The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-10-17
THE YEAR OF JUBIL0..


Eeeture by the Rev. Leonard Bacon ON tho
Puritans and Pressnitsrs Of ~ sHAartnp.
Quite large n1mber Of persons attended last
evening Ut the Broadway Tabernacle, corner OF
Broadway and Thirty fourth street. TO listen to the
nrst Of series OF lectures 70 be delivered BY the
Rev. Leonard Bacon, d. D.. Of New Haven, In COM
Meuosaton of the nfth jubilee Of ne landing Of
the Pilgrima At halfpast seven, after the usual
preliminary services the lecturer was introduced.
He said:-- tE
vThls year OF Christ 1870 completes fourth part
or thousand years since few exiles from Eng.
land, looking for . better country, landed in the
winter sOstice, the coast OF the then almost an
known territory which John Smith had many years
before named New England. We love to recount.
with gratitude to them and 10 Him whose servants
they were, the consequences Of the beginning which
they made In weakness ana in suffering. They were
the first founders OF our American nationality,
the germs Of our national life and instttu-
lions they came here in the May Flower,
ana New England began TO bloom like garden
when they occupied the wilderness winch they had
CHOSEN Tor their bone. Let their memory i've for
ever, long rs the pale anemone springs where their
tears were shed. In these lectures mere would not
be time 70 trace the effects Of this immigration ana
the lecturer would not attend to those medicines
~ "'''' r H AGE op.rnE REpoRMATIoN, s
In the sixteenth century. The Reformation really
began n iSi ana a was snca inc ~ an1 naee
Christianity. The reformation was really poltl-
Cal war, combined with me religious elements tiat
became dissatisfied the then existing order OF
Things. The Roman Catholic religion, or more
properly the Roman Catholic Church, was every-
where a political institution. fhe Pope and the
bishops Of that Church were often IN conflict with
the civn governments III the Middle Ages, AND
Sere wa 10 ~, be OF Inc Church Il aasl
take place under the protection OF some civil power
or else IN the form OF political revolution. IL was
necessity OF the times therefore, that the drst
attempts under Luther hat TO be suppressed
although The people AMI large number Of the
clergy were anxioas Tor IT. Luther, however, be-
The poiit.cai condition OF Europe was such
that the reiormers were, OF necessity almost
political elements OF the Reformation pre-
dominated in determining the form OF ecclesiastical
institutions and arransements which were then m
whole world. Liberty for the Stale or king had 10
be secondary to the ecclesiastical tyrannies OF Rome
WHAT THE kEVORMERs HAD TO FlGHT FOR
was the primitive Church Gospel. and they conceived
that England. being nation she had q right 10
have national Church independent OF Rome, 1t
being assumed that the people OF Christian nalon,
State or Kingdom were all Christians good as
those who ruled the organization known as the
Church. and also assumed that they represented
In Their governments. Arrangements were therefore
made for the reformation or ecclesiastical inst-
lions In conformity with the theory ~ nasionasn.
Every baptized people were TO DC independent Of
Rome as Rome had hereto. ore been independent OF
them. Before the Reformation there was no idea
OF Gburcn Independence. After me Reformation, III
as the political elements were popular
tile church government Was Presbyterian. Inc re-
formers accepted what they cot when state necess
Ties Obliged the government TO take SIDES with them.
In England THE country from which derive our or
Igin and language The two-fold character OF the Re.
formation became more conspicuous than in
any other country. Bull alter awhile the
real ieiormers saw that the Reformation was
really reformation at all The Church
sovereign anu ecclesiastical freedom and purity were
as far of as ever. The grand churches and livings
despoed frcm the Church OF Rome were MOI de-
voted TO The education OF the people any otner
useful purpose, but were given over TO the secular
and political mobiles, VINO we've thus ah.
BRIBED no SUPPORT THE GOVERNMENT.
They were interested IN maintaining the state OF
DOticO ecclesiastical affairs tat destroyed ali the
expected and hOped-for results OF the Reformation
Then the clergy--the reformed clergy-Were per-
United TO get married, ana Iney, like all
men having families dependent upon them
sided WITH their individuaI ana personal
and thus prevented the Reformation from
passing beyond q certain point But these adverse
influences were useful in their way, for they pre-
vented all possibility OF reconciliation with Rome
II was under these circumstances that number OF
mighty men arose from among new clergy that
were never reformed, but had come fresh into the
men OF reactiOnary tenden-
insisted on having the Reformation reach
Its full and natural limit, and these men were called
Puritans, because they insisted on reforming the
Church 10 its full and perfect purity. And these
the men whose advent to our shores we now ceie-
brate. May their memory remain green IN our
SOulS