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slave shall be eligible to the highest being injurious to the parent, and offices of the Christian priesthood.

The church also launched its anathemas against all professors of Christianity who ill-treated their slaves. Muratori, in his Annals, says that the punishment for such a crime was either two years' penance, or excommunication.

If the situation and prospects of the slave in the reign of Constantine be compared with his former ones, the civilizing power of Christianity will then be evident. Now, he has his personal safety, his liberty of conscience, his rights as a husband and father, his religious equality-all established by law. Formerly his situation and prospects were the dreadful ones we have mentioned. We could wish to carry this investigation through the succeeding reigns and the Middle Ages, until the final abolition of slavery in Europe, but have not space for so doing. We have presented such an amount of evidence as to the civilizing principle that Christianity contains, that no well balanced mind will remain unconvinced.

The second and last instance of the above-mentioned principle, is the social position of Woman. From the earliest age of society woman had no voice in the bestowal of her hand: she was esteemed too worthless for her wishes to be considered- the word "daughter" was almost synonymous with the word "disgrace," and in most savage, or semi-civilized nations, it actually is so. One relic alone of her former degraded state is now remaining-that relic is, the dowry, the marriage portion, or, as it is better expressed in France, the dotation or gift. This shows the former position of woman in all its degradation. A father gave a reward to the man who freed him from such a contemptible burden as a daughter. And here we may remark, that the best interests of society demand the abolition of the custom of dotation, as

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especially to the daughter.

And now investigate the influence of Christianity in elevating woman. Christianity declared the husband and wife to be equal, to be the living similitude of Christ and his church. The same spirit of gratitude and devotion was to be manifested by the wife towards her husband, as the church was to manifest towards Christ. The first-fruits of that declaration was the abolition of polygamy, and then the institution of chivalry; and, as the latest visible effect, woman, when beauty and intellect are joined to piety and love, is now regarded as God's best gift to man. It is from her lips that lisping childhood receives its first lessons in moral truth. She is the arbitress of her offspring's destiny: the passionsand temptations of manhood may shake the soul as with an earthquake, yet, where woman has thoroughly implanted the lessons. of morality in early childhood, sin never wholly triumphs. Is not woman now the dearest companion of our social hours, the participator in our joys, and above all, in our sorrows? And when man is stretched on the couch of sickness, then, indeed, she is a ministering angel. And now compare the power, the glorious mission of woman, with her former degraded state. Behold how Christianity has softened the feelings of humanity, purified society, and elevated woman in the scale of being, and then ask your own mind if Christianity is not the true principle of civilization ? And it may serve as a solemn warning to woman to know, that wherever the doctrines of Christianity are corrupted, and wherever the early training of her offspring is neglected by her, she herself falls into a proportionate state of bondage and contempt.

We have now delineated the peculiar features and powers of Christianity, and shall, at a more advanced stage of inquiry, contrast these peculiar features and powers of Christi

anity, with those of Christianity as improved by the " powers that be," or with Christianity as embodied in A STATE CHURCH.

If this, our world, be the physical universe of God, Christianity is his

moral universe.

cies to which they would be liable, by constructing them with elastic stems, which extended or contracted according to the rise or fall of the water.

Now, as the laws by which God provided, in the physical universe, for the preservation and reproduction of a few plants, which were not essential to the existence of man, are of such a comprehensive and grasping character, it is impossible that he would leave his moral universe destitute of laws providing for the preservation and reproduction of the principles it contained.

And yet, those who say that the support of the State is necessary for the preservation and spread of Christianity, thereby declare that God has left his moral universe without any laws for preservation and reproduction. Truly they must have a poor opinion of the wisdom of God! If a Minister of State were to gravely propose an Act of Parliament for making barley or dandelion seeds sprout at the right time, he would be laughed at by the whole nation, and deposited in a lunatic asylum-and why? Because every person knows that the laws which regulate the growth of material things are not under the control of man. Man cannot create, or destroy, or modify, or help one natural law; much less, then, can he create, or destroy, or modify, or even help one spiritual law.

