Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1855-02-09

Outside of a Divine and Authori-

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Outside Of n Divine and Authori-
tative Revelation, men have had but
one way Of estimating the value Of
man. He was TO them simply q crea-
ture of time, and to be judged in the
scientific method, by his phenomena.
The Greeks and the Romans had no
better way, They did not know
enough of his origin. his nature. or of
hia future destiny, to bring these
into account, in estimating man. Ac-
cordingly they could do no better than
10 study him in his Developments and
rank him by the power which he man
ifested. Now, if a botanist should
describe a biennial plant, whose root
and stem belong to one season, whose,
blossom and fruit belong to another, as
If that were the whole Of il which the
first year produced, he would commit
the same mistake which the heather
idea of man commits in measuring and
estimating being whose true life
comes hereafter, by the Developments
which he makes in only this world.
Fromthis earthly side ofman springs
the most important practical results
For, the doctrine Of man, simply as he
is in this life, logically deduces Abso-
lutism and Aristocracy. iia's l
If the power of producing effects is
the criterion Of value, the few will al
ways be the most valuable, and the
mass, relatively, subordinate, and the
weak and lowest will be left helplessly
worthless. r. mT 3 ilir
And the mass Of all the myriads
that do live, are Of no more account
than working animals; and there is.
in such a theory,u no reason, a priori,
why they should not be controlled BY
superior men, and made to do that foi
which they seem the best fitted-worl
and drudgeryl Only long experiment
could teach doctrine contrary to the
logical presumption arising from weak
ness. There could be no doctrine O.
human rights. II would be simply q
doctrine ofhuman forces. Right would
be word as much out Of place Al
among birds and beasts. Authority
would 60 with productive greatness, al
gravity goes with mass In NATTER
The whole chance Of right and tn,
whole theory Of liberty springs from
that part Of man that lies beyond thil
life.
AS material creature. man ranks
among physical forces. Rights com,
from his spiritual nature. The bod,
is Of the earth, and returns to earth
andiis judgediby earthly measures :
The soul is Of God, and returns to God
and is judged by Divine estimates
And this is the reason why a free. un
obstructed Bible always works towar,
human rights. Itis the only basis oil
which the poor, the ignorant. the weak
the laboring masses can entrench a
gainst oppression.
What, then, is that theory OF maj
which Christianity gives forthY
II regards man as a. perfect thing
put into life TO blossom and die, as
perfect flower doth. Man is seed
and birth is planting He is in life 70
cultivation, not exhibition: he Is her
chiefly TO be acted on, not to be char
acteristically an agent. For, thougl
man is also an actor. he is yet more
recipient. Though he produces effect
he receives thousand fold more thar
he produces. And he is to be estima
ted by his capacity Of receiving, no
of doing. He has his least value il
what he can do; il all lies in what h
is capable Of having done to him.
The eye. the ear, the tongue. the nerv
of touch, are .allsimple receivers. Tn
understanding, the affections, the NOR
nj sentiments. all. are. primarily an
characteristica!ly recipients Of influ
ence; and only secondarilly agents.
Now, how different is the value Of ore
dead in it's silent waiting-place fror
the wrought blade. the all but livinI
engine. and the carved and curiou
utensil ffnfD
OF how little value is a ship stand
ing helpless on the stocks-but hall
built, and yet building-to one VIII
has no knowledge Of the ocean. or Q
what that helpless hulk will becom
the moment she slides into her elemen
and rises and falls upon the flood wit
joyous greeting!
The value of an acorn is not wha
it is, but what it shall be when natur
has brooded il, and brought it up, an,
a hundred years have sung through il
branches and left their strength there
He. then. that judges man by wha
he can do, judges him in the seed
We must see him througsome lenses
we must prefgure his Immortality
While, then, his industrial value 10 lii
must depend on what he can do. W
have here the bcginingof a moral va
ne which bears no relation to his pow
er. but to his future destiny.
This view assumes distinctness an
intensity, when we add TO it the rela
tionship which subsists between ma
and his Maker.
This relationship begins in the fac
that we are created in the Divine i'm
age; that we are connected with Goo
therefore, not by Government alon.
but by nature.
This initial is made radient wit
meaning, by the teaching Of Christ
anity that every human being, is dea
10 God; teacher which stands upo
that platform. built high above all hu
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