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 RELIGIOUS EVENTS; 
 
 
 
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 BEKuv A SELECTION OF THE M< 
 MrPOKTA^T AND INTERS 
 
 WHICH HAVE TRANSPIRED SINCE THE 
 OF THE CHRISTIAN ERA TO Till 
 
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 BY JOHN W. BARBER- 
 
 HARTFORD, 
 
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HISTORICAL 
 
 RELIGIOUS EVENTS ; 
 
 ILLUSTRATED BY 
 
 BEING A SELECTION OF THE MOST 
 IMPORTANT AND INTERESTING 
 
 Religious Ebtntfi 
 
 WHICH HAVE TRANSPIRED SINCE THE COMMENCEMRNI 
 OF THE CHRISTIAN ERA TO THE PRESENT TIME. 
 
 From the most Approved Authorities. 
 
 -J" 
 
 BY JOHN W. BARBER. 
 
 HARTFORD, 
 
 •ITBLISHKD BT D. F. ROBIN SON <fc CO 
 
 1828. 
 
 
<5° 
 
 DISTRICT OF CONNECTICUT, SS. 
 BE IT REMEMBERED, That on the twenty-first 
 L. S. day of July, in the fifty third year of the Independence 
 of the United States of America, John W. Barber, of 
 the said District, has deposited in this office the title of a 
 Book, the right whereof he claims as author and proprietor 
 in the words following, to wit, " Religious Events, illustra- 
 ted by forty-six copper plate engravings ; being a selection 
 of the most importani and interesting Religious Events 
 which have occurred since the commencement of the Chris- 
 tian Era to the present time ; from the most approved au- 
 thorities." In conformity to the act of the Congress of the 
 United States, entitled, u An act for the encouragement of 
 learning, by securing the copies of Maps, Charts and Books, 
 to the authors and proprietors of such copies, during the 
 times therein mentioned." — And also to the act, entitled 
 " An act supplementary to an act, entitled ' An act for the 
 encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of maps, 
 charts, and books, to the authors and proprietors of such 
 copies during the times therein mentioned,' and extending 
 the benefits thereof to the arts of designing, engraving, and 
 etching historical and other prints." 
 
 CHAS. A INGERSOLL, 
 Clerk of the District of Connecticut. 
 A true copy of record, examined and sealed by me, 
 CHAS. A. INGERSOLL, 
 Clerk of the District of Connecticut. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 The object of this work is to present to the 
 for a selection of the most important and lu- 
 sting events which have occurred in Religious 
 History since the Christian era. 
 
 This work though designed principally for 
 young persons, will be found, it is believed, inter- 
 esting and instructive to those of riper years. — 
 A short and comprehensive account is given of 
 some of the leading events wnich have taken 
 place in the history of the Christian Church, — a 
 short sketch is given of the lives of some of the 
 greatest and best of men, whose labours have tend- 
 ed to promote the happiness and welfare of man- 
 kind. In this work Scenes are exhibited showing 
 the folly and wickedness of false Religion, — an 
 account is also given of the rise and progress of 
 most of the benevolent institutions which distin- 
 guish the present age. 
 
 In making the selection, care has been taken, 
 to consult the most approved authorities, and in 
 some instances, extracts from different authors 
 have been made in their own words. — The en- 
 graving which accompanies each scene, it is be- 
 lieved, will be of utility, in making the work in- 
 teresting, and of fixing the facts more firmly in 
 the mind. 
 
 J. W. B. 
 
 New-Haven, July, 1828. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 Sceue. 
 
 1. Crucifixion. 
 
 2. Martyrdom of the Apostles. 
 
 3. Signs and Appearances pre- 
 ceding the destruction of Je- 
 rusalem. 
 
 4. Destruction of Jerusalem. 
 
 5. The Ten Persecutions. 
 
 6. Martyrdom of the Theban 
 Legion. 
 
 7. Willingness of the ancient 
 Christians to suffer for Christ's 
 
 8. Vision of Constantine. 
 
 9. Origin of the Monastic Life. 
 
 10. Julian the Apostate attempt- 
 ing to rebuild the Temple at 
 Jerusalem. 
 
 11. Mahomet the Arabian Im- 
 postor. 
 
 12. The Dark Ages. 
 
 13. Crusades or Holy Wars 
 
 14. Supremacy of the Pope of 
 Rome. 
 
 15. Inquisition. 
 
 16. Persecution of the Walden- 
 ses. 
 
 17. John Huss and Jerome of 
 Prague. 
 
 18. Martin Luther. 
 
 19. Jesuits 
 
 20. English Martvrs. 
 
 21. Massacre of' St. Bartholo- 
 mews. 
 
 28. Auto de Fe or Act of Faith. 
 
 Scene. 
 
 23. Religious Rites, Opinions 
 &c. of the North American 
 Indians. 
 
 24 The Indian Mother. 
 
 25. Plymouth Settlers. 
 
 26. Elliot the Indian Missionary. 
 
 27. The French Prophets. 
 
 28. Sabatai Sevi the false Mes- 
 siah. 
 
 29. Scotch Covenanters. 
 
 30. Moravian Missionaries. 
 
 31. Ziegenbalg and Swartz, the 
 Danish Missionaries. 
 
 32. Wesley and Whitefield. 
 
 33. Howard the Philanthropist. 
 
 34. Modern Infidelity. 
 
 35. Worship of the Grand Lama. 
 
 36. Abdallahthe Arabian Mar- 
 tyr. 
 
 37. Worship of the idol Jugger- 
 naut. 
 
 38. Missions among the Hotten- 
 tots. 
 
 39. Progress of Christianity in 
 the South Sea Islands. 
 
 40. Sandwich Islands Mission. 
 
 41. Missions among the North 
 American Indians. 
 
 42. African Colonies at Sierra 
 Leone and Liberia. 
 
 43. Bible Societies. 
 
 44. Bethel Union Meetings. 
 
 45. Sunday Schools. 
 
 46. Millennium. 
 
NEOCUHXEOV <e>t STFKflTKiR. 
 
 W<0>'. jfonuHnmbpecl a^aana^f tfla* qJT]EW&.-> 
 
1. 
 
 CRUCIFIXION. 
 
 The coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus 
 Christ, his Bufferings and death, are the greatest 
 and most important events, which have ever 
 taken place in our world. 
 
 Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of the Fa- 
 ther, came into our world, took upon him our na- 
 ture, and suffered the penalties of the divine law, 
 in our stead. By his sufferings and death, by 
 crucifixion, he hath brought " life and immortal- 
 ity to light ;" he hath opened a glorious way 
 whereby fallen and depraved man can be 
 reconciled and received into the favour of God. 
 
 M In the hour of Christ's death," says an el- 
 egant writer " the long series of prophecies, 
 visions, types and figures, was accomplished. 
 This was the centre in which they all met ; 
 this the point towards which they had tended 
 and verged, throughout the course of so many 
 generations. By that one sacrifice which he now 
 offered, he abolished sacrifices forever. Altars 
 
 on which the fire had blazed for ages, were now 
 2 
 
RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 
 
 to smoke no more. Victims were no more to 
 bleed, " Not with the blood of bulls and goats, 
 but with his own blood, he now entered into 
 the Holy Place, there to appear in the pres- 
 ence of God for us." 
 
 " This was the hour of association and union 
 to all the worshippers of God. When Christ 
 said, c It is finished,' he threw down the wall of 
 partition, which had so long divided the Gentile 
 and Jew. He proclaimed the hour to be come, 
 when the knowledge of the true God should be 
 no longer confined to one nation, nor his wor- 
 ship to one temple ; but over all the earth, the 
 worshippers of the Father should ' serve him 
 in spirit and in truth.' From that hour, they 
 who dwelt in the ' uttermost ends of the earth, 
 strangers to the covenant of promise, began to 
 be brought nigh.' In that hour, the foundation 
 of every pagan temple shook 5 the statue of ev- 
 ery false god tottered on its base ; the priest 
 fled from his falling shrine ; and the heathen 
 oracles became dumb forever." 
 
 " In the hour when Christ expiated guilt, he 
 disarmed death, by securing the resurrection of 
 the just. When he said to his penitent fellow 
 sufferer, i To-day shalt thou be with me in Par- 
 
mmui iiikh 7 
 
 idm 1 be announced to all his followers the cer- 
 tainty of heavenly bliss* Fran the hill of Cal- 
 vary, the fust clear and certain view was given 
 to the workl : of the everlasting mansions." 
 
 The manner of crucifixion by which our Sav- 
 iour suffered, was considered the most dread- 
 ful of all punishments, both for the shame and 
 i of it 5 and so scandalous, that it was in- 
 dicted as the last mark of detestation upon the 
 \ ik st of people. The Cross was made of two 
 beams, one of which crossed the other at the 
 top at right angles, like a T, or in the middle of 
 their length like an X, and the criminal's hands 
 and feet nailed thereon. The Cross to which 
 our Saviour was fastened and on which he died, 
 was of the former kind ; being thus represen- 
 ted by old monuments, coins and crosses. 
 
 2. 
 
 MARTYRDOM OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 After the Crucifixion of our Lord, the Apos- 
 
 were scattered abroad in various parts of the 
 
 world. They preached the gospel wherever 
 
RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 
 
 they went, and the most of them were called to 
 seal their testimony with their blood. 
 
 St. James the Great was by trade a fisherman, 
 and partner with Simon Peter, and related to 
 our Lord, his mother and the Virgin Mary be- 
 ing kinswomen. 
 
 When Herod Agrippa was made governor of 
 Judea by the emperor Caligula, he raised a per- 
 secution against the Christians, and particularly 
 singled out James as an object of his vengeance. 
 This martyr, on being condemned to death, 
 showed such an intrepidity of spirit, and con- 
 stancy of mind, that even his accuser was struck 
 with admiration, and became a convert to Chris- 
 tianity. This transaction so enraged the people 
 in power, that they likewise condemned him to 
 death ; when James the Apostle, and his peni- 
 tent accuser, were both beheaded on the same 
 day, with the same sword. These events took 
 place in the year of our Lord 44. 
 
 St. Philip was employed in several important 
 commissions by Christ, and being deputed to 
 preach in Upper Asia, laboured very diligently 
 in his apostleship. He then travelled into Phry- 
 gia, and arriving at Heliopolis, found the inha- 
 bitants so sunk in idolatry as to worship a large 
 
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RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 9 
 
 serpent. St. Philip, however, was the mean 
 converting many o( them to Christianity, and 
 even procured the death of the serpent. This 
 so enraged the magistrates, that they committed 
 him to prison, and had him severely scourged, 
 and afterwards hanged him up against a pillar 
 till he died. A. D. 52. 
 
 St. Matthew. This Evangelist, Apostle and 
 Martyr, after our Saviour's ascension, travelled 
 into Ethiopia, and Parthia, where he preached 
 the Gospel with great success. He suffered 
 martyrdom in the city of Nadabar, being slain 
 by a halbard, about A. D. 60. 
 
 St. Mark. After writing his gospel he went 
 to Egypt and founded a church. When Mark 
 was preaching in his church at Alexandria,some 
 of the idolatrous inhabitants broke in upon him, 
 and dragged him by his feet through the streets, 
 till his flesh was torn off his bones, and he expir- 
 ed under their hands ; they afterwards burned 
 his body. 
 
 St. James the Less suffered martyrdom at Je- 
 rusalem, in the 1th year of his age. He was 
 thrown headlong from the temple, stoned, and 
 his brains dashed out by a fuller's club. 
 2* 
 
10 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 
 
 St Mathias, the apostle, who was appointed 
 to supply the vacant place of Judas lscariot, suf- 
 fered martyrdom at Jerusalem, being first sto- 
 ned, and then beheaded. 
 
 St. Andrew, the brother of St. Peter, preached 
 the gospel to many Asiatic nations. On arriving 
 at Edessa, the governor of the country ordered 
 him to be crucified on a cross, two ends of which 
 were transversely fixed in the ground ; he lived 
 two days after he was tied to the cross, preach- 
 ing the most of the time to the people. 
 
 St Peter was crucified at Rome, by order 
 of the tyrant Nero ; he was led up to the top of a 
 mount, and was crucified with his head down- 
 wards, (according to his request,) thinking it too 
 high an honour to die in the same posture his 
 Lord and Master suffered. Peter and Paul suf- 
 fered martyrdom on the same day. St. Paul 
 being a Roman citizen, was beheaded. 
 
 St. Jude went to Edessa, where many were 
 converted to Cristianity by his preaching, which 
 stirring up the resentment of the people in pow- 
 er, he was crucified A. D. 72. 
 
 St Bartholomew translated St. Matthew's Gos- 
 pel into the Indian tongue and propagated it in 
 that country ; but at length the idolaters grow- 
 
■IfHWUfl EVENTS. 1 I 
 
 mg impatient with his doctrines, severely beat, 
 crucified, and stayed him, and then cut off his 
 head. 
 
 St. Thomas preached the gospel in Parthia 
 and India, where, displeasing the pagan priests, 
 he was martyred, by being thrust through with 
 a spear. 
 
 St. Luke. This apostle and Evangelist had 
 the advantage of a liberal education, and was 
 by profession a physician. He travelled with 
 St. Paul to Rome, and preached to many barba- 
 rous nations till the priests of Greece hanged 
 him on an olive tree. 
 
 St. Simon was distinguished for his zeal by 
 the name of Zelotes. He preached with great 
 success in Africa, and it is asserted that he came 
 into the island of Great Britain. He was cru- 
 cified A. D. 74. 
 
 St. John is said to be the only apostle who es- 
 caped a violent death, and lived the longest of 
 any of them, being nearly 100 years of age at 
 the time of his death. 
 
12 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 
 
 3. 
 
 SIGNS AND APPEARANCES PRECEDING THE 
 DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM. 
 
 After our Lord had foretold the ruin and des- 
 olation coming upon the Jewish people, their 
 city and temple, his disciples came to him pri- 
 vately, saying, tell us when shall these things 
 be ? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, 
 &c. Our Lord then informs them of five signs 
 which shall precede the destruction of Jerusa- 
 lem. The first sign is false Christs, "for many 
 shall come in my name, saying, lam Christ, and 
 shall deceive many." The second, wars and 
 commotions, " nation shall rise against na- 
 tion." The third, pestilence and famine, 
 " there shall be famines and pestilences" The 
 fourth is " earthquakes in divers places" All of 
 which events took place according to our Lord's 
 prediction, as may be fully seen in the history of 
 the Jews by Josephus, (the Jewish historian,) 
 and also by other writers who lived at the time. 
 The fifth sign is, " there shall be fearful sights 
 and great signs from heaven." (Luke, chap.xxi. 
 11.) Josephus, in his preface to the Jewish 
 war, enumerates these, — 1st. A star hung over 
 
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■0MI0U1 EVEN 1 19 
 
 the city like a IWOrd j unci a comet continued a 
 whole year. 2d. The people being assembled 
 
 at the least of unleavened bread, at the ninth 
 hour of the night, a great light shone about 
 the altar and the temple, and this continued for 
 half an hour. .3d. At the same feast, a cow, 
 led to the sacrifice, brought forth a lamb in the 
 midst of the temple! 4th. The eastern gate of 
 the temple, which was of solid brass, and very 
 vy, and could hardly be shut by twenty men, 
 and was fastened by strong bars and bolts, was 
 seen at the sixth hour of the night, to open of its 
 own accord ! 5th. Before sun-setting there 
 was seen all over the country, chariots and ar- 
 mies fighting in the clouds, and besieging cities. 
 6th. At the feast of Pentecost, when the priests 
 were going into the inner temple by night, to at- 
 tend to their service, they heard first a motion 
 and noise, and then a. voice as of a multitude, 
 saving, LET US DEPART HENCE. 7th. 
 What Josephus reckons one of the most terri- 
 ble signs of all was, that one Jesus, a country 
 fellow, four years before the war began, and 
 when the city was in peace and plenty, came 
 to the feast of tabernacles, and ran up and down 
 the streets day and night, crying, " a voice 
 
14 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 
 
 from the east! a voice from the west! a voice 
 from the four winds! a voice against Jerusa- 
 lem and the temple ! a voice against the bride- 
 grooms and brides ! and a voice against all the 
 people!" Though the magistrates endeavour- 
 ed by stripes and tortures to restrain him, yet he 
 still cried with a mournful voice, " Woe, woe 
 to Jerusalem!" And this he continued^to do 
 for several years together, going about the walls 
 and crying with a loud voice, " Woe, woe to 
 the city, and to the people, and to the temple ;" 
 and as he added " woe, woe to myself!" a 
 stone sent by the Romans from some sling or 
 engine struck him dead upon the spot! It is 
 worthy of remark that Josephus appeals to the 
 testimony of others, who saw and heard these 
 fearful things. Tacitus, a Roman historian 
 gives nearly the same account with that of Jo- 
 sephus. — Clarke^s Commentary. 
 
 4. 
 
 DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM. 
 
 The siege and destruction of the city and tem- 
 ple of Jerusalem, and the subversion of the 
 
>US EVENTS. 15 
 
 whole political constitution of the Jews, is one 
 of the most striking instances of the divine ven- 
 
 nce on a wicked people, that we have record- 
 ed in history. Our Lord, who foresaw the d 
 olation and calamities coming upon the city, 
 wept over it. declaring his willingness to gather 
 them under his protection ; but they would not 
 accept of his salvation, therefore destruction 
 came upon them, and their ; - house was left un- 
 to them desolate/' 
 
 \bout forty years after our Lord had foretold 
 the destruction of Jerusalem, the Roman gov- 
 ernment sent an army under Cestius Gallius 
 against the Jews in order to quell their rebellious 
 and factious spirit. Gallius came and invested 
 Jerusalem with a powerful army. Our Lord 
 declared to his disciples that u when ye shall see 
 Jerusalem compassed icith armies, then hwic 
 that the desolation thereof is nigh." And then, 
 in order that his followers might be preserved in 
 safety, he adds, M Then let them that are in Ju- 
 deaflee to the mountains ; and let them that are 
 m the midst of it depart out" &c. This coun- 
 cil was remembered and wisely followed by the 
 Christians, and it is mentioned as a remarkable 
 fact by Eusebius and other ancient historians. 
 
16 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 
 
 that not a single Christian perished in the de- 
 struction of Jerusalem, though many of them 
 were there when Gallius invested the city ; and 
 had he persevered in the siege, he would soon 
 render himself master of it ; but when he unex- 
 pectedly and unaccountably raised the siege, all 
 who believed in Christ took that opportunity 
 and fled to Pella, and other places beyond Jor- 
 dan. 
 
 Vespasian was appointed to succeed Gallius 
 in prosecuting the war against the Jews ; he 
 accordingly subdued the country, and prepared 
 to besiege Jerusalem, but being appointed Em- 
 peror he returned to Rome, and he gave the 
 command of the forces to his son Titus. Titus 
 having made several assaults without success, 
 resolved to surround the city with a wall, which 
 w 7 as, with incredible speed, completed in three 
 days ! The wall was strengthened with forts at 
 proper distances, so that all hope of safety was 
 cut off; none could make his escape from the 
 city, and no provisions could be brought into it : 
 thus fulfilling our Lord's words, "thine enemies 
 shall cast a trench about thee, and compass 
 thee round, and keep thee in on every side." 
 Titus now prosecuted the siege with vigor. In 
 
RBI IGIOI B BVBNTt 17 
 
 addition to this, Ihe Jews were divided into foe- 
 uons among themselves, and murdered each oth- 
 er with a blind fury, and burnt their provision^ 
 \ o history can furnish us with a parallel to the 
 
 unities and miseries of the Jews 5 rapine, 
 murder, famine and pestilence within, fire and 
 
 >rd. and all the horrors of war without. 
 "These were the days of vengeance, that all 
 things which were written might be fulfilled/' 
 These were the days in which all the calamities 
 predicted by Moses. Joel, Daniel, and other pro- 
 phets, as well as those predicted by our Saviour, 
 met in one common centre, and were fulfilled 
 in the most terrible manner on that generation 
 It is remarkable that the temple was burnt by 
 the Romans on the same month, and on the 
 same day of the month, on which it had been 
 burned by the Babylonians. 
 
 Josephus computes the number of those who 
 perished in the siege at eleven hundred thousand. 
 besides those who were slain in other places. 
 When Titus was viewing the fortifications, af- 
 ter the taking of the city, he could not help as- 
 cribing his success to God. " We have fought" 
 said he, M with God on our side : and it is God 
 
 who pulled the Jews out of these strong holds, 
 3 
 
18 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 
 
 for what could machines, or the hands of men 
 avail against such towers as these P' Our Lord 
 says, " They shall fall by the edge of the sword, 
 and shall be led away captive into all nations ; 
 and Jerusalem shall be trodden down by the 
 Gentiles, till the times of the Gentiles be fulfill- 
 ed." 
 
 The Jews were miserably tormented, and dis- 
 tributed over the Roman provinces : and con- 
 tinue to be distressed and dispered over all the 
 nations of the world to this present day. Jeru- 
 salem also continues to be " trodden down by the 
 Gentiles." Since its destruction by Titus, it nev- 
 er has been in the possession of the Jews. It 
 was first in subjection to the Romans, afterwards 
 to the Saracens, then to the Franks, after to the 
 Mamalukes, and now to the Turks. 
 
 "Thus has the prophecy of Christ been most 
 literally and terribly fulfilled, on a people who 
 are still preserved as continued monuments of 
 the truth of our Lord's prediction, and of the 
 truth of the Christian religion." 
 
RKl.h.IOUS EVENTS. 19 
 
 S. 
 
 THE TEN PERSECUTIONS. 
 
 Historians usually reckon ten general perse- 
 cutions, theirs/ of which was under the empe- 
 ror Nero, thirty-one years after our Lord's as- 
 cension, when that emperor, having set fire to 
 the city of Rome, threw the odium of that exe- 
 crable action on the Christians. First, those 
 were apprehended who openly avowed them- 
 selves to be of that sect 5 then by them were 
 discovered an immense multitude, all of whom 
 were convicted. Their death and tortures 
 were aggravated by cruel derision and sport ; 
 for they were either covered with the skins of 
 wild beasts and torn in pieces by devouring 
 dogs, or fastened to crosses, and wrapped up in 
 combustible garments, that, when the day-light 
 failed, they might, like torches, serve to dispel 
 the darkness of night. For this tragical specta- 
 cle, Nero lent his own gardens ; and exhibited 
 at the same time the public diversions of the 
 circus; sometimes driving a chariot in person, 
 and sometimes standing as a spectator, while 
 
 the shrieks of women, burning to ashes, supplied 
 music to his ears. 
 
