New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-12-25
myUE FIRST TRUE GENTLEMAN"

The Christian world celebrates to-day the birth
Of the Founder Of Christianity. Men may differ
widely as TO the character and attributes or
Jesus. the mystery Of his incarnation. the mean
ing of his mission and the miracle OF his reSur-
rection Speculation has been busy with these
for nearly nineteen centuries. But above all
the mists of doubt the cavllings of sceptics, the
sonh;stres Of philosophy, the logic of the scholar
and the sheer of the scoffer, rises the one lumi-
nous and transcendant fact, patent as the sun
itself to all on whom 1t sheds It's rays. that no
one life has ever exercised so vast an influence
on all the lives that came after 1t since history
BEGAN. Nor can there be any doubt in the minds
of rejecting men as TO the secret OF Its lnhu'
ence or the sources Of its power. They are as
obvious to the confirmed sceptc as to the most
credulous worshipper. Not alone as legislator,
though he laid down new laws; nor as philOso
nher though he condensed IN few precepts the
highest wisdom of the schools; nor as the founder
of q new religion. however wide In It's extent
or powerful in It's hold upon the conscience or
Imagination, has the life of Jesus swayed Tor
tuentv centuries the course Of history, the prog
ross of civilization and the destiny Of mankind
Tho notontial factor in this tremendous and ire
mendousy increasing power has been not so
much the Jesus who preached and taught ID inc
tcmplc not Sc much the prophet of the new DIS
uensation or the Jesus of dogma, as the Jesus
whose simple daily life is recorded in the Gospel
stories
Not his greatness, but his gentleness; not the
Inconsistency with which he pursued his missions,
hut the sweet reasonableness of his character;
not even the enthusiasm Of humanity, but rather
his personal qualities the majestic meekness OF
his manner. the warmth Of his sympathy, the
healing of his touch, and, above all, the In
clusvencss and universally Of his love. have
done most to give growth, depth and permanence
10 his influence upon the life Of man. These
qualities need neither mysticism nor miracle
70 give them Astounding potentially and resist
less force. The whole world-doubter, scepuc
and scoffer, no less than the devout worshipper
bending the reverent knee-whether consciously
| or not stands uncovered to-day in contemplation
Of the vitalizing and fructifying power of
gentle character and loving life. There was no
provocation to controversy, but only a por-
traiture and definitiOn-the aptness and force OF
which have been recognized for 25O years-!n
! Thomas Dekker's lines.
The best Of men
That e'er worth about him was sufferer;
A soft. meek patient, humble. tranquil spirit;
| The first true gentleman that ever Dreatned
So to-day belongs exclusively to no church
nor creed; neither TO processing Christians alone,
nor to what we call Chrstendom. 1t belongs
to all men, everywhere, who realize that gentle
ness Is more effective than force, and whose
willing tribute is due to the most striking if not
most marvellous exponent and illustration OF
that world-embracing truth. 1t may be that
through incompatible acons the forces OF ami
mated nature groped their way up to the Level
of the brute creation. and that by subsequent
slow processes through the long lapse OF ages
development ran on until thinking, reasoning
man stood erect upon the globe. But even then
he kent the tooth and claw which in the Ions
struggle had been so potent in his survival. To-
day marks the advent of that sublime embodi
ment Of the New Dispensation OF Gentleness
and Peace in which the Millennium Is fore
Swallowed; the coming into the world OF "ths
first true gentleman that ever breathed' AL
the world celebrates it as the bringer OF GLAD
| tidings.