The times., 1897-05-10
LESSON OF THE PARIS fire
DR.. Kent Discusses the Problem
of Unmerited Sufferings.
THE LAW OF THE UNIVERSE
Man Suffers From the Sins Of His
Brethren as He shares in the
Product of Their Virtues-The
Interests of All Are One and
Inseparable.

Interests of All Are One and
Inseparable.
Rev. Dr. Alexander Kent, pastor of the
Peoples Church, discussed yesterday morn
ing, before q large congregation, the
PROBLEM of Unmerted Sufferings, or
Undeserved Calamity with special refer
ence to the recent Paris horror.
This. he called one of the profoundest
problems with which the mind and heart
of man are weighted in the earthly career
The recent Paris disaster has pressed it
home on many souls, in a way to seriously
disturb their traditional faith, and raise
doubt OF moral order i'll universe
where such things are possible. He thought
that the circumstances under which this
disaster occurred, and the high social po-
sition held by most of the victims, made
it seem 10 most minds peculiarly appall-
ing and hard to reconcile with the thought
of a loving Providence. Had this calamity
come upon dissolute people, gathered in
a theater to witness an immoral play, or
in ballroom To move in the uaZy
measures OF a Partisan dance, it would
not, he thought, have seriously shocked
the average orthodox believer II would
have been ia line with the common con
ception of divine justice. It would have
heen OF piece with the drowning of the
world in Noah's time, or with the de-
struction OF Sodom and Gonlonali in a
later Cay
But to make a holocaust of the 6itIed
nobility of Paris, not only the most dis
tinguished aud the most pious of its
people, but engaged at the very moment
in most noble work OF charity-this was
sore trial to the faith OF those who be-
iieye in a special providence He thought,
too, that many who deny the existence
of such providence. and who see nothing
but law in the universe; who look upon
nature as wholly indifferent and non-mpral,
find in such terrible catastrophies as this
strong confirmation OF their view He
affirmed that in both cases, the thing
which shocks the sense of Justice and
leads men to doubt the existence OF a
moral order, is the fact OF conviction OF
unmerited suffering. OF undeseryed Gala
with justice.
But" the speaker asserted, Ito me
the fact OF unuierited suffering is proof
of a higher order of Justice. than the
average individual is able to perceive or
appreciate. 1t implies that justice is not
a matter Of so much Suffering for so much
sin, but matter or right relations be
tween mau and man and between man and
God. and that the law of justice so binds
US together in one bundle of interests shat
il one member suffers all the members
suffer, and If one have occasion for re-
joicng all have reason to participate
Ing his joy. fF~a+iS
Morality is only possible where this
unity of interest exists The science OF
morals being the Science of human rela-
ttons, aud justice consisting in right reia-
tions, there can be no morality where
irdi yiduals are wholly independent of
each other. But such independence is in
fact inconceiyabIe Life even in the III
dividUal is possible only through action
and interaction between the cells of the
organism And this law holds in the social
organism as rigidly as in the individual
Life is conditioned here by what we
call laws OF health. The normal organism
requires fresh air, pure water, good food,
proper clothing and shelter. In isolation
the individual may provide these for him
self and be little affected by the habits
OF others. But the moment he comes in
social or business relations with others,
that moment their conduct, habits, char
aeteT become important to him And il his
business relations lead him TO settle in
the vicinity of his partners in enterprise
he is stiIl more directly and largely affect
ed by them. Their carelessness endangers
his buildings. their sloyenliness offepds his
taste, their cesspools poison the air ne
mas To breathe. and their filth heaps pol
lutte the water he has to drink What they
are and what they do affects him a thou
sand ways. But the losses and dangers OF
this closer association are more than bal
anced by the gains and benefits. The
Chief fact to be noted, however, is that
he can avail himself of the gains aud
benefits only by exposing himself to the
losses and dangers
What is true on the physical plane
is equally true on the mental and mortal
'By the very nature of moral being aud
moral order, men are bound indissoubly
together. They can find their life only
as they come into just and loving relations
WIFI each other. And the one condition
oftheir sharing n the gains and advantages
OF such associations is that they share
also in the consequences of each others
mistakes and misdoings. God, Himself,
cannot save them from this. He can no
more make moral beings Independent OF
each other than he can make hills without
valleys. The laws that condition life
are wrought into the very structure of cur
being and of the universe The one
supreme duty OF man is to learn them, love
them, obey them. And we are all so linked
together under them that tn e blunders and
nisdoings Of each are matters of personal
concern to all. We cannot climb to the
submits of inorallife and leaveour brothers
behind. Our destiny is linked with theirs.
Their folly, their wickedness, means loss,
suffering, peril for us. Thus God, nature,
the Eternal Reality in whom, or which We
Hve-giye Him or 1t what name you will
is forever teaching Us, in the only way He
can teach. the great truths of life etc rnai
He cohnot prevent these catastrophes by
any action that would take responsibility
from Us.
He is not free as I'VE are free Being
infinitely good, He. cannot choose the not
good Being infinitely wise, He cannot
choose the not wise. And SO He is limited
to that which is wisest and best. This