20 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 
 
 The Second general persecution was under 
 Doraitian in the year 95, when 40,000 were 
 supposed to have suffered martyrdom. 
 
 The Third began in the third year of Trajan 
 in the year 100, and was carried on with vio- 
 lence for several years. 
 
 The Fourth was under Antoninus when the 
 Christians were banished from their houses, for- 
 bidden to show their heads, reproached, beaten, 
 hurried from place to place, plundered, impris- 
 oned, and stoned. 
 
 The Fifth began in the year 127, under Seve- 
 rus when great cruelties were committed. In 
 this reign happened the martyrdom of Perpetua 
 and Felicitas and their companions. These 
 two beautiful and amiable young women, moth- 
 ers of infant children, after suffering much in 
 prison were exposed before an insulting multi- 
 tude, to a wild cow, who mangled their bodies 
 in a horrid manner ; after which they were car- 
 ried to a conspicuous place, and put to death by 
 the sword. 
 
 The Sixth began with the reign of the emperor 
 Maximinusin 235. 
 
 The Seventh which was the most dreadful 
 ever known, began in 250, under the emperor 
 
RELIGIOUS KM M 21 
 
 Decius, when the christians were in all p)a 
 driven from their habitations, stripped of their 
 .les. tormented with racks. \ c 
 
 The Eighth began under Valerian. Both 
 men and women suffered death, some by scour- 
 ging, some by the sword, and some by fire. 
 
 The Ninth was under Aurelian, in 274, but 
 this was inconsiderable, compared with others 
 before mentioned. 
 
 The Tenth began in the nineteenth year of 
 Diodecian, 303. In this dreadful persecution, 
 which lasted ten years, houses which were fill- 
 ed with Christians were set on fire, and whole 
 droves were tied together with ropes, and 
 thrown into the sea. It is related that 1 7,000 
 were slain in one month's time ; and that dur- 
 ing the continuance of this persecution, in the 
 province of Egypt alone, no less than 144,000 
 Christians died by the violence of their persecu- 
 tors ; besides 700.000 that died through the fa- 
 tigues of banishment, or the public works to 
 which they were condemned. — Buckh Theolo- 
 gical Dictionary. 
 
 3* 
 
22 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 
 
 6 
 
 MARTYRDOM OF THE THEBAN LEGION. 
 
 During the reign of the emperor Maximian, 
 A. D. 23G, a legion of soldiers, consisting of 
 G666 men, contained none but christians. This 
 legion was called the Theban legion, because 
 the men had been raised in Thebais : they were 
 quartered in the East till the emperor Maximi- 
 an ordered them to march for Gaul, to assist 
 him against the rebels in Burgundy ; when pas- 
 sing the Alps into Gaul, under the command of 
 Mauritius Candiaso and Experuis, their com- 
 manders, and at length joined the emperor. 
 About this time, Maximian ordered a general 
 sacrifice, at which the whole army were to as- 
 sist ; and he commanded, that they should take 
 the oaths of allegiance, and swear, at the same 
 time to assist him in the extirpation of Chris- 
 tianity in Gaul. 
 
 Terrified at these orders^ each individual of 
 the Theban legion absolutely refused either to 
 sacrifice, or to take the oath prescribed. This 
 so enraged Maximian, that he ordered the le- 
 gion to be decimated, that is, every tenth man 
 to be selected from the rest and put to the 
 
Utieioi . rs. C-T 
 
 »id. Tins cruel order having been put into 
 execution, those who remained ali e still 
 
 inflexible, when a second decimation took place, 
 
 and every tenth man of those living were again 
 put to the sword. But this second severity 
 made no more impression than the first had 
 done: the soldiers preserved their fortitude and 
 principles ; hut by the advice of their officers, 
 v up a remonstrance to the emperor, in which 
 they told him « that they were his subjects and 
 his soldiers, but could not at the same time forget 
 the Almighty ; that they received their pay from 
 him, and their existence from God. 
 
 • While your commands (say they) are not 
 contradictory to those of our common master, 
 we shall always be ready to obey, as we have 
 been hitherto ; but when the orders of our prince 
 and the Almighty differ, we must always obey 
 the latter. Our arms are devoted to the em- 
 peror's use, and shall be directed against his 
 
 raw; but we cannot submit to stain our 
 hands with the effusion of Christian blood ; and 
 bow indeed, could you, O emperor, be sure of 
 our allegiance and fidelity, should we violate 
 our obligations to our God, in whose service we 
 ue ie solemnly engaged before we entered into 
 
24 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 
 
 the army ? You command us to search out and 
 destroy the Christians ; it is not necessary to 
 look any further for persons of that denomina- 
 tion ; we ourselves are such, and we glory in 
 the name. We saw our companions fall with- 
 out the least opposition or murmuring, and 
 thought them happy for dying for the sake of 
 Christ. Nothing shall make us lift up our hands 
 against our sovereign; we had rather die wrong- 
 fully, and by that means preserve our innocence, 
 than live under a load of guilt ; whatever you 
 command we are ready to suffer ; we confess 
 ourselves to be Christians, and therefore cannot 
 persecute Christians, nor sacrifice to idols." 
 
 Such a declaration it might be presumed 
 would have affected the emperor, but it had a 
 contrary effect •, for enraged at their persever- 
 ance and unanimity, he commanded that the 
 whole legion should be put to death, which was 
 accordingly executed by the other troops, who 
 cut them to pieces with their swords. — Milner^s 
 History of Christian martyrdom. 
 
REI-ir.mi | | 
 
 7. 
 
 WILLINGNESS OP THE ANCIENT CHRIS- 
 TIANS TO BUFFEB FOR CHRIST'S SAKE. 
 
 The ancient Christians counted it an honor 
 ufler for their religion, and oftentimes gave 
 up their lives with joy, for the sake of their 
 rd. 
 
 In the fourth century, the emperor Valens or- 
 dered on a certain day, the Christians in Edes- 
 sa to be slain, while they were at their devo- 
 tions, in their churches. The officers, howev- 
 ever being more compassionate than the empe- 
 ror, privately gave notice to the Christians not 
 to assemble on the day appointed, so that they 
 miiht escape death. 
 
 The Christians thanked the officers for their 
 advice, but disregarded both that and the em- 
 menaces, rather than neglect their duty. 
 
 ey accordingly repaired to the church, and 
 the troops were put in motion to destroy them, 
 marched along, a woman, with a child 
 in her arms, broke through their ranks, when 
 the i rdered her to be brought before him, 
 
 and asked her where she was going.' She re- 
 plied, to the church, whither others were ma- 
 
26 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 
 
 king all the haste they could. " Have you not 
 heard" says the officer, u of the emperor's or- 
 der, to put to death all who are found there ?" 
 " I have," says she, " and for that cause I make 
 the more haste." " And whither," said the 
 officer, "do you lead that child !" "1 take him," 
 replied she, " with me, that he also may be 
 reckoned in the number of the martyrs." Up- 
 on this, the humane officer returned to the em- 
 peror, and told him that all the Christians were 
 prepared to die in defence of their faith, repre- 
 sented to him the rashness of murdering so 
 great a multitude, and entreated the emperor to 
 drop the design, at least for the present, with 
 which he at length complied. — Milner ] s History 
 of Christian martyrdom. 
 
 8. 
 
 VISION OF CONST ANTINE. 
 
 The reign of Constantine the Great, the first 
 Christian Emperor, is an important era in the 
 history of the Christian Church. 
 
 The miraculous circumstances attending his 
 
Klin. idi I i :\ i NTS. M 
 
 conversion, though doubted by some, are fully 
 credited by others. According to Kusebius (who 
 ived the account from the emperor's own 
 mouth, and who also confirmed it by his solemn 
 oath) these extraordinary circumstances an 
 follows : 
 
 " As the emperor was marching at the head 
 of his army, from France into Italy, against 
 Maxentius on an expedition, which he was ful- 
 ly aware, involved in it his future destiny ; op- 
 pressed with extreme anxiety, and reflecting 
 that he needed a force superior to arms, for sub- 
 duing the sorceries and magic of his adversary, 
 he anxiously looked out for the aid of some dei- 
 ty, as that alone could secure him success. 
 About 3 o'clock in the afternoon, when the sun 
 began to decline, whilst praying for supernatu- 
 ral aid, a luminous cross was seen by the empe- 
 ror and his army, in the air, above the sun, in- 
 scribed with the words "BY THIS CON- 
 QUER," at the sight of which, amazement 
 overpowered both himself and the soldiery on 
 the expedition with him. He continued to pon- 
 der on the event till night, when, in a dream, 
 the author of Christianity appeared to him, to 
 confirm the vision, directing him, at the same 
 
28 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 
 
 time, to make the symbol of the cross his milita- 
 ry ensign."* 
 
 Constantine having vanquished his adversa- 
 ry, nowbuilt places for Christian worship, and 
 shewed great beneficence to the poor. He re- 
 moved the seat of the empire from Rome to By- 
 zantium, which afterwards he honoured by the 
 name of Constantinople, and prohibited, by a 
 severe edict, the performance of pagan rites and 
 ceremonies. 
 
 He died on the 22d of May, in the year 337. 
 at the age of sixty-four, after a reign of thirty- 
 three years, having fully established the Chris- 
 tian Religion in the Roman empire. 
 
 9. 
 
 ORIGIN OF THE MONASTIC LIFE. 
 
 St. Anthony, of Egypt, in the fourth century, 
 first instituted the monastic life. He distribu- 
 ted his patrimony, deserted his family and house, 
 took up his residence among the tombs and in a 
 ruined town. After remaining there a long 
 time, he at length advanced three days journey 
 
 * M ilner's Church History. 
 
MA1BWDM1BT 
 t?ie Arabian Impostor, propagating ?us fUligwi. 
 
 12 
 
 3EL&JB.TEL AiG-IKg*© 
 Jfethad of propagating CTiristiamty durirrg the BaHcAget 
 
 jpettikbr. tke ibleibmilt 
 
 addressing t7ie Crusaders 
 
. Mi 
 
 to the eastward of the river Nile 
 
 wering a lonely spot winch possi 
 ed tlic advantages of shade and water, be fi 
 his last abode. His example and his les 
 infected others, whose curiosity pursued him 
 to the desert ; and before he quitted life, which 
 
 s prolonged to the term of a hundred and five 
 years, he beheld a numerous progeny imitating 
 his original. Anthony formed his followers in- 
 to a regular body, engaged them to live in socie- 
 ty with each other, and prescribed to them fix- 
 ed rules for their conduct. 
 
 These regulations which were made in Egypj 
 were soon introduced into Palestine, Syria. 
 Mesopotamia, and the adjacent countries; and 
 their example was followed with such rapid 
 success, that in a short time the whole east was 
 filled with a lazy set of mortals, who, aban- 
 doning all human connexions, advantages, 
 pleasures, and concerns, wore out a languish- 
 ed miserable existence, amidst the hard 
 ships of want, and various kinds of suffering, in 
 order to arrive at a more close and rapturous 
 communication with God and angels. 
 
 From the East this gloomy disposition passed 
 the West, and all Christendom became in 
 
•JO RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 
 
 fecied with this superstition, and various aiders 
 of Monks were founded, such as Franciscans 
 Dominicans, Benedictines, &c. 
 
 10. 
 
 JULIAN, THE APOSTATE, ATTEMPTING 
 TO REBUILD THE TEMPLE AT JERUSA- 
 LEM. 
 
 Julian, the Roman emperor, began his reign 
 about the year 360. He is commonly called 
 Julian the apostate, from his casting off the pro- 
 fession of Christianity, and his restoring the an- 
 cient Pagan worship. In order to give the lie 
 to our Saviour's prophecy, he attempted to re- 
 build the temple, and the city of Jerusalem. 
 He knew the Christians were firmly persuaded 
 that, by the coming of Christ, the typical dis- 
 pensation had come to an end : and could he 
 succeed, in restoring the Jews to their city and 
 the ritual of their worship, he might convert it 
 into an argument against the faith of prophecy 
 and the truth of revelation. 
 
 He therefore resolved to erect, on Mount 
 Moriah, a stately temple, and gave instructions 
 to his minister Alypius, to commence without 
 
I h.iors 1 vi \ 3i 
 
 ast undertaking. \t thecal) oftbeL 
 supposed great deliverer, the Jews, from all the 
 provinces of the empire, repaired to Jerusalem 
 Every purse was now opened in liberal contri- 
 butions, every hand claimed a share in the la 
 hour, and the commands of the emperor, win 
 touted with enthusiasm by the whole people. 
 Bttt they entirely failed in attaining their ob- 
 ject. Ammiaiuis Marcellinus, (a heathen wri- 
 ter who lived during this transaction) says, 
 •• whilst Alypius, assisted by the governor of the 
 province, urged with vigor and diligence the ex- 
 ecution of the work, horrible balls of fire, break- 
 ing out near the foundations with frequent and 
 reiterated attacks, rendered the place from time 
 to time, inaccessible to the scorched and blasted 
 workmen ; and the victorious element continu- 
 ing in this manner, obstinately and resolutely 
 bent as it were, to drive them to a distance, 
 the undertaking was abandoned." This re- 
 markable event is fully attested by various his- 
 torians of th; 
 
 ues's History of the Christian Church. 
 
32 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 
 
 11. 
 
 MAHOMET, THE ARABIAN IMPOSTOK 
 
 Mahomet was born at Mecca, a city in Ara- 
 bia, near the Red Sea, in A. D. 569. Possess- 
 ing but a scanty education, but of great natural 
 talents, he sought to raise himself to celebrity, 
 by feigning a divine mission, to propagate a new 
 religion for the salvation of mankind. He re- 
 tired to the desert, and pretended to hold con- 
 ferences with the angel Gabriel, who delivered 
 to him from time to time, portions of the Koran. 
 (the sacred book of the Mahometans) contain- 
 ing revelations from God, with the doctrines 
 which he required his Prophet (Mahomet) to 
 communicate to the world. 
 
 His first converts were his wife, his servant, 
 his pupil, and his friend. In process of time, 
 some of the citizens of Mecca were introduced to 
 the private lessons of the prophet ; they yielded 
 to the voice of enthusiasm and repeated the 
 fundamental creed, " There is but one God, and 
 Mahomet is his Prophet" 
 
 Being opposed in propagating his doctrines, 
 he was obliged to flee His flight, called the 
 Hegyra, (A. D. 622,) is the era of his glory 
 
He betook himself to Medina, wa d by 
 
 the I , and tb aunenced pr 
 
 log his religion by the sword. He divi 
 
 his spoil among his followers, and from all si 
 the roving Via! iDured to the standard of 
 
 and plunder ; the prophet, sanctio 
 the 1; f embracing the female captive 
 
 their wives or concubines, and the enjoyment 
 of wraith and beauty was the type of Para' 
 •• Theswon Mahomet, " is the key of 
 
 Heaven and Hell : a drop of blood shed in the 
 cause of God, a night spent in arms, is of more 
 avail than two months of fasting and prayer ; 
 whoever falls in battle, his sins are forgiven ; at 
 the day of judgment his wounds shall be re- 
 plendent as vermillion and odoriferous as musk : 
 and the loss of his limbs shall be supplied by the 
 - s of angels and cherubims." 
 In a few years, Mahomet subdued all Arabia 
 and a part of Syria. In the midst of his victoi 
 lie died at the age of I l . \ D. 63-2, being pois- 
 oned, as it was supposed, by a Jewish female. — 
 His successors extended their conquests and 
 religion till their empire was widely extended 
 in many countries of the East. 
 
34 RELIGIOUS EVENTS, 
 
 12. 
 
 THE DARK AGES. 
 
 From the seventh to the tenth century of the 
 Christian era was a time of universal darkness 
 ignorance and superstition among all classes of 
 people. Pure Christianity was but little known, 
 amidst a multitude of idle ceremonies and ex- 
 ternal show and pomp ; all ranks of the clergy 
 were characterized by ambition, voluptuousness 
 and ignorance. The want of an acquaintance 
 with the first rudiments of literature even 
 among the higher clergy was so general, that it 
 was scarcely deemed disgraceful to acknow- 
 ledge it, and many bishops who attended coun- 
 cils, &c. could not even w 7 rite their names to 
 the acts that were passed, but were obliged to 
 have others sign for them. This time is emphat- 
 ically called the Dark Ages, especially the tenth 
 century, which all historians, civil and ecclesias- 
 tical, agree in describing as the darkest epoch in 
 the annals of mankind. '• Every thing sacred 
 in religion," says a celebrated historian, " was 
 disfigured by customs the most ridiculous and 
 extravagant. In several churches in France, a 
 festival was celebrated in commemoration of the 
 

 \ brgiD Mary's flight into Egypt — it wa 
 the feast of the Vjss, \ young girl richly dn 
 
 «il. with ;i child in het arm-, w us placed Oil an 
 
 superbly de with trappings 'I 
 
 ass was led to the altar in solemn procession— 
 said with great pomp — the 
 taught to kneel at proper places — a hymn n i 
 childish than impious was sung in hispraw 
 and when the ceremony was ended, the priest. 
 instead of the usual words with which he dis- 
 ced the people, brayed three times like an 
 ass : and the people instead of the usual re- 
 sponse, brayed three times in return."* 
 
 The method of propagating Christianity dur- 
 ing this period, partook of the Character of the 
 age. Whole nations were compelled underpaid 
 of death, to receive Baptism, and the most cruel 
 methods were used to compel them to submit to 
 receive the Christian Faith. 
 
 13, 
 
 CRUSADES, OR HOLY WARS. 
 
 The Crusades were religious wars, waged In 
 ( hristian Europe, chiefly against the Turks or 
 
 • History of Charles 5th. vol. 1. 
 
Xlii RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 
 
 Mahometans, with a view to recover Palestine out 
 of their hands. These expeditions commenced. 
 A. D. 1096. The foundation of them was a super- 
 stitious veneration for those places where our 
 Saviour performed his miracles, and accom- 
 plished the work of man's redemption. 
 
 Palestine having been conquered by the 
 Turks, Jerusalem was now in their hands, 
 which rendered it unsafe and vexatious to the 
 pilgrims who flocked from all parts to visit the 
 tomb of our Saviour. 
 
 Peter, the hermit, a native of France, on his 
 return from this pilgrimage, complained in loud 
 terms of the grievances the Christians suffered 
 from the Turks. He conceived the project of 
 leading all the forces of Christendom against 
 the inhdels, and driving them out of the Holy 
 Land. Being encouraged in his project by 
 Pope Urban 2d, Peter went from province to 
 province and succeeded in arousing princes 
 and people to undertake this holy warfare. All 
 ranks of men now deeming the Crusades the 
 only road to heaven, were impatient to open 
 the way with their swords to the holy city. 
 Nobles, artizans, peasants, and even priests en- 
 rolled their names, and to decline this service. 
 
branded with the reproach of impieu 
 
 cowardice The infirm and aged contribute 
 by i and money, and many attended it 
 
 in person ; being determined, if possible, 
 
 ithe then- last in the sight of (lie holy citj 
 Even women concealing their sex under the dis- 
 guise of armour, attended the camp: and the 
 great est criminals were forward in a service which 
 they considered as an expiation, for all crimes. 
 
 In the first Crusade, an army of 80,000 men. 
 a disorderly multitude led on by Peter, were de- 
 stroyed : but the army which followed consist- 
 ing of 700,000 men, under Godfrey, conquered 
 Syria and Palestine, and took possession of Je- 
 rusalem, which they held for several years. The 
 Crusaders however weakened their power by 
 dividing their conquests into four separate states 
 
 In this situation they found it necessary to so- 
 licit aid from Europe, and accordingly, in 1 146, 
 an army of 200,000 men under Hugh, brother to 
 the French king, set out upon another Crusade. 
 But these met with the same fate as the army of 
 Another army of 300,000 soon followed, 
 and were soon destroyed or dispersed. 
 
 Palestine having fallen into the hands of the 
 infidels, under the great Saladin. Europe felt 
 
38 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 
 
 indignity, and France, England, Germany, each 
 sent forth an army headed by its own sovereign. 
 Richard First, of England, bore the weight of 
 the contest, and he defeated Saladin, on the 
 plains of Ascalon. 
 
 The Fourth Crusade took place in 1202, and 
 was directed against the Greek Empire. The 
 Fifth was against E^ypt, in revenge for an attack 
 on Palestine by its Sultan. But this expedition, 
 like the rest, was ruinous in the end. 
 
 It is computed that, in the whole of the Cru- 
 sades to Palestine, two millions of Europeans 
 w 7 ere buried in the East. 
 
 When Jerusalem was taken, the Crusaders 
 were guilty of the most shocking barbarities, the 
 numerous garrisons were put to the sword, and 
 the inhabitants were massacred without mercy, 
 and without distinction. No age nor sex was 
 spared, not even sucking children. What shows 
 the blind enthusiasm which animated those fero- 
 cious conquerors, is, their behaviour after this 
 terrible slaughter. They marched over heaps 
 of dead bodies, towards the Holy Sepulchre ; 
 and while their hands were polluted with the 
 blood of so many innocent persons, sung an- 
 thems to the common Saviour of Mankind ! 
 
m \wfWM 
 
 14. 
 
 SUPREMACY OF THE POPE OF ROME 
 
 The Roman Catholics believe the Pope ol 
 Rome is under Christ, supreme pastor of tin 
 whole church, and has a power and jurisdiction 
 over all Christians. He is called the successor 
 of St. Peter, and is believed to be infallible, that 
 is he cannot err, when he addresses himself to 
 the faithful on matters of doctrine, &c. The 
 Pope is believed by the Protestants, to be the 
 Intichrist* the Man of Sin, mentioned in 2d 
 Thess. 2d, and Rev. 13th. 
 
 u In ages of ignorance and credulity" says a 
 celebrated writer, " the ministers of Religion 
 are the objects of superstitious veneration 
 When the barbarians who overran the Roman 
 Kmpire first, embraced the Christian faith, they 
 found the clergy in possession of considerable 
 power; and they naturally transferred to those 
 new guides, the profound submission and rever 
 ence which they were accustomed to give to 
 the priests of the Pagan religion, which they had 
 forsaken. 
 
