The evening light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1881-1883, 1882-05-17
Sunday Reflections.


at great distance are surrounded with sacred
awe, which, however, disappears when we
come near them and frequent their company,
then we find that they are but human, and
like others that they are afflicted with faults
and weaknesses as are other mortalS OF less
renown, and that they think and live like the
rest.
Time obscures our judgment of men and
events in the same manner as space. Caesar
was certainly great man, however, had we
had the pleasure to have been his cotemporary
we would have found that he was nothing
more than the majority OF his fellow citizens
of equal education. In his youth he excelled
in extravagant debauchery; wine and women
were his GODS AS man and warrior he was
often brutal; conquered tribe of the Kets in
Gallia was punished by cutting the hands Oft
of 5000 of its warriors and then let them 60,
yet the Romans were highly civilized ma
ton.
In the review of men like Brutus,
Caesar, PomPey, Hannibal, Socrates
Demosthenes etc, history comes to our aid,
but it is strange that it is almost silent in regard
to religious founders. Of the reformer Luther
we know that with great strength of mind
and great amount of energy he also had
many weaknesses, narrow-minded, false ideas,
but the man who accomplished as much as he
did, and who loved ''wine, women and song,"
we shall always honor.
| The more we 60 back in history the more
confused are the figures and shapes. OF re-
ligious founders, and surrounded by nymbus
which darkens their real human character.
Mohamet, over whose existence eleven CEN
turtles have passed, stands yet as mortal among
US, he only claimed to be prophet, conse- s.
auently but man, and as such he is honored
by the faithful.
Christ only lived seven hundred years ear
iier, but of him history knows so little that his
real existence has been doubted, and he has
been considered but mythical figure. His
life and actions are surrounded with veil OF
uncertainty Is this accident or design!
nearer acquaintance with his habits, in
cinations and inhrmities would have weaken
ed the venerable sncity with which faith has
clothed and surrounded him.
But it seems to us natural that we have SO
few authentic traditions of Christ. Who
troubled himself about the son of the poor
S carpenter? In his youth he was not such
prominent personality that it would have been
, necessary to make record OF the details OF
:. his life and preserve; later on it was found
that close acquaintance with them would de-
grade the son Of God to the grade of ordinary
r mankind. There is good reason to believe
y that the material for the History of Christ was
r suppressed during the next following centu-
Tics, anu IL Is pOSlllNCJ hho"h uo' SooPSiS
have disappeared since the council OF Nicaea.
With his thirteth year he began his work as
d preacher, he travelled through Judea and
S taught the works of love, charity and justice.
It The historian Josephus, who was very par
). ticular about everything concerning his peo-
: pie, only mentions him as "Jesus, who is
n called Christ" proof that at that time he
had not yet drawn public attention, otherwise
Josephus would certainly have said more of
him. How long Christ taught cannot be as
l. certained. Historically certain is it that
J. he was crucifed under the government
of Tiberius Caesar during the procurate of
Pontius Plate, this is recorded by Tacitus and
J. Paul.
Re What we. admire in Christ is his pure, noble
&C and moral life, he condemned form worship
p and hypocrisy. The doctrines are more senti-
mental than practical, his death is tragical.
As man he deserves the highest honorS. But
. clothed with divine attributes, his acts and
=. merits disappear, because as the son Of God
y he would have lad no choice nor will Blu,
~ would have been compelled to act according
"a to his divine nature.
1e We respect and honor Christ as a reformer
= r The Bible tells US that he was man and haC
- human attributes and incnations; he lived
- like other people, ate and drank, and loved
enjoyment and wine, he loved to associate with
women and hated the scribes and hypocrltes
who wanted to make the Sabbath day of ex
IRENE denial like our modern puritans the Sun
ed day. 1t is known how solicitious he was 70
he wine at the wedding at Cana when the suppl,
". had given out He took wine with his meal:
=; and it seems he had made himself subject o
- town talk. (See Luke, 7, 4.) Temperance
'le fools and praying sisters would thus speak O
er- him to-day if he were among US and took hi
Id glass Of wine or beer.
AT The old Testament recommends the drink
of ing of wine on many occasions, (See proverb
en- 81, 81, and 3, 9-Io; also Judges 9, 1871 Pau
,at also recommends it in place of water, in hi
to letter to Timothy, 5, 20, and so vii! we in OF
m, der to prove that we follow the precepts of tn
ad Bible in just and sensible things.
en-
in They say that Mr.. Brown, as seen on the be
urt of her majesty's carriage, arrayed in the gar
in of his native country, with his Scotch bonnie
at replaced by huge pth helmet, was an objes
IRE Of the greatest interest 10 all the country pc,
ng pie in the neighborhood of Mentone, and mar
NO still labor under the idea that he is the lol
ase mayor.
me The London Lancet warns the public Of Il
{ great danger of injections of morphine und
inc the skin, and says: at is practice of e
ng IRENE hazard, and we are of opinion that su
gcal instrument-ma should refuse to ST
: the requisite apparatus to lay persons, and tn
medical men should forbid their use"