The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-09-21
IN THE RELIGIOUS WORLD
What the Church Folk Are Thinking About and Doing.
Religious News From Elsewhere

make plain to them individually was
supreme. Alongside of this no other
mans scruples could stand for a
minute. The principle of Christian
liberty is greater than any detail Of
practice. Upon this fundamental pro-
position Christian teachers should
%squarely plant their feet. The mod
ern tendency, happily growing weak-
er every year, to regulate the Chris
tian's life in matters Of detailed prac-
tice by ecclesiastical prescriptions
finds no warrant in the New Tesla
ment. One mans compunctions may
not bind another mans conscience.
Christ is not honored by machine
made and marked disciples. Liberty
is essential to life.
It was a grave responsibility, how
ever, which Paul placed upon the
Christians Of Corintn when he accord
ed to them this unprecedented meas
ure of independence and liberty. His
safeguard was that he made clear
that liberty should be animated by
love. If each man thought first OF
the others welfare, n Of the profit
of the many, he could afford to live
by this royal law Of freedom. Paul
put 1t in these words: - also please
all men in all things, not seeking
mine own profit, but the profit of the
many. that they may be saved That
is a controlling principle lii unto
the magnetic pole, which draws the
mariners needle ever toward the
north.
Social Law and personal Liberty"
Any man who does utterly as he
p}eases amid his fellow-men IS an
anarchist. The law rightly lays its re-
straining hand upon such. Selfishness
is ~unsocial. He who serves himself
first cannot serve his fellow-men.
When the rule is every man for him
SELF the result is not that n devll
gets the hindmOst, but that he gets he
foremost. Pre-eminence in seif-seek-
ing is supreme sin. Let it be written
plainly and beyond all misunderstand-
ing that whatsoever is seeking his own
ways, regardless of his nelghbors well
fare, is an offender against all laws,
human and divine. Christian liberty
looks first to the welfare OF its fellow
men.
h opens the door to all the legis-
Iation that is of late attracting atten-
ton in restraint of special privilege.
Nobody thinks that he can do as he
pleases with respect to smallpox or
measles or sc wage or the keeping Of
pigs. Neither can he do as he pleases
with respect to strong drink. The
enlightened judgment Of odern So
ciety is hat the liquor traffic as a
whole is inimical to the community.
The local option success that have or
late been recorded in all parts of the
land are merely n sign of the in
creased Specialization of our times
They Indicate tina selfish and ndivid-
ual personal ligerty'' must be subor-
dinated to the prosperity and safety
of the whole mass of mankind. In
other words, the reign Of brotherhood
is supplanting the reign of predatory
s~elfishneSs.
The Highest Law.
What it means concerning society
today that so many altruistic senti-
ments are being enacted into civil law
may not here be indicated. The theme
is possible of indefinite expansion. The
day of brotherhood is ~dawning. For
there is a higher law than this one of
brotherhood. It solves all social and
personal problems. 1t is the master
key to all locks. Paul laid down this
law to the Corinthian Christians. 1t is
the best life motto that can be adopt
yet eat or drink, or whatsoever we do,
do all to the glory of 0
There is the knightliest mission that
can enlist the service Of high souls.
There is defined a career worthy of
an immortal. In his sentence is point
ed out the surest, clearest line along
which nan can serve his generation
and the generation unborn. Whose
lives for Gods glory cannot help serv-
ing mans weal. Whatsoever con-
forms tC that test meets all lesser
requirements. The best society con-
ceivable is that wherein the glory Of
God is the supreme objective Of
man.
WORLD-WINNERS AND
THEIR WAYS