Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1858-01-08

! was sacredlS9 9cpmme memerSt edsbeforea Con-
stantine the Great was proclaimed .empe-
ror by, his soldiery in sos. we have NEST
melancholy evidence in the fact. that, 1du.:
ring the tenth persecution under 'Diocle-
tian. who then held his at Nicome-
di@, ainumber lof christians having ass
sembled 10, celebrate; Christ's; nativity,
tha4 horrible monster of cruelty, who just
ly ranks with Caligula and Nero. ordered
the doors to, be closed, and the church
fred: thus reducing TO indistihguish
ashes both the temple and the worship
pers. ''9'f-3HHo'{ 1'fsl be" isst.@s
Itwillnot, therefore. beintappropriase- to
1 the services of the, occasion to notice THE
PRoPR1ETY OF THE CUSTOM, end TIE CHA
RACTER OF THE WORSHIP.
| It has been questioned, by esomeldi.
vines, whether, ,sin'view of the1spirituality
of the christian religions, it is. proper to
keep any festivals or holidays, besides
the Sabbath; and justice requires, that, in
entering upon The discussion Of the sub.
iect; the opponents Of suchd observances
should belallowed the benefit ofaaFcandid
statement Of their objections. ,su ~
/. The first of these is, that the, custom
is too nearly, allied to the ceremonial
usages Of the ritual law, from which
Christ has freed us. This freedom. how
ever, was by direct abrogation of mere
Levitical. rites, and was by no means
equivalent to an utter. rejection of all
forms and ceremonies in religion; else
had the holy sacraments of the church,
baptism and the Lords supper, never
been ordained of God: while the absence
of inhibitive precept in relation to the in
PRODUCTION Of other observances, clearly
shows Chat such festivities as. do not CON
travene the spirit of divine worship and
the genius Of the. gospel, eau not be in
themselves sinful, because they involve
infraction Of no law given by him, who
was " born King Of the Jews.
1t is urged, nevertheless, that the very
silence Of the Savior concerning such
usages, is proof that they are unneces-
sary under the gospel dispensation. 10
say the least Of it, this is an illogical OBJ
lection, since the true question az issue,
is the propriety, not the necessity OF com.
memorative customs. Ii necessity were
predi6ated Of religious festivals, we
should be obliged to look, beyond Gus
tom, to the higher authority of divine
law; and then they would take rank with
the positive institutions Of christianity .
| We, however, claim no more on their be-
halflthan simple propriety. and, in Vindi-
cation. plead the ,pious reasons to be
hereafter elaborated, e, -..,
Their observance, it is further said, is
tacit reflection on the Great Head ol
the church for failing or omitting TO ap.
81, to G
argument might be sufficiently full, were
we simply to.declare them, in thai event,
in the same category with all modern aP,
pliances for the evangeFzstion Of the
world. such as bible. tract. and mission
ary societies, sunday schools, &c; but we
are not content to rest the que stion here
Who will have the hardihood to lmplicate
the primitive disciples in SO grievous
a charge as that affirmed in the objec'
ton? Yet they ventured further than
the observance of religious festival
without scriptural precedent. or positive
precept; for, according to ST. Luke, they
made direct request of Christ. that he
would teach them to pray, as John also
taught his diciplcs," Notwithstanding he
had given them, about year before, that
sublime model denominated the Lords
Prayer The mere fact Of their making
the request. shows that they understood
the original prescript of that prayer as. g
general model, and not as aspecIhc form
which construction is borne out by the
circumstances Of the variations made BY
Christ in its repetition. At the same
time, isgiving them the model. without
rebuke, stands in evidence that he die
not regard the request as reflection
} upon him. for emitting proper instruction
on the subject Of prayer; while the form
/ itself being mere model, implied per
; mission to exercise their own christian
intelligence in prayer to God in suct
manner, as would best fulfill the obliga
: ton I" to worship him." AS that obi
: cation rests upon US now and ever, we
5 too, may employ our sancti6ed powers il
= religious acts not specifically prescribed
: without amenability to the charge of re
Aecting upon the Savior. ,g
: Another objection is, that the keeping
} OF such festivals opens wide door to in
dolence and profanity. To entitle this t.
/ validity as ON argument, it must first b.
proved, that those who engage in the ser
. vices incidental to an occasion like th'
, present, throw aside the cares of bus,
l life only to indulge vicious proPensit!
! to idleness; and that the songs of joyou
: thanksgiving that chime from million lips
5 and the fervent prayers that rise iron
) million hearts, are proclamations OF oas
hypocrisy. Did Incidence prompt th
{ wise men to journey from the east 70 in
quire, " Where. IS he. that is born KIM
5 OF the Jews r. Was it profanity in then
5 to declare, ''We have seen his star in tn
east, and are come to worship him |?
The;r-conduct. it;isr truel did stir up tn