainly charges open infidelity on such as will not believe these things; observing, "that if our Saviour was to appear again on the earth, his wonderful works would make no greater impression on the minds of these enlightened men, than they did on the incredulous High

Priest and Pharisees."
however, come to the statement
itself, which he calls," a sign for
unbelievers, and an effect of the
promise of Christ."

Some time, it seems, after Easter, 1815, the Reverend author was applied to by the friends of a young woman, a Protestant, who had been married in the beginning of the preceding Lent, and on the week after her marriage became suddenly delirious, and declared that a multitude of infernal spirits sur rounded her, with whom she must go: she even threatened to effect self-destruction. This state of mind had lasted for two months, when her medical attendant declared that in all probability she could not survive twenty-four hours. The clergyman of the parish was accordingly called in; but finding the case past his art, he departed. At length, however, a Roman Catholic woman made a tender of her services, which were accepted; when she procured some holy water, with which she made the sign of the cross upon the patient's forehead, who declared she was scalded, but forthwith fell into a gentle sleep. On awaking, the female Catholic put holy water into her mouth, on which she said her throat was scalded, but in a few minutes fell into a comfortable sleep for some hours. Next morning, more holy water was applied, which gave ease, and from that time the danger of death decreased. She then enjoyed, the writer says, lucid intervals, and invariably after the application of holy water fell into a slumber.

Let us, ed in the house, it thundered incessantly. The possessed female required two persons to keep her in bed before he entered; but, though she could not see him, she, on his approach, required three, and (still without seeing him) said she knew who he was, and gradually revived. He then explained some of the articles of the Catholic faith, and assured her, that she must believe the holy Catholic Church before she could obtain relief; which she at once declared she did, and had done from the moment she knew what holy water was, and experienced its effects. She then pronounced a long eulogium on it; declared she was not delirious, but knew and remembered all that had passed; upon which the author says that he dipped his finger into the holy water, and made the sign of the cross on her forehead, which she again declared scalded her. The Lord's Prayer was then repeated; but when the patient came to the petitions, she fell into convulsions, and could hardly articulate; after which the exorcisms began, through the whole of which every limb and joint was agitated and convulsed. In the mean time, the Reverend author adds, "the lightning was flashing and the thunder rolling; while I with an imperative voice was commanding the evil spirit to reply. to my interrogatories, and to go forth from her." The whole being duly concluded, the patient became calm, and in a few minutes conversed with the same ease as before her affliction. She was then baptized into the Romish Church; and the exorcist adds, that he repeated several acts of contrition, during which "she trembled like a leaf, and again said the holy water gave her as much pain as boiling water." Immediately after the ceremony, she conversed with all the cheerfulness of a person in perfect health and spirits, took her tea, was next day down stairs perfectly well, and has remained so ever since.

It is time, however, that the exorcist himself should make his appearance. He did not, it seems, attend on the first application; but on the Tuesday in Rogation Week he set out, a special messenger having stated that the patient was in a worse condition than ever. It was, he says, the most awful visit he ever made; for during his walk of six miles, and while he remain

[ocr errors]

The Reverend writer having thus concluded his narrative, proceeds to designate the Protestant Religion as a sect," and dilates on the surprising efficacy of what he terms mere salt and water blessed by a Catholic Priest." He then adverts to the super-enlightened men of the age," as likely to turn away from such a story as beneath their notice; nor indeed does any very uncommon degree of light appear necessary to produce such a consequence. In an appendix he states, that having visited his patient upwards of a year afterwards, she told him that she knew nothing at all about the Catholic religion, but was convinced that it was the truth, and would acquire a knowledge of it as soon as possible; upon which he promised to send her books of instruction, and left with her two copies of the account of her own exorcism-probably, in order to her more speedy conversion; and he sums up the whole by a solemn declaration, that the ministers of his church have inherited the powers granted by Christ to his Apostles! It is important to observe, that this miracle of Mr. Peach is highly extolled by the Roman Catholics of England, and is recorded with admiration by the editors of two monthly Roman Catholic Journals, which are published in London.

