The Portland daily press., 1895-12-30
PORTLAND BEN EvoLENT SOCIETY
The Annual Address Delivered Last Even
ing at the First Parish Church by Rev.
II. T. Hack.

The anniversary of the organization of
the Portland Benevolent society, was
held at the First Parish church last eve
ming Hon. W. W. Thomas, the presid emit
of the society was present, and antidates
the age of the society itself, lit was
organized in 1905. by year. Rev. John
Carroll Perkins read selections from the
Scripture and Rev. Dr. Asa Dalton,
offered prayer. The annual address was
delivered by Rev. r. 7. Hack, and was
a production of great power and eloquence
After referring to the age of the society,
and making graceful and appropriate
reference to Mr.. Thomas, the speaker
said that the world long ago repudiated
the sneering questions, "Am I my
brothers keeper?' and there is practical
agreement regarding the question "Who
is my neighbour" but there is not yet an
agreement how he is to be treated. No
matter whether we accept Drummond as
prophet of the new thought or not, we
must admit that he has done much to
show us the patience of God and his
methods asssseen in nature. Those who
have seen in nature but struggle for
life, and a survival of the fittest. have
seen but half, the true struggle has been
for light, as we'll as life The highest
from Of that struggle is not TO be seen in
the single individual, bnt in the family.
When there has been one animal there
has been another animal, one savage an
oth or COW Drr1
that this story Of the struggle for life is a
loye story. 1t will not let man live or
die for himself. I welcome this>idea that
all nature is struggle for life. 1t puts
a new meaning into human life apart
from the Bible. 1t puts self sacrifice into
nature. "Sex" says Drummond, sshas
banished the selfshness of the one. - 1t
puts cooperation into nature.
4 But when science has said its last word
it has said only what is known of the
present and the past, but has not gone in
to the future God who hath spoken:
though nature hath also spoken through
men. The merely just, sympathize no
more with great virtues than with great
vices. The man who bases his life on the
law of equal exchange has but part OF
life. Since the days of Christ no one has
said, "Whom is my neighbor?'' for he
settled that, but many have said, Glow
am to treat my neighbour" The answer
is simply this love. The trouble is that
men do not appreciate the idea of human
brotherhood. When the Duke of West
minister wrote to Lord Salisbury, asking
him to do something for the Christians
nothing, for while there was strong
feeling in England on the subject, this
feeling did not extend to Continental
Europe Why was this SO? The military
system of Continental Europe has con-
verified it into one great camp, and has
made the taking of life the one great and
important thing for men to do. That
system has made the nations hard
hearted, and Indifferent to the sufferings
of the Christians of Armenia.
Love has made childhood sacred
womanhood honored, it ismaking the com
mon brotherhood admitted and recogniz-
ed. But we are too much given to throwing
away our sympathy on the creations of
the novelist.
"How much shall we love our neigh
bor?" is asked, ''as yourself said
Moses; "As have loved you," said
Christ, and there is no conflict between
the two. If my neighbor is ignorant,
and unwilling to send his children to
school shall l love him so little as to
permit his children to grow up in igno-
rancef If my neighbor is given to drink
shall love him SO little as to allow the
saloon to remain open to tempt him?
Jesus loved the world better than he
loved himself We need the highest love.
4Let Inc suffer rather than my brother"
every true IMAM would say, but no true
man would say, 'fLet me lie rather than