The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-12-21

and put into them the true IDEAS, TO
turn them away from the too often
vulgar, licentious, or cruel character
which they bore and make them in
nocent, to retain their joyousness
and yet purify them, was task which
equalled in labor, as in value, the cre-
alton of new language. Archdeacon
Farrar says: "The amusements OF the
world were pitilessly sanguinary or
shamefully corrupt; those of the
Christians were found in gatherings
at once social and religious; as bright
as they could be made by the gaiety
of innocent and untroubled hearts"
Milman says: "The more retired and
domestic habits of Christianity might
in some degree seclude sect from
the public diversions, but could not
change the nature or the inveterate
habits of people; it was obliged to
substitute some new excitement for
that which it peremptorily prohibited
or reluctantly to acquiesce in that
which it was unable to suppress"
What Christianity did then for the
most part was to take the old festi-
vals of the Sun god and other nature
gods and sanctify them to the use OF
the church. "The incense, the gar
lands, the lamps, all were gradually
adopted by Jealous rivalry, or seized
as the lawful spoils of vanquished
Paganism and consecrated to the SER
vice of Christ" 1t appears that much
of the dramatic power of the old GER
emonials was retained, but the fever
ish enthusiasm, the imaginary terrors,
the cruel practices, gave way before
the moral instruction, the sobriety,
the brotherly kindness, the personal
purity which are the main elements
of Christianity.
In these changes of language and
of manners lay the main influence of
Christianity upon social life. So soon
as language came into use which
expressed the high moral truths, the
religious ideas, of Christianity, and
mems thoughts became tinctured
with these ideas by means of the very
words they used, the path was laid
toward better modes of living. So
soon as these modes of living, or as
civilization, had taken on these nobler
features through the religious cere-
monials and the social amusements
of the people, spirit had entered
into the life of mankind which could
only result in purifying, enlarging
and exalting it. The result which
followed in public life followed also
in the home. Monogamic marriage
enthroned a wife and mother in a
realm in which her influence was
we'll nigh supreme; in which the FEM
mime elements of pious faithfulness
and reverent devotion found ample
ground and genial air. The sublime
ideal which Christianity kept so per-
sistently before the consciences OF
men, and made it of such awful mo-
ment that they should attain to, puri-
fed and adorned the home as nothing
but such spiritual conception could
have done.
The domestic habits and feelings
of Christians, which so early in its
history. Christianity developed, re-
moved the celebration of the mid
winter festival from public to private
life and made of our Christmas the
most joyous occasion in the whole
year. The family life which grew
out of--monogamic marriage became
the type of that wondrous, universal
family united to the Father through
Christ, the Elder Brother, whose
birth ve.-s heartily memorabilia in
in our Christmas festivities. Chill
dren became not the offspring of
parents merely, but the heritage of
the Lord, of that Lord, who, born in
manger, lived to become the Saviour
of the world.
OsuKosu WIS