National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1873-02-13
PRESBYTE RIANISM.
IER-cEnTEAARY CELEBRATION.

NJ tho Fourth PRESBYTERIAN church, REV, DR..
snnIer,and,sN Tho weather was fearfupy in.
$500, 80, ,asnl,s a., ,.o a,,on,isn,o =,
clement, out despite mat the attendance OF
ladies and gentlemen was large.
The officers Of the occasion were; President,
Hon. VIM. Strong, vice presidents. Hon. John
scott, Hon. John hill' Judge 'harles DraAe anu
Prof. Henry.
The exercises were opened by a voluntary by
tne cnOlI uuueI ,ne ulIecuon o. W.T. ~: :. " ltary'
WIN ffoI' hayueh as oIEanN' Tue new Dr'
John c. Smith then read the 46th Psalm, and was
followed by the Rev. DR.. Sunderland In a most
appropriate and eloquent prayer. The choir
then sung the Psalm-"All people that on earth
do dwell"
President Strong now introduced Rev. Samuel
J. Wilson, DID, LID, professor Of ecclesIaa-
teal history in Western theological seminary,
Allegheny who preached the memorial discourse
Below will be read with keen interest, by Protes-
tant and Catholic alike, a aynopsis Of this re.
mafkabIe sefmoni
SCOTLAND IN THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY
At the beginning Of the sixteenth century
Scotland was wrapped In the densest gloom Of
Intellectual and moral darkness. Feudailsm, ig-
norance, superstition, lIcentiousness and tyranny
the worst elements Of the middle ages-held
mutual sway within her borders. The bishops
and Abbots, witt half Of the wealth OF the realm
in their Golfers, and outranklng princes and
mobiles in dignity aud power. setting at defiance
the laws Of I'D and man, outraged every prn-
Priests and triars, beastal In their stod sensual.
meas, nllId TIE land ike the frogs Of Egypt.
Friars were every where; monasteries and nun.
neries were counted by the hundred aud each
several one Of them was a lepTous plague spot.
The investigation into the condition Of monas-
tertes In England, ordered by Henry VIII, dis.
closed a corruption as loathlng a. that upon
which nre and birthstone were ralned on Sodom.
The state Of morals in the Scottish monastefies
priests i and frarS for their teachers. The priests
lips no longer kept knowledge, and when i'm.
mortal souls sought the "law Of his mouth" they
were tantallzed with dead forms In a dead Ian.
guage, which were a. destitute Of the spirit and
grace Of the gospel as mummy Of pyramids,
wrSnped in cerc-cioth, IL destitute Of hiooi and
| passion,
Inc Bible was almost as unknown as one Of
the lost slhyls. The pulpit was obsolete. In.
scandal and obscene comedy. By means Of
RECOMMENDATIONS AND ASATHENA
the clergy tyranlzed relentlessly over the
| souls and bodies Of men. The Church, which
should have been the friend OF the people used
all Its power to keep them In ignorance. This
apostate Church, winkinR at every species Oi
Vice, and tolerant OF all forms OF lniqulty
abreathed ont threatenlngs and slaughter
against all who yentured to question her au.
thority. For all such she had the ready arRu'
| ment Of tyrants, FIRE and sword Men were
| BURNED At TIIE STAKE
| for having the New Testament In q language
| they could read. Yet this vast despotsn, with
| It's elaborate machinery OF oppression, was i'm.
potent TO arrest the progress Of truth. II could
hun men with halls Of brass In their mouths Il
Eeen them from preaching the gospel In III,
nanies, but It could not destroy the truth tni
which those men dled.
sCOrIASDs REDEMPTION.
| But the ds Of scotlands redemption wa,
| drawing nigh. The echo Of the voices Of Wick
| life and IIuss sounded family along her shores
| Nv and by She caught qimpses Of the light
| which had been klndled In Germany, Switzer
| land and France.
youth Of twenty. with the blood Of earls and
dukes In his veins, Invested from his childhood
with a high ecclesiastical dignity, and with q
brilliant line Of preferment opene 10 him, began
| to feel the stirring OF the new spirit which wa.
