The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1846-09-24
iHEsPRElD OF rHRIsrllMrr.

- - - "e1@A
The Christian religion, il Is very man
ifest, must soon be the religion of The hu-
man family. Waving The consideration
Of that vital picty, that spiritual renovation
which christianity is destined 10 secure,
LEI us FIRST, as philosophical observers,
contemplate nominal christianity, without
reference 10 secis, either Protestant OF
Catholic. II is susceptible Of demonstra-
lion, that the Christian religion will soon
supplant all forms Of idolatry, and reign
undispuied.
Contemplate the past achievements Of
this wonderful moral power. Imperial
Rome, earth's master and iyrant, with all
her boasied legions, and after exhausling
all her energies in the conflict, fell pros.
trate before Christianity. From ,he pa
lace of the vanquished Caesars the cross
was unfurled. Even Nero could not build
fires hot enough 10 burn up the energies
Of the Christian church. Even the wild
beasts OF the Coliseum, as they tore limb
from limb, could not intimidate the follow
ers Of Jesus, or expel the Christian faith
from the world. 'rhe philosopher has
! tI. with snrs@I!.Ing snsrgy g gndet;
and The shafts Of the satirist have fallen
harmless from her triple shield. The hos
tilities Of earth has inarshaled every pos
siblc power in every possible combine
ton against Christianity, and all in vain.
When the gorgeous idols Of Ephesus,
when the immortal siatuary Of Athens and
of the Pantheon crumble from their pc
destals at the approach Of Christ, can the
miserable feather gods Of the Pacific and
the mud idols Of India resist his approach!
When the Roman empire, in the plenitude
of its power, exhausted IFS energies in
bloody persecution in vain, is it to be fear
ed that earth can furnish other powers Of
persecution yet more terrible! - '@ s..
When we have seen philosophers and
poets and dramatists and princes combine,
with the highest resources Of learning and
wit and wealth, and Christianity steadily
advancing notwithstanding all their endea-
vors. is il to be anticipated that other lite.
rary opponents viii be able 10 accomplish
that which Hume and Gibbon and Vol
taire and Frederick 1.-The conspiring ency-
clopedists Of Europe, in vain essayed !
| Were an unbeliever in the divine au-
thority Of revealed religion, still, as a phi
losophical observer Of cause and effect,
am compelled to believe that Christianity
possesses an Inherent energy which will
make it triumphant over the world. All
Europe, with the exception of Turkey,
has become nominally Christian. Every
island upon her southern and western
coast has become christianized. The en-,
ergies Of the gospel have extended ovel
the wide waves OF the Atlantics and nearly
the whole of this new world, from the few
feeble savages wandering over the cliffs Of
Patagonia, to the shiyering inmates of the
snow huts OF Greenland. has become no
minally Christian. Probably, fifty years
from this time, not a vestige of living hea
thenism will be found on The American
continent. vzsn 4T .vxaaissafa a,r,s ses9
/ All the West India islands are chris
tanned. - And with what miraculous ra'
| pidity is Christianity pcrvading the isl
4 ands of the Pacific. Where are the idols
of Tahiti, Hawaii, Raratonga! They arr
] in the cabinets of the missionary rooms O
i England and America--the trophies oftht
peaceful conquests Of Christianity. Dur
ING the last twenty-five years, the group:
of the Society and Sandwich Islands, thu
i Austral, Hervey, vavau and Hapai groups
have all thrown, away thor idols and be
come christianized, and multitndes Of 9th
err groups are now in rapid progress o
change. And it is now not probable tina
an idolater will be found upon one Of tn
islands Of Polynesia, in halfa century from
the present time. And as England send
her influence up the rivers of Africa, pa
ganism inevitably disappears, and Chris
tianity lakes her place. And in Southerl
Asia, every intelligent native admits tina
Brahma and Boodh are fast falling into dis
honor. Even Juggemaut himself is dis
graccd, and at recent festivals hecould wit