St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-10-03
FIRST CHRISTIANS.
From Them bishop Coke Draws

FROM 1ne1h hIsEOp SONe~OFANSs
Bishop Arthur c. Coxe's opening SER
mon was preached from Acts, Xxx, 26.
The disciples were called Christians
first at Antioch. The bishop said
this text opens the record of universal
evangelization. 1t announces the
Christian era, which, beginning with
the incarnation as it's epoch, be-
comes the base for computing time
among enlightened nations. He, from
whom we are thus named, had been
"the desire of nations" From the
inspired lyrics of Isaiah, the SibyI had
caught and diffused the prophecy. Bor-
rowing from both, the genius of Virgil
enlarged it, not knowing what he sung.
In justifiable paraphrase, he seems to
say:
Comes that last time of the Cumean's
hymn.
Begins afresh grand career of ages;
Returns, the virgin and the golden
From highest heaven descends Seed
Sublime,
And from His birth the mighty months
move on;
Now wanes the iron rule. Ger all the.
World
Rises sunlit race: the Day-Star
reignS.
In the great psalm of redemption
which the suffering Savior adopted
as his own. upon the cross, he claims
"a people that shall be born, whom
the Lord hath made" This is the sun
gilded race, the gems aurea of Virgil
('Teste David ct Sibylia.') $50 David
and the Sybil say"
This is the people called Christians
I speak nothing unworthy, lest I
should profane and break the third
commandment, by invocation of the
Thrice Holy Name. Amen.
Let the psalmist complete the proph-
ecy of his own Imperial Child, as the
Light of the World. "It goeth forth
from the uttermost part of the heaven,
and runneth about unto the end of it
again, and there is nothing hid from
the heat thereof" From Antioch to
Minneapolis; to San Francisco, and
thence to the Orient again; over the
Pacific, shines on every meridian, the
Sun of Righteousness. st. Paul appro-
PIRATES the psalmist's words, and
claims their intent, for the apostolic
mission: '"Their sound is gone out In
to all lands, and their words into the
ends of the world Even so, dear
Lord! And here, this day, are Thy
servants, witnesses of Thy power to
promise and to fulfill. There was "a
handful of corn, high upon hills"
when He left the eleven and ascended
from Olivet; behold chow it shakes
like Lebanon and is green, in fruit
fulness, o'er all the earth. Well nigh
nineteen ages have passed, and, as the
first century touches the twentieth,
here are we, the same people who were
called Christians first at Antioch"
OF all the Catholic churches God has
made-the Anglican communion the
representative of the Christians-our
solemn worship, the apostolic priest
hood. and the pure Oblation, are here
unchanged. Identical by conserva-
ton of form and continuity of trans
mission, no other ministry is ours
than that of men like Timotheus and
Titus, who were charged to hand 1t
down. The divine assurance has
proved true; the gates of sl1eol have
not prevailed against 1t. Were the
Christians of Antioch with us today in
bodily presence, nothing essential IN
our liturgic rites would be to them
new or strange. In Psalter and Lit
any and Eucharist they would recog-
nize the traditions of Jerusalem,
where, with one accord, .'they contin-
ued steadfastly in the apostles doc
trine and fellowship, in the breaking
of bread and the prayers" Are there
any other Christians in America who
can say the same? God be praised If
there are. Marvellous fidelity of Christ
to Christians. To Him be all the
glory.
Brethren, beloved in the Lord, you
are here to eDdow your country with