East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1906-04-17

Then all literature-prose, poetic
tome and folio, essay and sermon
drama and lyric, human and idyl-
must be subjected to process either
OF utter destruction or of perfect, alb
solutely perfect expurgation, so that
no grace of style, nor elegance of al
fusion, nor aptness of quotation. nor
felicity of metaphor, suggestive of or
derived from the Bible, shall remain
In such volumes. Then visit the gal
leries, public and private, devoted to
the exhibition of art. Here are walls
frescoed with the products of the
old masters and new! here are pedes-
tails and inches crowned and crowded
with the triumphs of the chisel and
the sculptor!
Blot from that canvas the Last
Supper, the TRANSPORTATION, the AS
cension, the Light of the World
strike from those pedestals and from
yonder inches the Moses and the Da-
vid of NJ. Angelo, and all other forms
and expressions OF majesty, tenderness,
purity and grace as their creators
learned and caught from the study
and teachings of the Bible, or fellow
ship with the heroes of the Bible.
Then hasten to the baptismal regis
tries of the church, and instead of the
Virgin Mary, write Cleopatra; instead
of Rachel, write Messalina; instead
OF st. John, write Nero; instead of
st. Paul, Caligula. Erase whatever
else that in these registries reminds
one of the Bible.
Then on to the libraries of law, and
let all codes, statutes, enactments,
constitutions, in which shall be found
reverence for God. respect for liberty,
protection for reputation, life and
person, defense of woman and Of
feebleness, and guarantee of equal
and impartial Justice; let all such as
owe their humanity, their justice,
their impartiality, to the genius and
the teachings of the Bible vanish and
be forgotten.
Then away to the cemeteries, civic
and rustic; to the crypts and vaults;
to the stately minister and to the
humble chapel, where sleep the dead,
and on whose tombs, hope, faith and
love have carved the blessed texts in
which the WIDOW found a calm and
the despairing consolation. See, see!
1t is a winters midnight. No star
nor moon rides the cloud-draped
heavens. No light, save the fitful
flash from yonder moving form.
That is one of the myriad conspira-
tors against the human race, who on
this grim night simultaneously visit
the graveyards of the Christian world
that from slab and obelisk they may
blot out the Bible. See! he bends,
and with light of lantern reads: "I
am the resurrection and the life;
blessed are the dead, who die in the
Lord; "In my Fathers house are
many mansions"
Now he seizes chisel and mallet, and
begins. Chip, chip, chip The lone
night-winds as they travel over the
spot take upon their dusky wings a
burden sadder than they ever bore,
the sob, the sigh, the low-toned throb
of heart-chords swapping; for, hence
forth the chamber of the dying shall
be one of horrors, deaths rule "a
reign of terror" and the graveyard
the abomination of desolation."
need not imagine more, though
the half is not yet pictured; for the
fruits Of Christianity in manners, in
civilization, in the treatment of GRIM
inals and of the insane; in homes for
age, for orphans, for widows; in pop
ular education, and in kindred gener-
Gus and gracious institutions, these all
must also suffer destruction before
we shall have by any means attained
unto the determination of either the
| Bible or of Christianity.
And now, gentlemen, the time, until
set of sun, would fail me to tell of
| the gracious and blessed ministry of
Christianity in Transforming and
| emancipating and harmenizing the
| for it is the power of God unto saliva
| ton to every one that believeth.
But, l must speak this one thought,
and this is it: once and again, man
asks for light. 1t is as he sits yonder
in darkened chambers beside his dead.
To her, in youths jocund days, his
heart went out, and round hers
twined its tendrils. They were lovely
and beautiful as they grew in wisdom,
confidence and love. But the ruthless
blast swept over her, and in the very
pride of motherhood she gave up the
ghost; her sun went down while 1t
was yet noon. And soon he must
bury his dead out of sight"
That is thy mission and thy mean
ing, o Death? Dost thout, indeed,
end all? Or, through thee pass we
back again, as rain-drops, into the
vast immensity of the all unknown
individuality, personality, forever lost /?
Or shall we live again?
1t is not sentimentalism that thus
| speaks. Strongest minds have heaved
the lead in these mysterious depths.
Mightiest hearts have quaked with
| strange terror in presence of these
problems. He who is the light of the
world replies. In word, He answered; ;
better far, in work, He responded; !;
best of all, in His own person He
| grappled with, wrested the scepter
| from, the king of terrors, and DER
his PROSTATE form marched forth
| from Deaths dominion with the note
of triumph on His lip: II am the res
| direction and the life." And He
brought back, not the shadow, but
the substance of immortal man; For
now is Christ risen from the dead,