The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1877-08-17


authorizing the world, aud the purpos,
of this sermon is to show that tie accu
sation is true.
1. The Gospel of Christ has revolu
tionized the world RELIdIousLY. At the
time of our Saviour all the world, save
the Jews, were idolaters. Their gods
were but the baser elements of human
nature deifed. The brutality of the bat
Gle was worshipped in the form of Mars
drunkenness was worshipped in the form
of Bacchus; RIGHTEOUSNESS was wor.
shipped in the form of Venus. But
wherever the gospel went these idols
obrogated the throne. A death.dealing
blow was dealt to polytheism. The up
lifted cross sent those petty idols reel.
ing into darkness and placed the God
of Heaven in their stead. Moreover
we see and hear that not alone at Ephe.
sus. bat almost throughout all Asia, this
PaNl hath persuaded and turned away
much people, saying that they be no
Gods which are made with hands"
As far as heather lands have been
visited by the missionary the same re-
cult follows the preaching of the cross
AS the Sun of Righteousness rises on
pagan darkness, the heather Ends that
the word God, as he understood it, is
not written on the Gauges or the Jug
geinaut. The teemiug millions of China
still bow to the gods that their own
hanGs have made. But some Bibles
have already gone over that high wall
aud nore will follow. The entrance of
Bibles IN that portion of the globe which
III Ms seclusion has for centuries bid de.
fance 20 the whole civilized world, is u
direct assault upon every idol.
= Then the Gospel is the revolution
aver OF the world SOCIALLY. In Greece
che state not the family occupied the
highest place. Marriage was valued only
as it helped the state. Plato's idea of a
perfect state of things was "a commuui-
~ OF wives, as the child would be less
attached to the parents and more to the
STAFF" Let children have love for the
country, II none for father and mother.
The wife among the Greeks was but lit.
tie more than slave. She lived in the
most secluded apartments of her home
she could not appear Oh the streets an.
reIed, and did not move III social
CIRCLES. The gospel declared against
tins degradation OF woman when it said:
There Is neither jew nor Greek, there
is neither bond nor free, there is neither
10 tnr
Christ" Under the gospel marriage is
not an auction where woman is sold into
slavery.
The child, also, had no rights worthy
OF mention. In case of detormity un.
fitting it for the state, the murder of the
child was IN some instances required by
law. Where the parents were TOO kind
hearted to kill their child outright.
what is known as the exposition of
children was extensively practiced. The
parent would carry the child off to some
lone mountain or secluded spot in the
desert and there, where its cries could
reach no human ear, leave it to die of
starvation aud exposure. The Roman
father had absolute control over his son
AZ long as that son lived. He could
sell him into slavery or kill him with
impunity. This power the parent welded
though he be but all ordinary citizen |
and the son a senator.
The gospel came pleading for the
rights OF childhood. "Ye fathers pro.
woke not your children to wrath, but
bring them up in the nurture and admo
milton of the Lord" Here tho rights
OF childhood are recognized.
In no christian land would the ancient
treatment of children be tolerated. -
There is running through my mind
story OF the treatment of an idiotic child.
The parents seeing that the child had
no mind, knew it would always be some.
what OF disgrace to them, yet how to
get rid of it they did not know. The
child lived for several years when sud.
denly it was missing. When neghbors
inquired OF the parents regarding its
whereabouts, they received evasive an.
swers. Satisfied that all was not right,
thc nelghbors searched the premises and
found the child in an iron cage in one
corner OF the cellar. The poor creature
wax but mere skeleton. The parents
had attempted to kill the child by slow
star'a,iou, and had well nigh accom-
plshed their object In the ancient
world this would have excited no com.
ment, but these neighbors, living under
a different light, brought those brutal
parents to immediate punishment.
Millions of prattling innocents in the
cradle to-day, or in mothers arms, owe
their kind treatment to him who tenderly
saId Suffer little children to come
unto me aud forbid them not, for of
such is the kingdom of Heaven"
3. The Gospel has revolutionized the
world regarding its ideas of the sanctity
of human life. The best society OF the
Roman Empire assembled in the coli.
scum 70 be enter tanned by the slaughter
of their fellow men. The sports of the