The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1866-01-04
From the New York Saturday Press.
Lesson for Christmas.


the human heart.
The doctrine ofthe Immortality Of
the soul had been u universal instinct
from The beginning.
The doctrine Of the forgiveness Of
enemies, besides being the dictate Of
every noble nature, had been long
taught by Pagan philosophers, and by
Pagan poets, one Of whom had sung,
IAN Nature cnes cloud, can man do less
Than heal the railerAnd md The slni'er bIess'"
AND SO with all OF what are called the
distinctive facts OF Christianity.
Its only distinctive fact, in reality,
was that whereas before it had been
taught IN fragments, now it was hted
as whole. L i
Had Christ been mere philosopher,
or theorist, We never should have
heard OF him; but having been the
living embodiment OF Truth,-the on
y living embodiment OF it the world
had seen-his name became at once
identical and co.eternal with il: so
much SO, that 1t vas no exaggcration
ior him TO say (even humanity speak
ing. u am the Truth.
lie never sought TO build up par
ty, nor to found Sect.
lie looked upon the human race, as
One, 80 &.
LIS appeals were to the universal
human heart.
lie never SO much as promulgated
a erced.
Ills whole religion was expressed in
The one WORD, LOVE.
Ihere was no theology about itand
no metaPhyslcs; 49,
Mo'hipg pnt humanity.
had ne es,aDlisheu oect, hc never
wonlu nave peeh cfacihed.
lie Wouio Simply nave been forgot
ten;
lie asserted Inc brotherhood OF
man, ana me secls ana parties who
uehled ~ (ahd Always nave denied'lt
slew MN: ,
slew MN ior tnat.
ooV'ous as are lhese iacts, the lesson
'ney leach seems 10 nave peeh almost
wholly overlooked;
Ever since inc disclpies OF christ
hrst assumed MS name ana called
themselves Ohris,iahs (the memorable
ana unauthorIzed event, " VIII De re-
corrected, occurred al Antoch') they
have been disputlrng about texts, and
quarreliing-we al know now nercely
ana fatally about theories,
Ihey made grand mistake IN call
ing themselves CHRISTIANS
During the llfe-tme OF Christ. any
attempt 10 approach him IN the spirit
oi Sec'ariaI suDSer'lehcy' was prompt
y rebuked'
oh q certain occasion, mere came
one running. ana kneeled 10 hlm ana
asked him, "Good Master, what shall
ido that may inherit eternal LifeI
And Jesus SAID unto hlm' why call
est thou me 5000! Ihere Is none
good but one, that IS GOD
We feel certain that II II had been
proposed 10 'hrls', at any time, ihal
his disciples should call themselves
Christians, he would have answered
them in this spirit; while the fact that
any such suggestion, comllngfrom hlm,'l
would strike us as out OF Keeping with
MS sunilme eharacter, lsa prool, lnaI
undor any circumstances and by
whomever proposef, II was at least an
unwisc suggestion.
The spirit which dictated IT was q
spirit of Sect, which is at war with ev-
cry precept OF Christianity.
AS natural result, the word CHRIS
tian has come TO have but little or no
meaning.
What we should all aim at, Is 10 DC
Men.
And as Christianity IS the most ro-
bust and manly OF all religions, the
nearer we approach to its standard, the
nearer we shall approach to that OF
true manhood, and the more entitled
therefore, 10 be called Men, which IS
the noblest name that can be applied
to human beings,
How mueh nooIer' ior example, inan
Calvinists, LuiheraGS, baPtlsts' Meth
oulsts, onltar'"hs' ir'''i'ar'ans; res
byterlans, Sweeden6org'ans, EPsco-
pallans, Quakers, Shakers, or what
not?
Especially as every enc OF thcse
names originated IN lhe wre'cheu sPlrls
OF party, and has involved inc Wofiu
True, the name Christian has become
very dear TO us all, from its sacred as
sociation with the greatest and holiest
of Beings; but for that reason, if no
other It should never have become the