The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1906-02-12
A RELIGION
OF HUMANITY
Is Now Demanded by the Age
Of Humanity
~---~--------
AND HUMAN BROTHERHOOD
Rev. F. A, Poole Delivered Sermon
Yesterday Morning on "The Re-
ligion in Which the Masses
Are interested"

AT the Congregational church yester-
day morning the Rev. f. a. Poole preach
ed sermon on "The Religion in Which
the Masses Are Interested" to a large
congregation. He took for his text !
John 4;20; III a man say, love God,
and hateth his brother, he is liar. For
he that loveth not his brother whom he
hath seen, how can he love God whom he
hath not seeng7
He spoke in part as follows; These
are strong words. They ara also true.
They present the teaching OF Jesus
Christ. They do not give the logical,
but the natural order of love. In hui
man experience the love of man comes
first. We see, know and love men be-
fore we have 80 much as heard Of God.
The practice Of Jesus followed the nat
ural order. He first ministered to the
immediate needs of his fellows, won
THEN love to himself as q man, and then
tuGht them Of the Low Of God,
~. The religion Of Christ has two
divisions: 1t is a religion Of divinity and
worships God; Il Is a religion OF human.
ity and worshps man. The Christian
worship OF man. however, is Of the ideal
man, tbs potential man, whose promise
it seeks to fulfil The worship OF man
thus results in the service OF man.
II was this that Jesus eounselled.
His example was 10 the Same effect.
He conceived his mission as one Of So
cial service. He was Amounted TO preach
the gospel to the poor, to proclaim de-
liverance to the captiyes, to set at lib.
erty those who were bruised. The teach
ing and practice OF the apostles were
in limo with Jesus; 1--WE that are strong
ought to bear the ipfirmities of the weak
and not to please ourselves The church
has taught the same, even at times
when ecclesiastical and doctrinal inter.
ests have tended to overshadow it. And
the present watch word, Back to Jesus.
is resulting in again putting the en-
phasis on life, an ethical life, life Of
social, brotherly service as the express
sion and outworking Of religion.
So And the time has come when the
acceptance of the Christian religion Of
divinity waits upon the proof, the prac-
tice, the exempliheaton of the Christian
religion Of humanity.
ut is the social era of the world,
the masses of men have risen for recog-
milton. Their turn has at last come,
And the age of humanity demands 4
religion OF humanity; an impulse and a
power which shall work for and work
out conditions of human brotherhood;
whose sponsors and advocates have been
tude does not ask of the church a better
peach good news to the poor, TO set al
liberty those who are bruised and abus.
ed.
Whether Christianity is religion OF
divinity ia, for the moment, without
pertinence; the absorbing, crucial ques-
ton Isl rs it a religion Of humanity?
Do its followers love the brothers whom
they see in the midst of all their illsg'
The proving of Christianity as a relig-
ion Of humanity is the tremendous pres
ent day demand.
This means that the church, as the
representative of Christ, Is now on trial
Her right. not only to eternal life, but
to continued earthly existence and pow.
er, must be justified by neighborly deeds
and social servicA. She must throw her
influence on behalf OF brotherhood She
must use her possessions, her prestige
and her power to bless the power. She
must exemplify the brotherly spirit and
the brotherly conduct,
"And the manifest decline of doctrinal
and devotional interest may be the prov
idential way Of nagnifying before her
the timely Importance Of the practical,
the ethical and the social. The multi
tuded ocs not ask Of the church better
creed, more ardent worship or u larger
number Of worshippers. But il asks