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Not in the sky, nor in the midst of the sea, nor in the clefts of mountains is any place known

Where a man may escape from his evil deed.

For the evil-doer burns by his own deeds,

Yea, as if burnt by fire.

But there is no evil

For one who does no evil.

[Buddhist.]

The good Socrates taught in the streets and market-places of Athens choosing to be poor that he might teach men, talking with young and old, showing them piety, self-control and justice. He said:

To want as little as possible,

Is to make the nearest approach to God..

Let any man be of good cheer about his soul who has ruled his body, And followed knowledge and goodness in this life.

For if death be the journey to another place and there all the dead are, What good can be greater than this?

Be of good cheer about death and know this of a truth,

That no evil can happen to a good man, either in life or after death.

[Socrates.]

The good Jesus taught in Palestine, bearing poverty, persecution, and death with patience, to show men a spiritual religion and a pure life. He said:

Watch and pray,

That ye enter not into temptation.

Blessed are the pure in heart,

For they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers,

For they shall be called the children of God.

By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples,
If ye have love one to another.

God is Spirit, and they that worship him

Must worship him in spirit and in truth.

[Jesus.]

Thanks be to God for his holy saints: thanks be to him who giveth

wisdom,

Which in all ages entering into holy souls, maketh them friends

of God and prophets.

4. Prayer.

Gloria.

(Music as before.)

Be thou exalted, O God, a- | bove the heavens,
And thy glory be | over | all the earth!

All the ends of the world shall | worship | thee,
And glorify thy | holy | name for- - | ever!

Hear, O people: the Eternal is our God; the Eternal is One.

The School will stand and read together.

Infinite Life, Power and Beauty! Eternal Voice speaking in our souls! thine is the wisdom of the saint and seer, thine the light shining on the eyes of holy prophets, and thine the love that answereth and filleth every prayerful spirit. We bless thee for all the holy souls that reveal thee, for all unknown and lowly people whose daily lives are offerings heroic, sweet and beautiful to thee, and for thy voice that speaketh within us. O may we heed thee, and be called into the liberty and joy of thy faithful children. Amen.

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1. Glory be to

God on high!

2. We praise thee, we bless thee, we worship glorify thee,

thee, we

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Psalmody-Noyes.

1. Life of Ages, rich-ly poured, Love of God, unspent and free,

Flowing in the Prophet's word And the Peo-ple's lib-er - ty!

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Supt. It is our holy day: we have taken sweet counsel together.

School. Heart and voice give thanks unto the Lord.

Supt. Peace to young and old that enter here:

School. Peace to every soul herein.

Supt. The Lord doth bless us and keep us; the Lord maketh his face to shine upon us.

All singing.

All glory be

to God most high, the

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Supt. The Lord lifteth the light of his countenance upon us and giveth us peace.

All singing.

Amen.

Zoroaster. Very little is known of this very ancient religious teacher, and some scholars have doubted or denied his existence. His name was Spitama Zarathushtra, changed to Zoroaster by the Greeks. He seems to have lived in Central Asia as early as 1000 B. C., or possibly as early as Moses (1300 B. C.) or even as Abraham (1800 B. C.); but the different dates assigned him by tradition differ by as much as 5000 years. He is the prophet of the religion of the Parsees; the scriptures that rest on his name and teaching are called the Zend-Avesta. He spoke of himself “as a messenger of God." In the old scriptures, prayers and laws, he appears as a supernatural personage, surrounded with legends, miracles and signs; but in the VERY oldest of all the Parsee Scriptures, he appears simply as a great and good man. Only very few Parsees are to be found in Persia, in a miserable condition, a sad remnant debased by constant-persecution. But in India they are numerous, wealthy, energetic, multiplying and improving, and pushing education among the girls as well as the boys, contrary to Oriental prejudice and to their own previous custom. They are gathered mostly in and near Bombay. They are called Fire-Worshippers; but the Fire or Sun is looked on as the best SYMBOL of deity. They worship BEFORE fire in their temples, but they adore God under the name Ahuramazda (Ormuzd) as taught by Zoroaster.

Moses.

