The record-union., 1893-12-04
A PULPIT DISCOURSE.
Civilization Inspired by the Idea Of
Possession.
Rev. Mr.. Horner Argues That Out
of Material Prosperity Cult
ure is Born.

At Pythian Hall yesterday the Rev.
T. J. Horner took for his text Isaiah
xviii, s: 81 hate robbery for burnt
offerings"
The speaker said that the most COM
mon thanksgiving is of the animal man
for material success in life. 1t IS gener-
ally the overflow OF the spirit of selfish
Joy which has its inspiration in the idea
of possession.
1t is good of its kind, but is not OF the
highest order. Yet out of it the true
spiritual thanksgiving may come at last
as the fruit of the spirit. st. Paul writ
ing to the Galatians, says: 1.-The fruit of
the spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffer-
ing, gentleness, goodness, faith, meek
ness, temperance; against such there is
no law" All law governing the affairs
of men began originally in the usurpa-
tion of power which, continued by Gus
tom, comes finally to assume the form OF
q divine decree, having as its end the
preservation of that which had its origin
in robbery.
The right "to life, liberty and the pur-
suit Of happiness" is of very late origin
In the history of government. LOOK at
civilization as it has existed from what
ever point we may. aside from the ques-
ton of the right or wrong OF 1t, the
fact goes without question that 1t has
come about without spirituality being at
the bottom of it.
From the very first time that primitive
man found club and said, This is
mine," and by the use of it made himself
master of the situation and became the
leader Of what in time became tribe, IN
dividuals of which joined and served
him for mutual advantage and protection;
from that time to the present the ciVlllza-
tion of the world has been inspired by
that one idea of possession.
Culture grew out of the advantage
of leisure over the necessity of labor by
those who had wit enough to gain such
advantage either by strategy or by force.
Personal hostility first, then tribal war
fare, slavery of the vanquished, all follow
in natural order.
Combinations more and more powerful
built up the great monarchies of the an
cient world, and in proportion to their
ability to hold their own over their neigh
bors, did their civilization reach higher
and higher development. Human life
had very little consideration. Might
made ali things right. The thanksgiving
feasts and offerings of the ancients were
for power, for success, for victory. Why
civilization has come about thus is not
30 IQ6 Qu0SLJOu, WndI - IL COul-
ing to in its highest element?"
That it has come as the fruit of leisure
gained by force and preserved by law en-
forced by power is illustrated on every
page of human history.
The right of absolute authority was not
questioned until some one rose who could
take it from the poSsessor. The con-
sciousness of the right to liberty has its
origin in the slightest degree OF its possess
cir prrf haY Sain
itself in numbers it gains sufficient mo-
mentum to establish Itself by force, and
so we see a slow but sure development of
republican ideals in the government of
the world.
The laws of limit and change compel
the defeat of all absolutism wherever it
appears.
The saving power Of history is seen in
the fact that tyranny works for democ-
racy, and democracy, when itdegenerates
into mob, assumes some form of law.
Early California history illustrates this.
So out of vice springs virtue at last, and
the fruits of the spirit are the last to de-
velop on the tree of life. But having
developed, serve IN turn TO SpiritualiZe
the whole.
No society that has ever existed in the
world holding all things in common has
ever developed very high order Of cult
ure or morality. Extremes have to exist
to produce the highest development of
any kind.
One of the curiosities of human nature
Is seen in its ability to exhibit both the
selfish and spiritual nature In close rela-
ton. An idea of justice may be born, for
instance, which in time man looks upon
as a right, and hence to establish it and to
preserve it all the ferocity of his animal
nature may be called into requisitiou.
Qn witness OF this see the strikes of the
past two years at Buffalo and Homestead,
and wherever they have occurred.)
For the greatest illustration of modern
times we have but to think of our own
civil war and OF the need of the bloodiest
kind OF determination on the part Of the
North in order that the principles OF
liberty and union might be preserved.
Out of that savage struggle came our
National thanksgiving-fr for victory
and then for the supremacy OF those prin-
ciples that had been preserved and made
secure.
The soldiers called the North Gods
country, and well they might, for the
consciousness of right in the North had
its ground of being in those great prin-
ciples which carried the day, and now the
South, as well as the North, unitey to
thank God that those principles did pre-
vail.
But, after all, the true thanksgiving is
spiritual. When at last the spiritual
nature unfolds and fills the world with its
fragrance, the frnits of the spirit soon fol-
low, and, ripening, tall back upon mother
earth to enrich all life with love. JOY and
peace.
The despot, then, is inspired to become
the father of his people in the true sense
the master the protector of the slave the
capitalist the guardian of the rights of the
workingman and the merchant the serv-
enters all hearts the kingdom of God is
realized.