St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1912-02-28

ana C0GElSu6u uSuT6 Oh the ReOe6Lu-
er, is made lovely today by the hal
lowed memories associated with it,
and the environment of an immense
multitude of men of acknowledged
genius and virtue, highest intelli-
gence and moral greatness. Christian
morality, inspired by Christian dog
ma, covers the globe today with in
situations of beneficence and virtue,
schools, colleges, universities, or
phanages, homes for the aged, for
the poor, hospitals for the sick, re-
treats of piety for the mystic and
spiritual, Industrial and economic
Institutes Christian literature holds
the zenith in the republic of letters
today. The functions of divine wor-
ship are encompassed by the grand
est and most ornate ceremonial The
Sacred Mysteries of the Christian
altar are celebrated with more than
the solemnity, pomp and grandeur
of the ancient temple of the Holy
City, whose ritual was of divine orr
gin The struggle for supremacy
between the supernatural and the
purely natural order of things in a
contest which has endured for nine
teen centuries, presents to an ad-
spectacle of the two orders harmon
izing one with the other in due re-
lation with one another, as the
natural serves as a primary light in
the soul and a prerequisite base or
condition for the supernatural light
to elevate to its own sphere and as
giving to man the advant-
age of the lesser light shining in his
own soul with all the brilliancy in
herent in it and native to it, and
this again supplemented with the
added supernatural light of divine
revelation, thus giving to man the
elevation Of greater and more COM
prehensive knowledge and laws of
conduct proper to guide him on the
highest moral and spiritual plane
toward his end-aye, to the posses
sion of God, his principle and term.
This glorious record presents to
an astonished and admiring public
Jesus Christ as the most amaible
the world of men has ever beheld.
The task of the Christian mission
airy, great as it is today, with all it's
prestige, is less than it was in the
world of the Caesars. Nero, Domi-
lldlls ~llSlAOSdDh NONO A 10 obh0
Dioclesion, for whom the subject of
the Gospel was merely a citizen of
Judea condemned to death by the
highest tribunal Of his nation and
crucified between two thieves on
Mount Calvary, near Jerusalem,
during the Paschal solemnities of
the Israelites, in the reign of I'll
berius In the world of the Caesars
the great forces were arrayed
against the religion of Jesus Christ
and against His disciples. The pagan
and the State were
Identical. The laws supported and
protected idolatry and prosecuted
he worshippers of one Supreme
God as violators of the State laws, |
,ontemners of the gods and their
and people upheld by no |
warrant of law; standing on nothing |
n the way of law This want of le-
gal support they called in their
language superstition: standing |
llone or outside the law. The ma
erial powers of the State were en-
,loyed to subdue the Christians and
,ring them into subsection and ODE
Hence to the laws of public wor-
hip, with no avail The philoso-
,hers and orators with all the pow
r of intellectual forces met the
christian apologists in the arena of
ublic debate before the court of
ublic opinion, and history has re-
orded the result. Clement, Justin,
raeneus, Origin, Tertullian, Chris
stom, Basil, Augustine and Am
rose INDICATED the faith, dogmas,
1orals and record of the disciples +,
f the Redeemer, the meek and
umble Messiah foretold by the
rophets and crucifed by Plate at
he desire of the Sanhedrim;
gainst the State, the philosophers
eaching false dogmas and corrupt
lg public morals, the priests teach
lg and practicing the denominations
idolatrous worship, morals with
ut dogma and degrading to human
ature thus reduced to animal APP
cities and sensuOus enjoyment
-ithout aspiration worthy of ra- y
onal nature and the dignity of |
ian. The power of vice is not to be [
espised, and this, too, was over I
lrOwn by the Christian forces.
ruelty and impurity went down !
afore the truths of the Gospel The [
pQstles from a human point of I
ew were wholly incompetent to I
'cOmplish the task they undertook, .
lie grandest and most difficult that 2
IN be conceived, given the oppOsi-
on to be overcome. Still the task b
as fulfilled. But every effect is c
le effect Of a sufficient cause. The n
luse must be equal to the effect. i
he only ADEQUATE creating cause t
a new intellectual, moral and
'ligious world is Cod Himself. And, t.
.erefore, the establishment of the
hristian religion and its organism y
e Church, is a miracle in the 0
oral order g
The churches, etc, being closed n
] account of the smallpox vista
On, the thoughtful mind of The q
aledonian's editor oDened to the q
,od that might be effected by the G
lbication Of some sermons or in
TuctiOns, and it is in response to a
s kind invitation that we have at "
mpted to submit the foregoing for t
e careful consideration of its "
a1arG We h0Do and nrav that If a