The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1870-05-08

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his lonely prayer ON the olive-wreathed
hilltop; the spot Of his conception, his
birth, his death every spot hallowed BY
his footsteps why every incident in his
life IL, at this remote day, incorporated
with the inmost consciousness Of almost
three hundred millions of 1sankind. Was
he but mani Strauss and Renan, Ra-
tionalists in general, including the nnarsu-
mentative author Of Ecce Homo" and
the preposterous writer of La Bible asx
Indes," pretend that he was. Strange, then,
that he should be loved to-day. Man was
never loved so long before or since, and
this maA-if maa he be and nothing more
was not only loved but adored.
In every page of the Old Testament the
minutest details Of this extraordinary kfe
are described with the accuracy Of an eye
| witness, and to no other being can those
descriptions be applied !; while he is tho
central figure round which are grouped all
the thrilling events and leading characters
Of the New. His life ia sketched by four
historians, each different from the others in
birth, education, social position, Intellectual
culture and literary style. By each he is
described in q different character, accord
ing to the intellectual bias or even temporal
occupation of the writer; lie is variously
represented as King, as PontiR and az God.
Those sketches were written in different
languages, at diffsrent dates, and in loeali-~
ties wide apart and to the testimo1iss
they contain is added 9th Sitness to cor
roborate and demonstrates them the son Of
Pharisee, and \ Pharisee himself ruth
less persecatsr Jew in the fullest sense
Of the word Roman citizen, who fear
lessly asserted his zishts;- tho deepest
philosopher Of his age: ST. Paul. Il il an
indisputable fact that with the Eva1gelists
collectively and. seyeraiiy the uniqas eAjeet
is Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ undivided,
Jesus Christ forever.
In the whole range of history, Jesus
Christ is the only perfect character. In
goodness, in wisdom, in virsue of every
shade and variety; in obedience, in patience,
in humility; in Tenderness to the poor with
out, however, being overbearing with the
rich, Jesus Christ stands alone in the sim
plieity Of his perfection. From the task Of
unroliing these unexamp1ed peSfeofions to
view, the greatest genius we'll mig6tshrink
in his utter impotence to do it Justice:
human character Eeay be delineated in hu->
man language, but the type Of all true
character and the essence of all perfection
can be expressed bnt by one word. That
WORD was made FLESH. Leonardo da
Vinei, in the Gems, which has given the
sanity painter his earthly Immortality,
distrusted his own great powers, and only
sketched the shadowy outlines of the divine
head which was, however, the central
feature of that enduring monument to his
genius. Vain and Prescriptions, therefore,
would it be for us to attempt the descrip-
ton of this solitary grandeur. We will
simply view it through the softening me-
dunn of it's historical manifestations.
Great examples exert a wonderful infH-
enco on man. The aspiring youth Of Re
publican Rome were wont daily to visit
the capitol, in which were preserved the
trophies of the men who made Rome the
political Capital of the world. In presence
of great examples we are elevated and in
spfred; bat what example SO elevating and
inspiring has the worlds history ever set
as that of nascent Christianity 2 For nine
teen centuries already we have lived IN an
atmosphere of virtue, such as the ancients
never breatbed. Rerhaps these virtues are
within us, assuredIy they are round about
US. From the centre, whence they amanaAe,
they go on radiating towards every point
in the vast variety it is their law to sane
thy: their expansion is as broad az the
ever widening area Of the guilt they have
TO neutralize. Christianity dated from o
through crucifxion it has been =
by crucifixion it will achieve
it's final triumph. -
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