THOMAS Emlyn yali ani, era lwaki yalwanirira amazima? Kiki kye tumuyigirako?

Okusobola okuddamu ebibuuzo ebyo, ka tusooke twetegereze ebyaliwo mu Bungereza ne mu Ireland ku nkomerero y’ekyasa eky’ekkumi n’omusanvu ne ku ntandikwa y’ekyasa eky’ekkumi n’omunaana. Mu kiseera ekyo, Abapolotestanti baalina obuyinza bungi nnyo mu Bungereza, naye waaliwo obubinja bw’Abapolotesitanti abaali bawakanya enjigiriza z’eddiini yaabwe.

Thomas Emlyn yazaalibwa nga Maayi 27, 1663, mu kibuga Stamford, eky’omu Lincolnshire, mu Bungereza. Yatandika okubuulira enjiri nga wa myaka 19 gyokka. Oluvannyuma lw’ekiseera yasengukira mu kibuga Belfast ekya Ireland.

Ng’ali e Belfast, yaweerezaako ng’omwawule mu kkanisa ey’omuluka. Ate era yaweerezaako mu kibuga Dublin ne mu bitundu ebirala bingi.

Mu kiseera ekyo, Emlyn yali asoma nnyo Bayibuli. Mu kusoma kwe, yakizuula nti enjigiriza ya Tiriniti, oba nti Katonda ali mu busatu si ntuufu, wadde nga mu kusooka yali agikkiririzaamu. Bwe yeeyongera okwekenneenya ebitabo bya Bayibuli eby’Enjiri, yakizuula nti tebiwagira njigiriza eyo.

Emlyn teyategeerezaawo balala bye yali azudde. Kyokka abantu abamu mu kkanisa gye yali aweererezaamu mu kibuga Dublin, baakizuula nti bwe yabanga ayigiriza yali takyayogera ku njigiriza egamba nti Katonda ali mu busatu. Olw’okuba yamanya nti abamu tebandiwagidde ebyo bye yali azudde ku njigiriza eyo, yawandiika nti: “Ne mmala njogera bye nzudde, sirowooza nti nneeyongera okuweereza ng’omwawule mu kkanisa eno.” Mu Jjuuni 1702, abaawule babiri baamutuukirira ne bamubuuza ensonga lwaki yali takyayigiriza nti Katonda ali mu busatu. Emlyn yabagamba nti yali takyakkiririza mu njigiriza eyo era nti yali agenda kulekulira.

Oluvannyuma lw’ennaku ntono, yava mu Dublin, ekya Ireland, n’agenda e Bungereza. Kyokka, nga wayiseewo wiiki kkumi, yaddayo e Dublin abeeko by’amaliriza, oluvannyuma asengukire mu kibuga London. Bwe yali azzeeyo e Dublin, yawandiika ekitabo ekiyitibwa An Humble Inquiry Into the Scripture-Account of Jesus Christ. Mu kitabo ekyo, yalaga obukakafu obwesigamiziddwa ku Byawandiikibwa obulaga nti Yesu teyenkana Katonda Omuyinza w’Ebintu Byonna. Ekyo kyanyiiza nnyo abakulembeze b’ekkanisa y’omu Dublin gye yaweererezanga, era ne bamuggulako omusango.

Nga Jjuuni 14, 1703, Emlyn yakwatibwa n’atwalibwa mu kkooti eyitibwa Queen’s Bench Court ey’omu kibuga Dublin. Mu kitabo kye ekiyitibwa True Narrative of the Proceedings, ekikwata ku ebyo ebyaliwo mu kkooti, Emlyn yagamba nti: ‘Nnavunaanibwa omusango ogw’okuwandiika n’okufulumya ekitabo, ekivvoola Yesu Kristo nti teyenkanankana ne Katonda Kitaffe.’ Omusango ogwo tegwasalibwa mu bwenkanya, kubanga abalabirizi musanvu ab’ekkanisa z’Abapolotesitanti mu Ireland baatuula n’abalamuzi  ku ntebe y’emu. Richard Levins, looya eyali assibwamu ennyo ekitiibwa mu Ireland yagamba Emlyn nti yali tajja kuweebwa kakisa kwewozaako, era bwe kityo bwe kyali. Emlyn bwe yamala okuwozesebwa, Ssaabalamuzi Richard Pyne yagamba abo abaali balondeddwa okuwuliriza ensala y’omusango nti bwe batandirumirizza Emlyn, “abalabirizi baali weebali,” ng’ali ng’ategeeza nti abantu abo baali bajja kubonerezebwa.

