Semi=weekly graphic., 1897-04-10

years as Easter, commemorating the res urreetion of Jesus. The day. or what was believed to be such (there was a wide difference as to the date between the early Christians of the east and west), was solemnly celebrated for cen turies in the old world as the most mo- mentous of miracles because it alone es- abolished, ill their eyes, the absolute truth of Christianity But here, strange to say, Easter was hardly observed at all, except by the Roman Catholics and Episcopalians, who have naturally much in common, as tho latter are wholly de- rived from the former until the second half of the present century.
 Now nearly all the various Protestant sects celebrate Easter with great zeal and fervor, as itwould seem they should have always done, to be consistent with their faith. As Jesus is the sole founder of Christianity, how could they afford to neglect at any time the day, when ever 1t may have been, on which he, to their mind, rose from the dead? The one explanation is that many of the sects, re- garding Easter 40 or DO years since as d Roman Catholic holy day, refused to cele- brate it. The old Puritans of New Eng land, with most of their immediate de- scendants, particularly so considered it. And they could not theologieally share with what they called the scarlet wom- an anything that she might sanction. Not little of their religion was to de test ''popery' with tho whole force of thoir pious souls. Many of the later Protestants have been similarly affected But this feeling has been steadily wear ing off, as Is shown by all the denomi- nations in tho observance today of Eas- ter. Congregationalists Presbyterians, Baptists, Methodists, Unitarians Uni yersalists, commemorate the occasion, notably ill cities, Iy special service, with elaborate music and lavish decora- tions of flowers This is another tend ency of the time to the gradual har- monizing of creeds and the fellowship of creedists.
 Since theology us snch is generally conceded to be declining the world over, particularly i'll the republic, the wider and wider acceptance of Easter may ap- pear to be exceptional. Reflection. how ever, will eorroborate, instead of con- tradicting, the opinion. A great many church eommunieants who are counted as orthodox do not believe i'll the divin- ity of Jesus--that is, in his being tho son of God, eoequal with him. The Unitarians, for example, renounee that belief altogether. But they hold him to be the best, the purest, the noblest, the most exalted of men, and, ill such sense, divine They rank themselves and they are ranked as Christians nevertheless.
 Christians are. in any liberal inter pretation, all who love, admire, revere the life and teachings of Jesus, his hu- manity or divinity being of minor con sequence. The Scriptural injunction about believing ill him has reference to this, not, us they claim, to any theologic assumption, as Lord or Saviour It is essentially his human character, it is thought, which has brought Easter into % ardent and general favor Jesus is not wrapped up i'll form and dogma, Is not connected with any ecclesiastic bias or patristic subtlety. His record ill the New Testament Is clear. consistent convincing, practical, all goodness, sac rifice. fultillmcnt Of the highest duty.
 Everybody in civilization be he or thodox or hetercdox, thcist or infidel, skeptic or deyoteo, csteems and admires Jesus He is an incarnation of all the virtues, not abstract, metaphysical, sub limated, symbolic or allegorical. as are so many Biblical creatures. He appeals