The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-07-21
Sermon.
NEW BOTTLES FOR NEW WINE.
BY REV. s. GooDENoUGH.
Oakland, Cali

sermon preached on the occasion of the
annual meeting of the California Universalist
Convention, at Pasadena. June 8, 1888, and
published by request of Convention.
Neither do men put sw wine into old
bottles; else the bottles break and the
wine ruuneth out, and the bottles perish;
but they put new wine into new bottles
and both are preserved. Matt. tx. IL.
Nothing with which we are familiar
appears to be absolutely Interchangeable.
All things and all creatures adapt
themselves as far as needful and practi-
cable to the situations in which they
find themselves. All the finest, closest
and most valuable furs are from ami
mails that inhabit exceedingly cold re-
gions. This single fact, with which
we content ourselves, suggests how
wide a range of illustration could be
found in the constitutional qualities,
characteristics and habits of animals if
we were disposed to seek for it.
But our thought is of man, and turn
ing to him we find equally abundant
illustration. He is forced to adapt
himself to great variety of conditions.
How different his outfit if his destina-
ton is an arctic or an equatorial expe-
dition. Stanley and his party in Cen
trail Africa require very different
category of clothing and supplies from
the party about to explore the interior
of Greenland. The "South Carolina
summer dress-a dickey and pair of
spurs," which is about as much as the
natives of equatorial regions wear, may
do very well in the one case, but in the
other it must be covering over covering
of wooden garments, and layer upon
layer of furs, or the man would perish.
But in other things the need and the
power of adaptation is still more strik-
ing. Here we must put on one set of
manners, adopt certain class of Gus
toms and conform to certain laws of
etiquette; all very we'll in their way;
but they would not do at all at the
Courts of st. James or st. Petersburg.
Quite as marked change would be re-
quired t. suit the social life of the
native P .tagonians or South Sea Is
landers, hence the adage, "When
among R)mans do as Romans do"
though is not quite safe rule. For
instance when among thieves steal;
when II nong tiplers drink whisky;
when among the profane, swear. That
is ca ~ ing the accommodation too far.
The ut requirement is to conform as
far as can without the sacrifice of
prime PIE, to the social etiquette of the
perpl- whose hospitality we accept.
L !, again at the adaptations called
for in 90 fields of industry. How diff
ferent he tools to be used, the rites to
be o. ived, the principles to be
studied. the laws to be obeyed. 1t
viii n1j do to operate forge, or a
blls 'rnace and rolling m IL in gan
powd OF nitro-glycerine factory. The
skill IA 1t runs a pegging machine will
not n age carpet loom; the telegraph
operas is not necessarily an accom-
plisheG pianist. There has also been
rev III n in industrial methods and
appliances calling for corresponding
reconstruction in human knowledge
and ace Adjustments. There is scarce
ly b4..ness now that the men and
WON i IF former generations could
urd r. al without serving an appren-
tic; s.. il they were restored to the
me1iG - Of their life. Whether on the
farm, in The household, in the factory,
the W !. lop, in trade or in commerce,
the ca, 70 has been radical, and our
whoe l..lustrial life has been changed
to RE pond. WHAT, indeed, would
our r,1 grandmothers think of some
of trt resent occupations of women?
Tn - Of woman preachers, lawyers,
duc 49,, s5enographers, typewriters,
CLERK, ara operatives in hundred
wa, ) ireampt of hundred years
ag,,
A A..ie analysis and comparison
would show that the revolutionary pro-
cess has been equally active in the
more directly intellectual fields.
Science has been absolutely recon-
structed. The notions that were sober
ly entertained not so very long ago are
now known to be ridiculous. The
spectacle of Calico before the Inquisi-
ti0D is instructive.
Mother church determined that the
venerable astronomers proofs that the
sun Is relatively stationary while the
earth cHcless both en.its own axis and
in It's oFbis round the sun were false-a
dangerous ,and damnable heresy-and
his stern and bigoted judges forced
him to abjure them. Nevertheless as
the old man turned away he muttered
sotp Uoce, 1T does move" But this
action was worse for the church than
f1r science. Already staggered by the
blows of LuCher and his associates it
was soon still further weakened by the
desertion or antagonism of men of
learning, of scientific attachments, be-
cause it you'd neither recognize new