The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-04-24
JOYOUS EASTERTlDE
THROUGHOUT CITY
Continued from Eth Paee.)

Continued from Filth Page)
mans skill. See the marvels of the ven
fury just dead.
What wonderful strides has not science
in all its branches madel We can meas
ure the distance, calculate. the size. de-
termine the nature of systems and suns
ten million million miles away in space.
We can speak over a copper wire with
friends separated from US by a CONT
nents length and even without that aid
we can flash our thoughts and messages,
on wireless waves of ether over land
and ocean in the twinkling of an eye
Yes, man has become master of the ele-
ments, the most powerful and destruc-
tive forces of nature are chained to obey
his imperious will. One thing though
man cannot do. He cannot lift his dead
hand among the grave clothes nor bring
back the tide of blood to the pulseless
heart that has gone silent to the touch
of death God, Lord alone can do this
Christ by raising Himself from the dead
proved Himself God, vindicated His
claims to divinity, put upon His mis-
sion the seal of divine omnipotence sup
none might question of the truth OF the
message they were afterwards TO an
nounce.
And when that message was announced,
was it not a wonderful thing to see the
success of that message Twelve poor
fishermen. rude, unlettered, poor, go forth
to meet the world, cultured, learned.
wealthy. go forth with only pilgrims
STATS, against legionaries that had borne
in victorious conquest Romes eagles over
three continents and conquered III the
conflict. and this they did. not by preach
ing a PLAUSIBLE creed fattering TO mans
pride and passion, on the contrary they
preached a creed Numerically opposite,
n creed that ran counter to the creed of
the day. Paganism, when robbed of the
| glamour and the romance that cratic
poetry has woven around 1t, Is at best
religion that pampers mans basest pas
sions, that f1atters mans lustful desires
How different Christianity! Those who
embrace the religion of the Christ, had
to wage war against self, had to subject
their bodies and senses to soul and rea-
| son, had to Danish hate and envy and
had to forgive all, even those who In
malice injured How strange must have
sounded to naughty patricians, to con-
suls, to governors of provinces, to men
| holding despotic sway over millions of
their fellow men, the creed of the Cali
lean fishermen, that Jesus, then Master,
that was put to a criminals death BY one
PLATE, an obscure governor of a little
eastern province of Rome's world empire
was God greater far than Neptune, or
Vulcan, or Mars the Avenger, or Jupiter
the Father of the Gods, and why? Because
He did, what they, in all the extravaganza
fables of NEUROLOGICAL heroism, never at
tributed to anyone. He, being dead, rose
once more to life
So the banner of the Crucifed was borne
through the world, but not in peace was t
borne. Paganism, hel-excited, fought
desperately. The Master had predicted
this. The world will hate you, even as
If has hated me. so the feet of those who
marched in the procession of early Chris
tianity. was red with martyrs oio,d,
but finally. after three centuries OF UNI
naralleled persecution, that religion vas
victorious and has ever since Followed
I'D that hard won victory, by adding VIC
tory to victory The church TOOK inc
civilization it found in the various ma
tons of the earth and left on 1t an inef-
fcable mark. She woulded the rude
northern barbarians, than, when the Ro-
man empire was disintegratias, overran
the fertile valleys of Southern Europe
ana Numbered at the walls of Rome INTO
Christian communities and Kingdoms
E, erywhere in triumph was borne me
cross of the crucified. Today that tross
is high above all Catholic churcncs, and
all Catholic affairs, and QUAY IN every
land under heavens CANOPY the believers
of the cross celebrate the 'riInph OF me
church, and the triumph of he founder
of the church, Christ, VIE rose gl'tious
and immortal from the dead
But the resurrection is not alone the
pledge of the triumph Of the church, it