New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-01-16
DIR. ABBOTT on JEREMIAH.
HE SAYS THE PROPHET BROUGHT THE
MESSAGE CT INDIVIDUALITY

MESSAGE CT INDIVIDUALITY.
According to the Rev. Dr. Lyman Abbott In
his lecture in Plymouth Church last evening on
Jeremiah the Prophet of the Dispersion" in
the course on The Hebrew Prophets and Mod
ern Problems" jeremiah brought the message of
Northumberland nations. races and men are
what they are capable Of being. not what they
are declared 10 be--and the message Of spirtu-
alty-that religion is founded no book. no
church. no law but on the heart of man trans
formed by God. The speaker implied that all
statesmen and others who are contending that
the United States should leave the Philippines
to work out their own salvation are making the
same mistake that was made when we thought
that we could make the negroes our equals by
freeing them. DR.. Abbott said in part:
jeremiah was living In an age in which he might
be compared to n Puritan living In me age or me
first called as a prophet yet he understood even
then that a kingdom is not founded on dynasties,
stitutions. but is founded principle.
The speaker then justified the minister who Is
criticised for alleged preaching political sub
jects
1T did not enter Jeremiah's head" he said,
that righteousness does not enter into the
affairs OF nation. There are ministers and
ministers They all do not have the same place.
Some there are whose function II is TO minister
to the spiritual side Of life, and some like Sa-
vonarola and Henry Ward Beecher, whose duty
II is TO build up and construct a nation by their
utterances l do not say that 1t belongs to
every minister TO deal with public questions
but from his position minister ought to know
how 10 apply truth TO new problems in national
affairs"
In reading the passage where jeremiah revies
~ . av
pie who plotted against him. DR.. Abbott said:
let those who believe that every word and pas
Of thu Bible is authoritative and inspired to
reconcile as they Will this passage; 49,
But. in spite of these terrible words OF the
prophet Jeremiah also almost the tenderest
Of He6rew prophets n,o.s snoSo 20 tho nation
as a nation. but jeremiah lived in time when he
the breaking up of the nation he saw great
from the nation to the ndiSiduaL We might say
Jeremiah had the true eye Of prophetic vision;
many Of the later prophets quoted from him. Put
hope into jeremiah and you get Paul, That is a
wonderful JerHman was Inc Inc
phrase, New Testament"
DR.. Abbott then mildly rebuked by impica-
ton the people who hold to the Constitution as
the great and fundamental idea which does all
things and means all things. He said.
jeremiah would not write God in the Constitution
OF the United States to make 1t righteous Nation,
but ne would Write II In the hearts OF the people
jeremiah would not think that the State could be
made temperate by the enactment OF temperate
legislation. but he would know that temperance
could only through the individual. If Jere-
mah in the Senate he would not vote for a
resolution saying that the FilipinOs are and OF a
right ought TO be free and independent He would
say let have churches and free schools, for never
are people free and independent until they are
educated He taught US some principles which the
United States needs 10 relcarn to-day. We have
tried make the negro free and independent by
saying he Now we have learned that each
negro must become man. ManhOod-suffrage.
Yes but manhood first. suffrage afterward.