The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1903-04-17
Christ Is Risen.


of Christ from the dead. which is
especially commemorated on
Easter, is built the entire fabric of
the Christian religion, a body of
doctrine that is held to a greater
or less extent to be rule of faith
aud of action by vaster proper
ton of the human race than can
be predicted of any other religion.
For long time in the religious
world the conflict of beliefs and
opinions was between those who
professed different creeds as to
divine beings and their relations
to man. Controversies to the ex-
tent of tremendous warfare. perse-
cutions with fire and sword and
other horrors. were waged between
the devotees of the various sects.
But these have come to an end
Differences of belief and opinion
are in this day never urged beyond
the limits of debate and free dis
cussion.
But every form of belief based
on revelation, setting forth the ex-
istence of a supreme being who is
the creator. controller and Judge of
the Universe and all it contains, is
now confronted with the assump-
ton of a materialistics science which
declares that there is no divine ex-
istence. supreme control and super
intendence, no absolute and all
knowing intelligence, no entity nor
anything, indeed. save self-existent
matter. and that out of this matter
through its innate energies has
evolved all that is. Therefore every
factor in the foundation and fab
rio of all religion is a mere fable,
having no basis of truth or reality
But the fact remains that how
ever it WAS acquired, the whole
nature of man has been formed
for religion, and every race and
tribe in every age of the world has
been SO constantly engaged in re-
ligion that it stands forth as the
most prominent feature in all hu-
man history and all human monu-
ments. Temples and other struct-
ures for religious purposes are and
have been the most important of
the architectural works executed
by the human race.
Thus il is that the people of
every tribe and nation have their
several religions, and however
they may differ as TO details and
the doctrines derived from them.
they all agree in accepting the ex-
istence of supreme and all-pow-
erful aud all-wise control.
Without regard to any of the
other religions of the world, We
are concerned only with that based
on the mission of Christ. There
is no question that while it has
not established peace and millen-
NAL harmony upon our planet, its
people are the better for it. With
out doubt the Christian nations
are the most advanced in all intel
lectual and moral progress, and,
above all. in the practice of charity |
Only in Christian countries are
found the innumerable free hospit-
ais, asylums and homes for the
helpless classes, and schools for
all.
But this is not all the good done
by Christianity. 1t has fostered
belief not only in eternal justice,
but in divine and infinite mercy
How many wretched human beings
would be driven to despair, but for
the hope of this mercy and con-
tidcnce in this justice. that all
wrongs will be righted, all Unequal
tiles adjusted and divine justice be
indicated upon the loftiest as
well as the lowliest.
Holding to this faith, we do not
believe that we die as the beast
dleih and are heard of no more
forever We do not believe that |
We were made to decay and fail
into dust and lose the use of those /
intellectual and spiritual faculties
which can only be used as they |
should be when freed from the |
clogs of matter. Ii any human
being can derive comfort from the |
belief that he will cease to exist +
with the decay of his bodily frame. /
he is easily satisfied. but the vast /
ma jority hold a firm faith in the /
of Christ, and on /
Easter especially do they uplift /
their hearts in lhankfulness for that +
faith. Therefore. to all such Christ |
is risen, and it is blessed faith
New Orleans Picayune.