The Northern star, and farmers' and mechanics' advocate. [volume] (Warren, R.I.) 1830-1834, 1833-01-12
w A r r f N

w A IL IL T. IN
Mr.. Randall Please gire the folIo'cang
taken from the Providence .Anerican, Of the
25M ult. a place in your paper, and confer
afaror on one efyOur Episcopal friends IN
Bristol.
CHRlsrMAs.-This day, the nativity of
our Saviour will be celebrated by the per-
formance of Divine services in the Epis-
copal and several other churches in this
city. The advent of this festival brings
with it, or ought to bring associations OF
.thought and feeling Of the most sublime
character; for it brings to view that glori-
Gus proclamation from on high, Of "peace
ON earth, and good will towards man,
On this interesting occasion, also, it has
from time immemoral been thought befit-
ting and proper, to decorate the churches
with evergreens, as kind of emblematical
expressions ofjoy at the iulfllment OF the
prophecy of Isaiah respecting the church:
&c The glory of Lebanon (the CEDAR shall
come unto the fir tree, the pine tree and
box together, to beautify the place OF my
sanctuary"
We wish not to be thought TO affect
any learning upon tbis subject; neverthe-
less, as the celebration is objected to by
some religious sects, not only because the
natal day of our Saviour is not ascertained
10 a certainty, but because it is thought
rather frivolous, we may be permitted to
renent the remarks Of two old and pious
divines.
DIR. Nichols says" This feast Of our
Saviour's nativity seems to have mad Its
beginning in the first, or at least IN the
yery early times of Christianity. We
nave no certain evidence ofthe exact time
when it was first observed; yet it appears
plainly to have been very eariy received
all over the west. And the inmemorial
observation of it is an argument OF its
primitive institution -
The other Old divine alluded to is t..
Nallson. He observes in regard to the
antiquity Of thrs festival" Though the
,mmemorial observance of this festival on
the o5th of December, is not only an ar
pi,ment of it's primitive institution, but a
sufficient warrant fol. our conformity; yet
those who differ from our communion, ac-
count it eupcrsttious; since, they say, we
cannot he certain that our Saviour was
actually born on this day." 1t was the
opinion, we believe, Of st. Chrysostom,
that the 25th of December was the actual
day Of OUR Saviour's birth; and so far as
opinions can 60, We cannot have better
authority.
The day, however, is not to be deemed
material. 1t is the occasion which fills,
or ought to fill with JOY, the hearts Of men.
If there is any thing on earth that can
tame or refine the savage nature Of man
kind, it is the genius of Christianity; if
this fails, nothing can help him. Ii the
nur;ty of its moral code--a code which
has been gazed upon with increasing ad-
mira,ion for eighteen hundred years-but
above all, il It's pccwer is not felt in the
hoart of man, he must be in .ost cond't-
,ion, and not much above the "beasts thai
perish" 1t might not be an Improbable
.Tescarch, to mark the effect of Christiani-
~, after its first publication, on the ma
.tions that embraccd it, and ascertain, II
possible, how long It was before its preach
ing produced a general revolution in its
favor. Perhaps from these facts, might
be drawn some conjectures as to its future
progress and it's final triumph over the
whole world, according to the predictions
ofhs author. 1t would seem that its pro-
gress has been as rapid within the last
twenty years, as it ever has been, if we
exrept its progress in the Roman Empire
in the days of Constantine. Its progress
within the last twenty years amIng the
Polynessian Islands, has been all but mi
raculous. 1t has converted canibals into
honest, sober, and conscientious men,
iCh.istian churches are built, and the
praises of God resound in places where
not twenty years ago, men used to kill
and cat each other! And this has been
accomplished by that praisewcrthy miss
ionary spirit which has started into new
life and vigor within tho last century, and
mostly within tho last thirty years.