constitutions and statutes, and there is every reason why it should be used here.

Years ago,

the greatest jurists found that haphazard methods of analysis and construction led to injustice and chaos, and we are prone to feel that want of the use of such rules has led to confusion and error in the religious world. The rule of construction is as follows, to wit:

"Nor is it to be inferred that any portion of a written law is so ambiguous as to require extrinsic aid in its construction. Every such instrument is adopted as a whole, and a clause which, standing by itself, might seem of doubtful import, may yet be made plain by comparison with other clauses or portions of the same law. It is therefore a very proper rule of construction, that the whole is to be examined with a view of arriving at the true intention of each part; and this Sir Edward Coke regards as the most natural and genuine method of expounding a statute. If any section of a law be intricate, obscure, or doubtful, the proper mode of discovering its true meaning is by comparing it with other sections, and finding out the sense of one clause by the words of obvious intent of another, and in making this comparison it is not to be supposed that any words have been employed without occasion, or without intent that they should have effect as a part of the law. The rule applicable here is, that effect is to be

given, if possible, to the whole instrument, and to every section and clause. If different portions seem to conflict, the courts must harmonize them, if practicable, and must lean in favor of a construction which will render every word operative, rather than one which may make some words idle and nugatory." Cooley's Constitutional Limitations, p. 71.

APPLICATION OF THE RULE

With this rule before us, and examining the document as a whole, we find three transcendent characters described therein, whose offices and functions are more or less clearly defined. These three are denominated God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Ghost. A partial reference to them is as follows, to wit:

"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." Gen. 1, 1. "We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: and he is the propiation for our sins: and not for ours alone, but for the sins of the whole world." 1, John 1, 1-2. "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." Matt. 28, 19.

A careful examination of the document discloses the fact that the three named constitute a great triumvirate, whose origin is so con

cealed in impenetrable mystery that it cannot be determined definitely from the document itself, and there is no proof outside of it which can be summoned to help us solve it. This document further states that in some inexplicable way God is TRIUNE, for he is spoken of in some instances as one and in others as three. Ge. 1, 26; Gen. 2, 6-7; Is. 48, 16; Is. 34, 16; 2 Cor. 13, 14; John 14, 23; Matt. 28, 19; 2 Thess. 3, 5; 1 John 5, 7; Acts 5, 3-4.

We

Under the rule of construction adopted and governing us, we cannot tear these parts asunder and cast them aside as meaningless. know that the earth and heavens are here, and that they must, in some manner, have been created by some power. This document states, that some mysterious person, character or thing, which it denominates God, did it. We readily admit that the origin of the earth and heaven is a mystery. Should we hesitate to admit that the origin of the maker of it is equally so? One mystery may not explain another but it may account for it.

In further examining this document, we discover that God is at the head of this tribune, as the maker of heaven and earth, and is spoken of first, with the Son second and Holy Ghost third in their order. God appears to be

the great transcendent character of the first part of this document, while running through it are references continually to be found of one who should come later to save the people of the world from some great peril which threatened them, and he is spoken of as "Our Redeemer, the Lord of Hosts is his name, the Holy One of Israel." Isaiah 47, 4; 53. This same "Redeemer" is the great central figure of the second part of the document, called the "New Testament," and was called by those who knew him Jesus of Nazareth. A more or less complete biography of this central figure is given in the document, and reference is made to his supernatural character and origin.

But just at this point of the examination, rules of construction are either forgotten or thrown to the wind, parts of the document are torn bodily from it, considered separate from the rest, in a seeming effort to disharmonize instead of harmonize, with resulting chaos. In the midst of the confusion created, we hear one statement, in substance, of the construction which certain ones have placed upon the document, reported as follows, to wit:

"In the second sermon upon the series upon 'Religious Convictions of a Unitarian Layman,' Rev. spoke on Jesus: Our Brother,

Our Teacher and Our Guide,' at the Unitarian Church Sunday morning.

"What shall I do with Jesus? The Jewish mob to whom Pilate addressed the question did not leave him long in doubt as to what they would have him do with Jesus, Mr. said. They cried away with him; crucify him.' The authors of the traditional theology entertained no doubt as to what they should do with him. As the second person in the God-head he had come down to earth in order to be offered as a sacrifice to himself and so appease his own. wrath. All that was required of his followers was that they should accept this sacrifice which he had made on their behalf.

"Neither of these answers have proved acceptable to the Unitarian laymen. With them, God is not a king to be placated or a judge to be appeased. He is a father and a friend, whose tender mercies are over all His works, while underneath are the everlasting arms. In the same way, Jesus is not God, of the same substance and power as the Father. He is a human being like us in all but our imperfections and weaknesses, a child of the same Father and therefore our brother.

"The second affirmation of Unitarian laymen is, 'we are disciples of Jesus of Nazareth, teacher of the love of God, and of the way of life.' To be a disciple of Jesus means to sit at his feet, and learn of him how to be a Christian and to live the Christian life, the life of un