HENA ne Thomas Emlyn, na dɛn nti na ogyinaa nokware akyi denneennen? Dɛn na ɔyɛe a yebetumi asua biribi afi mu nnɛ?

Yebenya mmuae no a, gye sɛ yɛkɔ yɛn akyi bɛboro mfe 400 kɔhwɛ England ne Ireland abakɔsɛm. Saa bere no, na Anglikan asɔre no wɔ tumi kɛse. Afei nso, na Protestant akuw ne ankorankoro binom wɔ hɔ a wɔne Anglikan asɔre no adwene nhyia wɔ nneɛma pii ho.

Saa bere yi ara mu na wɔwoo Thomas Emlyn. Wɔwoo no May 27, 1663 wɔ Stamford, Lincolnshire, England. Bere a odii mfe 19 no, ofii ase kyerɛkyerɛe wɔ asɔre. Akyiri yi, okodii sɔfo maa ɔbaa nuonyamfo bi a ɔte London. Eduu baabi no, otu kɔɔ Belfast, Ireland.

Ɔwɔ Belfast no, edidi mu ara na wɔde no too asɔre bi ano. Akyiri yi koraa de, na Emlyn tumi kɔyɛ asɔre wɔ mmeaemmeae bi te sɛ Dublin.

Yɛreka yi nyinaa, na Emlyn gu so resua Bible no denneennen. Mfiase no na ogye Baasakoro nkyerɛkyerɛ no di, nanso nneɛma a osua fii Bible mu nti, afei de na ne tirim ntene no wɔ saa nkyerɛkyerɛ no ho. Bere a ɔyɛɛ Nsɛmpa no mu nhwehwɛmu no, obehui sɛ Nsɛmpa no foa ntease foforo a wabenya no so.

Ntease a Emlyn benyae no, wamma nkurɔfo anhu. Nanso n’asɔrefo a wɔwɔ Dublin no bi hyɛɛ no nsow sɛ, sɛ ɔreyɛ asɔre a, ɔmmɔ Baasakoro no so koraa. Ná onim sɛ afoforo ani rennye ntease a wabenya no ho. Enti ɔkyerɛwee sɛ: “Minim sɛ minya bue m’ano ka nea mabehu no a, mintumi ntoa m’adwuma so wɔ ha.” June afe 1702 mu no, Emlyn mfɛfo baanu kobisaa no nea enti a ɔmmɔ Baasakoro so bio wɔ ne nkyerɛkyerɛ mu. Emlyn kaa no pen sɛ onnye Baasakoro nni bio, enti ɔregyae asɔre no.

Nna kakraa bi akyi no, obuu ne kɛtɛ mu fii Dublin, Ireland, kɔɔ England. Nanso edii abosome abien ne kakra no, ɔsan kɔɔ Dublin sɛ ɔrekɔtoto nneɛma na watu akɔtena London koraa. Ɔkɔɔ Dublin no, otintim nhoma bi a wɔato din An Humble Inquiry Into the Scripture-Account of Jesus Christ (Yesu Kristo Ho Asɛm a Ɛwɔ Kyerɛwnsɛm Mu—Nhwehwɛmu a Efi Komam). Otintim nhoma no de kyerɛɛ nea ama wanya ntease foforo. Ɔde Bible mu nkyerɛkyerɛmu a emu da hɔ fann mae wɔ nhoma yi mu de kyerɛɛ nea enti a obiara ntumi nka sɛ Yesu ne Onyankopɔn Pumpuni no. Ɛhyɛɛ asɔrefo a bere bi na Emlyn ne wɔn som wɔ Dublin no abufuw paa. Enti wɔsamanaa no.

June 14, 1703 no, wɔkyeree Emlyn de no kogyinaa Ɔhemmaa Asɛnnibea wɔ Dublin. Emlyn kaa nea esii wɔ hɔ no ho asɛm wɔ ne nhoma bi mu, na wɔato nhoma no din True Narrative of the Proceedings (Nea Ɛkɔɔ so Ankasa wɔ Asɛnni no Ase). Ɔkyerɛwee wɔ nhoma yi mu sɛ, wɔbɔɔ no sobo sɛ wɔakyerɛw nhoma bi akeka abususɛm wom, na abususɛm no bi ne sɛ Yesu Kristo ne “Nyame Agya” nyɛ pɛ. Wonnya nnii asɛm  no nwiei mpo na wɔabu no fɔ dedaw. Anglikan asɔre no nkorabata a ɛwɔ Ireland no, emu asɔfo mpanyimfo baason ka atemmufo no ho na wodii Emlyn asɛm. Wɔamma wankasa mpo. Richard Levins yɛ lɔyani kukudam, na ɔka kyerɛɛ Emlyn sɛ, ‘ɔtwe ne mu tann, obedi fɔ.’ Wɔbɔɔ wɔn nkuro wiei no, Ireland Temmufo Panyin Richard Pyne ka kyerɛɛ asɛnni bagua no sɛ, sɛ wɔanhwɛ amma asɛm no ankɔ baabi a ɛsɛ sɛ ɛkɔ a, wɔnkae nhu sɛ “asɔfo mpanyimfo a wɔte asɛm no so no wɔ hɔ.” Ebia ɔkaa saa de hunahunaa asɛnni bagua no.