Emlyn bwe baamusingisa omusango, omumyuka wa ssaabawaabi wa gavumenti yamugamba nti asazeemu ebyo bye yali awandiise ku njigiriza ya Tiriniti, naye Emlyn yagaana. Baamusalira ekibonerezo eky’okusasula engassi n’okusibibwa omwaka gumu. Olw’okuba yali tasobola kusasula ssente ezo, yabeera mu kkomera okumala emyaka ebiri, okutuusa mukwano gwe lwe yeegayirira ab’obuyinza ne bazikendeezaako. Emlyn yateebwa nga Jjulaayi 21, 1705. Engeri gye yabonyaabonyezebwamu yamuleetera okwogera ebigambo ebiri ku ntandikwa y’ekitundu kino: ‘Mbonaabona olw’okwogera amazima agakwata ku Katonda.’

Emlyn yasengukira mu London, gye yasisinkanira omuwandiisi w’ebitabo omulala eyali ayitibwa William Whiston, naye eyali yakyayibwa olw’okuwandiika ebyo ye bye yali alaba nti ge mazima agakwata ku Katonda. Whiston yassanga nnyo ekitiibwa mu Emlyn, era yagamba nti mu kiseera kye, Emlyn ye “yasookera ddala okulwanirira ‘Obukristaayo obwasooka.’”

Okufaananako abawandiisi b’ebitabo abamanyiddwa ennyo gamba nga William Whiston ne Isaac Newton, Emlyn yakizuula nti Bayibuli tewagira njigiriza egamba nti Katonda ali mu busatu ng’amakanisa mangi bwe gayigiriza. Yannyonnyola nti: “Oluvannyuma lw’okufumiitiriza ennyo n’okwekenneenya Ebyawandiikibwa ebitukuvu, . . . nnafuna ensonga . . . kwe nnasinziira okukyusa endowooza gye nnalina ku njigiriza eyo.” Yawunzika ng’agamba nti: “Katonda era Kitaawe wa Yesu Kristo yekka ye Katonda Omuyinza w’Ebintu Byonna.”

Kiki ekyaleetera Emlyn okwogera bw’atyo? Yazuula ebyawandiikibwa bingi ebiraga nti Yesu ne Kitaawe ba njawulo. Bino bye bimu ku byawandiikibwa ebyo (ebigambo bya Emlyn bye biwunzikiddwa):

•  Yokaana 17:3: “Kristo tayitibwa Katonda omu oba Omuyinza w’Ebintu Byonna.” Katonda Kitaffe ye yekka ayitibwa “Katonda omu ow’amazima.”

•  Yokaana 5:30: “Omwana takola bibye, wabula ebyo Kitaawe bye yamutuma okukola.”

•  Yokaana 5:26: “Kitaawe ye yamuwa obulamu.”

•  Abeefeso 1:3: “Wadde ng’emirundi mingi Yesu Kristo ayitibwa Omwana wa Katonda, tewali wonna we tusoma nga Kitaffe ayitibwa Kitaawe wa Katonda, wabula ayitibwa Kitaawe wa Mukama waffe Yesu.”

Emlyn bwe yamala okwekenneenya Ebyawandiikibwa, yagamba nti: “Tewali Kyawandiikibwa kyonna mu Byawandiikibwa ebitukuvu, ekiraga nti Kitaffe, Omwana, n’Omwoyo Omutukuvu bali muntu omu.”

Abantu bangi leero batya okulwanirira amazima agali mu Bayibuli. Naye ye Emlyn yagalwanirira. Yabuuza nti, “Omuntu bw’atalwanirira mazima agali mu Byawandiikibwa ebitukuvu, kati olwo kimugasa ki okusoma Ebyawandiikibwa n’okubinoonyerezaako?” Yali tayinza kukweka mazima.

Ekyokulabirako Emlyn n’abalala kye baatuteerawo kyandituleetedde okwebuuza obanga tusobola okunywerera ku mazima wadde ng’abalala batuvumirira. Naffe tuyinza okwebuuza nti, ‘Kiki ekisinga obukulu—okusiimibwa abantu, oba okulwanirira amazima agali mu Kigambo kya Katonda?’