The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1872-08-07

: good feeling and therefore, as we
might suppose, Christianity is the re-
ligion Of the highest. race and the
most cultivated portion of mankind
| Fourth. Considering the time and
manner ofits PRONUNCIATION, the chars
actcr of its doctrines, and the humble
I origin of its founder, there is some
j thing most remarkable in the estab-
lishment and spread Of the Christian
religion, upon any other hypothesis
than that Of divine originl ~
The mere spread of religion is not
enough to prove it's truth. False re-.
ligions have spread wonderfully under
peculiar circumstances. But it does
seem that the Christian religion is
remarkable in this respect: The
world was full Of idolatry which
seems to be the special weakness Of
our nature. There were oracles and-
temples and craven images almost
on every hill ALI the sensual nppe.
tites of man werA.gorged to their
utmost capacity-indeed each passion
had its divinity to supervise and stim-
ulate it's exercise. This had existed
from the beginning, and from the
nature Of the case, was growing
worse every day. This universal.
idolatry had become imbedded in the
habits Of the people, and in thellaws
of the country. Each tolerated the
other to be tolerated IN turn; uhss
a neu religion was preached by common
people, full of strange doctrines, which
was in it's nature intolerant Of all
idolatry, and at war alike with the
passions and creeds of men, which
new. religion overthrow the affairs
and temples Of the Pagan world, and
established itself upon their ruins
This new religion being one purely
OF faith and practice, and notof worldly
power, did not at first connect itself
in any way with government, but
concerned about the soul and fdturity, 6
gave "unto Cesar the things that
were Cesar's." It had no empire to
extend it on the point of the sword,
but pointed beyond the grave for it's.
sskingdom." Some one has said thai
EARNED prophets always establish
their claims" upon the same principle
that fortune always favors the heav-
lest battalions." The remark contains
q deep sarcasm, It might be said
with entire truth Of Mahomet and his
religion. Islamism fed the pride,
selfishness and appetites Of its votae
ries, and was borne upon the conquer-
ing arms of the Saracens ;apayi passu,n 2
with the empire of the Kalifl Bnt
the Christian religion had no such
means for its propagatioR AT frst
it had no followers but humble, IN.
known persons, and no connection
with government other than 70 feel
it's scorn, contempt and power in /.
every conceivable form Of persecution.
| It had to succeed-if it succeeded at
all-upon the inherent strength ofits
own merits, the sublimity Of its own
doctrines, against mountains Of oblo-
guy, against the colossal power Of the
mistress of the world, and against the
established hierarchy Of the jealous
Jews, who, seeing in it the destruction
of Judaism, opposed it with all the ran
cor of religious hatred and despair, and
actually assisted unconsciousiy IN its .
establishment by putting to death its
founder and many Of his followersI
We have seen some where q little
Sunday-school picture of Paul preach.
ing at Athens, which is full Of moral
sublimity. How much it expressesi
How many classic associstions IL
touches! Paul the heroic-the expo
nent of the true spiritual religion then
new and strange. On Mars hill. At
Athens the classic, in sight of the
Acropolis and the Parthenon, the very
centre of Greece, sthe famed land Of
battle and of song," standing in the
open air upon the pedestal Of mag
nifcent marble column, under the
very caves of the Pantheon-a mere
stranger and exile and wandercr,
without power or authority, fearlessly
preaching the resurrection and the
judgment to come; and relying ex-
clusively upon the truth Of his doc
trines, not only for success in his
mission Of love, but for the poor priv
ilege of being allowed to live! The
audience is motley throng Of Greeks,
Jews and Gentiles, with here and
there visible the significant helmet Of
Roman soldier. Some are seated on
the ground, some are standing, and
all seem to hang upon the bold words
of him whom they called "the bab-
bler;;" when, inspired by the circun,-
stances around him, the apostle to
the Gentiles rises to the height Of the
great subject which stirs within
him, and proclaims, 'Ye men of Ath-
ems I perceive that in all things ye
are too suporstitious, for as I passed
bv and beheld your devotions, found
an altar with this inscription, TO the
unknown God whom therefore you
ignorantlyy worship him, declare l
In opposition to Judaism, in oppo-
sition to polytheism, in opposition to
the prejudices and passions of men,
and in opposition to the political
power of the nations, the Christian re-
hgion proclaimed by the humble and
despised Nazarene, with it's passive
doctrines, denouncing violence and
bloodshed, preaching restraint and
selfcontrol, proclaiming "peace. on
earth and good will towards men,"
made its silent, unassisted way in the
human heart and founded the Cars.
tian Church, which, surviving every
variety of persecution in its early his