The first unquestionably historical character of eminence in Hebrew history, and a colossal figure. He freed the Isralites (The Exodus, about 1320 B. C.), gave an imperishable impulse to the development of their national unity during their wanderings for 50 years over the desert in detached bands, founded their worship of one holy and austere God (Yaweh) and connected with their religion a high code of morals (Ten Commandments). Very little is known of him, his birth, life and death being covered all over with miraculous legends; but enough can be made out to show a great, strong, grand fig ure in those far-away mists of time.

Confucius. Born about 550 B. C. He was poor and compelled to work for his livelihood. Began to teach at 22 years of age. He was made magistrate of a town and reformed its morals even to the quality of the handwork was made minister in the government, but was so strictly just and upright that he was driven into exile. For many years he was poor, hungry, slandered, and his life was attempted. At last, when he was 70 years old and had but 5 years to live, he was recalled, and during those 5 years did most of his writing. To the Chinese he is the ideal of humanity, and his effect on their life has been very great. All the cities and even small towns in China have a temple sacred to him. He spent the years of his exile in wandering about, trying to find some ruler who would listen to him and learn to make the people good and happy. He had great reverence for old persons, and also for the ancient saints of his country: he said, "It may simply be said of me that I strive to become like them." He was respectful to the young also, saying, "We know not but their future will be equal to our present." He was very gentle to the sick, the weak, the helpless: if he angled, he would not use a net; if he hunted, he would not shoot at a perching bird. He was continually warning people both to study and to think, to be fair and just, to keep a calm mind, and to beware of narrowness and one-sidedness. He taught that everything should have JUST ITS OWN PLACE, and said, “The best country is that in which the Emperor is Emperor, the minister minister, the father father, and the son son." He was charitable and inclined to see the good and beautiful: a disciple said, "If the master sees one good in a man, he forgets a hundred faults." "His answers to all policies of hopelessness or indifference were always noble, and his acts fearless of evil tongues." He admitted no antagonism between heaven and earth; he said, "If you are not able to serve men, how can you serve God." and "The secret of the whole way of heaven and earth is that they are one and undivided." He is a noble, calm, lofty and inspiring figure in that strange country and distant time.

Buddha.

Called also Gautama, Sakya-Muni, Siddartha: lived probably about 550 or 450 years B. C.; but his time is stated by different traditions with a difference of 2000 years. Very little is known of him, and the tradition is crusted all over with miraculous stories. Some persons have even denied his existence. Said to have been a prince who was so affected by the ills of humanity that he deserted his rank and family to seek a remedy for human sorrow. At first his preaching failed; he was charged with heresy and insanity, and driven from his native country. But soon he triumphed; for forty years he wandered about in a beggar's dress, preaching in northern India, drawing multitudes of all classes by his eloquence and saintly character; died at about 80 years of age. He founded the religion called Buddhism; very little is known of its history during its first 100 years; finally it nearly died out in India, so that very little of it remains in its birth place, but it spread over China, Japan, and many other regions and is now the religion of about one-third of the human race Gautama led a high and saintly life of self-denial, labor and poverty to help his fellow men, for pity of their sorrows and pains.

Socrates. Lived at Athens, 469 to 399 B. C. We know but little of the circumstances of his life of 70 years. Was at first a statuary like his father; served as a soldier, and was once a member of the Athenian Senate. He is famous and beloved for his long career (30 years) of apostolic conversation, walking about all day in the streets, market-places and public resorts talking with any one who would converse with him. His aim was to teach men to think, so that they might learn what virtue REALLY WAS and then practice it. His power of rousing men to think was unparalleled. But he encountered much enmity and abuse, was finally brought to trial on charges of impiety and of perverting the minds of young persons, and condemned to death. His address to his judges is one of the world's treasures, so lofty is it. He told the judges that even if they spared him, he should go about conversing just as before, because it was his mission, and he preferred to obey God rather than men. He believed himself to be under constant divine guidance, and spoke of a voice continually attending him which he always obeyed; this voice, he said, did not point out to him things to do, but always warned him when he was in danger of doing anything wrong or unwise. He was very simple in habits, just, temperate, independent, contented in poverty, strong in body, going barefoot summer and winter and wearing the same homely clothing at all seasons." He made those who associated with him better before he let them go. ** To God he simply prayed for good things, believing that God knows best what things are good. *** So frugal was he that perhaps no one could earn so little by the labor of his hands as not to procure enough to satisfy Socrates" (Xenophon).

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