The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-04-14

OBSCURE UallleanS teStlhed that lie had
risen from the dead, that He should dare
assail an immemorial faith like this?
Still, Judaism survived His resurrection
for only forty years His executioners
had said, His blood be upon us and our
children. and that blood fell like a rain
OF fire from heaven upon them and their
children
Secondly, they encountered Paganism,
with its mercenary priests, its proud phil
osophy, It's favorite vices, and its abomi-
nable social life. Yet, unaided by any
external power, the doctrine of crucified
but risen Jesus won. Without one
earthly weapon. Christianity faced the
legionary masses, and tearing down their
adored eagles, replaced them with the
sacred monogram of her victorious laba-
rum, and made the cross, the instrument
OF slaves agony, more glorious than
the laticlave of consuls or the 6iadem of
kings" and when, after essaying argu-
ment and rhetoric, and irony, and raillery,
and invective in the vain attempt to
silence her voice, Paganism resorted TO
brute force and crushing violence, even
then the last of the prosecuting emperors,
as on the fatal battlefield he tore the
clothed blood from his wounded breast
and cast it up toward heaven, died pre-
maturely in the wreck Of his broken pow
ers with the agonizing confession on his
bloodless lips, "Vicisti Galilae, o Cali
lean thou hast conquered me-
Then, after triumphing over external
foes the doctrine of divine, risen Re-
deemer encountered foes in its own house
hold, and the Arian apostasy threatened
the existence of the Church while Athan-
asius seemed to stand alone against the
so-called Christian world. But there
were thousands of the true people of God
who In fact constitute the Church, that
had not bowed to Baal, and mouths that
had not kissed him, and the great heart
OF the Christian multitude remained
sound
Then came the avalanche of the North
ern barbarian invasion, and to the eye of
man 1t did seem as if now the Church
must perish. But, to use the language
OF Gibbon, The progress of Christianity
was marked, not only by decisive VIC
tory over the learned and luxurious civ
lllzatlon Of the Roman Empire, but over
the war-hke barbarians of Scythia and
Germany, who first subverted the empire
and then embraced the religion of the
vanquished."
Then, in the seventh century, came
Mohammedanism, with it's heaven Of lust
and Its trooplng beauties, to reward the
faithful, and It's flaming sword and desc
ating fire to seourge the incorrigible un
believer then, in the fifteenth century
bold, blank, ribald Atheism, when Chris
tendon had ceased to be Christian. and
mitered priests openly scoffed at the re-
hglon they protested; when Cardinals
could speak of Christ as Minerva sprung
from the head of Jupiter, and Popes tested
with their secretaries on the" profitable
ness of the fable of Christ Again, all
seemed lost until the voice of Luthers
indignation reverberated through the
world. The hierarchy tottered, and be-
gan thenceforward to hasten to its ulti-
mate fall, but the power of His resurrec-
ton, by which we are justified, saved the
Church
And so I might go on, would time per-
NIT, and show you how, down to this
very moment, the energy of Christ's re
surrection has been reforming apostate
civilizations, and when it could not reform
has been purging out pestilence from the
reeklng. atmosphere with fire and with
storm. " Other religions have withered
into dishonored decrepitude; but Chris
tlanlty, with continuous reiuvenescence,
has renewed her strength like the eagle,
mewing her mighty youth : has run and
not been weary, has walked and not
grown faint. If ever through her own
faithlessness she has fallen before her en-
emies, she has risen, Ant@uslike with
new vigor, and shaken her invincible
locks. Christianity can never die, be-
cause by the power of His @surrection
she is endued with the power of an end
less life.
The power of His resurrection has left
it's mark on the calendars of all Christian
lied nations. AS His birthday marks
the beginning of new era, so that in
every letter you write, in every legal in
strument you pen, in every legislative
enactment that is engrossed, in every his
torcal event that is recorded, even inf
dels are forced to acknowledge the year
Of our Lord :" so at the beginning of
every week all Christendom recognizes
the power of His resurrection by. observ-
ing as sacred the day when He entered
into His rest and ceased from His labors
as God did after the fret croo4;or WI