The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-07-27
We are MANNERS of a complex or.

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God expressed in certain social,
moral and political laws upon which
the welfare of the whole depends.
None can violate, through intention
or ignorance one of these laws, with
out entailing suffering upon many
who are innocent. "An Irishman,"
says Carlyle, "dies of fever; seven
teen Englishmen take the infection,
and SO he proves his brotherhood"
Take away the possibility of affect
ing each other in evil ways, and you
take away the possibility of render
ing help. mo man liveth unto him
self, and no man dieth unto himself"
We stand or fall together!
Society has way of avenging
itself for the wrongs committed upon
the least and lowest of its members.
1t is related that Sir Robert Peel
gave his daughter magnificent rid
ing habit on her 10Th birthday, and
attired in the embroidered gown,
she rode side by side with him in the
parks of London. She had scarcely
returned home before she was taken
i'll with the most malignant form of
typhus fever, and in ten days she
was laid in the churchyard. The Sc
cret was very simple one. There
was no mysterious providence about
it. To the question: "Why should
one SO young and beautiful, and with
such fair prospects have been taken,
while others so much less favored
were left?" the answer was not diff
cult. The poor seamstress in gar
ret, in one of the slums, while she
was embroidering that garme Mt,
looked upon husband shivering in
the paroxysms of chills, and she took
the half finished garment and laid it
over him; and the garment took up
the germs of fever and conveyed them
to the palace of the statesman.
| And so we are bound together in
one bundle of social life, and if we
neglect the poorest and worst, If we
allow conditions to exist among us
such as exist in the slums and the
sweat shops of our Cities social laws
will avenge themselves in the des-
truction of the highest and wealth
lest. We cannot neglect the cellar,
and preserve the sanitation of the
drawing We are keepers of
our brethren. We are to study needs
and apply remedies. Instead of re-
belling against the constitution of
society and complaining that God let's
such dreadful things happen, let us
respect and obey the laws upon which
depend alike the welfare of the indi-
vidual and the mass.
3. Looking aUithiaa ourselves ace
find certain great statutes aCritten an
the centre of our oava being.
Our highest education depends up
on rigid obedience to these princi
pies. We find tendencies and sus-
capabilities which may be turned to
good or evil. The liability to sin
makes virtue possible. Susceptibility
to pain is the condition of pleasure.
The liberty of choice and action with
which we are all endowed, makes
possible the injuries we infict
upon ourselves as we'll as upon
others; but it is the condition of all
the good we do. The law of heredity
by which disease is often transmitted
to children's children, is the law by
which the highest and noblest quail
ties are also transmitted. 1t is sad
that the innocent should suffer; sad
that there should be SO many dis
eased, and deformed, and imbecile
children brought into the world. But
if the law be repealed because it's OPP
erations bring suffering, the great
safe guard of therace is gone, as we'll
the greatest factor in its progress.
We do not want God to alter the con-
stitution of our nature, even when we
writhe in the anguish that comes
from perverting and debasing that
nature. We want to learn the great
maxim and follow it: "Obey thy
self" or what is the same: "Obey
the laws of God in thee!"
III. Thus DO WE SEE THAT WE LIVE
IN A WORLD OF LAW. WHEN WE HAVE
ONCE FULLY GRAsPED THIS IDEA, MANY
OF THE OBJECTIONS TO PROVIDENCE,
MANY OF THE CRITICISMS UPON THE d.
VINE ADMINISTRATION ARE SWEPT AWAY.
I. These laiCs bear equally upon
all. There IS no system of fauorit-
ism bg which any one is exempted; or
by which anyone lcho departs, acheth-
er aoilJully or igaorantly, escapes
the penalty.
We must not conceive of God do.
ing for one what he will not do for