The herald., 1896-03-30
'CHMST'S HUMAN TEACHERS
THE SUBJECT OF THE SERMON yRSrER.
DAY AT UNITY
The dreatest and Divinest Teacher OF the
Ages Learned Lessons From 0od, M m and
Narure-Order of Services During Holy
Week at the Catholic Churches

ACES Learned Lessons From 0od, N m and
Narure-Order Of Services During Holy
Week at the Catholic Churches
Yesterday morning the pastor Of Unity
church, Rev. j. s. Thomson, delivered
sermon upon Christ's Human Teachers,
nom the text, "They found him in the
temple, sitting in the midst OF the doctors,
both hearing them and asking them que';-
tions." Luke 2: as. He said in part:
Luke informs us that Mary, the mother
of Christ, was intellectual. pure. poeticaa.
loving and spiritual. From her nature
and teaching he derived his reverence for
Vumanhood and the kindly consideration
iitions of life. His father Joseph, ac-
cording to Matthew. was intellectual, con-
ecientious, affectionate and spiritual. and
from his nature and example Christ learn
"a his first lessons about the divine father
hood of God. Christ's parents were healthy,
intellectual, moral, atfectionate ana
spiritual, and they we're educated. Their
travels were extensive for those days, and
they must have had means to pay their ex-
penses. They did everything they could
for his education and development.
Ihey travelled from Nazareth to Beth
lehem, the royal city of Christs
ancestors through his father Joseph, SO tnat
scendant of David. They took him to
Eaypt, and afterwards from Judea to Cali
lee, to save his life from two Herods. They
performed every ceremony for him IN the
temple, They took him to the great ma
tional feasts at Jerusalem. They sept him
to school in the synagogue, where he
learned reading, writing, arithmetic. geo
;araphy and history; and they taught nim
trade. Every Jewish boy then had to learn
\ trade no matter what his calling IN after
life might be. His school education was
Just as good as that of European children
. century ago; and education was practi-
cally compulsory among the Jews. Jesus
grew in wisdom. He did not learn by mir
scle. He had to study. God knows every
thing in the universe. He does not need to
70 to school. But Jesus had to learn les
sons from human teachers. He passed his
boyhood in beautiful, interesting and
progressive part of Palestine. Great high
ways crossed near his shome-Tyrians, Sido-
mans, Romans, Syrans, Assyrians, Greeks,
Arabians. Egyptians, Persians, and other
nations of Asia, travelled over those high
ways. talking strange languages, and do
ing various kinds of business. Jesus must
have met these travellers, and, as boy
greedy of knowledge, he learned much
from them. Galilee was more free and
progressive than Judea; and foT that rea-
son the northmen were despised by the
ccnservaties of Jerusalem. "Can any,
thing good come out of Nazareth?'' The
natural scenery about Nazareth is hne;
and many great battles we're fought in
that neighborhood. 1t was a most sug-
gostive and inspiring region for boy with
an open soul. 1t was highly cicilNed
age. The Roman empire was in it's glory
and greatest power. Virgil, Horace, Ovid,
Cicero, Caesar, Maecenas, gloritied Italy.
Philo. geometers,, inventors, and book
makers, and book-9atherers', made
Alexandria great seat of learn.
ing. Hillel, Gamaliel, Paul, John,
and Josephus were greet lights in
Palestine. Greece was full of teachers of
all kinds; and students from all parts of
the Roman empire went to school in
oonISnnns PSSns tows1d. had Re received cs
ilization from Egypt, Greece, Rome,
Tyre, Babylon, Persia, India. The Jewish
race was then intellectual and educated,
and in civilization it had attained its high
est point. 1t was no dark and ignorant
time. Every home in Palestine was a
like the Scotch Presbyterians and the New
England Puritans century ago. in their
earnest desire to discuss religious and
moral questions, and to criticise sermons.
There was free speech, too, and free
thought was encouraged. The doctors
presented themselves to the people in the
temple to answer their questions. to help
them to settle religious questions and to
suggest ways for solving many problems.
There was free and reverent discussion.
Every one was invited to state his mental
troubles and difficulties. Our modern theo-
logical schools are founded to manufacture
biRots out of young men. What would
become of these schools, which are the
greatest enemies of Christian brotherhood,
sisterhood, unity, if the Jerusalem method
were adopted? The sects would die,
and Christians would increase. There
was just as much religious free
dom in Palestine then as there
is in California now. No man could be put
to death for expressing his religious views;
aud Jesus and John uttered more terrible
denunciations against hypocrisy, shams,
religious Intolerance, and priestly vanity
than any man could now utter in Cali
fornia, and be safe from violence. Jesus
and John were not put to death because
they were heretics, and that they were
most certainly, if the New Testament re-
ports are true. John was beheaded for
criticising the moral conduct of Herod;
and Christ was cruciGed as an insurrec-
zionist. No one could be put to death by
law for his religious views then. Jesus
was Johns disciple. He went to John,
John did not go to him. Jesus requested
John TO baptize him into his fellowship,
and John accepted him as a member, bap-
tized him as such, and recommended him
very highly. John taught and inspired
John in his views and methods and he left
John, but John did not follow him.
John was stern, ascetic and ethical.
Jesus was loving, enjoyed the good things
of life, laid strong emphasis on spiritual
-ity, and cured people of their diseases, and
provided food for the hungry. John had
no money; but he needed none, as his
clothes and food and shelter cost nothing.
Christ had excellent teachers. He learned
much from them. He proceeded beyond
them into nature, and then he learned to
sit at the feet of God as his only teacher.
Those who claim that Christ was God, and
admit that he had to learn from human
teachers, are Obliged to resort to vain and
pretentious speculations about two ma
lures; and when their pretentions are
punctured they seek refuge in the asser-
ton, "it's a mystery" and then cry out
''danger." Gods mysteries are to bo rev.
erenced; but theologian's mysteries can
not be respected. The greatest and divin-
est teacher of the ages learned lessons
from God, man and nature.
Abbott B. Clark
A large audience packed Odd Fellows
hall last night to listen to the services in
memory of the late VIM. .. Judge, the
great Theosophist.
Abbott B. Clark spoke as follows: "Some
men are so great it lakes the world ages to
know them. Such men come at the be-
ginning, middle and end of great cycles