 It was about the year GOG that Pope Boni- 
 Third. by flattering Phocas, the Emperor 
 
10 RELIGIOUS EVENTH. 
 
 of Constantinople, one of the worst of tyrants. 
 procured for himself the title of Universal Bishop. 
 From this time, he was raised above all others, 
 and his supremacy was by imperial authority : 
 it was now also that the most profound ignorance 
 debauchery and superstition reigned. From 
 this time the popes exerted all their power in 
 promoting the idolatrous worship of images, 
 saints, relics, and angels. The Popes now took 
 the most blasphemous titles, such as Christ's 
 Vicegerent , His Holiness, Prince over all Nations 
 and Kingdoms, King of Kings and Lord of 
 Lords, The Lord God the Pope, &c. 
 
 About the year 751, the Pope began to estab- 
 lish himself as a temporal Prince, and to de- 
 throne kings, and put others in their places. 
 Henry Fourth, Emperor of Germany, having dis- 
 pleased Pope Gregory Seventh, the Roman Pon- 
 tiff summoned a council, and passed the follow- 
 ing sentence upon him. " In the name of Al- 
 mighty God, and by your authority" said Greg- 
 ory, addressing the members of the council, " I 
 prohibit Henry from governing the Teutonic 
 kingdom and Italy, I release all Christians from 
 their allegiance to him ; and 1 strictly forbid all 
 persons to serve; or attend him as king. 55 
 

 ur^TieiTiojr. 
 Mmmm 
 
 MfcMA - .- rtbWAUklifll 
 
RKMGIOUS i:Vl N i <li 
 
 \\ iuMi this e became known, the great 
 
 ry part of I Jenny's subjects cast off their ali 
 ance. and appeared against him. — Henry WBi 
 humbled — he came to the resolution of throw m- 
 himself at the feet of Gregory in order to im 
 plore his absolution. The pontiff was at that 
 time on a visit to the countess ordutchess Ma- 
 tilda, at Canosa, a fortress on the Appenines. 
 \t the gate of this mansion, the Emperor pre- 
 
 i ted himself as an humble penitent. He alone 
 was admitted within the outer court, where, be 
 ing stripped of his robes, and wrapped in sack 
 cloth, he was compelled to remain three days, 
 in the month of January, (A. D. 1077,) barefoot 
 and fasting, before he was permitted to kiss the 
 feet of his holiness ! ! 
 
 The indulgence was, however granted him-he 
 was permitted to throw himself at the feet of the 
 ftaughty Pontiff, who condescended to grant him 
 absolution, after he had sworn obedience to the 
 Pope in all things, and promised to submit to his 
 3olemn decision. — The Pontiff elate with tri- 
 umph, now considered himself as the lord and 
 master of all the crowned heads in Christendom 
 
42 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 
 
 and said in several of his letters, that " it was 
 his duty to pull down the pride of kings."* 
 
 15. 
 
 INauISITION. 
 
 The inquisition is a tribunal in Roman Cath 
 olic countries, erected by the Popes for the ex- 
 amination and punishment of Heretics. This 
 Court was founded in the Twelfth century, un- 
 der the patronage of Pope Innocent, who issued 
 out orders to excite Catholic princes and people 
 to extirpate heretics, to search into their number 
 and quality, and to transmit a faithful account 
 thereof to Rome. Hence they were called In- 
 quisitors, and gave birth to the formidable tribu- 
 nal called the Inquisition. 
 
 One of the most celebrated inquisitors was 
 one Dominic, who was canonized by the Pope, 
 in order to render his authority the more res- 
 pectable. He and the other inquisitors spread 
 themselves into various countries, and treated 
 the Protestants with the utmost severity ; at 
 length the Pope, not finding these inquisitors 
 
 f Janes' History of the Christian Church. 
 
RELIGIOUS I 
 
 il as he had imagined, resolved upon the 
 iinenl offyced and rgpiljir court* of ln- 
 
 ihon : tlir fitsl i f w Inch was e 
 
 lisbod id Tbulouse, and Dominic became the 
 
 gular Inquisitor. 
 
 In juisitioD w6re also established in 
 
 .Several countries ; but the Spanish Inquisition 
 
 became the most powerful and dreadful of any. 
 
 a the kings nf Spain themselves, though ar- 
 bitrary in all other Inspects, were taught to 
 dread the powe of the lords of the Inquisition. 
 Tins diabolical tribunal takes cognizance o! 
 heresy, Judaism, Mahometanism, sodomy, po- 
 
 inv. witchcraft, <Scc. Heresy in their view 
 comprises many subdivisions ; and upon the 
 Sapicion of any of these, the party is immediate- 
 ly apprehended. Advancing an offensive pro- 
 position ; failing to impeach others who may ad- 
 vance such j C' ntemnins church ceremonies : 
 defacing i ma ^ >ks condemned by 
 
 the Inquisition ; lending such books to others to 
 read : d< from the ordinary practices ot 
 
 the Roman Church : lulling a year pass with- 
 out goins; to confession ; eating meat on fast 
 days ; neglecting hhass ; being present at a si 
 mon preached bv a hi ontracting a friend 
 
14 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 
 
 ship with, or making a present to, or assisting a 
 heretic, &c. are all matters of suspicion, and 
 prosecuted accordingly. 
 
 In the countries where this dreadful tribunal 
 is established, the people stand in so much fear 
 of it, that parents deliver up their children, hus- 
 bands their wives, and friends, masters their ser- 
 vants, to its officers ; without daring in the least 
 to murmur or make resistance. The prisoners 
 are kept a long time till they themselves turn 
 their own accusers, and declare the cause of 
 their imprisonment, for which they are neither 
 told their crime nor confronted with witnesses. 
 As soon as they are imprisoned, their friends go 
 into mourning, and speak of them as dead, not 
 daring to solicit their pardon, lest they should be 
 brought in as accomplices. When there is no 
 shadow of proof against the pretended criminal. 
 lie is discharged, after suffering the most cruel 
 tortures, a tedious and dreadful imprisonment, 
 and the loss of the greater part oi his effects. 
 Those who are condemned to death, are deliv- 
 ered over to secular pow 7 er, and perish in the 
 
 flames. 
 " Senor Llorente who was Secretary to the 
 
 Inquisition of Madrid about the year 1790, make- 
 

 following calculation of tin number of vic- 
 
 tiftifl \\ bom the Inquisition has sacrificed Thai 
 
 during the fcpO \< are from i i:-i to I i 81, 31,94 2 
 
 perished in the flames — and adding to 
 
 this period the years up t6 the present tune. 
 
 effigies have been burned, representing 
 
 such criminals as the Inquisition could not catch 
 for more substantial vengeance, — and 291,456 
 have been condemned to severe penances.- 
 
 16. 
 
 PERSECUTION OF THE WALDENSES. 
 
 In the darkest period in the history of the 
 ( hristian Church, there has ever been some who 
 have borne their testimony in support of the pure 
 doctrines of Christianity, and raised their voice? 
 against the general corruption of the Church. 
 
 The most distinguished of these reformers 
 were the Waldenses, who made their appear- 
 ance about the year 1 160. They were the most 
 numerons about the vallies of Piedmont. 
 
 Peter Waldo, an opulent merchant of Lyons 
 in France,) being extremely zealous for the ad 
 
 " Hnti*h Critic. 
 
4ti RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 
 
 vancement of true piety and Christian knowl- 
 edge, caused a translation of the four gospels 
 and other parts of the Holy Scriptures to be 
 made into the French language. Perusing these 
 books with deep attention, he perceived that the 
 religion which was taught by the Church of 
 Rome, was totally different from that which 
 was taught by Christ and his Apostles. Being 
 animated with zeal for the truths of the gospel. 
 he abandoned his mercantile vocation, distribu- 
 ted his riches among the poor, and forming an 
 association with other pious men, who had 
 adopted his sentiments, he began in 1.180 as a 
 public teacher to instruct the multitude in the 
 doctrines and precepts of Christianity. 
 
 The attempts of Peter Waldo and his follow * 
 ers were crowned with great success, — they 
 formed religious assemblies, first in France, 
 then in Lombardy, from whence they propogat- 
 ed their sect throughout the other provinces of 
 Europe, with great rapidity, and with such in-* 
 vincible fortitude, that neither fire nor sword, 
 nor the most cruel inventions of merciless perse- 
 cution, could damp their zeal, or entirely ruin 
 Mieir cause. 
 
 The Roman Pontiff and his ministersj often 
 
IT 
 
 instigated the civil rulers to exterminate or drive 
 
 the Waldenscs from their dominion-. Fur this 
 purpose troops were seat agdinst them many 
 times, who plundered and destroyed their villa- 
 and murdered many ef the inoffensive inhab- 
 itants. 
 
 The persecution in 165$ 1§56, andlGOG, v 
 carried on with peculiar rage ;:nd violence, and 
 seemed to threaten nothing less than the total 
 taction of this unhappy people. They were 
 hunted like wild bea-ts upon the rocks and 
 mountains (where they fled for safety.) The 
 banditti and soldiers of Piedmont massacred all 
 sorts of persons, of every age. sex and condition, 
 they were dismembered, hung up ; females vio- 
 lated, and numerous other horrid atrocities were 
 committed. 
 
 The few Waldenses that survived, were in- 
 debted for their existence and support, to the in- 
 tercession made for them by the English and 
 Dutch governments, and also by the Swiss Can- 
 tons, who solicited the clemency of the Duke oi 
 oy on their behalf. 
 
 Milton the poet, who lived at this time, touch 
 ^d with sympathy for the suffering of the Wal 
 lease?, penned the follow ing exquisite sonn 
 
48 
 
 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 
 
 On the late Massacre in Piedmont 
 
 Avenge, O Lord, thy slanghter'd saints, whose bones 
 Lie scatter'd on the Alpine mountains cold ; 
 E'en them who kept thy truth so pure of old, 
 When all our Fathers worshiped stocks and stones 
 Forget not ; in thy book record their groans 
 Who were thy sheep, and in their ancient fold 
 Slain by the bloody Piedmontese that rolPd 
 Mother with infant down the rocks. Their moans 
 The vales redoubled to hills, and they 
 To heaven, their martyr'd blood and ashes sow 
 O'er all th' Italian fields, where still doth sway 
 The tripled tyrant ; that from thrse may grow 
 A hundred fold, who having learned thy way 
 Early may fly the Babylonian woe. 
 
 17. 
 
 JOHN HUSS AND JEROME OF PRAGUE. 
 
 John Huss was born in a little village in Bo- 
 hemia, called Huss, and lived at Prague in the 
 highest reputation- both on account of the sanc- 
 tity of his manners and the purity of his doctrines. 
 He performed in that city at the same time 
 both the offices of professor of divinity in the 
 University, and of a pastor in the Church of that 
 city. 
 
 He adopted the sentiments of Wickliffe, and 
 
If 
 
 the WaMen od, in the year 1 UJ7, began 
 
 openly too] id preach against the doc- 
 
 trines and corruptions then in the Romish church. 
 This inllamed the resentment of the ch 
 i nst him, and he was summoned to app 
 before the council of Constance. Secure* < 
 he thought, from tlie rage of his enemies, by the 
 safe conduct granted him by the Emperor Sigis- 
 nuind for his journey to Constance, his residence 
 in that place, and his return to his own country. 
 Huss obeyed the order of the council, and ap- 
 peared before it to demonstrate his innocence, 
 and to prove that the charge of his having de 
 serted the Church of Rome was entirely ground- 
 less However, his enemies so far prevailed. 
 that, by the most scandalous breach of publi 
 faith, he was cast into prison, declared a heretic, 
 because he refused to plead guilty against the 
 dictates of his conscience, and burnt alive in 
 1 415 ; a punishment which he endured with un- 
 paralleled magnanimity and resolution. When 
 he came to the place of execution, he fell on his 
 knees, san^ portions of psalm>. looked steadfast- 
 wards hi-avi n. and repeated these words : 
 •• Into thy hands O Lord do 1 commit my spirit ; 
 thou hasrt redeemed meOmostgo&d and faith 
 
50 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 
 
 ful God. Lord Jesus Christ, assist and help me. 
 that with a firm and present mind, by thy most 
 powerful grace I may undergo this most cruel 
 and ignominious death, to which 1 am condemn- 
 ed, for preaching the truth of thy most holy 
 gospel." When the chains were put upon him 
 at the stake, he said with a smiling countenance. 
 " My Lord Jesus Christ was bound with a 
 harder chain than this for my sake, and why 
 should 1 be ashamed of this old and rusty one } v 
 When the faggots were piled up to his very 
 neck ; the duke of Bavaria was officious enough 
 to desire him to abjure, " No" says Huss, " 1 ne 
 ver preached any doctrine of an evil tendency : 
 and what I taught with my lips I seal with my 
 blood." He said to the executioner, " Are you 
 going to burn a goose ? In one century you will 
 have a Swan you can neither roast nor boil." If 
 he were prophetic, he must have meant Luther r 
 who had a Swan for his arms. The fire was 
 then applied to the faggots ; when the martyr 
 sang a hymn. At last his voice was cut short, 
 after he had uttered " Jesus Christ thou son of 
 the Living God, have mercy upon me," and he 
 was consumed in a most miserable manner. 
 The Duke of Bavaria ordered the executioner 
 
 ' 
 
 
KM IG101 S L\ EN •>! 
 
 to throw all the martyr's clothes into the ilam 
 
 after which his ashed were paipfnlly collected 
 ami cast into the Rhine. 
 
 jeraneof Prague, the intimate friend and 
 companion of Huss, wa$ bora at Prague, and 
 
 w\\ martyrdom one year after Huss suffcr- 
 cd. He was educated at the University at 
 Prague, and had travelled into many countries 
 in Europe, and was greatly celebrated for hi^ 
 learning, virtues, and uncommon eloquence. 
 
 Being of the sentiments of H uss, lie was sum- 
 moned before the council of Constance. It is 
 said, that it was amazing to hear with what 
 force of expression, with what fluency of speech, 
 and with what excellent reasoning, he answer- 
 ed his adversaries. It was impossible to hear 
 him without emotion. Every ear was captivat- 
 ed and every heart touched. But wishes in his 
 favour were in vain ; he threw himself beyond a 
 possibility of mercy. He launched out into an 
 high encomium of Huss, calling him a holy man, 
 and lamenting his cruel and unjust death. He 
 had armed himself, he said, with a full resolu- 
 tion to follow the steps of that blessed martyr, 
 and to suffer with constancy whatever the mal- 
 ice of his enemies could inflict. Firm and in- 
 
\ 
 
 52 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 
 
 trepid, he stood before the council, collected in 
 himself; not only contemning, but seeming even 
 desirous of death. Two days were allowed him 
 for reflection, and many persons of consequence 
 endeavoured to make him recant his opinions — 
 but all was in vain, and he was condemned as a 
 Heretic. , 
 
 With a cheerful countenance he came to the 
 place of execution, he pulled off his upper gar- 
 ment, and made a short prayer at the stake ; to 
 which he was soon bound, with wet cords, and 
 an iron chain, and inclosed with faggots as high 
 as his breast. 
 
 Observing the executioner about setting fire 
 to the wood behind his back, he cried out, 
 u Bring thy torch hither. Perform thy office 
 before my face. Had I feared death I might 
 have avoided it." 
 
 As the wood began to blaze, he sang a hymn 
 which the violence of the flame scarce inter- 
 rupted. 
 
1L 17 IP EE IE. 
 7>ero7V thelhet afWorms. 
 
 19 
 
 ;-_^&| JWP^S|^B|^.; 
 
 jHEgiimrs 
 
REl.K.loi | II i:\TS. ^>'> 
 
 18. 
 
 MARTIN LUTHER. 
 
 Martin Luther, the great Reformer of the 
 
 (lunch, was born in Kislcbcn, in Saxony, in 
 1483. Though his parents were poor, yet they 
 endeavoured to give their son an education ; but 
 young Luther, with other poor students, was 
 o!)li^< d to earn his bread by singing before the 
 rs of houses. In this occupation he often 
 met with hard language and bitter reproaches at 
 many doors. One day being much dejected, 
 the worthy wife of a citizen being penetrated 
 with pity for him, called the hungry youth into 
 the house and refreshed him with food. This 
 worthy woman with her husband were so well 
 pleased with young Luther, that they determin- 
 ed to provide him food and clothing, that he might 
 without interruption and care for his support, 
 the more zealously pursue his studies, in which 
 he gave many indications of his future worth. 
 As his mind was naturally susceptible of serious 
 impressions, and tinctured with that religious 
 melancholy which delights in the solitude of a 
 monastic life, he retired into a convent of Au- 
 
 gustinian friars ; where he acquired great rcpu- 
 
 6 
 
54 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 
 
 tation not only for piety, but for love of knowl- 
 edge, and unwearied application to study. 
 
 Happening to find a Bible in the Monastery, 
 he applied himself to the study of it with so 
 much eagerness and assiduity as to astonish the 
 monks, and increased his reputation for sanctity 
 so much, that he was chosen professor of Theol- 
 ogy in the university of Wittemburg. 
 
 While Luther was thus employed, Tetzel, a 
 Dominican friar, came to Wittemburg, in order 
 to publish indulgences. 
 
 This appearing so contrary to the gospel, that 
 Luther published his sentiments respecting them, 
 which were spread over Germany with great ra- 
 pidity, and were read with the greatest eager- 
 ness. 
 
 Luther having thus began to oppose one prac- 
 tice of the Romish Church, was also led to exam- 
 ine other practices and tenets of the same 
 church ; the result of which entirely convinced 
 hira that the Popish religion was not the religion 
 of the Bible, and he boldly declared the Pope to 
 be the Antichrist or Man of Sin, whose appear- 
 ance is foretold in the New Testament. 
 
 The Court of Rome being alarmed at the pro- 
 gress of Luther's sentiments among all classes 
 
of p tmmunicated him as n heu 
 
 and would probably put him to death, had he 
 
 not . >\c of the l } i 
 
 ho were friendly to the new 
 
 trin 
 
 Luther was at length summoned to app 
 
 before the Diet at Worms, to answer for his her- 
 
 r Charles Fifth having grant- 
 ed him a safe conduct, he yielded obedience and 
 set out for AYorms. While on his journey, ma- 
 ny of his friends, (whom the fate of I hiss under 
 similar circumstances, and notwithstanding the 
 same security of an imperial safe conduct, filled 
 with solicitude.) advised and entreated him not 
 to rush wantonly into the midst of danger. But 
 Luther, superior to such terrors, silenced them 
 with this reply ; " J am law fully called'" said he, 
 •• to appear in that city ; and thither I will go in 
 the name of the Lord, though as many devils as 
 there are tiles on the houses were there combin- 
 ed against me." 
 
 Wheo Luther arrived at Worms, greater 
 crowds assembled to behold him, than had ap- 
 peared at the E ? s public entry. At his 
 appearance before the diet he behaved with great 
 decency and firmness. When called upon 
 
56 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 
 
 recant his opinions, Luther replied in a truly ex- 
 alted manner, u Except I can be convinced by 
 clear reasoning, or by proofs taken from the Ho- 
 ly Scriptures, 1 neither can nor will recant, be- 
 cause it is neither safe nor advisable to do any 
 thing which is against my conscience. Here I 
 stand, I cannot do otherwise, so help me God ! 
 Amen I" Luther persisting in this answer, he 
 was dismissed from the assembly under a strong 
 escort, and was permitted by the Emperor to 
 return from Worms. 
 
 Luther, after this, in 1534, translated the Bi- 
 ble into the German language, and wrote many 
 works, and laboured with unwearied zeal in 
 propagating the doctrines of the Reformation. 
 
 He had during his life, the pleasure of seeing 
 vast numbers of the people adopting his senti- 
 ments, and the Reformed Religion firmly estab- 
 lished in many parts ol Europe. 
 
 19. 
 JESUITS. 
 
 Jesuits, or the Society of Jesus, are a religious 
 order of the Romish Church, founded in the six- 
 teenth century by Ignatius Loyola, a Spanish 
 
nUOIOUB i:\ r.\ 
 
 knight. The plan which this fanatic formed of 
 
 its constitution and laws, was suggested, as he 
 
 i out, by the immediate inspiration of heaven. 
 
 I loyola proposed, that besides the three vows 
 
 ■of poverty, chastity, and of Monastic obedience, 
 
 (which are common to all orders of regulars,) the 
 members of his society should take a fourth vow 
 of obedience to the Pope, binding themselves to 
 go whithersoever he should command them, and 
 without requiring aid from the holy see for then- 
 support. 
 
 At this time the papal authority received such 
 a shock from the progress of the Reformation, 
 and the revolt of nations from the Romish Church 
 that the acquisition of a body of men thus devot- 
 ed to the Roman Church, was of much conse- 
 quence. Pope Paul therefore confirmed the in- 
 institutionofthe Jesuits by his bull, and granted 
 the most ample privileges to the members of the 
 order. 
 
 The order of the Jesuits are peculiar in their 
 operations. The primary object of almost all 
 the monastic orders is to separate men from the 
 world, and from any concern in its affairs. They 
 can be of no benefit to mankind but by their ex- 
 ample and prayers. On the contrary, the J( 
 
 (i* 
 
58 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 
 
 suits consider themselves as formed for action. 
 They are required to attend to all the transac- 
 tions of the world on account of the influence 
 which these may have upon religion ; they are 
 directed to study the disposition of persons in 
 high rank, and to cultivate their friendship, and, 
 by the very constitution and genius of their or- 
 der, a spirit of action and intrigue is infused into 
 all its members. 
 
 From their first institution, the Jesuits consid- 
 ered the education of youth astheir peculiar pro- 
 vince; they aimed at being spiritual guides and 
 confessors ; they preached frequently, in order to 
 instruct the people ; they set out as missionaries 
 to convert unbelieving nations. 
 
 Before the close of the Sixteenth Century, 
 they had obtained the chief direction of the edu- 
 cation of youth in every Catholic country in Eu- 
 rope. They had become the confessors of all 
 its Monarchs, a function of no small importance. 
 They were the spiritual guides of almost every 
 person eminent for rank or power; they possess- 
 ed the highest degree of confidence and interest 
 with the papal court; they possessed, at differ- 
 ent periods, the direction of the most considera- 
 ble courts in Europe ; they mingled in all affairs. 
 
RBLIOHM B r.\ i vrs. T>9 
 
 and took pari in every intrigue and revolution. 
 
