The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-12-10
PULPIT AND PLATFORM.


| PULPIT AND PLATFORM.
HISTORY OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH
The second of the series Of sermons on this
subject was preached Sunday afternoon in st.
Stephens Church by Rev. Mr.. Dalton. Text
John, Is: 36-"Jesus answered, My Kingdom
| is not of this World.''
| The darkest hour of the night is the
las and the darkest hour in the history of the
| Christian church was that which immediately
| preceded her delivery from the most crnel
prosecutions which her enemies could devise
From Decius to Dlocletian. or the last half
| OF the third century, there was scarcely an IN
| terval OF repose and no form of iojQry which
was not inflicted. But when Constantine "a.
| ID. BID had ranquished his rivals, he openly
| esponsed the Cause of the Christians and
brought them aid and succor while he barely
| tolerated the celebration of heather rites
which were formally Suppressed By Theodosns
near the close of the century Christians
| emerged from their hiding places in great
numbers, came rapidly to the front, were
entrusted with the highest offices and received
especially true of the clergy on whom Com
stantine bestowed every mark of his favor.
inviting them to court, rebuilding their
churches on magnificent scale, and making
| ample PROVISION for the revenues of kingdom
whose Founder had declared that it was "not
of this world
Apart from the world, opposed to and bv it
up to this date, heDceforth it was to share the
vlciss1tudes OF courts and kings. ENJOYING thu
protection OF all subsequent emperofs, except
Julian the Apostate-the Church soon forgot
her former woes in the sunshine of pres
sent prosperity. Long used to poverty she
had become suddenly rich. No longer despissd
and forsaken so that but few of the great and
noble were numbered among her children, her
courts were now crowded with worshippers.
Formerly her congregations were confined to
the upper rooms" of private bouses-now
they assembled in splendid basilicas built to
last Tor Centuries, adorned with precious stones
and enriched with vessels and ornamen of
gold and silver Her ministers, ones hunted
dowD, driven into exile, were now received with
favor everywhere and their society hiebly
valued. Ii you ask me what was the effect Of
tnls sudden transition on the character of the
CHURCH, her ministers and members, reply
that it did not differ from all similar cha pges NJ
fortune. 1t is not in human nature to With
stand the injurious influences of SUCH ranid
revolutions of fortune. Tbs minds Of men.
like their eyes, require time to adjust them.
selves TO novel situations, and especially when
they suddenly emerge from the dark trials of
poverty and persecution to the dazzling light If
boundless prosperity.
10 many respects, the civil administration
and general society underwent most favorable
changes. Barbarlc laws were repealed or mod.
lied, while the tone of social life was much i'm
proved, though by no means wholly purified
The rigors of slavery were gradually abolished.
the sentiment of brotherhood was introduced,
the first time, out Of Judes, the true ideas of
marriage and family life, all that is involved in
the dignity and happiness of half the race were
successful ly incorporated into the laws of the
Empire whence they passed toto the legislation
and life Of all Christian nations Such was the
immediate influence of the Church on the civil
LIKED world as it then was. But what was the
Influence of the world on the Church? Candor
compels US TO confess that it was reciprocal and
perhaps equal. If the tone of society was
raised that of the Church was lowered. IF ont.
wardly the world became Christian, the Church
within and without, became worldly, The
clergy grew luxurious, ambitious of worldly
distinctions and honors, and often greedy of
gain.
Heresies were scented from afar which gave
rise to fiery debates, from which divisions
sprang % that rent the Chlrch, Of old IL
used to b4 SAID, "See how these Christi ans love
one another" Bal IN this period they began
10 turn their weapons against each other.
In this era great doctIinal controversies
arose, and the general councils were held
which settled them. The chief controversies
were the Arian, the Pelagian, the Apolina-
iian, the Nestoriap, the Monotheite, the
Monophysite and the Donatist controversies
touching the divine and human natures Of
Christ and tue operations of grace.
The Councils were held in NIcacse (325) Con-
stautnople (SS1), Ephesus (44l) and Ohace-
done (451).
The leadog disputants who figured in these
controversies end COUNCILS were Athanasius
and Atius, Augustine, Jerome and Pelagius.
Eus. bus and Chrysostom, Leo and Gregory.
called the Great. Bishops of Rjme were the
first to inaug0rate successfully that pslioy
which prevailed in all the Western churches for
thousand years after they were dead.
81 Patrick, Scotchman born near Glasgow,
was the first to preach the gospel ia Ireland.
Whlie COLUMBIA 10 the next Century carried il
from Ireland to the Scots of the North Au
justine with forty associates was sent on a ms
sion from Rome to England, where the Church
had already existed for several centuries but
had been much weakened by the Saxon and
Danish co0quests.
Christmas was first formally observed in this
era, bat Easter from the beg ming of the Cos.
pei.
Christian zeal, self-deniaI, virtue and the
doctrines OF Immortality were recognized by
Gibbon as the chief human causes which se.
cured the victory of Christianity over Pagan
ism. We may add the marriage Of the Church to
the State was the chief cause of denuding the
Gospel OF halfits power by arresting its course
of free development and uniting its fortunes
with those of worldly kingdom
The APOSTLES preached not to please men.
but God. The rulers of the Jews were aston
ished at the boldness of Peter aud John who
could not but testify of things they had
seen and heard. Taken under the protection
OF princes. their nominal successors soon &C.
qured style of address which suited
their courtly surroundings. There were, how
ever, noble exceptions as Chrysostom who pre-
TERED exile to adulation even of an Empress,
and Ambrose who BUNDLED to the dust for his
sins the Master of the world.
ELDER GRANT
The series of Christian meetings at Union
Hall, under the leadership of Elder Miles
Grant, continue with increasing interest. Sum-
day evening about dozen persons started
to live Christian life. Meetings will be held
each evening during the week. On Thursday
evering by request Elder Grant will preach on
1.-THE Rich Man and lazarus Saturday
afternoon at O'Clock the ordinance of baptism
will be administered by Elder Grant to quite
number OF converts in the Back Bay at the
foot of Frankn,street, and in the evening the
celebration Of the Lord's supper will occur at
the nall, to which CHRISTIANS only are invited
NOTES.
The Christian Year is the subject of Rev.
MT. Dalton's lecture at st. Stephens Vestry
this evening.
The thru lecture in the Mite Society course
was delivered at the First Baptist church last
evening by Rev. Mr.. Chase of Lewiston. Sinh
ject, "John Buuyan." To begin at 4 20.
The revival meetings under the Gospel
Temperance Mission at Mechanics Bnildiug
and Abyssinian church are held az usual every
evening.
Rev. W. T. Chase of Lewiston delivered
VerS Interesting ientnrn :. - ni-.S r. ,ntist
-.-.o 10 Tie Il 40. HHiplss
course on John Bunyan last evening.
Temperance Union.