Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1855-10-10
u. from their universities, and the Judges Of
sssize would extcrminate us from civil suciety."

| hymns give no uneaSinesS elmer 10 ln6 TlaSls'
trate, or his neighbors. But had Dir Wesley
ruised his notes on the high key OF civil diScor.
dance-had he attempted by his sermons, his
writings and exhortations, to deprive the Bish.
ops of the established religion, Of their croziers
kings Of their thrones; and magistrates OF. the
sword of justice; long ere now would his pious
labors have been crowned with martyrdom, and
his name registered in the calendar of FoX's
Saints. Such, unfortunately, was the case OF
John Huss. Not satisfied with oyerlhruwing
what was then the established religion, and
levelling the fences of ecclesiastical jurisdiction,
he strikes al the root Of all temporal poaoer, and
civil authority. He boldly asserts that "princes
magistrates DC, in the state Of mortal sin. and
deprived ipso facto of all po'cer and 5urisdicto'a
In this doctrine was envel"ped the seeds OF
anarchy and sedition, which subsequent preach.
ers unfodcd to the destruction of peace and
tranquility, almost all over Europe and which
Sir William Blackstone describes rs follows:
"The dreadful effects Of such religious bigot-
ry, when actua,ed by erroneous principles, even
of the Protestant kind, are sufficiently evident
from the history of the Anabaptis;s in Germany,
the Covenanters in Scotland, and The deluge ot
sectaries in England, who murdered their SOW
ersign, overturned the Church and monarchy,
shook every pillar of law, justice, and private
property, and most devoutly established king.
dom of saints in their stead"
John Huss, then, after broachng the above
mentioned doctrines, and making Bohemia the
theatre of intestine war. is summoned to appear
before the Council. He obtains safe conduct
from the Emperor Sigislnund, commanding gov
ernors Of provinces, &C., not to molest him on
his Journey tu, or return from Constance; but
to afford him every mid and assistance. In al
the provinces AMI cities through which he pas
SEES he gives public notice of his intention 10
appear before the Council and stand his trial.
But instead Of standing his trial, and retractIng
his errors, he attempts 10 make bis escape, in
order 10 disseminate, and make them lake deep
er root. He is arrested aud confined, in order
that he should take his trial, after having viola.
ted his promise, and abused safe conduct gran
ted him for The purpose Of erculpating himself or
retraciing his errors, if proved against him BE-
fore his competent judges is here 10 be
remarked, thar John HusS acaS an ccclesiasiic j;
and thai in spiritual cases the bishops 'cere his
only and competent judges. The boundaries of
the t,oo po,oers, mean The Church and STATE,
being kept distinct; the ccnscr left 10 the pom
Tiff, and the sword to The mag gistrate; the Church
confined to her spiritual weapons; privati"n of
life and limb, and corporeal punishmenls being
quite Of the province of the State; one should
not Interfere with the Suthss-22 -=body
the criminal is under the control Of the nagls-
lrate, ton jealous of his privilege to permit the
Church to interfere with his power-so, errone-
GUS doctrines are under the control of spiritual
Judges. too jealous Of their prerogatives to per-
nit The civil magistrates TO interfere with their
rights. Hence, when The parlizans of HuSs
raised camnrs about his confinement. and plead
ed his safe.conducL the Council published The
famous decree which has given rise TO so many
cuyils, for the space of four hundred years.
though thousands of laws of Il more important
nature and Of which We now think but little,
have been published siLce that time. TIE Coun-
ell declares, that erery safe conduct granted by
the Emperor, Kings, aud other temporal princes,
to herelics, or persons accused Of heresy, ought
not to be Of any prejudice 10 the Catholic faith or
to the ecclesiastical jurisdiction nor TO hinder
that such persons may and ought TO be examin-
ed, judged and punished, according rs justice
shall require, if those herelics refuse 10 revoke
their errors; and the person who shalt hare
promised them security, shall not, in this case, be
obliged 10 keep his promise, by whatever tic he
may be engaged, because he has done all that is
in his power 10 do." appeal 10 The impartial
public, whether that declaration Of the Council
does not regard the peculiar of safe-conducts
granted by temporal princes, to persons who
are liable to be tried by competent and indeuen-
dent tribunals! And, whether it be not an
insult to candor and common sense, to give it
such latitude as to extend It to every lawful
promise, contract, or engagement between man
and man? As if the Council OF Constance
meant TO authorize me to buy my neighbours
goods and after solemn promise to pay him,
still to keep his substance, and break my word.
The church and State are two distinct and inde-
pendent powers, each in its peculiar line.
man is to be tried by the Church for erroneous
doctrines a temporal prince grants this man
safe conduct, to guard his person from any vio-
ence which may be offered HIM on his journey !;
and to procure him fair and candid trial on his
appearance before his lawful Judges Has not
this prince done all that is in his power to do !?
Doth has promise TO such man authorize him 10
interfere ioith foreign and Independent jurisdic-
tion, or to usurp The rights IF anothere Do not
the very words Of the Council, because he
has done all that is in his power to do,' prove
that lawful promises are to be fullhled!"
"Thus we see, that this supcrannuated charge
of violation of faith acith heretics, resembles
those nightly spectres which vanish upon near
er approach. We find nothing in this Council
relative tu such charge, but dispute about
pass granted TO man who goes to take his
trial before judges whose jurisdiction could not
be superseded. Or if zoe intend tc do justice 10
men 10Th the same eagernesS that zoe are disposed
to injure them, 10e must acknowledge that The
fathers of that Council condemned lies, frauds,
perury, and those horrors which MIR. Wesley
,pould tain jfr upon the Roman Catholics. The
foundations, then, OH which Mr. Wesley has
erected his aerial fabric, being once sapped, the
superstructure must fall, Of course; and his
long train of false and unchrisian assertions are
swept away as IL spiders aoeb, before the ptnd
of logical rules. From absurd premises tollops
an absurd conclusion.
What ereater absurdity than Mr. Wesley's
insisting upon general Councils dscla'nnrg
doctrine it never taught? II MIR. Wesley be
40 creduluus as to bell .ye that the Pope has
horns we must convene n general Council to
declare that his forehead is smooth! Is il not
sufficient 10 discailn the truth of The odious
imputation, when the false creed is liked on
us?"
Iareply 10 the second and third points;
THE SPIRITUAL POWER OF THE PoPEs.
"The history of Europe proclaims aloud, that
the Roman Catholics are not passive engines IN
the hands of Pupes, and that they conhne MS
power within the narrow limits OF his spir'tua!
province. They have often taken bis cities, and
opposed zPaul's sword to Peters keys. and sl-
lenced the thunders of the vatican with the n"lse
of the cannon. They know that Peter was