Norwich bulletin., 1912-04-06
THE TRADITIONS
 OF OUR FATHERS.
Rev. pr. Howe Speaks for Continuance of Fast Day and Thanksgiving Ser vices.


 At the Good Friday service at Park Congregational church onFTiday morn- ing Rev. Dr. Howe spoke of his strong conviction that the great traditions which have been handed down to us from the founders of our country should be upheld. For 250 years these Good Friday and Thanksgiving services have been a national tradition. There should be more rather than fewer or them. Decision was made to hold one in this part of the city where 1t seemed a duty to help in this way toward pre- serving them The large attendance today. he said, is gratifying and con firms the decision that we are meeting this want. The service was largely musical and the vocal part, taken from Dudley Bucks cantata. The Story of the Cross, was given by the choir m effective manner
 The sermon by Rev. Dr. Howe was taken from Galatians 2: 20, T am crucified with Christ" He said unless we are possessed with the memories ot Good Friday we cannot worthily cele- brate our Easter. The two great de- terminative truths of our religion are these-Christ died for our sins and the third day rose again, both according to the scriptures But for the events of Good Friday we should have no gospel and no resurrection to confirm the gospel message. The text is not se- lected from the evangelists but rather from the writings of one who it IS strongly believed was a spectator to the crUciiixlon, but who with refined delicacy restraints himself from de- scribing the scene. It is almost in l conceivable that St. Paul should not have been a spectator. He was a resi- 1 dent of the city, @ member of the rul- ! ing class. a scholar of first rank, prob l ably member of the Sanhedrin and an infammable zealot in everything | pertaining to the traditions of his na- | ton and which made him a master of 1 the art of persecution. He does not mention the fact in his writings that | he was among the company-and for good reason. because of his own guilty part in it-but how the fact seems to | color his writings
 l As the Greek artist did not paint the | face of Iphigenia's father that we might not read the agony upon it; as i Tissots most impressive picture of the | crucihxion is the one into which he | does not paint the three crosses | simply throws their shadows on the 1 ground and the multitude stands | agaze, mortified, awed, and wonder | stricken; so this young persecutor does not tell us he gave his vote for the | condemnation of his Lord and shouted 1 loudest for his crucifxion. But later | St. Paul came into an experience which set him on fire with regret and re- morse He obtained mercy and for | giveness and was handed back his | blood stained sword and bidden fight on the other side in that never ending battle. How deeply he realized that in | all his battle for the truth he wielded a sword that had once been bathed' in his Masters blood. It was crossing the diameter of the universe between that l awful outcry of Good Friday-Crucify him! Cruelty him! in which no doubt ] this young persecutor joined and his confession, I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus.
 To St. Paul the sufferlngs of his crucif1ed Lord bore relation to sin and salvation from sin. Sin was in that | scene revealed at its utmost power for harm-at it's climax of baseness, and grace was revealed at it's utmost power of self expression; humanity at its depth of evil, and God in the uttermost of his love. For when the cry went up into the still heavens, 'It is finished!' ' it was a whole world redeemed.
 And then there were two other cross es whose shadows fall upon the ground beside this central one in Tissot's pie , ture, and I think upon all St. Paurs writings. Two guilty victims beside the sinless one. They were in justice brought to their fate. But strange thing occurred which had it's correla- tive and counterpart in St. Paul's own experience One chung to his burden and railed at the great sinbearer The other relented and yielded his burden and we can see all but the transfer renee from the penitent's breast of that guilty mans account and the peace pass back into his soul. This was to be this young persecutor's own experi- ence, the whole worlds experience, ouI own experience when faith lifts the burden of human guilt and transfers 1t to the guiltless one who bore or Good Friday the whole worlds sin. Ir return comes the peace of the justified and the redeemed. This experience makes Easter to us the glad and glad dening festival that it is, It is the faith in this truth and in the interpre- tation of Good Friday, as so con- ceived. that makes that day one oi gladness and joy.