The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-04-28
NOT As OUR WA VS..

God to work faster. How long, o Lord?
how long?" is the feeling. Trace the
history of the Church from the day of
Pentecost to the present time. How
many weary years have passed over the
long succession of the Elect since the
cloud received Him out of their sight"
The last of the Apostles followed the
Master, and then the noble figures of
1gnatius and Polycarp pass across the
scene. Fiery prosecutions assail the
Church. Then we come to the times of
Justin Martyr and Iren@us. The second
century closes with Tertullian, and Glenn
ent of Alexandria, and Hippolytus of
Rome, as the conspicuous figures on the
stage of the militant Church. One hun
dred and fifty years have passed since
Paul and Peter and Barnabas first
preached to the Gentiles, and darkness is
already gathering over the Church
Journalism and spirit of worldliness
have this early corrupted the new reli-
gion.
1t is unnecessary to follow the history
Of the Sd, the 4th, the 5th centuries, and
to trace the development of the Romish
hierarchy. 1t is sufficient that weary
centuries roll on-weary, weary years of
thick darkness-the long night of the
middle ages-and we come to the 10th
century, and hear the trumpets of the
Reformation. Surely now the day of de-
iverance is GOMEZ Oh, bright rose the
sun that first broke through the dark
cloud of Roman superstition In Ger
many, in France, in Switzerland, in Hol-
land, in England, in Scotland, the con-
tlct RACES. There is a great awakening,
and thousands flock around the ark
wrested from the uncircumcsed by the
armies of the living God. But century
rolls by, and that banner trails in the
dust in France; Germany already leaves
her first love; England and Scotland
alone are emerging into a fuller light
amid the wars that preceded the Com
monwealth.
But the 18th century closes and the
cloud has spread over England again.
The Howes, the Baxters, the Bunyans,
the Owens, the Flavels, have passed away.
The Tolands, the Shaftesburys, the Col
Inns the Woolstons, the Tindals, the Nor
gans the Bolinbrokes, the Humes, have
succeeded. At the dawn of the 10Th
century the Established Churches of Eng
land and Scotland both seemed to be ex-
periencing sort of dry rot which threat
ened their very life. The rise and de-
yelopment of Methodism alone kept the
flames of a heart religion brightly burn
ing among the lower classes in England.
France had formally abolished the Chris
tian religion. Germany was entering
upon the ice-age of Rationalism
These things teach us that God works,
if we measure his operations by human
standards, slowly The tide flows and
GIBBS. Often the ship seems about to be
overwhelmed by the waves Hardly a
star is visible
But let us to-day, with all the infor-
nation now in our possession, take a
broad and general survey of the work
which has been done. Let us, with the
enlarged CONGRATULATIONS of the philoso-
pher, estimate the church-work of these
eighteen or nineteen centuries
The battle still RACES. The waves still
run high. The timbers Of the ship creak,
and every rope is strained The winds
of infdelity and worldliness still sweep
in terrific blasts over the mighty waste
Of waters which represent the mighty sea
Of human life
But how do we stand? What progress
have we made2 What vitality has the
church, What power does it exert =?
What are the limits of its dominion. and
what is the enumeration of it's subjects?
Sharon Turner, it is stated by the ".
T. Observer, prepared the following table,
which gives the progress of Christianity
down to the close Of the 18th century.
At the close of each century the table