The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-12-30
PULPIT AND PLATFORM

HISTORY OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH.
Rev Mr. Dalton, 10 his fifth lecture on the
History Of the Church, took as his subject
"Relormers before the Reformation. Text,
St. Marx, tx, Z: Neither do men put new
wine into old bottles, else the bottles break and
the wire runneta out, and the bottles perish;
bat they put new wiue into new bottles, and
both are preserved
For nearly thousand years before the Re-
formation Of the church, Europe presented
spectacle the like of which was never seen be-
fore and will never be seen again. The church
was the ruling power. not always IN the as
cendant, but ever Vigilant and always active.
and everywhere persistent The shadow of the
papacy gradually, but surely, extended in all
directions, aud fell not only upon every visible
object but upon the most secret springs of hui
man action. By its sanction kings Ieigned and
princes received their power. By its fiat an
army If priests, monks, friars and nuns tn
camped on the soil, and held the whole CONT
nent for its liege lord, the Pope Europe was
covered with vassal palaces, universities,
churches and cloisters, as with oetwork, which
enclosed and held fast every livieg thing. The
structure of society was as balanced aud min-
ute as clock work, and moved with equal pre-
cision. THIS scheme of society was the vast
est, most sub lie aud most complete ever de-
vised and made TO work. So marvellous was
it, that cur modern positlvist philosophers pro-
pose TO copy it when they come into power, and
the organization of social forces is committed
to their hands. But doubtless their copy would
a fray
Such grand, Wis BILE organic atoms spriug from
an inward life and Can be vltalized only by the
forces which origIuate them. These forces in
the Middle Ages were tremendous, irresistible
and far reaching. They extended to the re-
hottest corners Of Earope, penetrated into the
most secret recesses and controlled all sorts
aud conditions of men. from the king on his
throne TO the peasant in his mud howell. But,
after all, 1t was yoke which neither our faith
ers nor we we're able to bear La thus, it was
like the old Jewish yoke, and like that it was
changed for an-easiar Sate ana-a'shtorh zt
dcu.
The men and means by which this change
was made, are worthy of special study. Ars-
formation of the church in its head and it's
members had long been the rallylng Cry of
liberal returning party throughout Europe.
This was the avowsd obj ct of the three great
councils of Pisa, Constance and Basic, in the
fifteenth century. But what these aud all 9TH
or COUNCILS. however great, failed to do Was
came Welt 10 the fourteenth century, who
translated the B'ole into Engllsh, denied that
the Bishop of Rome had any rghtful jurisdc-
ton IN England, advised the Withholding of
Peters pence aud began to presch those dec
trines since called evangelical. 10 the fifteenth
century John Koox took up Wiclii's work in
b be mia aud after sowing far ADD wide the
seed. OF d similar reformation, suffered death
by the decree of the Council of Constance,
into whose power he was delivered by, the
nhnr fhn Go Ak4
mund.
In the latter part of the same century,
S.vonOrola, with the zeal Of Az apostle and the
fiery Dold0.ss Of H. brew prophet, denounced
IN Italy The corruptlons of society and the
church, not spsring even the Pope, b. cause,
like Peter of old, she was to be blamed"
In connection with these popula- movements,
other causes We're at WORK. not SO vsibiy, bat
more efficiently. l refer to the revival OF the
study OF the Hebrew and Greek languages,
under the leadership of Reuchlln, the first
b. bralst of the time, aod the publication of the
fist edition of the New Testament, in Greek,
by Erasmus, the most celebrated classical
scholar Of the age
In due time Tetzsl appeared in Germany
Offering indulgeDces for sale on such scandal
who with Me anchor ia Germany, Zwioge in
Switzerland, Calvin in Geneva, ana CraDmer,
Lstimer and Ridley u England, carried enough
Of the princes, priests aud people With the N to
ctCNF6 Tue teidUitsUu6Ut Vi bn6 tlDfutU
churches in Germany, Denmark, Sweden,
Switzerland, Holland and Eoel ind.
Hencef0r'h Europe is divided into two camps,
only the Latin half as IL were, cODt,puing an
organic connection with the Sae of Rome, and
this part of the church underwent marked
changes, which impaired new vgor aud en-
abled it TO enter upon a rev career. Nor can
We fairly claim that all the changes introduced
ia other couOtrles, have proved an ubm Ixed
blessing. Liberty 10 church or state is great
boon, if the people are prepared for it, and are
able to regulate 1t by law. but it may "a ily,
and Oft u does, degenerate into discard, liceDse
and anarchy. Disruption OF old ties, the abaD.
donneDt of an ancient faith, is always an event
of the Fl 81 magi itude, and usually followed by
excesses, unless the effervescence Of the new
wine is regulated In new bottles better than it
could be in the old.
The free meeting at the Sons of Temperance
Hall, yesterday afternoon, was one of deep it,
terest The ball was well filled and the speak
ing was excellent.
The First Parish church was beautifully
trimmed yesterday, and the choir in the morn
ing sang, among other SELECTIONS, Mendes-
sohn's "RtjJce IN the Lord, and ..IIafk- The
Angels" The doctor took bis text from heV'
elatiOns, v. 6.
Rev MIR. Bicknell delivered bis last Sunday
evening lecture 1ss6evenlng.
Rev. A s. Ladd administered the ord nance
of baptism to a number of converts at the First
Baptist church Yesterday morni1g.
There was Christmas concert at the Second
Parish church last evening.
Congress Hall was filled TO overlooking at the
meeting of the importance Union last evening.
The devotional exercises we're made BY Rev.
John Allen Of Harrington. Interesting ad.
dresses were made by f. G Rco, E. A. Smith,
J. Fl. Haseltine and Rev. John Allen. Mrs,
q. s. Currer acquitted herself admirably and to
the sar1sfaction Of the large aud ence IN her
reading Of ''Found Dead' aud t'How Fannie
Came Home" A large number of signatures
o. thta m I ha ,,IrdUa