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The Gospel of the Holy Twelve |
The Comments of Section 6
Lections 51 Thru 60
LECTION
51. 2. -Many people think that perfect freedom is the power to do
wrong as well as right. Such is not Christ's teaching. Freedom is the power to
do moral good, nothing else : the other is not freedom, but slavery to the
evil nature. This is the teaching of Rosmini and of the Franciscans, and is
evidently the teaching of Christ. Other animals than man have the freedom
essential to their nature, which, if they are allowed to follow, is a kind of
moral good. In a true state of nature, the other animals are found innocent,
till corrupted by the cruelty of man. Herbert Vivian (" Land Of the Lion
of Judah ") writes :-" On the beaten track I was much impressed by
the fearlessness of nearly all the animals I saw. The first time I tried to
stalk a herd of antelopes I gave myself a great deal of unnecessary trouble,
dissembling behind bushes and reserving my fire lest the first shot should
irretrievably disperse my quarry. I found, however, that as a rule directly
they became aware of my presence they turned round to look at me and would
remain while eight or ten shots whizzed about their ears, not always bolting,
even when one of their number had been laid low. Nor did they ever scuttle
away very far. They would disappear over the ridge of a hill and wait within rifle
range of its summit as if for me to try my luck again. The smaller animals
would be more fearless still, and might often have been knocked down with a
stone or a stick. There were numbers of pretty little grey and white squirrels
with long bushy tails; they would run to pick up a bit of bread when I threw
it, and lit up a few yards away from me nibbling it with both hands. One day I
thought of shooting a jackal, which was hovering about near my camp, for I had
heard that the skin of a Somali jackal is worth having. I took up my gun and
strolled out to get an easy shot. My servants, thinking to
LECTION
52. 4. -The testimony of those who saw and knew Jesus as to his age, has
been strangely ignored by writers of Biblical history and by the Church in
general. This matter is briefly discussed elsewhere in these Notes, and
deserves the attention of every student and thoughtful person. (See Notes
liv.14-16; xcv.9.)
LECTION
53. 3. -The healing of the blind by means of clay mingled with saliva is
mentioned by ancient physicians. Vespasian is said to have cured by this
means. This shows that Jesus did not hesitate to employ natural remedies, when
they were likely to effect their purpose.
LECTION
54. 1-13. -The wrangling of the Pharisees over this case of healing has
its para1lels in our times in the Churches which assign to the devil all that
they cannot comprehend, and cut out the Healer as a sinner and a heretic,
denying the power of God in Man.
LECTlON
54. 14. -This is one of those "parables and dark sayings" of
him who spake as never man spake. The words taken literally suggest to the
mind a perfect crystal sphere, and by correspondence, a perfect man or woman-
in modern phrase "an all rounder," one who views things not from one
side only, but from every side. There are many who keep the law in one or more
points, but neglect all the rest; or keep it in all points but the one which
is against their own particular failing -who "compound for sins they are
inclined to, by damming those they have no mind to." But few are they who
teach, and still fewer who practice an all round obedience to the laws of
Christ. Many are they who loudly condemn one or more forms of evil, in order
that they may more fully indulge in some other, in which is their corrupt taste;
or condemn little errors in others that they may escape notice of their own
greater breaches of the law of loving kindness to all creatures. (See also
Lection lxviii.,18, and lxix., 5.) On which otherwise obscure passages the
above remarks may throw a needed light. In these the conditions of the
individual are referred to, the one throwing a light on the other. For as with
the Church so with each individual composing it, they must progress to
LECTlON
54. 17-20. -The meaning of these words and this action is very obscure,
but if we describe the magic square of 7, it seems to make it intelligible as
the mystic symbol of him who regarded everything by number and by measure, and
which seems to have reference to the period of his mortal life, 49 years, as
well as the number of the Council, Cardinals and Priests of the Church universal,
48, presided over by its Head, 49, which the action of Iesus seemed to
symbolize, and in a way, foreshadow.
LECTlON
54. 17-20. -Here we have the original words of Christ, from which Paul
adopted his simile in Rom. xii., and In 1 Cor. xii.
MAGIC SQUARE OF SEVEN
Sigillum XTI
