Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1903-10-21


S@4lgT@- moral nature is the
BISHOP FALLows. first in time and
Importance But the moral nature
Of man Is bound up inseparably with
his religious nature.
All true morality has It's basis in
religion. Hence 1t is that the most
permanent persistent, far reaching
principles and sentiments of man have
sprung from the central core of his
worshipful being If. then, we would
begin fundamentally to train him
Alright we must lay hold firmly and
correctly upon his devout tendencies;
if we would develop him in MAYNARD
breadth and in godward height we
must first clarity his spiritual vision
Christianity alone of all the worlds
religions has the elements of perfect
ness, unyersality, and adaptabillty in
it. None other possesses the power
Of assimilating and transforming into
its own nature whatever may be found
of value either among the barbaric or
existent civilized nations with which 1t
comes in contact. Often, however, the
friends of Christianity have assumed
a false position in maintaining that 1t
teaches the opposite of all that man
ever desired or thought before its light
illuminated his understanding or its
grace renewed his heart.
On the contrary, as we look TO him
who was "the desire of all nations"
the distinctive power and glory of
Christianity are clearly manifested in
this unique fact. that it. and it alone,
meets the wants of the spiritual nature
of mankind, uttered in all relig-
ions, and reveals the glorious realities
which they but cimly Swallowed forth.
"Whatever of righteousness Judaism
held. whatever of good the Greek phil
osophy taught, whatever of beauty the
Greek mythology embodied, whatever
of subllmity the eastern mysticism
dreamed, whatever of majesty the
Roman law contained is taken up in
Christianity and set forth in all its
glorious substantially"
Christ Jesus was not the simple out
growth of his age, as many unffiendly
have tried so hard to prove. 1t would
be q miracle far transcending all the
miracles which the New Testament re-
cords If such a character We're to bios
som out Of the thoughts, the ideas, the
tendencies, or the deeds of the time in
which he lived. His own people ''eI-
pected' a more victorious Joshua, a
more magnificent Herod, wider rul-
ing Caesar, a wiser Moses, a holier
Abraham. Their expectation was full
filed. as many of our prayers are an
swered, not in the manner desired or
looked for, but in the way Divine
Providence wisely and truly ordains.
They could not see that in the form
of this wayfaring man, manager born
and Nazareth bred, there was one more
powerful than him of old by whom the
waters Of Jordan We're parted as he
entered into the promised land. They
could not see in him the one who
should hush the stormy winds and
calm the roaring seas. and at last lead
over the Jordan of death in glorious
triumph the believing. wandering
tribes of earth into the Canaan of ev-
erlasting rest They could not see as
he stood before Herod, clad in the old
purple robe-the mock insignia of roy
alty-with not a single supporter. that
he was clothed with panoply divine,
and behind him and about him were
the myriad legions of the skies.
They did not see, as he stood bare
and bleed. ag before Pilates bar. that
when this representative of the wide
ruling Caesar lifted from that LAGER
ated back the insulting emblems of
imperial rule, trying to melt their
stony hearts to pity, the government
was upon his shoulders and of the in
crease Of his kingdom there should be
no en- They did not see that in him
were all the hidden treasures of wis
dom and knowledge and that an in
finftely wiser teacher and leader than
Moses was among them. They did not
grasp the truth he had previously ut
tered, Before Abraham was am"
the self-existent the holy one from all
eternity. These things We're hidden
from them through their prejudices.
their stubbornness, their conceit, their
unbelief.
He was therefore not the mere hui
man embodiment of a great national
trend of conception or sweep Of move
ment- He was not the mere express
sion of what was the best and highest
In the uttered or unexpressed beliefs
of his contemporaries, nor even IN the
Imagination of the noblest thinkers OF
all the previous centuries. He was
Gods actuaIized conception of ali that
was perfect in man. the ideal Of hu-
mainly. HE was tine copsummate
flower Of the human race" That grand
sentence Of the Roman Terence which
brought the vast multitude in the the
alter. with thunders of applause, to
their feet when 1t first fell upon their
ears Il am a-4nan. and there is moth
ing pertaining 10 humanity which is
foreign to me-" was therefore true only
Of him in whom the fulIness OF the
godhead dwelfeth bodily" None but
be can satisfy the imperious needs Of
universal man ard as the all powerful
divine nsagket draw all men unto him.
He alone can say with lss authority
Of q God. and yet with the persuasive