 Under 1 1 u* pretext o( promoting the success of 
 
 their missions and of supporting their misskma- 
 
 they engaged in an extensive and lucrative 
 
 commerce, both in the Kast and Weal Indies ; 
 and had their ware-house* in different parts of 
 Europe. Not satisfied with trade alone, they 
 imitated the example of other commercial soci- 
 eties, and aimed at obtaining settlements. 
 
 They acquired possession of the large and fer- 
 tile province of Paraguay, which then stretched 
 across South America, from the bottom of the 
 mountains of Potosi, to the confines of the Span- 
 ish and Portuguese settlements, on the banks of 
 the river J)e la Plata. 
 
 In this country, it must be confessed, that the 
 Jesuits were of some service ; they found the in- 
 habitants in a savage state, subsisting by hunting 
 and fishing ; and hardly acquainted with the 
 first principles of subordination and govern- 
 mebt — The Jesuits set themselves to instruct 
 and civilize these savages ; they taught them to 
 cultivate the ground, build houses, and brought 
 them to live together in villages, &c. They train- 
 ed them to arts and manufactures, and such wa* 
 
60 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 
 
 their power over them, that a few Jesuits presid- 
 ed over some hundred thousand Indians. 
 
 But at length the power and influence of the 
 Jesuits became so formidable, that the nations of 
 Europe found it expedient to check their pro- 
 gress. They were expelled from England in 
 1604; Venice, in 1606; Portugal, in 1759; 
 France, in 1764; Spain and Sicily, in 1767 ; 
 and finally were suppressed by Pope Clement 
 Fourteenth, in 1773. 
 
 In 1814 however, the Pope issued a bull cm 
 the 7th of June, for re-establishing the order of 
 Jesuits. 
 
 2®. 
 
 ENGLISH MARTYRS. 
 
 Queen Mary ascended the throne of England 
 in 1553. She was strongly bigoted to the Popish 
 religion, and during her reign, (which was of 
 about five years continuance,) she carried on a 
 most bloody persecution against the Protestants. 
 It was computed that, during this persecution, 
 two hundred and seventy-seven persons were 
 burnt, besides those punished by imprisonment, 
 fines and confiscations.. Among those who suf- 
 
RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 61 
 
 fared by fire, were five bishops, twenty-one cler- 
 gymen, eight lay gentlemen, eighty-four trades- 
 men, one hundred husbandmen, fifty-five wo- 
 men, ami four children. 
 
 Rogers, prebendary of St. Pauls, and Hooper, 
 bishop of Gloucester, were the first Martyrs. 
 Saunders and Taylor, two other clergymen, 
 Whose zeal had been distinguished in carrying 
 on the Reformation, were the next that suffered. 
 M Bonner, bishop of London, bloated at once 
 with rage and luxury, let loose his vengeance 
 Without restraint, and seemed to take a pleasure 
 in the pains of the unhappy sufferers; while the 
 queen by her letters, exhorted him to pursue the 
 pious work without pity or interruption. Soon 
 after, in obedience to her commands, Ridley, 
 bishop of London, and the venerable Latimer, 
 bishop of Worchester, were condemned togeth- 
 er. Ridley had been one of the ablest champi- 
 ons for the Reformation ; his piety, learning, and 
 solidity of judgment, were admired by his 
 friends, and dreaded by Ins enemies. The night 
 before his execution, he invited the Mayor of 
 Oxford and his wife to see him ; and when he 
 beheld them melted into tears, he himself ap- 
 peared quite unmoved, inwardly supported and 
 
62 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 
 
 comforted in that hour of agony. When he was 
 brought to the stake to be burnt, he found his 
 old friend Latimer there before him. Of all the 
 prelates of that age, Latimer was the most re- 
 markable for his unaffected piety, and the sim- 
 plicity of his manners. He had never learned 
 to flatter in courts 5 and his open rebuke was 
 dreaded by all the great, who at that time too 
 much deserved it. His sermons, which remain 
 to this day, shew that he had much learning and 
 much wit ; and there is an air of sincerity run- 
 ning through them, not to be found elsewhere. 
 When Ridley began to comfort his ancient 
 friend, Latimer on his part, was as ready to re- 
 turn his kind office. " Be of good cheer, broth- 
 er, (cried he,) w T e shall this day kindle such a 
 torch in England, as, I trust in God, shall never 
 be extinguished." A furious bigot ascended to 
 preach to them and the people, w 7 hile the fire 
 was preparing ; and Ridley gave a most serious 
 attention to his discourse. No way distracted 
 by the preparations about him, he heard him to 
 the last ; and then told him, that he was ready 
 to answer to all that he had preached upon, if 
 he were permitted a short indulgence, but this 
 was refused him. At length fire was set to the 
 
RE! 
 
 Latimer was soon out of pain ; hut Ridlej 
 continu much loi 
 
 consumed before the fire reached his vitals." 
 Archbishop of Canterbury, had 
 
 cour His love of life in an unguard- 
 
 ed moment, induced him to sign a paper con- 
 demning the Reformation. Of this act, he af- 
 terwards bitterly repented. Being led to the 
 e, and the fire beginning to be kindled round 
 him. he stretched forth his right hand and held it 
 in the flames till it was consumed : exclaiming 
 several times. i; This hand has offended ! This 
 wicked hand has offended !" When it drop- 
 ped off, he discovered a serenity in his counten- 
 ance, as if satisfied with sacrificing to divine jus- 
 tice the instrument of his crime. '- When the 
 fire attacked his body, he seemed to be insensi- 
 ble of his tortures : his mind was occupied whol- 
 ly upon the hopes of a future reward. After his 
 body was destroyed, his heart was found entire; 
 an emblem of the constancy with which he suf- 
 
 O jidsmith"* History of England. 
 
64 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 
 
 21. 
 
 MASSACRE OF ST. BARTHOLOMEWS. 
 
 In the month of August 1572, in the reign of 
 Charles Ninth of France, 30,000, or as some af- 
 firm, 100,000 Protestants were massacred in 
 France by the Catholics. This bloody massa- 
 cre commenced in Paris, on the 24th of August, 
 on St. Bartholomew's day. 
 
 In order the sooner to effect their purposes by 
 cutting off the leaders of the Protestants, many 
 of the principal Protestants in the kingdom, 
 were invited to Paris under a solemn oath of 
 safety, upon occasion of the marriage of the king 
 of Navarre, with the French king's sister. The 
 queen dowager of Navarre, a zealous Protest- 
 ant, however, was poisoned by a pair of gloves 
 before the marriage was solemnized. Upon a 
 given signal, the work of death began. — Charles 
 the savage monarch, from the windows of his 
 palace, encouraged the furious populace to mas- 
 sacre his Protestant subjects, by crying out, kill ! 
 kill ! 
 
 Cologni, admiral of France, was basely mur- 
 dered in his own house, and then throw r n out of 
 the window, to gratify the malice of the duke of 
 
MA4AATK.K mt S\ EABTlOLOMT.Vf 
 
 «f/>vn/n<j/s 4m<&-m/**/ fir ttw fnyaiti/uvt. <wt lAsJr 
 
RELIGIOUS BTBlfTI 
 
 (iuise ; Ins head was afte r wards cut off, andscnl 
 to the king and queen mother ; and his body, af- 
 ter many indignities offered to it, hung on a gib 
 bet. After this, the murderers ravaged the whole 
 city of Pans, and butchered in three days, above 
 ten thousand lords, gentlemen, presidents and 
 people of all ranks. An horrible scene of things 
 9ays a historian of the time, when the very streets 
 and passages resounded with the noise of those 
 who met together for murder and plunder ; the 
 groans of those who were dying, the shrieks of 
 those who were just going to be butchered were 
 every where heard ; the bodies of the slain were 
 thrown out of the windows, the dead bodies of 
 others were dragged through the streets ; their 
 blood running through the channels, in such plen- 
 ty, that torrents seemed to empty themselves in 
 the neighbouring river; in a word, an innumer- 
 able number of men, women, and children, were 
 all involved in one common destruction ; and 
 the gates and entrances of the king's palace, all 
 besmeared with their blood. 
 
 From the city of Paris, the massacre spread 
 throughout the whole kingdom. In the city of 
 Meaux, they threw above two hundred into 
 
 £aol j and after they had ravished and killed a 
 
 7 
 
66 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 
 
 great number of women, and plundered the hous- 
 es of the Protestants, they executed their fury 
 on those they had imprisoned, and calling them 
 one by one, they were killed like sheep in a mar- 
 ket. In Orleans, they murdered above five hun- 
 dred men, women and children, and enriched 
 themselves with the spoil. The same cruelties 
 were practised at Angus, Troyes, Bouges, La 
 Charite, and especially at Lyons, where they in- 
 humanly destroyed above eight hundred Pro- 
 testants ; children hanging on their parents 
 necks ; parents embracing their children ; put- 
 ting ropes about the necks of some, dragging 
 them through the streets, and throwing them, 
 mangled, torn, and half dead, into the river. 
 
 But what aggravates these scenes with still 
 greater wantonness and cruelty, was, the man- 
 ner in which the news was received at Rome. 
 When the letters of the Pope's legates were read 
 in the assembly of the Cardinals, by which he as- 
 sured the Pope that all was transacted by the ex- 
 press will & command of the king, it was immedi- 
 ately decreed that the Pope should march with his 
 Cardinals to the Church of St. Mark, and in the 
 most solemn manner, give thanks to God for so 
 great a blessing conferred on the See of Rome, 
 
mm! the Christian World ; and that on the Mon- 
 day after! solemn m iss should be celebrated in 
 
 the church of Minerva, at which, the Pope (ire 
 I Thirteenth, and Cardinal* were pres 
 
 and that a jubilee should be published through- 
 out the whole Christian World, and the cause 
 of it declared to be, to return thanks to God (or 
 the extirpation of the enemies pf the truth and 
 church in France. 
 
 In the evening, the cannon of St. Angelo were 
 fifed to testify the public joy ; the whole city il- 
 luminated with bonfires ; and nc one sign of re- 
 joicing omitted that was usually made for the 
 test victories obtained in favor of the Ro 
 man Church ! ! ! 
 
 22. 
 
 ALTO DE FE, OR ACT OF FAITH. 
 
 • Act of Faith {Auto dc Fe) in the Romish 
 Church, is a solemn day held by the Inquisition 
 lor the punishment of heretics and the absolution 
 of the innocent accused. They usually con- 
 trive the Auto to fall on some great festival, that 
 the execution may pass with the more awe, and 
 it is always on a Sunday. The Auto dc Fe may 
 
68 
 
 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 
 
 be called the last act of the Inquisitorial trage- 
 dy ; it is a kind of goal delivery, appointed as of- 
 ten as a competent number of prisoners in the 
 Inquisition are convicted of heresy, either by 
 their own voluntary or extorted confession, or 
 on the evidence of certain witnesses. The pro- 
 cess is this : — In the morning they are brought 
 into the great hall, where they have a certain 
 habit put on, which they are to wear in the pro- 
 cession, and by which they know their doom. 
 The procession is led up by the Dominican fri- 
 ars, after which come the penitents, being all in 
 black coats without sleeves, and barefooted, 
 with a wax candle in their hands. These are 
 followed by the penitents who have narrowly es- 
 caped being burnt, who over their black coats 
 have flames painted, with their points turned 
 downwards. JN ext come the negative or relaps- 
 ed, who are to be burnt, having flames painted 
 on their habits pointing upwards. After these, 
 come such as profess doctrines contrary to the 
 faith of Rome, who besides having flames paint- 
 ed upwards, have their picture painted on their 
 breasts, with dogs, serpents, and devils, all open- 
 mouthed, about it. Each prisoner is attended 
 with a familiar of the Inquisition ; and those to 
 
23 
 
 ILSOMAM' "WfcHRgHIP 
 
 pnzvmp tir^tTie 7it£ of7ier fMld. 
 
 oft?u> Ffymozit7t Settlers ont?ie 22<?ofI)ec.Z620. 
 
RF1 
 
 be burnt, have a] suit on each hand, who 
 
 are continually preaching to them to ifejure 
 After the pris op ol la. mi 
 
 on horseback; and after them the Inquisitors, 
 
 and other officers of the court on mules : last oi 
 all, the Inquisitor General on a white horse led 
 by two men. 
 
 A scaffold is erected large enough for two or 
 three thousand people ; at one end of which are 
 the prisoners, at the other the Inquisitors. Af- 
 ter a sermon made up of encomiums of the In- 
 quisition, and invectives against heretics, a 
 priest ascends a desk near the scaffold, and, 
 having taken the abjuration of the penitents, re- 
 cites the final sentence of those who are to be 
 put to death, and delivers them to the secular 
 arm, earnestly beseeching at the same time, the 
 secular power not to touch their blood, or put their 
 :cr ! ! ! The prisoners, being thus 
 in the hands of the civil magistrate, are present- 
 ly loaded with chains, and carried first to the 
 ilar gaol, and from thence, in an hour or two. 
 brought before the civil judge; who, after ask- 
 ing in what religion they intend to die, pronoun- 
 sentence on such as declare they die in the 
 •ommunion of the Church of Rome, that Uiev 
 
70 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 
 
 shall first be strangled, and then burnt to ashes ; 
 or such as die in any other faith that they be 
 burnt alive. Both are immediately carried to 
 theRibera, the place of execution, where there 
 are as many stakes set up as there are prisoners 
 to be burnt, with a quantity of dry furze about 
 them. The stakes of the professed, that is, such 
 as persist in their heresy, are about four yards 
 high, having a small board towards the top for 
 the prisoner to be seated on. The negative and 
 relapsed being first strangled and burnt, the pro- 
 fessed mount their stakes by a ladder, and the 
 Jesuits, after several repeated exhortations to be 
 reconciled to the church, part with them ; tell- 
 ing them that they leave them to the devil, who 
 is standing at their elbow, to receive their souls, 
 and carry them to the flames of hell. On this a 
 great shout is raised ; and the cry is " Let the 
 dogs 1 beards be made /" which is done by thrust- 
 ing flaming furzes fastened to long poles against 
 their faces, till their faces are burnt to a coal, 
 which is accompanied with the loudest acclama- 
 tions of joy. At last fire is set to the furze at the 
 botom of them, over which the professed are 
 chained so high, that the top of the flame seldom 
 reaches higher than the seat they sit on ; so that 
 
ted than burnt Th 
 cannot be a more lamentable spectacle; the sui 
 
 Ontinually cry OUt, while they are able, 
 • Pity for the love of God !" Vat it is beheld 
 and ages, with transports of joy and 
 tion "* 
 
 23. 
 
 KKLIGIOL S RITES, OPINIONS, &c. OF THE 
 NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS. 
 
 The Indians of this country were generally 
 Polytheists, or believed in a plurality of Gocis. 
 Some were considered as local deities ; yet they 
 believed that there was one Supreme God, 
 or Great Spirit, the Creator of the rest, and of 
 all creatures and things. Him, the natives of 
 
 . -England called Kichtan They believed 
 that good men, at death, ascended to Kichtan, 
 above the heavens, where they enjoyed their 
 
 irted friends and all good things | that bad 
 men also went and knocked at (he gate of glory, 
 but kichtan badethem depart, for there was no 
 place for such, whence they wandered in rest- 
 
 • Bucks Theological Dictionary. 
 
RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 
 
 less poverty. This Supreme Being they held to 
 be good, and prayed to him when they desired 
 any great favor, and paid a sort of acknowledg- 
 ment to Him, for plenty, victory. &c. The man- 
 ner of worship in many of the Indian tribes, was 
 to sing and dance around a large fire. 
 
 There was another power which they called 
 Hobbamock, in English the Devil, of whom they 
 stood in greater awe, and worshipped him merely 
 from a principle of fear, and it is said that they 
 sometimes even sacrificed their own children to 
 appease him.* They prayed to him to heal 
 their wounds and diseases. When found cura- 
 ble, he was supposed to be the author of their 
 complaints ; when they were mortal, they were 
 ascribed to Kichtan, whose diseases none are 
 able to remove ; therefore, they never prayed to 
 him in sickness. Their priests, which were call- 
 ed Powazos, and their chief warriors, pretended 
 often to see Hobbamock in the shape of a man. 
 fawn, or eagle, but generally of a snake, who 
 gave them advice in their difficult undertakings. 
 The duty and office of the Powaws, was to pray 
 10 Hobbamock for the removal of evils ; the 
 common people joined or said amen. In his* 
 
 * Morse and Parish's Hist, of N. E. 
 

 FB-E^CIHI JFUMMFJUDHnrS 
 
 &ABMXM 
 
 Gr m md £ 
 
UUQIOUfl i 
 
 prayer the Powaw promised skins, kettles, 
 hatchets ^v< as sacrifices, if his request 
 
 The apparent insensibility of the Indians uu 
 der pains and wounds is well known ; yet the) 
 had awful apprehensions of death. 
 
 Winn sick, and all hope of recovery wa^ 
 e, their I 9obs and sighs, their wring 
 
 ing hands, their flowing tears, and dismal cries 
 and shri- re enough to excite sympathy 
 
 from the hardest heart. Their affection waa 
 very strong for their children, who by indul 
 gence were saucy and undutiful. A fathei 
 would sometimes through grief and rage for the 
 loss of a child, stab himself. Some tribes of In- 
 dians would not allow of mentioning the nam* 
 of a friend after death. When a person died, 
 they generally buried with him his bow and ar- 
 rows, dogs, and whatever was valuable to him 
 while living, supposing he would want them in 
 another world, as their ideas of the happiness of 
 heaven consisted in finding plenty of game,, 
 feasting, i 
 
 The Indians appeared to have distinct tradi- 
 tions of the creation and deluge, and some of 
 
RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 
 
 their words, rites, and ceremonies, bear a strong 
 affinity to those of the ancient Hebrews. 
 
 THE INDIAN MOTHER. 
 
 The following account taken from Mather's 
 Magnalia, serves to show us, that the Almighty 
 has not left himself without a witness, even 
 among pagan nations, and it does not become us 
 to say that the Lord does not reveal himself at 
 times to those who look to him for help, who 
 never have heard of the way of Life and Salva- 
 tion by Jesus Christ. 
 
 Pammehanuit, an Indian of prime quality, on 
 Martha's Vineyard, and his wife, having buried 
 their first five children successively, every one 
 of them within ten days of their birth, notwith- 
 standing all their use ofpowaws and of medicines 
 to preserve them, — they had a sixth child, (a 
 son) born about the year 1638, which was a few 
 years before the English first settled on the Vine- 
 yard. The mother w r as greatly perplexed with 
 fear that she should lose this child, like the for- 
 mer ; and utterly despairing of any help from 
 such means as had been formerly tried with so 
 
RELIGIOUS EVENTS. <.» 
 
 little success, as soon as she was able, with a 
 -01 row ful heart, she took up her child, and went 
 out into the field, that she might weep out her 
 sorrows. While she was musing on the insuffi- 
 < iency of all human help, she felt it powerfully 
 suggested unto her mind, that there is one Al- 
 vnghty God who is to be prayed unto : that this 
 God had created all the things that we see ; and 
 that the God who had given being to herself, and 
 all other people, arid given her child unto her, teas 
 easily able to continue the life of her child. 
 
 Hereupon, this poor pagan woman resolved, 
 that she would seek unto this GOD for that mer- 
 cy, and she did accordingly. The issue was, that 
 her child lived ; and her faith in him, who thus 
 answered her prayer, was wonderfully strength- 
 ened; the consideration whereof caused her to 
 dedicate this child unto the service of that God 
 who had preserved his life ; and educate him as 
 far as might be, to become the servant of God. 
 
 Not long after this, the English came to settle 
 on Martha's Vineyard; and the Indians who 
 had been present at some of the English devo- 
 tions, reported that they assembled frequently 
 together, and that the man who spoke among 
 
 m, often looked upward This woman from 
 
76 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 
 
 this report, presently concluded, that their assem- 
 blies were for prayers ; and that their prayers 
 were unto that very God whom she had address- 
 ed for the life of her child. She was confirmed 
 in this, when the Gospel was not long after 
 preached by Mr. Mayhew to the Indians ; 
 which gospel she readily, cheerfully and heartily 
 embraced. And in the confession that she made 
 publicly at her admission into the church, she 
 gave a relation of the preparation for the knowl- 
 edge of Christ, wherewith God had in this re- 
 markable way favored her. Her child (whose 
 name was Japhet,) became afterwards an emin- 
 ent minister of Christ. He was pastor to an In- 
 dian Church on Martha's Vineyard, he also took 
 much pains to carry the Gospel unto other In- 
 dians on the main land, and his labours were 
 attended with much success. 
 
 25, 
 
 PLYMOUTH SETTLERS. 
 
 The Colony at Plymouth, Mass. (the first Eu- 
 ropean settlement in New-England,) was plant- 
 ed principally for the sake of the free and undis- 
 
RBL1GKN - RVINTS. ~* i 
 
 Uirbcd enjoyment of religious and civH liberty. 
 The Dokwrit tl * finally from the north ot 
 
 'land; and were of that class of people id 
 those days called Puritans, so named from then 
 uncommon zeal in endeavouring to preserve the 
 [unity of divine worship. 
 
 Being persecuted by their enemies, during the 
 D of James First, they fled with their pastor, 
 to Amsterdam in Holland, in 1603. Theyaf- 
 terwsrdfl removed to Leyden, where they 
 mained till they sailed for America. 
 
 Having resolved upon a removal, they pro- 
 cured two small ships and repaired to Plymouth. 
 (Eng.) and from thence they proceeded about 
 100 leagues on their voyage, when they were 
 compelled to return, in consequence of one of 
 the ships being leaky. This ship was condemn- 
 ed, and the oth< r. called the Mag-Flower, being 
 crowded with passengers, asain put to sea, Sept. 
 8th ; on the 9th of November, after a dangerous 
 passage, they arrived at Cape Cod, and the next 
 day anchored in the harbour which is formed by 
 the hook of the Cape. 
 
 Before they landed, having devoutly given 
 
 thanks to God for their safe arrival, they formed 
 
 8 
 
78 KELIGIOI/S EVENTS, 
 
 themselves into a " body politic," and chose Mr. 
 John Carver their Governor for the first year. 
 
