The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1874-01-24

the power of the empire to crush it, but
in vain. Under the catacombs the fire
was smothered, but was only gaining in
tenser heat, but persecution at last grew
weary and despotism claspng the cross to
its breast made it its friend and ally. The
history of christianity from the time of
Constantine to the middle of the sixth cen
fury was the reverse of a creditable one,
until at last christianized-pa ganism or
paganized- christianity sunk to the very
lowest point of degradation, corruption
and nfamy.
Such was the position of affairs when
down among Arabia's sands God began to
develop another of His little things. Mo-
hammedanism seems one of tho strangest
phenomena of history. 1t is true that the
assertion is some times made that it won
it's triumphs with the sword, but the ques-
lions recurs, where did it get it's sword
1t numbers as many followers as Chris
tianity, although it is six centuries young
err, yet christianity claims divine origin
which we deny to its rival Born poor
with but few friends and no means but an
indomitable will, preaching simple, as
cetic faith, Mohammed begun his mission;
his handful of followers increased Koreish
idoatry fell and Christianity made still
less resistance. The crescent soon waved
from Mecca, and though the author of the
system fell it did not arrest the spread of
his faith. Soon the crescent waved from
Jerusalem, Antioch. Alexandria and Seville;
across the Pyrenees it passed but was
hurled back from the plains of France.
Still it continued to hover around the trem-
bling papacy until another little spark
began to become flame, when the cres-
cent ceased to be an aggressive power and
passed into decline that bids fair soon to
extinguish it forever.
In the wales of northern Italy faithful
few still kept alive the faith preached by
Paul. The mountains have always been
freedoms home. The rugged Highlands
were the home of Wallace; the alps of
Switzerland, the birth place of modern
republicanism, so Protestant freedom had
its early home among the Vaudois.
A young man reads his Bible in a uni
vers'y cell; little thing it seemed, yet it
has proved lever sufficient to move the
world. Next he atfixes his objections to
the church door and by that act threw
wide the gates of free thought. Gutten-
burg with his press, Luther with his Bible
had little in common, yet they were nat
ural allies. Like Millions fleeing gods
before the infant Christ, as the reforma-
ton with it's Bible came upon the scene,
the Koran disappeared. Never did Satan
labor harder than to crush the feeble ref
ormation. For two centuries Europe was
filled with blood, the friends of equal
| rights and free thought persisted by mil
lions, but the truth, like Moses bush,
while surrounded by flames was not con-
sumed. The battle still goes on; the giant
Pope, as Bunyan tells us, has lost his
teeth, but not his malignity.
When Luther nailed his theses to the
church door, Spain was at the head of
European powers, France was second on
the list, Germany was torn by intestine
divisions and England was scarcely reck-
oned among the great powers. France
extinguished liberalism in the terrors of st.
Bartholomew and the dragoonades, the God
she rejected, rejected her, and her history
for two centuries has been a contest be-
tween atheistic communism and Romish
despotism, and day, torn by faction and
folly, disgraced by the bloody rule of
Napolean or McMahan, she is yearly sink
ing lower in ignorance, superstition, and
intestine division and stumbling blindly on,
guided by false lights of Communism and
Romanism to hopeless future. The flag
of Spain once led the Cause of adventure
around the world, and her name was one
at which all Europe trembled. She &C
cepted the teachings of Loyola rather than
of Luther. The mercless ineuisition
with its mailed hand crushed all liberal
inspiration or hopes. Her rich American
disappeared from the seas, her govern
ment has sunk to the very lowest point of
degradation and her future looks, if posi-
BILE, more hopeless than that of France.
Germany was in Luther's time a loose con-
federacy of rival States; the people were
rough and uncultured, despised by the
polished jewellers beyond the Alps. To
day she is the first power in Europe and
I,,, IL Ia ~, =
literary research. Her choice was Luther
not Loyoa. That choice seemed little
thing. Mark the result. The mills of
the gods grind slowly, but they grind
exceeding SMALL
In England, Wicklife, Ridley and their
fellows lit the flame of religious liberalism.
Hampden, Pym aud Milton unfurled the
banner of equal rights. More than once
that light has seemed we'll nigh extin-
guished, but it has recovered only to shine
with brighter luster. England is now an
honored name the world over, her flag
waves in every sea, and to be an English
citizen is coveted distinction. Compare
the fate of England with that of France
and we see what little things may change
the fate of States and empires. 1t is said
that upon one of the Alpine SUBMITS there
is a little lake, part of the waters OF
which join the Rhone and finds its way TO
the sunny sky and blue waters of the Med
iterranean, while a part joins the Rhine
and goes forth to mingle with the clashing
of northern storms. The same is true of
individuals and of States; there is a slight
divergence at first, but at last it becomes
as wide as the poles.
A little fleet sails from an obscure Spanish
town, and after stormy voyage, reaches
tropic island. This seemed but a small
thing, but it involved the rise of a nation
that has given an impulse to the world of
which coming centuries only can realize
the result. A party Of Adventures land
upon the James, brave and hardy few
make their homes among the ice and SHOWS
of Plymouth. Two hundred and fifty
years have passed and nation of forty
millions has taken the place of the first