The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-04-13
The Easter Festival-vVhen Will Chris
tians Unite Under Ono Folds

The Easter Festival-Nhen Will Chris
tians Unite Under Ono Folds
This is Easter Sunday, and Easter Sunday
is not q recent commemoration in the annals
of the human race. To-day is its eighteen
hundred and fortieth anniversary, and, as it
has happily reached this magnificent age with
out anything being sufficient to expunge it
from the calendar Of the years, it is evident
that it will be queen of festivals as long as
the sun shall be above to make time fact,
and as long as men are on earth to pay the
homage of intellect and heart to Him who
created them. Mary Magdalen was the first
to greet ito adorn it with the sanctifcation
Of her glorious faith and Of her unequalled
love. But, after more than eighteen centuries
hundreds of millions hail it as did that illus
trious penitent, and it is progressing with the
rapidity Of the tides to enroll all man.
kind under its benign jurisdiction. God
conceived the day. He instituted it by per-
sonal act for imperishable human benefit
and, like Himself, it will stand forever
There will never be morning without the
sun, and there will never be year without
the Feast of the Resurrection.
Easter Sunday is indeed a great day. st.
Paul asserted Of it that if the event it declares
q fraud, an untruth, and that his own apostle
ship was q deceit, an imposition and a
roguery And he spoke the truth for, as
the Redeemer foretold that, in veriication Of
His doctrine, He would rise on the third day
from the dead, it behooved the Redeemer to do
so; otherwise He had been what Renan has
called Him-a phantast, deluder, cheat.
Then His crucifxion had effected no redemp-
ton then His law could lead no one to
heaven then His image and His name could
be blasphemed and dishonored with all the
impunity license could ask and with all the
rage indignation could inspire.
Easter Sunday, then, is great day. 1t is
the keystone Of the temple Of the Christian
faith. Without it that temple could never
have been built; without it that arch could
not stand = second.
And how much does the world owe to that
temple? It is it that has conferred on indi-
viduals, on families and on nations all the
virtue that is in their hearts, all the peace
and content that are in their circles, and all
the honor and enlightenment to which they
lay claim. Before that temple was con-
structed all was dark, paganistic, savage
and idolatrous. With its formation came
in light, modesty, rectitude, culture. the
ness, and public justice in all its original lofty
character. Had Christ not come, there had
been no civilization but that cruel one which
the Neros and Trajans fought so terribly to
maintain unbroken; had He not come, the
human happiness and glory and splendor
which are SO universal to-day could not be
seen; had He not come, Europe and America
had been in equal degradation with the Mozam-
bique and the coast of Labrador for, behold,
where His name is not heard there is
savagism. The Hottentots are the degraded
creatures they are because the light of His
truth has never glanced upon their under
standings, because the history of His passion
has never entered their ears, because the in
finite glory of His name has never
been laid before them. The British
were .cannibals until the Spirit of the
Cross made them recoil from that horrible
condition and reassume their proper human
dignity. 1t was as bad state with the red
haired Picts of Scotland, with the first in
habitants of Pomerania, with all the war
like tribes that are in the Germana Of
Tacitus The Goth, the yandal, the Hun,
suppressed the emotion of no crime,
quaffed human blood when in the furious
thirst of war; could not conceive what thing
justice was. But the Spirit of the Cross con-
verted them into populations as chivalrous
and as noble as any that have cast their foun-
dations on the plains Of Europe. And it will
be in the future as in the past. There is but
one true means for civiizing the various bar
bafous nations that now exist. 1t is the name
and the law Of Christ. Without Him the
Caffrarian can make no advance, the Malay
must remain as he is, the Chinese will con-
tinue in besotted lust and idolatry to the end,
and the eaters Of human flesh will go on de-
vouring it whenever they can, and always
finding it luxury. These barbarians are no
exception to the general rule. The people
who are the most brilliant and polished now,
were once almost as degraded rs they.
Nor in this is there any shade Of mystery
Christ is God and Man, and, therefore, it is q
natural thing that His law should be- the only
civilizng, elevating law the human race can
follow. Were lie only man like mar His
name had long since persisted. st. Paul said
that His name is the greatest power in the
world. It was an assertion which Christendorn