THE GENEVES Ε BRANCH OF THE APOSTACY.
While the credit and authority of tho Roman Pontiff were on the
docline in Germany, they received a mortal wound in Switzerland
from Uiric Zuingle. a canon of Zurich. He was a man of heioio intrepidity,
of an adventurous genius, and of an uncommon degree of
knowledge and penetration. He is said to have been much buperior
to Luther in learning, capacity and judgment; and Dr. Mosheim ad*
mite, that the spirit of revolt began to show itself in Zuingiius before
Luther came to an open rupture with Rome. r»s early as 1516, he
began to explain the Scriptures to Uic people, and to censure the errors
of Papalism The impious traffic of indulgences started Zuirtgle
into open rebellion against the Pope in Switzerland, as it afterwards
did Luther in Germany; and had Zuingiius enjoyod the patronage of
t'rinces and had so important a theatre of action, it is ptobab!e we
should have hea d more of the reformation of Zuingl us than of Luther
» Bernardino Samson, an Italian Mon-k,wa* the Pope's merchant
or agent in tho Cantons, for the sale of licenses to sin. Like ' e?zel
in Germany, he was very zealous in his master's business. But Zuingle,
in 1516, spoiled his craft, by exposing tho worthlessncss of his
spiritual wares. His steadiness, resolution and courage were crowned
with success, and tho Helvetic Cantons soon rejee cd and denied tho
doctrine of the Pope^a supremacy. Zuingle and Carlostadt, both
maintained that the bread and wine in the "JSactampnt" were nothing
else but bread and wine, appointed an emblems ol the body and blood
of Jesus: in opposition to Luther and the Pope. As these leaders
taught, so their disciples believed; hen^o it became an article of %faith.
From...the ye.ir 1524, this became the standard of orthodoxy in Switzerland,
The form of ^ trill-worship " established for the Swiss, by
Zuingiius, the founder of their religion, was remarkable for its eimplicity,
compared with other forms set up by other founders of new
religions.
21
THE CHURCH OF GENEVA,
or as it is romelttnes called, the Reformed Church, had scarcely been
established as the National religion by Zuingle, when the'Oirw/utfi
Hero," as he is termed.in 153U fell in a batile that was fought between
tho Protestants of Zurich, who drew the sword in defence of Zuinjglianisin,
and the subjects of the Pope, who threw away ihe scabbard
in the cause of Romanism. **lt was not, indeed, to perform," says
Mosheim. "the sanguinary office of a soldier, that Zuingle was present
at this engagement, but with a view to encourage and an,mate, by
his counsels and exhortations, tho val ant defender» of the t'roic*taot
Cause." And so much the worse. Who is tho greatest man slayer,
he that shed» the blood of five men with his his own hand, or he who
infuse courage into thousands to animate them in the slaughter of
their tens of thousands? It is the cause of Antichrist, under a new
and more disguised form, that needs rivulets of human bloc d to moisten
and cement its foundation and defences. Thus did the l.utheian,
English and Gcneve*e churches establsh themselves, by t-hc.dding the
blocd of their opponents. **/f any one slay trilh ihe suord ht shall
himself be slain ttith the sword. Rev. nii. 9. The d"om. therelore, of
the^e churches, founded by their "learned and pious" military apuslle*f
is unalterably fixed. "If any one has an ear Itt him hear."
Hitherto Zurich had bten the nursery of this religion; bx)l about
the year 1536* there appeared a champion on the sta^e, who gave a
new impulse to the tenets of Zuingle; and drew the attention of the
world from that Canton to the ci y of Geneva. This was no other
than the celebrated John Calvin, a native of Picardy, and by profession
a lawyer. His admirers have placed him at the head of the re*
formers, ait of whom he surpassed, at least in learning and parts,
as ho also did tha greater part of them in obstinacy, a*penly and iur*
bulence. Ί his **divine'' held an important post in that city. ts| ucially
in those remarkable times· Ho was made "professor of d trinity;" for
which ho was well qualified, having an incurable propt't sity to \ rv into
the eecrets. and, therefore, unrevealed counsels arid decrees of God·
His opinions are too «veil known to need description In 1541, he returned
to Geneva,from wti^nco his opponents had c.tprlic»! him. and
in fact, though not in name, became the Lord Bishop of the new c hurch
of Switzerland. He also obtained a high degree of influence in the
political administration of that republic; in attempting to acquire
which none of his disciples havo been backward, even to ι Ins day.
The fruits of this inflienre were fatally, felt by the unfortunate £er*
vetus. His views and project* were grand and extensive Th · Senate
of Geneva founded, a university in that city, at his requ^t, and
appointed him and Theodore Beza professors. This institution he
proposed to make the seminary of a!l the reformed rhur< hcs>; and
aimed at nothing less than rendering the government, discipline and
doctrine,of Geneva, the model and rule of strict imitation to all the
reformed churches in the wor'd. Geneva, then, and not JERUSALEM,
was to be the *Jtfolfiet of us all;" and the doctrine of Calvin, not the
Apostles' doctrine, tho model and rule of our imitation!! Ho died,
having accomplished his project in part, in I5G4, aged 55, much lamented
by his folio wore and friends.
