Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1899-12-13

is omnipotent; there is no verdict save the
verdict of force. 1t presents complete
blindness to the supremacy OF spiritual
forces in human society. 1t ignores the
practical worth of moral insight. His
inglorious career would never have
stained the pages of this century II he
mad been alive to the truth which his
remark fiippantly discards.
There has grown up a society or sect
that represents in a general way just that
attitude of mind, excepting they aim to
follow the motive of benevolence instead
of the unregulated impulse OF personal
ambition, which was all the law Napoleon
observed These when they choose
| name, call themselves Positivists. They
| worship only man. The unaided faculties
| of the human mind are TO them the only
oracles of truth and duty. They recog-
nize no intelligence higher than human,
no insight deeper than the glance OF
| physical science. Thus they mean to fulfil
| the noble aim of perfecting mankind.
10 was exactly in the tenor of this
thought that a certain euIogist Of lngersoll
said Of him few days age, that when
he found that God answered the prayer
OF he slave owner, rat her than the prayer
OF the slave, he put his hand into he hand
OF the black man, and for forty years
stood beside him and called him brother.
And as he found there WAS no God who
took an interest in the poor, he deter
mined that their cause should be cham
pioned by men, and all his life toiled to
free the downtrodden."
/ would like to ask OF the speaker OF
those words two questions, and they are
these: Might it not be quite possible that
God put His hand into the hand OF the
slave, by moving some large hearted man
to do that very thing as His agent? do
not know in that other method any ra-
tionai man could expect that divine ser
vice to be rendered. God helped the slave
through ingersoll, rs He did also through
Phillips and Garrison and Parker and all
the company of great hearted, sympa-
thetic men and women who championed
the cause OF humanity in that day and
since. Then ! would like to ask another
question still more to our point; II In
gersoll had not had around him and
within him impulses that are the out
come OF generations OF Christian culture,
would he have been so grsndly moved to
champion the cause OF the oppressed?
When tree has been uprooted by a
storm and has had vitality sufficiently
stored up within ii to mature its leaves for
a single season, it is all very we'll 10 point
to these with admiration, but it Is all
very bad " hen We begin to argue from
that circumstance. that trees henceiorth
need have no contact with the soil.
There are many Of these children OF
Christian civilization who are moved by
Christian motives Of benevolence, who
desire that right should gain the day in
the world, and who work FOR that end,
and yet who do not honor any deity
higher than the best heart and mind OF
man. But these are branches detached
from the producing stem. 1t is not a
question as TO whether this detached en-
thusiasm can live for time, aud in a
noble few; but whether enthusiasm so
constituted could gather force, genera
tion after generation, and widely among
the people mature the fruit OF sacriicial
service
Christianity has given no little mo-
mentum to the warm sympathies of hui
man nature. Could that momentum have
been gained without the aid OF re!ig ion,
or could 1t be maintained without the
higher insight- ard motives OF the spirit9
The log icsl effect Of the insInustious OF
Nsporait l. to turn society into Il con-
scieneeEess scramble, every man for him
self against tie world. 1t has in i, no
suggestion to awaken the Impulses OF
sympathy and humanity. The prevailing
effect OF the sentiment uttered espect-
ing Mr. lngersol is TO degrade the in
pulse OF benevolence to the status OF mere
individual caprice. On that score 1t is
all right for one who feels like standing
forty years by he slave TO do so, but II
he does not feel like taking tnst stand, !
can not see how any weight OF obligation
can be shouldered upon him, IL II be true
that the sanction of heaven Is not posi-
lively tn favor Of Il.
Each man may do as he likes since he Is
The morsi sovereign. The conceptions OF
life that leave God out of account have
little value TO educate men To love and
serve humanity; they have slight force OF
appeal TO create sspirit OF seif.sacrifce.
There Is sure and gallant victory only in
that purpose of right doing which con-
cetves itself coupled With the will OF
deity; linked to his unwHvuring energy
Of Righteousness II i BY mounting
to the divine point OF view that the
moral nature OF man has la the past
attained and must still attain its vigorous
health.
Now | do not know how this divine
point OF view, which couples our hearts
with the heart of God. which interprets
our duty ~ the will OF God. which repre-
sents our lives A. involved In Gods great
plan, which supplies such exhsustless
mot i've and aut hortze~ surh inauite hapa