The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-01-11
Spirit of Fraternity Guides
Mankind.
Yesterdays Sermon at West
Minister Unitarian Church.
The Fatherhood Of God Confirmed
by the Brotherhood OF Man.

Rev. Herbert Mott, pastor OF the "es'-
minister Unitarian Church, delivered the
second in his special series of sermons at
yesterday forenoon's service. his theme
was the 90 Brotherhood OF Man, In natural
sequence TO that of week ago. 1.-The
Fstherhood of God" There are three
Others: "Ihe Leadership OF Jesus"
"Salvation by Character" and 'The Pro-
greis OF Msnkind Onward and Upward
Forever"
The full text Of yesterdsys' sermon was
a. follows:
The ruling principle OF nature ss re-
vealed by Charles Darwin is the preserya-
tion OF the fittest.
The great naturalist took q lump OF dry
earth, weighing Gig ounces, moistened 1t,
placed 1t in the sun and obtained from II
81 plants OF various kinda Ibis merely
shows how the earth teens with germs OF
vegetation. The soil, the water, the air
are packed with seeds and insect eggs.
The woods and prairies snd jupgles swarm
with animal life. 1t increases at so high
a rate that IL a portion were not destroyed
there would soon be, literally, no standing
room.
The common house fly is computed to
produce q, ,O00, 900 in season. IL an
annual plan brought forth only two seeds
yearly and all the seedlings survived
ana brought forth in like number, ,Ooo,-
200 plants would be produced In ten years
from the single ancestor
Should the increase be at the rate OF 90
seeds yearly the result, II unchecked, would
be to cover the whole globe in nine years.
1he lower organisms multiply with still
more astonishing rapidity, some fungi in
creasing a billion fold in a few hours.
"Tho result is . ceassless struggle for
food ana Face"
"In that struggle the race 10 to tho
swift and the battle to the strong, the
weaker, pe it in brain or body, going to
the wall, the vast majority never reach
ing maturity, or IL they do, 1t 10 only to
be starved or slain"
those are preserved who possess some
slight advantage. Some qualities better
adapted to improve the race.
The plant whose thorns are q little
larger and sharper, will escape the brows-
ing animal, while its companion will be
devoured.
The birds that are str ongest on the
wing Will reach the shore they migrate
to while the weaker will perish by the
way.
The lions of sharper sight and more
supple spring, the wolves OF keeuer scent
secure their prey while the feebler mem-
bers starve.
Let me insert here word Of caution
the reality of this struggle for existencs
is in all probability not nearly SO bad %
| it sounds, when we imagine that nature
experiences the desperate strife, the bit
ter stress of combat, the agony Of failure
and OF unsuccessful effort, we are simply
carrying our human feeling down into
her realm.
But no such feelings exist there.
The crushed lives know nothing of the
| strife every instant of existence fol
them, in oil probability delight and 9
| pleasurabIe sensation. 1t 10 We, not they,
who experience the woe.
The preservation of the fittest Is the
supreme law, because many are not fit.
Tney have not the necessary vitality,
| they have already ex xhausted in their life
career whatever they possessed.
There is no advantage to them. or tc
| others in their preservation. Therefore
only the best, only those who are a,
survive. Such is the supreme and govern
| ing principle of nature and such, until
| comparatively recent times was tho su
preme and governing principle Of thu
| human race.
| AS one glsncss back along the course o.
history, 1t is not glimpse OF paradise
that closes and completes the view. The
echoes coming from those earlier oras, ar'
not OF the songs OF birds In Eden or o
| the stately measure of the hrst man.
morning hymn.
| But rather of the yells Of frenzied sava
ges the rush aud rosr Of consuming
flames, the shrieks of women.
Asia meets Africa in mortal combat
Back wards and forwards. hither ant
thither through the centuries the sangui
nary conflicts sways.
Empires rise into view like bubbles I,
glitter in brief spendor and then disap
pear forever. Egypt, Assyria, Greece sn'
Rome.
One seems to see in that far past moth
ing but marching posts, the war chariot
serried ranks, the CLINT Of steel, the con
querors' triumph, the weary train OF cap
tiyes bound aud chained.
Not one Of theso civilized nations bu
what brpught its contribution to th
stock OF human knowledge, not ono bu
had It's noble traits and splendid qua
ities.
Nevertheless they regarded each oths
chiefly as foes. Their main ambition wa
to destroy, devour, subdue all but them
selves.
Tho great principle OF primevsl natur'
tho preservation Of tire iittest, the goo
} old rule, the ancient plan that he ma
take who has the power and he may kes
, who can, still dominated, controlled an
guided.