The ecclesiastical government of this church and it· children is
Presbyterian. He restricted the power of the civil magistrate in
church affairs; put the clergy on aa equal footing; procured law· U
be enacted for the regulation of religions matters; all of which was
confirmed by a majority of the Senate. He contended for a real but
spiritual presence of Christ in the bread and wine, which Zuinnle did
not. The following churches constitute the chief of the progeny of
Geneva:—the Church of Heidelberg^ the Church of Bremen; alter the
HUGONOTS had finished their testimony, and virtually apostatized irom
the pacific principles of their ancestors, and the yet more sacred principles
of the ancient gospel they professed—they also wero adopted
into the family of Antichrist; and became confessors of John Caivin
instead of Jesus. The Belgic Provinces in 157 L, publicly adopted
Calvin's system* Since the United Provinces revolted from Spain»
the Calvinistic Belgic Church is better knowu as the Reformed Dutch»
or Church of Holland. The last church we shall notice of the Genevese
branch of the Apostacy is the Church of Scotland and its descendants.
The light of Christianity is said to have dawned upon Scotland during
the third century. There is nothing improbable in this assertion*
bat it is not built upon incontestible authority. While thus Kingdom
was», member of the Chureh_of Rome, the power of the Pope was
Tery great. It was sustained and seconded by inhuman laws and
barbarous executions, which choked, for many years, the seeds of roligious
liberty, which were sown very early in Scotland, by several
noblemen of that nation, who had resided in Germany during the re·
Kgious disputes that divided the empire. The vicus 01 the Romanist
clergy were excessive· [ndeed the character of the superstition and
priests of Rome, was of the same debasing kind in all the kingdoms
of Europe under tbeir yoke, prior to Luther's rebellion. The first and
most successful opponent of the Papal rule in Scotland, was John
Knox, a disciple of Calvin, and one who "never feaffed the face of man."
Hit» eloquence was persuasive, his fortitude invincible—he was the re·
tolute reformer of a fierce and barbarous people· He is sometimes
called the Apostle of Scotland; but the Apostle of Calvin in Scotland,
would be more appropriate. He set out from Geneva, among the
mountaineers of Switzerland, for the rugged but mere barien hills of
Caledonia, in L559; where he soon inspired the hardy Scots with α
violent aversion to the superstitions of Rome, so that the majority of
the Nation aimed at nothing less than the total extirpation ot Popery·
The indignation of the people was soon turned upon the persons and
offices of the Bi>hop*; «o thai the religious insurrection in this country
extended not only to doctrine, buf also to the government of the
Popish church. The faith and order, composing the religion which
John Knox introduced into Scotland, was well suited to the ruggedness
and barrenness of the country, to the coldness of the climate,
and to the barbarity and fierceness of the tempers of the people at that
time. It was the "peculiar theology" of Switzerland and the low
countries. The basis of its system was the fatalism of Antichrist,
and not very dissimilar to that of Mohammed and the Greek church.
Episcopacy was abolished, after the shedding- of blood on both sides,
and Presbyteries, Synods and General Assemblies, with the King for a
head instead of the Pope, were established in its room. From this
period to the present times, the gloomy doctrine, worship and discipline
of the churches of Geneva and Holland, established by the same
influence that consumed Servelus at the stake, have been upheld with
the most invincible obstinacy and zealt undex the imposing title of the
as
NATIONAL CHURCH OF SCOTLAND,
commonly called the Presbyterian Church, which was established by
law on its present basis, at the revolution in 16d#, when Episcopacy
breathed Us last and final breath in that realm. Let it be chronicled,
however, that the National church of Christ in Scotland, had recourse
to arms so late as Charles 11., to oppose an attempt to introduce certain
amendments or ''innovations ' into its discipline and worship!!
After witnessing a series of tho most dreadful convulsions and deplorable
scenes, John Knox, the founder of Presbyterianism, ended his
tumultuous career in the year 1572. During the Commonwealth, the
Scotch attempted to establish their religion in England, by "β solemn
league and covenant" formed with the republican malcontents of the
South. They fought and conquered. Presbyterian ism and the Westminster
confession of i'aith, gained the ascendant by force of arms;
but was again expelled and driven back into the regions of the North,
at the restoration of Royalty, 1662, leaving behind it only the shadow
of a name. Those wh » retain it have neither Presbyteries, Synods,
nor Assemblies; they still hold the endowments, though of Sccinian
principles, under the name of English Presbyterians. The climate of
England is too genial lor Scotch divinity. It is a remarkable fact, that
the strongest Calvinism is to be found in the coldest countries. Predestination
is nurtured in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Scotland. Hoi.
land, Switzerland, Germany, and the New England states; a southern
sun thaws its ice-cold frigidity into the milder and more benevolent
opinions of Arminius.
The Scottish daughter of Babylon remained entire until the year
1727; when an independent spirit, named John Glass laid the axe
nearly to the root of our genealogical tree, and denounced all national
churches as antichrLstian:—a position as true as the gospel. He was
a clergyman of the establishment. For this and other opinions he
was first suspended, and afterwards deposed for his contumacy, in
1730. The secession of Mr. Glass was continued by Robert Sandeman
in 1757, who was an Elder among the followers of Mr. Glass·
He maintained the forgiveness of sins by tho imputed righteousness
of Christ. If any act, exercise, or exertion of the mind, were necessary
to our being accepted of God, be conceived there would be
"whereof to glory." I his is Slcighism. The name given to this first
aud oldest of the Scottish sects is
GLA8SITES OR SANDEMANIANS.
