The Washington times., 1894-11-05

"See ing God" was the subject OF the Rev.
Alexander Kent in his morning sermon at the
Peoples Church, No. 423 G street northwest,
yesterday. 1t was suggested by the address
OF the Brahmin monk, Vive Kananda, the pre-
vious Sunday. There was well-fllled room
for an audience.
DR.. Kent said Vive Kananda's experience
had taught that both the Christian and the
Hindoo preachers had departed from truth.
Their apostasy had been first OF life, then OF
doctrine.
$50 long as Christians made it their chief
business to live as their master lived, to make
the loving service of their fellowmen the main
business and purpose of life, there was little
tendency to apostasy in doctrine. But when
the growth OF the church brought with it the
necessity for placing powers of superintend-
ence and oyerseership in the hands OF the few,
and when those men thus lifted into promi-
nence found themselves-thrOagh the control
over the masses important factors in the lfe
OF the empire; when the empire began to be-
stow upon them hoI orS and to dicker for
iaYors; when 81 irit of rivalry for these
honors took possession OF these bishops and
they were eager TO outbid each other in their
desire for personal advancement. the purpose
AMI spirit OF life as revealed in the Christ be-
came thing Of the past
The ideas of brotherhood and mutual
service could not survive in the atmosphere
OF this self-seeking and worldly ambition.
Ihen came the era OF speculation and dogma.
during which doctrines were formulated and
established as the creed of the church as
hideous and damnable as any that stain the
pages OF pagan religious history. To great
extent the church is still under the delusion
that these doctrines are rooted in the word Of
God as contained in the Christian Scriptures,
and 1t therefore devotes its main energy to
the inculcation OF these erroneous teachings.
Christians in this work show commendable
zeal If It were rightly directed. Among the
Hlndoos there is not even this zeal.
Nothing is more central in the Christ teach
ing than that God is spirit, not only omni-
scient, but omnipresent, and equally acces-
sible 10 every truly worshipful and loving
soul from every part OF the wide universe.
The eye can see nothing OF the infinite
beauty that shines in the vesture OF the in
finite life, any more than the mirror can see
the form that images in its seeming depths
The harmonies OF the heavens are nothing to
the outward ear. They address themselves
to the soul, and If that soul is dseordant or
irresponsiye no harmonies are heard
That love is the one abiding reality Of the
universe is what Yirekenanda saw when he
says he saw God His words show US that
occcultism Is becoming something of a fact in
this country, just at time apparently when
it is most widely discredited in India and
Japan.by the.most enlightened and progressive
of their people. hinza Hair and Yirekanauda
both smile at the credulity which swallows all
thewonder stories OF that land while STUN
bling at the records OF our gospels.
Nothing was more marked in the addresses
given at the Worlds Parliament of Religions
than the universal veueration and regard
shown for the man and teacher, Jesus. There
was universal repudiation on the part of
these people of the orthodox conception of
his nature and office, but a practically uni
yersal acceptance OF the liberal thought OF
his person and work. The Brahmo-somaj as
represented by MoZoomdOn. Nagarkar and
| others, gives him the first place among the
! Illuminated teachers of the nations-the
larger incarnatIons of the divine essence.
Real goodness is the divinest thing that is.
All men honor it when they see it as such.
They may fight it when il puts their vested
interests in danger; when it threatens to de-
feat their cherished purposes and schemes;
but then il is not goodness that they see.
There are men who. in pursuit Of gain, would
not hesitate moment to brain a helpless
babe or mother, and yet when no such motive
ruled them would put their lives in peril to
rescue either.
"Out of the heart-not out Of the head-are
the issues OF life. What We love, rather than
what we think, determines the quality Of our
being. Love will always control thought, but
thought will not always awaken love. As a
man thinketh in his heart SO Is he Only the
affections can transmute thought into life.
1.-The truth which appeals only to mans
intellect, which fails TO win his affection or
arouse his will. will neither lift him into
moral soundness nor physical health. The
thought which molds character is not the
thought which ones logic urges him to adopt,
but the thought to which the dominant ele-
ments in mis- character, his controlling de-
sires, incline him and which, under their in
fuence, he chooses.
Logically, one may see no escape from
the conclusion that he is a child of God, and
as such, incapable of leading a selfish and
csrpal life but if he prefers ease to effort and
indulgence to conflict; if he cares more for
present animal satisfaction than for possible
spiritual joys: more for the qualification of
the lower egOistic than for the higher altru-
istic desires, his Divine Sonship will have
little influence over his life.
1T is common to theorize divinely, but to
1--we little above the common level. We are not
fond Of being martyrs. and only martyr spirit
will do what is needed. Blessed are they in
whom affection directs energy TO help make
the world better place, to train men for
noble living.