Bere a wobuu Emlyn fɔ no, kwaadubɔfo panyin no kae sɛ anka ɔntwe nsɛm a wakeka no nsan. Emlyn ampene, enti wɔbɔɔ no ka na wɔsan kae sɛ wɔmfa no nkɔto afiase afe biako. Esiane sɛ wannya sika antua ka a wɔbɔɔ no no nti, ɔdaa afiase mfe abien. N’adamfo bi na ɔkɔkaa bi maa no ansa na wɔretew ka no so. Enti July 21, 1705 na wogyaee Emlyn. Animguase a ɔfaa mu nti na ɔkaa ne nsɛm a yɛde fii ase no. Ɔkae sɛ: “Sɛ mihu amane mpo a, mayɛ krado sɛ nea migye di sɛ ɛno ne [Onyankopɔn] ne n’anuonyam ho nokwasɛm no, ɛno na mɛka.”

Emlyn tu kɔɔ London, na ɛhɔ na okohyiaa Bible ho ɔbenfo bi a wɔfrɛ no William Whiston. Ɔno nso tintim nhoma bi faa nea ogye di sɛ ɛyɛ Bible mu nokware ho, enti nkurɔfo tan n’ani. Ná Whiston bu Emlyn paa, enti ɔfrɛɛ Emlyn sɛ ‘onipa a odii kan twee adwene kɔɔ tete kristosom so.’

Ná William Whiston ne nhomanimfo foforo a wobu no, Isaac Newton, adi kan ahu sɛ Bible no mfoa Baasakoro so sɛnea ɛwɔ Athanasius nkyerɛkyerɛ mu no. Emlyn nso behuu saa, na ɔkyerɛɛ mu sɛ: “Medwennwenee nneɛma ho kɔɔ akyiri, na misuaa Kyerɛw kronkron no nso, . . . na mibehui sɛ . . . ɛsɛ sɛ mesesa m’adwene koraa wɔ Baasakoro no ho.” Owiee n’asɛm no sɛ: “Yesu Kristo Agya ne ne Nyankopɔn no, ɔno nko ara ne Ɔteasefo Pumpuni.”

Dɛn na ɛmaa Emlyn benyaa saa adwene no? Ohuu kyerɛwnsɛm pii a ɛkyerɛ sɛ ɛsono Yesu ɛnna ɛsono N’Agya. Kyerɛwsɛm a Emlyn hui no bi ni (nea Emlyn ka faa kyerɛwsɛm no ho no, ɛno na yɛakyeakyea no no):

•  Yohane 17:3: “Baabiara nni hɔ a wɔka Kristo ho asɛm sɛ Onyankopɔn koro no, anaasɛ Onyame a ɔkorɔn paa a wobetumi afrɛ no Onyankopɔn koro pɛ no.” Agya no nkutoo na wɔfrɛ no “nokware Nyankopɔn koro pɛ no.”

•  Yohane 5:30: “Ɔba no nyɛ nea ɔno ara pɛ, mmom ɔyɛ Agya no apɛde.”

•  Yohane 5:26: “Agya no na ɔmaa no Nkwa.”

•  Efesofo 1:3: “Wɔtaa ka Yesu Kristo ho asɛm sɛ Onyankopɔn Ba, nanso baabiara nni hɔ a wɔka Agya no ho asɛm sɛ Onyankopɔn Agya. Mmom no, wɔtaa frɛ no yɛn Awurade Yesu Agya.”

Bere a Emlyn susuw adanse a onyae no nyinaa ho wiei no, osii no pi sɛ: “Kyerɛw kronkron no mu nyinaa, wunhu baabi a wɔhyɛɛ da kaa no pɔtee sɛ Agya, Ɔba, ne Honhom Kronkron no bom yɛ onipa biako.”

Ɛnnɛ sɛ nnipa pii behu Kyerɛwsɛm no mu nokware a, wosuro sɛ wɔbɛka ho asɛm. Nanso Emlyn de, na wayɛ krado sɛ obegyina Bible mu nokwasɛm akyi pintinn. Obisae sɛ: “Sɛ obi hu nokwasɛm pefee wɔ Kyerɛw kronkron no mu na sɛ ɔka n’ano tom a, ɛnde na ɔkenkan sua yɛɛ dɛn?” Bere a Emlyn huu nokware no, wanka n’ano antom.

Emlyn ne afoforo atwa ɛsa bi ato hɔ ama yɛn. Nea wɔyɛe no betumi aka yɛn ma yɛahu nea yɛbɛyɛ bere a nokware nti afoforo tan yɛn ani. Yɛn nso, yebetumi abisa yɛn ho sɛ, ‘Anuonyam a menya wɔ baabi a mete, ne Onyankopɔn Asɛm mu nokwasɛm a mekura mu pintinn, emu nea ɛwɔ he na ehia me paa?’