The Portland daily press., 1898-12-17
wonderful compared to what we learn
from the records of the past.

| wonderful compared to what we learn
from the records of the past
The same general statement Is. think,
true of the church universally. Putting
aside, however. all consideratlons OF tan
gible heresies, there Is the fundamental
| fact that we are in the nineteenth century
going back to the pure and unadulterated
Christ theory to which all thissbetterment
of. the world is due. Apart altogether
from the cardinal Christian doctrine, of
the divinity of Christ, there is the simple
and obvious fact that He was an example
of the highest spiritual puritya man in
His human form of unblemished charac-
ter, whose theory OF life seemed to be in
contradiction to all the theories of worldly
life-who was constantly rebuking every
evil impulse of the human heart, who
slapped in the face everything that seemed
like law in the government of nations.
Do we find that the world accepted the
Christ doctrine straightway? 1t made a
littlea laudable effort to do SO when the
apostles gathered themselves together.
The Mosaic Testament no doubt did
great good, but it was not for all the
world. 1t was only for few educated
men.
But the world has been struggling on
toward Christ thought, and yet the whole
Christ idea has never been SO strong in
the world as 1t is at this moment.
Nothing is more obvious than this to
those who travel in all countries. In
Russia, where it finds expression through
the mind of a great man. Tolstoi; il
Germany, Notwithstanding it's material
bias in Austria, in Spain, although 1t is
so bound down to ecclesiasticism; in
Italy itself, not to speak of England, and
in America, where the movement is
dominant, the great trend of religious
feeling is toward what we call the Chris
tian socialism movement.
This is expressing itself vaguely in the
caring of the poor, and the brenking
down of Agnostioism in some of Its forms
and in making of men of the type tried
to picture in John Storm, who gave up
all the advantages of the world and de-
voted himself to his God. John Storm
has not one. but two, prototypes in life.
One will call Father J. The other is
Hon. James Addelry, son of peer.
GREAT SOCIAL MOVEMENT.
| This Christian social movement is,
think, only in its infancy. It had its
birth at the end Of the nineteenth CEN
fury. What it will be in the twentieth
do not know. But feel sure that the
future will find great development in
this movement 1t is going to have bene-
fetal results on the life of the whole
the relations of nations SO as to diminish
| great warfare and to settle international
| disputes.
| Think of the great advancement in in
situations that are meant to provide for
| the poor. Charity, no doubt, has been in
all ages, but OF such care for the poor and
the distressed as exists in the present age
in all countries, we have no record in the
past.
know it will be said that the tendency
of the present time is to make the rich
man richer and the poor man poorer. But
the responsibilities OF wealth are much
more recognized, it would seem to me,
than at any previous time. The state is
beginnin to realize in all countries the
duties OF wealth and it's, responsibilities,
and to impose them upon the makers OF
wealth, whether they like it or not. In
deed. it is. stronger now than at any time,
that the soil of the world is for the good
of the whole, and the old feudal theories
are almost dead. The public conscience
| is awakened.
gain, it would appear to me that the
nations are becoming more human, even
in their warfare. 1t is true that the wars
now are "big wars" as Othello terms
| them, and destroy vast numbers of lives
in sort periods. 1t is also true that the
modern implements of warfare are, in
comparison, more. deadly than thesancient
ones. But to look at these facts alone
| would be TO take very superfuous view.
The very perils of modern warfare reduce
the number of great campaigns by maxi
ing warfare too expensive and too terri
ble In the old days of the sword and
bow and arrow warfare appears to have
D6OA pOIp CbuhAy anu 5uOula oOhJoSoaAS
that the number of slain and wounded
would be, century in. century out, great
er then than now.
Further, we must remember that great
wars can only be conducted by great
nations Little wars cannot be sustained
by even the smallest tribes. The tendency
of national life in our time is to unite
state to state, kingdom to kingdom, prin-
cipallty to principally, toward the max
ing of great nat ons. The fewer the
great nations the fewer the great wars,
and the great outlook to the observer is
that the time is surely coming when the
nations will unite themselves by races.
For this reason, and, among many others
T myself think that an alliance between
the two great English-speaking nations,
England and America, would be one of
the greatest peacemakers in the history of
the world.
CONDITION OF WOMEN.
Then think Of the enormous advance
that has been made in the condition of