New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-03-16

THE REV. DR.. NELSON HOLDS THAT SELF
ISHNESS is THE CAUSE OF SOCIAL
WRETCHEDNESS.

The Rev DR.. S Gnard Nelson preached IN 'he
Bedford Avenue Baptist Church yesterday morning
from John w. 3S--"Other men labored and we are
entered into their labors" In the course OF MS re-
marks he said:
humanity was designed to be federation-its
bond labor The design is disregarded with the
execution of the few nobler spirits, each is living 10
himself Herein is the secret Of social wretched-
ness Herein the difference between the kidom oil
this world and the kingdom Of God that ought 10 be-
And all theories that stop short OF the SUBSTITUTION
of Christianity for sehshness are falacies. Brass
Is not made gold by gliding IT, Reform by esisla-
ton is dream. Legislative DEGREES cannot make
men other than they are. The need Is TO make
men, and to make men brothers Social happiness
without brotherhood is impossible. brotherhood Is
not a product of law II is product OF love. But
love and selfshness cannot co-exst. Hence. before
a true reformation can come TO the world. the spirit
OF humanity must be changed Selfshness must
yield TO love.
PHILOSOPHY sees this and far Is in accord with
Christianity But philosophy has no specific for the
elimination Of seishness. Christianity has. what
IL can do for the million II do for the myriad Its
triumphs in the individual prove Its ability TO tri-
umph in the But we ignore its prescription.
We would heal the tree by plucking the leaves and
Topping the branches. The disease is at the roots
Not moral elevation from the ground upward; not
education-important these are-but mutual re-
lation divinely fixed, must claim the attention OF
society And the bond of mutual relation is labor.
That is the reason why, as Christianity advances,
the labor question forces itself upon and shall
continue so to do. The primeval curse so called.
rightly regarded Is the primeval blessing. IT Is we
who have converted II into a curse.
Hence. wrong as Socialism is in many OF its as
eumptions II is right when il declares that labor
ought 10 be the common lot. No divine authority
can be found TO sustain the claim that might or skill
or cunning confer the right to rob- Nowhere Is the
principle sanctioned that the few should seize the
earth and exclude the many from the natural In
heritance of all And the other hand. there Is
no justification of the wild theories that would de-
prve a man OF the fruit Of his labor. Manifestly,
the divine economy inculcates the sacredness OF
property But property. legtimately considered is
not what man may get. or what his ancestors may
have obteined by force fraud spoliation 1t Is
what ne and they have earned. Labor is the con-
sideration man pays for his title to God. Title. SO
derived is divine Gods plan Of community of la boz
places men on the plane brotherhood. The plan
Is infinitely wise. Just and honest cooperation
promotes fraternity. In a partnership where men
mutually work and employ capital. which Ia the
product OF labor the interest OF all Is the interest oil
each In such relation reciprocal interest bege's
human relation think Is that OF a world wide
partnership, in which the interests Of all and the
weaknesses and needs Of some become the oenevo-
lent opportunity Of each. No other foundation for
yet been discovered than that based on the golden
rule: Whatsoever we would that men should do
unto YOU, do We even SO % them But this Chris
fianity is moi the tepid thing that we know by the
name of Christianity to-day. Christianity's cross
Is benevolence-the hardest cross on which the
sDirit be cruclne0.