The representative., 1897-08-18


John vii. 4s.-Text, "Never man spake
like this man."
From the time that Christ began his
ministry he was pursued by his enemies
like troop of bloodhounds, to finI
some pretext or other to destroy him,
and they never ceased until they nailed
him to the cross. Officers that were
sent by the chief priest to apprehend
him came back without him, and they
demanded of the officers, "Why did you
not bring him." They replied, "Never
man spake like this man"
Christ taught true reform on every
subject that relates to the happiness
and welfare of humanity, whether of
the family customs. society. civil gov
ernment, of money, law or political
economy, and his teachings so antag-
onized the teachings of the scribes and
Pharisees and the Jewish doctors of
divinity that 1t filled them with envy,
Jealousy and rage.
There have been in our world a great
many great men, comparatively speak
ing. but there never was but one abso.
lutely great man, the man Christ Jesus.
Did you never notice that he never had
to debate questions with the greatest
men of that age?
They would consult together how to
"entangle him in his words" so as to
arrest and condemn him. He always
put them to confusion by asking ques-
When he came to the temple and
found that they had established a kind
of board of trade or brokers' office, so as
to speculate off the worshipers at the
great feasts, it kihdled his wrath, and he
made whip and drove them out, over
threw the tables of the money chang
ers and scattered their money over the
floor and told them to clear out, Take
these things hence, you thieves. 1t
is written my house shall be called a
house of prayer, but you have made it
den of thieves" What were they do
ing? They were specializing The tenn
pie service required certain kinds of
animals for sacrifcial purposes and
certain kind Of money. These money
sharks would make a corner on these
things and change the money and sell
the doves and other animals at usurious
rates. 1t was a kind of Wall street,
gold gambling board of trade, money
making scheme, extorting from the wor-
shippers without giving any equivalent,
stealing right in the temple of the Most
High
The priests and rulers shared in the
gambling no doubt, for they were mad
at Christ for whipping them out and
came to him and said, "By what OIL
thiroty do you do these things? Who
gave you this authority" Notice his
reply: 81 will ask you one question, the
baptism of John, was it from heaven or
of men," They went out and juggled
awhile and came back and said, I'VE
can't tell.' Neither tell 1 you my au-
thOrlty, replied the Master.
At another time they thought they
would convict him of treason to
Cearars or the Roman government. You
remember that Moses had said, "The
scepter shall not depart from Judah"
nor lawgiver, ETC." until Shiloh come" :"
Now an edict had gone forth from Rome
10 +ho yho1
to the Master and said "Is it lawful to
pay tribute to Caesar?" They expected
he would say no-at any rate they
hoped so. He said, Bring me piece
of tribute money" They brought him
penny. Looking at it he asked,
Whose image and superscription is
tbis?" They said, Caesars" Then he
said, Render to Caesar the things that
are Caesars and to God the things that
are Gods" They were confounded.
There are two great principles or
truths contained in this sentence. The
superficial reader doesn't perceive them.
Although this sentence, Render unto
Caesar the things that are Caesars"
was uttered nearly 1000 years ago, this
dumb world doesn't understand what it
teaches at this day.
The first great truth is that the image
and superscription on the material used
as money constitute the money, or, in
other words, the material used for mon
ey carries the fiat, or authority of law,
inscribed ON it-just as our lawbooks
contain the law, just as the Bible con-
tains inspired truths.
Christ didn't ask whose piece Of
money is this or whose piece Of brass,
but whose image and superscription
The image and superscription consti-
tuted the money.
The second great truth contained in
this short sentence is that the money of
government-any government-belong
to that government. Render to Caesar
Caesar represented the government)
the things that are Caesars" Govern
ments-all governments-make the
money of that government. The gov
eminent is all the people. The money
is made by all the people, for all the
people, to use in exchanging the pro-
ducts of their labor. No individual has
the right to make money If any one
has pure gold and the dies to coin it.
he will be sent to prison for counter