We remember a spot much loved by us, long years ago, when in the first flush of youth-when Hope, the rainbow of the heart, had not faded away under the influence of sad experience, nor manhood left unfulfilled the expectations of youth. It was one of those bright spots which, from their extreme beauty and repose, so eloquently declare to man that he has fallen from a state once as bright as theirs. It was a small lawn on a river's bank, encircled by huge oaks, whose leaves cast their shadows over the green turf, chequering it with rich shades; and enclosing the fair scene was an undergrowth of eglantine and hawthorn, while, beneath their shade, the violet, the anemone, and the wild convolvolus raised their graceful forms -and by the bank the water lilies and other aquatic plants added to the beauty of the scene. There were we accustomed to spend many of the long summer hours, enjoying the luxury of existence and dreaming, twining garlands of wild flowers, or blowing away the seeds of the dandelion. Little did we think, in blowing away those seeds, the wisdom of God was making the caprice of a child minister Or, if the Minister proposed even to his designs: the seeds were so to a child (much less to a nation) to constructed, that the slightest disturb- make barley grow where there was ing cause, such as the movement of no soil to cover and nourish it, why the air, scattered them around, to re- that child would point its tiny finger new the species when the others were at him, in ridicule of his foolish prowithered and dead. As sometimes position; yet the advocates of a State happens, in hilly districts, the river Church make quite as foolish a prowas subject to a sudden rise; and position, who, by means of Acts of after one of these sudden risings, we Parliament, endeavour to make State visited the spot, expecting to see the Christianity grow in the hearts of water flowers all hidden by the wa-people who declare they do not wish ters, but we found a few still floating for it. Now we think that every one on the surface, and on examining the will admit the two following concluplants we found that the Divine Being sions to be correct:-1. If state power had provided against the contingen- and protection be in any way requisite

for the preservation and spread of Christianity, then the absence of state power and protection would cause Christianity to perish.-2. If state power and protection be in any way requisite for the preservation and spread of Christianity, then, if the entire power of the state be directed to the destruction of Christianity-Christianity must inevitably perish from the world.

These are two conclusions which are irrefragable, and not to be controverted by a rational mind. Now, the entire power of the state was employed in the destruction of Christianity, by means of thirteen dreadful persecutions and if the power of the state was necessary for the preservation and spread of Christianity, these thirteen persecutions by the state would extinguish it. It is now necessary to let history declare whether the state succeeded in its object. When Christ had been crucified, his followers were scattered abroad, propagating, in their travels, the principles and institutions of their Master. For a number of years their labors did not attract the attention of the political powers; but the jealous and watchful eyes of the Roman priesthood perceived that the temples were gradually becoming deserted-that the purest, the noblest, and most intellectual of their votaries were gradually departing that the altars were not loaded as in olden times, by the votive garlands of flowers-that the Oracles were less consulted and the priesthood was struck with fear. Superstition was waning, for there was an enemy who was powerful, yet invisible. But the priests, who, in all ages have been

"Politicians,

With more eyes than a beast in a vision,"

were not long in discovering, that many persons were in the habit of meeting together for the purpose of celebrating the death of a Nazarene, who had been crucified in Judea; and the priests were perplexed. They

saw the wonderful power of the crucified Nazarene over the souls of men, and yet the natural pride of priestcraft was averse to confessing its fear of an opponent apparently so contemptible. In their perplexity they applied for counsel and support to the Emperor Tiberius. And Tiberius demonstrated, by his wise advice, that their confidence was not misplaced. He was cruel-for so are all men who have not a belief in the immortal destiny of the human soul : he was licentious-for all men will be so who have no future existence to which they can look forward with hope; but he possessed a profound and gigantic intellect, over which passion had no power-he possessed the Roman genius for rule, along with the deepest insight into the passions and foibles of the human heart

he comprehended, at a glance, the vast details of the Universal Empire, or the more secret intrigues of his court. This monarch, who possessed such fathomless profundity of thought, when consulted by the priesthood as to the most effectual means of crushing Christianity, determined to give Jesus Christ a niche in the National Pantheon-to establish the Christian church by law-to make it a State Church! Such was the method of crushing Christianity proposed by the politic and astute Tiberius. But the priesthood objected to this methodthey desired him to employ the sword of the state in eradicating the Christian system and its followers. This, Tiberius did not consent to: he knew the Pagan religion to be a system of jugglery and deceit, and very likely, was indifferent as to which system triumphed. So the priests had to rest contented till the accession of an Emperor who possessed less determination and foresight; and in the year 64.

The First Persecution commenced under Nero, and lasted 4 years, during which Paul and Peter, and an immense number of Christians, pe

rished by martyrdom. Now it is natural to conclude that four years of persecution must have made dreadful havoc among the Christians; but we find that this persecution was not so very effectual, for, about the year 94, in the reign of Domitian,

The Second Persecution was commenced.

The Third Persecution commenced under Trajan, when Pliny the Younger, being Governor of Bythinia, was ordered to persecute the Christians in his district. He was rather averse to the task, assuring Trajan, that without mentioning the cities, many villages were entirely Christianized: so that it seems Pliny was afraid he might, in persecuting the Christians, destroy the greatest portion of the population. Besides, he was, to a great extent, devoid of the prejudices

of the age. He says that when he

stretched some Christians on the rack to make them confess the secrets of their religion, they declared that the only vow they made on entering the Christian church was, that they would abstain from every species of vice, and celebrate, one day in seven, the death of their Master. So Pliny's naturally virtuous heart revolted from the thought of slaying men, who, with the exception of their religion, were models of every virtue. But, in the Roman empire, there were not many governors like Pliny: so the work of persecution went on bravely, and with marvellously bad success, for

A Fourth Persecution was found needful in the reign of Adrian, the successor of Trajan.

