New-York daily tribune., 1861-08-18
THE BAPTISM or A NATION.
From The N. y. Ledger.

From The " y Ledger.
About the year $50 there was seated upon the bar.
baric throne of Russia prince named Vademer ono
of the most sensual and unscrupulous OF men. Officers
secured the empire TO search out every beautiful maiden
for his harems His armies were ever the march OK
conquest, and the bugles of his military bands were
incessantly sounding the charge. From Consantino-
PIE Christianity had at several points, perry lded the
great northern empire and at a few spots in the midst
Of the wilderness of pagansm churches had been es-
tablishe1.
Suddenly and through some fundamentally not
known this teel-clad warrior became apparently
the subject Of that marvellous change, which nine
hundred years before, had converted the persecnins
soul Of Tarsus into Pau the apostle. TIE fact Of tlis
remarkable conversion is fully at'estsd by Nes,or, and
other contemporary writers. II seems that the king,
like Bunyans pilgrim burdened with tie Of sin,
knew not where TO look for relief. Ills anxiety,
which ne did not attempt to disguise, increased be
dolly pondered the certainty OF death and the
tsinty Of what awaited him beyond the grave "A
there Were few Christian, in tie empirs he had
doubtless heard inmations OF the sublime revelations
which Christianity gives Of future ladgment--of
| heaven or of hell.
In his anxiety, while promptly rejecting the foles
Of pagau lie sent for the teachers OF the three most
prominent systems Of religion To explain TO him the
peculiarlies 0: their fa'h. First came the NObanme
] dan doctors from BULGARIA. lie questioned them
losly, and rejected their scheme. The Jewish Rab-
bis were next summoned to his presence Their aTgn-
mente were equally unavailiDg. The King then rent
for the most distinguished ecceSiasiics from both Con-
stantnope ard Rome. Christianity he promptly ac-
cepteJ as the trne religion; but as there were some
marked differences in the modes OF worship adopted In
these two renowned capitals of the wor5, vlsdemer
sent depuati0n of ten OF the most dstBgnbed phll-
osopers Of Russia 60 visit both Rome and Constan,i-
nope and report in which city TIE worship OF the Sd
preme BeiDg was condacted in the most worthy man.
per. Tnc report was IN favor OF TIE Greek Chnfeh.
Tiis cniioIs mission Is well arthenticaed. IN Old
Greek manuscript s preserved Ia the ROYAL Library
Paris contains minute detail OF the ysi' OF these
Embaeeadors to Rome aud Constantinople. Nlademer
resolved to abolish with imposing pageaDYy, the old
Paganis, and TO introduce Christianity as the regim
of Russia. Ihe he adopted wese very char
actelic Of those blbar; times, and seem indeed 20
entirey i1coneistent with the spirit of Christianity,
that one knows not hOv to reconcile them with other
acts OF api aren't conssieLti0uspess.
Collecting an immense army, Nlademer conveyed
them down TIE Dneiper in barges, crossed the Black
Sea- aud entering the Gulfof ChersOn, near Seyasopo
after several bloody battles, took military poeses-ion
Of tie Crinea. Thus victorious, he sen an eGtassage
TO the Elperors Basil and Consantine al COnstarti-
nolle denauding toe young Christian Princess Anne
for bis bride declaring that If his request not
granted, lie would ly Coustantnople in ashes
/ The Emperors, trembling in view of doom which
they had no ability 20 resist, oseenef 70 his demand.
The unhappy, mniden was 9'eN heined WIN an
guish. She had ever regarded The Russians ~ saw
Sges; and to BE conn elled 10 marry their chief
! iaie more dreaded than death Sne was however,
conducted 10 the camp Il Ntdemar, where she was
j received by The whole army with tie most entlu.
siqstir reioi iogs The ecclslstcs who accompanied
tie princess received tho Russian monarch into the
Cli.tln Chuth by tue i.se ~ bautisln and q, tho
sanle hour bis maTrLIee with the princess "as fo-
| Returning TO Russia with his Christian bride thus
rueiy wooed and wou, le ime lately co'ninenee9 tia
work of overthrowiag Pagaaisn, aud establisblag
Christispy Many di.tingusbed ecclesastics accom-
p,ned Lin on his return 10 instruct the people IN
| Tie nsw religion. All the iols were collected ahd
burned il huge boDires. Peroune, the most lIl.-
: ions OF the lgan gods dragged throngb the
streefs OF Kief which was then tne capital Of the
Empire, battered, besmeaTcd with mud aAd Cisnon-
o.ed IN every conceivable way, was tumbleh ino the
river in the midst of the hoolngs aud Geslon o! mo
And now decree was Issued for all the people Of
Russa ,ieh nnd poor lords aud slaves, 10 repair 10
banhs OF the DneIper 20 lie baptized AT the appomt-
ed day the river was lined Tor niles WIN tue maii-
+ tude Vlademer was cons sPicGously present, with q
vast number Of priests 10 conduct the ceremony NJ
/ a given s'gnal the Whole assemblage, men, women,
and chillren, waded into the stream. Inc more enc
thuslastic advanced up to their pesks IN water wbbe
/ o,bors more timid yentured only waist deep. The
priests stationed in groups along the shore read the
baptisual service, chauIed tie praises OF God, ana
then pronounced them all baptized In the name OF inc
Father of the Son, and Holy Ghost. There wss no
slrinkIing of immersion The wading into the water
! alone constituted the rite.
/ Vlademer witnessed the in transport Of Joy:
A. ia. multitude up out OF the water ne Tsistd
bis hands and eyes TO Heaven, exclaiming, IN loud
! voice OF PRAYER:
Creator Of Heaven aud Garth extend Thy blessing 70 thess
ytIened by Thee religion Come heip
against the temptations Of tire evil sPI and viii praise 1By
name "
Thus by one blow, was Pagani.m demolished y,
! Rnssia. The empire then but a province CON-
pared with it, almost boundless magnitude now. 4
Christian church erected uron the spot where ibe
statue of Peroune had stood. Stone churches were
reared throughout the empire by architects from Con.
stunnope and ecclesiastis supported from the r0yal
treasury preached the Gospel in item. Missionaries
were sent everywhere to Instruct and baptiLe Schools
were established, conducted by teac ers iron Greece,
and Christian books translated into The Russian
! tongue.
The Russian historian K4rumsIn whose classic pages
will vie in beatty n yigor with thoss OF Livy or Fac'
! tus, says:
Til. rlince Najemer whom the church has recog1ed -
equal 10 the apostles merits history the title OF Great u
sone who know whether Nademer were toe
Ch al heart h. Influenced simply BY potai
considerations II is Sufficient for to state tai af hs'ns
that divine sgion Nademer TO h.se beea
sacti6ed by ard he developed totally different ensrac
ter that h he exhibited when involved In the daAhes
! ofpsgauis
His BRIDE Anne proved to be a sincere Christian,
and With all her energies co6peraed with her husband
for the elevation Of the Russian people. After long
and very suco essful r,en, he died, peaceful IN Chy
tian hopes, in the year clj universally re,eea an"
! Lalov,d JoHy 5. G. ADpoIT.
| THE REPUBLICAN CENTRAL Club
| n, IL, DJ;,,ro Of The n T. Tribune