abroad among the nations, went TO Germany, sal
| al the feet OF Luther and Melancthon At Witten,
| berg, drank In the spirit Of the converted Fran
| ciscan, Francis Lambert, at Marbnrg, and theT
| returned to Scotland all afame with zeal tC
| preach the Gospel,
| one afternoon fire was prepared In front OF
the old college in 81. Andrews, and this younI
| as only Gods heroes can die, and history wro,,
| in lneifaceabe characters the name OF the prntO
martyr OF the Scottish Reformation, Patrick
Hamilton. As had been predicted, "the rcik Of
| Patrick Hamilton infected as many as II blew
/ upon" From his ashes sprang men armed with
| the panoply Of the Gospel. The hierarchy could
burn men, but these very burnlugs kindled O
| light which could not be nut out
| GEORGE wIsuARr,
A learned evangelist arose in the person nI
George Wlshart. When he preached crowds
| hung spel-bound on his llps, Ills voice rang
| ike trumpet through Scotland, hut 1t was soon
| duenche,l IN FIRE. ON the slOpe In front Of thF
| Castle OF 81, Andrews the sea sounding his re.
QUEEN, Wlshart glOriOnsy sealed his testimony
| with his blood, Through the tapestried window
| Of the castle, reclining on luxurious cushions
Cardinal BeatOn witnessed the mertyrdom, glut,
ting his lecherous eyes with the agonles Of TIL,
lllnstrious witness Of truth,
The hierarchy welding the power which had
been won for II by Hildebrand and Innocent nj.
bearing two swords-the temporal and spiritual
lnsolently lOrilng II over prince priest and neo
| nIe, exercised a most cruel and beaTtIess Iles
potIsm. Its spirit was truly teviilsh. They had
The power, and they used Il savageIy, Whence
can deiyeranc0 come? Where can he found !
man strong enough 20 0Tapple with IL? lila,
God In his 1uiyeT such an arroyf Has he In nj
his kingdom one such champion h0ro7
JOHN Knox,
a tutor In the family Of Douglas, became the tla
voted follower and chlyalrous sWOnI-bearer o.
George Wshart. The times were fraught viii
mOmentous issues, and events big with thu
destinlea Of peoples crowded thick upon eacl
other, A few months after WlshaTt'I dealt
Cardinal Beaten was assasslnated. From tht
hounds Of persecution the tutor Of Douglas tool
refuge In the castle, which was now held by IN,
enemies of the Cardinal, lie was recognized a,
one fitted 10 be leader and teacher Of men. i
was memorable day In scottish history wheI
he first preached In the parish church Of at, An
dTews, "OthcTa hewed the branches OF Panls
try, hut he struck at the root" An felt tina
there was new power In the world, while
few chosen Spirits recognized John Knox as III,
ordained leader and champion Of the revolution
then beginning In Scotland.
KNOX TAERS PRISONER.
BY the aid OF French fOfces, the castle wa
taken, Knox was made q prisoner, loaded Will
chains and COnnned Us o galley slave. Released
from the galleyp, he spent I'VE years In England
and as preacher In Berwick and Newcastle wa
| ''mghty in WOrll" A chaplain 10 Edward VI
he stood before Kings. Asa court preacher he wa,
searching as Iaiimer; as the0lngian he wa
consulted In regarl to the Book OF Common
Prayer and the articles OF religion a. a divine
a line OF promotion was open TO him In q I
| Anglican Church. Edward VI. offered him
hlshopric hut he remained true To hts cOnylc
| lions, In spite Of gold and glory.
| Az IDoI lTROrs JElEBEI,
| when "thAt iIOlatrOus observation-disclosures
| Mary OF the Spaniards hOod"--camc 10 III,
| throne, Knox was compelled to ~ from Eng
| land. lie went to France, thence TO Swltzer
| Ian |, ant n ence to Germany. His exile on thu
| continent forms an important segment in hi
| life. II threw him into contact with other re
| formers from oil parts Of the world. His inter,
course with Calvin was the most important. A,
soon as he felt that he was needed he returned
to Scotland and preached there day and night.
To him all compliance with Papal ceremonle,
was treason to the cause OF truth, He laid daeI
and immOyable the foundations Of the RefOrma.
tlOn. All ecclesiastical history since Ia a vindi-
cation Of his policy Of reformation. lie returned
| TO Switzerland for two years.
dnEAf Crisis.
| When plans were aU lpatured Tor crushing the
reformation, Knox again steps suddenly upon
the scene. EllJah was Kept ~ nhsCHritg until the
time he was 70 confront Ahah. Moses came from
me deserts o. Mldlanl TO stand before Pharoah,
Elllah anu Moses were no more really called Of
God TO act In great crises than was ,ur hero
HIS appearance ~ EdnOnfgh, as sudden as thai
OF EllJah a. hamana, created panic among his
enemies. A good man In earnest, and with q
good cause, N as tue ChQrlOtS OF Israel and the