Delivered in Boston, Feb. 6th; New Bedford, April 23rd; and Lawrence, Mass., Oct. 16th, 1881. W. KELLAWAY, Book Printer, 194 Washington Street, Boston. PAGANISM NOT ABOLISHED IN THE ROMAN EMPIRE, OR CHRISTIAN WORLD. BRETHREN AND FRIENDS :-The announcement made in the proposition demands a few preliminary thoughts, and I trust you will bear with me while I give expression to the same. I sorrow that there should be cause necessitating such a discourse in this enlightened nineteenth century; and especially in this our country, which has so long been the pride and glory of the Reformation—emphatically, PROTESTANT America! I appear before you an anti-Ritualist; but before proceeding, desire you to understand this position is not taken by me for the sake of being an anti-Ritualist, much less for publicity, notoriety or sensational advantage. I have shaken off the charming incumbrance of Ritualism (that weight of ages), and stepped to the front in defence of primitive and apostolical Christianity! But I purpose not, either to disregard aught of existing good which may be found in all parts of the Church, or to appear as an apologist for one or more of its parties. I simply come before you to reveal and warn against the secret, underlying current of Ritualism-fast reaching its way into the professed Protestant Church. The task is painful,-I say, painful, because some of my 4 PAGANISM NOT ABOLISHED IN THE brethren in various parts of the Church must necessarily be offended: those perfectly honest but blinded, as I also myself once was, will doubtless depart from here in sadness. Now, while I speak of unseen evils prevalent in the Church, I would be the last to rudely pronounce judgment, or assert apostasy; or to anathematize my brethren who have been led into the erroneous delusions to which I allude. Nay, let me remark that I believe that the men who are at the head of the movements in America (that is the rectors of the leading churches which I shall name), are Christians of exceptional worth, good and zealous men, but "carried away" with an unperceived delusion. Once for all, individuals are not in question, but a system of professed Christianity. These alarming things, which it is time to reveal, are worthy of your earnest consideration and momentous attention. And though my brethren may denounce me as heretical, and say I have grievously apostatized from the faith and truth of the Church; yet, regarding their position equally as heretical and dangerous, I feel it to be my undoubted duty (as it is certainly my privilege in this land of freedom of conscience and religious thought), to speak of those things which so threaten the peace and comparative prosperity of our Protestant Church. I now ask your earnest prayers and attention. You will find the foundation of my remarks in St. Paul's first Epistle to the Thessalonians, first chapter, and ninth and tenth verses (I Thess. 1: 9, 10): "Ye turned to God from idols, to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, Jesus." Paganism not abolished, on that which is now called |