El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-09-26

an army officer Of another Ies4-
- ment and having a long CONVEX
sation with him about the bible, found
that all he recognized in that book was
a code of morals. That the book does
contain code Of morals Is true The
ten commandments are such a code, anu
the general moral teachings o. me
whole book are in harmony with TINS
code. The man above mentioned IeJeIt-
ed all that was miraculous eAlTaoI-
binary or mysterious IN the DOOR -
so much rubbish. Taking the plole IN
this sense, he would naturally Llho IN
Christ simply an example or mus d
tion Of the code. In his cohceptioA
Christ had no central place or lAIlu-
ence, d stone rejected by bullders OF
this class so far as his real claims are
Is a Complete Code of Morals.
Christianity does include a more
complete code Of morals than IS 10 Dc
obtained from any other source Dut
it may be doubted whether me glyll s
of this code was its prlnclpal ooJsSL,
There have been plenty OF coues o.
ethics put forth in the history OF the
world, more or less complete many %
them appearing before the TINE u
Christ and containing enough, II Iol-
lowed to serve as excellent guides to
conduct such are found IN BUDDHISM
and Confucianism; in socrates Flalo
and Aristotle among Greek philoso-
pliers.
Every ancient stole, including the
Roman emperor Marcus Aurelus ana
the Greek slave Epictetus, taught the
duties of morality. Scion and other
ancient lawgivers required good NOR
ais. So that II this were all that IS
necessary, the good Of ne was az
tainable without any addllonal COuS
from Moses or Christ
Men StiII Go Astrny.
But notwithstanding all the codes
from many sources TO guide the WOril'
men still 20 astray and fail into evil
Knowing from the wise the Detle.
way, they still choose the worse Is u
not clear, then, that something more
than codes Of morals are needed 70
save the world from its eyilt
Now the claim Of Christianity is that
il furnishes this something more ina
il brings the power and Inspiration that
lead men TO live the right life TO say
the least, we are brought under the IN
fluence and inspiration Of noble ana
beautiful human life in the person o.
Jesus Christ And this alone IS much
more than a mere cold code OF no l,li.i''
such as the world often approves Win
Again. Others would not go so far
as to pass by the person revealed IN
the bible. They would recognize not
only a code Of morals nut great ana
been a HELM to the world ever since
Rut they also would have no mystery
or marvel in connection with the per-
son and influence Of Christ DuI an
must be plain, simple and clear as
the MONDAY. That he possessed a
strange power over incurable diseases
deformity OF death. they would deny
Every Man Is n Mystery.
But it is only possible 10 have things
reduced down TO the utmost slmpllclls
by shutting our own eyes 70 vast num-
hers of the real facts Of life suppose
we take Christ TO be a great and good
man and no more; we have only trans
ferred him from one condition OF Inys-
terry to another. For every man Is d
mystery TO himself and TO his teiloWs'
full of unexplained or at present mex
pIainable elements. The same IS true OF
the world about US Matter IS as mSs-
FERROUS IN its way as MIND We were
beginning to think we had some IN
Outstanding OF matter and then the
discovery Of radium occurs TO throw US
hack into mystery All the sciences
after going a little way into any de-
partment Of nature and life, come upon
things that refuse to puck out the
heart at their mystery and We are
forced with Hamlet TO the conviction
that there are more things in heaven
and earth than are dreamt Of IN our
philosophy
And then. far above all human and
material things is God. the supreme
being. the mightiest and grandest mys-
terry Of all Who viii undertake 10
explain the Infinite one2
Now to return 10 the person Of Christ,
whether we take him simply as a man,
OF again as far more, IT is only adding
one more mystery TO universe al
! ready full Of mysteries, or taking
away but one mystery from a world
that everywhere abounds in mysteries
This is far enough from a satisfying
world for the person who insists on
having everything in heaven and earth
/ Immediately explained to him
It is a world for the formation and
training OF character rather than the
satisfying of curiosity and this can,
without doubt, be better accomplished
I in such a world as we have, rather
l than such as we would like to have
| Further. this universe is a dwelling
I place for the whole man and not sim
/ ply his reasoning faculty, a mere
problem to be solved II II Is for the
/ whole man. il must be adapted TO his
/ imagination also. which is kindled by
I the extraordinary and mysterious
| rather than the simple and common
place 1t is. therefore. no defect in
the Christ Of this world Of mystery
/ that he shbuld prove so great that we
! are unable TO take his measure. He IS
/ all the better fitted to inspire and
stimulate the human mind and mag
/ nation. In the last analysis We all
J prefer what is great to what is small.
. We are all by nature nero worshipers
d and II is certainly no defect in the hero
4 that he khould prove immeasurably
greater and more powerful than we had
I previously thought. In the general
I judgment Of the vast majority who
| have concerned themselves with Chris
/ tianity for the past 1000 years, a sub
Z Inns and mysterious Christ. mysterious
| beyond that Of all ordinary humanity,
7 Is the only saviour OF the world that
? they can recognize as the true one
Any other would be too feeble for his
] vast and overwhelming influence.
II we reject such a sublime and
/ mysterious personality for one that
! makes no further demand on us than
l the mystery Of our own natures, we are
I in the critical position Of the builders
I who reject the mighty cornerstone from
I their structure and seek TO put in its
l place something small and weak
Works Of the Master Builder.
J But after all the raal life and des-
/ tiny Of the world depend not on the
/ poor and feeble structures that some
men are in their pride and conceit
vainly trying TO build up, but on the
sublime structure that is being stead
{ lily carried on to its completion
q throughout the ages, by the master
/ builder Of the universe
In that mighty pile. the true corner
l stone goes TO its place in spite of hui
man meddling where attempted, for as