Litchfield enquirer., 1849-10-25
The Preservation Of the Chnrch.
From The Hanaof God in History,' ~
By Rev. Hollis Bead, A. NJ

O~~N SSsSSVSS SS9O
From "The Hana'e of God in History"
By Rev. Hollis Read, A. NJ
I design, at present. to direct your
minds to several historical events which
strikingly illustrate the agercy of Prov
idence in the progress and establishment
of the Christian Church. l can no more
than select from great variety of Prov
idential interpretations. Indeed, l may
remark at the outset, that the very eris-
tence of the church supposes ceaseless
inter position Of the Almighty arm. 1t is
a standing miracle, not that there should
be nominal Christianity and large and
powerful Christian church, for all this
might be in perfect consistency with
worldly principles the wonder is. that
pure evangelical church should live in the
world at all that she has been allowed
a permanent foothold amidst the perverse
generations of men. The current of the
world, the tide Of human affairs, has al
ways been opposed to her. Prosecutions,
wave after wave, have rolled over her;
yet she has stood as an immovable rock
amidst the angry floods. Civil power,
philosophy, history. science, poetry, fash
ion, custom, wit, have all in their turn
been made engines to assail the impreg-
nable fortress Of Christianity Intreague
has spared no wicked devise to under.
mine her foundations; cruelty and unre-
lcnting hate have poured out the Walls of
their wrath in the horrors of the Inquisi-
ton, or let loose the bloodhounds of war
to worry out and exterminate the saints
Of the Most High. Hsresy. inidehty,
superstitions, and fanaticism, misguided
zeal, unhallowed invaslons on her doc
trines and ordinances, and all spurious
forms of Christianity, have, in their turn.
done what they could to PROSTATE the
fair fabric of religion, or SO to undermine
confidence in her, to arrest or neutralize
her benevolent influences, rs to make her
lappear to the world as Of little WORTH
| The wisdom, policy, and spirit Of the
world--the maxims, principles, and ac.s
of the worldly-hsve done anything but
foster the vine brought out Of Egypt.
And what has been the result? The
church has outrode every storm. She
has passed unscathed by the lightnings
of human violence. Like the oak that
strikes its roots deeper, and clings to its
rocky soil the more tenaciously, as the
storm beats and the tempest RACES, the
church has been strengthened amidst the
| of h1y
the blood Of her martyrs.
But if we descend to details, we shall
not be the less grsti6ed to discern thu
, love of God engaged, and his ommpcten
. arm made bare to defend and favor hi
beloved Zion. / shall direct your mind
to few historical events which illustrat.
, this interesting truth.
/. Tile expulsion Of the Noors from
Spain ....
But few years elapsed after Moham
med preached his imposturss 10 the
world, before Moslemism spread over
nearly all Asia, the eastern part Of Eu-
rope, and a great part of Africa. The
portions of Africa adjacent to Spain ear
! ly became its strong holds. The couA-
tries now called Morocco and Fee, were
then called Mauritania, and its inhabitants
Moors. They were of Arabian origin,
and seem to have been an enterprlzlng,
warlike, intelligent people. They form
ed the channel through which the knowl-
edge Of the arts and sciences, and an ac
quantance with civilization, travelled into
Europe. Taking advantage Of the dis
tracted state of Spain. the Moors took
possession of large portions of that eoun-
try, which they held near eight centuries.
from 7l3 to 1892. Here they estab-
lished magnificent kingdom, cultivated
learning. while all the rest Of Europe was
sunk in barbarism, and left behind them
enduring monuments of their industry
and skill in the arts.
| We may take, as some specimen Of the
magnifcence of the Saracen empire, the
sing gle city of Cordova; which, in point
of wealth and grandeur, was scarcely
inferior to its proud rival on the banks Of
of the Tigris. A space Of twenty -four
miles in length and six in breadth, along
the margin Of the Guadelquiver. was occ
cupied with streets, gardens, palaces. and
public edifices. For ten miles the citi.
Gems might travel by the light Of the lamps
along an uninterrupted extent Of build
ings. In the reign Of Almazor. Cordova
could boast of 10000 houses, 10000
shops, 80 public schools. so hospitals.
oil baths, s.s79 mosques, from the
minarets of which SOC, 900 persons were
daily summoned to prayers. The seraglle
Of the caliph consisted Of the enormous
number Of 1900 wives, concubipes, and
black eunuch. The caliph was attended
to tho field by guard Of $4,000 horse
men, with belts and scimetars studded
with gold, Such was Cordova !; and the
city Of Grenada was. perhaps. equally
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