The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-12-29
FROM THE BEGINNING.

To explain man I'm his perfection, even
the Goldman. we have admitted for the
sake OF argument the teachings of an
evolutionary philosophy ana we have only
asked that IL man in the character of
Christ came forth in this long travail
then he was there from the beginning.
In a new sense perhaps, but in true
sense In sense that no doctrine of
special creation could bring forward, he
was and Is the beginning and the end.
To tho eternal despair and undying hope
of eternal man. man bound to the heart
of moral universe. comes the new type
Of man. the eternal Christ, and leading
man back 10 Goo, brings him his pleace
But just here springs our difficulty. Evolu-
ton would admit perhaps that In sense
Christ was I'm the world from the begin
ming, but IL would not admit that when
he came forth ne was different from 9TH
er men. 1t would deny his claim as the
destiny and goal OF humanity
But just here we recall that Darwin,
the father Of modern evolution, while he
insisted on the law of inheritance as
accounting for transmitted tendencies.
yet realized that II only the old tenden-
cies were transmitted there could be
no new species. He asked therefore that
he he allowed to postulate the mys-
terry of differentiation. If Darwin could
ask this In the interest OF a new species
Of animal surely we can be allowed TO
ask II In the interest Of a new type of
man. man like unto God a man. there
fore, who reveals our destiny.
I am perfectly aware this morning that
nothing is easier than taking our old
theology that concerns itself with the
character Of Christ, that pictures his hu-
manity on the one hand and his duty on
the other and picking II TO pieces. With
that old Interpretation OF Christs char
acter / am not in the slightest concern
ed. BY thinking men IL has been rejected
absolutely and for all time. This is no
argument for that any more than IL is
an argument against special creation.
CHRIST AN HISTORICAL FACT.
Ii Is only the effort to point out that
Jesus Christ lis an historical fact and IL
we are to have a philosophy that ex-
plains the universe that fact must be
included. III II Is included then insist that
I'm the beginning was the word.
But there Is another historical fact
That since the time OF Christ men have
seen in him the ideal type of manhood
An ideal the realization OF which,
means life and life more abundant
As one feels deep into the tendencies
of our times one is struck with the
thought that as men we are not growing
stronger I'm physical or mental strength.
We are rising In our development into the
realm of character. That the man of
moral worth is the man OF coming CEN
turies. That In the future brute strength
and intellectual power will be weighed
against the powers that are moral and
be found wanting Thus Jesus. the ideal
type of character merges larger upon the
worlds horizon. Whether We look back
with science in the past or forward with
practice into the future we see Christ the
eternal.
Let science then with religion, the
science that insists on the doctrine of
evolution that secs Jesus Christ an out
put of the centuries. bow Its knee and
proclaim him Lord. Instead OF this doc
trine destroying our conception Of Christ
II lifts him as no doctrine OF special crea-
ton ever could to the high goal of the
worlds struggle and at the same time
IL must see Him In the world from rs
beginning. as well as al the end.
Whether We look at life from the point
OF view OF science or practice, IL matters
not. Christ is eternal The thought OF
him stretches back into the centuries and
interprets them.
II goes back into the little span OF our
own living and helps to blot out the sins
and scars. IL reaches forth into the fu-
ture and sets a goal to the race and IN
our little lives warns the hearthstone
with glowing hope.
FOUNTAINS OF ETERNAL, LIFE.
IL is that life of the eternal christ
that leads us back to the never failing
fountain OF our eternal life. II takes
us back 20 God the source OF our being
ard beings end. The virtue OF Chris-
1 ,iauity consists in this. IL leads us To
the peace not OF death. hut Of ne. 70
such n peace as the flower has as II
grows up and buds and blooms. II such
n peace IA the nation has when with
cut war or strife n develops its latent
possibilities in quiet In that peace