 Their next object was to fix on a convenient 
 place for settlement. In doing this they en- 
 countered many difficulties — many of them were 
 sick in consequence of the fatigues of a long voy- 
 age — their provisions were bad — the season was 
 uncommonly cold — the Indians, though after- 
 wards friendly, were now hostile — and they 
 were unacquainted with the coast. These diffi- 
 culties they surmounted ; and on the 22d of 
 December, 1620, they safely landed at a place, 
 which they named Plymouth. The anniversary 
 of their landing is still celebrated by the descend- 
 ants of the Pilgrims, as a religious festival. 
 
 The whole company that landed consisted of 
 but 101 souls. Their situat ; on and prospects 
 were truly dismal and discouraging. The near- 
 est European settlement was 500 miles distant, 
 and utterly incapable of affording them relief in 
 a time of famine or danger. Wherever they 
 turned their eyes, distress was betore them. 
 u Persecuted in their native land, — grieved for 
 profanation of the holy Sabbath, an 1 other li- 
 centiousness in Holland — fatigued by their long 
 and boisterous voyage — forced on a dangerous 
 
Kl.l.U.lOlS I.\ I .\ ;h 
 
 and unknown shore id the advance of a coKI 
 winter — surrounded with hostile barbarians, 
 without any hope of human succor — denied the 
 aid or favor of the court of England — without a 
 
 patent — Without a public promise 1 of the p( 
 able enjoyment of their religious liberties — with- 
 out convenient shelter from the rigours of the 
 weather. — Such were the prospects and such 
 the situation of these pious ami solitary chris- 
 tians. To add to their distresses, a very mor- 
 tal sickness prevailed among them, which swept 
 off forty-six of their number before the ensuing 
 spring. 
 
 " To support them under these trials, they had 
 need of all the aids and comforts which Chris- 
 tianity afibrds ; and these were found sufficient. 
 The free and unmolested < njoyment of their reli- 
 gion, reconciled them to their lonely situation — 
 they bore their hardships 1 with unexampled pa- 
 tience, and persevered in their pilgrimage of al- 
 most unparalleled trials, with such resignation 
 and calmness, as gave proof of great piety and 
 unconquerable virtue/' 
 
8Q RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 
 
 26. 
 
 ELLIOT, THE INDIAN MISSIONARY. 
 
 In 1650, the society in England instituted for 
 propagating the gospel, began a correspondence, 
 with the commissioners of the Colonies of New- 
 England, who were employed as agents of the 
 society. In consequence, exertions were made 
 to christianize the Indians. Mr. John Elliot, 
 minister of Roxbury, distinguished himself in 
 this pious work. He collected the Indian fam- 
 ilies, and established towns, he taught them 
 husbandry, the mechanic arts, and a prudent 
 management of their affairs, and instructed them 
 with unwearied attention in the principles of 
 Christianity. For his uncommon zeal and suc- 
 cess, he has been called the Apostle of New-Eng- 
 land, 
 
 Mr. Elliot began his labours about the year 
 1646. His first labour was to learn their lan- 
 guage, which was peculiarly difficult to acquire ; 
 for instance, the Indian word Nummatchechod- 
 tantamooonganunnonash signified no more in 
 English than our lusts* Elliot having finished 
 a grammar of this tongue, at the close of which, 
 
 " Mather's Magnalia, vol. 1. 
 
UUCfOVI EVEN I %] 
 
 lie Wrote Prayers and pains through v faith in 
 Christ will da any thing ! With very great la- 
 bour he translated the whole bible into the In- 
 dian language. This Bible was printed in 1664, 
 at Cambridge, and was the first Bible ever print- 
 ed in America. He also translated the Prac- 
 tice of Piety, Baxter's call to the Unconverted, 
 besides some smaller works, into the Indian 
 tongue. Having performed many wearisome 
 journeys, and endured many hardships and pri- 
 vations, this indefatigable Missionary closed his 
 labours in 1690, aged eighty-six years. 
 
 The ardour and zeal of Elliot, Mayhew and 
 others, were crowned with such success, that in 
 1660, there were ten town> of Indians in Massa- 
 chusetts, who were converted to the Christian 
 Religion. In 1695, there were not less than 
 three thousand adult Indian converts in the Isl 
 - of Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard. 
 
 27. 
 
 THE FRENCH PROPHETS. 
 
 W i find io Ecclesiastical History, many ac- 
 counts given of Enthusiasts who have arisen. 
 
82 KEUGIOUS EVENTS. 
 
 and have pretended to be under the immediate 
 inspiration of God, and to have the gift of foretel- 
 ling future events, the gift of tongues, discerning 
 of spirits, &c. as in the Apostle's time. Among 
 those who have made the greatest figure in mo- 
 dern times, were the French Prophets, who first 
 appeared in Dauphiny and Vivarais in France. 
 In the year 1688, five or six hundred Protestants 
 of both sexes, gave themselves out to be proph- 
 ets, and inspired of the Holy Ghost. They 
 were people of all ages and sexes, without dis- 
 tinction, though tae greatest part of them were 
 boys and girls from six or seven to twenty-five 
 years of age. They had strange fits which came 
 upon them with tremblings and faintings, as in a 
 swoon, which made them stretch out their arms 
 and legs, and stagger several times before they 
 dropped down. They struck themselves with 
 their hands, they fell on their backs, shut their 
 eyes and heaved with their breasts. They re- 
 mained awhile in trances, and, coming out of 
 them with twitchings, uttered all which came 
 into their mouths. They said they saw the 
 heavens open, the angels, paradise, and hell. 
 The least of their assemblies made up four or 
 five hundred, and some of them amounted ft) 
 
KM k.IOl > i,\ UfTl 
 
 even three or four thousand persons. When 
 the Prophets had lor a while been under Bgjfta- 
 tions of body, they began to prophecy. The 
 burden of their prophecies, was, ib Amend your 
 ; repent ye; ike end of all things Urates 
 nigh P* 
 
 In the year 1706, three or four of these Proph- 
 ets went over into England, and carried their 
 prophetic spirit with them, which discovered it- 
 self iu the same way and manner, by ecstacies, 
 agitations, and inspirations under them, as it had 
 done in France ; and they propagated the like 
 spirit to others, so that before the year was out, 
 there were two or three hundred of these proph- 
 ets in and about London, consisting of men, 
 women, and children ; who delivered four or 
 live hundred warnings. The great things preten- 
 ded by their spirit, was, to give warning of the 
 near approach of the kingdom of God, and the ac- 
 complishment of the Scriptures, concerning the 
 new heaven and new earth, the kingdom of the Dies- 
 :. the first resurrcdion,\\\e new Jernsalemdc- 
 gf from above, which they said was now 
 even at the door; that this great operation was to 
 be wrought on the part of man by spiritual arms 
 only, proceeding from the mouths of those, who 
 
*t RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 
 
 should by inspiration, or the mighty gift of the 
 Spirit, be sent forth in great numbers to labour 
 in the vineyard ; that this mission of his servants, 
 should be witnessed to by signs and wonders 
 from heaven, by deluge of judgments on the 
 wicked, universally throughout the world, as 
 famine, pestilence, earthquakes, &c. They de- 
 clared that all the great things they spoke of, 
 would be manifest over the whole earth within 
 the term of three years. 
 
 These prophets also pretended to have the gift 
 of languages, of discerning the secrets of the 
 heart, the gift of ministration of the same spirit 
 to others by the laying on of the hands, and the 
 gift of healing. 
 
 28. 
 
 SABATAI SEVI, THE FALSE MESSIAH. 
 
 Since the coming of our Saviour, according 
 to his prediction there has arisen among the 
 Jews (who still look for the Messiah to come) 
 many false Messiahs. The most distinguished 
 of these impostors in modern times, was one 
 Sabatai SevU who was born at Aleppo, and set 
 hftnself up as the Messiasin the year 1666. 
 
RELIGIOUS Kvr.N | 
 
 Having visited various places io the Turkish 
 empire. Sabatai began in Jerusalem to reform 
 the Jewish constitution. He had one Nathan 
 for his Klias. or forerunner, who prophesied that 
 the Messiah should appear before the Grand 
 nior in less than two years, and take from 
 him his crown, and lead him in chains. 
 
 At Gaza. Sabatai preached repentance;, togeth- 
 er with faith in himself, so effectually, that thr 
 people 1 gave themselves up to their devotions and 
 alms. The noise of this lYlessias now began to 
 fill all places 1 . Sabatai now resolved to go to 
 Smyrna, and then to Constantinople. The 
 Jews now throughout Turkey were in great 
 expectation of glorious times. They were now- 
 devout and penitent, that they might not ob- 
 struct the good they hoped for. Some fasted so 
 long that they vvefe famished to death ; others 
 buried themselves in the earth till their limbs 
 grew stiff; with many other painful penances. 
 alai now came to Smyrna, where he styled 
 himself the only and first born Son of God, the 
 Messias, the Saviour of Israel. Here he met 
 with some opposition, but prevailed at last to 
 that degree, that some of his followers prophe- 
 sied, and fell into strange extasies : and foul:- 
 
86 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 
 
 hundred men and women prophesied of his grow- 
 ing kingdom. The people were for a time pos- 
 sessed, and voices were heard from their bow- 
 els : some fell into trances, foamed at the 
 mouth, recounted their future prosperity, their 
 visions of the Lion of Judah, and the triumphs 
 of Sabatai. All which, says the relator, were 
 certainly true, being the effects of diabolical de- 
 lusions, as the Jews themselves have since con- 
 fessed. 
 
 From Smyrna, the impostor embarked for 
 Constantinople, where he said God had called 
 him, and where he had much to do. He had a 
 long and troublesome voyage, and upon his arri- 
 val, the Grand Vizer sent for him, and confined 
 him in a loathsome dungeon. The Jews in this 
 city paid him their visits, and appeared to be as 
 infatuated as those of Smyrna. Sabatai after 
 remaining two months a prisoner in Constanti- 
 nople, was sent by the Grand Vizer to the Dar* 
 danelli. The Jews here flocked in great num- 
 bers to the castle where he was confined, and 
 treated him with great respect. They decked 
 their synagogues withS. S. in letters of gold, and 
 made for him in the wall a crown ; they attribit- 
 
i mom i M 
 
 fed the same titles and prophecies to him, which 
 we apply to our Saviour. 
 
 He was also, during this imprisoument visited 
 by pilgrims from all parts, that beard hi 
 
 \mong those was Nehemiah Cohen, from l j < 
 land, a man of great learning, who desin 
 
 ference with Sabatai, the result of which. 
 convinced him that he was an impostor. 
 
 Nehemiah accordingly informs the Turkish 
 officers of State, that Sabatai was a lewd 
 dangerous person, and that it was necessary to 
 take him out of their way. The Grand Seignior 
 being informed of this, sent for Sabatai. who, 
 much dejected, appears before him. 
 
 The Grand Seignior required a miracle, and 
 chooses one himself; and it was this : that 9k- 
 batai should be stripped naked, and set for a 
 mark for his archers to shoot at ; and if the ar- 
 
 should not pierce his flesh, he would i 
 him to be the Messiah. Sabatai had not faith 
 enough to bear up under so greaf a trial. The 
 Grand Seignior let him k r he would 
 
 forthwith impale him. and that the - a 
 prepared for him, tint* ould turn T 
 
 Upon this he consented to turn Mahometan, to 
 the great confusion of the J 
 
88 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 
 
 29, 
 
 SCOTCH COVENANTERS. 
 
 Scotland is among the last civilized coun- 
 tries where the horrors of religious persecution 
 raged to any great extent. In 1 58 1 , the general 
 assembly of Scotland drew up a confession of 
 faith, or national covenant, condemning the 
 Episcopal government under the name of hie- 
 rarchy, which was signed by James First, and 
 which he enjoined on all his subjects. It was 
 again subscribed in 1590 and 1596. The sub- 
 scription was renewed in 1638, and the subscri- 
 bers engaged by oath to maintain religion in the 
 same state, as it was in 1580, and to reject all 
 innovations introduced since that time. This 
 oath, annexed to the confession of faith, receiv- 
 ed the name of Covenant, as those who subscrib- 
 ed it were called Covenanters, 
 
 During the storm of religious persecution 
 which raged in Scotland, the Covenanters 
 were hunted from craig toglen, throughout the 
 highlands. " The story of their sufferings is 
 almost incredible. Nothing can be more af- 
 fecting, than the measures they took to en- 
 joy the privileges of religious worship. Watch- 
 

 
 ^^^^m|^^|^ 
 
 v£ ♦ - i- 
 
 3 ,>v: T , |j 
 
 ^ilii^^^MB 
 
 ||§jpl?!liiifbk J||i||§i| 
 
 
 i ■ ; ; ^yiiilM ^^ 
 
 «y s|pW 
 
 ^~M&jl(&1%tt£&B2§m 
 
 w3b&^'-&SmW^ 
 
 
 SCOTCH CWE^AKTEIRS 
 
 MCHLOTlAW MIS gXC^&JRX 
 instructing the £sqnima.n& Jnduzns. 
 
 tTio iJamsh Missionary prea^kmg to t?io Hindoos 
 
RBI ' I i BfT& Bfl 
 
 itioned fiora bill to Iiill— i ..- 
 
 sun-burnt and worn out that lln-y could be 
 
 I from the heather of the 
 
 mountains, w ho i the ap- 
 
 proach of danger, and the Covenanters had I 
 
 to disperse, before the bloody swords gleamed 
 in the retreats in which they worshipped. \n 
 the gloomy caverns and recesses made by the 
 awful band that fashioned Scotland's mountain 
 
 scenery, these martyrs, each one mourning s< 
 dear friend, who had been hunted down by the 
 destroyers, met and heard the mysterious words 
 of God, and sung such wild songs of devotion. 
 that they might have been thought the chant- 
 ings of the mountain spirits. As their sufferings 
 increased, their sermons and devotional exer- 
 cises approached nearer to the soul chilling 
 trumpetings of the ancient prophets, when the} 
 foresaw desolation coming out of the north like a 
 whirlwind." 
 
 The meeting of an assembly of Covenanters 
 to hear the preaching of the word of God, is thus 
 beautifully described by the Scottish poet Gra- 
 hame. 
 
 44 But years more gloomy followed ; and no mor»* 
 The assembled people dared, in face of day. 
 
 9 
 
90 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 
 
 To worship God, or even at the dead 
 Of night, save when the wintry storm raved fierce.. 
 And thunder peals compelled the men of blood 
 To couch within their dens ; then dauntlessly 
 The scattered few would meet, in some deep dell 
 By rocks o'er-canopied, to hear the voice, 
 Their faithful pastor's voice ; He, by the gleam 
 Of sheeted lightnings, oped the sacred book 
 And words of comfort spake : Over their souls 
 His soothing accents came, — as to her young 
 The heath-fowl's plumes, when, at the close of eve, 
 She gathers in, mournful, her brood dispersed 
 By murderous sport, and o'er the remnant spreads 
 Fondly her wings ; close nestling 'neath her breast. 
 They, cherish'd cower amid the purple blooms." 
 
 30. 
 
 MORAVIAN MISSIONARIES. 
 
 The Moravians or United Brethren, are a 
 sect generally said to have arisen under Count 
 Zinzendorf, a German nobleman of the last cen- 
 tury, who when some of their brethren were 
 driven by persecution from Bohemia, afforded 
 them an asylum on his estates, built them a vil- 
 lage called Herrnhut or Watch-Hill and united 
 himself with them. 
 
 According to the society's own account, how- 
 
RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 91 
 
 ever, they derive their frigid from the Greek 
 church in the Ninth century. 
 
 The Iniicd Brethren are much distinguished 
 tor their Missionary zeal; and it is said thai 
 there is no sect of Christians \vh> have doin 
 much according to their number and means, for 
 the cause of Missions, as have the Moravians. 
 M Their Missionaries' 1 as one observes, " are 
 all volunteers ; for it is an inviolable maxim 
 with them to pprsuade no man to engage in mis- 
 sions. They are all of one mind as to the doc- 
 trines they teach, and seldom m;tke an attempt 
 where there are not half a dozen ot them in the 
 Mission. Their zeal is calm, steady, and per- 
 severing. They would reform the world, but 
 are careful how they quarrel with it. They 
 carry their point by address, and the insinua- 
 tions of modesty and mildness, which commend 
 them to all men, and give offence to none. The 
 habits of silence, quietness, and decent reserve, 
 mark their character. If anv of their missiona- 
 ries are carried off by sickness, orcasuality, men 
 of the same stamp are ready to supply their 
 place." 
 
 The most flourishing missions of the brethren 
 •t present, are those in Greenland, Antigua, St. 
 
92 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 
 
 Kitts 5 the Danish West India islands, the Cape 
 of Good Hope, and among the Esquimaux on 
 the Labrador coast. 
 
 When we consider the hardships, the suffer- 
 ings and privations, which a missionary must ne- 
 cessarily undergo while among the degraded 
 Hottentots, amid the deserts of South Africa, or 
 amidst the mountains of ice and snow of Green- 
 land, or the barren coasts of Labrador, we must 
 allow that the Moravian Missionaries possess a 
 large share of that zeal which distinguished the 
 first Apostles of Christianity. 
 
 As to the number of the Moravians, the Breth- 
 ren in their home settlements reckon but twelve 
 or fourteen thousand members ; their converts 
 among the heathen and in their remote settle- 
 ments, are computed at about thirty thousand- 
 
 31. 
 
 XEIGENBALG AND SWARTZ, THE DANISH 
 MISSIONARIES. 
 
 The first Protestant Mission in India, was 
 founded by Bartholomew Zeigenbalg, at Tran- 
 quebar, on the Coromandel coast, 6 about the year 
 1707. Ziegenbalg was ordained by the bishop 
 

 
 ot Zealand mi tl ity-thtrd year of his age, 
 
 and sailfil tor India in 170ft In the second 
 of his ministry he founded a Christian 
 
 Church among the Hindoo-, which has been 
 tiding its limits to the present tunc He 
 a on this mission under thedirectkm of Fred- 
 erick Fourth, King of Denmark ; he was also 
 patronized in Great Britain, by u the ( 
 for promoting Christian Knowledge. 91 Princi- 
 pally through his great labours, a grammar and 
 dictionary was formed, and the Bible was trans- 
 lated into the Tamul tongue, after having devot- 
 ed fourteen years to the work Ziegenbalg died 
 at the early age of thirt) M. " Perceiv- 
 
 ing that his last hour was at hand, he called his 
 Hindoo congregation and partook of the holy 
 communion u amidst ardent prayers and tears ;" 
 and afterwards addressing them in a solemn 
 manner, took an affectionate leave of them. 
 Being reminded by them of the faith of the Apos- 
 tle of the Gentiles, at the prospect of death, 
 who " desired to be with Christ, as far better," 
 he said, " That is also my dean. Washed from 
 my sins in his blood, and clothed with his right- 
 eousness, 1 shall enter into his heavenly king- 
 dom." 1 pray that the thines which 1 have spo- 
 9* 
 
94 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 
 
 ken maybe fruitful. Throughout this whole 
 warfare, 1 have entirely endured by Christ ; and 
 now I can say through him — " 1 have fought the 
 good fight 5 I have finished my course ; I have 
 kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for 
 me acrozra of righteousness," which words hav- 
 ing spoken, he desired that the Hindoo children 
 about his bed, and that the multitude about the 
 house, might sing the hymn, beginning " Jesus 
 my Saviour Lord." Which when finished, he 
 yielded up his spirit, amidst the rejoicings and 
 lamentations of a great multitude ; some rejoic- 
 ing at his triumphant death, and early entrance 
 into glory. And others lamenting the early loss 
 of their faithful Apostle ; who had first brought 
 the light of the Gospel to their dark region from 
 the western world." 
 
 The Rev. Christian F. Swartz, undertook a 
 mission to India, under the government of Den- 
 mark, in 1750, and after laboring many years 
 at Tranquebar, and in the neighbouring country, 
 he finally removed to Tanjore, where he con- 
 tinued till his death, in 1798. 
 
 His unblameable conduct, and devotedness 
 to the cause of his master, gave him a surprising 
 influence over all classes, and secured the confi- 
 
MU«K) 0.*> 
 
 deuce of the bigoted Hindoo. Such was the 
 respect that the Hindoos bad for Mr. Swartz, 
 that ho bould go through the country unarmed 
 
 i unhurt in time of war, when parties of arm- 
 ed mm and robbers infested the country, they 
 would say, " Let him alone, he is a man of God." 
 He twice saved the fort of Tanjore, when the 
 
 lit of the English was lost, when the credit 
 of the Rajah was lost, on the view of an ap- 
 proaching enemy, the people of the country re- 
 fused to supply the fort with provisions 5 and the 
 streets were covered wih the dead. But upon 
 the bare word of Mr. Swartz, that they should 
 be paid, they brought in a plentiful supply. He 
 was appointed guardian to the family of the de- 
 ceased king of Tanjore ; and he was employed 
 repeatedly as a mediator between the English 
 government and the country powers. The last 
 twenty years of his life were spent in the educa- 
 tion and religious instruction of children, par- 
 ticularly of poor parents, whom he maintained 
 and instructed gratuitously, and at his death 
 willed his property to the mission at Tanjore. 
 was uncommon. It is said he reck- 
 oned 2000 persons savingly converted by his 
 
96 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 
 
 After this apostolical and venerable man had 
 laboured fifty years in evangelizing the Hin- 
 doos, so sensible were they of the blessing, that 
 his death was considered as a public calamity. 
 An innumerable multitude attended the funeral. 
 The Hindoo Rajah " shed a flood of tears over 
 the body? and covered it with a gold cloth." 
 His memory is still blessed among the people.* 
 
 32. 
 
 WESLEY AND WHITEFIELD. 
 
 Mr. John Wesley, the celebrated founder of 
 Methodism, was the son of a clergyman of the 
 Church of England. 
 
 He was educated for the ministry, received 
 Episcopal ordination, and ever considered him- 
 self as a member of the Church of England. 
 
 In the year 1 229, Mr. Wesley, then a fellow 
 of Lincoln College, Oxford, with some others at 
 the college, began to spend some evenings in 
 reading the Greek Testament. They began al- 
 so to visit the sick in different parts of the town, 
 and the prisoners in the castle. They continu- 
 
 * Dr. Buchanan. 
 
nil ioioi i 1 1 { y* 
 
 ed in those laudable pra and in 17,35 the] 
 
 were joined by the celebrated George White* 
 field, then in his 1 8th year. At. this time, their 
 Dumber in Oxford, amounted to about 14. 
 
