Oakes weekly Republican. (Oakes, Dickey County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1898, 1895-12-20
CHRISTMAS DUTIES.
JUNlus HENRI BROWNE ON BELlEv-
ING AND DOING.
Broad Religious Influence of tho Day.
Morality and Humanity What Jesas
Was and What He Labored For-Manp.
Conduct His Justification. :,
Copyright, 1895, by American Press Associa-
tion,1

tion.l
Nearly all tho early Christian festivals
which arc still extant were shrewdly found
ed on tho pagan festivals preceding them,
so that tho influence of tho old and tho
new could be united and identified. Christ
mas, rs commemorative of the birth Of
Jesus, is IN exception, having been reli-
gious from tho beginning. Tho day Of the
event was not agreed on until the fourth
century, when, by IN inquiry of theolo-
gians, Dec. 25 wns decided to be tho date,
which has boon observed ever since. In
this country the gloomy, morbid Puritans
earnestly opposed any celebration of Christ
mas as savoring of the scarlet woman,
especially If of social or oonvivial
kind, for they regarded all pleasure,
however innocent, as wicked, thinking
to gain heaven in tho next world
by making hell of this. Tho mass Of
Americans, whether young or old, no
longer couple tho day with theology. They
consider it time for taking substantial
comfort and making merry. Christmas
presents, Christmas dinners, Christmas
gayeties of every sort arc significant Of
Dec. 25, are looked forward to with fond
anticipations and backward ut with mild
regret, like all pleasant things that have
passed.
Tho mere fact that the day, whether ao-
curato or not, Is indclibly associated with
Christ, with Jesus, with his nativity, with
tho record of his noble, beautiful, self $40
rificing life, entirely devoted to humanity,
should render 1t precious and inspiring.
1t matters not whether he be believed to
be tho Son of God or the son Of Inan-his
acts, his supreme generosity and benevo-
lence, his total self denial, his sublime
courage, his sovereign altruism rcmain,
in either case, precisely tho same Regard
ing him simply as human, his entire life
would seem indeed to be grnnder, more ex-
altcd, moro touching, more consecrated
than If he were accounted supernatural.
He would bo divine in his humanity, not
through miracle, but through superlGtfve
goodness, purity, exalted passion for tho
veil 70 of. - f5lows. To the thoroughly
rath tstic, ho might not appear so truly
heroic, SO unapproachablc, SO morally won
derful in tho light Of q God as in the light
of n man. In one instance he might seom
to be playing part; to be going through
an imposing form; to bo something loss
than he assumed. In tho other, he would
provo himself absolutely, awfully sincere
rising gloriously above tho common weak
1SSS VI uls IdCC, lCthGuluS Ulo lOlCioSb PIN.
naclo of tho cthically sublime. AS IN heir
of time and nature, he is without compan-
ion, competitor or peer, the grandest ideal
of humanity.
Jesus, judged by reason alone was the
first, as he may have boon the last, perfect,
completely flawlcss man. He was tho
primary democrat. In his eyes NIL his fell
lows were equals. Tho prince and slave,
the courtier and tho hind. the scholar and
the yokel were on the same level. He de.
mandcd justice f6f the whole race, and he
tempered justice with mercy. Ho was the
first to esteem, to revere woman for her
womanhood, to stand between her and tho
wrongs of her stronger, less sympathetic
partner. He wns rs tender as he was fear
less He was tho sole pioneer Of truo CIV
tlization, moral and political roformer
and centuries in advance of his time. This
it was that led to his destruction. The
Pharisces naturally hated him. They wcrc
Continued on Fourt Page.