The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1902-12-26

q christ the Saviour Of the world. /
Since ne have the Christian era, dat 1
Ing from the birth OF Christ, one may
vel wonder Why these festivals,
Shristnas and New Year, do not coin
eide The reason IS Is follows:
Ths Christian era was computed
about she year So By a monk named
Dionysius. Il IS now considered that
he set the evsnt four years too late and
that consequently allowing for the
contradiction Of terms Jesus was born
IN Be. 4 This era is sometimes
called the Dionysian era. Authorities
differ as to the date OF the birth Of
Christ Some fix It at May %, others
April ., and January g. Julian, the
bishop Of Rome, A. D. 33T TO 352, con-
tended for the 18th Of December. The
date OF the fixing OF the two festivals
was nearly two centuries apart and
the authors OF the different dates were
Dionysius and Julian There need be
no wonder that a monk and a bishop
made these estimates, as they we're the
learned men Of the early Christian
centuries. These differences and even
errors are not material.
The world reckons time from the
birth Of Christ and keeps the festival
Of his nativity. This fact has remark
able significance. It fixes beyond dis
pute the historic character of Jesus of
Nazareth He lived, taught, suffered
and arose from the dead This being
granted He did those marvels recorded
IN the four gospels and was that per-
sonage that he claimed to be-"Christ
the Son Of God, the Saviour of the
world and its Judge in the end Of dis
pensations."
Besides this he fulfilled all the
prophesies Of the Jews and met the ex-
peetations Of the ages. He was the
HDesire Of nations" and met and sat
isfied the lOngings Of mankind. He
satisfied the worlds intellectual long
ings. "NeVer man spoke like this
man." His utterances never grow old
and are never out of date. Although
a Jewish peasant, Of the province of
Gslilee, he was cosmopolitan. The
grandeur Of some of his utterances is
simply appalling. This one for in
stance-"I am the light of the world;
He that foIloweth me shall not walk in
darkness, but shall have the light Of
life" Who can reasonably gain say
this? Why are the so-called Christian
nations, though following so poorly, so
imperfectly his teachings, in the as
tendency today?
He transcends the worlds moral
philosophy. Where is anything in the
teachings Of Socrates, Plato, Aristotle,
Cato or Marcus Aurelius that will
compare for a moment with the "Ser-
mon on the Mount?" That discourse,
grand in its simplicity, touching in its
tenderness, heavenly in its revealings,
has never Jet been approached or
realized on earth, and when it is the
millennium viii dawn and the nations
will learn war no more; men will cast
their idols literal and ideal) to the
mOles and the bats and the Lord alone
viii reign in Zion.'
The spiritual teachings of Jesus
Christ are unequsIed and unspeakably
glorious. The resurrection of the
dead exemplified in his own resurrect-
ion and Qualification; the pure and
good to reign with him as kings and
priests in glory and to be posessors OF
eternal life. ''No more death, no more
pain, no more sorrow and crying
They shall be flike Him" "chRnged in
to the same image" and "equsl to the
angels" ALI the dead shall live again
Great minds have always recognized
Christ's greatness ROsseau says o.
Him: "What sweetness, what purity
in his ways! What touching grace il
His teachings! What profound wis
dom in His words! What presence o
mind, what delicaey and aptness in Hi
replies! What an empire over Hi
passions! If the death of Socrates va
that of a sage the life and death O
Jesus are those OF a God"
Napoleon said Of Him: Everything IL
Christ astonishes me, His spirit over
aEes me. His viii confounds me. Hi
ideas and His sentiments, the truth
which He announces, His manner O
convincing are not explained by hU
man observation, or nature Of things
His life, the profoundly of His doc
trines which grspples with the might
lest difficulties and are Of these diff
c1lties the most admirable solution
His gospel, His spparitiOn, His empire
His march across the ages and th
realms. Everything for me is prodi
Ey, mystery insoluble which plung
IS me into a reverie from which 1 can
not escape mystery which is Their
before my eyes, a mystery which cal
neither deny nor explain. Here I Sc
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