 They obtained their name from the exact n 
 
 larityof their lives, which gave occasion to a 
 
 young gentleman of Christ's Church to say 
 M 1 fere is a iww seel of Methodists sprung up ;" 
 alluding to a sect of ancient physicians who 
 were called Methodists because they reduced 
 the healing art to a few common principles, and 
 brought it into some method and order. 
 
 At the time Mr. Wesley and Mr. Whitefield 
 entered upon their public ministerial labours, it 
 is said that the whole kingdom of England was 
 tending fast to infidelity. These men of God, 
 filled with love for the souls of their fellow-men, 
 and fired with an ardent zeal for their salvation, 
 went forth preaching the Gospel in many places, 
 with uncommon energy and power ; this brought 
 upon them the opposition of the cold hearted and 
 formal professors of Christianity. Many refus- 
 ed to let them preach in their Churches. In 
 consequence of this they were obliged to preach 
 in the open air and in fields. They were often- 
 times insulted, threatened, and hooted at by the 
 
98 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 
 
 mob, who in time of divine service cast at them 
 stones, mud, dirt, &c. and in some instances 
 they narrowly escaped with their lives. 
 
 But notwithstanding the opposition, their la- 
 bours were crowned with success. By their 
 preaching out of doors, they drew together im- 
 mense numbers, their congregations sometimes 
 amounting to nearly twenty thousand persons. 
 Thousands embraced the gospel, and many of 
 the lower classes of society, who were degrad- 
 ed by vice and immorality of every kind, now- 
 changed their course of life, and became useful 
 and respectable members of society. 
 
 Mr. Wesley is universally allowed to have 
 been an extraordinary and highly distinguished 
 character, and " whatever may be thought of 
 his peculiar sentiments, no one can deny him the 
 credit of truly apostolic zeal and perseverance, 
 in what he conceived to be the way of duty. 
 His mode of address in public, was chaste and 
 solemn, there was a divine simplicity, a zeal, a 
 venerableness in his manner, which commanded 
 attention, and when at four-score, he retained 
 still all the liveliness of vigorous old age. For 
 upwards of fifty years, he travelled 8,000 miles 
 each year on an average, visiting his numerous 
 
RELIGIOUS EVENTS. M 
 
 societies, and presided at 47 annual conferences. 
 For more than sixty years, it was his constant 
 practice to rise at 4 o'clock in the morning j and 
 nearly the whole of that period, to preach ever} 
 morning at five. He general!) preached near 
 twenty times in a week, and frequently four 
 times a day. Notwithstanding this, very feu 
 have written more than he; divinity, both con- 
 troversial and practical ; history, philosophy, me- 
 dicine, politics, poetry, &c. were all, at different 
 times, the subjects on which his pen was em- 
 ployed. Besides this, he found time for read- 
 ing, correspondence, visiting the sick, and arran- 
 ging the matters of his numerous societies : but 
 such prodigies of labour, and exertion, would 
 have been impossible, had it not been for his in- 
 flexible temperance, and unexampled economy 
 of time." After passing through evil report, and 
 good report, during more than sixty years of in- 
 cessant labour, he entered into his rest in the 
 87th year of his a 
 
 Mr. Whhefield w as remarkable for his un- 
 common eloquence and fervent zeal. His 
 eloquence was indeed very great, and of the 
 truest kind. He was utterly devoid of all ap- 
 pearance of affectation. The importance of 
 
100 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 
 
 his subject, and the regard due to his hearer*, 
 engrossed all his concern. Every accent of his 
 voice spoke to the ear, every feature of his face, 
 every motion of his hands, and every gesture 
 spoke to the eye ; so that the most dissipated 
 and thoughtless, found their attention involunta- 
 rily fixed, and the dullest and most ignorant 
 could not but understand. 
 
 Wherever he went, all ranks and sorts of 
 people found their attention arrested, and prodi- 
 gious numbers flocked to hear him, and thous- 
 ands through his instrumentality, were brought 
 into the kingdom of God. 
 
 His fervent zeal and labours were not con- 
 fined to the British Isles. He came over to our 
 country several times, and preached in most of 
 our principal cities ; every where crowds attend- 
 ed his ministry, and his labours were crowned 
 with abundant success. It is said that he preach- 
 ed upwards of eighteen thousand sermons in the 
 course of his ministry, which included thirty-four 
 years. Mr. Whitefield died at Newburyport 
 Mass. on the 30th of Sept. 1770, in the fifty- 
 sixth year of his age, on his seventh visit to 
 America. 
 
WHITBFIBLD Preaching' 
 
 B PW2&BJI 
 
 DEATH of VOLTAIRE 
 
101 
 
 33. 
 
 HOW IRDTHE PHILANTHROPIC 
 
 John Howard, Esq theeelebratedpbilanthro 
 born at I fackney, in England, aboul 
 the year 1727. His lather died while he waf 
 IDg, and by his direction, the son was apprcn- 
 dtoa wholesale grocer; but this business 
 neither Buiting his health or disposition, and a 
 handsome fortune falling into his hands, he 
 bought out his time before its regular expiration, 
 and commenced his first travels on the contin- 
 ent. After the death of his first wife, Mr. How- 
 ard in 1756. made a voyage, in order to view 
 f .isbon after the earthquake at that place, but 
 was taken by a French privateer, and suffered 
 in his confinement. By this means, his atten- 
 tion seems to have been first excited to compas- 
 sionate those persons •• who are sick, and in 
 
 I pon his return from the continent, he in; 
 
 ried the second time, but Ins u ife d fiori 
 
 time aft bred to an estate 
 
 dfordshire, where he vm 
 
 much gained the esteem and affection of the 
 
 poor, by building thei ploying 
 
 10 
 
102 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 
 
 industrious, relieving the sick, and educating the 
 children of the poor. In 1773, he served the 
 office of sheriff for the county, which brought 
 him further acquainted with the misery of pri- 
 sons ; and from this he commenced his career 
 of benevolence and glory. 
 
 During the last seventeen years of his life, he 
 visited every country in Europe, exploring their 
 prisons and dungeons, and relieving the miser- 
 ies of the distressed. He also published a num- 
 ber of works on the state of prisons, hospitals, 
 &c. In 1774, he received the thanks of the 
 House of Commons- for his enquiries and exer- 
 tions, Mr. Howard's character is well drawn 
 by the celebrated Mr. Burke, who speaking of 
 him, says,. " I cannot name this gentleman with- 
 out remarking that his labours and writings have 
 done much to open the eyes and hearts of 
 mankind. He has visited all Europe, not to 
 survey the sumptuousness of palaces, nor the 
 stateliness of temples ; not to make accurate 
 measurement of the remains of ancient gran- 
 deur, nor to form a scale of the curiosities of mo- 
 dern art ; not to collect medals, nor to collate 
 manuscripts ; but to dive into the depths of dun- 
 geons, to plunge into the infections of hospitals : 
 
RBueioua i mm- 1U:» 
 
 to survey the mansions of Borrow and pain 5 to 
 
 tak< md dimensions of misery, dtfffl 
 
 ion, and oontempl ; to remember the forgotten ; 
 tttend to the neglected \h visit the forsaken 1 
 and to compare and collate the distl i all 
 
 men in all countries. l!is plan is original, and 
 it i< as full of genius as humanity, ft is a voy- 
 0/ philanthropy — a circumnavigation of char- 
 
 Mr. I low ard commenced his last journey in 
 July 1789, in which he purposed to visit Tur- 
 . Russia, and other parts of the East, and not 
 to return under three years ; withal apprehend- 
 ing that he, very probably, never might return, 
 which proved to be the event ; for while he was 
 at Cherson, a Russian settlement, near the north- 
 ern extremity of the Black Sea, he visited a 
 young lady at some distance, in a malignant fe- 
 ver, caught the fatal infection, and died on Jan 
 H), 1790. 
 
 Dd now Benevole nre ! thy rays divine, 
 Dart round tin Zetthla tothf Line ; 
 
 r each dark prison plays the cheering licrht, 
 Like northern lustres o'er the vault of night — 
 l'rom realm to realm, wit: resccnt ero-\ 
 
 Where'er mankind and misery arc found, 
 O'er naming sands, nei p wave i, or wild* of snow, 
 
 Thy Howard journeying seeks the house of • 
 
104 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 
 
 34, 
 
 MODERN INFIDELITY. 
 
 Previous to the French Revolution, Voltairt 
 and some others formed a set design to destroy 
 the Christian Religion. For this purpose, they 
 engaged at different periods, a number of men 
 of distinguished talents, power, and influence 5 
 all deadly enemies to the Gospel ; men of profli- 
 gate principles, and profligate lives. 
 
 These men distinguished themselves with dil- 
 igence, courage, activity, and perseverance, in 
 the propagation of their sentiments. — Books 
 were written, and published in innumerable 
 multitudes, in which Infidelity was brought down 
 to the level of peasants and even of children ; 
 and poured into the cottage and school. Others 
 of a superior kind, crept into the shop, and the 
 farm-house ; and others of a still higher class, 
 % found their way to the drawing room, the univer- 
 sity, and the palace. By these and other ef- 
 forts, Infidelity was spread with astonishing ra- 
 pidity in many parts of Europe, particularly in 
 France. 
 
 In the year 1776, Dr. Adam Weishaupt, Pro- 
 fessor of the Canon Law in the University of In- 
 

WJM&SMinP off tike <&!BAm3 LAMA. 
 
 36 
 
 MAJRTTiBJ>D>M <of ABMA L LJJI 
 
 The ULol jTTG<&ll]R» r A.lITT 
 (from a drawing raaJd T>v a 2&ufao artist.) 
 
1 KilOl S E\ M 
 
 it- in Bavaria, establish iclety of 
 
 the llluminati. Tins society wag distinguished 
 beyond all others, for cunning, mischief, an ab- 
 solute destitution of conscience, ae absolute dis- 
 regard of all the hit ii. and a torpid 
 insensibility to all moral obligation Their doc- 
 trines were, that God is nothing ;■ that govern- 
 ment is a curse, that the possession of property 
 is robber?/ ; that chastity and natural affection* 
 
 mere prejudices, and that adultery, assassma- 
 lion, poisoning, and other crimes of a similar na- 
 ture, are lawful, and even virtuous. 
 
 The disciples of Voltaire finding this system 
 
 ^tem of more perfect corruption than their 
 own, immediately united in its interests, and 
 eagerly entered into all its plans, and purposes. 
 These legions of infidelity united, went forward 
 with astonishing success, till their abominable 
 doctrines infected all classes of the French peo- 
 ple. — The bloody storm of the French Revolu- 
 tion commenced. — Then it was, that Infidelity 
 obtained a complete triumph — the dagger of the 
 assassin — the axe of the executioner — the infu- 
 i iated mob was now let loose, and thousands 
 and tens of thousands, perished — and the Na- 
 tional Assemblv, in a public decree declared,. 
 10* 
 
*06 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 
 
 that " there imo God, and that death is an eler 
 nal sleepP 
 
 Voltaire laboured through a long life to dif- 
 fuse the poison of Infidelity, In life he had been 
 pre-eminent in guilt, and at death in misery. 
 He had for years been accustomed to call the 
 adorable Saviour — " The wretch," and to vow 
 that he would crush him. He closed many of 
 his letters to his infidel friend with these words — 
 ;i Crush the wretch." This Apostle of Infidel- 
 ity being laid upon his death-bed was in the ut- 
 most horror of mind — in the first days of his ill- 
 ness, he showed some signs of wishing to return 
 to that God whom he had so often blasphemed. 
 He made a declaration, he in fact renounced his 
 infidelity, but in vain — despair and rage succeed- 
 ed in such a manner, that the physicians who 
 were called in to administer relief, retired, de- 
 claring the death of the impious man too terrible 
 to be sustained. 
 
 In one of his last visits the doctor found him 
 in the greatest agonies, exclaiming, with the ut- 
 most horror, " 1 am abandoned by God and 
 man." He then said, " Doctor, 1 will give you 
 half of what I am worth, if you will give me six 
 months life." The doctor answered, " Sir, you 
 
RELiiiiots rami, io'i 
 
 i annot li\ h\ weeks." Voltaire n plied, u then 
 1 shall go to lull, and you will go with me !" 
 ltd 9000 after expired. 
 
 35, 
 
 WORSHIP OF THE GRAND LAMA. 
 
 The Grand Lama is a name given to the S 
 Pontiff or high priest of the Tibethian 
 Tartars, who resides at a vast palace on a moun- 
 tain near the banks of the Barampooter, about 
 D miles from Lahassa. The foot of the 
 mountain is inhabited by 2 '.000 lamas or priests, 
 who have their separate apartments round about 
 the mountain, and according to their quality are 
 placed nearer, or at a greater distance from the 
 reign Pontiff. He is not only worshipped 
 the natives of Thibet, but also by the vanou- 
 tribes of heathen Tartars, who roam through the 
 aer part of Asia. The more remote Tar- 
 :d to absolutely regard him, as the 
 If, and call him God, the everlasting 
 Father of Heaven. They believe him to be im- 
 mortal, and endowed with all knowledge and 
 tirttte Ev( >me from different 
 
t08 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 
 
 parts to worship, and make rich offerings at his 
 shrine ; even the Emperor of China, who is a 
 Manchon Tartar, worships him 9 and entertains 
 at a great expence in the palace at Pekin, an 
 inferior lama, deputed as his nuncio from Thi- 
 bet. 
 
 The Grand Lama, it has been said, is never 
 to be seen but in a secret place of his palace, 
 amidst a great number of lamps, sitting cross- 
 iegged, on a cushion, and decked all over with 
 precious stones, where at a distance the people 
 prostrate themselves before him, it not being law- 
 ful for any, so much as to kiss his feet. He re- 
 turns not the least sign of respect, nor even speaks 
 to the greatest princes ; but only lays his hand 
 upon their heads, and they are fully persuaded 
 they receive from thence a full forgiveness of all 
 their sins. 
 
 It is the opinion of the worshippers of the 
 Grand Lama, that when the Grand Lama seems 
 to die, either of old age x>r infirmity, his soul in 
 fact, only quits a crazy habitation to look for 
 one younger or better ; and is discovered again 
 in the body of some child by certain tokens, 
 known only to the lamas or priests, in which or- 
 der he always appears.— Buckh Theological Die- 
 tionarv* 
 
Bxtmz:lsim>!rp. 
 
 
 "■••'- &^ r 
 
 MB p"> , 
 
 
 
 1 ~*^ -Me^fi 
 
 ^gS^j|Pis^i^S?j5^5^^53lBgflB?3Bc" 
 
 BlTK3Ha'& of ID0X.0 
 A' /v4^ n<j//vcs <r' {Hahette, ens <r' t/is S,>r/r/i Sea /<•/////</.<-. 28/3 
 
 A M100IOYAKT PREATHIS'tt 
 
RE! 100 
 
 36. 
 
 IBDALLAH, THE kB IBIAN MARTYR. 
 
 Ai,i>\iLAi' itimate friends, 
 
 and 
 
 fed to travel tog and to visit 
 
 countries. They were both zealous Mahomet- 
 3 the son oflbraham Sabat, a no- 
 ble family of the line of Beni Sabat, who trace 
 ee to Mahomet. The two friends 
 left Arabia, after paying their adorations at the 
 tomb of their prophet at Mecca, and travelled 
 through Persia, and thence to Cabul. Abdallah 
 
 appointed to an office of state, under 
 maun Shah, kim>; of Cabul ; and Sabat left him 
 there, and proceeded through Tartar v. 
 
 While Abdallah remained at Cabul, he was 
 converted to the Christian faith by the perusal 
 Bible (as is supposed) belonging to a Chris- 
 tian from Armenia, then residing at Cabul. In 
 the Mabometa eath for a man 
 
 of rank to become a Christian. — Vbdallah en- 
 lime to ion. 
 
 but finding it no Ion _ sible, he determined 
 
 to ilee to some of the Christian churches neai 
 the Caspian Sea. 1 1 Imgly left Cabul in 
 
110 RELIGIOUS EVENTS 
 
 disguise, and had gained the great city of Bo 
 chara, in Tartary, when he was met in the 
 streets of that city by his friend Sabat, who im- 
 mediately recognized him.— Sabat had heard of 
 his conversion and flight, and was filled with in- 
 dignation at his conduct. Abdallah knew his 
 danger, and threw himself at the feet of Sabat. 
 He confessed that he was a Christian, and im- 
 plored him, by the sacred tie of their former 
 friendship, to let him escape with his life. " But 
 sir" said Sabat, when relating the story himself, 
 " 1 had no pity," [ caused my servants to seize 
 him, and 1 delivered him up to Morad Shah, 
 king of Bochara. 
 
 He was sentenced to die, and a herald went 
 through the city of Bochara, announcing the time 
 of his execution. An immense multitude attend- 
 ed, and the chief men of the city- 1 also went 
 and stood near Abdallah. He was offered his 
 life if he would abjure Christ, the executioner 
 standing by him with his sword in his hand. 
 " No" said he, (as if the proposition were im- 
 possible to be complied with) " I cannot abjure 
 Christ." Then one of his hands were cut off at 
 the wrist. He stood firm, his arm hanging by 
 his side with but little motion. 
 
religious BVIK 111 
 
 K pliysician by desire of the king, offered to 
 
 heal the wound if he would recant. He made 
 no answer, but looked up steadfast!} towards 
 heaven, like Stephen the first martyr, his P 
 streamed with tears 1 [e did not look with an- 
 
 ardsme. He looked at me, but it was 
 benignly, and with the countenance of forgive- 
 
 1 1 1- other hand was then cut off. i; But 
 sir, 11 said Sabat, in Ins impelled English, u he 
 never changed, he never changed. And when 
 he bowed his head to receive the blow of death, 
 all Bochara seemed to say, "What new thing 
 his V s — Dr. Buchanan. 
 
 37. 
 
 WORSHIP OF THE IDOL JUGGERNAUT 
 
 The Idol Juggernaut is one of the deities wor- 
 shipped by the Hindoos in India. The lollow- 
 ing account of this Idol and its worship, an 
 tracted from the Journal of Dr. Buchanan. 
 
 ed the temple of Juggernaut, in Orissa, in 
 1806. 
 
 Ur. Buchanan. wi 
 
 approaching Juggernaut, (and 
 
112 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 
 
 more than fifty miles from it) by the human bones 
 which we have seen for some days strewed by 
 the way." He found large bodies of pilgrims 
 coming from various parts of northern India ; 
 some had been two months on their march, tra- 
 velling slowly in the hottest season of the year, 
 with their wives and children. Some old per- 
 sons were with them who wished to die at Jug- 
 gernaut. Many of the pilgrims die on the road ; 
 their bodies generally remain unburied ; and 
 their flesh is devoured by dogs, jackalls and vul- 
 tures. 
 
 The temple of this Idol is a stupendous build- 
 ing and the walls and gates are covered with in- 
 decent emblems sculptured upon them. The 
 ground in many places about this temple is liter- 
 ally whitened by the bones of the pilgrims who 
 have perished in this place. 
 
 At the grand Hindoo festival of the Rutt Jat- 
 tra, Juggernaut, the Moloch of Hindoostan, was 
 brought out of his temple amidst the acclama- 
 tions of hundreds of thousands of his worshippers. 
 When the Idol was placed on his throne, a tre- 
 mendous shout was raised by the multitude, 
 which gradually died away ; after a short inter- 
 val of silence, a body of men having green 
 

 i u.iors 1 VI. \ | 1 ].. 
 
 paldM in Hi* n hands, appro, i- 
 with elerity. The people opened a waj 
 
 Tor them: and when they camo up to the tin 
 they loll down before him that sat thereon 
 
 shipped. The multitude again sent forth a 
 voice " like the sound of a great thunder." 
 
 The throne of the Idol was placed on a stu- 
 pendous car or tower about sixty feet in height, 
 vesting; on wheels which indented the ground 
 deeply, as they turned slowly this ponderous 
 machine. Attached to it were six cables, of the 
 and length of a ship's cable, by which the 
 people drew it along. Upon the tower were the 
 priests and satellites of the Idol, surrounding his 
 throne. The Idol is a block of wood, having a 
 frightful visage painted black, with a distended 
 mouth of a bloody colour. His arms are of gold . 
 and he is dressed in a gorgeous apparel." 
 
 The car as it was drawn along, would stop at 
 intervals, at which time the priests would mount 
 it, pronounce their obscene stanzas, and per- 
 form the most indecent actions, which would be 
 responded by the people. After the tower had 
 proceeded some way, a pilgrim offered himself 
 as a sacrifice to the idol. He threw* himseli 
 
 down in the road before the tower, as it wai 
 11 
 
114 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 
 
 moving along, and was crushed to death by its 
 wheels. A shout of joy was raised to the god. 
 He is said to smile when the libation of blood is 
 made. 
 
 This festival continued a number of days, 
 rind numbers devoted themselves as sacrifices to 
 the Idol, by falling down before the wheels of his 
 car. As to the number of people who attend 
 these festivals, no accurate calculation can be 
 made. The natives themselves, when speaking 
 of the numbers at particular festivals, usually 
 say that a lack of people (100,000) would not be 
 missed. It is said however, of late years, such 
 has been the influence of Christianity in India, 
 that the number has been greatly lessened. 
 
 38. 
 
 MISSIONS AMONG THE HOTTENTOTS. 
 
 The Hottentots in South Africa, have been 
 considered as the lowest and most degraded of 
 any portion of the human race. In their reli- 
 gious views, they are but little removed from the 
 brute creation, having no idea of the Supreme 
 Being, and are apparently destitute of any reli- 
 
MUfllOUfl 1V£N 11. 
 
 gtaui principle. * Their language is said to be n 
 
 • ompound of discordant, inharmonious sound 
 
 re resembling the jargon qf the featfo 
 
 tribes, than the musical sounds of the human 
 ce. — through the influence of Christianity, 
 
 (he arts of civilized life have now been introdu- 
 ced among them, and the liberal support, they 
 to religious and charitable institutions, is a 
 
 striking exhibition of the power of Christianity 
 in raising men from ignorance and degradation 
 to a rank among civilized and intelligent beings 
 The United Brethren established a mission 
 among this people in 1737, which was renewed 
 179*2. Since this time, the London Missionary 
 Society has sent out many missionaries. Be- 
 thelsdorp, a settlement of Hottentots, is one ot 
 the principal stations of the London Society, it 
 is situated about 500 miles East of Cape Town, 
 containing about 1400 inhabitants. Several 
 Missionaries have laboured here with great per- 
 ■ ranee and success. Hundreds have been 
 instructed in their schools, and from the lowest 
 >tate of degradation, have become civilized, 
 adorned a Christian profession, and haw 
 
 .■m ~ Missionary Oa/rterr. 
 
