Washington telegraph., 1849-08-29
The GENIUS OF CHRISTIANITY.

1t has been we'll said that eighteen
centuries ago christianity was recluse,
that from a recluse it became philoso-
pher, and from philosopher it became
politician. The politics of the present
age have for their basis real faith, fixed
belief in the capacity of the race for ulti-
mate happiness. And this exalted faith
springs from the religion which at the
hour of its birth predicted coming time
when each man should be to his fellow
as a brother, when the sword of the war
rior should be beaten into ploughshare,
and when the lion and the lamb should lie
down together. The divine idea, which
in an obscure corner of the world was first
promulgated by the inspired son of the
poor Judean carpenter, has through sue
cessiye ages continued to illumine the
human mind, until it holds dominion over
"the fairest parts of the earth, and the
most civilized portions of mankind" 1t
has survived the rise, the progress, and
the fall of empires, the skepticism, and
the attacks of in6delity. 1t has rescued
society from the darkness of barbarism,
has taught humility to kings, and infused
hope into the bosom of ali men. 1t has
told the people that he
"Who views with equal eye as God of all,
A hero perish, sparrow :si,"
knows no distinction between the high
and the low, the rich and the poor, the
weak and the powerful. All this chris
tianity has effected, because 1T contains
within itself principle which appeals not
only to the reason, but to the very nature
of man, principle of universal charity
which finds, response In every human
breast. The system OF PHILOSOPHY invent
ed bvZeno and Epicurns, Plato and Pytha-
goras, only serve to amuse the leisure OF
the student, while they have ceased to
exercise any influence Oh society. Ihey
have passed away; because they attempt
ed to prove the benefits of morality by
the same cold and rigid formulas with
which mathematician would demon
strate problem in geometry. Christian
itv is the only religion which inculcates
virtue for its own sake, which touches
the sentiments as we'll as the reason,
which teaches that all men are born equal,
and that offers precept which II unlver-
sallv practised, would raise the lowest to
the elevation of the highest, and would
Danish from the earth all oclallEequallty.
The philosophy of the Greeks, taught that
Justice rendered to all, but christianity
teaches that we should weep for the suf-
fering throughout the world. and that we
should do unto others as we would our
selves be done by. 1t is this principle
that is destined to be the great reformer
of mankind, for when precept shall be-
come practice, when what is now admit
ted as an abstract truth shall be consid-
cred an unavoidable duty, and shall con-
stitute the rule of action of every mans
life, social progress can go no farther,
misery and vice will be among the things
that were, and '.liberty, equality and fra
ternity" will reign on earth. Then, when
the sublime truths which were first pro-
claimed by the founder of our religion
shall be universally accepted, the divine
mission of ChriAsianity will be accom-
plished. And who can doubt that that
time must come? Thrones and empires
may pass away, the monuments ofhuman
genius mny crumble into dust, but truth
is eternal.-N. o. Picayu'ae.