New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-08-18
THE LIFE IN COM.pON.
A SERMON BY EDWARD EVERETT HALE.
THE F,THFRuooD OF GOD AND THE BROTHERHOOD

| A SERMON BY EDWARD EVERETT HALE.
! THE FATHERHooD OF GOD AND THE BROTHERHOOD
! OF MAN-woRK or THE LIBERAL CHURCH.
Edward Everett Hale Of Boston, preached
in the Church OF tine Messiah (Uuitaranl yesterday
morning on The Life in Common" He chose for his
text Romans xiv II For OF us hyeth to himself
| and no man dicth 20 himself"
Tue solidarity OF the human race, said Dr. Hale, is one
Of the essential central truths which revealed anew TO
men in all Of crisis. When men ere enjoying
short prosperityghen they making ready for swift
caamty-u their reckessuess they forget this central
law and drift back into inditduasm, seshness, self
culture and other forms Of devtry Tho word solid
arty is new one invented by the French authors OF
orr time The truth expressed is old Christianity,
and the Gospel s fy Of texts expressive OF 1t. The
truth is that this certainty Of common life was one OF
the three great novelties which the Apostles carried into
the DC puar life OF the Roman Empire and by which they
took possession of Europe aud made It ours In Dr. New
mans book tho development OF Doctrine
he admits that the theory is philosophical which says
there was an original Christian gospel which has been
| clouded and disguised by the eorruDuons OF later
centuries But he dismsses IL with sheer, until some
one will state what this original Christian truth is The
Liberal Church accepts that challenge 1t says that the
giual Christian TRUTH the permanent presence OF
God-God living in man and man living in Him. 1t Is
the certainty OF infinite or immortal e and II is this
common life of brethren-the life In common IN which
all men are one In Gibbons account Of the rapid difI
sion of Christianity the popularity of The notion of i'm
mortal life Is dwelt upon the chief reason Of the
cess or the Apostles Sect which made t cease 10 be
a sect. But was Immediately replied by his critics
that this was novelty that If tho Apostles could
not have made Of this, 10 would have been
idle gospel the sixth book Of the Hneid, which rests
on the same hypothesis. The two other distinctions
which Gbbon scarcely audes to, are what we call
the fatherhood of God, and the brotherhood Of
men. Here were three statements OF life which
were made in preaching OF those days in such quiet
and simple fashion that people understood them when
they were made. And these statements were 10 the
world of that time wholly new. The certainty of the
Goldman, or the God In was revelation indeed TO
those poor pagans Of Greece and Rome To that great
certainty belongs the other with which we have now TO
DO but it Is not the same. That man with man must
live that no man live alone or die alone that love-
sympathy tenderness, charity not merely Injuries
ar ornaments OF fe but are very Of life, is
great truth II changed the world from an obedent en-
pire TO be welknit commonwealth, y was ths Ger
Then existing and IN me PIoeiemaIih Oh %ic9 9 an
familiar illustrations OF today BOW oIeh our FAILURES
result from forgetting this doctrine OF the life In
common 10 show that We succeed IA we ought TO sue
coed when from the Wandorngs OF our thoughts we re-
| turn 10 this truth.
tory relative ohe gregarous nature OF ants bees aud the
| lower animal Kingdom. 1t is only when Christ ana His
men inv 10 escape from law. These pOetical
pression, they say; this is Oriental language this Is
The eternal truth. The actual experiment, whether 1t
sentences Alexander sehrk 10 an stand or some con
wet solitary life III prison CELL comes ou always in
the same way Manhood, real life, ceases III every effort
TO separate man from man. Every effort To escape the
universal law fails, whether II IS made by tylaut
the one hand the solitude OF his palaces hermit In
the solitude OF his retirement or ser in tue solitude
In iGsraton of the life in common the preacher
ouCted the success Of the Christian demOcraces each
| planted half the towns OF New-Eugand. Then
capitalists who, possessed OF thousands OF OF wild
| Land, paid Adventures 70 make settlements.
These fail-Weather settlers be continued worked just
60 long the capitalists money held OUT and then they
disappeared. Ii the difference between the
who tried work alone. Ia the Lie IF cities the
has recently asserted lise In he establishment
in England OF cooperative stores Ileir advantages
admitted TO be worth securing Tie Geaist the child
OF the spirit says that such just the OF sdvau.
tages which Christ promised 70 men u they would once
live in the life IN common. lie promised lie more easy,
and life more large aud He meant everyday life as well
AS life IN the mle-sieIaT spaces. one visible lustra-
ton not very large but very distinct just now, is
tbe steady abandonment through England Tor this svs
TEN Of cooperation. OF that old, out-throat stand aud
deliver theory Of retail trade, IN which each dealer was
| hoping for his mel fhbor's failure.
Il Is the essential business the Liberal Church to
guard against the sefshDess OF men wAo try avoid
the eternal law. The danger OF individuality selfish
ness presses NJ the side proportion as the
orthodox theology Is consistently maintained; on
a f Romsu Catholic cRnc % power IN & as
The orthodox theo.ogis appeals 70 the seishness OF
| heaven. by whatever fear of he'll nc IS asked first
| ana last 10 save his own soul, or to inquire If
/
appeals individuals to save their own souls. very
desirable object, certainly, but prescribed that the
whole sprit OF elnshneFs is reused lust when 10
be suppressed have eAaianed covenant OF church.
| r1ade under Whitneds influence, and there not "A
syllable In about any obligation or any life outside
the handful OF people who make up That church. You
| thep You would not guess that there any great
| Kingdom OF God. They 1--we for Themselves. i do not
wander when see such church as that die FOR itself
For in any such system the life In common dies and
FROM another direction the brotherhood Of mankind
/ fI. t4 IN Is fu.ta
Church long that church exists under It's present
organization, oGists IN defiance OF toe central part
Christian syste. For better, for worse, the centre OF
| me COMMUNICATION Of the Christian church, which
never should have had any centre, came e. be esta-
| Iisled al Rome II there was system unlike
Cbrists in which bear each others burdens Wss
thar the OF that empire. Jbc Roman Cattle
! lie Church took up the methods OF standardization
! Whicn IL found In the Roman Government. ana now
from one end OF the world 20 tho other every Roman
Catholic directed by superior a. % what he shall
tuinE what he shall read, how he shall pray and what
he shall do He n told that he may not rad John Mil
| ton and that he may read MI. haN0cks nustncSs
Under such tutelage hC invariably loses sEht OF man
win man, aud brother with brother, which sus Christ
| proposed and On which rests HIS hngdon The Roman
Catholic fystem IL foreign 10 this land, and always
look on proceedings ar night Oh BIZ II middle agc
0rwour or The shield ard spear Of some Fen warrior IN
| the hands OF friend. IL Is an imported curiosity
which nothing to DO win tie le Win which IL
It's from mutual principle, and because Il Il com
lntod TINS mutual principle. ttat the Liberal Church
| a. tine only Church possible Tor TepuoHc ana may
reverse the language and say that republic is Ony
uOs-ibe where ChuI CD 10 working IL liberal
The principle II the NE IN common IS 20 far assumed
that almost every one r. wting 10 hold 10 II certain
| alegauce And 10 those WHO viii bear each Others
burdeusior none Of rs liYcth 70 himself Ind 10 man
dieth 10 hmself-the victory viii be certain.
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A hoy on South Hill toiled hard all the af-