In this relation of casting out a devil by a modern priest of the Church of Rome, we observe a very convenient and summary mode adopted of getting over the objections which Scripture and reason alike present against continued miracles-that is, to brand all who do not believe them as infidels. A similar mode of reasoning has always been adopted by the Church of Rome, in sup port of transubstantiation, purgatory, the infallibility of the Church, the saving nature of the sacraments, &c.; in all which cases, as in that of miracles, if a man will not take the testimony of tradition, or rather of the priesthood, he is considered as an infidel or a heretic. But in

fact, it is such corruptions of truth as these which make infidels: it is when the fair form of a scriptural faith comes to be tricked out in such false and meretricious frippery that many persons of good sense in the Catholic Church conceive disgust, and are repelled,even at the threshold of such a creed, from proceeding to examine and embrace it. Many points in Christianity, which are above reason, but without being repugnant to it, have found humble and honest believers even in the strongest and most cultivated minds; but whatever is both below reason, and contrary to it, as are many of the doctrinal errors of the Romish Church, cannot but tend to drive multitudes in every age and nation into the darkness and wickedness of Deism as a refuge; while those who choose to take their religion upon trust, and to believe all that a corrupt church has prescribed, have been always accustomed to rest, like the Jews of old, in the false security of external forms, and have proved themselves any thing rather than the spiritual worshippers required by that Gospel which declares, that "except a man be born again he cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven;"—a birth, not merely by the baptism of water into a visible church, but by the baptism of the Holy Spirit also into an invisible one. To such formalists the reproof of our Lord to the Jews applies with undiminished force: "In vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."-With regard to the declaration of the Reverend writer in question, that if our Saviour were to appear again on earth, his miracles would make no impression on certain persons; if he mean to include in this clause the faithful members of the Protestant Church, which he afterwards terms "a sect," he may be briefly answered, that it is simply because the miracles of our Lord do make an impression on the members of

exorcists, as Christ plainly intimates: "If I by Beelzebub cast

that church, that they refuse to believe in the forgeries and falsehoods which have been since at-out devils, by whom do your chil tempted to be added to them.

The two main fallacies of the narrator, as of his church, are1st, his erroneous interpretation of Scripture, by which he would prove that our Lord's gift of miracles to his first followers descended in succession to the end of the world, and that such succession is confined to the Catholic Priesthood; and, 2dly, that, among other splendid miracles, this of casting out devils is a certain proof of the Divine authority of their doctrine.

As to the first of these errors, it is just as reasonable a notion as that the gift of tongues was to continue, and can be as easily disproved.

"All those acts," says Bishop Hall," which proceeded from supernatural privilege, ceased with their cause. Who now dare under take to continue them, unless bold Papists, who have brought in gross magic, instead of miraculous authority?" (See his Letter to the Bishop of Worcester.) And again; "Why should any in these latter times challenge a right of succes sion in one miracle, and not claim it in another? All these were given with one and the same breath, continued by the same Power, and called in and stinted by the same Providence,with their fellow-miracles." (Invis. World, b. iii. § 9.) The limiting of the performance of these wonders to the Catholic Priesthood was an admirable expedient for keeping the world in awe, and subjecting all mankind to the dominion of an ecclesiastical tyranny. Secondly, If the Romish Church could even succeed in proving that the miracle of casting out devils were now in her hands, which I need not say she never can, she would be no nearer the proof of her own infallibility or perfection. The magicians of Egypt certainly performed some considerable wonders; but they were still false prophets. The corrupt Jews had their

[ocr errors]

true

dren cast them out?" We read also, in the Acts, of "vagabond Jews," who were "exorcists." And Josephus relates (Antiq. 1. viii. c. 2.), that he saw the Jew Eleazer casting out devils by the help of a magical ring, in the presence of Vespasian and his army. Thus also the disciples told their Lord, that they had seen one casting out devils in his name, who followed not with them." So far is such a testimony, even if its present existence could be proved, from affording a criterion of a church, that the same gift to Judas did not prove him a true disciple, but left him where it found hima false one. Well, therefore, might our Lord say, "In this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject to you; but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven." What divines call "gifts and graces," are very distinct things. Moses assigns an infallible test by which the truth of a creed or doctrine may be tried; namely, whether or not the party working a miracle in its own favour inculcate the worship of the true God. If not, his miracle is fallacious, and his condemnation certain. (See Deut. xiii. 1-5.) Thus our Lord foretold the appearance of false Christs and false prophets, whose signs and wonders should even be great: and an ancient Prophet points out the only proper test of miraculous pretensions :"To the law and to the testimony: if they" (the performers of miracles)" speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." (Isa. viii. 20.) The true and golden rule in this matter is furnished by Justin Martyr: "How shall it be known that our miracles are better than those of the heathen?" The answer to which is, "By the faith and worship of the true God," in adverting to which passage Bishop Hall observes;

Miracles must be judged by the

« AnteriorContinuar »