The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-11-25

sented to any such conclusions as the synod came to. The plain statement of fact Is, that only about twenty of the members originally summoned were clergymen of the Church of England, and but few of them took their seats The bishops of the English church never ac- knowledged its claims. and the King for bade it's sessions under extreme penalties. June p. 16is. It is plain that nothing could have been of greater detriment to the Church of England and the King, then on the throne, than the convoking of this synod on the purposes then laid down by parliament
 Tt has been called a reigicio politico assembly; 1t owes it's origin to the eccles- iastico political conflict between the Long Parliament and King Charles l. In re- ality it was a political move with the eeelesastieal feature, because there was no other way to gain the desired end without it, for the reason of the part that the English church played in the af- fairs of state. When the ecclestiastics were summoned and the assembly con vened the struggle was with two propo- sitions in It's religious aspect-a struggle with Puratisb or radical Professionalism against a semi Romanist Episcopal hiher- archy and liturgy. In it's political bear ings contest for parliamentary privi- leges and popular freedom against the monarchal absolutism of the Stewards. So grave did these charges appear that Charles thought it wise, and did issue manifesto in Latin and English, in which he denied the intention. charged upon him. of re-establishng papacy in his realm.
 The Condition.
 With this condition to be met and the opportunity given 10 Presbyterian, as governing principle. and Calvinism as doctrine, the confession of faith and the Presbyterian form of government was the only logical result possible.
 To discuss the effect of Calvinism would be impossible from the standpoint simply of the confession. The first thing To be said would be the confession itself was an effect of Calvinism. Had not the truth already existed there could have been no confession. To illustrate my meaning, take the coming of Paul into Europe He probably went as far as Spain, but whether he did or not is to no purpose, he brought into Europe the truth as now held by Calvinists One ef feet of that truth was the production of Augustine and later of Calvin.
 Calvin was hated by the Catholics as the author of the system that opposed the proudest and most invinciple front to Rome; by princes and statesmen as the man who instituted q church that acted as revolutionary force In politics; by anglican bishops and devines. as the fath- CT Of Puritanism that so long disturbed their power; and by Armenian theologians as the inventor and appologists of a "decretun horrible" which they detest- ed, without always making sure that they nnderstood by Free Thinkers, as the man who burned Servetus, who, because he " Calvin because he burned him; a shame less sinner; by secular republicans, be- 1 cause he furnished a religious state, and dealt hardly with sins they were inclined to; by the sons of Light and Sulture, for the imperious ethical temper that did not leave room for the free play of elements needed to constitute their whole of life The man who has touched so many men discordant in everything but this con cordance of hate, is to be explained not by his extraordinary and transcendent power of mind, but by the power of truth as formulated and stated to his own mind"
 It was Presbyterianism and system of doctrine, that had for it's result John Calvin and his work for the world, as 1t afterwards had the Westminster stand ards.
 Father of Presbyteransm
 
 France, struggled there for liberty. Would you read of heroic deeds? Turn the pages that tell of the early Huguenots, the first French Presbyterians. Abuse persecution, social ostracism, death itself did not daufH those brave souls Are you prepars& said AAdmiral Coligny to his wife, as Whey discussed the coming desperate struggle. to endure confsca- tion, iighs agony, shame, nakedness and hunger iFd what is more, to suffer all these in your children? Are you pre- pared to see your husband branded as a traitor and your children disgraced and ruined, begging their bread at the hands of their enemies? I give you eight days to reflect upon it, and when you are pre- pared for such reverses l shall be ready to set forward and perish with you and your friends" The reply was, The eight days are already expired; go sir, where duty calls. In the name of God, l call upon you to save your brethren to die in the attempt Despite temporary tr- umphs and Nngly promise. Saint Bar tholomews day followed with it's massa- ere. then the exile of the Huguenots. But the seed sown bossomed. after many years. into a republics frutage even in the land where kings were thought to rule by right divine.
 "In Great Britain Presbyterians cham pioned the peoples rights. Hume de- clares: TO this sect the English owe the whole freedom of their constitution Taine writes: They founded England by vindcation of right, by resistance to op- pression. by conquest of liberty The Lambeth articles were drawn by Calvin ists. You aim at a Scots Presbytery,' said King James at the Hampton court conference, and that agrees with mon archy as we'll as God agrees with the devl.' The doctrine of Calvinism is anti monarchiaf: no bishop, no king, was the conviction and the expression of Charles the First
 '"ro say anything of Scotland and the covenanters would be failure in words to say what the world already knows and feels. Calvinism has nodded the life of this people as the potter molds his clay. Their virtues are from the Presbyterian