The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1848-05-21

"to bring life and Immortality to light. he
does not appear TO think that Christ promui-
gated any new principle Of morality; and ne
positi vely asserts that morality, neither In
Gospel nor in any other book can be subject
of discovery, because qualities OF actions de-
pend entirely on their effects, most all along
have been the subjects Of human experience.
To this reply in the express words OF Jesus;
"a ne,c command have given you, that ye
love one another" and add, that this COM
mand explained, illustrated and dilated, as II
was by the whole tenor of his discourses, and
especially by the parable of the good Samaritan
appears to me to be not entirely new, but, In
the most rigorous sense OF the word, dlscov-
cry in morals; and a discovery, the importance
of which to the happiness of the human race,
far exceeds any discovery in the physical laws
of Nature, as the soul is superior to the body.
If it be- objected that the principles OF benevo-
lence toward enemies, and the forgiveness OF
injuries, may be formed not only in the Old
Testament. but even in some of the heather
writers, particularly the discourses Of Socrates,
answer, that the same may be said OF the i'm
mortality of the soul, and of the rewards and
punishments of a future state. The doctrine
as not more discovery than the precept;
but their connexion with each other, the au-
thority with which they were taught, and the
miracles by which they were enforced belong
exclusively to the mission of Christ. Attend
particularly to the miracle recorded in the sec
ond chapter of Luke, as having taken place at
the birth of jesus; when the angel of the Lord
said to the Shepherds: "Fear not, for behold
bring you glad tidings of great Joy, which
shall be to all people; for unto you is born this
day in the city OF David, a Savior, who is Jesus
Christ the Lord" In these words the charac-
ter of Jesus as Redeemer. was announced; but
the historian adds-"And suddenly there was
with the angela multitude of the heavenly
host praising God. and singing, GLORY to God
in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill
toward men," These words, as l understand
them, announced the moral precept of benevo-
lence as explicitly for the object Of Christ's ap.
pearance, as the preceding words had declared
the purpose of redemption. 1t is related in the
life of the Roman dramatic Poet, Therence,
that when one of the personages of his come
dy the "Self-Tormentor," the first time utter
ed on the stage the line "Homo suiu, humani
nil alienum puto." | am man, nothing hu-
man is uninteresting to me,) universal shout
of applause burst forth from the whole au H.
ence, and that in so great a multitude OF ko
mans, and deputies from the nations, their sub
jects and allies, there was not one individual
but felt in his heart the noble sentiment. 1e
1 how feeble and defective it is, in comparison
with the Christian command of Charity as un
folded in the discoveries of Christ and enlarg
ed upon in the writings of His apostles. The
heart of man will always respond with rap
ture to this sentiment when there is no selfsl
or unsocial passion to oppose it; but the com
mand to lay it down as the great and fnnda
mental rule of conduct for human life, and tt
subdue and sacrifice all the tyrannical and sci
fish passions to preserve it, this is the peculi
ar and unfading glory of Christianity; this i
the conquest over ourselves, which withou
the aid of merciful God, none of us Cal
achieve. and which it was worthy Of His spe
cial interposition to enable us to accomplish.
From your afectionate Father,
i JOHN QUINCY ADAMS.