The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-10-01
JESUS the NA7ARltEAt.
tn. Unitarian View Of His Birth.
Life. Death, and His
Teachings
Set Forth In . Sermon by Rsv.
J. n. Orooksr. OF
This City.
Read hy HE upisnd. Rev. Mr.. Fsnu. At
the International unitariaa Con
srsss ~ Chicago.

RN00U W. SAVV
the International Un,tariaa Con
sssss ~ Chicago.
The following address was prepared By
Mr.. Croker, pastor Of orr Untsasian 60
sisty. for The International Unitarian soA-
ersss, . part Of the Parliament Of Relig-
ioas, ssd Vas read Ia Chisnao By his
friend Rev. Mr.. Fem Of Sept. 20. II was
RivsA last sunday moraina In Helena - a
sermon to ths Unitarian congregation and
10 printed BY request
In each successive Age, ths psRson OF
Jssas has bssn explained and bis ministry
interpreted according 70 ths dominant
moral and iatsllsotual conditions Of ths
time. II sou.d not DO otherwise. for Ahe
gospel aid not enter void minds. but passed
into minds stocked with certain ideas aad
ideals, which, vhsa brought into ounss
zion With ths story Of Jesus shaped shs
popula, beliefs sssDsetiaa bis rank aad Of.
doe.
AZ best, u ID uncertain how far. o. In
What way, Jesus connected himself With
NJ Msssianio Ideal. = fustuating ex1eotA-
tion ranging from hope Of . good sims
coming TO belief In . majestic king. for ~
have his thought somewhat blurred and
distorted BY association with apostolic
fancies; but jewish disoiplsa had TO hin
Of him ~ the Messiah and cloths him With
the hopes which clustered about that great
parsonage, for these were the prominent
elements Of their religious life. TAsiS
Messianis eonsoiousness had, indeed. been
re6nsd md spisitualizsd BY his character
and teaching; and yet. u was thsls BELIEF N
him % the Messiah, into which much OF Ne
old Thought had been carried. That kindlsd
their enthusiasm. that provided . vsAiols
for his gospel. ssd that furnishsd the
forms Of doctrine according 10 which they
construed his being and mission. Bat hsv.
ever ss.vicsahle TO them. and usefal % a
Temporary historic agency. vs zee that
their Assstsnis belief was . more provin-
sial fancy; shs hopes connected with II
have vanished; and II No longer affords .
rlatfsym on which TO sst jesus, nor does II
fuvuish an sxplaaation 10 his nin!stry.
II was Inevitable that the gospel II max
Ing converts amsAs philosophers sAouid
carry Jesus into association with the doe
Ssius Of ths Lesos. vAish occupied The
schools d that time. II vas their explains
tion of creation aHd providence - evolution
10 our explanation Of nature. To think Of
him u all. msE like Justin, Clement. and
Oriesa had - think Of Jesus ~ tAs LsRss;
but this long departure from historical
ssality involved tho danger Of having two
Gods,--ths Almighty Father ana The suboz-
dinats Son. In time. however, the Chsis-
tian mind became loaded With tssss
two conflicting Observation-Disclosures sad
ths doctrine Of Jssns NE Logos ~ .
secondary divinity. How 70 unite these
how 10 combine The unity Of God aud NE
deity Of Jssus.-was tAe problem a. which
the church toiled, always with passion and
often In bl sod, for Two centuries The
solution sams. after innumerabls atSeupts
a. reconciliation. along the line Of Oriasn's
Godhsad itself u mystieal division In The
Divine natare which only tho Greek mind
could have imagined ana which only the
Greek language oan partially dsssrtbc);
and the Niosns Greed, however foreign 10
The teaching Of Jesus and contrary 10 tAs
logical and historical necessity. II pro-
vided, for the time being. . practical com.
promise whioh enabled men a. once 10 keep
their monothsisn, and yet 10 think nj Jesus
~ God. This device did not restore the
real Jesus Of history. but II did save
Christsndom from having two Gods. II
Preserved ths essential unity of the Divine
Mature In immediate contact with hu-
mainly. while II maintained The distinct
personality OF Jesus, free from the fantastic
the COSMOS, Of which the Losos was . part,
IL q thing Of the last. The mental method
which produced Il 10 ousRrown, and the In.
depreciation Of Jesus from This point Of
Wow obsouses his person and blots ont ths
universe discovered BY science.
gNL- .AL>-.-Al-> ~0HA AAsShAAnA ~ Y>---
from the carly theory Of his underworld
contests and bargains With Satan 70 tha
celestial fsudalism Of Anssln (WAo taught
that Jesus covers ths sinner with bis merits
which satisfy the demands Of justice
against HIM and .he spsetsoular disciplin.
Of Grotius, who asserted that Jesus suf-
lsred 10 mnintsin the dignity OF tho divine
eovsEnmsnt), are all ths product Ut the
application 10 ths death of Jesus Of gov
ornamental policies which root In the theory
Of monarchy. They oil Al the ministry OF
Jesus into . scheme Of The universe which
monarohiAl government where everything
s~svolvss about the mere pleasure of q Poten-
tate, who 10 more q Roman Jurist than
Divine Father. But democracy has dis
oardsd these ancient ideals; 10 that BY 10.
eating The center Of inse,ss. II mar him.
sovereignty, while II has transferred en-.
phasis from the Precipitation Of God 10 The
development Of mans nA%ture,--from
The Satisfaction Of celestial justice
10 ths perfection OF The human
soul. The redemptive economy once pred
icatsd Of Jesus fuds no support In natural
Law % discovered by science. and II 10 CON
demnsd by The sentiments Of justice and
humanity which undsslie all the mobiles,
methods Of modern government and
prompt svery R~,.ncioua philanthropy. Pro
pitiasion IL unknown 10 the calm of M
Surs. and tho MIN Of the state, even in th,
treatment Of criminals. 10 NOT the ~satiDfao.
zion OF IL Laws BY vioarious suffering. but
the reformation Of lie way ward citizens
The Management of every modern prisoE
condemns the views Of God and man I'm.
piled In The scheme OF o. cri6cial stonsmsnt
A deeper study Of the trst three Gospel,
the Fourth must bs set aside % mss,
dsstrinal than historisa.-shows 10 in Jssul
an ascending man, who never separates
himself from his fsllowmsn, while ID,
disciples, whom va there see moving abou
him, did not elevate him above The plano o
humanity. He neither asked nor aiiowes
toward himsslf an attitude bordering upoI
worship. The heavenly Father, whom b,
commended 10 his disciples vas also hi
own Father; and throughout The Sermon
on ths Aoust he represents God % 4 beinl
- distinct from himself - from them. Ii