116 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 
 
 contributed liberally to the funds of the Society 
 and for the support of the poor. — In the latter 
 part of 1821, Rev. Dr. Philip of Cape Town, 
 (he Superintendent of the Society's Missions in 
 the Colony, visited this station and made the 
 following statement to the Society. " I now 
 can meet the calumniators of missions, and the 
 enemies of the Hottentots on their own ground, 
 and challenge them to show me, in any part of 
 the world, a people more capable of being im- 
 proved than the abused Hottentots of South Af- 
 rica, or attempts at civilization more complete 
 in their success, than what may now be seen at 
 Bethelsdorp." 
 
 39. 
 
 PROGRESS OF CHRISTIANITY IN THE 
 SOUTH SEA ISLANDS. 
 
 In the year 1796, the London Missionary So- 
 ciety sent out to Otaheite, and other Islands, of 
 the South Seas, a number of missionaries for the 
 purpose of christianizing the natives, who gladly 
 received them, as well as several others that 
 xeve afterwards sent out in the year 1800. In 
 
UELKSIOUS EVEN. ill 
 
 <--\|uen<vof disturbances in Otaheite in 1799. 
 
 i Tal of tlu' Missionaries were obliged tateke 
 reJtys in New South \\ ales, some of whom af- 
 tcrwards returned to the Islands. For fifteen 
 
 ra the .Missionaries laboured with little or no 
 
 appearance of success, and were almost dis- 
 couraged. The hopes and expectations of the 
 friends of the Mission were almost lost, in res- 
 i of the success of their endeavours to es- 
 tablish Christianity in these Islands. 
 
 But in 1812, Pomare, the king, declared his 
 full conviction of the truth of the Gospel, his 
 determination to worship the true God, and his 
 desire to make a public profession of his faith bj 
 being baptized. About the same time several 
 other natives embraced Christianity. In 1815. 
 the Missionaries estimated the professed wor- 
 shippers of the true God at five hundred, among 
 whom were several leading chiefs. In this year 
 the idolatrous chiefs in Otaheite formed a con- 
 spiracy, and resolved to massacre the praying 
 people. They being informed of their danger, 
 lied to the neighbouring island of Eimeo. The 
 pagans then quarrelled among themselves, and 
 the chief instigators of the plot were slain. They 
 
 were however still resolved on war, and foi 
 
 11* 
 
118 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 
 
 some time the issue was doubtful ; but Pomare 
 was finally restored to the government of Ota- 
 heite and its dependencies, November, 1815. 
 * { This was the dawn of a most glorious day in 
 (his and the neighbouring islands." Pomare 
 constituted as chiefs, many of those who had 
 made a public profession of their faith. The 
 people assisted by their chiefs, demolished their 
 Morais, overthrew the altars, and burned their 
 gods in the fire. Idolatry was at once abolished, 
 the worship of Jehovah substituted in its place, 
 numerous buildings were immediately erected 
 for public worship, and schools, in every district 
 mtheisl-md. In June, 1816, one of the Mission- 
 aries stated, " All accounts agree that a most 
 wonderful change has been produced in all the 
 Society Islands ; and the spread of the gospel 
 seems to be almost universal." An Auxiliary 
 Missionary Society was formed in iVlay, 1818, 
 by the people of Otaheite and Cimeo, of which 
 king Pomare was President. A missionary 
 spirit is very prevalent. Eighteen natives have 
 gone to distant islands to carry the knowledge 
 of the gospel, some of them went at the peril of 
 their lives ; and they have laboured with zeal, 
 ability and astonishing success. Several thous- 
 
RELIGIOUS I VI \ 1 I** 
 
 amis have been taught to read, and two ohurch- 
 iivr been gathered by their means. 
 According to late accounts, the inhabitants of 
 
 -lands in the vicinity of Otaheite, have rc- 
 nounced their idols, and those in manyolh«'i- 
 are eager for Christian instruction, fulfilling the 
 ancient prediction, " The hits of the sea shall 
 wait for thy hncV Considerable portions of the 
 
 iptures have been translated, printed, and 
 widely diffused among a people eager to receive 
 them. Elementary and devotional books have 
 likewise been printed at their presses ; and edu- 
 cation, civilization, and the influence of Chris- 
 tianity are steadily advancing. 
 
 11 These changes have been wrought, by the 
 blessing of God upon Missionary exertions, 
 among a people the most unlikely on account of 
 their savageness, sensuality, and every thing 
 that degrades the human character. The chiefs 
 were intrigueing, perfidious, cruel, and prodigal 
 of their people's lives, both in war and in furnish- 
 ing sacrifices to demons ; the people were uni- 
 versally thieves, lewd beyond description, en- 
 slaved to the grossest superstitions, and always 
 ready to murder anyone at the slightest intima- 
 tions from their chiefs; the strangling of infant^ 
 
120 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 
 
 was also the crime of every day, perpetrated bv 
 almost every mother, without shame or remorse. 
 Now the Sabbath is most sacredly regarded, all 
 worldly business is entirely suspended, and 
 scarcely can an individual be found, who does 
 not attend some house of Christian worship, 
 nor a family, which neglects morning and 
 evening prayers." The Rev. D. Tyerman 
 one of the deputation sent from England, to vis- 
 it these islands, states the following facts con- 
 cerning the people here ; " No public immoral- 
 ity or indecency is seen. All drunkenness and 
 profane swearing are unknown here. All their 
 former sports and amusements are completely 
 put down. Never before did the Gospel obtain 
 so complete and so universal triumph, in any 
 country, over heathenism, cruelty, superstition 
 and ignorance." 
 
 40. 
 
 SANDWICH ISLANDS MISSION. 
 
 The Sandwich Islands are a group of 1 1 isl- 
 ands in the N. Pacific Ocean, containing accord- 
 ing to the estimation of the Missionaries, about 
 
RELIGIOUS ETENT8. JJ1 
 
 i/>0,000 inhabitants. Of these islands, Owy- 
 hee, or (according to the orthography established 
 by the Missionaries. // the largi 
 
 Till recently, the inhabitants of these Islands 
 were £ross idolaters, their religion heme similar 
 to that of the natives of the S eiety Islands bs 
 fore the introduction of Christianity. 
 
 In the year 1819, Tamehameha, king of the 
 Sandwich Islands, died, and was succeeded b) 
 his son Rihoriho. This young prince in the ear 
 ly part of Nov. 1819, gave orders for the desti ac- 
 tion of the monuments of Idolatry, in Owyhee, 
 and a few days after sent the same orders to the 
 other Islands, which were promptly obeyed. In 
 Atooi, the Morais and the consecrated buildings 
 with the idols, were set on fire, the first evening 
 after the order arrived. The same was done in 
 all the islands. — These events took place, only 
 a few days after the first Missionaries sailed 
 from Boston. 
 
 This change appears to have been effected b\ 
 the reports of what had been done in the Soci- 
 ety Islands, the advice of foreigners, and souk 
 of the more intelligent chiefs, '• The spell ot di- 
 abolical enchantment was broken, t he pi i 
 having lost their proud, and tyrannical prc-emin 
 
122 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 
 
 ence, deserted their altars of abomination, the 
 inveterate customs of 3,000 years were abolish- 
 ed, and the people were left without the forms 
 of any religion. Thus the Lord prepared the 
 way for the introduction of the Gospel into these 
 islands'. 
 
 One of the principal events which seems to 
 have led to the establishment of this Mission, 
 was the religious education of Henry Ob r ikiali, 
 a native of Owyhee, by the Rev. S. J. Mills, a 
 zealous friend of missions. Obookiah was left 
 an orphan in his native country by one of those 
 exterminating wars which often happened there, 
 at the age of 10 or 12 years. Jn a few years af- 
 ter, he was taken by an American captain to 
 the United States, and landed at New-Haven, 
 Con. in' 1809. While at New-Haven, Mr. 
 Mills, then a student of Yale College, conceived 
 the plan of educating Obookiah as Missionary 
 to his native island Obookiah soon became 
 hopefully pious and strongly advocated a JVlis- 
 sion to his countrymen, in which he ardently 
 longed to engage. He however died &t the For* 
 eign Mission School at Cornwall, Con. Feb 
 17th, 1818; but " his mantle fell" upon others, 
 and three missionaries, and agriculturalist, me 
 
M 
 
 chftniCj printer, and physician, with their famil- 
 with tour native youthfl who had been cdu 
 
 1 as teachers at Cornwall were MOl out b\ 
 \merican Board of Foreign Missions, and 
 -ailed from Boston. Oct 2.3, 1819, and arrived 
 off Owyhee, March 30th, 1820. These ] 
 sionaries were cordially received by the nati 
 and immediately engaged in the duties of the 
 \1 l-sion. -They found theencourairementso great, 
 that they sent to the Board for more labourers. 
 Accordingly, five Missionaries with their famil- 
 ies, embarked at New-Haven, Nov. 19th, 1322. 
 and arrived at the Sandwich Islands. April 2?th. 
 1823. In 1823, they were joined by the Rev 
 Mr. Ellis with two pious Otaheitans from th< 
 Society Islands. Mr. Ellis was patronized by 
 the London Society, and has rendered impor- 
 tant services to this Mission. — A church has 
 been formed, places ot worship have been erect- 
 ed, schools have been established, and Chris- 
 tianity, education, and civilization, have gone 
 vard with pleasing success. 
 The following Hymn was composed by Ml 
 \Y. M. Tappan.on the occasion of the Mission- 
 aries embarking at Xew -Haven. Con. for the 
 Sandwich Islands. 
 
124 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 
 
 Wake, Isles of the South ! your redemption is near. 
 No longer repose in the borders of gloom ; 
 The strength of His chosen in love will appear, 
 And light shall arise on the verge of the tomb. 
 
 Alleluia to the Lamb who hath purchased our pardon . 
 
 We will praise him again when we pass over Jordan ; 
 
 We will praise him, &c. 
 
 The billows that girt ye, the wild waves that roar, 
 The zephyrs that play where the ocean-storms cease. 
 ' Shall bear the rich freight to your desolate shore, 
 Shall waft the glad tidings of pardon and peace. 
 Alleluia &c. 
 
 On the islands that sit in the regions of night, 
 The lands of despair, to oblivion a prey, 
 The morning will open with healing and light ; 
 The young star of Bethlehem will ripen to day. 
 Alleluia &c. 
 
 The altar and idol in dust overthrown, 
 The incese forbade that was hallowed in blood : 
 The Priest of Melchisedec there shall atone, 
 And the shrines of Atooi be sacred to God ! 
 Alleluia &c. 
 
 The heathen will hasten to welcome the time, 
 
 The day-spring, the prophet in vision once saw— - 
 
 When the beams of Messiah will 'lumine each clime. 
 
 And the Isles of the Ocean shall wait for his law* 
 Alleluia &c. 
 
 And thou OBOOKIAH ! now sainted above, 
 Wilt rejoice, as the heralds their mission disclose : 
 And the prayer will be heard, that the land thou didst love, 
 May blossom as Sharon, and bud as the rose ! 
 Alleluia &c. 
 
41 
 
 ' 
 
 
 r - '-'- j_ ; 
 
 
 - 
 
 =-- : I 
 
 Ir 5*g 
 
 ^ "- ' 
 
 
 
 lllll§|El3piM^ 
 
 Hfer^ *i 
 
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^m 
 
 
 MTR.A\TSrTB1RTn> 
 <zJfzssio?i>oj^' Station. amana t7ze CheroTcees. 
 
 <^ settlement #f tke American. Colonization Society inZibera. 
 
 MTTffiTLTK SOCIETY 
 7%*^ oftlie usual Meeting in. Fn?e Mason s HaH , ZemZon 
 
I UU01 I i.\i:.\t- 1{J5 
 
 «, 
 
 MISSIONS AMONG TIIIl NORTH AM KM 
 CAN INDIANS. 
 
 Thk efforts which have been made by Chris- 
 tian Benevolence, to spread the Gospel among 
 the Indians in our country, have been generally 
 attended with much success. — The success 
 which attended the labours of Elliot, Mayhew, 
 and others in New-England, and of that devoted 
 missionary David Brainerd, (who went alone 
 among the Indians in New-Jersey, about 80 
 years ago,) will stand as a monument of the 
 power of the Gospel, to change savages into mild. 
 peaceable, and devoted Christians. 
 
 Of late years, the attention of the Christian 
 public has been awakened on beholding the 
 moral degradation of the Indians, in our country, 
 and efforts have been made to carry the light of 
 Christianity, and the arts of civilized life into 
 various tribes. — The Commissioners of the 
 Vmerican Board for Foreign Missions have es- 
 tablished a number of missionary stations in \ 
 rious tribes, the principal of which arc that of 
 Brainerd, among the Cherokees ; Elliot, May- 
 lie w, among theChoctaws ; and D wight, amo 
 
 19 
 
126 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 
 
 the Cherokees, in Arkansas Territory. In these : 
 and other stations of the Board, churches have 
 been organized, schools opened for the instruc- 
 tion of Indian children, and Christianity and civi- 
 lization have progressed with pleasing success. 
 
 The Methodist Missionary Society in the 
 course of a few years, have established stations 
 in a number of Indian tribes. Their mission 
 among the Cherokees, the Wyandots in the 
 State of Ohio, the Mission among the Mokawks 
 and Missisaugas in Upper Canada, have been 
 highly prospered. According to the report of 
 the Society in 1827, the number of Indian con- 
 verts belonging to the Church, was eleven hun- 
 dred and sixty-four. 
 
 A tribe of Indians consisting of 180 souls, re- 
 siding at the river Credit, Upper Canada, have 
 with the exception of a few families, embraced 
 Christianity. " Here" says the Rev. Mr. Case. 
 " are seen the effects of Christianity on the man- 
 ners of a rude and barbarous people. Here are 
 industry, civilization, growingintelligence, peace 
 and grace. And those who have witnessed the 
 change, have expressed their persuasions, that 
 this new nation of Christians enjoys a sum of 
 religious and earthly felicity which is not al- 
 
I teioua »<\ iNTa 137 
 
 ways found in civilized societies of losgur stand- 
 ing and greater advantages. How great th< 
 change ! A nation of wandering, idle drunk- 
 ards, destitute of almost every comfort of life, 
 have, in the course of twenty months, through 
 the influence of Christianity, become a virtuous, 
 industrious, and happy people ! — : he corner 
 of the tribe in the vicinity of Bellville, is as 
 remarkable as that at the river Credit. Ten 
 months ago, these were the same unhappysot- 
 tish drunkards. They are now, without an ex- 
 ception in the whole tribe, a reformed and reli- 
 gious community. They number about one 
 hundred and thirty souls, and the society em- 
 braces every adult, of about ninety persons." 
 
 There are now supposed to be upwards ol 
 two hundred thousand Indians in the United 
 States and their territories. When it is consi- 
 dered that we now inherit the land of their fa- 
 thers; when we consider the success that \m> 
 ever attended the efforts to introduce Christiani- 
 ty among them, we must consider that they have 
 strom claims upo.i the sympathy and benevo 
 lence of the American people. 
 
 n 
 
128 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 
 
 42. 
 
 AFRICAN COLONIES AT SIERRA LEONE 
 AND LIBERIA. 
 
 " Colonization in Africa, with reference to ci- 
 vilization, appears to have been contemplated 
 in England as early as 1780. Several favoura- 
 ble circumstances soon after occurred, which 
 excited the public attention to the subject, and 
 gave rise to the Society for the Abolition of the 
 Slave Trade, and WILBERFORCE introdu- 
 duced the subject into the British Parliament."* 
 
 The colony of Sierra Lieone was commenced 
 principally by the slaves, who had served under 
 the British standard, during the American Revo- 
 lutionary war. About 400 of these slaves found 
 their way to London, and were subject to every 
 misery and vice. • A committee was formed |for 
 their relief, they were embarked for Sierra 
 Leone, and arrived, May 9th, 1787. After 
 struggling through many difficulties, the estab- 
 lishment was transferred to the British Govern- 
 ment in 1808. Since this time the colony has 
 enjoyed a high degree of prosperity, and large 
 accessions are annually made by the vigilance 
 
 * Chapin's Gazetteer. 
 
religion mm 198 
 
 ol the British cruisers in rescuing from slave- 
 ships many an African, who has been torn from 
 his country, and sold into bondage* 
 
 The fVcsleyan and Church Missionaries have 
 laboured here with success, and a Colony ha^ 
 been formed, " which, in order, decency, and 
 sobriety, and in the knowledge and practice of 
 Christian duty," says an English gentleman. 
 ki not only may rival, but, I firmly and from my 
 heart believe, exceeds any equal population in 
 the most favoured part of this highly favoured 
 country." 
 
 In the year 1817, a few distinguished Chris- 
 tian philanthropists in our country, touched with 
 commiseration for the degraded and unhapp\ 
 condition of many of the free blacks, met at 
 Washington, and laid the foundation of the 
 American Colonization Society. The object ot 
 this Society was to establish a Colony to which 
 the free coloured people of th<- U.S. might emi- 
 grate, and enjoy among thenwlves, the bles- 
 sings of free government, and instructed in 
 all the arts which pertain to a civilized and 
 Christian community ; which might, also, be 
 an asylum for slaves, re captured from smug- 
 gling ships. The object, that first claimed the 
 
 1-2 
 
 -i* 
 
130 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 
 
 attention of the Society, was the selection of a 
 suitable place for the proposed Colony. Ac- 
 cordingly the Rev. Samuel J. Mills, and Rev. 
 Ebenezer Burgess, were sent out as agents, on 
 an embassy of inquiry to Africa, to survey the 
 coast, and ascertain the most favourable situa- 
 tion. The result of their investigations and in- 
 quiries was such, as to satisfy the Managers 
 that the establishment of a Colony on the West 
 coast of Africa might be attempted with every 
 prospect of success. Accordingly, after selecting 
 two places, which were afterwards relinquished, 
 Dr. Ayres, a distinguished member of the Soci- 
 ety, and Lieut. Stockton, of the U. S. Navy, pur- 
 chased another territory, which they called Li- 
 beria. To this place, the Colonists were remov- 
 ed from Sierra Leone, in April 1821, and the 
 foundation of a settlement laid at the town, call- 
 ed Monrovia, in honor of the President of the 
 United States, (Mr. Monroe,) for the services 
 he rendered to the infant Colony. 
 
 It is said that a more prosperous community 
 than the African colony, can now scarcely be 
 found. Some of the settlers, who began with 
 nothing, are now in affluent circumstances. All 
 the children in the Colony are favoured with 
 
RELIGIOUS MMI IS] 
 
 the privileges of a school education ; a lar^e li 
 bury has been established, a house of worship, 
 and other public buildings are erected. Dur- 
 ing the last year, (1827,) 448 persons of colour 
 grated to Liberia. The whole population 
 now consists of 1 ,000 or 1 ,20',' souls. 
 
 It is believed that the establishment of the Af- 
 rican Colony, will afford rare facilities for the 
 operations of Christian benevolence, among the 
 benighted African tribes. It promises to be a 
 blessed asylum for a degraded and wretched 
 people. It is already to the surrounding tribes, 
 like M a city set upon a hill which cannot be 
 hid." It is also believed that the establishment 
 of these Colonies, will have an important ef- 
 fect towards hastening on that time when ' Ethi- 
 opia shall stretch forth her hands unto God." 
 
 43, 
 
 BIBLE SOCIETIES. 
 
 Before the art of Printing was discovered, it 
 
 is said that it would cost a poor man thirteen 
 
 years of hard labour to obtain a copy of the Bi- 
 
 . so great was the expence of furnishing a 
 
132 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 
 
 manuscript copy. But now, through the provi- 
 dence of God, so great has been the change, 
 that scarcely any person who lives in a Chris- 
 tian country, and sincerely desires the Bible, 
 need remain a day without this precious gift of 
 heaven. 
 
 The formation of the British and Foreign 
 Bible Society, is justly considered a new and 
 important era in the Bible cause. This Society 
 was formed in London on the 7th of March, 
 1804, by an assembly consisting of about 300 
 persons of different religious denominations. 
 
 " The primary occasion" says Dr. Owen (in 
 his history of the Bible Society,) " of all these 
 measures, out of which this society grew, was 
 the scarcity of Welch Bibles in the Principalities, 
 and the impracticability of obtaining adequate 
 supplies, from the only source existing at that 
 period, whence copies of the authorized version 
 were to be derived — The Society for the promo- 
 tion of Christian Knowledge. A number of in- 
 dividuals associated for the purpose of satisfying 
 this want ; they found others disposed to co-op- 
 erate in their views ; they then extended those 
 views to the whole country ; and finally they 
 conceived the design of placing the Gospel in 
 
iu;mi;ious I 133 
 
 I lie habitation of every instian family, and of 
 Carrying the glad tidings of Salvation and Life 
 by Jesus Christ, to the people that are still walk- 
 ing in darkness, and th shadow of death." 
 
 The British and F >reign Bible Society is the 
 PARENT Institution : Its annual receipts arc 
 about 460,000 dolors ; it has ?,006 Auxiliary 
 and Branch Societies connected with it in Great 
 Britain, including 1445 Associations, 646 of 
 which, are conducted by fen. ales. The Soci- 
 ety has aided in printing or translating parts of 
 the Bible, in upwards of one hundred and forty 
 languages or dialects. The number of Bibles 
 and Testaments issued by the British and For- 
 eign Bible Society, from the 17th of September, 
 1805, to the 31st of March, 1827, is as follows, 
 viz: 2,095,245 Bibles; 3.144,383 Testaments. 
 Total, 5,239,628 copies. The total amount of 
 the expenditure of the Society, since its estab- 
 lishment in 1804, has been upwards of six mil- 
 lions of dollars. 
 
 The Rusman Bible Society, was formed at 
 St. Petersburg, in 1813, and now consists of 196 
 Auxiliaries and branches in almost all parts of 
 the Russian Empire. During the year 1 823, the 
 Russian Society were engaged in printing edi- 
 
134 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 
 
 tions of the Bibles and Testaments, in various 
 languages, to the number of 85,000. The oper- 
 ations of the Society, however, of late have been 
 suspended by order of the Russian Government. 
 
