The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1869-01-06

The Christmas Topic.


Editor Of The Haicaiiaa Gdsefte-Dear Sir:
When read the article entitled "Christ-
mas Powder in last Saturdays advertiser,
the thought suggested itself to me-Ns sutoT
ultra erepidaD. His remarks are well suited
to the tone of that bigoted sheet, and though
/ had determined on treating the article with
silent contempt, yet beg leave to submit
the following remarks:
The learned paper says; "but we will say
for those who can understand it, that the
Sacred One whose unrecorded birthnight is
thus noisily desecrated, never intended or
desired that His followers should so cele-
brate it. We reverently quote the words of
the Prince of Peace: My Kingdom is not or
this world" In the first part of the words
Just quoted, the words "unrecorded birth
night strike me as the most prominent.
Has the Christian writer Of that Jealous pa
per turned Jew, or Cdeoethss scTi6endiF l
imagine it to be the latter, and am sorry to
see that he has shown himself so deluded,
and would recommend him, for his good, to
sit down some nice evening, and, without
prejudice, peruse work entitled, 'De Festis
Christi, d. z. II n, p. All. Also, F. Houore
Regles de Crit, l, 8, diss., art. l /; and Sille-
mont, note 4. He will then, perhaps, find
out that that solemn event is recorded after
all. Ifnot, then he can read the works of
st. Chrysostom, St. Gregory of Nyssa, st.
Austin, &c, on the same subject, but if he
is too bigoted to read either, then l refer
him to the word Christmas" in the Ency-
clopedia Brittanic, vel. 4, of 179S, printed
at Philadelphia. In all of the works just
mentioned he will see proofs enough of the
birth of the Sacred One of whom he so rev.
erently speaks. Another thing which strikes
me as amusing is that although the writer
disputes the birth of that prince of Peace"
he seems to have the clairvoyancy Of divin-
ing His thoughts and desires, and to tell us
that He "never intended or desired that His
followers should SO celebrate it." VIII he
be SO kind, then, as to tell us how it should
be celebrated If he does, he will oblige an
inquirer who thirsteth after truth. But /
think he will find that as difficult to prove
as the first part of his argument. Who can
he mean by 4" His followersg' Is it they who
dispute his birth, (Which is tantamount to
asserting that there was no Messiah at ALL,
or is it they who sing and welcome the entry
once more of the anniversary of the birth Of
that same Christ who still continues 10 act
the Child in the manger to us poor Chris
tians, despite all our controversy and BIAS
phemy concerning him.
Docs the writer mean by "noisily desecrat
ing" that ushering in the midnight with a
salute on Christmas Eve is Dissertation? If
SO, we might as well say that the salutes we
give His present Majesty-long may he live
ON his birthday, are a Dissertation. Do we
not esteem it as the highest honor that
We can confer on him? Again, he
quotes the words of Christi "My King
dom is not of this world" Does that pre-
vent us, poor worms of this world, from
rendering all the homage We can to that
Manhood who is every day denied by nom
believers, who profess. to follow that noble,
sublime and holy Institution which He built
and sealed by His death on the CROSSE
Yours, respectfully, RELIGION.