The Child’s Place in Christianity.
By Rev. Dr. Armitage
I FIND a child in no religion but in the religion of Jesus. Mohammed seemed to know nothing about a child. The heathen seemed to know nothing about children in their mythology. Their gods were not born as children. They were never clothed with the sympathies of children. They were never endowed with the attributes of children. They never threw themselves into the social ties of children. They were gods of terror, gods of passion, gods of lust, gods of blood, gods of might; but they were never gods of helplessness, a span long. Oh! no. That would not have been natural. That would not have been divine, in their conception. And hence they make no provision for children. But the great elemental face of Christianity is the holy child Jesus. Born of a woman, born under the law, in total helplessness, physically, laid in a manger, cared for by no man, but the child of the Everlasting Father, and the Prince of peace. So that the gospel of Jesus is the only religion on earth that makes provision for a child, and is the only religion in which a child is laid at the basis and foundation of its faith. The religion of Jesus is the only religion that dares to put its sacred books into the hands of a child. No other religion ever conceived of such a thing. No other religion dare hazard its existence on such a venture as that sacred books of Hinduism, sacred books of Mohammedanism, sacred books of any religion, put into the hands of its children, would shock its authors and its votaries. But the Christian religion brings its sacred books to the child. It says to the little one, “They are able to make thee wise unto salvation, through faith that is in the Lord Jesus;” and although the child cannot master their mysteries, he can believe their mysteries, he can obey their mysteries, he can elucidate their mysteries. The religion of Jesus is the only religion that boasts its noblest workmanship wrought in the spirit of a little child, and is better adapted to effect personal salvation in the childhood, than at any other period of life.—Rev. Dr. Armitage.