The Fifth Persecution was commenced in the reign of Antoninus Pius, but he shortly after stopped it, when he had read the Apology for Christianity presented to him by Justin Martyr.

The Sixth Persecution was commenced under Marcus Aurelius Antoninus.

The Seventh, and very dreadful Persecution under Severus in the year 203.

The Eighth Persecution in the reign of Maximin.

The Ninth Persecution in the reign of Decius, A.D. 250.

The Tenth Persecution under Gallus, and his son Volusinianus.

The Eleventh Persecution, under Valerian, in the year 258.

The Twelfth Persecution was commenced after an enormous amount of priestly importunity, by Diocletian, in the year 303.

The Thirteenth, and last Persecution, commenced in the Eastern Roman Empire, under Galerius, the son-in-law of Dioclesian, 304.

Thus the whole power of the State had been employed in the destruction of Christianity, by means of thirteen persecutions, during a space of 240 years, and had been unable to crush it, so that, as the system of the priests was wrong, perhaps Tiberius was right, in his suggestion of crushing it by means of state support and protection. Now when Licinius contended for the imperial throne, with Constantine his colleague, he, to gain the favor of the priesthood and their disciples, persecuted Christianity: he stood forth as the representative of Paganism. Constantine, who was a man of much political sagacity, saw that the balance of wealth and virtue was on the side of the Christians—he also thought they were the more numerous body, so he declared himself a Christian: he stood forth as the representative of Christianity, and the result justified his opinion; in one struggle the power of his Pagan opponent Licenius was extinguished: Licenius and the Paganism he represented fell for ever. Christianity, therefore, was more prevalent than Paganism.

We have now shown that the power of the state, exerted for the destruction of Christianity, during 240 years, had not crushed Christianity; on the contrary, after thirteen persecutions, the Christians were more numerous than the Pagans. Christianity had conquered. It is therefore

certain that the preservation and reproduction of Christianity, which is the Moral Universe of God, depends on spiritual laws, over which man has no control. He can no more add to, or diminish their power, than he can add to, or diminish, the laws which cause the preservation and reproduction of the Physical Universe. But, before we proceed further, we shall state one fact- - Constantine, having gained the throne by the support of the Christians, enacted a law that Christianity should be the religion of the state: he made it into a State Church. Tiberius wished to destroy Christianity by connecting it with the state-Constantine endeavoured to preserve Christianity by connecting it with the state. Which was the wiser man we shall show hereafter. We shall now investigate the nature and power of the laws by which God appointed Christianity his Moral Universe, to be preserved and reproduced through all time. Nottingham.

(To be continued.)

J. G. L.

LETTERS FROM EUROPE.

NO. XIX.

MY DEAR CLARINDA-While in London, I resolved to make a special visit to Cambridge and Oxford. Indeed, appointments for me to deliver discourses at these great seats of learning had been published before I reached London: but on learning that it was vacation at both of them, and that Professors and Masters of Colleges, as well as Students, were all adrift and dispersed over the kingdom, I preferred to recruit my health by an excursion to France, and withdraw my appointments to lecture at the Universities. Still I determined to make a call, if not a visit to them, and to survey both the buildings, the libraries, the lecture rooms, and all that appertained to them, hoping to find some of the Professors or Fellows of some of the Colleges on the ground. It is, indeed, but some sixty or seventy miles rail

| road from London to Cambridge, and through as beautiful and highly cultivated a section of England as any one through which I passed.

On arriving at the University so soon after the inauguration of Prince Albert, the present Chancellor, and after the dispersion of the Masters, Professors, and Students, I found matters somewhat in confusion, yet more than enough to engross my attention during my stay. Every thing that the most liberal endowment and the rich legacies of its friends and patrons could bestow on the buildings, the college grounds, the libraries, and apparatus of the University, has been done. The amplitude, neatness, and beauty of the grounds connected with its seventeen colleges; the magnificent public walks, shaded with the most stately and umbrageous elms, amidst green terraces and gently-flowing streams of water, skirted with verdant borders and occasional clumps of well assorted shrubbery, lend enchantment to the scenes around the venerable piles of antique buildings which constitute the chief of English Universities. Nothing extrinsic of the institution itself struck me with so much force as the excellent order and style in which the grounds, the trees, the parks, the flowers, and the buildings, are kept. I saw not the mark of a knife on tree or shrub, on door, or window, on all the premises of this much frequented and extensive institution. Not one pane of glass was broken, not one door or window appeared to have been profaned by the unhallowed touch of any insubordinate or reckless knight of the pocketknife. Certainly, said I to myself, there are no Yankees educated at Cambridge.

These remarks, indeed, are mainly true of all the English and Scotch Colleges and Universities. In their preservation and neatness-in their freedom from outrage and abuse, they are more like private residences of well bred and well educated gentlemen, than public seminaries for young men

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