Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-11-13
most historical student cannot fail

to find.
Egypt was the cradle Of civilization.
When her ports were opened to foreigners
the Greeks received an intellectual impetus,
the good effects of which are still felt.
Through the expeditions or Alexander
Greek culture was united with Oriental
thought and sentiment. As Egypt in
fuenced Greece, the latter influenced Rome
in still larger degree. The Augustian age
would have been an impossibility without
the forerunning facts in the history OF
Greece. Rome again, plunged in evil as
she has been, was Instrumental, TO great
extent, in breaking the letters CT barbarism
of a vast geographical surface. BY this
course of events, Christianity was undou5;-
edly very much benefited. The church
would have met fierce opposition and more
obstructive impediments at her very start,
had she not been preceded by two impor-
tant factors in history, Grecian culture and
Roman victory. For they struck the
Pantheon OF pagan mythology ike thun-
der and it was of great importance that the
old faith should be shaken prior to the
establishment of the church.
Before one can adopt new belief he
must lose confidence in the old. The
philosophy OF Greece and the triumphs of
Rome have theoretically swept heathenism
from large portions of the earth, and thus
prepared the way for the Apostolic creed.
When in later period, by combination
of natural and traceable causes, an intel
lectual gloom spread over the Christian
world and Europe, Notwithstanding her
having been once tinged with the tastes of
a classic age, and notwithstanding that she
was possessed of religious teachings, sub
lime and divine, presented fearful appear
ance of mental poverty, saperstitions and
foulness then moving power emerged i'll
the history. increasing the light of the
world, infusing youthful yigor into large
portion of mankind, and causing rejoic-
ing mental growth in the west. That
power was Arabia. The Arabs, with their
depth of thought, their profundity OF schol-
arship, their love of truth and everything
noble and beautiful; their cleanliness and
refinement, their remarkable triumphs and
admirable liberality have awakened
reason, encouraged inquiry and research,
and by opening the fountains of science
have given new impulse of discovery and
invention to Europe. Their appearance in
the west was one of the glistening rays,
one of the most important events fore
shadowing the coming of modern times.
But when we examine closely the history
of the rise and development of the Arabs
to whom Europe and America owe so great
a debt, we cannot fail TO see Egyptian,
Greek and Roman influences, as well as
other causes.
l have thus far said little about the Jews,
because they are the center of universal
history. They are seen in the history of
every great nation. They are in Egypt,
Babylon and Persia. They exercise a
instruct the founder of Christianity,
and, after the destruction of the Tenn
pie, being scattered all over the world.
They enlighten the father of Mohamme-
danism and are seen in almost every land
and age of great civilization, and not only
as the banner-bearers of monotheism, and
the opponents of the excellent teachings of
pure religion, but also as the priests of
science at distinguished schools the eoun-
selors at the oriental and occidental
courts, and as the representatives of COM
merce. That the Jews have received much
from many of the nations with whom they
have come into contact cannot be denied
but whether they have given more than
they have received is a question which,
should decide might sound like self
praise. But it is not my intention in this
discourse to sing the praise Of
even the Jewish. What I wish is,
has exercised upon nation, age upon age :;
to show that we owe a debt to the past
that it is unreasonable to belittle and dis
pute the merits of former ages and that il
is equally as unreasonable to keep up sec
tartan and national prejudices. The knowl-
edge of history elevates man above the
seltishness of sectarianism and above ma
tional conceit. 1t makes him feel that he
is citizen of the world, and debtor of all
who have been and are helping in rearing
the grand structure of civilization.
Universal history demonstrates most sat
isfactorily the solidity and huthfulness of
the teachings of pure religion. In fact it
is part of divine revelation. 1t illustrates
with indispensable force the truth that
what makes man is the longing, down in
his heart, to soar above his surroundings
to the Creator of all things, and that wick
edness is misery and virtue is happiness.
1t surrounds the good and wise of every
age and nation with halo that will for
ever endear their memory to mankind, but
puts the stigma Of condemnation on the
sullen brow of the base and depraved
Showing US how men in general have adj
vanced morally and intellectually in spite
of black hosts of hindering forces, ignor-
ance and bloodshed, that stained and pol
luted almost every century, history cor
roborates the teaching OF religion, that
Providence has set up a golden goal
for mankind to reach. For, if man
continues to improve on his nature, to
march onward on the royal path of
finding everywhere new
blossoms of truths continues necessarily
to dive and to climb; to bring forth the
treasures that are in nature, in the heart
and mind will not the rosy morning come
when the very angels will sing the song of
paradise regainedl The teaching of Mes
siahnic time is not without foundation
the progress of the past is one of its strong
est pillars. There will and must come a
time that will be above our age in univer-
sal excellence in the same proportion as
ours is above that of four thousand years
ago. For history never retrogrades-it
goes onward, slowly but surely.