THE TRIAL OF THE CHURCH'

It was during this period of fierce assault on the Church of England that Dr. Molesworth wrote 'The Trial of the Church or Peter Plain's Vision.' The following extracts from the Preface will explain the reason for its existence :

When the returning common sense of an abused, indignant, and half ruined people drove from the conduct of its affairs that shifting faction which had so long mismanaged and divided the nation, and which, by its feebleness, and unscrupulous pandering to popularity, enabled agitators, revolutionists, infidels, and political dissenters, to carry on their schemes of hostility against the Church, Peter Plain, Esq., of Manchester, walked into a celebrated meeting of what were called Ministers of all Denominations.' While Peter was there the question was raised whether prayer should be offered for a blessing on their cause and undertaking. How far that cause and undertaking were fit to be recommended for God's blessing was not discussed. For it was immediately discovered that they could not trust, nor submit to, the Minister of any one sect amongst them, to lead the rest even in prayer. They had no common purpose or interest; they had not even charity enough one with another to unite in prayer. But they had malice, and envy, and jealousy enough to unite them all in hostility to the Lord's Church. A work of love placed them in a state of repulsion and disunion, a work of hatred united them. As Peter mused upon this awful disclosure of the rottenness and evil which prevailed within the 'whited sepulchre of political dissent, he fell asleep and had the following Vision:

He seemed to be in a spacious court of justice. The seat of the Judge was vacant. On the right hand side of it sat a beauteous and noble matron; in appearance neither youthful nor aged, but in the fulness of womanhood. In her form were blended strength, grace and dignity. Her large bright eyes were keen and full of intelligence and penetration, but suffused with sweetness and benevolence. Her arched brows and the general cast of her countenance denoted serenity and inward peace. . . . She was clad in

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garments of dazzling white. On the hem of her garment were the words: White in the blood of the Lamb' (Rev. vii. 14). On her clear and spacious forehead was bound a golden circle of a rich, but plain, crown surmounted with a cross. On the front of the crown, in letters of surpassing brilliancy, shone the word 'Church.' On the precious stones, of which the throne she sat upon was formed, were the names of prophets and apostles; and on the chief corner stone,' on which the foundation of the whole rested, was engraved a name, the great Name, the Name dear to the redeemed,-the Name at which 'every knee should bow of things in heaven, and things on the earth, and things under the earth.' . . . On her left hand was a pile of volumes bearing marks of great age. On the first appeared the words 'Holy Bible'; on others were inscribed 'Creeds,' Apostolical Constitution,' ' Early Councils of the Church,' Ignatius, Tertullian, Clement of Rome, Polycarp, Barnabas, Eusebius, Cyprian, Chrysostom, Augustine,' and many other names of the Holy Fathers, whose writings record the practice and doctrines of the primitive Church. Behind her were seen a font and a table of bread and wine, round which were arranged venerable and grave looking men of various ages over whom were inscribed 'Bishops, Priests, and Deacons.'

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In the body of the hall were gathered together a motley and confused crowd; some shouting one thing and some another, all teachers and no hearers. They were formed into parties bearing banners. On the banner of one was written Brownist,' on another 'Baptist,' on another Socinian,' on another Independent,' on another 'Anabaptist,' on another Quaker,' on another 'Shaker,' on another 'Jumper,' on another 'Ranter,' on another 'Southcotian,' on another Methodist,' on another' Association Methodist,' on another Mormonite,' on another 'Owenite,' on another Unknown Tongues,' on another 'Swedenborgian,' on another 'Sandemanian,' on another 'Muggletonian.' These and innumerable other names of sect and party, the watchwords and gathering cries of strife and division, were borne by the discordant groups which occupied the body of the Court, or continued every moment coming in and going out. They all looked upon each other with distrust or contempt. They seemed to have no common bond of unity,-one reviled the other.

They condemned each other unsparingly as ignorant or fanatic, as nuisances and pests of society, or as corrupters and burlesques of Christianity. They roared and scolded, sneered and scowled at each other. The hall of judgment seemed a second Babel. But suddenly the scene changed. In a moment they forgot their quarrels, and seemed all agreeably united. Though charity and brotherly love could not bind them together, envy and hatred united them for a time. Others too were united with them in the unhallowed ties. In the midst of them, cheering, and joining their polluted hands with them, (but at the same time secretly sneering at their folly,) were scoffing infidels, seared atheists, brazen agitators, artful adventurers, and desperate revolutionists. These all united their voices with them, and conspired against the holy and august Matron who sat upon the throne.

