The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1903-06-24
EVE CT TIE REFORMATION
Sunday Serncn On The Stfugg.s for
Religious Liberty"
4ev J. c. Wilson Talks insiruetively Of That
Period When he Foundations OF True
Religious Liberty We're Laid.

Religious Liberty We're Laid.
NEW YORK C1TY.-In the South Con4re
Eational Church Brooklyn. the Rev J. G.
Wilson, associate pastor, delivered a dis
course on The Struggle for Religious Lib
erty,' the subject being Europe on the
Eve OF the Reformation" The text wa.
Acts W, 80 and 30: And now / say unto
sou, Refrain from these men, and let them
alone; Tor If this counsel or this work b,
nt men, It Will come to naught. but If it bC
nj God. ye cannot overthrow it: lest hspl,
ye be found even to fight against God.
Mr.. Wilson said:
Let me suggest at the outset that tn,
strugg.c for religious liberty and what i
known a. the Reformation are not in al
respects identical movements. The Retor
nation was great tidal wave which swept
over Europe in the sixteenth century. ON
OF the vast and troubled sea of the ceutul
1cs whose waters were greatly agitatcd b,
the struggle for religious liberty. II wa.
The elimination OF that struggle II assert
ed the fundamental principles upon wn.ci
It had proceeded, and succeeded IN lJyiu.
broad and secure foundations upon which
true religious liberty could be built. bu. IL
lett some OF the higher standards and fine;
ideals unattained. In that respect there {.
much vet to he desired
In view OF the fact that the Reformation
split Europe into two great warning rcuE
ious camps, it is necessary to remind our
selves that up to that time there had been
but one Christian church in Western Eu
rope. And the struggle for religious liberly
went on within that church and NOT ou.'
side OF it, nor against it, after the fir.
three centuries. Whatever glory and what
eyer shame attaches to that church during
the first fifteen centuries s shared equally
by us all. Protcst1nts and Roman C1thOdr
alike. The Reformation itself originated
within the Roman Catholic Church. and
was led by men bred in her schools and
closters. We should also remember that
the Roman Catholic Church OF the fifteenth
and sixteenth centuries is not the Roman
Catholic Church OF the twentieth century
and in the United States.
From a very cary age religious differ.
-ences have encendered strife and stirred
the most violent passions OF men. Although
the jews tasted the bitterness OF persecu.
ton, that did not prevent them from
pressing the same clp 30 the lips of the
early Christians and, with the aid OF the
Romans, making them drinl; it to its dregs.
Then were written the first pages IA the
most sanguinary and thrilling story-l
story Of unutteribie suffering and grim en-.
durance Tor conscience saSc-whch his
tory's pages record. It can scarcely be
called n struggle il was as impossible foi
The obscure and deienseless sufferers to re
&
hand that crushes it. Judged from appear
ances. it was a remorse.ess massacre. which
crushed its victims into the earth. But TIM
real forces that were working out the prob
lem were not on the surface The odd.
against which the early Christians were
matched drove them to seek refuge in the
mountain fastnesses and in the subterra
mean caverns known as catacombs. Her,
they cherished their faith and worship nm
I'll the violence Of their enemies abated
After two centuries they came forth from
their hiding places, disciplined BY hard.
ship, trained TO prudence and foresight by
the peril in which they had lived and with
a compact and efficient organization. Their
leaders had improved their long secluslor
20 cultivate letters and arts, and soon tool,
leading places among scholars and men o.
affairs; so that when Constantine succeed
ed to the undivided possession of supremt
power in the Roman Empire prudence. il
not preference, moved him to an al!ianc,
with them.
Then began a NOW nbasa in tbe otrrr,,.
for religinns Ebertv Tbo das,,isoJ -
persecuted Cbristia1s nov r;sen to n,sne, H"s
of power and possessing the throne in th,
person Of the Emperor. did not abuse tbei,
trust Such was the spirit OF sweet rea
sonableness which animated them that th,
first Christian Emperor issued an edict o
religious liberation, known as the edict o
Milan, which granted religious liberty with
IN the empire. on the basis of the sacred
rights of conscience: only those religion
rites were prohibited which involved i'm
morality. magic or sorcery. Not until thI
fatal passion for power had been aroused ir
them by its pos session did the Christ;nn,
resort to persecution. The organization o.
abe Christian church kent race with n,
spread in Europe. From Rome ns n centrs
the missionaries penetrated to ali parts OF
Europe. They carried with them the love
of the mother church from which tbey
went and bound the churches which the,
planted TO her in gratitude and Christia:,
Fellowship. The confidence and affectior
which she won by her generosity and self
sacrifice in the co,DeI. she soon came 70 de
mand AZ her right. and when at length Tn,
Bishop of Rome secured the noliticai now
er OF his CITY ne asDired 10 make tbe tIadi
tonal capital of the world its ecclesia.tic,.
capital also. then. with the nolicv Of mill
tary Rome the Christian church adonteJ
also, the ambitious and relentless snir;t ol
ahe Caesars. EcclesiasticaI Pome nsurneG
che rigbts of nnnLind ond ner'ar,oJ r W. ~,
aiterties as ruthlessly as did political Rome
Through successive STAGES tbe churct
mounted to the throne of its mower mi !;
at was more absolute than the emniro har
ever essayed 10 he Men lie Grpgor,, III,
Great 10 III and H;Idehranj 80 49, ~; ~,
most astonishirg Gains and ahsnim,a s''
premacy in ali human affairs and treatc,
with The utmost sevaritv ali who v,;tbstoot
their claims Tn,vaiiin, nrotasts 20 tba,
astounding nretensions 80 70 r';'oJ b.. -,
lie Inhn ccatns Ahai,"J r'J' -, Ii nv
cia and WicLIiT and ;n ,he bn,,io,. VI LII. III
of life onnnsition sbcweJ ;t.ois - IN
-sects "a tba AIh;,,s,sns onJ ,ha WI i'ua, sue,
neither OF which desired :, senarate them