The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-06-20
THE BACCALAUREATE.
Dr. Andrews to Brown Unlversity's
Graduating Class.
IT WAS AN INSPIRING LESSON
= He rrod the Vino Press Aione"-Inde-
pendenoe In Anything Brings Opposi-
neutrality-suspicious. Not Good for Its
Own sake.


baptist Church. He chose his text from
Isaiah kill: 8. 81 have trodden the wine
press alone. and of the people there was
none with me-" This scripture is at once
'rscognized as piece of Messianic
prophecy. IL Is prophecy in the most
popular acceptation, history spoken be-
forehand. For when Jesus the Messiah
came this was precisely his experience
He stood forth and declared that customs
and doctrines approved by the wisest aud
best teachers in his time were useless and
hollow, IL not positively impious.
He could die but he could not lie. 1t
was this heart to tread the wine
press alone with God that brought
Jesus to the cross and the grave,
but IL was this also that made
him the founder of world, religion. and
gave him a name above every name.
Cavour's struggle for United Italy, Bis
marck's responsibility IN the struggle
with Austria. and Gladstone's work Co
day Ia trying to right the wrong done for
centuries TO Ireland, are all examples OF
our text.
IL has been even more so with those who
have taken the initiation in any distinc-
tive moral and religious reform. lt is an
J old story. Socrates drinks the hemlock,
Savonarola, Huss aud Jerome are burned,
and Luther barely escapes the same fate.
The earliest advocates OF Christian
missions had to tread the wine-press
alone.
The first movements in favor OF tenn
perance we're denounced as insane. The
anti-slavery agitators also, though now
honored and lauded to the skies. fairly
took their lives in their hands when they
stood forth aud proclaimed their views.
Every man proposing to announce doc
trine new TO his fellows. If only IL contra
venes the interests or prejudices or peo-
pie, would better count well the cost. IL
may be the very quintessence OF the
truth Of God, but in declaring 1t he Will
needs tread the wine-press alone.
But it Is much better To stand or go
alone at some times than at others. Two
antagonistic forces are ever at work In
human society-the centralizing and the
decentraiizing, collectivism and indi-
vidualism. As attraction and repulsion
work In matter; as the centrifugal aud
centripetal forces strive against one an
other Ia the planets, so Individuals
and collectivism operate in the social
body. Each Is good in its own sphere
and must be allowed its proper play.
Now the pendulum swings far over TO
the extreme of individualism, again TO
the other extreme tAas-ef- f-seeiuf- soff--
darity.
In the middle age human thinking had
\ passion for unity. There was but one
church aud 8 hi IN iit, of course, but thse
regarded by all as uestined I'D be tempo
rary; practically also but one State, the
Holy Roman Empire, to which in some
sort, the dominion of the whole world was
considered to belong. And church and
s'stsbe were not then thought of as two in-
: stitutions. but as two aspects OF one. Re
alism, which placed the general above the
individual, determined the structure and
the thinking Of society.
change came. Nominalism had birth
nominalism that exalted the individual.
Renaissance and Reformation were the
result. After the Reformation sects
multiply till there are nearly as many as
men. The Holy Roman Empire dies with
the rise of Napoleon.
The last 100 years has been witnessing
reaction. The pendulum swings back.
Individualism is less potent aud obtru-
sfve, social solidarity more so. The organi-
xation and Capitalization in the labor
world proves this. and they are stronger
to-day than ever before. Still more re-
markable is the rise Of the Federation Of
Labor, which Is to the ordinary trades
unions what the nation Is to the States,
and already beginning TO be international.
This IL. not phenomenon peculiar TO
the labor Held. II is the same in politics.
Independent voters are called by former
party associates traitors. This is In part a
Jaunt for political effect but partly be-
cause men have come TO think the will OF
the many sacred, that they have lost the
power to think of the independent voter
as exercising moral right.
Iwould not have you suppose that our
train OF thonght SO far Is by itself of inn
onis pedess hsse
which, as believe. is religiously impor-
tanr, and that in all eminent de-
gree--the danger to our moral and
religious life from this relative disintegra-
tion OF the individual This relative
degradation ofthe individual, this quick
..~.1. - g. - II -. -
means all an evil. Much of it, most of it
perhaps, is good. But good or bad it
brings with itdanger, the danger of for
getting personal responsibility and re-
gardinR man more than God. Ii is, in
word, the danger of enslavement to man.
1 will, however. make certain admissions:
First, there Is in many and nearly all per-
sons, respecting many things over much
OF indjyidualism; second, independence
even Of proper order Is not desirable for
its own sake. To be stupidity odd is as
stupid as to be stupidity even. What we
need dfsindependence for Truths sake
Bondage to man takes many forms.
The bondage of opinion, hero worship,
putting human law in place of divine are
forms which IL carried to extremes can
certainly work no good to the human
family.
The truth OF the hour comes home to us
all, but 1t has special Importance TO
process OF formation. Many call this the
age Of little characters, and the reason is
that so many initiate. do not lean upon
your fellows. however good, but stand on
your own feet.
Gentlemen, / want with all my might TO
urge IL upon your notice In this last free
word OF mine to you as a class, that Jesus
Christ IL the one great constructive i'm
dependent in the worlds history. Other
men have there been OF singular conduct,
but where will you find another who op-
posed the world for love Of the world, aud
at the same time confronting 1t with n
theory OF life 50 rational, aud an example
OF life so practical, preaching gospel so
sure to save. You will not find such
another for the ages have not brought
him forth.
And do not suppose that, since you have
siRhted the true ideal OF independence.
you are going TO realize it under the push
OF It's mere speculative glory.
sermon to Societies.
The Rev. Philip s. Moxson OF Boston
delivered the annual sermon TO the socie-
ties OF Brown University at the First
BaUfI4t Church last avenfng A l..-.-