The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1903-01-07
BILL ARF's LETTER.
He Writes ,;nsertaininSgy About
C3ristmas and Nrw Years

y
in Bethlehem. village OF ,JuGea. the
most notable event in the worlds his
tory. IN event that changed tlC
calendar Of time and cclipsed the
crceGs and faith of nations, and has
established the Christian religion in
all civilized countries. This event
was but the birth Of a little child,
but no other child was ever heralded
by the angels singing, Glory to God
in the highest. on earth peace and
good will to men" From the very
first that child was suspect. and
I[eroG was alarmed.
lie was not a Jew. but WAS a con-
vert to the Jewish religion: and it
waS whispered 70 him from many
sources that the child was the son Of
God. and would grow up and rule the
people. and take bis Kingdom away
from him. He did not believe it, but
it alarmed him for it came to him
from many wise men, and he deter
mined to put an end to it By killing
the child. In the meantime the
angels came and spirited the child and
its mother away by night to Egypt.
Nobody in bethlehem knew the child
or its mother, and so Herod's cruel
murdcrers could not find them. Herod
said they were hidden around there
among The poor people. and so to
make it sure he ordered the murder
ers to 90 from house to house and kill
every child under two years old, and
they did. Was there ever such hor-
rible brutality: 1t was worse than
Pharaoh. who ordered the midwiveS
to kill the male infants of the He
brews. but to leave the females alive.
Is it not strange that men coulc be
found who would kill innocent lutte
children just to please a king? /
wonder how they killed them. Did
they cut their throatS or smother
them or knock them N the head or
stab them to the heart? Did they
snatch them from their mothers arms,
while she screamed and begged for
mercy? Did they leave them there
in their blood or throw them in
wagons and haul them away to tne
potter's field: Historians say those
murderegs probably killed thousand.
for tney did not stop at Bethlehem,
but went all along the coast region
where the fishermen lived. What a
creature that man HerGd must have
been. No wonder that the Lord sent
worms to prey upon him and eat him
up while he was yet alive.
But the little child escaped and
with Joseph and its mother stayed in
Egypt until Hcrod was dead. He
grew up to manhood and was crucihed
by Ills own people and then they be
ran to persecute His followers. For
about 800 years the Christians were
pursued and driven from place to place
and suffered martyrdom for their
faith. They had no peace or protec-
ton until Constantine the Great
came into power and took pity upon
them. Before that they had nc
friend at court in any kingdom.
In the second century Diocletian
pretended tc tolerate them, while
they were quiet and made no public
demonstrations, but one time they
secured the use Of al old church and
all gathered there to have service and
commemorate the birth Of their Sa-
yiour and start the Christian festival.
This made Diocletian very mao, and
after the men and women and chill
dren were all inside and had begun
service. he sent some brutes there
and locked the doors and barred the
windows and set the house on fire and
burned them all up. It is amazing
how Christianity could live and sur
yire It's persecution for the first 500
years.
History says it is impossible to esti-
mate The number OF those who suffer
ed martyrdum for their faith. but
there were thousands and tens Of
thousands. Some were beheaded.
Others burned, others scalded.. others
tlayed alive. others thrown to wild
beasts and others crucitied. Nero had
some OF them smeared with tar and
fired 10y night in the public streets.
Marcus AureliuS had them chained to
the seats Of red hot iron chairs. ST.
Blandiaa and ST. FelicitaS: who were
noble Roman ladies. were compelled
to witness the torture and death Of
their children and were then behead-
ed. These are only mentioned as eX-
amples OF what thousands suffered.
But neither the world, the flesh nor
the devil could stop the sure and
steady progress Of Christianity. Chris
tianity has come to stay. 1t means a
ceremony, d festival Of love and loyal
ty to lin who was born on that day.
In Protestant Germany it is called
the chilGren'S festival. and they are
taught that the Saviour loves them
and cares for them and said. Suffer
little children to come unto me, for Of
such is the kingdom of heaven.
Christmas signifies a new era-a
new Date to time and chronology. The
figures on every letterhead and or
every note and account and receipt
prove the birth OF Christ. Jews: Gen
;i!eS. atheists, intidclS, skeptics, every
civilized nation and every man aid
woman have to use these figures
whei her they believe in them or not.