The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-10-11
CORNER SYONE OF LIBERTY"
Last Sunday Mornings Discourse by
Rev. t. ]. Horner.
That Endowment Which Enables Man
to Judge for Himself as to
What is Right.

Before the Unitarian Society at Castle
Hall, last Sunday morning, Rev. t. j.
Horner took for his text the following
passage from Luke, xii, 57-"And why,
even of yourselves, judge we not what is
right"
Mr.. Horner said that Unitarians were
apt to emphasize reason more than any
other endowment of human nature, but
no one endowment IS able Of itself to
round out life in all its fullness.
Reason alone may leave the nature
hard and cold, but putting aside theques-
ton as to which endowment should have
the preference, let us thoughtfully con-
slider that endowment which throws light
over the track upon which reason trav-
els.n
Mr.. Horner said the text was a wonder
ful proclamation of spiritual liberty, yet
he had never heard a sermon from it. In
this text Jesus enthrones conscience as
mans moral monarch, and asks why its
authority is not exercised.
If he had been taken at His word all the
strife and bloodshed that have stained the
pages of religious history would have
been avoided. The only authority that
Jesus knew was that which his own soul
reflected OF the Will of God.
He, of all the worlds teachers, was the
discoverer of this bond which unites
man to God. Morality existed before
Jesus. He added very little to what the
world had already been taught in the
realm of morals. He changed the phrase
ology Of old commands somewhat. He
sifted the chaH from the wheat OF Hebrew
tradition and gave the good grain chance
10 grow. lie added spiritual meanings
10 doctrines that before had seemed to
have nothing TO do with spirituality; but
lie taught nothing that had not already, at
least III part, been voiced by the law and
the prophets.
But what Jesus did do was to bring
man up to the full consciousness that this
endowment Of human nature that had
from the beginning borne witness to
truth and righteousness; that had from
the time of Cain branded the soul with
lnfamy when such deeds as his were
wrought; that had even in the Garden
of Eden according to Hebrew traditiOn)
driven our first parents from the garden
and compelled them to hide for shame
from the sight of Gods purity; that had
IN David's time inspired beautiful psalms
OF repentance and humility. l say what
Jesus did do, was to discover that this in
fluence was God himself manifesting His
righteousness and love 10 man through
mans conscience, and having made the
discovery Jesus revealed it to The world
The soul had always been conscious of
an ideal; it had always felt the sting Of re-
morse, but never before did it realize that
God felt in common with man; that it was
His love outraged that caused that reaction
IN the human soul which we call renorSe.
Jesus, by bringing God down to the
level of human affection, lifted human
nature to the level of the Divine, and
opened to mans spiritual vision vistas Of
possibility before but family dreamed of.
MIR. Horner then spoke OF the inability
OF conscience to always be sure of itself,
and compared it to the mariners COM
pass, easily drawn from its accustomed
duty. The test Of conscience is in the
universal application of its judgment 10
human life-the confirmation OF one by
all.
At the time that Jesus uttered the
words OF the text the world was domi-
mated by priestcraft. The text was the
proclamation OF spiritual liberty. But
the world was not ready for it then, and
soon came to look upon Jesus as himself
the great High Priest whose death upon
the cross mediated for the sins Of the
world.
This idea, Mr.. Homer said, was purely
a pagan idea, and survives to-day through
out Christendom. The process begun.
the dedication of Jesus naturally fol-
lowed, which, of course, made the proc
lamation of spiritual liberty OF nom
GIScI; DuJ SLOWLY the CONSCIOUSNESS OF
mans spiritual endowment is rising in
the human mind, and as it rises pagan
notions, foisted upon the teachings iof
Jesus, give place to reason, conscience
and the moral law, and, as the ages IN
fold. men come into the knowledge of the
essential dignity of sons of God
Jesus revealed our nature to US. We
may look to Him as our guide in times
when sorrow or affection roll over us:
but even this should not be necessary.
If we keep our souls pure and our spirit
ual vision fixed upon things above, we
should be able even of ourselves to Judge
what is right.
This is what Jesus did; this is His COM
mand to US, and this we may do if we but
trust those spiritual powers with which
we in common with Him are endowed
by the Father of US all.