Some Observations Upon the Civilization of the Western Barbarians, Particularly of the English: made during the residence of some years in those parts.Swazey, John B.
Philosophy
Some Observations Upon the Civilization of the Western Barbarians, Particularly of the English: made during the residence of some years in those parts.
Swazey, John B.
England -- Social life and customs
The Roman Pope has many devotees among the English Barbarians; and was,
not long ago, the Great and only Head. But a vile and cruel king, who
wished to enjoy a woman and divorce his wife, with whom he had lived
for many years, and by whom he had children, quarreled with the Roman
Pope, because he would not suffer this bad thing to be done; and the
English Barbarians, who disliked a foreign Pope, and the fierce chiefs
about this king, even some of the priests of English birth, urged
him to proclaim himself to be Pope in England, and to seize upon the
revenues which the Pope had received from the English, and all the
lands and properties of great value, which before-time had been given
to the Temples and to the Priests. This was done; this king seized upon
the wealth, and threw down the worship of the Roman Pope in England,
and declared himself to be the new god in England--the Pope! And the
English Barbarians worshipped, and have continued to worship, this new
Pope accordingly. And some who could not honestly worship the new
idol, and dared to adhere to the Roman, were burnt to death! Indeed
this new idolatry was not introduced into England without terrible
consequences. Massacres, burnings, imprisonments, wars, horrible
crimes--persecutions, destruction of families, robbing, plundering--not
even to this day have all the evil consequences ceased; though this bad
ruler made this change in this particular of the great Superstition
more than 300 years ago.
Thus, our Central Kingdom may see how powerfully Idolatry and
Superstition are entrenched among the English Barbarians. A System
interwoven with the very texture of their civilization; supporting,
and, in turn, supported by the State; mixed up with customs and
traditions, and endeared by its connection with family interests;
rich in its possessions; powerful in all the Halls of Learning, and
in its influence upon the fortunes and dignities of men; boasted of
for its learning, for its history, and for its refining and reforming
teachings; the _English Church_ (as those Barbarians call their grand
Idolatry) seems likely to stand for many generations. Yet agencies are,
slowly, at work, which will remove the dark and horrible, and leave the
simple and true. The Benevolence of the Sovereign Lord of Heaven never
tires; and the pure worship and less corrupted morality will make way.
I hope I may be pardoned for the time which I have given to this
subject; it is one worthy of deep attention. Besides, a little study
of the literature and manners of the Western tribes, fastened upon my
mind the impression that their History was mainly an account of the
rise and progress of the Christ-god Superstition; and that, hereafter,
whoever shall have the pleasing task of writing of their better
civilization, will find it to be his main purpose to show the decline
and extinction of that Superstition.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account