The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1903-01-01

worlds history. An event that changed
the calendar of time and eclipsed the
creed and faith of nations and has es-
tablished the Christian religion in all
civilized countries. This event was but
e birth Of little child, but no other
hild was ever heralded by the angels
singing, GLORY to God in the highest,
on earth peace and good will to man"
From the very first that child was a
suspect and Herod was alarmed. He
was not a Jew but was convert to
the Jewish religion, and it was whis-
pered TO him that the chi id was the Son
OF God and woGld grow up and rule
the people and take His kingdom away
from Him. He did not believe it, but
it alarmed him, for it came to him
from many sources and he determined
to put an end to it by killing the child.
In the meanwhile the angels came and
spirited the child and its mother away
by night to Egypt. Nobody in Bethle-
hem knew the child or its mother, and
so Herod's cruel murderers could not
find them. Herod said they were hid
den around them among the poor peo-
pie, and so to make it sure he ordered
. the mnrderers to go from house to
house and kill every child under two
years old, and they did it. Was there
ever such horrible brutality? 1t was
worse than Pharoah, who ordered the
midwiyes to kill the male infants of
the Hebrews, but to leave the females
alive. Is it not strange that men can
be found who would kill little innocent
children just to please king? Won
der how they killed them. Did they
cut their throats or smother them or
knock them in the head or stab them to
the heart? Did they snatch them from
their mothers arms while they scream
ed and begged for mercy? Did they
leave them there in their blood or
throw them in wagons and haul them
away to the potter's field. Historians
say those murderers probably killed
thousand, for they did not stop at
Bethlehem but went all along the coast
region where the fishermen lived.
What creature that man Herod must
have been. No wonder that the Lord
sent worms to prey upon him and eat
him, up while he was yet alive.
CbntSh liStle child escaped, and with
Joseph and its mother stayed in Egypt
until HeNd was dead. He grew up to
manhood aud was crucifed by his own
people and then they began to perse-
cute his followers. For about three
hundred years the Christians were pur-
sued and driven fronY%lace to place
and suffered martyrdom for their faith.
They had no peace or protection until
Constantine the Great came into power
and took pity upon them. Before that
they had no friend at court in any
Kingdom. In the second century Dio-
cletian pretended to tolerate them
while they were quiet and made no
public demonstration, but oLe time
they secured the use of an old church
and all gathered there to have service
and commemorate the birth of their
Savior and start Christian custom.
This made Diocletian very mad, and
after the men and women and children
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. 1t Is amazing how Christianity
could live and survive its persecution
for the first FIVE hundred years. His
tory says it is impossible to estimate
the number Of those who suffered mar
..tyrdom for their faith, but there were
thousands and tens of thousands.
Same were beheaded, others thrown to
Wild. beasts and others crucifed. Nero
had Some of them smeared with tar
and fired by night in the public streets.
Marcus Aurelius had them chained to
thosssats of red hot iron chairs. st.
Blandina apd St. Felicitas who were
noble RomSA ladies, were compelled to
witness .the,fArture and death of their
children. an9 were then beheaded.
These are only mentioned as examples
of what thousands suffered.
But neither the, world, the flesh nor
the devil could stop the sure and steady
progress of Christiapity. Christmas
has come to stay. 1t means ceremony
a festival of love and loyalty to Him
who was born on that dayA In Protes-
tant Germany it is called the ehildren's
festival and they are taught"that the
Savior loves them and cares foy them
and said Suffer little children tfcome
unto Me, for such is the kingdom OF
heaven"
Christmas signifies new era-a aeg
date to time and chronology. The iig-NI
ures on each letter head and on every
note and account and receipt prove the
birth of Christ. Jews, Gentlles. atne-
lists, infidels, skeptics, every civilized
nation and every man and woman have
to use these figures whether they be-
Iieve them or not. 1t is wonderful,
wonderful. And now We are all near
ing another Christmas. 1t may rot lie
the exact anniversary of the Saviors
birth, and there are many learned COM
mentators who say that the shepherds
did not watch their flocks by night IN
midwinter nor were taxes given in un-
til about April. Be that as 1t may, the
good Christians of the third century,