 The American Bible Society, was instituted 
 at New- York, in 1816, and has at present 591 
 Auxiliary Societies. The receipts of the last 
 year (1828) amountedto more than seventy-five 
 thousand dollars. The Society issued from the 
 depository during the last year, 73,426 Bibles in 
 English; 57,053 Testaments in English ; 1,643 
 Bibles in Spanish ; 1,447 Testaments in Span- 
 ish ; *99 Bibles in French ; 270 Testaments in 
 French; 312 Bibles in German; 88 Testa- 
 ments in German ; 43 iiblesin Welch; 10 Bi- 
 bles in Dutch ; 1 Gaelic Bible ; 1 1 Testaments 
 in Portuguese ; 4 Mohawk Gospels : — Making 
 a total of 134,604 copies. The total number 
 distributed since the formation of the Society, 
 in 1816, is six hundred and forty-four thousand, 
 tivo hundred and seventy-five. 
 
 The Paris Protestant Bible Society, was 
 instituted in 1818 ; the operations of this Society, 
 however, are limited, in comparison with those 
 either of the British and Foreign, or the Ameri- 
 can Bible Societies. 
 
The total number of Bible Sooictics in vari- 
 ous parts of the world, at the present tinv 
 said to be 3.965. 
 
 44. 
 
 BETHEL UNION MEETINGS. 
 
 These Meetings, which were instituted for the 
 benefit of Seamen, appear to have derived their 
 origin from the prayer meetings of some pious 
 colliers, who assembled on board of different 
 ships in the river Thames, near London, in 1 8 1 G . 
 These meetings attracting some attention, a res- 
 pectable number of gentlemen and ladies met 
 in London, formed a Society, and purchased a 
 vessel, and fitted it up for public worship. This 
 vessel which is now called " THE ARK" is of 
 100 tons, and capable of accommodating from 
 7 to 800 hearers, and many thousands of seamen 
 have had an opportunity of hearing the gospel, 
 on board this floating chapel. 
 
 Since this vessel was fitted up. ,: The British. 
 Foreig n Seamen* I nd Society and Beth- 
 rl Union." has been formed, arks fitted up in sea- 
 ports, and the - Bethel Flag,* now wav< 
 various parts of the world 
 
J 3d RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 
 
 On the 5th of June, 1818, the " Society for 
 Promoting the Gospel among Seamen," was 
 formed at New-York, and in 1 820, a Mariner's 
 Church was erected in the same place, (being 
 it is believed, the first Marinerh Church ever 
 erected.) " It is an interesting and novel feature 
 in this institution, that sectarian views are dis- 
 carded, and ministers of different denominations 
 preach in its pulpit." 
 
 The New- York Bethel Union was estab- 
 lished June 4th, 1821. Since that time, Bethel 
 Meetings have been regularly held either on 
 board of ships, or in sailor boarding-houses, and 
 conducted by members of the Board of Mana- 
 gers, and appear to be attended with blessed 
 effects. — The engraving for this Scene, repre- 
 sents an evening prayer meeting, on the deck of 
 a ship, during the warm season of the year. 
 
 When we consider the importance of Seamen 
 in a national or religious point of light, the low 
 state of morals too generally prevalent among 
 them ; we must consider the efforts which are 
 now making for their religious improvement in 
 various parts of the world, as an auspicious era 
 in the efforts of Christian benevolence. — Sea- 
 men, above every other class of people, have 
 
Bwmi, MiBy.Tiivr, r,i Hioht. 
 
 Sttuidai: S€m©©1jo 
 
 th a* lam* AM* /.',y>m/ ,/,„// 
 
ur.i.ii.ioi ■> i \i \ 131 
 
 opportunity to carry the light of the Gospel 
 to the remote and wt chirk places of the earth, 1 ' 
 nul it is believed that their efforts will yet have 
 an important effect in diffusing the light of Chri< 
 tirmitv throughout the world. 
 
 45, 
 
 SUNDAY SCHOOLS. 
 
 Among the various institutions which hau- 
 been established in modern times for the promo- 
 tion of religious instruction, and the benefit ot 
 mankind, that ol Sunday Schools must stand in 
 the foremost rank. — The first Sabbath School 
 was established by Robert Raifces Esq. of Glou 
 cester, Eng. in 1782. 
 
 " The beginning of this scheme," (says Mr 
 Raikes,) was owing to accident Some busi 
 ness leading me one morning in the suburbs ot 
 the city, (Gloucester,) where the lowest of the 
 people chiefly reside, 1 was struck with concern 
 at seeing a group of children, wretchedly rag- 
 ged, at play in the street. I asked an inhabitant 
 whether those children belonged to that part ol 
 
 the town, and lamented their misery and idlf • 
 13 
 
J 38 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 
 
 ness. Ah ! Sir, said the woman to whom f 
 was speaking, could you take a view of this 
 part of the town on a Sunday, you would be 
 shocked indeed ; for then the street is filled with 
 a multitude of these wretches, who, released 
 from employment, spend their time in noise and 
 riot, playing at chuck, and cursing and swear- 
 ing in a manner so horrid, as to convey to any 
 serious mind an idea of hell rather than any 
 other place. 
 
 This conversation suggested to me, that it 
 would be at least a harmless attempt, if it were 
 productive of no good, should some little plan 
 be formed to check this deplorable profanation 
 of the Sabbath. I then enquired if there were 
 any decent well disposed women in the neigh- 
 bourhood, who kept schools for teaching to read. 
 I presently was directed to four. To these 1 ap- 
 plied, and made an agreement with them, to re- 
 ceive as many children as 1 should send them 
 upon the Sunday, whom they were to instruct 
 in reading, and in the Church catechism. "-This 
 This appears to have been the origin of Sunday 
 Schools — Mr. Raikes soon found means to in- 
 crease the number of schools, the Methodists 
 were the first to unite with him in this under- 
 
RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 100 
 
 taking, and in two years lie saw a great change 
 ught in Gloucester ; lie laid his plan before 
 public ; and before his death, (which took 
 place in 1811,) he had the happiness to learn, 
 the Sunday Schools in various parts of Britain. 
 comprehended three hundred thousand children. 
 
 These Schools iiave now become numerous 
 in England, Scotland, Ireland, and America ; 
 and it is believed that the influence they will ex- 
 ert on the rising generation, will have an impor- 
 tant effect towards hastening on that day when 
 • all shnll know the Lord from the least unto 
 the greatest," and " the earth shall be filled with 
 the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover 
 the sea." 
 
 Several different modes have been adopted in 
 conducting these schools, and improvements 
 have been constantly made. — In many places, 
 the instructers of Sabbath Schools hold a week 
 !y or monthly meeting by themselves, to report 
 the progress of their respective classes, and to 
 devise means for the religious improvement ol 
 the School. Libraries for the use of the schol 
 arsand teachers, have produced very benefici;H 
 effects. 
 
140 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 
 
 46. 
 
 MILLENIUM. 
 
 This scene is yet to come. — Millenium, is a 
 term generally used to denote the time when ac- 
 cording to prophecy, a great moral change in our 
 world will be effected by the universal preva- 
 lence of Christianity.--" By this change, the ru- 
 ins of the fall to a great extent, will be repaired ; 
 the power and influence of the Messiah's reign 
 will be felt and acknowledged by all nations, 
 producing universal peace, and willing obedi- 
 ence to the law of the Creator ; and the earth 
 with its inhabitants, in a manner and degree 
 beyond our anticipations, will return to the hap- 
 py state of perfection, innocence, and peace, in 
 which they were originally formed."* 
 
 We have many prophecies in the Bible res- 
 pecting this time, the prophet declares that 
 " The knowledge of the Lord shall cover the 
 earth, as the waters cover the sea, 5 ' and, " all 
 shall know the Lord from the least unto the 
 greatest." 
 
 This world which has been the theatre of so 
 much sin and misery, war and blood-shed, shall 
 
 • Dr. Morse. 
 
RELIGIOUS iTBMTl 141 
 
 he changed) for in this time, u swords shall be 
 beat into ploughshares, and spears into pruning 
 hooks ; nation shall not lift up sword againsl 
 nation, neither shall they learn war any more/' 
 
 There shall be nothing to hurt or offend, in all 
 the holy mountain," ibr " The wolf also shall 
 dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie 
 down with the kid ; and the calf and the young 
 lion, and the fatling together, and a little child 
 shall lead them." 
 
 For the coming of this blessed day, Christians 
 in all ages have prayed. Never, since the time 
 of the first Apostles, has there been such an uni- 
 versal effort to spread the Gospel throughout 
 the world, as there is at the present time, and it 
 is believed that we see the dawn of that glorious 
 period, when it will be said 
 
 u One song employs all nations ; and all cry 
 M Worthy the Lamb, for he was slain for us." 
 u Tiie dwellers in the vales, and on the ro< 
 >hout to each other, and the mountain tops 
 From distant mountains, catch the flying jo 
 Till nation after nation, taught the strain ; 
 Kaith rolls the rapturous Hosanna round '* 
 
 10* 
 
 
V CHRONOLOGICAL TABU 2 
 
 OF IMPORTANT AND INTERESTING 
 
 RELIGIOUS EVENTS 
 
 Which have occurred since the Commencement of th 
 Christian Era to the present time. 
 
 A. D. 
 
 4 Jesus Christ the Saviour of mankind is born four year* 
 after the commencement of the vulgar era. 
 
 06 John the Baptist preaches in Judea, the coming of the 
 Messiah. 
 
 33 Jesus Christ is crucified. 
 
 35 Conversion of St. Paul to Christianity. 
 
 39 St. Matthew writes his Gospel. 
 
 40 The name of Christians first given to the disciples ot 
 Christ at Antioch. 
 
 41 Herod prosecutes the Christians, and imprisons Peter. 
 
 42 Sergius Paulus, pro-consul, converted by St. Paul. 
 44 St. Mark writes his Gospel. 
 
 r >0 St. Paul preaches in the Areopagus at Athens. 
 60 Christian religion published in England. 
 04 The first persecution of the Christians raised bv Nero. 
 67 St. Peter and St. Paul put to death. 
 70 Titus destroys Jerusalem. The lands of Judea sold. 
 95 Dreadful persecutions of the Christians at Rome and in 
 the provinces. 
 
 St. John writes his Apocalypse, 
 writes his Gospel. 
 
 97 The Evangelist John returned from banishment. 
 
 98 Trajan forbids !>ie Christian assemblies. 
 
 108 St. Ignatius was devoured by wild beasts at Rome. 
 
 J 18 Persecution of ti e Christians renewed by Adrian, but 
 afterwards suspended. 
 
 137 Adrian rebuilds Jerusalem, by the name of Elia Capito- 
 lina. 
 
 139 Justin Marly writes his first Apology for the Christians. 
 
 167 Polvcarp and Pionicus< -uficred martyrdom in Asia. 
 
 177 Persecution of at Lyons. 
 
 202 The fifth Pertecution against the Christians, principal- 
 ly in Egypt. 
 
144 CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE. 
 
 203 The Scots converted to Christianity by the preaching 
 of Marcus and Dion y sins. 
 
 236 The sixth persecution of the Christians. 
 
 250 The seventh persecution of the Christians under De- 
 cius. 
 
 257 The eighth persecution of the Christians. 
 
 260 The Temple of Diana, at Ephesus, burned. 
 
 272 The ninth persecution of the Christians. 
 
 302 The tenth persecution of the Christians. 
 
 306 Consiantine the Great, Emperor of Rome, stops the 
 persecution of the Christians. 
 
 313 Edict of Milan published by Constantine— Christian- 
 ity tolerated through the Empire 
 
 325 Constantine assembles the first General Council at 
 Nice, where the docirines of Arius are condemned. 
 
 326 St. Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria, introduces Mo- 
 narchism in the Roman Empire. 
 
 361 Julian, Emperor of Rome, abjures Christianity, and 
 is elected Pontifex M axioms. 
 
 Attempts fruitlessly to rebuild the temple of Jerusalem. 
 
 381 Second General Council held at Constantinople. 
 
 387 St. Jerome dies, age d 78. 
 
 397 St. Chrysostom chosen patriarch of Constantinople. 
 
 416 The Pelagian Heresy, condemned by the Bishops of 
 Africa. 
 
 451 The fourth General Council held at Chalcedon. 
 
 497 Clovis and the Franks converted to Christianity. 
 
 516 The computation of time by the Christian Era, intro- 
 duced by Dionysius the Monk. 
 
 519 Justin restores the orthodox Bishops, and condemns 
 the Eutychians. 
 
 525 The Emperor Justin deposes the Arian Bishops. 
 
 565 The Picts converted to Christianity by St. Columba. 
 
 571 Birth of Mahomet the false prophet. 
 
 580 The Latin tongue ceases to be spoken. 
 
 596 Clovis baptized, and * hristian Religion introduced in- 
 to France. 
 
 Augustine, the Monk, converts the Saxons to Chris- 
 tianity. 
 
 609 The Jews of Antioch massacre the Christians. 
 
 611 The Church and Abbev of Westminster founded. 
 
 612 Mahomet begins to publish the Koran. 
 
 636 Jerusalem taken by Omar and the Saracens, who 
 keep possession of it 463 years. 
 
 680 The sixth General or Ecumenical Concil of Constan- 
 tinople. 
 
 726 Leo forbids the worship of images, which occasions a 
 great rebellion of his subjects, the Pope defending the 
 practice. 
 
. HR0N01 OGICAL TABtl I 1$ 
 
 Leoordei rregorj to bo seized and sent (<• 
 
 ( instantinople, but the order is frustrated, and I 
 tfiscatea toe im| erial domains of Sicily and Calabria. 
 l ieo p e r s ecutes the Monks. 
 Death of Pelagius, who preserved the Christian Mo 
 
 OOJ in Austria. 
 
 Astolphus, King of the Lombards, erects the Duke- 
 dom of Kavenna, and claims from the Tope the Duke- 
 dom of Rome. 
 754 Pepin invades Italy, and strips Astolphus of bis new 
 possessions, conferring- them on the Pope as a temporal 
 sovereignty. 
 770 Constantine dissolves the Monasteries in the East. 
 > I Irene re-establishes the worship of Images. 
 7S7 The seventh General Conncil or second of IN ice i- 
 held. 
 
 Missionaries sent from France to Sweden. 
 951 Pope Joan supposed to have filled the papal chair for 
 
 two years. 
 067 Photius, Patriarch of Constantinople, excommunicate- 
 Pope Adrian. 
 ^86 The University of Oxford founded by Alfred. 
 915 The University of Cambridge founded by Edward 
 
 the Elder. 
 1015. The Manichean doctrines prevalent in France and 
 
 Italy. 
 1061 Henry Fourth, of Germany, on his knees asks pardon 
 
 of the Pope. 
 J 065 The Turks take Jerusalem from the Saracens. 
 1076 The Emperor Henry Fourth, excommunicated and 
 
 deposed by the Pope. 
 1079 Doomsday-book begun by William the Conqueror. 
 1095 Thefird Crusade to the Holy land.— The Crusaders 
 
 take Antioch. 
 1099 Jerusalem taken by Godfrey, of Boulogne — The 
 
 Knights of St. John instituted. 
 1147 The second Crusade excited by St. Bologna. 
 1 160 The Albigensenses maintain heretical doctrines. 
 1171 T. Becket murdered at Canterbury. 
 1187 The city of Jerusalem taken by Saladin. 
 1 109 The third Crusade under Richard First and Philip Au 
 
 gustus. 
 1202 The fourth Crusade sets out from Venice. 
 1204 The Inquisition established by Fope Innocent Third. 
 1210 Crusade against the Albigenses under Siraon de Mont 
 
 fort. 
 1226 Institution of the orders of St. Dominic and St. FraD 
 cis. 
 ! )1 The Inquisition committed to the Dominician Monkv 
 
146 CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE, 
 
 1248 The fifth Crusade wnder St. Lewis. 
 
 1260 Flagellants preach baptism with blood. 
 
 1282 The Sicilian Vespers, when 80C0 French were massa 
 
 cred in one night. 
 1291 Ptolemais taken by the Turks.— End of the Crusades. 
 1293 Jubilee first celebrated at Rome. 
 1299 Ottoman or Othoman, first Sultan, and founder of the 
 
 Turkish Empire. 
 1308 The seat of the Popes transferred to Avignon for 
 
 seventy years. 
 1310 Rhodes taken by the Knights of St John of Jerusalem, 
 
 1377 Wickliffe's doctrines propagated in England. 
 
 1378 The schism of the doudle Pope's at Rome and Avig- 
 non begins and continues thirty-eight years. 
 
 1409 Council of Pisa, where Pope Gregory is deposed. 
 
 1414 Council of Constance, in which two Popes were de- 
 posed, and the Popedom remained vacant near three 
 years. 
 
 1415 John Huss condemned by the Council of Constance 
 for heresy, and burnt. 
 
 1416 Jerome of Prague condemned by the same Council 
 and burnt ' 
 
 1439 Reunion of the Greek and Latin Churches. 
 1453 Constantinople was taken by the Turks. 
 3462 The first Vulgate Bible printed in France. 
 1 47 1 Thomas, a Kem pis died. 
 1494 America discovered by i olumbus 
 1498 Savanazola burnt by Pope Alexander Sixth, for 
 preaching against the vices of the clergy. 
 
 1517 The Reformation in Germany begun by Luther. 
 
 1518 Leo Tenth condemns Luther's doctrines. 
 
 1520 Massacre of Stockholm by Christiern Second, and 
 
 Archbishop Trollo. 
 1524 Sweden and Denmark embrace the Protestant faith. 
 
 1529 Diet of Spires against the Huguenots, then first term- 
 ed Protestants. 
 
 1530 The league of Smalcund between the Protestants. 
 
 1531 Michael Servetus burnt for heresy at Geneva. 
 1534 The Reformation takes place in England. 
 
 1535. The society of the Jesuits instituted by Ignatius 
 Loyola. 
 
 1538 The Bible in English appointed to be read in the 
 Churches of England. 
 
 1540 Dissolution of the Monasteries in England by Henrv 
 Eighth 
 
 1545 The Council of Trent begins, which continued eight- 
 een years. 
 
 1548 The Interim granted by Charles Fifth, to the Pro 
 testants. 
 
I URONOLOGICAL TABLE. i4"« 
 
 The treaty of Passau between Charles Fifth and the 
 Eleotbr of Saxony, for the establishment of Lutheranism. 
 iS IV! ichael Servetus burnt at Geueva. 
 
 1555 A number of Bishops in England burnt by Queen 
 Mary 
 
 1560 The Reformation completed in Scotland, by John 
 Knox, and the Papal authority abolished. 
 
 1564 John Calvin a celebrated Theologian died. 
 
 1 57-2 The Massacre of St. Bartholomew's, August 24th* 
 
 1576 The league formed in France against the Protestants. 
 
 1587 Second settlement in Virginia. JVIanteo, an Indian, 
 received Christian baptism — Virginia Dare born, the 
 first child of Christian parents born in the United States. 
 
 159 f Presbyterian church-government established in Scot 
 land. 
 
 1598 Edict of Nantes, tolerating the Protestants in France. 
 
 1608 Arrnipius propogates his opinions. 
 
 1618 The Synod of Dort in Holland. 
 
 1619 Vanini burnt at Thoulouse for Atheism. 
 
 1010 Settlement of Plymouth by the Puritans, Dec. 22. 
 
 I6t6 League of the Protestant Princes against the Em- 
 peror. 
 
 1038 The solemn League and Covenant established in Scot- 
 land. 
 
 1639 First Baptist church in America formed at Provi- 
 dence. 
 
 1G40 New-England Psalm Book first published. 
 
 1641 The Irish Rebellion and Massacre of the Protestants 
 October, 23. 
 
 1656 The Friends or Quakers first came to Massachusetts. 
 Four executed in 1659. 
 
 1CG4 Mr. KUioVs Indian Bible printed at Cambridge, Mass. 
 the first Bible printed in America. 
 
 1674 John Milton a celebrated poet died. 
 
 1685 Revocation of the Edict of Nantes by Lewis Four- 
 teenth. 
 
 1689 Rev. J. Elliot, " apostle of the Indians" died. 
 
 1689 Episcopacy abolished by King William in Scotland. 
 
 1708 Say brook Platform formed by a Synod of ministers 
 under the authority of the State of Connecticut. 
 
 1731 Rev. Solomon Sto Idard a Theological writer died. 
 
 1740 George Whitfield a celebrated preacher first arrives 
 in America, he dies at Newburyport Mass Sept. 30, 1770 
 M h is seventh visit to America. 
 
 Dr. Watts a celebrated poet and divine died, aged 7 - 
 
 1754 Dr. Doddridge a celehrated divine died. 
 
 lent Edwards a celebrated divine died. 
 
148 CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE. 
 
 1772 Swedenburg the founder of the New Jerusalem Church 
 died. 
 
 1773 The Society of Jesuits suppressed by the Popes' Bull 
 August 25. 
 
 1774 The Shakers first arrived from England, they settled 
 near Albany. 
 
 1777 Voltaire a celebrated Infidel Philosopher died. 
 
 1782 First English Bible printed in America by Robert 
 
 Aiken of Philadelphia. 
 1790 Howard the Philanthropist died. 
 
 1 792 John Wesley the founder of Methodism, died, aged 87. 
 
 1793 Triumph of Infidelity in France — The National Con- 
 vention decreed that " death is an eternal sleep" 
 
 1796 The London Missionary Society sent out a number of 
 Missionaries to the Society Islands. 
 
 1798 The Papal Government suppressed by the French — 
 The Pope quits Rome, Feb. 26. 
 
 3 804 British and Foreign Bible Society instituted. 
 
 1806 The Slave Trade abolished by act of Parliament, Feb- 
 ruary. 
 
 1813 Russian Bible Society formed at St. Petersburg . 
 
 1815 Idolatry abolished in the Society Islands. 
 
 1 816 The American Bible Society instituted at New- York. 
 1818 Paris Protestant Bible Society formed. 
 
 1820 First Mariner's Church erected at New- York. 
 
 1821 Monrovia settled by the American Colonization So- 
 ciety. 
 
 J823 American Missionaries arrived at the Sandwich Isl- 
 ands. > 5 
 
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