Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1882-02-15
sa"Dap RsnbiHs.
A Very Eloquent statement Of
the Achievements Of Christi
anify.
BYsnoN J. S. BLACK.


Reflect what kind Of world this
was when the disciples of Christ uns
dertook to reform it, and compare it
with the condition in which their
teachings have put 1t. To its mighty
metropolis, power, the best men were
addicted to vices so debasing that l
could not even allude 10 them with
out selling the paper. l write upon.
All manner of uDprincipled wicked
ness was practiced in the private life
Of the whole population wit con-
cealmcut or shame, and the magis'
trates were thoroughly and univer-
sally corrupt. Benevolcpce in any
shape was altogether unknown. The
helpless and the weak got neither
justice nor mercy. There was no To-
lief for the unfortunate. In all
pagandom there was not hospital,
asylum, almshouse. or organized
charity Of any sort. TIE indifference
to human life was literally frightful.
The order of successful leader to ass
sassinate his opponents was always
obeyed by his followers with the ut.
most alacrity and pleasure. 1t was
special amusement of the populace to
witress the show at which men we're
compelled to kill one another, TO be
= torn to pieces By wild beasts, or other
wise bu,chercd to make a "Roman
Holiday" In every province pagan
ism enacted the same cold blooded
cruelties; oppression and robbery ruled
supreme; murder went rampaging and
red all over the earth. The Church
came, and her light generated this
moral darkness like new sun. She
covered the globe With institutions OF
mercy, and thousands upon thousands
of her disciples devoted themselves
exclusively to works Of charity at the
sacrifice Of every earthly interest.
Her earliest adherents were killed
without remorse-beheaded, cruclhed
sawn assun der, thrown to the beasts,
or covered with pitch,piled up 10 great
heaps and slowly burned to death.
But her faith was made. perfect
through suffering. and the law Of love
rose 10 triumph from her msrtyrs.-
or This 7, ligion has come down to US
st through the ages, attended all the way
nd by righteousness. justice, temperance,
transparent truthfulness, mercy, exult'
ing hope, and whlte-wlnged charity.
Never was its influence for good more
plainly perceptible than now. 1t has
n. converted, purified and reformed oil
I'd men, for its first principle is freedom
*. for the human will and there are those
% 'es who choose to reject. But to the
or mass of mankind, directly and midi
f fu. rectly, it has brought amounted bene>
ID fits and blessings. Abolish it-take
away the restraints which it imposes
' on evil passions. silence the admOni'
tons of its preachers, let all Christians
cease of charity, bio, out from history
the records of its heroic beneyolence
repeal the laws it has enacted and the
the institutions it hou built up, let it
M oral principles be abandoned aud al
its miracles Of light be extiDguished
what would wo come TOT l need no
answer this question; the experiment
has been partially tried. The Frencl
nation formally reuounced Christi
y asity, denied the existence OF a Su
preme Being, and 50 satisfied tn
J.. hunger of the iufdel heart for time
What followed? Universal depravity
Sf he garments rolled in blood, fantasti
Il crimes unimagined before, whic
70 startled the earth with their sublim
atrosity. The Americans have an
ought to have no special desire to fol-
as Low that terrihle examine Of guilt an