But there was a considerable and more respectable group, who stood aloof from this blaspheming and unholy league. They looked upon the fearful alliance and proceedings with disgust and suspicion. They seemed to feel some veneration for the Matron though they joined her not. Her works of love, her triumphs of piety and learning, were not forgotten by them. They could not take part with her ill-assorted foes. These were men of serious countenances, indicating sincerity and real piety. They bore the names of different sects, but especially conspicuous among them was the name of 'Wesley.

With the exception of these, the whole mob in the body of the hall gave vent to their bitter envy and hatred of the Holy Matron who sat upon the throne; they gnashed at her with their teeth; they mocked, they heaped upon her every evil epithet they could think of. The Matron sat calmly, looking with pity upon their frenzy and impotent rage. 'You have no right to that crown, which bears the inscription, Church,' yelled the furious allies. It is ours. Give it up to us. We call upon you to declare by whose authority you wear it.' 'By His,' she solemnly replied,—' by His, whose great Name is on the chief corner stone of my throne.'

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This reply only the more excited their frantic rage. Loud and fierce were their threats and execrations. She remained unmoved; but turning towards the vacant judgment seat she firmly exclaimed: 'I Appeal to Common Sense. Let Common Sense Judge between us.'

Instantly the judgment seat was filled. There was seated in it a plain, common, vigorous, middle-aged man. His limbs were firmly knit; his form large and strong; his dress and manner holy and simple. His countenance, ruddy, good-humoured and open, showed few marks of excitement or animation. His movements and his words were alike slow and grave. There was in his manner a quiet, sedate repose, almost an occasional appearance of indolence, which required rousing. But yet there was also a something searching and penetrating in his glance, from which hypocrites and knaves shrunk abashed, and a sly humour and waggery which even folly and delusion could not abide. The noisy and angry multitude of revilers tried, at his first. appearance, to encourage each other in uproar and brutality, that his voice might be drowned in their clamour. But their courage and impudence quailed before his piercing eye. Though he had not even spoken, their execrations grew fainter and fainter, and at length sank into complete silence.

Order being restored the Judge then spoke: 'What mean these outrages? What do you require ?'

'We require that Jezebel there to yield her throne and crown,' they roared with one voice.

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'If your judgment be founded on truth and justice, bring proofs, not revilings, to establish it,' rejoined the Judge. Not long ago you professed to seek only toleration and the free enjoyment of your own opinions. You disclaimed all desire to injure her or diminish her privileges. You then did not deny, what believers in other Protestant countries have freely acknowledged, that she is an holy Matron whose deeds and services have deserved general veneration and gratitude. These fair and pure white garments which she wears are not fairer and purer than the spirit that dwells within her, nor the works of love and piety which have proceeded from her!' ... 'Nay,' shouted the prejudiced crowd, those white garments are not hers. See on the floor her true garments, the scarlet rags of Babylon, which cannot be hidden.'

How is that?' said the Judge. Hearest thou the accusation of thine enemies? They declare that those white garments are not thine; that thy true garments are those unseemly scarlet rags.'

'These rags,' said the Matron meekly but firmly, 'are

not my garments, nor ever were. They were, indeed, pinned and sewed upon my garments by man's device and folly. But I have torn them off and cast them down upon the ground, and restored to light my primitive and unchangeable vesture. These white garments were given me by my only Lord. I have ever worn them and shall ever wear them. If

it be otherwise let these men name the time when I did not possess them. To whom were they committed if they were taken from me? Let them take this blessed Word of God, Who sent me and promised to be with me to the end of the world. . . . Let them show when I could have usurped these powers,-when and how the early Christians could have been induced with one consent to concede them unto me unless they had been from the first given to me from above, when and how I could have gained the submission of all primitive Christians to my authority and form of Church government, a submission so universal, that no trace or hint of the time, and means of such an important step should remain among the records, history, or controversies, of the primitive Church. Let them show a single vestige of the existence of any early Church of which the ministration and rule were conducted by any other than bishops, priests, and deacons. Let them show any one Christian kingdom, any important community of Christians, who for sixteen hundred years ever denied or questioned that Christ and His apostles established the Episcopal rule and order of His Church, as you now behold it; and as (notwithstanding the corrupt additions of Rome) it has continued for more than eighteen hundred years. . . Was that Church, or that form of doctrine, that of any one of the countless spawn of sects which now stand before us? If it were, say which of them. Name the sects. Come forth any of you; and show that your sectarian and humanly devised forms of Church polity existed even four hundred years ago. Or that mine ceased at any time from the days of the apostles to this present moment. Here are the records; produce from them your authority,' exclaimed she fearlessly, as she laid her hand on the Bible and the volumes on the pedestal.

She paused for a reply, but none dared to answer the challenge. They replied only by looks of malignity and confusion.

In that more respectable and intelligent portion,