Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1890-02-14

enough to say here that there was time in
the primitive church when the words for
presbyter and bishop were used indifferently
for the same office, and to the fact or time
of presiding bishop having superior author
ity the polemics may decide. Suffice it that
the Politicians and others insisted on retain
ing the authority of elders, and the exact pc
riod when presbyterian government ceased
entirely df 1t ever did ceasel is "A matter of
such controversy that, according to one au-
thority, no less than II 900 books and pam
phlets thereon have appeared in Great Britain
and Ireland
For the purposes of modern history the
first epoch is that of the birth of Jean Chau-
vim, who made his name somewhat less
Frenchy after his location in Geneva. and is
known as John Calvin. He was born at
Noyon. Northern France. July 10, 1909 and
died at Geneva May q, 1864, having lived to
see the principles of the Reformation tri-
umphant IN Il large part of Europe. He was
a man of wonderful learning and memorable
logic. He began life as "a Catholic priest, but
reasoned his way To another faith and for
mulated in writing the views till then but
vaguely held by the Professionals From his
school in Geneva went out such men as John
Knox, and others who revolutionized the
changed the whole civil poity of England
Dec. 3, 1851, may be assumed as the second
great epoch, for on that day The First
Covenant" was drawn up at Edinburgh and
subscribed by the most powerful of the Scotch
noblemen and large array of barons and in
Huential country gentlemen. The queen at
once opened war on the Covenanters, and
John Knox hurried from Geneva, landing at
Leith May =, 1853 The Second Covenant
was then drawn and signed, and on Dec. 20,
1900 the first general assembly of the Church
of Scotland met in Edinburgh. The conflict
with prelacy continued with short intermis-
sions, and often with unreenting fury on
both sides for l29 years-till the accession of
William Of Orange But it was not till 1907,
when the legislative union of England and
scotland was completed, that the Presby-
terrain church of Scotland was really recog-
nizcd "a national and independent
The Presbytery at Wandsworth' in 1872
marks the third great epoch 1t was the
formal organization of Presbyterianism in
England, Seventy-live years later the Pres
hyterians dominated parliament and the
country, but only for short time. The next
Great epoch was lGiS-l9, when the celebrated
Synod of bort convened at bort, in south
Holland, condemned the doctrines of Armm-
ius and affirmed those of Calvin In the
i'''i'e 'aiies i hau Piah'ed northern
iiei'n'' WI" Dc"'tlsh coloilsts' ana IA preShN-
very was established at Narrlcklergus III lOl@.
i"us ociore 'ne inidule Oh the seventeenth
century respyueilahlSh was completely
"oiii,'iaht Ill il"ilahu, dominant III the hearts
vi the people III ocoliahu' cohtestlhg the
-rouhi III EhSi"nd anu making RAPID prog
.1ss III liei"i'u' anu IL was evident 10 Tar see
inc tl.s.t ~,
ih3 men IiaI great cohhict was at hahd.
1t Is wen 10 warn the reader at TINS point
against V'ie 700 common error OF confusing
i"i''ic"l anu reiis'ouS persecution As the
ireSpS teriuh pol'S Is SIMPLY universal sur
iaae anu representative government, with
'nc ,lS"t Vi appear 10 h'Sher tribunals ana
i"c'l independence III purely local aiialrs the
strongly 'hoh"rchlcai party OF the Seven
'eeh'A century was quick enough TO snei!
l.'Pu 'ii'''ii'a'n III II V'hu IL isn't easy 10
prove 'le contrary l' anu 20 such hohaicnS ~
'no O""rIeS'' anu J"lIle9eS, ana ii fespec-
nNeiy' II was lhSuleiabiy hateful 30 the
u@hu was iheNl'hnlr' bui mere was llrSt an
huteii pI at coHiprehehsloh III lhat cele-
OIated W 'athlIilateI chAl4per'
July l. lui'' II ilrsU coiiNehed' Feo -,
OH IL nhaily dissolved It's Official desgna-
non was the w estlnlnster Assembly OF
DiVlhes' ana TO II all English speaking Pres
byterlahs acknowledge great Difference. This
vas the lourth epoch-the great central