The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1904-04-29
A SERMON FOR SUNDAY
A DISCOURSE ENTITLED ULTIMATE
AMERICA"
Patriotic Address by the Rev. y. Alexan-
der jenkins, PASTOR OF Emmanuel Com
,gregational Church-This Country the
Spiritual Teacher Of the Nations.

manuel CONGREGATIONAL Church. delivered
an address TO a large audience on "Ultl-
mate America. the Spiritual Teacher Of
the Nations He sand among other things
IL i commonplace OF the newer think
lng that the evolutionary process culmln-
ates IN the soul OF man, the whole mighty
movement being satisfactorily explained,
according 10 the thinking of the thelstc
evoluuonlst, when matter endowed with
hie and perfected through countless rener-
auons, has ~ last gwen 10 the mind OF the
human being the instrument for the ele-
mentary exercises OF It's endless hle. The
struggles OF the ages are justified in the soul.
The student OF history y perp.eXed a. he
hears the groanlngs and witnesses the ira
VaLlngs of the nations through the Ccntur-
les, and his natural and legitimate query,
as ne beholds the rise and fail OF nations.
r., Where hes the goal OF the peoples and
what lusthos the tolls and agonles OF the
race! The answer 10 this inevitable ques-
tlon Is this: Almighty God Is leading the
nations toward the goal OF the highest lie,
and the struggles ct the ages find lustiuca-
ton IN the birth OF the world-soul. And II
the fact that God brtathed into mans nos
trlls the breath Of hte so that he became
a living soul is sufficient recompense for
rhe bloody brute battles OF the worlds
gray dawn, the thought that He Will
breathe a soul into the nations should like
wise be deemed ample compensation for
the groupings and grapphngs OF the asplr-
ants tor national permanenCy and suprem
aCy.
The American coionists were not the
first men TO fight for independence, but the
motives that produced the Declaration Of
Independence made their fight epoch
marking as no other fight had ever Nen.
Other nations had given up slavery, but
no nation was ever before called upon 10
furnish 50 awful proof OF sincerity of
motive IN striking the shackles from the
limbs OF the enslayCd Other nations have
had TO deal with the problem OF undesir-
able aliens. but no nation ever felt as feels
America the ImperatIyeneSs of course of
action based upon Righteousness and Jus.
tce. Other nations have seized the terri
tory of the weak and helpless. but none
has felt such deep, unsetsh sohcltudc for
dependent people as has characterized
our country IN her dealings with prlml'
tive people committed 10 her care as the
outcome OF her Intervention in the inter
ests of humanity. Other nations have had
TO effect adjustments between employer
and employe, but no nation has ever been
called upon to effect such an adjustment
when the conditions presented revealed so
clearly the fact that a great principle Of
universal importance is involved The set
tlemcnt of the Labor problem IN demo
cratic America means the settlement for the
world, for here the employer of the high
est type meets the worker of the highest
type, and the final result will be IN keep
ing with the character of the contestants
SO we are learning the lesson of dehbcr
stCness; and one of the most promising
signs OF the times is the tendency TO deal
with great questions cautiously and calmly
The result of this course viii be that what
the new America settles will stay settled
She Will settle aud that for all time, the
question Of the rights OF inferior peoples,
the question as TO the character OF the cdu-
cation most To be desired, the question of
the relation Of employer TO employed.
America Is to-day solving the accumulated
problems of the ages. And God Is willing
that she should have time to complete her
task.
In view of what has been said, il will
strike us as a fact of solemn import that
our country Is preparing for her yet larger
service through the slow constant develop
. mCnt ot her religious consciousness. The
existence and growth of this consciousness
the superficial observer OF our life and in
stltutlons might feel inclined TO deny.
Nevertheless, we are convinced that this
most necessary condition for present and
future leadership exists.
Where shall we seek for this religious
consclousnessI Shall we lool, for II In the
institutions set apart az avowedly relg-
iousy No man has the night TO scoif at or
ganizCd religion. Our schools, our churches,
our synagogucs are, on the whole, true 10
their mission. But the truly effective re-
hgIous consciousness must bc found IN
other places as well-In the editorial sane
tum, in the political gathering, in the mart
and the busy street. let us ind tins con
sclousness IN these places, no matter what
its ioGm, and We shall have as good ga, r
auteC ot the divine favor as though we haq
gazed upon overhowing houses OF worship
and listened TO the eloqucnce of the elect.
The religious spirit which makes for Amer
lean prc.emiuence may be dsccrnCd IN
many phases of the rational lie but 10 ~
strIEngIy evident IN the new press. the
new politics and the new social ideal.
There are many, doubtless, who would not
CouCCde that the pregs of the country fur
n.shos an evidence Of growing national
T.ghtCoufness. but the fact remains, that in
the newspapers OF our land there u a dis
tlnct trend toward righteousness and god
hncss.
The truthfulncss and force Of our pres.
ent contention Will seem TO many hard q
reconcile with the wClIknown fact that IN
the United States the avOWedy religious
journals are steadily losing ground. Bat
even this fact, rightly interpreted, IL not
an evidence oi national decay. The rcug
lOus papers Of to-day nave choice between
. degeneration and evolution. The signs D.
. degeneration are stubborn adherence 90 de
nomualioral shIhholeths. fierce champion
ship Of exhausted d0gmas and growing I'M
patience with progressive Interpretation OI
truth. The signs Of evolution are thf
throwing overheard Of useless issues, and
the adoption OF the leading features Of the
great secular papers Tl,c great rclg
lUus papers ot the country to-day are such
IN name only. Were the contents Of on,
Of these papers rearrargcd and printed "
newspaper form - would pas az a news
paper. minus the newspaper uptO.datt
freshucss. In the secular press, on th'
other hand, there j. steady progress auC
increasing vitality. The moral tone OF th,
American people d. reflected IN the new
journalism. and the fact that the citizens
Of the republic desire righteousness Is pat
ent 90 al who seek the underlying motivei
Of JouruaIsilc enterprise OF the highest
type. And tins fact - most significant
when we remember that these great agen
cies Of publicity. free discussion and odu
cation have direct bearing upon the shap
ing OF the IDEAS OF the nhowIug million
Of our population. The sp.rit Of The
American journalism ~ communicated q
the Amcrean.zcd representative Of thcu
foreign peoples. and they ~ turn give D
20 their dependent fellows through the col
umns oi their publications We have NJ
right 20 assume that papers published D.
fore gu tongues stand for Od World an
archy; We should. the rather, heartily con
. cedc the fact that these journals, prInts,
IN Italian. German. Hebrew, Welsh an,
other languages. constitute a great ni.
sIOnary agency for doing foundation wofI
] in AmcrIsanIsm auds sltruIsTn. Indeed. th'
very fact that our citizens in the maxim
. eagerly grasp these informing agencies b.
prophecy of great things 90 come. W.
have here no isolated, lethargc. self-FatIs
ted aggregation Of human beiugs. but VI