The daily morning journal and courier., 1905-12-25
LATEST FAIR HAVEN NEWS
'sTHEPRTNCEoF PEACE" BLYTHE
 REV CHARLES c. SMITH.

REV CHARLIE c. SMITH. Rev. pr. Sneath's SermOn-Large Mum Der of New Members Received Into Church-News Ofthe Clinton Avenue Speedway-sOcfal Items The storm which threatened to spoil the weather of Christmas, Sunday cleared just in time, and the sunshine. of yesterday was in accord with the spirit of the great religious anniversa- ry of the year. Services were held in the various churches in accordance with the programmes previously pub lished tgln this paper. There were Christmas sermons appropriate music in the churches and Sunday schools, and evergreen decorations beautified the interior of the sanctuaries. Rev. Charles c. Smith, pastor of the Grand avenue Baptist church, preached an interesting Christmas sermon in the morning, a synopsis of which is given below: Theme: "The Prince of Peace" Isa- iaf 3, 6: "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the gov ernment shall be upon his shoulder and His name shall be called The Prince of Peace" At this season of the year our thoughts finger lovingly about Bethle- hem's manager. The chiefest thought that finds expression in our souls is the infinite condescension of Christ, who, being in the form of God, yet made Himself of no reputation, and for brief hour inhabited a temple of clay, and walked the paths or men. Wrapt in His fnaddling bands.
 And in His manager laid.
 The hope and glory of all lands
 Is come to the worlds aid.
 No peaceful home upon His cradle
 smiled;
 Guests rudely went and came where
 slept the Royal Child.
 tsThis beautiful messanic prediction, uttered in the old town of Jerusalem seven hundred years before the birth of Christ, has an expansive outlook. It points to material and spiritual bene- fits that were to overflow the morrow boundaries of the land, occupied by the
 
 hearts everywhere.
 christianity is not parochial; it is cosmopolitan. The world is it's parish It is not for some men, but for all men, and there is no heart and no home and no nation whose friend and Redeemer Jesus is rrto. Christ is the center and the foundation of all true Christmas joy, and all the wealth of our godly heritage to-day is traceable directly or indirectly to the life and work and in Auence of the Prince of Peace.
 sI must confess that, as a stranger within your gates I was amazed and 1,ained to read that the singing of sim 1le and exquisite Christmas carols by the children in the kindergarten class of one of our public schools of New tda- ven had been forbidden. I am opposed to all sectarian teaching in our day schools, nor would allow any priest or parson to enter those schools to declatm his ttenets, nor would I sanction any teaching of religion-as such-by the teachers. have seen too much of the evils of this pernicious system in Eng land" Such a state of affairs could not and ought not ito exist here. But to prohibit the rendition in song of a great historic event in the worlds his- tory is preposterous, It is not broad uninded;l it is narrow minded in the ex- trene; 1t is not toleration, but intoler- able bigotry. Look lat it from any and every standpoint you will, no harm could be done to any ones belief.
 'sThis is a Christian nation, based and built on thelife and teaching Of Je- SIS, and to deny Christianity in it's broad and true meaning-expression in our state institutions, is to undermine the very foundations or our great re- pIh'ic.
 IT would remind our Jewish friends that they owe--as a people-their safe ty, equality and prosperity to the Christian principles of this nation. believe that, as a body, they readily acknowledged fact, and that the ma- bortty do not object to the moral and ethical teachings of Jesus.
 Let us insist, with eternal vigilance, that our schools shall remain Christian schools in the highest and best sense of that great term
 "Tfis Prince of Peace is divine as well as human. He is "the mighty God" and the scripture is full of the display of His absolute Godhead. As one has said, "The question of who Je- sus was is a far bigger question than what Jesus said.'
 / If you deny Him His imperial pur- pie your Christianity becomes merely moral philosophy. Where Christ reigns there will be. peace, nationally and individually. Peace between de. nominations, between capital and labor -zz--==-==- =---===-=