The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-12-27
PAGAN MYTH, SAYS
THIS PREACHER
Attacks Doctrine of I'm
maculate Conception.
Or Rather He declares That Every
{ Mother is Madonna and That
"a =, Every Man is Full of the Di.
vine Spirit.
(New York American.)

The Rev. Minot ]. Savage, in mis-
Christmas sermon yesterday, in The
Church of the Messiah at Park Avenue
and Thirty fourth street, astonished
the congregation that crowded the
church by announcing views that up
neid in many particulars the present
mcnt made by the Rev. DIR. Lyman Alb
Bctt i'm his address to the students al
Harvard University te particularly
esnrhasized DR.. Ahbott's contertion
that God is everywhere in am! through.
and of everything, as the Brooklyn di-
VINE said.
But Mr.. Savage went a step furthe l
than DR.. Abbott.
He declared that the idea Of the vir-
gin birth, the incarnation We're taken
from Paganism. He said THAI every
mother was a Madonna and every
man possessed divine elements.
In brief he contended that God put
Himself into every living creature anc
that each one contained as much OF
God as was possible for each To hold
lie added
Fer good many hundred years
this 18th day of December has been
sci apart TO celebrate the supposed
fact that the Virgins birth Of the
child. and the further supposed fact
that through the birth cod himself
came into humanity-came into the
world. This was not tho original idea
Of this celebration. This is much
cider than Christianity and is pcrn
cut of interest and emotions that are
human.
Virgin Birth OF Pagan Origin.
ut was many years after the birth
OF Jesus before anybody thought OF
His being other than ordinary man
born in the ordinary Way--the whole
idea of the Virgin birth and the incar-
ration is Pagan in its origin. and it wa:
centuries before the church united
upon any special day. even for celebra-
ton of the coming of Jesus irto tht
world.
~ propose this morning to tdrr
eway from the ordinary conception n
Christmas and speak of something
v hich l believe 10 be deeper, higher
wider and mora divine. Every birtr
Is a divine birth; every mother is {
madonna. If you think Of it o no
,nent you will notice that the deepest
highest. most universal fact in the
universe is that of sex: and as life
evolves to its higher forms ard expires
sons this fact is emphasized more anc
more.
IF then, there is anything in life
that we have a right to suppose eX-
Pre- ssed the thought, the life. the feel
ing of God it must be this: it seem.
To- me, therefore. | have said !, before
and 1 have been criticised in certain
quarters for saying it. bur wish 70 say
it again and to ask you TO think of j
most seriously-to say that Virgin
birth is holier than that which Cod ha!
universally ordaiend seams TO me t.
be a reflection on every mother no
only, but "A reflection on God himself.
Every Birth is Pure.
For certainly that which lie ha
made central and universal in all O
MS, from the lowest to tie highest
cannot be cannot be unhoiy
cannot be less sacred than some sup
posed unnatural method by which hi
own ordained laws are contraveneC
and set aside.
And suppose God should take some
other than His own way CT coming in
to the world, if anybody did wish t
come after this fashion. is again Il
suppose that He would not come in tn,
way which He has Himself ordained
as universal? And this thought j!
further emphasized that RE did no
need to come into thu world SOC
years ago, for He was here before ther
has always been here. This is Hi
word. 1t is the expression of Hi
thoughts His life, feelings 1T j
natural with the irvine. In Him w
live and more and lave ou: being. anC
all life so far as it goes is the incar
I.Stion Of the divine"