Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1896-12-30
he great Roman theatre. the Coliseum

| cence OF architecture has never been sur
passed. Here pagan Rome celebrated its
festivals and on these days to this place
might be seen vending their way iha
emperor with his courtiers, the senator's
with the dignifed Roman matrons, the
philosophers with their pupils, the generals
and officers of the army, the doctors of the
law, all Fastening to glut their eyes on the
| shedding of human blood--eager to wit
ness with ecstasies OF delight and raptur-
Gus applause the tearing to pieces of men,
women and children by wild, ferocious
beasts. Such was the humanity of the
world at the zenith of its glory and civiliza-
ton before the coming of Christ. But
with him new progeny appeared on earth
and the pure reign Of love Of man for his
fellow man commenced.
But the spirit of the age will account for
this beneicent change by attributing it to
the progress of civilization. Men will tell
me that the barbarities of which i speak
belong to the dark ages and could not
exist in the light of the civilization of the
nineteenth century. This spirit / have
heard voiced by learned man of this
town. Il believe" he says, 'in no reli-
gion, profess no creed, l belong to no
church; my idea is to do what we can to
mitigate suffering, to relieve want, to make
life more happy, contented, and enjoyable
for all" Truly noble sentiment, but, o,
the inconsistency of the human mind, the
ingratitude of the human heart
"My idear' How" / ask, "did you
come into the possession of this idea which
you with so much confidence call yours?
Who inspired this generous sentiment, this
sympathetic, compassionate feelingp" The
man who appropriates to himself the writ
| ings of another, the works of his heart
and brain, and signs his own name to them
without giving credit to the real author, is
branded thief and plagiarist. Trace
back then the origin and source of this
generous feeling towards your fellow
creatures which causes your heart to
expand with warmth towards your fellow
man and recognize in him brother and
you will find it was born in the stable at
Bethlehem and then honor the day of his
birth and thank God for the gift which you
so proudly called your own. No, my
friend, you will not find this spirit in the
civilization of the past. In vain will you
seek it in any nation in which the light of
the gospel of Christ was extinguished.
What has the civilization of the nine
teerth century done for the Ottoman
empire? Let the $4,000 orphans under
II years of age in one single province Of
Armenia whose fathers and brothers were
butchered, whose mothers and sisters were
outraged by the bloodthirsty, licentious
Turk; let the babies who presented the
heartrending spectacle of creeping to their
mothers breasts to seek nourishment from
the fountains which death had dried up
let them answer, and l may ask how has
this spirit born at Bethlehem, so beautiful,
SO consolipg, so rich in sacrifice, been
borne down through the ages even to us,
not enfeebled and cold with age but strong
and vigorous, living, breathing, palpitatiog
with the bloom of youth and energy
stamped on its brow.
Had it nothing to contend with, nothing
to oppose its progress? yes, my brethren,
it had to fight against the combined powers
of earth and hell; against long established
knew restraint; against institutions, en-
perors, and people. Then we find it shut
out from the light Of day in the caves Of
the earth from which its votaries were
often dragged forth for the amusement Of
the people and the food of wild beasts.
This was the age of martyrs whose blood
became the seed Of christians. Here the
first battles of the followers of Christ i'm
bued with his spirit were fought; here the
first victories gained.
Let us pursue this spirit as it at length
energies from the catacombs and watch its
development. Before long we see the
ancient Roman society regenerated in the
palaces of the emporers offer to the wor d
a spectacle hitherto unknown, society in
which even the slave is respected as the
possessor of an immortal soul. We see
refugees and asylums opened for the poor
and the blessings of christian charity null
tplied. Then we see the young apostle
tear himself from the arms Of his weeping
mother, bid adieu to his country to carry
this God-given gift to foreign lands and
barbarous peoples. Then we see the
young maiden of partrician birth on whom
nature seems to have exhausted her treas
ures forsake the charms of society, the al |
Turing pleasures of the world, to sit by the
bedside of the sick and bind up their
loathsome wounds; see her seeking out
orphans that she might become mother to
Them, or going from door to door in quest
Of aims to relieve the wants of the helpless
Who has inspired the strength and con-
'tancy necessary for their sacrifices? 1t is
he same spirit which the son of God |
brought from bis fathers house into the
old dreary crib of Bethlehem; which he
infused into his apostles and their success
ors; which at length permeated the whole
mass OF soriety, and was horne to the ut
ermost limits of the earth; the same spirit
which lives in our midst to-day, which will
lot allow man, woman or child in this COM
nunity to suffer cold or hunger; the same
which few weeks ago knocked so loudly
It the doors of our state institution, the
Waterbury asylum, and demanded that its
Unfortunate inmates should not be treated
With brutality.
In the name of history past and present
say to you all, even to those who believe
n no religion, who profess no creed, if
here is any virtue in you, if your heart
oes out in love and sympathy to your fell i
owmen, if you are willing to make per- |
onal sacrifices tor the benefit Of others, :
on owe it to the spirit which was first
reathed in the stable at Bethlehem, which '
'as borne down to you by the appointed h
gency of Christ. You owe it to the
which is in you or around You.
is because you breathe its air, inhaIe
S atmosphere without this you would not
ave even thought of doing good. May 1
OF then, with confidence, ask you with '
rateful hearts to thank God for his n
hristmas nights gift to man and to ever