The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1890-09-24
JOHN CALVIN'S WORK.
His Part in tho Reformation the
Theme Of a Discourse
BY PRINCIPAL FAlRBAlRN

At tho First prcsDy crian Churc
last Evcnlnr...A Crowded House
!. Grccts the Famous English
Scholar and Divine.
The lecture OF Rev Dr.. a. NJ. Fai
BARN, Principal Of Mansfield Colles
Oxford, England, on "Jchn Calvin IN
the Reformation" in the First prcsb,
terian Church last night, drew an aud
ence that packed the house. The aisle
were filled with chairs to accommodate
the people. All the surrounding town
were represented. The St. Clairsvill
Presbytery, which was In session a
Bridgeport, adjourned to attend in
body.
After singing by tho choir and praye
by Rev. DR.. J. T. Mcclure, Of tho United
Presbyterian church, Rev. Dr.. D. A
Cunningham presented the lecturer
Dr.. F&rbairn speaks without 80 much Al
a scrap OF paper before him. lie is full
Of his subject, has great facility and
precision ot expression, commanding on
the instant the exact date he wants and
the very word which best expresses his
meaning. Standing aside from the desk,
In full view Of his audience, he begins
deliberately, confidently, laying down
his propositions with the air OF one who
has no doubt Of his ability to prove
them, and as confidently proceeding
with his exposition. At first he EN-.
ploys few gestures Of narrow range,
giving himself wider scope in this re-.
spect as he warns to his subject, when
the whole man seems to be ai1ve to the
matter in hand. His discourse was an
analysis OF the causes which led up to
the Reformation, Of John Calvin as a
product OF that great movement and of
his service to the cause Of religious and
civil liberty. The argument drew line
Of connection, with little deviation, from
Calvinistic Geneva to Puritan New Eng
land. The lecturer spoke for all hour
aud quarter, AMI would have been lis
tened to with equal attention and inter-
est il he had doubled the time.
In his opening DR.. Fairbairn said it
was bis purpose to speak Of the Reforma-
ton, what it was, why it WAS and what
it accomplished. AS an event in history
1t was great movement in the provi.
dence OF God. 1t has relation to Gods
purpose with regard to NIL men in all
To understand what went
before, We must ask what was the
Christianity OF Christi He did mol much
use the term church. He came to found
a kingdom, md this was the commonest
phrase on his tongue. We can interpret
the church through the kingdom. 1t
spread SO silently that it was like leaven
hid within 30 many measures OF meal,
but it's progress is sure.
The people Of this kingdom are its
citizens. Within it are 10 priests, ex-
cept as every man is priest in bis duty
to God. But there are no official priests.
AS consequence there are no outer sacri-
fees. Sacrifices are all spiritual, ethical.
Those in authority are not one, but
many.
There is no pre.eminent holy city, I'm.
less it be Jeruselum. There il no evil
dence Of any priority Of Bone. In the
entire New Testament there is not eylla.
BILE that can be interpreted to mean that
Peter waB ever there. Baptism was a
simple ordinance. The supper was u
simple breaking Of bread. Coming
down to the Fifteenth century, the
church is stupendoas system, one man
rules it, surrounded by cardinals,
bishops and priests who, as it were, hold
the way Of God to men, the way OF men
to Coda complicated sacerdotal system.
Here is the great problem: How did
that simple system OF christianity be.
come the elaborate system Of Cath
olicism? Observe that church is
much like a man, 1t may have in it
much OF the old Adam. Though Christ
did not name any person priest, priests
by and by began to appear. In tho
third century agreat Father, the Bishop,
began to name the pastor, the priest.
Once be was let in he brought all his
accessories with him, an idea new and
alien to the Christian church. Fifty
years later it elaborated the sacriacial
idea.
In ancient Grecian life were societies
known as Mysteries, and this very name
and idea came to be incorporated, 80 that
the entire Hellenic notion Of mystery
come to be applied to tie simple Chris
tian ceremony Of Christ's church. Later
the ancientidea ofthe Kingdom was sup.
erceded by the idea Of imperial Rome.
Great Rome was in the throes OF death.
Her Emperors went to the West. The
Bishop remained, the sole representative
OF power. From it all emerged that
which was most foreign to the idea Of
the church Of God. Where sat the Em-
peror, now sat the Pope; where the SEN
ate, now the Cardinals, where the pro-
curators, the pasriafchs; where the
leyions, still greater army OF priests.
There went with this change extraor-
binary forgetfulness OF the old religion.
I honor mediaeval Rome for its service
to men, to the arts, to letters, and have
no unkind words 10 say Of it: We are
merely seeking the facts OF history aud
drawing the lesson from them. Our task